AND THEIR REMAINS. PIERS. 105 



of the Shubenacadie chiefs, are a silver medal of 1814, pre- 

 sented by George III. to the then chief, and a large gilt 

 medallion presented by a former Pope. The women formerly 

 wore pointed cloth caps (abedowargosen) elaborately orna- 

 mented with coloured beadwork; loosely-fitting, brightly 

 coloured satin jackets (mardelit) with red or other coloured 

 borders bedecked with beads ; and skirts of dark blue broadcloth 

 prettily embellished on the lower parts with numerous broad 

 horizontal bands of silk of various colours, in parts cut into 

 pointed forms, and more sparingly ornamented with beads and 

 spangles. Ornamental broadcloth leggings were also worn with 

 the skirt. The older women are still sometimes seen in this 

 characteristic costume, but it was once the regular dress of the 

 women of the tribe. It may be observed that the pointed head- 

 dress is depicted on old petroglyphs at Fairy Lake. (See 

 Report on Provincial Museum for 1910). 



Chiefs. The province is divided into five districts, each of 

 which has a*chief, the one with which Halifax comes most in 

 contact with being he at Shubenacadie. Rand (Reading-book 

 in Micmac, 1875, p. 81) says the Indian name for the A /hole 

 country, is Megumaage (Micmac-land), and he says it was 

 divided into seven districts (including two in New Brunswick), 

 each district having its own chief, but that the chief in Cape 

 Breton, which comprehended one district, was* looked upon as 

 head of the whole. The seven districts as given by him were 

 as follows: Cape Breton, Pictou, Memramcook (in New 

 Brunswick), Restigouche (in New Brunswick), Eskegawaage 

 (from Canso to Halifax), Shubenacadie, and Annapolis district 

 reaching to Yarmouth. Chief John Noel of Shubenacadie 

 informed me that the jurisdictions of the several chiefs in Nova 

 Scotia are as follows: (1) The chief at Shubenacadie has 

 jurisdiction over Halifax, Lunenburg, King's, Hants, Colches- 

 ter and. Cumberland counties, and he claimed that he was con- 

 sidered to be the head chief, perhaps the result of his having 



