Campobello in
1817
The
Indian encampment at Campobello, used to afford novel and interesting
amusement for the boys during the summer evenings in those days when the
Passamaquoddy Tribe of Indians was much larger that it is now, and used to
come down from Pleasant Point and tent out on that part of the island just
opposite “Gun Rock” or half a mile south of Friar’s Head, the location
there being partially sheltered by scrub hemlock. Their tents were then
the genuine “wigwams” of birch bark and fur and skins, and generally cone
shaped, and were lighted in the evenings by a primitive lamp, being sort
of a tin teapot filled with porpoise oil and conveyed to the flame through
the nose by a cotton rag. The Indians, especially the native women,
occupied their evenings drying out porpoise oil from the fish shot by the
men during the day or early mornings in the bay opposite Lubec.
For
this purpose, large fires were aglow throughout the encampment, presenting
a weird appearance with the numerous families of the native women, dancing
and amusing themselves about the fires, while here and there the boys
would stroll about and trade tobacco trinkets, etc., for spruce gum,
baskets, etc. The boys always made themselves agreeable and welcome to
the Indians, and in turn were always kindly entertained throughout the
encampment of the “Quoddies.”
