An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales Volume I Part 56

Cole-be's wife, the namesake of the Ba-rang-a-roo I have just mentioned, did not survive her many months. She died of a consumption, brought on by suckling a little girl who was at her breast when she died. This circ.u.mstance led to the knowledge of a curious but horrid custom which obtains among these people. The mother died in the town, and when she was taken to the grave her corpse was carried to the door of every hut and house she had been accustomed to enter during the latter days of her illness, the bearers presenting her with the same ceremonies as were used at the funeral of Ba-loo-der-ry, when the little girl Dil-boong and the boy Be-dia were placed before his corpse.

When the body was placed in the grave, the bye-standers were amazed to see the father himself place the living child in it with the mother.

Having laid the child down, he threw upon it a large stone, and the grave was instantly filled in by the other natives. The whole business was so momentary, that our people had not time or presence of mind sufficient to prevent it; and on speaking about it to Cole-be, be, so far from thinking it inhuman, justified the extraordinary act by a.s.suring us that as no woman could be found to nurse the child it must die a much worse death than that to which he had put it. As a similar circ.u.mstance occurred a short time after, we have every reason to suppose the custom always prevails among them; and this may in some degree account for the thinness of population which has been observed among the natives of the country.*

[* Cole-be's child was about four or five months old, and seemed to have partaken of its mother's illness. I think it could not have lived.]

I have said that these women were namesakes. Bennillong's wife was called Ba-rang-a-roo Daring-ha; Cole-be's, Daring-ha Ba-rang-a-roo. A peculiarity in their language occurs to me in this place. The males of the same name call each other Da-me-li, the women call each other Da-me-li-ghen.

I have mentioned their taking particular names on certain occasions. The mutual friend who attends them to the field is styled Ca-bah-my; the persons who at their funerals are painted red and white, are named Moo-by; the namesake of a deceased person, if a male, is styled Bo-rahng; if a woman, Bo-rahn-gal-le-on. When Nor-roo-ing came into the town to acquaint us with the death of Yel-lo-way, she was perfectly a dismal sorrowing figure. She had covered herself entirely with ashes, was named while she continued so Go-lahng, and refused all kinds of sustenance.

The annexed Plate represents the burning of the corpse of a native who was killed by a limb of a tree falling on him. He was brought to the spot with all the preceding ceremonies. His head was laid to the northward, and in his hands were deposited his spear and his throwing-stick. His ashes were afterwards raked together, and a tumulus erected over them, similar to that which Bennillong had raised over his wife.

APPENDIX XII--LANGUAGE

In giving an account of an unwritten language many difficulties occur.

For things cognizable by the external senses, names may be easily procured; but not so for those which depend on action, or address themselves only to the mind: for instance, a spear was an object both visible and tangible, and a name for it was easily obtained; but the use of it went through a number of variations and inflexions, which it was extremely difficult to ascertain; indeed I never could, with any degree of certainty fix the infinitive mood of any one of their verbs. The following sketch is therefore very limited, though, as far as it does proceed, the reader may be a.s.sured of its accuracy.

Their language is extremely grateful to the ear, being in many instances expressive and sonorous. It certainly has no a.n.a.logy with any other known language (at least so far as my knowledge of any other language extends), one or two instances excepted, which will be noticed in the specimen. The dialect spoken by the natives at Sydney not only differs entirely from that left us by Captain Cook of the people with whom he had intercourse to the northward (about Endeavour river) but also from that spoken by those natives who lived at Port Stephens, and to the southward of Botany Bay (about Adventure Bay), as well as on the banks of the Hawkesbury. We often heard, that people from the northward had been met with, who could not be exactly understood by our friends; but this is not so wonderful as that people living at the distance of only fifty or sixty miles should call the sun and moon by different names; such, however, was the fact.

In an excursion to the banks of the Hawkesbury, accompanied by two Sydney natives, we first discovered this difference; but our companions conversed with the river natives without any apparent difficulty, each understanding or comprehending the other.

