Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Notes on Aborigines by William Scott, 1871-1928
B 756

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The University of Sydney
Department of Geography
19/10/28
Dear Mr Scott.
I return your MSS. I lent it to Professor Radcliffe Brown who tells me that he has had notes made for his files of portions of the data. He is collecting all reliable data about the aborigines and is glad to receive information which dats back so far as do these records.
With good wishes to you Mr Scott
Yours sincerely
Griffith Taylor

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GIPPSLAND ABORIGINAL CEREMONY.
Last week a number of the aborigines of the various clans of the Kurnai tribe gathered together at the old crossing place at Seacombe on M’Lennan’s straits to conduct the mystic rites and ceremonies incidental on the admission of the youths of the tribe to the dignity of manhood, with all its accompanying privileges.

The ceremony was held at the instance of Mr A. W. Howitt who secured the consent of the old men of the tribe to its taking place some six months ago, when the first steps were taken to gather together the remnant of the tribe. Mr Howitt, who is a deeply versed student in the ethnology of the blacks, and is now engaged in writing a book on the subject, was present during the whole ceremony, he being the only white man who has ever been admitted so much to the confidence of the blacks as to be permitted to witness their secret ceremonials.
No ceremony of a similar nature has taken place in Gippsland for many years, the last having been held at the Mitchell River, the date of which cannot now be accurately fixed upon. At the time, however, there were no signs of a township at Bairnsdale, and it is calculated that the ceremony must have taken place nearly or about thirty years ago. On one side of the river there was the Lucknow station, and on the other the M’Leod station, while the river was crossed in an old “dug out". On that occasion there was a total eclipse of the sun on the day of the ceremony, or as the blacks described it, “night came in the middle of the day."

The proceedings at Seacombe commenced on Thursday afternoon, and about 30 blacks were present, representing all the five clans of the Kurnai tribe. Ten years ago there would have been double the number, but the old race is dying out fast. The principal ceremonies were completed by Monday morning at 9 o’clock, having taken place at intervals during that time, but the blacks did not finally disperse till Tuesday. Some of the Snowy River blacks, the Krautun (eastern) clan of the tribe were present, though they have no ceremonies of their own. They are, however, allowed to be present at the initiation ceremonies of their own. They are, however, allowed to be present at the initiation ceremonies, though not to be themselves initiated. Six youths went through the installation ceremony, and were duly admitted to the rights of manhood. One of these belonged to the Braiaka (western) clan, two were Raymond Island blacks, and the remaining three belonged to the Brabra (manly) clan.

Of the ceremony itself we cannot speak, and those interested will have to wait for the publication of Mr Howitt’s work on the subject before they can peer into the dim recesses of the ethnological lore of the blacks. The details of the ceremony, however, differed entirely from those practised at the recent gathering at Bega, N.S.W., though the principle underlying it was exactly identical. During the five days of the ceremony not a drop of drink was imbibed by any of the blacks, and not a single quarrel took place, there not being an ill word spoken. Many of the old men of the tribe were strongly averse to the introduction of intoxicating drink to the ceremony, hence the very orderly character of the proceedings.
(Vide Gippsland Mercury, Jan.31, 1884.)

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Note
So far as I know my father did not hold any formal appointment as a Secretary – Although he did work in that character (locally) at Carrington – He wrote a fine hand, was a good accountant and controlled the book keeping and local store accounts keeping – He was in close daily touch with Colonel Duminqu for whom and his family he had a very deep regard – My father was a well read man and interested in religious matters read the lessons in the church on Sundays when the chaplain was absent. We always had regular family worship a practice, I regret, that ceased after his death.

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A Blackfellow’s Funeral
One of a small camp of blacks about a quarter of a mile from our house, a man died and they borrowed a spade from us to dig his grave – This was placed a few yards above high water mark and the burial was fixed for flood tide not on the ebb lest the spirit of the departed should be carried out to sea and lost in the great waters – The corpse was neatly encased in a sheet of bark (paper bark) from the giant Titree (Mellluca) bound round with vines from the scrub then an outer casing of a freshly stripped sheet of stringy bark also bound round with vines all being ready, the next thing was to find out who was responsible for the man’s sickness death for it was believed that all sickness was brought about by the machinations of an enemy “that feller been puttein stone or that feller been puttein bone" they would say – The plan adopted was as follows – The coffin was lifted upon the shoulders of two men – a third holding a green branch stood at the side and called out the names of everyone he could think of at

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at the same time lightly striking the coffin with the green branch believing that when the guilty person’s name was called the corpse would give a start. My father’s name was called first followed by quite a number of others when suddenly on one name being called the two bearers gave a lurch forwards and so the culprit was found – How he or she would be dealt with I dont know – The corpse without more adoo was then lowered into the grave which was filled in and carefully levelled – The widow then made her camp fire by the grave side, and every evening as the sun was sinking she commenced her loud mournful crying wailing for the dead – This continued until the grass began to shoot on the grave, then they suddenly disappeared one night and we saw nothing of them for several months – We could never get them to mention the name of anyone who had died –

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Poombit or Born Ceremony
My first view of the Poombit ceremony – or the making youths into men took place when I was about ten or eleven years of age – It was held on a scrubby flat about two miles from our house – As a great favour my sister was allowed to be present with my father and me she was about seventeen at the time and was a great favourite with the blacks speaking their language fluently – A condition was made that she must wear a thick veil as it was strictly no women were ever allowed to see the sacred ceremony – The thick veil was worn but there was also a convenient little peephole which enabled her to see all that went on – whether the blacks were aware of this or not I cannot say, possibly they may have “winked the other eye" having saved their faces – but probably no other white woman was ever allowed to see what she did – There was the usual oval cleared space with the banked up margin and in the centre a heaped up ceremonial fire – The gins were made to lie down around the edge of the oval (I am not sure whether within the oval on the outer side) they were covered with blankets and rugs and an old black kept

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guard over them waddy in hand ready to give any restless lady a knock tap on the head as a hint to keep still – Apparently for the benefit of the women a troop of blacks suddenly came bounding all in their warpaint came bounding into the arena and gave out that the boy candidates could not be found – They went in search of them and soon later came back successful, with the boys in their midst they then sprang on the fire and holding the boys up kept jumping up and down amidst smoke and dust & ashes until the fire was quite trampled out – Then the coverings were removed from the women who appeared covered with sweat – Then each of the poombits knelt before his mother or failing her, his nearest female relative and went through the form of taking nourishment from her breast, thus typifying the putting away once for all of childish things – That so far as I can recall finished the ceremony –

