6 BULLETIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 
the east a similar ridge separates the flat from Digdeguash 
Inlet. To the north of this clay flat, where there is now 
an open field, the standing forest broke oft the keen winds of 
winter ; and to the south was the sea-beach, where driftwood 
in abundance was thrown up, and where boats or canoes 
could be kept, secure from the rising and falling tide. 
The tide rises from twenty to twenty-five feet at this place; 
and as the lower half of the beach is stony, it is probable 
that the savages who dwelt there obtained their principal 
supplies of shell-fish at some other point. A sandy beach, 
and therefore one more suitable for clams, exists on the river 
about half a mile further up than Phil’s Beach; and extensive 
sand-flats abounding with these bivalves are found around the 
shores of Hog Island, off the mouth of the Bocabec River. 
These sands, below the surface, are black with accumulated 
organic matter, resulting from the decay of marine animals 
(clams, etc..) and would be valuable as a fertilizer of the clay 
fields found in the valleys along these shores. Sea-fish and 
marine animals no doubt abounded then, as now, along the 
whole of this river. Herring and other fish are now taken 
in great quantities in the weirs at the mouth of the Bocabec. 
The position of the aboriginal settlement at Phil’s Beach 
was also very advantageous for hunting. The inhabitants of 
the village could float up with the tide three miles, to the 
head of navigation, whence they had a five mile range for 
hunting beaver and larger game on the branches of the Boca- 
bec River; or by going out of the river and passing into 
Digdeguash Inlet, a still more extensive woodland tract was 
open to them. From the mouth of the Bocabec they could 
also cross Passamaquoddy Bay in various directions in search 
of seals and sea-birds. 
The position of this village was well chosen for defence. 
Its inhabitants appear to have had an outpost at the point on 
the eastern side of the entrance to the Bocabec River, whence 
a view could be had of all canoes approaching from the Dig- 
deguash or Magaguadavic River, or the more open part of the 
Passamaquoddy Bay. Another section of the settlement 
occupied a small beach on the Bocabec River a little further 
