Benonie Harrie: "How I Found Gold" (1927)

Note: This text retains de Angulo and Freeland's transcriptions in some cases when it differs from the current spelling. For example, double consonants are written and some words de Angulo and Freeland transcribe with unexpected vowels or consonants retain those unexpected vowels or consonants. Long vowels, ', ch, th, sh and accent (where possible) are written using the current spelling system.

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[1]	ithâan	mit	masúruk	saamváru-k	ní-shxaay-tih-at
	once	near.past	up.a.creek	creek-Locative	1s(>3)-fish.with.line-DUR-PAST

Once I went up the creek, fishing with hook and line.

[2]	xas	kaan	ni-máh-at	pi'êep	va-'irípraam
	then	there	1s(>3)-see-PAST	long.ago	3sPOSS-mine.(for.ore)

There I saw an old mine.

[3]	xas	pishyávpiish	vaa	kaan	ni-kvêeshrih-ar
	then	autumn	so	there	1s(>3)-spend.night-go.to

The next autumn I went back and camped there.

[4]	simsimmúruk	ni-'ávikva
	pan.for.panning.gold	1s(>3)-take.(one.object)

I took a pan with me.

[5]	xás	kári	ni-ktamkúrihva
	then	then	1s(>3)-pan.for.gold

And [I] started right in panning.

[6]	yanava	u-spúka-hi-ti	kaan
	visible	3s(>3)-dentalium.shells-DENOM-DUR	there

I found there was gold there.

[7]	xas	kari	íripar	ni-p-sár-ar
	then	then	pick-axe	1s(>3)-ITER-carry.(things)-go.to

Then I went after a pick.

[8]	kari	xás	ni-'íripkurih	matée	kuma-yaayaach
	then	then	1s(>3)-dig.hole	later	3sPOSS-better

The farther down I dug the better luck I had.

[9]	cháavura	satáran-ak	ni-'íripishri
	finally	bedrock-Locative	1s(>3)-dig.down

Finally I got down to bed-rock.

[10]	kâan	xas	kêech-as	p-éeshpuk	cháavura	áxxak	ni-mma
	there	then	big-PL	the-dentalium.shells	finally	two	1s(>3)-see

And right there I found two big gold nuggets.

[11]	kuyrakinívkihámmahich	kun-íthvoo-hi-ti
	eight.each	3pl(>3s)-be.named-ESS-DUR

They were worth eight dollars apiece.

[12]	karu	kâakum	kuma-tupichas-h-á-yaach-as	xakinivki'itráhyar	chávura	ni-mma	koovura
	also	some	3sPOSS-small.ones-DENOM-DEVERB-Intensive-PL	seventy	finally	1s(>3)-see	all

Then there were a lot of smaller ones, so that in the end I had seventy dollars in all.

[13]	viri-va	payváaheem	vura	kári	kaan	ni-p-iktamkurihv-an-kôo-ti
	so-so	nowadays	Intensive	then	there	1s(>3)-ITER-pan.for.gold-go.to-to-DUR

Even now I go back and pan at that place.

[14]	kári	vura	ni-xú-ti	kúkuum	vura	ikhich	ni-máh-is	táay	hôoyvurava	vaa	kâan
	then	Intensive	1s(>3)-think-DUR	again	Intensive	maybe	1s(>3)-see-FUT	much	somewhere.or.other	so	there

I still think maybe I'll make a find again somewhere right there.