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Pere-Ally
It was the practice sometimes, when a man was suffering from some internal pain to get his wife to pere-ally for him: which was done in the following way – a cord of possum [indecipherable] was placed a couple of times round his body the patient sat or reclined on the ground, a canoe shaped vessel of titree bark about a couple of feet long half filled with water was placed near him a cord made of possum hair was passed round his body a couple of times and the crossed ends held by the woman who knelt leaning over the little canoe of water – She then passed the crossed ends of the cords rapidly to and fro between her closed lips until the blood flowed dropped freely into the water which soon became until it became the colour of blood itself – The belief being that the cause of the pain would leave the patients body by the cord and finally through the womans blood into the water – I was too young to enquire very deeply into the matter but no doubt faith would assist in the cure very materially – nor can I remember [indecipherable]

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The only one I ever saw
The duel - a fight a bloodless fight to a finish
Big Jimmie who had a wife became jealous of Little Jimmie who had none, the result was a challenge, and a duel of a rather peculiar sort - The jealous husband stood The principals took their stand about twenty yards apart – the jealous husband armed holding only with a stick about eighteen inches long and about as thick as an ordinary broom handle – His opponent – on the other hand was armed with a boomerang and a fighting spear with the usual womerah or throwing stick – The fight (save the mark) commenced by a vehement speech by little Jimmy who suddenly threw his boomerang fair for the other mans big Jimmy’s throat – but he merely ducked his head allowing the boomerang to pass harmlessly over – Then after another violent harangue little Jimmy fitting the womerah to his spear sent the latter swift as an arrow straight for the other mans breast – but standing quite upright and still he quietly turned the spear aside with his stick and the duel was over – The men then went to their respective camp fires and appeared quite friendly afterwards honor had been satisfied.

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-Fishing-
The making of fishing lines
-and-
Fish Spears
Fishing lines were made from the inner bark of the Kurajong tree – The bark when stripped was allowed to soak in water until the outer portion could be easily scraped away, leaving a white flax like material very tough & strong. The women twisted the stuff to the required thickness and length by rolling it on the front part of their thighs on a part prepared for the work by the application of hot ashes which destroyed the skin and left a smooth hardened patch – The lines when finished were extremely strong and durable – This material was also very useful in the manufacture of fishing spears for fastening the bone tips to the prongs and in other ways –

The mooting or fish spear consisted of three parts – the four prongs of ironbark – The main shaft of the stem of the gigantic lily, and an addition to the latter of the flower stem of the grass tree – The weight and strength were regulated to the purpose for which the spear was intended – The heaviest was

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was used for spearing the big sea mullet which appeared in schools at certain periods of the year – The wood for the prongs was first of all shaped in the rough and then allowed to lie in some salt water pool for a time to get rid of the sap and toughen it – and at the same time make it easier to scrape down to the required thickness – The makers soon found out the superiority of a scraper made from a broken bottle over the shell scraper formerly in use – It was interesting to watch the spearing of the sea mullet – The fish used to travel from west to east close inshore on the northern side of the harbour at high water and it was a great time of feasting for the blacks who ate large quantities of the fish never seeming to get tired of it – The camp was made close to the shore and the women were posted to give notice of the approach of a school, at the signal the fishermen, generally about half a dozen at once, would rush into the water up to their middes

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with spear and womerah all poised ready – when the school was within range striking distance the leader would cry out muh (now) and the spears would all be launched together and it was seldom any failed to strike a fish - The women did most of the line fishing - They had many queer superstitions connected with fishing – To have any luck one must not eat any fruit before going on a fishing excursion, nor have any bloodwood gum or one’s hands touch flesh or feathers emu flesh or feathers or even look at one – It was the custom in certain cases where a girl was intended to be a specially clever fisherwoman when she grew up to sever the little finger of the left hand at the second joint and to throw the severed part into the water – the idea being that the fish would eat it and ever after be attracted to the line held by the owner of the hand from which it came – Our old servant Fanny was one of these women and certainly she was a wonderfully clever fisherwoman –

Note For use in the manufacture of their spears and other weapons they always kept on hand a good big lump of grass tree gum – much better than pitch for the purpose - advisably suited to the purpose

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-Honey getting-
The introduction of the English honey bee proved a great boon to the blacks – swarms escaped to the bush and increased wonderfully fast – as we rode through the bush we kept a sharp look out for bees nests, making a mental note of them for future use, and it indicates how numerous plentiful they had become when I explain that at the time I left Port Stephens for Queensland in 1873, I knew of over a hundred trees with bees nests in them, in some two nests in one tree –

The blacks seldom troubled to cut the tree down, preferring to climb it and cut a hole to allow for the combs reach the combs these were caught by they were dropped by the man the women very deftly in a back vessel or a tin bucket, as they were dropped by the man up the tree he calling [muh?] (now) every time he dropped a comb – he never seemed to mind the stings he got – The blacks ate very sparingly of the honey but very freely of the young brood comb – After the government had supplied them with a good stout boat they did quite a good trade collecting honey for the whites – For a pound they would take away an empty quarter cask, and in a couple of weeks or so bring it back full of nicely strained honey with the corresponding wax nicely rendered down into a good big cake -

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-The Tomahawk-
The tempered iron tomahawk was of course an immense improvement over the stone one – which by the way I never saw amongst them – The old The tomahawks of the days I am writing about were narrow and longer than the american sort which came later and for which the blacks had no time – With the narrow bladed sort they could cut out a possim from a hollow tree or a bandicoot or Kangaroo rat out from a log – far more easily with a narrow than with a broad bladed one –

The first thing a blackfellow did when he received a tomahawk was to substitute for the white man’s handle one of his own make shaped as per margin flat and coming down to a point – This was placed loosely into the eye of the tomahawk and then fastened firmly by a wedge driven in on the side – The reason for this was that this kind of handle not only lent more weight to the head but could be pushed under the user’s possim hair waist belt, leaving his hands free when climbing trees, and at the same time keeping the implement secure and handy when wanted –
[Drawing in margin of tomahawk handle]

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= Making Fire
They had a simple and quick way of making fire – they used two pieces of the dry flower stem of the grass tree about a couple of feet long a thick piece and another of say about an inch in diameter the other about half that – A strip was taken off the longer thicker one exposing the softer interior; the fire maker then sat on the ground holding this piece firmly with his feet then placing the end of the smaller thinner one where on the side where the strip had been taken off and pressing it firmly down he caused it to revolve swiftly and holding it between the palms of his hands he caused it to revolve swiftly with the result that it soon wore its way through and its very thorough, and the nearer it got to that stage the swifter it was revolved, smoke began to appear and finally a little burning dust would drop through into the fire soft fine bark placed in readiness to receive it then was gently blown into a flame –

