Page:History of Oregon Literature.djvu/100

writers know only these few words and do not know these very well."

The following examples of literature in the Chinook jargon have been selected to represent most of the forms that could be found—hymns, sermons, prayers, translations, songs, poetry, dialogues, harangues, a letter, and the sad death plea of Qualchien.

1

Chinook Sermon to the Indians in 1888

By Myron Eells

About a fourth of the sermon, consisting of the first four paragraphs, is given here. The speaker used large pictures to which he referred in his discourse.

Moxt Sunday ahnkuttie nika memook kumtux mesika kopa okoke papeh. Yahwa mesika manitch moxt klootchmen. Klaska chaco kopa mimaloose-illahee, kah Jesus mitlite, kopa Sunday, kopa delate tenas sun. Spose klaska klap okoke mimaloose-illahee, klaska halo manitch Jesus. Jesus get-up; yaka klatawa. Kahkwa nika wawa kopa mesika talkie Sunday.

Okoke sum mika tikegh wawa kopa mesika kopa okoke papeh. Kimtah Jesus yaka get-up, yaka mitlite kopa illahee lakit tahtlum sun. Spose kopet lakit tahtlum sun, Jesus yaka tikegh klatawa kopa Saghalie. Kahkwa yaka lolo yaka tillikums klahanie kopa town, kopa okoke illahee kah mesika manitch klaska. Yahwa mesika nanitch Jesus. Yahwa yaka tillikums. Jesus yaka tikegh potlatch kloshe wawa kopa yaka tillikums, elip yaka killapi kopa Saghalie.

Alta mika mamook kumtux mesika kopa Jesus yaka wawa kope yaka tillikums. Yaka wawa kopa klaska: "Kloshe mesika klatawa kopa konoway illahee, konoway kah, pe lolo Bible wawa kopa konoway tillikums." Kahkwa Jesus yaka wawa kopa klaska.

Jesus yaka kumtux konoway tillikums, konoway kah, halo kumtux kopa kloshe home kopa Saghalie. Klaska halo kum-