Notes by Howitt on Omeo 'tribe' and letter from Bulmer

Transcription - Page 23

certain that the Murray Blacks had an idea
of the possibility of the Soul (Kone gerie) being
able to leave the body in dreams.

But they also believe that the soul can
be drawn out of a man by sorcery
For instance a lot of men wish to
injure another who is obnoxious to the
tribe. They will retire to a sequestered
spot and make a rude figure of a
man, around which they will sit
and sing the man's Muck Thar (real
name) His spirit is then supposed to
be present. They will then declare what
they are going to do with him, perhaps
they give him a certain time to live.
The Spirit will then go back to its owner
but the spell is on his body and he
is said to be sure to die at the
time specified. I suppose really
the victim has dreamed that such
a thing has been done to him and
it preys upon his mind and he
dies through fright. But really the
Blacks have told me that men have
died declaring that they have
been killed by sorcery.

I think this shews that the Blacks
think the soul can go out of the body
during life and that dreams are
nothing more than the soul wandering.

2 The Blacks think that some times
the spirit of a dead Black walks
about the bush. But I fancy that

[written in left side margin]
Kŭrnai

[of what - crossed out]
[tribe? - crosssed out]
[Murray? - crossed out]
[or - crossed out]
[Gippsland? - crossed out]