1883.] J. Cockburn — On the recent existence o/* Rhinoceros indicus. 01 



Only one of these men appears to be absolutely naked, the others 

 appear to have on a short kilt which is elsewhere represented in this cave 

 and may have resembled the fringed kilts commonly worn by savages in 

 all parts of the world. 



All save two it may be noted wear head-plumes, a characteristic of 

 savages although our field marshals might demur to this statement. In 

 the hindmost individual this plume is of unusual size. An examination 

 of a head 3" long in which the plume is plainly shown leads me to believe 

 these plumes were coloured feathers and other objects worked into a queue 

 or scalp lock somewhat similar to those indulged in by the Nagas and 

 North American Indians at the present day. The lines which occupy the 

 head and body of the rhinoceros I have noticed elsewhere. They may 

 be intended to represent the segments into which this animal almost 

 appears to be divided by the overlapping coat of mail, but are more pro- 

 bably a conventional way of filling up blank space in a drawing. There are 

 a few other objects of interest in this cave which have not been noticed 

 elsewhere. In the hand of a plumed individual to the left of the rhinoceros 

 hunt is a spear valuable as being drawn on a somewhat large scale and 

 being in a very perfect state of preservation. [See Plate VII.] 



This spear closely resembles the mongile or double-barbed spear which 

 is a favourite pattern with the modern Australians and Polynesians, and is 

 always cut out of solid hard heavy wood.* 



A very similar spear but with eight such barbs is figured by Brough 

 Smith, in his Aborigines of Victoria. [PI. VIII, F.] 



It occurs to me at this stage that I have not yet brought forward the 

 evidence, which has led to so bold a hypothesis regarding the material of 

 "which these spears are made and will do so now. 



Stone-tipped implements of three kinds are, I consider, figured in the 

 various caves I have hitherto examined, viz : spears, arrows and stone knives ; 

 but it must not be inferred from this that iron implements are wanting. 



* With reference to the ef&ciency of wooden and stone spears for destroying large 

 mammaHa, it may not be generally known that an Australian savage has been 

 seen not only to transfix but nail a man to a tree at 30 yards with a wooden 

 chip spear thrown by the womerah. 



They readily kill Macropus major, cows and even horses belonging to the settlers 

 with these weapons and even the mighty whale succumbs to a slate harpoon-head in 

 the hands of an Esquimaux. 



Nearer home the Naga panjie which will penetrate any living thing shews how 

 effective pointed bamboo may be. It is more than probable that some of the spears 

 here represented were of bamboo. The bamboo found in the vicinity of Bedjeygurh 

 is valued at the present day for spear shafts and latties beyond all others, and having 

 had my own hog spears shafted with it I can testify to its superiority. 



