PLATE XLIX
Ochre-drawings, Katherine River.
1. Bark-drawing of dead kangaroo.
2. Bark-drawing of emu.
3. Rock-drawing of lizard.
4. Rock-drawing of fish.
When the preliminary shaping has been completed in the way described, the native first strives to obtain a perfect point, then to trim the sides. The former item is a very delicate operation which requires much patience and skill; the latter takes many hours to complete.
The method adopted for this finer secondary chipping process is after the following principle. A block of stone, about a foot cube, is used as a working table or anvil, which the Worora call “muna,” and upon this they lay a cushion consisting of two or three layers of paper-bark, called “ngali.” The native sits with the stone in front of him, and in his left hand grips the unfinished spear head (“ardegulla”) with one of its flat surfaces lying upon the cushion at the near, left-hand corner of the anvil stone. His thumb, index, and middle fingers hold the flake, the thumb being on top, the index finger against the edge, and the middle finger beneath; the two remaining fingers press against the edge of the block below to steady the flake upon the cushion. In his right hand he seizes a short rod of bone, which is sharpened at one end, and is known as “onumongul,” in such a way that the unsharpened end is securely gripped between the thumb and index finger, whilst the principal portion of the rod is pressed with the remaining fingers against the palm of the hand immediately below the body of the thumb. The sharpened point of the bone thus points towards the native’s body. Holding the implement in this position, he rests the small-finger side of his hand near the further right-hand corner of the basal block of stone, and, after carefully adjusting the point of the bone against the edge of the flake, he presses it down with the body of his thumb and skilfully snaps off a chip. The process is repeated again, and time after time, the position of the bone being constantly changed as he works along the edge towards the point. Then the flake is turned on its other side and the same method applied. As the native works, the whole of his attention is absorbed. He bites his lips together, and, when he applies leverage with the bone against the flake, he stiffens his body from the hips upwards, his eyes being rivetted to the spot from which the chip is to be removed. He frequently sharpens the point of his instrument upon the basal block of stone. Vide [Plate LIV], 2.
The most delicate final chipping of both the point and margins is executed with a thinner and more finely pointed bone, which is usually made out of the radius of a kangaroo. In districts coming under the influence of European settlement, the bone is often substituted by a piece of iron, and the stone by bottle glass or porcelain.
During the operation the native often cuts his fingers on the flake or razor-sharp splinters; the blood which follows he removes by passing his fingers through his hair. Even at this stage, when the flake is assuming a symmetrical, lanceolate shape, and goes by the name of “tanbellena,” its edge might occasionally be very carefully rubbed on the basal stone; but the final retouche is invariably given to it with the bone implement.