Field notebook

Page 25 of 44

Transcription - Page 32

I remember a Kulin
of Berwick eating a
child.

His [name crossed out] was Bunjil
I only heard of this one
man. Afterwards
Gippsland Kulin came
across to Mansfield
once; came up about
7 am. They were double bank
round camp. Gathered
them up like mob of
sheep [(Crŭnillung)?]
Killed 3 old men and
one young man get away.
Gathered all the little ones
and kill them by
cutting off heads. -----
and put heads in

[next page]

a row on the top of a log.
Took the bodies away.
Took 5 women away.
Tommy Hoddinot's mother
was taken from Cranbourne.

Bunjil Laena got one.
_______________________
never heard of infanticide
__________________________
Heard it said that
when people died
they rolled him into a
big fire and burned
him up so as not
to [?feel?] [?song?]. I never
saw this it is not the
way of my people. I
have heard it at the
Ovens River

Page 25 of 44

Document Details

Date —

Letter From —

Letter To —

Author Howitt, Mr Alfred William

Country Australia

Colony/State —

Holding Institution Museums Victoria

Collection Name Alfred W. Howitt Collection

Registration Number XM 759

Medium Notebook

Region —

Locality —

Summary Belonging to A.W. Howitt. Anthropological notes, from front and back of notebook varied content including notes on language, social organisation and customs and legends. Discusses the Yarra Tribe and groups across eastern Victoria. Includes language notes and diagrams, kin terms, names of people along coast and Victorian group associations with localities. Notes on 'eaglehawk and bunjil'. Possibly information from Barak ''My name is Bairuk - grub of gum tree'. Illustrations of weapons and burial practices. Notes from Paterson's 'The History of New South Wales, from Its First Discovery to the Present Time.'

Physical Description Notebook, black, hard-covered, entries in pencil. Condition: fragile; first section of pages weakly attached. No clasp.