Transcriber’s Note:
Unusual and inconsistent spelling of names
have been left as in the original.
PORTLAND:
PRINTED BY BROWN THURSTON.
1859.
The present spirit of inquiry into the early history of New England isbringing forth additional facts and evolving new light, by which we areevery day seeing more clearly the true motive and incentives for itscolonization. But whenever the student turns to investigate the historyof the aboriginal tribes, who once inhabited this part of the country,he is struck, not so much with the paucity of materials, as with thecomplication and difficulties which our earlier and later writers havethrown around the subject, as well as the very different light withwhich they have viewed it.
The first explorers of our coast, whose intercourse with the Indians waslimited to trading for furs and skins, seem to have had a much betteropinion of them than Mather, Hubbard, and some still later writers. Itis not to be supposed that while a large part of the population weresmarting from the distress of almost continued Indian wars, that eventhe most candid could coolly investigate and impartially record thehistory, character, and wants of such a people. But the time hasarrived, when, divesting ourselves of all prejudice, we can examinecarefully their true situation, and making allowance for theircondition, write their history with fairness and candor.
The present sketch is confined to a brief notice of the tribes whoinhabited the territory now constituting the[Pg 4]States of Maine and NewHampshire, all of which may be considered as embraced under the name ofAbenakis, or more properly Wanbanakkie. It has often been supposed thatthis name was given them by the French, but it is undoubtedly theiroriginal appellation, being derived from Wanbanban, which may be definedthe people of aurora borealis or northern light.
It is only now intended to sketch their earlier history, and to tracethe various emigrations to the present residence of the Abenakis proper,in Canada; and viewing this tribe as the living representative of ourextinct ones, to consider its interesting history, so clearly connectedwith New England frontier life, although most of that history is but arecord of war and wretchedness.
The celebrated discoverer, Capt. John Smith, in his general history,furnishes the earliest and most reliable description of the Indians onthe coast of Maine, as they were in 1614; other writers give accounts oftribes there, some of which it is difficult to distinguish or locate;but it may be best to consider all that were residing in the two Statesabove-mentioned as embraced in about eight distinct tribes, namely:Penobscots or Tarrentines, Passamaquodies or Sybayks, Wawenocks,Norridgewoks or Canibas, Assagunticooks, Sokokis or Pequakets,Pennacooks, Malacites or St. Johns.
The Penobscots[1]were probably the most numerous and influential tribe.Their chief or bashaba was said to have been acknowledged as a superioras far as Massachusetts Bay. They occupied the country on both sides ofthe Penobscot Bay and River; their summer resort being near the sea, butduring the winter and spring they inhabited lands