Pages 9 - 77 (1600kb) - Eurobodalla Shire Council

EUROBODALLA ABORIGINAL CULTURAL HERITAGE STUDY
South Coast NSW
[I] began to converse with them through my interpreter, telling them
the object of my visit, and the kindness of the good people in Sydney,
in sending me to them. I then distributed my little presents among
them, with which act they were highly pleased. I knew several of the
words which they spoke, but I knew not whether they bore the same
signification. The women made me several presents which consisted of
kangaroo teeth, shells, and red ocre (sic), The kangaroo teeth are
fastened to a string, made from the hair of the Opossom, with gum
which answers the purpose of wat (sic) or glue. They then began to
enclose me round, each endeavouring to lay a hand upon me. They
were completely in a state of nudity. This was done out of good
humour, but I must own that I was very much disgusted with the smell
of them. After the women had left me, and seated themselves at a
distance by themselves ; I sat down along with the men and began to
converse with them through my interpreter upon various subjects ; after
which I wrote down the following observations: -
1 st . They are the cleanest blacks that I have yet seen in the Colony: they
have no cutaneous sores upon them.
2 ndly They are very kind to their women and children; the blankets
which I gave to the men they gave to their wives and children. On my
first approach to this new tribe I was not a little surprised to see an
aged man and woman, walking arm in arm, towards me at the same
time the man was pointing his finger at me their hair was nearly white.
They were a very venerable pair.
3 rdly The men appear to be of the middle size; some of them, however,
are rather tall most of them appear to be very athletic. The women are
rather short, but, I believe this generally arises from carrying immense
burdens. Both men and women are remarkable for their docility; I do
not think they are very refractory.
4 thly They are not contaminated by the whites.
5 thly My interpreter tells me they are on good terms with the rest of the
surrounding tribes.
6 thly They do not appear to be so vagrant as the tribes at Jervis Bay,
Shoals Haven, but it is impossible that they should be free from it,
otherwise, they could not get a subsistence. Their principal manner of
living is in catching fish, and marine animals (seals) and in procuring
the fruits that grow wild in the woods on which they chiefly subsists.
They generally repose at about half a mile from the sea coast. They
have temporary huts, ornamented with a tuft of grass fastened to a
stick, and projecting from the front part of the top. 27
In his journal a few days later Harper recorded a brief trip he took around the Bay:
Oct 23 rd . I took an excursion with a few blacks to the south side of the
Bay. We had not gone far, before we met a black, who, on his first
sight of me, began to shew (sic) a number of tricks, by dancing,
jumping, swinging himself round, and beating himself with a stick;
27 ‘Mr. Harper’s Journal [October 1826]’, transcription in the Wesleyan Mission House Despatches,
Bonwick Transcripts Missionary, 1824-1829, B.T.53, CY1529, Mitchell Library.
Goulding Heritage Consulting Pty Ltd
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