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fringe. Their weapons consisted of spears and merus, the same 

 as those previously seen, but the stone at the end of the latter 

 seemed to be inferior (not made of flint, chalcedony, or chert), 

 and the short, carved stick was also similar to those seen 

 previously. A number of large water-bowls were left by them 

 near tlie waterholes ; some of these were made of the thick bark 

 of the Desert-gum, taken from the bent part of a tree, so 

 that they were naturally shaped, the others were carved out of 

 wood. There was also a circular pad left behind made of twisted 

 fur string, that is evidently used for carrying these water-bowls 

 on top of the head. Sinailarly shaped pads made of coarse grass 

 I had noticed near Camp 33. These were seemingly only made 

 for temporary use, and discarded afterwards. 



?,rd October, 1891 (Eraser Range).— There were a number of 

 natives of both sexes near the station, some of the women with 

 small children at their breasts, which the doctor photographed. 

 The race here is a very poor and miserable representation of the 

 human stock, owing no doubt mainly to the scanty food supply 

 in this barren country. The average height of the adults is 

 scarcely more than 5 ft. 3 in. to 5 ft. 4 in. and their whole 

 appearance terribly starvation-stricken. Their limbs are almost 

 fleshless and some of the women's thighs not thicker than a man's 

 arm. The men are all circumcised and according to information 

 all subincised, but they have none of the front teeth knocked out. 

 They wear their hair either loose or tied up in a manner some- 

 what similar to the other tribes previously met with. The women 

 carry the children, when they are strong enough to hold on, in a 

 peculiar fashion, by resting them straddle-leg on the hip with 

 ■one arm round their body. The child has to hold on with its 

 legs and loops one arm through that of its mother. One of the 

 women carried a child on a piece of Eucalyptus-bark, the edges 

 of which were curled up through drying. When the children are 

 born they are rolled in ashes to dry them, and are then put into 

 such a bark cradle, in which they are carried until they are 

 sufficiently strong to be placed on the hip as just described. The 

 suckling of the children seems to be continued for several years ; 

 one youngster I saw, who could already run very well, that 

 stood in front of his sitting mother whilst sucking. A man who 

 was scarcely more than 26 years old had a wife that seemed more 

 than 60; she looked fully that age, and was the ugliest old hag 

 I ever set eyes upon. What a marked difference a regular sup- 

 ply of food makes upon their appearance was strikingly demon- 

 strated by the couple who live constantly at the station. They 

 were in good condition, and their skin looked clean and glossy in 

 contrast with that of the others, wluch was scabby or rough, and 

 dull in appearance. The keeper at the station informed 



■quite 



