An aboriginal said, describing the country: "Plenty water, no gold; plenty gold, no water" - a good aphorism.
p.vii: 'Which way?' I asked my blackboy,
meaning
'Where are you going?'
'Me go walk-about,' he answered.
'More far?' I inquired.
'Might-be,' was the native's reply.
p.59: 'My word, boss, big-fellah fire: he come along quick fellah. Him catchem camp dreckly.'
p.89: 'My word, boss, him all about bird sing out hard-fellah, him all about big-fellah fright.' (awesome bushlands rang with the screams of the terrified creatures)
Hill, Ernestine, 1899-1972. c1947. Shores of the Bight. Typescript notes.
NLA Manuscript reference no.: MS 8392.
At Malabi Tank we met the party in the camel buggy out rabbiting, Mr and Mrs Jimmie McCarthy, and we asked them about blacks and they sent over Nellie - Koonyu. Story of her wandering and how she had gone from Mundrabilla to Balladonia, walking, at her old age. Story of Henry and her other nephew. She greets us with a hearty greeting and a wail with tears in her old eyes, wanting to go back over the border to Mulba country. "Nowhere sit down, allabout finish. Me wanta go back own country, nutting here. That-way blackfella finishem my boy, little young-fella. She had come across with two nephews. Had worked on various stations, Mundrabilla once, Balladonia, Nullarbor and Gurney's -- was walking about neked and Mrs Gurney gave her a frock. No rations, living on Wombat, wombat, wombat. Wog-gai-ya, wombat. All-time me sit down one woman, me alltime cry. She had tried to come back with rabbiters, but they went bush to Cook and left her[document ends]
Bolam, A.G. 1978. The Trans-Australian wonderland. 6th edition. Facsimile edition. (Historical Reprint Series) Nedlands, W.A.: University of Western Australia Press. [first published 1923, 6th ed. 1927, Melbourne: The Modern Printing Co.] ch 9: The Aboriginals.source of Pidgin data: Ooldea on the Trans-Australian railway line
Anthony Bolam worked for Commonwealth Railways, 1918-25, stationmaster from 1920.
\p Pidgin
\g English translation (mine based on context HK; author's supplied
in double quotation marks)
\s page source
\p Arlie all finish up.
\g Arlie has died.
\s 74
\p Sonny bring news up from Coast.
\g Sonny brought news up from the Coast.
\s 74
\p He get hit across 'em back of neck; lose 'em thinkem and go
mad;
kill 'em one, but not finish 'em all up; then spear 'em other.
\g He was hit across the back of his neck, he lost his mind and
went mad; he hit one [person] but didn't kill him; then he speared
another
one. [then the other one speared him?]
\s 78
\p pretty stone
\g [gold nugget]
\s 78
\p Mucka-me!
\g I don't know. [?]
\s 79
\p Mucka-me, only coog-ha! [kutya]
\g "No, only one!"
\s 79
\p Weir [wiya]! An-gool-a-jing wongi bool-ga woomerah!
\g "No! When I was going about I had a big talk with a fellow,
and gave him a woomerah for it!
\s 79
\p oo-ah [uwa]
\g "yes"
\s 79
\p 'bacca
\g tobacca
\s 79
\p Make 'em.
\g I made it.
\s 87
\p Only play 'em.
\g I only use it for play.
\s 87
\p Sometimes make 'em mulga, sometimes make 'em mallee: all same
whip.
\g Sometimes I make it out of mulga, sometimes I make it out of
mallee; it is like a whip.
\s 87
\p That one balya! [palya]
\g That one is "good".
\s 89
\p That one, Moonlight kill 'em ga-lare [larlaya].
\g That [means that] Moonlight has killed an "emu".
\s 89
\p Want plenty nunga come.
\g He wants a lot of "men" to come.
\s 89-90
\p Plenty tucker!
\g There's a lot of food.
\s 90
\p Big mob coming alonga coast. Close up, two days Ooldea.
\g A lot [of people] are coming from the coast. They are near,
and will be in Ooldea in two days.
\s 90
\p Coast mob coming! ....See smoke!
\g The people from the coast are coming...We can see their smoke
[signal].
\s 90
\p Two pfella mob; close up Government tank, big coast road.
\g There are two groups; they are near the governmnet tank on the
coast road.
\s 90
\p Maybe get here close up dinner time to-morrow!
\g They will probably get here around noon tomorrow.
\s 90
\p Mucka, me no answer.
\g "No", I won't answer them.
\s 90
\p Me make 'em smoke they think we pfellas go to them.
\g If I made a smoke[signal], they would think we would go to
[meet]
them.
\s 90
\p They make 'em smoke us, they coming here.
