Worth, Simmons, MacDonald, Sherren, French, Newsom, Leard, Collett, Percival, Moore, Fall, Coughlin, Hall, Holbrook.

’ Like most other sections of the province, agriculture was thelchief means of livelihood.

The soil, when first cleared, was very productive. The settlers hoed in their potatoes and grain, and, when the crop was out, they were. able to thresh thirty stooks of grain per day with a flail.. But the growing of oats for export soon began to take its toll of soil fertility. To com- pensate for this depletion, however, the farmer recognized the value of mussel mud and lime; putting back into- the soil the element taken Out.

The “better” farmers prided themselves in “mudding” their farms, and this showed in the soil for generations. Mud digging was carried on off Hampton, and many owned their own mud land. It was laborious work; the sleighs in line at sun-up, all the able—bodied men of the farms in action. ‘ "

Many farms had their own lime deposit, and built kilns near by, to burn limestone with their own wood. Up until the past few years, evidence of these kilns could be seen near the roadsides, but the widening of the roads has levelled all traces of these long past activities. ‘ ,

Simultaneously with this, limestone was imported, perhaps from Wallace, N. S., which town seems to have been a popular neighbor across’ the Straits. It was burned at kilns in Victoria with coal. .

Hauling lime and mud have been replaced with the truck delivering to the field these essential foods for the soil. -

Q INDIANS

The aborigines of the Island belong to the Abenaki and Micmac ‘ Tribes of Indians. At first they called the Island Epagwit, or Abegweit, (resting on the wave), a very poetic and descriptive name. :

The only Indians now found on the Island are Micmacs, who never seemed to adopt the white man’s way of agriculture and industry. '

In early times they formed a habit of going to different places, setting up a camp and making baskets, wicker chairs, wooden buckets, split brooms (which they sold at sixpence each), and other articles. These were bought by the residents of the district in which they camped. ‘ They had no difficulty in procuring material for their work, as they had a free run of the woods and also had their birch bark canoes on the river.

The families living near the place where their camp was pitched treated them kindly, some giving them free lodging at night. '

Their favourite camping ground was at Hall’s Bridge which was reserved for their use. They also camped along the Westmoreland River below what is now Lorne Higgins’ farm, and sold many of their wares to the people in the village ,making a good living for themselves. ' ,‘

In recent years this custom has been dropped, and the Indians. are now congregated on Lennox Island, where they have a Church, a School, _ and a Convent, with a resident Priest. ' . I ‘ j

Quite a number of them enlisted in the War of 1914, and againin 1939, and distinguished themselves as brave and resourceful soldiers.

The son of John Sark, Chief of the tribe, was among those who enlisted in World War I. On his return to Canada he brought with him an .. English bride who taught the children, and was instrumental in raising the standard of living among the people. '

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