Letter from Bulmer 20 April 1880
Transcription - Page 1
My Dear Mr Howitt
I have made enquiry of
Billy McDougall and Jenny
Cooper on the various queries
proposed by you with the
following results.
The Blacks sometimes exchanged
wives at Corroborie time. He
tells me this was done when
there was a great gathering of
Blacks. But they also resorted
to the exchange of wives to
avert some fancied calamity
as for instance. There was
once a great display of the
Aurora Australis or perhaps
some great shower of Meteors
in the heavens, they thought
Document Details
Date
20 Apr 1880
Letter From
Bulmer, Reverend John
Letter To
Howitt, Alfred William
Author
—
Country
Australia
Colony/State
—
Holding Institution
Museums Victoria
Collection Name
Alfred W. Howitt Collection
Registration Number
XM 82
Medium
Letter
Region
Gippsland
Locality
Lake Tyers
Summary
"The letter discusses the region around the junction of the Darling and Murray Rivers. Content also relates to the Gippsland District. Discusses social organisation and marriage laws and customs. Reply to A.W. Howitt's questionnaire and questions relating to language. Also mentions ""Wallace's Australasia"" when speaking of languages."
Physical Description
Letter, handwritten in ink. Signed and dated. Three folded sheets, eleven pages. Vertical, red-pencil line through text on three pages. Condition: fair; small tears along central folds; slightly tattered upper edges.