By some means a belief obtained, that at a place called Devil’s Hill, at the Indian Woods, was concealed in the earth, a quantity of money, and parties used to actually go and dig for it. There was a huge rock here which was supposed to cover the precious metal, and a “bee” was formed, on one occasion to overturn it, but they found nothing to reward them for their pains.
DIVISION VII.
THE TERRITORY OF UPPER CANADA—THE BAY QUINTÉ.
CHAPTER XLII.
Contents—The Indians—Their origin—Pre-historic Canada—Indian relics—Original inhabitants—Les Iroquois du nord—Original names—Peninsula of Upper Canada—Champlain exploring—Ascends the Ottawa—His route to Lake Nippissing—To Lake Huron—French River—The country—Georgian Bay—Lake Simcoe—Down the Trent—A grand trip—Bay Quinté, and Lake Ontario discovered—War demonstration—Wintering at the Bay—A contrast—Roundabout way—Erroneous impressions.
CHAMPLAIN’S DISCOVERY OF THE BAY QUINTÉ, AND LAKE ONTARIO.
In this work but brief reference can be made to the general history of the Indians. Perhaps it is hardly necessary to explain that the term Indian, applied to the aborigines of America, took its origin from the fact, that when the New World was discovered it was supposed to be a part of the Indias (East Indias), the riches of which had led the intrepid navigator to seek a more direct route thereto. And consequently the natives were called Indians.
It does not lie within the scope of this work to speak of the several theories which have been given with respect to the origin of the natives, nor to advance any particular view. It is sufficient to remark that the character of the various tribes, their features, their traditions, and customs, all indicate most unmistakably that Asia was the original birthplace of the aborigines of America. Of course, reference is made only to those Indians whose representatives occupied the continent when discovered by Columbus, and not to those who had in some long past day held possession, who have left here and there indications of their rude character, and primitive mode of life, and who were swept away by the more powerful and warlike invaders—the predecessors of the aborigines of whom we now write.
In our researches we have collected a good many Indian relics, of the origin of which we have no record, and can only guess, while science strives to explain. We offer no views of our own, but give the following upon
PRE-HISTORIC CANADA.
From the Manchester Guardian. “At a meeting of the Manchester Anthropological society, on Monday, Mr. Plant made a communication upon some curious relics which he exhibited, of a race of pre-historic men, for which he was indebted to Mr. J. S. Wilson, of Perrytown, Canada West. These objects were obtained from the soil of the lands which have been cleared of the forests and brought into cultivation. It is only in the spring, when the snow has disappeared, that these objects are found, the winter snow acting like a riddle to the soil, and bringing to the surface the pebbles and broken pieces of pottery, flint, weapons, &c. The most interesting features connected with these relics is, that the localities where they are so frequently found are situated on the high level ground of ancient terraces, or beach lines, which may be traced at about 600 ft. above the sea level, all around the great Canadian lakes, or, in fact, all around the high lands of the River St. Lawrence basin. There are three terraces at descending levels to the present shores of the great lakes. The highest terrace is the most ancient, and the evidences connected with this terrace all seem to point to the conclusion that it belongs to an age very remote, when the area now occupied by the great fresh-water lakes was filled by an inland bay, connected by a wide strait with the Atlantic, and was subject to the action of glacier ice from the land, as well as flows of icebergs from the current flowing from the north-east. The high terraces are, therefore, of marine origin, and the pre-historic objects found in them are indicative of a race of men whose habits were consistent with the physical features of the land and sea; a race of hardy fishers, living upon the whale, the walrus, the shark, and marine sources of food, together with the reindeer and Arctic animals. Since this remote time, the whole of the land about the lakes has risen from 600 to 1,000 feet above the sea, slowly and evenly through a great length of time, pausing twice sufficiently long to form two lower terraces; and at present is forming a fourth on the shore lines of the lakes. The pre-historic objects consist of great quantities of earthenware of rude make, quartz arrow heads, black stone adzes and hatchets, sharp splinters of bone worked to a point, teeth drilled and bone needles, and bowls and stems of smoking pipes about six inches long. These last are singular and most interesting objects, and are solely confined to the North American continent, proving that the habit of smoking some narcotic plant has been indulged in by mankind from the most remote ages to which the geologist assigns the relics of pre-historic man, the age which immediately succeeded the glacial period.”