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Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit on un seul clich6, il est film6 d partir de Candle sup^rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de h&ui en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n6cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mithode. y errata )d to It ie pelure. 13 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 ■11 .n' ,r\' /« fe^ THE ABNAKIS AND THEIR HISTORY. OR )i5t0tital '^Qiim ON THE ABORIGINES OF ACADIA BY REV. EUGENE YEmOMILE, MISSIONARY OF TUB ETCHEMIN8, CORKESPONDINa MEMBER OF THE MAINE UIBTOBIOAL 80CIBTT ETC. NEW YORK: JAMES B. KIRKER, 699 BPOADWAT, TIP STAIRS. Sold f 07' the benefit of the Indians. 1866. Entered according to Act of Congress, in tlie year 166<), Bt EUGENE VETROMILE, In t]i« Clerk's Office of the District Court of tlie United Stated for the Southern District of New v rk. E. OBAIOHEAD, PRINTER, 81, 88, and 86 Cenir* tU K. T. INDEX. e Southern PAQR. PUEFACE Vii CHAPTER I. North American Indians .' 11 CHAPTER n. Division of the North American Indians 14 CHAPTER HI. Tlie Abnakis, a proper and distinct nation 17 CHAPTER IV. The Abnakis, original people 25 CHAPTER V. Manners and language of the Abnakis 84 CHAPTER VI. Abnaki hand-writing 40 CHAPTER YIL Acadia — Analysis and meaning of the word — Its limits and aborigines of Acadia — Remarks on Agguneia, the original name of tl .e Penobscot River 44 CHAPTER VIII. Indian villages ir Acadia — On tl e Penobscot — On the St. Croix, and on St. John's Rivers — In the rest of New Brunswick — On Nova Scotia 52 CHAPTER IX. Religion and superstition . . . : 60 iV INDEX. PAQK CHAPTER X. Publiclife 71 CHAPTER XT. Astronomy and division of time T5 CHAPTER XII. Domestic life 83 CHAPTER XIII. Present condition of the Indians 93 CHAPTER XIV. Division of parties amongst the Indians of Maine — Indians of tlie British Provinces 104 CHAPTJCR XV. Character of the Indians 125 CHAPTER XVI. Vindication of the character of the Indians — Imputation of cruel- ty 128 CHAPTER XVII. The same subject continued. Charge of treachery 1 33 CHAPTER XVIII. Present treatment of the Indians east and west of the Mississippi. Hanging of thirty-nine Minnesota Indians 14*7 CHAPTER XIX. Treatment of the California Indians. Reservation system adopted by the Government like that of the Catholic missioni in Ame- rica 151 CHAPTER XX. Conclusion. . . 161 Appendix 165 l\ mtmi TO THE ET. EEV. DAVID W. BACON, D.D., Bishop op Portlan^d or Vineland. )pl. 147 ed le- • • 151 • • 161 1 • 166 My Lord : — In dedicating and humbly submitting this sjnall volume to your lordship, I beg leave to state that I have not been actuated by its merit, it being nothing more than a collection of a few historical facts compiled with care, and presented in these pages; but I have been determined by motives too po^ erful for me to look elsewhere than in your person for protector of this work. Amongst the many reas* .. "^wo are the principal ; First. That part of Acadia, which is com- prehended in the State of Maine, 'belongs to the diocese of Portland, of which you are the first Bishop, whom Divine Providence announced seventy years ago, when the good Bishop John Carioll from Baltimore pro- mised to the Etchemins, now a portion of your flock, a pastor to remain with them. And, indeed, since your ac- cession to the See of Portland, the diocese has received new lite, not only in the erection of many churches, con- vents. Catholic schools and asylums, and in carrying the light of the Gospel to the far distant wilderness of Maine DEDICATION. and New Iliinipsliire, which you have provulod with pastors, but ulso in the rcibiniation of the morals of Catholics, who are grown in piety and fervor, as the prnctice of tlie Sacraments, the pious Associations, and other works of devotion testify. The other reason is, that those Aborigines of Acadia entrusted to your spiritual cliarge are the first Catholics, and the harbingers of Christianity in the United States. For before Lord Baltimore in the Ark and Dove enter- ed Chesi'.peake Bay and planted the Catholic religion on the shores of the Potomac in Maryland, the mission at St. Saviour had been established in your diocese by Father Peter Biard at Mount Desert, where a Catholic chapel was erected, and the Catholic religion acquired the right of first occupation in the State of Maine, a right which was sealed with the blood of Brother Du Thet. From the Indian villages of Mount Desert the Etchemins saluted the Catholic missionaries, and asked to be regenerated in tlie salutary waters of bajitism, seven years before Samoset from the rock of Plymouth welcomed the Pilgrims of the Mayflower. Before George Popham stepped on an island of the Kennebec River, the shores of that river and of the St. Croix had been dedicated to the Catholic religion by Father Biard and other missionaries from France, and by French settle- ments under De Mor.ts on Boon Island. These are, my Lord, some of the motives which have actuated me to offer you this small volume ; and I flatter myself that you will acce[)t it as a token of respect and attachment from the least worthv of vour servants. Eugene Vktromile, Af'syionary of the EtdumiiiS. PREFACE. Tin: liistory of Acadia is strictly connected with the history of the Christian Cliurch in New England, and to preserve its fragments is to give a contribution to tlie liistory of the Catholic Church in America. The Abo- rigines of 7\cadia \,ere the first native Amoiicans that received ilic light of the Gospel and embraced the Chris- tian religion. This fact has never been denied. The Etchemins and iMicmacs to this day hear witness of tlie permanence of the fruit produced by the labors of Ca- tholic inissionnries. The same would have been the case with the Abnakis, if they had not had the misfortune of being brouglit in contact with the colonists of Eng- land, who succeeded in nearly extinguishing that noble and kind nation, but never in extirpating their religion. While all admit that the Aborigines of Acadia were the first Christians of New England, yet there are per- sons who endeavor to rob the Catholic reliofion of the claim which she has acquired of being the first religion ever practised not only in New England, but also in the Avhole continent of America. The Puritans claim to be the first who have exercised the Christian religion in New England, because they landed jn Massachusetts in the year 1620, but the Ejdscopalians dispute it on ac- count of George Popham, who about fourteen years ])reviously lad landed on an island of the Kennebec Kiver in ^Maiiie, ^^•here a- meet'ii'fy vras held, Nvhich is VIU PREFACE. claimed by them to have been a religious meeting ac- cording to the ritual of the Church of England. The Catholic settlements are not mentioned, and the religious exercises of the Catholic Church in the State of Maine are ignored. Documentary proofs establish the fact that Northmen from Norway and Ireland had established themselves in Iceland and Greenland i . fore a. d. 1000. About that year they coasted the North American shores as far south as 41° 30' north latitude,* and the well attested narratives of their voyages and discovery of this country justify the conclusion that they had given the name of Vineland to the Atlantic coast of New England. The remark, made in the course of this volume, that the sun remained eight hours visible during the shortest day of the year, and that the land must have been Newfound- land^ proves only, that either they ?pont the winter in Newfoundland^ or that they had not yet proceeded fur ther south to the 41° 30' north latitude, which seems to be an established fact.f The Abnakis and Etchemin In- dians preserve amongst them the word Madocowando as a personal name. Owando means devil^ but Madoc is acknowledged by them to be a foreign word whose meaiimg they do not know. It is found preserved in the Scandinavian annals, that 3Iadoc was the name of the leader of a Welsh voyage and colony to this coun- try in A. D. 11T8. Leif, son of Eric the Red, was baptized in Norway by St. Glaus, then king of that country, and in 1000, he bore with him ])rie8ts to convert tho colonies in Ameri- * Antiquitntes Americana?. Transactions of the Royal Society of Northern Antiquaries. I Anierioan Archa?ology, by Samuel F. Haven. tmma iting ac- id. The religious >f Maine orthmen selves in out that B as far attested country name of d. The the sun t day of ofound- inter in ied fur eeras to min In- owando Madoc whose •ved in a me of coun- PKEFACE. IX ca. Eric,* the most celebrated of these missionaries, in 1120 returned to Europe to procure the establishment of a bishopric. The Scandinavian bishops deemed him the most suitable person, and he was consecrated at Lund, in Denmark, in 1121 by Archb nop Adzer. He soon re- turned to Greenland with a number of clergy, and thus the f^rst American See was founded, and the organization of the Catholic Church was properly established in this country in a. d. 1121. After the discoveries of Christopher Columbus, Ameri- cus Vespucci, and Cabot, the French kings felt the duty of converting the nadvos to the true religion. Cartier's commission authorized liim to explore, " in order the bet- ter to do what is pleasing to God, our Creator and Re- deemer, and what may be for the increase of His holy and sacred name, and of our Holy Mother the Church." De Monts, the founder of Acadia, although a Calvinist, was expressly required in his charter to have the Indi- ans instructed, and invited to a knowledge of God and the light of faith and Christianity. It is clear it is to be the true faith, and not the Calvinist. Although some Hugue- nots were amongst the Colonists, yet the Colony was Catholic, and Lescarbot makes express mention of a church being built on Boon Island, at the mouth of the St. Croix River, as eaily as 1604, which v;as attended by a chaplain. The King of France would have never re- quired De Monts to establish the Calvinist religion. We know that every vessel belonging to the French Govern- ment was always provided with a Catholic chaplain. We are not aware of any exception to this rule, even in the time of Henry IV. Poutrincourt, who succeeded De Monts in the work of colonization, addressed a touching * Not to bo confuuuded with Eric the Red. PREFACE. :S m letter to the Pope, and obtained his benediction on hia labors. This circumstance is sufficient to prove that the colony- was Catholic. It is true that it was removed to Port Royal in Nova Scotia, yet the missionaries continued to work amongst the Indians of Maine. Father Biard, be- fore leaving Port Royal to establish the mission of St. Saviour in Maine in 1613, had ab'eady visited the shores of the Kennebec, and spoken very highly of it to the Marchioness de Guercheville, the patroness of the mis- sions. She had chosen the Kennebec as the spot des- tined for a new mission ; a patent from the King, and a grant or release from De Monts, a former patentee, were obtained for this object. It was through a mistake of the pilot that they landed on the east side of Mount Desert Island. The Episcopalians say that Boon Island was not then a part of New England. At that time there was no New England, hence the spot where George Popham landed was not in it ; the whole country was called North America. In 1606, James I. divided the portion of North America lying between the 34th and 45th de- grees of latitude i'ato two parts, and called it North and South Virginia, which were granted to two companies. It was only in 1614, that Prince Charles changed the name of North Virginia to that of New England. There was no mention made of the degree of longi- tude. In 1620, a new patent was granted to the Ply- mouth Company, comprehending that part of the country lying 40 and 48 degrees from North to South, and ex- tending throughout the mainland from sea to sea, under the name of New England in America. At all events, the place of the first settlement by De Monts was in the land now called New England. France claimed the same -4 'V '-Jl -^■;-, fBT'liJl "■ II III! ■ PREFACE. XI i on his I colony to Port lued to ird, be- . of St. shores to the he mis- ot des- > and a J, were ake of Mount t then as no )pham called ortion th de- 1 and allies. 3 the :Iand. ongi- Ply. mtry il ex- nder ents, 1 the >aino country from the 36th to the 62d degree of latitude, under the name of New France. This establishes the fact that the first settlement in New England was Catholic; the first religious service performed, was Catholic; the first religion preached to the natives of America, was Catholic; and the first converts were Catholics. If any part of the enrly history of this country re- quires more light and illustration, it is that which re- gards the Abnakis and the Aborigines of Acadia. It is with this view that the author has collected all the historical documents, that he has met with not only in printed works, as Charlevoix, Bressani, Letters of Learn- ed Travellers, etc. ; but in several manuscripts left by Father Maillard, Demilier, and by others whose name is not known, which he has found amongst the Indians. He has also made a sober and critical use of all traditions yet remaining amongst the natives of Acadia. A few remarks have been added on the character of the Indians, in order to vindicate them from some accusations, which are brought up against them, as a pretext to dispossess them of their land. With the hope that his labors will not be found entire- ly useless to the student and general reader, he submits it to the public judgment. BiDDEFORD, Mb. Jan. 10, 1866. w 'm V.^2l m* "^ ■■^; M. 4l6^>r-. THE ABNAKIS AND THE ABORIGINES OF ACADIA. CHAPTER L NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS. THE disparity between the inhabitants of Eu- rope and of America is so strilcing that it has moved some to venture on the ill-founded, erroneous, and infidel opinion that they cannot derive their origin from one common source with the other races. Philosophers, however, who have studied the character of the Indians, and persons acquainted with their manners and language, now feel no hesitation in adopting the well grounded hypo- 12 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. i Uii thesis, that the aborigines of this continent first came from Asia by the Bhering's Straits. It was an opinion of Bnffon and other European philo- sophers, that the Northern and Arctic regions had formerly enjoyed a milder state of atmosphere than they do at present, and that the climate is slowly but gradually changing to a colder temperature. They adduce many good reasons, which can be found in the works of Buffon and other writers, who have treated this subject at length. This well-known theory has been confirmed by discoveries made by Captain Parry on Melville Island, by Captain Ross, CaptaiiWIcClure on Banks Island, by the immortal but ill-fated Sir John Franklin, and by the oflicers ^ of the Jiesolute,* who in 1853 were in search of him and of his crew, which shared the same fate with him. An extensive coal formation has been found on the banks of the Mackenzie river, where the beds of lignUe are subject to spontaneous combustion. At Melville Island and in old Greenland f there has been discovered bituminous coal, which by several geolo- gists is conceived to.belong only to temperate latitudes. Admitting this nearly certain theory, the desolate Russian America, the unexplored region west of Mackenzie's river, the inhospitable Labrador, Prince William's Land, and the region north-west of Hud- son's Bay, enjoyed once a milder climate, which corroborates the always favorite and well supported * This is the same Resolute abandoned by her crew and found by Bome Yankee whaler. It was refitted and presented by the United States to the British Government. f Capt. Parry's third voyage. ftf THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 13 opinion of a former intercourse and commerce with Asia by the Straits of Bhering. Captain Kay, of the whale-ship Superior, testifies, that while he was fishing in Bhering's Straits he saw canoes going from one continent to the other. The origin of the native Americans is thus evidently explained. It has been also observed that Korth Americans have habits and manners similar to the Tchuktchians, Kamtschatkans, Yakoutsks^-and Koriaks of Asia. A similarity in the language has been discovered ; and the Americans have been found to have designated the months in the calendar with names of animals, as in Japan and Kalmuchia. To an I)uropean or Anglo-American all Indians look alike, but persons accustomed to them can very easily discern even one tribe from another. The dif- ference, however, is not such as to infer that all tribes do not descend from the same stock. Even tlie hardy Esquimaux race of Greenland, so remark- able for their dwarfishness, and a propensity of select- ing for their abode the most desolate and inhospi- table regions, and who differ most from the rest of Indians in physical characteristics, manners, and language, attain along the shores of America the same stature as other races of men, and after cross- ing the mouth of the Mackenzie river tliey blend with the rest of the Indians in every respect. As low down on the Pacific Ocean as Vancouver's Island, the natives have some characteristics of the Esqidmaux race, so that it would be impossible to tell where the Indians became Esquimaux, or where the Esquimaux became Indians. \ i {m m # -1 1 — ! W ro % -t od CHAPTER II. DIVISION OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS. W ^|>F, from the identity of language and manners, JL we infer that of nations, we can divide the natives of North America east of the Missis- sippi into four large families, the Esquimaux, the Algic, the Dahcota, and the Muscolgee or Mobi- lian. The Esquimaux occupies Greenland, Prince William's Land, Labrador, and the Korth-western Continent round Hudson's Bay and as far west as Russian America, along the coasts of the Polar Sea, round Icy Cape, Bhering's Strait, and Bhering Sea, to the Peninsula Alaska, to the Pacific Ocean. The mouth of the Mackenzie's River is one of the several mustering points at which they assemble at certain stated times. The Algic family, or Algon- quin, the largest of all, is bounded north by the Es- quimaux family, and as far west as the Great Slave C3~ PHP m •si tA -^ - O ■ZSZ CT' >^ '■< ^TT^ -^ VP rp era r-^ 7=^ !_ , , ra CO '*'-* -I ca- rs CO 'S ca ::^ — n o ca g; *~z o ^ od f: tn 1=* J35 f^ . — h ' — ? cL. a w CD C!i (-- Crt pi- •-—I trr: 'T> ?>J^ r-5 SXJ ^-7 b fc . C3 pi- fS h;^ f^- er . f y , , re, .•^-' a~ r^ ^-^ o i^ P^ c/: -:i Cu cro-. , , 1 ' g ^t: CO o CC 00 1 — ♦-; C5 ■ -< i".-' =3 c/j l-^^ >■ cro-. O ; — ' ■ pi "•^ i3 1—* o i^ P~ ^ P- o^ ^r- o ►—» cr> 1 — ' 03 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 15 ■'I Lake. They occupied once the whole Atlantic shore, from Newfoundland to Virginia, then westward, striking the Mississippi, whose western shore they possessed to its source ; then the Ked River and the Saskachawan to the Ahabaska. They are sub-divided in four nations, Lenni-Lenapi, Abnaki, Iroquois, and Chipeways. The Mobilian or Muscolgee family embraces the Cherokees, Creeks, Natchez, and all the tribes south-east of the Mississippi, bounded on the north by the great Algonquin nation. The Daco- tah family comprehends the Sioux and all the tribes of the western shore of the Mississippi. The Indians west of the Kocky Mountains are not yet well known. The Algic family, with the exception of the Iro- quois, and of the Tuscarora tribe which left North Carolina and joined the five Iroquois nations, were not of a cruel disposition, and we do not read of them those cruelties and barbarities which are reported as common to the Iroquois and other Indians. If they were at times hostile to the Europeans it was due mainly to ill treatment received. The European settlers were welcomed by the Indians. When in December, 1620, the passengers of the Mayflower landed among the snows of Plymouth, they heard the voice of Samo- set crying, '' Welcome, Englishmen I welcome. Eng- lishmen ! " The Indians offered a cordial hospi- tality to the white race. It is true that they were in what the Europeans call a barbarism, yet it was a state of an honest independence and noble simplicity. It is true, that the natives of the North had no cities, and none of the European arts : f 16 THE ABNAKIS: ANP THEIE HISTORY. agriculture itself was hardly known, or practised very sparingly ; but the requirements of life were not so numerous as in civilized nations. They lived by hunting the wild animals, which their mountains and forests supplied in great abundance. The natives seeing the white race so rapidly increase in this country, and invading their land and . rivers, were startled with a serious apprehension of losing their hunting grounds, and after several acts of hostility from the part of the whites, took up arms against them. Their fears have been realized. The Puritans massacred in a single day the entire nation of the Pecjuods residing in New England, and this wholesale slaughter was so complete that it has been said by an eminent historian that there did not remain a sannup or squaw or a child of the Pequod name, Many other tribes afterwards shared the same fate. Entire nations have been continually driven backwards, others have lost their hunting grounds, and may soon eJ^pect to find not a corner to pitch their wigwams on that land, of which they were once the only masters, MMnKMHMW CHAPTEE III. THE ABNAKI8, A PROPER AND DISTINCT NATION. » t I. I LTHOUGH the Abnakis were once a pow- erful nation, and occupied from the shores of the great St. Lawrence down to the Atlantic Ocean, and from the mouth of the Kenne- bec river to the eastern part of New Hampshire, yet the kind and gentle Abnaki has almost dis- appeared from Maine. The few of that ancient and noble nation that remain — mixed with other tribes of Canada — will soon share the same fate. It is true that the deep mosses of Maine shall no more be imprinted with the moccasin of its ancient mas- ter, yet no man shall ever be able to efface the name of the Abnaki from this extensive land. Every hill and valley, every river and brook, every lake and pond, every bay and promontory, bears witness of that nation. True ! the Abnaki disappeared from 18 THE ABITAKIS : AND THEIR HISTORY. this soil, but not before having marked every nook, stream, and pond with the name of their owner. The granite monument on the left shore of the Kennebec river, near Norridg«wock, points out the lonely spot of the last Abnaki village in this State — the only spot east of the Mississippi marked with a monument to perpetuate the memory of an Indian village of the last century, to which so many historical recollections remain attached — a monument which is the pride of the antiquarian, and the target of vandalic hands. The aborigines that once lived on the banks of the Kennebec river, in the State of Maine, were visited earlier than any other Indian nation of New France and Acadia, if we except the Souriquois or Mic- macs. Before Father Biard, in 1613, sailed from Port Royal in Kova Scotia for Mount Desert, near the mouth of the Penobscot river, he had already visited the shores of the Kennebec, and the people of that country.