WEAPONS. 31 



brought in to secure the desired shape. With tough 

 hide, or sinews from the kangaroo, he sews up the 

 ends, which he also plasters with mud or gums. If he 

 is in a hurry, and if it is at that season of the year 

 when the bark peels easily, a very good canoe can be 

 constructed in an hour. Considerably more time than 

 this is, however, usually taken. 



It is very seldom, indeed, that Australian natives 

 make any other than bark canoes. The bark of the 

 red gum, the white gum, or blue gum, or almost any 

 other kind of eucalyptus, is chosen. 



The woods of Australia are much more difficult to 

 work than the woods of America, being harder, closer 

 grained, and more gnarled. Besides, the natives are 

 far from loving anything that implies hard work. 



WEAPONS. 



The principal weapon is the spear. Some of those 

 intended for war are eight or nine feet long, and weigh 

 about four pounds. Some of these have barbs ex- 

 tending a foot or so back from the point, others are 

 jagged with sharp flints or pieces of quartz fastened 

 into grooves with gum. 



For the chase they have much lighter spears, gener- 

 ally thrown with the aid of the wommera, an instru- 

 ment very much resembling in shape a lady's crochet- 



