264 



upon 



they arc probably still unacquainted with its principles. Chil- 

 dren's drawings are always " flat," because they try to draw 

 things as they are, and not as they appear. ' However, admitting 

 that the special peculiarity of the drawing is merely accidental, 

 it cannot be denied tliat the lines are extremely graceful, and 

 must have been executed by a practised hand. 



Again the circle-within-circle design is met with, besides two 

 other delineations, that challenge explanation. 



These drawings are from an e>;tensi\-e rock-shelter near the 

 eoakage at the base of Mount Tllbillie, and depicted 

 granite. 



I'late \i. 



The locality of the.se remarkable paintings is about 30 miles 

 to tlie south from Camp 4. This point is the termination of a 

 low sandstone ridge, which, startuig at some elevated ground to 

 tlie north, extends a few miles into the .sand-drifts which cover 

 the greater part of the country. The ridge, wedges out, so to 

 say, both horizontally as well as laterally; and at its southern 

 ■end has a very distinct, almost central depression about a chain 

 wide, which is flanked by more or less vertical escarpments for 

 some distance on both sides. Near the end of one of these 

 escarpments facing the west, the paintings are exposed on a very 

 flat surface of yellowish- grey sandstone. They cover about 12 

 feet of a plane surface over six feet high, and are in splendid 

 preservation, which is particularly remarkable on account of 

 their complete exposure to wind and weather. As will be seen, 

 three colors are used in their production — red and white, 

 previously met with, and black. This black color is probably 

 produced with powdered charcoal, and as it will not form a pig- 

 ment with water, fat must have been employed with it. It is 

 not improbable that in this case fat was also used with the other 

 colors, because of their fine preservation, which could hardly be 

 expected if they were only mixed with water. 



When my eyes fell upon this painting, the impression it made 

 cannot be otherwise described than that of delightful surprise, 

 and considering that it was quite an unexpected sight, after 

 several days journeying over sandhills, this break in the mono- 

 tonous landscape produced a charm and flush of excitement that 

 was not previously experienced. 



That this is the finest sample of aboriginal iconism met with 

 during the journey of the Expedition cannot be questioned, and 

 probably nowliere else in Australia has anything superior yet 

 been found. 



No satisfactory explanation of these figures can, however, be 

 given, save that a few are intended to represent snakes, and that 

 tlie rows of Ijustard-tracks cannot be mistaken. All others are 



