114 STONE IMPLEMENTS OF THE ABORIGINES OF 
list of hatchets. It measures 3} x 24x {inches. It Pg 5 
ounces. The cutting edge the implement from 
presents a beautifully eget curve. It seems not to ts ave eld 
used since it was last ground and polished. These instruments are 
evidently quite fit for the work of cutting through small branches 
tage of their combined lightness and sharpness for cutting notches 
in the bark to facilitate the aboriginal method of climbing trees. 
t may be mentioned in a sentence that in sharp cutting edges the 
stone implement is very far behind as compared with an ordinary 
iron axe. If the angle subtended by the sides of the latter be set 
down at about twenty-fiv e degrees, in the case of the peniaes of 
the stone hatchets the angle rises to sixty or seventy deg 
A second class may be regarded as including five hatchets of 
much inferior character as cutting instruments. They come from 
t 
Stephens, and Lake Macquarie. None of them take on so fine a 
polish as the first class. One is merely roughly groun 
A third class may be formed of the nine remaining y hatchets, 
which are distinguished from the others by their large size. They 
are from the aterson, the Williams, and Tilligerry Cre ek, Fixing 
strongly suggestive of the device of driving stone pegs between the 
handle and the hatchet for the purpose of tightening the handle. 
Two of these implements are distinguished by being grooved as if 
for the purpose of facilitating the work of fixing on a handle. 
In one case the grooving is very conspicuous, though not so 
much so in the other. In ancient relics of human workmanship 
found in Europe stone implements occur which are grooved all 
round at the middle. These are understood to have been used as 
sinkers for nets. In the present case, the grooving being much 
Tb. $ oz. 
Three of the third or class of large hatchets are ae 
_ by another peculiarity: they have a piece knocked o 
-_ €orner so as to fit to the broad part of the thumb where i spre 
- re enti ban, ec : 
