Archdeacon James Gunther papers, 1826-1878

proof among other [word crossed out] evidence of the existence of a God. The perversion of an original truth does not affect this argument. For what else are idols or ficticive deities, but an expansion of the innate idea or I may say want in the human mind of some supreme being You may rest assured whatever some others may assert to the contrary, there is no nation so deeply sunk & ignorant, not even the miserable [word crossed out] savages of this Country as not to have some notion, however indistinct of a being a Spirit higher & greater than man. A close inquiry will usually confirm this. But of course, infidels avoid these more careful & deeper inquiries. But let me now tell you that I have ascertained something more than this respecting the belief of the Aborigans & I am not alone. They have besides a notion of a superior being who is altogether good in their ideas. I find the Revd. Mr Pridly

if quite smooth, in the middle of which the grave was beginning to be dug. The ground being very hard, it was no easy task, but the men did it by turns. They used hoes spades & c borrowed from the Missionary Station. With their own original tools, it would have taken them much more time to finish the grave. The number of Blacks present was considerable, from 60 to 80. But all were employed in one thing or other. Many were cutting down little trees & boughs, while others [words crossed out] made a fence of them round the circle, to guard the grave against the cattle assailing it, - an improvement acquired from Europeans. The women were chiefly employed in keeping up the fires round the corpse, causing constantly a thick smoke to ascend. Others, and indeed nearly all of them, paid their last respects to the deceased, by dismal howlings & grievous lamentations, frequently falling over the corpse. All the time one of the men sat, as a watch, close to the head of the deceased. The finishing of the grave took several hours. They did it very neatly, as smooth and regular as possible. The shape was oval,

requisite in order to instruct them & bring them into more regular habits. If we punish them, as sometimes [words crossed ou] we feel it our duty to do by not feeding them, they will set us at defician and try to obtain a [letter crossed out] something to eat either by begging or by offering to do some little work which they will rather do than to yield to our directions. [words crossed out] [words crossed out] They will thus idle & begging stroll about, [word crossed out] as being more agreeable to their natural [word crossed out] wandering & lazy habits. This is not mere apprehension our experience since the Police Establishment has confirmed it. V) A township will present [word crossed out] so many scenes of curiosity for them which will distant their attention from the missionary's object, it will [words crossed out] fill their heads with so many other notions (counteracting [words crossed out] our efforts) & it will prove another inducement for [words crossed out] idleness. Something of this evil tendency we have already seen. V) Those Natives that have seen less of Europeans & are more accustomed to a savage life in

the bush will rarely visit us and at least ever for a continuous encamp near [word crossed our] or stay with us. This has already been observed [words crossed out] for these last 6 or 8 months for since the Police Establishment has begun, and never had so many Natives about as before [indecipherable] if a few come, do they make any stay. It is incongenial to [word crossed out] their original habits to live near a town. VII) If part of the Mission land is taken away as already appears for the use of the town & its inhabitants for houses & cattle kept by them as we naturally must expect the number of which will be increased by the frequency of travelling [words crossed out] & traffic [words crossed out] we could not keep that number of sheep & cattle so absolutely requisite for the maintenance of our Natives. (is to decrease our prospect of such [indecipherable] difficulties & labour) VIII) In the last plan I might add that even the living of the members of the Mission would become so much more expensive near a town than what it is in the retirement of the bush & his present income at least would not admit of a difference. So that all would lead to increase the expense.

Diphthongs Ae, Ai Au, Ei, Oi, Ui, Uo. [words crossed out] [words crossed out] [words crossed out] As there are not correspondinging diphthongs in [word crossed out] nor even equivalent sounds for all these in the English language it may be observed as a general rule that to pronounce both vowels of each diphthong [words crossed out] according to the elementary sound given in the Alphabet will produce the proper sound of them. But so far as English corresponding sounds can be given they are here annexed. Ae. sounds like the slender a in English as in age bake. Ai. a little broader than i in wide nice Au like ou in bought or ow in cow. Ei Not quite so open [word crossed out] or broad as i, in wide formed more in the palate Oi, like oi, in rejoice (rapidly as if one syllable Ui Something like ewe in Lewis when pronounced

14.

32.

35.

8 Guddarra, To shine (as metal) 3 Gudarra, To blow through, To make a draught, refresh. 10X Gudin A dead man, [word crossed out] 9 Guddu, The cracking of the joints of the fingers. 4 (Gudda [letters crossed out]) Brightness, shining. 11 Gudyuigang A kind of tassel 6 Guddalguddal, [words crossed out] even, smooth, slipery 5 Guddagudda, bright, shining. 7 Guddanguddan, Pleasant, agreeable in taste 1 Guda, Draught of wind 2 Gudagudana to blow or rush through as a draught of wind 12X Guggar, Knee ( 9 Guggubal, Cod fish. 6 Guggi Any kind of vessel as dish cup {letters crossed out} quartful originally a wooden basin 10 Gugguma, Hump ( 11 Guggun, Lame, unable to walk 13 Guggurmin, A very dark spot in the Constellation milky way, supposedby the Natives to be like an Emu. Guggabarra) -- anna) To boil, cook. 3 Gug[letter crossed out] a [letter crossed out]na, To creep, [word crossed out] crawl. 4 Guggan, A kind of caterpillar 1 Gug[letter crossed out]gadain, Growler, Lazy fellow. 8 Guggia, Near 14 Gugu, Water 3 Gug[letter crossed out]aidyalang, An infant beginning to growlabout.

v Wannammiadyarra, To want no more, not to care about, to forgive. v Wallan, Flat, even, smooth v Wallagai, The base or tracked place of a tree where the bark has been stripped. v Walbang, Thin bark, rind. v Wirrhau, Sloping [indecipherable] v Wombalwamballa, Frilly, ragged v Widyalang, An infant that can not yet move about v Wiang The part just behind the [word crossed out] temples. v Wiarguatir, Fog v Wambong A constellation v Williria, A Nut; seed (sharp edged, cutting) v Wawae, A very great kind of fish, monstrous water animal v Wirgain, Belonging to the air, in the air. v Wangal, Matted together, (as hair v Warrandhain, A crying fellow, Peevish v Warriwarri (diran) A long ridge, chain of mountains