THE NATURAL SCIENCE JOURNAL. 
39 
labor, but as the first two of these arti¬ 
cles are not of the least value to the 
natives, and the third is of the lightest 
possible kind, the tool works well enough 
for its purpose. A perfect specimen of 
this saw is not often seen in this country 
(England), as the blackboy flakes off, 
and allows the teeth to drop out of their 
place. Even in my owm specimen, which 
has been carefully tended, the wax has 
been chipped off here and there, while 
instruments that have been knocked 
about carelessly, scarcely a tooth is left 
in its place. Owing to the pointed end 
of the handle, the saw can be used after 
the fashion of a dagger, and can be em¬ 
ployed like the warpoo, for the ascent of 
trees. 
Knives and daggers were made by the 
natives of Australia in the forms common 
to prehistoric knives and daggers all over 
the world. The method of fastening 
them to a handle, however, was peculiar: 
the base was inserted into oue end of a 
bunch of vegetable fibres, the whole was 
then bound firmly together by a lashing 
of string made of reeds, and firmly 
cemented with the “ blackboy ” gum. 
Some of the tribes, notably those in 
Western Australia, have rudely flaked 
and chipped knives, mostly of quartz 
which in addition to the ordinary uses of 
knives, such as opening shell fish and 
skinning game, are used, as are also sharp 
pieces of shells, in the observance of a 
certain rite of circumcision customary 
among them. 
Suitable stone for working up into im¬ 
plements is rather scarce in Australia, 
hence its place is taken to a great extent 
by hard wood, shell and bone. Thus it 
happens that comparatively only a small 
proportion of the lance, spear and arrow¬ 
heads were made of stone. 
The spears or pikes were made with 
several heads, usually three or four in 
number, making a kind of a rude fork¬ 
like weapon. Very few of these had 
heads of stone, most of them being of 
hard wood, and the tail-bone of the sting 
ray. Spears of this kind are of consider¬ 
able thickness and quite heavy ; the lances 
or light spears are extremely slender and 
very light in weight, the shaft is also 
frequently quite crooked, one in my pos¬ 
session being very much so. There are 
two forms of stone heads in the lances : 
one is the usual form, found among all 
savage tribes, and consists of a chipped 
siliceous stone bound tightly to an end of 
the shafts; the other form, sharp bits 
of stone (obsidian was undoubtedly used 
when obtainable) are cemented with 
“blackboy” gum, precisely in the man¬ 
ner described in making the saw. The 
Australians were very skillful in throw¬ 
ing the weapons either from the hand or 
with wummeras or throwing sticks, by 
the aid of w^hich they can throw spears 
to a distance approximating a hundred 
yards with great accuracy. Bows and 
arrows were not so extensively used as in 
many primitive races. The arrowheads 
were made principally of bone and hard 
wood. 
Clear quartz crystals were greatly prized 
as talismans. In passing, it may also be 
noted that the natives of Australia were 
wonderfully proficient in throwing stones, 
simply from the hand, and without a 
sling. 
(to be continued.) 
