June, 1906.] 



KNOWLEDGE & SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



455 



so as to be sure of recogriising: it again. Peter returns 

 at last to Charlie at Boulia, and delivers up both pituri 

 and stici<. It now remains for CharHe to pay for the 

 pituri with spears, boomerang^s, ilc. If he c;in prevail 

 on Peter to take a second trip, all well and good, but if 

 not, as is usually the case with so long a journey, he 

 either proceeds himself or sends another messenger 

 with the goods and the identical ' message-stick ' as 

 before. He, or the second messenger, arriving at the 

 Mulligan, finds the vendor, and gives him the spears, 

 boomerangs, iS.c., together with the 'stick.' Re- 

 cognising the latter, the seller accepts the various 

 articles in payment for the Ijagful of pituri which he 



be used over and over again by strangers, who certainly 

 have had no knowledge of the original manufacturers. 

 .Sometimes a broken twig is sufficient, without any 

 incisions whatever, and I have often seen a piece of tea- 

 tree bark, or even a rag, just tied round and round with 

 twine, to constitute the so-called letter. To put the 

 matter plainly, the message is taken verbally, the stick 

 serving only to accentuate the bona ffdes of the 

 messenger; if the messenger is known to both parties, 

 no stick is sent. On the other hand, there is a more 

 or less uniformity recognisable in the shape of the 

 slicks manufactured in different areas; the flat feather- 

 shape of the Boulia district bears a strong contrast to 



p.uicd with some few weeks prcxiously, knowing now 

 that he has bven paid by tin- right person, probably 

 personally luiknown to him — i.e., the sender of the 

 original ' stick.' 



" I am absolutely convinced that the marks on the 

 so-called letter- or message-sticks do not convey the 

 slightest intimation of any communication, in the 

 ordin.'irily accepted sense of the term, from sender to 

 receiver; this view is based mainly on the grounds that 

 the same message may accompany different sticks, the 

 same stick may accompany different messages, and the 

 stick may bear no marks at all. 1 have lx;en given a 

 stick to lake with a certain message to another district, 

 and piuposely mislaid it temporarily, in order to secure 

 another specimen. .Again, ' secontMiand ' slicks may 



the squared form of the letters met further Xorth. Oc- 

 casionally, the stick may be atlixed with twine to a 

 handle, carried vertically in front, and the suggestion 

 has been offered that this expedient is resorted to when 

 the messenger is tra\elling through hostile country, so 

 as to give him immunity for trespassing; my experience 

 is that, under such circumstances, he would avoid any 

 risk of being seen by travelling only at night. I have 

 often seen a civilised black boy, on the road, holding in 

 front of him a short twig, in the split extremity of wjiich 

 an envelope, >lc., has been inserted; at a distance it 

 resembles a flag somewhat." 



We reproduce one of Mr. Roth's photographs of 

 message-sticks. There are many other forms, but 

 these appear to be as characteristic as any. 



