rs. It
is not to be supposed that while a large part of the population were
smarting from the distress of almost continued Indian wars, that even
the most candid could coolly investigate and impartially record the
history, character, and wants of such a people. But the time has
arrived, when, divesting ourselves of all prejudice, we can examine
carefully their true situation, and making allowance for their
condition, write their history with fairness and candor.

The present sketch is confined to a brief notice of the tribes who
inhabited the territory now constituting the States of Maine and New
Hampshire, all of which may be considered as embraced under the name of
Abenakis, or more properly Wanbanakkie. It has often been supposed that
this name was given them by the French, but it is undoubtedly their
original appellation, being derived from Wanbanban, which may be defined
the people of aurora borealis or northern light.

It is only now intended to sketch their earlier history, and to trace
the various emigrations to the present residence of the Abenakis proper,
in Canada; and viewing this tribe as the living representative of our
extinct ones, to consider its interesting history, so clearly connected
with New England frontier life, although most of that history is but a
record of war and wretchedness.

The celebrated discoverer, Capt. John Smith, in his general history,
furnishes the earliest and most reliable description of the Indians on
the coast of Maine, as they were in 1614; other writers give accounts of
tribes there, some of which it is difficult to distinguish or locate;
but it may be best to consider all that were residing in the two States
above-mentioned as embraced in about eight distinct tribes, namely:
Penobscots or Tarrentines, Passamaquodies or Sybayks, Wawenocks,
Norridgewoks or Canibas, Assagunticooks, Sokokis or Pequakets,
Pennacooks, Malacites or St. Johns.

The Penobscots[1] were probably the most numerous and influential tribe.
Their chief or bashaba was said to have been acknowledged as a superior
as far as Massachusetts Bay. They occupied the country on both sides of
the Penobscot Bay and River; their summer resort being near the sea, but
during the winter and spring they inhabited lands near the falls, where
they still reside. It is somewhat strange to find a tribe numbering
about five hundred still remaining in their ancient abode, and, though
surrounded by whites, retaining their lang