The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-08-16
AUSTRALIAN MESSAGE STICKS.
They Served as Vouchers in Primi-
tive Forns of Trade.

They Served as Vouchers i'm Primi-
tive Forns of Trade.
Considerable mystery has always at
tached to the so-called ''message-sticks'
used by natives OF Australia, bearing
marks that are eften supposed TO take
the place Of written characters in the
transmission of Information. There Is
no doubt that these curiously marked
sticks are carried by messengers from
one body of natives to another, but it,
is asserted by Walter Roth. who writes
on the subject in one OF the ethn0graph-
teal bulletins of the Queensland gov
eminent, that they do not serve In
themselves to convey information, but
are merely used for purposes of iden-
tification. Says Mr.. Roth, as quoted
In Knowledge and Scientific News:
The limited quantity and portability
of natives personal goods offer little
or no opportunity for the use of prop
erty marks. Ii weapons are of the
same cut, there are minute, yet suffi-
Gent, differences which are recogniz-
able to the owner; even if similarly
ornamented, no two are SO alike that
they cannot be distinguished. In
general way, each having sufficient for
his own wants, and no person having
more than another. there is nothing tn
thieye and hence the lenity with which
theft, even when Ii occurs is regarded
Only in cases Of trade and barter
through an intermediary. where it is
essential that one individuals goods
should be distinguished from another's.
Is there necessity for a definite prop-
erty mark. this fixing the form OF
so-called letter or .message-stick.' I'm
der such circumstances the stick NAV
be put into use as follows: Charlie.
residing at Boulia, wants, we will say.
some pltufi, but being prevented by
sickness or some other cause from 90
Ing himself, sends some relative or
friend Peter to the nearest market nm
the Mulligan River to get some for
him. and gives him 'message-stick.
Arrived at last at his destination.
Peter is asked his business, tells who
has sent him, hands over the stick
and establishes his bona fdes. The
bagful Of pitirl being at last forth
coming, the vender returns the stick
to Peter, but not before taking careful
mental note of 1T, SO as to be sure of
recognizing 1t again. Peter returns at
last to Charlie at Boulia, and deliy-
ers up both pturi and stick. 1t now
ms 70 nx.ffs 70 g. A.
turf with spears, boomerangs, etc. If
be can prevail on Peter to take q sec
ond trip, all well and good, but IL not.
as Is usually the case with so long a
Journey, he either proceeds himself or
sends another messenger with the goods
fore. He. or the second messenger. ar
irving at the Mulligan, finds the ven
der and gives him the spears. boomer
angs, etc.. together with the stick
Recognizing the latter, the seller ac-
cepts the various articles in payment
for the bagful of pituri which he part
ed with some few weeks previously,
knowing now that he has been paid by
the right person, probably personally
unknown to him. e., the sender of
the original STICK
Mr.. Roth states his absolute convic-
ton that the marks on the sticks do
not convey any communication, in the
ordinary sense of the term; the same
message may accompany different
sticks, or the same stick different mes
sages, and the stick may bear no marks
at all. He goes on:
II have been given a stick to take
with a certain message to another dis
trict, and purposely mlslaid it tenn
porarily, In order TO secure another
specimen. Again, secondhand sticks
may be used over and over again by
strangers, who certainly have had no |
knowledge of the original manufacture
ers. Sometimes broken twig is suf-
fcient, without any incisions whatever,
and l have often seen piece of tea |
tree bark, or even a rag, just tie1 |
sound and round with Irvine. to consti-