MESSAGES AND "MESSAGE STICKS."— HAMLTN-HASRIS. 



17 



Badu. — E. M. Zahel kindly writes as follows : — 



" In sending messages to another island a relative was chosen if jjossible, and in the 

 •case of love messages a female relative. If it were a message asking the friend or people 

 to come over to the island a piece of plaited cabbage-tree was sent; if there were need for 

 haste 3 very short piece, and if not, a piece longer, according to the urgency of the case. 



" In the case of a young man wishing to take a girl from another island he would 

 send a female relative, when possible, and would give her his anklet and armlet. If the girl 

 were willing she would wear these; if not, they would be returned by the messenger. 

 ■Sometimes the girl, when willing, would send her anklet and armlet in exchange. The man 

 would also send a message as to when to expect him to come and fetch the girl. The days 

 were numbered by the fingers up to two hands and then the numbering repeated. ' ' 



Text-figure 1. 



Pig. A, Anklet. Fig. B, Armlet. 



' Tiapuru. ' " 



"The anklet and armlet are called 'Tiapuru' (also recorded by A. C. Haddon (10) ), 

 and when sent as a love message 'Musura.' The piece of cabbage-tree used to denote time 

 is called ' Buruwa. ' 



" In sending the news of a death to another island the man who has been the master of 

 I'eremonies at the funeral was chosen. He was called a ' Marget, ' he would take a stick, 

 which was evidently a special stick and only used on these occasions — the only way they 

 seemed to have used a stick for messages — and when the people of the island were assembled 

 and sitting down, he would go next to the chief friend of the deceased and push the stick 

 into the ground, at the same time asking if so-and-so (mentioning the name of the deceased) 

 ivere there. The people would immediately know he was dead and start to wail. This custom 

 was practised at Badu last month. A girl had died very unexpectedly in Thursday Island 

 and her brother brought the news over to the father. The boy went to the father and asked 

 him if the girl was with him. The father knew at once that she was dead. ' ' 



