see these whetstones in collections, although they are as plentiful 

 as the hatchets ; the reason being, I think, that they are not so 

 easily distinguished on the ground, and are passed by unobserved 

 where a hatchet would be seen and picked up. 



Handles. — The handle was made either of a tough vine, or 

 part of half a sapling of suitable thickness, which had been split 

 longitudinally down the middle, and placed in hot ashes to make 

 it flexible. The piece of vine, or wood, was doubled, and in the 

 loop thus formed the axe head was gripped, and secured with cord 

 made from the bark of certain trees, or strong sinews of the 

 kangaroo's tail. A gum which exudes from the stems of certain 

 trees was applied to the binding to keep it secure in its place. 

 This gum or resin was warmed at the fire, and worked till it was 

 soft enough for use. In some cases a suitable piece of wood was 

 obtained, and split at one end so as to receive the head of the 

 hatchet, which was then fastened by cord and gum as just stated. 

 The handle tapered almost to a point at the end to be held in the 

 hand ; this was done so that it might be of use in pushing it under 

 the edges of bark in stripping, to force it off the tree, or for 

 similar purposes. Brough Smyth states that the natives of the 

 northern tributaries of the Darling River did not in all cases 

 attach handles to their stone hatchets, but sometimes used them 

 by holding them in the hand. 



Use. — These stone hatchets were used to cut saplings employed 

 in the building of gunyahs, &c, and for stripping bark from trees, 

 for various purposes. They were also used in cutting notches in 

 trees for the purpose of climbing ; in cutting holes in the boles 

 and hollow branches of trees to get out opossums and other 

 animals, or to obtain the honey out of native bees' nests. In 

 cutting these holes, the natives always chopped with the grain of 

 the wood, instead of across it as a European would do, widening 

 the aperture laterally until it was large enough for the purpose 

 required. This method was adopted because it was easier to 

 remove the chips in that. way than by cutting across the grain, 

 which would have been difficult with these primitive tools. One 



