LETTERS DICTATED BY OMAHAS AND PONKAS. 491 
NOTE. 
490, 1. e‘a® mathni® e awana‘a® ka"b¢a. This use of ‘awana‘a"” is unusual. The 
regular form is “wina‘a®,” I hear from you, as in the text, three lines below. 
TRANSLATION. 
I wish to hear how you are. I wish to hear whether you and your people are in 
good health and are prospering. Since you left the land, we ever think of you through- 
out the day. I desire to hear from you whether you are doing very well in the land to 
which you went. We do not know about our own affairs, how they will be. For up 
to this time the white people have not done for us even one of the things which they 
promised. Therefore that is it; that is why we donot know when we may, at least, 
see you, without hope of anything else. Still, I for my part wish to see you, and I hope 
that, when the letter reaches you, you will send one back very soon. I desire to hear 
the news. Your younger brother, Heqaga-jinga, is dead. He was a very stout-hearted 
man, but he is dead. The men and chiefs are very sad. Even the women and the 
young men are sorrowful. What vegetables we planted are good. We have plenty of 
wheat, and we have done very well in raising corn. 
WANACEKIGABI TO WAJI*’A-GAHIGA. 
Ci waqi”ha ¢a” g¢ia’ ¢aki¢é té, wa¢ita™ ké Ahigi, A*wan’kee de, 
Again letter the you made it come when, work the aeons I was sick, but 
_ (ob.) back to me 
m™tca" wagazuqti b¢i” ha. Ki wag¢ita" ké ag¢icta™ yi, cin’gajin’ga ¢agi- 
at present very straight Tam : And work a I finish mine when, child you 
(ob. 
cta"be taté. Wawaqpani ha. Can’ge cti wa¢in’gai ha. Cangd¢e _ taitd. 
see your shall. We are poor Horse too we have none co We goto you shall (pl.). 
Usni té’di, canga¢e tan’gata™. Wa‘t ¢inké uqpa¢éa¢a- maji ka™ b¢a, ¢ijan’ ge; 
Cold when, we goto you we who will. Woman the (ob.) T lose her not Iwish, yourdaughter; 
ida" ¢agicta"be taté. Wija”be té di, Me‘dga, nin’de i’uda™ ka™béa. 
therefore you see your shall. I see you when, O old man, heart good to me I wish. 
Ma¢adi can’ge uwib¢a edta" anga¢i" ha; cta™be etéga®. Wagqi”ha cuhi 
Last winter horse T told you sofar we have it ; you see it apt. Letter reaches 
about you 
té‘di, efa” ma™hni™ té uq¢é’qtci i¢a¢é ka” b¢a, waqi”ha. Wind‘a" ka™ b¢a. 
~ when, how youwalk the very soon you send I wish, letter. T hear from I wish. 
: ere you 
Cin’ gajin’g oa gabe ¢ijan’ge eya ¢anké wagina‘a® ga™ ¢ai. 
hree your aenented her theones_ to nee about sho wishes. 
who them, hers, 
NOTES. 
See the letter of Ma*tcen-na"ba to Agitcita, August 22, 1878. 
491, 5. imc‘aga, contracted from i*c‘age-ha. 
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