Notes by Howitt on Kulin from Barak

Transcription - Page 71

48
Bad country (2)
The results of breach of these laws was
supposed to be the swelling of the glands of
the neck, armpits & groin, and also
[since it appears that sim of late the venereal- crossed out]
[effect similar to venereal disease - crossed out]; this
maybe supposed to have become attributed to it.

A visitor during his first visit
was obliged to dispense with his own language
and to use only that of the bad country or
of some part of it. For instance when
William first went to Port Albert
he used the Western Port language but
him being free of it he speaks his own
Woey wūring language with impunity.

[In - crossed out] This country seems to be specially
known for this fatal quality to strangers.

The remainder of Gippsland as far
as the Snowy River was known to the
Bratauūng [sic]as being fatal through Būlk;
to William – the Northern and N - E part of Victoria
- Echuca, up to Albury – was known as
the country of the Yarūk – the upper
Murray, Omeo, Maneroo and Twofold Bay,
as the country of Mūng.

The Bad country commenced near the Yarra at Brushy creek
– followed it down, then across to Mordialluk Ck [through - crossed out] at Berwick
- Mordialluk itself, Brighton - St Kilda & Sandridge
+c was “half bad country”. French Island [& Phillip Island - crossed out]
was not permanently inhabited. In the Egg season
the Backs [sic] young men & married men went in canoes from Yalluk to the island with the
ebb tide and returned with canoes loaded with eggs at the flood
tide. The old men remained to take care of the Camp.

[written in left side margin]
Old Morgan
and a string
of old men followed
by the younger
men “fed”
William and
the old men who
brought him