We have often remarked a sensible difference on hearing the same word sounded by two people; and, in fact, they have been observed sometimes to differ from themselves, subst.i.tuting often the letter _b_ for _p_, and _g_ for _c_, and _vice versa_. In their alphabet they have neither _s_ nor _v_; and some of their letters would require a new character to ascertain them precisely.

What follows is offered only as a specimen, not as a perfect vocabulary of their language.

NEW SOUTH WALES ENGLISH --------------- -------

NAMES CHIEFLY OF OBJECTS OF SENSE

Co-ing The sun Yen-na-dah The moon Bir-rong A star Mo-loo-mo-long The Pleiades War-re-wull The Milky Way Ca-ra-go-ro A cloud Boo-do-en-ong general name Cal-gal-le-on The Magellanic the greater clouds Gnar-rang-al-le-on the lesser Tu-ru-p A star falling Co-ing bi-bo-ba Sun-rising Bour-ra The sky Co-ing bur-re-goo-lah Sun-setting Gnoo-wing Night Carn-mar-roo Tar-re-ber-re Day Gwe-yong Fire Cad-jee Smoke Gil-le A spark Per-mul Earth Ta-go-ra Cold Yoo-roo-ga Heat Men-nie-no-long Dew Pan-na, and Wal-lan Rain Ba-do Water Chi-a-ra Name Car-rig-er-rang The sea Go-nie A hut Now-ey A canoe Beng-al-le A basket Car-rah-jun A fis.h.i.+ng-line Gnam-mul A sinker [A small stone to sink the line]

Bur-ra A hook Ke-ba A stone or rock Bwo-mar A grave Bow-wan A shadow Ma-hn A ghost Wir-roong Scars on the back Cong-ar-ray Scars on the breast jee-run A coward Can-ning A cave Me-diong A sore [On noticing a hole in any part of our dress they term it Me-diong]

Ya-goo-na To-day Bo-ra-ne Yesterday Par-ry-boo-go To-morrow Mul-lin-ow-ool In the morning Jen-ni-be Laughter Boo-roo-w.a.n.g An island [This word they applied to our s.h.i.+ps]

Gno-rang A place E-ring A valley Boo-do A torch made of reeds Mi-yal A stranger [This word has reference to sight; Mi, the eye.]

Ar-rung-a A calm Moo-roo-bin Woman's milk Ew-ing Truth Ca-bahn An egg Yab-bun Instrumental music Yoo-long or Cleared ground for public ceremonies Yoo-lahng

ADJECTIVES

Bood-jer-re Good Wee-re Bad Mur-ray Great Gnar-rang Small Coo-rar-re Long Too-mur-ro Short Go-jy Rotten Go-jay-by Bin-nice Pregnant Par-rat-ber-ri Empty Bo-ruck Full Pe-mul-gine Dirty Bar-gat Afraid Frightened Ba-diel Ill Moo-la Sick Boo-row-a Above or upward Cad-i Below or under Bar-bug-gi Lost War-rang-i Right Doo-room-i Left Goo-lar-ra Angry Yu-ro-ra Pa.s.sionate Wo-gul, and Wo-cul One Yoo-blow-re, and Boo-la Two Brew-y Three Mur-ray-too-lo A great many Gnal-le-a Both Moo-jel Red Ta-bo-a White Gna-na Black Bool-gi-ga Green Moo-ton-ore Lame Yu-roo, and Yu-roo-gur-ra Hungry Mo-rem-me Yes Beall No Mar-rey Wet

PARTS OF THE HUMAN BODY

Ca-ber-ra Head Gnul-lo Forehead Mi Eye Yin-ner-ry Eye-brow No-gro, or No-gur-ro Nose Kar-ga Mouth Wil-ling Lips Da-ra Teeth Tal-lang Tongue Wal-lo Chin Go-ray Ear Cad-le-ar Neck Cad-le-ang Na-bung Breast or Nipple Yar-rin Beard [This they often singe, and describe it as a painful operation]

De-war-ra Hair [This is commonly full of vermin, which I have seen them eat, and change from one soil (sic) to another.]

