Vol. XXXIIl 



1915 



Wright, Early Records of the Wild Turkey. 349 



1673-77, we find that they, on the upper Mississippi reached 1 

 "the parallel of 41 degrees 28 minutes," "Turkeys had taken the 

 place of game." In the Illinois country, "There was more snow 

 there then elsewhere as well as more tracks of animals and Turkeys" 

 and they here find themselves "in a fine place for hunting cattle, 

 deer and turkeys, which are excellent. ..." According to Allouez, 2 

 "they hunt. . . .Turkey" in Illinois, and, for the same region, 

 Binnetau in 1699 records, "Game is plentiful such as ducks. . . . 

 Turkeys." In 1698, Hennepin mentions Turkey-Cocks for the 

 head of the Illinois River. When along the Mississippi, he says 3 

 " I observed they have tame Poultry, as Hens, Turkey-Cocks, and 

 Bustards, which are as tame as our Geese." "The country affords 

 all sorts of Game as Turkey-Cocks ....," and " in our way we kill'd 

 seven or eight Bustards or Wild Turkeys, which in these Countries 

 encrease mightily." In general, "There are to be had . . . .Turkies, 

 which are of an extraordinary bigness." 



In 1703, La Hontan holds 4 "The River of the Illinese is intitled 

 to Riches, by vertue of the benign Climate, and of the great quanti- 

 ties of . . . .Turke3*s that feed on its brinks." In 1712, Marest 

 records that along the Illinois River, 5 " Turkeys are likewise found 

 here in abundance and they are as good as those of France." In 

 1750, a letter from Vivier finds in the Illinois country that 6 "Wild 

 turkeys abound everywhere, in all seasons, except near the in- 

 habited portions." In the same year the mission at Detroit 

 purchased turkeys from the natives at several different times. 7 

 Twenty-eight years later (1778) Hutchins records in Illinois that 8 

 "Savannahs or natural meadows, are both numerous and extensive; 

 yielding excellent grass, and feeding great herds of Buffaloe, .... 

 Turkies...." Lastly in 1791, J. Long, the Indian interpreter 

 gives the Chippeway name for Turkey as 9 " Weenecobbo." The 

 following year (1792) John Heckewelder made a journey to the 



1 ibid., LIX, pp. Ill, 171, 173, 177. 



» ibid., LX, p. 163: LXV, p. 73. 



» Hennepin, L. 1. c, pp. 93, 94, 123, 137, 149; continuation, p. 137. 



* La Hontan, 1. c, ptf. 134, 112. 



6 The Jesuit Relations, Vol. LXVI, p. 225. 

 « ibid., Vol LXIX, pp. 143, 145, 257. 



7 ibid., LXX, pp. 59, 63, 43. 

 » Hutchins, 1. c, p. 44. 



» Early Western Travels, Vol. II, p. 263 (orig. p. 223). 



