174 DAKOTA GRAMMAR, TEXTS, AND ETHNOGRAPHY. 
This lake the Dakota called ‘‘Mdewakay,” mysterious lake, from which 
same the name of this branch of the Dakota family, Mde-wakay-tonway. 
They also called it ‘Isay-ta-mde,” Anife Lake, because there they found 
their stone knives and arrowheads. From this came the name ‘Santee,” 
which covers a much larger part of the tribe. (See footnote *, pp. 159, 160.) 
Thus, in Pere Louis Hennepin’s narrative, we have the first exact. 
locality of the eastern bands of the Dakota people, two hundred years 
ago. The principal chief, at that time, of this part of the tribe, is called by 
Hennepin ‘‘Washechoonde.” If he is correct, their name for Frenchmen 
was in use, among the Dakota, before they had intercourse with them, and 
was probably a name learned from some Indians farther east. 
The three white men, with their effects, were divided up among the 
various villages. And, strange to say, Hennepin was taken home by the old 
savage who had so much wished to kill him on the journey. He had now be- 
come his friend, even his father; his five wives became Hennepin’s mothers. 
They treated him kindly—covered him with a robe made of dressed beaver 
skins, ornamented with porcupine quills, rubbed him down after his jour- 
ney, and set before him a bark dish full of fish. As the Franciscan fell 
sick, his savage father made a sweating-cabin for him, and after the process 
of sweating naked by means of heated stones, he was rubbed down by four 
Indians. Thus he was reinvigorated. 
As no mention is made by either Hennepin or the historian of Du Luth 
of any planting at these villages, we may be quite sure that they did not 
plant, but lived by hunting and fishing mainly, which was supplemented 
by gathering roots and berries and wild rice. 
During the stay of the white men there came four Indians from the far 
west—Hennepin says, ‘500 leagues”—who reported the Assiniboin villages 
as only six or seven days’ journey to the northwest. This would place this 
branch of the Dakota people, at that time, within the present limits of 
Minnesota, somewhere east of the Red River. 
In the month of July the whole encampment of Dakota, numbering 
250 men, with women and children, started on a buffalo hunt. The French- 
men were to go with them. But Hennepin, anxious to make his escape, 
represented that a party of traders, “spirits” or “ wakan men,” were to 
be sent by La Salle to the mouth of the Wisconsin, and he wished to meet 
them there. The Indians gave them leave to go, but Accau, who disliked 
Hennepin, preferred to stay among the savages. 
They all camped together on the banks of the Mississippi, at the mouth 
of Rum River, from which point Hennepin and Du Gay descended the great 