\g The fact that they are making a smoke[signal] for us means that
they are coming to us.
\s 90
\p No put 'em string two places finish 'em all up:
\g If you don't attach a string in two places, they [the
snake-bitten
person] will die.
\s 92
\p put 'em string, cut 'em, plenty blood, then balya.
\g If you attach strings and cut [the skin] until there is a lot
of blood, then it is alright.
\s 92
\p Me nunga.
\g "I am a man."
\s 104
\p Take alonga Wynbring. They bin want 'em Lame Charlie and Big
Peter. All Karonie nunga go back big corroboree!
\g Take this [message stick] to Wynbring.[?] They want Lame Charlie
and Big Peter and all the people from Karonie to go back [to Karonie]
for
a big corroboree.
\s 105
\p Mickey say he hungry pfella; want me send him alonga you
flour,
sugar, tea, 'bacca, and bullets, 44 rifle.
\g Mickey says he's hungry; he wants me to send to him through
you some flour, sugar, tea, tobacco, and bullets for a 44-calibre rifle.
\s 107
\p You want me, Missa Bolam?
\g Do you want me, Mr. Bolam?
\s 108
\p Pup-bah not go very far; must be close up; by-bye leg swell,
and he sleep'em then
\g The "dingo" won't go very far; it must be nearby; soon its legs
will swell, and then it will die.
\s 109
\p That pup-bah alright; chinna [tyina] kick 'em stone.
\g That is the dingo [track] alright; its foot kicked this stone.
\s 109
\p Rabbity trap on front chinna; pup-bah run along three legs,
no
drop trap
\g The rabbit trap was on its front leg; the dingo was running
on three legs and not letting the trap touch the ground.
\s 109
\p Tired pfella; him sleep here.
\g It lay down here because it was tired.
\s 109
\p He hear us coming, jump up and run away!
\g When it heard us coming, it jumped up and ran away
\s 109
\p Mucka! we no frighten him.
\g No, it wasn't us that frightened it.
\s 109
\p Another blackfellow come this way. You see 'em tracks? He
track
pup-bah now.
\g Another Aboriginal came here-- can you see his tracks? He is
now tracking the dingo.
\s 109
\p They are Yarrie's.
\g They are Yarrie's [tracks].
\s 110
\p Which way lose 'em?
\g Where did she lose it?
\s 112
\p I been find 'em close up soon.
\g I'll find it pretty soon.
\s 112
\p This one boota wear 'em when lose 'em?
\g Was she wearing these boots when she lost it?
\s 112
\p You show 'em me which one boota wear 'em when lose 'em brooch.
\g Show me which boots she was wearing when she lost the brooch.
\s 112
\p I been find 'em close up
\g I'll find it soon.
\s 112
\p Lose 'em rabbity; me track 'em close up!
\g I've lost a rabbit but I'll soon track it.
\s 113
\p Rabbity sit down inside. You see 'em?
\g The rabbit is inside [the burrow]. Do you see it?
\s 113
\p This one chinna; this one; and this one.
\g This is a footprint-- this is-- and so is this.
\s 113
\p Easy fellow that one; you see 'em mark cornil-datta?
\g That's easy; do you see marks like that ["all the same"]?
\s 113
\p Oo-ah, I know. How long lose 'em?
\g Yes, I know. How long ago did she [the goat] lose it [the (two)
kids]?
\s 114
\p Which way lose 'em?
\g Where did she lose them?
\s 114
\p Comenpanye close up finish juga-juga!
\g "Hot sun nearly kill the little one!"
\s 114
\p No see 'em that way [south]. Must be that way (pointing to
the
north).
\g I didn't see them in that direction [the south]. They must be
in that direction [the north].
\s 114
\p Picaninny track this way, but old pfella.
\g "baby track here, but this is an old one!"
\s 114
\p Mucka, close up four day
\g "not sure, but about four days"
\s 114
\p Big pfella wil-ba man-goora
\g There was a big wind four [days ago] ("I see big wind four days
ago, and these tracks were made before that")
\s 114
\p Juga-juga cooge-arra; no muder, only juga-juga.
\g "little one, two; no mother, only little ones"
\s 114
\p One day, mucka more!
\g [The tracks are] one day [old], no more.
\s 115
\p Oo-ah close up. Little one sick!
\g Yes, soon [I'll find it]. The little ones are sick.
\s 115
\p Sit down here!
\g Here they sat down.
\s 115
\p Play about here!
\g Here they played for a while.
\s 115
\p Minga pfella all time sit down!
\g [Here] they stayed for good because they were sick.
\s 115
\p Oo-ah, me been track 'em closeup!
\g Yes, I'll soon track it. [?]
\s 115
\p That one track old pfella goolga pup-bah.
