The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-09-30
Indian Geographic Names.

bureau OF ElnnoloSy FURNISHED Tue Last
port Sentinel with the following list of
Indian geographic names occurring around
Passamaquoddy Bay, with their deriva-
tons. The Indian names of elevations,
rivers, and localities are spelt in scien-
titc alphabet in which the vOwels possess
the value OF and are pronounced as
they are in the languages of the European
continent:
Bar Halbor, Mount Desert, and Mount
Desert island are all called in Indian Pes
sank or Pessan, ''at the clam digging
place or places;' from ess, ''shell," re-
ferring here to the clam only; p-pretix,
an verbal ending.
Bay of Fundy, storm beaten cor
ner OF the Atlantic ocean between. Nova
Scotia and New Brunswick is to the
Indians Wekwabegituk, ''waves at the
the head of the bay, TUX referring to
waters driven in waves or moved by the
tide. Nowhere else in the world are the
tides SO high as in this bay. (See Oak
Bay,)
Bishops Point, locality on the north
head of Grand Manan island New Bruins
wick. Its Indian name, Budebe- uhigen,
means death-trap of whales, from budebe-
Il, ''whale; ''-higen, sutfix which stands
for tool or ''instrument.
Campobello island, New Brunswick, is
called Ebagwidek from its position be-
tween Maine and the mainland of New
Brunswick, floating between cha, be-
tween, gwiden, floating. Another Indian
name for this island is Edlitik, which
seems to refer to the sudden deepening of
the waters on the west side.
Cherry island a rocky formation just
south OF Indian island. New Brunswick,
is known to the native Indian as Misikne-
gusts, lat the little island of trees;''
Misi is tree or ''trees;' misik, "where
trees stand;" negu, Authorization of
N nku, island sis, diminutive end
ing.
Cobscook bay, a body of salt water ly-
ing west and southwest of Moose island
1t is the Indian term kapskuk, Eat the
waterfalls.' The tide. rising here Gaily
TO about twenty feet, enters into the sinu-
osities Of the shorelands, and the waters
returning TO the ocean form rapids, rifles,
OF cascades (kapsku).
Deer Island, New Brunswick, a large
isle at the southern extremity of Passama-
quoddy bay, is Eduki M niku, ''of the
deer the island'
- VI f4l4S , 4ltdti, OIu4hoIlC NlISIt ~
Croix river empties into Passamaquoddy
bay; Kwagustchus' k, "at the dirty noun
tain" from kwagweyu, dirty" tchus,
mountain; *, locative particle, ''at.'
The name was long ago corrupted into
the more popular Devil S head
Passport, City and Harbor, has the same
Indian name as Moose island, upon which
II is built, Muselenk. This is corruption
from the hybrid compound Mus Gland k,
It's second half being a corruption of
island, with the locative-k appended.
The locality where the last moose was
killed, about a century ago, lies on its
northern part. The genuine Indian name
ton Moose island is Mus m niku. The
Moose islanders (and the PASSPORT people
especially are called Museleniek.
Eel Brook, a small rivulet at the north
eln end Of Grand Manan island, is in
Indian hatekadik, which stands for Kat
akadik, and signifies ''wheIe o. cells (kaD
ale plentiful (akadi. J"
trardner's Lake, in Machas township,
is called Nemdamsw agum, the term
nemdam designating species of fresh
water fish rushing up brooks and channels
(nem, aPmardD agum, lake
Grand Manan, New Brunswick, a large
island with high shores, south of Pas
samauoddy bay, is the Menanuk of the
Indians. The name probably signifies
at the island in the Micmac dialect.
Herring Cove, a large sea- beach on the
east side OF Campobello island, facing
Fundy bay and Grand Manan island, is
called litchamkiak, ''at the long beach -
pitcheyu, is long; amk, grarel:-kie,
Jtocb; locative case,-kiak This cove
has lately been made accessible by good
road leading to it from the Tyn-y-coed
hotel, and with its picturesque views and
lis multi-colored pebbles forms quite an
attraction to visitors.
Indian Island, New Brunswick, forms a
narrow strip of one and half miles length
at the southwestern entrance to Passama-
quoddy bay, and was inhabited by these
Indians before they crossed over to Lin
colin point and Pleasant point, Maine
They call it Misik negus, lat the tree is
land The name of Cherry island (q. V. J
is diminutive of this
hendalls Head, bold headland in
northern part of Moose island and facing
Deer Island, New Brunswick, upon tie
western passage of ST. Croix river is
called by the Indians Wabigenek, OF ''at
the white bone" OF Wabigen, 'wh e
bone, from the white color of rock
ledge on its top; wabi, 1rhite:-gen or ken,
b0He:-k, at.
kunasw amkuk, abbreviated frequently
into kunaskwamk, is a comprehensive
name given to the town of st. Andrews,
New Brunswick, to the heights above and
north of it, where the Algonquin hotel is
erected, and to the coast between ST. An
drews and Joe's point. The name signi-
hes at the gravel beach of the pointed
top kuna, point, " referring to sand
baI projecting into the bay; kunaskwa,
pointed top or extremity;' amk,
gravel" and here ''gravelly beach %
NIX, locative ending, at, on, upon.
Lubec, village south of Eastport, at
the narrows between Campobello island
and the mainland of Maine, is called Ke-
bamkiak, lat the beach forming the mar
rows. hebe-ik means lat the narrows, -
and is the same word as the Cree and
Montagnais; Kebek, Quebec, i'll Canada
kiak is the locative case of kie. ''at the
beach or beaches
Machias and East Machias, two towns
on the southern trend of the Maine coast,
in Washington county, which were settled
from Scarborough, in Maine, represent the
term metchiess, pdrtridge.
Meddybemps Village and Meddy bemps
Lake, drained by Dennys river Dennys-
vile township, are called after fresh
water fish, medebess' m or the hanpom.