THE STATE OF IOWA ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY YEARS AGO. 471 



of the Academy of Science meeting, transcripts of this part of the globe (relat- 

 ing to Iowa) have been carefully made by M, Guignard, librarian of Dijou, and 

 transmitted to the Academy. 



What was known of Iowa and what was Iowa i6o years ago? We find the 

 great river flowing by her eastern border and then known as the "Missisipi." 

 Lake " Pepin" is located near St. Paul and is an immense widening of the river,, 

 ivhich from this point north breaks into many streams. 



The River des Moingona is easily recognizable from its name and course as 

 the Des Moines, and is quite accurately traced, but widens into an immense lake 

 near the Minnesota line, and at a point quite above is marked the spot inscribed^ 

 '*To this point came the Baron Lahontan." It is probable that the Baron got 

 mixed up in traveHng over those marshy prairies, for though he evidently struck 

 Lake Obokoji and Spirit Lake, he evidently got over on the Missouri. This 

 river is down, but it runs parallel with the Moingona or Des Moines, up into 

 Iowa and comes to a sudden end. Between these rivers was the apparent mis- 

 sionary ground of the Jesuit Fathers, for this country is thickly lined with the 

 nanies of Indian tribes, while north of the Des Moines we find few Indian settle- 

 ments. 



Of the Indians, the Panis appear the most numerous. Others are the Es 

 anapes, Panibousas, Paoutaouas, Aiaouez, Mahas, Tintons, Osages, Apanas, 

 Panisassas, Cansas. and the lUinois, the latter being put on the west bank of the 

 Mississippi, near St. Louis. 



The only bluffs marked on the great river are located near Muscatine and 

 below in Illinois. 



There is a river flowing from a Lake Panis in Missouri eastwardly, which is 

 named " Meschasepi," evidently a corruption of or the original of Mississippi. 



The Ouabache (Wabash) empties into the Mississippi where the Ohio joins- 

 it, and the fathers evidently supposed the two rivers were one and the same. 



Fort St. Louis is marked on the Illinois River, about loo miles from its- 

 mouth. 



Salt Springs are located very near the celebrated Hot Springs of Arkansas,. 

 and it is probable that the famous Arkansas baths had been tried by these early 

 missionaries, let us hope with great relief to those pioneer fathers who were 

 traversing the malarial swamps of the West 200 years ago in the service of their 

 Master. 



Many other singular features appear in these extraits from the old globe. 

 They are the earliest map of Iowa extant, so far as known, and will be studied 

 with deep interest by students of history and geography. They settle the ques- 

 tion of the origin of the name of Iowa's capital and river, which but for the ele- 

 gance of the present combination should be changed from Des Moines to Moin- 

 gona. The present name has no meaning ; the other name would perpetuate the 

 memory of what appears to have been Iowa's most powerful tribe of Indians. — 

 Muscatine Journal. 



