" No attempt to decipher it is
undertaken, because no doubt it was never intended to be read. Yet a
plausible elucidation is at hand. The single notch, let it be said,
represents a black who wishes to let five white fellows (who have made
inquiries in that direction) know that a corrobboree is to begin before
sundown, the setting sun being represented by the broad arrow, which
seems to dip over the end of the stick. The guests are expected to bring
rum to produce a bewildering, unsteady effect upon the whole camp--none,
big or little, but will stagger about in all directions and finally lie
down. On the other hand the guests are not to bring "one fella"
policeman with handcuffs (the cross), otherwise all will decamp--the two
last are seen vanishing into space. By a rare coincidence this very free
interpretation could be made to apply to an actuality at the time
the "letter" was received, but as a matter of fact it came from quite a
different source to the black fellow who had engaged to let some
students of the aboriginal character know when the next corrobboree
would take place. It still remains undecipherable. My investigations do
not support the theory that the blacks are capable of recording the
simplest event by means of a system of so-called picture-writing, but
rather that message-sticks have no meaning apart from verbal
explanations.
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