JEM1895

Title: A message stick from Muruwari country, collected and described by J. E. Miller

Description: This message stick is described at length in a letter written by James E Miller to R. H. Mathews, dated 4 September 1895

Message: «the Tinnenburra mob are coming for ceremony by the Bokhara and Narran rivers» graphic channel: The message stick is from Kungonoey “A” sent by the hand of Kuramininy “B,” from the Cuttaburra River “C”, Kuraminny to take the stick across the Warrego River “D” to the Culgoa River “E” and there to hand it to some blackfellow – the blackfellow to whoever it was given was Kungo “F” . Kungo brought it to the Birie River “G” and handed it to Nanee “H” with the verbal message he had received from Kuraminny, which message Kuraminny had received from Kunganoey, with the “message stick” saying[?] “The Tinanburra blacks are coming in for a ‘Corroborree’ Nanee saw[?] by the Bokhara river [I] and the Narran River “

Creator of Object: sender: Kunganooey – Kubbi – Ground Iguana – Tinanburra Tribe – from Tinanburra on the Cuttaburra River, Queensland messengers: Kunganoey [?] handed the ‘stick’ to Kurwaminny [?] – Kumbo – Kangaroo – Culgoa Tribe – at Tinanburra – [illegible] (Kurwaminny was at Tinanburra on a visit to the blacks there) who brought it to Tatalla on the Culgoa River, NSWals and there handed it to Kungo [?] – Ippai – Kangaroo – Culgoa Tribe, who brought it to Goodooga and delivered it to Nanee. recipient: Nanee– Kumbo – Kangaroo – Culgoa Tribe – at Goodooga,

Date Created: 1895

Notes on date created: terminus ante quem (date mentioned in letter); 1895-09-04

Item type: positive text reference

Subtype: traditional

State/Territory: QLD

Linguistic area 1: Chirila: Muruwari Austlang: D32 - MURUWARI / MURRAWARRI Glottolog: muru1266

Notes on linguistic areas: The origin of the message stick is Tinanburra

Semantic domains: sd_ceremony

Materials: mungal wood

Coordinates: 28°44'6.900000"S,145°31'40.400400"E  (-28.73525, 145.527889)

Notes on coordinates: Absolute coordinates for Tinnenburra station (near the Cuttaburra River), Queensland, per Google maps. Tinanburra = Tinnenburra.

Notes: Transcription of letter from Mathews_papers-Martin_Thomas-packet02. Digital pages 22–24 [Notes from Mathews up the top. Also: “not yet drawn or described”] Goodooga 4th December 1895 Sir, I forward herewith another black’s ‘message stick’. This ‘stick’ is made of ‘Mungal’ wood and was sent by Kunganooey – Kubbi – Ground Iguana – Tinanburra Tribe – from Tinanburra on the Cuttaburra River, Queensland to Nanee– Kumbo – Kangaroo – Culgoa Tribe – at Goodooga, NSWales, a distance of about 100 miles. Kunganoey [?] handed the ‘stick’ to Kurwaminny [?] – Kumbo – Kangaroo – Culgoa Tribe – at Tinanburra – [illegible] (Kurwaminny was at Tinanburra on a visit to the blacks there) who brought it to Tatalla on the Culgoa River, NSWals and there handed it to Kungo [?] – Ippai – Kangaroo – Culgoa Tribe, who brought it to Goodooga and delivered it to Nanee. When Kunganaey[?] handed the stick to[?] Kurawiminy [?] he gave him the following verbal message to de[liver?] to whatever blackfellow he handed [the] “stick” to, on the Culgoa (it being understood that Kuriam [?] is only journey the “stick” to Tatala [fragment missing] “The Tinanburra blacks are coming in for a Corroboree. The message stick is from Kungonoey “A” sent by the hand of Kuramininy “B,” from the Cuttaburra River “C”, Kuraminny to take the stick across the Warrego River “D” to the Culgoa River “E” and there to hand it to some blackfellow – the blackfellow to whoever it was given was Kungo “F” . Kungo brought it to the Birie River “G” and handed it to Nanee “H” with the verbal message he had received from Kuraminny, which message Kuraminny had received from Kunganoey, with the “message stick” saying[?] “The Tinanburra blacks are coming in for a ‘Corroborree’ Nanee saw[?] by the Bokhara river [I] and the Narran River “J” and the blackfellow “K” heading for the Narran and the blackfellow “L” on the Narran , that the stick was to be sent on to the Narran blacks and he gave the stick to Kudjugamul “K” – Kubbi – Pademelon – Culgoa Tribe who took it to the Narran to [fragment missing] handed it to the Iegalah [fragment missing] Ippai – Brown Snake – I [fragment missing] tribe with the verb[fragment missing] that the Tinanburra [fragment missing] coming in for a “Co[fragment missing] Nanee and Iegelah “M” the corroboree ground the Tinanburra blacks [fragment missing] to meet them on the Birie River “AI” is Kunganoey heading for the Eulo River “N”, after dispatching the message stick by Kuraminny whence he will arrive about full moon “O” to warn the Eulo Blacks to prepare to start for Goodooga or the Tinanburra Blacks will be at the Culgoa River “E” on their way to Goodooga about new moon. “P” . “R R R R R R R R R” is the [illegible] of the message stick. Yours faithfully, James E Miller R. H. Mathews Esq, Paramatta [RHM annotations on page 1 of this letter: Sent by Kunganooey, Tinanburra, Cuttaburra River, Queensland to Nanee at Goodooga, [illegible] tribe , Birie River, N.SW 100 miles Not yet drawn or described Kubbi g-Iguana Kumbo, Kangaroo Kubbi, Pademelon Ippai, Brown Snake Ippai, Kangaroo"

Data Entry: Piers Kelly, Nitzan Rotman