Their Weapons Consisted Of Spears, Barbed
And Plain, Brought To A Sharp Or Broad Point; Woommeras, Throwing-Sticks,
And Boomerangs
Of several shapes, also a bundle of fire-making implements,
consisting of two sticks about two feet long, the one
Hard and pointed,
the other softer, and near one end a round hollow, into which the hard
point fits. By giving a rapid rotary movement to the hard stick held
upright between the palms of the hands, a spark will before long be
generated in the hole in the other stick, which is kept in place on the
ground by the feet. By blowing on the spark, a little piece of dried
grass, stuck in a nick in the edge of the hollow, will be set alight and
the fire obtained.
As a matter of fact this method is not often used, since, when travelling
from camp to camp, a firestick or burning brand is carried and replaced
when nearly consumed. The gins sometimes carry two of these, one in front
and one behind, the flames pointing inwards; and with a baby sitting
straddle-legs over their neck and a cooliman under their arms make quite
a pretty picture.
Amongst the ornaments and decorations were several sporrans of curious
manufacture. Some were made up of tassels formed of the tufts of boody's
tails; other tassels were made from narrow strips of dog's skin (with the
hair left on) wound round short sticks; others were made in a similar
way, of what we conjectured to be bullock's hair.
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