The Portland daily press., 1868-02-03
Meeting Of the D,ains historical socioty.

The kenuebec Journal contains report Of
the proceedings OF the Maine Historical Socie-
ty at its meeting IN Augusta, on Thursday, Of
which we make brief summary. Hon. E Z.
Bourne Of Kennebunk presided. Judge God
trey of Bangor read paper on "Bashaha and
the Tarratines," the former being the name of
q celebrated Indian chief, and the latter Of his
tribe. These Indians are supposed By some to
be the proSenitors of the PeBobscot tribe, but
Judge Godfrey diasenta in many respects irom
The views Of other writers concerning them.
Hon. J. W. North, Of Augusta, gave en- ac-
count OF an examination Of the old fort at Penn
aquid, and also what is called the paved street.
BE was inclined to tho belief that there was
40 paved street, but that road or passage had
hesn made over the low land by filing in with
stone ard other material that came TO hand.
Mr.. North was the bearer Of gift to the Socl-
ETY., from MIS- BENZ. Davis Of Augusta, OF an
original commission issued ~ Gov. Shirley to
o commander at Pemaquid.
Dr.. Ballard read paper on tho location Of
The Sasauoa river, discovered by company
from the Popham colony. He concluded that
the river in question could not be tho Kenne-
bee or the Androsco9gin, but must be the in
land passage from the Kennebec to Wiseasset,
known as "ArrOwsic Gut"
The venerable VIM. Allen, of Norridgewoct,
furnished paper chToniclins the changes that
have taken place during the last eighty years.
Mr.. 5ewaI, OF Wiscass:, read paper on the
"Wawenocks as g race !" in whose history the
lineameuts Of cur nationality are visible. Tho
home Of this race was on the Sheepscot, Penn
aqUid, and at st. George river. The paper al
luded to George POpham as the 6rst President
Of the United States, and afforded good deal
OF food for Thought.
DIR. Ballard read . paper illustrating the
Grammar OF the Oldtown Indian language.
Hon. William Willis, of this city, was not
present, but furnished paper on Voyages 10
the North Atlantic coast in the 10th century,
which is said to be the ablest paper Of the ses-
sion.
Hon. John A. Poor read extracts from letters
from Leonard Woods, who is now in Europe
collecting material relating to the early history
! of Maine. DR.. Wood reports that much light
| will be thrown upon the Popham expedition
| by his investigations.
Hon. j. W. Bradbury read q note from Rev.
W. A. Drew, presenting to the Society relic
Of the Revolution. lis a piece of paper bear
ing the words, 'l775, J. B. Dunkirk with Ar
mold" found, as our readers will remember, in
Augusta, in mill log probably Gus in Sidney
About ninety grains could be counted outside
| OF it, indicating the number of years since Ar
mold passed through that region in his expedi-
| ton up the Kennebec.
| a resolution was adopted appointing Messrs.
Bourne, Ballard, Farley, Dixie, Sewall, Gill
man and Swami o committee to cooperate
with the Boston Society of Natural History
and other friends of science in further explo-
yations Of the shelf deposits Of Maine and
traces of early settlement Of the State.
Judge Bourne read an amusing paper on the
manner in which justice was formerly admin
| istered in the courts of York county. The
| town Of Wells was indicted for not providing
| o dpckins place for women who used harsh
and improper language towards their hus-
! bands. On certain island hogs and women
were prohibited from running at large. Many
instances were given of low aud vicious nppli-
| cation Of law in criminal cases.
The following is an abstract of a paper read
by Mr.. Swan, on the shell deposits on Goose
Island, Casco Bay:
| The author In company with party Of SCI
enmuc gentlemen from massachusetts,, made
| au excursion to the island TO examine the she'll
| dapoSit5, which lie on the southwest end of
| the slsnd 90 tho shore Of little bay abound-
| ing in clans. The shells are deposited iust be-
| low the sod and in some places crop out, The
| deposits which extend backwards up the slope
| forty or fifty feet, arc composed OF closely
| packed shells, broken and dec2yed somewhat
| 90 the bottom, but towards the surface clean
! ana entire. Six hundred cubic feet of the de-
| posts were examined. The deposits were
| composed chiefly OF tho valves of tile common
| clam, mingled with many Shells of the qua
| hog, and occasionally specimens OF tho large
| gca!lop Other deposits we're represented
| The excavations ofbsm led through heaps of
| ashes, sometimes s5 the bottom and sometimes
st tho top, chewing the different periods of
time when the shore was visited and the fires
kindlai. Fragments of bone, pottery. &c.,
were quito Numerous, and bones of large ami
mails and OF birds were not at all rare. Clam
digging and Ashing were evidently not the on
| ~ occupation Of tile Indians, for they were in
| the midst of q rich gaming region. Bones of
| the moose, otter, deer, mink and sable were
| found, aud aklliuliy shaped specimens Of
| worked bones, finished and polished without
| the use of steel. These deposits give some in.
! sight into tho habits of the aboriginee It is
| dificulE to fix the age OF these deposits, but it
/ must he at y time anterior to the advent of
! the European settlers. The presence in the
| deposits OF the bones of bird called the Awk,
| which now exists Only in the Arctic regions,
seems to put tho formation at very distant
| past.