Howitt and Fison Papers

26 Blood feud 2

The Echuca men had sent word to the Yarra men that they were coming down so that [they - crossed out] all had plenty of time in the winter to meet. The meeting was [between - crossed out] near the Merri creek on the Melbourne side. The Yarra men used to stop about Melbourne till they were tired of it and then go up the Yarra, and when they were tired of the Yarra go back to Melbourne. The people present at the meeting were [the E - crossed out] from Echuca who however had no head man with them – he having remained behind; the Western Port men with their headman; the Mt Macedon and Geelong men under their Headman Capt. Turnbull, the Werribee people under their head man Benbow, and ourselves with our Headman (Ngŭrŭng-eit) Billibellary who was my “Mameik”. We were all there to look on. Each lot camped at the side [from which - crossed out] of the meeting ground and not far off - in the direction from what it had come. All the camps as usual with us looked towards the morning sun.

The Echuca men were on the ground nearest to their country - the Westernport men facing them nearest to theirs. The Yarra people were on the Kew side and facing them the Geelong lot and Benbow and his men, were at the corner between them and the Westernport men. Benbow was the ngurungeit of Sandridge people but he came with the Werribee lot. [The Westernport man - crossed out] The women were left at the camps not far off. The Westernport man stood out in front of his [people - crossed out] friends armed with a shield.

[written in left side margin] The message was sent by the Echuca people to the Kilmore blacks who told the Melbourne blacks who sent word to the Westernport blacks.

33

The Headmen The greatest man of all the country was the Ngurungeit of the Kūrnŭng willum tribe at Gisborne called by the whites Capt. Turnbull. He was a great singer and maker of songs which made people very glad and happy when they heard them. His grandfather before him and His father before him was also a great singer. Both were equally great. It was this that made these men such great Ngurungeits.

[Besides Capt Turnbull there were- crossed out] There were three [two other - crossed out] Headmen of the Ūrŭndjeri tribe. My father Bebejern in the country about the Plenty River and the Yarra Rv [and - crossed out] Billbillary at Mt Macedon & Melbourne (? the stone place) Bingerim – Mt Macedon. These were the Headmen of the Ūrŭnjeri. The other tribes had also headmen. For instance Benbow was the Ngurungeit of the Yallūkit- willŭm at Sandridge and St Kilda. Mr De Villiers of the Ngarū willum Būlūk willum [about the South and west side of the Dandenong Mt round by Berwick and - crossed out] about Cranbourne and Westernport Bay +c +c (fill in this)

Of all these Capt. Turnbull was the greatest. He could [tell - crossed out] say to my father “You go up into the mountains and make 'possum rugs and by and bye come back with them”. Some of the men would go with my father and others would stay behind. Captain Turnbull made my father and Billbillary Ngurungaets. [My fa- crossed out] Bill Billary made Bungarim ngurungeitā and I am Ngurungeitā from my father. When I go I shall leave the word that my sister's son shall be Ngurungaet with with him two others

[written in left side margin]

look up their localities

48 Bad country (2) The results of breach of these laws was supposed to be the swelling of the glands of the neck, armpits & groin, and also [since it appears that sim of late the venereal- crossed out] [effect similar to venereal disease - crossed out]; this maybe supposed to have become attributed to it.

A visitor during his first visit was obliged to dispense with his own language and to use only that of the bad country or of some part of it. For instance when William first went to Port Albert he used the Western Port language but him being free of it he speaks his own Woey wūring language with impunity.

[In - crossed out] This country seems to be specially known for this fatal quality to strangers.

The remainder of Gippsland as far as the Snowy River was known to the Bratauūng [sic]as being fatal through Būlk; to William – the Northern and N - E part of Victoria - Echuca, up to Albury – was known as the country of the Yarūk – the upper Murray, Omeo, Maneroo and Twofold Bay, as the country of Mūng.

The Bad country commenced near the Yarra at Brushy creek – followed it down, then across to Mordialluk Ck [through - crossed out] at Berwick - Mordialluk itself, Brighton - St Kilda & Sandridge +c was “half bad country”. French Island [& Phillip Island - crossed out] was not permanently inhabited. In the Egg season the Backs [sic] young men & married men went in canoes from Yalluk to the island with the ebb tide and returned with canoes loaded with eggs at the flood tide. The old men remained to take care of the Camp.

[written in left side margin] Old Morgan and a string of old men followed by the younger men “fed” William and the old men who brought him

54 Jajowrong On the N west side of Mt Macedon and about Kyneton were the Gal-gal-Ballŭk – Their [the - crossed out] Ngŭnŭngeit partner of Capt. Turnbull, was King Bobby. If Capt Turnbull wanted to bring some people up from further north he would tell King Bobby who would send the word to them. All these people were Kūlin.

Another Jajowrong tribe was the Learga bŭllŭk who lived on the sources of the Campaspe. The Kalk Kalk goondeich [at the - crossed out] near the Gal Gal Bulluk; the Wŭrŭnghŭra-gerŭng-bŭlluk lived also near the Gal gal bulluk. The Gal Gal būllŭk lived west of Mt Macedon about Kyneton. The Tonembur-lang-gūndeith lived in the upper Loddon River [and the - crossed out] These all spoke the Jajowrong language – Williams language is Weyworŭng.

Boundaries of the Urŭndjeri

Up the Salt water river to near Sunbury then to the centre of Mt Macedon, thnce round the sources of the Salt water river, [striking off - crossed out] then along the [Northwards a little beyond Kilmore; then across - crossed out] Dividing Range to [by - crossed out] the source of the Plenty River – round the watershed of the Yarra River; the northern slopes of the Dandenong Mountain, by Running creek [across between Gardners Creek - crossed out] to the north of Nunawading to Gardners Creek; then down the Yarra to [Hobsons - crossed out] the Saltwater River. Emerald Hill and Sandridge belonged to the Coast blacks who extended round from Geelong.