PASSAMAQUODDY DOCUMENTS. 373 



cook/^ with the purpose of utterly destroying it. On this oc- 

 casion, however, they were seen by a Passamaquoddy brave 

 whose people lay in ambush for them. It was the custom of 

 chiefs to wear medallions of white w^ampum shells which were 

 visible at a long distance, particularly in the moonlight. Pick- 

 ing out in this way the person of the Mohawk chief whose name 

 w^as Lo.\\ '* panther," ^^ the watching braves shot him first, owing 

 to which calamity the Mohawks were thrown into confusion and 

 fled. The Passamaquoddies followed them as soon as day 

 broke, but the tracks were so scattered that they could not find 

 the refugees. It was ascertained afterwards that the Mohawks 

 had quarreled among themselves, one party being in favor of 

 making peace with the enemy, while another faction was 

 strongly opposed to such a measure. The discussion of the 

 question ended in a fierce combat. This was the final blow to 

 the Mohawk cause, so that the nation ever afterward sought to 

 be at peace with the Passamaquoddies. 



After this battle the Passamaquoddies were never again mo- 

 lested, but the Penobscot tribe was still at war with the Mali- 

 seets and Mohawks and, in fact, w^ere nearly destroyed three 

 times by their ruthless foes. A most interesting legend of this 

 Mohawk w^ar is the account of the miraculous revelation to the 

 Penobscots b)* Wcnagajjiesiuook or fairies of the approach of a 

 large body of Mohawks. Two Penobscots were coming down 

 the Penobscot river from their winter hunting, when they spied 

 a newly made canoe paddled by ^vhat seemed to be two small 

 boys who, pursue as they would, always kept at an even dis- 

 tance ahead of them. Finally, the supposed children stopped 

 and called out to the wondering Indians " Noiviit Kcinagaiick 

 Megiiyik'' '' h.\. Noivut Kcinaganck\h^r^'Ax^yio\\-^\NV?>y As the 

 hunters had noticed some chips floating down the stream, they 

 believed the report at once. The Mohawks had been making 

 rafts with which to float down the river in order to destroy the 

 Penobscot tribe. As soon as the hunters reached Oldtown they 

 told their curious tale, w^hich was immediately credited by the 

 old men, who straightway prepared for war. The fairies, ac- 

 cording to their belief, always either appeared in person or 



Annals N. Y. Acad. Sci., XI, October 13, 1898—25. 



