MESSAOES AND ''MESSAGE STICKS."— HAMLYN-HAKKIS. 



21 



Text-flgure 5. 



The obverse and reverse sides of a Queensland message stick. 

 (No. Q.E. 16/870; 131 mm. x 10 mm.; loeaUty unknown.) 



A roughly fa.shioned and untrimraed stick made of ironbark, containing 

 a message with reference to a long jonrney. The flat obverse side only contains 

 a long sinuous line and a very short one, together with one notch on the side 

 of the same. On the reverse there are a number of irregularly placed lines 

 producing in the manner of their arrangement a roughly carved diamond-shaped 

 figure, so characteristic of message sticks. 



Text-figure 6. 



Two sides of a Southern Queensland message stick. 



(No. 972; 119 mm. x 14 mm.) 



This stick is an exceptionally interesting one, and is made of the white 

 gum which grows along wateix-ourses, but is not actually round; it is distinctly 

 marked, and the peculiar diamond-shaped figures with a centre cut (one with 

 two) have undoubted phallic significance, and is the only stick of this kind 

 which has come into our possession. 



There are altogether 10 representations of the vulva indicating the number 

 of females to be operated upon at the ceremony, and about 35 straight lines 

 denoting the men, the isolated grouping indicating the number of eligibles from 

 each locality. 



