68 
Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 
resembles some of the stone celts obtained in tbe neigbbourbood of 
Lough iN'eagh. 
The manner of fastening these hatchets into the handle is ex- 
tremely simple. The handle consists of a slip of acacia, bent round 
the stone head, which is fixed in its place by means of some red 
gum" or spinifer gum," while the two arms of the handle are 
fastened with a couple of thongs of kangaroo sinew. 
Swr^GiNG Sticks used in the Eites of Initiation. 
It is well known that in all the Australian tribes there are certain 
rites of initiation to be undergone by the boys who have reached the age 
of puberty. In the northern parts of West Australia, circumcision 
and allied rites are practised over a large district, and at certain times 
large numbers of a tribe assemble to take part in these ceremonies. 
Boys of the age of about 10 years are subjected to certain very 
painful operations, the use or meaning of which have not yet been 
fully ascertained ; and while these operations are being performed the 
men of the tribe who sit about swing around their heads flat sticks, 
such as figured in Plate ii., figs. 4, 4' and 5, 5'. These are about 
16 inches long and 2 inches wide, and about 2|- inches thick ; and a 
number of these being wound round by perhaps 200 or 300 natives, 
create a booming sound, supposed to be intended to drown the cries of 
the sufferer. 
These sticks are very jealously guarded, and I found it rather 
difficult to obtain specimens. They are always hidden away after the 
ceremony ; the men do not like even to speak of them, and no woman 
is supposed even to know of their existence or use, or can she look on 
them except on pain of death. 
In this case also the markings are peculiarly suggestive of our 
ancient Irish markings. (Plate iii., figs. 1 and 2.) Mr. P. Wake- 
man, who has had great experience with regard to Irish scribings, 
remarked their almost exactitude. It is very remarkable, and I shall 
certainly not endeavour to account for it, that we should find in this 
collection of weapons, &c., from the Antipodes the well-known circles, 
channel markings, chevrons, and squares, so familiar to all as occurring 
on Irish monuments. 
Stone Chisels (Plate i., figs. 9, 10, 11). — In these again we have an 
almost exact copy of the so-called thumb-stones or scrapers of the 
Irish flint period ; but the Australian implement is used for the 
carving of wood, not for scraping skins, as it is supposed the Irish one 
