Chapter XII: Part ONE: I

1. A PRIMEVAL FOREST is one which has not been disturbed by the axe.

3. DRUIDS were Celtic priests. Their religious ceremonies were carried on in oak groves, the trees being regarded as sacred.

10. GRAND PRE (graen-pr[=a]) means large meadow.

20. BASIN OF MINAS, an arm of the Bay of Fundy.

25. THE TIDES in the Bay of Fundy rise to the height of 60 feet. What is the ordinary rise of the tide?

29. BLOMIDON is a promontory about four hundred feet high at the entrance of the Bay of Minas.

33. THE HENRIES were rulers of France in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

34. NORMANDY, a district in northern France bordering on the English channel.

39. KIRTLE, a petticoat.

49. THE ANGELUS was a bell which called people to prayer. What do you know of the painting called "The Angelus?"

57. Real misery was wholly unknown, and benevolence anticipated the demands of poverty. Every misfortune was relieved, as it were, before it could be felt, without ostentation on the one hand and without meanness on the other. It was in short, a society of brethren. ABBE REYNAL.

72. HYSSOP, a plant. A branch of it could be used like a sponge. It was a symbol of purification from sin.

74. CHAPLET OF BEADS, a string of beads used in praying. MISSAL, a prayer book.

96. See Luke XXII, 60, 61.

111. A PATRON SAINT was a Saint who was supposed to exercise a special care over the people of a town or district.

115. Lajeunesse (lae-zhe-n[)e]s').

144. There was a saying among the people that "If the sun shines on St. Eulalie's day there will be a good crop of apples." It was February 12th.

II.

149. THE SCORPION is one of the twelve signs of the zodiac. The sun enters this sign in late October.

153. For the reference to Jacob, see Gen. XXXII, 24-30.

159. THE SUMMER OF ALL-SAINTS corresponds to our Indian Summer. All-Saints day is Nov. 1st.

170. PLANE TREE, a species of sycamore. Xerxes, a Persian, admired one of them so much he put a mantle upon it and adorned it with jewels.

209. BURGUNDY is a section of eastern France famous for its fine wines.

238. THE GASPEREAU is a river that flows into the Basin of Minas, east of Grand Pre.

242. GLEBE, soil.

249. LOUISBURG, BEAUSEJOUR (b[=o] s[=e]' zh[=o][=o]r,) and PORT ROYAL were towns which had been taken from the French by the British.

259. THE CONTRACT was considered almost as binding as a marriage. Remember this.

260-2. As soon as a young man arrived at the proper age, the community built him a house, broke the land about it, and supplied him with all the necessaries of life for twelve months. Then he received the partner whom he had chosen, and who brought him her portion in flocks. ABBE REYNAL.

III.

280. LOUP GAROU ( l[=o][=o]-ga-r[=o][=o] ) means man-wolf. There was a tradition that a man had the power to change himself into a wolf to devour children.

282. LETICHE (l[=a]-t[=e]sh').

293. IN SOOTH, in truth.

307. A figure with scales in the left hand and a sword in the right is sometimes used to represent Justice.

354. THE CURFEW was a bell tolled in the evening as a signal to put out the fires and go to bed.

381. See Gen. XXI, 14.

IV.

413. The names of two French songs.

442. The summer solstice is on the 21st of June. The sun is then farthest north, being over the Tropic of Cancer. It seems to stand still for a short time.

466. The author contrasts the clamor of the throng and the quiet words of Father Felician by referring to rapid strokes of the alarm and the quiet, measured strokes of the hour.

476. See Luke XXIII, 34.

484. AVE MARIA (aeh-v[=a]-mah-r[=e]'-a), a prayer to the Virgin Mary.

486. See 2 Kings II, 11.

507. See Exodus XXIV, 29-35.

V.

572-3. Parents were separated from children and husbands from wives, some of whom have not to this day met again; and we were so crowded in the transport vessels that we had not even room to lay down, and consequently were prevented from carrying with us proper necessaries, especially for the support and comfort of the aged and weak, many of whom quickly ended their lives. PETITION OF THE ACADIANS TO THE KING.

579. LEAGUER, an army camp.

589. See lines 49, 50.

597. See Acts XXVII-XXVIII.

604. BENEDICITE, bless you.

631. NEBRASKA, now known as the Platte River.

667. BELL OR BOOK, funeral bell, or book of funeral service.