EDWARD ESAU TO JOSEPH ESAU. 423 
EDWARD ESAU TO JOSEPH ESAU, AT PAWNEE AGENCY. 
February 17, 1879. 
Pahan‘gadi wawidaxu cu¢da¢é ¢a™ja, wabdg¢eze qada gdidagaji. 
back 
Formerly I wrote several Isent to you though, letter you have not 
things to you again sent it back. 
I"tea" Pan‘ka amd ag¢fi yi, u¢i¢ai, ¢ida™ba-bi ai éga", fe djtibaqtei 
Now Ponka the (pl. they when, they told that he had seen he as, word ~ very few 
sub.) have come about you, you said 
back 
uwib¢a ta minke. Cé¢u jiiwig¢e te¢an’di cta™’be te¢a™ ca™ca™ qti ma™b¢i" 
I will tell to you. Yonder whenI was with youin yousawme inthe always I walk 
the past past 
ha. Ca” nié cté a¢in’gé-qti-ma™, wa‘ wiwfja cin’gajin’ga wiwfja-ma 
And pain even Tam really destitute of, woman my child those who are 
mine 
eti, Ca™ im¢é-qti ga” ma*b¢i” ha. Ki eddda™ dhigi ab¢it’-maji. 
too. And Iam very so I walk : And what many I have not. 
glad 
A*wa™qpani tedbe ma™bfi”. A™ba gé ca” wija™be ka™b¢a-qti-ma™ ha. 
Iam poor very I walk. Day the at any I see you Ihave a strong desire 
(pl.in. rate 
ob.) 
Ca” wWar¢ingé’qti eb¢éga’-na*ima™ ha. Ki maja” wéahidé’qti ¢andji™ 
Yet all in vain T usually think it 5 And land ata great distance you stand 
ada", & awake, wija”be té b¢i‘a ha. Ca” Uma™ha*-md_ wacta™be 
because, it I mean, I see you the I an un- : And the Omahas you saw them 
able 
ca"ca™qtia™ ita" udagti a¢ai. Ca™ waqi”ha pahan’gadi cugéagé ¢a™ 
continued all the now very good they go. And paper formerly IT sent to you the 
time ob. 
g¢iaji éga, i¢dyuhéga" fe té djiibaqtci widaxe ha. Cé wabig¢eze qd¢a 
has not as, as I apprehend word the very few I make for 5 That letter bac 
returned unseen trouble you again 
g¢ia”¢aki¢é yi, ci fe d‘iba uwib¢a ta minke. Ca™ uq¢é’qtci @mbaxu 
youcauseittohave if, again word some I will give to you. And very soon write to me 
returned 
i¢a-ga. Wind‘a™ té ka™b¢a-qti-ma™ ha. 
send it Ihearfrom the IThavea strong desire 
hither. you 
NOTES. 
Edward Esau, or Huta*ta", an Omaha, is the maternal uncle of the younger Frank 
La Fléche. His cousin, Joseph, became interpreter for the Ponkas in 1880. 
723, 2. yi, used here in a past sense; but tédi is the common term. 
723, 4. Supply nie wa¢in’/géqtiai, they are really without it, after wiwija-ma cti. 
TRANSLATION. 
I wrote about several matters to you formerly, but you have not sent a letter back 
again. Now that the Ponkas have returned they have told about you, saying that 
they saw you, so I will tell you a very few words. Ihave always continued as you 
saw me when you and I were together. I am well, and my wife and children are also 
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