212 BUREAU OF AMERICAN" ETHNOLOGY [bull. 67 



19. The Big Fire ^ 



(Told by William Smith in 1910) 



Te'ma'L-axa yala'sau hak'iKwa's, mis qami'n tkE'lltsli s-leVi'; 

 sin ta-^ tem-axa sin Li^ tem-axa sin ha^*t!, tern sin ta^^ ts-Ll'yak" 

 tern mu'^'hu sin ta^* ts-mu'tsk"ak" tern ts-la'qask' ^ — psi'nLX ts- 

 mukwa^stELik' — tem-axa xa'mELi tsumkwa^stELik' xam ma'hatsk' , 

 5 tem-axa xa'mELi ts-mukwa^stELik* xe'Lk' ts-ma'hatsk* ,^ tem-axa 

 xa'niELl tsumkwa^stELlk' tern psi'iiLX ts-ma'hatsk" ; tai^ mu°'hu 

 ts-mEqami'ntisk* . Tem mu°'lii mEqe''''yaiix s-le'wi'. Te'min 

 ma'hats is ta'ming'ink'.* Tema'^L mu"'hii mEya'xauxa. Las qau'x 

 as pi'tskum,^ te'mlta qamlisuwitxai'. Temi'LX mu°'hu niEya'- 



10 sauxa. "K-lillya^ na'k's ni'sk'ik's ayai'm. Intsk"i's hi'tE tsa^ti 

 k'is hilkwisa'a qas le'wi'?" K'i'Lxats i'mstE yo'la. "K'iL hi'k'e 

 qxenk'sai'm Ltowai'sk'ik's,^ Lis k'im tkEltts li'yiisxam." Temi'LX 

 mu'^'hu k'e'a tkEllts li'yusxa k"im. Temu"'hii qamli' s-le'wi'. 

 Hi'ke mEpa'halaiixa ts-hainai'sk' as pi'tskum. ^Liya^ aqa^tit-s- 



]5 intsk i's k"is liilkwisa'a qas le'wl'; Lk'ili'tla k'is auli'm. Temu°'hu 

 qamli' s-leVi'. Hata'mE hi'k'e ya'lal tas Lk'ili'tla, mis mu°'hu 

 qamll'-slo. TkEllts!i's 'k'atiLi'. Lqe'^'hiyii s-le'wi', hata'mE hi'k'e 

 Lpa'halij'ii s-le'wi'. K'Ets LEyai'xayii kus Lk'ili'tla. Nak" k'Ets 

 sipQ'yu, k'is k'im tkEllts!i'm. Hata'mE hi'k'e ya'lal ta ^ Lk'ili'tla, 



20 hata'mE hi'k'e tsko'la ts-pi'iisxamsk' . "K'-liliya^ na'k's ayai'mi, 

 k'iL hi'k'e tas hu°'k'i itsai'm a'lik'an." Tem niEya'sauxa sin ta^*. 

 "K'-liliya^ na'mk' na'k's ayai'm. TkE'lttsIaxa is le'wi'." 



Wi'lx mu'^'hu kus yai'xaitxak's ku Lk'ili'tla. Temu°'hu hi'k'e 

 Lqe°'hiyii s-le'wi', hata'mE hi'k'e Lpa'haliyu s-leSvi'. Te'mlta 



25 'Liya- qa^'tsE mis LEai'sGnx as nii'ns haluwi'k'sautxau 'k'as na'tk' '. 

 Temu'^'hu k' !o'qudiyu'LX tsi'tsk' !iyust!Exk' qa'sin ta^*. Temu°'hu 

 qa'sin ta'^ ts-mu'tsk'ak" tem k' !oqudi'yiiLX xiitsa' tsi'tsk' !iyust!- 

 Exk'. Tem hi'k'e k'im plQi' a'lik'an as nu'ns. Te'maux mu"'liii 

 k'i'mhak's ayai', temau'x mu^'lm tsi'tsk' !ayiJLX, temau'x mu°'hii 



30 Lxamnai'nx k'im. TkEllts!i^st as nii'ns ts-pElii"pEliik* , tem-axa ita^ 

 ts-si'yak' tkE'llts!itsit. Temu'^'hiiLuQ'hixtemtsisa'hixliamsti^hik'e 

 ts-hats!i'lalk;temu°'hii haihaitsau^ya'lnx^ Lk'iltli'sik's. 'Liya^ au'l is 

 ko'x" LEya'tsit sili'kwEx. Ko'k" hi'k'e LEya'tsit sili'kwEx is i'nais. 

 Hata'mE hi'k'e tas kaka'ya^ ya'lal tas Lk'ili'tla. Hi'k'e Lqe'^'hiyu 



35 s-le'wi'. Wa^na' hi'k'e as pi'tskum. Hi'k'e hamsti^ tkE'llts'.axa 



1 It IS interesting to note that the same story was obtained among the Coos as a Creation myth. See 

 Frachtenberg, Coos Texts, p. 52. This fire, which raged over a large part of Oregon, took place some sixty 

 years ago, and trace.-? of it can still be seen. 



2 The plural form ts-tsd'siduk- would have been more proper. 



s The plural form (s-li'mzadook- would have been more proper. 

 * He was about 14 years old. 



5 Literally, "the .smi was high." 



6 The present site of the Cape Ceteha lighthouse. 

 ' For tas. 



8 Reduplicated stem halls- to carry, to bring. 



