Ceremonies whenever a Chief dies.--Whenever a chief dies his flag-pole
must be cut down and burned; everything which he had; his implements,
his bows, his ax and his flag. The Indians mourn for him during one
year. When it is time, the Indians summon their councillors; they plan
to choose a new chief. One tribe (alone) may not decide on the (new)
chief. Then when they all debated together they send messengers: four or
six canoes proceed to the Micmac, Kennebec, Penobscot, Maliseet,
provided (for example) that a chief had died among the Passamaquoddy.
When they arrived; viz., the messengers who had gone to the Micmac,
(their) canoe is seen coming; a little flag they put upon it; what does
this mean? His warriors are mourning a chief. One says: "There comes
something; these (people) have come with a message." Then everyone,
children and women, men, warriors, go out to meet them; then they land.
Then one of their leaders sings the welcome songs. Then they are
welcomed in return by the one who is on land. Then he continues to sing;
then to these new comers they send someone to fetch them in to shore in
a canoe; then this one (he) shakes them by the hand as his brothers; so
he welcomes them.
After that the welcome is continued and so they start to the
prayerhouse, so that they may pray together. So they assemble and then
they went to where there was a wigwam. Now everyone comes, women, (and)
children; all go to greet them, to salute them and then they put a flag
over the wigwam whither they go. This is the way they practised the
Indian customs.
For some time they had to do thus before they lay down (to sleep). Then
the first evening the new comers are entertained. So again in the
morning, these guests send one of their men to the chief's house; they
say to the chief that they all desire that they should see the men in
the hall and again he announces it to these new comers. Now when they
had gone there, they take out the wampum strings and it is read at once
as to what they had decided; namely, that from the Passamaquoddy, who
were there represented, had disappeared their oldest boy; then, "We
desire that you who are here shall help us to make an oldest boy." So
when these new comers had spoken, then the chief stands up; he says to
his people that he is glad to cooperate in helping his brothers
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