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[Numabulla]. SiadSaid to be a name of the [Mary River]. Other
names given by various authorities are [Monoboola?], Morrobocoola,
Yahboon and Cooron. I can trace no meaning to any of these
words. I doubt if any of them apply to the river iteself;
They are more likely to be names of some places on the river.
As showning the absurdity of the application aboriginal words words,by whites,
as names of places,the names Gudna and kooroomandan have been
also given as names of the [Mary River]. The first is a word
meaning dung and the latter is "kangaroo country".
Howah & Hinha --- Are evidently not native names,at least not as they
are spelt and pronounced, for no S.E. Queensland native word
or syllable commences with an aspirate.
[Toon]. Flat where where [James Davis] (Dha-ami pai, little
kangaroo rat), runaway convict, was living when reclaimed from
savagery. I think that this a miss-spelled word or
an abbreviation of one for, as written it is the Kabi word for
tail and also for the male organ of generation.
[Tiaro] (Letter i pronounced as i in wine-. Derived form the
Kabi word "dauwa" meaning, as a verb "withered" and as a noun,
"dead tree". This locality was at one time the territory
of the Dauwaburra (Dead tree people), a division of the Kabi
tribe. (see not on this place on an other sheet herwith).
[Noosa]. I have never heard definitely what is meant by this
name. One definition, given by one who was very positive on
the matter, was that a white man asked a native if he knew
the meaning of the word and the native replied "Noo sir".
However, if a native word it is miss-spelled, for the
sibilant S does not occur in S.E.Queensland native words.
I think the word is probably"nuthuru or as some of
the blacks pronounced it"nguthuru " meaning,literally, a
shadow but also a ghost i.e. the shadow of a man. The
superstitious nature of the blacks caused them to name many
mounts and headlands after some form of spirit.
[FJW]
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