Field notebook
Transcription - Page 37
look after his own
child.
There is the mark where
[God - crossed out] Bunjil sate down
on the rock.
[Near it - crossed out] Opposite it
a little way off is
the place where
Thadagŭn.
Thadagŭn is just like
a black woman.
[Hung?] round with
all kinds of snakes
lizards and guanas.
Bunjil told the
Porcupine to smash
[next page]
the stone for he wanted
his children back.
Thadagŭn was smashed
and only its Mūrŭp
remained. It has
Mūng. But it is
not much bad
because it is
smashed.---------
Once [a - crossed out] blackfellas
[has - crossed out] were hunting pheasants
near the plains,
they heard Thadagŭn
coming up - it came
out pure light very
white. They were very
frightened and could
not speak. It warmed
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.