Notes on Kurnai 150 pages

Transcription - Page 26

4
The Kurnai

The Jeraeil
Toolaba's first recollection of a Jeraeil was one held
at where Mr [?Bill?] lives on Reeves River beyond Shaving Point.
He was there about [twelve - crossed out] ten years old and his elder brother
Barry was made Tootnurring. There were so many boys
that the row as they were laid on the ground extended from aobut
[?twenty?] paces long. Lamby was made a young man then.

The next was at [?Birringerra?] and at that a great
number of people attended. The white men had
just settled in Gippsland at that time. Toolaba
was then about fifteen or sixteen. At the Jer reil
a whole lot of girls eloped - among others Tommy Hoddinot
Mary + her two sisters; according to Toolaba there
must have been a dozen of elopements of young
people. He says this was because the old
people would not give their consent to any of the
girls being married.

The next Jeraeil was at Bairnsdale about the
time that "night came about dinner time". -
After that there was another at B'dale where
the township now is - only Macleod + Jones
lived at the Mitchell then.

After that there was a large Jeraeil at Bushy Park
and then no more until ours at [?Wenail?]