* He speaks very highly of them, as of a powerful nation living in settled villages. Yet it is to be lamented that so little is known of them, as even to render their very existence doubtful to 60M4e antiquarians of the present age. That eminent scho- lar. Baron William von Humboldt, in one of his let- ters, urged the publication of the dictionary of Father Rasles, on the ground that very little was known of the dialect of the Abnakis, and its publi- cation would preserve that language from perpetual oblivion.f * Shea: Catholic Miss, in the U. S., p. 131. f Joha Pickering's Notes on Jonathan Edwards, D. D. Mohegan Indians. THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 19 It is a fact well known, that very often the same tribe or nation has received different names from various persons or nations ; so the Abnakis were called Taranteens by the Kew Englanders,^ and Owenagun- gas by the New Yorkers. This fact has led several persons to think that the number of the Indian tribes was larger than it was in reality. Travellers, meeting the same tribe, or a part of it, encamped in different places, have often been misled in tak- ing them for different nations. The Indians are a roving people, and it is a frequent occurrence to find the same tribe now at one place, now at another ; in this manner the same tribe may have been reckoned several times. I can give an illustration of it in the Indians who live in Maine. The Passamaquoddy tribe at present dwells at four places. One part at Pleasant Point, near Perry, another part at Calais, another on the Schoodic lakes, and another on the British shore of the St Croix river. Travellers not acquainted with this fact would make four tribes out of this nation, which forms only one tribe. "VYe must admit that a large portion of the IN'orth American Indians were called Abnakis, if not by themselves, at least by others. This word Ahnaki is found spelt Ahenaques^ Abenaki^ Wapanachhi) and Wahenahies^ by different writers of various nations, each adopting a manner of spelling according to the rules of pronunciation of his respective native languages. This, however, is of no consequence. The word generally received is spelled thus, Ahnaki^ but it should be Wdnhd?iaghi, from the Indian word * Shea : Hist >f the CathoHc Mlaa. ■* { 20 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. wdnbdnharij designating the people of the Aurora Borealis, or in general, of the place where the sky commences to appear white at the breaking of tlie day, from wdribighen, it is white. I shall give a fuller and more satisfactory translation of the word Ahnahi in the progress of this work. It has been difficult for different writers to deter- mine the number of nations or tribes comprehended under this word Abnaki. It being a general word, by itself designates the people of the east or north- east. We follow the most of the authors who have treated this subject, to embrace under this name all the tribes of the Algic family who occupy, or have occupied the east or north-east shore of North Ame- rica ; thus, all the Indians of the sea shores, from Virginia to Kova Scotia, were Ahnaki.^ We include also the aborigines of Newfoundland, and of the northern shore of the St. Lawrence river as far as Labrador, because they also belong to the same family. We find that the word Ahnaki was applied in general, more i»r less, to all the Indians of the East, by persons who were not much acquainted with the aborigines of the country. On the contrary, the early writers, and others well acquainted with the natives of New France and Acadia, and the Indians themselves, by Ahnakis always pointed out a particu- lar nation existing north-west to the mouth of the Kennebec river, and they n-ver designated any other people of the Atlantic shore, from Cape Hat- teras to Newfoundland. . . ■» * See Encycl. Aiuer. vol. vi. I t< tl / THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 21 In an ancient map published in 1660, in the his- tory of Canada, written by Rev. Father Du Creux, the Ahnahis (Abnaquioii) are located between the Kennebec (Kinibekius fluvius) and Lake Champlain (Lacus Champlenius), occupying the headwaters of the JTennebec, of the Androscoggin (fluvius Amirga- canius), of the Saco (Choacatius fluvius), and of another river marked in the map without name, which is, perhaps, the JPresumpscot river. The same author does not put any other nation north of New England, except the Mchimins (Etecheminii) north and east of the Penobscot river (Pentegoitius flumen), and the Souriquois (Soricoi) in Kew Bruns- wick and Nova Scotia {Acadia). No other nation is marked in New England (Nova Anglia), except the two following. The Sokoquis (Soquoquioii) between Boston (Bostonium Londini), Plymouth (Plimutium), Cape Cod (Promontorium Malabarreum), and the Connecticut river. The other nation is that of the Mohegans (Natio Luporumy,' between the Connecti- cut river and the North river (fluvius borealis sen merau). These are all the nations which occupied the area of New England and Acadia in 1660. Every nation, no doubt, was subdivided into dif- ferent tribes. This is confirmed by Father Bressani, Father Basics, and other early missionaries, who spent a great number of years amongst the Indians, whose language and manners they possessed to some per- fection. The different names given to nations located in New England and Acadia were generally from strangers. Tlie number of tribes has been either too \ .f 1 I THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. much exaggerated or over reckoned. The same tribe may have been counted several times nnder different names, according to the various residences in which a tribe, or a part of it, had encamped for some war, hunting, or fishing party. These names were generally taken from some river, pond, etc., in whose vicinity they had pitched their camps. This must have been the cause of much confusion. We say at present the Penobscot, the Passamaquoddy, the Old- town, the Pleasant Point, the Calais, the Louis Island, the Moosehead Lake, the Lincoln, the Matti- nacook, the Passadumkeag, the Ollemon Indians, yet they are only one nation, the Mchimis, divided in two small tribes, the Penobscot and Passamaquoddy* This might have been the case in ancient times. Only five nations are reckoned in New England and Acadia, namely, the Mohegans, the Sokoquis, the Abnakis, the Etchimis, and the Micmacs, La Hontan confirms it by putting the same nations and no others.* He mentions the Qpencmgos, who are the Penobscots,t and I would rather believe them to be the Abnakis, by spelling the word dif^ ferently, and the Oanihasy who are the same Ahna- Ms called by the French Oanibas^ or Kanihals^ from the Kennebec river.ij: La Hontan, however, is inac- curate in locating them all in the ancient Acadia. This error is not uncommon to old writers not well acquainted with geography. Dr. Jonathan Edwards * Transactions of the Hist and Lit. Cora, of the Amer. Fhilos. Soc. of Philad , V. i. p. 107. f Father Demilier's manuscripts. X Father Rasles' Let. Lettres odif., vol. vi. •'PP!'H«P«l*"W THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 23 ( does not mention any other tribe in New England,"* and he falls into error of geography in locating the Penobscots in Nova bco^ia. Th?, classification of Gookinf may be reduced to the following: The Pequods are the Mohegan nation — the Narragan- setts and the Massachusetts must be the Sohoquis. The PawJcunnawkuts or Wampanoags are the Ahna- kis^ and under this name he comprehends also the Etchimis and Micmacs. Father Bressani does not mention any other nation. In a letter written by a French gentleman to a Father of the Society of Jesus,:]: there is mention of the Miomacs and Mare- schites (the Etchimis being called also Mareschites) in Acadia. On the St. George river, which divides New France from New England, he puts the Ahna- Tcis and Kanibas, Towards Quebec, the Papinachois, the Sojqybenets^ the Algonquins^ the Iroquois, the Hurons, the WoVces and Sohohis. Of these only the Wolves and Sohokis are in New England, It is to be remarked that the Sokokis are put near the Wolves and not near the Ahnakis, just as they are in the map of Father Du Creux. Now leaving these tribes, we return to the Ahnakis, The Ahnakis had five great villages,! two amongst the French colonies, which must be the village of St. Joseph or Sillery, and that of St, Francis de Sales * Observations on tho Language of the Muhhekaneen Ind., with ^otes by J. Pickering, f Transactions of the Amer. Antiq. See. at Cambridge, vol. iv. p. 33. X The travels of several learned missionaries of the Society of Jesus, p. 316. § Father Rasles' Let. Lettres Edif., vol. vi. p. 159, I Shea : Hist, of the Catholic Miss., p. 136-142. % ; I • ff 24 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. both in Canada, three on the head waters, or along three rivers, between Acadia and New England. These three rivers are the Kennebec,* the Androscog- gin, f and the Saco,:j: as it appears from the map of Father Du Creux, and from the words of Father Hasles, who says that these three rivers enter into the sea south of Canada, between New England and Aca- dia.§ The names of these villages must be those given by Father Easles in his dictionary,] namely, NanrmiUwak (where the river falls again), Anmes- sukkantti (where there is an abundance of large fish), Pdnnawanbshek (it forks on the white rocks). These three villages are those of this State. The names of the two Abnaki villages of Canada are Nessawor hamighe (where the river is barricaded with osier to fish, or where the fish is dried by smoke), and it is the present village of St. Francis of Sales. The other Canadian Abnaki village is St. Joseph or Sil- lery, called formerly by the Indians Kamishwawdn- gachit (where they catch salmon with the 8pear).Tf * Kennebec means Long water. It denotes a stream coming from the Long-water, the long ponds in Winthrop. f Androscoggin means Andros coming. Andros is the name of a Governor of Maine ; coggin is an Indian word, and it means coming. Andros, or a family of that name, must have settled near that river. The same river is also called Ammoscoggin, and it means Jish coming in the spring. X Its original name was Almtichicoit, corrupted in Chacoit, and af- terwards in Saco. It means the land of the little dog. The river took its name from the Sagamore of the tribe of that name, who was also called Almuchicois, or Almushiquois, residing on the Saco river. § Lettres Edif , vol. vi. p. 104. I Abnakis' diet, p. 544. J'ather Bigot's letters. See Les Voeux des Hui'ons et des Abnaquis. Cliartres, 1854. Tf Notes on Father Bressani's Relation, p. 329. CHAPTER lY. THE ABNAKIS OI^IGINAL PEOPLE, JIE Abnakis bear evident marks of an ori^ ginal people in name, manners, and lan- guage. Tliey show a civilization which must be the effect of antiquity and of a past flou- rishing age. The origin and meaning of the word Ahnaki has been always the subject of investi- gation amongst historians and philologists. It seems that they were satisfied in finding that it meant peo- j[)le of the easty without inquiring further into the analysis of the word. Rev. John Heckewelder spells it Wapanachk^"^ saying that the French had soft- ened it to suit the analogy of their own tongue ; yet he does not give the pronunciation of the word to see in what the French did soften it. WilHamson,f in. * Transactions of the Hist, and Pliilos. Soc. of Phila., vol. i. p. 109. •j- Hist, of Maine, vol. i. p. 403. i\ ■ i ' h:' THE ABNAKIS : AND THEIR flISTORY. a note, gives the authority of Kendall, who resolves it into wdbamo or wdbemo (light, east) and aski (land), from which it follows that ch in Waj^anachki was soft, hence there was no need for the French to soften it, it being French to pronounce ch soft like sh. This word then would have been Ahnasqtce — very appropriate for the French pronunciation. M'oreover, in the comparative vocabulary of fifty-three nations, published in the ArchcBologia Americmia by the American Antiquarian Society at "Worcester,* in no language the word aski means land, except in that of the ITnistinaux Indians ; but light in that same lan- guage is kisigostagoOy and not wabamo. If it comes from wahisca or wapishkawc (white), it is very diffi- cult to make wapanachki out of those two KnisUnaux words. Then it remains to be proved when and how the KnisUnaux Indians could call the aborigines of the Kennebec Eastlanders. It is certain that the word Abnaki was not that by which the na**ves of the Kennebec River called themselves, but that by which they were called by others. I find in all the languages of Acadia and New England, that the word Abnaki, spelt as is found in the most ancient manr.script8,t Abanaquis, Abnaqicois, Wabanaki, means our an- cients or our ancestors of the east. This word is to be resolved into wdnb-naghi. TF^nJij: means * Transactions of the Amer. Antiq. Soc, vol. ii. f Father Bressani's notes at the word Abnaki. , X Wdnb may be spelt wdb, then the a must have a strong nasal pro- nunciation, like that of the Portuguese language in the words mao (hand), AUemao (German). ~^0 THE AU^AKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 27 white, hence wdribighen, it is white (the breaking of the day), and wdnhdnhdn, aurora borealis. All aiithore agree in this word, yet they never remarked tlie meaning of naghi, which means ancestors in all the dialects of New England and Acadia. Father Hasles says that neganni areiidnhak means the anci- ents of 'past time,'*' Oghan in Mohegan meansya^A^r, to which adding n it would mean our f other 8,\ There is no Sokoki vocabulary of my knowledge, but if the Sokoki language be the Massachusetts, noosh in that dialect means my father.X In Micraac, nahan has the signification of old^ ancient^ and it was also the meaning at an earlier time, as it ap- pears from the manuscript of Father Mainard. Nhani in the Etchimi tongue means our ancients,% It is quite natural that this word Ahndki (our ances- tors of the East) should have been given by other tribes, and not by themselves, as they could not call themselves with that word before it had been given by others. This is confirmed by the Abnakis them- selves, who never called themselves by that name. It seems that they called themselves men. The Abnaki villages were called by them in general nardnhamigdok epitdk arenanhak^\ men living on the high shores of the river. I speak the Abnaki language — nedarenandwl (I speak man, from are- nanbe), I speak the Iroquois language — nemehwa- * Abnaki Diet, p. 384. f ArchKo! Amer., vol. ii., and Dr. J. Edwards' observation. \ Transactions of the Amer. Antiq. Soc, vol. ii. § Father Demalier's MS. Diet. \ Abnaki Diet., p. 542. (! K >• -i 1 iM !i"i 28 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR MISTORY. n : andwl (I speak mequa, a name with which the Mo- hawks were called by the Algonquins living on the Atlantic shores)."'^ We are aware that this interpretation of the word Ahnaki at first may appear to be too studied, and rather strained to give a forced meaning, in order to defend an opinion which may be false. But it is not so, We have no system to defend. What we have asserted is nothing else but the result of long and diligent investigations, which for many years we liave made on the different dialects of the Algonquin language, of consultations held with Indians of dif- ferent tribes, and a close examination of printed works and manuscripts treating on this matter. We have no other view except to draw light on this very obscure subject, which we consider to be the duty of every historian and antiquarian, rather than to adopt favorite systems, which have no support on history and truth; and we are ready to abandon our opi- nion on the word Ahnahi whenever any other person will give a better translation, and throw iliustration on this point. For many years we adopted the commonly received interpretation, l^ ^t Abnaki meant men of the East / it was satisfactory, and appeared to be natural. Further investigation on the Abnaki language generated at first a doubt in our mind about the true meaning of that word. For many months we endeavored to defend it against what appeared to show that it was not its real trans- lation. This brought us into deeper consideration * Transactions of tho Am. Ant. Soc, vol. ii. p. 34. TUB ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 29 and analysis of the word Abnahi, till wo were forced from evidence to admit that the word Abnaki does not merely mean men of the East^ hut our ancestors of the East Here we submit a part of the investi- gations which brought us to this conclusion. It is granted by all that the word Abnaki should be wanbanaki, or wanbanaghi, it being the origi- nal word in the Indian language. If it would mean only men of the East, it should have been Wanbaki and not wanbanaki. The syllable na is radicul in this word, and not a grammatical increment. We lind that the only Delaware tribe could make wapa- naki (people of the morning), that is, of the Aurora, East, but this word could not have originated from the Delaware tribes, but from those of New England and Kew York, who were in contact with the Abnaki, and in reality east of them ; whereas they were not east of the Delaware but north of them. The word having originated in Kew Eng- land and Kew York, spread through the Southern tribes. In old Algonquin language white is wabi, and land is aquin ^ hence it would make loaba- qidn, wabakL In the Kew England Indian dialect, white is wompi^ and land okhi ^ hence it would be wanpohki. In ^N^arraganset, white is wompesu, land oki, it would be wombesoki. In the other dia- lects, as Mohegan, Long Island, etc^, it is still more unlike. In the Abnaki dialect, wanbigken, it is white, comes from the roat wanbi, and land is ki. Father Rale, in his dictionary, gives many modifica- tions of the word wanbighen, in which the syllable na or the letter n never enters. This and other .- < * Shea: Cath. Miss., p. ISO. c--< a of to 'g in- )U8 llie ;6t lie 1 ! t-r 1 y~i fa o r-K rt> P2^ CL>0 L« e,c rt C-c t^ ^■^ H —1 o C/3 s= H pi > H C) bri ^ ?J O ^ ^ H tj ^---:; r^ rf ^ -J t-^ t/7 >-H ,.^»* ■A-' ^ ( — ^' ' T ^^ : ,-, ■r^d ■ o t^ -■ -^ - .-5 V: re ri- 11 # THE ABNAKIS: AND THEtR SISTORY. S5 troubles, dangers, and persecutions which Fathers Marquette, Brebeuf, and others endured from the medicine men of those tribes to which they preached the gospel. Their affection for their children was very striking. Soon after their birth, they were Wrapped in a bearskin ^ and they were raised with much care, and as soon as they were able to walk, tliey were taught how to manage the bow and arrows. They were remarkably hospitable, and their attachment to the family was such as we do not read of in other tribes of the Algic family. Their cou- rage and valor as warriors, even against European troops, were unsurpassed. Twenty Abnakis once entered an English trading-house, either to rest or to traffic, when they were surrounded by two Imndred British soldiers, to capture them, when one Abnaki gave the alarm of war, crying, " We are dead, let us sell our lives dearly." They prepared to fall upon the British soldiers, who had great difficulty to pacify tliem.