Page 37 - Who Ate What in the Maritimes

ISSUE : Issue 21

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1978/12/1

tain Islands about this time. Its flesh is as good as veal; and furthermore they make of its fat an oil, which serves them as sauce throughout the year; they fill sev? eral moose-bladders with it, which are two or three times as large and strong as our big-bladders; and in these you see their reserve casks. Likewise in the month of February and until the middle of March, is the great hunt for Beavers, otters, moose, bears (which are very good), and for the caribou, an aunimal half ass and half deer. If the weather then is favorable, they live in great abundance, and are as haugh? ty as Princes and Kings; but if it is a- gainst them, they are greatly to be pitied, and often die of starvation. The weather is against them if it rains a great deal, and does not freeze over, for then they cannot put their dogs upon the chase, be? cause they sink down; the savages them? selves do not do this, for they wear snow- shoes on their feet which help them to stay on top; yet they cannot run as fast as would be necessary, the snow being too soft... ...In the middle of March, fish begin'to spawn, and to come up from the sea into certain streams, often so abundantly that everything swarms with them. Any one who has not seen it could scarcely believe it. You cannot put your hand into the water. without encountering them. Among these fish the smelt is the first; this smelt is two and three times as large as that in our rivers; after the smelt comes the her? ring at the end of April; and at the same time bustards, which are large ducks, doub? le the size of ours, come from the South and eagerly make their nests upon the Is? lands. Two bustard eggs are fully equal to five hen's eggs. At the same time come the sturgeon, and salmon, and the great search through the Islets for eggs, as the water? fowl, which are there in great numbers, lay their eggs then, and often cover the Islets with their nests. From the month of May up to the middle of September, they are free from all anxiety about their food; for the cod are upon the coast, and all kinds of fish and shellfishc.. ...Now our savages in the middle of Sep? tember withdraw from the sea, beyond the reach of the tide, to the little rivers, where the eels spawn ((sic)), of which they lay in a supply; they are good and fat. In October and November comes the second hunt for elks ((sic • moose)) and beavers; and then in December (wonderful providence of God) comes a fish called by them ponamo ((tomcod)), which spawns under the ice. Also then the turtles bear little ones, etc.... The titles used in this article are those of the editor and not Dr. Hoffman. A Chart of Micmac Annual Subsistence MONTH MAR. APRIL SEPT. OCT LOCALl-n] SEA I COAST' SEA COAST SMALL I I I RIVEr4 I INLANDJ SOCIAL GROUPS RANn-->:- seals and WALRU':':-:-:': • ??- • - • ''?>YfINTER FLOUr;DER _TOMCOD .-SEALS. PRINCIRU FOODS :::::: • • : • ::::>::>:::::scallops, mussels, claims. CRABS. SEA URCHINS. ETC. :::::::::::::::::::::':::: STURGEON and salmon salmon HERRING HERRING BROOK TROUT BROOK TROUT ALEWIFE CODFISH :i:i:i:i:iQ:i:::i:i:i:i: CAPE LIN mmsmm 3hM MACKEREL -._ SKATES. FLOUNDERS. HALIBVT.PWAI.Cl,jamP LOBSTERS S EELS :'f''Y'f(:y'CCsr. bear, caribou beaver. MOOSE. gEAR SPRING BIRD MIGRATION FALL BIRD MIGRATION :i:j:i:i:j!';:|:::;::::: STRAWBERRIES ::::::::::E:::::::::::: RASPBERRIES BLUEBERRIES CRANBERRIES GROUND NUTS