308 WARLIKE CUSTOMS OF THE ODAWAH INDIANS. 



them sing, called out that they were served right, they had no husi- 

 ness to go to the place where they had been defeated. These words 

 went to the heart of the leader. They landed and enjoyed the hospi 

 tality of their friends for two or three days, then proceeded home^ 

 ward. "When the war chief got home he told secretly to a few of the 

 chiefs what had occurred at the Mushkodenj village. They labored 

 together until they gained a majority of the war chiefs to their side. 

 They then informed the whole tribe of their determination to make 

 war upon the Mushkodenj in the following summer. The Civil Chiefs 

 did everything in their power to prevent the war, but their efforts were 

 useless. The Odahwahs have never relinquished their claim to Mani- 

 toulin Island, and their right has been always acknowledged by other 

 Indians. It will, therefore, be easily understood why a portion of them 

 removed to that Island, the home of their ancestors, when their terri- 

 tory .was sold to the Government of the United States. There is a 

 branch of the Indian Department on the west side of the Manidowan- 

 ing Bay, established about twenty years ago, it is said for the 

 purpose of promoting civilization, education, and industry among the 

 Indians ; but, in consequence of a blunder made at the very com- 

 mencement, it was apprehended by impartial observers that it would 

 not be attended with success, and I understand the establishment has 

 almost entirely failed in its object. 



Saugeen, or Suggeen, as some people would have it, I believe, pro- 

 fesses to be an Indian word. If so, in order to make sense of it, the 

 letter g should be added at the end of the word, and it would be more 

 proper to write and spell the name Sahg ing , and the length of its 

 pronunciation should be about the same as that of the word " sea^ 

 king." It may be rendered in English, the " outlet," or the " mouth 

 of a river," though it is not the correct translation. The word is 

 derived from Sahkum, which in Odahwah signifies to come out. In 

 Ojibwa the k is changed into g, and another syllable added, and the 

 word is written and pronounced Sahgahiim. Sahging is a participial 

 noun, and implies motion as well as an open space, and every river has 

 its sahging, or outlet. 



The word Nottawasaga should be written Nahdowa- Sahging. It is 

 a compound word and means a place where the Nahdowag, viz. the 

 Mohawks or Iroquois used to come out. The Odahwahs were also at 

 war with the Nahdowag or Iroquois during their stay at Manitoulin 

 Island, and the Nahdowag, in their hostile expedition against the 

 Islanders, used to go out into Lake Huron or Georgian Bay, by the 



