EMB_VI_9998

Title: A message stick from Queensland held in Ethnologisches Museum Berlin, reproduced by Lumholtz (1889)

Description: Sketches of two facets of one message stick on p. 304 of “Among cannibals” by C. Lumholtz Original description from EMB catalog: "Botenholz.[...] Queensland [...] die beiliegende Skizze. Gras. Hürde für Schaafe. Thor. Auf der Rückseite bezeichen die Punkte auf Gras; für die übrigen Linien keine Aufklärung." Translation: ”[Message stick] [...] Queensland [...] the attached sketch. Grass. Hurdle for sheep. Thor. The dots on the back indicate grass; for the remaining lines no explanation" (JB).

Message: One side is meant to represent an enclosed piece of ground. There is a gate in the fence, and the dots mean grass and sheep. (p. 304)

Date Created: 1889

Notes on date created: terminus ante quem

Item type: message stick in a collection

Subtype: traditional

State/Territory: QLD

Linguistic area 1: Chirila: Warrgamay Austlang: Y134 - Warrgamay^ Glottolog: warr1255

Notes on linguistic areas: The catalogue entry has a pencilled remark: "Herbert R Central Queensland?". According to R. Sumner (Sumner, R. 1977. "‘Among cannibals’: Carl Lumholtz in North Queensland." Journal of Australian Studies 1 (1):84-90.) Lumholtz made his headquarters at Herbert Vale, an abandoned station between the Valley of Lagoons and Cardwell; in some sources it is referred to as Vale of Herbert Station. Sumner's map places this at the approximate location of Abergowrie (18°28'25.1"S 145°53'01.6"E) and this accords with Lumholtz's own address to the Geographical Society in Hamburg that he was on the Herbert River at latitude 18 degrees south. This would place Lumholtz in Warrgamay country.

Semantic domains: sd_acculturation, sd_animal_sheep, sd_fence, sd_gate, sd_grass, sd_place_ground

Dimension 1: 205mm Dimension 2: 30mm Dimension 3: 10mm

Materials: wood

Techniques: carved

Sources:

Lumholtz, Carl. 1889. Among cannibals: an account of four years' travels in Australia and of camp life with the aborigines of Queensland. New York: C. Scribner's Co.

Source types: museum collection

Institution/Holder file: Ethnologisches Museum Berlin object identifier: VI 9998

Collector: Lumholz

Coordinates: 18°28'25.100400"S,145°53'1.600800"E  (-18.473639, 145.883778)

Media copyright: Ethnologisches Museum Berlin

Notes on coordinates: Absolute coordinates for Abergowrie, approximate location of Herbert Vale Station.

URL source 1: https://archive.org/stream/amongcannibalsac1889lumh#page/304

URL source 2: https://www.flickr.com/photos/hinchinbrooklibraries/3529618141/in/photostream/

Notes: Katalog: "weight <0,1 kg Depot/Studio (Südsee und Australien)/ S:4" Photograph: "Aborigines Hut at Vale of Herbert Station 1865" from Hinchinbrook Shire Library URL of (original?) Danish publication is here: http://access.bl.uk/item/viewer/ark:/81055/vdc_000000012A50#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=420&xywh=-470%2C0%2C3887%2C2395

Media Files:

Data Entry: Olena Tykhostup, Julia Bespamyatnykh