1670-90.] THE ABENAKIS. 339 



the most pleasant, and certainly the most pictur- 

 esque, part of their lives. Bivouacked by some of 

 the innumerable coves and inlets that indent these 

 coasts, they passed their days in that alternation 

 of indolence and action which is a second nature to 

 the Indian. Here in wet weather, while the torpid 

 water was dimpled with rain-drops, and the up- 

 turned canoes lay idle on the pebbles, the listless 

 warrior smoked his pipe under his roof of bark, or 

 launched his slender craft at the dawn of the July 

 day, when shores and islands were painted in shadow 

 against the rosy east, and forests, dusky and cool, 

 lay waiting for the sunrise. 



The women gathered raspberries or whortle- 

 berries in the open places of the woods, or clams 

 and oysters in the sands and shallows, adding their 

 shells as a contribution to the shell-heaps that have 

 accumulated for ages along these shores. The men 

 fished, speared porpoises, or shot seals. A priest 

 was often in the camp watching over his flock, and 

 saying mass every day in a chapel of bark. There 

 was no lack of altar candles, made by mixing tal- 

 low with the wax of the bayberry, which abounded 

 among the rocky hills, and was gathered in profu- 

 sion by the squaws and children. 



The Abenaki missions were a complete success. 

 Not only those of the tribe who had been induced 

 to migrate to the mission villages of Canada, but 

 also those who remained in their native woods, 

 were, or were soon to become, converts to Roman- 

 ism, and therefore allies of France. Though less 

 ferocious than the Iroquois, they were brave, after 



