BLACKS AS FISHERMEN 197 



egg may dangle together, or in company with others, 

 from the topmost branches of some tall tree, which 

 has acted as host to the clinging vine. The handsome 

 but inconsiderate plant is turned from its purpose of 

 lending fictitious and fugitive charms to quite common- 

 place but passive trees to the office of stupefying uncom- 

 plaining fish. But the element which holds such 

 deadly enmity to the sense of the fish is not obtainable 

 by the simple primary means successful with other 

 plants. Indeed, the process is quite elaborate, and 

 goes to prove that the Australian aboriginal has to 

 his credit as a chemist the results of successful original 

 research, and that he is also a herbalist from whom 

 it is no condescension to learn. In this detail, at any 

 rate, he is distinctly an accomplished person. Portions 

 of the vine are cut into foot lengths ; the outer layer of 

 bark is removed and rejected, the middle layer alone 

 being preserved. This is carefully scraped off and 

 made up into shapely little piles on fresh green leaves. 

 One might imagine that a black boy preparing the 

 deadly "Koie-yan" was really playing at chemist's 

 shop with neat-handed scrupulousness. When a suf- 

 ficiency is obtained it is rubbed on to stones previously 

 heated by fire. The stones then being thrown into a 

 creek or a little lagoon left by the receding tide, the 

 poison becomes disseminated, with fatal effect to all 

 fish and other marine animals. 



It is pointed out, however, by Dr. Hamlyn-Harris 

 that the nature of the active principle of the "Koie- 

 yan" does not permit of elaboration by such means. 

 The heating of the shredded bark would, therefore, 

 appear to fall into line with the gibberish of ancient 

 alchemists. It would bewilder the uninitiated without 

 enhancing results. 



Many other plants supply the means of killing small 



