I j I Kli ABLY III' Till. IWttmsUu oi ^ctliftri;uta. Ao. /)/'/•/ si o//, Ramgc ShM /~z/SJ University of California. GIFT < >K 1ST*. ■ ■■' .■'•-■■..■■■.••'••- ■■ L I B R A K V UNIVKKSJTV of CALIFORNIA. KAMILABOI, AND OTHEB AUSTRALIAN LANGUAGES, ZB"3T ttETT. WILLIAM HILLEY. B.A. OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON, AND M.A. OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY. SECOND EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED BY THE AUTHOR; WITH COMPARATIVE TABLES OF WORDS FROM TWENTY AUSTRALIAN LANGUAGES, SONGS, TRADITIONS, LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF THE AUSTRALIAN RACE. LI B R A \{ Y \ X-LX KKS1T Y oi CALIFORNIA THOMAS RICHARDS, GOVERNMENT PRINTER, PHILLIP-STREET, SYDNEY. i8 7 5- s>7 #< CONTENTS. PAGE. Prefatory Note v Kamilaroi — Grammar 3 Vocabulary 17 Phrases 39 Paraphrases 40 "Wailwun 47 Phrases 51 Kogai 55 Pikumbul 59 Dippil — Vocabulary 63 Dialogues 70 TURRUBUL — Grammar 77 Vocabulary 80 Dialogue r 88 Paraphrases 89 Turuwul — Vocabulary 99 Phrases 101 George's Eiver Language 103 "Wodi-wodi Ill "Words used at Twofold Bat 115 The Names of Australia and its Inhabitants 117 Comparative Tables of "Words in Twenty Languages 119 Traditions 135 Tales in Tharumba and Thurawal 143 Bao-illi — Songs ... 148 Habits and Manners of the People 151 Institutions and Laws... 153 Laws of Marriage and Descent 161 Bandom Illustrations of Aboriginal Life and Character 166 A Parting "Word for the Bace of Murri 171 ILLXJSTR^lTIONS. PAGE. Telopea speciosissima ( Waratah, or Native Tulip) 2 Maesilea ptjbescens (Nardoo) 62 Clianthus dampieeii (Sturfs Desert Pea) 76 Steeculia eupesteis {Bottle Tree) 116 1 6 f i I .IB1/A U\ I VKHS1TY OF CALI FORNIA, j PEEFATOEY NOTE. HE information presented in the following pages, on the Kamilar6i, Dippil, and Turrubul languages, was chiefly obtained by the author during three years' missionary effort among the Aborigines of Australia, including journeys over Liverpool Plains, the Barwan or Darling, and its tributaries, the Namoi, the Bundarra, the Macintyre, and the Mooni ; also, along the Balonne or Condamine, across Darling Downs, by the Brisbane Biver, and in a circuit about Moreton Bay. In the year 1871 the author again visited the Namoi and the Barwan, for a few weeks, at the request of the Government, in order to obtain further information on the language and traditions of the Aborigines. The shortness of the time spent in the research will account for the fragmentary character of this contribution to the Philology of Australia. In seeking knowledge of the languages, with a view to the communication of instruction to the Aborigines, the author gladly accepted the aid of colonists who, during many years' residence among that people, had learned to converse with them in their own tongue. He was especially indebted for instruction in the Kamilaroi to the Bev. Charles G. Greenway, now of Bundarra, who had lived in his youth at Colle- mungool (a Kamilaroi name, meaning, Broadwater), on the Barwan; to James Davies, blacksmith, Brisbane, who lived thirteen years with the blacks near "Wide Bay, Queensland, for instruction in Dippil ; and VI PREFATORY NOTE. to Mr. Petrie, of Brisbane, for instruction in Turrubul. Both before and after receiving this help, the author communicated with the Aborigines in the districts where these three languages are spoken ; and verified and extended, by his own observations, the information thus supplied. Limited as is the author's acquaintance with the several languages referred to, he has met with abundant evidence of their remarkable regularity, and of the exactness with which they express various shades of thought. The inflections of verbs and nouns, the derivation and composition of words, the arrangement of sentences, and the methods of imparting emphasis, indicate an accuracy of thought, and a force of expression, surpassing all that is commonly supposed to be attainable by a savage race. Their tradition concerning Baia-me (the Maker of All) as a ray of true light which has passed down through many generations, may well suggest to their Christian fellow-countrymen that this branch of the family of Man has been from the beginning an object of our Heavenly Father's preserving mercy. And for what purpose have they been thus preserved ? A practical answer to that question, as far as regards a small number of the race, has been given by the unequivocal success of the Christian missions at Poonindie and at Port Macleay in South Australia, at Coranderrk, Bamahyuk, and Wimmera in Victoria. At those and other places, where Australian Aborigines have been instructed by word and example in the Gospel which was designed for all mankind, some of them have by consistent adherence to the rule of Christian life, and by the words of rejoicing hope in death, proved the reality of their conversion to God. KAMILAEOI: The Language of the Aborigines of the Hamoi, Barwan, Bundarra, and Balonne Riuers, and of Liverpool Plains and the Upper Hunter. OF JALIFi l^amtlarot Grammar. HE Aborigines of Australia having no written language, the use of European letters to express their vocables is to some extent arbitrary. In accordance with the practice of those who have reduced to writing the Polynesian languages, five English vowels and sixteen consonants are used in this grammar, to represent the sounds hereunder attached to them. Throughout this work, in adopting the words in other Australian languages which have been furnished by the several writers to whom I am indebted for information, I have taken the liberty of spelling them according to this system, so as to compare them with Kamilaroi. a, as a, in father a as a in mat e as ey in obey e as e in net \ as i in ravine i as i in it o as o in tone b as in bad d as in do g as in goose h as in hat as o in on ii as oo in moon u as u in tun ai as i in wine ao as ow in how oi as oi in noise j as in James k as in kin 1 as in lot mas in me 4 KAMILAROI GRAMMAR. n as in no g as ng in sing p as in pin r as in rate t as in to v as in vain w «s in way y as m ye It is pronounced with more force than in English. So sharp and forcible is the native pronunciation of r in the names Yarr and Wolgerr, that those who reduced these names to writing spelt them " Yass" and " Walgett," and so they will probably be written in our maps and books to the end of the world. There is no sound of s. The nasal », written n, or TJ, occurs often at the beginning of a syllable. The letters dh are used to represent the sound of th in than. Instead of /, the sound of dy- or ty- (y being always a consonant) is often used ; that is, in words where some aborigines distinctly utter the/ sound, others soften it to ty, or even t or d. They also frequently give an aspiration after the initial consonant : thus " baia" is some- times sounded " b-h-aia." There are many words in which the sound of h and that of y are sometimes inserted. In Kamilaroi, every syllable ends in a vowel or a liquid. They avoid the sound of two consonants together, even though one is a liquid. Thus, Doctor Milner is called by the blacks " Docketer Milener." In many words the vowel interposed between two consonants is very short. Some who have reduced this language to writing call it Kamilroi, some Gummilroy ; but the aborigines insert a short sound between the I and the r. It is about equal to the sheva or half-vowel, as pronounced by Hebrew scholars; and, following the method of expressing the composite sheva in the Hebrew grammars, this word may be written thus — " Kamil a roi." The tendency of the aborigines to attach a vowel to every consonant is known to all who have observed their pronunciation of English words. They habitually soften the sound of the thin mutes, so that it is difficult to determine, in many instances, whether the consonant they sound is b or p, d or t, g or k. This accounts for the divergencies in spelling. Again, between the short vowel sounds of a and u it is often difficult to determine. "When it is remembered that miscellany, servant, banana, abundance, are pronounced by many English people as if they were spelt " miscelluny, servunt, bunana, abun dunce," or, at least, so that no stranger to the language could decide whether the vowel sound in each case was a or u, it will not appear surprising that the short vowels, and especially the half-vowels, of Kamil a roi should be differently rendered by different observers. In support of the spelling " KamiProi" in preference to " Gumilroi," it may be here added that, when pronouncing the word "kamil" (no) emphatically, the blacks give the first syllable a prolonged sound, as of a in father. NOUNS. Nouns are declined by suffixes. There are two nominative cases ; the first simply naming the object of attention, the second indicating the agent of the act described in a verb. Often, however, the agent suffix is omitted, even before an active verb. KAMILAROI GRAMMAR. The suffixes are -du. {the sign of the agent) ; -nu. {of or belonging to) ; -go {to) ; -di {from) ; -da {in); -kunda {with, i.e., remaining at rest with; this suffix is related to kundi, a house) ; -gunda or -kale {going ivith). Example. 1st Nom. : mullion, an eagle. mullionda, in an eagle. C with an eagle 2nd Nom. : mulliondu, an eagle as agent, mullioukunda, < ( at rest. ( icith an eagle Possessive: mullion nil, of an eagle. mullionkale, ] . ( m motion. Objective : mullion, an eagle. mulliongo, to an eagle. mullioudi, from an eagle. PRONOUNS. Pronouns are declined in some respects like nouns. They have distinct dual and plural forms. All the personal pronouns begin with the nasal n. I. — Personal Pronouns. 1. naia, I. 2. ljinda, thou. nai, my. yinnu, thy. ljunna, me. ljinnuna, thee. ijulle, we two — thou and I. yindfile, ye two. nullina, we two — he and I. neane, we. nindai, ye. neanenu, our. 3. ijernia, he or she. gergu or gundi, his or her. ljarma, they. guyuggun, my own or our own. The nasal at the beginning is sometimes softened down very much, especially in the second person, which is often pronounced inda. II. — Demonstrative Pronouns. ])ubbo or numma, this. ljuruma, that by you (iste). nerma or rjutta, that yonder (ille). III. — Interrogative Pronouns. andi? who? [hence the verb "anduma," tell who.] minima? which? minna ? or minya ? what ? [hence minyago ? why ?~\ minyuijgai ? how many ? IV. — Indefinite Pronouns. kanugo, all ; guno, all. minnaminnahul, all things whatever. ljarage, other; ljaragedul, another (hence ijarageduli, at (mother time). 8 KAMILAROI GRAMMAR. VERBS. The modifications of verbs are very numerous and exact. There are causative, permissive, reflective, reciprocal, and other conjugations. Eor example, from the root nummil {see) comes nummilmulle {cause to see or show) ; frombuma {beat) comes bumanabille {alloiv to be beaten). " Gir" (verily), an adverb of emphatic affirmation, is frequently used with the past indicative. " Yeal" {merely) is commonly used with the same tense, when the intention is to give assurance that the speaker having told the truth, will add nothing more as a reason or excuse for the fact. In answer to the question, Why did you come ? a black- fellow may say, "yeal yanani," I just came ; that's all. Example. { Root) goal speak. INDICATIVE. Past : goald°ne {contracted) goe spoke. gir goe did speak. Past in small degree : goahjain or goalne spoke to-day. gir goahjain did speak to-day. Past in greater degree : goalmien {or gir goalmien) spoke yesterday. Past still more : golillen spoke long ago. Present : goalda speaks. Euture : goalie will speak. " Yila" and "yerala," "soon" and "by-and-by" are often used before this tense of the verb. goahjari or goabjurri icill speak to-morrow. Sometimes "nuruko," to-morrow, is used with this tense. It is not necessary. IMPERATIVE. go'alla speak. goallawa speak ; you must and shall ! The emphasis and urgency of the command is measured by the prolongation of the syllable -wa. go'almia speak, if you can, or if you dare. This ironical imperative mood is common to all verbs. It is remarkably indicative of the character of the race — scornful and jocular ; irony is ingrained in their nature. SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD. golildai speak. Ex. : yelle ljinda go'aldai if you speak. Eor the potential they use a compound of the indicative future with an adjective : thus, — murru nai goalie I can speak. able (good) I will speak yamma ninda murru goalie ? ) > can yoit speak ? (icord of interrogation) you able will speak ) PARTICIPLES. Imperfect : go'aldendai speaking. Perfect: goalnendai having spoken. goalmiendai having spoken yesterday. goallendai having spoken long ago. 10 KAMILAROI GRAMMAR. Past : Present Future : Past Present Future : wimi put, or put dozen. INDICATIVE. wimi or gir wimi did put. wimulije or wimulgain put down to-day. wimulmien put dozen yesterday. wimullen put down long ago. wimulda puts. wirrmlle will put. wimulgari will put to-morrow. IMPERATIVE. wimulla put down. wimullawa put dozen ; yozi must ! wimulmiaor wimunnumia... put dozen, if you dare. kage take. INDICATIVE. kane took. kfuje took to-day. kamien took yesterday. kaijen took some days ago. kabaniu took long ago. kagila or kawa is taking. kage zeill take. kayari zcill take to-morrow. VERBS. 11 IMPERATIVE. kfuja take. kSnawS take ; you must and shall ! kilnamia take, if you dare. PARTICIPLE. kagillendai taking. Tai (Wither) prefixed to kane makes it mean bring : taikaga — bring. Prom yanani (icent) is derived in the same way taiyanani (came). Past : Present Puture : winun hear, understand. INDICATIVE. winurji heard. winunanain heard to-day. Avinuijulmien lieard yesterday. wmurjullain heard long ago. wmmjulda hears. winmjulle will hear. wmmjulijari will hear to-morrow. IMPERATIVE. wiimijulla hear. winmjullawa hear ; you must ! winui)ulmia hear, if you can. yamma gincla gunna wimnjulda ? {interrog.) you me understand t gir winuiji yes, I understand. gimbi or gim°bi make. INDICATIVE. Past : gim°bi made. gim bilijen made {to-day) . gim°bilmien made {yesterday) . gimbillen made {long ago). Present : ginibildona makes. Euture : gim°billc will make. gim°bili)ari icill make to-morrow. IMPERATIVE. gimbilla or gim°bildi make. gimbillawa make ! you must ! gim°bilmia make it yourself {I icon't) . SUBJUNCTIVE. gimbildai make. PARTICIPLES. gimbildendai making. gimbilgendai having made. gimbilmiendai having made yesterday. gimbillendai having made long ago. Past : Present : Future : L i n /.' ginya be, become. INDICATIVE. ginyi or gir ginyi was. gir gigge was to-day. gir gimmien was yesterday. gir gig gen was long ago. gigila or gilla is, becomes. gigi will be. gig-gari will be to-morrow . IMPERATIVE. ginya, gia, or kia be. '-V; •v li c 4Lii Oj 'o/. v/ . SUBJUNCTIVE. gindai , be ( yelle ginda yili gindai I if V ou angry be. PARTICIPLES. gindai, ginyendai, gimmiendai. DERIVATION AND COMPOSITION. Adjectives and nouns are combined for the formation of new epithets. Thus "rnuga" means blind or stupid ; " miigabinna" (blind ears) signifies deaf. Adjectives are also formed by adding suffixes to nouns. From "yul" (food) come "yiilarai" (full, satisfied) and "yulnin" (hungry)) from "kolle" (water) "kollenin" (thirsty). Prom "yinar" comes "yinararai" (having a loife) ; from " giwir" conies " giwirarai" (having a husband) ; from " gulir" comes " gulirarai" (having a spouse) — three terms for married. The suffix -arai (having) is applied by the blacks to the English word milk, to make " milimbrai" (milkers, i.e., cows giving milk). Erom "bul" (jealousy) comes "biilarai" (jealous). " -dul" is an adjective suffix; as "yaruL" a stone, " yaruldul" stony, -dul is used with a diminutive meaning ; thus, "warurjgul" mighty, "waruijguldul" somewhat mighty or strong, "narage" other, " naragedul" another; " birradul" (youth) and "miedul" (maiden), meaning having something of the boy, and having something (not much) of the girl left. Verbs are formed from nouns, pronouns, and adverbs. Thus, from "mil" (the eye) comes " milmil" (to see) ; from "andi" (who?) comes "anduma" (say who). Erom the particle "yeal" (merely ovjust so) come "yealo" (also) "yealokwai" (like) " yealokwaima" (likewise). The noun giru (truth) is evidently from the particle gir, meaning yes, or indeed. SYNTAX. 15 The names of this and the neighbouring languages are derived from the negative adverb ; thus " kamil a roi" from " Kami!" {no) ; " wol a roi" from " wol" {no) ; " wailwun" from " wail" {no) ; both "wiraiarai" and "wiradhuri" are from "wira" {no). "Plkumbul," the language spoken on the "Weir River, to the north-west of New England, is named from its affirmative, u pika" (yes). Cf. Langue d'oc and Langue d'oil, or d'oui, in France. " Pika" is the name of one of the languages of Central Africa. SYNTAX. The usual order of words in a sentence is this, — nominative, accusative, verb. Adverbs are placed before the verbs, often also before the nominative. Ex. gr. — ^yamma rjinda ijunna gummi? < {adv. of interrog.) you me saw ? \ did you see me ? gir rjai uinnuna ijummi, verily I you saw. kamil ijaia ginnuna ijummi, not I you saw. rjinda gai yaraman gummilmulla, you my horse show {make to see). After "kurria," cease, the verb indicating the action to be abandoned is in the imperative. Thus "kurria goalla," cease talking ! VOCABULARY OF KAMILAROI. I.— NOUNS. 1. Deity. God Baia-me or B-haia-me. In Wiradhuri the word is pronounced Baiamai. This name of Deity is known among many tribes on the Narran, the Darling and its tributaries. It is evidently derived, as Bev. C. C. Greenway has pointed out, from " baia," to make or build. In the ancient and still preserved creed of the Mum — " He who built all things is Baia-me." The Kamilaroi blacks say that Baia-me made all things ; that he is resting away in the far west. They never saw him, but regard thunder as his voice. Spirit, ghost, or subordinate deity wunda. In all parts of Eastern Australia the aborigines apply the word which commonly signifies spirit, demon, or angel, to the white man. About Moreton Bay " makoron" and " mudhere" signify ghost, and each of these words is applied to white men. So the Namoi and Barwan blacks call white men " wunda." 18 VOCABULARY OF KAMILAROI. 2. Man : his distinctive and relative names. man (vir) giwir woman yinar or mar {They have no word for "homo.") Australian aboriginal mum white man wunda full man borba young man who has attended i^kubura a bora young man not yet admitted ibiribirai to the bora J young man yiramurrun boy birri boy {youth) birridul boy (very small) kiriga girl mie girUSSftSSo misdul voung woman "j mamurawuri (whose breasts begin V baby kahjalorkaindul father buba mother rumba spouse (hu ti a f") dor gulir child, offspring kai son wurume daughter gumuna elder brother daiadi younger brother gulami or colami elder sister boadi or bukandi younger sister bure or boriandi uncle uncle's wife nephew karodi or kurugi pamandi wurumuijadi or kurugandi niece numunadi childless woman maredul spouseless JS^ gulir-taliba old (grey) old woman chief diria yambuli durunmi to appear) Children call their mother gum ! or gunidi ! Family names of men ippai, murri (or baia), kubbi, kumbo. Corresponding names of women ippata, mata, kapota, biltii ; sometimes pronounced ippatha, matha (or madtha), kubbothii, and budha (or budtha). NOUNS HUMAN BODY. 19 The human body : — head ( ga, or gha, or (kaoga shoulder ( walor, wullar, or I wolar hair tegul arm bunun brains forehead kombiri ljulu great muscle of) ?-pupa the humerus ) eye mil elbow dm eye-brow ljuyin or neare wrist nunuga eye-lash dinm.il hand murra nose muru right-hand side turial nostrils muyuda left-hand side warragal cheek wa or kwati thumb gunederba lips ille or kumai little finger bumbugal teeth yira or Ira knuckle biel tongue tulle finger-nails yiilu ear binna side numun chin tal • loins, waist gulur beard yare ribs turrur moustache but! heart ki or gi throat wuru or dildil lungs kaogi neck nun liver kanna breast birri kidneys mukar or mogur breast (ofivoman)qximmu. belly mubal or mobal back guria or bao-a [hence "mubalyal" pregnant.~\ [Prom biri (breast) and bao-a (bach) come " birrije" (in front) and"bao-»je" (behind).] hip mila shoulder-blade pilara thigh durra 20 VOCABULARY OF KAMILABOI. knee loo* dinblr (buiyo or ( po'iyu great toe (see thumb) { guncderba lc o blood gue calf wuruka vein buran ankle nor bone bura or burar foot dinna fat ghori heel tag a skin yuli 3. Animals. {Many animals, especially birds, are named from the sounds they utter."] adder miindar animal murulil or pundi herbs gian oak (swamp) bilfir herb (like dock)nurigul oak (forest) kubu herb ("ke mallow cdible)beran orange (wild) pumbul hill taiyul Orion («* consteiutionjberai-berai MISCELLANEOUS NOUNS. 25 X leiaCleS stellation) ( miai-miai or I murun-muran scrub (twck jungk) yiirul sedge burara path turabul seed kiilu path (short cut) wobbu pine (tree) gorari seed vessel or) > kuluman basket ) pipe-clay millamilla shrub (jciiow flower) durimaogal plain f kunil, kfmial, shrub (prickly) bindea lor gunyal shield bumai or burin plain (small) kunildul skin yuli plain (long ) \ gorarnan marshy) ) (gunakuUa or sky ] ( gunagulla play (sport) yuluge sleep nurarra post (straight) waragil smoke du potato (wild) melan spear pilar pennyroyal boiyoi stars mirri quietness tubbia stem (of a tree) worrain rain yuro or kollebari stone yarul rain how Tyulowirri or StOOl (wood for sitting on) tulu UUmligO X CIJLJJ. KJ\J IT I yulubirgi sun yarai, yiiroka river (large) biikhai sword gadelan rivulet mai-an tail tubilga sand rkumbogan or thorn bindea I gerai thunder tulumi sandalwood Tbumbal or tree (wood of) [tulu. I gar-wi any kind) ) salt-hush ninil tree (likemyal) medir 26 VOCABULAKY OF KAMILAROI. tree (another > K flTMIl water kolle or wollun species) ( IV til HI water-lily turilawa tree (another species) j yurar watercourse waterhole warumbul maian trunk or stem warrun whirlwind bull to-morrow ijuruko wind. f maier, yaragi, truth giru. or kiraol (. or biiriar '"TiJaije-kindamawa window barrie or "RJindi-kin- wing (see arm ) bunun Venus dawa (the star wing (pinion) yutar that laughs at word gurre ^ me or at you) yam kubbiai or guweai war Ilane yard (or enclosure) whunmul NAMES OF PLACES (Stations on or near the Namoi). Kollenrnngul Broad water Kurug gora Long water Wollon gora Long water Tarlldul (commonly called Drilldool) Having reeds Tarllarai Having reeds Yarrularai (commonly called Yalaroi) Having stones place of the leopard tree (Austra- lian ash) Murkudul place of oaks (murku) Wi-wha (Wee Waa) fire cast away Wolger (Walgett) high hill Buk-kulla Gundiuiaian (Gundamaine) Biridja (Breeza) Bukkitaro (Pokataroo) Bilagha (Piliga) Goraman (Graman) Worra (Warrah) Bawun (Barwan) Burl Warina (Breewarrina) Buriagal Buriagala, (Briglow) "RJamai (Namoi) Guida (Gwydir) Guniwaraldai Bukkiberai (Boggabry) Giinida (Gunnedah) Kulgoa (Culgoa) Kobada (Cobbedah) Munlla (Manilla Biver) Milli house on the stream place of fleas river going wide head (gha) of scrub oak (Bila) long plain, or glade On the left hand (** from Murrurundi) great, wide, awful (River) f trees (scrub acacia, commonly X called briglow) standing up (in V. clumps) related to the burl place of the burl ^"place of the ljamai tree (a variety of the acacia) or from rjamii breast (the river curving like a . woman's breast) place or river of red (banks) lime or white stone (guni) spread place of creeks place of white stone (others say place of the destitute) running through or returning place of a hill ( round about (this river forms ( almost a circle) white pipeclay (silicate of magnesia) \ 28 • VOCABULARY OF KAMILAROI. Kaghil (Coghill) bad, nasty (water) Balal (Pallal) bare Guligal long grass seed Tuluduna made or chiselled ont of wood Burburgate place of belts (burr) Bundarra place of kangaroos Murrowolarai (Molroy) having hedgehogs (murrowol) Inariendrai (Henriendry) the sale of the inar (woman) Nurraburai (Narrabry) Porks Duijgalia (Dungalea) little piece of wood ^why weepest thou ? (the name of a fountain on the mountain side about forty miles from the Minyilgo yugila Namoi). The blackfellow who told me the name described it as " kolle waimul," water bubbling s. U P« Bulerawa ( place of the bulera (a tree — bastard (. myal) Wolobrai stony (in Wiraiarai) Yaruldfd stony (in Kamilaroi) Deran dry ground Guigola red ground Teluba or Ktiluba native clover Warian native onion — a poisonous plant Mobbo beef wood NOUNS — NAMES OF PLACES. 29 Wuriga clear ground Miat (in Wiraiarai) a well Tinai ironbark Tmwai string Burran a boomerang Bulgari (in Wugai dialect) a boomerang Ginne (in Wugai) wood "Wurai or Wirai (in Wiraiarai) No! Yuriyuri Kolormbrai launder Wiragungal "Wangun (Wiraiarai) Dungun (Kamilaroi) Kumal Geribila Piririgul Mukai (Mooki) Turi Yulaigul *^ a kind of parrot which abounds at this place (on the Barwan) abounding in kolorin, the flowers af the kuluba tree deep bank long tooth — a place on the Biver Bugaira (Bokhara) crooked bark a place where a blackfellow died a place where twins were born a place of salt bush "Flinty ; a river which near its junc- tion with the Namoi is dangerous for its soft mud, but higher up runs over a rocky bed. a water- weed a sapling 30 VOCABULARY OF KA.MILAROI. Kumbal a turkey buzzard Milkomai eye dropt out Kubbo a grub Maianbar a deep tank or waterhole II.— PRONOUNS. {Seep. 6.) III.— ADJECTIVES. afraid ( gial or ghilghil clear (shining) killu J (from ghi, the heart) clever, sensible binal or binnal alive moron or narilon (from binna — ear) alone ljandil cold karil angry yili cowardly gurrl gurri asleep babl or rjiiraru dead balun awake warria deaf mugabinna bad kagil or kuggil deep birii bare V»o1n1 (as balal kaogha, UcUcll bald-headed) destitute taliba bitter butta [used as a suffix, as in wi-taliba, without fire, kolle taliba, without water.] . blind muga distant urribu blue (light) kaoaraoa dry ballal black or dark ► bului expansive muggul blue or brown fasting wanal brown (bay) duda [as yai wanal kudu, I am abstaining religiously from kudu, a choice fish ; — bay ("of redder hue) yutta rjai wanal bundar, I am abstaining from kangaroo.] chief wuraia fat wommo clean bullar full (satisfied) yularai ADJECTIVES. 