* Another time, daring tlie wars be- tween England and France, while thirty Abnaki warriors, returning from a military expedition against the British, were asleep at night, they were sur- prised by a party of British soldiers, headed by a colonel, who had been on their track. The sol- diers, six hundred in number, surrounded them, certain of their capture, when an Abnaki awoke and cried to the others, *' We are dead, let ua sell our lives dearly." They arose instantly, formed six divisions of five men each, and with ilw toma- hawk in one hand and a knife in the other, they fell * Lettres Edif., vol. vi. I tw i: i :-i: 36 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTOP.Y. upon the Biitisli soldiers with snch force and impetu- osity, that they killed sixty soldiers, including the colonel, and dispersed tlie rest. In a later war between England and France, the Abnakis joined the latter, on account of their allegiance to this nation, and during the war, they spread desolation in every part of the land occupied by the English. They ravaged their villages, forts, farms, took away a large quantity of cattle, and made six hundred prisoners.* Their sentiments and principles of justice had no parallel amongst the other tribes. We never read of their having been treacherous, nor wanting in honor or conscience in fulfilling their word given either in private or in a public treaty. We have a very remarkable example of the fidelity with which they retained their allegiance to France.f In the time that the war was about to break out between the European countries, the British governor, lately arrived at Boston, required a conference with the Abnaki Indians, to be held on an island. He endea- vored to induce the Abnakis to remain neutral, and to let the French and English settle their matter amongst themselves, who were equally strong ; and he promised to furnish the Indians with everything they wanted, and to buy their peltry. This was the great answer given by the Indians, after a consulta- tion lield amongst themselves, and delivered by one of their orators : — " Great Captain, you say to us not to join our- f * Lettres Edif., vol. vi. f Ibid. M THE .w^JTAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 37 I selves to the French, supposing that you are going to declare war against him. Let it be known to you that the French is my brother, he and I have the same prayer, and we both live in the same wigwam, at two fires — he has one fire and I the other. If I see 3'ou enter the wigwam on the side of the. fire w^here the French my brother is seated, I shall observe you from my mat where I am seated, at the other fire. In observing yon, if I see that you have a tomahawk, I will think to myself, ' "What does the English intend to do with that tomahawk ? ' I will rise from my mat to see what he intends to do. If he raise the tomahawk to strike the French my bro- ther, I shall take my tomahawk, and 1 will run to the English and strike him. Can I see my brother struck in my own wigwam, and I remain quiet, seated upon my mat ? No, no ! I love my brother too much, that I should not protect him. I tell you, Great Captain, do nothing against my brother, and I will do nothing against you ; stay quiet upon your mat and I will stay quiet upon mine." I could bring other proofs of the noble sentiments of this nation, to show that the heart and mind of the Abnakis were not savage and uncultivated, like many of the other tribes of the Algic family, but they were grand, pure, and refined, to scorn even the most civilized nations of both continents. A primitive language in a state of infancy is mono- syllabic, like the Chinese and others in Asia, but the Indian languages, being composed of words formed by an agglutination of other words, or parts of them, cannot be a language in a state of infancy. How- \U U 88 THE ABNAKIS; AND THEIR HISTORY. ever, as this is common to all the Indian dialects, it proves nothing in this case. At present I am not pre- pared to give a comparative view between the lan- guage of the Abnakis and those of the other tribes, to show the superiority and cultivation of the former above the latter.* I will only m ke some remarks upon two points, namely, upon a traditional superi- ority of the Abnaki language, and upon the manner of writing it. Ba 'on La Hontau f puts only two mother lan- guages in the whole extent of Canada ; the Huron and the Algonquin. Speaking of the Algonquin Ian- guage, he asserts that it was a language very much esteemed amongst the savages, in the same manner as the Greek and Latin languages are esteemed in Europe, From this it follows that it must have been a cultiv,^ted mother language, and, as it were, a clasr sic tongue amongst them. In the transactions of the liistorical and literary committee of the American Philosophical Society of Philadelphia,:!^ it is agreed that what the Baron La Ilontan remarked of this language was very correct, but tliey do not allow to him to call it Algonquin, but they want it to be called Abnaki, that is to say, this quality of being a classic language belongs to the Abnaki nation, and not to the Algonquin, which is a small, miserable, wandering tribe. lYe fully agree with this remark of the learned Society of PJiiladelphia, and espe- cially in observing that La Ilontan puts the Abnakis * The autUor is preparing a comparative dictionary of tlie Abnaki dialec*^::, in three volumes in folio. f Vol. i. p. 109. I Ibid. 4 II THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 39 at the liead of the tribes inhabiting Nova Scotia, whom he calls also Abnakis. Rev. J. Ileckewelder, who appears to be the author of these remarks, reflects further * that La Hontan probably did not understand sufficiently the Abnaki language, other- wise the Indians would have informed him that they derived their origin from a powerful nation, whom they revered as their grandfather. I know that Rev. J. Heckewelder alludes to the Lenni-Lenapis, but I have already proved how the Lenni-Lenapis must be referred to the Abnakis, because the Lenni-Lenapis were not Abnakis, except in a general sense, called so only by authors not much acquainted with the Abnakis. * Phila. Transactioos, vol. i. p, 109. if r ; I .!« ', If ■ '■'' 1 Hi: CHAPTER YI. ABNAKI HAND-WRITING, >T has been an object of research amongst the anti- quarians to find -whether the aborigines of this continent possessed any manner of writing. With the exception of the Mexicans and Peruvian?, it has been denied. All, however, agree that they had a kind of hieroglyphics, or rather pictures, with some conventional signs to transmit an event, battle, hunt- ing party, etc. The celebrated Dighton rock, the other at a place in Connecticut, called by the Indi- ans Scaticook, and many others collected by Dr. H. R. Schoolcraft,''^ show that they had an imperfect manner of engraving pictures, with a few signs, which could not be reduced to a regular system of writing with hieroglyphics, like the people of Asia. Yet it was because tliey were not familiar enough * Hist , Cond., and Prosp. of the Indian Tribes. ■Hi imm THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 41 'J of -svith the Indians of the Korth. The Abnakis and neighboring tribes had a regnh\r method of writing in the same manner as the Chinese, Japanese, and other Asiatic nations, altliough with different cha- racters. This kind of writing is yet used amongst the Micmacs, and I am surprised that no writer has yet made any mention of this manner of scripture. This sj'stem is so perfect that there are in exist- ence three regular books, one containing j^rayers, another the mass, and another a catechism ; two of these, written by an Indian, are in my possession. A specimen of this hand-writing, with the English version, is appended at the end of this volume, as also some parts of the Abnaki and Micmac lan- guages. It reads running from the left to the right. Old lYidians, however, at Oldtown, informed me of having seen this kind of books written by running in a vertical line from the top to the bottom, and, if I am not mistaken, others running from the right to the left. I close the present subject by giving a short his- tory of this manner of writing, such as it exists by tradition amongst the Indians, confirmed by their missionaries,* and especially by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Colin Frs : MacKinnon, D.D., Bishop of Arichat, a native of Kova Scotia, and a scholar of great talents and high education, who was for many years amongst the Micmac Indians. When the French first arrived in Acadia, the Indians used to write on bark, trees, and stones, engraving signs with arrows, sharp stones, or * Letter of Rev. Christian Kauder, a missionary amongst the Micmacs. 8* III \ jH« 42 THE ABNAKJ.S: AND THEIR HISTORY. other instruments. They were accustomed to send pieces of bark, marked with these signs, to other Indians of other tribes, and to receive back answers written in the same manner, just as we do with letters and notes. Their chiefs used to send circulars, made in the same manner, to all their men in time of war to ask their advice and to give directions. Several Indians possessed in their wig- wams a kind of library cc uiposed of stones and pieces of bark, and the medicine men had large manuscripts of these peculiar characters, which they read over the sick persons. Inscriptions of this kind were made by Indians on standing trees, in the woods, to inform others about some extraordinary event. The Indians assert \hat by these signc they could express any idea vith every modification, just as we do with our writings. When the French mis- sionaries arrived in tliat country (they generally refer to Fathers Mainard and Le Loutre), they made use of these signs, as they found tliem, in order to instruct the Indians. They improved, tiieni, and others were added in order to express tlie doctnne and mysteries of the Christian religion. This kind of writing does not exist, nor do we know that it has existed amongst other nations of the Algonquin family. All the researches made by missionaries and learned antiquarians, could never find any of these characters to have been used by other Indians, such as we find at present amongst the Micmacs, and which formerly were connnon amongst all the Indians of Acadia and of a portion of New France. The Micmacs, the Montagnais, the .' u THE LORD'S PRAYKR IN MTCMAC IIIEROGLYnilCS. d by i^l/f^ } cbin sciitcd Ichiptook may (li'lwiLrin thy name nnshincn Wnjok Our Father in heaven nth ¥ ff|~ I moE^irnlcdomoli Wajok n'telidancn tchiptook igncmwiek ula be respected ia heaven to lu may ;.'rant tbco ?J. nomulek iiledechincn. Natel wajok to see ill staying. There ia heaven deli chkedoolk as thou art obeyed } I I tchiptook deli may 60 bo 1 lol GD g=a clikodiilck obeyed niakimi.OTek eiinck ou earlh where wo aro T)elaniukul)eni'_'iKd ooliemio.i.'iU'l apeli iie^iuch kiclikodk As thiiii iiast given il tn us in tiie same maancr also now to-day ^ci-^^Al tZ},% lr2. delamoiditecli pc-ncgminenwin niluncn; deli aliikcliiktakachik give it our notiriiliuient tuns; wc r«»iu'ive tlmso Et ^l J> ^ I t\. ^TT-O Tre:;ain-itmnictiiik dp Ud ni\kam who have otlvnded us so tli'iu O (u>d !ibil;cliikl\vin clwoultick for,'ivc our faults II £e mclkpninvoch winnchudil liold us ^troiiLj l)v tlie ii:iti(l ^^ n-^^J £cn( mil k"ty^;tl!iien koirinnkamkel iii)t t" f.il! kcrp far frum n3 i^;^ 311 hW 2:z winnchiirnol Buil'eriags twaktwln. cviU KMeli.lcIi. Aincu. THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY, 43 Ltchimis, and the Abnakis melt in one same nation and language; and these must be the tribes that, according to the tradition of the Micmacs, kept cor- respondence amongst themselves by this kind of hand-writing. A few of these hieroglyphics can yet be seen amongst the writings of Father Rasles, which is a confirmation of what I assert. The Abna- kis have disappeared, with the exception of a few left in Canada, The Etchimis are vanishing away very rapidly. The Montagnais are in the same condition. The Micmacs are at present the only standing nation that can represent the red man of the northeast ; hence no wonder that we find the remains of this manner of writing, preserved espe- cially by the care of their missionaries, I hope that this system of hand-writing will not be suffered to be buried in silence amongst the ruins of time, but that the memory of this kind of scripture sliall be transmitted to future ages,' to show the antiquity and education of the noble and gentle, but ill-fated Abnaki.* • Since we wrote this, a prayer-book in the Micmao hieroglyphics l^aa been published by the learned Rev. Christian Kauder— a zealous and indefi^tigable missionary among the Micmacs of Nova Scotia. I ! II' *»'""'"SW CHAPTEll VII. ACADIA — ANALYSIS AND MEANING OF THE WORD — ITS LIMITS AND ABORIGINES OF ACADIA — REMARKS ON AGGUNOIA, THE ORIGINAL NAME OF THE TENOBSCOT RIVER. EFORE entering into the description of the aborigines of that part of Nortli America for- merly known under the name of Acadia, it seems proper to lay down a few remarks in regard to its name and boundaries. The word Acadia^ written sometimes La Cadie and Acadie, is Indian. The origii of tliis word, and its meaning, has always been a sub- ject of investigation among the antiquarians, who generally admit it to be an Indian word, though they I I I IN nacgr Pt' THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 45 do not fix its meaning. Some of them have ventured interpretations, which, however, they abandoned after further consideration. I was at one time led to resolve Acadie into the two Abnaki words Ahi-adie (land of dogs). Yet, after more recent investigation, I con- sider it more natural to trace it to the Micmac word academ (we dwell), or tedlacadem (where we dwell), that is, our village. We have yet in [N'ova Scotia a place called Tracadie, which must be the Indian word tedlacadem^ or fdlacadem^ where we dwell, and perhaps it is the original word of Acadie. The principal river in ^ova Scotia is called Shiiben-aca- die, river where we dwell, or village-river. The limits of Acadia are not clearly established, and they vary according to different writers. It is certain, however, that Acadia was divided in four parts, and it had four distinct proprietors.^ The Jlrst part was from the Penobscot river in Maine to the ^i^. JohvbS river in New Brunswick, and it was called by the French the Province of the Etohemins, but its former name was Nohinibeka (succession of falls and still-water), the Indian name for the Penob- scot river, or rather for some parts of it. A part of it had also been named New Ireland, from the first settlers, who were Irish. The second was from the St. JohrCs river to Ca^e Sable, and it was called by the French Baye Franqaise. This bay at present is called Buy of Fundy{^o^\w2ixwvc\, bay of the mines). The third from Cajpe Sable to Canzeaux (Canse, the name of a French navigator), and it was called Aca- * Charlevoix, liv. iiL n ■[■I I 46 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. dia by the French,* Kova Scotia by the English. The fourth from Canzeaux to Cap des Hosiers (from a fish of that name, phoxinas squamosus, or as others assert, from the French navigator Eosier), and it was called Gaspesie^ from the Indian name Gachepe or KecKpi (the end), very appropriately to signify the extreme North-east end of the Micmac territory, and the last promontory lying between the mouth of the great St. Lawrence river and the Bay of Chaleurs-t All this vast extension of territory was possessed only by two Indip^n nations, the Etchimins and the Micmacs. The Ji^kiimns occupied the waters of the Penobscot^ St Groix^ and St, JoKrCs rivers, and the most part of both shores of the Bay of Fn ndy as far east as Port Royal^ near Annapolis, The Mic- macs dwelt on the rest of No /a Scotia, on the south» eastern part of New Brunswick, on the southern shore of the mouth and Bay of St. Lawrence, and also on the adjoining islands. It is doubtful whether Newfoundland was inhabited, It is, however, cer^ tain that its northern part was frequented by the Esquimaux ; the western and southern parts by the Micmacs. There is, however, good ground to believe that it was settled by the Micmacs. Maps are found in which Micmac settlements are marked north-west of Fortune Bay. Jt is asserted that in the interior of Newfoundland there existed a tribe of Aborigines who shunned all intercourse with the Europeans, * That is, the Indian word Acadia was applied by the French to that part of the country, f If Gaspesie comes from Kespaase, it means smoked food, v. g. fish. THE ABNArJS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 47 I and who are supposed to have perished of starva- tion. In the early part of this century, five or six Indians came in one of the settlements in extreme want, who were said to be the only remnant of the race. They represented that they, with their breth- ren, had been forced by the severity of the winter and depth of the snow to abandon the camp for want of food, hoping to be able to reach the shore, but they had perished in the way. Two of this remnant only lived to reach St. John's, where the last died in 1828. But I have been informed by some missionaries of the French islands St. Pierre and Miquelon, that in former times, nearly every spring, canoes were ob- served coming from the shores of Newfoundland, and many dead were buried on the French islands. This happened because the Indians of Newfoundland being Catholic, refused to bury their dead on Eng- lish territory, which was Protestant, but they carried them to be interred in French land, because it was Catholic. It is asserted'^ that there existed a very harmless tribe of Aborigines, to whom the Euro- peans gave the name of red men, but who called themselves Beoths, and that they were different from the rest of the North American Indians. They must have been the Esquimaux, and by Beoths the Esqui- maux Indians must not have meant themselves, but the Micmacs, who also lived on the same island. Baatu in some of the Esquimatiic dialects means canoe, and we know that the Mic7na^s were called canoe-men. If we can rely on the assertion-)- that * Encyclopaedia Americana, v. ix. •j- Transactions of the American Antiquarian Society. i% !1 'I 48 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 1 in the country called Vmland, settled by an Ice- landisli colony, the sun remained eight hours visible during the shortest day of the year, that country must have been Newfoundland. It is positively asserted, that there existed Indians who, from their description and name, Shrocllings^ given them by the Normans, and which in the Icelandic language means dwarfs^ must have been the Esquimaux. The origin of the word Etcldmin is Indian, and it means men from tcldncin^ man. To describe the JEtchimins by tribes, would be a fruitless attempt, as we have no certain records of them, and it would scarcely throw any necessary light on their history. But we have historical documents that they had three principal settlements on the three largest rivers, the Penobscot, the St. Croix, and the St. JohrCs. The first Etchimin settlement was on the river Penobscot, or rather Penaubshet, which means, it flows on rod's — a characteristic very well appropri- ated to that river, on account of its shallowness and the many rocks on which it runs. In dry sea- sons I have known the w^aters of that river to be so low that I could hardly go from Mattanacooli'^ to Oldtown in a canoe. Some writers have been of opinion that the Penobscot river was formerly called Nolumbega, and Pentagwet, or Boamtuquaitook ; but these names expressed only some localities of that river. Nolnnibega means a still-water between falls, of which there are several in that river. At dif- . * Mattanacook, or Martinacook, is an island in the Penobscot river near Lincoln. The name means long and high. WOBtSSSSSSSi THE ABNAKIS : AND THER HISTORY. 49 ferent times, travelling in a canoe along the Penob- scot, I have heard the Indians calling those localities Nolumhega, Pentagwet, or Boamtuquet means hroad- icater, and it expresses a locality after the narrows of Bucksport up towards Bangor. Before proceeding further with the historicial de- scription of these Indians, I, deem proper to make a brief digression, not altogether foreign to the subject. I wish to remark, that the real and ancient name given by the aborigines to the Penobscot is Agguncia^^ a w^ord which cannot be traced to any language, ex- cept to the Abnaki, and it means our nephews^ from u^kkun and tsis. This leads us to the important his- torical discovery that the inhabitants of the Penob- scot river, the Etchimins^ were descendants of the Ahnakis. The great and famous Algio family de- rives its name from the river Agguncia. There is no diiRculty to explain how the letter I is found in the word Algic and not in Agguncia. The root of the word Jigguncia is tClcum^ vrith an aspiration be- tween the two first letters, v^h. This aspiration by some tribes is sounded with a kind of crash in the throat, by others it is bounded as r, by otliers it is replaced by an I. We have innumerable exam- ples of this rule in the Indian languages. The change of the u in a is grammatical. Gr and h being convertible letters, u^huncia makes Alguncia^ or Agguncia, from wdiich the word Algonquin^ or Algic, is derived. This explains why the whole Algonquin nation call the natives of the Kennebec river Abna- ^ , !! * Pronounced Agkuntchia. 