268 



The Yilbars represented on plate 17 all show various designs, 

 which are more or less carefully engraved upon them, and are 

 very probably each made by a different native. These imple- 

 ments, which are only used during the performance of secret 

 rites, and are afterwards carefully hidden from the sight of 

 women, have undoubtedly each belonged to a different native. 

 Seeing so many various designs, it seems that these are the jjar- 

 ticular choice of the individual, which no one will copy, as it is, 

 so to say, the invention of the owner, and his special mark. The 

 ownership of each Yilbar would probably be known to every 

 adult male of the tribe by the particular markings on them. 



That any special symbolic import is attached to the engravings 

 on the Yilbars does not seem to me very probable, because there 

 is no distinct repetition of any design to be found upon them ; 

 all that they have in common is a kind of leaning towards a 

 zigzag character in many of the carvings. 



Speaking from memory only, I think the Yilbar seen at Frasei- 

 Range was not nearly so well carved as the Murchison examples. 



That there is such a marked difference in the development of 

 the tendency to beautify their goods and chattels between tribes 

 that live under much the same conditions, and have so many 

 identical rites and customs, is rather an extraordinary fact. It 

 must be considered a proof of an intellectual superiority of the 

 Murchison tribe, which their manners and customs would not 

 otherwise indicate. 



The Wp:apons, Implements, and Uten.sils 



Been with the different tribes encountered durinc/ tlie journey ; 

 with descriptions. 



\. WARRINA. WANGARABUNNA TRIBE. 



At the Camp near the Warrina Creek I observed some blacks 

 engaged in making boomerangs. Sitting on the ground with the 

 left leg turned under, they hold the piece of wood to be worked 

 at by one end in the left hand, resting the other end on the 

 ground, where it is grasped between the big and the other toes 

 of the right foot. Whilst held in this manner the piece is shaped 

 by means of a stone chisel held in the right hand, the arm being 

 steadied at the elbow against the knee of the right leg. 



All the boomerangs I saw wore of the large kind, such as are 

 used for throwing along the ground, and sometimes called fight- 

 ing boomerangs. The blacks had none of the smaller, more bent 

 kind, used for throwing in the air, and which return to the 

 thrower. 



The weapons and implements observed are : — 



Speae, made of a thin stick of hard wood in one piece about 



