206 OVER ON THE ISLAND

smoke into his nostrils. This agreeable declaration would sometimes cause the person who made his addresses, to fall quite sick upon the ground; still it was a declaration of affection; and in what manner soever the lover is informed of a return of his passion, it must be attended with pleasure. Neither would the future bride stop there, but she would tie up the hair of her paramour, and dye his face with colours most pleasing to her fancy. On this occasion she would display that skill, in which all the savage women excel, of pricking such marks in the skin of her lover, as are relative to their amours

Rand declared that he had never heard an Indian swear in Micmac. “The Indian introduces the venom into his speech by inserting an extra syllable; thus: ‘nabol’——I kill you; ‘nabujok’—I take your cursed life, or some such spiteful epithet. ”

The Indians were strong for nicknames. Many, in fact, did not even know their real names. They were also very careful about their songs. Very few people have ever heard their songs sung and explained.

The Indians accounted for everything they could— even the origin of flies. The opening scene of this particular legend is a Wigwam which is occupied by two brothers and their father. The old father is nodding sleepily. On seeing this the two brothers quietly set fire to some birch bark and go outside. There they fasten and brace the door. The fire leaps higher and higher and the old Indian awakens. In vain he cries for help but the brothers pay no attention to him. At last his cries cease and the brothers depart. They return later to the Wigwam, gather up the old man’s bones, which are by this time burned to chalk, and pound them to powder. Holding them up, one brother blows them to the wind and instructs