AND THEIR REMAINS. — PIERS. 109 



animals, etc., all of great interest, which has been collected in 

 Rev. S. T. Eancl's Legends of the Micmacs (Xew York and 

 Lond., 1894), to Avhich I must refer those interested in this 

 very attractive snbject. 



Mortuary Customs. — Since the advent of Europeans, at 

 least, the Micmacs have buried their dead in the ground, 

 although I Tvas told by Chief jSToel'" and other Indians, that in 

 prehistoric times (perhaps under certain circumstances*) they 

 placed the corpse, wrapped up, in a tree or on a staging, and I 

 find that Denys (page 438 of Ganong's edition) confinns this 

 tradition and describes in detail their old burial customs. 

 Unfortunately, no proper scientific examination has yet been 

 made of pre-historic burials, to ascertain exactly the manner 

 of burial, although Dr. Patterson has a few words to say 

 regarding this subject {Trans. N. 8. Ins. Nat. Sc, vii, p. 231 

 et seq.). There is no doubt, however, from such old graves 

 as have been opened, that various implements ami utensils were 

 placed along with the dead. 



Games. — Some games survive from pre-historic times. One 

 of them, the most popular, is known as Indian dice (altestahun) 

 and is played with six bone or walrus-ivory disks, fiat on the 

 upper side and slightly convex on the other, inscribed with 

 characteristic curved lines, forming a figure resembling a star 

 or Maltese cross, for ornamental or symbolic purposes. These 

 are tossed on a shallow wooden platter, and according to the 

 result the player gets little stick counters, of which there are 

 55 in all, a few of which (of greater value than the rest) are of 

 different shape from the remainder. A similar game 



*Since this paper was written, Jolin Noel, the venerable cliief of the 

 Micmacs of Halifax, Lunenburg-, King's, Hants, Colchester and Cumber- 

 land counties, died at the Indian reservation on Spring- Broolc, near 

 Shubenacadie, on 20th May, 1911. He had been born at Pictou on 3rd 

 May, 1829. He was highly esteemed by the tribe over which he presided 

 and by tlie white men with whom lie came in contact. He had always 

 taken interest in matters relating to his people's history, and the writer 

 is indebted to him for valuable tribal tradition and other information and 

 recalls with pleasure many hours spent in conversation with him on such 

 topics. Noel had succeeded liis stepfather Chief James Paul, who had 

 probably succeeded his uncle Francis Paul, who had succeeded Chief 

 Samuel Paul (also known as Benjamin Paul). 



Proc. & Trans. N. S. Inst. Sci., Vol. XII L Trans 8. 



