Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-07-11
AUSTRALIAN MESSAGE-STiCkS
Served as Vouchers in the Aborigines'
Trade.

Considerable mystery has always
attached to the SO-called message
sticks" used by natives Of Australia,
bearing marks that are often sup
posed to take the place Of written
characters in the transmission of in
formation. There is no doubt that
these curiously marked sticks are car
riei 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 autographed
bulletins Of the Queensland Govern
ment, that they do not serve i'm them
selves to convey information. but are
merely used for purposes of identifica-
ton. Says Mr.. Roth. as quoted in
knowledge and Scientific News:
"The limited quantity and portability
of a natives personal goods offer little
or no opportunity for the use of prop
erty marks. If weapons are Of the
same cut there are minute yet
sufficient differences which are recog-
nizable to the owners; even if similar
ly ornamentcd. no two are 50 alike that
they cannot be distinguished In
general way, each having sufficient for
his own wants. and no person having
|
thieve, and hence the levity with which
theft, even when it 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 a necessity for a definite prop
elty mark. this taking the form of a
so-called letter or message stick
Under such circumstances. the stick
may be put into use as follows: Charlie,
residing at Bouia, wants. we will say,
some pituri but being prevented by
sickness or some other cause from 60
iEg himself. sends some relative or
friend Peter to the nearest market, on
the MulliSan river. to get some for him,
and gives him a message stick Ar
rived at last at his destination. Peter
is asked his business. tells who has sent
him, hands over the stick and estab-
fishes his bona fides. The bagful of
pturi being at last forthcoming, the
vcnder returns the stick to Peter. but
not before taking careful mental note
of it. SO as to be sure of recognizing ii
again. Peter returns at last to Charlie
at Boulia, and delivers up both pituri
and stick. 1t now remains for Charlie
to pay for the pturi with spears.
hnomerangs. etc. If he can prevail on
Peter to take a second trip, all well and
good. but if not as is usually the case
with 50 long journey. he either pro-
coeds himself or sends another messen-
ger with the goods and the identical
message stick as before. He. or the
second messenger, arriving at the Null
ligan. finds the vender and gives him
the spears, boomerangs. etc, together
with the stick. Recognizing the lat
ter. the seller accepts the various arti-
cles in payment for the bagful of
rituri which he parted with some few
weeks previously. knowing now that he
has been paid by the right person,
probably personally unkonwn to him
i. 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 |
messages. and the stick may bear no
marks at all. He goes on:
81 have been given stick to take |
with certain message to another dis |
trict. and rurroselv mislaid 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
know ledge of the original manufacture
ers. Sometimes broken twig is
sufficient without any inciSions what
ever and have often seen a piece Of |
tea-trce bank. or even rag. just tied
round and round with Irvine. to con-
Stitute the so-called letter. To put the
matter plainly. the message is taken
verbally. tho stick serving only to ac-
Centuate the bona fiideS of the meSSen-
ger: if the messenger is known to both
parties no stick is sent. On the other
hand. there is more or less uni
formty recogriza bic in the shape of
the sticks manufactured in different |
areas: thn nat feather shape of the
Poulia district hears a strong contra st
to the squared form Of the letters met
farther north. Occasionally the stick
may hc affixed with Irvine to handle.
carried vertically in front and the
suggestion has been offered that this
exDcd,cnt j. rcSortcd to when the mes
scnC'r is travelling through hostile
country. 20 as to give him immunity for
trceraS@inG: my experience is that. I'M
der erIch circumstances he would avoid
any risk Of being soon by travelling
only hy night I have often seen
civilizod black bcv. on the road. holding
in front Of him a short twig. in the
Srlit extremity If which an envelope.
etc. In" been inserted: ut distance 1t
resembles a flaE somewhat"