[ganong] origins of SETTLEMENTS IN NEW BRUNSWICK 25 



is not an ancient camp-sito known to mc away from navi<]^abk' watoT-.s. 

 Furthermore, other things being equal, since the Indians in the 

 same vicinity naturally tended to camp together, the largest settle- 

 ments developed on the largest and most frequently tra\-elled 

 rivers, the trunk lines, as it were, of travel. Most important of all 

 were those village sites which occupied the intersection of the 

 great trunk lines, — such as Meductic, at the intersection of the St. Joim 

 with the great route to the south; or Conosquamcook, Ouigoudi, 

 Skinouboudiche at the intersection of coast with river travel, while 

 nearly equally important were those lying in the focus of a 

 great river system, as ïïcstigouclic. The intersections of navigable 

 rivers would be favourable plates, which no doubt lu'lpt'd to locate 

 the sites at the mouths of the main Ijranches of the St. John, as 

 'Madawaska, and of the Miramichi, and no doubt, toO', established some 

 now unknown on the Eestigouehe. Camp-sites of some importance too, 

 at which the Indians might rest before beginning or after com]>leting 

 the labour of the portage, usually occurred, and occur to this day, in 

 the wilderness parts of the Province, at both ends of a portage route, 

 iand w^ere the larger in proportion to the imiportanice and the length 

 of the carry. This determined the considerable site at the north end 

 of the Washademoac-Petitooidiac Portage, helped to give importance to 

 'Meductic, and located innum(>ra.ble smaller sites throughout the 

 Province. 



c. Location of farouruhle camp-grounds. The pre-historic Indian, 

 living so closely in toaich with his environment, drawing his supplies 

 'direct from their natural soui-ces, and forced to meet the hardships of 

 hostile nature with little artificial mitigation, was more closely dependent 

 "upon convenient physical surronndings for his habitation than are his 

 inore resourceful suocessors, who have learned to a great extent to 

 Control their environment. Hence favourable spots for the actual 

 erection of the habitations played probably a larger part in the location 

 of the pre-historic than of any later settlements. 



The great requisites of a good camp-site were these : Firi>t, a well 

 'drained level and dr}' situation, beside the water, for which the high 

 intervales or low terraces freqiienit along our rivers were ideal. It is 

 upon them more than upon any other situation that the camp-sites are 

 located. Second, nearness of a good spring. In camps hy tlie salt 

 Vater this is of course indispensiible, but it played a great part in the 

 location of camp-sites along the rivers; for not only does the spring 

 not freeze in winter, but even in summer the Indians, altliough beside 

 the clearest of rivers, prefer spring water whenever it can be found, 

 iand to this day will take much trouble to obtain it. ]\I(>st large camp 