\g That track is [of] an "old female dog".
\s 116
\p By-bye big pfella sleep all the time, sleep plenty.
\g Soon it will be fast asleep.
\s 116
\p Me catch 'em sleep, then spear 'em!
\g I'll catch it while it's asleep and spear it.
\s 116
\p Close up may be tindoo.
\g Perhaps when the "sun" is near. [?]
\s 116
\p Close up, fresh tracks just made. Soon be see 'em pup-bah!
\g It's near, there are fresh tracks that have just been made.
Soon we'll see the dingo.
\s 116
\p Pup-bah all-a-time keep moving.
\g A dingo keeps moving.
\s 117
\p By-by rest alonga tree; then spear 'em!
\g Then when it rested by a tree I speared it.
\s 117
\p Trousers all time make 'em noise; no good, nunga want 'em
free!
\g Trousers make noise; that's bad, a "blackfellow" wants to be
free.
\s 117
\p Me be want 'em 'bacca; you been lend 'em me, and me bring 'em
money back by-by!
\g I want tobacco; lend me the money and I'll bring it back later.
\s 118-19
\p Me been owe 'em you bob long time ago; you been give 'em me
'bacca;
now me pay.
\g I have owed you a bob from a bob long time ago; you gave me
tobacco and now I am paying.
\s 119
\p Oo-ah all finish up!
\g Yes, she has died.
\s 122
\p Mucka me!
\g "I don't know."
\s 122
\p Say, boss, nunga lazy mucka waijela!
\g "Say, boss, lazy blackfellow no good to whiteman."
\s 123
\p(Eur) Weir [wiya] tired pfella!
\g "No, he's a tired fellow"
\s 123
\p An-gool-a-jing ill-a shift 'em.
\g "I'll walk close up and shift him!"
\s 124
\p Nunga full sleep, me wake 'em close up!
\g The Aboriginal is fast asleep, but I'll soon wake him up.
\s 124
\p "new chum" black
\g [Aboriginal unaccustomed to European ways]
\s 125
\p Did 'debil-debil' make message?
\g Was therea telegraph message?
\s 126
\p Mucka fly until you come.
\g There were no flies until you came.
\s 127
\p Mucka, that pfella Tommy's.
\g No, it [the dog that killed a fowl] was Tommy's.
\s 127
\p Oo-ah boss, that plenty right. My dog go alonga mission
station.
\g Yes, boss, that's right. My dog went to the mission station.
\s 127
\p I lose 'em then; no good me!
\g Then I foolishly lost it.
\s 127
\p When dog start go church, mucka good Micky. I give 'em Tommy!
\g When the dog started to go to church, it was no good to Micky.
So I give it to Tommy.
\s 127
\p Me hungry pfella, no sleep 'em last night. You got 'em cold
tea?
\g I'm hungry, I didn't sleep last night. Do you have any cold
tea?
\s 127
\p Mucka lazy pfella, me boss.
\g I'm not lazy, I'm a boss.
\s 127
\p Boss pfella mucka work like that!
\g A boss doesn't do that kind of work.
\s 128
\p Oo-ah, mucka wood; hungry plenty, but not all finish up yet.
\g Okay, [I will] not [cut] wood; I am very hungry, but not yet
perishing.
\s 128
\p Mucka me, boss, I never been see 'em, true!
\g No I, boss [took your dingo trap]; I didn't see it, honestly.
\s 128
\p Truly, me no see 'em pup-pah!
\g Honestly, I didn't see any dingo.
\s 128
\p Mucka me, I been walk about spear 'em gib-arra.
\g Not I, I was walking around spear turkeys.
\s 128
\p Yarrie's dog been caught 'em alonga your trap.
\g Yarrie's dog got caught in your trap.
\s 128
\p Him mucka steal dog; only let 'em go.
\g He "would not" steal a dog; he only let it go.
\s 128
\p True pfella me, boss!
\g I'm telling the truth, boss.
\s 128
\p Book, show 'em me!
\g Show me the book.
\s 128
\p Mucka catch 'em yet; closeup two week now!
\g It [the kangaroo] hasn't caught it [the dog] yet; and it's
nearly
two weeks now [that it's been chasing it].
\s 128
\p Yes, I see 'em all right boss. Plenty shoot, by-by.
\g Yes, I see all right boss [how to load a gun]. I'll do a lot
of shooting later.
\s 129
\p Dunno. I lose 'em.
\g I don't know. I lost it.
\s 129
\p I been load 'em all right boss.
\g I loaded it [gun] all right, boss.
\s 129
\p Put powder, then shirt; then more powder, then more shirt;
then
more powder, then more shirt; then hold 'em up like this, then pull.
