1891-92. ] THE ABENAKIS OF SAINT JOHN RIVER. 205 
crosses the river. They say that after breaking down this dam, Glooscap 
drove the great beaver which had constructed it, far up the river. The 
Tobique Indians point out some ledges which are known as the Tobique 
rocks, as being part of the stones which Glooscap pelted this beaver with ; 
they also say that he subsequently took refuge in Temiscouata Lake, and 
that the high hill on its shores opposite the mouth of the Cabano is the 
house which he built after having been driven up the river from the mouth 
of the St. John. The Abenakis call the rocks between which the river 
passes into the harbor of St. John, Gtchi-quaabeet-a-wi-cup-a-hegan> 
which means, great beavers dam. Within the memory of the writer, 
the Abenakis when passing Glooscap’s Head, before mentioned, on their 
way out to sea, would throw figs of tobacco from their canoes into the 
river as votive offerings to Glooscap, in order that he might vouchsafe to 
them a pleasant voyage and grant them a safe return. Denny, who held 
extensive rights in Acadia about the middle of the 17th century, mentions 
a remarkable tree which was floating around below the falls at the mouth 
of the Saint John, and which had been there for a very long time; this 
he says, “the Abenakis called the Manitou, that is to say the devil, the 
homage which they formerly rendered to it was one or two beaver or other 
skins, which they fastened to it with an arrow head, made of moose bones, 
which they sharpened by means of stones. Afterward, when they were 
passing through this place and their Manitou did not make his appear- 
ance, they held it as an evil omen, saying that he was angry with them. 
Since the French have been in these parts and have furnished them with 
iron arrow heads they use no others, and the poor Manitou has his head 
so covered with them that one can hardly stick a pin in it. I have seen 
it,and M. De La Tour’s men who were with him, and afterwards with me, 
have assured me that they once fastened ropes to this tree, and that with 
a ten oared boat rowing with all of their strength and with the current, 
they could not drag it out of the hole.” 
There are many other traditions among these people, respecting 
“Lox,” “ Micumwes,” “Kulloo,” and many other creatures of their im- 
aginations, which may form the subject of a future article. 