The work only took a very few minutes – I never quite succeeded in my attempts in this direction – I can remember when a flint & steel and tinder box were used in our household to get a light – not so very much better I think than the blackfellows way -
[Note in margin – Continued over -]

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continued - Making fire
To save the trouble of making fire they were careful to keep the fire going when once made as long as possible, and even in their bark canoes they always had a smallmound of clay with a small fire going on it when out fishing – When travelling they from place to place the inevitable firestick was carried – At night it was considered a sure protection from the bad spirit [Cooin?] (debel-debel) & when wearied by long continued rain the old men would throw firesticks in the air at the same time puffing loudly to drive the rain spirit away –

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-Wombie
This was a kind of yam, the root of a slender vine that grew in the scrubby gullies – and was dug up by the women with their wombie yam sticks – It varied in size in thickness from about an inch and a half to half that size and a few inches in length. When roasted baked in the ashes it was very palatable and we children liked it very much – The young stalk of the gigantic lily was also roasted and eaten after having been soaked in water for some time –

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-The mystery bags-
The men when in ceremonial undress often carried a small bag attached to their waist belts. They would never tell us what was in these bags or indeed discuss them at all. My curiosity was however gratified in an unexpected way – We children were out for a walk with in charge of Fanny our faithful black who was a member of our household for many years – As boys will – I climbed a mangrove tree and and putting my hand into found in a hollow one of these little mystery bags – When Fanny saw it she became greatly agitated and told me to put it back at once – but before doing so I had look inside and found it contained just only a piece of pretty rock crystal – Fanny begged us not to say anything about the incident as the men would be very angry if the heard of it and she would be blamed –

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-Our blacks-
Our blacks
Speaking generally – “our blacks" as we called them – were a kindly, good tempered lot – full of fun and keenly appreciative of a joke, rarely quarrelling amongst themselves very gentle and kind to their children – I never saw a child beaten or indeed punished in any way. (The children as a rule were not weaned before five or six years old of age) – they were fond of pets, and often had kept tame possums, squirrels, native bears, andor parrots –

They valued their dogs greatly – as well they might – for they were very useful in assisting in the capture of the smaller marsupials – and no doubt they felt a certain amount of protection from them as watchdogs – for the blacks were always rather nervous at night fearing a sudden attack by some hostile tribe – myalls they called them – any noise at night of an unusual or mysterious kind was enough to stampede a camp and send them running in all directions –

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They were exceedingly fond of sweets and before the honey times arrived they were delighted to be given a freshly emptied sugar bag. This they would soak in water to make what they called “bull" – (merely sweetened water) around a vessel of this stuff they would sit in a circle passing from hand to hand, or rather from mouth to mouth a sort of sponge of the beaten pounded up bark inner bark of the stringy bark tree – This was dipped into “bull" and sucked dry turn about until the vessel was dry – and strange though it may appear, they would, by that time, be quite hilarious, and in a state of semiintoxication – Regarding their fondness for sweets – although we never had cause to complain of theiving in other directions, they would help themselves to our watermelons when they got the chance – I remember my father scolding a black for stealing a melon – His reply was “bail coolah marser (dont be angry master) no stealin only take it" –

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-Bore pain well-
The blacks were very stoical showed great fortitude in the matter of enduring of pain – As an instance of this – An elderly black named fisherman fell from a tree on the southern side of the harbour and broke his leg – it proved to be a compound fracture to the shin bone – They brought him across in a bark canoe to our house – they always came to us for help when sick – My father sent a messenger to Stroud 24 miles away – for Dr. Harris – when he arrived he had Fisherman placed on a table in the garden and I hung round to watch the doctor at work – While he was sawing off a part of the protruding bone the pain must have been excruciating but the patient never uttered a moan during the whole operation – After the leg had been put in splints – my father who was a good fair amateur carpenter – made under the doctors directions a wooden frame – open at one side – to hold the leg and keep all in position – Before leaving the doctor gave strict instructions that the leg must be kept in the frame until his next visit – Then next morning on my fathers going to the camp –

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camp to see the patient – he found him sitting before the fire – the frame thrown on one side and actually leaning on the broken limb – On being scolding scolded for disobeying the doctor – he said “bail coolah marser" (dont be angry) my mary look out and [indecipherable] seeing dockiter come, we puttern [indecipheraable} longer leg quick – In a few wks he was able to go out fishing again – but the leg was bent a good deal as might be expected – and we used to tease him by saying he had a leg like a burracan – (boomerang) –

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Life at Port Stephens in
the early fifties
Speaking of life at Port Stephens as it affected our own family and as I can remember it from the early fifties and up to the year 1873 when I left for Queensland - We had no rent to pay no income tax to We found it very endurable – no rent to pay no taxes we had our own milk and butter abundance of fruit and vegetables fish oysters and [indecipherable] ducks, pigeons and The water teemed with fish and oysters – the salt-water creeks and swamps with ducks great flocks of sea snipe – birds about the size of a pigeon [indecipherable] excellent eating – fed on the flats at low tide and as the tide rose over the flats crowded on to the little sandy beaches of the islands – so thickly that one charge of shot was enough to bring down a dozen or more at a time.

My father was a fine field shot and early taught me how to use a gun – I was to have one of my own when I reached the age of ten – how long the years seemed until that time arrived – Then I was given a light single barrelled gun – and soon was able to bring down a quail or snipe on the wing and to keep the house supplied with all – Our chief outlay was for groceries – principally flour, tea & sugar which we got in bulk from Sydney – by medium of the small ketch which traded between

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place and Booral wharf at the tidal head of the Karuah river and landed - anything for us on the way there - any stores for us on the way up –

[Note in margin – (a pig in a poke it turned out to be in more senses than one)]
[Note in margin – (It was a case of self help all the time in those days we baked our own bread in a brisk oven and what delicious home made bread it was made our own candles in moulds holding a dozen at a time - tallow tunso -

My parents were very hospitable and never refused refreshment or shelter to anyone requiring same – We occasionally had some queer casual visitors I remember an amusing incident connected with one of these – amusing to us but not so funny to the chief actor concerned – He was a little tailor from Newcastle who came to have a look at an allotment of land he had purchased at some sale without having seen it – When wandering about amongst some ferns on hospital hill some 400 or 500 yds from our house trying to find the pegs of his lot, he disturbed a wild pig a savage boar that charged him at once. The poor little chap fled in terror for our house with the boar in hot pursuit he managed to reach our house in safety only to fall exhausted on the floor – We could see the boar through the window walking about the yard quashing his tusks and foaming at the mouth – My father who was a man of great nerve and coolness loaded his gun and in spite of our protests walked quietly out to interview the
beast – the boar charged at once. My father allowed

