PAPUAN NATIVES

Hokitika Guardian, 7 December 1929, Page 2

PAPUAN NATIVES

MESSAGES WITH STICKS. FIRST SIGN OF WRITING. SYDNEY, Nov. 28. Investigations of recent murders in Papua have led to the discovery of what is believed to be the first step toards a system of writing among the natives of the tenitory. Interesting facts relating to the disovery are contained in a report that has been received by the Government authorities from the Lieutenant-Governor (Sir Hubert Murray). Siy Hubert Murray's report says that Rerewaka, a- native of the village of Dacota, on the Turama River, reported that at the Kikori station, when lie returned after being absent for four days, lie found that two women and two girls of his household had been decapitated, and that his two sons had disappeared. A Government official (Air Austen) and police set out in pursuit of tire murderers, and after travelling for several days they came across some ,‘■(ticks and .leaves that were arranged in a peculiar fashion. Sernwnka, the native .interpreted this as a message. Two of the sticks, he said, represented the sage adzes of the married women. The smaller sticks represented the sage adzes of the two girls. A bow, with small arrows attached, gave the idea of a small boy’s toy bow. Calamus leaves on the sticks were the mark of the men who left the message. Thus, according to Air Austen, the whole message read: “We, the Oberi. have killed two women and two girls. Two small boys *are with us and they are alive. Como, if you dare.” Mr Austen could not discover why. it was that tlie two boys must be alive, except that it. had something to do with the ways in which the arr ws had been placed. The fevit that the arrows wore tied to the bow was probably meant to convey that they had not been tired. Moreover, it was a fact that; neither the Oberi nor tbo Kasors killed small children. “The incident.” said Sir Hubert Murray, “seems to -be of interest ns it indicates tlie first stop towards a system of writing. I am not aware of any other system of pictography in Papua.”