Identifier: handbooktoethnog00brit (find matches)
Title: Handbook to the ethnographical collections
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: British Museum. Dept. of British and Mediaeval Antiquities and Ethnography Joyce, Thomas Athol, 1878-1942 Dalton, O. M. (Ormonde Maddock), 1866-1945
Subjects:
Publisher: (London) : Printed by order of the Trustees
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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rushes (West), or wood and turf (Victoria) (fig. 88), but stone wallshave been reported in the North-West, and a central pole inVictoria. *i,4/i gsiHiilir- C2> Fig. 92.—Wooden clubs fi-om Aus-tialia. a. Noitli-West. b, c. Victoria. Fig. 93. — Woodensword-club. Port Es-sington, N. Australia. The commonest form of canoe is a sheet of bark taken in onepiece from the tree, but canoes of several bark-sheets sewntogether are found (east and north coasts) ; dug-outs are made inNew South Wales and Queensland, and single or double out- AUSTRALIA 111 riggers, due undoubtedly to foreign influence (New Guinea), inthe north. At the time of their discovery the Australians wereliving in the neolithic stage of culture; their only implementswere of chipped and ground stone, teeth, shells, bone, and wood.After the arrival of the Europeans, beautiful neolithic spearheadswere made from glass-bottles and telegraph-insulators (Plate V).Wooden digging-sticks are used by the women to procure yams. The
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■c^ 0 V Seciio ■<giT5r-T)a Fig. 94.—Spcar-throwers from Australia. 1, 2, 3. West Australia.4. Northern Territory. 5. Now South Wales. 6. Victoria. spinifex gum and beeswax were most valuable in affixing stoneflakes and other cutting-instruments to handles, and were oftensupplemented by a l)inding of fibre-string or kangaroo sinew.Fluids were contained in vessels of skin, shell, bark, wood and, inthe north, gourds and baskets. Two-ply string is made of vege-talde fibre and hair (opossum or human), and various forms ofbaskets and net bags are manufactured. Fire is produced by friction,usually by twirling (e. g. fig. 7 d), but the sawing method is knownin the eastern and central sections of the continent (fig. 7 g). Art is 112 AUSTKALIA at a low stage, but attempts at pictorial representation ai-e found inrock drawings in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, theCentral district, and Kimlierley, as well as the ceremonial drawingson the ground performed by the central tri))es an

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