Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-10-06
A. INTERESTING PAPER,


AZ the Ias. meeting Of the Antiquarian
Society Mr.. wilIoushby read paper on
the subject Of Indian Antiquities Of the
Eeanebec Valley. This was net only one
Of the most deeply interesting papers that
has been read befere the society and se SerAi
Of rare merit have been listened TO 81 these
meetings, bar the subject is one on ~fieh
ar. wiiIonghby BY reason Of bis indie
s.ticable aud scientific researches u q
recognized authority.
It il imposslbIe to give this paper gate
in full, thought IL Il realized that rauei IL
lo.t thereby and also must be omitted the
excellent illustrations Mr.. Walonghby gave
at the reading.
ar Wili0pgtby first spoke Of the sup
so..ai origin Of the Abnakes who oteapied
thr valley Of the Rcnnsbec and then recon
.trae,ed In imagination the ancient Indian
villages.
The Indians Of the kennehec valley dweit
in permanent Villages. from which they
made long excursion. 10 the sra shore, 10
long distances, returning at intervals to
plant, cultivate and gather their corn. beans
and pumpkins. The Old people and children.
no were unable TO accompany the travel
ere, remaining al the village which was
constructed In the following manner.
.uitsble plot Of ground having been seleeted
stakes or palisades we're erected In the form
Of a paral.eiogram inside Of this Enclosure
81. k.r MI he
lodge or council house, which was some
tines 80 or 20 feet in length obiong 10 form,
We have no record Of the shape Of the roof
Of the council honse Of Maine. 1t was
probably arehed or gabled. Sometime
these long wizwams were built and occupied
nv several families, bat in the more perma-
nrnt villages the smaller individual lodges
we're probably more commonly erected. The
s.,tar ones were male with rounded tops
after the form. az one writer tells US, Of
beavers house. The more hastily built
one. were cone shaped. Both forms OF
these lodges az well as the council house
rsre constructed Of framework Of poles
hooked together and covered with bark.
gthooleroft. who lived at one time with the
Chippewa indians illustrates IN his great
york the lodges of that tribe. Their form
Indians, being both round and cone shaped,
AMI an examination Of these Illustrations
will give rs good idea Of the
wigwams of Maine. In the center OF the
lodge was built the fireplace, constructed vi
watrrworn stone laid up 10 the form of a
circle the smoke ascending through an
opening in the roof. Above was built the
scnfold on vi ich the owner of the hut de
H. 81
The furniture consisted mainly of well
dressed skins Of various animals, skillfully
made and beautifully dyed mats of woven
PUSHES. that were used to sit upon. Nu-
merous gracefully shaped hut ruiely orna-
merted pots of baked clay Of all sizes has
kets and buckets Of birch bark and woven
PUSHES. and many implements of wood
bone and stone. Several FERNS Of birch
bark baskets aud buckets were manufac-
tur.d one of the most ingenious beng made
Of a single piece Of bark neatly sewed with
.pli, spruce roots. and the seams rendered
water tight by pitch cement. In this bucket
maple syrup was sometimes stored for flu
tire use Rasle tells US that wooden dishes
were used by the NorFidgewock Indians.
ami m intelligent native Of Oldfown in
formed me Of a tradition telling us that the
that were manufactured with the assist
ance of stone gouges and chisel-.
The old .jesuits informs u- that
the Indians of the great lakes possessed
some means of preparing birch bark by
which it became soft and piiable ike cloth
4 chief On journey--ihe Relations" tell
rs would carry roll Of this bark cloth
and when making camp would erect It
8 rl.p. rha
portable covering This same bark cloth
was prepared also by the kennebec Indians,
an! Rasle informs us that it was used for a
covering at night in rainy weather by the
.avagcs when travelling and also to dress
up the interior of his chapel
The principal permanent villages on the
kcnnebec within historic times were Nor
ridgcwock and Taconie. Capt. John Smith
who visited this coast in 1914 refers 10 the
one at NJrridgewoek II ia mentioned inci-
dentally from that time until 1874 when it
was finally destroyed Here we have his
toric evidence of the existence of this viii
lage for a period Of 10 years. The village
at Taconic was DESTROYED IN l6p2 From the
description of these bahitations by early
writer's We learn that they were constructed
upon the same plan. Ease describing the one
nj Norridgewock v rites The cottages were
distributed With an order very near ike the
houses in cities The village was surround
ed by A kind Of wall of poles AMI stakes,
high and 40 thick rs to protect them against
the incursions of the enemies. The cottages
although built of poles and covered with
large bark yet were elegant and conven-
lent" These fortified villages were called
forts or castles hy the early writers. From
III, account of Mai Churches expedition
against the one at Iaconic we learn that it
was constructed in the same manner as the
village nj NorritlgewuCk. We also learn
that thu. dimensions of the fortified village
1t Penobscut were-ieugth 20 feet. width
81 feet. and that within this Enclosure of
palisades were ~ well finished wigwams.
There permanent villages constituted the
tribal headquarters. pf course camping
parties erected temporary lodges and occu-
pied them for longer or shorter time and
these temporary camps were probably more
conimonl. seen and described by the early
settlers.
The costume of the Indians of this see
ton onsiste,i of well dressed skins of the
deer or beaver When On the war path or
taking long journeys very little clothing was
worn. oftimes only the leather girdle
Weymouth IN his voyage of 1905 describing
the dress of the lemaqud Indians saws
th,y were covered with leather NANTES of
deer skins. fastened at the shoulder with
leather. some of them were fitted with
sleeves. hut most of them werct without.
They also wore a leather girdle about their
loins This description applies 10 the dress
OF the natives in August.
CHRISTOPHER fevett who explored the
coast ~ far east as Cape Newagen says
The Indians have no apparel but skins.
In the winter they wear the hair slie in
ward. in the summer outward.
In common With all aborigines the Indians
Of the kenneher possessed a great foudness
for bead. and trinkets Of personal aiiornmen'
Father Rasle in writing of the hennebec
Indians in % saws "if you wish 10 see
him in all his finery. YOU will ind he has
no other ornament but beads. These are
kind of she'll or stone which they form
into the shape of little grains, some white
and others black which they string together
IN such a way as 10 represent different
snowy figures with great esaetness. IL Is
with these beads that our Indians bind up
snd plat the hair and their cars and behind
th.y make of these pendants for their ears
collars. gsrters large sashes of five or six
inches in breadth and ON this kind oil or
nament they pride themselves much more
than European would on all his gold aud
lewelry.'
The white iiseoiiai beads were made
from the she'll of the oyster or clam, those
of blue or violet color from the eye of
the same bivalve The eolored beads were
more highly priced than the white disks cut
from the body of the shell. The tubular
beads are not common in this vicinity they
were formed from the core of large animals
the spiral groove showing plainly in many