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24b
Staaten River: they certainly cross the Mitchell and on the south may proceed to the Gilbert River to meet the Kundara whose territory extends down to Normanton, whil to the eastwards they do not go further than Dunbar. The main camp of there Gunanni is believed to be in the close proximity of Topsy's Waterhole, not very remote from the Near Mitchell River Aboriginal Reserve. The Kundara exercise rights over the coast Country between the Nassau and Staaten Rivers, Mentana Station which is in the close neigh-bourhood of their main camp is called Ngabe-ngamadam.
18. The Pennefather (Coen) River District *15. Although this account of the district blacks was gathered at Mapoon it was given me by Pennefather River (= Coen River on the old maps) Aboriginals, the Nggéri-Kudi, who speak yopo-dini (yopo = [indecipherable]). It would appear that there are probably not half-a-dozen remnants left of the original Mapoon people. The following groups of natives are found in this ethnographical district, the numbers in bracks, referring to the sketch map. The Nggerikudi(2) (nggeri = sand-bank) whose home is on the north side of the Pennefather River; they are the most numerous of all of the coastal people, and the majority of them are now settled at Mapoon. The Gamiti (1) are on the north shore of Port Musgrave, ie. between the Ducie
15* These notes were originally compiled in 1899 during my first official visit of inspection to the Mapoon and Weipa Mission Stations, to the various cattle-runs in teh hinterland, and to the Mein, Moreton, and McDonnell Offices on the Cape York Overland Telegraph line. I am indebted to Rev. N. Hey of Mapoon for much of this information.