News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-12-09
RELICS OF A LOST TRIBE.
Opening the Graves of Red Men Whom the
Whites Exterminated.

Relics of the extinct race of Indians
who were the aboriginal inhabitants of
Newfoundland were recently discovered
on Pilley's Island, Notre Dame Bay, n.
F. The relics are very interesting.
Very few remains of the banished race
of the Bethuks have been preserved.
There are few in private hands, and
the Newfoundland Museum contains a
small collection, including skull and
skeleton, some arrow heads, axes,
gouges, and other stone implements
In the recent excavation one of the
graves was found to contain the skull of
an adult in an excellent state of preser-
walton 1t has the characteristics of the
skull of a savage, but it is we'll shaped
and pretty we'll developed in the IN
telectual region. The skull proves that
the Bethuks we're by no means of low
type. Only three bones of the skeleton
were found along with the skull. Foxes
or wolves had probably carried off the
others. The greatest curiosity, however,
is the other skeleton which with the
exception of the vertebrp of the neck is
perfect. Apparently 1t is the skeleton
of young Bcthuk 8 or 10 years of age.
The body had been wrapped in birch
bark, laid on its sile and covered with
stones. The form was seen to be per-
fectly preserved when the birch wrap
pings were removed and it has some
what the appearance Of mummy. The
skull is detached from the body, the
vertebrR of the neck having been dis
troyed or removed.
here are also in the collection sew
eral specimens of beautifully finished
stone arrow heads, hatchets, various ar
ticles made from birch bark, such as
small models of canoes, drinking ves-
sells, &c, and curIously shaped bone or
naments, all verify of scientific eXami-
nation. These according to the Indian
custom were buried with the dead
The Aborignes of Newfoundland
were a branch of the great and powerful
Algonquirs, who once lived from the
Rocky Mountains to Newfoundland, and
from Labrador to the Carolinis. Here
they hunted and fished for ages be ore
the discovery of the island by Cabot. 1t
was a dark day for these poor savages
when the pale faces appeared. Quarrels
arose, and at length it became war to
the knife between the two races. The
savages were no match for the white
men, armed with muskets. Great cruel
ties were practiced by the whites, and
the Indians sayagely retaliated. The
whites at length came to regard the
Aborgines as vermin to be eXterminated
and the unequal contest went on till not
red man survived.
The Miamacg, from Nova Scotia, aid
ed in the work of determination. They
were the deadly foes of the Bethuks
and gradually the ranks of the tribe
were thinned: they were driven from
the best hunting grounds, apd war and
disease lessened their numbers, until
to day, not single representative of
the red men of Newfoundland exists.
TH7 OLEEN TINES. In illustration of
the old staging times it is related that
Gen. Neazie, of the NeaZie Bank, Ban
gor, hired 800, 900 i'll cash of the Suf
folk Bank of Boston. The money, in
gold and silver was put into boxes, and
transported all the way to Bangor on
stages without any guard. They attract
ed no more attention than would an equal
number Of boxes of eggs, and at night
they were put in the stage offices and
remained there safely until the next
morning.
A FEW DAYS AGO, as a machinest in
the South Florida Railroad car shops at
Sanford was making some repairs on his
engine, he was confronted by ground
RATHER which had crawled into a long
bolt hole to keen out of the wet