PREFACE.

The Passamaquoddy Indians of Maine, together with the Maliseets (Milicetes) or St. John's River Indians of New Brunswick, form a single linguistic group of the eastern Algonquin family known as Wabanaki "people of the dawn-land" or "East." The other most important members of this group of tribes are the Delawares, or Lenape, who still use the term Wapanachki of themselves, and, in the eastern States and Canada, the Penobscot, Abenaki and Micmac.[1] The Penobscot and Abenaki form a linguistic group similar to that of the Passamaquoddy and Maliseet, while the Micmac idiom stands more remote, although closely allied. It has been estimated that there are still about seven hundred, people who use the Passamaquoddy-Maliseet speech.

1. For the eastern Wabanaki group, cf. my articles: "Notes on the Language of the Eastern Algonquin Tribes," Amer. Jour. Phil. IX, pp. 310-316; "Forgotten Indian Place-names in the Adirondacks," Jour. Amer. Folk-lore, 1900, pp. 123-128; "The Modem Dialect of the Canadian Abenaki." Miscellanea Linguistica in Onore di Graziodio Ascoli, 1901, pp. 343-362; Leland and Prince, "Kuloskap the Master," Funk and Wagnalls, New York, 1902; "The Penobscot and Canadian Abenaki Dialects," Amer. Anthrop. 1902, N. S. 4, pp. 17-32; "The Penobscot Language of Maine," Amer. Anthrop., 1910, N. S. 12, pp. 183-208; "A Micmac Manuscript," Proceedings of the Congress of Americanists, Quebec, 1908. Cf. also the articles quoted below in the present Preface. General articles: "The Algonquin Noun," Proceedings of the Congress of Orientalists, Rome, 1904; "Algonquin Religion," Hastings, Dictionary of Religions, s. v. "God."

The name "Passamaquoddy" is a corruption of pestumo‛kat 'one who catches pollock-fish' (Gadus Pollachius) = peska‛tum. This term has been applied to the tribe only in comparatively recent times.

The Passamaquoddy of Maine now live at Sipayik or Pleasant Point, near Eastport, Me., and near Princeton, Me., while the Maliseet have their chief settlement near Fredericton, N. B. At Pleasant Point, which is the modern headquarters, dwelt Sopiel Selmo, the keeper of the Wampum Records, a mnemonic system of wampum shells arranged on strings in such a manner, that certain combinations suggested certain sentences or certain ideas to the narrator, who, of course, knew his record by heart and was merely aided by the association of the shell combinations in his mind with incidents of the tale or record which he was rendering. With Selmo, however, died the secret of this curious system, but some of the wampum strings are still to be seen at Pleasant Point and there are a few in the possession of Mr. Wallace Brown at Calais, Me. The laws and customs thereby recorded are published in the first Series of the following texts in a more exact form than that given in my former publication of this record in "Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society," 1897, pp. 479-495.

There is also a large amount of oral literature handed down by these Indians, a quantity of which existed in the manuscripts of the late Hon. Lewis Mitchell, former Indian member of the Maine Legislature. These documents, together with Mitchell's version of the Wampum Records, came into my possession some years ago, but were all destroyed by fire in 1911, since which time Mr. Mitchell industriously reproduced them at my request from memory. They are herein presented to Americanists for the first time in the original in Series 2, 3 and 4 of the following texts. Other matter of this character has already appeared in the Philosophical Society's Proceedings, XXXVIII, pp. 181-189: "Some Passamaquoddy Witchcraft Tales;" American Anthropologist (N. S.), XI, No. 4, pp. 628-650: "A Passamaquoddy Aviator."

Of the texts in the present work only the Wampum Records (former publication cited above) and part of Series 4, "Songs" (N. Y. Academy of Sciences, XI, No. 15, pp. 369-377 and XIII, No. 4, pp. 381-386) have been published before in an imperfect form. Poetical and inexact English renderings of some of the Kuloskap material (Series 2 below) have appeared in Leland and Prince "Kuloskap the Master," New York, 1902, a popular exposition of eastern Algonquin folk-lore.