31 glad guiye good or beautiful murruba green gian green (dull) bulum bului grey diri or diria heavy munan high bao-irra hollow beruo-e honest (or sweet) kuppa hot kuduai^na hungry yulrjin jealous bularai lame bain large burul light (in weight) kubonba ( yealokwai or (-keart (suffix)* long gurar mighty waruijgul near kuinbu old (grey) diria (nandll or (muijgal own guiyuuun like only outrageous rjuriella piebald guloliba pregnant mubalyal quick (eager, fervent) kaiabur red koimburra red (blood) gue red (light) koiko'i roan gundgundi round (guru, or \ gurugal short bungudul sick wibil /"bullo, or slow < bullowa, or Imalo small C kai or kaidul, [also butl sorry budda stinking nui stout biirel fwaruijgul or strong A waruijguldul (in Jess degree) straight waragil or gura Thus pukadi-keart is like a pookadi (squirrel), bhan-geart, like bhan (mistletoe). 32 VOCABULARY OF KAMILAROI. stupid (womba, wur ( or mor Igor, white ( pullar or (burjgoba sweet kuppa wicked milburadil tall kudiikudu wide murjamurja thin thirsty woladul kollerjin yellow (gerlr or ( gunaguna weary igg 11 young kubura Numerals. one mal four bularbular two bular five bularguliba three guliba six gulibaguliba A blackfellow from the Balonne Eiver, whom I met on the Barvvan in 1871, gave the numbers in use among his countrymen up to 20, as follows : — 1. mal 2. bular 3. guliba 4. bularbular 5. mulanbu G. mal mulanbu mummi 7. bularmulambu mummi 8. gulibamulambu mummi 9. bularbularmulambu mummi 10. bulariu murra 11. mal dinna mummi 12. bular dinna mummi 13. guliba dinna mummi 14. bularbular dinna mummi 15. mulanbu dinna 16. mal dinna mulanbu 17. bular dinna mulanbu 18. guliba dinna mulanbu 19. bularbular dinna mulanbu 20. bulariu dinna bulariu is the possessive case of bular : ten is the belongings of the two hands ; eleven is one, from the feet, added ; twenty is the (toes) of the two feet (with the fingers). VERBS. 33 allay tubbiamulle answer korielle appear taibu appoint baiald°na arouse kirulle ask taialle barter wmlunni be ginya bind yulale bite yild°na IV.— VERBS. climb kolie or kullial come taiyanani cover or shut up kundowi cry aloud kakuld°ne cut (as with a saw) karile or kurrila cut (with a) > bhi or bhlni knife) or skin ; bl0W(as in smokiiigapipe)bubilli boil giitala break gunni bring taikane rkagine or (.kainani (sec "baby) baia or wurrimi ( wombail°na ( {past wombi carry off kagillina catch, lay hold on kunmulli catch with vio- ) _ \ karamulli lence, rob J catch with a) ii a A y enabmi hook, as fish ; bring forth build carry ( baliini or (balii baiane morgi die dig draw out with) [ nfinmulli the hands ) drink garugi drop {intrans^) dulirri eat tali, tald°na enquire taiald°na fall bundane fear guriguri feed niira-uri frighten karaoele fly parane give wune hang (intrans.) pindele hang (trans.) pindemulle hear winuni 34 VOCABULARY OF KAMILAROI. hold jump fkummi or \ kunmulta pari pleased be kuia durule ( kai^mille plunder ] ((past) karami keep kick wlmuldi ( duduna or I gigirma ( yari or pour •] (yeremulle praise baoillona kill {dead-strike) balubuma prepare bukanmulle kiss rjaikaiala put maiabia know (tirune or (wmunailun put up maiald°na put down wiald°na laugh gindami quiet maiala learn yirabaiane rejoice yugali leave off tubilun remember wmunail°na let go (don't) tubbia or kurria rend baraine lift tiome return (trans.) kar a bille lose (wuijguriml or I murgin return (intrans. )t&r&oelc rise warren make gim°bi run (imjperative)huYvai make (by hand) murramulle make (by chopping) baia or baialda rbunnaijunne or run ] (punagai make (by splitting) rbaraile, bliaruni, ( or marubild°na save yulon waragil see rjummi make (constitute) mugille seek kirumegu paint pierce karuldai diini or durilli send wiiala sew (with needle) ijiijije pinch nimmolli shake bulunibula ADVERBS. 35 shine bui]gatail°na talk goalda sing bao-ill°na taste . tatule, yirabaine sit • ij uddela or n urria teach (make to see) i) umniilmulle sleep ( babi, babil°na or ( baubi teach (make 10 know) uruunbulle touch tamulle ( warm or turn away taraoele spread I warumailun twist wiri stand warine wash wurgunbumulle strip dumale fyiigila (present) strike bumale weep X yuni (past) SUCk (see breast) fijamughi or (nummughi V^yiina (impera.) wonder {Grange!" ijipai goalla sweep burunbula work burunbailun swim kubl wound nimmi Y.— ADVERBS. 1. Of Time. nOW (immediately) yeladu to-day ilanu then (at once) yila to-morrow nuriiko [yila or ila denotes any near time, past or future.] for one day malo or nerido long ago f Ilambo or I ghibailindi always yalwurja again ye'alo very long ago nuribu after nurra hereafter yerala then (at another time) rjaraegduli yesterday (gimiandi, or (naribu, or aoane , when ? wirii ? 36 VOCABULARY ( 3F KAMILAROI. • 2. Of Place. here here (beside me nowo or naialle ) nabu. on this side ( uriellona or (niiriellona there (in front) nurri on the other furrigalina or there (on the right) nutta side I narrikolinya there (ontheleft) nurriba on the far side miilanda there (at your hand) murra hither tai there arrigo from above nurribatai np there nurriba near ku'inbu down there nutta far urribii or beru outside nam where ? tulla ? in the midst bigundi 3. Of Comparison. as so yealima na very much indeed > murramurra merely yeal also ljellibu or yellibu furthermore ye'alo together aielle very murra 4. Of Affirmation and Negation, and Interrogation. yes y° no kamil 'gir or giraol, note of ) verily I sometimes kir ^and kiraol interrogation ^ yamma "yo" is used as a verb of ai hrmation : thus ' ljaia yo" (I yes) means I assert it to be so. " yamma" is placed at the bee 'inning of a quest ion. INTERJECTIONS. 37 VI.— INTERJECTIONS. alas ! (in sorrow) nil ! onward ! alas! (in pity) guraga ! avaunt ! kurria ! far be it ! wunna ! strange ! wonderful ! kaoai ! ljipai ! kuttabul ! Intensity is given to any expression of thought or feeling by prolonging the last syllable. Thus, the longer they dwell on the u in " beru" the greater the idea of distance ; the longer the ga in "guraga" the deeper the pity. ''' BRA KT I'M VEB8ITY OF California! phrases. I go to catcli fish I am splitting wood Truly I have got honey We two belong one to another (or are friends) Friendly blackfellows Hostile blackfellows I sing I am smoking I hear (or understand) I am sleeping I have well slept I have well drunk, or drunk of nice drink I am worn out The fire is gone out (dead) The day is coming Catch hold ! Let go ! Go back, my friend You and I hate one another T'is true ! T'is only lies ! It is my own The water runs over the stones I shall be there on an early day . I do not know where he is I was not there this morning I think he is at the camp You are my love He is a wicked man ; have nothing to do with him I hope You are good (thanks !) Grui'ya rjaia yenabilli Tulu nai bharuni Warul glr [or klr] ljai bai-aldina Guiyungun i) alii Gui'yungundul inurri Yili-an murri TJaia baoillini TJaia bubillini TJai winmj-gailun TJaia baubillani Glr nai baubillina Murrii nai ijurugalani Malo nai giul (or ghinni) ~WT baliini TJurran durl Kunmulla ! Wunnabilla ! Turruwulla, nai dhurudi Thai inda wuna bulanbarana Glru ! Yeal gunial ! TJaii guinun Kolle bunnagella yarula Yerala nai a germa dhurali gurri TJerma nuriluna kamil ijaia TJerma wariijene Wolla ya ljurrilona TJa rjinda gullrdul Gun murruba ; wunna guma TJaia barabai daraoela Murruba inda 40 GTJRRE KAMILAROI. GURRE KAMILAROI. (Extracts from a Missionary Primer, prepared for the Kamilaroi-spcaTcinr/ People.) [ Verbatim translation.'] Baiame gir giwlr gimobi ; mal giwir God verily man made ; first man Adam. Adam. Baiame goe : " Kamil murruba God said, " Not it is good for man alone giwlr gandil ijuddelago ; gaia giwlrgo to dwell ; I for man woman will make." Inar gimbille." Ila Baiame inar gimobi ; Then God woman made ; first woman mal inar Iva ; Iva gullr Adamu. Eve ; Eve wife of Adam. Adam buba murrigu, buba wondagu, Adam father of blackfellow, — father of buba kanugo ; Iva gumba murrigu, gumba whitefellow, — father of all. Eve mother wundagu, gumba kanugo. of blackfellow, — mother of whitefellow, — mother of all. Adam Iva ellibu warawara yanani. Adam, Eve also astray went. All men, Kanugo giwir kanugo inar warawara all women astray went ; all bad became. yanani; kanugo kagil ginyi. Baiame yili God angry became, said, "All men, all ginyi, goe, ""Kanugo giwir kanugo inar women astray went, all bad became ; I . warawara yanani, kanugo kagil ginyi ; gaia them dead will strike." Immanuel, son garma balu bumale." Immanuel, "Wurume of God, said, " No ! not thou them smite ; Baiamegu, goe, "Kamil! Kamil ginda thou me smite ; I will die, men, women garma bumala, ginda gunna bumala, gaia alive to be." balugi, giwir inar moron gigigo." Murruba Immanuel ; kamil garagedul Good is Immanuel ; not another is murruba yealokwai genua. good like Him. Ilambo Immanuel taongo taiyanani, Long ago Immanuel to earth came, giwir ginyi. man he became. Giwlr kair Layaru. Uergu bular boadi, A man named Lazarus. Belonging to mari, mata. Layaru wibil ginyi bular him two sisters, Mary, Martha. Lazarus boadi gurre waala immanuel go, goaldendai, sick became. The two sisters word sent " TJai daiadi, ginnu layaru, wibil." to Immanuel, saying, " My brother, Thy Lazarus is sick." GTJRRE KAMILAROI. 41 Kamil yanani Immanuel. yerala Layaru baluni. bularbularo babine balun taonda. Ila Immanuel taiyanani. mari mata ellibu yugillona. Immanuel goe, " TJinnu daiadi yealo moron gigi." Burula giwir burula inar yugillona. Immanuel daonmago yanani. yarul daonma kundawi ; Im- manuel goe " TJindai yarul diomulla." TJarma gir yarul diome. Immanuel kakul- done ; " Layaru taiyanuna !" Ila Layaru moron ginyi, taiyanani. bular boadi burul guiye". TJarageduli miedul wibil ginyi ; numba boiyoi wune ; kamil miedul murruba ginyi ; murru ginyi wibil, rjullimun baluni. Yaairu buba yanani Immanuel rjum- millego ; gir rjuinmi : goe, " inda barai taiyanuija, murruba gimbildi ijai miedul. TJai miedul burul wibil rjullimun baluni ; inda taiyanuija ijai kundigo." Immanuel goe, " TJulle yanoai kundigo." Ila yanani bular kundigo. TJumba duri, yugillona, goe " TJii ! rjii ! rjai miedul baluni." Burula Inar yugillona, goe " TJii ! miedul baluni." Immanuel goe "kurria yurja. kamil miedul baluni ; yeal babi- lona." burulabu gindami ; rjarma gir balundai wlnurji. Immanuel murra kawani miedul, goe, " miedul waria." Ila miedul moron ginyi, warine, gurre goe. TJumba, buba ellibu, burul guiye. Not went Immanuel. By and by Lazarus died. Four days be lay dead in the ground. Then Immanuel came. Mary, Martha also, were weeping. Im- manuel said, " Your brother again alive shall be." Many men, many women, were weeping. Immanuel to the grave went ; a stone the grave covered ; Im- manuel said, " Ye the stone take away." They the stone lifted up. Immanuel cried aloud, " Lazarus, come forth !" Then Lazarus alive became, he came forth. The two sisters were very glad. At another time a little girl sick became ; the mother pennyroyal gave ; not the little girl well became ; much she grew sick, almost dead. Jairus, the father, went Immanuel to see ; truly he found him ; he said, " Thou quickly come, well make my little girl. My little girl is very sick, almost dead. You come to my house." Immanuel said, " We two will go to the house." Then went the two to the house. The mother came, she wept, said, " Alas ! alas ! my little girl is dead." Many women were weeping, said, "Alas ! the little girl is dead." Immanuel said, " Cease weeping. Not the girl is dead ; only she is asleep." All of them laughed; they verily her to be dead knew. Im- manuel by hand took the girl, said, " Damsel, arise." Then the girl alive became, arose, words spoke. The mother, father also, very glad. Uarageduli bular glvvir muga nuddelona turrubulda. Irnrnanuel aro yanani ; bular muga winuni. kakuldono, " Immanuel, durunmi, wurume davidu rjuinmilla ! nurraga neane." burula giwir goe " kurria ! kurria nindai kakullego." giwir mugayealo kakuldone " durunmi, wurume Davidu, nummilla ! nurraga neane." Ila Immanuel warine, goe "minna ljindai goalie ? minna naia murramulle ?" ljarma goe, " Durunmi, wuna neane nummildai." ila Immanuel narrna mil tainfilda : baianbu narma murru nummillego." Burula kagil giwir Immanuel kun- multa. TJarma kaogo bindea yulalle. TJarma glr tulu wimi, naragedul tulu nanblr wimi. TJarina gir Immanuel wimi; murra blrudiini, dinna biruduni ; tului wirri. Uarma tulu Home, Immanuel tului pindelundai. Terala Immanuel baluni. Terala giwir pilari turrur diini ; gue dulirri. Bullului narma gir Immanuel taonda wimi; kundawi. Immanuel ijuru babine baliin taonda ; yealo malo babine balun taonda ; yealo naragedul guru babine baliin taonda; naragedul ljuruko moron ginyi, warine. Terala Immanuel gir gunagulla-go yanani. . Giwir ijuddolona littraga : bain dinna tuijgor, ijurribu bainge bain ; kamil yanelina. Paul, Barnaba ellibu, aro yanani. Paul goaldonc ; baiiuliil yerma Another time two men blind sat by the way. Immanuel there came ; the two blind heard, they cried aloud, " Im- manuel, King, Son of David, look ! pity us." Many people said, " Have done ! cease ye to cry aloud." The men blind again cried aloud, " King, Son of David, look ! pity us !" Then Immanuel stood still, said, "What you will say? ~\\ r hat I shall do ?" They said, " King, grant us to see." Then Immanuel them eyes touches ; instantly they are able to see. Many bad men Immanuel seized. They on his head thorns bound. They verily a log laid, another log across they laid. They verily Immanuel laid ; hands they pierced ; feet they pierced ; on log fastened. They the log lifted up, Immanuel on the log hanging. After- wards Immanuel died. Afterward* a man with spear his side pierced ; blood flowed forth. In the evening they verily Immanuel in ground laid ; covered up. Immanuel the night lay dead in ground : also one day he lay dead in ground ; also another night he lay dead in ground ; another morning he alive became, rose up. Afterwards Immanuel verily to heaven went. A man dwelt at Lystra ; with sick foot diseased, very ill indeed ; not he could walk. Paul, Barnabas, also there came. Paul was speaking ; the lame man GURRE KAMILAHOI. 43 wlnugailone. Paul kaia ljuminildone, kakuldone, " waria rjurriba dinnaga." Turjgordul parine, yanani ellebu. Burulabu giwir rjumrni, goe " ljipai !" kakudone " Baimae bular yarine yealok- wai giwir." Paul, Baraba ellibu, bunna- rjunne, kakuldone, " kurria ! karnil neane baiame ; neane giwir yealokwai nindai. ljeane guiye duri ; neane budda ginyi ; neane yili ginyi, yealo geane murru rjurri- nillone. ljeane murru goalda burulabu ; kurria rjindai yealo kagil gigile: berudi warraia, ljummilla Baiame moron. Baiame gir gunagulla, taon, burul kolle, kanuno minnaminnabul gimobi. Baiame yalwuna Baiame." him was hearing. Paul earnestly looked, he cried aloud, " Stand upright on feet." The lame man leapt, walked also. Many people saw, they wondered, they cried aloud " Gods two are come down like men." Paul, Barnabas also ran, cried aloud " Have done ! not we gods ; we men like you. "We glad become, we sorry become, we angry become, again we are reconciled. "We good tell to all ; cease ye anymore evil to be ; turn ye, look to God the living. God, verily, heaven, earth, the great water, all, everything made. God always is God" (the same ever). ¥AIL¥UN: The Language of the Aborigines on the Barwan, below the junction of the Namoi. atlfotm, LANGUAGE spoken on the Barwan, below the junction of the Namoi. It is called " wailwun," from the negative " wail."* It is also called " niumba," from " nia" (speak). man woman father boy girl maiden mother young woman child chief little baby blackfellow white man TYinlp ( man or °ther IllcHc creatures) brother (grown man) brother (child) NOUNS. tdhur sister (grown) kati 'wiriingar sister (young) gidurai (plural) spouse nuan ^wlriingai uncle kani buba aunt mama murrukunga cousin nulungan mariyurjga truant wife yanawe kuma-dhilia head kuboga gimni hair wulla nikimikai forehead nulii worm or wuru beard kir durunmi whiskers narma wurudhul moustache mulajin mai-i cheek tdukkal wunda chin kir mundawa poll nan kukka eye mil kukkamin nose muru * This word " wail" is pronounced like the English word " wile" — according to the rule at the beginning: of the Kamilaroi Grammar. 48 WAILWUN. mouth ijundal great toe guni lips willi adder (deadly) murai teeth wira bandicoot guru tongue tulle bat wibulla-bulJa ear kurig-gera cockatoo murai throat nuggi crab ijulaga neck nirrimirri cray-fish keri or win gar shoulders wurru crow waru arm nuru cod (fish) kuddu forearm P 1 diver (mna**k) tirmum elbow nunuka diver (large) duguru hand murra dog mirri fingers worria duck wiruwurra thumb ( gunendlr or ( gimi (mother of fingers) duck (black) duck (whistling) budunba thipaiyu thigh durra or dhurra duck (red) gurao-er knee bunde duck (blue winged) ululu foot dinna duck (teal) daraoer or bu'iga arm-pit kilkulbiiri duck (wood) kunambi breast (woman's) nummu duck (spoonbill) wilidubai chest wirri duck (musk) kumogumar belly burl emu rjfiri navel gindyur eagle mullion leg (below knee) piyu fish (bream) kumbal calf kaia fish (black bream) bunuidla toe wirria fisll (email bream) berije NOUNS. 49 fish (best bream) duggai Venus (emu) nuri fisll (cat-fish or jew-fish) dungUT sky gunagulla iguana duli ground tagun kangaroo muru'i fire wi opossum kuragi water kolle padymelon wiru tree kogur ( wirea or pelican I ( gulamboli gum ironbark guara bigur pigeon (squatter) mimumbi pine guraba pigeon (crested) tao-ilgera yellow box mulli pigeon (bronze) yamur acacia pendula bri porcupine bigabilla bastard myal yimmu shrimp tugale snake (boa) munun yam* r gunawa or (kunowa snake (black), yuki fish-ponds nunnii snake (brown) tdhuru boomerang bier snake (carpet) yubba sacred stone ) snake (whip) murai in the chief's > wiar swallow millimaru possession ) turtle waienber death giirinl swan (black) burrima enmity kulgiurun wagtail dirijiri anger gulgi sun duni or dhiini moon giwur astonishment rnudii-wundu- ( baigu stars girila friendship maindyul [t grows in sand ridges. * The yam found near the Barwan is sweet, juic y, and most refreshing. 50 WAILWUN. PRONOUNS. I nattu ye two nindula we ljeene ye nindugul thou ijindu he mundewa ADJECTIVES. alive muun white bunoba bad wurai black bului cold gunundai blue bului good yiada red girawil hot girru yellow giinainguna old bugaia green gldyungidyun sick wogin brown dhugungulia young dhulunaimba ADVERBS. Yes ijaru above ijunaowa No wail below nunadhur VERBS. Lite kutulli sing biiga catch mumulli sneeze tiga cough gununguna weep yurjani laugh gindani PHRASES. 51 PHRASES. I love you I hate you I do not like you I think Did you see me ? Yes, I saw you Ippai built a house Murri pulled it down Kubbi killed Kumbo Kumbo killed Kubbi What for ? The greatest of enemies kurridu ninundun inda gadunu gumalago wail du ninunda ginda wmiujunni ljanandu dhi rjani ? narti, gudhu gani Ippandu wune gunnu Murrlggu wlrime Kubbiggu gurne kumbunii Kumbuggu kubbiiju gume minyango ? kulkiwunwungan KOGAI: The Language of the Aborigines to the Westward of the Baton ne, on the Maranoa and the Cogoon. Hflffat, §. LANGUAGE spoken to the westward of the Balonne, on the Maranoa and the Cogoon. NOUNS. father yabunii eyebrow milgul mother yarjanu eye dilli son andii nose daughter burgul ear muna grandson yambiru mouth biggi elder brother tagiindilla teeth yira younger brother maiandilla beard mug gar elder sister mungunnu throat aoar younger sister babunnu neck ljugun man (aborigina l)murdin shoulder bira woman murendin arm duru youth aola ribs bibun boy andiin hand murra little girl ambi fingers murda baby tiiru thigh durra head biibwa leg olburr forehead bulga cockatoo digurri 56 KOGAI. dog nurun boomerang wunal eagle otella camp yambai-eder emu rjuruin hut kundi kangaroo gargu spear bugga native companion urriir water amu snake (brown) btimburra PRONOUNS. I rjaia thy yunu my rjaidhu he yeraggo thou inda ADJECTIVES. asleep okarhjgo dead uladirri or ulala hungry abir thirsty amu-gin weary iggil [from auiu, water, with suffix-rjin, wanting, as in Kamilaroi.] VERBS. beat onimeala lose wombomulla break unilgo put down iderburra come iiguara pick up punder eat watidalulla run unbermelgo go undawaralgo see wottiijagulla hear imbulloaddi sing waralgo know imbulgo smell ljutulla jump diimbaia throw away undubidi-ir lift bundalla PIKTJMBTJL: The Language of the Aborigines about Calandoon, in Queensland, on the Weir and the Macintyre. - PftumM, <0$^l Mfllm^ LANGUAGE spoken about Calandoon, in Queensland, on sZgf&fifff the Weir and the Macintyre. tIt nouns. i God Anambu or Minumbu. man (white) gun arm yama man (aboriginal) mial hand mara woman tamar thigh mabun youth mollumi leg buiyu maiden migedul cockatoo giabun boy kaa cuckoo nugu girl mie dog mirri baby kagul eagle due head kabui emu nurun forehead wenda flies kulunan eye mil frog durra nose muru hawk kagun ear bidna laughing jackass kaguran mouth yunda mosquito buri teeth tira opossum kubi beard yarun pelican gulegali throat kuruijgara snake (black) mindar neck bimbi swan bibu 60 PIKTTMBUL. PRONOUNS. I gutta my ijie thou ijinda - ADJECTIVES. bad wombo hungry dilgi black kumba thirsty kollerjin fuU buijun white kao-un good wlumba ADVEEBS. yes pika truly galo no yuga hither yurri VEEBS. bring yurri kaija sit rjinne catch yalumul speak guagga give yere iira stand kuraga go yaboga stand still mobia put down tirra take up kandimulla see naiya • DIPPIL: The Language of the Aborigines about Durundurun, on the north side of Moreton Bay, and thence towards Wide Bay and the Burnett District, in Queensland. UipptL HE Aborigines about Durundurun, on the north side of Moreton Bay, and thence towards "Wide Bay and the Burnett District, speak Dippil. The following words and sentences were taken down from the lips of Davies or Darumboys, a blacksmith, at Brisbane, who spent thirteen years with the blacks, and whose history is narrated by the Kev. Dr. Lang, in his " Cooksland." I.— NOUNS. 1. Man (aboriginal) — dan. head kam hair dhella forehead nului) brow dipinji eye mi nose muru mouth tunka lips tambur tongue dunnum ear binung cheek wag gum chin yikul beard yeran neck guna breast amun shoulder kora right hand ( duruin or ( ginning duruin left hand wottugga back pondur fingers biddi thumb biddi winwor 64 DIPPIL. little finger biddi diirumai hole through ( murumburri or belly duguu nose ( kagarabaoin hips kondun marks on chest mulkar thigh durran old man winyagun knee bon young man kippa leg puiyu a crowd of men miller foot jinmuj boy iikhuun heart dukku young boy birwain liver and bowels gunnun baby methindum flesh blood baowin kukki (yirkun, winya- old woman \ c (.gun skin * brabra married woman yirum spittle nuin Relationships. father bobbin brother (younger) wudhun mother navan sister yaobfm - ( yimmu or muki- uncle immo son Cver or kumma aunt martin daughter naiber cousin yimudheme brother (elder) nun cousin (female) kumedheme 2. An IMALS. animal murar) bee (small) dibbin bat girrama bee (large) turbain bear kulla centipede girowa muraij NOUNS — ANIMALS. 65 cockatoo kiggum kangaroo (female) niigal kuttuwain black cockatoo kulverwa do. (scrub k.)kulembi cod dokko do. barrel crane kwowol do. female bao-i dog wutta duck nar do. (female ) > kumaij kulembi) ) eagle wurama do. (common)murri eel yulu locust yilla emu nuruin mosquito bumba fisb (flat tail) billa mouse mobur fly tibin goose rjirrii) ormulgaoi (kirbibbaor mullet < ( undaiya grub puiyim opossum narambi hawk kigum opossum (black) kabbila iguana warui owl kuggu iguana (yellow") > kutyi bellied) ) J parrot per pelican nirringa jackass bird kaggu pigeon konkelum kangaroo (old) > kroman man) ) pigeon (bronze-winged) tamUT porpoise yullu do. young durwun porpoise (small) yuijun do. female yimmer quail murrindum do. (young } . y wulbai rat kogkolai in pouch) j scorpion merinda do. wallaby boal shell fish yimar do. (do. big) kuttiiwain shell fish yuin 66 DIPPIL. shell fish wurui) deaf adder munulgum shell (oyster) dibir stingaree (fish) winwaba shark kullo'i swan nirrin snake (black) mullfi tarantula thiwa Snake (black deadly) murriglr turkey buzzard wagun snake (carpet) wiujgai turtle mebir snake (whip) wirrawa - 3. Miscellaneous. apple-tree, a*" ) clothes bumblr species of > yulayiilo or popa cloud mirrin gum j ) coast bukkan axe muyim creek durrai) axe (of stone) yemar-yemar (See thigh mid arm of tree in axe-handle womboi Dippil and in Kamilaroi .) beginning uriunkin egg bam boat kumba end torn blossom nerida end (point) muur basket warn, warum end (butt) turbai bark kumba enmity winderu box-tree muij gamungara fire glra branch deraij fig kabura or bimer bucket P 1 flat (plain) biru bread-fruit winnum ground daoer boomerang berkan grease mfiron cloak hella gum (flooded) yerra NOUNS — MISCELLANEOUS. 67 gum (forest) tambir ( udhumbil or path ] ( guan gum (blue) murjgar honey (white, ) . from small bee) ) pine gunum Pleiades miirrinmurrin honey (dark, ) I gilla from large bee) ) hill waikerdummai pole pundai poison-bark ~) r [ dilkai (brush -wood) ) hut dfirabunnu poison-bark tree tummapurba ironbark tobun or tandor rain yurui) or yuron interior of country dunba reed kaga leaves wururj river niiken lightning billibira root terbai lemon (native) tarum smell kabelliman mark (notch) tindai thunder miimba mountain waiker taste kagillanor mountain range pondur to-morrow bunyirki mountain ridge diinba shadow of a tree tuunurakalim middle nirrim scrub (jungle) duri milky way muin or muun shield (light) gudmurri morning star dirai yirki shield (heavy) yaoun nest wldhun smoke wiilui net merburj song yaoiir netting (act of) duppi or kupera spear (light) kunnai oak billai spear (heavy) billar Orion's belt ) \ kunnai (a spear) ) spear point nor spear wound kunnuthum 68 DIPPIL. stick (throwing) kutha victuals pintja stick (heavy) binba water kon stick (curved) nulawa water (salt) tin-nir* stick (fire) giradunka waterhole nullakongor stem dokko waterspring kongowurrain stone (free stone) kitta waves buriman stone (black) nmllu waves (breakers) bokankuriman stone (flint) kunkum summer nfirunan winter Twulladha or (wiggin swamp tlkumbi yam tarn track (of feet) jinun daoer yesterday nambura II.— ADJECTIVES. bad wuran many murrin black mulu new dulliba fast gillawa old wurubain good gilangiir round duruin heavy tankinbul short talbur hungry kandu. slow dhimpe large winwor small dummai light nundi tall kuran long kuran white kukkul Comparatives are formed by doubling, as talburtalbur — too short or very short. * In Turrubul, at Moreton Bay, water is " tabbil" — salt water " tabbilbon, i.e., dead water. VERBS. 