50 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. to, that is, our ancestors of the East^* because the Algonquins deriving their origin from the Agguncia (the Penobscot) who wore nephews to the inhabitants of the Kennebec, they naturally call these Indians Abnakis, that is, our ancestors of the East. This is confirmed by the fact that the name with which the Etchimins call the Algonquins^ is Ussaglien^ pi. Us- 8aghenick^\ our nearest ancestors, because they im- mediately descended from the inhabitants of the Ag- guncia, who were the first Algonquins, nephews to .bnakis, and fathei'S to the Etchimins. These childreiioTThe AiiliaJds, and fathers of the Agguncia, must have been the AlnVaucMcois on the Saco river, and the inhabitants of the Androscoggin, who very probably were the Amelingas, One of tJle-^names of the Androscoggin was Amlngdnkin. iNTow, tl AhnaMs never called the Algonquins by the name of TJssaghenick, our nearest am^cestors, and they could not, because the Algonquins were nephews to the AhnaJcis. The Abnakis called the Algonquins our nephews, or descendants. Fr. Kasles informs usj that when an Abnaki says, I speak the Algonquin lan- guage, he expresses himself thus : nesangnanandwd, I speak the language of our nephews, either from the root u^kun, nephews, or dankawinum, desoetit. The word must be resolved so, ne-sangnan-nandwe / the first syllable ne, and the two last, nandwe, mean, / speak; and sangnan comes either from u'kun, nephew, or dankawinum, descent, of which both words u'kum * See the Collections of the Maine Hist. Society, v, vi., Abnakis. t Fr. Demilier,* MS. Dictionary. X Rasles' Dictionary, p. 499. THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY, 51 is always the root. The d is changed into 8 for euphony's sake. In the same manner they say ne^ mekuandwd, I speak Iroquois, This solves several other historical questions. It explains why the Penobscot Indians were called Taranteen8 ; it was because they were living on the Agguncia river, wl;ich was the cradle of the Algon^ quins, who were called A^dirontak^ eaters of trees^ by the Iroquois, to ridicule their unskilfulness in hunt- ing. It explains why the Penobscot dialect is so much more like the Algonquin than many other dialects of the same nation ; they bemg more nearly related to them than the others, excepting the Almou- chicois. Finally, it explains why the entire Algio family call the inhabitants of the Kennebec ^2>n«AjiV, our ancestors of the J^ast, while we do not read that the Etchimins and Micmacs were narked Ahnahisy although living east of the Algonquins ; at least not Ij^Hed so until the word Abnakis became a generic name, aItd^-Qmployod to point out the entire Algio family, i ■m ■ A i- a 'VA CHAPTER VIII. INDIAN VILI.AOES IN ACADIA— ON THE PENOBSCOT — ON THE ST. CROIX, AND ON ST. JOIIn's RIVERS — IN THE REST OF NEW BRUNSWICK ON NOVA SCOTIA. JIE Indians living on the Penobscot river were called Penobscot, and sometimes Openangos, a corruption for Abnakis. The principal Pe- nobscot village was, as I learn from the Indians, about Mattaicanheaij-polnt {a har of (jravel dicides the river hi (wo^). There are yet remains of Indian articles to * It is a general custom \^ith the Indiana, that whenever tliey spoalc of a river, or describe it, they always allude upward to the orijjin, and not downward to its mouth ; v. g. they say tlio river forks, when two rivers join into one. in _>• 'y^. ■yi >1 C5 ?3 . i 62 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. '5 't M '^^ ! i reasonable and conformable to their ancient tradition of a middle state, and they had a contempt for Pro- testantism for their negligence in assisting the dead, and in refusing to offer prayere for the repose of their souls. Their superstition was extreme, and so much inter- mixed with acts of religion, that it has given strong motives to accuse them of idolatry. The Penobscot Indians believed that an evil spirit, called Pamola (he curses on the mountain) — resided, during the Bummer season, on the top of Mount Katahdin — (the greatest of moimtains.) They ofi^ered sacrifices to him to appease him, so that he should not curse them, or otlierwise injure them. Although they liunted and fished in the woods and lakes around Mount Katahdin, yet they never attempted to go on the top of that mountain, in the assurance that they would never be able to return from tliat place, but bo either killed or devoured by tlie evil spirit Pamola. They pretended to have seen this spirit on the top of the mountain on several occasions while hunting or fishing around it. It was but till late, that they have attempted to ascend that mountain. It is not long since that a party of white ])eople desired to go on the top of Mount Katahdin, and took some Indian^ 'o accompany them as guik more oil and fat, and repeated the sacrifice, till Pamola arrived at the camp, and the Indian welcomed liim, say- ing: "You are w^elcome, partner," Pamola re- plied : " You have done well to call me partner ; because you have called me by that name, you are saved, otherwise you would have been killed by me. No Indian has ever called on me and lived, having always being devoured by me. Kow I will take you on the mouiilain, and you shall be happy with me." Pamola put the Indian on his shoulders, bid liim close the eyes, and in few moments, with a noise like the whistling of a powerful wind, they wer3 inside of the mountain. The Indian describes the interior of Mount Katahdin as containing a good, comfortal)le wigwam, furnished with abun- dance of venison, and with all the luxuries of life, and that Pamola had wife and children living in the mountain. Pamola gave him his daughter to wife, and told hitn that after one year he could re- turn to his friends on the Penobscot, and that he might go back to the mountain to see his wife any time he ])leased, and remain as long as ho wished. He was warned that ho could not marry again, but if ho should marry again, he would be at once trans- jtortcd to Mount Katahdin, with no hope of ever more going out of it. After one year the Indian ro- t\irned to Oldtcnvnand related all that had ha])pened to him in Mount Katahdin, an-«!&.^4j^'>-i«<>..- C ORPINS CHRISTrS DAY AT OLD-TOWX INDIAN VlTiliAGR. Oig THE PENOBSCOT KIVEK. i i m 1 1 ;■ h:3 4 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 81 \ «' difficult to obtain it especially on the month of Janu- ary, that is on the moon which generally falls be- tween January and February ; hence they called it Onglusamwessit, on account of their difficulty to ob- tain a subsistence. They I.ave suffered and do yet suffer extremely in the winter, especially those In- dians who at present dwell at Pleasant Point, in this Srate. It is in this moon that the red man remem- bers the dense forests and the extensive hunting grounds of the Kennebec, when in a cold and stormy night he gazes on his dying lire, havii-g burned the last stick, which the benevolent tide has drifted on the shore with charitable but sparing hand.* Be- numbed and half starved he falls asleep on his mat, and dreams of the Mekwas'que moon on the shores of the Kennebec. When there are thirteen moons in a year the Indians count thirteen months, or moons, putting one moon betv/een Atchittaikizoos and Wikkaikizoos, that is between the moons of July and August, which they call Ahonamwlkizoos^ let this tnoon go, thus having an intercalary month between July and August. In this case the montl%of July of the Indians, that is, the moon Atchittaikizoos, begins in our mouth of June, then in our month July be- gins the Indian month Abonamwikizoos, and the Indian month of August Wikkaikizoos will com- mence from the new moon which falls in our Au- gust. This coi'rection in their afitronomical compu- * The Indians at Pleasant Point have no flro-wood, except what they pick up ou the shore drifted by the tide from the mills of Calais. i k #■ *■ 82 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 'I w ii h t'M. i f rl P ^ .1 8 tation of the moons will make the year finish at the new moon ofKetchikizoos — the new moon in Decem- ber before Christmas. As in some years there are two new moons in December, and in some others there is none before Christmas, in both cases the new moon of Ketchikizoos, the commencement of the new year, is always the new moon preceding Christmas, whether it falls in December or in No- vember. It is to be observed, that before the pub- lication of the present Indian Almanack they could not find out that our year had thirteen moons till they arrived to the long moon (Ketchikizoos), or near to it ; it was only then and not before that time, that they discovered it, and then in their backward calculations, they skipped the moon after that in which the berries were ripe, saying Ahonamwikisoos, let this moon go. The reason why they skip that moon rather than any other in the year, is because in that month, the nights being very short, they can dispense with it easier than with other months hav- ing longer nights. They had no idea of the division of time in weeks, nor of the division of the week in seven days, hence they have no corresponding name for the word week. The division which they use at present has been in- troduced by the Europeans, and it is not generally nnderstood by them even in our days. Their present division of the days of the week is the following. "l^^-.. THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 88 Table. Sunday, — Sande^ Sunday"^. Monday — T''kissande^ after Sunday^ or Amikawa- salokke^ first working day. Tuesday — Nisidaalokka^ second working day, Wednesday — N^setaalokha^ third working day. TJiursday — leotaalokka^ fourth working day, Friday — Skehewatook^ the day of the cross. Saturday — Katausande^ the day hefore Sunday, A week, — Etsi tanbawanikessughenakkiwighis- sajit, from seven to seven days it is the festival of Sunday, ad verlum^ it is holy. Although they had no division of the month in weeks, and of the week in seven days, yet their months or moons are divided in nine parts, not of the same length ; or I would rather say that in each moon they count nine phases of unequal distance from each other. They are the following. 1. Nangusa^ she is born (the new moon). 2. Nenaghil, she grows (from the fifth to the sixth day of the moon). 3. Kegan-demeghil^ soon full (from the eleventh to the twelfth day). 4. Wemeghil^ she is full. 5. Pekinem^ after "being full (the sixteenth, seven- teenth, and eighteenth day). 6. Utsine^ she com^mences to die (the twenty-second and twenty-tliird day). * From the French word Saint. : f "^' I m 1 1 [ '^l l'>^ ^ I 1 1 i J H ' >il IE: II ! t ¥ • -^ i I 84 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 7. Pebassine, she is half dead. 8. Metchina v. Sesemina^ she is entirely dead {when nearly disappearing). 9. Nepa^ she is dead (no moon). They have no standing numerical computation, yet ' they count by decades with great correctness. If a calculation is extensive, after a certain number of decades, they put a stone or piece of wood for a mark and commence counting again. They repeat it as often as they need it. Their great events are record- ed by a stone or by a pictorial inscription, but they cannot mark the date, because, as we have stated above, they possess no 'standing numerical computa- tion. The date is kept by tradition, but after a num- ber of generations, it is lost ir the darkness of time. They do not divide the day by hours, and very few even now understand our division of the day into twenty-four hours. Some of them have clocks and even watches, yet very few of them can tell the time. On several occasions they have brought me a watch sometimes going, but generally stopped, and asked me to tell the time of the day by that watch. I gave them the time from my watch, yet they did not appear to understand it. They go by the rising, elevation, and setting of the sun, moon, and stars. When I wanted an Indian at any particular time, I was obliged to express it by pointing with my hand the elevation of the sun from tlie horizon, corresponding to the hour of the day. They now reckon two mornings, which they call Awinotz-spanswi^ morning of the whites^ and Alna- THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 85 dead haj/spanswi^ morning of the Indians. The former is from day-light to after sun-rising^ the latter is about eight or nine o'clock am. making an average between summer and winter. In the night they ob- serve the different phases of the moon in order to make an allowance for the change of the time of her rising. Like us they divide the astronomical day in day and night, but differently from us they do not distribute it into equal parts. They enumerate in the day as well as in tlie night six unequal portions, or I may say hours, v/hich however are longer or shorter accord- ing to the season. They are the following. Division of the Day. 1 — Uspanswiwi^ the breaking of the day. 2 — Tse^kwat, it is day, 3 — Paskwe^ it is noon. 4 — Pedagusse^ it crosses the line and goes on the other side. 5 — Nehile^ it sets. 6 — MaglangwVlle^ v. hegan pesedl^ the twilight {evening). Division of the Kight. 1 — PisJcii, it is night. 2 — Agwanetepoket, it is after night. 3 — AmawitepoJcei, it is before midnight. 4 — Epassietepoket^ it is midnight. 5 — Agwamitepoket^ it is after mAdnight. 6 — Pitsetipoket^ the night will soon he over. These are the few Astronomical notices w^hicli I k '!' ■h 1 1 It .^ I- , MWi ^ d 86 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTOllY. have collected from manuscripts and from the tra- dition of the Indians. I feel confident that in pa^t generations the Indians had a better acquaintance with the science of Astronomy, but since their inter- course with the Europeans, they have undergone a material deterioration in their physical as well as in their mental faculties. Each of them could and can yet, in some degree, rise and make in public a speech with such solidity and natural eloqueiice as to sur- prise even our orators, who require study and pre- paration in order to appear in public. In former times they could converse amongst themselves by mere signs, and gesti:;ulations without articulated sounds. They could send messages and speeches to absent persons in small pieces of wood or in strings prepared with knots and folded, in a bundle, which the messenger or orator could deliver r.y unfolding the string from the bundle and read the speech or message, as if it were in a book. We have yet a more striking evidence of this deterioration, in the art of writing and reading. At the time of the discovery of the American continent, the natives had a thorough system of hand-writing by hieroglyphics, very much like that of the Chinese and Japanese. The Hie- roglyphics of the Mexican Indians are well known to the literary world, but those of the North-Eastern native Americans, although familiar to the Catho- lic Missionaries, yet had never been noticed by the antiquarian and scientific men. A specimen of them was presented by me to Samuel F. Haven, Esq., the learned librarian of the American Anti- quarian Society, which he noticed in his report at THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 87 *^l the annual meeting, held at Worcester Oct. 12, 1858. Another specimen also I have exhibited to the Maine Historical Society, which was inserted in the sixth volume of the Collections of the same Society. But lately the Rev. Charles Kauder, Missionary of the Micmacs at Tracadie, !N^ova Scotia, zealous of the salvation of the souls of the poor Micmac Indians, has with indefatigable labor, not only learned this North-Eastern Hieroglyphic language, but also has succeeded, through his friends in Europe, in induc- ing the Austrian Government to print an edition of the Prayer-book and Catechism, written with hiero- glyphics in the Micmac language. The same Gov- ernment further presented him all the type and plates, expressly cut and cast, for his use in future editions. The Government of this State has made some efforts to teach the Indians to read and write English. But the teacher being a foreigner, "^^ teach- ing in a foreign language, and not able to speak or understand a word of the native American language, has proved a great failure. I have seen Indians not able to read, after having been at school for four years, if we can call going to school the fashion of the Indians in frequenting it for two or three days, sometimes weeks, then growing tired, and fly- ing into the woods to iiunt and set traps for wild animals. Another obstacle is the natural distrust of the I.uiians in tlie regard to the white. * The Kiifrlisli language is foreign to tlie Indians, and the white or black people, although born in America, are foreigners, to them. 4!' I m i ■;' ,T"f I t: * n ;1 lit ( f ij: i ll i ^1 \ :i CIIAPTEK XIL DOMESTIC LIFE. tP'N their domestic life the Inclians were kind and very hospitable. They most willingly divi- ded their game with their relations and friends. The stranger was always welcome to their table. Their charity was not selfish, but sincere and true, which in a particular manner Avas practised towards the old people. If an old man had a son killed in war another young man was procured for him from amongst the nation that killed him. They were strong and well built, but like the rest of the Indians they did not work mu^'li, nor did they like it, and even at present they have no relish for labor. Their necessities, however, at that time being very few, were abundantly and easily supplied by hunting and fish- ing at proper seasons. They did not know the cod- THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 89 fish, altliongh it was very abundant on tlieir shores. They were frugal and sober. Tliey had a kind of liquor made of the tops of tlie fir-tree, well boiled and put into casks with leaven or molassesj where it fermented for two or three days. After the fermen- tation was over, it was left to settle, and then it was good for use. They made and still make sugar from the maple-trees, and it is one of their principal occu- pations and occasions of merrymaking during the spring. Altliough at present their manner of dressing is pretiy decent, yet formerly both men and women went nearly bare-footed and naked. The only garment which they wore was the mokkasin, and a kind of gown to the knees for the men, and some- what longer for the women. They did not wear any- thing on their head. They have never been canni- bals, but they were docile and aifable in their man- ners. The modesty and decency observed in their families was great. Sisters and brothers behaved towards each other with propriety and respect. The brother abstained from any improper act* in the presence of the sister. A French traveller of more than a century and a half ago, to illustrate the great reserve and modesty existing in the Indian families, gives an instance, that in Nova Scotia two Micmacs, brother and sister, went into the woods, and the bro- ther retired into the inner part of it f(»r some natu- ral act. On his return to the sister, he had on his person some stain of excrement, of which he was '!i^' 4 * Viz : a crepitu ventris, eructatione, etc. 6* is '^I ill I if » t M 90 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. unaware. When he was made acquainted with it by the sister, he felt so ashamed and confused, that he returned into the woods and hung liiinself. When a young man wanted to marry a girl, he went to her father and said, " ' Id willingly be admitted into your family." The father would answer that he was to speak to her mother. If the young man was a good hunter, the courtship was soon over. Sometimes it cost him much to gain the mistress, for he was obliged to maintain the whole family during a certain period of time, and if the girl was very deserving, he had to purchase her with presents. The ceremony was thus ; the father would say to the girl " follow that young man, he is your husband," and all was over. They would go away together into the woods. After some days they would return and they would invite all the neighbors, who would feast together. Here the fa- ther commended his son-in-law, and recounted the exploits of his forefathers, and all the company ap- plauded his choice. After their conversion to the Catholic religion, the marriage was celebrated in the face of the church, if a priest was near; otherwise the marriage was renewed again, when they had an occasion to meet with the priest. When a woman was with child, she informed her husband, and he generally abstained from commerce with her till after the delivery. This was a common thing. When her menstruation