The Maine Woods

WHICH I SAW IN MAINE BETWEEN JULY 24 AND AUGUST 3, 1857

A very small hawk at Great Falls, on Webster Stream.

Haliæetus leucocephalus (white-headed or bald eagle), at Ragmuff, and above and below Hunt’s, and on pond below Mattawamkeag.

Pandion haliaëtus (fish hawk or osprey), heard, also seen on East Branch.

Bubo Virginianus (cat owl), near Camp Island, also above mouth of Schoonis, from a stump back and forth, also near Hunt’s on a tree.

Icterus phœniceus (red-winged blackbird), Umbazookskus River.

Corvus Americanus (American crow), a few, as at outlet of Grand Lake; a peculiar cawing.

Fringilla Canadensis (tree sparrow), think I saw one on Mount Kineo, July 24, which behaved as if it had a nest there.

Garrulus cristatus (blue jay).

Parus atricapillus (chickadee), a few.

Muscicapa tyrannus (kingbird).

Muscicapa Cooperii (olive-sided flycatcher), everywhere a prevailing bird.

Muscicapa virens (wood pewee), Moosehead, and I think beyond.

Muscicapa acadica (small pewee), common.

Muscicapa ruticilla (American redstart), Moosehead.

Vireo olivaceus (red-eyed vireo), everywhere common.

Turdus migratorius (red-breasted robin), some everywhere.

Turdus melodus (wood thrush), common in all the woods.

Turdus Wilsonii (Wilson’s thrush), Moosehead and beyond.

Turdus aurocapillus (golden-crowned thrush or oven-bird), Moosehead.

Fringilla albicollis (white-throated sparrow), Kineo and after, apparently nesting; the prevailing bird early and late.

Fringilla melodia (song sparrow), at Moosehead or beyond.

Sylvia pinus (pine warbler), one part of voyage.

Trichas Marylandica (Maryland yellow-throat), everywhere.

Coccyzus Americanus (?) (yellow-billed cuckoo), common.

Picus erythrocephalus (red-headed woodpecker), heard and saw, and good to eat.

Sitta Carolinensis (?) (white-breasted American nuthatch), heard.

Alcedo alcyon (belted kingfisher), very common.

Caprimulgus Americanus (nighthawk).

Tetrao umbellus (partridge), Moosehead Carry, etc.

Tetrao cupido (?) (pinnated grouse), Webster Stream.

Ardea cærulea (blue heron), lower part of Penobscot.

Totanus macularius (spotted sandpiper or peetweet), everywhere.

Larus argentatus (?) (herring gull), Heron Lake on rocks, and Chamberlain. Smaller gull on Second Lake.

Anas obscura (dusky or black duck), once in East Branch.

Anas sponsa (summer or wood duck), everywhere.

Fuligula albeola (spirit duck or dipper), common.

Colymbus glacialis (great northern diver or loon), in all the lakes.

Mergus Merganser (buff-breasted merganser or sheldrake), common on lakes and rivers.

A swallow; the night-warbler (?) once or twice.

V. QUADRUPEDS

A bat on West Branch; beaver skull at Grand Lake; Mr. Thatcher ate beaver with moose on the Caucomgomoc. A muskrat on the last stream; the red squirrel is common in the depths of the woods; a dead porcupine on Chamberlain road; a cow moose and tracks of calf; skin of a bear, just killed.

VI. OUTFIT FOR AN EXCURSION

The following will be a good outfit for one who wishes to make an excursion of twelve days into the Maine woods in July, with a companion and one Indian, for the same purposes that I did.

Wear,--a check shirt, stout old shoes, thick socks, a neck-ribbon, thick waistcoat, thick pants, old Kossuth hat, a linen sack.

Carry,--in an india-rubber knapsack, with a large flap, two shirts (check), one pair thick socks, one pair drawers, one flannel shirt, two pocket-handkerchiefs, a light india-rubber coat or a thick woolen one, two bosoms and collars to go and come with, one napkin, pins, needles, thread, one blanket, best gray, seven feet long.

Tent,--six by seven feet, and four feet high in middle, will do; veil and gloves and insect-wash, or, better, mosquito-bars to cover all at night; best pocket map, and perhaps description of the route; compass; plant-book and red blotting-paper; paper and stamps, botany, small pocket spy-glass for birds, pocket microscope, tape-measure, insect-boxes.

Axe, full size if possible, jackknife, fish-lines, two only apiece, with a few hooks and corks ready, and with pork for bait in a packet, rigged; matches (some also in a small vial in the waistcoat pocket); soap, two pieces; large knife and iron spoon (for all); three or four old newspapers, much twine, and several rags for dish-cloths; twenty feet of strong cord, four-quart tin pail for kettle, two tin dippers, three tin plates, a fry-pan.

