12 
the very narrow, winding passage between the crags of the water- course at the lower falls, no canoe 
could pass through. Bad-small fall contrasts it with the larger one about seven miles above, at 
what was probably the AKwapskitchcook, Mahjais,! which is but a different writing for Machias, is 
explained by Bad-way. 
MaaGocoor.—A_ bay extending from the mouth of Freeport River (Harriseeket) to Flying 
Point. 
MAGUNCOOK, the early name of ‘“‘ Mousam River,”* has the same origin and meaning as Me- 
gunticook, 
MAQUAIT, from maqua, a bear, and the locative ending, it. PBear-Bay will well represent the 
meaning of the word, and the presence of this animal in its neighborhood in early days; though 
more strictly it may show where the natives went at the bear. 
MArtinic.—John Smith mentions the three isles and a rock of JMatinnack. The name may pos- 
sibly be explained like the next. Another form of the word is Metenic. 
MATINICUS.—Smith refers also to this island, and says, ‘* Metenicus is also three plain isles and 
a rock betwixt it and Monahigan.”* The Indians call it A’nahgook, and explain it as “ Long 
Island.” This word may be from kenne, long, and the locative termination cook. 
The one or the other of these two neighboring islands appear in the history of this coast as 
early as 1609, the year after the colony under George Popham, at the mouth of the Kennebec, 
broke up and returned to England. In that year his fort, St. George, wasre-occupied by a company 
engaged in fishing, under a leader who treated the Indians with much harshness and injury. In 
retaliation for severities such as they had never received from the kind treatment of Popham, they 
took advantage of a favorable opportunity, killed a portion of the English, and by their intimida- 
tions compelled the rest to abandon their enterprise here, and select a new point for their efforts, 
at a place which they called Emmetanic. In 1611-12 Captain Plastrier, in the French service, in 
attempting to go to the Kennebec, was taken prisoner by the English, with two ships, and carried 
to their station, “‘at an island called Emmetanic,” thus asserting English snpremacy in these 
waters. This name; and the occupation for which the English sought this island, leads to a partial 
indication of its meaning; Amatanic suggests namds, fish; the next syllable tan may cometrom ofan, 
in the Narraganset dialect,® and oddne in the Norridgewock, meaning village. The name “ Tish- 
Town” will not be inappropriate to the location. The terminal syllable in Matinicus is not 
explained. 
MAWoosHEN.—This was a name by which a part of the coast of Maine east of Cape Elizabeth* 
was known to early writers, some of whom wrote it Mavooshen, (v for w,) Mawoshen, Moasham, and 
Mawashen. This last mode nearly corresponds with the Penobscot word mazeeshen, which, with a 
common locative, denotes Berry-place, descriptive of several localities near the coast; Maiveeshenook. 
MeEpomac.—Also written Madaamnock and Madahumic.2 This variation suggests the form 
Matta-am-ock ; matta-not, namdas, fish, ock, place; implying the part of the river where the ocean 
Jish are not found, as not being able to pass aboye the tide-water over the falls called Chegewun- 
nussuck,? just above the village of Waldoboro. 
Merpuncoor."—A tide-river separating Cushing from Friendship, and connected with Mus- 
congus Bay. 
MEGUNTICOOK.—One of the Camden Hills, taking its name from the small river with falls near 
its base. The word is elsewhere found as Ammequunticook, resolvable into namds, fish, konte, 
plenty, cook-place ; and may be uncouthly rendered as Fish plenty river. The Indian village near 
1 Cadillac, Memoir in the Hist. Coll., Vol. VI, p. 279, says: ‘ Majais——The entrance of this river is difticnlt on ac- 
count of rocks, which are concealed at high water.” ‘The difficulty, however, is at the falls. 
2 Williamson’s Hist., I, 26. 
3In Mass. H. Coll., 3d ser., Vol. VI, 120. 
4 Ibid 
® Caryon’s edition of the Reports of the Jesuits. 1864, Paris. 
®R. Williams’ Key, p. 3, Rale, “ Village.” 
7 Gorges’ “ Brief Narration,” B. II, Ch. VII. 
§ Pejepscot Papers. Records, I, 88; VI, map and paper of 1738. 
° Pejepscot Maps. This word is also written Magowmannussuck. 
to Williamson’s Hist., I, 59. 