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allowed him to get within a couple of yards and then shot him through the head killing him instantly – The beast had been a terror in the neighbourhood for a good while and we were glad to see the end of him – The poor little tailor hurried back to Newcastle without venturing on any [firsthand?] expectations in such dangerous country running any more risks in searching for his allot – and we never head any more of him –

A more interesting visitor was a Mr. Barnett Assitant Colonial architect (Mr Dawson I think was Col Architect then) He came to determine on a sight site for a lighthouse on Point Stephens – My father got a boat’s crew together and took him down to Nelson’s Bay – the nearest point to Point Stephens (which of course is on the ocean front) and about three miles necessitating a walk of about three miles – I was allowed to be of the party and found the walk quite long enough – Soon after leaving Nelson’s Bay we came across an enormous freshly killed black snake which impressed me very much – I have killed many big black snakes since but never saw one anything like as big as that one – I dont know what the

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year that was, but the lighthouse was begun if not completed the next year, and that would give a clue to it – I should like to know – It is strange how trifles of our early years remain fixed and clear in one’s memory when later and more important things have faded quite away – I remember that Mr Barnett impressed on us the wonderful virtues of Camphor as a cure for nearly all the diseases of the body – and that he presented us with a book on the subject –

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- Memo attached to list of aboriginal words, etc-
Owing to the constant employment of aboriginals, both men and women, as servants by our parents my sister and I learnt to speak the language almost as early and nearly as fluently as our own – My father was a good friend to the blacks, and they were much attached to him and gave him the native name of Murritan, holding some sort of ceremony on the occasion, it was however before I was born and I cant say what it was –

Before leaving my home at Port Stephens, it occurred to me that it would be well to compile a list of native words & and ordinary phrases (this was in 1873) and to make it as reliable as possible I wrote it from the lips of the two most intelligent blacks I knew, Fanny and Billy Steward, the former was laundress in our house for over (15) fifteen years – It is very different to convey the correct pronunciation of many of the words by means of our alphabet but my acquaintance with the language of course was an assistance in my endeavours to do so – Any futile attempt to pronounce a word would cause the greatest merriment to the blacks -

On revisiting Port Stephens in 1914 I found that with one exception an elderly man – none of the blacks knew anything of the old language the first one I spoke to in it – responded in perfect English with “I dont understand you" –
Wm Scott
7/4/1918

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Life at Port Stephens
Speaking of life at Port Stephens as it affected our own family, and as I remember it from the early fifties, and up to the year 1873, when I left for Queensland – We found it very endurable, in spite of the isolation – No rent or taxes to pay – we had our own milk and butter, abundance of fruit and vegetables – The water teemed with fish and oysters – The saltwater creeks and swamps, with ducks – Great flocks of sea snipe, a bird about the size of a pigeon, & excellent eating, fed on the mudflats at low tide, and as the tide rose crowded on the little sandy beaches of the islands – so thickly – that one charge of shot, was enough to bring down a dozen or more at a time – My father was a fine field shot, and early taught me how to use a gun- I was to have one of my own when I reached the age of ten – how long the years seemed until that time arrived! – then I was given a light single barrelled gun, and soon I was able to bring down a quail or snipe on the wing, and to keep the house supplied with all the game required – Our chief outlay was for groceries, principally, flour, tea & sugar, which we got from Sydney by a small ketch which loaded between that port, and Booral wharf at the tidal head of the Karuah river – It was a case for self help all the

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all the time in those days – We baked our own bread in a brick oven – and what delicious home made bread it was – made our own candles in moulds, a damper at a time – of tallow and beeswax –

My parents were very hospitable and never refused food or shelter to anyone coming along – in need of either – We sometimes had queer casual visitors. I remember an amusing incident connected with one of these – amusing to us, but not quite so funny for the chief actor concerned – He was a little tailor from Newcastle who came to have a look at an allotment of land he had bought at some sale, without having seen it. “A pig in a poke" it proved in more senses than one – Whilst wandering about amongst the ferns on hospital hill some four or five hundred yards from our house, he disturbed a wild pig, a savage boar, that charged him at once – The poor little chap fled in terror with the boar after him – He managed to get to our house and safety only to fall exhausted on the floor – We could see the boar through the windows – a huge beast walking about the yard gnashing his tusks, and foaming at the mouth – My father who was a man of great nerve and coolness, loaded his gun, and in spite of our protests stepped out to interview the beast – and was at once charged 00

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charged - He waited quietly until the boar was within a couple of yards and then shot him through the head killing him instantly – We were glad to see the end of him for he had been a terror to the neighbourhood for quite a time – The poor little tailor hurried away without risking any further search for his land – and we never heard of him again –

A more interesting visitor was a Mr. Barnett, asstnt Colonial architect (Mr Dawson I think was Colonial Architect then) – Mr. Barnett came to fix upon a site on Point Stephens, for the projected lighthouse there. My father got a boat’s crew together, and took him down to Nelsons Bay, the nearest point to Point Stephens – which of course is on the Ocean front – and about three miles distant – I was allowed to accompany the party and found the walk quite long enough for my little legs – Soon after leaving Nelson’s Bay we came upon a freshly killed black snake of enormous length which impressed me very much – I have killed a great many big black snakes since then but none nearly so large as that one – I don’t know the year of that visit – I should like know it – The lighthouse was I think if not built at least begun the following year – It is strange how trifles trifling events of

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events of our early years fix themselves in our memories while later and more important ones so often fade quite away. I remember that Mr. Barnett impressed on us the wonderful virtues of camphor as a cure for nearly every disease of the body – and that he gave us a book on the subject –

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The Poombit of Bora Ceremony
My first view of the Poombit ceremony of the making of youths into men, took place when I was about ten or eleven years of age – It was held on a scrubby flat about two miles from our house – As a great favour, my sister, who was about seventeen – was allowed to be present with my father and me – she was a great favourite with the blacks, and spoke the language fluently – a condition was that she must wear a thick veil over her face, as no woman was ever allowed to see the sacred ceremony – The veil was certainly worn, but as there was a convenient little peephole, she was able to see all that went on – Whether they were aware of this and or were conveniently blind to it, I cant say but no objection was offered – Probably no other white woman was ever allowed a like privilege –

Thee was the usual oval cleared space with the banked margin – and in the centre a heaped up [indecipherable] fire – The women were made to lie down around the edge of the oval (I don’t remember whether on the inside or outer) and carefully covered with blankets and rugs, an old blackfellow standing guard over them waddy in hand, ready to give any restless lady a ruminating tap on the head to keep still

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still – Then apparently for the benefit of listening women, a troop of warriors, all in war paint and carrying their weapons, came bounding to the oval, and loudly announced that the boy candidates could not be found, they must search again for them. Later they returned successful with the boys in their midst – They then sprang onto the fire and holding the boys up kept jumping up and down on the fire until it was quite extinguished – The coverings were then taken off the women who appeared covered with sweat – Then each poombit knelt before his mother – or failing a mother, his next nearest female relative – and went through the form of taking the breast for the last time, thus typifying the putting away of childish things and taking on the responsibilities of manhood – That is all I can recall of that particular ceremony.

