THE RELAPSE.
Reading edition
In the Klamath Lake Dialect by Dave Hill. Obtained by A.S. Gatschet.
Hä náyäns hissuáksas mā'shitk kálak, tsúi kíuks nä'-ulakta tchu-
When another man fell sick as relapsed, then the conjurer concludes to
tánuapkuk. Tchúi tchúta; tchúi yá-uks huk shläá kálak a gēk. Tchi
treat (him). And he treats; and remedy this finds out (that) relapsed he. Thus
huk shuî'sh sápa. Tsúi nā'sh shuī'sh sáyuaks hú'mtcha kálak, tchúi 3
the song- remedy indicates. And one song- remedy having found out (that) of the kind of relapsed (he is), then
nánuk húk shuī'sh tpä'wa hú'nksht kaltchitchíkshash heshuampĕlítki
all those remedies indicate (that) him the spider (-remedy) would
gíug. Tchúi hú'k káltchitchiks yá-uka; ubá-us húk káltchitchiksam
cure. Then the spider treats him; a piece of deer-skin of the spider
tchutĕnō'tkish. Tsúi húkantka ubá-ustka tchutá; tätáktak huk 6
(is) the curing-tool. Then by means of that deer-skin he treats (him); just the size of the spot that
kálak mā'sha, gä'tak ubá-ush ktú'shka tä'tak huk mā'sha. Tsúi húk
relapse is infected, so much of deer-skin he cuts out as where he is suffering. Then
káltchitchiks siunóta nä'dsḵank hú'nk ubá-nsh. Tchú'yuk p'laíta
the "spider" song is started while applying that skin piece. And he over it
nétatka skútash, tsúi sha hú'nk udú'pka hänä'shishtka, tsúi hú'k 9
he stretches a blanket, and they it strike with conjurer's arrows, then it
gutä'ga tsulä'kshtat; gä'tsa lú'pí kiatéga, tsúi tsulē'ks ḵ'läká, tchúi
enters into the body; a particle firstly enters, then (it) body becomes, and
at pushpúshuk shlē'sh húk ubá-ush. Tsúi mā'ns tánkĕni ak waítash
now dark it to look at that skin-piece. Then after a while after so and so many days
hú'k púshpúshli at mā'ns=gîtk tsulä'ks=sitk shlä'sh. Tsí ní sáyuakta; 12
that black (thing) at last (is) flesh-like to look at. Thus I am informed;
túmi hú'nk sháyuakta hú'masht=gîsht tchutī'sht; tsúyuk tsúshni
many men know (that) in this manner were effected cures; and he then always
wä'mpĕle.
was well again.
NOTES.
585, 1. náyäns hissuáksas: another man than the conjurers of the tribe. The objective case shows that mā'shitk has to be regarded here as the participle of an impersonal verb: mā'sha núsh, and mā'sha nú, it ails me, I am sick.
585, 2. yá-uks is remedy in general, spiritual as well as material. Here a tamánuash song is meant by it, which, when sung by the conjurer, will furnish him the certainty if his patient is a relapse or not. There are several of these medicine-songs, but all of them (nánuk hú'k shuī'sh) when consulted point out the spider-medicine as the one to apply in this case. The spider's curing-instrument is that small piece of buckskin (ubá-ush) which has to be inserted under the patient's skin. It is called the spider's medicine because the spider-song is sung during its application.
585, 10. gutä'ga. The whole operation is concealed from the eyes of spectators by a skin or blanket stretched over the patient and the hands of the operator.
585, 10. kiatéga. The buckskin piece has an oblong or longitudinal shape in most instances, and it is passed under the skin sideways and very gradually.
585, 11. tánkĕni ak waítash. Dave Hill gave as an approximate limit five days' time.