1. Torres Strait Numeration

2. The Voyage of H.M.S. Rattlesnake, commanded by the late Captain Owen Stanley, R.N., F.R.S. etc. during the years , by John Macgillivray, F.R.G.S. Naturalist to the Expedition.
Reporting to the Lords of the British Admiralty in 1852, John Macgillivray wrote, “The Kowraregas inhabit the Prince of Wales group: the Muralegas and Italegas divide between them Banks Island: the Badulegas possess Mulgrave Island, and the Gumulegas the islands between the last and New Guinea: the Kulkalegas have Mount Ernest and the Three Sisters: The Massilegas reside on the York Isles and others adjacent: and the Miriam tribe hold the north-easternmost islands of Torres Strait, including Murray and Darnley Islands.”

3. THE KOWRAREGAS .
“The Kowraregas speak of New Guinea under the name of Muggi (little) Dowdai, while to New Holland they apply the term of Kei (large) Dowdai. Their knowledge of the former island has been acquired indirectly through the medium of intervening tribes. The New Guinea people are said to live chiefly on pigs and sago; from them are obtained the cassowary feathers used in their dances, and stone-headed clubs. They trade with the Gumulegas, who exchange commodities with the Badulegas, from whom the Kowrarega people receive them. These last barter away to their northern neighbours spears, throwing-sticks, and mother-of-pearl shells for bows, arrows, bamboo pipes, and knives, and small shell ornaments called dibi-dibi. They have friendly relations with the other islanders of Torres Strait, but are at enmity with all the mainland tribes except the Gudang.”

4. KOWRAREGA NUMERATION 1 warapune 2 quassur 3 uquassur-warapune 4
uquassur-uquassur 5
uquassur-uquassur-warapune 6
uquassur-warapune-uquassur-warapune 7
uquassur-warapune-uquassur-warapune-warapune 8
uquassur or ipel uquassur repeated 4 times

5. quassur (2)
“The Numerals vary with the dialect more than most other words. We may fairly suppose that the Kowrarega word for two, or quassur, is the same word with the Head of Australian Bight kootera, the Parnkalla kuttara, and the Western Australian kardura, having the same meaning.”
REMARKS ON THE VOCABULARIES OF THE VOYAGE OF THE RATTLESNAKE, BY R.G. LATHAM, M.D.

6. Darnley Island Numeration1
netat 2
neis 3
neis-netat 4
neis-neis

7. Darnley Island Numeration
Although Islanders had only these number words: netat ("one”), neis ("two"), neis-netat ("three," literally "two-one") and neis-neis ("four," literally "two-two"); beyond that, they used a word meaning something like "a multitude”, Ifrah describes how "some” Torres Strait Islands "counted visually" as far as 33, or in other cases, some smaller number, like 29 or 19. This was done by referring to parts of the body, fingers, toes, wrists, elbows, ankles, knees, etc..

8. Further Numeration
While some Torres Strait Islanders had no words (according to some anthropogists) for integers above four, they could in fact be said to have been able to "count" above four, without stretching the meaning of "count" too far. Furthermore, if some of the islanders used a method of this kind that went up to 33, and others used a system that went up to 29, and still others one that went up to 19 (it's not clear if the same islander might use all of these systems, depending on the situation), that at least some of the islanders had the idea of a kind of counting process, dependent on physical associations, that might be extended even beyond 33, perhaps by using some device other than a human body -- perhaps by some kind of one-to-one correspondence process with a sequence of notched objects, or a sequence of bowls of pebbles or the like.

9. LEVI LEONARD CONANT (1896) reported:
In the Muralug Island, in the western part of Torres Strait, a somewhat remarkable method of counting formerly existed, which grew out of, and is to be regarded as an extension of, the digital method. Beginning with the little finger of the left hand, the natives counted up to 5 in the usual manner, and then, instead of passing to the other hand, or repeating the count on the same fingers, they expressed the numbers from 6 to 10 by touching and naming successively the left wrist, left elbow, left shoulder, left breast, and sternum. Then the numbers from 11 to 19 were indicated by the use, in inverse order, of the corresponding portions of the right side, arm, and hand, the little finger of the right hand signifying 19. The words used were in each case the actual names of the parts touched; the same word, for example, standing for 6 and 14; but they were never used in the numerical sense unless accompanied by the proper gesture, and bear no resemblance to the common numerals, which are but few in number. This method of counting is rapidly dying out among the natives of the island, and is at the present time used only by old people. Variations on this most unusual custom have been found to exist in others of the neighbouring islands, but none were exactly similar to it.