The phonetics of the Passamaquoddy dialect are comparatively simple. In the Mitchell manuscripts, the scribe followed a spelling influenced variously by both English and French, frequently using b, d, g, for p, t, k; j for tc, and a purely arbitrary system of vocalization employing a, u, e for the indeterminate vowel u or ', often omitting entirely the rough breathing ‛, or representing it by h. It was, therefore, clearly impossible to reproduce Mitchell's texts literally, so I have followed, as far as was feasible, the system used in my "Morphology of the Passamaquoddy Language of Maine," Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, LIII, pp. 92-117, the principles of which follow herewith:

a = short o in 'bother'.

ā = a in 'father'.

â = aw in 'awful'.

' = the indeterminate vowel (Schwund).

u = oo in 'foot'.

There are no nasal vowels, as in Penobscot and Abenaki.

h is the simple breathing, but the inverted comma ‛ is a glottal catch like a very soft Arabic ḥ.

l often carries its own inherent vowel similar to the heavy Russian l. This sound is represented in the following material by an elevated e, before the l (εl).

n before consonants carries its own inherent vowel, as nki, pron. ŭnkî.

p, t, k, are voiceless surds, pronounced almost like b, d, g between vowels and never like English, p(h), t(h), k(h).

tc, dc represent almost the same sound, between a palatalized English ch and a palatalized English j, similar to Polish ć and ź.

s between vowels is frequently pronounced z and written thus.

w after k (= kw) represents the final Algonquin "whistle," as ke‛kw = keḥkwu; w in general is a weak consonant; sometimes initial w almost = u, as w'liko = uliko.

The intonation of Passamaquoddy is highly tonic, showing a voice-raise which often varies, apparently arbitrarily, with various speakers. Thus, such a word as lakutwâk'n has the voice-lift on the first syllable, a drop on the second, lift on the third, and drop on the fourth. As I have noticed so many stress-variations often of the same vocable by different Passamaquoddy speakers, the accent has been rarely indicated in the following texts. The peculiarity of the voice-lift seems to be distinctively Passamaquoddy, as the kindred Maliseets usually speak monotonously, with no especially noticeable voice-lift. The Abenakis also have frequently a monotonous tone, amounting practically to a drawl. All these idioms of the Wabanaki are spoken in a low pitch and almost never with the strong emphasis and often loud voice of western Indian languages such as the Dakota.

SERIES 1.

I. Wapapi Ak'not'mâk'n'l.

Medcimiu p'kokni tohokyoltowuk; k'tciyawiu w'ski‛tap epidcik wasis'k nespiw'sikyojik yut metci-mipniltimkil; nit etutc-al-ithuswin'k nek'meyu tepithotmo‛tit tcewi ke‛kw εleyu; eliyowuk tcewi εleyutetc na neksēyu. Nit etutci m'sīu sise-p'tcitaketil kinwetwaswinti m'sī-te elipit w'skitcin; ankwotc elk'wiyik saunisnuk; ankwotc w'tcip'nuk; k't'kik snutsekt'nuk; k't'kik k'skiyasnuk. P'tcio-te petciyik Wapna‛kik. K'matc w'sipkikm'n yaka kes'wuk naka wew'tciyanya. Nit-te tama wejiwe‛tit w't-iyawa w'skitc'no: "k'p'tciptoln'n w'li-ak'not'mâk'n." Nit etlausitkw'ton kisi-putwuso li-kislut'muk. M'sī-te tekepit w'skitcin kinwe‛to nit k'tci lakutwâk'n kitwitaso. M'sīu w'skitcin nut'k ak'notmâk'n; m'sīu w'lit'hasu. M'sīu w'siwatcyokony'l kat-kisilet-te kaum'k mat'nitin. Nit m'sīu kesukmiksit op'dcitakan oputwuswin'm. Nit m'sīu kesukmiksit op'tcitakan nisu kesena akwam'k oputwuswin'm natciwitcitak'wik k'tci lakutwâk'n kesena k'tci maweputwuswâk'n.

Nit m'sīu kis-maweusetil; nit o-matce-tepithotm'nya ta nite w't-elokh'tinya. Ste‛pal m'sīu siwatcyoko‛tit eli-wap'li-p'mau‛sit. Yok't k'tci sak'mak w't-iyana k't'kihi: "yut elapim'k asit-wetcosyo‛kw k'n'mi‛tunen eli-p'kaknapt'wuk; k'n'mi‛tonenw'l kesek ewaplikil; yut'l p'kaknikil t'm'hîk'nsis'l-lo naka tapyik t'pa‛kwyil tcewi-puskenosw'l oskeniu." Nit-te m'sīu w't'li-kislutm'nya w't'lakutinya. Nit w't-akinwi-ponm'nya kis'k etutci-putwusi‛tit. Nit liwetasu tcikte wikwam. Yot w'kesekm'nya etasi-kiskakil katama-lo wen k'losiu. M'sī-te putwuswin tcewit-lithasu tanetc w't-itm'n; tan etutci litutit t'pask'swâk'n'l; m'sī-te w'tepithotm'nya tanetc-li kisi-tcenetaso man'tim'k; kwuni tcikpultowuk lo; pem-lokemkil.

