TOOLS. 25 



oval, silicious stone, very hard, about six inches long, five inches broad, and three 

 inches thick, waterworn, and slightly hollowed on one side, as if used for 

 pounding some hard substance upon, and rounded on the other side, with a funnel- 

 shaped hole in the centre two inches in diameter at the mouth and one inch deep, 

 and having a much smaller hole of the same form on each side of the larger one 

 and joining it. The other stone, which was found lying alongside, is of the same 

 material, of cylindrical shape, six inches long by three inches in diameter, with 

 one end pointed so as to fit into the centre hole of the flat stone. The natives to 

 whom these were shown said they had never seen anything like them before, 

 and did not know their use. It is evident, however, that they were an 

 aboriginal mortar and pestle for grinding shells for cement. The writer has them 

 still in his possession. 



A tool is made of the large bone of the hind leg of the forest kangaroo, 

 sharpened to a chisel point. With this tool is cut the hole for the hand through 

 the heavy shield, Malkar. A bodkin, or awl, is formed from the small bone of 

 the hind leg of the forest kangaroo, ground to a fine point, and is used for sewing 

 rugs. A finely-tapered sharp pin Ls made of the small leg bone of the brush 

 kangaroo or opossum, and is essential for extracting thorns and splinters of wood 

 from the hands and feet. Ti-tree pins are used for pegging out the skins of the 

 forest kangaroo. 



Knives are of various kinds and material, according to the purposes they are 

 to serve. For skinning animals, marking rugs, and cutting the human skin to 

 produce ornamental wens on the chest, back, and arms, knives are made of 

 splinters of flint, or of sharpened mussel shells. The sea mussel shell found on 

 the coast at Warrnambool is preferred, but freshwater mussel shells are also 

 used. For skinning the ring-tailed opossum, and for dividing meat, the leaf of 

 the grass-tree is used, and also the long front teeth of the bandicoot, with the 

 jaw attached as a handle. The shells of the freshwater mussel and of the sea 

 snail serve for spoons. Every person carries one. In making necklaces of the 

 quills of the porcupine ant-eater, the holes at the roots of the quills are burned 

 through with a wooden pin made red-hot in the fire. 



