in particular of the Port Lincoln District. 169 



relationship witli the deceased. The black colour, in some 

 parts, is also iised for mourning:, according to Avhat Mr. 

 Schurmann has been able to ascertain, at the death of a 

 relation by marriage, while the -white is used at the death of 

 blood relations. It thus becomes evident that the natives 

 do not paint themselves in one and the same manner, but 

 differently, according to the degrees of relationship between 

 them and the deceased, which is expressed by the various 

 designs. 



The weapons of the natives of Port Lincoln arc by no 

 means so handsome and respectable looking as those of the 

 Adelaide and Murray tribes, but are quite as efficient. 



The spears are made of the stems of the young Lepto- 

 spermi (better known as the tea tree), which, hardened in 

 hot ashes, they bend and sharpen. Their usual length is seven 

 feet and upwards, the thickness at the end of the root about 

 that of the thumb; in the upper end they bore with the tooth 

 of the kangaroo a perpendicular hole, in Avhich, for throwing 

 it, they fit the hook of the wooden lever, called "^middla;'^ and 

 in order to protect the edge of the hole against breaking or 

 splitting, they take the precaution to tie it well round Avitli a 

 fine sinew of the kangaroo. Among the number of spears 

 which every adult native carries with him, they generally 

 have two or three of them ready provided with the "barb,^^ 

 and for the others they always have about them sufficient to 

 serve in case of need, and can fasten them on in an instant. 

 These " barbs " are simply a small piece of wood, of about 

 two inches long, and having a knee in the middle, so that in 

 putting one side flat on the spear, the other will project from 

 it in an acute angle ; and although it is fastened on with 

 sinews of the kangaroo only, it is so firmly fixed as never to 

 slip off, so that it is quite impossible to draw such a spear out 

 of the body of a person or an animal, and it can only be 

 broken off. On this account it is considered unfair and 

 highly blameable to employ this weapon in any fight or in 

 warfare. Besides this kind of spear, which is always thrown 

 Avith the so-called '' middla," they make use of the "^ winna," 

 about five feet long, thick and clumsy, but only for the pur- 

 pose of spearing fish. 



The " middla " is a kind of lever, by means of which an 

 increased power is created for propelling the spear witli 

 greater force than could be done with the arm by itself. It 

 is about two feet long, two inches broad; the inward side on 

 which the spear rests is scooped out a little, while the outward 