[Page 34]
-Our Blacks
Speaking generally – our blacks – as we called them – were a kindly, good-tempered lot – full of fun and keenly appreciate of a joke, rarely quarrelling amongst themselves, very gentle and kind to their children – I never saw a child beaten or indeed punished in any way. (The children as a rule were not weaned before the age of five or six years -) They the blacks were fond of pets and often kept tame possums, squirrels, native bears, or parrots – They valued their dogs greatly, as well they might for they were very useful in assisting in the capture of the smaller marsupials, and no doubt they felt a certain amount of protection from them as watchdogs at night, for the blacks were always rather nervous fearing a sudden attack by some hostile tribe – myalls they called them – any unusual or mysterious noise at night was enough to stampede the whole camp and send the occupants scampering in all directions – They were exceedingly fond of sweets and before the honey times arrived they were delighted when given a freshly emptied sugar mat – This they would soak in water to make what they called “bull" (merely sweetened water) Around a vessel of this stuff, they would

[Page 35]
would sit in a circle, passing from hand to hand, or rather from mouth to mouth, a sort of sponge made of the pounded up, inner bark of the stringy bark tree – This they dipped into the “bull" and sucked turn about until the vessel was dry – and strange though it may appear, they would by that time be quite hilarious, and in a state of semi-intoxication – Regarding their fondness for sweet things – although we never had cause of complaint of thefts in any other direction, they would steal watermelons when they got the chance – I remember my father scolding a blackfellow for doing this – His reply was “bail coolah marser" don’t be angry master – “no stealem only take it" – He thought it was no crime to take a growing thing – They bore pain with great fortitude – As an instance of this – An elderly blackfellow named Fisherman fell from a tree on the southern side of the harbour, sustaining a compound fracture of the shin bone. They brought him across to our place in a bark canoe – they always came to my father for help when in serious trouble – and he sent a message to Stroud (24 miles distant) for Dr. Harris – When the Doctor arrived he operated on Fisherman in our garden on a table placed there for the purpose – I hung around

[Page 36]
around to watch the doctor at work and while he was sawing off some of the protruding bone to reduce the fracture, a most painful operation, the only sound from the patient, was a low tch tch– not a groan – I may add that after the leg was put-in splints – my father – who was quite a good amateur carpenter – made, under the doctor’s directions a wooden frame open at one side to receive the bandaged limb – and Fisherman was told on no account to remove the frame, before the doctor’s next visit – but going to the camp next morning to see how the patient was, my father found him setting up by the fire, the frame thrown aside, and Fisherman actually leaning his weight on the broken limb – Of course he got a scolding, but begged my father not to be “coolah" (angry) explaining that his gin would keep a sharp lookout and when she saw the doctor coming, “me “putem boxis longar leg drekly"
– In a few weeks the leg was well enough for Fisherman to go out spearing fish – but as might be expected was rather crooked and we used to tease him by saying he had a leg like a burracan (boomerang) –

[Page 37]
-Pere-Illy-
It was the practice sometimes when a man was suffering from some internal pain, to get his wife to “pere-illy for him, which was done in the following way – The patient sat or reclined on the ground, a canoe shaped vessel of titree bark about a couple of feet long half filled with water was placed near him: a cord of possum’s hair was passed round his body a couple of times over the seat of the pain, the crossed ends were held by the woman and passed rapidly between her closed lips – as she leant over the water – until the blood began to flow and drop into it until it became the colour of blood itself – The belief was being that the cause of the pain would leave the body through the cord and finally through the blood into the water – I don’t know if anything special was done with the blood stained water – I was too young to enquire very deeply into the matter – but no doubt faith might help towards a cure very materially –

[Page 38]
-Jealousy and a duel-
The only duel I ever witnessed was rather comic – “Big Jimmie who had a wife, became jealous of Little Jimmie who had none, and a challenge to fight resulted – The combatants took their stand about twenty yards apart – The jealous husband armed only with a stick about eighteen inches long and as thick as an ordinary ruler – the other man carried fighting spear, boomerang, and Womerah – He commenced proceedings by delivering an excited speech – a torrent of words – ceasing abruptly and at the same instant sending the boomerang straight at Big Jimmie’s neck which the latter avoided by bobbing his head – Then came another tirade – followed by the spear, sent straight and swift as an arrow at the B.J.s chest who without moving, coolly turned it aside with his stick – That finished the fight, and the parties went to their respective gunyahs – and seemed quite good friends afterwards.

[Page 40]
-Honey getting-
The introduction of the english honey bee, proved a great boon to the blacks – Swarms of bees escaped to the bush and increased wonderfully fast – As we rode through the bush we always kept a sharp lookout for the bees nests, making a mental note of any we found, for future use, and as indicating how numerous they had become, I may mention that at the time I left Port Stephens in 1873, I knew of over one hundred trees with bees nests in them, in some cases two in one tree –
The blacks seldom troubled to cut the trees down, preferring to climb it and cut a hole large enough to reach the combs, these as they were dropped were deftly caught by the women in a bark vessel, or a tin bucket – the man calling “muh" (now) each time as a signal – They never seemed to mind the stings, just rubbed a little honey on them when very thick – They ate very sparingly of the honey comb – but very freely of the brood comb and young bees –
After the government had supplied them with a strong boat they did quite a good trade in collecting honey for the whites – For a pound they would take away in their boat an empty quarter cask, and in a couple of weeks or so, bring it back full of nice strained honey – with the relative wax melted into a large yellow cake –

[Page 40]
-The Tomahawk-
[Illustration of a Tomahawk under heading]
The tempered iron Tomahawk was of course an immense improvement over the stone one – which by the way – I never saw amongst them – The Tomahawks of the days I am speaking about, were narrower and longer than the American sort, which came in later, and for which the blacks had no time – With the narrow bladed kind they could cut out a possum from a hollow tree, or a bandycoot, or Kangaroo-rat from a log, far more easily than with the broad bladed ones –The first thing a blackfellow did when he received a tomahawk, was to substitute for the white mans handle, one of his own make – shaped as per illustration above – flat and – narrowing to a point – This was placed loosely into the eye of the tomahawk and fastened firmly by a wedge driven in on the side – The reason for this change was that the thin handle could be easily pushed under the waist belt, leaving the hands free when climbing a tree, and at the same time keeping the implement secure and handy when wanted – The thin handle also lent more weight to the head –

