Notes by Howitt on Kulin from Barak

Transcription - Page 24

15
The ghosts were supposed to be both
male and female. They had small darts
of wood with which they killed game for the
darts were powerful “mūng”. It was
also believed as the old people told William that when a hunter killed
a possum or some other game in the
bush and cooked it and eat it
the ghosts came up after he had
gone and finished what he left
and warmed themselves at his fire.

A man's mūrŭp could leave him
when he slept and wander about but
as it could not get past the Tharangalk-bek it
had to return and then the person wakes.
The time when the mūrŭp could get away
was when the person snored.

William expressed it thus:
“when I sleep and snore my mūrŭp goes
away to Tharangalk-bek (the wooded country)
but cannot get into it and so comes back”
– when I am asleep my mūrŭp can
talk to other mūrŭps – for instance of
my father or of any one else”. —

William then went on to give an instance
in this tone: —
“When I get home from taking my poor fellow
to the hospital – Tommy Punch [who - crossed out] and I were
crying about him all evening. Then Tommy went
to sleep and when he woke he said “I saw
the poor fellow – he was here – he said stand
there. There were two strings hanging down and
he said we will go up them - do’nt [sic] be afraid
you wo’nt [sic] fall down. I climbed up after him
and we came to a square hole – and a lot
of people looking down at us. The boy went
through and said to me “I am only waiting here
for you and my father”. – one of the girls said
“How is my mother” – [she - crossed out] I said why it looks
like our Mimey!” Then I went up also and I
saw a lot of people there”.

[written in left side margin]

Yayŭt-gin = dream
Ye-mūn = sleep
Ye-mŭn-ŭra = snoring

David
His son who
died then