Notes on Kurnai 150 pages

Transcription - Page 44

4 21
This is one of the Gweraale Kŭrnai - one
of the Bruthen mrarts. Old Morgan
and Bruthen Munjie and Keŭng
[would - crossed out] it might be now. Then the mrarts
climb through - the Biraark last.
As he goes through they put a rug over his
head all but the eyes. He can see
all the people there - a lot of women
all beating their rugs and the men
dancing. But the Biraark must
not laugh. They try to make him but
he must not. Once Brewin ([Harry - crosssed out]
Billy [?Browns?] father) was up there and two
mrarts caught him by the sides to make
him dance and it made him
laugh and he had to stop there a whole
day before he could get back again.

A Biraark cannot eat any
part of a Kangaroo that has blood on it. Nor
carry home a Kangaroo that he has killed.
Others must do it for him and they give him
some of it that is free from blood. Neither can
he kill any man. If he did either of these
things the Mrarts would not take him up
any more.

If I could dream about Kangaroos ([Māran -crossed out] Māngan Jirowa) the
mrarts would take me up. I could then hear them drumming. I should like it.

Baukan
Baukan is the mother of Būllūmdūt. This Būllūmdut
is a tall man - he has a wife [Bullum = [??] dūt = [??] - crossed out]

How the Kurnai
nearly lost
their fire
Once the old Kurnai were camped at Wolmŭnjerŭ
near the Straits. They were catching little fish with
the small net (Low-ŭn). While they were away
from their camp two Baukan came and
scratched out the fires and poured water on them,
and took the last bit of fire away in a piece of
Bān (He oak). When the old Kurnai came back
all their fire was gone. The crows were all round
trying to make the fires burn. The two Baukan had
gone toward Prospect (Buckleys) with the fire in the
He oak wood. The crows (ngarūgŭl) went and told

[written in the left side margin]
The greatest maart
counts them as
they come up then
he sees the last one.
[The Gwerael
mrart - crossed out] he says
Hallo!
Birraark!

[written in left side margin next to second paragraph]
Mundnuan