began, she also in- formed her husbiviid, and avoided approaching him. She retired into the woods accompanied by another woman to give birth to a child, and the midwife re- ^1 ii ^ M A: " THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 91 navel ceived for her trouble tlie knife which cut t' string. No pains were suffered in childbirth. The new babe was immediately washed, either in sum- mer or winter. For the first nourishment it took the oil of some fish, or melted tallow of some beast. The infant was made to swallow it, and afterwards it took ;iothing but the mother's milk, till it was grown large enough to feed like other children. However Lescarhat relates, that the children were forced to swallow grease and oil as soon as they were taken from sucking the mother's breast. If the child was a boy, there was a great rejoicing; but they were rather displeased if it was a girl. When an Indian passing by went into the hnt, and seeing the new-born infant, would take it np and make much of it, the parents would make a present to that person. Should the child wet the party that held him, they would make another present for reparation. If a woman while nursing became preg- nant, she would cause an abortion by taking a po- tion, saying that they could not nurse two children at the same time. The women were very fruitful. Few houses were without five or six children. Some couples had eighteen children, while still of age to have more. The women were treated hard, and like servants. They were seldom known to be false to their husbands, but if a woman was taken in adultery she was in danger of her life. Single wo- men, however, were not much noticed in criminal intercourse. Young people were chaste. They were equally entitled to the estate of the parents. Only merit raised a man to honor. There was ^""^' inheri- i: ■' :<(/ p l1 i' ' •■ ! li • (1 , ^ 'i I n 92 THE ABNAKIS : AND THEIR HISTORY. tance or birthriglit, and when one was once raised to honor, he was never removed, nnless it were for some heinons oft'encc. They never liad nor have even at present, family names, hence the difficulty of tracing their families. The el-dest son took the name of the father with the addition of the syllable sis, which means son, v. g. if the father was called I^iol (Peter), the first son was called Piolsis (son of Peter). The second son took another name. The third took the name of the second with the addi- tion of a syllable to the end of it, and so forth with the others. The first daughter took the name of the mother with the addition of the syllable sis in the same manner as with the sons. The second daughter took another name. The third took the name of the second with the addition of a syllable and so forth. It is to be observed, that the particle sis afiT.ied to a name is nothing but a diminutive, viz. Sahsis, little James, Maliesis^ little Mary. But if this particle be affixed to a first born, then it means son or daughter. If there are two names, and this particle be found affixed to the se- cond name, it also means son. In this case this par- ticle is always affixed to the name of the father and not to that of tlie son, viz. Plansoa Mlzelsis, Fran- cis, son of Michael ; Sahatis JEtiensis, John Bap- tist, son of Stephen. The particle que, affixed to a name, means wife, and it is always affixed to the name of the husband and not to that of the wife ; thus, Malie TJiomaimsqxie, Mary the wife of Tho- mas (the syllable wi is for the sake of euphony). "Whei; the particle sis is added to qxie^ thus qxiesis^ it i I SS.. THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 93 ■'!.' it means djinghter, viz. Scsil Etiennisqueais^ Cecilia the daughter of Stephen. If instead of ,v2,v, tliey place the particle peun^ thus qucpeun^ it means wid- ow, viz., Malie KHchi Nwolawisquepeun^ Mary the widow of old Nicolas. The first time that the son killed any game, they liad an entertainment for the whole family and neigh- boring savages. If they were into the woods, they waited for their return, and dried the meat to pre- serve it. The young hunter and his parents did not taste the game, but they thought honorable to dis- tribute it to the company. They had a parti- cular ceremony for this occasion. They shouted and sang in honor of the young hunter. All that he killed whilst very young, was given away to others, to show his dexterity and courage. They made a feast also, when the child cut the first tooth. At their feasts, tiiey ahvays killed the best and most valuable hunting-dog, and they spared no- thing to make the entertainment good and agreeable. Very often, however, the feast w^as mingled with weeping. Some old doting Indian woman in the midst of the rejoicing called to mind, that some twenty or thirty years before, she had a son killed. Then some of the guests would take compassion, and promise revenge, and never to give up, till he had killed some of that nation, to which the murderer belonged. He then would bring his head to her for her to eat. As soon as a father of family expired, he was taken from the wigwam, which was immediately %. I ■ 94 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. set to fire tOj^etlier with all the contents, which prac- tice of burning the contents of the wigwam belong- ing to the deceased, exists yet to some extent amongst them. Then every person gave thts corpse a present of the best things that they had, and which were used to ornament the grave inside and outside. They em- balmed the bodies of the dead, after extracting the bowels. Mourning consisted in painting themselves black and in uttering great lamentations. Their tombs resembled those of other Indian nations. "We know that the tomb of a priest who died in the year 1716 was covered with a kind of arbor, and instead of a tombstone, they put a heap of pebbles, placed in decent order. "Whether this manner of covering the graves was used for all persons of great distinc- tion, or only for the priest, we cannot be certain. It might have been a case only for the interment of this priest, as we do not read that it had been prac- tised with others. — If I V ■'I ill 1 5. ■* - „ ill i :lil .i» ■awBlJ 'gg" . \ *! ;■ ■ ) ' it ^ 1' '('' ; : } ;f 1 1 ;.::•-' 1 -^■-^i 1^' ^';^^ ''ft q-:! -^ .,.■■•« f^: Pi — i o 14 cq I M in M PI — i 14 I en i CHAPTER XIII. PRESENT CONDITION OF THE INDIANS. >AYING given a few historical notices of the ancient inhabitants of Acadia, I think pro- per to make a few remarks on the present native Americans of the State of Maine and British Provinces, which, with a part of Lower Canada, covers all the ground formerly called Acadia. In the State of Maine there are two small tribes of about five hundred individuals each, called the Penobscot and the Passamaquoddy tribes. The former live on several islands of the Penobscot River, the latter on the western shore of the Passamaquoddy Bay, and on the Schoodic Lakes. The Penobscot Indians have a small and rather good-looking village on an island called Indian Island, opposite to Old-Town. This ,1' ^ is I 96 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. village is composed of about thirty wooden houses, some of wliich are well and neatly l)nilt. It has a Catholic church, a townhall, and a school-house. This village is regularly built on the southern shore of the island, with a square between the church, the townhall, school-house, and two rows of houses on the northern side. The graveyard is on a neck of land between two parts of the village. There are besides several houses scattered on the island. The church is good looking and well built, with a steeple and a bell to it, and is dedicated to St. Anne. It was built about thirty years ago by Rev. Yirgil Barber, who succeeded Rev. Mr. Romagn^ in the charge of the Penobscot Mission, and occu- pies nearly the samo site as the old church, built by Rev. John Louis Lefebvre Cheverus, afterwards Bishop of Boston, and Cardinal. In the inside, there is a gallery for singers, pews, and a good sanctuary. Over the altar there is an altar-piece representing the Assumption of the B. Y. Mary of nearly life- size, rising from the tomb where she had been de- posited ; it is a European painting and well exe- cuted. There is also an oil painting on canvas representing in life-size St. Francis of Assisi. It is an old European work, of an unknown but good artist. There is also a picture of St. Anne teaching the B. V. Mary lo read, and a few other paintings of little consequence. But the Indians value very highly an oil painting representing the Crucifixion of our Saviour, made by an Indian, who had never had any instruction whatever. It is neither elegant nor well executed, yet it is a specimen of what an see. THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 97 an Indian can do without education, and without hav- ing studied the manner of preparing and mixing the colors in oil. The interior of the church is orna- mented according to Indian taste. The priest's house is attached to the church, and it was repaired last year, as it was in a very dilapi- dated condition. At these places the Indians behave with great respect. An act of disrespect manifested by any visitor either in the church or at the priest's house is felt by them as a great insult, although it may not have been the intention of the stranger to give any such offence. If a Protestant enters their church, and comports himself properly, he is treated politely ; but if he bdiaves rudely, forgetting that he is in the house of God, omits uncovering the head, or laughs, talks, and so forth, either the sexton or some other Indian approaches him, and without any other ceremony removes the hat from his head with a blow, but without uttering a word. One evening while the members of the choir were practising at the priest's house, some strangers asked permission to be present, which was granted to them, but in entering the room they kept their hats on. The In- dians took offence at it, and refused to sing as long as the strangers were present. Tiieir feelings are easily hurt, but generally they do not show it, although oftentimes they may appear rude. I give an instance of it. One afternoon I cross- ed the river, and in landing on the island, I found there two ladies, who were very much excited against the Indians. They approached me and com- plained very bitterly of them, saying that they had ; "! 4 '1 I' A * r r ■ m^' f •rl I 1 1 1 1 1 1 ; 1 1 '^ i ^1' m ' I f i ••t 98 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. crossed over the island to visit tiiem, but that some squaws had treated them rudely by putting them out of the liouse. I apologized for them, and I offered to accompany them myself to visit any part of the village, that they desired to see, which \vas done. Afterwards I sent for those Indian women to inquire about this impolite manner of treating strangers, no matter to what denomination they may belong, but I found the statement of things to be quite different. The case had been the following. Tlie ladies, without any ceremony, had entered the house of these Indians, while they were taking their meal. The manner in which they were helping themselves without using forks and knives, eating on the floor without chairs and table, eating from a common large wooden dish, without napkins and table-cloths; the manner in which the food was prepared, their negligence in ob- serving those rules generally adopted by white peo- ple at table, did viot suit the taste of the visitors. Tlie ladies began to sneer, and then they lauglied, and continued to do so, till some squaws got up and put the ladies out of the door. I know from my own observations, that the Indiana are very civil to visi- tors, especially when they do not forget that they are amongst Indians. They are all Catholics not only in the State of Maine, but also in all the British Provinces and Canada, and with few exceptions they are all good Christians, of strong faith, and stand firmly by their religion. The Catholics of Ban«:or in time of need have several times been assisted by the Indians of Oldtown. When the old St. Michael's Church at tie ut ed he le. m THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 99 Bangor,* was built, a set of bigoted fanatics of that city threatr*\ed to pull \c down, and the day had been appointed to p jrforin this disgraceful and profane ac- tion. At that time the Catholics were too few in that city, and they were not able, to protect the church, but the Indians came from Old-Town, armed with guns, clubs, and tomahawks, paraded on the front of the church in the street, and defied the rioters to touch it. This firmness of the Indians prevented the mob from gathering and doing any harm to the church, and saved Bangor from a dis- grace which would have tarnished for ever the an- nals of that city, whiph has never been stained by a disgraceful act of bigotry, but has always contributed to the fame and pride of the children of the Pine State. The Indians used to go from Old-Town to Bangor, to sing on Sunday at old St. Michael's, and the first leader ot the choir w^as an Indian, who took great care and interest in instruct- ing the singers. There are people yet living in Bangor, who have been instructed by Salomon Swassin, the Indian above mentioned. He died four years ago and lies buried at Old-town. The reason why some of the Indians are not as good as the rest of the tribe, is owing to their mix- ing too much -with the white people, and the gene- ral misfortune of the Indians in coming in contact with them is that they contract all the vices of the whites, without learning any of their virtues. This * Tins was the first Catholic church at Bangor, in Court street. It was sold last year, because it was in a dilapidated condition, and no more needed. A large new church has been built ou York street. Hi > !il ^'^1 Ft 100 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. ! 'f! W !l 11 i ! fact has always been observed and acknowledged by all persons familiar with the native Americans, al- though they are at a loss to account for it. Yet I do not wonder in reflecting, what class of white peo- ple the unfortunate Indians come in contact with. When the Indians first met with tlie Catholic missionaries, they divested themselves of many sav- age customs and vices, and learned many moral .and Christian virtues. They improved their condition, and learned some civilization under the standard of the Cross. But these missionaries were virtuous peo- ple, and the proper persons to teach theui good moral habits. Afterwards these Indians unluckily came in contact with the worst class of society, and with people of the loosest habits, of no manners, without religion, or disgracing the religion which they professed. From these they have learned swearing, cursing,* stealing, drinking, licentiousness, disrespect and contempt for God, his ministers, and for religion, thereby their faith becomes weak. We see the truth of it, when we reflect that the worst In- dians are those who go wandering about the coimtry and mix with people of the above mentioned charac- ter. To this adding that they are neither scholars nor theologians, hence incapable of discerning be- tween an argument and a sophism. Several In- dians who pass for Protestant, and who themselves profess to be such, in reality are not Protestants, but Catholics, and sometimes very good Catholics also. * It is worth noticing that the Indian language has no word or expression to swear or curse. Wlieri the Indians swear or curse they do it in English. by al- etl peo- ith. olic sav- and ion, dof THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. lOi According to their notions they do not deem it to be a falsehood on some occasions not to tell the truth nor to deny the faith by saying they are Protes- tants, when asked by persons who have no right to question them. I give an instance of it. When they go around the country selling baskets, mats, and such-like articles, they enter the house of some bigoted man, who objects to purchase baskets from them on account of their religion ; then ensues the following dialogue between them : Protestant, — "You are a Catholic, I do not want to buy baskets from j^ou." Indian. — "Me no Catholic." Protestant — " Yes, you are Catholic, you belong to the Old-Town Indians." Indian. — "Yes me Old-Town Indian, but me no Catholic, me once Catholic, but now Protes- tant." The bargain being concluded, on leaving the house or store, the Indians (who generally are two together in selling) laugh amongst themselves, and say " me cheat white folks, he think me Protestant, me no Protestant, me always Catholic, here my beads (they pull the beads or a medal and show it to each other)." The difficulty of learning the Indian language, makes it difficult for missionaries to in- struct them, hence they are not well grounded in their catechism, and we cannot reasonably expect from them, what we deem proper to require from the white people, whose language is possessed fully bv their missionaries. The schools introduced amongst them by direction i I ■ ■ .1 Ay I;! i 102 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. M^ of the government are a complete failure, not only because a foreigner altogether ignorant of the native American languages teaches the Indians, but also because the teacher selected by the government be- ing generally an American Protestant does not en- joy their confidence, all Americans being looked "npon by them with great distrust. On several occa- sions I have been obliged to go from house to house to take the children to school. There are children, who have frequented the school for years, who are not capable of spelling a word of two syl- lables. Yet there are Indians who know how to read well, and some are capable of writing. But the credit of it is due to the late Yirgil Barber, — a missionary who resided amongst them for ten years, and whose memory remains in benediction amongst them. He was formerly an Episcopal Minister, became a convert to the Catholic Church — was ordained Priest, and sent to Old-Town to take charge of the Penobscot Indians. He worked amongst them with great zeal and perseverance, taught their school, and his labors were crowned with success. Those India.18 taught by him are all well instructed. Rev. John Bapst also deserves credit for having instructed them, but unfortunately he was not encouraged by the Government. The scanty annual salary of fifty dollars allowed by the Government from the Indian funds for the support of the Pastor was withdrawn from him, as also the payment for teaching school*. Against the wishes * I am informed by an honest agent of the Indians, that the salary of the schoolmaster and of the agent of the Indians should be taken, THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 103 of the most of the Trihe a Protestant teacher was forced upon the Indians. The division of parties stimulated by some malicious person to make prose- lytes of them, all concurred to check this effort in teaching them. not from the fund belonging to the Indians, but from the State, yet both schoolmaster and agent are paid with money belonging to the Indians. m \ Hi 'I!: r M ' i f^- % 6' CHAPTEE XIY. DIVISION OF PARTIES AMONGST THE INDIANS OF MAINE — INDIANS OF THE BRITISH PROVINCES. XT is not improper here to relate the origin of the division of parties amongst the Indians at Old- Town, which has been the cause of many cala- mities amongst them, of their decline and ruin, and it will continue to work their utter destruction, if an end shall not be put to their childish dissensions. The commencement of the division of the Penob- scot Tribe was caused by the scandalous conduct of their chief Atien Swassin. He was accused of drunkenness, adultery, and other crimes. He was called to an account in public council. There he w^as convinced of the truths of these accusations, he was removed from office, and another Indian was elected U Lf-i to o s OC ii Kil 'I' I ^1 I k' t ' I THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 105 to be tlie Sangman of the Tribe. The friends and relatives of the old Governor stood by him, so the tribe became divided, having two Governors and two sets of officers. Those who had elected a new Sachem called themselves New Party ; the others who stood by the old Governor were called Old Party. This was the original cause of their division, although other things were added afterwards to dis- tinguish one party from the other. They raised two liberty poles near each other, and two flags in oppo- sition. This division naturally was the source of many animosities amongst them. Quarrels, dissensions, and fights became very common. Finally they sent mes- sengers to the Passamaquoddy, St. John, Caughna- waga, St. Francis, and other tribes of Canada and other British possessions, inviting them to come to Old-Town and assist them in a fight which w^as to take place on the island. With the exception of a few wicked Indians, who joined the Old Party, all tho tribes not only refused to give them assistance in the fight, but advised them to desist ^from this evil de- sign and to make peace. Six confederate tribes of Canada held a council in Caughnawaga, called tho Great-fire Council from the name of tlie tribes, and the disturbances at Old-Town w^ere the subject of the discussion. The Chreatfire Council censured the Old Party, notwithstanding the fiery remon- strances of Governor Francis of the Passama- quoddy Indians at Pleasant Point, who denounced the New Party, abused them, and made every eff'ort to bend the decision of the assembly in favor of tho 6 !i« IS! 1 i* •I 1 F i' -■ ilr I 1' ■k I 106 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. \h m rn^m Old Party. The Great-fire Council sent two mes- Bengers from Canada with a letter to the Penobscot tribe, complaining of the many scandals and evils perpetrated by them, of the disgrace which they had brought not only upon themselves and their children, but also upon tlie six confederate tribes of the Great- fire, They advised them to make peace amongst them- Belves, to treat each other like brothers and to be docile to the voice of their Pastor, who was for peace and brotherly love. The influence of the council and of their priest, Kev. John Bapst, induced them to agree to abolish both parties. Both governors consented to resign, both liberty poles were to be cut down, and the}' were to elect a new governor. All Indians for the sake of peace agreed to it, and a day was appointed for this general reconciliation. The Rt. Rev. John B. Fitzpa- trick, Bishop of Boston, whose jurisdiction at that time extended over the State o^ Maine, was invited to per- form this ceremony. The leaders of the New Party were honest and sincere, but the three leaders of the Old Party were not so. Piel Sakkis and the leaders of the Old Party had agreed to lot the N'sw Party first cut down their liberty pole, and then prevent any one touching theirs. The day appointed arrived. The Bishop of Boston and Rev. Mr. Bapst were there on the island. They erected a large cross near the church with the inscription, Pogo id omnes unum sinty 1 pray that they all may he one, St. John xvii. Indians were appointed to demolish both liber- ty poles. They first cut down the pole of the New Party, but when they were about btriking with the THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 107 axe into the pole of the Old Party, the three leaders rushed to the pole, and clasped it in their arms, crying that they would not let it be cut down. The Indians appointed endeavored to demolish this pole, but they could not strike it without cutting the arms of the three Indians who held it. They were ready to strike, but this would have resulted in a bloody fight, and even in loss of life. Hence the Bishop and Pastor thought prudent to stop the Indians from going further. They denounced the duplicity of the leaders of the Old Party, who were excommunicated on the spot. The Bishop advised the New Party to keep quiet and peaceful and to have patience. He gave directions to the pastor to see what he could do with them, and if he thought proper, even to quit them, and he left in disgust.