B 505: Lecture on the Aborigines of Australia and papers on Wirradhurrei dialect, 1837-1840

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This material forms part of the Archdeacon James Gunther papers, 1826-1878, held by the State Library of New South Wales.

The following parts of the collection were selected for the Rediscovering Indigenous Languages project:

- Lecture on the Aborigines of Australia and papers on Wirradhurrei dialect, 1837-1840; call number B 505

- The Native Dialect Wirradurri spoken in the Wellington District, 1838; call number C 136

The Archdeacon William James Gunther (1839-1918) was born on 28 May 1839 at Wellington, New South Wales, and was son of Reverend James William Gunther and his wife Lydia, née Paris. Gunther (the elder) was a German-born missionary, who worked in the Mudgee district and died circa 1879. The Church Missionary Society mission appointed Gunther to its mission in Wellington in August 1837, and he stayed until the mission was disbanded in 1843. During this time, Gunter compiled lists of Wiradjuri words, phrases and executed studies on Wiradjuri grammar.

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doubt but it is a little remnant derived from ancient tradition of the existence of a Supreme Being and a future state. They believe to have a soul - a something within them that is superior to the body [words crossed out] and they are generally [word crossed out] inclined to [word crossed out] to think that the Soul wil not die. Even the very name or word for the soul appears to imply in its derivation a significant meaning. It is dullubang & derived from a root signifying, right, strait upright correct; [words crossed out] There is also a tradition among them of a very great flood which drowned all the people except two or three who hid themselves in a cave for some time. [word crossed out] The cave they supposed was that [words crossed out] well known cave near Wellington Valley. Of course they forget that they would have penetated over that cave. It has always been my impression that the original race of the Aborigines were more enlightened than the present race. They have themselves some such impressions and one of them pointed out those marks or impressions found in certain caves such as that at Dabee as a proof saying those who made them knew more than they did. I am satisfied that these [word crossed out] impressions of hands & fingers required a certain art & whatever the meaning of them may be whether they be [word crossed out] whether designed for a religious ceremony or burial places, they point back to some more civilized society That the present race are now so ignorant is easily accounted for.

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I shall now give you a description of their way of living, their subsistence and the irregularity to which from various circumstances, often from want & necessity, they have become habituated. The country is extremely poor in its natural [indecipherable] [indecipherable] productions. The oppossum, the wallabi, the kangeroo & the kangaroo rat, nearly all very coarse & rarely fat, form their principal animal food. At the same time they eat all manner of creeping things, not even the snake exempted, which they catch with much care lest he should bite himself & render his flesh poisonous. When [word crossed out] they can catch fish they are some what better off. They also eat various birds. But they being naturally [word crossd out] indolent and with out any for thought for the morrow, they often are subject to the most scanty subsistence [margin: and make no great effort a search for food] until hunger stimulates them; then, if successful in their hunting excursion they eat most voraciously, [word crossed out] often an enormous quantity at once. I may illustrate this by a occurrence where they give proof, as indeed often they did, how much they can devour at once. They one afternoon asked me whether I would allow them to kill a certain cow to whom an accident had occurred from which she was not likely to recover. I[word crossed out] gave them permission. There were at the utmost 50 Blacks, old & young & the cow weighed at least from 4-500. so that from 7-8 thought to have [indecipherable] for every one's share. The next morning

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some of the women came to me complaining that all the cow was eaten & they had got [in margin crossed out: This ought to have been at least for 8 persons for each in-dividual as you can see] nothing. But then whilst they can eat so much at once, it is nothing uncommon with them to go 2 or 3 or 4 days without a substantial meal, often a whole day without tasting any thing but water, [insert: a little water]. Of wild fruits scarcely any thing grows worth naming, but there are various roots of herbs which they eat, sometimes they roast them in hot ashes. Their meat they often eat half raw. But they know to roast or steam larger portions of meat as to render it bot wholesome & [words crossed out] well flavored. [words crossed out] [margin: By means of a huge fire] They make a number of stones hot, [word crossed out] construct a sort of oven with them, throw some hot stones & green branches on the meat, it may be besides [indecipherable] hot ashes. The meat is roasted especially if there be a good quantity, proves a kind of feast to them. They are particularly fond of a species of grubs they find in little holes in trees, these they often eat raw, with much gusto. I remember one morning [word crossed out] after breakfast walking out into the bush accompanied by one of our most [indecipherable] Blacks. He had just eaten a hearty breakfast of mutton gobs & damper. He noticed a little hole in a tree, had with him a small [word crossed out] thin piece of wood with a hook at the end such as they use. This he pushed in the hole

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and soon pulled out, a white fat-looking grub which he at once swallowed, as if the greatest delicacy. I exclaimed What eat that poorly thing just after a good breakfast!? O yes, sir he replied, that very good, very sweet, de- licious, I think you would call it? All the clothing they use is the oppossum cloak which also serves as a bed at night. This might do pretty well, if they were always careful enough to make a good one. Indeed the blanket which they are now so anxious to get, is but a poor substitute for it. But in hot weather, they care not much about any sort of covering & neglect sometims to be much better provided in winter. Their [crossed out: habitations] huts or shelter consists of a few sheets of bark only in hot & dry weather merely of a few boughs & branches. They seldom encamp more than three nights on the same spot, as a superstitious fear haunts them & drives them away, lest the evil spirit should hurt them. In fact many reasons induce to their wandering & unsettled habits; it may be in search of food, or to settle a dispute, to fight or to escape some enemy, or it may be the habit & fondness of changes. As regards their character they are naturally very suspicious & distrustful and as a sure consequence

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rather treacherous not only to stranger but even amongst themselves. [in margin: They are no less revengeful, but revenge for an injury received is often, as I shall show afterwards a matter of [indecipherable]] they are, however, generally trustworthy, if you send them on an errand, and dishonesty is not so common amongst them, nor towards strangers as many people are apt to suppose. I had several about our house whose honesty we could fully rely on. If they rob Europeans of provisions or steal their cattle when the latter first settle amongst them, it must not alto-gether be ascribed to evil propensities. They naturally look on the White man as an intruder and can see no harm in molesting & annoying him, or even in killing him. And in this they only imitate the example of more civilized nations. It would be more surprising if they did not act thus. Similar acts we may read of in the history of various nations as proofs of patriotism & valor. And the more civilized Chinese and the Indian Sepoy at the present day acts much from the same impulses as the Aborigines of this country. [in margin: I cannot give them much praise for gratitude though instances of grateful attachment are sometimes found. There is something very reserved in their demeanor, rather dignified & betraying an independent spirit which may be owing to their form of Government. [indecipherable} ignorant is easily accounted for] That they are very indolent & without any forthought as I have already intimated, hence they rarely provide for any future want, seldom they save any food for the next day, and if requiring for shelter against rain a few [indecipherable] if back, they often only commence cutting the same after the rain has commenced. To this indolence [indecipherable] carlessness may be ascribed also the fact that they have but little idea of any sort of art or handicraft

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