10. Questions for you to try please.

11. uquassur-uquassur-warapune 6 uquassur-warapune-uquassur-warapune 7 8
Have another look at KOWRAREGA NUMERATION before attempting the question on the next slide please: 1
warapune 2
quassur 3
uquassur-warapune 4
uquassur-uquassur 5
uquassur-uquassur-warapune 6
uquassur-warapune-uquassur-warapune 7
uquassur-warapune-uquassur-warapune-warapune 8
uquassur or ipel uquassur repeated 4 times

12. In KOWRAREGA NUMERATION, the number 9 would be given as:
uquassur-warapune-uquassur-warapune-uquassur
uquassur-warapune-uquassur-warapune-warapune-warapune
both of the above
D. neither of the above

13. The correct answer is D (neither of the above)
The correct answer is D (neither of the above). 9 would probably be given as uquassur-uquassur-uquassur-uquassur-warapune (8 + 1), or possibly uquassur-warapune-uquassur-warapune-uquassur-warapune (3 x 3).

14. Beginning with the little finger of the left hand, the islanders counted up to 5 in the usual manner, and then, instead of passing to the other hand, or repeating the count on the same fingers, they expressed the numbers from 6 to 10 by touching and naming successively the left wrist, left elbow, left shoulder, left breast, and sternum. Then the numbers from 11 to 19 were indicated by the use, in inverse order, of the corresponding portions of the right side, arm, and hand, the little finger of the right hand signifying 19.
Please select that body part below which would signify the number fifteen (15):

15. The number fifteen (15) would be represented by the right thumb.

16. Beginning with the little finger of the left hand, the islanders counted up to 5 in the usual manner, and then, instead of passing to the other hand, or repeating the count on the same fingers, they expressed the numbers from 6 to 10 by touching and naming successively the left wrist, left elbow, left shoulder, left breast, and sternum. Then the numbers from 11 to 19 were indicated by the use, in inverse order, of the corresponding portions of the right side, arm, and hand, the little finger of the right hand signifying 19.
Please select that body part below which would signify the number eleven (11):

17. The number eleven (11) would be represented by the right breast.

18. a What number is represented by the right elbow?
Beginning with the little finger of the left hand, the islanders counted up to 5 in the usual manner, and then, instead of passing to the other hand, or repeating the count on the same fingers, they expressed the numbers from 6 to 10 by touching and naming successively the left wrist, left elbow, left shoulder, left breast, and sternum. Then the numbers from 11 to 19 were indicated by the use, in inverse order, of the corresponding portions of the right side, arm, and hand, the little finger of the right hand signifying 19.
What number is represented by the right elbow? a

19. The right elbow would represent the number thirteen (13).
left little finger 19
right little finger 2
left ring finger 18
right ring finger 3
left middle finger 17
right middle finger 4
left index finger 16
right index finger 5
left thumb 15
right thumb 6
left wrist 14
right wrist 7
left elbow 13
right elbow 8
left shoulder 12
right shoulder 9
left breast 11
right breast 10
sternum

20. a In this system, what number would be represented by the right elbow?
Another numeration system has 29 tally points, starting with the left little finger (1) and proceeding as follows: 2 - ring finger; 3 - middle finger; fore finger; 5 – thumb; 6 - hollow between radius and wrist; forearm; 8 - inside of elbow joint; 9 - upper arm; point of shoulder; side of neck; 12 – ear; point on the head above the ear; muscle above the temple; crown of the head; from this place the count goes down the right side by corresponding places.
In this system, what number would be represented by the right elbow? a

21. Under this 29 tally point system, the right elbow would represent the number 22.1
left little finger 29
right little finger 2
left ring finger 28
right ring finger 3
left middle finger 27
right middle finger 4
left index finger 26
right index finger 5
left thumb 25
right thumb 6
hollow between radius & left wrist 24
hollow between radius & right wrist 7
left forearm 23
right forearm 8
inside of left elbow joint 22
inside of right elbow joint 9
upper left arm 21
upper right arm 10
point of left shoulder 20
point of right shoulder 11
side of left neck 19
side of right neck 12
left ear 18
right ear 13
point on the head above the left ear 17
point on the head above the right ear 14
muscle above the left temple 16
muscle above the right temple 15
crown of the head

22. References: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/12525/12525.txt