KADiN] HISTORY 65 



and died and therefore they (the Winnebago) have passed here.' 

 Likewise, if you build a fire, always cover up the embers, for if you 

 should throw away any into the water (you would be detected)." 



Then they went away in boats and returned to the lake. When 

 they came to the narrow place where the main body of water lies 

 there they went ahead along the left branch. Now this is all of this. 



After a wliile the tribes came to see the Frenclunan, for it was 

 about the time fixed, and they said, "How have you been getting 

 along?" Then he said, "Children, you know what kind of people 

 the Winnebago are. We watched them very closely, but they got 

 away, in what direction I do not even know. In the morning they 

 were gone, i believe they went downstream, although I haven't 

 even hunted for them upstream." 



Well, all these different tribes looked for the Winnebago, for they 

 wished to trail them and kill them. Now, although the Frenchman 

 had expressly forbidden them, sure enough (the Foxes) found a fish 

 that had been speared. "They've come past here," they said. 

 However, when they came to the fork of the stream they didn't 

 know which way (the Winnebago) had gone, but they noticed 

 embers in the water. " They've gone by here." As it was impossible 

 to go to the end of the stream in boats, all the half-breed Foxes got 

 out (and walked) . Soon they saw the oval lodges. ' • There they are," 

 they said. For that reason the Foxes carefully looked them over 

 and watched them. They inquired about them and found out 

 that they had passed by. 



The road (trail) was visible, so they chased them. Soon a cold 

 autumn spell overtook them and they (the enemy) gave up the 

 chase and returned home. 



We will not follow the course of Winnebago history through all 

 its vicissitudes from their defeat by the Foxes to the British and 

 American occupancy, but only indicate important facts. An im- 

 portant local event was the coming of the Frenchman Decora among 

 them and his marriage to the daughter of the chief of the tribe. 

 An account of tliis has been preserved by the Decora family, although 

 it is clearly mixed up with what we believe is an account of the 

 first contact of the Wimiebago with the French. 



HOW THE WINNEB.\GO FIRST CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE FRENCH 

 AND THE ORIGIN OF THE DECORA FAMILY 



The Winnebago originated at a place called Red Banks (Green 

 Bay, Wis.) (pi. 1). They had no tools to work with at that time. All 

 they had were bows and arrows and a fire-starter. They had no iron, 

 and if they saw a stone that was naturally sharpened in any way it 

 was considered sacred and they offered tobacco for it. They had 

 tobacco from the beginning. It was their most valued possession. 