69 bend III.— T kumaggali ^EE,BS. ttiaVp ( yunkaorboberen build (bunnin or t duriyankin 11 Lev JVC run {.or durianker bitelle call buialle see nunyin come bain sharpen kurigeyer come back bumgai sit ninnai convey dandinna sleep mibon fight (with sticks) fight (by pulling hair' kudhera baiyi tella baiyi spear (to throw the kunnai) ^ bonkog fasten together bunurrin spear (to throw ? - • give wa the billar) > nurvam go yannin stop yiinmigo hang duggillina spit nuinbirra jump burrain taste kabundinna kill baigin thrust out birra kneel bondabumi touch budyia laugh wedhewedha walk yenna lie (recline) yunmlgo weep dungin lie (tell lies) yupillime IV.— A] )VERBS. back again buiya not ba here gai where ? wunti ? or winta ? long ago wurukiirubra yes yoai no kabbi 70 DIPPIL. V.— PRONOUNS. I, nai, or ai, or ljutta me, unna to mc, enna we two, alien, or nullin thou, ljin, ninna, inta, indu ye, gindai he, unda that (pointing to it) numhain that (in front) mittenda that (behind) kutyenda that (on the right) durumya that (on the left) wudlmngeru that (above or below) minda TiJin wunti yanin ? Wai yowai yanin. TiTin winta bain ? Mai barin bain. Ttfai kandu ; enna wa. Mai baliin koijgo ; enna wa. Winyo Magilpi ? Minda bobain Makoron. indu nunyin ? Yoai. Makoron wunti yanin ? Dalle winta makoron yanin ? Nambur wurri yanin. Dan murriyu yanin. Dan winta bunna bumgai ? Bunni yirki bumgai. DIALOGUES IN DIPPIL. You where going ? I northward am going. You whence come ? I from the south come. I am hungry ; to me give. I am dying for icater ; to me give. Where's Magilpi ? There he stands. White men have you seen ? Yes. White men whither went t Sow long since white men went ? The day before yesterday they went. The aborigines after kangaroo icent. The aborigines when will come back? To-morrow morning they come back. "Wunda kurbunta bumgaigo. In three days they come back. DIALOGUES. 71 "RTullin kroigo yengo Boppilkurri. TK*iCM> HIS language is spoken on the Brisbane River. It does not ?w* extend nearly so far as Dippil. >ft£» There are in Turrubul, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, i adverbs, and conjunctions. Instead of prepositions, suffixes are employed. I.— NOUNS. -du (suffix) signifies agency, and distinguishes the nominative which has a verb from the simple name. Example : — 1st Nominative : duggai a man 2nd Nominative : duggaidu a man (followed by a verb) . Genitive : duggainubba ... of a man. Dative : dugganu ............ for or to a man. Accusative : duggana a man. Ablative : duggaibuddi . . . with a man. duggaiti at a man. duggaida from a man. Plural : , duggatin men, people. 78 TURRUBTJL GRAMMAR. Gender. Difference of gender is expressed sometimes by using different words ; as kruman, a male kangaroo (largest species) ; yimma, female kangaroo. Sometimes the suffix -gun or -un, gives a feminine signification, as in the proper family names, e.g., derwain, derwaingun; bundar, bundargun, bandur, bandurun ; also nurrig (son) ; nurringun (daughter). II.— PRONOUNS. The Turrubul has personal, possessive, interrogative, demonstra- tive, and indefinite pronouns. (1.) Personal. Singular : 1. nutta, atta, gai, ai, naia I. 2. ijinta, inda thou. 3. wunnal he, she. Dual: 1. rjullin you and I. 2. nilpug ye two. Plural: 1. nulle we. 2. gilpulla ye. 3. wunnalina, wunnale, orwunyale they. (2.) Possessive. 1. ijurriba my. 2. ninnuba thy. VERBS. 79 (3.) Interrogative. Masculine and feminine : gandu ? who ? Neuter : minna ? what T (4.) Demonstrative. This duga. That guruga. (5.) Indefinite. All gambille. Another kurruba. Many millen, millenkulle. III.— VERBS. The most remarkable feature in the grammar of the Australian languages is the very extensive inflection of the verbs. The voices, active, reciprocal, causative, permissive, &c, are numerous ; and the tenses are adapted to express various slight modifications of past and future. Here is one specimen, taken down in the hope, not yet realised, of having opportunity to add many more. bulkurri to come. bulkairi bring, i.e., cause to come. Indicative past : bulkurri came. future : bulkulliba will come. Imperative: bulka come. VOCABULARY. ( Words in brackets are used at Durimdurun, near the Glass-house Mountains.) I.— NOUNS. Names of most important Objects. God man woman •I -Mumbal,* Mirir Burrai ^Burrani duggai Jjundal (njgurun) (iijaran) ghost, spirit, "\ / magu*i,makoron, also white > V mudhar man J {guru, nurul, tungin f maowi, (maiyi Sbigi (bulubar), (kuiyar) soul devil sun moon stars Skillen, babun, kakurri (rjaitj urj- gil) (guddui)) f mirregm earth sky man (white) ( (mirrhjgim) tar or dar birra {makoron, makurrag woman (white) tjerran Sty an j dan, dumban, kurringum aboriginal man dan aboriginal woman ! yeran * "Mumbal" signifies thunder. It is also used as the name of the Great Being who speaks in thunder. So did the Britons, before the introduction of Christianity, worship Taranis (Thunder) as one of the three deities they acknowledged. At Point Macleay, in South Australia, the aborigines speak of " Nurundee " as the supreme God. " Mirir" or " Mirirul" is used in this sense far along the coast to the south, and " Dhurumbulum " has the same meaning at Twofold Bay. NOTTNS- —MAN. 81 2. Man : parts of his body. head magul (kom) arm (fore-arm) taron (wiyebbi) hair kabui (kum) hand murra (dukkur) forehead yilim (guliig) finger killin eyebrow ( mithiltin ( (dippinjun) finger-nails mukkura belly tiggeri (kuddur) eye mil, mia thigh durra (durrug) nose muro knee bon (budn) lips tamburu leg puiyo teeth tier (dug gal) foot tidna (dinnag) cheek (turgor) blood kaoun, giwvir ear pidna (piniag) ( tirben or tjirben, beard yeren (yeya) (geralgeral, dig throat (diinug) vein kaiyug neck (gurrun) breath or spirit gar, guru breast tundera (guggur) flesh paigulpaigul back toggul flesh and blood budelum side shoulder kutta kikka marks in the ) J- mulwarra flesh ) arm (humerus) yumma (gumig) 3. Man: h is relations. father big, babiin, buba f nuridmun, mother pujag, bfidag son "j (nurrig child nammul daughter nuringun, kin 82 TURRUBUL — VOCABULARY. wife ( mirru ( (dual) mirruij grandmother girl (kuminun) kin, yurumkun brother (nubbin) a, aban, ( (wuntjimun) little girl boy killalan ( mualum, (. duandin, buiy Ir brother (younger) duaijal sister daddi,mui)ur)kul baby moalam friend (comrade) u'njun young man kippa grandfather (yuguinpin) full man mutta 4. Animai US — Daoiin. bird mirrun,daounpin flies dudunburra bream nullun jackass bird kakowan butterfly balumbir kangaroo (murri) catfish gamerikurra kangaroo (old ") kuruman, ) g u ruman cockatoo kaiyar man) black cockatoo karara, karer locust dinplr cock of wood kao-al mosquito tibig crow wowul, wowa mussel bukkaoa dog meye, mirri HlUSSei beautiful) dullin dog (wild) nulgul opossum kubbi duck ija, nar pelican bulualum(ijirrir)) eagle dibbil (budhar) sea pigs yunun eel tagun shark poai emu fish guyi (ijurun) ( gandakul, snake ( kabuljbui, yuun, ( (yuwun, wmjai) (kuiyur (gundaya) whales talubilla MISCELLANEOUS NOUNS. 83 5. Miscellaneous Nouns. ant-hill tanmurrin basket yirimbin basket (small) bui)gug,bui)gom boat kundu boat's deck kurragutta boomerang barrakadan boots (feet, belonging to) dinnaguba bread-fruit tiungul bucket yuppar bushes kuddal charcoal kuro'in clay (pipe) dullan clay (red) guiyin club tabbir corobbary yowar day bigi dung kudena dung (man's) bandiko dung (ox's) gunan dung (dog's) dungul, dual dust yarun of dust y aruntiber C girar, yarun, ( durrun evening bigibirpi earth (dry) fire fern durvin fig noana fig (little) kunnin ^talu, kuddum, ( or ku'iyim ( bungil pungil, grass < ( bon grass (long coarse) walli wallin gar an grass (similar) wugarpin graSS (another variety) tukka grass (rushes) yikibbin hat (head, belonging to) magulkuba hilaman (shield) kuntan herb kegirelpin herb (creeping) dam herb muttanuntunbin herb ( water-weed)y err a herb do. nambur herb (fern-like) yugai hole mir leaf (withered) wuij light kittibilla light (of candle) telija (tudnagain or lightning < ( tug gain or tjil 84 TURRTJBUL VOCABULARY. master bundur river warril morning nunnunubbu road Tkulgun or (gulwun, tumbar mud wobum mug bunduin sand yarun name nurri ( pamirrikiri'i (tabbilbon necklace or ) sea headband of > kaiirbin shape nor yellow reeds ) shield kuntan net baial smoke duun large fish net mundin, tumma spear bilan, gunnai kangaroo net merbun stone nullungirra night nunnu things nunantjin nulla nulla (club) taberi thundei mumbal, miigara potato gua, gulwal trousers 5 (thi fugto!) ng " derra 9 UDa quartz pebble dakki water ljaraoin, tabbil rainbow kai-ao-ur wharf mumpa Various spec ies of Trees. tree Cpaggum, bagur (du (wilaij) gum (another bulortum gum do. kundibar fig gurai, goana gum do. mungar ( burutlia, ( tabilpulla oak (sw r amp) bundlbar myrtle stringy- ■bark ti gum gillumbir tree blossom bumbar gum (another) yurra log bural, mulliij gum do. buneri dry and dead ti •ee dulgai ADJECTIVES. 85 brushwood darum, dillar small tree *\ bearing a > bundai black berry J another species kidnabullum do. birjper do. bundugumbin do. wungo guran tuanpin another species burabi stump billayir a red-leaved shrub another shrub dirbag another shrub durri another(water shrub) duntibbin anotheroikeras P berry)kubbukubburan II.— ADJECTIVES. alive milbulpu good murrumba black kurun great kuriimba blind milwaddeli hungry waiara cold igil like gamba dark kurun red kaoinkao'in darling kunman useless waddeli eldest nawudenmun white buppa NUMEKALS. 1 Kunnar. 2 budela. 3 muddan. 4 budela budela. 5 muddanbudela. first Ordinal Numbers. yutta. second kurruga. 86 TURRUBTJL — VOCABULARY. III.— PRONOUNS— (See Grammar.) IV.— VERBS. appear numbani meet dandiiri break bug ui) din name nai-iburri breathe pui pity tugul brillff (cause to 30 me) bulkairi run buaraoa ; Igere close up dulluguntumurri say yari come bulkurri ; ba see nanni come back wirepi send waiari covered kunkamurri separate punmangillin cut ( kaii ; kabari ; ( kulkurri set (set) ; will set } kurrai ; ) kurraipuggu draw out punman sit ijinnen fly yuruduija shine ; ") numbai ; give wudda will shine ) numbaipuggu go yadeni ; yennan sleep bugan grow C durun, sleep, put to buganmurri (duruthuga stop kagalom kiss dandildelaima swim yuruduga lose balloteriari want yaneri make yugari work yakka ADVERBS. 87 V.— ADVERBS. afar yunpag long ago kaloma afterwards burm or paru not yugar (wukka) also ikki now, at once berren altogether ") completely ) quickly banka there nam first berren there (very far off) na-m here goggum yes yoai Adverb of interrogation eko. Unlike " yamma" in Kamilaroi, " eko" is put at the end of the question. 88 TURRUBUL. NAMES OP ABORIGINES ON THE BRISBANE. [The first is the proper personal name ; the second, the family name.] Bippinerra (bundar). Dugalantin (bundar) ) > old men, brothers, uncles to Bippinerra. Berali (bundar) ; Burrul (derwain) a very tall man. Durur (derwain). Dulluwunna (derwain) son of Birumbirra (bandur) . Wudnarjga (derwain) his wife Bumerum (derwain gun). Baiiba (derwaingun). DIALOGUE. minya inta yuggari ? What you have done ? minya inta berren yuggaliba ? What you now are doing ? kahu ! nutta kulkulliba Stop (just now) ! I am cutting diranum bagur This tree tagoba or jakoba Altogether. nutta yuggari berren. I have finished now. nam ljandu ? There, who ? nurri bulkai minyalun ? To me bring that thing — what d'ye call ? wunyalu yaraman bulkairi. He the horse brought. wunyalu nurrii) waiari He (his) son sent. (weari) :pj^:r ajphk ases. From Genesis Mumbal rjambillebu nunantjin yugari. Kaloma blgi yugar, rja killen yugar rja mirregin ; rja daoun yugar milbulpu. Ikki tar, rjulpa rjinedu, tar yugar. Kurumba Mumbal gambillebu yugari. Tar berren kiirun, yugar nor rjinedu. Kurunkurun wungunti tabbil rjinne. Bagul yugar duruthurja tarti, kuddal yugar, duggatin yugar, yaraman yugar rja murri yugar, rjurun yugar. Mumbal rjambillebu yugari, muddan rja muddan blgi. Tutta blgi ; Mumbal yari; "Kittibilla bulka!" Berren kittibilla bulkurri. Mumbal kittibilla nanni ; kitti- billa murrumba ; Mumbal kittibilla pun- mangillin kurunkurunti. Mumbal kitti- billa naiiburri Bigi ; wunnal kurunkurun naiiburri rjunnu. Blgiblrpi rja rjunnu- rjubbu bigi kunnar. Bigi kurruga ; Mumbal birra yugari. Bigi muddan ; Mumbal yari ; " TJam- billebu tabbil kunnarti wuni ; rja durrun numbani." Burru wunnal tabbil naiiburri Tabbilbon ; "RTa durrun naiiburri Tar. "Wunnal bagur yugari rja bungil ; bungil dvirun, tar kiinkamurri. Budela rja biidela blgi; Mumbal bigi rja killen yugari ; Wunnal yari ; bigi nfimbaipuggu ; burru wunnal kurraipuggu. Ikki Wunnal mirregin yugari. i., ii., and hi. God all things made. Long ago sun not, and moon not, or stars ; and creature not living. Also earth, we upon it, earth (was) not. Great God all made. Earth at first dark, not shape in it. Darkness upon water sat. Trees not growing on earth, bushes not, men not, horses not, and kangaroo not, emu not. God all made three and three First day ; God said ; " Light come !" Instantly light came. God the light saw ; the light was good ; God light separated from darkness. God the light named day ; He darkness named night. Evening and morning, day one. Day second ; God the sky made. Day three ; God said ; " All waters to one bring; and dry land appear." Afterwards He water named sea ; and dry land named earth ; He trees made and grass ; grass grew, earth it covered. Two and two day ; God sun and moon made ; He said ; sun shall shine ; after- wards it shall set. Also he stars made. 90 TTJRRUBTJL. Budela ga muddan bigi ; Mumbal taounpin yugari ; taounpin wungunti yurudunga. Wunnal kurumba tallubilla yugari, ga baoai ga yungun ga gambille kuiyiir yugari ; kui'yur yurudunga tabbilti. Muddan ga muddan bigi ; Mumbal yaraman, bulla, murri, yuwun, kuppi, mirri, gulgul, munkimunki, gambillebu milbulpu tarti ginedu yugari. Burru Mumbal yari ; " guile yugale duggaigamba ijulle ; ga Wunnal bundur gambillebu tarti, ga gambillebu nanantjin ginedu." Berren Mumbal duggai yugari gamba "Wunnal murrumba. Ikki Mumbal jundal yugari gamba Wunnal murrumba. Mum- bal yaruntiber duggana yugari. Wunnal guru pu'i kurribunmurri murudi ; berren duggai milbulpubun; Mumbal duggana naiiburri " Adam." Mumbal yari " Tugar murrumba duggai kunnar ginnen. Tutta jundal wunnaun yuggale." Mumbal Adam bugganmurri pu'iyala dai'n. Mumbal tirben (tjirben) kuttadiber p unman ; Wunnal bankapaigul- paigul dulluguntumurri. Berren Wunnal tjirben kuttadiber punmaniber jundana yugari. Burru Mumbal jundana bul- kairi dugganu. Adam yari " Ka jundal tjirben tjirbenti gurribati, gapaigulpaigul paigulpaigulti gurribati ; wunnal jundal gurriba." Nurri duggai Adam ; nurri jundal Iva. Mumbal duggana ga jundana yari : "TJmta tjungul, goaga, kunnin, boinyi boinyi, gambillebu bagulti tulla : gundu kunnar bagur gurti jillerdu inta wunna dungama Two and three day ; God birds made ; birds upward were flying. He great whales made, and sharks, and sea-pigs, and all fish, made ; fish swim in water. Three and three day ; God horse, bul- lock, kangaroo, snake, opossum, dog, wild dog, sheep, all living creatures on earth dwelling made. Afterwards - God said ; " We will make man like us ; and he master of all the earth, and of all things in it." At once God man made like Him good. Also God woman made like him good. God of dust man made. He a soul breathed into nostrils ; at once man was alive ; God man named " Adam." God said " Not good man alone to be." I woman for him will make. God Adam sleep made long lying down. God a bone out of side pulled ; He quickly the flesh closed up again. At once He the bone out of side pulled out a woman formed. Afterwards God the woman brought to the man. Adam said " This woman bone of bone mine, and flesh of flesh mine ; she wife my." Name man Adam ; name woman Eve. God to man and woman said : "Ye bread- fruit, fig, little fig, bunya bunya, all trees eat ; only one tree in midst standing you do not of that tree eat. Te when that PARAPHRASES. 91 bagurna tulla. kfinta winna dungama bagurna tulli, ga ginta ljundu balluia bigibu." "Waddeli magu'i yuunti bulkurri ; wun- nal yari " Mumbal yari, ginta wunna gambillebu bagulti tulla ?" Iva yari : " Mumbal yari gullegunna ; ginta tjun- gul, goaga, kunnin, boinyiboinyi, ijam- billebu bagulti tulla ; gundii kunnar bagur gurti jillerdu iuta wunnaduugama bagurna tulla. TJinta winna dungama bagurna tulli, ninta gundu balluia bigibu. Bagur gurti jillerdu tunbul." Magu'i yuunti ginedu yari, " Uinta yugar ballui. Burra ginta winna bagur- na gurti jillerdu tulli, mil ginta yuggaipa; ginta gamba Mumbal." Jundalguipunang yuun winujigurri ; kudna muiya dunga bagurnu. Burru wunnal piinman ; ga turn, ga dugganu widdan ; duggaidu turri. "Wunnale mil yuggan ; wunnale miiginpunni ; wunnale guruman kuddalti Mumbalnundi, naiya gundu gullinga. Mumbal kungain : " Adam, winna inta?" Adam yari, " gutta yundum ; gutta muginpunni, gutta guruman." Mumbal yari : " Inta minninji mugin- punna ? Inta bagurna gurti jillerdu turri ?" Duggai yari : " Jundal Inta gurri widdaniber, wunnal jundal gurri bagurti mddan ; ga gutta turri." Mumbal jundana yari : " Inta minya yugari ?" Jundal yari : " Tuundu gunna nullug- murri yari; ga gutta turri." Mumbal duggana ga jundana yari : " Hpug budelabu ballui. Ilpug yarung kumbal, ga yarung kumbal ilpung wirre.' tree eat, even you surely will die that day." A bad demon into serpent came ; he said, " Has God said, ye must not all trees eat?" Eve said: "God said to us, ye breadfruit, fig, little fig, bunya bunya, all trees eat ; only one tree in midst standing ye must not that tree eat. Te when that tree eat, ye surely will die that day. Tree in midst standing forbidden." The demon in serpent dwelling said "Te not will die. After you when tree in midst standing eat, eyes your will be well ; you like God." The woman believing the ser- pent heard ; heart was longing for the tree. Then she plucked ; and ate and to man gave ; the man ate. Their eyes saw well ; they were ashamed ; they hid themselves in bushes from God, see lest us two. Godcried out: "Adam, where art thou?" Adam said : " I was afraid ; I was ashamed, I hid myself." God said: " You wherefore ashamed ? You the tree in midst standing have eaten?" The man said: "The woman Thou me gavest to be with, that woman to me of the tree gave; and I ate." God to woman said : " Thou what hast done ?" The woman said : " The serpent me lies told ; and I ate." God man and woman said : " Ye two both shall die. Ye dust only, and dust only ye return. 92 TTJRRTJBTJL. "RTunna bukki winunga ; gutta ilpullana Me a little listen to ; I to you will yali; gutta yugar mudyeri punna; ya speak ; I not lies tell ; talk good for all. murrumba gambillegu. Tmmanuel wunnal Mumbal-nubba Immanuel he is Q-od's son; He man nurrig ; "Wunnal duggai punni ; wunnal became ; he died for us. ballun gulpunna. "RTulle gambillebu waddeli; Mumbal "We all are bad ; God angry with us. bandugullegunna. Mumbal yari: ""RJam- God said : " All men are bad ; I will billebu duggatin waddeli ; gutta kalimurri punish them." wunnalina." Immanuel yari : " "Wunna ginta kali- Immanuel said : " Do not Thou punish mul wunnalina ; gunna ginta kalimul ; them ; me do Thou punish ; me do Thou gunna ginta bumma, gutta ballupa." smite, that I may die." Immanuel wunnal murrumba ; "Wunnal Immanuel he is good ; He died for ballun gullegunnu ; guile nambillebu us ; we all are bad ; we are alive ; us not waddeli ; guile mibulpubun ; gullegunna he punishes. yugar kalimunna. Immanuel murrumba; yugar waddeli Immanuel was good ; no evil within him wunalpuddi ginedu. "Wunnal paiimbiladin dwelt. He sick people healed ; He eyes yuggan : Wunnal mil wullimbadin yuggan ; of blind healed ; He also deaf healed ; He "Wunnal ga pidnaguntu. yuggan; "Wunnal dead raised up, and alive made. kunglr bulgunmurri, ga milbulpumurri. Burru waddeli duggatin Immanuel mani, Afterwards bad men Immanuel seized ga kungirmurri. "Wunuale bagur tubui and killed. They a tree straight cut down ; kulkurri ; wunnale kurruba bagur kulkurri they another tree cut down, and laid ga wunkamurri; wunnale budelabo bagur- along ; they the two trees fastened. They nanunni. "Wunnale Immanuel mani ; mir Immanuel seized; holes in hands they murradi bimberri ; ga mir tjidnendi bim- pierced ; and holes in feet they pierced. berri. T^Ta wunnale Immanuel bagurti And they Immanuel on tree put : and He wune : l^Ja "Wunnal duran bagurti : "RTa was hung on the tree : and He died. "Wunnal kungirpun. "Wunnale bulgunmurri bagurubba ; tarti They took him down from tree; in dai-emurri. ground laid him. PARAPHRASES. 93 Immanuel guaumbo kunglr daieduga ; mudelago Wunnal kunglr daieduga ; ga gunnu kurruba kunglr daieduga : kurruba mudelago Wunnal bulkurrun milbulpu- bun. Burru Immanuel birradi wundare ; berren Wunnal birradi ginnenna. Wun- nalu gulpana nanna. From Luke vii. Immanuel millendu yana ; ga Wunnal yeatuga Kapernailm; Kapernaum miant- jun; guruga Kommandant : wunnanubu duggai paingo daina; wunnal tjigenti balluni. Kommandant Immanuel wma- gurri miantjun glnadu : wunnal duggatin moyumko waiari : "Duggai gurriba pain- go ; inta bulka ; paii yagulliba." Duggai bulkurri ; tiggen yali Immanuel bulkullibi. Wunnale yali, " Kommandant murrumba duggai." Immanuel yeatuga guile bugga. Wunnale tjigenti bulkurri umpigga. Kommandant wunnaniiba gubbuga wai- ari ; wunnal yalibe, " Wunna bulkul ; gutta yugar murrumba; wunna ginta bulkultu umpi gurriba. kTinta wulla kunnar ya ; ginta ya, ' Wunnal yaraipa'; berren wunnal murrumba bai. Uutta baigal kaiabunda: millen duggatin gunna gurpigga ka wunna : kTutta kunnar ya, 1 ginta yerra'; berren wunnal yerri : TJutta kurruba yali, 'ginta bulka'; berren wunnal bulkurri ; gutta kurruba yali, 'ginta duga yuggali'; berren wunnal yuggari." Im- manuel duga pinag. Birribug bugguru buddai : gillugin unal ; yari, " gutta yugarpo nanni duggai gamba wunnal. TJundin gunna yugar winugunna. Kar Kommandant gunna winugunna." Immanuel tbat night dead lay ; next day He dead lay ; and night another dead He lay ; next to-morrow He came up alive. Afterwards Immanuel to heaven went up. now He in heaven dwells. He us sees. and viii. Immanuel long spoke ; and He came to Capernaum. Capernaum, a town. There was the chief man : his man sick lay ; he almost dead. The Commandant Immanuel heard in town to be ; he men on message sent, " Man my is sick ; you come ! the sick heal." The men came ; earnestly asked Immanuel to come. They said, " The Commandant is a good man." Im- manuel went them with. They near came to house. Commandant his brother sent ; he said, " Do not come ; I not am good ; do not thou come to house my. Thou word one speak ; Thou say, ' Let him be well'; at once he well will be. I am a man of power : many men me behind follow : I to one say, ' Thou go'; at once he goes : I to another say, ' Thou come'; at once he comes : I another tell, ' Thou this do'; at once he does it." Immanuel this heard. He greatly wondered : He turned round ; He said, " 1 never saw a man like him. Any besides (him) me not believes. Only the Commandant me believes." 94 TURRUBUL. Duggatin Kommandantnubba wirreni umpirja ; nanna duggana paingo daiida murrumba wunnal yuggan. Immanuel tarti bulkurri,Gadara tjigenti, Galili. Duggai bulkurri mianjunti wun- nana gadun. Magui'ku barkil wunnal- puddi ginedu ; wunnal pidna-wuddeli ; gerag gerag yugarpowumbaduga; umpigga yugarpo ginnen ; wunnal kuggirti ginne dug a. Wunnal Immanuel nanni ; kuggai'n karan wunnalpuddi ; yari, " Minyago gunna ginta, Immanuel nurrig Mumbal- nubba ? Inta wunna, gutta muian, inta wunna gunna kalimul." Immanuel yari, " Magu'i, bulkurri duggai puddi." Tjigen wunnana mani, wunnanuba gubbug tjidne ga murra nunni ; wunnal biigguru kamari. TJa magui'du wunnana kawane kudnigulti. Immanuel yari, "Naii ginta minya"? Maguidu yari, " Kurumba mulla." Milieu magu'i wunnal-puddi kur- rin. TJambille magu'i mu'i-an, " Wunna gullegunna waialta wunku." Pigpig millenkolle bippudi tanmunna. Magu'i mui'an, yari " guile yerra pigpig, eko"? Wunnal yari "Terra." Berren gambille magu'i yeatunga duggaipa pigpigti kurrin ; berren gambille pigpig tubborpun Igcren tubburti bipudi bunkin, ga tabbilti wunugin. Duggatin pigpig inelta Igeren mient- jinti; gambilla yari. Duggaitin mient- jintiber yeatuga, nanniber minna yugari. Wunnal bulkurri ; Immanuel nanni ; duggai magu'i ineltu nanni jidnendi Im- manuel-nubba ginedu, gerang gerang pilla, The men of the Commandant returned to the house ; they see the man sick lying ; well him become. Immanuel to land came, Gadara near in Galilee. A man came from town him to meet. A demon long time in him dwelt ; he was mad ; clothes not wore ; in house not dwelt ; he with the dead dwelt con- stantly. He Jesus saw ; he cried out ; he fell him before, said " What me thou, Immanuel son of God ? Thou do not, I beseech, thou do not me torment." Jesus said, " Demon, come from the man." Often him it seized ; his brother feet and hands tied ; he the rope broke. And the demon him drove to the forest. Im- manuel said, " Name your what ?" the demon said " A multitude." Many demons him into entered. All the demons en- treated " Do not us send to the deep." Pigs many on mountain were feeding. The demons besought, said " We may go to pigs, may we ?" He said " Go." At once all demons came, man from the pigs into ; at once all the pigs quickly went steep hill tumbled ; and in sea were drowned. The men pigs keeping went to the town : all they told. The men belonging to the town came, they saw what he did. They came, Immanuel they saw ; the man the demon had been in they saw at feet of Immanuel sitting, clothes wearing, minp PARAPHRASES. 