In the time of ancient people lived my great grandfather's younger brothers.

Comment:
The word SoromEpul does not bear any case or postpositional marking.

He had a lot of children then.

Comment:
It is unclear to whom this sentence refers.

All these children lived together with the family of my mother.

They travelled to see each other through the forests like ancient people. In summer they always traveled from one river to another on a Russian boat to set up seign nets. They travelled on the Korkodon, Nelucho, Shamanixa, Popovka, and Jasachnaja.

Comment:
On eks'il' and qa:rbEs see (19-6). Korkodon, Nelucho, Shamanixa, Popovka, and Jasachnaja are the small local rivers; in the text they are referred to by their Yukaghir names.

He was a very strong man.

Comment:
Apparently one of the great grandfather's younger brothers is meant.

The old man was a relative of all our people in Nelemnoe, of the Solncevs and Shalugins.

Comment:
Dolganovs, Solncevs and Shalugins are Yukaghir families in Nelemnoe. The word monut is here used as a postposition.

Although he became a grown up fellow, he almost died at a young age. He used to tell about it.

Comment:
The use of the negation El= is unclear.

"We came to the place where there was a bear hole."

Comment:
In this sentence the speaker switches to direct speech.

He thought: "Is there a bear here?"

Comment:
The word SoromE 'man' here refers to the bear.

His coat was made of two-finger thick elk skin. This was a coat that one puts on from the back.

Comment:
Yukaghir coats called maGil were made of leather. Winter coats were decorated with fur. The coats were fastened in the front with leather strips but seamed down the back. This is what is meant herer by "a coat that one puts on from the back". The woman's coat differed very little from the man's coat. Both men and women used to wear aprons or breats-cloths under the coat. Women decorated them with metal pendants called melut-pod'orqE literally 'breast sun'.

He put it on and sat down by the entrance holding his spear under his arm on his back.

He took his spear.

When a bear came he did not move his spear. He didn't approach the bear, but threw the spear back, and so killed it.

Comment:
In the hunters' taboo language nug- 'to find' means 'to kill'. C'obinE is a spear used to kill large animals, especially reindeer.

He also killed a bear that was crossing the river. They said there were no cartridges on the small river.

Comment:
The meaning of this sentence is unclear.

He took some cartridges and shot with them before the bear approached closer.

He took it by its back and brought here.

He carried it back.

He used to cut an elk male in half, load it on a Russian boat and carry it to the forest.

Comment:
The word qa:rbEs- 'Russian boat' here functions as a verb.

Once when the old man was still young, they started building a church.

Comment:
In this sentence the relative clause is atypically expressed by the Different-Subject Converb.

They hung the biggest church bell. They needed a thirty eight meter long tree to erect a cross.

Comment:
The syntax of this sentence is unclear.

Six people hung this bell.

There were three Yakuts and three Yukaghirs on a boat.

When they went along our river Jasachnaja, they knew a shallow place with channels called Jevrazhka.

They had seen a tree lying there.

They thought how many yards it was and decided that it would do.

Comment:
Men'd'E is literally 'sazhen', the old Russian measure of length of about two meters, which roughly corresponds to 'fathom'.

"If we cut it and float it down, it will do."

While the people who found the tree for building a church were absent, the others put it by the church and gave money to those who would guard it.

Comment:
The word ta:tme: remains uninflected.

Let it be so.

But the first people found it there.

The Yukaghirs came first to the river and sat down to drink tea. When the Yakuts came they were sitting on that tree.

Comment:
This episode reflects the traditional rivalry between the Yukaghirs and Yakuts.

Apparently the Yakuts said: "Here it is, look! We will take it from the Yukaghirs and carry it away."

Then my great-grandfather took the end of the tree, lifted it and dragged it with his strength to the river along the river bank.

Then he went to his channel.

He said to his companions: "Guys, don't be in a hurry drinking tea. We will cut it into logs and roll it towards the water."

Comment:
The word 'said' is missing here.

He said: "We will arrive there and cut that tree, because this is our tree."

Comment:
The word monut is here a complementizer.

They measured it.

Comment:
On men'd'E see (36-25).

After that the Yakuts hurried to that tree.

They didn't get to it.

The Yukaghirs carried their tree away.

They brought it and apparently were given money by the church, a few pounds. So they say.

Comment:
The 1SG form of the verb 'say' is unclear.

When they brought the tree and put it by the church, they were given reindeer for their work,

And he himself went quietly on Popovka to cut poplar trees and there he died.

Comment:
The verb 'sleep' here has the meaning 'die'.

That's the end.