SERIES 1.

I. The Wampum Records.

Always bloodily they were fighting; many men, women (and) children were tortured by these continual wars; then these wise ones take thought so that something may be done; and that quickly; then all send a messenger to every place where the Indians dwell; some go to the south; some to the east; some to the west; others to the north-west. They even come as far as the Wabanaki. Very long it takes, even months, till they arrive. Then when they come there, they say to the Indians: "We bring you good news." Then when they arrived, they took counsel what to decide. To all Indians dwelling there one announces that a great peace will be called. All the Indians hear the news; all rejoice. All are weary of having made continual warfare. Then every tribe sends its councillor. Every tribe sends two or more councillors that they may be present at the great peace, or great general council.

Then all assembled. Then they began to take counsel as to what they should decree. Only, all are weary of living in an evil way. These great chiefs say to the others: "Now, when we look back at what we did, we see that these trails are bloody; we see how many bad things there were; these bloody tomahawks and bows and arrows—they must be buried for ever." Then all decide that they should make peace. Then they appoint a day when they shall take counsel. This is called "the Silent Wigwam." Then they give order that on each day no one shall speak (but) every councillor must think over what he shall say how to make the laws; they all consider how to stop the wars; as long as they remain; a week.

Aptc etutci-apkw'timutit; wikwam liwitasu "m'sita‛kw wen t‛lēwesto." Nit na kwuni o-matce-putwuswinya. M'sīu putwuswin w't-uknutm'n eli-pipyaks naka metc-matnuti‛tit; m'sīu eli-w'sikyoltoti‛tits kwunipn'-ltim'k; nit-lo al-teketc tepnasko yotepithatosu naka k'temakithaman w'tepitemowa w'tawasismowa naka mamatwikoltidcik; medcimiu yok-li w'sikyasp'nik tahalo-te saklithat w'ski‛tap naka m'tap'kwin. Nit m'sīu-mi t'lēwestoti‛tit, nit li-kislom'k w'tlitonya k'tci lakalosnihak'n naka totciu oponm'nya epasiu k'tci wikwam t'pakalosniu. Na w't'litonya epus; w'ponm'nya w'mitâ‛kwsow'l; nit wen pelestowat nit etutc -eshemhut'm yut'l eyilidcil w'nidcan'l t'pakalosniu. M'sī-te na w't-atcwiyik-setswaw'l naka na medcimiu w'm'tutwatm'n w'ktci skwut, wa wedci-ska-nekasw'nuk. Yot wedci madc'hak wapapi t'pask'-swāk'n'l.

Nit lakalosnihak'n'l et'li-nsetwasik sp'm'k nit mawe-lakutwi-kislut-mewâk'n; m'sī-te kesikpesit w'skitcin newanko k'sukmito, k'nok-lo k'tciyawi milidcpesw'. M'sī-te yokt'ke w'skitcinwuk w't-atc'wi-elianya naka wikinya t'pakalosniu. T'ketc wen ke‛kw-li waplelok't tciwi-semha; w'nikikow'l w't-esemhokol nit epus. Kisi-mawetasiks nit-lo tane te‛po wikit t'pakalosniu tce-tciksitm'n'l tan eyilīdcil tpask'swâk'n'l kesena esemha. Nit wikwam et'linsetwasik t'pakalosniu hitmowiu m'sī-te k'sit w'skitcin kisita‛kw tcewi-li sank'wi-p'mau‛so. Katama aptc tcika-wiyotoltiwun; tcewi-li p'mau‛sowuk tahalo wesiwestoltīdcik witsekeso-toltīdcik o-pesw'n w'n'kikowu. Nit-lo k'tcī skwut et'li-w'sitwasik wikwam'k hitmowiu m'si-te-ta wut kiswitcita‛kw w'skitcin nitetc et'losi‛tit skwut'k w'lamantc skat aptc t'keyi wipmeshonw'l. Nit-lo w'nikikow'l et'lin m'sit wut wikwam'k nit k'tci sak'm Kanawak. Nit-te lakaloshîk'n naka epus hitmowiu wapapi t'pask'swâk'n'l. Tan wut pelset'k tcewi-mawe-sakyaw'l et'li-nsetwodcik; nit m'sike‛kw kisitpiyak.

