2. Passamaquoddies. These Indians, in number three hundred and seventy-nine souls, including some scattered families, (250 to 270 dwell together) have about fifty wigwams-have one hundred acres of excellent land, bordering on the Schodic river, open to the markets of Eastport, Lubec, and St. Andrews, from four to seven miles from these places, in a corner of the township of Perry. The anchorage in the harbor of this village is good. Here is abundance of rock weed for manure. The one hundred acres are capable of being made a garden by cultivation, and of forming a flourishing settlement for ship building, and other mechanic arts.

The Governor of these Indians is an old man of seventy-five years, of good understanding and disposition; can speak a little English, wishes to know more of it; is pious, and well disposed to receive instruction. Catholic Priests have had the care of these Indians. Sock Bosen, a man of about forty years old, is a Deacon in the Catholic communion, speaks pretty good English, writes a decent hand, is able to keep accounts, is intelligent, rigid, swayed by the religion in which he has been educated, but more by interest and ambition. His influence is against schools and improvements, and will be to be conciliated or overcome, before any thing for the good of these Indians can be done. "They are sadly given to intemperance. None of the young speak English, and the aim of the influential men is to prevent their learning it. A school, notwithstanding, is about to be established in the white settlement near the Indian village, and a hope is entertained, that some of the Indian children may be induced to attend it.*

3. Penobscots. For their present number and place of residence, see Table.

In 1811, the number of their families, by enumeration, was fifty-seven; and of souls two hundred and forty-one. Their increase has been ascribed to an obligation imposed by the chiefs, on the young people, to marry early.

*The information in this article, is the substance of a recent letter from Rev. E. Kellogg, to Rev. Dr. Holmes, Secretary of the society for propagating the Gospel among the Indians and others in North America. Mr. K. in the employment of this Society as a missionary, visited these Indians, and gives the above information from personal knowledge.

The three tribes above named live in great harmony and friendship with each other. When either tribe elects, and instals a chief, the chiefs of the other two tribes are always present to assist in the ceremonies.

In religion, these tribes are professedly christians of the Catholic faith; have each a church, with a bell, and Priests to instruct them, steadily or occasionally. The Priests, who minister to the two latter tribes, receive a stated stipend from the treasury of the State. The State has lately engaged to provide and support a farmer among the Penobscots, to instruet them in agriculture. We know not that any of these tribes have ever admitted schools to be established among them.

The Penobscots, in government and internal regulations, are independent. The legislative and executive authorities are vested in the sachems; though the heads of all the families are invited to be present at their public meetings, which are held in their house of worship, and conducted with order and decorum.

The Provincial Congress, at the commencement of the Revolutionary War, forbid that any white person should settle on land, commencing at the head of the tide in Penobscot river, and extending six miles on each side of the river, embracing a tract held in common by the whole tribe, twelve miles wide, by twelve long, intersected in the middle by the river. The tribe has the right to hunt and fish along the banks of the river, to the mouth of Penobscot Bay.

None of these tribes have made other than incipient improvements in any thing which pertains to civilized life. It is not probable, such is the religious influence under which they act, combined with their natural attachment to their native places, and to the sepulchres of their fathers, that a proposal to remove, and join a larger community of Indians, should it be made to them, would be accepted. It is probable they will remove in a sort of half independent, half civilized and evangelized state, gradually diminishing, as other tribes, once their powerful neighbours, have done before them, till there shall be none remaining.

An interesting account of the tribes which formerly inhabited the Territory now constituting the State of Maine, follows, received from the Hon. Wm. D. Williamson, Esq. to whom I am indebted for part of the foregoing information.

"After considerable pains and inquiry, the best information I can obtain as to the Aborigines in this State, (Maine) is concisely

this:

Probable original

numbers about

the year 1616.

1,000.

400.

500.

600.

600.

1,300.
600.

1. The Newichwannucks, on the Piscataqua.
2. The Ossipee tribes, on the river of the same
name, emptying into, and forming, the Saco:
3. The Pigwackets, whose principal town, a
resting place, was the present Fryburgh,
above the Ossipee.

4. The Amariscoggins, at the head of Casco Bay
These Indians, as far east as the Kennebec,
were generally called by the generic name
of "Abenaquies."

