Ngarralja Tommy May: Jila Kurtal

 I was big when I left my country. I was already hunting by myself. I was with my young brother and my mother. My father was dead by this time. He passed away in the desert. We walked to the north, to Lampu well [Well 49 on the Canning Stock Route]. We came to old Balgo mission and spent time walking around Old Billiluna Station, Old Balgo Mission and Paraku (Lake Gregory). Countrymen who were already working on the station knew from our warlu (fires) that we were there. We knew about stockmen already. Some were from our family; they gave us bullock meat. After living around there for a good while we walked [west] to Jurnjarti; there’s a jila (spring water) there. We sat down on top of the jilji (sandhill) waiting. We were just bushmen, waiting for damper – we were hungry. They brought a bucket of tea and big mob of damper.