18 ALL AROUND THE BAY OF I'ASSAMAQUODDY 



Bar Harbor, and Portland. Whether the tourist visits these parts 

 for sightseeing or for restoring impaired health by the aid of their 

 bracing sea-breezes, he is sure to take a peculiar interest in the 

 native Indians, whom he sees peddling their neat baskets and 

 toys along the streets, on steamboats, and on hotel verandas. But 

 little attention is needed to scan the Indian among a crowd of 

 people by his dusky com})lexion and a sort of nonchalance in 

 his deportment. His appearance and habits show him to be a 

 living and moving survival from jDrehistoric times. 



The Passamaquoddy Indians of Maine constitute a portion of 

 the northeastern or Abnaki group of the widespread Algonkinian 

 stock, of which the ancient domain extended over a large area 

 of the United States and Canada. The Abnaki Indians now sur- 

 viving are divided into five sections, among which (1) the Pe- 

 nobscots in Oldtown are the nearest afhnit}' in language and race 

 to the (2) St Francis Indians of Canada ; (3) the Passamaqaoddies, 

 whose nearest kinsmen are (4) the Mlliciies, or Etchemins (this 

 is their Micmac name), scattered along the St Johns river. New 

 Brunswick; (5) the Micjnacs, settled in Nova Scotia and on the 

 east coast of New Brunswick. 



The present Passamaquoddies are about five hundred in num- 

 ber, and a large intermixture with white blood has taken place, 

 which according to a safe estimate may amount to one-third of 

 the tribe. In about the same proportion they have also preserved 

 their Indian vernacular, which among its European loan words 

 counts more of English than of French origin. Many of these 

 natives exhibit unmistakably the full physical marks of Indian 

 descent — the long, straight, and dark hair, the strong nasal bone, 

 and a rather dark complexion. The cheek-bones are not very 

 prominent. The majority of the tribe are slim-built and of a 

 medium stature. They are not increasing, and their Indian 

 congeners on the Penobscot river are positivel}^ on the decrease. 



No central chief rules over these Indians now, but each of their 

 three settlements in Maine has a sagum or elective governor. 

 These settlements all lie on watercourses or on the seashore. 

 The one nearest to Eastport is at Pleasant point, near the town 

 of Perry ; another is in a suburb of Calais, and a third one for. 

 merly lived upon Lewis island, but transferred its seats to the 

 neighboring Peter Dana's point, near Princeton, on the Kenne- 

 bassis river, about 42 miles north of Eastport. Fishing is one 

 of their chief industries, but in this they now follow entirely the 

 example set by the white man ; they care nothing for agriculture, 

 and their village at Pleasant point is built upon the rockiest and 



