106 MICMAC INDIANS OF NOVA SCOTIA 



been located nearest to the seat of the provincial government; 

 (2) the chief at Bear River has jurisdiction over Annapolis, 

 Digby, Yarmouth, Shelburne and Queens counties; (3) the 

 chief at Pictou has control of Pictou county: (4) the chief at 

 Pomquet presides over Antigonish and Guysborough counties; 

 and (5) the chief at Eskasoni governs the whole of Cape Breton 

 Island. Besides these there are chiefs in Prince Edward 

 Island and in parts of 'New Brunswick. The chief has the 

 settling of such disputes as may arise among the members of 

 the tribe, and I do not know of an instance of an Indian 

 bringing his case to one of our own courts. The chief is elected 

 at a gathering of the tribe, much discrimination being exercised 

 in the choice ; and he receives a ratification of his appointment 

 from the Governor, pledges allegiance to the Sovereign, and 

 goes through a certain religious ceremony performed by the 

 Roman Catholic Archbishop. Under the chiefs are captains 

 and majors. 



Reserves. Throughout the province are certain areas of 

 land reserved for Indian occupation. Some of these are so 

 used for that purpose, others are not. Schools are located in 

 some of the reserves. 



Numbers. Biard in 1611 places the number of Micmacs 

 at from 3,000 to 3,500. In 1760 they were estimated at nearly 

 3,000, having dwindled by sickness. In 1766 we find them 

 enumerated at 3,500. It may be noted that New Brunswick 

 and Prince Edward Island then formed part of Nova Scotia. 

 In 1842 Howe reported their number to be 1425. In 1851 

 they were returned as 1,056., which was probably an under- 

 estimate. The Nova Scotian census of 1861 (the first accurate 

 one) gives the number as 1407. In 1871 they numbered 1,666 

 in this province; in 1881, 3,892, of which 2,125 lived in Nova 

 Scotia; in 1884, 4,037, of which 2,197 lived in Nova Scotia; 

 in 1892, 2,151 lived in Nova Scotia; in 1901, 1,542 were in 

 Nova Scotia; and in 1904 (Indian Report) they numbered 

 3,861, of which 1,998 were in Nova Scotia, 992 in New Bruns- 



