Dartmouth Patriot, 17 August 1901 Edition

No. 16
 
 

I have come to the last of my subjects and before going on I will make an explanation which perhaps is not necessary. In my articles I have had, and will have occasion several times to speak of persons as "old Horns, old Henneberry's," etc. I have to do this to distinguish the older generation from the present generation, just as I would speak of my ancestors as the old Hewitts. My readers will understand that no disrespect is intended when writing thus.

Eastern Passage the subject of my sketch, is situated on the eastern side of Halifax Harbour. It stretches along the shore from Woodside down to the mouth of the harbour. It was named of course from the Eastern Passage, which comprises the waters on the eastern sides of McNab's and Lawlor's Island. It received its name at an early period of the country's history. The first inhabitants of Eastern Passage were Indians. Frenchmen were also settled along its shores prior to its occupation by the English. The Indians as I have already mentioned were the first settlers if we may call them so. The Surveyor General of Nova Scotia, in his report to the Governor in 1752 mentioned a small point of land opposite Cornwallis, (now McNab's Island) as the only spot that had been cleared by the French of Indians down the harbour. This point was the point later known as Bulkeley's, Cogel's, Hare's and Anderson's Point. It has had several other names, but my readers will recognize the place from one of the names given. From the report of Mr. Morris, the Surveyor General, we may safely conclude that Eastern Passage was one of the first settlements in Halifax County. The French lived at Eastern Passage but it was the Indians who had cleared the point mentioned. This was and has been up to recent times their favourite camping ground. At one time hundreds of Indians lived along the shore of the Eastern Passage, their chief abode being in the vicinity of the point aforesaid. In later times they occupied the field in which the Wellington school house is built, the shore below the Hines' properties and the land back of the residences of John and Benjamin Hines.

At the settlement of Halifax in 1749 the Indians were located on this point, but they did not live on friendly terms with the English. They used to make raids on Dartmouth starting from this place. It is very probable that the Indians who in 1751 made an attack on Dartmouth and scalped a number of that town's inhabitants were aided by the Eastern Passage Indians. At any rate they became very defiant and the government was compelled to expel them from Cogel's Point. The Indians were deported to McNab's Island where it was thought they would be so isolated that their raids would cease. The northeastern point of the island where they lived is still called from them Indian Point. But the Indians, ever revengeful were bound to have revenge. They constructed a great number of birch bark canoes and made ready to attack the settlers on the mainland. The Government foresaw the danger and an earthwork was constructed on Cogel's Point facing a cove at its base. One or two guns were mounted. Tradition says the Indians painted themselves and set out in their canoes to land at the cove mentioned. They sounded their war cries and paddled with all their might. To their surprise they were treated to a dose of grape shot which riddled their canoe. They had at length to abandon the attempt.

But the Indian of those days was not want to give up his revengeful plans so easily as he does now. Not long after, another attack was made on the persons at that place. In July 1759 according to Murdock, 5 persons were murdered at Eastern Passage by the Indians. No details are given, but something is known of the massacre. Almost the only Englishmen at Eastern Passage in those days were those who defend[ed] the fort on Cogel's Point. It is known that the massacre occurred there. The cove which lies at the base of the point for a long time bore the name which perpetuated the memory of the massacre. The name was Scalping Cove. It now bears the name Hine's Cove, but some of the elder people still call it Scalping Cove. This much is known for a certainty. It is probable that the Indians landed nor far from the Point and came upon the garrison of the fort from the rear. The guns pointed seaward and consequently were useless in an attack from behind.

Still another favourite landing place of the Indians was the Cove now known as McNab's Cove, about three quarters of a mile from Scalping Cove. This inlet is almost opposite Indian Point. The Indians were landed at the Cove and the canoes went back to the Island. The emnity shown toward the English only a few years before was fast disappearing, and the Indians took their baskets and other manufactures to Halifax for sale. On the return of the Indians from Halifax a conck shell with the end sawn off was used to summon the canoes. One of the oldest squaws who frequently came over, told a lady that she had seen enough blood to float a canoe. This remark though exaggerated, shows how bloody must have been the times. As stated above, the emnity between the English and Indians became less, so that in time, the Indians were allowed to reoccupy their old camping grounds at Cogel's Point. The English element became stronger and stronger, so that as time wore on, the settlers were able to look down on their once formidable antagonists. I may as well give in this paper the remainder of the history of the Indians. About 60 years ago "there were on the shores of Eastern Passage in the vicinity of Cogel's Point one hundred or more camps. They were of birch bark. The bark could not be obtained at Eastern Passage so it was brought from Bedford and such places. The Indians, then, as latter on, did not remain at Eastern Passage during the winter. In the summer they made their living by making baskets, and such things for sale. They had their bark canoes which were supplemented later on by a whaler. In these they carried their goods to market. Indian knives and tomahawks have been dug up in the vicinity of their camping grounds. The Indians did not bury their dead at Eastern Passage, but took them to Dartmouth. They probably interred their dead at the old burial grounds at Fort Clarence in early times. I have heard it stated that the present Roman Catholic cemetery at Eastern Passage is on the site of an old Indian graveyard. I have received no strong proofs of the statement however, and cannot state it as a fact. The Indians had many curious habits of course, but of these I may not speak just now. One example will suffice. After the Indians had come in contact with the Christian religion, their faith became a mixture of their old forms and the new. When a man died, for instance, an Indian went outside the camp and pointing a gun directly upwards, discharged it. This was to warn the Lord that a new arrival might be expected.

The original Indians had died off and their descendents had separated so that the camping grounds at Eastern Passage were becoming destroyed. About 24 years ago, however, a vessel came from Cape Breton with a load of Indians. They landed at Hine's wharf and occupied a portion of the land formerly dwelt upon by the older Indians. About 5 families landed. Each family had a great many dogs, so that the dogs probably equalled in number the persons in the expedition. They brought also with them bark for their camps, a flat and a canoe. They came back each summer, but about 8 years ago the last camp was taken down and the Indian's old home knew him no more.

I have said so much about the Indians that perhaps it is just as well that I know but little of the French, their contempories. At any rate I will conclude this article and take up in my next articles the history of Eastern Passage since its transfer to English hands.

(to be Continued)