AWH1889P330F17

Title: Sketch of a message stick from Queensland reproduced by A.W.Howitt (1889)

Description: Sketch of a message stick by Harry E Aldridge (fig. 17) in Howitt's 'Notes on Australian message sticks', later reproduced as fig. 10 on p. 704 of Howitt's 1904 "The native tribes of southeast Australia"

Message: He [Mr. Aldridge] said, I assume that I am a black fellow living at some place distant twenty to thirty miles from some friend to whom I desire to send the following message-' I am here five camps distance from you. In such and such a time (say ten days), I will go and see you. There are so and so (naming them) camped here with me. Send me some flour, tea, sugar, and tobacco. How are Bulkoin and his wife, and Bunda.' Having my messenger by me, I should then prepare a message stick, say a piece of wood, six inches long, half an inch wide, and on it I should make the following marks shown in the sketch. " (a). Five notches representing the five stages (camp) distant from the recipient of the message. [324] " (b). A flat place cut in the edge to show a break in the message. " (e). Ten notches representing the time in days after which the sender will visit his friend. "(d). Eight notches representing the eight people camped with the sender. "(e). Four notches representing the articles asked for. "(f). A flat place representing anotherbreakin the message. "(g) Three notches representing the three people asked after. "Having made these marks and explained them to my messenger, I should carve the end of the stick to make it ornamental, and then give it to him for delivery." "(a). Five notches representing the five stages (camp) distant from the recipient of the message. (b). A flat place cut in the edge to show a break in the message. (e). Ten notches representing the time in days after which the sender will visit his friend. (d). Eight notches representing the eight people camped with the sender. (e). Four notches representing the articles asked for. (f). A flat place representing another break in the message. (g) Three notches representing the three people asked after." (p.325) "Message stick as used by the Turribul tribe in Queensland, representing a message from one man to another. One-fourth scale." (p. 332) "The following will give an idea of the manner in which a message-stick is prepared and used in these tribes. It is figured in Fig. 44, No. 10. It is assumed to be from a blackfellow living at some place distant twenty to thirty miles from where some friend is camped, to whom the sender desires to inform of the following message " am here, five camps distant from you. In such and such a time I will go and see you. There are so and so with me here. Send me some flour, tea, sugar, and tobacco. How are Bulkoin and his wife and Bunda?" Having his messenger beside him he would make the marks shown. Five notches represent the five camps (stages), distance to the recipient ; a flat place cut on the stick shows a break in the message ; ten notches the time after which the sender will visit his friend ; eight notches the eight people camped with the sender ; four notches the articles asked for ; another flat place on the stick shows another break in the message ; and three notches the three persons asked after. Having made these marks, and having explained them to the messenger, he carves the ends of the stick to make it look ornamental, and gives it to him for delivery." (Howitt 1904, 695)

Creator of Object: As an illustration of this means of sending a message, Mr. Aldridge sketched a message stick and gave the following particulars. The sketch has been reproduced in fig. 17, Plate XIV. (Howitt 1889, p. 324)

Date Created: 1889

Notes on date created: terminus ante quem

Item type: fictional message stick

State/Territory: QLD

Linguistic area 1: Chirila: Turubul Austlang: E86 - Turrbal Glottolog: yaga1262

Notes on linguistic areas: The message stick is associated with the Turribul tribe in Queensland: "Message stick as used by the Turribul tribe in Queensland, representing a message from one man to another" (p. 332) A message stick called "Kabūgabŭl-bagerū" (p. 323)

Term for 'message stick' (or related) in language: kapukapul pakaru ("Kabūgabŭl-bagerū")

Sources:

Howitt, A. W. 1889. “Notes on Australian Message Sticks and Messengers”. The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland 18. [Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, Wiley]: 314–32

Coordinates: 27°31'15.898800"S,152°54'33.001200"E  (-27.521083, 152.909167)

Notes on coordinates: Chirila centroid coordinates for Turubul

URL source 1: http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-26171094

URL source 2: https://archive.org/stream/nativetribesofso00howiuoft#page/694/mode/2up

Notes: PK: This sketch was drawn by Mr Aldrige (non-indigenous) and the artefact is apparently fictional, but compare Howitt's own comments on this in 1904.

Media Files:

Data Entry: Olena Tykhostup, Piers Kelly