BY RICHD. HELMS. 
397 
To make a signal, a fire was lit by the side of a dry tree and 
green bushes were heaped upon the flames when these had made 
a good start. The smoke would then rise alongside of the tree as 
if it were forced from a furnace.* 
Their habitations were simply shelters made of a few sheets of 
bark put against a pole on the windy side. 
Their wearing apparel, for both sexes, consisted of two bundles 
of narrow strips of skin suspended, one in front and the other 
behind, from a belt round the waist. During wet and cold 
weather, however, they wore an opossum cloak or a mat made of 
kangaroo skins, which otherwise served for carrying the umigong, 
nulla nulla, boomerangs and hielaman in, when folded. 
The belt worn round the middle of the body consisted of a 
number of closely laid coils of string, made of twisted opossum 
fur, which was from 12 to 15 feet long. To put it on, they 
fastened one end to a tree and holding the other end to their body 
they turned round and round till it was completely wound. 
Over the forehead, and very tightly fastened round the head, a 
band about an inch to an inch and a half wide was generally 
worn by most of them. This was neatly plaited with fine twists 
made out of the bark of kurrajong, and esteemed as an adornment. 
A woman having her menses would bind a string round both 
arms, as a sign that she was to be avoided by the men. Should 
she step across some stream of flowing water whilst in this state, 
no one would drink below the place where she crossed it. She 
*It is often asserted that the natives of Australia communicate by means 
of smoke. By the manner in which the smoke is made to ascend and by 
the volume as well as by the number of columns, &c, &c. , they are 
supposed to have formulated a generally understood system of telegraphy. 
No doubt they are very expert in making smoke ascend, and carefully 
consider the state of wind and weather, understanding how to choose the 
proper material (green or dry) and how to take advantage of special local 
features, and watch the proper time of day when the signals are likely to 
attract attention. But everything is done in accordance with preconcerted 
arrangements. No generally acknowledged code exists. In my opinion 
too much has been made of the supposed elaboration of a telegraphic 
system by means of smoke signals. 