[Page 41]
-Wombi-
This was a kind of yam, the root of a slender vine that grew in the scrubby gullies, and was dug up by the women with their wombi (yam) sticks – It varied in thickness from about an inch and a half to half that size – and a few inches in length – When baked in the ashes it was very palatable and we children were very fond of it – The young tender stalk of the gigantic lily – after having been soaked for a time in water – was also roasted and eaten –

[Page 42]
-The mystery bags-
The men when in ceremonial undress often carried a small bag attached to the waist belt – They would never tell us what was in these bags, or indeed discuss them at all – My curiosity however was gratified in an unexpected way – We children were out for a walk in charge of our faithful black servant maid Fanny who was a member of our household for many years – As boys will do – I climbed a mangrove tree and found in a hollow, one of these little mystery bags – When Fanny saw it she became greatly agitated and told me to put it back at once – but before doing so, I had a look inside and found it contained only a piece of quartz or rock crystal – Fanny begged us not to mention this incident to anyone, as the blacks would be incensed if they heard of it – and she would be blamed and get into trouble over it –

[Page 43]
-Fishing & fishing superstitions and-
The making of fishing lines
-and-
Fish Spears
Mooting or Tutti - Heavy four prong spear for sea mullet
Single prong, heavy – King-fish or Jewfish spear
-Womerah – (throwing stick)
Fishing lines were made from the inner bark of the Kurajong tree – The bark when stripped, was allowed to soak in water until the outer portion could be easily scraped away, leaving a white flax like material, very tough and strong – This was twisted by the women to the required thickness and length by rolling it on the front portion of their thighs on a part prepared for the work, by the application of hot ashes which destroyed the skin and left when healed a smooth hard patch free of surface hair – The lines when finished were extremely strong and durable – This material was also useful in the manufacture of fishing spears for fastening the bone tips to the prongs, and in other ways –

The mooting or fish spear consisted of three parts – four prongs of iron bark, the main shaft made from the dead stem of the gigantic lily, and a third piece, of the thinner stem of the flower of the grass tree – The weight and strength were regulated to the purpose for which the spear was

[Page 44]
was intended – The heaviest was used for spearing the big sea-mullet which appeared in schools at certain periods of the year – The wood for the prongs was first of all shaped in the rough and then allowed to be in some saltwater pool for a time, to get rid of the sap and toughen it – and at the same time make it easier to scrape down to the required thickness – The blacks soon found out the superiority of a scraper made from a broken bottle, over the shell scraper formerly in use –

An indispensable thing in this work of spear making was the gum of the grass tree, a good big lump of this was always kept on hand – It was interesting to watch the spearing of the sea mullet – The schools used to travel from west to east close inshore on the northern side of the harbour, at high water, and it was a great time of feasting for the blacks who consumed large quantities of the fish, never seeming to tire of it –

The camp was made near the shore and the women were posted to give notice of the approach of a school and at the signal the fishermen, generally about half a dozen at once, would rush into the water up to their middles, with spears and womerahs all poised ready, then when the school was within striking distance

[Page 45]
the leading fisherman would give the word “muh" (now) and the spears would all be launched together, and it was seldom any failed to strike a fish – The blacks had many queer superstitions about fishing. To have any luck, one must eat no fruit before going out on a fishing excursion, not have any bloodwood gum on one’s hands, touch emu flesh or feathers or even look at one – It was the practice in certain cases, where a girl was intended to be a specially good fisherwoman, when grown up, to sever the little finger of the left hand at the second joint, and to throw the severed part into the water, the idea being that the fish would eat it, and ever after be attracted to the line held by the owner of the hand from which it came – Our old servant Fanny was one of these women, and certainly she was a remarkably clever fisherwoman –

[Page 46]
-A Blackfellows’ Funeral-
One of a small camp of blacks, about a quarter of a mile from our house, died, and they borrowed a spade from us to dig the grave – This was placed a few yards above high water mark and the burial was timed for the flood tide, not on the ebb, lest the spirit of the departed should be carried out to sea and be lost in the great waters – The corpse was neatly encased in a sheet of “paper bark" from the giant Titree (Melleluca Melaluca) and tightly bound round with vines from the scrub – Then in an outer casing of a freshly stripped sheet of stringy bark, also bound round with vines –

All being ready the next thing was to find out who was responsible for the man’s death, for it was believed that all sickness was brought about by the machinations of an enemy “that feller been [indecipherable] bone" or “that feller been [indecipherable] stone" they would say – The plan adopted was as follows – His coffin was supported lifted on the shoulders of two men – a third holding a green branch, stood midway at the side, and called aloud the names of everyone he could think of, at the same time lightly striking the coffin with the green branch the belief being that when the name of the guilty person was mentioned the corpse

[Page 47]
corpse would start give a start which would be communicated to the bearers – My father’s name on this occasion was called first, followed by a number of others, when suddenly the bearers gave a lurch forwards, and so the guilty one was discovered – How he or she would be dealt with, I don’t know – The corpse without more ceremony was then lowered into the grave which, after being filled in was carefully levelled – The widow then made her campfire by the grave side, and every evening as the sun was sinking she commenced a loud mournful wailing for the dead - This continued and kept it up until the sun disappeared – She continued this until the grass began to grow on the grave, and then suddenly, she, with the rest of the tribe, vanished and we saw nothing more of them for some months – We could never get them to mention the name of anyone who had died –

[Page 48]
-Making Fire-
The blacks had a simple and quick way of making fire – They used two pieces of the dry flower stem of the grass tree, about a couple of feet long – One piece say of an inch in diameter, the other about half that – A strip was taken off, the thicker piece exposing the softer interior – the pith in fact - The fire maker than sat on the ground holding this piece firmly with his feet: then placing the end of the smaller one on the side of the larger, where the strip had been removed, pressing it firmly down, and at the same time causing it to revolve swiftly between the palms of his hands, with the result that soon smoke began to appear, and by the time the larger stick had been penetrated some of the dust would be on fire, and the little spark falling on the soft bark, ready for its reception, was gently blown into a flame. It was done far more quickly than I can write of it – taking a very few minutes - I never quite succeeded in my attempts in this direction – I can remember when flint and steel and tinder box were used in our household to get a light – Not so very much better than the blackfellow’s way – I think – To

[Page 49]
To save the trouble of making fire they were careful to keep the fire going, when once made, as long as possible, and even in their bark canoes they always had a mound of clay on which when fishing, they kept a small fire burning – When travelling from place to place the inevitable fire stick was carried – At night it was considered a sure protection from the bad spirit “Coom" (debel debel) and when wearied by long continued rain, the old men would throw fire sticks in the air at the same time poof poofing, loudly to drive the rain spirit away as it was giving them rather too much of a good thing –

[Page 50]
Sale June 13 1888
Wm Scott Esqu
Bega N.S.W.
My dear Sir
When I saw you in Bega you were so good as to say that you would give me a series of notes on the aborigines of the East coast of N.S.W. I have now sent you by this post registered as a packet the manuscript notes which I have compiled from various sources as to the Aboriginal life which occupied the country between Maitland and Port Stephens. You will see that I have submitted this to one or two correspondents and that I have added queries and notes suggested by the information. If you will kindly take the trouble to go through this I am in the hope that it may perhaps recall things to your mind which might not otherwise be suggested.

