284 TlMEHRI. 



ornament, the loose tassels of the tibisiri fibre are stained 

 red, and a touch or two of other colour is sometimes 

 added by tying on a few bright feathers. 



In the above description the essential parts of the 

 whip have been carefully distinguished from the orna- 

 mental. It will easily be understood, remembering the 

 nature of the materials used for these two parts, that the 

 former, the handle and the lash, are of a very tough and 

 enduring nature, while the mere ornamental parts are of 

 very perishable nature. When, therefore, after the 

 game is ior the time over, the whips — or some of them, 

 for I think only a few are ever so treated — are buried, 

 the ornamental parts must quickly decay, while the 

 handle and lash endure. It is these latter which are dug 

 up on the occasion of the next playing of the game and are 

 then, under the name of " macquari grandfathers" 

 (Macquareetchi), placed (I am not sure that they are 

 actually used on this second occasion) among the whips 

 to be then used. 



It is as though the vitality of the sport were preserved 

 from occasion to occasion ; as if the macquari of one 

 generation, reduced we might almost say to skin and 

 bone, looked on, as a grandfather might, at the play of 

 the macquaries of the next generation — surely a curious 

 and characteristic idea, and one which may obviously 

 have given rise to the idea that the game has the nature 

 of a funeral rite. 



Two wooden whistles are made, about three inches long, 

 roughly carved and painted to resemble plovers — whistling 

 birds be it remembered. These are, 1 think, used by the 

 two chief male players More of these instruments may 

 sometimes be made and used, but I know of no case. 