Provisions.--Soft hard-bread, twenty-eight pounds; pork, sixteen pounds; sugar, twelve pounds; one pound black tea or three pounds coffee; one box or a pint of salt; one quart Indian meal, to fry fish in; six lemons, good to correct the pork and warm water; perhaps two or three pounds of rice, for variety. You will probably get some berries, fish, etc., beside.

A gun is not worth the carriage, unless you go as hunters. The pork should be in an open keg, sawed to fit; the sugar, tea or coffee, meal, salt, etc., should be put in separate water-tight india-rubber bags, tied with a leather string; and all the provisions, and part of the rest of the baggage, put into two large india-rubber bags, which have been proved to be water-tight and durable.

Expense of preceding outfit is twenty-four dollars.

An Indian may be hired for about one dollar and fifty cents per day, and perhaps fifty cents a week for his canoe (this depends on the demand). The canoe should be a strong and tight one. This expense will be nineteen dollars.

Such an excursion need not cost more than twenty-five dollars apiece, starting at the foot of Moosehead, if you already possess or can borrow a reasonable part of the outfit. If you take an Indian and canoe at Oldtown, it will cost seven or eight dollars more to transport them to the lake.

VII. A LIST OF INDIAN WORDS

1. Ktaadn, said to mean Highest Land, Rasles puts for Mt. Pemadene; for Grai, pierre à aiguiser, Kitadaügan. (Vide Potter.)

Mattawamkeag, place where two rivers meet. (Indian of carry.) (Vide Williamson’s History of Maine, and Willis.)

Molunkus.

Ebeeme, rock.

Noliseemack; other name, Shad Pond.

Kecunnilessu, chickadee. }
}
Nipsquecohossus, woodcock. }
}
Skuscumonsuk, kingfisher. Has it not the pl. termination }
uk here, or suk? } Joe.
}
Wassus, bear, aouessous (Rasles). }
}
Lunxus, Indian-devil. }
}
Upahsis, mountain-ash. }

Moose (is it called, or does it mean, wood-eater?), mous (Rasles).

Katahdinauguoh, said to mean mountains about Ktaadn.

Ebemena, tree-cranberry. Ibibimin, nar, red, bad }Joe
fruit. (Rasles.) }

Wighiggin, a bill or writing, aouixigan, } Ind’n of
“livre, lettre, peinture, ceinture” (Rasles). } carry.

Sebamook, Large-bay Lake, Peqouasebem; add ar }
for plural, lac or étang, (Rasles). Ouaürinaügamek, } Nicholai.
anse dans un lac, (Rasles). Mspame, large water. }
Polis. }

Sebago and Sebec, large open water.

Chesuncook, place where many streams empty in. }
(Vide Willis and Potter.) }
} Tahmunt,
Caucomgomoc, Gull Lake. (Caucomgomoc, the lake; } etc.
Caucomgomoc-took, the river, Polis.) }

Pammadumcook.

Kenduskieg, Little Eel River. (Vide Willis.) Nicholai.

Penobscot, Rocky River. Puapeskou, stone. (Rasles } Ind’n of
v. Springer.) } carry.

Umbazookskus, meadow stream. (Much-meadow }
river, Polis.) }
}
Millinocket, place of islands. } Nicholai.
}
Souneunk, that runs between mountains. }
}
Aboljacarmegus, Smooth-ledge Falls and Deadwater. }

Aboljacarmeguscook, the river there.

Muskiticook, dead stream. (Indian of carry.) Meskikou, or Meskikouikou, a place where there is grass, (Rasles). Muskéeticook, deadwater, (Polis).

Mattahumkeag, Sand-creek Pond. }
} Nicholai.
Piscataquis, branch of river. }

Shecorways, sheldrakes. }
}
Naramekechus, peetweet. } Polis.
}
Medawisla, loon. }

Orignal, Moosehead Lake. (Montresor.)

Chor-chor-que, usnea. }
}
Adelungquamooktum, wood thrush. }
}
Bematruichtik, high land generally. } Polis.
(Mt. Pemadené. Rasles). }
}
Maquoxigil, bark of red osier, Indian tobacco. }

Kineo, flint (Williamson; old Indian hunter). (Hodge.)

Artoosoqu’, phosphorescence. }
}
Subekoondark, white spruce. }
}
Skusk, black spruce. }
}
Beskabekuk, the “Lobster Lake” of maps. } Polis.
}
Beskabekukskishtuk, the deadwater below the island. }
}
Paytaytequick, Burnt-Ground Stream, what Joe }
called Ragmuff. }
}
Nonlangyis, the name of a deadwater between the }
last and Pine Stream. }

Karsaootuk, Black River (or Pine Stream). Mkazéouighen, }
black, (Rasles). }
}
Michigan, fimus. Polis applied it to a sucker, or }
a poor, good-for-nothing fish. Fiante (?) mitsegan }
(Rasles). (Pickering puts the ? after the first word.) }
}
Cowosnebagosar, Chiogenes hispidula, means, grows }
where trees have rotted. }
} Polis.
Pockadunkquaywayle, echo. Pagadaükoueouérré }
(Rasles). }
}
Bororquasis, moose-fly. }
}
Nerlumskeechtcook (or quoik?), (or skeetcook), }
Deadwater, and applied to the mountains near. }
}
Apmoojenegamook, lake that is crossed. }
}
Allegash, hemlock bark. (Vide Willis.) }

Paytaywecongomec, Burnt-Ground Lake, Telos.

