Reference: Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society. 2nd Series, Vol. 3 (1886), pp 90-91.
In 1798, James Boyd made a deposition to the Boundary Commission that had been appointed to determine which river of the Passamaquoddy region was the true St. Croix River. His deposition included an extract from his journal of 1763, a written statement, and the answers to several questions put to him by the commissioners. The deposition was printed in the Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, from which the text below is taken. Italics were in the original transcription. There are some minor differences, mainly in punctuation and spelling, from the International Adjudications version.
Deposition of James Boyd.I, James Boyd, testify that in May, 1763, I went to Passamaquody-
bay to settle, and there made from time to time a Journal, which I have
now by me, and which is as follows:-
Passamaquada, May, 1763.- Arrived on an Island, called by the
natives Jeganagoose, or Indian Island. After I built a Store I set out
with a whale boat, & explored every Island in the bay ; & when I met
with any of the Natives, I got from them what name they were called
by the Natives. Went up a river, after entering the grand bay by the
harbour Le Tete, which the natives named Magegadewee. Stopped at
the carrying place. Returned to the bay, & viewed Dictequash river,
then Boquabeck & Chamcook; in my way, Connasquamkook, now Saint
Andrews. Left the last point, went up the bay, and found Wachweig.
Crossed, & went up Schooduck on my return. Stop’t at Conasquam-
kook, and there took on board of my whale boat a small piece of Ord-
nance, and arrived at Jeganagoose, &c., &c.
Went to an Island on the North East Side of the Bay, which Island
had been settled a considerable time before by the subjects of France;
a good point of the Island and the marks of a breastwork or entrench-
ment in the harbour at high water. This Island appears surrounded
by Islands; at low water you can go from some of them to others.
Went up to Cobskook; there found a small river. At my return the
most of the natives had arrived at Jeganagoose. After conversing with
them, & got the names of all the Islands & rivers in Passamaquada,
the harbour Le Tang and harbour Le Tete, and found whenever the
natives had buried they erected a cross, either on Islands or on the
main land.
In 1764 John Mitchel, Esq., arrived in this place to survey Pas-
samaquada. Mr Jones asked my leave to store his provisions, and that
I would call the Indians together; that he had Governor Bernard's
orders to assemble all of them. I did as he asked me. They met by
my Store. I was present, and heard Jones' Commission read. The
Interpreter spoke to the Indians, & interpreted the whole. Captain
Jones desired the Interpreter to ask the Indians if they knew of a river
by the name of Saint Croix. They answered, Yes. Would they shew
it to the Surveyors? Yes. Where do you say it is? They answered,
near by harbour Le Tete. They appointed a day, and I was appointed
Interpreter. The day appointed came. Capt. Jones hired a whale-
boat of me. We left Jeganagoose, and arrived at Harbour Le-Tete.
Found Bungawarrawit (the Governor) ready, with the other Indians.
We left this, and arrived at the river; and after the Interpreter asked
the Indians if this was the river known to them by the name of Saint
Croix, they said, Yes. He asked them if they knew the nature of an
Oath. They answered Yes ; that they had sworn to serve the King of
France, and should declare the Truth ; as they did and the Interpreter
took their Oath’s. It was reported there that at the time Colonel
Church took the French which were settled in Passamaquady, he threw
up two Breast-works,-one on Pleasant point, the other on Cona-
squamkook, - & then went & reduced Annapolis, on the North East
side of the Bay of Fundy. Some time before Quebeck was taken
from the French, Capt. Hector McNeal was taken prisoner in the har-
bour Le Tang. It was Indians which took him. One Frenchman,
who married an Indian, was with the Indians. They gave Capt
McNeil the names of sundry places. The Indians carried McNeal’s
vessell to Conasquamkook, and there unloaded a good deal of the
Cargo. McNeal had some small guns & swivels. The Indians kept
one gun to give alarm when needed. The Indians then carried the
Vessell to Saint Johns River, & carried their Captives up this river to
Quebeck.
All the facts above related I declare to be true.Questions put to James Boyd, Esq., by the Agent for the United States.
1. Were there any white Inhabitants on the Shores or Islands of
Passamaquada-bay when you went there in 1763?
Answer. None; only the Natives. The nearest white Inhabitants
were at Saint Johns or Machias.
2. Were there any appearances of former habitations on the shores
and Islands of said bay? What were the appearances, and where were
they said to be made?
Answer. There were Indian bark huts, but no framed-house, or
marks of any French or English house.
3. What people were then reported by the Indians and others to
have lived there? How long had they been removed, and was it
reported who had removed them?
Answer. There have been no inhabitants on these Shores or Islands
since the descent of Colonel Church, as I have always been told by the
Indians.
4. Did John Currie go there with you, or when did he arrive there?
Answer. He did not go with me, but he came there in the year
1770.
5. Was there a civil jurisdiction exercised by the Government of
Nova Scotia over the People there? When did it begin, and how far
west did it extend?
Answer. The Jurisdiction began at Saint Johns River; but how far
West it extended I am unable to say, further than will appear from
a Commission which I received as a Justice of the Peace for the County
of Sunbury & District adjoining westward, & which, I believe, was the
first civil Commission issued for that quarter of the Country, a Copy
of which Commission is annexed.
6. What was the name of what is now called Saint Andrews point
when you went there?
Answer. Conasquamkook.
7. Did you ever know Alexander Hodges, who he is; and when did
he come to Passamaquady?
Answer. I knew him. He first came to Passamaquady as a servant
to a certain mr John Frost, of Machias, an Indian trader. He was
very illiterate.
8. Did you know an Indian by the name of Lewis Neptune;
and did you ever hear him swear or say which was the river Saint
Croix?
Answer. I did. But to give a more full answer to this question it is
necessary to state that I knew several Indians of the name of Lewis
Neptune. This is a name which was very common among the Indians
at Penobscot, Passamaquody, & Saint Johns; but the Lewis Neptune
which I refer to was of the Passamaquody Tribe, and who was one of
the persons appointed by his Father Bungawarrawit, or John Neptune
(then Governor of that tribe), to go with Jones & Mitchel, and point
out to them which he tho’t the river called Saint Croix; and which
the said Lewis Neptune did then and there, standing on a point of land
of the North side of the Magaquadavie, in concurrence with two other
Indians, declare the Magaquadavie to be the same River known among
the Indians by the name of St Croix. And further to distinguish and
identify the said Lewis Neptune, he was called by the Indians Rack-
sucees, which means A Man of great strength, or having the strength of a
Bear.JAMES BOYD, J. P.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS,
SUFFOLK SS, August 10, 1798.James Boyd, Esquire, personally appeared, and being duly cautioned
& carefully examined, subscribed and made oath to the truth of the
foregoing Deposition ; the same being taken at the request of James
Sullivan, Equire, Agent for the United States, to be used before the
Commissioners appointed to settle the Saint Croix boundary. Taken
& sworn to before me,
GEORGE RICHARDS MINOT,
Justice of the Peace & Quorum.
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