95 pidna yuggan wunnal. Wunnale yandain. Duggatin Immanuel-puddi glnedo yari gambilla. TJambille duggatin tartiber Gadara bulkurri Immanuel ga mui'an ; yari M Terra ginta, yerra ginta" ; wunnal kurumba yandain. Immanuel yeatuga kundulti, klrgumti wirren. Burru duggai, magui' wunnalpuddi ya- deni, bulkurri Immanuel ; yari, " gutta gintapuddi ginne." Immanuel wunnalu yari, "yerra; wirrer umpiggo ginnuba; numpa duggaitin taoun ginnu yugariba." Wunnal yeatuga, ga duggatin gambillaba yari toun kurumba wunnalu Immanuel yugari. Burru Immanuel klrgumti wire nebu ; duggatin diitin nanningo ; gam- billabu wunnana undaltugga. Duggai, nail Taairu, bulkurri ; wunnal bunkin tjidna wunnalpuddi ; mui'an, yari; "ginta bulka umpigga gurriba: gurriba nuriggun kunnar kumbal, berpi kin; wunnal barumpa baluni." Immanuel yari " gutta gintaba yurri." Duggatin kiirukabari wunnana. Jundal paii'mbila; yugar wunnana murrumbayug- gali ; wunnal gurpinje bulkurri ; gadiin gera ggerag Immanuel-nubba. Berren kao-un dullan; jundal murrumba bain. Immanuel yari "gandu gunna gadun? " TJambille yari "yugar gutta." Peter yari ; " Bunjeru duggatin ginta kurukabari ga ginta mumma : TJinta yari gandu gunna gadun ?" Immanuel yari ; " Kunnara gunna gadun ; kaia guttabuddi Igeren." healed he. They were afraid. The men Immanuel with abiding told all. All the men of the land of Gadara came to Im- manuel and besought ; they said, "Go thou, go thou." They much feared. Immanuel came to boat, to other side went across. Afterwards the man, demon him within, went out, came to Immanuel ; said, " I thee with would abide." Immanuel to him said ; Go ; return to house thine ; show to the men things to thee done." He went, and to men all said things great to him Immanuel did. Afterwards Im- manuel to shore returned, men glad to see Him, all Him were waiting on. A man, named Jairus, came ; he fell down at feet before him ; besought, said ; " You come to house, my daughter one only, little girl ; she almost dead." Im- manuel said, " I with you will go." Men nocked around Him. A woman was sick ; not her well can they make ; she behind came ; touched clothes of Immanuel. Instantly blood stayed ; wo- man was well of her disease. Immanuel said "Who me touched?" All said " Not I." Peter said ; Master, men thee flock round and thee press : do you say who me touched?" Immanuel said; " Some one me touched ; virtue from me is gone." 96 TURRUBUL. Jundal nSnni yugar wunnal murrumba gurumun ; wunnal jikkebele bulkurri ; karan tjidnendi wunnalpuddi ; ga duggatin buddi gambillabo yari ; " gutta ginnuba geraggeran gadun, berren gutta paii yug- gan. Iinmanuel yari ; " gurriba nuriggun murrumba ginta ! Uinta gunna guipuna gwlneugga; dujinna inta murrumba." Berren duggatin umpigga Yaairiinubba bulkurri; yari " nurixjgunrjinnubabaluni; wunna gundin yaldu." Immanuel wlna- gurri; yari; "yandai wunna; gundu gunna guipunag wlneiigga; nuriggun ginnuba murrumba paii yugaipa." Burru wunnale umpigga bulkurri. Immanuel wunna duggatina bulgutu umpigga ; gundu Peter ga Takoba ga Toban, ga big pudjag kin- nixbba. TJambilladu dug inna ; yari ; "kin balluni ; kin balluni." Immanuel yari " wunna diigidu : yugar wunnal ballun, gundu bugankumbal." gambilladu ginden ; wineugari baluniber. Immanuel gambil- lebu kawane ; wunnal kin murradi mani; wunnal yambari wunnana; yari; "kin! bulkurai ! " guru wlrepinebu ; wunnal banka dulpain. Immanuel yari ; " talkiiba wunnanu widda." Big ga pujag kurrii. The woman saw not she able to hide herself ; she shaking came ; threw herself at feet him before, and to the men all said "I your clothes touched, at once I of sickness was cured." Immanuel said ; "My daughter good you ; you me believing heard ; enjoy thou good." Then men of the house of Jairus came ; they said, " Daughter your is dead, do not more say." Immanuel heard ; he said ; " Fear do not, only me believing hear : daughter thy well of disease shall be made." Afterwards they to house came. Immanuel would not let people come into house ; only Peter and James and John, and father and mother of the girl. All were weeping; they said, "The girl is dead ; the girl is dead." Immanuel said " Do not weep ; not she dead ; only asleep only." All laughed; they knew to be dead. Immanuel all put out ; He the girl by hand took ; He called her, said, " Damsel ! come ! " the soul returned, she soon sat up. Immanuel said " Food to her give." The father and mother wondered. TUEUWIIL: The Language spoken by the now extinct Tribe of Port Jackson. i j 1 l> 1 1 . . : i i • "'NIVKKS1TY OF ^ CALIFOltNIA.. / ^ttrufoitl ^SS||p.HE Language spoken by the now extinct tribe of Port SSwSS Jackson and Botany Bay. These words were obtained from ^v^fff 3 Mrs. Lizzie Malone, a half-caste, and were learnt by her c^dpr from her husband, John Malone, a half-caste, whose mother i was of that tribe. NOUNS. 1. Man tdhulla. ' father babuna, babunna old man bangug mother gubug old woman mulda children chajug head kabura son babug eyes me daughter gudjeruij nose nugulbundi (midjan or sister ] (mitjun mouth kommi tongue tullug your father's ) > babmunderug children ) hand murramul foot dunna you are mine ) . ' > rjaiawulli (my daughter) ) knee rjumun 100 TURUWUL. . 2. Animals. kangaroo opossum burral kuruera crow Tmetiba or \ warnug dog jugug duck kundyeri magpie gurugun black snake yugga adder nyumbutsh 3. Miscellaneous. earth murrurj smoke kurun gerij water batu dew kiblr fire we night purra sun wirri food dunminun sunshine wirringulla creek turagun sky dulka sand wetyut sea kulnura grass bumbur clouds kurrii wind kumgiima rain bunna boat yernera hut kunje bora (initiatory rite) wuriigul ADJEC TIVES. bad wirra red or yellow kubur black nuncla small murruwulun good kuller white tibiura large kaiun PHRASES. I see a kangaroo. "Where ? There he is. He has caught some schnapper. He killed a snake. Eun! Come here quick ! Go away ! Take the dog away ; Bring it here again. Give me some water. I will give you some water. Over the river. Tou must ! No. "What do you want ? Why do you look sulky ? Tou must be So disagreeable. Our father here will pray for us. He brought his sister home. "RJandagu burru. Wutta ? "RTo, go, i) a gullai. Manma wtilimai. Bunma miinda. Chawa ! Ye ye chobug ! Yunda ! TJaindina mirigug ; TiTaigulug ga mirigug. Binigug batu or gaityug. TiTai gai pindwagug batu. Wagu yanbagal. TJindigug mulli ! Meira. Unijerunbi minku ? Punmakuno wottowiye ? TiJullai rumka wirimigunin. Kuraguluk tualene. TUaigulai la mitjungun. LANGUAGE OF GEORGE'S RIVER, COWPASTURE, AND APPIN. ^o HIS Language was spoken from the mouth of George's River, Botany Bay, and for about fifty miles to the south-west. Very few of the tribe speaking this language are left. The information was obtained by the author from Mr. John Rowley; formerly resident at Cook's Biver (Botany Bay), son of Lieutenant Bowley. man (aboriginal) dullai man (white) jibaguluij woman wirawi boy fwongerra or (wugara girl werowi father biana mother waiana child gurorj husband mollimin wife jinman brother bobbina sister wian brother-in-law jambi sister-in-law jambin comrade mittigan re. namesake C damolai or (. damili stranger mai-al doctor (sorcerer) karraji head kobra or kobbera forehead kobbina eye mai nose nogra mouth midyea teeth terra ear kurra breast nabun back glli stomach bindi arm minniij hand buril 104 LANGUAGE OF GEORGE'S RIVER, COWPASTTJRE, AND APPIN. finger berril leg mundao-i foot tunna blood mula kangaroo biirru kangaroo (ow man) kao-walgoij kangaroo (mountain) wolaru kangaroo (b bS£n) wolaba kangaroo (red) gorea kangaroo (rock) wirain kangaroo (rat) karnimin opossum wai-ali opossum (nngtaiied) bukari bear kula bear (ground) wombat iguana jindaola jungho" dog horse horned cattle cockatoo emu Tyaraman < [from "yara" V. throw fast.] kumbakuluk tarramue karabl ^birabain or < biriabain or V.murrion crow wargon duck (black) yuranyi hawk bunda laughing jackass > kogunda parrot (rosella) bundeluk pigeon (blue) wonga-wonga pigeon (crested) mirral pigeon (green) bao-ma pigeon (bronze} gotgag egg- karbin fish mogra bream yerrermurra shark (blue) kon shark (ground) kwibito schnapper wallami kingfish wollogul flathead kaoari mullet worrijal blackfish kururma eel burra oyster bittongi mud oyster danya black snake cherribit mosquito dubiij sun kyun NOUNS. 105 moon iulluk itch gaibal stars kimberwalli fly-blow tullibilorj morning winbin small-pox gulgul night minni hoarseness kurak earth bimmal house gunya water bardo or naijun canoe nao-i fire goyon ship murri nao-i sea barrawal club Tnullanulla and rain wal-lan \ woddi thunder murongal spear karmai lightning manga manga. spear (small) dual dust durir fish-spear p ( r ^ } muttin frost wind talara gura throwing-stick for spear > womra grass durawoi boomerang biimarin smoke kudjel shield hilaman hill bulga gun jererburra path miiru net rao-rao lvi'-n oil (thick wood about i~» ^ U1U.&I1 a watercourse) tUgi* fish-line kurrajog SCmb (dry jungle) jerematta oar narrawan south wind tugra gora ■na-rvQ-M (the inner bark papei of a tree) kurunderiirj north wind yuroka gora cooking kunnima bulrush wollogolin opossum rug budbilli opossum rug budbilli the bora yellabi daialorj sore gigi name nanti boil buka pity or sympathy mu dj eru 106 LANGUAGE OF GEORGE'S RIVER, COWPASTTJRE, AND APPIN. PRONOUNS. I naiya you ninda we junna that mungan ADJECTIVES. afraid jerron hot yuruka angry kulara lean waraij bad werl large murri bald kombrukno small nararj big-bellied bindimari old kaian brave mutton stammering kurukabundi cold tugra stupid binnin-garai deaf kurakabunni stinking (bad) kuji fat gorai toothless tarabundi grey-headed warringi kobbera young mud-di greedy tullinyun nearsighted kuji mai good budjeri cross-eyed kuragain Numerals. one two wagul buler or blao-eri four ( blaoeri-blaoeri ( or bulla bulla three blaoeri-wagul five bullabulla wagul VERBS AND ADVERBS. 107 VERBS. burn kunnet sleep nangri dance korobra strike paibao die bo'i take mahan dive nallabogi throw yana fight durella tell paialla fish mogra weep yunga give toga look out ! kwark ! go yan stop here ! wallawa ! hunt wolbunga sit down ! nallawalli ! hide tuabilli let us go ! nalla yan ! laugh winna make haste ! barrao ! shout kumba come here kwai bidja sing beria run away whu karndi spear turret run wii steal karama ADVERBS. yes yu'in away kaundi no beal far away warawara here bija by and by karbo close by winnima 108 LANGUAGE OF GEORGE'S RIVER, COWPASTTJRE, AND APPIN. PHRASES. tell me your name your brother my brother strike me the baby is burnt ; make haste paialla gaia nanti nindi bobina gaia bobina paibao rjaia gurug kunut ; kuai bija WODI-WODI: The Language of lllawarra, from Wollongong to the Shoa/hauen. Wofct^Eotri HE language of Illawarra, from Wollongong to the Shoal- haven. These words were taken from Lizzie (half-caste), daughter of a woman of the Illawarra Tribe, and wife of John Malone. NOUNS. God Mirirul [from " Mirir," sky] spirit or ghost guun white man jirurjgalun old man young man young woman boy child little child head forehead hair eyes nose ear beuggun yurun or baijguij yirawlun bunbari kudjaguij murrakaiggui) wollar niilu jura mobura or mer nugiir kuii mouth kommi throat kuru chin wullu teeth Irra tongue tullun shoulder kogo arm niirun hand murrurmur nails birrinul thigh turra leg nurri knee nummu ancle wutaota foot dunna kangaroo burru emu birribain 112 WODI-WODI. opossum kiiraora Pleiades mullamulluT) padymelon buluwa fire kanbi dog mirrigun water naityun horse yaraman earth murun iguana laughing jackass gindaola f kukara sea sky (kaiun or (nurrowun mirir cockatoo yambai-imba cloud kurru black cockatoo naoara rain yewi pelican kurunaba smoke kuruijgurij pigeon wongawonga hut nurra, kundi topknot pigeon native com- panion giiralga ► guraclawak canoe tree (mudyeri or (. yanaoera kiindu black snake mundar bark kuninda brown snake gubalan book (tea-tree bark; gurrinduruij diamond snake mokka road yowun deaf adder mujuwich boomerang wurarjain lizard (small) dillun spear maiagun fish dun fish spear kullar sun bukurun trees (tea-tree) banban moon tedjuij do. (ironbark' 1 barima stflTK rjinjinnurui) do. (swamp oak) mumbara O I .IL kj ( (sparkling) do. (forest oak) wiraluij Venus burara do. (honeysuckle) kurlja Sirius I kurumul do. (pigeonberry) wulununda PRONOUNS AND ADJECTIVES. 113 PRONOUNS. I rjaiagui) he dulla we nilgui) that one naiadulla you rjindigmj ADJECTIVES. alive murungulla grey yerurj gada asleep nun gun good nukkurj awake baitba high worn bad bullin hot bukurhj black blue [ gundur large red kaiyug wurugurui) cold maiiij small murruwailuij dead bulier or bulyar true kubya false murii white tao-erurj green nurmrjuruij NUM] ]RALS. one two mitturj bular six C wowulli bo (wowulli three wowulli ( wowulli bo four bularbular seven ( wowulli mittuij five ( bularbular bo ( niitturj Ill WODI-WODI. VERBS. beat go down jump up leave off lie down lift up bulmugan irriba baitba nawalinna nun gun kaitbava run jowa make to run jomunja sing yungamun speak kamun throw down vurrer yes no naiyun ADVERBS, here yai SENTENCES IN WODI-WODI. Sit down quietly. Go and play. Don't fight, play quietly. Let us go. Give me a drink. Give me some food. I hate you. I will tell you the truth. He will come soon. He stayed a long time. TJullari jungiri. Yunda wariiri. Jumbunya wariiri. Nilgun yandiniun. Wundumaia ljummi. Dunman dieri. Kunnundlgu, or wirrunmlgun. TJutbai egu. Yunula nulimun. Dimug alle. LI B UAii WORDS USED AT TWOFOLD BAY. (From Johnny Wyman, an Eden black, in gaol, 14 October, 1864^ In the language spoken about Twofold Bay, 200 miles south of Sydney, the word for God is " Dhurumbulum." I gaiadha. Thou indiga. I and thou ljaiawung. We three uaiowing. Sin kurnina. Pardon wurnuga. I shall forgive him Igindaga murada. I shall not forget it warindmjambada. I shall think of it winduga. Father baba. Mother miga. A man courting one's sister . . . kubbo. A man married to one's sister tembi. Proper names of a family : — Waiaman father. Dadun and Maiada brothers. Mamui) sister. tj B IV A 11 y PKIYEKSITY 6f CALIFORNIA. THE NAMES OF AUSTRALIA AND ITS INHABITANTS. HE Aborigines of Australia are called, by Kamilaroi-speaking blacks and neighbouring tribes, " Murri "; westward of the Balonne they are called " Murdin," and about the Weir River, "Mial" (Mee-al) ; along the coast about Moreton Bay the name of the race is " Djan " or " Dan." As they have no knowledge of the extent of the country they inhabit, the names given to the land can only be regarded as the names of small districts. At Cape York, Australia as known to the inhabitants of that coast is called " Kai Dowdai" (which I suppose to mean "Little Country"), in contradistinction to "Muggi Dowdai" ("Great Country"), that is, New Guinea. Mr. M'Gillivray, in his narrative of the Expedition of the " Rattlesnake," gives the above as the names used by the Aborigines for Australia and New Guinea. He renders " Kai Dowdai" Great Dowdai, and " Muggi Dowdai" Little Dowdai. But " Kai" means little in Kamilaroi ; and muggi looks like a modification of " murri," great. To those who live near Cape York, and pass to and fro across the Strait, without any means of knowing the real extent of Australia or New Guinea, the low narrow point of land which terminates in Cape York must appear very small, compared with the great mountain ranges of New Guinea. Regarding "dowdai" as a variation of "towrai," a country, I think it probable that "Little Country" was the name given by the Aborigines to Australia. It may 118 THE NAMES OF AUSTRALIA AND ITS INHABITANTS. be that those of the race of Murri who first came into this land, passing from island to island, until they reached the low narrow point which forms the north-eastern extremity of this island continent, gave the name Kai Towrai (Little Country) to the newly- discovered land ; and as they passed onward to the south and west, and found out some- what of the vast extent of the country, the necessities and jealousies of the numerous families that followed them forbade their return. The current of migration was ever onward towards the south and west; and, therefore, the north-eastern corner of Australia was always the dwelling-place of a people ignorant of the vast expanse beyond them, and willing to call it still " Kai Dowdai," the Little Country. This is, of course, only a conjecture. And from the wide difference between the various languages it is not safe to assume that kai and towrai have the same meaning at Cape York as in Kamilaroi. But, as shown in a former part of the work, Kamilaroi is known, in some measure, far to the north of Brisbane. On the other hand, the Aborigines in various parts of the continent point to the north-west as the quarter from which their tribes came. And some travellers' tales have made public a tradition about the first landing of man on the north-west coast of Australia, from Java. COMPARATIVE TABLES OF WORDS IN TWENTY LANGUAGES. ITHIN the country intersected by the tributaries of the Darling many languages are spoken, though Kainilaroi is understood by all the tribes. In fact, natives of Port Curtis, to the north, and of Twofold Bay, to the south, with others from various intermediate localities, know enough of Kami- laroi to understand and answer, in that language, such questions as this : — " Yamma ginda Kamilaroi winugulda ? " (Do you understand Kainilaroi ?) Their answer is, the Kamilaroi negative, " kamil." " Ko'inberri" is spoken on part of Liverpool Plains and the Castle- reagh River ; — " Wiradhuri " lower down the Castlereagh, and over the Wellington District; — "Wailwun" or "Tdmmba" on the Barwan for about forty miles below the junction of the Namoi; " Burrunbinya" and "Kuno" and "Wiraiarai" lower down the Barwan; "Muru- wurri" is spoken on the Bree, the Culgoa, the Bugaira (Bokhara), and the Narran (tributaries of the Barwan below the Namoi) ; "Yualarai" is spoken on the Balonne, " Kogai " on the Maranoa and Cogoon (tri- butaries of the Balonne, coming in from the west and north-west) ; the "Wogaibun" is also spoken on the Narran ; " Wolaroi " (in which " wol " is no) on the Bundarra or Gwydir ; " Pikumbul " on the Weir and Macintyre ; " Khjki " and "Paiamba" on Darling Downs. 120 COMPARATIVE TABLES. In the first of the following tables seven of the above-mentioned languages of Queensland and the North-west of this Colony are compared, in a few examples, with Turuwul, the language of the extinct Botany Bay and Sydney tribe, with Wodi-Wodi,. the language of Illawarra, with that of George's Biver, with that spoken about the Lower Hunter and Lake Macquarie (from the Grammar of the Bev. L. E. Threlkeld), with l)ippil and Turrubul (spoken at Wide Bay and More ton Bay, in Queensland), with one of the many languages of Victoria (from a work of D. Bunce, Esq.), and with that of the North- western Coast (as given by Andrew Hume.) The words of Wiradhuri are from a manuscript work by the Bev. James Giinther, of Mudgee. The places where some of these languages are spoken are five hundred miles apart, and in the extreme instances about two thousand miles apart. There are many intermediate dialects — probably some hundreds in Australia. The dialects differ so widely that it seems proper to call them, as is done generally in this work, " languages"; but these tables afford evidence that all the dialects spoken in Eastern Australia are either derived from one language or are widely intermingled ; and, considering the jealous isolation of the tribes, it is impossible to account for the existence of the same words in Queensland and Victoria by any recent intercourse. While the preceding pages have been going through the press, my attention has been called by a friend to some information of great interest, contained in a Beport by Mr. Edward S. Parker, Protector of Aborigines in the Port Phillip District (now Victoria), printed and bound up with the Votes and Proceedings of the Legislative Council COMPARATIVE TABLES. 121 of New South Wales for 1843. On the 5th January 1843 Mr. Parker wrote thus : — " I have found not less than eight different dialects pre- valent among this people, viz. : the Witowro in the neighbourhood of Buninyong and Barumbeel, the Jajowrong in the country between the Loddon and the Pyrenees, the Knenknemourro in the vicinity of the Pyrenees and to the westward, the Burapper among the Malle- goondeet, the Taoungurong among the petty tribes north of Mount Alexander and on the Campaspe, the Nindakkedoivrong to the west- ward of the Pyrenees, and at least two other dialects, respecting which I do not at present possess definite information, among the Bolokepar and the tribes of the "Wimmera. The Jajoiorong is generally under- stood by the majority of the Aborigines frequenting the stations. The Knenknenwurro prevails among the tribes between the Pyrenees and the Grampians. The Burapper is, I have reason to believe, spoken on some parts of the Murray." The district thus referred to comprises about one-fourth of the Colony of Victoria, toward the north and west boundaries. Mr. Parker gives specimens of five of these dialects. Of the words he gives, forty are subjoined in the second Table for comparison with those in the first Table. Their sound is represented by the mode of spelling used throughout this work. 122 COMPARATIVE TABLE OF WORDS IN FIFTEEN LANGUAGES. NOUNS. Man , woman young man boy girl baby Australian abo- ") riginal ) white man father mother son brother < sister < husband... wife head forehead eye nose mouth teeth tongue chin ear hiiir beard neck NEW SOUTH WALES. giwir inar kubura birri mie kahjal murri wunda buba ljumba wurume daiadi gullami and ") » J boadi and ~) buri J giilir guiir ga or kaoga nulu mil muru ille yira tulla tal bimia tegul yare nun Wiradhnri. gibbir birrin inargaij wangai babbin gunnibaij kagaij muagan ballaij mil utha yaran Wailwun. tdhur wiriinga nurrukuijga mariyunga worrii07 - wuru mail wunda buba guuni kukka (grown up) kukkamin (boy brother) kati or gidurai guan kuboga nulu mil mum ljundal wira tulle kir kuriijgera wulla kir nirrimirri Lower Hunter. kore nukuij biyunbai tunkan binnai wolluij naikun niikoro kurrurka tira wattun ijureui) or ") turrurkurri ) kittuij or ~) burruij ) yarrei kulleny Turuwul. tdhulla babunna nubun babuij mitjun kabura m6 nugulbundi kommi tullun George's River. dullai wunara or wongerra werowi guroij biana waiana bobbina wiaij mollimiij jinman kobra or kobera kobina nogra midyea terra kurra K COMPARATIVE TABLE. 123 QUEENSLAND. Kogai. Pikumbul. KUJki. Paiamba, Dippil. Turrubul. VICTORIA. NORTH-WEST COAST. tamar mollunii kaa nrige kagul mial gun kabui wenda mil muru ljunda tira bidna yarun bimbi kabui mil murtu mulindin tyitta or \ jitta ) binna dunguin tyan kidn dan Yirum duggai jundal kulinth birrarja numoangan tjuku tyan karabi ukhuun yorogun metbindum dan makoron X bobbin rjavaij nun and wudhug yaobun kam muru tunka yikul binun, dhella yeran guna mualum yurumkun namul tyan magui or mudhar biij and buba pujaij nubuija and ~) duarjal ) dadi and *) muijuijkul ) yanyian miinmundik bubtip kulinth niarmunth parbine wunthuloij mollokin magul kowon mil, inia muro tamburii tier pidna kabui yeren nurrun coijatba woronatha leorjatha nondiik kidnogatha yarragoijatha yarragondok koorn giul ginaia bunia yiradiul buben milkawina burgun wingren balgun aiyua ljilun mulu tilua kunuka wuta giddon garginj galgua 124 COMPARATIVE TABLE. NEW SOUTH WALES. Kamilaroi. Wiradhuri. NOUNS. throat shoulder arm hand belly thigh leg foot (animals.) adder (deadly) cockatoo \ crow duck emu grub kangaroo magpie opossum padymelon . . . , pelican pigeon snake (brown) turkey (buzzard) ... (elements, etc.) earth fire water sun moon wuru wolar buijun murra miibal durra puiyu dinna mundar biloela or' morai waru ijunumbi dinoiin birra bundar mutg murriira gulamboli tamur kaleboi taon wi kolle yarai gille urru kanna ;ur marra biirbin tharraij buyu dhinnaij wagan or wsiudvu thullur rjurain birgarj karru willai wabba yarrhjgarj gambal guyaij kalhj yurruga yuroka giway Wailwun. Lover Hunter. nuggl wiirru nurii murra buri duiTa piyu dinna murai murai waru kunambi ljuri kuragi wiru wirea munumbi tdliuru tagun wi kolle duni or dhuni giwiir mirriuj kopa and ") turrun, ) purraij biilloinkoro wolloma and turra yullo tembiribe-en kearapai wakun \ pirama koijkororj willai karoijkarorj purrai koiyurj kokoi'n > I punnul Turuwul. murramul dunna nyumbutsh metiba or warnui) kundyeri burral gurugug kuriiera muruij we batu wirri George's River. minniy buril mundao-i tunna karibi wargon yurami birabain or~\ murrion * j burru wai-ali gotgaij luminal goyoy bardo or naijoij kefin and yiluk julluk Wodi-wodi. kurii nurrun murramur durrmj rjurri dunna mujuwich yambai-imba biribain burru kuraora biiliiwa gubaluij nuiruij kaubi ljailyuij bukunuj ") and wfirri J tedjmj COMPARATIVE TABLE. 125 QUEENSLAND. Kogai. Kirjki. Paiamba. Dippil. Turrubul. VICTORIA. NORTH-WEST COAST. kurijgara yama mara mabun buiyu giabun ljurun bunbiil kubi duruijul bunna bukur gille kora duruin and ") wothinga j dmjun durran puiyu jinnug manulgum kiggiim nar ljurum puiyim kroman narambi nirrirjga tamur wagun daofii" gira | korj dunuij kika taron tiggeri durra puiyu tidna wowul 13a 1JU1 kuruman kubbi * bulualum yuun tar kuddum or ' kuiyim tabbil bigi killen and kakurri thirrok thoroni thirroij thirroijatha geenongatha or \ jinonatha j nayuk wa'ag tulome patheron barroworn mungubera kurnniil bik winth kalliyi yarrh and no- winth {see five) meniyan kimbika buger gilinta dabir tburrug * dimar wurrulorj qwaulir wugglr wumbilug murruuntbulu gurbun kondula kurwar wille kunar guluijkun dibijoloij jerun gumbal dargum niriala kolinutuw a gugarun 126 COMPARATIVE TABLE. NOUNS. (elements, etc.) — continued. stars NEW SOUTH WALES. Kamilaroi. Wiradhuri. Waihvun. Lower Hunter. Turuwul. George's Kiver. TVodi-wodi. mini gunagulla or yuru tun and burian ijuru tulumi mi maier } i ■1 girralan murrubir nallanawcZyirrin nurrun murrubarrai miggi girrar gwoij and igurra kallandar murrian yurrun dhirran girila gunagulla kimberwalU < jinjinnurun ") (sparkling) j sk 7 { light { night dulka wiriijgulla purra minni murongal mangamaijga gura thunder mulo pinkun and wottol lichtniner ( ) wind I ) kumguma kibir dew frost , tundar talari barrawal sea kuhjura kurru jjurrowun *) and kaimj ) cloud yuro kubba taorai tura goaror wadel ( yareil and *) yura ) mountain I district bark dhurraij gurruijgal ljarru gurroij dhin nubbun burguin gullur thallai nunumba grass woiyo bumbur durawoi milk meat di tulu yundu kundi yi-ili karai wood baibai hut kunga guny. ( kundi gulgi • I ana yura ) bul kaiai North ljarruin ballima South .. thirrangal or "^ girraij-gan ) West . . r COMPABATIVE TABLE. 