PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. 43 



where he must needs have recourse to the dried dung of tlie 

 Buffalo for fuel. It was in tlie hope of extricating ourselves 

 from difBcuhics of this kind, that we made an examination 

 of the forks of the East Medicine River, which empties into 

 the Missouri about fifteen miles below Fort Pierre. 



" This last-mentioned river derives its name from a beau- 

 tiful hill on its right bank, called by the Sioux Pahah- 

 ivaJwn — translated by the voyageurs, ' Butte de Medicine/ 

 and, in English, Medicine hillock, or knoll. It is to be re- 

 marked, in fact, of the prairies of this region, that they pre- 

 sent such low insulated hillocks, to which the Sioux apply 

 the somewhat generic name of re or pa/ia/i, according as 

 they are more or less elevated above the surrounding plain. 

 The afhx, wakan, indicates that the locality is to them pecu- 

 liarly remarkable, or even sacred, and a spot which they 

 select in preference for some of their ceremonies." — Nic.y 

 p. 44. 



The secondary rivers of this region are the St. Peters, St. 

 Croix, Chippewa, Wisconsin, Rock, Moingonan or Des 

 Moines, and Illinois falling into the Missisippi, and Tchan- 

 sansan or James, and Tchankasndata or Sioux, falling into 

 the Missouri. The Fox River or Outajrami, falling into 

 Lake Michigan, is also lo be placed in this class. Other 

 streams that are of some importance are the Crow Wing or 

 Kagiwigwan, Karishon or Crow, Iskodo Wabo or Rum, or 

 Spirit (the meaning, I think, is White Fire Water), Sappah 

 or Black River, Hokah or Root, Upper Iowa, Penaca or 

 Turkey, Maquoqueta or Bear, Wabesepinecon or White 

 Potato abode, as the interpreter told me* (or rather, I think, 



* Mr. Leclair, former interpreter of the Sacs and Foxes, gave me the 

 above dofinitiDn of the name of this river: Wabe, wliite ; pin, potato; 

 icon or nicon, abode. It may be so : and the third syllabic, se, only an 

 expletive. But Wabe-sepo, or sipi, is white river. This tribe use the 



