The Merrimack River: its source and its tributaries. Embracing a history of manufactures, and of the towns along its course; their geography, topography, and products, with a description of the magnificent natural scenery about its upper waters./ By J. W. Meader.

THE lERRIBMACK RIVER;
CHAPTER X.
Pawtucket Falls. - Indians. - Canals. - Lowell. - History of Manufactures on the Mer rimack. -The Concord River.- Its History.- IIistory of its Manufactures.
"TIIE Indians in this neighborhood were sometimes called Paw tuckets, from the falls in the Merrimack of that name. Pawtucket
means the forks, being derived from the Indian word pohchatuk (a
branch). Pawtucket seems, however, to have been applied by the
English rather to all the Indians north of the Merrimack, than to
the particular tribe at the falls of that name."
When the constantly increasing tide of population had rolled back
from the original sexa-girt colony, they found at the Pawtucket Falls,
in the town which was afterwards called Chelmsford, the lhead-quar ters of a tribe of the confederated Pennacooks, with Passaconnaway as
the sagamon. Then, as now, it contained a large community, was a
place of great note and importance, supplied the community with
sustenance then, as now, derived its importance solely and entirely
from these falls. This was one of the three great principal fishing-places on the Merrimack, belonging exclusively to the confederacy
which was under the rule of a wise and sagacious chief.
In 1660, Passaconnaway, hlaving reached the venerable age of
more than fourscore years, appointed a day for the assembling of all
the subordinate chiefs and principal men of the tribes of the Pennacooks, or Pawtuckets, as they were generally called by the English,
for the purpose, voluntarily and deliberately formed, of abdicating
in favor of his son Wonnalancet, which he did in the following
speech, sometimes called his "dying speech" but, as lie was alive
some years after, it may be more properly called his "farewell
address" to his people:'
" Hlearken," said he, "to the words of your father. I am an old
oak that has withstood the storms of more than one hundred winters.
Leaves and branches have been stripped from me by winds and frosts;
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