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[Page 23]
the young Gins all wore peticotes as well as the blanket
the old ones did not bother with them, They used to look
after the children, forage for ods and ends to get a feed
for them, make nets = Fish, dig "Towuck" (that is the root
of a vine that grows in the Brushes) = it was not bad but
very little flavour = you might almost say none, it was
very white and flowerey when cooked they always
roasted it = They must have had hard work getting it
as the holes they have left show as some of them are very
deep_like small wells, they dug them with a pointed
stick, they went by the name of "yam sticks" = if the Women
had a row they used them to fight with, they used them
much the same as single slick is used = there was often
a row when the Darkie had two wives = the men let them
fight it out = did not interfere = The Women used to take
the young tubers of the Arun = what the Whites call "Cungavoy"
(Native name "Beautuck") it is a most acrid root, but they
used to roast it and pound it up between stones untill
all the acrid matter was got out of it, then after all it was
like chewing a bit of indiarubber = They used to dig up
other small roots and eat them = They were a nasty dirty
lot about their eating, I have seen a Blackfellow after
he had singed off the wool from a Possum, open it and
take out the inside = take out the Kidneys and eat them
raw = I think all did that, and I have seen a Blackfellow
roast the inside of a Paddymelon and eat the intestins _ and
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