Title: A reference to the absence of message sticks among the Kurnai
Description: In the matter of message sticks I have been at work for a long time. I have secured some which I will send to you. After I have made careful drawings of them for future use. I have not yet found one instance where the marks upon them convey any meaning by the blacks from which [insert] whom [end insert] they have been obtained. They say the marks are only for ornament and that the “stick” is more of a token to accredit the messenger. This does not disprove the positive statements made eg by Mr Dawson that in some places the marks have a meaning. So far I cannot find an instance either in South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales or Victoria. Message sticks were not known to or used by the Kurnai. The messenger sometimes carried a boomerang, shield or spear as a token from the sender of the message. —Howitt, A. W. 1882. “Letter from A.W. Howitt to Edward B Tylor, 21 January 1882.” In Transcription of Box 12: Howitt correspondence Tylor papers Pitt Rivers Museum manuscript collections Part 1. Cambridge: Pitt Rivers Museum.
Item type: negative text reference
State/Territory: VIC
Linguistic area 1: Chirila: Kurnai Austlang: S68 - GUNAI / KURNAI Glottolog: gana1278
URL source 1: http://web.prm.ox.ac.uk/sma/index.php/primary-documents/primary-documents-index/414-howitt-tylor-papers-prm.html
Data Entry: Piers Kelly