Nit-te aptc o-matcelokh'tinya; h'n w'tlitonya aps'kikwil w't'pask'-swâk'nw'l. M'sīu yut'l t'pask'swâk'n'l tcewi litasw'l wapapik, wetcitc kiskitasik tan te‛po eli-kimwitpiyak elnokak; m'sitetc-yo naka eli-milidcp'k'k wapap. Yot wapap elyot sakm'k naka m'tapekwinw'k naka nipwultimkil; elokh-tim'k tan etutci metcinet sak'm naka eli-pusk'nut; elim'takitmowatil m'sī-te w'skitcinwuk; w'lasikaudowi wapap; wikwamkewi wapap, etc.

Then they open it (the assembly); the wigwam is called "everyone speaks." Then at length they begin to consider. Every councillor relates what had been done and how they had continued to fight; how every one had suffered through the long wars; (they advise) that now it is time that they should consider and that we take pity on their women and children and on the maimed. These had always suffered just like the strong men and warriors. Then when all had spoken, then they decide that they should make a big fence and then that they should put in the middle, a big wigwam, in the enclosure. Then they make a stick; they put their father there; then whoever disobeys he punishes (him), the one who is his child in the enclosure. Everyone obeys him and he always keeps up that big fire so that it shall not go out. After this begin the Wampum Laws.

Those fences which they set up that is a general treaty of peace for all nations of Indians, fourteen tribes, but many clans. All these Indians must go and live in the enclosure. If anyone does anything evil, he must be punished; his parent will punish him with that stick. After they are civilized, then whoever lives in the enclosure must obey whatever are the laws, or be punished. That wigwam which is set in the enclosure means that all sorts of Indians whatsoever must live peacefully. Not again shall they quarrel; they must live like brothers (and) sisters with one parent. Then the big fire which they put in the wigwam means that everyone there who live together, the Indians there who are by the fire shall act well; not any more ever(?) shall they sin. Now their parent who is in this wigwam, that is the great chief at Caughnawauga. That fence and stick mean the Wampum Laws. Those who disobey must all suffer together according to what is decreed. This is everything which they did.

Then again they begin to arrange; they make their lesser laws. All these laws must be recorded in wampum, so that they may be read whenever they make ceremonials; everything also can be given in wampum. There is wampum which makes chiefs and warriors and marriages; ceremonies, whenever a chief dies and when he is buried; all the Indians mourn him; salutation wampum; visiting wampum, etc.

Elok'h'tim'k tan etutci metcinet sak'm.—Tan etutci metcinet sak'm w'mut'wa‛kwulm'n'l tcewi t'mitaha naka nki'kwwa‛kwsan; m'sīte tan kis-iyit; w'towekak'n'l w'tetapyil w't'mhîk'n naka w'mutwεk'n (kesena w'mut'wak'n). W'skitcinwuk w'nitakitm'waw'l enkwutci k'tunweyin. Tan etutci tepnaskoyak w'skitcinwuk wi‛kw'manya putwuswinuwo; putwuswinya w'teplomanya pili sak'mul. Nekw'tekmi katama w'kislomauyil sak'mul. Nit-te eli-kisi-mawe-kislutmoti‛tits nit op'tcitakayu kinwetaswinu; newunol kesena k'ma‛tcin (h)ekwitnol heskunelie Mikma‛kik, Kebek-lo, Pan'wapsk'k, W'last'kwuk, sak'm t'limetcinet Pest'mokat'y'k. Tan etutci p'tciya‛tit kinwetasīdcik elia‛tit Mikma‛kik nit-te n'mitutil wetckiyak ekwit'n; meteneknahasik w'kisi-nsetum'nya; ke‛kw itmowiu: nit-te sak'm w'moweman w'skmaknes'm. W't-īyan: "nit wetckoyak ke‛kw; nikt kinwut-wedci-petcidcik." Nit m'sī-te wen wāsis'k naka epidcik w'skitapyik m'tapy'taswuk w'natci-asikwenya. Malem-te e'kwayik. Nit-te peskw w'kapetasin na-tutci w't'lintowatm'n nskawewintowâk'n'l. Nit w'tali-es'wi-nskawan el-amkikap wiyalit.

