an aboriginal hut. The word isaboriginal, and has been spelt variously. Mia-mia isthe most approved spelling, mi-mi the most approvedpronunciation. See Humpy.
1845. R. Howitt, `Australia,' p. 103:
«There she stood in a perfect state of nudity, a little wayfrom the road, by her miam, smiling, or rather grimacing.»
1852. Letter from Mrs. Perry, given in Canon Goodman's Churchin Victoria during Episcopate of Bishop Perry,' p. 167:
«We came upon the largest (deserted) native encampment we hadever seen. One of the mia-mias (you know what that is by thistime – – the a is not sounded) was as large as an ordinarysized circular summer-house, and actually had rude seats allround, which is quite unusual. It had no roof, they neverhave, being mere break-weathers, not so high as a man'sshoulder.»
1855. W. Howitt, `Two Years in Victoria,' vol. i. p. 366:
«They constructed a mimi, or bower of boughs on the other,leaving portholes amongst the boughs towards the road.»
1858. T. McCombie, `History of Victoria,' c. vii. p. 96:
«Their thoughts wandered to their hunting-grounds and mia-miason the Murray.»
1861. T. McCombie, `Australian Sketches,' p. 15:
[Notice varied spelling in the same author.]«Many of the diggers resided under branches of trees made intosmall `miams' or `wigwams.'»
1871. C. L. Money, `Knocking About in New Zealand,' p. 42:
«The next day I began building a little `mi-mi,' to serveas a resting-place for the night in going back at any timefor supplies.»
1883. E. M. Curr, `Recollections of Squatting in Victoria'(1841-1851), p. 148:
«Of the mia-mias, some were standing; others had, whollyor in part, been thrown down by their late occupants.»
1888. D. Macdonald, `Gum Boughs,' p. 32:
«A few branches thrown up against the prevailing wind,in rude imitation of the native mia-mia.»
1889. Rev. J. H. Zillmann, `Australian Life,' p. 111:
«[The blacks] would compel [the missionaries] to carry theirburdens while travelling, or build their mia-mias when haltingto camp for the night; in fact, all sorts of menial offices hadto be discharged by the missionaries for these noble black menwhile away on the wilds!»
[Footnote]: «Small huts, made of bark and leafy boughs, builtso as to protect them against the side from which the windblew.»