Bar-rong Belly Go-rook Knee Dar-ra Leg Ma-no-e Foot Tam-mir-ra Hand Ber-rll-le Fingers Car-rung-un Nail Bib-be Ribs Ba-rongle Vein Pa-di-el Flesh or lean Bog-gay, or Pog-gay Fat Tar-rang Arm 0-nur Elbow Wy-o-man-no Thumb Dar-ra-gal-lic Fore-finger Ba-roo-gal-lie Middle or ring'd Wel-leng-al-lie Little finger

CONSANGUINITY

Eo-ra The name common for the natives Mu-la A man Din A woman Din-al-le-ong Women [One of the few instances I could ever discover of a plural or dual number]

Gin-al-le-ong Be-an-na; this they shorten to Be-an and Be-a, and when in pain, they exclaim Be-a-ri A father Wy-an-na, and Mother Wy-ang Go-mang Grandfather Ba-bun-na Brother Ma-mun-na Sister Go-roong A child We-row-ey A female child Wong-er-ra A male ditto Na-bung-ay wui-dal-liez Infant at the breast [Compounded of Na-bung its breast, and Wai-dal-liez relating to drinking]

Bore-goo-roo Child eight months old Guy-a-nay-yong An old man Mau-gohn A wife Mau-gohn-nal-ly A temporary ditto Go-rah-gal-long A handsome man Go-rah-gal-long- al-le-ong A handsome woman Ma-lin, Nurkine, Mud-gin Gnar-ra-mat-ta A relation [To these I never could affix precise meanings]

Cow-ul Male of animals We ring Female of ditto Do-roon A son Do-roon-e-nang A daughter Go-mul A term of friends.h.i.+p Cam-mar-rade, Terms of affection used by girls and Ca-mong-al-lay

SPEARS AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS

Goong-un A spear with four barbs cut in the wood, which they do not throw, but strike with hand to hand Noo-ro Ca-my A spear with one barb, fastened on Ca-my A spear with two barbs--This word is used for spear in general Bil-larr A spear with one barb, cut from the wood Wal-lang-al-le-ong A spear armed with pieces of sh.e.l.l Can-na-diul A spear armed with stones Ghe-rub-bine A spear without a barb Doci-ull A short spear No-roo-gal Ca-my Holes made by a s.h.i.+eld E-lec-mong A s.h.i.+eld made of bark Ar-ra-gong A s.h.i.+eld cut out from the solid wood Moo-ting Cal-larr Fizgigs Car-rab-ba p.r.o.ng of the moo-ting Dam-moo-ne p.r.o.ng of the cal-larr.

Woo-dah, Names of clubs.

Can-na-tal-ling, Doo-win-null, Can-ni-cull, Car-ru-w.a.n.g, Wo-mur-rang.

Gnal-lung-ul-la, Tar-ril-ber-re, Mo-go, Stone hatchet.

We-bat, Handle of ditto.

Wo-mer-ra, Throwing-stick

p.r.o.nOUNS, ADVERBS, AND MODE OF ADDRESS

Gni-a, I, or myself Gnee-ne, You.

Gnee-ne-de, Yours.

Dan-nai, Mine.

Dar-ring-al, His.

Gna-ni, Whose.

Wan, Where.

De, There.

Diam, Here.

Diam o waw? Where are you?

Diam o diam o, Here I am.

Gnalm Chiara, gnahn? What is your name?

Bir-rong, Appertaining.

WINDS

Bow-wan, North.

Bal-gay-al-lang, South.

Boo-roo-wee, East.

Bain-mar-ray, West.

Doo-loo-gal, North-west.

Yare-ba-lahng, South-west.

Go-me-mah, North-east.

Gwar-ra, A high wind

INFLEXIONS OF THE VERBS.

Gnia-na, Sighing.

Bwo-me, Breathing.

Dere-rign-ang, Sneezing.

Car-re-nar-re-bil-le, Coughing.

Yen-no-ra, Walking.

Yen-mow, I will walk or go.

Yenn, Go or walk.

Yen-ma-nia, We will walk or go.