[Page 51]
May I further trespass upon your kindness by asking that when you have completed your note you will send them to me together with the manuscript I now send.

I may take this opportunity of explaining that when my information assumes such a form that I am in a position to publish I shall be careful to give every credit to my correspondents for the information and the aid they give.
I remain my dear [indecipherable]
Yours faithfully
A.W. Howitt
NoteNote. Copy of list of words etc also a letter from Mr. W.A. Howitt to me, lodged with Mr N.E. Shaw 9/4/18 for safe custody.
W Scott
To be handed to Mitchell Library

[Page 52]
English - Aboriginal
Who are you – Gharuer bai or beay
Where are you going – Wouder beay
What is your name – Gharuer beay
Where do you come from – Wouder tui beay
Will you come with me – Kutti barley
Let us go fishing – Muckeroo barley
What did you say – Minnah beay weeallin
Let us go kangarooing – Kutti barley Buckoorah
Wait a bit – Kuppoo
Go further on – You yoong
Hide yourself – Yourpulleer
I am tired – Gluittooo mooroomooroo
Lets go back to Camp – Kutti Youlouibulleer
Look at the Snake – Bitetees uarker
Kill him with a stick – Poongah wattykoo
He has escaped – Kuttarah
I was frightened – Kuider Ghuttoor
Its Thundering – Mulloo
I hear it – Ghuirrahlin
Lets make haste – Kurry-kurry
The lightening has struck a tree – Weumuntoo poonygillin watty
There will be a flood – Pullumah tookal
I see the Camp fire – Wuttar Ghuttoor narkillin
The dogs are barking – Mirrukoo yirrumbulling
The children are crying – Poori Toongkilling
I feel very hungry – Mullah Ghuttoor
Give me something to eat – Weel Ghooker purrear
I want some water – Gluttoong purrear
[Note in margin – Don.Scott 20.1.30]

[Page 53]
These papers refer to aboriginal jottings by me re Port Stephens – blacks – May go with my book on same [indecipherable] to be lodged presently
W Scott
[indecipherable]

[Page 54]
Pt Steph
Tribe
Aboriginal Words
English – Aboriginal – English – Aboriginal
Good – murrong – Loft – Millmoo kootoong
Bad – yirrekey – Rough – Murriwirri
Small – Mitte – Smooth – Toorool.toorool
Big – Tookal - heavy – Poorool
Old – Coonnoon – Light – Wirrin Murwhin
Young – Cooroomool – Angry – Buccar
Tall – Poorah – Pleased – Kuinarug
Short – Ghoondool – Dead – Tuttee
Long – Poorah – Living – Kirrumboo
Broad – Pirrin – Sick – Yirrekee
Thick – Mattoo – Well – Purkunblar
Thin – Kuppirru – Drowned – Kurreelah
White – poorah – Savage – Buccar
Black – poot.hoong or poottook – Many – Munti
Blue - - Few – Warrui
Red – Kunggerah – Full – Willimboo
Green - - Empty – Ghurruk
Yellow - - Hollow – Woorrooi
Brown - - x Solid – Kooroong
Hot – Wuinalliu – Deaf – Wombalo
Cold – Kurkur – Dumb – Ghookooug
Grey headed – Tuikerbark – Blind – Toomoong
Bald – Wallungpeereekiu – Lame – Bootting-bootting
Hard – Kooroong – Naked – Poondi
- - Mad – Wombun-Wombun
-

[Page 55]
Verbs
English – Aboriginal – English – Aboriginal
Come (To) – Korhoi – To Talk – Mikeeu
Go – Kutti – To Sing – Wittee x boott
Stop – Kuppoo – To Hollow – Coolpee
Turn – Tooyouk – To Work – Wahpunga
Sit – Yallerwah – To Rest – Yallerwah
Kneel – Puckerbuibullur – Wait – Kuppoo
Run – Kooperlur – Sit down – Poopalikeo
Jump – Kurroonggee – Rise up – Wockerlur
Fall – Pumba.poondula – Listen – Ghurrungku
Stand – Wurrahwah – Look – Narker
Laugh – Kuiderkee – To Steal – Miusreelwoo
Cry – Toonggilleu -
Strike – Poongah
Lift – Wocker-boomergu – Here – Akoo
Throw – Carpee – There – Yee
Kill – Toorah – Yes – Ghichee
Catch – Yarroo – No – Ghowy
Play – Neeghallu – I dont know – Ghuttee
Fight – Tooralli – Who – Gharuer
Bury – Puppalikee – Look here – Narkeu
Burn – Kimmabkeo – Let me see – Yuckhi Narr
Spear – Toorabli – Further on – Yooyook
Drink – Pittahmar – Where – Wunnah
Eat – Tuck-ali – Come Back – Yoolluibullea
Sweat – Carool – Go to Sleep – Nappos B
Aunt – Kittymulletah – I was meaning – Poorun.Glu
Fish – Maruer-wuckros
Dance – Wougergee
Race – Mulir Wunnumbah