127 QUEENSLAND. VICTORIA. NORTH-WEST COAST. Kogai. Pikumbul. Kiljki. Paiamba. DippiL Turrubul. mirrigin birra ( whycurl burura durran durran "1 and nowinth J buronthuith murndell and ~\ drumbullabuU ) mornmut wyibuba'anth dumbalk warrain lark rjorak miram-bikbik jeraloij narroij mugara murrunj wurumbarai wimije mibian barduga bar thiijgun kaloara tburun mingunka turaij pargun naraij wilbian din bulduna burguun gurrbar guriinduer giunda kiliumpaka nunaina dunigilina kiwuntawali dhinukala jinkiuialowa yuru I rjunnu mugara < tudnagain mumba billibira mirrin waiker kumba * bungil poath ( kobbai and ") gilla j I brimbrim bulgana muyim durabunnu kiindi porkwaddirj mulloko-monomith quinki monomith ■ / carmuggy no- ") winth (see sun) j C 128 COMPARATIVE TABLE. NOUNS. (elements, etc.)- continued. North-west North wind South wind ADJECTIVES. alive , bad dead good , htingry thirsty , ADVERBS. yes.... verily . VERBS. beat , drink eat ... find hate hear kill... love run see sleep stand , NEW SOUTII WALES. Kamilaroi. Wiradhuri. moron kagil balun murruba yuhjin kolle-rjin yo gir kamil murndhurei balluiu ijawa bumala or ") buma ) biimara narugi thalmarra tali widyarra ljamminya waimbillinya w'inuiji winnaijgarra balubuina ballubunmarra ljarruimharra bunbunna bunnaijunne ijummi ljanna babi yurrrai-wirinya warine warranna Wailwun. miriiraka or murala muun wurai yiada gam wail Lower Hunter. e-e and kau-wa keawaran pittulhko tukkilliko bummilliko nakilliko ljarabo qarokilliko Turuwul. George's River. Wodi-wodL kuller yiiroka gora tugra g5ra wen bo'i budgeri miirungulla bullin bulyar nukkuij yuin bel or b^al durella ije naiyuij bulmiigan jowa nangri ♦ There are several instances of the samo word being used with different meanings by separate tribes. Thus " biraban" is eaglo on tin- the other word used for emu on George's River, is apparently of the same root as " mullion," which means eagle in Kamilaroi and Wnilwun. thigh all over Eastern Australia. " Kubbi," a class name— not an animal name— amoug the tribes speaking Kamilaroi and AVailwun, means COMPARATIVE TABLE. 129 QUEENSLAND. Kogai. Pikumbul. Kiljki. Paiamba. Dippil. Turrubul. VICTORIA. NORTH-WEST COAST. uladirri abir amu-gin onimeala watidalulla imbiilloaddi unbermelgo wottigagulla dilgi kolle-gin pika galo yuga naiya kuraga ambu yoai kabbi baigin bitelle nunyin mibon milbulpu bog yoai yugar buarao-a nanni bugan murmbull n'uther ja'alburt liubuk thai) garth brimbinthon bullarto n'ud'lara mirrig ja'alburt githo-yuarrabuk mirambiak nanO gufch j yiun yilug gara ta-wupan kulinua talu wununda niltuwa akwian kalkuna maiwia kilteruna tinua nitalbi taiwult Lower Hunter ; " birabain" is emu in the language of George's River and Botany Bay ; and " biribain" is emu in Illawarra ; " JIurrion," So " thurrug," giyeu by A. Hume as the word for leg on the North-west Coast, is probably the same as " durrug " or " durra," which means opossum, in Turrubul (Moreton Bay), and " kubi" is opossum in Pikumbul. 130 COMPARATIVE TABLE OF WORDS IN FIVE LANGUAGES. father mother ... son daughter . . . brother ... sister husband ... wife man woman . . black man white man eyes ears tongue hand thigh foot .. fire .. water earth stone sun .. moon stars great little.. alive.. dead good.. bad .. long .. short one .. two .. three four . . yes .. no VICTORIA. Witaoro. Jajaoron. J/femjenwurro. Burapper. Ta-uijguron pedvirinettuk nardon rjettuk boran bagoriik warnuij wairrja nettuk warringur tannu nannapunguranuk gole bagoriik bangondeduk amigit mirruk winguk tallanyuk munangin karrlmnuk lurtamniik tinnanuk wing moabit dar lar mirri minyan turb baram detarbul nani akoru muron detarwa ko-enebanyuk nulam nerrim mo-ert koenmo-et bullait bullait par koenmoet bullait bullait yiyi borak marmuk barbiik bobiili tor-roi warwuk kotuk nannetuk marrarbuk gole ture bangodeduk amigit minniik wimbuluk talhjuk munnar karrepiik burapiik tinnanyuk wi wonyeram dar lar nao-i yern tiirt nuribabuk wanimuk] muron deryuij talkuk yurroij karpul mo-et kiarp bullait bullait par kiarp bullait bullait yiyi lo-wurrug marmak barpanoriik watyepuk mangapuk warwuk kotugan garuk nannetiik nettargoruk gole bienbiengu bullar bangodeduk amigit minnuk wimbuluk talhjuk munnenuk karrepiik burapiik tinnanjowuk wi katyin dar lar nao-i yern turt murtyowuk wardibiik miiron detyurj talkuk yartinyar tuwurnge mo-et kiarp bullait bullait par kiarp bullaityewubullait yiji nullunyer marmuk barbiik layuruk warwuk kotuk menniik nannetuk matermenniik woitu bullar layuruk bangodeyuk moandit minnuk wimbuluk talleijuk munnaijuk karrebii burapiik tinnanuk wannap kartln dar lar nao-I wiyingwil tiirt kuriiinanduk murtuk muron wlkin talkuk yettowarndiik tuwarnanduk tuluwanduk kiarp bullait bullait kiarp bullait bullait ljaar burapper warredii bai'bauuk bobup bagurii parngannu bainbainu nangoronu bimbanml golln badyuru * marramgondegu amigl mingu wirringii tallanu munangu tarramjii gurambu tinnanu wl-iu parn bi-ik moidyerre nummi minnun turt wurtabuk wikoruk miiron werregi wan wan gu niilam yurobot mo-ert kuptyu bullarbil bullarbil barbup bullarbil bullarbil yari-ia targun *It is evident that four of the words given for " woman" are the same, with very slight variations, as those given for " daughter." Probably the relation was not clearly understood by those who supplied the words; it may be supposed that these words mean simply " woman." COMPARISON OF WORDS IN VARIOUS LANGUAGES. 131 In this list we find some of the roots that are used in Queens- land and New South Wales. " Gole" may be a variation of "kore" (man) in the language of Lake Macquarie. " Wi" (with the variations "wing" and "wi-in"), meaning fire, connects these languages south of the Murray with Kamilaroi. " Dar" (the earth) is found north of Brisbane, in Queensland. " Tallanyuk" (the tongue) is evidently the same in origin as "tulle" and "tullun." "Tarrannu" (thigh) in Taungurorj is of the root " durra" heard in many northern languages. "Tinnanuk" (the foot) is a variety of the root "tinna," " dinna," or " tidna" ; both these extend over a very large portion of this Colony and of Queensland. " Muron" (alive) is the same root as " morun" or " moron" in Kamilaroi and neighbouring languages. And yet the words for dead are quite different. The most remarkable root that re-appears in Victoria is " bullait" (favo). As in the name Wolger and other words, the European ear has taken the very sharp sound of r to be that of t ; it may be that this word is truly " bullair" ; and in one case Mr. Parker gives " bullarbil." It is evidently the "bular" of Kamilaroi and the "budela" of Queens- land. The words for " one" in Victoria (" kiarp" and " koenmoet") I never heard in any part of this or the northern Colony ; but here is the root for two (" bular") extending over all Eastern Australia. Like the languages on the Upper Darling and its tributaries, " Burapper," south of the Murray, is named from its negative adverb. The most striking difference between these Victorian words and those of more northerly tongues is the frequency with which the thin mutes (p, t, and especially k) end a word. In Kamilaroi every word and every syllable ends with a vowel or a liquid. 132 COMPARISON OF WORDS IN VARIOUS LANGUAGES. The above specimens illustrate this fact, — that the languages of neighbouring tribes differ very much, and yet are connected by words common to both. Wiradhuri and Kamilaroi are very similar, and both are widely spread. I suppose that one word in fifty is the same in Kamilaroi and Pikumbul, and one in eighty the same in Kamilaroi and Kogai. The suffixes are more frequently found the same in several languages. The words for " the head" differ in almost every language ; but " mil," the eye, and " muru " the nose, are found in many languages. I believe " durra," varying only as durrung and durrun, is found all over Australia for the thigh, arm of a tree, or arm of a creek ; " puiyu," the leg, and " dinna," the foot, are also widely spread, but not so general as durra ; while for the arm the words differ in almost every language. " Murra " or " mara," the hand, is another very wide- spread word. The names of some animals, derived from the noises they make, are of course much alike. The pronouns of the first and second person are nearly the same all over Australia ; those of the third person differ much. I. In Kamilaroi " ijaia " (I) ; in Wiradhuri " naddu" ; in Wailwun "nattu"; in Kogai "naia"; in Pikumbul " nutta " ; in Dippil " nai " ; in Turrubul " ljutta," " natti " ; South Australia (West), by Captain, now Sir George Grey, "ganya" and " nadjo " ; South Australia, by Taihleman, " gaii " ; at Newcastle, by Rev. L. E. Threlkeld, "gatoa"; at George's River "naiya"; in Wodi-wodi (the language of Illawarra) "gaiagug." II. In Kamilaroi "ginda" {thou) ; in Wiradhuri and Wailwun •• gindu" ; in Kogai w inda" ; in Pikumbul " ginda" ; in Dippil "gin" "inta" ; in Turrubul " ginta" ; S. Australia "ginnei" and "ninna"; Newcastle "gintoa"; at George's River "nindi"; in Wodi-wodi "gindigug." III. He in the above languages is " genua," " yeraggo," "nila" or "guia," " unda," " wunnal," "bountoa," and "dulla," A comparison of the numeral adjectives in various languages shows this remarkable fact, — that while in every tribe the words for one and three are different, the root word for two is the same in almost all the languages of the eastern portion of Australia. Many of them have no separate word for 4 and higher numbers : but make up those numbers by combinations of 1, 2, and 3. The languages from "Kamilaroi" to "Wodi-wodi" extend over districts in the N.W. and S.E. of New South Wales more than 600 miles apart ; and from the " Kigki" to the other side of the "Dippil" is at least 300 miles of Queensland. Kamilaroi. Wailwun. Lower Hunter. Kirjki. Paiamba. 1. ..mal nagu wakol pieya kabuin 2. ..biilar bulugur buloara bud e la purayu 3. . . guliba s kuliba goro kunnun guruamda 134 COMPARISON OF WORDS IN VARIOUS LANGUAGES. Turrubul. Dippil. Turuwul. Wodi-wodi. l...kunnar kalim wakul mittug 2...bud e la bular wakulwakul* bular 3...muddan (boppa or ( kurbunta [ dugul wowulli * Wakulwakul (one-one) is evidently a substitute for the forgotten numeral of the extinct Sydney tribe. And as the next language on the south has " bular," and all to the north and north-west the same root, it is almost certain that the former inhabitants of Port Jackson had also the same root for two. At Portland Bay, on the south coast of Victoria, two hundred and fifty miles west of Melbourne, I found " bular" used for two, while the other numerals were words I had never heard before. TRADITIONS. I.— THE CEEATOE. J^ItlHE greatest of the Australian traditions — that there is one Maker of all things in heaven and earth, who sustains and provides for us all — has been already spoken of. Baia-me (from " baia" to make or build) is the name, in Kamilaroi, of the Maker, who created and preserves all things. Generally invisible, he has sometimes (they believe) appeared in human form, he has bestowed on their race various gifts, and he will bring them before him for judgment, and reward the good with endless happiness. The Rev. James Gunther (of Mudgee), who was many years engaged on a mission to the Aborigines of the Wellington District in this Colony, where the Wiradhuri language is spoken, has recorded in his Grammar of that language this conclusion: — " There is no doubt in my mind that the name Baia-mai (so it is pronounced in Wiradhuri) refers to the Supreme Being ; and the ideas held concerning Him by some of the more thoughtful Aborigines are a remnant of original traditions prevalent among the ancients about the Deity." Mr. Gunther states that he has found in what the Aborigines said to him about Baia-mai " traces of three attributes of the God of the the Bible, viz. : — eternity, omnipotence and goodness." He also says " the idea of a future state of existence is not quite extinct among the aborigines." Some of the more thoughtful expressed to him their belief that " good natives will go to Baia-mai when they die." It may be thought strange that the Bev. L. E. Threlkeld, who laboured zealously for years among the Aborigines at Lake Macquarie, near Newcastle, and who has recorded many of their traditions concerning various spirits, has made no mention of any belief entertained by them concerning one Supreme Being. If the blacks of Lake Macquarie had held any such belief as that of the Kamilaroi people in Baia-me, surely Mr. Threlkeld would have heard and recorded it. But as the result of an extensive observation, I believe that the natives of some parts of the interior are superior to those on the coast. The Wiradhuri, Kamilaroi, Wolaroi, Pikumbul, and Kogai tribes may have retained a tradition of this kind, after it had been obscured and utterly lost among the tribes on the coast. 136 TRADITIONS. The Eev. C. C. Greenway, who lived some years at Collemungool, in the district of the Kamilaroi-speaking tribes, and made himself conversant with their language and traditions, says, in a letter to the author — " Bhaia-mi is regarded as the Maker of all things, the name signifying maker, cutter out. He is regarded as the rewarder and punisher of men, according to their conduct. He is said to have been on the earth. He sees all ; he knows all, if not directly, through Turramiilan a subordinate deity. Turra- mulan is mediator for all the operations of Bhaia-mi to man, and from man to Bhaia-mi." For my own part, before seeing what Mr. Gttnther and Mr. Greenway had written, I heard of Baia-me from the Aborigines on the Namoi and Barwan. Many of them, when asked concerning any object, such as as the river, trees, sun, stars, &c, — who made these ? uniformly and readily replied " Baiame." And many of them have said to me in answer to questions about him, — as old King Bory of Gingi did in 1871, — " Kamil naia nummi Baiame ; naia winunulda (I have not seen Baiame ; I hear him)." In Pikumbul, Baiame is called Anambu, and by some Minumbu. The Wailwun blacks, according to Mr. Thomas Honery, of the Upper Hunter, who was brought up on the Barwan, and was familiarly acquainted with the tribe, relate the following ancient traditions : — Baiame first made man at Murula, a mountain between the Barwan and the Narran Bivers. He formerly lived among men. And in the stony ridges between those two rivers there is a bole in the rock, shaped like a man, two or three times as large as a common man. In this, it is said, Baiame used to rest himself. He had a large tribe round him, whom he fed at a place called Mldul. Suddenly he vanished from them, and went up to heaven. Still, though unseen, he provides them food, making the grass to grow for them. And they believe he will come back at a future time. There was formerly an evil spirit called " Mullion" (eagle) who lived in a very high tree, at Girra on the Barwan, and used to come down and seize men and devour them. The people often tried to drive away Mullion, by piling wood at the foot of the tree and setting fire to it. But the wood was always pushed away by an invisible hand ; and the fire was of no avail. Baiame, seeing their trouble, told a blackfellow to get a " murru- wunda" (red mouse) and put a lighted straw in its mouth, and let it run up the tree. This set fire to the tree : and as it blazed up, they saw Mullion fly away in the smoke. He never returned. The smoke from the burning of that tree was so dense that for some days they could see nothing. Similar traditions have been found in widely distant parts of Australia. In Illawarra from 30 to 100 miles south of Sydney, the supreme Ruler is called " Mirirul." TRADITIONS. 137 Mirirul, whose name is apparently derived from "mirir" the sky, whom therefore we venture to call the Australian Zeus, — is said by the blacks of Illawarra to have made all things. When people die they are brought up to a large tree, where Mirirul examines and judges them. The good he takes up to the sky. The bad he sends to another place to be punished. The women say to their children, when they are naughty, " Mirirul wirrin munin," (Mirirul will not allow it.) A " Colonial Magistrate," the author of " Remarks on the probable origin and antiquity of the Aboriginal Natives of New South Wales," published at Melbourne, by J. Pullar & Co., says " The Murray [River] natives believe in a Being with supreme attributes, whom they call Nourelle. Nourelle never dies ; and blackfellows go to him, and never die again." From the same writer we learn that the natives of the Loddon ascribe the creation of man and of all things to Binbeal. They say that Binbeal subjects the spirits of deceased persons to an ordeal of fire, to try whether they are good or bad. The good he liberates at once ; the bad are confined and punished. At Western Port, in Victoria, there was a tradition that Bonjil, or Pundyil, created men. He formerly lived at the falls of Lallal on the Marabool River ; and is now in the sky. Pundyil seeing the earth overrun with serpents, sent his good daughter Karakarok with a long staff to destroy these tormentors of men. Karakarok killed many ; but this good work was stopped by the breaking of her staff. As the staff snapped in two, fire came from it, the first fire ever given to man. Presently, however, Wang, an evil spirit in the form of a crow, flew away with the fire ; but the good Karakarok restored it. Mr. Beveridge, in the evidence he gave before the Select Committee of the Legis- lative Council of Victoria, in 1858, said of the Aborigines " They believe in one all- presiding good Spirit," whom they call " Grnowdenont"; and "they have an idea of a very wicked spirit named Guambucootchaly." II.— GOOD AND EVIL SPIRITS. The Aborigines believe in many spirits. " Wunda"is the common name for these among the Kamilaroi and neighbouring tribes. Anything mysterious or supernatural is called " wunda." One of the chief of these is Turramulan, who acts as the agent of Baiame. In some places, however, Turramulan is spoken of as an evil being, or an enemy of man. His name signifies " leg-only-on-one-side" or lame. He has a wife called " Muni Burre- bean" (egg-like, nourishing-with-milk.") She has the duty of instructing women ; for they may not see Turramulan on pain of death. And even when mention is made of Turramulan, or of the Bora at which he presides, the women slink away, knowing that it it unlawful for them so much as to hear anything about such matters. 138 TRADITIONS. " Tohi" is the name for the spirit of man ; "bunna" is that part of him which dies. "When the bunna returns to dust the " tohi," may become a wunda. The wunda may enter some other body. "Wicked men are punished by the degradation of their souls. Their " tohi" may be condemned to animate a beast. But the good are rewarded by their spirits passing into beings of superior condition. And the Aborigines generally acknowledge the superiority of white men by saying that some of the good Murri, after their decease, arise as white-fellows. Among the Wailwun tribes " Kinirkinlr" are the spirits of the departed, wandering over the face of the earth. " Yo-wl" is a spirit that roams over the earth at night. " Wawi" is a snake or a monster, as large as a gum-tree (30 to 40 feet high), with a small head and a neck like a snake. It lives in a waterhole 30 miles from the Barwan ; and used to eat blackfellows. They could never slay it. " Murriula" is a dog-like monster, formerly in the water between the Barwan and the Narran. " Buba" (father) is the name of the first great kangaroo, progenitor of the whole race of kangaroos. His thigh-bone — 4 feet long, 7 or 8 inches in diameter, and tapering in form — is carried about by one of the tribes. It was found in the ridges of Murula. The Murui of the tribe (select men) have charge of it. According to Mr. J. M.Allan, (examined before the Select Committee above mentioned) the Aborigines " believe in the existence of evil spirits, whom they seek to propitiate by offerings. Water spirits are called " Turong" ; land spirits " pot-koorok" ; another is " tambora," inhabiting caves. These they suppose to be females without heads. The sun (yarh) and moon (unnung) they suppose to be spirits. " Why churl" is their name for a star. They are much afraid of thunder and lightning, calling the former — " Mum- dell." Mr. M'Kellar, on the same occasion, said " They do, according to their manner, worship the host of heaven, and believe particular constellations rule natural causes. For such they have names ; and sing and dance to gain the favour of the Pleiades, " Mormodellik," the constellation worshipped by one body as the giver of rain ; but if it should be deferred, instead of blessings curses are apt to be bestowed upon it." Andrew Hume (who stated that he had gone from Queensland across the continent to the north-western coast, and who lost his life early in the summer of 1874, in an attempt to verify his narrative by recovering some relics of Leichhardt, which he said he had seen, — whose statements, though marked by the uncertainty of a man never trained to the habit of accurate report, are certainly entitled to some credit), gave to the writer the following account of the belief held by the natives of the north-western part of Australia. They believe in four deities,— Munnuninuala, the chief god in the highest heaven, Thalinkiawun, his wife, Mulgianun, her sister, and Munduala, also called Thilkuma, the fire-god, who will burn up the earth and destroy the bad. He is also the author of plagues and other penal visitations. III.— TKADTTIONS OF THE PAST, AND OF THE FUTUEE STATE. According to Andrew Hume the Aborigines near the north-western coast say that the first people who ever settled on this land were four men (brothers) and their four wives, who came in a canoe from the eastward. After they had been here some time, two of the women expressed a wish to return to their native land. The men strongly opposed them ; and the two Avomen secretly took the canoe and went out to sea by themselves. The god, Thilkuma, punished them by throwing a large piece of rock on the canoe, and thus destroyed them. The two men who had thus lost their wives were advised by the other two to go back to their native country and get other wives there. But this they would not do ; and some years after, when the daughters of the women who remained were grown up, their uncles (the widowers) seized them and made them their wives. This was a flagrant breach of a law known to be maintained in this Colony and probably established over all Australia. For this transgression they were driven south- ward, into a cold and barren country. After some years the Inyao-a (righteous people) of the north-west, being grieved at the misery of their kindred, prayed that they might be forgiven. They were forgiven and were allowed to settle in peace all over the country, on condition that they re-established the law of descent and marriage which they and their fathers had violated. But as a mark of their guilt they were not allowed to speak the same language as the Inyao-a. Hence arose the division of tongues among the Australians. To this day the people in the north-west call themselves Inyao-a, and speak of all the rest of the aborigines as Karnivual (bastards). To this legend may be added the fact that, both on the Barwan and at Scone, in the Hunter Biver District, old blackfellows point to the north-west as the quarter from which their ancestors came long ago. Another legend related by Hume is this, which was told in explanation of the division of the territory among the tribes. Two brothers came and settled in the country. One was good, the other bad. The bad one got up a conspiracy to drive out his good brother ; but Thilkuma, the fire-god, came to the help of the latter, and burnt up part of the army of evil-doers. Thilkuma then advised the man to whom he had given the vic- tory to be content with his own territory and live in peace. But the man was greedy of power, and invaded the land of others to the north and the west. After many days fighting, this man fell sick. In his sleep Thilkuma appeared to him, and threatened to destroy him unless he ceased from killing men. Still he persisted in attacking his neighbours. They cried to their god, Dhaigugan, who helped them, and drove back the invader. 140 TRADITIONS. Thereupon, to prevent future aggressions, the several tribes received distinctive marks on their breasts and arms, and their boundaries were fixed by rocks, trees, rivers, and mountains. The " Colonial Magistrate," above quoted, gives the following legend concerning the beginning of the Human Eace : — " The natives of Western Australia say that when men first began to exist, there were two beings, male and female, — -Wallinyup (the father), and Dovanyup (the mother) ; that they had a son named Bindinwor, who received a deadly wound, which they carefully endeavoured to heal, but without success ; where- upon it was declared that Wallinyup should also die, as his son had died. If Bindinwor's wound could have been healed, the natives think death could have had no power over them. Bindinwor, though deprived of life and buried, did not remain in the grave, but rose and went to the west, across the sea, to the unknown land of spirits, whither his father and mother followed him, and there they have ever since remained." Bony, the Murri from the Balonne, who gave me the table of numbers up to twenty, declared this as his belief: — "Murruba murri (good men), when they die go up to guna- gulla (sky), to be with Baiame. Kagil murri (bad men) never come up any more. He is murruba who speaks glrii (truth) and is kind to his fellow-men. He is kagil who tells gunial (lies) and kills men by striking them secretly. It is no harm to kill a man in fair fight." Billy, a very old blackfellow of Burburgate, whose proper names are Murri Bundar, with the surname "RJumera Gunaga, spoke Guinberai (or Koinberi). He told me he received his surname from the place where his father was buried ; and that it was a general custom for a Murri to get a name from the place where his father was buried. His father was Ippai Mute, and lived near Wunduba, on Liverpool Plains. In his tribe Murri Duli Wagiira was a chief man. He took the lead in fights, and laid down the law to the tribe. But Billy could not tell how he got his authority. When Billy was a little boy, a Burburgate blackfellow, Charley, was killed by one of the Wee Waa tribe. On this, Grun-guele (Charcoal), whose inherited names were Murri Ganur (red kangaroo), called on the Burburgate blacks to go and punish the tribe guilty of the murder. Natty (as the whites call him), now an old man, whose proper names are Murri Ganur Yawlrawiri, was one of the leaders in the fight. They met about fifteen miles above Narrabri. After a great talk they fought till many were killed on both sides. The combatants were painted red and yellow. Their weapons were spears, boomerangs — bundi and berambu, (different clubs) — and shields. This old man, Billy, told me, as a great favour, what other blacks had withheld, as a mystery too sacred to be disclosed to a white man, that " dhiirumbulum," a stick or TRADITIONS. 