54 



that the Fijians in a similar way employ the trunks of banana- 

 palms to assist them in their swimming. 



Native Art. 



liock JJiawinfj-'i. — In 1841 Sir George Grey published* 

 reproductions of drawings he found in sandstone caves on 

 the Glenelg River in the north-west of Australia, and about 

 these much discussion! has taken place as to whether they were 

 the work of aborigines or not. The recent discovery, however, 

 of similar designs, in the Kimberley district, by F. S. Brock- 

 man:'; and party places the question beyond dispute. The 

 drawings certainly demonstrate a greater' deveflopment of 

 talent than the average Australian blackfellow is usually 

 credited with ; and that this fact may be originally due to 

 contact with shipwrecked sailors is supported, among othei-s, 

 by Dr. F. M. House§ and Professor Klaatsch.^I 



As a very general remark, the drawings of the natives 

 under consideration in the present paper, though of the 

 same type as found throughout Australia, may be classed a 

 step in advance of those of the central and southern tribes, so 

 far as they have been placed on record. In the same way, the 

 music and rhythm of the chants of the northern tribes may 

 be said to be a little more pleasing to the ear than those of 

 the Central Australian. 



At Blunder Bay, on the Victoria River, east of Endea- 

 vour Hill, a low cave, or rock shelter, was discovered in the 

 quartzite range on the river frontage. The numerous mortars 

 fashioned on the slabs of rock for grinding ochre, utensils, 

 soot-covered walls, and food remains showed that this cave 

 has been, and is still, a frequent meeting-place of the blacks. 

 The sides and roof of the cave were covered with many rock 

 drawings, the most conspicuous of which are represented on 

 pis. xi. and xii. 



* Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West 

 and Western Australia, London, 1841. Plates republished by T. 

 Worsnop. Pi-esidential Address, Section Ethn. 'and Anthrop., 

 Austr. Association Adv. Science, vol. vi.. 1895; and Ihe Prehis- 

 toric Arts, Manufactures, Works. Weapons, etc.. of ihe Abori- 

 gines of Australia, Adelaide, 1897. 



t Vide Remarks on the Probable Origin and Antiquity of the 

 Aboriginal Natives of NeAV South AN'ales. by a Colonial Magistrate 

 (Hall), 1846: Brough-Smyth : The Aborigines of Victoria, vol. i., 

 1878, p. 289: J. Matthew: The Australian Aborigines: Jourr.. 

 Roy. Soc, N.S.W.. 1889. vol. xxiii., p. 414. 



t Kep. Expl. N.W. Kimberlev, 1901, Perth: by authority, 

 1902. 



§ Appendix C, of Rep. Expl. N.W. Kimberley, 1901. 



IT Zeitschrift fur Ethnologie, 1906, p. 787. 



