LENNOX ISLAND AND MICMACS 211

passed the seven enclosures to the palace and even managed to get into the princess’ room. The princess screamed and they fled. Great excitement followed. Cannon were even fired. The Indians returned home princessless.

A tradition has come down from Lennox Island regarding the origin of the Malecites. It is probably as true as most Indian legends.

Long years before the French came to the Island garden, the Indians had come together for a big pow-wow at Cascumpeque. As they feasted, two dogs, petted hunting companions, snarled over the same bone. Then, maddened by hunger, they fell into a savage struggle.

In silence the Indians watched. Finally, the owner of the weaker dog struck the other’s animal. Its owner remonstrated and received a blow as well. A struggle ensued. The members of the weaker party fled. They passed Cape Traverse to Canoe Cove, and went by portage and by river, north to St. Peter’s Bay. They passed East Point and landed on Cape Breton. So sore was their defeat, and so deep rooted their fear, that they changed their speech and taught children to dread Micmacs and to answer a stranger: “I do not understand.” Because the language of the tribe seemed to be a confusion of the Micmac tongue, the great VVabonaki race of Indians, coming later from the west, gave to the strange band the name of “Malecites,” which, in their language, signifies “a broken or corrupted speech.”

Lennox Island!

From the wharf we saw distinctly the principal part of the settlement. It consisted of the church, the hall,

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