THE
LEGEND OF KUPIRRI,
OR
The Red Kangaroo.

“Artful, deep manœuvring.”—The natives have various methods to capture their prey, all indicitive of true huntsmen’s craft. Sneaking the emu, a wary bird, is an instance where, With a screen of boughs before him, the native gradually creeps within spear-range, and soon gains his prize.

“Ancient Curses.”—Such curses are used when hunting. The different kinds of game have different curses.

“Abandoned all.”—When a native throws away his spears, it is a sign of the greatest fear and distress.

“Boston Bay.”—The harbour of Port Lincoln. It is protected by Boston Island.

“Bultawilta.”—A man’s name.

“Burka.”—An aged man, the last stage through which men pass, and with whom the knowledge of all charms, ceremonies, &c., is deposited.

“Bodies greased.”—A luxury highly appreciated by the natives. Captain Sturt and Sir T. Mitchell bear testimony, that to a naked savage, in a hot climate, it is, and must be, a great luxury. It supples the skin, and prevents it chapping. The fat of all game is used for this purpose.[31]

“Boys in front.”—Descriptive of the order in which, on all public occasions, the natives arrange themselves; the children are invariably placed in front.

“Cape Catastrophe.”—The South point of Port Lincoln district. Here Captain Flinders had the misfortune to lose a boat’s crew, hence its ominous name.

“Cooey.”—A loud call.

“Cut their arms.”—To this may be added, singing the hair off the head with live coals, putting a large mass of white clay on the head, and smearing the body over with the same, as signs of mourning for the dead.

“Corrobbories.”—Simply a play, and the highest, both in scope and character of all their amusements. It is generally performed at night, but occasionally in the day. The words sung are frequently meaningless, or handed down from so remote a period as to have lost all meaning. The corrobbory in the text is literally translated. Any incident, comic or grave, trivial or important, may form the words of a corrobbory. The song rarely exceeds two lines.

“Cowee.”—Water—the sea.

“Gunya.”—Hut—the same as wurley.

“Heaven’s bridegroom.”—In the native mythology, the sun is a woman, and the moon a man. The former beats the latter till he dies; but dying, he revives, and this goes on for ever hence the phases of the moon.

“Kyahs.”—Implements of war.[32]

“Kokunya.”—The curlew, said at times to be inhabited with the spirit of death. If a native dreams of his visitation, he dies.

“Kuttas.”—Implements for digging.

“Kupe.”—A grub inhabiting gum-trees, grass-sticks, &c. Though the softest of creatures, it penetrates the hardest of woods. Its natural history is little known. When once eaten by Europeans it is so relished as never after to be despised. The difficulty lies in the first attempt.

“Kuinyo.”—A fabulous being—death.

“Kupirri.”—The proper name for the red kangaroo.

“Lubras.”—It is singular, that whilst the language is replete with terms of relationship, there should be found no distinction in the terms for husband and wife. The word lubra is used indifferently for either.

“Paityowattas.”—Small instruments used in incantations.

Page 7. “Behold them on the open plain,” &c.—Illustrative of children’s games, to which may be added the ball, and what is known to Europeans as the scratch-cradle.

Page 15. “Cowering nearer,” &c.—The current belief of the tribe.

Page 17. “In all good things,” &c.—Describes what, in native estimation, a man or a tribe’s welfare consists.

Page 20. “Then with great skill,” &c.—Descriptive of a warrior’s dress.[33]

Page 21. “Repeat their charms,” &c.—No native retires to rest without some such precaution; their belief is, that evil spirits are busy, in the darkness, to kill them. Fire is a sure guardian. The writer once met a native, many miles from his camp, benighted; he carried a large fire-stick for protection.

“Paune.”—The name given to the ninth child. Sorcerers can change themselves into any shape or substance, instantaneously. Each tribe regards the other as peculiar adepts in sorcery. This belief in witchcraft exercises a most baneful influence on the native mind. It is the source of nearly all their quarrels and violent deaths.

“Patta tree.”—A kind of gum tree.

“Manurapindoo.”—A mystic curse, used in hunting.

“North.”—The North is regarded by the natives as the great seat of diabolical agency, witchcraft, &c.

“Ngamma.”—A man’s name.

“Nillaro.”—A mountain in the Port Lincoln district.

“O why did you die,” &c.—A literal translation of a lament for the dead.

“Spearing fish.”—On the Onkaparinga, the Murray, the Lake, &c., fish are speared. All the spears are jagged, and vary in length according to the fish to be taken, from six feet to twelve or fourteen feet; the latter are for the Murray cod.

“Strike him,” &c.—Literal translations of the curses used on such occasions.[34]

“Strike their shields.”—Mode of salutation in war, as well as in peace, and before a battle very striking and picturesque.

“Spirits bad.”—The aborigines have no good spirits.

“Sacred leg.”—Women and children are not allowed to eat the hind leg of a kangaroo—it is sacred.

“Tau.”—A woman’s name.

“Tunte nung.”—Mid-day.

“Tears run down.”—The expression of sorrow, by the native man, is intense; tears will stream down the face, whilst the most sorrowful lamentations pierce the air, at the same time the women cut themselves, and the men spear each other in the arm; this occurs particularly at funeral solemnities.

“Wurleys.”—Native huts, made from the boughs of trees, and in winter strongly constructed, of a dome shape, and capable of holding from six to a dozen persons. Near whaling stations, the ribs of whales are employed as the frame-work, and the divisions filled up with boughs and sea-weed.

“Warpoo.”—A kind of dagger; it is always dedicated, by being drenched in human blood.

“Warra warra.”—Sorcerers.

“Wodlalla.”—A reed.

“Wife, and mother.”—Natives highly esteem the opinion of their mother; this regard is a pleasing trait in their character.[35]

“Winda, or uwinda.”—The largest spear, and generally jagged, from ten to fourteen feet long.

“Yerke.”—A kangaroo rat.

“Yerku.”—A woman’s name.