141 wand, is exhibited at the bora (to be explained hereafter), and that the sight of it inspires the initiated with manhood. This sacred wand was the gift of Baiarne. The ground on which the bora is celebrated is Baiame's ground. Billy believes the bora will be kept up always all over the country. Such is the command of Baiame. The milky way, as King Bory told me, is a worrumbul, or grove with a watercourse running through it, abounding in ail pleasant things, where Baiame welcomes the good to a happy life, where they walk up and down in the enjoyment of peace and plenty. It is " the inside," he said, that goes up to the sky — not the bones and flesh. Sometimes the good come down again to visit the earth. Colonists who have for many years observed the Aborigines, say that it is a common thing for these people, in the prospect of death, to express a cheerful hope of being better off hereafter. IV.— TEADITIONS OF STAES. Venus is called TiTindigindoer (you are laughing), or "RTaijikindimawa (laughing at me). Among the squatters occupying the part of the country where these names of Venus are used are some gentlemen of classical attainments ; and possibly the idea of the laughing goddess may have been suggested by them. Orion is called Berai-berai (a young man). This young man was said to have been "burul wlnunailun miai-miai" (much thinking, or desirous of young women), when Baiame caught him up to the sky, near to the " miai-miai" (the Pleiades), whose beauty had attracted him. He has a boomerang in his hand, and a ghuliir (belt) round his waist. One of the miai-miai (the Pleiad which is barely visible) is supposed to hide behind the rest, on account of her defective appearance, and is called gurri-gurri (afraid or ashamed). King Bory, on a beautiful starry night, in June, 1871, gave me the name " "RTindigindoer " for Venus. He also gave the following information : — " Mars is " Gumba " (fat) ; Saturn is " wungal " (a small bird) ; Arcturus is " guembila (red)_ At Gundamaine, far away up the Namoi, an old blackfellow called it " Guebilla." Canopus, he called wumba (stupid or deaf) ; I suppose because this beautiful star, while it looks so fair, is deaf to their prayers. Benemasch and the star next to it, in the tail of the Great Bear, which rise about N.N.E. and set N.N.W., not rising high, but apparently gliding along under the branches of the tall trees like owls, are called nun-gu. (white owls). The Northern Crown is " mullion wollai" (the eagle's camp or nest), with its six young eaglets. "When this constellation is about on the meridian, Altair (chief star in Aquila) rises in the N.E., and is called by the Wailwun people "mullion" (eagle). Shortly after this Vega rises to the N.N.E., and is also called " mullion." These are the parent eagles, springing up from the earth to watch their nest. King Bory used the word " mullion ga " of them both, signifying eagles in action. The Pleiades he called worrul (bees' nest). Bungula and Agenor (the pointers to the Southern Cross) he called murai (cockatoos). The three principal stars of the Southern Cross are ^Tuu (a tea-tree). The dark space in the sky at the foot of the cross is gao-ergi (an emu) couching. The Magellan clouds are two buralga (native companions). Antares is gudda (a lizard). Two stars across the Milky Way, near Scorpio, are gijeri ga (small green parrots). The dark space between two branches of the Milky Way, near Scorpio, is Wurrawilburu (a dreadful demon). The S-shaped line of stars in Serpentarius, between the Northern Crown and Scorpio, is called Mundewur (the notches cut in the bark of a tree to enable a black- fellow to climb it) . Spica Virginis is giirie (a crested parrot). Eomalhaut is ganl (a small iguana) . Corvus (the four stars) is bundar (a kangaroo). The Peacock's Eye is murgu (a night cuckoo). On the Murray a beautiful legend has been ascribed to the Aborigines, concerning the two pointers, Bungula and Agenor. A flock of turkey -buzzards (commonly called plain-turkeys), used to sport every evening on a plain ; but an old cannibal bird watching them, when he saw one weary with the dance, or race, pounced upon it and devoured it. Grieved at the loss of their young birds, the flock met, and took counsel together to remove to another plain. But when they were about to leave, two birds of the same species, from a distance, came up and encouraged them to stay, promising to save them from their persecutor. When evening came, one of these two birds hid himself in the bushes near the old cannibal : the other joined the ring. After a while, this last bird, pretending to be weary, fell down in front of the persecutor, who at once sprang forth to kill him. But the second stranger came to his help, and the two soon despatched the old bird. AVbile the whole flock were applauding the deed, the two deliverers rose up from their midst, and flew higher and higher, until they reached the sky, where they now shine for ever. TALES IN THARUMBA AND THURAWAL. J-^Ml H AEUMB A is spoken on the Shoalhaven Eiver, in the south-eastern part of this Colony, by the Wandandian Tribe, Thurawal in another part of the same district, south of Illawarra where Wodi-wodi is spoken. Thurawal appears to be the same word as Turrubul and Turuwul, the names of the languages spoken at Moreton Bay and Port Jackson. The following tales in Tharumba were supplied to the Government by Mr. Andrew Mackenzie, of the Shoalhaven District, for transmission to Professor Max Muller. The first was related by Hugany, an Aboriginal of the Wandandian Tribe ; the second by Noleman, of the same tribe. Jerra Tharumba. Tutawa, Puluggul. "Wunna puru minilla, wanekundi Tuta- wanyella ; kuritjabunjlla ililla thogunko ; kunamimbulilla ; gubija mirigambila ; jukundai murrundohila Puluggul. Uarin- madthai jambinuro mundija kunda bundilla. " Bu ! Puluggul garinmagarao- undtha." " Mundija yandthaono binyaro." Uurawunko bungailuwa thaorumbrao ; bungaluwa gurawun. Tutawa pururuggala, pururururu. Bu- thulala Tutawai thulinyo ; thitbulo wakara guia, gurawan, kurru. Kiiru gama yanaila. Taukuga, "Kuwai-ai-ai! Pulug- gul, kunugaluni yai waukarag, garinma kunnumbaithali mundijain purajain. Niruna bunna, kuruguma ! " Bithaigala karugandthilla Puluggul, — " Puluggul wunnamakoin yaawe." " Bu ! indigaga bundugan jinna." Puluggul karamblla. " Wunnama narugga Wunnama narugga ! " Tharumba Story. Tootawa and Pooloongool. Out of the oven-hole brought the kangaroo ; Tootawa carried it on his shoulder, took it to the camp, roasted it, gave a little to his dog, and carried the biggest part to Pooloongool. Brought stinking meat to his father-in-law and brother-in-law. "Hush! Pooloongool, your son-in-law will hear you." " Por meat go, Binyara." To the sea they paddled, the whole party; they paddled to the sea. Tootawa jumped about with rage, jump, jump, jump. Split Tootawa his tongue ; he spat the blood west, east, south, north. The west wind came. They said, " Oh dear ! Pooloongool, you must try to get ashore with us ; you said a bad word to your father-in-law this morning about the meat. Look at the rain and the wind ! " The pelican said to Pooloongool, " Poo- loongool, come here, I'll put you in my canoe." Get along ! I'll put you in my canoe." Pooloongool was getting drowned. " Put me into the canoe ! " Put me into the canoe! " 144 TALES. Tanilowa yakuna waukao. Those went to the shore. Yerrimbulo jella, jella, jella, jella, jiik, The musk duck bailed the water out of jiik, jiik, jiik, yapoilla warri wakarain ; his own canoe, dip, dip, dip, dip, drip, jellajellunkawedthu. kudjiir wurrakain. drip, drip, drip, went that way to the shore ; flapped the lake all the way. Taowalli purapiindo, kunyu, bethaigal, They dived and came up again ; the pa kuna pa tora, pa munda, pa mara. Jura- black shag, the white-breasted shag. They bawulara birura, birrimbaimin Jurabai- dive now for the fish ; they fish ; they feed wunnaora mara, numbulo jeriwan taora in the water all day long. There was no yakunjo waoari. Kumari yenna thukia wind in former times ; all was calm. Kaor. Bumbilla nurawan Tutawai punyiri- Tootawa brought all that wind that's mula kumariwaindo yakunjo waoari, blowing now all the time from the west, bimira, guia, n urawundakurru ; yibundaido south, east, north ; it blows now all the yakunjo waoari. while. Jerra Thdrumba. Tharumba Story. "Wunbula. "Wunbula (a man's name ; also, three stars in Canis Major). Nadjirjajon, Murrumbul, Mundtha. The bat, the brown snake, the black snake. Tanilla Kolumbri, yetbunillawa Kolll- He went away from Columbri, passed jaga Munai ; thogun yenna. Yanillawa Collijaga to Monga ; camped there. He bunguto. "Nyeniinya, maiirro ; irribaoga went to look for wombat. " There it is ; mirigandtha wenkinbra Murrumbul you stay here ; I'll go in with my dog, my Mundtha." women, Murrumbool (Mrs. Brown Snake) and Moondtha (Mrs. Black Snake)." "Thunnamagali kunjawogtunala; tukao- " Our husband makes us tired taking us na yaniuna warri thogundtha." about ; we'll shut him up ; we'll go to the camp." Jin a yaninjoana warri ; jig a tharar. That fellow went in far ; that fellow " Ijella tukalinga, Murrumbula pa Mund- came back. "Those have shut me up, tba. kTirilla munduga mungala; mand- Murrumbool and Moondtha." He heard thilla jirai kumirgurirjo minilla mirigano the fly buzz ; waited for him to go out at wurri punanjiwona; mijilla jerai tharar; the little hole, took the dog a long way yanilla nurri thogundtha. under his arm ; went outside ; went right away to the camp. TALES. 145 " Yanaonyi gaiunko wenkinbra." " Let's go for ants' larvae, women." " Pukerigji, jurabaonyi." Tanillawa "It's hot, let's bathe." They went wurrigala. "Ma! jurabaona gatenwalla close to the bank. " Come on ! let's yaoalia naiaga tulunya." bathe — you on one side, and you on the other, I in the middle." Kulala jerabaddi yaoalia ijatenwalla; The barbed-spears spear them on this jerumbaddi murrilaora merero. side and that; the barbed-spears were sticking up. Munaoraggarila ; yaoalia yuinyumbulo They went to join the Munowra (con- Wunbuleriba. stellation) Wunbula, their husband, on the other side. Jerra Thurawaldhery. A Thuraioal Story. Yirrama Karwer. The Spirit of the Fig Tree. Tandi gai karwerullago. " I am going for wild figs." TJai, yannig kainandha yandhanai. " Very well ; go ; go on ; start away." Kurmunnu, biagaly. Net, basket. "Wunnomainbala kurwery ; kurma He picked the figs ; filled net and biagaly gobimata. basket. Kullymirgaia, biagaly wal, gobimata Cut more bangaly for basket, and filled kurwery. them with figs. Yandhanai inumbaianai, kubaia yirra- The spirit comes ; catches him ; swal- main. lows him. TiTaindhanai wurri nadjongo, undhumaia Takes him to the water, drinks, spits dhurawaia. out again. Jellunjiiranadthanai ; yangundaianai ; Looks back ; tickles him ; looks at him, nanyinajellanai, yallumbunyainoi yangun- comes back and tickles him again. dibbala. Jauagunalaia, yallumbunga, yangun- Goes away ; comes back and tickles dabillajaia. Jauia warry jaulajilaia, him again. A long way goes, comes back yangundibbala jella. and tickles him again. Jaugunalaia war-ry bobaradha. Ya Groes a very long way to the mountains. jauianabulgo thobararalunbilla,ye maunda He gets up, runs to the sea, and jumps wunanye. in ; the spirit very near catches him. 146 TALES. Kaiugoyia yangaruya ya wudjut yendag . Into the sea he goes, the spirit along the beach walks. Barungaga thallybunbila ya kurubun Upon an island he got ; to the rocks went juya yirraina. Karrugaia " yuinya ya-a-i ! " the spirit. He shouted — " Come here !" Karuganbilla. Shouted again. Gummagaimathauakulwaiona. " Yirra- They fetch spears ; walk round him. ma na pulla! " Mudgerypurria. Parrilan- " The spirit is this way !" The man got kanaia, yerrauaga, yirribalaia. into a canoe. The spirit could not be found ; he went into the rocks ; he got into the hole. Mullimula. The Plea ides. Thurawaldheri Kurialla. A Thurawal Story. Tenda Jeju mulliwauthama Jejugko Came the Moon ; was enamoured the mullimula mega yandthannug. Moon, to the Mullymoola damsels came he. Thullimalaoa kaiuggo kundthumaiaoa They were catching kyoong (a kind of paiamingagga kaiugga Pulinjirugga fish) : were roasting (with hot stones) Kanda. Yangao ana Jindaola Uurund- piaming (a bulbous reed), and kyoong, thilanai Guiaiin. "Wudthawaiin. yaggai? at Poolinjirunga, near Kan. They went tburaodamurra yagganai gurumbagganda ; to Jindowla. Heard them the Southron. kubbutgailagganda; piailinuradtha yagga- " Where are they singing about me ? I naoraniirdtbundtha. Kulinaianumai thuri- hear them about me, singing in the gully ; naianai mobarudthu." let me have pipeclay to corrobaree ; sing that song ; let me dance. " I'll spear you in the eye." Kulabimaianai ; meriruggo yenaiuwa They go under the ground ; up to the Kuranaiuwa inamrudtbana. sky they went. The sisters became stone. Jerra Bundula. The Story of Bundoola. [Told by Bimmoon, o f the Ulladulla tribe.] Yanaoya maranji : kulambaroga ina- I go fishing ; I am going to spear fish ; ranji; mujeri, yirraganji. Kuttbu kawa my canoe, my fish spear. What a fine kuruaolan ! bungaoga jilluggo ; kuroa calm sea. I'll paddle over there to the kalandthun ! yanaoga tbaogulivvollun surf at the rocks ; I'll go to the bush, the kaorai'li ; bungayuga kutthugo. sea is too rough ; I'll paddle out to sea i. — — again. TALES. 147 Tariuunye, ma mara nombimunnolo. Let us run away, because nasty fish Tanuunye, wurruga, wunnianye, bangun- (are what he gives you). Let us run adtha. Yandthaojina : away, children, let us leave him when he goes out far. He follows them. " Wudthaolono, ka-u ! " Where are you ? holloa ! TJaiuraga gaila. Yanaga. I hear them over there. I must go there. Yakullli guiangal," yaparanu, "jambin- There they are, the Southerners," he yuna. says, " Our brother-in-law coming. Tanaonye, gumma ginnamaraya ; Let us go, let us make the spear ready ; kurairi kulagiyema, ny-ao-umboni, ma all ready ; you are a good marksman ; you nainjiwanna buttunu murriba. wait here, because this is the path the kangaroo takes — his road. Tanaonye, jambi, nyaonidtha thun- Let us go, brother-in-law; you'll see bugaruga wullugaranya, irrininagaor- your wife's country ; you'll see the great anna." precipice," Bundilli wenkinoji gundigura, wurri- Bundoola's wife belonged to that place. galla na, mai-iraji jellowigallu yirrimula " You come close to the edge ; you stop warrinowarri, kabutsh niiri, minirra guri, here." They shove him over a good way, bungoi'n ; yanilla wurriji meriro ; " jergara kill him dead. " Rope (vine) ; you catch juwe wurraora indai." Banboro-gundo. hold of the rope." He comes up a long way to the top. " Cut the rope : serve you right: you dead now." This was at Banboro. Murraoga nenji thogunda, kumiranyl I'll go home to my place ; this place is kunnin-yekumba, murrai-oga nenji naia too rough ; I'll go a little further. This thogunda nyaimbioga Bundarwai. is the good habitation. I'll stop here at Bundarwa. In these Thurumba and Thurawal tales, it is easy to see some of the root words which are used on the Namoi and in Queensland . There are " thulin" or " tullun" (tongue), "yan" (go), "nanyi" (see), "naia" (I), "i ndai" (thou) ; " merir" or " mirir" is sky or top, as in Wodi-wodi; "bul" means jealoi lsy in Kamilaroi, and the sea in Thurawal. " Nadjog" (water) is the same root as in W odi-wodi. -SONG-S. J^MlHB first six of the following songs, in Kamilaroi and "Wolaroi, with the explana- tions, were kindly furnished to me by the Bev. I. This song was composed in derision of so C. C. Greenway. >me one of the same tribe, and is a speci- men of their sarcastic style. TJandunago ? Who comes ? three ghilliana, large head of hair, bunun mulliago, arms crooked, naighin bular. like two cockle shells. "RTai murrin ? Is it one of my people ? naia warrambria on the road he is. nirri go ma toh dirraldia. II. This song was composed to ridicule the c Smoke comes out. onduct of those who frequent the public- house. It shows how the Aborigines adopt English words, and give them their own inflections. Publikaor wirithea, ^ Public-house screaming, djeamillia mlr mir, seizing hips, nummildeago kamiweandi, he appears, tripped up by a stick, ^jKj-i> *& drungilla, tiunal a duni. '-■ drunken, stricken with fists. * III. This song is called a Ugal, or dancing song, to be sung to the dancers on a warlike or festive occasion. Burran, burin, bilar bundl, Shield of buree (wood), spear and club, Murala berar karnl ! Throwing stick of berar, bring ! Wakara waroi tubilka bundln The broad boomerang of Waroee, waist- belts and pendants of boondin, Tumbu ! yumbu ! gumil Jump ! jump ! use your eyes, "Warakel munan. With the straight emu spear. IV. The following Ugal is'for a more peaceful occasion. Murri goriah, Yeraman buraldi, \, Blackfellow very fat, Horses driving, Wi wi kurral-ah, Firewood sawing, Millimbrai kakullah, Milking cows crying out, Kirawa ! Looking for them. BAO-ILLI — SONGS. 149 V. This baoilli (in the "Wolaroi dialect) is in derision of one belonging to another tribe. His slightness is contemptuously described. Mulla mulla gha ibbelean bull A spirit like an emu, as a whirlwind, Bunnakunni bunnakunni, hastens, hastens, Kirami gunman lays violent hold on travelling Dhuddl gaia ! Uncle of mine ! Inghil nunmalinni exhausts with fatigue, Bunda "Wahnl. Then throws him down (helpless). VI. Some of their songs are called " ghiribal" (imitation of the notes or actions of animals). This one represents the cry of the black musk duck, or diver (in Kamilaroi — berala.) Ta gaia garinga. (repeat ad libitum.) Puanbu gl go (repeat and transpose, ad lib.) Mingo ahikarai (repeat). Ibbi-rl-bi ta-wagg-ah ! Whoogh ! (At this last word the cheeks are filled out with the breath, and a sudden explosion ends the " song of the duck.") VII. The' following " ugal " was sung at various stages along the banks of the Barwan, in 1854, by a travelling band of Aborigines, under the guidance of their Dhurumi. The song and the dramatic performance which accompanied it, were designed to disenchant the places visited, — in other words, as I was told by one of the company, " to drive away dead blackfellows." Most of the performers were marked with red and yellow clay. One was decorated from head to foot. A troop waving boughs in the air, seemed to be charging some invisible foe. And to the tramp of their feet, and the beating of sticks and of hands, a band of women and girls sang all night long these words : — " Turu dhari ne, yurii dhari ge, Dula rag a burula, yuru dhari ne ! (This is not one of the languages I am acquainted with. As far as I can judge it means — Come and sing with me ; there are plenty ; come and sing.) VIII. The next ugal was apparently composed for the chase. Diga diga burula, Plenty of wild dogs. Murrinj, dibura. The blackfellows are spearing them. 150 BAO-ILLI — SONGS. IX. The following bao-illi was new and fashionable on the Namoi, in 1871. Bukkamulli mullimulli, The ghost was skinning him, duburrjer wine. he doubled him up and let him fall. They sing these short songs to simple and pleasant melodies. Sometimes they repeat the first line six or eight times, sometimes the last ; and as they repeat they let their voices fall to a lower key, and then some of them begin again at a high pitch. They keep exact time, and make the different parts, from the lowest bass up to counter-tenor, combine with perfect harmony. Sometimes the effect of such a chorus, by night, on the banks of the river, was wonderfully impressive. To themselves the music appeared to be most exhilarating. X. The following is a "Wailwun song of defiance, denouncing the black police, on their first appearance at the Barwan. Murago muginga dhi, Go on, blind, all of ye, Guria baigo, Go on for ever, I hope ; Dhini-ligo, Dhini-gandhu To Sydney, to Sydney, Mini gurago. For ever, Good bye. XI. This is a hunting song, in the language of George's Kiver, shouting after the wallaby, bandicoot, kangaroos, and pigeons. Wolba, wolba, minya, munde. An awe, yukole, biron, Mule, mulle, wire, Wungor ! wungor ! Kolle miron Ato mulle ! XII. A song sung at corrobarees at the junction of the Hunter and the Isis, and describing the knocking down of some one upon the ground, and a word of sorrow for an afflicted wife. Murrabadai bunmilde, TiJa dinga dingai, Daon dimi woldina Gulir bain de ne. HABITS AND MANNERS OF THE PEOPLE. FOOD. J^il£lO a European almost every part of the continent of Australia, as seen before the work of civilisation has transformed it, bears an inhospitable aspect. To a sportsman well provided with ammunition, indeed, many a river and lagoon, with its countless swarms of teal and other water-fowl, and its unnumbered fish, offers a perpetual feast. But, compared with other countries, Australia is singularly deficient in fruits, grain, and edible roots. The problem of sustaining life, which had to be solved by the Australian race, was, therefore, the very opposite of that which was presented to the Polynesian tribes, for whom the islands have brought forth abundantly yams, cocoa-nuts, and many nourishing and delicious fruits. This people had to provide themselves sustenance in a country where many Europeans have perished for want of food and water. And they have managed to subsist, to multiply, and to spread over the whole continent, without any supplies or help from abroad, without any knowledge of the use of tillage, or of the materials under their feet awaiting the appliances of civilization to yield abundant wealth. How have they lived ? The staff of life in nearly all parts of Australia is the opossum, which abounds more than any other mammal. The emu and the kangaroo furnish the most valued meat for the men, and to women and children the use of these is allowed only to a limited extent. Iguanas and native bears supply them with substantial meals. Snakes are eaten by them, and they are very careful in the mode of killing them, to prevent the poisoning of the flesh. Grubs, especially a white fat kind, about three inches long and nearly two inches in diameter, are regarded as choice morsels. Eish constitute an important part of the food of those who live near the sea or upon the rivers. The Darling and its tributaries abound with fine fish. There are various kinds of vegetable food in use. The yam of the country, about the Barwan, is a large root, in flavour and substance something like a water-melon 7 and though very juicy it grows in dry sand-hills. There is a clover-like plant, the beran, the roots of which (some three or four inches long and half an inch in diameter) they grind between stones and make up into palatable and nourishing cakes. The nardoo, found in central Australia, yields small seeds, which are ground and made into cakes. This was the chief food of the Aborigines on Cooper's 152 HABITS AND MANNERS OP THE PEOPLE. Creek, who kept alive King, the survivor of the Burke and Wills expedition. There are also several kinds of fruit, the waraba, the wild gooseberry, the wild cherry, &c. The most productive fruit-tree in Australia is the bunyabunya. This is a large and very beauti- ful species of pine, the cones of which grow to the length of eight inches, and are composed of nuts resembling in form, size, and flavour the English chestnut. This tree is found only in a comparatively small part of Queensland, where it grows in thick forests. They have many exact rules as to the different species of animals that may be eaten at different stages of life. The most common implements by which the natives get their food are the boomerang, various kinds of clubs, spears of different size and form adapted to the several uses to which they are put, and fishing nets. All these display considerable ingenuity and industry. The boomerang is unquestionably a marvellous invention for a people who are reputed to be the least intelligent on the face of the earth. Its peculiar curve, which gives it the property of returning from a distance of several hundred feet to the hand of the thrower has furnished a very interesting problem to mathematicians, and has suggested a modification of the steam-ship acrew propeller. INSTITUTIONS AND LAWS. I.