The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-12-23
Indians i'm Maine.


The subjoined interesting account of the
traits and customs of the Aborigines in
Maine in the early part of the eighteenth
century, is extracted from the History of
Wells and Kennebunk, now in press:
In concluding this chapter, it may be well
to add some account of the Indians, with
whom our predecessors were specially ac-
auanted: the author has known and had
frequent conversation with men who, living
in their neighborhood, were thoroughly
acquainted with their peculiar characters
tics. It may be thought by some of our
readers that the spirit cherished toward
them was not consistent with the relations
which they were bound to maintain. While
we cannot but heartily condemn the various
agencies by which, from year to year, their
characters were moulded, we cannot find it
in our hearts to complain of the people of
the last century, for their enmity toward
these natives. They were here large part
of the warmer seasons, living and having
their homes among the settlers. Some of
them dwelt On the north side of Gooch's
creek, near where the road now passes; here
were about twenty wigwams. Another COM
munity of six or seven wigwams lived on
Great Hill and Grandfather's neck, and
third, a small distance below Larrabee's fort,
where there were three or four wigwams.
These structures were made of small sticks of
wood about twelve feet long, standing upon
or driven into the ground, in circular form,
inclining inward at the top, leaving only
nall space for the escape of the smoke, and
covered with brush, clay, skins, or anything
else attainable, to make them tight and
warm.
The whole Indian population in Wells was
about one hundred and sixty; they were OF
different tribes, according to the division
made by ethnologists, but classed under the
general name of Abnekis. Whether they
were of the Saco, Piqwacket, Kennebec, Pc
nobscot, Norridgewock, or some other CLASH
fication, we cannot determine. In ancient
times, the people here were not accustomed
to make any distinctions; they were all In
dams, or savages. Tom WaWa, or Wahau-
nay, was the leading Sycamore, having his
home on Great Hill. The inhabitants called
him the king; he was well known to the
whites; entered freely into conversations;
visited their houses, and was well acquainted
with their various employments and habits
of life; and thus gathered all the information
necessary to aid him in any subsequent raids
upon them. He was not the Hopewood, as
some have supposed, who died long before
this time, for he lived several years after the
Lovewell fight, in which he was second in
command. Like most OF the Indians who
dwelt among the English, he was addicted to
while savage by nature, he was made much
more so by its frequent use. He was in the
habit of beastly intoxication, as were all the
Indians then commorant in this vicinity.
1t was with these wild savages that the
people of Wells had been involved in the ter
rbe war of which we have given an account.
While dwelling among them, familiar with
their houses and families, enjoying social
intercourse, and manifesting toward them
fI,al frian rfc
would overflow with malice, and they would
be found wreaking out their vengeance upon
them in relentless torture, and cruelties the
most revolving. Wawa was the leader in
the attack on the Durrell family; he was,
we suppose, well acquainted with all the mem
bers; yet he and his treacherous band could
in the absence of the father, cruelty murder
his wife and children, and soon afteTward re-
turn and dwell among the people, as if they
had no agency in their death. They could
one day exhibit all the innocence of a true
and honest friendship toward their white
neighbors, and the next, without provoca-
ton, but merely from the promptings of an
internal spirit, riot in their blood.
This trai. Of Indian character, the sudden
vibration from apparent friendship to the
most malignant and cruel hatred, without
provocatoH. lis entirely inexplicable and with
out parallel among other nations. There can
be no mistake as to the fact; our informants,
as well acquainted with them as with their
white neighbors, in all our conversations with
them, recognized this as marked feature of
the Indian character. In everyday life they
were associating with them, and could re-
count all their names as well as those of the
white men and while thus dwelling together
in apparent harmony and peace, all at once
the Indians would become sullen, and discon-
tinue their associations; and then would be
seen grinding their knives and making prepa-
rations for the renewal of hostilities. And
vet there was another remarkable feature of
this peculiar Indian polity; they never thus
transformed themselves from friends to enc
mics without giving notice, so that all might
take heed to themselves and their property !;
like those men who are subject to spells of
insanity, who confident that the paroxysm
is coming upon them, warn then friends to
take proper precautions to guard against in
Jury. The habit of giving this notice was in
variable; whenever they came in from their
raids they erected near their wigwams pile
of stones, in a conical form, two OF three
feet high So long as this pile remained they
were at peace with the whites; but when war
was to be renewed, it was thrown open.
They were never guilty of a violation of the
armistice signiied by this monument.
There is another fact which we are unable
to reconcile with the general history of the
relation of our fathers to, the aborigines of
the country; our knowledge of that portion
of the tribe who were accustomed to abide in
this vicinity, is derived from men who were
contemporary with, and dwelt among them !;
so that we are confident and well assured of
what we affirm. These hostilties, we are in
formed, were never continued more than a
month or six weeks at time. We know
that the wars continued many years; and no
history which we have seen speaks of any
such suspensions of arms, or such intermit-
,ic fant cbau of
tempt no solution of this problem; but recog
nizing the fact as stated by our informants,
we do not understand why these savages,
who could thus suddenly break up their
homes and slay the inhabitants. should not
have been regarded as murders, and disposed
of as criminals of that character always have
been, instead Of being suffered to dwell
among them unmolested.
When the Indians returned thus to their
homes, and raised the pile of stones, they
seemed to be overjoyed that hoStilities had
ceased; they came TO the houses of their old
friends, with faces as radiant with joy as
though they had been long absent from the
scenes of their former attachments, and had
returned innocent of all iniquity. Almost
the first thought was, of music, and dancing
with those on whom the day before they
would have inflicted the most merciless
crueties. They seem to have been influ-
we have no knowledge.
But this strange development of character
was not universal. There was one among
them who seemed to have more of the spirit
of civilized man. Ambereuse, living in one
of the wigwams on Mousam river, was man
of peace; never manifesting any propensities
for strife and war, but always desiring to live
on friendly terms with the white men. He
was never known to have any agency in war.
He said he did not like war. Whenever his
companions deserted their wigwams for their
dreful work, he remained at home; and
though the pile of stones was Frustrated, he
continued his associations with the settlers
as intimately as il peace was undisturbed.
We suppose he was of the number of those
who were then denominated 'praying In
dams" This friendly Indian lived here till
1852. when he removed to South Berwick.
Sullivan in his History of Maine says: "There
came to Berwick an Indian named Amberuse,
with his wife. He said he hated war, and
only wanted to live where he could make his
brooms and baskets and live in peace. He
remained there for several wears and then re-