The history of mankind (1896) (14740946216)

Identifier: historyofmankind01ratz (find matches)
Title: The history of mankind
Year: 1896 (1890s)
Authors: Ratzel, Friedrich, 1844-1904 Butler, Arthur John, 1844-1910
Subjects: Ethnology Anthropology
Publisher: London, Macmillan and co., ltd. New York, The Macmillan co.
Contributing Library: Wellesley College Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Wellesley College Library



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e chosen, which are straightened in the fire, slightlycharred, and hardened at the end. This is the simplest form ; the first improve-ment consists in making a hole for throwing with the help of a throvving-stick.Besides this the spear-bearer generally has in his sheaf some spears provided withbarbs ; a two-pointed piece of wood is attached by sinews to the spear point insuch a way that its lower end projects barb-wise. These barbs are carried loosein a pouch until the hunting-ground is reached. Their use in war is prohibitedamong the Australians in Port Lincoln. A shorter, thicker spear, as a rule notmore than a yard and a half long, is used for spearing fish. In North Australiaa short light javelin for small game occurs. All the other spears, however, arehurled with a throwing-stick called wommera or zvumera, in South Australiaalso midla; this is from 20 to 30 inches in length, smaller in the south than inthe north, consisting in a flat piece of hard wood furnished at one end with a
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Wooden spears, mostly from North Australia ; the second and third from the right are fish-spears-one-fifth real size. (British Museum and Berlin Museum). 2 A 354 THE HISTORY OF MANKIND hook, while at the other end is fastened a lump of resin and a piece of quartz, ora tuft of opossums hair, so that it may not slip out of the hand in the act ofthrowing. In the royal museum at Leyden there is a cylindrical throwing-stick,probably from North Australia, ornamented at the handle end with a bunch offringes made of human hair, the hook at the other end being fastened with thebalsam of Xanthorrhooa. The hook, usually a kangaroo tooth, is laid in the hole