TA WIYINIYIRRK TA AMALKPANYKA JA MIKPAJIN LA JA JAMES WATSON Maung TA WIYINIYIRRK TA AMALKPANYKA JA MIKPAJIN LA JA JAMES WATSON Written and illustrated by Ja Nangila ja Marlparri Edited by H.E.Hewett Maung Warruwi (Goulburn Island) Bilingual Literature Production Centre 1981 PREFACE Both McPherson and James Watson are well remembered by the older people at Warruwi. McPherson spent many years trepanging in the area and Wigu is marked on the maps as McPherson's Point. James Watson arrived on Warruwi landing at Angpungijpa (Watson’s Tree) on 16th June 1916. He came back later when a mission was established at Martpalk where the present settlement is. Nangila of the Marlparri clan was a young boy at the time. It is amazing to see the accuracy of the drawings he produced of that era (1916-30) over 40 years later. Even the type of footwear McPherson wore are recorded and the J.McBride and Orient sketched with considerable detail. Nuka ja Mikpajin yuranka awunnyujiny ta awuyamangung ja jarripang. Awuyamany iminy pu, "Kayirrkapa iwamalkpa nuwurru ja kurrunpannyukiki fa nungmalal ta wurluj." Kayirrk la imalkpanyka James Watson. Malany ta wiyiniyirrk mira ta awurtiny Angpungijpa nukapa ilarrajpany ja James Watson. Ilarrajpany annyayantung warak Wigu iminy pu, "Arrkpalangali iwarruj." Pa awulingan iwarruj kirrkapa. Ilingan iwarruj nuyu ja arrunimalkpany kayirrk la ti angpulangung. Mikpajin kapa iwaning Wigu. Maninguliny mawngku wakapa iwaning wanyji tuka jampang kamalangali ja Mikpajin. La wakapa aniwuk-pirl warak ja James Watson. Yanatapa ja James Watson yuranka imalkpanyka kani Warruwi. Imalkpany tuka ngunymuk kamalangali imarrany aniwirlparrkang Wigu la Wiyarla warak. Annyunmangung tukapa ta karrkaj. Malany manilarkumakpangung kuroj awunnyujiny ta wularri ta algaj iwuwung la imajpungkiny ja arrkingan. Yuranka ja Mr. Watson tukapa ta kurrampalk iwaning. La apakangung mijin-ows. Apungulangung la kanipa yung kayirrk la imij-jap atjakan rtapulin. La ta tapaka ta yurakan yung nakapa skurl awurlgenang. Nukapa ja wiyiniyirrk mira inimany ja kapala kapa Thursday Island ja kani nuyupa Martpalk. Innyatpang injin ilijap la irri nuyu naka kerosine. Nakapa Mr. Hamer ja nuwuran Western Australia kuling innyatpang. Yangkung atimangung walij ta kapa Putawin. Makiny ja ratiyow marrik arryatpa la naka annyunmangungju wurluj. La nuka ja ingurlaj ja kapala ja J. McBride. Nukapa ja kapala inimany kapa Purum. Nakapa innyatpang injin ta Purum awaning la ta ilakpalarrjiny iwularkpungkun injin la inimanykayu kapala. Nukapa kani arryatpang Martpalk la ja McBride ingurrinang atimangung walij wu Milingimbi la nuka kanipa atimangungka. Nukapa arryatpang arntulyak marrik muj ja imajunyi ta kani la ta awulakpalarrjiny Putawin. La ja ingurlaj ja kapala Orient. La muka mata karrkpin mira mata kupuny, ngarrkarrk la yarakap ja karrurru. Malany maninguliny Nawumut. Maninguliny Yalngarri ja Majarrarla inyimalkpany. Malany mangurlaj Larry mata kupuny. WHEN MCPHERSON AND JAMES WATSON FIRST CAME TO WARRUWI Mr. McPherson came and showed the people how to work trepang. Then he said to them, "Soon someone will come to tell you about the good news." After that James Watson arrived. The first time they landed at Angpungijpa (Watson's Tree) James Watson stood on the beach. Standing there he looked towards Wigu. He said to them, "We will worship." They all worshipped together. They worshipped Our Father and then they drank tea. Mr. McPherson lived at Wigu. He made himself a shelter there near the tamarind trees. It was there that James Watson met up with him. When James Watson came the next time he landed at where the ngunymuk tree stands, and lifting his arms pointed towards Wigu in one direction, and Wiyarla in the other.1 He told them that this was the island. He acted out what the cross looked like and explained what it meant. When Mr. Watson first came he lived in this place. At that time they were building the mission house. While they were building it he lived here, but later on moved into a tent. And that place where he stayed first became the school. When white people first came here they got a boat from Thursday Island to be used here at Martpalk. It had an engine which ran on kerosine. A man called Mr. Hamer from Western Australia was the captain. He used to bring supplies from Darwin. It didn't have a radio, so news was passed on by word of mouth. The name of that boat was the J.McBride. Another boat we had was the Orient. They got this boat from Broome. It used to have an engine, but when they bought it the engine was removed and they just brought the boat itself here. We always kept this boat here at Martpalk and it was the J.McBride which carried the supplies from Darwin to Milingimbi. The Orient then brought them on here. We had it a long time and it didn't just get old it was sold in Darwin. This very big canoe had three sails. Nawumut made this canoe. The Nawumut who made this canoe was Yalngarri the father of Majarrarla. The name of the canoe is Larry.2 NOTES 1. The ngunymuk tree refered to is on the edge of the cliff in front of the Sister's Cottage and the old Mission House/present Council Buildings. This place still has a significance to some of the older people such as Meiyahany and Indjaraba. 2. Ma jarrarla (Madjarala)is the mother of a large and important family including, Kharki Marrala, Malangawa 1, Nabalamirri, and Marali 1.