AND WEAPONS. 147 



superseded by others, hollowed out of the trunk of a 

 tree, which they procure ready-made from the 

 Malays, in exchange for tortoise-shell, and in return 

 for assistance in collecting' trepang. 



The aboriginal weapons are clubs and spears, — of 

 the latter the variety is very great, there being at 

 least fourteen distinct kinds. Then' clubs are three 

 in number, made of the tough heavy wood called 

 walUru, a kind of gum-tree, the iron-bark of New 

 South Wales ; one is cyhndrical, four feet long, 

 tapering at each extremity ; the other two, of 

 similar length, are compressed, with sharp edges, — 

 one narrow, the other about four inches in greatest 

 width, and resembling a cricket-bat in shape. These 

 weapons on account of their great weight are used 

 only at close quarters, and are never thrown Uke the 

 waddy of New South Wales. The spears of the Port 

 Essington natives may be divided into two classes, 

 — 1st, those thrown with the hand alone, and 2nd, 

 those propelled by the additional powerful leverage 

 aftbrded by the throwing-stick. The hand-spears 

 are made entirely of wood, generally the wallaroo 

 in one or two pieces, plain at the point or variously 

 Mothed and barbed ; a small light spear of the 

 l^^^description is sometimes thrown with a short 

 ^^^^■;(!t stick ornamented at one end with a large 

 HB^of twisted human hair. The spears of the 

 second class are shafted with reed. The smallest, 

 which is no bigger than an arrow, is propelled by a 

 large flat and supple throwing-stick to a great 



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