202 
BULLETIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 
The history of the development of our knowledge of the 
river is of considerable interest, so that I shall here treat the 
matter in some detail. The river makes its first appearance in 
records on the remarkable De Meulles-Franquelin map of 1686 
(published in the Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada , 
III, 1897, ii, 364, though with some errors corrected in a photo- 
graphic copy which I now possess) where it is laid down with 
an accuracy wholly surprising and indicative of a personal visit 
by the map maker. It is there named Ouelamoukt, which is 
obviously identical with the name Wel-a-mook-took by which 
the Micmacs call it to this day. Happily the meaning of the 
word is perfectly clear, for the Indians themselves say it means 
'‘handsome river” or "fine river,” and Rand’s Micmac-English 
Dictionary (169) gi\ r es Welamook as meaning "beautiful,” 
"kind.” The word is etymologically identical with Oromocto, 
which is a corruption of Welamooktook, while the Maliseets call 
Cains River Mic-ma-we-wel-a-mook-took, that is "Micmac’s 
Oromocto.” The name "handsome,” or "beautiful,” I believe, 
does riot apply to the scenery so much as to its characteristics 
as an easy canoe river, an idea confirmed by Rand’s meaning 
"kind,” and by the character of the river itself. The same 
valuable map also applies the Micmac names to three branches, 
Minooisak to Muzroll’s Brook, N amamgamkikac (or something 
very like, for the original map is injured at this place) to Sabbies 
River, and Kepchkigoe to a branch which appears to be Lower 
Otter Brook. These names I have not yet been able to interpret. 
It is said, by the way, that the Indians had favorite camping- 
places at the mouths of Six-Mile and Muzroll Brooks, and 
Sabbies River; and, as I know from observation, all of these 
places offered exceptionally favorable and pleasant sites. The 
name Cains is without question a corruption of Etiennes , (the 
name of an Indian Chief), for all of the intermediate stages in 
the evolution of the word are known, as traced in the Transactions , 
above cited, II, 1896, ii, 223. Of great interest are the names 
of its principal branches, Muzrolls and Sabbies. Upon the 
origin of these, local tradition is not clear except that they were 
given for persons, but I have no question that they are the 
