Letter from John Bulmer 28 April 1881
Transcription - Page 1
Lake Tyers
April 28th 1881
My Dear Mr Howitt
In speaking of sticks being
sent only as an invitation
to a corroborrie I referred to
the Waimbio. The Gippsland
Blacks seem to know nothing
about the sticks.
The message stick I saw
on the Murray was about
the length of an ordinary
walking stick and marked
spiral fashion with a
band here & there. There
seemed to the no connection
between the marks & the
corroborie but I noticed
the stick went wherever
the corroboree went after
Document Details
Date
28 Apr 1881
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 85
Medium
Letter
Region
Gippsland
Locality
Lake Tyers
Summary
Content relates to region around Murray-Darling Junction and Lake Tyers, Gippsland. Discusses forms of communication between groups, including gesture language, message sticks and the impact of contact. Reverend Bulmer notes that he questioned Jenny Cooper and Billy McDougall.
Physical Description
Letter, handwritten, ink. Signed and dated. Single folded sheet, three pages. Condition: good.