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[Page 17]
bottom about 1 ½ inches apart down the centre of the shield & two
more lines of red crossing them from side to side = with a
handle in the centre = it was convex so as to turn a spear
off from the Darkey holding it it was about two feet by 8 or
10 inches = when making one they used to set it up against
a tree & throw a spear at it = if it split it was thrown away
and another one split off the tree = it was never used
to ward off a blow = it is many years since I saw one
They always got them ready before a "Cabra ground" as there
was always a fight after that but at other times we did
not often see them = The Womera - or throwing stick was
about three feet long about ½ inch thick - about ½ wide at
the small end but was about 2 or 2 ½ inches wide at the
hand part, at the small end a peice was spliced on
to form a hook and firmly bound on with string & wax,
that was the shape here but in other parts of the Continent
they were made diferent but all on the same principal
and for the same use = to throw the spears with _ The
Womera was held in the right hand, with the thumb
and first finger free = they held the spear = the shaft of
the spear had a small shallo hole in the end of
it which was bound round with string to prevent
it from splitting = the hook at the small end of the
Womera was placed in this, and the spear was supported
by the left hand = they always gave the spear a kind of
tremulus motion before throwing it. The Womera
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