128 EEV. GEO. PATTERSON ON THE BEOTHIKS 



want must have been of vegetable food. This would, however, be partly sixpplied in 

 summer by the abuudauce of berries found everywhere. 



What their numbers may have been we have scarcely any means of judging. The 

 territory they occupied was as large as that occupied by the Micmacs in Nova Scotia and 

 New Brunswick. As compared with the extent of the island, they must have been few. 

 But from the notices of their presence by the early voyagers, and the number of places 

 where tokens of their occupancy have been found, I believe that they could not have 

 been less numerous than that tribe, whose number was never great, probably not much 

 exceeding four thousand. 



These are all the early notices of the Beothiks we possess, and they give us little 

 specific information regarding them. The descriptions would apply nearly as well to 

 any of the tribes at that time inhabiting Northern America. It seems clear, however, 

 that they were a people moderately tall and well formed physically, and that they 

 appeared to the visitors as of quick intelligence. It is specially, however, to be noted 

 that all these writers agree in describing them as mild and tractable. They at first 

 received their visitors in a friendly manner, and were desirous of being on good terms 

 with them. Certainly there does not appear anything more fierce in their disposition, 

 than was to be found among any of the tribes on the mainland with which the English 

 or French came in contact. On the contrary, these accounts rather seem to show that 

 they were distinguished among the American aborigines for mildness and gentleness of 

 disposition. On the other hand, Cortereal's carrying away more than fifty of them, men, 

 women and children, into slavery ; Cabot's capturing and carrying some to England ; 

 Mr. Hore's attempt, as described by himself, to do the same ; Whitbourne's coolly appro- 

 priating their property, not to speak of the unrecorded deeds of the rude men who, under 

 no restraints of law, came to trade and fish on the coast, indicate that from the first white 

 men regarded them and theirs as their natural prey. 



III. 



Hostilities. 



Even at the time that Whitbourne wrote all friendly relations had not ceased. But 

 when next we hear of them the two parties are on a footing of unrelenting hostility. 

 The white men accused the natives of stealing their goods. Among all the American 

 tribes at that time there was a sort of communism. To à certain extent a whole village 

 shared in the produce of the chase, and the supplies of one were readily given to meet the 

 wants of any in need. When they met white men they were ready to give them freely 

 of what they possessed, but they expected the same liberality in return. Their views being 

 misunderstood led to collision. Though we know that in general the Indian tribes were 

 not given to thieving, yet cases of the crime would occur : and when we consider the 

 value to them of articles of European manufacture, as nails, knives, hatchets, etc., we 

 need not wonder that the temptation should sometimes prove too strong for them By 

 the rude hunters, trappers and fishermen the missing of some trifling article came to be 

 regarded as sufficient excuse for shooting the first Indian they might meet. These men 

 were the reckless of many nations ; they were here beyond the control of law, there being 



