AND THEIR REMAINS. PIERS. 101 



office in Xova Scotia, and was followed later by Col. 

 Chearnley, but soon after confederation supervision was trans- 

 ferred to the Department of Indian Affairs at Ottawa. 



Early Conditions. In prehistoric times the Micmacs had 

 made but slight advancement towards civilization, in this 

 respect being behind some of the Indians -of Ontario. They 

 apparently did not cultivate Indian corn, but lived almost 

 entirely by the chase and fishing, and delighted in war. In 

 summer-time they djwelt mostly on the coasts and in winter 

 retired to the more sheltered interior. They made various stone 

 implements, canoes, snowshoes, a very few small copper imple- 

 ments, rough pottery (poorly burnt, with occasional attempts 

 at rude ornamentation), and they produced some rude picto- 

 graphs upon rocks. A few implements of unmistakable 

 southern workmanship indicate that they traded somewhat with 

 other tribes, although they may have been obtained by conquest. 



Marc Lescarbot, who met with the Micmacs during his 

 residence at Port Royal (Annapolis Royal) subsequent 

 to 1606, gives in his Nova Fraud JL (first published 

 in 1609) an excellent^ account of the Souriquois as 

 he found them in his day, and this description is 

 one of the best of the earliest ones we have of their 

 manners, customs, etc., at a period when iron implements were 

 only just beginning to supplant those of stone. He says they 

 wore a skin breech-cloth attached to a leather girdle, and a 

 cloak of otter, beaver, moose or stag, bear or lynx, tied up with 

 a 1* ather thong, and one arm was usually thrust out. In their 

 wigwams this cloak was laid aside, unless it was cold. The 

 women wore a girdle about the cloak. In winter they wore 

 "good brave sleeves, tied behind, which keep them very warm." 

 In winter, going to sea, or hunting, they wore long leggings, 

 cut into a great number of points on the side of the leg, and 

 tied to the belt. On their feet they wore moccasins of moose- 

 skin. Thev had no head-dress, but men and women wore their 



