246 



times the knob is formed on top of the head instead of at the 

 back of it. A plan also very frequently adopted is to fix up the 

 hair by the application of grease and oclire, forming it afterwards 

 into strands the thickness of a finger. When this is dry and the 

 head violently shaken, or sometimes during running, a clattering 

 sound is produced. Some had very short hair from the front to 

 the crown of the head, as if it had been out ; but it mu.st either 

 have been pulled out or singed off. Others I have seen to orna- 

 ment tlieir heads by twisting the fur from the tips of animals' 

 tails into the ends of it, and letting them dangle down the back 

 of their necks. Similar pieces of fur are also sometimes twisted 

 into the beard or moustache. Tails eitlier of the dingo or of the 

 domesticated cat (Felis domestica), which has become feral in 

 certain districts, had been utilised for this purpose. Probably on 

 account of the rarity of these animals, and because of the diffi- 

 culty in catching them, tlieir fur is more prized than that of 

 others. I only saw the tip of a cat's tail used once, namely, near 

 the Blyth Range, where the animal must still be very rare. 

 ( VidK remarks about this in "Notes from my Diary" as well as 

 ,,1. 26.) 



The women pay little attention to their outward appearance ;, 

 only in .some instances have T seen them with their Iiair tied 

 back, but never made into a chignon. 



None of the tribes we encountered were covered with any kind 

 of garment ; both sexes go about in a perfectly nude state. The 

 men as a rule have a twisted hair-cord wound a few times round 

 their body that serves to hold some of their implements, and 

 which they tighten to assist them in bearing the cravings of 

 hunger. Tn (me instance only did I notice an attempt to cover 

 the person, where a man had attached some light-colored twists 

 made of opossum (?) hair to the pubes, just about long enough to 

 cover tlie penis. (PL 25.) Tt looked almost as if it were 

 meant for a special ornament r;ither than a covering, and may 

 possibly liave had something to do with one of their secret rites. 



They are, without doubt, frugal-minded and happy in their way, 

 for as long as they have enough to appease the cravings of 

 Imnger they appear merry. Towards evening they often start 

 games amongst themselves and with the boys, such as throwing 

 waddies at each other, which they skilfully parry, or evade by 

 jumping aside ; or they trundle a hoop swiftly along tlie ground 

 and throw at it. This is done as much for the purpose of giving 

 the boys some practice in throwing the waddy as to afibrd them 

 amusement. A frequent pastime during the evening round the 

 fire is the making of bird and other tracks on the flat surface of 

 a padded plot of sand. Considerable arguments arise at times as 

 to who produced the liest repi'esentations, which are generally 



