Notes by Howitt on Kulin from Barak

Transcription - Page 84

56

Mothers in Law

A man cannot “see” his wife
mothers sisters; nor a woman
her daughters husbands brothers
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Wives

Young men usually get wives when
their whiskers were growing

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Great Meetings

The great meetings were held in the
summer. At them were corrobores
– councils, marriages were arranged;
at these all the Goulburn Initiations
were made.

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Messengers

A messenger carrying bad news as for
instance of death painted [his - crossed out] the sockets
of his eyes, his forehead and round his
head and his cheeks with pipeclay.
Directly he was seen it was known
that his news was bad. Such a messenger
only carried his message from one headman
to the other. A fresh messenger started
from each place similarly marked.
Messages have been thus sent
from Melbourne to [Key. - crossed out] Kilmore,
Seymour, Murchison and beyond that.

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The stars

The old men taught the boys about the stars when
they were growing up – before they had whiskers. Thus
Williams mothers brother told him about them
and pointing to Bunjil with his Murriwun said
“See that one is Bunjil – you see him and
he sees you”.