48 



ROOK DRAWINGS IN QUEENSLAND. 



surface of detached boulders of a hard dark colored rock." 

 They occur also, " pricked out. and not scratched or cut and 

 generally, but not always, are shallow and not easily discern- 

 able." — (J. D. Putman in Proc. Davenport Acad. Nat. Sc., 

 1875, vol. i. p. 14). 



I have referred especially to these American illustrations 

 because they present much in common with the subject of my 

 remarks. The figures too are often conventional signs, and it is 

 not a little curious to meet with ones similar in form to these 

 from a Queensland locality. — (Proc. Davenport Acad. Nat. Sc. 

 vol. i. PI. xxviii., fig. 4., and PI. xxix, fig. 8). 



Rock engravings have also been previously shown to exist in 

 Australia. 



G. Krefft, in 1873, sent to England a copy of a few sketches 

 found in the neighbourhood of Sydney, engraved on rocks, and 

 representing fishes, whales, birds, and a few men. — {Nature^ vol. 

 ix., 1874, p 322). 



Peschel, in 1874, writes of " remarkable etchings an inch in 

 depth on the East Coast," instancing those at "Camp Cove, near 

 Sydney, where ruce outlines of men and animals may be discerned." 

 — (Races of Man, 2nd Ed„ Eng. Trans. 1876, p. 332). 



Brough Smith, in 1878, mentions "sculptured rocks on the 

 South Head of Sydney, near Bondi, where men, sharks, fish, etc., 

 are carved on the flat sandstone rocks." — (Op. Cit. vol.i. p. 292). 



Sir Charles Nicholson, in 1879, at a meeting of the Anthro- 

 pological Institute (March 29th), referring to stone engravings 

 near Sydney, — rude carvings of animal forms, especially kang- 

 aroos, and fish — takes occasion to mention their occurrence at 

 various points between Cape Howe and Moreton Bay. 



-From all these descriptions the inference is unavoidable that 

 the respective authors are deaHng with figures which without 

 hesitation they can refer to known objects or classes of objects. 



As a further instance I wish to refer you to some figure 

 (PI. XII) a drawing of which has been in the Queensland Museum 

 without history, since 1876 The originals are engraved on a 

 sandstone rock or rocks, in the bed of the Burnett River, at 

 Bingera. I need scarcely point out the interest which resides in 

 these. They resemble some of the ones I am more immediately 

 concerned with, and although the objects to which they refer may 

 be inferred, they are further evidence that this custom of rock 

 engraving had a sufficiently wide extension. 



Australian Rock-drawings, whether painting or engraving, 

 may I think, be classed either as : — 



I. Idle scratchings without further significance. 



