Page:Aboriginesofvictoria02.djvu/362

334 price. They said to him—" What for you comballee along-a this one country? This one country all about belong-a to Mr. Locke." Eventually he had to depart, the blacks, at my request, cutting bark canoes, to enable him to cross his sheep. Although at that time these blacks were perfectly wild, I never had the slightest apprehension of suffering any personal injury from them. I have often gone out with them in the bush, perfectly unarmed; although as to this I once got a piece of advice from one of the tribe. He said—" When you walk in bush along-a blackfellow, you make him black-fellow walk first time" (in front). I said—"What for?" He replied—"I den know; I believe debil debil jump up, want him blackfellow spear white-fellow." It is hardly necessary to add that upon this hint I acted in future.

Several strange superstitions existed amongst them. I once went to the Moira, accompanied by a blackfellow, and on our return I expressed to him my opinion that it would be dark before we reached home, whereupon he alighted from his horse, and, without saying a word, proceeded to cut a small sod of grass, which he placed in a fork of a tree, exactly facing the setting sun, remarking—"Plenty quambee (stop) sun now. No pull away." As it happened, we got home before it was dark, when Sambo exultingly exclaimed—"No gammon ground" (meaning the sod of earth). If a young baby died, the mother had to carry the body on her back till her husband procured the kidney-fat of a strange blackfellow. This is a very horrible custom. I have seen a lubra so carry about her dead child. The kidney-fat is wrapped up in several bits of rag, and worn round the neck as a charm. They told me that a blackfellow would linger from six to eight days before death ensued after the removal of the kidney-fat. The victim is first stunned by a "waddy," a small incision made in his side, and a portion of the kidney-fat carefully removed, when he is left to his fate.

The language of this tribe is very euphonious, and, strange to say, at a distance of only about fifty miles from Kotoopna, the idiom, indeed the language itself, is quite different. Most of the names of places end in "pna," as "Kotoopna," "Tarigoroopna," "Jillinupna," "Ulupna," &c. Kangaroo—Koyeemar. Emu—Bigorumja. Young emu—Woola. Opossum—Bunna. Kangaroo-rat—Arenewtha. Dog—Bocka. Horse—Corkitaniook (this name for horse is the same in Gippsland and other parts of Victoria). Sheep—Jumbaga. Supposed bun-yip—Tanutbun. Little—Ingarnaka. Least—Inga. Great—Turneja (as great heat, Turneja daideja). Extensive—Boymee (as extensive plain, Boymee natcha). Nice—Kalnia. Beautiful—Kalimna (this word I think has a very sweet sound; I have named several of my friends' estates after it). No, or none—Uta (same nearly all over Victoria), Lightning—Kernyawa. Thunder—Manena. Come here—Cockiaroo. Go away—Berriaroo. Very hot, me too much lazy—Turneja daideja, marrilatchimut neynee. What is it?—Min-the-lay? Where—Woonul. Knapsack—Belshula. Fishing-net—Jegoga. Gum-tree—Bela. Box-tree—Tharmia. Bark—Yalmin. Tomahawk—Aanu. Reed-spear—Gaumur. Jagged spear—Jikola. Spear with glass—Coico. Woomera—Ulewar. Boomerang—Wadeenia. Creek—Bormea. Plain—Natcha. Mountain—Uleela. Sandhill—Maloga.