NATURAL HISTORY, TORONTO REGION 



then a celebrated place for spearing salmon, and the- 

 Indians annually camped at that spot for the purpose. 

 When indisposed, the Indians of the Credit, in the 

 early days, are said to have resorted to what is now 

 " The Island," fronting the city of Toronto, to take 

 advantage of its health-giving atmosphere. The 

 Credit Indians made sacrifices to the lake as well as 

 to the river, the forest, etc. When overtaken by 

 storm on Lake Ontario, they were accustomed to 

 appease the angry spirit of the waters by the sacrifice 

 of a black dog, around whose neck they tied a stone 

 and cast him into the lake. Caves in the hills around 

 Burlington Bay and the head of Lake Ontario were 

 thought to be the abodes of spirits, one of these was 

 called Manitoa wigwam, " the devil's house." A spirit, 

 who used often to sing and beat his drum, was said 

 to live in a deep hole in the water, at the foot of a 

 hill near the Credit village, but, soon after the coming 

 of the white man, the spirit raised a great flood, and 

 went down the river into Lake Ontario. The east 

 bank of the Credit, about a mile from its mouth, was 

 reputed to be the dwelling-place of the " Mamag- 

 wasewug," or " fairies," who used to paddle a stone 

 canoe, disappearing into the solid rock on the shore 

 when closely pursued. These " fairies " were the 

 good genii of the huntsman, and to them were made 

 offerings of bits of cloth, tobacco, etc. They often 

 used to steal fish out of the Indians' nets. " Fairies " 

 were to be met with also all over Burlington Bay. 

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