[Footnote 30:  Quoted from Leland’s Algonquin Legends.]

In their stories the Passamaquoddies tell the old stories as true; but they speak of other stories as what they hear.  The part of the above account, of the return of Glooscap and the destruction of the world, they say is true.  The last portion shows its modern origin in the statement that they hear that it is so.

The stories of the birth of Glooscap,[31] his power to work miracles, and his ultimate return to earth, are very suggestive.

[Footnote 31:  According to Leland’s story.]

The belief of the Indians in a Great Spirit is a figment of the imagination on the part of the whites.  It is now extremely difficult to discover what the original belief of the Passamaquoddies was, as they are now Christianized and have been for many years.

From a scientific standpoint much has been lost by this change.  There are several customs which are undoubtedly modifications of older observances which they probably replace.  That these customs are secondary modifications, their general character seems to demonstrate.  Still they have certain Indian features, and as such merit record.  There are doubtless certain religious observances which have been changed by the influence of the whites.  If these were rightly interpreted they might tell some very interesting story of the ancient beliefs of this people, but many of these observances have been so modified that their meaning, if they have any, is wholly obliterated.

Among these might be mentioned a common burial custom, an account of which has never been recorded.  I am informed by Mrs. Brown that when an Indian dies a gun is fired.  The coffin is enveloped with fine white sheeting, and cords are tied around the sheeting to keep the cotton in place.  When the coffin is lowered into the grave the cords are removed, and the cotton is given to the grave-digger.  Possibly this custom may have been derived from some older one, or may have originated from contact with the whites.  The mode of burial in coffins and the use of cotton sheeting are certainly modern customs, but may be modifications of some older ceremonial when other material was used.

The counting-out rhyme which is given on the cylinder is as follows:—­

    Hony, kee bee, l[=a] [=a]-weis, ag-les, huntip.

The inflection on the last word is always a rising one.  This is especially true on the last syllable of the last word, “tip.”  The counting out is not very different from that of white children.  They all place two fingers of each hand in a circle; the one who repeats the doggerel, having one hand free, touches each finger in the circle saying, Hony, kee bee, l[=a] [=a]-weis, ag-les, huntip.  Each finger that the huntip falls on is doubled under, and this is repeated again and again until there are but three fingers left.  The persons corresponding to these start to run, and the one caught has to play as Squaw-oc-t’moos.[32] To the Indian mind “counting out” has a significance, and even the simple huntip is a magic word, bringing good luck, as it lessens the chance of being “squaw-oc-t’moos.” ["Journal of American Folk-Lore,” vol. iii.  No. 8, pp. 71, 72.]