The Portland daily press., 1886-11-15
THE CORN ROAST.
BY ADAM NEwBEGIN.
Written for the PRESS.

city to corn roast. A very merry party
was as it came down on the four O'Clock boat
A big fire was burning ON the hilltop. tha
the embers might be ready for roastin,
"Mondamin," and in the meantime a suppe
was served at the cottage, the corn bein.
intended to come last, as in the land of tn,
Ojibways.
had obtained permission to bring my
friend, the professor, who was sojourning a
hotel on an adjacent island, and we mucl
enjoyed ourselves in watching the ways Of
the young men and maidens as they grouped
themselves upon the piazza to enjoy theil
supper Some secured comfortable seats
upon the steps, and others found cosy hooks
In the big oak where platform had beer
constructed.
After supper had been cleared away w,
were left to ourselves to smoke and wotcl
lhe happy party upon the hill as they stood
around the fire roasting the corn in the EN-.
bers by means of pointed sticks with which
the ears were transfxed.
DO you suppose" said the Professor,
'that the Indian youths and maidens had
just such parties here in the olden time?'
There is not any doubt of it, / replied.
1.-The Indians came down in the summer to
feast on fish and CLANS, as the crows did in
the winter. The crows continue the custom.
but the Indians do not for obvious reasons. .
Because they are all good Indians in the
happy hunting grounds now?" hazarded the
Professor.
Precisely. They did not hold their feasts
upon this little hilltop, but all around the
high bank of the cove yonder the burned
empty shells tell of their meetings, extend.
ing over countless summers, and near the
bar is another big shellheap. If we could
only extort from the buried past the roman.
ces and lovetales Of the lives of the MANY
generations OF Indian maidens who have sat
around those other camp-fires, or watched
the sweet moonlight on the waves from that
grassy bank, how we might delight the ears
OF these young people tonight But, alas,
we have only the empty clamshells which
tell us OF the feast and the numberless gath
erlngs, and tell Ned Morse of their age"
Are there any historic accounts of Indian
gatherings here?'' asked the Professor.
20, yes! Diamond Island was a conyen-
lent and favorite spot for the Indians to en-
camp; and it is recorded by Willis that when
Governor Becher held his conference at
Falmouth with the Indians in 1882. the saya-
ges, two hundred in number, quartered on
this island 1t was too early for green corn.
teing in July, but the clans were ripe"
"Of course there were no maidens with
that party" said the Professor.
Probably not, but in their good old times.
before the white men came, they brought
their families and made long visit during
the hot weather. In fact. they had to. Aft
er the spring run of fish up the rivers and
corn planting was over while they waited
for the corn to grow, they were Obliged to
come to the shore to get more ample sup
plies. The deer and moose which could be
run down in the crusts of winter could es-
cape the hunter in summer"
AT this point we turned to see what our
young people were doing, and found tlat
they were seated in a ring around the fire.
laughing, chatting and eating corn, and
throwing the cobs into the flames as they
polished them off.
Did the Indians bring their corn down
here to exc out their fish diet?" asked the
Professor.
mo doubt They had cornfelds nigh on
the Presumpscot River, and although Long
fellow only describes them as eating it in
yellow cakes am convinced that they taught
our forefathers to eat itroasted.v
Probably they invented the clambake.
also," said the Professor, ''as we know they
were familiar with heating stones for steam
baths, and they could not have failed to ap-
preciate their use in cookery. If we could
only find bean pot among the Indian pot
terry, we could perhaps find that they invent
ed Boston Baked Beans. But about the
maidensP Did not the aborigines practice
polygamy?"
Yes, until the French missionaries con-
verted them to Christianity. But our Indi-
ans were of superior race, and that implies
courtesy and consideration towards women.
The Algonquins called them Abenakis from
'Abanki,' East Land for the natives of
America looked to the mystic East for their
civilization as did those of Europe and Asia.
1t is true that courtship is unknown among
the Turks and some other polygamous peo-
pie, but Indian life more resembled that of
the Arabs, and it will be remembered that
Jacob courted Rachel fourteen years, seven
OF them under the watchful, tender eyes of
Leah. No doubt the young people 10, ed and
wooed very much like those of other ma
tions. Longfellow describes them husking
together the young men and women, chat
tering and singing, and hailing a red ear as
sign of a sweetheart"
Ibid not the women do most Of the servile
work?" asked the Professor.
"Yes-
Twas the women who in spring-time
Planted the broad fields and fruitful,
Twas the women who in autumn
Stripped the yellow husks Of harvest
But the burden of existence lay in the
chase and fishery. That was liable to be
long and exhausting. The agriculture was
simple and easy. Still the men did not
strike the priests as hard workers, for their
chronicler says:
The men were extremely indolent This
was always. In their eyes. good quality,
for they pretended that work degraded man
and was suited only for woman: that man
was created only fol war, hunting, fishing,
and for constructing canoes and wigwams,
while woman was charged by the Creator to
90 all the other work necessary to sustain
the family. Thus, among them the lot of
woman was exceedingly active and labori-
Gus.
''The women must have been kept busy in
doors and out, for we find them described in
their wigwams by their captives, as engaged
in making baskets, and collars and belts of
wamplm and shells, as we'll as clothing for
their families"
'Were wigwams built on this sland?"
Probably not The Indian was accus-
toned to sleep in the open air. In journeys
he would build fire. cut some fir or spruce
boughs for bed, and sleep unprotected
from the elements in quite severe weather.
Their white captives found this exposure
one of their seyerest trials in captivity When
they reached the shelter of the savage wig
vans their lot was easier"
II think" said the Professor, 'that may
account partially for their sparse population.
Our soldiers in the late war toughened under
similar exposure, but it told upon their vi
tality in the future, and made many break
down in later life. The effect upon the Ind-
ans must have been the destruction of weak
children and the earlier death of adults.
That, by the law of natural selection, would
have resulted in race of great vigor, with
occasional examples Of advanced age, but
the average longevity would have been much
below the ratio among more civilized races.
1t is always so among nomads. Athletes die
young, and oyerdriyen machinery wears out