— THE BOEA. J^OiHE great national institution of the Australian Aborigines is the Bora — by some pronounced Boor-rah, — the rite of initiation into the duties and privileges of manhood. The sacredness of this immemorial rite, and the indispensable obligation to submit to it are most deeply impressed on the minds of the young Aborigines. Even when they enter the service of the squatters or the settlers, and so in great measure break off from association with their own people, they seem to be bound by an irresistible spell to sub- mit, at the prescribed time, in spite of all that can be done to dissuade them, to their national rite. The Bora is held whenever there is a considerable number of youths of an age to be admitted to the rank of manhood. Old Billy MurrI Bundar, at Burburgate, told me that the Creator, " Baiame," long ago, commanded the people to keep the Bora, and gave them the Dhurumbulum, or sacred wand, for this purpose. He said any one of the men might demand that a Bora be held. Then they consult as to the place, and choose one of their number to be the dictator or manager of the solemnity. This dictator sends a man round to all the tribes who are expected to join in the ceremony. This herald bears in his hand a boomerang and a spear with a murriira (padymelon) skin hanging upon it. Sometimes all the men within twenty miles are summoned ; sometimes a much larger circuit is included. And, as my venerable informant, Billy, told me, every one that is summoned must attend the Bora, even if he have to travel a hundred miles to it. It is so done, he said, all over the country, and always will be. The dictator chooses a suitable spot for the purpose, and fixes the day for the opening of the ceremony. The ground is regarded as conse- crated to Baiame, and his will is obeyed in carrying out the service. Notice is given three weeks at least, sometimes three months before the ceremony begins. During the interval the trees on the chosen ground are ornamented with figures of snakes and birds cut with the tomahawk. When the appointed time is come, the men leave their camps, where the women and youths and children remain. The men assemble at the selected spot, clear away all bushes, and make a semi-circular embankment, or fence. This being done, some of the men go to the camps, pretending to make a hostile attack, on which the women run away, with the children. The young men, and boys over thirteen, go back with the men to the Bora. 154 INSTITUTIONS AND LAWS. Very few Europeans have been allowed to witness the proceedings at the Bora. One who was permitted to be present, Mr. Thomas Honery, of the Upper Hunter, described the whole process to me. In the year 1862, Mr. Honery, then a boy, was pre- sent at a Bora, held between the Barwan and the Lower Castle reagh. There he found a place cleared and surrounded with bushes, laid as a fence, like a sheepyard. "Within the enclosure were three old men. About twelve youths were waiting to be " made men." These youths had been seven or eight months under strict rule,- eating only certain pre- scribed food, and partially secluded from social intercourse. When they came up to the scene of the Bora, they lay down flat upon their faces, and were covered with a cloak. Two of the old men then came outside, one remaining within. Then the youths were called up, one at a time ; and each of them, when called, leapt over the fence, and took up a piece of string with a bit of wood at the end, which he whirled round with a whizzing sound, three times. He then jumped out and another was called upon by the old men, and jumped in. "While one was within the enclosure the others remained lying on the ground, covered with the cloak ; and as soon as one came out he fell on his face, and was covered up again. This preliminary ceremony ended, they were allowed to go about, but not to leave the neighbourhood, for a week. The old men kept a strict watch over them, to prevent their going off, or eating any for- biden food. At the end of the week they assembled again, and all the three old men went inside the enclosure, and again called in the youths one by one. As each came in one of the old men flogged him as hard as he could with a strip of bark two feet long and six or eight inches wide. Then, with two stones, one used as a peg the other as a hammer, they broke off and knocked out one of his front teeth, leaving the roots of the tooth in his jaw. All this time the youth uttered not a sound. When it was over he went out and was covered with the cloak as before, while another was called in. During the next four days they were allowed to walk about within a short distance, and to eat a very little bit of opossum, but nothing more. At the end of that time they were again brought, one by one, into the enclosure. There they were compelled to eat the most revolting food that it ever entered the mind of man to eat, or to offer to a fellow creature, — such as the prophet Ezekiel heard, in a vision, a command to eat (chapter 4, verse 12). The cruelty of this rule is somewhat tempered by mixing this nauseous food with "tao," (the root of a plant called by the colonists "pigwood"). Basins of bark are used for the mixture. Mr. Honery is a man of unimpeached veracity, and his account was given with an explicitness that leaves no room to doubt of the fact. But it is only fair to mention that some of the Aborigines have vehemently protested that no such custom is practised in their tribes. On the reliable authority of honest old Billy Murri Bundar TJumera Gunaga, INSTITUTIONS AND LAWS. 155 who gave the important information about the sacred wand, Dhurumbulum, the revolting practice is unknown to his tribe. White men have stated that this custom was observed in several parts. From all I have heard, I conclude that it is actually observed by some tribes, but not by all. It is a mystery of wickedness and folly that such an unnatural custom could be introduced, even among a savage people. It is still more mysterious that the thought of such an act could be suggested in vision to the holy prophet Ezekiel. In the Aborigines it seems to be one mode — the most degrading mode that ever entered the mind of man — of carrying out the impulses of the spirit, common in all ages, which animated the pagan stoic and the christian ascetic. By the flogging and the knocking out of the tooth, the young men are taught to glory in suffering anguish, and to believe that it is manly to endure pain without a cry or a groan. On the same principle it may be held to be meritorious to inflict on themselves, without wincing, the utmost conceivable violation of the sense of taste. The more repugnant the process they pass through, the greater the virtue they exhibit, in their own estimation. After the last ceremony the young men were allowed to go away. For three or four months they were not allowed to come within three hundred yards of a woman. But once in the course of that time a great smoke was made with burning boughs, and the young men were brought up on one side of it, while women appeared, at a distance, on the other side. Then the young men went away for another month, or so. At the end of that time they assembled again and took part in a sham fight. This completed the long process of initiation, From that time they were free to exercise all the privileges of men, among which are the eating of the flesh of kangaroos and emus, and the taking of wives. This long course of alternate fasting and suffering is a very severe ordeal. It has often been observed that young men come out of it exhausted and sometimes half dead. During the intervals between the ceremonies of the Bora, the candidates are care- fully instructed by the old men in their traditions, in the very exact laws of consanguinity and marriage, hereafter set forth, in the rules concerning the use of particular kinds of food, and other things. They are truly a law-abiding people. Probably no community in Christendom observes the laws deemed most sacred so exactly as the Australian tribes observe their traditional rules. That kind and measure of moral purity which their un- written law enjoins is maintained with the utmost vigilance. A breach of morality, in regard to the relation between the sexes, exposes the offender to the risk of death. He must stand as a mark for the spears of his tribe, which in many cases have cut short the life of the culprit. The ceremonial of the Bora is the great educational system by which this exact observance of the laws is inculcated. 156 INSTITUTIONS AND LAWS. The name " Bora" is derived from the " bor" or " boorr," the belt of manhood is there conferred upon the candidate. This "bor" is supposed to be endowed with magical power, so that by throwing it at an enemy sickness can be injected. According to some, Baia-me is supposed to be present at the Bora, and is personated by one of the old men ; others say it is Turramulan, the agent of Baia-me, or mediator, who appears. As above mentioned, in some of the tribes a sacred wand, "Dhurumbulum," given them by Baiame is exhibited, and the sight of this wand as waved by the old men in sight of the candidates imparts manly qualities. Before I heard of this wand, a black- fellow from Twofold Bay, near the south-east corner of this Colony, at a distance of full 600 miles from the Namoi, told me that in his country " Dhurumbulum" was the name of the Creator of all things. Near the junction of the Hunter and the Isis, a few miles from Aberdeen, is the consecrated spot where, for generations, the blacks have held their Bora. To this spot I was taken by Mr. M'Donald, a squatter residing in the neighbourhood. It is a pleasant well-wooded glen at the foot of a high hill. On the ground is the horizontal figure of a man, roughly modelled by laying down sticks and covering them with earth so as to raise it from four to seven inches above the grouud. The arms and legs of the figure are stretched out as in the attitude assumed by a blackfellow in dancing, the hands being about on a level with the ears. The figure is 22 feet long and 12 feet wide from hand to hand. The body is 4 feet wide, and if the knees were straightened it would be 25 feet from head to foot. Hough as the work is, there can be no mistake about it ; and though, of course, no features are distinguishable, the attitude has a lifelike expression to those who have seen an Aboriginal dance. Around this spot are 100 or 120 trees marked with the tomahawk in various regular patterns, some with concentric curves, some with simple angles. In some the marks reached as high as 15 feet from the ground Near the head of the human figure is a tree naturally bent, as is not uncommon in this country, into an almost horizontal position ; and along this tree the blacks have cut marks like the footprints of an emu. "While the young men are awaiting the ceremony, they are made to lie flat on the ground just in the posture of the figure above described. Then a stuffed emu is carried along the bending tree over the footprints, as if it were walking on them, and on coming down to the ground walks round the scene by a path of 150 yards. The candidates are made to pass through an ordeal of pain. But there is no knocking out of a tooth ; nor is the revolting practice mentioned by Mr. Honery practised here. The account the blacks give of this ordeal is that their god comes down through the trees with a great noise, and tosses each of the candidates up in the air, to see if he is good for anything ; and if they are bad he tears them to pieces. They say this deity is very good and very powerful. He can pull up trees by the roots and remove mountains. INSTITUTIONS AND LAWS. 157 II.— MAERIAGE. The law of selection in marriage is set forth in a subsequent chapter ; but here, as a sequel to the Bora, it seems proper to mention the manner in which the privilege of taking a wife, conferred at that ceremony, is exercised. In some parts of Queensland an old man takes charge of the damsels in a tree, and as the candidates for matrimony come up he presents each of them with a bride. On the Hunter, when a man seeks a wife he goes to a camp where men and women are sitting together round a fire, and throws in a boomerang. If one of the men throws back a boomerang at him he has to fight for the privilege sought ; but if no one challenges him, he quietly steps in and takes one of the young women for his wife. „ In some tribes it is a custom, as soon as a girl is born, for her father or mother to betroth her to some man. Among the Wailwun it is common for old men to get young girls for wives, and for old women to become the wives of young men. There is no law restricting a man to one wife. It oftens happens that those who are strong enough to insist on having their own way have three and sometimes four wives — some have none at all. But in whatever manner a man becomes possessed of a wife, or whatever the number he can secure, he must take only those who, according to the laws of genealogy and marriage, are eligible for him. III.— SECLUSION OF WOMEN. It might be supposed that a people who do not wear any clothes must be utterly devoid of modesty ; but in their own way, within the limits of traditional rule, the Aborigines are very strict in the observance of the dictates of natural modesty. Their rules as to the seclusion of women correspond remarkably with the law of Moses in Leviticus (12th and 15th chapters) ; but the seclusion observed by the Australian women is even more strict and prolonged than that which is commanded in Leviticus. On the approach of childbirth the expectant mother is given into the charge of two elderly women, who take her to a sheltered spot, attend to her wants, and watch over her for many days, until she returns with her child to the camp. During the other period, referred to in Leviticus 15th, a woman must not be seen by a man — must not touch any- thing whatever that is used by the other natives, nor even walk upon a path frequented by them. A more singular rule in force among them is this — that a woman must not speak with or look upon the husband of her daughter. This rule is rigidly observed. If a man meets his mother-in-law by any chance, they instantly turn round, back to back, and remain at a distance. If one of them has a desire to communicate any message to the other it is done through a third party. They appear to think it would be indelicate in 158 INSTITUTIONS AND LAWS. the extreme for a rnother-in-law and son-in-law to speak together. So far does this notion prevail, that even when an infant is betrothed, by the promise of her parents, the man to whom she is betrothed, from that hour, strictly avoids the sight of his future mother-in-law. I V.— CIRCUMCISION. Another part of the Mosaic Law — circumcision — is observed by some of the tribes. Dr. Leichhardt and other travellers have recorded this fact. The practice, however, is not in vogue over the whole of Australia. It is, as far as my information goes, in some of the northern parts only that it has been observed. V.— MEDICINE AND SORCERY. The medical properties of various herbs are known to the blacks. One common medicine is "boiyoi" (pennyroyal), a tonic. The people are strongly endowed with the self-restoring force, and recover from the ghastly wounds often inflicted in their fights with wonderful rapidity. Their usual surgical treatment of a wound is to rub earth into it. But the chief business of the medicine-man (krodgee or kuradyi) is to disenchant the afflicted. All kinds of pain and disease are ascribed to the magic of enemies ; and the usual way in which that magic is supposed to be exercised is by injecting stones into the body of the sufferer. Accordingly the kuradyi is provided with a number of stones, secreted in his belt ; and on visiting a patient sucks the part where the pain is felt until he has convinced the sufferer that the cure is in a fair way of being effected, and then produces stones, which he declares that he has extracted from the seat of pain. The kuradyis exercise a strong spell over the minds of their people, and are believed to have power to inflict plagues as well as to cure patients. VI.— PROPERTY. In regard to individual property, they appear to have no other law than that one should use for his own sustenance and enjoyment what he has in his own hands. Between the members of the same camp or tribe something like communism prevails. At all events, presents given to one of a tribe are speedily divided as far as possible among the rest ; but on tribal territorial property their rules are exact. Each tribe has its " taorai" or district marked off with minute accuracy, by watercourses, rocks, trees, and other natural land-marks ; and one cannot go upon the territory of another tribe without risk of losing his life. In some cases when individual blackfellows have gone in the company of white men into the " toarai" of another tribe, they have been waylaid and speared for the intrusion. INSTITUTIONS AND LAWS. 159 But this jealous maintenance of tribal property has sometimes yielded to the con- siderations of a wider policy. For instance, the tribe whioh occupies the bunya-bunya district in Queensland have a law by which they admit other tribes to enter their territory in peace, at the time when the fruit ripens — once in three or four years. Whether the neighbouring tribes originally acquired this right by war, or whether it was conceded of good will, does not appear ; but certainly the law exists. "When, however, the other tribes enter the district they are not allowed to take anything but the bunya-bunya fruit. The opossums and other common sources of food supply they must not touch. Their visit lasts six weeks or more. And so strong is the hold which this traditional rule has upon their minds, that when urged by an intense craving for animal food, rather than transgress the law by killing an opossum, they have been known (it is said) to kill one of their own boys or girls, and devour the flesh. VII.— LEX TALIONIS. The Australian Aborigines carry out the principle of retaliation, not only as a dictate of passion, but as an ancient and fixed law. The relatives of a slain man are bound to avenge his death by killing some one of the tribe to which the slayer belongs. In some parts of the country a belief prevails that death, through disease, is, in many, if not in all cases, the result of an enemy's malice. It is a common saying, when illness or death comes, that some one has thrown his belt (boor) at the victim. There are various modes of fixing upon the murderer. One is to let an insect fly from the body of the deceased and see towards whom it goes. The person thus singled out is doomed. VIII.— BUKIAL AND MOUNKINQ EOE. THE DEAD. In all parts of the country the Aborigines show a great regard for their dead. They diifer much in the mode of so doing. Some bury the dead in the earth, and raise a circular mound over the grave. And of those who do this, some dig the grave so deep as to place the deceased in a standing position ; others place them sitting, and with the head higher than the surface of the ground but covered with a heap. They carefully preserve the graves, guarding them with boughs against wild animals. There are some- times as many as a hundred graves in one of their cemeteries ; and they present a sight that cannot fail to convince a stranger that the resting-places of the departed are sacred in the eyes of their friends and descendants. Sir Thomas Mitchell has given a sketch of the graves of two chiefs, on the top of a hill. It seems as if they had been buried with a hope of resurrection, that on rising from the dead they might at once survey the terri- tory over which they had ruled. 160 INSTITUTIONS AND LAWS. Among the "Wailwun people a chief, or person regarded with unusual respect, is buried in a hollow tree. They first enclose the body in a wrapper, or coffin, of bark. The size of this coffin is an indication of the honor due to the deceased. Mr. E. J. Sparke, of Grinji, saw one chief buried in a coffin 13 feet long. As they drop the body thus enclosed into the hollow tree, the bearers and those who stand round them, join in aloud " whirr," like the rushing upwards of a wind. This, they say, represents the upward flight of the soul (" tohi") to the sky. In other places they deposit the dead body on the forks of a tree, and sometimes they light a fire under it, and sit down, so as to catch the droppings of the fat, hoping thus to obtain the courage and strength for which the dead man was distinguished. In some parts they eat the heart and liver of the dead for the same purpose. This is, in their view, no dishonor to the dead. And they do not eat enemies slain in battle. When the flesh is gone, they take down the bones from the trees and carry them about in baskets. Affection sometimes induces them to carry about the bones in this manner for a long time. It is no uncommon thing for a woman to carry the body or bones of her child for years. "When a death occurs they make great wailing. All night long I have heard their bitter lamentations. In some cases the wailing is renewed year after year ; and in spite of the cruelty of some of their practices, none who have heard their lamentations and seen their tears can doubt the sincerity of their grief. The fashion of their mourning is to plaster their heads and faces with white clay, and then to cut themselves with axes. I have seen a party of mourning women sitting on the ground, thus plastered over ; and blood running from gashes in their heads, over the clay, down to their shoulders. LAWS OF MARRIAGE AND DESCENT. ■ 7t3®2@QQQG®= J/H.LL Kamilaroi blacks, and many other tribes, as far at least as Wide Bay in Queens- land and tbe Maranoa, are from their birth divided into four classes, distinguished in Kamilaroi by the following names. In some families all the children are " ippai" and "ippatha"; in others they are " murri" (not "mum," the general name for Australian Aborigines) and "matha"; in others " kubbi" and " kubbotha"; and in a fourth class of families "kumbo" and "biitha." The families take rank in this order : — Murri, Kumbo, Ippai, Kubbi. Besides this division into four classes, there is another division, founded on the names of animals, as bundar (kangaroo), dinoun (emu), dull (iguana), nurai (black snake), mute (opossum), murriira (padymelon), bilba (bandicoot). In the four classes there are on the Namoi ten divisions. They are — I (1), Murri and Matha Duli, (2) M. and M. murriira; II (3), Kumbo and Biitha Dinoun, (4) K. and B. Nurai ; III (5), Ippai and Ippatha Dinoun, (6) I. and I. Nurai, (7) I. and I. Bilba ; IV (8) Kubbi and Kubbotha Mute, (9) K. and K. Murriira, (10) K. and K. Duli. (In some parts there are additional subdivisions.) Ten rules of marriage are established in relation to these divisions : — I. Murri Duli may marry Matha Murriira, and any Butha. II. Murri Murriira may marry Matha Duli, and any Butha. III. Kumbo Dinoun may marry Butha Nurai, and any Matha. IV. Kumbo Nurai may marry Butha Dinoun, and any Matha. V. Ippai Dinoun may marry Ippatha Nurai, Kubbotha Duli, and Kubbotha Murriira. VI. Ippai Nurai may marry Ippatha Dinoun and Kubbotha Mute. VII. Ippai Bilba may marry Ippatha Nurai and Kubbotha Murriira. VIII. Kubbi Mute may marry Kubbotha Duli and Ippatha Dinoun. IX. Kubbi Murriira may marry Kubbotha Mute and Ippatha Nurai. X. Kubbi Duli may marry Kubbotha Murriira and Ippatha Bilba. The rules of descent are these : — I. The second name, or the totem, of the sons and daughters is always the same as their mother's. II. The children of a Matha are Kubbi and Kubbotha. III. The children of a Butha are Ippai and Ippatha. IV. The children of an Ippatha are Kumbo and Butha. V. The children of a Kubbotha are Murri and Matha. Thus the mother's names, not the father's, determine the names of the child in every case. 162 LAWS OF MARRIAGE AND DESCENT. The children in no case take the first names of their parents, yet their names are determined invariably by the names of their parents. The effects of these rules, in passing every family through each of the four classes in as many generations, and in preventing the intermarriage of near relations, will appear on inspection of this pedigree : — 1st gen. : Kubbi marries Ippatha. (their children are all) 2nd gen. : Kumbo and Butha Kumbo marries Matha Butha is married to Murri (their children are) (their children are) 3rd gen. : Kubbi Kubbotha Ippai Ippatha marries Ippatha married to Ippai marries Kubbotha married to Kubbi Mhgen.: Kumbo Butha Murri Matha Murri Matha Kumbo Butha If ippai in the third generation chose to marry ippatha, of a different totem, instead of kubbotha, three families out of the four descended from the first kubbi in the fourth generation would be kumbo and buta ; but if, as above, ippai marries kubbotha, then the third generation being equally divided between two classes, the children of the fourth generation are equally divided between the other two. The principles of equality and caste are combined in a most singular manner. "With regard to intermarriage, the effect of the above rules is to prevent marriage with either a sister, a half-sister, an aunt, a niece, or a first cousin related both by the father's and the mother's side. The foregoing names, with the classification and law founded upon them, extend far beyond the Kamilaroi tribes. In the Balonne River District there are four divisions of Kubbi, namely K. muriira, K. mute, K. duli, and K. giilu (bandicoot) ; the Kumbo are K. dinoun and K. burrowun (a kind of kangaroo) ; the Murri are M. mute and M. maieri (padymelon) ; and the Ippai are I, bundar and I. nurai. Among the Wailwun there are four divisions of Murri, — M. murrira, M. mute, M. guru, and M. duli ; three of Kumbo, — K. dinoun, K. nurai, and K. bundar ; three of Ippai, — I. dinoun, I. nurai, and I. bundar ; four of Kubbi, — K. murrira, K. mute, K. guru, and K. duli. Others among the Wailwun tribes have sixteen subdivisions, four iu each class, with the totems (the same for each of the four classes), muriiwi (kangaroo), rjuri (emu), tdhuru (brown snake), and kuraki (opossum). LAWS OF MARRIAGE AND DESCENT. 163 And even where the names " ippai," &c, are unknown, the same system prevails. Over a large portion of Queensland, between Moreton Bay and Wide Bay, the following names are used for a similar purpose : — barag and baraggun ; bundar and bundarun ; bandur and bandurun ; derwain and derwaiggun ; the name in -gun or -un, being in each case the feminine of the foregoing. Many, if not all, of the Aborigines have other names in addition to those they take by descent. Thus, on the Barwan, one " Ippai nurai" is called also " Kurai bruddhin muniye " (duck's feather). An " Ippatha dinoun" is called " yaddai yunderi" (opossum cloak). A Wiraiarai man is surnamed " tarratalu" (speared in the shoulder) ; his son is " Tippummele" (an eagle looking all round) ; another is " Thugerwun" (a turtle). They give names to Englishmen who become known to them. Thus they call one gentleman " Dungumbir" (the rain-maker) ; another " Wolumbiddi" (large head); another "Tarunderai" (great legs and arms). .Billy, Mr. Dangar's shep- herd, is " Kumbo dinoun," with the surname " Bunberuge," meaning broke his leg by a fall from his horse. Among the "Wailwun tribes one Kubbi tdhuru is also called " Kuakumboan," another is "Ttfulurnan" (bald), from the bald hill where he was born. An Ippai tdhuru is " Dhlnawurai " (crooked foot). A King, a MurrI, is also called " Dinabukul." A woman — Butha tdhuru — is " Mugumilla " (blind) ; another is called " Winaliwurai " (lame) ; another is " Wullubungubia " (grey-headed). Among the Kogai blacks to the westward of the Balonne Eiver, the names are — Instead of ippai and ippata — urgilla and urgillagun. Instead of murri and mata — wuggo and wuggogun. Instead of kubbi and kubbotha — obur and oburugun. Instead of kumbo and buta — unburri and unburrigun. There are five names in use among the men about "Wide Bay, viz., bundar, derwain, balkoi'n, tandor, barag. At Moreton Bay, the wife (not the sister) of a " derwain" is " derwaingun ;" the son of a " bandur" is " derwain " ; the son of a " barag" also is " derwain." Sometimes the son of a "derwain" is "bundar." Sometimes the son of a "derwain" is called " barag." Brothers bear the same name. Among the Pikumbul tribe, on the Macintyre, " Tuluma " (black kangaroo) is a totem. Henry Bose, for twenty-two years a faithful servant of Mr. Christian, on the Mooki, is Ippai yuluma ; his father and mother were MurrI and Kubbotha yuluma. On the Narran the divisions are— I. (1) Murri and Matha duli, (2) M. and M. mute, (3) M. and M. maieri ; II. (4) Kumbo and Butha bundar, (5) K. and B. nurai, (6) K. and B. kugugalu (bandicoot) ; III. (7) Ippai and Ippatha bundar, (8) I. and I. nurai ; IV. (9) Kubbi and Kubbotha duli, (10) K. and K. maieri. 