* On this the Old Party people became bold and in- solent. The New Party could not live in peace any longer on the island, and it was even unsafe for a well disposed and peaceful person to go to the Indian is- land. The priest himself could not live pleasantly amongst them. He was considered by the Old Party Indians to side with the New Party, hence he was treated by them with suspicion and distrust. The Rev. James Moore returning from his mission of the Passamaquoddy Indians, was accompanied by some canoes manned by Indians of that tribe, and while • One of the excommunicated repented, and having written a letter of repentance and apology to the Birshop, was absolved from the excommunication. Piel Sakkis followed his example. The third is yet ezcommunicatod. [., ^ISftf; ! ' .;' i 1' 5 I 108 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. they were approaching the shores of the Penobscot Indians' island, some of the Old Party saw these canoes with strange Indians, and Fatlier Moore with thera, who was not aware of their recent troubles, and they thought that he was coming with those Indians to as- sist the New Party to fight the old one. They went to the shore and disputed their landing till they had signed a paper in favor of the Old Party. Rev. J. Moore, however, had already landed, saying to them that he would not trouble himself about their party quarrels. Things were rendered still worse by the instigations of some Sectarians who availed themselves of this opportunity to fill the ears of the poor Old Party Indians with malicious stories, saying that the priest was against them, preventing their progress, enlightenment, and education ; that they should have a Portestant teacher, who would be the only one fit to instruct them, and all such things which found believers amongst the ignorant Old- Party. Afiairs having reached the highest pitch of disorder, the pastor advised the E^ew Party, who were peaceful and well disposed, to quit Old- Town, and to go to Canada and to live amongst the Caughnawaga and St. Francis Indians, where they could be in peace and quiet, coula practise their reli- gion, and their children could be better instructed. They followed this advice, and left for Canada. Rev. Mr. Bapst also quitted Old-Town, and retired to East- port, where he took charge of the Passamaquoddy tribe. Their village now was deserted by half of the tribe, the church and priest's house were closed, and no 5 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 109 more service was lield on the island. This was a favorable opportunity for some of the Protestants, who desired to proselytize the Indians, and who had for several years made useless attempts for this object. Protestant ministers now went to the island several times to preach to them, but they could not persuade a single Indian to listen to them. They insinuated to them, that since the priest had left them and that since they could no longer perform the Catholic reli- gion, and in conscience being bound to attend a re- ligion, they might join the Protestant denomination, which was as good as the Catholic, if not better, be- cause they could not please the Great Spirit without professing a religion. He promised that their minis- ter would go on the island to preach to them, and the Indians were requested to open the church, so that the service might take place in their church. But they were very much disappointed. The Old Party Indiana, bad as they were, would not listen to the preacher, they refused to open the church, and they told plainly, that they would rather set the church on fire, than to see it occupied by a Protestant minis- ter; "even if we were to open it," they said, "he would have only the benches to preach at, as no In- dian would ever go to listen to him." These gen- tlemen, however, continued devising means to in- duce the Indians to abandon the Catholic religion. They fancied to have a better success, if they would Bend a preacher of a native-American race. They found an apostate belonging to the remains of the Iroquois tribes in the western part of the State of Kew York. This they sent to Old-Town to preach to ;-f; ■■':.. 4 i" ii ■ ■r , it, ; '< i ■ '■■ Vi Ii 1 ill |; . ^ 1 ! <^ w ' ' 1 ■ '» ^ 1 k; > 110 THE ABNAEIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. the Penobscot Indians, but it was another complete failure, because the Indians threatened him to throw him into the Penobscot river, if he would put again a foot on the island. The Indians remained without a priest for the space of three or four years, and although they had been occasionally visited, especially in case of sickness, by Rev. James Moore, Rev. J. Force and other mission- aries, yet no service had been held on the island. During this time not only none of them changed their religion, but also none of them was even seen putting a foot into any of the Protestant churches which are numerous in Old-Town. They went now and then across the river to attend Mass at the Canadian church of that place. It was about this time that I was sent to attend the Eastern Missions of the State of Maine, and espe- cially to visit the Indians. I ^lid not desire to go di- rectly to them, but I was seeking for a favorable op- portunity to see them, which was presented to me while I was at Old-Town. One Sunday after Mass, while I was yet in the church of the Irish i,ud Cana- dians, some Indian women requested me to go across to their island in order to baptize some children. At first I refused, saying that I would not put a foot on an island, which was so much deliled by so many crimes perpetrated by the Indians, who were in re hellion against God and His church, and who had been abandoned by the priest. They apologized, pro- testing that they had given no cause for it, and that they were sorry for what had taken place. After this explanation I consented to go on the afternoon. THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. Ill When on the island, I walked directly to tbe vacant house of the priest. I examined every thing both at the house and church, and I found that nothing had been disturbed, but every thing was at its own place. After having baptized the children I prepared my- self to recross the river, but the Indians insisted that I should spend the night with them, which invitation I accepted after some objections. In the evening I gathered them at the church, and I gave them an exhortation, exposing to them their miserable condition, and in a particular manner I de- scribed their degeneration from their ancestors. I appealed strongly to their feelings, to bring them to a change of life. This exhortation had the desired effect. In the evening I was visited by several Indi- ans, who with a cool slyness — their great character- istic, questioned me, or rather I underwent a thorougli examination about my politics in regard to the par- ties, about school matters, and such like, for which I was well prepared. During the night they held a council, and in the morning they sent me a delega- tion, which I received by an interpreter. The object of this delegation was, that they were anxious to change, and would if I consented to remain amongst them. This I could not promise, but told them, that if they were truly determined to live as good Catho- lics, and in peace with the rest of the Indians, I would consent to visit them regularly every month, until better provisions could be made in order to have a permanent residence amongst them. Tliey agreed to it, and I commenced to visit thnm regularly every month. The other half tribe, in learning these arrange- \'i 'II il J 112 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. r r ;: l.»h.. ments between the priest and the Indians at Old-Town, then returned from Canada, yet there has not been since, any good feeling between the two parties, look- ing on each other with distrust. The year before last, however, they agreed to give np all parties, and to form only one body, yet the party feel- ing still remains. With the exception of a few, who work either in cultivating the land or in driving logs in the river, they are sluggish and have a natu- ral dislike for working, except hunting, where they endure hardships above description. This natural dislike for working arises from a false impression that work is a servile and mean thing, unworthy of the dignity of man, hence it was left to be performed by the women. Hunting and fighting are the only actions considered by tliem deserving the attention of man. The State Government had made efforts to encourage agriculture, but without success. The Government had directed the Indian Agent to plough at the expense of the Indian funds, one acre of land for each Indian, leaving to them the choice and labor of planting what they pleased, giving besides a bounty on what they would raise, excepting corn and cabbage ; yet the most of the Indians would let the plouglied land run into weeds rather than to trouble themselves to plant it. This Government order has been repealed in order to avoid wasting money without any profit. The squaws generally cultivate a kitchen garden near their houses, while the men smoke their pipes sitting on the threshold in idleness. Once I made them plant potatoes in the garden attached to the church, which they did be- II Si** in I:'' .: I'r P-'i r ;| :!.:•: ["• •» aaTn"''- — "- "Tw^-- • in — mB, THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 113 cause I was there present personally, but being obliged to be absent in the fall, the potatoes were allowed to freeze in the ground, and remain there during the winter in order to avoid the trouble of digging them up. They have over one hundred is- lands belonging to them, from Old-Town np to the river. The land is generally very good, but many islands are small for' a proper cultivation. The diffi- culty of landing horses or oxen to cultivate them in- creases the natural objections which they have for agriculture, especially in the spring of the year, when it is even dangerous on account of the ice and logs, which float in the river. Their morals are generally good, though they ur*^ prone to intoxication, for which the whites are more to blame than the Indians. They do not swear or curse. No Indian language has words for it, but the Indians have learned from the lowest class of the white people, who «re famous for profane language, swearing, cursing, abusing the holy name of God, and of our Saviour, how to curse and swear in English. . The}^ form a nation distinct from the United States, and as such they are recognised by the Government. Yet it can be said to be only a nominal distinction, as in reality they are bound by the laws of the United States, although they do not vote, nor pay taxes. At the meeting of the legislature of the State of Maine each tribe has a right to send an Indian to Augusta to represent them, but without voice either active or passive. They are allowed one day to make a speech, in which they expose the necessities of the tribe, their grievances, and also 6* «- ^ 1 1 ;Z5 -V t/'. ^^4 :5 t 1— < S ^ C/^J ~ < -=1 2Q r^ t^ -^ c/0 t/3 -v- tJP VXD 3:; f- g 0- Ci-i f^ „r3 1 --1 t-e-! T.? CO "cxc J>d HEN the Europeans first appeared on the coasts of America, tlieir color, language, ships, fire-arms, etc., naturally alarmed the natives, who conceived fear and suspicion of them, but it soon disappeared, and the Indians welcomed the white men. They were hospitable, and gave material assistance to the Europeans, and furnished them with food in venison and fish, for which they received trinkets. But the Europeans* treated the natives unfairly, and deceived theni in trading, and in other transactions. This proceeding re- vived their former suspicions, and their fears were soon realized. By degrees the natives lost all coufi- I If^ ; ^n :H: ;')' 134 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. dence, and tliey looked on the wliites as encroaching on their liunting-grounds, and as their decided ene- mies. This has been the cause why the Indians ap- peared to be treacherous. It was not treachery, but want of confidence, that filled the hearts of the In- dians with dislike to\rards the whites. The Europeans soon began to kidnap the Indians and carry tl. in i' slavery.* Soon after ^ u- n*'>covery of America, the Indians of Hispaniola ^la exported to Spain and made slaves. Tiie Spaniaros visited the coast of North America and kidnapped thousands of natives, whom they transported into slavery in Europe and in the West Indies. Christopher Columbus himself kidnfxp- ped five hundred native Americans, and sent them to Spain, that they might be publicly sold at Seville. The practice of selling North American Indians into bondage continued two centuries. In 1518 Las Ca- sas seeing the Indians vanishing away, because they could not endure the cruelty of the Spaniards, sug- gested that the negroes were better adapted for sla- very. We know that the Popes were obliged to issue bulls for the protection of the Indians, that they should not be treated as brutes, nor carried into slavery. At late periods there were Indian slaves in Massachusetts. Even nowadays the white peo- ple in California kidnap Indian children, and sell them for slaves. There have been sold lately one hun- dred Indian children in Lake County, California. The Colonics planted by the French in Acadia V * Bancroft. THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIK HISTORY. 135 |ne- |ap- Ibut In- ians to V 4t. were first supported by the Indians, who were fur- nishing them with means of subsistence. But they became disgusted with the French ; they refused to give them game, and the Colonies were nearly ex- tinguished. They charged the French of destroying them by poison. This is certain, that after the arri- val of the French the number of the Indians in Aca- dia soon diminished, and entire villages of Micnuics were left desolate. Several cases of poison by arse- nic are certain. The French had distributed arsenic to the Micmacs to kill their enemies, but not know- ing how to use it, they had done harm to themselves. The French had also given to tlie .1 Vad and infected merchandise, which had caused erv vlestructive dis- eases amongst the Indians, who with some reason charged the French of poisoning .hem. The Penob- ecot Indians received Capt. \ ^ymouth very kindly ; they invited him to visit their village, and their prin- cipal chiefs, but they were ill treated by him, and he even kidnapped several of them. But the principal cause which generated in the heart of the Indians a want of confidence and a dis- trust towards the white men, was the deception used by the whites to deprive the natives of their land. Nearly all the Indians in the United States have been deprived of their land by deception. The Pas- eamaquoddy Indians for a trifling consideration gave the privilege to the English to use for one or two years their village, where St. Andrew is at present on the Passamaquodd}^ Bay, but thoy were never able to have it back again. The English Govern- ment, gave them the Indian Island on the same bay, 136 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. II ■ w r^li: bnt they were soon expelled, and were obliged to rove for a number of years, till they got from the Government some acres of land at Pleasant Point in order to have a permanent home. The same is the case with the Penobscot tribe, who have lost all their land, witli the exception of some islands on the Penobscot Kiver. It is true that treaties were made with the Indians, and authentic copies can be produced of their selling or giving up land, but the Indians did not understand the nature of these contracts, nor could they believe that a parcel of paper could bind them to give up their land for ever. Many of them thought that the land was only leased, and they expected it back. Many of these contracts were extorted from them when they were in a state of intoxication, or rather the agents made them drunk, and so they have in presence of witnesses signed contracts and deeds, of which they knew nothing at all. In Maine and Massa- chusetts, and perhaps in other States, there is record of dishonest and ignorant interpreters at the confer- ences, or talks as they call them, of incoii>petent and ill-disposed commissioners, who stated their terms in vague language, or disposed of tlie business with which they were entrusted in hot haste, and before the chiefs could undei*stand what was required of them ; and so again, in one negotiation, it is certain that a chief who went to a place designated was for- cibly carried to Boston, there to submit, while yet a prisoner, to such terms as should be dictated to him by the Government.* In many cases it was not the * ChrisiiaQ Examiner. t I I .1 i! Ill I' I •i H a w \''K'' :^ \ . I Mi- 1 ' ^ H ■! i i- p pi'' ! ;:! 1 i i I ; ! lU I fiiU # 1 *»• THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 137 nation, but a few bribed chiefs tliat gave up the land, the tribes never ratifying the contracts. Often the contracts wer^ not vohintary, but forced by fear, as made after that the land had been taken away. I re- late the very words of the Indians as reported by Rev. Mr. Heckwelder.* " When we treat with the white people, we have not the choice of the spot, where the messengers are to meet. When we are called upoii to conclude a peace (and what a peace !) the meeting no longer takes place in shady groves, where the innocent little birds with their cheerful songs seemed as if they wished to soothe and enliven our minds, tune them to amity and concord, and take a part in the good work, for which e are met. Nei- ther is at the sacred Council house, that we are in- vited to assemble. No ! It is at some of those hor- rid places, surrounded with mounds and ditches, where the most destructive of all weapons, where great guns are gaping at us with wide u'o .ths, as if ready to devour us, and thus we are prevented from speaking our minds freely as brothers ought to do ?" In the sixth volume of the CoDections of the Maine Historical Society, Mr. Frederick Kidder of Boston gives two treaties signed by the North-Eastern Indi- ans, where the signatures are seen from the Abnakis anti Mareschite Indians, one made in 1713, and the other in 1717. But in perusing these treaties, they look more like terms imposed to them by a stronger na- tion, in whose mercy the Indiiine are left, than a free stipulation between two parties. There land is giver * PeDDsylvania Philosophical Transaclious. 