MALLERY.] AFRICAN MESSAGES. Billo 
other soldiers, upon Abeokuta in March, 1852, D., one of the native Christians and 
defenders of his town, home, and family, was taken captive and carried to Dahomey, 
where he suffered much for a long time. Whilst waiting for weeks to know the 
result his wife received the symbolic letter which conveyed the following message : 
The stone indicated “health” (the stone was a small, common one from the street) ; 
thus the message was: ‘‘As the stone is hard, so my body is hardy, strong—i. e., well.” 
The coal indicated “gloom” (the coal was a small piece of charcoal); thus the 
message was: ‘As the coal is black, so are my prospects dark and gloomy.” 
The pepper indicated “heat” (the pepper was of the hot cayenne sort); thus the 
message was: ‘‘As the pepper is hot so is my mind heated, burning on account of 
the gloomy prospect—i. e., not knowing what day I may be sold or killed.” 
The corn indicated “leanness” (the corn was a few parched grains of maize or 
Indian corn); thus the message was: ‘‘As the corn is dried up by parching, so my 
body is dried up or become lean through the heat of my affliction and suffering.” 
The rag indicated ‘worn out;” thus (the rag was a small piece of worn and torn 
native cloth, in which the articles were wrapped) the message was: ‘As the rag is, 
so is my cloth cover—i. e., native dress, worn and torn to a rag.” 
A tooth brush may indicate ‘remembrance ;”’ thus: It is a well-known fact that 
the Africans in general can boast of a finer and whiter set of teeth than most other 
nations. And those Europeans who lived long among them know from constant 
observation how much attention they pay to their teeth, not only every morning, 
but often during the day. The tooth brush made use of is simply a piece of wood 
about 6 to 9 inches long, and of the thickness of a finger. One end of the stick, 
wetted with the saliva, is rubbed to and fro against the teeth, which end after 
awhile becomes soft. This sort of tooth brush is frequently given to friends as an 
acceptable present, and now and then it is made use of as a symbolic letter, and in such 
a case the message is: ‘‘As I remember my teeth the first thing in the morning, and 
often during the day, so I remember and think of you as soon as I get up, and often 
afterwards.” 
Sugar may indicate ‘‘peace and love;” in the midst of a war this good disposition 
was made known from one party to another by the following symbol: A loaf of 
white sugar was sent by messengers from the native church at A. to the native 
church at I., and the message was: ‘As the sugar is white, so there is no blackness 
(i. e., enmity) in our hearts towards you; our hearts are white (i. e., pure and free 
from it). And as the sugar is sweet, so there is no bitterness among us against you; 
we are sweet (i. e., at peace with you) and love you.” 
A fagot may indicate “fire and destruction;” when a fagot (i. e., a small bundle 
of bamboo poles, burnt on one end) is found fastened to the bamboo fence inclosing 
a compound, or premises, it conveys the message: ‘‘Your house will be burnt 
down”—i. e., destroyed. 
Powder and shot are often made use of and sent as a symbolic letter; the message 
is to either an individual or a people, viz: ‘““As we can not settle the quarrel, we 
must fight it out” (i. e., ‘‘ we shall shoot you, or make war upon you”). 
A razor may indicate “murder.” A person suspected and accused of having by 
some means or other been the cause of death of a member of a family, the representa- 
tive of that family will demand satisfaction by sending the symbolic objects, viz, a 
razor or knife, which is laid outside the door of the house of the accused offender 
and guilty party, and the message is well understood to be: ‘‘ You have killed or 
caused the death of N., you must kill yourself to avenge his death.” 
’ 
The following examples indicate a still further step in evolution by 
which the names of the objects or of the numbers are of the same sound 
as words in the language the significance of which constitutes the real 
message. This objective rebus corresponds with the pictorial rebus so 
common in Mexican pictographs, and which is well known to have 
