220 



extremity slightly sharpened by grinding, which was employed 

 by the women, without any handle, in notching the bark of 

 trees up which they climbed in an ingenious manner in search 

 of the opossum." [xxvi., p. 148.] 



At a later date [xxvn., pp. 339, 340] Dr. Tylor was able 

 to trace the particular specimens on which Dr. Davis founded 

 his statements, and has proved, definitely, that the supposed 

 Tasmanian implement, 'sharpened by grinding," was not 

 Tasmanian in origin, but a typical "tomahawk" of Australian 

 Aboriginal workmanship. 



On the disputed question as to whether the Aborigines 

 of Tasmania hafted their choppers, or ground the edges of 

 their tools, the Royal Society of Tasmania instituted inquiries 

 from all reliable sources. At a meeting of this Society held 

 on June 10, 1873, the members, after a general discussion 

 on the subject, recorded their conclusions in the terms, ."The 

 general belief of the Fellows present was that the stone axe 

 with the handle attached was never used by our natives until 

 taught by those from the neighbouring continent." [xxn., 

 pp. 22-25; see also xxvl, p. 146. J 



At the following meeting of the Society an important 

 letter, written by Mr. Jas. Scott, was read, and was followed 

 by the official statement, '"'All enquiries on the subject of the 

 stone implements of the Tasmanian Aborigines tend to prove 

 that no true tomahawks were known to, or fabricated by them. 

 They merely used sharp-edged stones as knives. These were 

 made sharp, not by grinding or polishing, but by striking off 

 flakes by another stone till the required edge was obtained. 

 As a general, if not invariable rule, one surface only was 

 chipped in the process of sharpening." [xxu., p. 25.] 



The confusion seems to have arisen from the fact that, 

 about the year 1822, a number of Australian blacks were sent 

 [from New South Wales to Tasmania. The latter probably 

 took some of their stone implements with them and, in inter- 

 course with the Tasmanian natives, imparted to them the 

 knowledge of improving the cutting edges of their stone, 

 implements by grinding, and also showed them the advantages 

 of mounting their choppers in handles. Dr. Noetling has 

 described and figured [xvi., xv.] some ground pebble-stones 

 which he refers to Aboriginal workmanship, not designed for 

 tools of any kind, but as "sacred" or "magic" stones. On 

 the further point, as to the general idea that the Tasmanians 

 trimmed their cutting tools on one side only, Dr. Noetling has 

 shown that there were exceptions to this rule, and gives figures 

 of several examples in which the trimming has been done on 

 both sides of the edge; "but," he says, "this class of imple- 

 ment is very rare." [xiii.] 



