Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1817-09-23

hl0N oS x HAis u.s. W 'H>
many of yOmr rrauers. | transmit a
short account OF particulars Tor pub
location. AN EYE-wTrSEss.
PsaobScos Eiaiaa Chief.
At Old-town. an Indian Nillage* on
an island in Peaobscot River. twelve
miles from Bangor. in the District OF
Nainc. ON Thursday the 10Th Of Sept.
A. ID. 1916. the PcnobsCot tribe of
Indians met. and tremendously in
Quoted into office chief Governor.
or King. Such has been the immemo-
ria, usage of this tribe, and the others
in this region, that no chief can be
made unless there be at least three
tribes present. Hence fifteen or
twenty Of the chiefs and principal In
disne. from the ST. Johns tribe. and
as many from Tie Passamaquody tribe
arrived there short time previously
T. assist in the ceremonials. In the
forenoon of the inauguration or cor
roaation day, the NAL of Penobscot
tribe convened in the governors Wig
wan, on this occasion called a camp,
and seated themselves on a plat
form, according ~ rank or seniority.
John Aittenn and John Neptune, the
selec: candidates for the first and Sc
cond offices OK chieG-shiPs. dressed
in scarlet broadcloth. and fanCifuliy
decorated. being seated at the head.
In front Of them. On piece Of blue
cloth. a yard square, lay four large
medals Of silver. three of which were
respectively circular and as large as
a dollar: the fourth was larger, and
in the form of a new moon. and all OF
them we're em6lcmati,ally indented
and inscribed, with ingenious devices
and had elegant ribbons, two feet In
length, affixed 10 each of them and IL
ed at tie ends. Shortly after noon,
one OF the Pcnobscot Captains, who
acted as marshal Of the day, was dies
Matched from the camp with message
TO the gentlemen spectators present.
inviting them to the approaching In
xTbis village is compact, and con-
tains near thirty wiswams, all stand
ing. on one street. and most of them
so near together as to leave only
narrow passage way between them.
Each wigWam. constructed according
~ the old Gothic form with the gable
end towards the street, Is one story
high, twenty or thirty feet long, and
half as wide. The plates and the
,Idgc-nole are supported by crotchcs
tbrast into he ground the covering
is rough boards, battered or matched
with bark. None of the Nigwams
have any glass windows. and the en-
trance into them is through a narrow
an rYe. without door or hinges
Within is board or plank platform
on each side, next the wall, foot or
more above the ground, three or four
f.etin width between these platforms
the ground is bare. Here it is that
Gres are built. without any chimney,
\ hole only being left for the smoke to
pass through the reOf. -Four families
frequently live in these wig"ams, one
at each corner, a fire serving two oil
them. On the platforms they sit not
unlike a tailor on his shop-board .
there they sleep without any other
beldi,s than a few blankets there
they eat their food NTH their fingers.
They have nothing like bed. nor a
chair. or movable bench few iron
and wooden vessels Cor cookery, and
a few baskets. are all the furniture
they haze. At little distance south
erlv from the street. is their church, a
buildiug 40 BY so, we'll framed and
covered. and one story high. 1t has
porch. cupola. anu a hell also,
glass windows. Within is desk tor
ths priest, an altar. two large candle,
sticks, and other service limitations oI
the Roman Catholic rites. TN the
right and left Of the desk are a fe"
seats for the deacons and elders; the
eoor of the church being covered Win
small hemlock boughs andeyergreens'
on which sit the Indians, both male
and female. Here they worship once
= week, and often meet week days ioi
prayer. Near is the bury ing ground
where stands large cross or crtclhN
- or 90 fret high and within th'