5. The Norridgewock tribe, whose ancient town, or head-quarters, was the present town of Norridgewock, thirty miles above Hallowell, on the Kennebec. Of all the tribes above-mentioned, a few only, say twenty souls of the latter, remain.

6. The Pemaquids. This was a powerful tribe,
probably at the head of the Tarrateens, till
the great and mortal sickness among the na-
tives along the whole coast, from the Penob-
scot to Narraganset, A. D. 1617. The seat
of the Pemaquids was at Bristol, in the county
of Lincoln, fifteen miles east of Bath.

7. The Penobscots,
whose situation is de-
8. The Passamaquoddies, scribed in the Table.

5,000.

The probable numbers of natives in the territory, constituting the present state of Maine, two centuries ago, was 5 or 6000 souls. The white population, in 1760, was estimated at 13,000 souls. It probably was not half that number in 1712, at the treaty of Utrecht. The Indians were more than a match for the settlers at

that time, even after the numbers of the natives, during the preceding century, had been greatly reduced."*

In the gradual diminution, and final extinction, of these tribes, who were the terror of the early settlers, we have a melancholy specimen of what has happened in like manner to all the Indian tribes, who once inhabited the territory of New-England, except the few feeble remnants we have enumerated; and of hundreds of other powerful tribes, once spread over the settled parts of our country. And such will be the inevitable destiny of all Indians now mingled among our white population, if a radical change in our treatment of them, be not adopted.

MASSACHUSETTS.

All the Indians remaining in this State, reside on their respective Reservations at Marshpee, Herring Pond, Martha's Vineyard and Troy, in the south east part of the State, from fifty to one hundred miles from Boston. The State, by a Board of Overseers, exercises a guardian care over them, as to their lands, and civil rights and privileges; and the corporation of Harvard College, and "The Society for propagating the gospel among the Indians and others in North America," provide for their religious and moral instruction; each having charity funds in its Treasury, appropriated to the benefit of Indians, the former $12,000, the latter, $9,000. A stated missionary is supported at Marshpee, and another at the Vineyard, who, as they have opportunity, visit the other remnants at Herring Pond, and Troy.

No official census of these Indians has recently been taken. They are estimated in our table, at 750, viz; at Marshpee 320; Herring Pond, 40; Troy, 48; the remainder at Martha's Vineyard.

* Mr. Williamson is preparing a history of this State; and from our knowledge of the means he is employing to collect his materials, we anticipate from his pen, a correct and valuable work.

Their lands are held in common, and are unalienable, but with the consent of their overseers.* Some have gardens, and cultivate their lands to a considerable extent and advantage. The wood on their Reservations, pipe clay found on one of them at Martha's Vineyard, and pasturing the cattle of the white people, are sources of income. Many of the young men are employed in the whale and other fisheries, and shew much skill in their employments; and all have at their command, the means in abundance of living in comfort, and even in affluence, if they had but the knowledge, and the dispositions, to use them. Their infirm and aged poor, are considered as foreigners, and taken care of by the State. The Indians are not taxed; have no voice in elections, none of the rights and privileges peculiar to the citizens of the Commonwealth. In this, their state differs from that of the free negro population, who are taxed, and have the right of voting in elections, which many of them regularly exercise, and are eligible to the highest offices in the government; though other than legal obstacles, have prevented this sable race from receiving any of the civil honors, or offices of the state, or town, in which they reside.

The following are valuable and pertinent communications from missionaries residing among these Indians. In answer to questions forwarded to Rev. Mr. Fish, the worthy and intelligent missionary stationed at Marshpee, he writes me thus under dates of Feb. 1820, and Jan. 1821.

"I will answer your several inquiries as well as I am able.

1. As to the descent of the Indians of these parts, I believe it cannot be traced at this day. They have altogether adopted the habits of civilized life; of course, have forgotten their ancient names, and indeed their language also, with the exception of a very few individuals, who retain a slight knowledge of it, and are able to converse a little.

2. The number of pure blooded Indians is extremely small, say fifty or sixty, and is rapidly decreasing. The mixture of blood

* These overseers are appointed by the government of the State, and their duties are, as guardians of the Indians, to see that they are not mal-treated by the white people, and to advise them in the management of their affairs.