BUSHNELL] NATIVE VILLAGES AND VILLAGE SITES 43 
The Michigamea, ‘‘great water,” were encountered by Marquette in 
1673 on the right bank of the Mississippi, in the northeastern part 
of the present State of Arkansas, but there is reason to suppose they 
had not been long in this southern home, and a few years before may 
have left the valley of the Illmois. On the d’Anville map of 1755 
the present Sangamon River, a tributary of the Illinois flowing from 
the south, bears the name Hmicouen R., and on the left bank, about 
35 miles from its mouth, is indicated the Ancien village des Metchi- 
gamas. This would undoubtedly place the site of the town within 
the bounds of the present Sangamon County, where several large 
groups of rather small burial mounds on the hills overlooking the 
valley of the Emicouen bear evidence of the location of some early 
settlement, probably that of the Ancien village des Metchigamias. - 
But on the same map, on the left or east bank of the Mississippi 
about midway between the Cahokias et Tamaroas on the north and 
the Mission des Caskakias on the south, appears the name Metchi- 
gamias, evidently indicating the position of their village whence 
they had removed after having been met by Marquette farther 
south. However, they were accustomed to go north and winter 
with their kindred Tamaroa, whose principal village was near the 
mouth of a small stream which entered the Mississippi just below the 
first bridge built across the river at St. Louis. This was undoubtedly 
the position of the Tamaroa village in the autumn of the year 1700 
when it was visited by Pére Gravier. He arrived October 9 and the 
town was evidently deserted, as he said: 
“At two leagues from the village, I found the Tamarouha, who 
have taken up their winter quarters in a beautiful bay, where they 
await the Metchigamia, who are to come over sixty leagues to winter, 
and form only one village with them. One of our missionaries is to 
visit them every second day all the winter long, and do as much for 
the Kaoukia, who have taken their winter quarters four leagues 
above the village.”” (Gravier, (1), p. 118.) 
The Cahokia and Tamaroa occupied the rich lowlands on the left 
bank of the Mississippi, opposite the city of St. Louis, in the present 
St. Clair and Madison Counties, Illinois. The village of the tribes 
stood near the mouth of the small stream, already mentioned, which 
later became known as Cahokia Creek, a name which it now bears. 
This was reached by La Salle on February 3, 1682, but the Cahokia 
were not mentioned as Tonti wrote: 
“We came to the Village of the Tamaoas, where we met with no 
body at all, the Savages being retired into the Woods to Winter; 
we made there however some Marks to let ’em know that we had 
pass’'d by.” (Tonti, (1), p. 77.) 
Evidently it was the custom of the Illinois tribes to leave their 
viltages about the beginning of winter and to seek the protection and 