Madunkehunk, Height-of-Land Stream (Webster }
Stream). }
}
Madunkehunk-gamooc, Height-of-Land Lake. }
}
Matungamooc, Grand Lake. }
}
Uncardnerheese, Trout Stream. }
}
Wassataquoik (or -cook), Salmon River, East Branch. }
(Vide Willis.) }
} Polis.
Pemoymenuk, amelanchier berries, “_Pemouaimin, }
nak_, a black fruit. Rasles.” Has it not here the plural }
ending? }
}
Sheepnoc, Lilium Canadense bulbs. “Sipen, nak, }
white, larger than penak” (Rasles). }
}
Paytgumkiss, Petticoat (where a small river comes }
into the Penobscot below Nicketow). }
}
Burntibus, a lake-like reach in the Penobscot. }

Passadumkeag, “where the water falls into the Penobscot above the falls” (Williamson). Paüsidaükioui is, au dessus de la montagne (Rasles).

Olarmon, or larmon (Polis), red paint. “Vermilion, paint, Ouramaü” (Rasles).

Sunkhaze, “See canoe come out; no see ’em stream” (Polis). The mouth of a river, according to Rasles, is Saüghedétegoue. The place where one stream empties into another, thus [Symbol] is saüktaüoui. (Vide Willis.)

Tomhegan Br. (at Moosehead). “Hatchet, temahigan” (Rasles).

Nicketow, “Nicketaoutegué, or Niketoutegoue, rivière qui fourche” (Rasles).

2. From WILLIAM WILLIS, on the Language of the Abnaquies, Maine Hist. Coll., Vol. IV.

Abalajako-megus (river near Ktaadn).

Aitteon (name of a pond and sachem).

Apmogenegamook (name of a lake).

Allagash (a bark camp). Sockbasin, a Penobscot, told him, “The Indians gave this name to the lake from the fact of their keeping a hunting-camp there.”

Bamonewengamock, head of Allegash, Cross Lake. (Sockbasin.)

Chesuncook, Big Lake. (Sockbasin.)

Caucongamock (a lake).

Ebeeme, mountains that have plums on them. (Sockbasin).

Ktaadn. Sockbasin pronounces this Ka-tah-din, and said it meant “large mountain or large thing.”

Kenduskeag (the place of eels).

Kineo (flint), mountain on the border, etc.

Metawamkeag, a river with a smooth, gravelly bottom. (Sockbasin.)

Metanawcook.

Millinoket, a lake with many islands in it. (Sockbasin.)

Matakeunk (river).

Molunkus (river).

Nicketow, Neccotoh, where two streams meet (“Forks of the Penobscot”).

Negas (Indian village on the Kenduskeag).

Orignal (Montresor’s name for Moosehead Lake).

Ponguongamook, Allagash, name of a Mohawk Indian killed there. (Sockbasin.)

Penobscot, Penobskeag, French Pentagoet, etc.

Pougohwaken (Heron Lake).

Pemadumcook (lake).

Passadumkeag, where water goes into the river above falls. (Williamson.)

Ripogenus (river).

Sunkhaze (river), deadwater.

Souneunk.

Seboomook. Sockbasin says this word means “the shape of a Moose’s head, and was given to the lake,” etc. Howard says differently.

Seboois, a brook, a small river. (Sockbasin.)

Sebec (river).

Sebago (great water).

Telos (lake).

Telasius (lake).

Umbagog (lake), doubled up; so called from its form. (Sockbasin.)

Umbazookskus (lake).

Wassatiquoik, a mountain river. (Sockbasin.)

Judge C. E. Potter of Manchester, New Hampshire, adds in November, 1855:--

“Chesuncook. This is formed from Chesunk, or Schunk (a goose), and Auke (a place), and means ‘The Goose Place.’ Chesunk, or Schunk, is the sound made by the wild geese when flying.”

Ktaadn. This is doubtless a corruption of kees (high), and auke (a place).

Penobscot, penapse (stone, rock place), and auke (place).

Suncook, goose place, Schunk-auke.

The Judge says that schoot means to rush, and hence schoodic from this and auke (a place where water rushes), and that schoon means the same; and that the Marblehead people and others have derived the words “scoon” and “scoot” from the Indians, and hence “schooner”; refers to a Mr. Chute.