\g I put in the powder, then some shirt [instead of shot], then
more powder, then more shirt; then more powder, then more shirt; then I
held it [the musket] up like this, then I pulled [the trigger].
\s 129
\p Yes boss, kangaroo he go that way; me go this way; gun he go
hell plenty. Me been lose 'em.
\g Yes boss, the kangaroo went in that direction, I went in this
direction, and the gun went all the way to hell[?]. and I lost it.
\s 129
\p Oo-ah, close-up store.
\g Yes, there's a store nearby.
\s 129
\p Oo-ah, plenty paper alonga store!
\g Yes, there's a lot of paper(s) in the store.
\s 129
\p Mucka! What you been see'em for, eh?
\g "No." Why do you want to see it [my leg]?
\s 129
\p Oo-ah, you been show 'em me first time!
\g Okay, you show me yours first.
\s 129
\p Him gib it me!
\g He gave it to me.
\s 130
\p Him my man! Me Mrs ------.
\g He's my man. I am Mrs -------.
\s 130
\p This one turn 'em make 'em go plenty?
\g If you turn this thing [crank], does it make [the car] go?
\s 130
\p Oo-ah, what you call 'em that one?
\g Yes, and what do you call it?
\s 130
\p Moto' go plenty by crank eh?
\g So the motor starts by the use of the crank?
\s 130
\p Me think 'em all cranky, all same mot' crank!
\g I think you're all cranky, just like a motor crank.
\s 130
\p I come along supper time get 'em cold tea.
\g I'll come at supper time ["evening meal"] to get some cold tea
[dinner].[?]
\s 130
\p Oo-ah, me been drop 'em billy-can; plenty noise; no tea
inside.
\g Yes, I dropped the billy-can and it made a lot of noise, since
there's no tea [dinner] in it.
\s 131
\p You been got 'em cold tea, eh?
\g Do you have any cold tea [dinner]?
\s 131
\p What this one, Bubby?
\g What is this, Bubby?
\s 131
\p Balya boolga!
\g It's nice and big.[?] ("good, big")
\s 131
\p Oo-ah, me been see 'em alonga train.
\g Yes, I saw one on the train.
\s 131
\p That one balya!
\g That's a "good" one.
\s 131
\p Elephant balya, mucka tail, no good. Mar-leu tail, boolga
balya
\g The elephant is good ("good-oh"), but its tail is wrong. With
a kangaroo's tail it would be very good.
\s 131
\p Wil-ba plenty that pfella, all same us.
\g There's a lot of wind around him [a man wearing a kilt], just
as there is for us.("wind blows about that fellow the same as it does
to
us")
\s 132
\p Which one big pfella white man?
\g Which is the important White man?
\s 132
\p Bah! him no speak 'em all same white pfella!
\g Bah, he doesn't speak like a White man.
\s 132
\p Him silly old woman!
\g He's a silly old woman.
\s 132
\p You been sell 'em me watch?
\g Would you sell me the watch?
\s 132
\p Me tell 'em time!
\g I can tell the time.
\s 132
\p This one dinner time! [when watch hands both at XII]
\g This is dinner time.
\s 132
\p This one supper time! [when watch hands at VI and XII]
\g This is supper time.
\s 132
\p That one mucka medicine! By-by me smoke. Chunee catch 'em
fire!
Medicine all burn up!.
\g That [kerosene drops] isn't medicine. When I smoke later, my
"stomach" will catch fire and the medicine will all burn up.
\s 133
\p Me been get 'em ea-ar.
\g I got [received] a ear [pear].
\s 133
\p Mucka money; ea-ar.
\g Not money, but a ear.
\s 133
\p Oo-ah! Cor-nil-datta; all same brother apple!
\g Yes, it's like this [?], it's like a brother to an apple.
\s 133
\p Mucka no want 'em.What pfella that one?
\g I don't want anything. But what is that? [typewriter]
\s 133
\p That juga-juga picaninny big one?
\g Is that little one the child of the big one? [typewriters]
("That
little one baby big one?"
\s 133
\p Might be.
\g Perhaps.
\s 133
\p I dunno. Might be Jimmy, Mickey, Jackie, I think 'em.
\g I don't know. I think Jimmy, Mickey, or Jackie [will dance in
the corroboree tonight].
\s 134
\p Might be tomorrow, might be close up; all finish by-bye.
\g It will be tomorrow or perhaps sooner that it [the corroboree]
finish.
\s 134
\p White pfella call 'em 'light engine'.
\g Europeans call it a light engine.
\s 134
\p Mucka light pfella, plenty boolga!
\g It [the engine]'s not light, it's quite large. ("Not a light
engine, but a heavy one!)
\s 134
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