1* f\ lilt: if \ i 138 THE ABNAKIS : AND THEIR HISTORY. to tlie English, but witliout compensation, land is left to the English, which they already possessed, which land belonged to the Indians, a« it is observed by the same Mr. Kidder in the same article. After the vandalic destruction of the Abnakis village in Norridgewock on the Kennebec River by the Bos- tonians and Mohawks headed by Col. Westbrook, where the venerable old missionary Father Sebastian Rale fell a martyr together with a number of Indians, the survivors retired to Canada, and de- manded redress through Mr. Vaudreuil, Governor of Canada. They demanded from the Governor of Massachusetts that the English should restore their lands and rebuild their church, which they had destroyed at Norridgewock. There the In- diana denied that they had ever sold any land to the English, and when the latter claimed that much of it was theirs by a possession of njore than eighty years, ai.:! that this possession gave them a title, the Indians replied — AVe were in jjossession before you, for we have held it from time immemorial. They had been induced to grant to the white people only that territory where their settlements were, but under condition that they should not encroach any further on their land. In 1752 Capt. Phineas Stevens j)ro- ceeded to Canada, as a delegate from the Governor of Massachusetts, to confer with the Abnakis, and to redeem some prisoners they had in their possession. At a conference lu-ld with them in the ))resenee of the Governor of Canada, Atewaneto, the chief speak- er, maor and its rewards has been tried, lias sig- nally failed, and need not bo repeated. Yet the Government of Maine can nuike, and, we venture to Bay, o\ight to make suitable and even lii)eral provi- sion fV)r the pernument residence among them of a Catiiolic clergy nmn, who is willing to give his life to their service. Wedded fast to the faith and cere- monies of the Koinan Church, they will heed the in- etructions and rebukes of no Protestants." These l*asKania'piodri('niacH, sent a Folemn deputation to the Kt. lli'V. John Carroll, first Pishop of lialtimore, to ask a missionary. This deputation was accompanied by a letter signed by 140 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. id i_J! v.. the cliicfs of the Passamaquoddy, St. John's and Micmac Indians, and they had the crucifix of Father Rale, which they presented to the Bishop. Tiio Bishop kissed the crucifix, and returned it to them, accompanied by the following letter, the ori- ginal of which was given to me as a present by the Passamacpioddy Indians at Pleasant Point. It begins ihus: "Brethren and beloved children in Jesus Christ, I received with the greatest pleasure the testimony," tfec. One of the reasons why the noble and meek Bogcr AVilliams was persecuted and driven into the wilder- ness, was, because he attacked and denounced the charter of t'le Colony as invalid, because the King of England had given to the white people the land of other owners, the Indians, without their consent. The learned Williamson, in the History of Maine, iTiontions this point. He records treaties with the Indians, but no mention is made there of any compensation given. In 1048 he do'^s mention some land sold by the Indians on the Kenne- bec, but no authority is given.* lie reports there that in the peace of 1078 the English were to pay for the land to the Indians, because the land belongi?d to them, but wo do not know wliethcr the land hud been taken by force or sold, nor we know whether any compensation was given, lie relates the com- plaints of the Indians, from whicli we may infer that the land had been taken without their consent. lie relates plainly that a treaty was concluded with the English for fear, and no exchange was received for • Williauisoii, llist. oCMuiuo, v. i. pugu 305 (ii) ICl, pm^u 338, JLk.-rar'.r:. •".u.: . i^ir«ijgi»«fy | THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. Ul I land. Father Rale in a letter says, that the Kenno- bec land belonged to the Indians. I will relate the very words of the Indians of several nations on this subject as reported by Ilcck welder, in the Pennsyl- vania Philosophical Transactions, in the following words. It was about the Virginians, whom the In- dians call Long luiivcs.^' " It was we (sa}*^ tiic Len- apis, Mohegans, and other kindred tribes) who so kindly received them on their first arrivji^ into our country. AVe took them by the hand, and l)id them welcome to sit down by our side, and live with us as brothers, but how did they requite our kindness? They at first asked only for a little land on which to raise bread for themselves and their families, and pastures for their cattle, which we freely gave them. They soon wanted more, which we also gave them. They saw the game iri the woods, which the Great Spirit had given us for our subsistence, and they wanted that too. They penetrated into the woods in quest of game, they discovered sjiots of land which pleased them ; that land they also wanted, and because we were loth to part with it, as we saw they had alrea»ly more than they had need of, they took it from us by force, and drove us to u great distance from our ancient homes." The New Yorkers treated them in the same man- ner. *' I'y and by the Dutchnum arrived at M(tna- hitcli'an'unk:\ The great num wanted only a little land, on which to raise greens lor his soup, just as much jis a bullock's hide would cover. Here wo ♦ Pfunsylvuiiiu PliilosopUical Trausaclluus, v. I. f Maiilmltuu Ibland. if ,»■■ li "I i r- 142 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. fir?t ;ni^hf have observed their deceitful spirit. TI13 i.aliock's hide was cut up into little strips, and did not ideed, but •cled large of cover inaeea, out encu land, which we foolishly granted to them. They were to raise greens on it, instead of which they planted great guns; afterwards they built strong houses, made themselves masters of the island, then went up the river to our enemies, the Mengwe, made a league with them, persuaded us by their wicked arts to lay down our arms, and at last drove u^? entire- ly out of the country." The treatment of the Pennsylvanians towards the Indians is expressed in the following terms. "To many of those, Pennsylvania was a last delightful asylum. ... On whichever side of the Zenapaoi- hiituch* the white people landed, they were wel- comed as brothers by our ancestors . . . who gave them lands to live on ... . and even hunted for them, and furnished them with meat out of the woods. Such was our conduct t^ fhe white men,t who inhabited this Cou.itry uhcl - ir elder brother the Great and good Micjuon;): came and brought us words of peace and good will. AYe believed his words, and his memory is still hold in veneration among us Our brother Miquon died, and those of his good counsellors, who wore of his mind. The strangers, who had taken their places, no longer f poke to us of sitting down by the side of each other ah brothcfP of one family. They forgot that friend- * Hittifck river, honco I^n?',pewihlttuck, tho river of tho Leimpoa, HO they cal) <'^ the PoJawure I'.ivr. f titU'l tf J S Woden. ■r=-r;T, x- -.- -.r.. ;j.x -jai. JJ r ,' »"■ - WU. ». ■:--; "▼- THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HLSrORY. 143 '. u sliip, M'h'ch tlicir great man had ostabliilied withug, and wliich was to last ^ the end of time. They now only strove to get all our land from us by fraud and force, and when we attempted to remind them of whi.t our good brother had said, they became angry and sent word to our enemies, the Mengwe, to meet them at a Great Council, which they were to hold with us at Loehauwake^* where they should take us by the hair of our heads and shako us well. . . . "This affair happened in reality in Pensylvania. The Dutchmen, and afterwards the Englishmen made the Iroquois, called Mengwe by the Delaware, and other Pennsylvania Indians to assist them hi exterminating the Lenni-Lenapis." The Mengwe persuaded the Lenapi to become women, that is, to lay down their arms and to occupy themselves in agriculture, and thus disarmed they could be slaughtered. The nuuiner in which the Lenni-Lenapis were treated by the whites is mentioned by them in those touching words. t " We and our kindred tribes Uwyi in peace and harmony with each other, befo the white people came in this Country. Our Ct)U?icil liouset extended far to the North, and far to ihc^ South. In the middle of it we would meet from alt parts to smoke the pij)C of peace together. When the white nuiu arrived in the South, wo received them as friends. We did the same when they arrived in the East. It was we, it was our lore- fatlierB, who made thcui welcome, and let them sit M ■ Kuton iit PenriHylvania. f Uockwflder, Hist: i iirrut. v.i. X It luottus Oonntciion^ Dulrid. i^ri* II u ■Vi H \l' li' lU THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. down by our side. The land they settled on was ours. We knew not but the Great Spirit had sent them to us for some good purpose, and therefore we thought they must be a good people. We were mis- taken ; for no sooner had they obtained footing on our land, than they began to pull our Council-house down, first at one end and then at the other, and at last meeting each other at the centre, where the Council-lire was yet burning bright, they put it out. They extinguished our Council-fire with our own blood, and with the blood of those,* who with us liad received them, who luul welcomed them in our land. Their blood ran in streams into our fire and extinguished it so entirely, that not one spark was left whereby to kindle a new fire.f We were com- pelled to withdraw ourselves boyond the Great Swamp,:}: and i«) fly to our good (Jnde the DeUtmat- teno8.% who kindly gave us a tract of land to live on. How long we shall be |)ermitted to remain in this asylum, the Great Spirit only knows. The whites will not rest contented until they shall have dcstrov- ed the last of us and made us disappear entirely from the face cf the earth." About the New Eng- landers the Indians speak in the tnllowing manner. " When ih 1 Y&ii^/ceso arrivtd at Machtitschwa7ine they looked ab^ut c very where for good spots of land, ♦ They alliiuo to the m'svlor oftlio Coneatojfo Indians, who, though of unothor Tribe, ) et hast joined them in weleoniing the white peoplo to their '^^'icrea. VW^ lunienia'ulo event took place in reality. See Philo8c>|)' ; ai Tranhhitionh. v. i. f Thih litct ii;*; pened in 1702, at Lancaster, rcimsylvuuitt. X The glades on the Alleghany niuuntuiiui. g Thu Huruuii, m ^uluU by tUoui. THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 145 I and wlien tliey found one, they immediately and with- out ceremony possessed tlicmselves of it. We were astonished, but still we let them go on. . . . But when at last they came to our favorite spots, those which lay most convenient to our tisheries, then blood}^ wars ensued. . . . these white men encroach- ed so fast upon us, that we saw at once we should lose all if we did not resist them." Gookin, in his history of the Christian Indians, has exposed their sufferings, and the ill treatments received from the whites. This is the reason why they have resisted the etforts of Protestant Missionaries to christianize them ; it was because the preachings of these Mis- sionaries were counteracted by the bad example, injustices, and ill treatment from the hands of tho white Christians, and while with one hand they were giving to them the Bible, with the other hand they were robliing them (tf their land. Gookin says that thy English soldiers made nothirjg of the Indijins. Governor Hutchinson says that this more than anv other tliiiiij: occasioned the defeat of tho endeavours for chrii^tianizing the Indians; .... it sank their spirits, led them to intemperance, and extirpated the whole race. For this reason when the zealous Uev. John Eliot tried to engage Phili[)'s attention to religion, the Sachem taking hold of a button on the good man's coat, said that h(f cared no more for his religion than for that butt. »n.* AVheu Mr. Mayhew re(im'.sted of xnnigret, chief of tho INarragansets, liberty to preach to his people, tho '*' MutUur'i) Muguuliu. 146 THE ABNAEIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. t\i Pi' •It' Chief bid him go and make the English good first: and in effect added, that so long as the English could not agree among themselves what Religion was, it ill became them to teach others.* The vandalic destruc- tion of the last Abnaki village in 3iaine is pointed out to the stranger by that celebrated monument standing on the shores of the Kennebec river. That land belonged to the Indians, who have never received any compensation for it, notwithstanding iiie repeated applications made by the Indians, and by the governor of Canada. * Life of Ninigrnt in Drake's Book of tiie Indiana. I V > B ■t'J ^ ; '• •I t1 JCU •<-in W '^ -r; a' >^H > ^, o r ) f4 1. . '-J >-' —3 ;*>*; n CO ' IJ j_ ' >^. C ) ; i< r'- ; ;^ -£-i f W r— CO "^ ^ «t: .. H ■? QO LU ■• k: r: OO I c I. J ■ cr: -r1 vO 4 li ( " -~3 CO ST. > en ' IjU t/3 cc 4 CHAPTER XYIIL PRESENT TREATMENT OF THE INDIANS EAST AND WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. HANGING OF THIRTY-NINE MINNE- SOTA INDIANS. fT is an impression prevailing amongst some per- sons that the Indians at present time receive better treatment, encouragement, and assistance both from the Government and from the people. But, unfortunately it is not so. They are treated as badly as ever. The few tribes left east of the Mis- sissippi have been moved away forcibly from their hunting-grounds and fishing shores to lands ap- propriated by the Government west of that river, and when that land too became coveted by the peo- ple, they were removed still further west either will- i| IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /. ■^z '.S"' % 1.0 I.I I lis lllio iS. 1.25 U 1.6 ■• 6" ► V] <^ /2 ^ > ^ ^ '} .'> ,% /A 'w 7 Photographic Sciences Corporation ^^ V <^ v> V '5^ 4?^ > <* \ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. MS80 (716) 872-4503 148 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. i ingly or not willingly. The Seminoles of Florida never consented to quit their favorite soil of the At- lantic shore. They felt satislied to occupy the sick- ly swamps and bogs of the Florida territory. Yet the white man did not wish to have the red face too near to him. They were forced to sign a treaty to move west, yet their attachment to the native soil could not persuade them to fulfil an extorted treaty. Many of them resisted by force. Many years of harassing war by the Government could not expel them. Money was lavished, and many precious lives were sacrificed. It became the subject of speculations and politics. Finally the Seminoles were brutally hunted by hounds and mastiffs — an example never known to have been practiced even by cannibals, yet it has been used by a Christian and civilized nation, on the very native land of the Indians. The Cherokees embraced the European civilization to a great extent. They applied themselves to the cultivation of the land, and to the mechanical arts ; they had schools of their own, they had even started newspapers in their own language, yet notwithstand- ing this they were obliged to quit their native home and move to a far distant country. This ill treatment is not confined only to the na- tives east of the Mississippi, but it is extended to those living on the other side of it The recent mas- sacre of the Minnesota settlers by the Sioux Indians, and tlie hanging of the Indians by wholesale by the hands of a beneficent Government, has put before the eyes of the people many curious and astonishing facts. THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 149 / "When the white people commenced to form settle- ments near the Indian reservations, or into the very land belonging to them, they looked on the Indians as a nuisance and intruders, and overlooked to re- flect, that the natives were the masters of the land. Agents were appointed by the Government, who di- rectly and indirectly assisted the white people to get rid of the Indians. The Indians of Minijesota were driven by despair to commit the massacr re- ferred to.* Several years ago they were forced to sell to the Government a large tract of land. They were swindled, and never received any compensation. The agent gave them liquor and other articles calcu- lated to demoralize them. The Chiefs and other wise Indians frequently though in vain remonstrated with Government. Considering that they had been deceived, ruined in their morals, and find- ing no redress, they looked on the extorted sale of land as null, and tried to expel by force the whites who had intruded on their land. Bishop "Whip- ple shows very plainly, that this wretched peo- ple have been the victims of theft, murder, violence to women, where death had followed at the hands of white and red men. The Government had fostered idleness by encouraging a savage life especially by sale of intoxicating liquors. They have repeatedly remonstrated against these evils. The Indians have several times demolished the stores of the agents con- taining liquor, scalping knives, beads, etc. They des- troyed these articles for their own protection. Yet * See New York Tablet, Boston Jouraal, and other papers of that date. Also Bishop Whipplo*s letter on that subject. • H 150 THE ABNAKIS : AND THEIR HISTORY. yi the Government never moved a step to do them jus- tice. But when driven by madness and defipair they expelled by force the intruding whites, and killed some of them, then the Government sent an army, not to redress the wrongs, which for several years had been perpetrated by the whites against the Indi- ans, but to punish by a wholesale slaughter, the un- fortunate Indians who had been compelled to perpe- tuate these barbarous acts, which, however, we do not mean to approve. A one-sided judgment found guil- ty two hundred Indians. The Government wished to execute only those who had been guilty of violat- ing white women. A number of red women had been violated by white men, but being there differ- ence in the color, no notice had been taken of it. Unluckily for the Indians only two of them were found guilty of having violated white women ; and the sacrifice of two could not satisfy the Government, but a wholesale slaughter was ordered by hanging thirty-nine Indians. This manner of acting of the Government and peo- ple towards the native Americans, is not limited only to those living east and west of the great Mississip- pi River, but it extends far west beyond the Rocky Mountains, as far as to the shore of the Pacific Ocean. \ CHAPTER XIX. / TREATMENT OF THE CALIFORNIA INDIANS. RESERVA- TION SYSTEM ADOPTED BY THE GOVERNMENT LIKE THAT OF THE CATHOLIC MISSIONS IN AMERICA. HEN the State of California was admitted into the Union, the number of the Indians living within its borders was estimated to one hundred thousand. How they scarcely reach thirty thousand. This great reduction is due to the efforts of the white people to civilize them. The manner of civilization was the following.* In the wine-growing districts they were employed to culti- * "We have received permission to make quotations from Harper's Magazine in this last article. « :.fe ! f ! I:' i . 