Notes by Howitt on Kulin from Barak

Transcription - Page 67

Stars 2 45

The pleiades are called Karalgūrk,
meaning a “cluster”.
The three stars in Orions belt and the
three other stars near are the
Wallūng eri = the young men. When
the Pleiades + Orion are seen it is
a sign that the summer is coming.
The blacks have a song which [has -crossed out]
[to do with Bunjil which they sing - crosssed out] it is said was made by Bunjil
[when children are restless and - crossed out] and has been handed down from
[cannot sleep - crossed out] long ago. William says that
he heard it from the old people his grandfather & mother's brother, who said
they got it from their parents who
got it from theirs who got it from Bŭnjil.
The song is as follows
Bobopba tharey thŭn Karéng nge
baby (leg from knees down) standing
Bobopba melbá ngŭrrŭ djea-nga
baby leaning over straight up

The Pleiades are Karatgūrk (a cluster - a
group). They are fire girls one of whom has
fire at the end of her yam stick. Then
young women were gathering yams at the
Yarra flats. They made an oven and placed
them in to bake. Ballin Ballin ghost
then sent the whirlwind which blew
Bŭnjil up into the [a - crossed out] sky with all
his people. The ovens are there still
for that was the last day the [fire - crossed out] Karatgūrk
were on the earth. A bird (a small
night bird) called nari-berm-gorūk is
called the “shadow” of the Karatgūrk.