" But Mic-mac? "O, Mic-mac all same as
Ulnookh." The latter word strictly means Indian-man, and cannot be applied
to a white. Mic-mac is the name of their tribe, and, they insist upon it,
always has been. Again, Kanata is said to be an Iroquois word, and,
consequently, not likely to have been in use amongst a tribe of the Lenape
family, which the Mic-macs are. It does not appear that we have any
authority for supposing the country was ever called Canada by the Indians
themselves.

It is curious enough that as Canada was said to derive from an exclamation,
"Aca nada!" so the capital has been made to take its name from another;
"Quel bec!" cried one of Champlain's Norman followers, on beholding Cape
Diamond. As in the former case, however, so in this, we have evidence of
more probable sources of the name, which I will enumerate as briefly as
possible. The first, and a very probable one, is the fact, that the strait
between Quebec and St. Levi side of the river, was called in the Algonquin
language "Quebeio," _i. e._ a narrowing,--a most descriptive appellation,
for in ascending the river its breadth suddenly diminishes here from about
two miles to fourteen or fifteen hundred yards from shore to shore.

The little river St. Charles, which flows into the St. Lawrence on the
northern side of the promontory, is called in the Indian language
(Algonquin?) Kabir or Koubac, significant of its tortuous course, and it is
from this, according to La Potherie, that the city derives its name of
Quebec.

Mr. Hawkins, in his _Picture of Quebec, &c., 1834_, denies the Indian
origin of the word, since, as he says, there is no analogous sound to it in
any of their languages; and he assumes a Norman origin for it on the
strength of "Bec" being always used by the Normans to designate a
promontory in the first place; and secondly, because the word Quebec is
actually found upon a seal of the Earl of Suffolk, of historical celebrity
temp. Hen. V. and VI., which Mr. Hawkins supposes to have been the name of
some town, castle, or barony in Normandy.

Such are the pros and cons, upon which I do not presume to offer any
opinion; only I would observe, that if there are no analogous sounds in the
Indian languages, whence come Kennebec and other similar names?

A. C. M.

Exeter.

Surely in the "inscription on a seal (1420), in which the Earl of Suffolk
is styled 'Domin_e_ [?] de Hamburg et de Quebec,'" the last word must be a
misprint for _Lube