| Coordinates WGS84 | 26°29'S, 147°58'E -26.48, 147.97 |
Title: A message stick reference in an article (1897)
Description: Interpretation of a message stick in 1897 newspaper article "Message Sticks"
Message: It [the stick] consisted of two crosses near the left end, two wavy lines, and then three crosses near the right end. The letter read from left to right, the meaning of the marks being this: The two crosses represented the gins in Mitchell, the wavy lines their journey to Morven, and the three crosses the happy family, now united in Morven, where, let us hope, they enjoyed plenty 'possum, sugar-bag," and other bush delicacies." (p. 3)
Creator of Object: Sender: "Mitchell aborigine, one 'Billy'" Recipient: "old fellow Mary in Mitchell" (p. 2)
Date Created: 1897
Notes on date created: terminus ante quem
Item type: positive text reference
Subtype: traditional
State/Territory: QLD
Linguistic area 1: Chirila: Gunggari Austlang: D37 - Gunggari Glottolog: kung1258
Linguistic area 2: Chirila: Mandandanji Austlang: D44 - Mandandanji Glottolog: mand1417
Notes on linguistic areas: The message stick travelled from Morven (Gunggari linguistic area) to Mitchell (Mandandanji linguistic area)
Source types: newspaper article
Coordinates: 26°28'59.199600"S,147°57'57.999600"E (-26.483111, 147.966111)
Notes on coordinates: Exact coordinates for Mitchell, Queensland
URL institution: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article108878379
Data Entry: Olena Tykhostup, Piers Kelly