78

In the Wide Bay district I have heard the word nginta,
meaning "you", pronounced by the native variously as
nginta, ginta, ninta, and inta. And in the Logan River
District I have heard the equivalent pronounced as ngamung,
namung and amung. Very few of the latter day
blacks ever use this digraph and few white men could
ever master it. With regard to names of place names
in Stradbroke, Moreton Island and the isles near them,
I would mention that, apparently, the inhabitants thereof
spoke different languages to the mainland natives, although
they must had had many word in common. Other than the
the three negative words used by them I know nothing of the
their languages. Possibly, Mr. Tom Welsby, who
has spent much time about Moreton Bay could give some
information thereon.

Trusting this information may be of service to,
I am, yours faithfully
FJWatson
(F.J.Watson).

P.S. Re. the name Moombee Moombee, meaning huts, the
initial letter m is probably accounted for as a white
man's attempt at pronouncing the peculiar digraph ng.