512 PKOCEEDINGS OF SECTION F. 



The movements of the manager, of the police, of the ration-rart, of 

 natives themselves, of mobs of cattle, horses, and sheep, are con- 

 stantly indicated. The message in question conld, cenceiva'^ly, be 

 smoke-flagged by the use of seven code words, used in the native 

 fashion, terms in constant use in the region, e.g : — 1. '• Almerta- 

 boss" (meaning headman, master, owner); 2, "Crown Point" 

 (localities have code-signals) ; 3, " With comrade " (also an idea 

 in constant use) ; 4, " In wheelbarrow " (every wheeled veiiicle is 

 termed a wheelbarrow in Central Australia); 5, "Nanto" 

 (horse); 6, "all swallowed up" ("Le., all killed outright); 

 7, " Dicliika " (devil, i e., railway engine) So reading: — The 

 Almerta boss belonging to Crown Point, with a comrade in a buggy, 

 with a horse, are killed by a railway engine. Not one of these 

 terms is unusual there. The novelty of the idea of such action on 

 the part of the natives is the chief difficidty in the way of the 

 acceptance of the fact by their white critics. Amongst white 

 dwellers in those regions it is no novelty. It must be remembered 

 that such long distance messages are repeated again and again, as 

 the distance to be traversed requires. The 321 miles or so, e.g., of 

 the present illustration might require a dozen or fifteen repetitions. 

 Further illustrations might, be abundantly multiplied, but space 

 will not permit ; sufficient has been presented to show the marvel- 

 lous skill of the aborigine as a signaller. 



As to any practical use which, in the interests of civilisation n)ay 

 be made of the natives' smoke signals : — Australia, owing to its 

 physical characteristics, must for many years to come, as to its 

 central regions, be occupied by a sparse, scattered population. 

 Travellers, bushmen, and carriers in the regions where waters are 

 few and far apart will always have use for a system of smoke 

 signals, by which to convey messages across the long distances of 

 the remote interior, where other means is not available. For 

 example, let the ordinary dark column of smoke be selected as the 

 code signal for the bush, indicating " distress." If made an 

 "interrupted" signal it would be the more efficient. In native 

 fashion let the same signal-form be used as the " reply smoke." 

 A man, for instance, is lost in the bush, is ill, or is perishing from 

 thirst, and is miles away from any station or from help. Let him 

 now raise from the material at his hand tiie interrupted dark 

 smoke signal, and keep it sliowing until replied to and he is 

 rescued, and let him stay by his smoke. Ere long his gladdened 

 eyes will sight the welcome "• reply " smoke rising, and saying to 

 him, " Your distress-smoke is seen and help will reach you soon." 

 How different the position of this " done-up" bushman from that 

 of so many distressed men who to-day perish miserably and alone, 

 only because these cannot say, as the intelligent aborigine similarly 

 placed does say — " One fellow sit down ill; send a man." Making 

 use of native methods, our bushmen and police might gainfully 

 adopt a few simple code signals for use in the bush, just as the 



