hoffman] LAND CLAIMS 21 



hundred and seventeen, and of the independence of the United States the 

 forty-first. 



William Clark, l. s. 



Ninian Edwards, L. s. 



Auguste Chouteau, l. 8. 



Towanapee, Roaring Thunder, his x mark, l. s. 



Weekay, the Calumet Eagle, his x mark, L. s. 



Muequomota, the Fat of the Bear, his x mark, L. s. 



Waeaquon, or Shomin, his x mark, L. s. 



Warhano, the Dawn, his x mark, L. s. 



Iuemikee, Thunderer, his x mark, L. s. 



Leharnaco, the Bear, his x mark, L. S. 



Kai kundego, his x mark, L. S. 



Shashamanee, the Elk, his x mark, L. s. 



Penouame, the Running Wolf, his x mark, L, S. 



Ihtie at St. Louis, in the presence of 



R. Wash, Secretary to the Commie- S. Gantt, Lieut. U. S. Army, 



sioners, C. M. Price, 



R. Graham, V. S. I. J. for Illinois Richard T. McKenney, 



Territory, Amos Kibbe, 



T. Harrison, Nathaniel Mills, 



Nimrod H. Moore, Samuel Solomon. 



Dr Morse, who made an official visit to Green bay in 1820, says: 



The Menominees claim the whole of the waters of Green-Bay, with its islands. On 

 its north-west shores, aud on Fox river, they claim from the entrance of Menomine 

 river, in length, one hundred and twenty miles, south-west and north-east; and in 

 breadth sixty miles. On the south-east shore of the Bay, and on Fox river, from 

 the river Rouge, on Red river, to the Grand Cockalaw, a distance of forty-five miles, 

 and twenty-four in breadth. 1 



Roughly estimated, this area would embrace over 8,000 square miles. 



The true extent of the territory claimed by the Menomini, or recog- 

 nized as theirs by the surrounding tribes, is not positively known; 

 though the assertion has been made that the western boundary was 

 Mississippi river. The Winnebago, who had always been friendly with 

 the Menomini, were no doubt coclaimants to at least a portion of the 

 lands in the eastern or Green bay section, as may be inferred from the 

 fact of their being a party to the treaties of relinquishment. 



To make intelligible the reason for the sale by these Indians of some 

 of their lands, it is necessary to present a short sketch of the Holland 

 Laud Company of New York, which had for many years held a preemp- 

 tive right of purchase from the Indians, covering most of the lands of 

 western New York, this right having originated through the common- 

 wealth of Massachusetts, and having been confirmed subsequently by 

 the state of New York. A large purchase was made from the Indians 

 by Phelps and Gorman, embracing nearly all the lands east of Genesee 

 river. Of the remaining portion, lying west of the river, a large 

 cession was made to the Holland Land Company at a council of the 

 Seneca Indians held in Geneseo in September, 1797, certain large 

 reservations of choice land being excepted. 



' Op. cit., pp. 51, 52. 



