204 
THE MAINE WOODS. 
mile farther up the Caucomgomoc, we went thither. The 
latter river, judging from the map, is the longer and 
principal stream, and, therefore, its name must prevail 
below the junction. So quickly we changed the civiliz¬ 
ing sky of Chesuncook for the dark wood of the Cau¬ 
comgomoc. On reaching the Indian’s camping-ground, 
on the south side, where the bank was about a dozen feet 
high, I read on the trunk of a fir-tree blazed by an axe 
an inscription in charcoal which had been left by liim. 
It was surmounted by a drawing of a bear paddling a 
canoe, which he said was the sign which had been used 
by his family always. The drawing, though rude, could 
not be mistaken for anything but a bear, and he doubted 
my ability to copy it. The inscription ran thus, verbatim 
et literatim . I interline the English of his Indian as he 
gave it to me. 
[The figure of a bear in a boat.] 
July 26, 
1853. 
Niasoseb. 
We alone Joseph. 
Polis clioi 
Polis start 
sia olta 
for Oldtown 
ouke ni 
right away, 
quambi 
July 15, 
1855. 
Niasoseb. 
He added now below:— 
1857, 
July 26. 
lo. Polis. 