Malem-te metc-into; nit-te na yoktwedciyodcik peskw lit'puswin w'milayawiyan; nit na nek'm w'tasitetunan w'siwes'l; na nek'm w'wuskawan.

Malem-te m'sīu metci-nskauh'tm'k naka tutciu w'matcyapasinya imyewikwam'k w'nadci-mawe-himyanya. Malem-tetc aptc kisi-miauletwuk naka tutciu εlipan tanpunto-te wikwam'k. Nit m'siu wen petcit, epidcik, wasis'k m'siu w't'lapasinya w'natci-w'lasikwawa w'sikiptinenawa naka na oponm'nya m'tewek'n t'sakiu wikwam'k et'li-wedciwe‛tit. Nit naka h'tciyawiwul w'skitcin w'takewâk'n'l.

El'kemkil etc'wi-kisitutcil meskw kisi-sepyati‛kw. Nit amsk'wās w'lakwiwik eli-wulithasoweltowekw pemkaulutwuk. Nit aptc wespasa‛kiwik yokt medciwedcik op'tcitakanya peskow'l oskitap'mw'l sak'mawikwam'k; w'tiyanya sak'mul opawatm'nya m'sī-te w'nimianya oskitapi kwandowan'k. Nit-te sak'm w'takinwetuwan oskitap'm omaweman kwandowan'k naka aptc w'takinwetuwan yoho-te wedciwelīdcihi. Nit na kisi-kusyapasi‛tit, naka todciu w'musketonya wapapyil naka todciu ekitoso nekw't eli-kislotmotits; nit et'lausit Pest'mokatyik w'kuskatam w'k'tci-w'skinosism'wau; nit-lo "k'pawatmak'n kil et'lausiyan k'natci-widcikem'n eliat k'tci-w'skinosism'l." Malem-te naka kisiwestolti‛tit yokt medciwedcik nit na sak'm w'nakisin; na w't'lēweston; w'tiyan w'p'maus'winum nit nek'm holithotm'n w'natci-witcakekemiu

Ceremonies whenever a Chief dies.—Whenever a chief dies his flag-pole must be cut down and burned; everything which he had; his implements, his bows, his ax and his flag. The Indians mourn for him during one year. When it is time, the Indians summon their councillors; they plan to choose a new chief. One tribe (alone) may not decide on the (new) chief. Then when they all debated together they send messengers: four or six canoes proceed to the Micmac, Kennebec, Penobscot, Maliseet, provided (for example) that a chief had died among the Passamaquoddy. When they arrived; viz., the messengers who had gone to the Micmac, (their) canoe is seen coming; a little flag they put upon it; what does this mean? His warriors are mourning a chief. One says: "There comes something; these (people) have come with a message." Then everyone, children and women, men, warriors, go out to meet them; then they land. Then one of their leaders sings the welcome songs. Then they are welcomed in return by the one who is on land. Then he continues to sing;

then to these new comers they send someone to fetch them in to shore in a canoe; then this one (he) shakes them by the hand as his brothers; so he welcomes them.

After that the welcome is continued and so they start to the prayerhouse, so that they may pray together. So they assemble and then they went to where there was a wigwam. Now everyone comes, women, (and) children; all go to greet them, to salute them and then they put a flag over the wigwam whither they go. This is the way they practised the Indian customs.

For some time they had to do thus before they lay down (to sleep). Then the first evening the new comers are entertained. So again in the morning, these guests send one of their men to the chief's house; they say to the chief that they all desire that they should see the men in the hall and again he announces it to these new comers. Now when they had gone there, they take out the wampum strings and it is read at once as to what they had decided; namely, that from the Passamaquoddy, who were there represented, had disappeared their oldest boy; then, "We desire that you who are here shall help us to make an oldest boy." So when these new comers had spoken, then the chief stands up; he says to his people that he is glad to cooperate in helping his brothers

witcok'm'n w'siwes'l kipnael. Nit aptc yokt wedciwedcik o-nakesin; w't'lēweston kisi-w'liy't sak'man eli-wulmatulit naptc o-kisiyinya naka todciu w'nest'm'nya kisuktc etutci-weswesi‛tit.