164 LAWS OF MARRIAGE AND DESCENT. The relative position of brothers and of sisters is marked by a singular nomenclature. There is no word in Kamilaroi meaning simply " brother," but one for " elder brother," another for "younger brother." Daiadi is elder brother ; gullami is younger brother. Of six brothers the eldest has five gullami and no daiadi ; the youngest has five daiadi and no gullami ; the fourth has three daiadi and two gullami. Of eight sisters the eldest (who is boadi to all the rest) has seven burl and no boadi ; the youngest has seven boadi and no burl ; the third has two boadi and five buri. The Rev. Lorimer Fison, Missionary of the Wesleyan Church in Fiji, on seeing these rules of marriage, descent, and relationship, said they contained the principles of the "Tamil," a system which prevails among the Tamil tribes of India, among the Fijians, and among the North American Indians. Subjoined are the eight characteristics of " Tamil," compared severally with illustra- tions of the Australian system. I. In Tamil, A being a male, his brother's children are considered as his own children, his sister's children are his nephews and nieces ; his sister's grandchildren, as well as his brothers, are considered as his grandchildren. So in the above system, Kumbo Nurai's brother is also Kumbo nurai. They marry women of the same name. Each marries a Matha ; each Matha's children are Kubbi and Kubbotha ; so that each man's brother's sons and daughters have the same names as his own sons and daughters. But Kumbo's sisters are Butha, and their children are Ippai and Ippatha. And, as seen in the genealogy, the grandchildren of Kumbo and Butha, brothers and sisters, have the same names. II. In Tamil, A being a female, her sister's children are her sons and daughters. Her brother's children are her nephews and nieces. Her brother's grandchildren, as well as her sister's grandchildren, are her grandchildren. Taking Butha nurai, instead of Kumbo nurai, in the above rule I, it will be seen that her sister's children have the same names as her own, while her brother's children have different names, and the same names return in the grandchildren. III. All A's father's brothers are A's fathers. All A's mother's sisters are A's mothers. So Kumbo's father's brothers are, like his father, Kubbi ; and Kumbo's mother's sisters, like his mother herself, are all Ippatha. IV. All A's father's sisters are A's aunts, and A's mother's brothers are his uncles. So Kumbo's father's sisters are Kubbotha, while his mother is Ippatha. His mother's brothers are Ippai, his father is Kubbi. V. The children of A's father's brothers, and of his mother's sisters, are A's brothers and sisters. The children of A's father's sisters, and of his mother's brothers, are his cousins. So in the Australian system, the children of two or more brothers have the same names ; and the children of two or more sisters have the same names ; but the children of a brother and a sister must have different names. Thus the children of several Ippais are all Murri and Matha ; the children of several Ippathas are all Kumbo and Butha. But the children of an Ippai have not the same names as the children of his sister Ippatha. VI. A being a male, the children of his male cousins are his nephews and nieces, the children of his female cousins are his sons and daughters. This rule and the Aus- tralian rule coincide at some points. Thus, in the pedigree given above, Ippai and Ippatha are the cousins of Kubbi. Ippai's children have different names to those of Kubbi ; and Ippatha's children, like her cousin Kubbi' s, are all Kumbo and Butha. VII. All brothers of A's grandfathers and grandmothers, are his grandmothers. All sisters of his grandfather and grandmothers are his grandmothers. So Kumbo's grand- father by the father's side is Kumbo, and all brothers of that grandfather are Kumbo. Kumbo's maternal grandfather is Murri, so are that grandfather's brothers. Kumbo's paternal grandmother and her sisters are all Matha ; his maternal grandmother and her sisters are all Butha. VIII. In Tamil the elder brother is distinguished from all the rest by the title " brother." The Australian rule as to the use of the terms " daiadi " and " gullami " for brothers, and of " boadi " and " buri " for sisters, is more complex, but indicates some similarity of thought as to the distinction. In reference to the above remarkable system of classification, marriage, descent, and relationship, I have been careful to test the accuracy of the rules, by obtaining inde- pendent statements from many Aborigines and half-castes, and comparing them together. Thus I am now able, with unhesitating certainty, to state that the system is as above described ; and, while there are local variations in names and divisions, the rules are sub- stantially the same all over the north-western parts of this Colony, and in a large por- tion of Queensland. And in the absence of any architectural monuments of antiquity among the Australian race, this all-comprehensive social classification and conservative marriage law may be regarded as constituting a memorial of the most significant character. RANDOM ILLUSTRATIONS OF ABORIGINAL LIFE AND CHARACTER. JB{OR the most part, the blackfellows who have not come under the pernicious influence of the lazy and drunken habits which generally prevail over those that live near the towns are well formed and agile. On the Barwan I have seen some of the race of Murri over 6 feet high. As a rule, the stnallness of the calf of the leg, especially when con- trasted with a fine muscular development about the shoulders, detracts from their appearance ; but some are really splendid models of symmetry and strength. The aspect of a troop of them on the march, armed, and coloured with red and yellow ochre, recalls the designation of the "noble savage." The portrait which forms the frontispiece to this work is a true picture of the aboriginal man of Australia. Some more intellectual and prepossessing countenances are to be found among them. But this man is an average specimen of thousands, without a touch of European culture or a scrap of adornment ; but with muscular frames, and faces expressive both of energy and of some measure of thought. There is a great variety in their countenances ; some remind one of the Hindoo physiognomy ; some are like the African negro ; and it is no uncommon thing to find among the blackfellows at a station some bearing the names " Paddy" and " Sandy," given them in consequence of the characteristics of Irishmen and Scotchmen having been traced or fancied in their countenances. At Durundurun, near the Glass-house Mountains, Moreton Bay, I found a family with decidedly Hebrew physiognomy. It is a curious coincideuce that these men call their race by the name " Dan." At the Bora Station, belonging to Mr. Orr, between the Namoi and the Castlereagh, a blackfellow came up, among others, whom I at once declared to be a good representative of the Jack Tars of OlcUEngland. There was certainly as much of the thorough English expression in his frank and daring countenance as of the Irish and Scotch expression in others. And Mr. Orr told me of a feat done by this blackfellow worthy of a British seaman. He was in the service of two white men at a solitary hut, when a band of hostile natives came up to kill them. This brave fellow stood in the doorway, and declared that they should never kill the white men till they had first killed him ; and his firmness defeated their attempt. ILLUSTRATIONS OF ABORIGINAL LIFE AND CHARACTER. 167 There is a blackfellow on the Narran called among the whites " Peter," of whose power over his tribe the following example was told me, in 1871, by a squatter on the Barwan. A few weeks before my visit to Bundarbarina, two young men of the Narran Biver were condemned to death by the tribe for a violation of the marriage law, in taking women whose names marked them as not open to the choice of these men. The women who shared their crime were condemned to die also. But the two young men were in the service of squatters ; and, as Peter wished to commend himself to the confidence and patronage of the white people, he resolved to save them. He therefore stood forward with his shield to meet the spears thrown at them by a number of the men of the tribe. The two women aided him in his defence ; but the young men left him in the midst of the danger. Such were the skill and prowess of Peter that he came out unscathed. He warned the two cowards that if ever they offended again he would leave them to their fate. Some time ago a blackfellow died on the Barwan, below Bourke ; he was buried for two days. Then Tommy- Tommy and other blacks dug up the body, and skinned it. King Rory, who told me about it, though an old man, declared that he never heard of any other man being thus treated ; he thought it was infamous. The wicked Tommy- Tommy keeps a bone of the dead man, and believes that he can kill any one by throwing this bone towards him. A few years ago Bory being desirous to go with Mr. Sparke to the Races, was told that they could not go if it continued to rain ; it was then raining heavily, with no prospect of fine weather. Bory cut bark here and there, and threw it on the ground, calling "pu-a! pu-a!" according to a custom he had learnt of his father. The rain ceased in time for him to go to the Eaces ; and he told me that the blackfellows up in the Worrumbul (Milky Way) had stopped the rain for him. Bory was a young man, living on a plain 50 miles from the Barwan, when he first saw white men ; he thought they were wunda (ghosts) ; he ran away when he first saw a horse. After that a white man came and lived a long time among the blacks ; Bory made fishing-nets for him. This white man had very long hair and beard ; he returned up the Namoi for Sydney. Henry Bose, by birth Ippai Tuluma, the son of MurrI and Kubbotha Yuluma, of the Pikumbul tribe, on the Macintyre Biver (in Queensland, near the border of this Colony), has been twenty -five years in the service of Mr. Christian, on Liverpool Plains, and a good trustworthy servant he has proved himself. This man told me that, when he was a very little boy, some of his tribe having committed robbery, the black police were 168 ILLUSTRATIONS OF ABORIGINAL LIFE AND CHARACTER. sent to " disperse" them. Poor little Ippai hid himself in the prickly scrub ; and from his hiding-place saw the black police cut off with their swords the heads of men and women ; he did not then know what the swords were, having never seen anything like them ; he also saw these policemen take up little children by their feet and dash their brains out against the trees. That is the way British authority has been enforced in many cases by the black police — a force armed for the maintenance of the peace. As an instance of the way in which power is sometimes transferred among the tribes, Mr. Honery related the following incident : — A king or chief on the Barwan having sent his wife away for a time, when she came back with a baby he said it was not his, and beat her ; he then killed the baby by driving a tomahawk into its head. The woman's brother coming up, and seeing what was done, speared the chief and killed him. Then the tribe, finding their chief killed, attacked the slayer ; but on his telling what had taken place, some took part with him. In a fight, he and his partisans overpowered the avengers of the late chief; and having thus shown his superior prowess, he was recog- nised by the tribe as their king. He was well known to the colonists as " Wyaburra Jackey." The people about the junction of the Hunter and the Iris give this account of the origin of Rivers : — Some blackfellows were travelling in search of water, and were very thirsty. One of them, with a tomahawk, cut a tree, in which there was a gulagur (opossum's hole), and a stream flowed out which became a river. The same people tell of a chief who sent some of his men to strip bark. They came back and told him they could not get any. These men had broken the laws, and for their sin a terrible storm came down upon them. The chief then took a tomahawk and stripped off a sheet of bark ; he told his men to get under it. They said it was not large enough. Then he stretched it, and made it longer and broader. A t last they all consented to go under it ; he threw it down and killed them all. The following vision of an aboriginal woman of the Wodi-wodi tribe was related to me by her niece, Mrs. Malone (half-caste) : — Mary Ann (by that name the aboriginal woman was known to the colonists) fell into a trance and remained for three days motionless. At the end of that time Mrs. Malone's uncle let off a gun which awoke her out of the trance. She then told her friends that she had seen a long path, with fire on both sides of it. At the end of this path stood her father and mother, waiting for her. As she went on they said to her " Mary Ann, what brought you here ? " She said " I don't know ; I was dead." Her mother, whom she saw quite plain, said "You go back." And she woke. ILLUSTRATIONS OP ABORIGINAL LIFE AND CHARACTER. 169 When I first went down the jSTamoi, in 1853, I saw there an old blackfellow named Charley, of whom the early settlers told this narrative : — On the first occupation of that part of the country by squatters, Charley was the leader of a set of blackfellows who greatly annoyed them by spearing cattle. Many attempts were made to cut short Charley's career with a bullet ; but he was too active to be overtaken, and too nimble to be made a target of. One day a stockman pursued him a long way with a pistol, but could not get a successful shot at him. Shortly afterwards the same stockman was travelling unarmed through the bush when his horse was knocked up, and he had to dismount and try to drag the weary brute after him. "While he was in this plight a number of blackfellows suddenly sprang out of the bushes and surrounded him. At their head was Charley. The stockman thought he was now to die ; but instead of spearing him, Charley addressed him in this manner : "You 'member blackfellow, you chase'm with pistol, you try shoot him. I that blackfellow, Charley ! Now me say I kill you ; then me say bel (not) I kill you; bel blackfellow any more coola (anger) 'gainst whitefellow ; bel whitefellow any more coola 'gainst blackfellow ! You give me 'bacca." So he made friends with the white men ; and from that time was a useful neighbour and often servant to them — protecting their cattle and minding their sheep. Like many a blackfellow who was at first an enemy and afterwards a steady friend, Charley made the settlers know that his word could be relied on. One common characteristic of the Aborigines of Australia, which ought not to be unnoticed, is their tender care for the blind, and especially for the aged blind. Dr. Creed (now of Scone) and other travellers on the northern coast of Australia have related instances of the care taken of the blind. They say that these afflicted people were the fattest of the company, being supplied with the best of everything. I also saw an old blind Murri, on the Balonne, who was treated with great attention by his tribe. He held a spear in his hand, and when he wanted guidance stretched it out for some one to take. Seeing him signalling for a guide I took the end of the spear for him ; and all his friends joined in an approving laugh as the old man said to me "murruba inda" (good are you). Many reminiscences of a higher kind might be produced from the several Mission Stations. When the present Bishop of Brisbane, Dr. Hale, then Bishop of Perth, in Western Australia, was coming to attend the General Conference, and to assist in forming the General Synod for the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania, he visited the Mission which he had established more than twenty years ago at Poonindie, Port Lincoln, and gave public and solemn expression to his confidence in the christian character of twenty-nine Aborigines there by administering to them the Communion of the Lord's Supper. The aboriginal congregation testified their gratitude to the Bishop, as the Founder of the Mission, by presenting to him a service of plate, which had cost them over £13. 170 ILLUSTRATIONS OF ABORIGINAL LIFE AND CHARACTER. One of the first-fruits of that mission was Daniel Tudhku, a native of the Murray River, who was for years a diligent workmen, a devout worshipper, and a zealous pro- moter of the Gospel. The last character he fulfilled by visiting his countrymen, and bringing in all whom he could persuade to come and receive instruction at the station. When that man was on his death-bed, the ruling passion of his life was strongly ex- pressed in his prayer that a mission might be established on the Murray, for the benefit of his tribe. At the last he gave a remarkable proof of his faith and patience : — As he was evidently in great pain, those who stood by expressed their concern for him, on which he said — " Oh ! there's no cause for impatience ; this is the Lord's doing ; let him do what seemeth him good." Poor Harry ! I must not end this chapter without a word or two about him. "When I was preaching on the Upper Paterson, in 1851, he was working as a boy for Mr. Alexander Cameron, a highland farmer, then tenant of Gruygallon, now cultivating his own property on the Dingo Creek, Manning River. Harry had been brought down from the Namoi to Maitland, about 400 miles, by some carriers ; and found his way from Maitland up the Paterson. Cameron and his wife treated him very kindly, and he was content to stay with them and make himself useful. He used to come in with the small congregation that gathered in their house, to the evening service, once a fortnight. He was pleased at being recognised as one for whom the minister cared : and I found that by merely acting on the rule — " honour all men" — treating him as a fellow-creature, I had won his friendship. About four years afterwards I met him in the district of his tribe, at Bungulgully, near the Namoi. He had heard of my coming and went out on the track to meet me. His countenance expressed his joy. He gave me help in learning Kamilaroi, and listened with earnest attention to my endeavours to express, in his native tongue, the thought, " murruba Immanuel ; kamil naragedul murruba yealokwai nerma" (good is Immanuel; there is not another good like him), and the facts that prove the truth of that assertion to a simple mind. "When I went down the Namoi in 1871, there was no one else of whom I thought so much as Harry of Bungulgully, my first and most hopeful friend among the Australian Aborigines. When I came to the place, I found that he had been accidentally killed. The curse of Aborigines, and settlers too, in many instances — rum — was the occasion of the accident. After drinking at a public-house till his brain was confused, he leapt on his horse and rode full gallop under a tree, with the arm of which his head came in con- tact. Poor Harry ! it shall be more tolerable for thee in the day of judgment than for many who have abused greater advantages. A PARTING WORD FOR THE RACE OF MURRI. J^ltlHE recent history of the race into whose life and thoughts some glimpses are offered in the preceding pages is so entwined with that of the progress of the British people in Australia that it should not be difficult to awaken an interest in their behalf. It has been the misfortune of the Murri and kindred tribes, as it was of the Carribee, the Delaware, and the Hottentot, to be found in the way of European colonization ; and the Murri have not seen the white man take possession of their territory without many an attempt (by deeds of cunning and of blood) to stop the invasion and to avenge the injury. It would be easy to gather from the records of British colonization in Australia many instances of horrid crimes committed by the Aborigines. They are, in fact, partakers of the worst passions of human nature. But it must not be forgotten that among the people of British origin who have come to settle upon the land formerly occupied by Murri alone, have been some whose crimes against the Aborigines were at least equal in atrocity to theirs. In short, there has been war, and along certain Hues of Australian territory there is still war, between the Colonists and the Aborigines. In this warfare cunning and ferocity have been developed j and the remembrance of what cunning and ferocity have done tends to make the Colonists slow to recognize any characteristics of an opposite kind in the blacks. There has been a tendency to seek reasons for believing that these people are not of the same species as ourselves. And even in a volume of Gospel Sermons the assertion has been, somewhat oracularly, published to the world, that for the Aborigines there is no immortality, that they have no idea of God, no devout feeling, nor any capacity for such thoughts and feelings. It has, however been shown, in this book, out of their own mouths, from their songs and their cherished traditions, that they are by no means destitute of some qualities in which civilized men glory — such as the power of inventing tragic and sarcastic fiction, the thirst for religious mystery, stoical contempt of pain, and reverence for departed friends and ancestors. It may even be affirmed, with some reason, that they have handed down with reverential care, through many generations, a fragment of primeval revelation. The manner in which they have displayed these characteristics presents to us such a strange mixture of wisdom and folly, of elevating and degrading thoughts, of interesting and of repulsive traditions, of pathetic and grotesque observances, — that, in order to account for the apparent contradictions, we must have recourse to the supposition of an ancient civilization from which this race has fallen, but of which they have retained some memorials. 172 A PARTING WORD FOR THE RACE OF MURRI. The dark side of this people has not been concealed in this book. Their degrading customs and their brutal crimes have been spoken of. A very large book might be filled with instances in which Australian Aborigines have exercised the nobler qualities of man, as faithful servants and true friends of Europeans. In no branch of the Human Family can there be found more convincing proofs of gratitude and affection. Many a settler and traveller could relate instances of blacks who, when once assured that a white man was their friend indeed, held to him in danger and distress with unalterable attachment. The faithfulness with which Jacky Jacky attended the explorer Kennedy in his last hours, which has been commemorated by the Muses of History and Painting, is by no means a solitary case of devoted attachment. Many a lost English child has been saved from a miserable end in the bush by the earnest and clever search of aboriginal trackers ; many a colonist has been rescued from the floods by aboriginal swimmers ; and many a time has the poison injected by a snake- bite been sucked from a wounded settler by a blackfellow. There have been instances at different mission stations, of Aborigines who manifested in their lives a good under- standing of the principles of the Christian Eaith, and a conscientious resolution to fulfil its obligations. As for the artistic part of worship, a congregation assembled in St. Phillip's, one of the episcopal churches of Sydney, has heard approvingly the sacred music of the service, without knowing until afterwards the fact that an aboriginal organist was leading their devotions. Hitherto, it must be confessed, British colonization has done much to destroy, and British Christianity has done little to save, the Aborigines of Australia. Sometimes effort for their good is discouraged by the anticipation of their speedy extinction. But this too popular theory of the speedy extinction of the Aboriginal race must be modified, if not negatived by such a sight as I have seen, and as may still be seen in some parts of New South Wales, — an assembly of hundreds of them, including dozens of hoary heads, and dozens of infants at the breast. When the Christianity we profess has become a living and a ruling power in the British Australian community, — when the questions concerning different ecclesiastical traditions and rules, which at present engross too .large a proportion of our zeal, have given place to a supreme desire that the will of God may be done upon earth, — it will be one of the objects which the Australian Church will seek with the most intense earnest- ness, to convey to the remnant of the race of Murri and to their kindred, from Cape York to Cape Leuwin, the knowledge of the love of Him who gave himself a ransom for all. Sydney : Thomas Richards, Government Printer.— 1875. THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE STAMPED BELOW AN INITIAL FINE OF 25 CENTS WILL BE ASSESSED FOR FAILURE TO RETURN THIS BOOK ON THE DATE DUE. THE PENALTY WILL INCREASE TO 50 CENTS ON THE FOURTH DAY AND TO $1.00 ON THE SEVENTH DAY OVERDUE. AUG 137 1M* APR 2 7 1970 7 fl tftVlN&IO • ->R % 1970 (SAN MMWNBO RFC!) 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