Dug out this reference material from one of the old links:

The idea of the notation is as follows: the 11 notes each have a
  name of 1 or two letters. The seven that occur in a major scale
  are d r m f s l t as you might expect. The note a semitone above
  l is called ta (and the rest aren't used in these tunes). [nb d
  is not the keynote, as these are not in major mode; it would be
  if they were]. The pitch of d is given. Bar lines are used. Each
  major stress is indicated by ":", so in 3/4 time a bar will have
  the pattern |  :  :  |. In 4/4 it's |  :  |, in 2/4 it's |  |.
  "-" denotes a rest. A note or rest lasts one unit if followed by
  another note or rest, 1.5 if followed by a dot, 0.5 if followed
  by a comma, 1.75 if followed by ., or up to the next major
  stress if followed by a colon or bar line, but . and , steal (or give)
  time from the following note (so "r .,m" indicates a crotchet
  with two dots followed by a semiquaver). Ties/slurs are indicated by
  underlining. An appogiatura is written superscript normally, but
  sometimes is indicated by brackets (which I will use). A change
  of octave is indicated by a subscript 1 (for below d) or
  superscript 1 (for above t) - I will just use * to indicate the
  octave below d. (There's lots more to it, and some of the
  forgoing will mislead you if you get into anything at all
  complicated, but that description is adequate for these tunes.)
  (I've written words under one line only).
  first tune:  (d = G natural, time 4/4)