152 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. vate the land. They were usually paid in native brandy every Saturday night, put in jail next morn- ing for getting drunk, and bailed out on Monday to work out the fine imposed upon them by the legal authorities. This system prevails yet in Los Angeles and Pueblo. — In the northern portions of the State the settlers engage at a fixed rate of wages to culti- vate the ground, and during the season of labor they feed them on beans and give them a blanket or a shirt each. The harvest being secured, the account was considered square, and the Indians were driven off to forage in the woods for themselves and fami- lies, during the winter. Many of them, of course, perished of starvation and exposure, and others were killed on the general principle that they must have subsisted by stealing cattle. The Indians inhabiting the Coast Hange, the val- leys of the Sacramento and San Joaquin, and the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, became trouble- some at the period of the discovery of the gold mines. It was found convenient to take possession of their country without recompense, rob them of their wives and children, kill them in every cowardly and bar- barous manner ; and when it was not practicable, to drive them as far as possible out of the way. These unfortunate creatures could not understand why they should be murdered, robbed, and hunted down in this way, without any other pretence of provoca- tion than the color of their skin, and the habits of life to which they had always been accustomed. Ac- tuated by motives of resentment, a few of them occa- sionally rallied, preferring rather to die than submit ' THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 163 to these wrongs. "White men were killed from time to time ; cattle were driven oflP, horses were stolen, and various other offences were committed. The Federal Government, as in the case of the Minnesota Indians and others, sent troops to aid the settlers in slaughtering the Indians. Congress took the mat- ter in hand. A large sum of money was appropri- ated to purchase cattle and agricultural implements for the relief of the Indians. Agents and sub-agents were appointed with rich salaries, and treaties were made, in which the various tribes were promised many valuable presents, which they never got. Many thousands of cattle were purchased, but instead of being given to the Indians, they were driven, at least for the greater part, to the mines, and sold at good prices to the gold diggers. The Indians so beneiited continued to starve and continued to be abused and driven away to perish by starvation and exposure, notwithstanamg the money of the Government. Many Indian chiefs protested, that if the white peo- ple would only let them alone, and give them the least possible chance to make a living, they would esteem it a much greater favor than any relief they had experienced from Congress. In 1853 Congress enacted laws for the establish- ment of a reservation system in California, like the one used by Catholic Missionaries in Mexico, Cali- fornia, Brazil, and Paraguay, etc., which had worked 80 admirably. It was known that the Catholic Mis- sions in California had been built chiefly by Indian labor. Before the encroachment of the Americans on California, Catholic Missionaries had fully demon- "w»««*i»**"«i»*" 164 THE ABNAK13: AND THEIR HISTORY. z !^ ' fc fe r j! I r strated the capacity of the Indians for the acqiiiBition of civilized manners. By this system extensive tracts of land had been cultivated, numerous vineyards had been planted, many hostile tribes had been subdued, and without any aid of the Government, beyond the grants of land for Missionary purposes, the Indians grew wealthy, possessed immense herds of cattle, sold agricultural products to the rancheros, and kept up an active commerce in hides and tallow with the United States. If all this was done by Spanish priests without arms or assistance, in a savage country, when the In- dians were more numerous and powerful, surely they thought, that it could be done in a comparatively civilized country by intelligent Americans, with all the light of experience, with the co-operation of a beneficent government, and the zeal of numberless Bible and Tract Societies. Large appropriations were made by Congress to carry it into effect. Tracts of land of twenty-five thousand acres were ordered to be set apart for the use of the Indians; officers were appointed to super- vise the affairs of the service ; clothing, cattle, seeds and agricultural implements were purchased, and va- rious tribes were invited to settle. The first reser- vation was established at Tejon in the southern part of the State, and the Indians were feasted with cattle. It cost about $250,000 only to start it. Simi- lar reservations wero made afterwards also in the Sacravnento valley at a place called Nome Lackee, south of Cape Mendocino ; and one on the Klamath, below Crescent City ; besides which, there were In- THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 155, i%-''' ':»i: dian farms, as adjuncts of these reservations, at the Tremo, [N'ome Cult or Round Yalley, the Mattole Yalley, near Cape Mendocino, and other points. Unfortunately one pouit escaped the ohservation of Congress and Government in regard to the system carried by the Catholic clergy, whicli had worked so admirably in California with the Indians. The Ca- tholic Missionaries were persons actuated by no hu- man purpose. Their object was to carry the light of the Catholic Church to those distant children of the forests. The primary mission of the Catholic Church is to win souls to Heaven ; the secondary mission is to advance human civilization in the culti- vation of man in this world, in his education and in- struction of things of this life. These two objects are intrinsically connecting each other. The former naturally generates the latter, the latter cannot sub- sist without the former. The Missionaries were self- sacrificing men, entirely disinterested, earnestly and altogether devoted to carry out those two missions of the Church of Christ. Thev soon won the confi- deuce of the Indians. They with their example, simplicity of life, mortification, and self-denial, en- graved into the hearts of those Indians the maxims of the Gospel, which the} preached to them ; and God who had promised to give ctHcacy to the words of those whom he had charged to teach all nations, and to be with them even to the end of the world, gave grace and assistance, and the Missions yielded a hundred-fold fruits. This point was entirely disregarded by Congress. Its object was only human, and regarded only this 168 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. |! < i ;■- ' world. No provisions were made to win the Indians to Heaven, but only to gain them to the Govern- ment. The persons employed to carry out this sys- tem were people who had worked for the election of the Administration, and were to be rewarded by lu- crative offices, and while they were to look after the Indians, they were to gain votes for the new candi- dates. They could not persuade the Indians to be temperate, as liquor was used very freely by the offi- cers, and persons of intemperate habits were ill calcu- lated to improve the morals of the Indians. The funds appropriated for the Indians were used for electioneering purposes. From time to time very flattering accounts were transmitted to Congress of the progress of the system. The extent and variety of the cropj were fabulously grand. Immense numbers of Indians were fed and clothed — on paper. The Department esteemed all this to be a close approximation to the Spanish Mis- sion system. But notwithstanding these fl: ttering accounts, complaints were continually sent the Government that a very large amount of moue^ vas annually expended in feeding white men, and starv- ing and destroying the Indians. A special agent was directed to examine into the affairs of the ser- vice, and report the result. He went to California, examined the affairs, and reported to the Govern- ment that the policy pursued was wrong. The white people were becoming fat and the Indians starved. During a period of three years from mail to mail the agent made his reports piling up proof upon proof, protesting and remonstrating against the policy pur- n THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 157 / euecl. Otlicr agents were sent to ascertain if he liad told the tnitli, who were forced to .confess the truth of wlmt he had said. !Notwitlistanding these reports, the Indians were starving in the reservation, and many of these who were ph^^sically aMo took advantage of the leave of absence gi'anted :licni freely, and left. Yery few ever remained at these benevolent institutions, when there was a possibility of getting anything to eat in the woods. Every year numbers of them perished from neglect and disease, and some from absolute starvation. Only a few hundred Indians were left out of the many thousand that existed prior to the inauguration of the system, living within the limits of the districts sot apart for reservation purposes. No pretext has been wasted ; no opportunity lost to put the Indians out of the way. At Nome Cult Val- ley during the winter of 1858-59 more than a hundred and fifty pea^'^able Indians, including women and children, were cruelly slaughtered by the whites. Mr. J. Ross Browne relates this barbarous treatment in the following words.* It was alleged that they (the Indians) had driven off and eaten pri- vate cattle. ..." Upon an investigation of this charge, made by the othcers of the army, it was found to be entirely destitute of truth : a few cattle had been lost, or probably killed by white men, and this was the whole basis of the massacre. Armed parties went into the rancheros in open day, when no evil was apprehended, and shot the Indians down, weak, harmless, and defenceless as they were — with- J "_ * Harper's Magazine. 8* 158 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIK HISTORY. out distinction of age or sex ; sliot down women with Rucking babes at their breasts ; killed or crippled the naked children that were running about; and after they had achieved this brave exploit, appealed to the State Government for aid. Oh ! shame, shame I where is thy blush, that white men should do this with impunity in a civilized country, under the very eyes of an enlightened Government. They did it, and they did more. For days, weeks, and months, they ranged the hills of Kome Cult, killing every In- dian that was too weak to escape ; and what is worse, they did it under a State Commission. . . . The General Government folded its arms and said — What can we do ?- We cannot chastise the citizens of a State." " At King's River, where there was a public farm maintained at considerable expense, the Indians were collected in a body of two or three hundred, and the white settlers, who complained tliat the Government wotild not do any thing for them, drove them over to the Agency at the Tremo. " The Agent purchased from the white settlers the acorns which the Indians had gathered and laid up for winter use at King's River. ^Notwithstanding the acorns they w^ere very soon starved out of the Tremo, and wandered away to find a subsistence wherever they could. Many of them perished of hunger on the plains of the San Joaquin. " At the Mattole Station, near Cape Mendocino, a number of Indians were murdered on the public farm within a few hundred yards of the head-quarters. The settlers in the valley alleged that the Govern- THK ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 159 iTient would not support them, or take any care of them ; and as settlers were not paid for doing ity they must kill them to get rid of them. " At Humboldt Bay, and in the vicinity , a t ^iies of Indian massacres by white men continued for over two years. The citizens held public meetings, and protested against the action of the general govern- ment in leaving these Indians to prowl upon them for a support. . . The State sent out its militia, kill- ed a good many, and captured a good many others, who were finally carried down to the Mendocino re- servation. They liked that place so well, that they left it very soon, and went back to their old places of resort, preferring a chance of life to the certainty of starvation. During the winter of last year a num- ber of them were gathered at Humboldt. Tlie whites thought it was a favorable opportunity to get rid of them altogether. So they went in a body to the In- dian camp during the night, when the poor wretches were asleep, shot all the men, women, and children, they could at the first onslaught, and cut the throats of the remainder. Yery few escaped. Next morn- ing sixty bodies lay weltering in their blood, the old and the young, male and female, with every wound gaping a tale of horror to the civilized world. Chil- dren climbed upon their mothers' breasts, and sought nourishment from the fountains that death had drain- ed ; girls and boj's lay here and there with their throats cut from ear to ear ; men and women, cling- ing to each other ia their terror, were found perfo- rated with bullets ; or cut to pieces with knives ; all were cruelly murdered." p m 160 THE ABNAKIS; AND THEIR HISTORY. This was the result of the system adopted by the Government to imitate that of the Catholic Missions; it was a complete failure. Two hundred and fift^.- thousand dollars a year for six or seven years has in- flicted considerable injury upon the } oor Indians ; it has reduced them from a hundred thousand to about thirt3^ thousand, and these are exterminated every day. The progress of settlement has driven them from place to place till tliere is no longer a spot that they could call their own. The same Mr. Browne says : " I am satisfied, froin an acquaintance of ele- ven years with the Indians of California, that had the least care been taken of them, these disgraceful mas- sacres would never have occurred. A more inoifen- sive and harmless race of beings does not exist on the face of the earth. But wherever they attempted to procure a subsistence, they were hunted down ; driven from the reservations by the instinct of self- preserv^ation ; shot down by the settlers upon the most frivolous pretexts ; and abandoned to their late by the only power that could have afforded them protection. . . . They have no voice in public affairs. AH they ask, is tlie privilege of breathing the air that God gave to us all, and living in peace wher- ever it may be convenient to remove them. Their history in California is a melancholy record of neg- lect, and cruelty; and the part taken by public men high in position in wresting from them the very means of sul^sistence, is one of which any other than professional politicians would be ashamed."' ■■4., r the ■■ CHAPTEK XX. 1 CONCLUSION. >T is humiliating to state that it was publicly de- clared and every where said in Maine, that no white man had been, or would be convicted of killing an Indian.* One Penobscot chief was slain without canse, when on a mission to effect an ex- change of prisoners ; another was murdered while communicating with a post under a flag of truce ; another was decoyed on shipboard, and treated with great indignity while under another flag of truce. For these murders and others far more horrible, no Anglo-Saxon was ever punished as the laws required. They have always escaped the extreme penalty ot P ■■■ » 11 ■III ■■■ I ■■■■ — ■ — ■ — .■,. I. l^ — .11 ■ ,, II, ■■III ..I I M ,_i , _i,, „ Wii«^— I -^ * Christian Examiner, No. cxci^. p. 46. 1^ ■ 162 THE ABNAKTS: AND THEIR HISTORY. the law. The Etchemins of this day know by tradi- tion the truth of these facts. In 1817, Piol Zusep was tried for his life at Castine, for the murder of William Knight at Bangor, the previous year ; and John Keptune, the present Lieutenant-Governor, after the verdict of manslaughter, in a thronged as- sembly of citizens of his own tribe, and of delegates from the Passamaquoddy and St. John's, addressed the Judges of the Supreme Court of Massachusetts in mitigation of sentence. His bearing was calm and dignified, and he was listened to with profound at- tention. "You know," he spoke, " your people do my Indians a groat deal of wrong. They abuse them very much: yes, they murder them; then they walk right off, . . . nobody touches them . . . and this makes my heart burn " (he meant that white men w^re never so much as arrested). The sentence of Piol Zusep was not mitigated. He was condemned to suffer the full penalty of the law. After a lapse of nearly forty years in prison, his face bleached almost to whiteness, he could scarcely be recalled by some persons who went to see him. His long black liair tangled and knotted, his glaring eyes deeply sunken, his hurried paces across his cell, his coming to and retreating from tlie grate, and his moans like a child, and his shouts like a madman, made a fearful impression on tlie visitors. Zusep died there in jail ! An Indian of course must under- go the full rigor of tlie law ; but no Anglo-Saxon was ever punished for killing an Indian ! The frauds against the Indians at the truck or tra- ding houses were carj'icd to an ustounding extent. i' ^ THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. 163 It would be sufficient to say that even Cotton Mather, whose heart was hard against the Indians, was ob- liged to confess that the beaver trade with the Indi- ans was very scandalously managed. In 1676 Ran- dolph, in his narrative to the Privy Council of Eng- land, spoke in great bitterness of the general course of the Bostonians, and accused the magistrates for their profit, lucre, and gain, so provoking the Indians to hostile deeds. It would be an easy but long task to mention here all the injustice, wrorgs, and abuses perpetrated by the white men against the red race in the United States of America ; it w^ould req[uire the space of several volumes to relate these melancholy events. It is hoped, however, that it will be done by the per- son who has to write the history of the noble red man. It will belong to him to expose before the civilized world the just complaints of the Aborigines of Ame- rica. He has to do justice to the kindness and socia- bility of the Indians. If instead of the imaginary romance of Uncle Torn's Cdbin^ an historical work had been written on the Hed Man's Wigwam^ not with a spirit to alienate a part of the people against another, not to excite political intrigues, but with the intention to unite their hearts together to see and consider the wrongs done against the red man ; to re- pair the evils which they have inflicted on them ; to treat them kindly and justly in the future; if the government bad taken only half the trouble and money spent for the negroes, to redress the wrongs of the unlucky Indians, who \yere the only lords and masters of this Continent, it would have I 164 THE ABNAKIS: AND THEIR HISTORY. appeased the wrath of God justly kindled against the people of this country, it might have arrested the chastisement of a civil war with which the Almighty and just Father of all races has punished the white men, who, having robbed the Indians of their homes and property, which He had given to them, now force them even to disappear from the face of the earth. ■< ,<«. ■yK the the :hty hite •mes orce h. APPENDIX. LETTER OF BISHOP CAEROLL TO THE ABKAKIS. Beethken and Bei^oved Ohildeen in Jesus Cheist : I received with the greatest pleasure the testi- mony of your attachment to your holy religion, and I venerated the sacred Crucifix sent by you as expressive of your faith/ Beetheen and Ohildeen: I embrace you with the affection of a Father, and am exceedingly desirous to procure for you a worthy Teacher and Minister of God's holy Sanctuary, who may administer to your young people^ your sons and your daughters, the Sacrament of Baptism ; may instruct them and you in the law of God and the exercises of a Christian life ; may reconcile you to God, your Lord and Maker, after all your transgres- sions ; and may perform for your women, after child-bearing, the Bites ordained by the Church of Christ , WBmimmnxmm 1 66 APPENDIX. Brethren and Beloved Children : As soon as I received your request, and was in- formed of your necessity, I sent for one or two vir- tuous and worthy Priests to go and remain with you, that you may never more be reduced to the same distressful situation in which you have lived so long. But as they are far distant, I am afraid they will not be with you before the putting out of the leaves again. This should have been done much sooner, if I had been informed of your situation. You may depend upon it, that you shall be always in my heart and in my mind ; and if it please God to give me time, I will certainly visit you myself. Brethren and Beloved Children: I trust in that good God that made us all, and in his blessed Son, Jesus Christ, who redeemed us, that all the Indians northward and eastward will be made partakers of the blessing which my desire is to procure for you ; and I rejoice very much that you and they wish to be united to your brethren the Americans. You have done very well not to receive amongst you those ministers who go without being called, or without being sent by that authority which Jesus Christ has established for the government of His Church. Those whom I shall send to you will be such good and virtuous priests, as instructed your Forefathers in the Law of God, and taught them to liSO:'- APPENDIX. 167 regard this life only as a preparation for, and a pas- sag'j to a better in Heaven. In token of my Fatherly Love and sincere affection, I send back to you, after embracing it, the Holy Crucifix which I received with your letter, and I enclose it in a picture of our Holy Father the Pope, tlie Head on earth, under Christ, of our Divine Keli- gion ; and this my answer is likewise accompanied with nine medals representing our divine Lord Jesus Christ and His most holy Mother. I desire that these may be received by the Chiefs of the Kiver St. John, Passamaquady, and Michmacs, who signed the ad- dress to me. They came from, and have received the blessing of, our same Holy Father, the Yicar of Jesus Christ in the government of His Church. That the blessing of God may come down upon you, your women and children, and remain for ever, is the Earnest prayer of Your loving Father, Friend, and Servant in Jesus Christ, 4. J., Bishop of Baltimore. Baltimore, September G, lldl. 168 APPENDIX. LETTEK OF THE ABNAKIS INDIANS TO THE CANONS OF CHAKTEES. Srereda niga«sseinan pita tferighian Marin eekk«am- bi pakitinemwerena pita «erighek «etyannemeg,kik- hi kwreremanbanak neseBisseiiai