in particular of the Port Lincoln District. 167 



as tliey make them serve for covering botli of tliem^ -vvliile tliey 

 carry them on their backs, or wliile resting they have them 

 on their laps. Those eliihlren okl enough to walk are 

 decidedly the worst oft" as regards covering, for they have to 

 run about quite naked, or be satisfied with the remnant of 

 some old used-up rug. 



]More for ornament than for any imaginable comfort, the 

 men wear a band of yarn round their heads, tying it round 

 several times, so as to leave the croAvn only uncovered by it. 

 They spin this yarn of human hair, or of that of the opossum, 

 using for the purpose a kind of spindle, about two feet long, 

 and not thicker than a goose quill, with a cross piece at one 

 end, on which they wind up the yarn spun. They turn or 

 roll this spindle on their legs, with their hands spread out 

 flat. If desirous to appear particularly decorated, they will 

 add to the above ornament a bunch of emu feathers, stuck 

 in their hair in front. 



The jNIurray tribes, in the neighbourhood of Swan Hill, in 

 a similar way spin the fibres of the roots of the club rushes 

 (Typha Shutt/eworthiiJ to any lengths, and employ it for 

 making their nets. 



On occasions of rejoicings and of ceremonies, as, for 

 instance, at the meeting of two diff'erent tribes, they add two 

 small pieces of green wood, decorated from one end to the 

 other Avith very thin shavings, and which have the appearance 

 of a white plume of feathers, and these they stick behind 

 their ears through the above-mentioned band, in such a 

 manner that the upper ends can be joined in front, and thus, 

 at a distance, they have the appearance of tAVo long horns. 

 Mr. Schurmann has seen this latter ornament only with one 

 tribe of the north-west, and it may perhaps be confined to it. 

 This ornament, together with their Avhite and red painted 

 chest and arms, arc said to produce quite the impression of 

 untamed savages. 



Frequently they attach to the end of their pointed beards 

 the tip of the tail of a wild dog, or a wallaby. A very par- 

 ticular ornament, however, they consider it to wind the 

 entire tail of a Avild dog round theu* head, just above the 

 front. 



The natives Avho come in frequent contact Avith Europeans, 

 instead of the latter ornament, make use of a rag of white or 

 red cloth, or else of even a piece of paper. 



The men ahvays Avear round the Avaist a cord, generally 

 made of their oavu hair, being first spun, and then twisted 



