On Bathurst Island a favourite amusement of the younger folk on a breezy day is to collect the light globular seed-heads of the “spring rolling grass” (Spinifex hirsutis), that grow on every sandhill near the coast, and take them to the beach to release them on the hardened sand. Driven along by the wind, these seeds travel over the surface at no mean pace. Allowing them to gain a fair start, the children bolt after them, endeavouring to overtake them and pick them up from the ground while dashing past at full speed in “cow-boy” fashion.
In the same locality the children assemble on the beach and compete in running and long jumping.
The Arunndta and Dieri children collect the dry tussocks of the “roly poly” (Salsola kali) upon a windy day and take them to a big clay pan. There they liberate them, and, as the wind whips them over the level ground, the youthful gang makes after them with toy spear or boomerang, each endeavouring to either stake a tussock with the first-named weapon or shatter it with the latter.
In the Fowler’s Bay district the tussock is replaced by an artificial target, such as a ball of fur-string, which is rolled over the surface by an elder.
The Arunndta boys on the Finke River cut discs out of the bark of eucalyptus trees, which they roll over the hard ground and chase with toy spears. In the same district I have seen the bark disc replaced by an iron ring the boys had been given by a teamster; this was carefully kept in one of the huts and only produced when the lads were at liberty and felt inclined “to tilt at the ring.”
PLATE X
1. A juvenile “blonde,” Aluridja tribe.
2. Ponga-Ponga gin carrying pet opossum on her head while on the march.
A modification of the game was observed in the Humbert River district, Northern Territory. Two parties, of about half-a-dozen each in number, take up positions opposite each other and about a chain or chain and a half apart. A circular piece of thick green bark is thrown overarm by a member of one party swiftly towards the other, so that it strikes the ground a little distance in front of the latter and rolls along the ground past them. The waiting party stand in a row, with their spears poised, and each in succession rushes forward to pierce the rolling disc by hurling his missile at it. If one is successful the fact is immediately announced by loud cheering. Then one of the party, who have thrown, returns the disc in a similar way to the opposite side whilst several of his fellows collect the spears for the next turn. Thus the players are alternately “active” and “passive.” Special short wooden spears are used, about five feet long, pointed at one end. The disc is shaped out of an irregular piece of bark by biting off the angular points until a more or less circular piece is obtained. Men and youths play for hours at a time at this game, which they call “gorri”; and even children are tolerated by them, although the last-named are often growled at and told to keep out of the way ([Plate XIII], 1).