Notes on Aborigines by William Scott, 1871-1928 - Page 12

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with spear and woomerah all poised ready -
when the school was within striking distance the
leader would cry out muli  (now) and
the spears would all be launched
together and it was seldom any failed
to strike a fish - They had many queer
superstitions connected with fishing - To have
any luck one must not eat any fruit
before going on a fishing excursion nor have
any bloodwood gum on one's hands touch
emu flesh or feathers or even look at one - It was the custom
in certain cases when a girl was intended to be a
specially clever fisherwoman when she grew up
to sever the little finger of the left hand
at the second joint and to throw the severed part
into the water - the idea being that the fish
would eat it and ever after be attracted to
the line held by the owner of the hand from which
it came - One old servant Fanny was one of
these women and certainly she was a wonderfully
clever fisherwoman -

For use in the manufacture of their spears and
other weapons they always kept on hand a good big
lump of grass tree gum - much better than pitch for the purpose - admirably suited to the purpose