Translation of HM Ball CJ letter

[Bruce, Colin]

Just for fun, I've given it a burl too.  Sometimes I took /sick tumtum/ to
mean worried and sometimes jealous.  And I thought maybe /papoose wawa/ was
cry.  Could /spose halo kumtux/ mean when I wasn't informed?  Anyways good
fun!

Our dear friend Mrs. Claudet

I've been worried you haven't written, it's been three months without
knowing if you're still at home or dead, when I wasn't informed you were
sick I was very angry indeed, and then your two boys were crying, Bailie
shouldn't have gotten angry with your mother.  

I suppose it won't be long and winter will be over in New West.  Then you
and your husband will be taking the kids to C[?????] to see the Brunette
River and have a picnic and have some Brandy and Soda.  I'm jealous.  It's
still five [????] of snow and I'm not far off turning into an icicle.
Pretty soon all the Americans will go "mad dog" too.

Our friend Elwyn wants have a good chat with you and your husband and I also
need to talk to your husband and kids.   If you don't write soon, I'll
abandon you and [you] won't be our friend [anymore].  

For now I'll say,
Farewell friend,
I remain [yours]

HM Ball

-----Original Message-----
From: Bernard Schulmann [mailto:bernard at SHAMA.CA]
Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2004 7:09 PM
To: CHINOOK at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG
Subject: Re: Translation of HM Ball CJ letter


Some more details that make this interesting.

http://www.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca/visual/fgclaudet/claudet.htm

When did she learn the language? Why was he writing her in CJ when both
were part of the English ruling elite?

Bernard

David Robertson wrote:

>Hi,
>
>Here is my first crack at transcribing & translating the letter.
>Reactions are solicited.
>
>--Dave R.
>
>
>
>
>Ball to Claudet, CJ letter transcription
>
>[page 1:]
>
>Hyhu Chick-amin Illahee
>Feb. 26th 1871
>
>Nisika hyas Closhe tilicum Mrs Claudet
>
> Nika hyhu sick tumtum mika
>halo mamook paper copa nika, yarka
>klun moon nika halo kumtux
>mika midlight copa mika house,
>or mika mameloose, spose nika
>halo kumtux ankuttie mika sick,
>nika chaco hyhu silex delaite,
>pe alta misika mox tenas-man
>papoose wawa, wake closhe
>Ballie chaco silex copa mika
>mama.  Nika tumtum wake
>syah cupit cold illahee copa
>New West?  pe mika, pe mika
>Man clatiwa konamok
>mika papoose, copa cavern [?], pe
>nanitch yaka tenas Chuck
>Brusette, pe mamook muck
>-a-muck, pe muck-a muck
>Blandy pe-pop-chuck.  –
>Nika hyhu sick Tumtum.
>Quanishum quinum pride
>snow, pe wake syah nika
>chaco all-the-same hyas long
>Ice, pe tenas leelee konaway
>Boston man chaco all the same
>masatche kamucks.
>
>[page 2:]
>
>Nisika tilicum Elwyn [?] tike mamook
>hyas closhe wawa copa mika
>pe mika man, pe
>nika wawa all-the-same
>copa mika man pe mika
>papoose.  Spose mika halo
>mamook paper copa nika
>delate nika chaco hyhu
>silex pe nika marsh mika
>pe halo midlight nisika
>tilicum.
>
>Alta nika wawa
>
> Kla-ha-yu tilicum
> Nika midlight
>
>  HM Ball
>
>[page 1:]
>
>Land of Plenty Gold [?; = Lytton, BC?]
> Feb. 26th 1871
>
>Our dear friend Mrs [Francis George] Claudet
>
> I am sad that you
>haven't written to me, it’s
>three months that I haven’t heard [if]
>you’re alive at your home,
>or you’re dead, [and] if I
>don’t hear that you’ve been sick,
>I’m going to be angry for sure,
>but now your two boys
>say,
>Ballie shouldn’t get mad at you,
>Mother.  I think
>winter is almost over in
>New West[minster]?  and you, and your
>husband will go with
>your children, to the cavern [?], to
>see that
>Brusette Creek, and
>eat, and drink
>brandy-and-sodas.  --
>I am very sad.
>For five Fridays [?] it’s been
>snowing, and I’ve practically
>turned into a big
>icicle, and pretty soon all
>the Whites will turn into
>rabid dogs.
>
>[page 2:]
>
>Our friend Elwyn [?] wishes to send
>best greetings to you
>and your husband, and
>I say the same to your husband and your
>children.  If you don’t
>write to me
>I will really become very
>mad and I will cast you off
>and we won’t be
>friends.
>
>Now I’ll say
>
> Good-bye friend
> I am
>
> H[enry] M[aynard] Ball
>
>
>