Narrative Of The Overland Expedition Of The Messrs. Jardine, From Rockhampton To Cape York, Northern Queensland By Frank Jardine And Alexander Jardine
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All Spears Are Thrown
With The 'wommera', Or Throwing Stick.
A rudely made stone tomahawk
is in use among the Cape York natives, but it is now nearly
surperseded by iron axes obtained from the Europeans.
I have seen no
other weapons among them; the boomerang and nulla-nulla (or club) are
not known.
15. The greatest ingenuity which the natives display is in the
construction and balancing of their canoes. These are formed from
the trunk of the cotton tree ('Cochlospermum') hollowed out. The
wood is soft and spongy, and becomes very light when dry. The canoes
are sometimes more than fifty feet in length, and are each capable of
containing twelve or fifteen natives. The hull is balanced and
steadied in the water by two outrigger poles, laid athwart, having a
float of light wood fastened across them at each end - so that it is
impossible for them to upset. A stage is formed on the canoe where
the outriggers cross, on which is carried the fishing gear, and,
invariably, also fire. The canoes are propelled by short paddles, or
a sail of palm-leaf matting when the wind is fair. Considerable
nicety is also shown in the making of fishing lines and hooks. The
former are made from the fibres of a species of climber very neatly
twisted. The fish-hooks are made of tortoise-shell, or nails
procured from wreck timber. They are without barbs, and our
fish-hooks are eagerly sought for in place of them.
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