[Page 56]
Compiled by me from the lips of two very intelligent blacks, Billy and Fanny Steward 1871Mr Scott
Native Nouns
English – Aboriginal – English – Aboriginal
Head – Wolluck – Man.White – Kirrumbullah
Hair – Kittuck – Woman – Kui
Eyes – Mecarck – Boy – Poori
Nose – Gharug – Girl – Murrakeau
Mouth – Kurracar – Baby – Wunni
Ears – Ghuooreark – Male – Kuwirree
Chin – Tarpee – Female – Kin
Lips – Willick – Father – Peeyah
Teeth – Tir-rah – Mother – Ghiyah
Tongue – Miyarl – Brother – Buigbi Whoombarrah
Arms – Curran – Sister – Ghurrun
Hands – Mutterah – Uncle – Gowan
Fingers – same – Aunt – Barn
Nails – Corrung – Grandfather – Puppoo
Legs – Kuttia – Grandmother – Ginippee
Feet – Tinnah – Blackfellow – Cooree
Toes – same – Black gin Kiu
Eyebrows – Yuideree – Widow
Eyelashes – Wooepun – Orphan
Day – Ghurracun – Summer – Kurrawaru
Night – Koorah – Winter – Tuckerah
Today – Bungli – Rain – Kueywou
Tomorrow – Coombah – Wind – Carreark
Yesterday – Coomah – Rainbow – Too-roo-mu-ry
Light - - Clouds – Yarreel
Dark - - Water – Ghuttok
Sun – Wingin x Tooeau – Air – Woopee
Moon – Keewuk – Fire – Wuttar
Stars – Munni & Merun – Flame – Kille
Comet - - Smoke – Poottoo
Heat – Wirrin-wirrin – Sea – Woombal & Kroowar
Cold – Kurkhu – River - Punnini

[Page 57]
English – Aboriginal – English - Aboriginal
Earth – Purri – Fish – Muckeroo
Sky – Moorookoo – Porpoise – Cooprar
Thunder – Mulloo – Shark – Toorarcle
Lightning – Tiumu & Weenu – Turtle – Corrabcumar
Schnapper – Kurrangcun
Mountain – Pulcra & Yoougoo – Jewfish – Turrahwurrah
Plains – Ghurrawun – Mullett – Peewah
Rocks – Willah – Bream – Coopene
Stones – same – Sting Ray – Billoru
Trees – Watty – Torpeds – Kirrepoont
Leaves – Yille – Eel – Toonaring
Gumtree - - Flathead – Tarrahwaru
Iron Bark – Tukurah – Oysters – Nuinug
Cedar - - Crayfish – Wirrah
Oak – Koorarn – Crabs – Tee-rah
Stringybark – Punnah – Shrimps – Punnoong
Grasstree – Pummirre – Highwater – Killoongunn
Grass – Toorrong – Lowwater – Wittung
Flowers – Moorapun – Flood Tide – Wockercoopa
Gigantic Lily – Poolloongearu – Ebb Tide – Barrahcoop
Sea Beach – Poonnah
Birds – Kooyung & Ripping – Waves – Ghullui
Emu – Wittarkee – Boat – Murrowey
Swan – Koolwanning – Canoe – Cooeyung
Duck – Pyrrahmah – Paddle – Wolloong
Pigeons - - Fish spear – Tutti or mootu
Laughing Jackas – Kookaudy – Throwing stick – Purralimirr
Eggs – Gluyoong & Kuppui – Fishing Line – Yirrawaru
Kangaroo – Wombourne – Fishing Hook – Pirrewuy
Possum – Wottoo – Common Spear – Cummi
Flying fox – Kundewung – Club – Cooteerah
Platypus – Yappee – Shield – Cooreel
Native Dog – Tuppiu – Thief – Mimmingmoo
Native Cat – Kuidung – [indecipherable] – Poaug-gu.Goono
Porcupine – Miccarree – Poison – Tuttarharl
Bandacoot – Boocan – Devil – Cooni
Squirrel – Pilloo – Spirit – Murrie
Native Bear – Coollah – Flesh – Yoonu
Blood – Corrah & Kungera
Bones – Ghimbick

[Page 58]
Sale,
Dear Sir,
I am desirous of gathering together, as soon as possible, all the information which my correspondents can give me as to the Customs, Beliefs, Tribal, and Social Organization of the Australian Aborigines.

Permit me to ask whether you have been able to obtain any information on the subjects referred to in my former letters to you.

On the next page, I give a detailed list of the subjects to which my inquiries relate, and any additional information you can give me will be most acceptable.
I am, dear Sir,
Yours very truly,
A. W. HOWITT.

[Page 59]
1. What is the name of the tribe to which your answers refer; i.e., its name as distinguishing it or its members from other tribes by which it is surrounded; its local organization in sub-tribes, clans, or lesser divisions; the boundaries of the country occupied by the tribe?

2. The class divisions of which the tribal community is composed, such as the well-known Kamilaroi classes, Ipai, Kumbo, Muri, Kubi, &c.

3. The laws of marriage between the classes of the tribal community.

4. The laws governing descent in the classes.

5. The tribal government; whether in the hands of one head-man, or of several head-men, or of a council of elders, or of the elder men generally; whether such head-men hold their office by election or by right of descent; whether the tribal government is in the hands of the Wizards of Doctors.

6. The Tribunal Council: its constitution and powers.

7. Offences against tribal law or custom, and the methods of punishing such; offences against the individual, and the means of redress for the same.

8. The offices of Herald and Messenger; the use of message sticks and emblems for calling together assemblies for festive, ceremonial, or deliberative purposes, or for declaring war or proclaiming peace.

9. The Wizards and Doctors of the tribe; their pretension to communication with spirits and to the possession of supernatural power; the practice of magic and the use of charms for producing or for curing disease.

10. Beliefs as to death and its causes; funeral ceremonies, and the after existence of the disembodied spirit.

11. The initiation ceremonies.

12. Rules regulating the distribution of game and of food, or prescribing the positions to be occupied by the respective huts in a camp.

13. Infanticide; how, and when practised, and the reasons assigned for it.

14. Cannibalism; when and where practised, and by whom of the tribe, and upon whom; the reasons assigned for it.

15. Gesture-language; signs and signals by smoke or otherwise.

16. Beliefs* as to the structure of the world; the nature of the sky, the sun, moon, stars and other heavenly bodies, and generally of natural phenomena.

17. The folklore of the tribe; the fables, tales, and legends told of animals, men, and supernatural beings.

18. Vocabularies. – Give the native words corresponding to the English –
(1) man, - (15) water,
(2) woman, - (16) sun,
(3) head, - (17) moon,
(4) hair of head, - (18) my,
(5) eye, - (19) thy,
(6) nose, - (20) his,
(7) tongue, - (21) my foot,
(8) ear, - (22) one,
(9) hand, - (23) two,
(10) thumb, - (24) three,
(11) foot, - (25) four,
(12) blood, - (26) five,
(13) bone, - (27) ten,
(14) fire, - (28) twenty.

In writing native words, observe that a is sounded like a as in father, e like eh, I like ee, u like oo, ai like eye, au like ow as in now.

*Note 1. The above queries refer solely to the beliefs existing at the time of the settlement of the country by the whites – and not to any beliefs or customs acquired from them.
Note 2. In answering, please prefix to your answer only the number of the questions to which the answer refers.

[Note: The aboriginal words in this document have been transcribed as accurately as possible]

[Transcribed by Sandra Mutton, Jean Hart for the State Library of New South Wales]