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[Page 39]
it was cut pretty long, the Bark was then turned
down and a fire mad under it and the
fire kept going untill the bark got pliable
it was then turned over and all the loose bark
was taken off and the two ends were gathered
up and bound round with a strong vine and
a good lump of worked clay stuffed in to prevent
the water from geting in, two sticks were cut
the proper length and put in so as to keep the
top open, some clay was put in the middle to
put a fire on as they never went about without
a fire stick, they were crankey things, I never made
an attempt Whites that I have known have told
me that when they tried they went head first
into the river, but I think some of the first sawyers
must have used them as there was an old Sawyer here
called Tullenback by the Whites & that is a corruption
of "Towenback" canoe was"Towen" Untill we had
a boat we used two cedar logs fastened togeather
to cross the River when to high for walking over
I never heard of or saw a Black use anything
to cure them if they were ill, that may perhaps
arise from their not having anything to boil water
in and they only had what were called "Coolamans"
I don't know where the wood came from - it was
not the wood used by the Manning River Blacks for it
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