SAM_AA_298_4_2_3

Title: Sketch of a message stick made by W. R. Pennifold belonging to Batjamalh region

Description: This sketch is from a letter written to N. B. Tindale dated 26 November 1927. The full letter is as follows: "Transcription of: AA298/4/2/3 Message Sticks N Territory by Pennifold Answered 2.4.28 And sent reprint E.E.T.b. Darwin Nov. 26th 1927 Dear Tindale, Probably you are wondering what has become of me as its over 12 months since I left the “Garden City” and after 5 months in Singapore managed to get a transfer to Darwin + here I am (married at last) + will be here for another 18 months or perhaps longer. Well I often think of the Entomologists in Adelaide + although I don’t get much time for collecting the wily insect I never miss the opportunity of popping an unwily Coleoptera into the odd spot of alcohol. My chief reason for pushing this pen is to let you into a little information which I acquired from an old Larakera nigger which will probably interest you. Perhaps you will recall [1] the very pleasant evening spent at the Anthropological Society’s meeting, the subject being “Aboriginal message sticks. Since my arrival in Darwin I’ve kept a sharp lookout for these “Message Sticks” but for some unknown reason they appear to be very uncommon + the only one I’ve managed to acquire – if it really is one – being one I found in the bush slighly charred by a bush fire. Nearby I also found a broken spear. I wil endeavour to sketch the stick to give you some idea of what its like. On showing it to my nigger who belongs to the Wogite tribe he unhesitatingly informed me that it had come from his country, but on being asked what it meant he said; “Him all same letter”, after several futile attempts [2] to get him to read its meaning to me he said; “No more read this one Boss.” “Can other Blackboy read him?” “No more.” This puzzled me, so I made further enquiries, but although several natives informed me that it was all same letter, none of them made any attempt to read it. The other evening I was questioning an old Larrakera boy who is far above the average native in intelligence + his English is quite good for a native. On my telling him that I knew a man (Prof. Wood-Jones) who was very interested in these sticks he wanted to know if I meant Spencer. He remembers when the Darwin-Pine-Ck railway was built, when China-town consisted of bark-huts, in fact he is most intelligent for an abo. Probably because he has [3] been associated with whites most of his life. Well, I asked him if he could make message sticks + he informed me that the message sticks his tribe made were merely tokens. Perhaps it would be better if I wrote this as the conversation actually took place. “One man he sit down + makeim stick then he burn mark on wood with red-hot wire. By-+-by he give this stick to another black-boy + tell him take it alonga so-and-so + tell him I bin send it + that I want matches, flour or anything else like that. When my friend bin receive this stick he say to boy. “Who bin sendum this one, eh?” “Berber bin sendum this one: Well what him want, eh? Then he tell him I want matches + flour.” I then told Berber (the old abo) that some blacks can read [4] these sticks the same as a white man reads a letter. “Yes I sabby that too Boss but no more alonga my tribe, or Melville Is, Wogite, Woolma Brengan boy, but black-fella longa Daly Waters, Powells Crk, Boorooloola + other side him plenty sabby.” “Can you read their message sticks Berber?” “I only sabby one fella.” “And what’s that?” “When him makum three spots that mean big row” “What big fight Eh?” “Yes, big fight.” “Well why don’t your tribe + the tribes about here make these letter sticks eh? “We no bin learn ‘em” “What about long time ago b4 white-man come here?” “No more we neber bin learn’em all about here.” “Why haven’t your tribe learnt it? “I dunno Boss.” Well Tindale you can see by that, that Christie who [5] got up that night at the meeting + said that the natives couldn’t read these sticks as he had made them himself for the blacks, was correct in what he said for he was speaking of Point Charles which is only 15 miles from Darwin, + the sticks made by those natives are not “message sticks but “token” sticks. Personally I think that this is rather a valuable piece of information + something for you to work on, if you haven’t already heard of it. You may if you wish make use of this letter at the Anthropological Socys. meeting It appears to me that this hieroglyphical art was first learnt in the South + gradually worked its way Nth. Perhaps it orginated in Victoria where the Cohuna [?] [6] skulls have come from. It would be very interesting to trace in what part of Australia this art had reached its highest standard when the white race arrived. Well Tindale I must close this, if there is anything I could do to assist you or Mr. Lea in any way, just let me know + I will be only too pleased to do it. Of course I’m now looking for an Abo who hails from the vicinity of Daly Waters who can make the real message sticks. I do hope that the above will prove of interest to you if not of any value. Give my kindest regards to Mr. Lea + his wife not forgetting yourself. Sincerely yrs. W.R. Pennifold"

Item type: image of a message stick (artefact missing)

Subtype: traditional_context

Notes on linguistic areas: 'Wogite' is equivalent to Bachamal/Batjamalh

Cultural region: TopEnd

object identifier: AA298/4/2/3

Media Files:

Data Entry: Piers Kelly