304 APPENDIX. 



ledge of the general geography and face of the country, there is 

 no difficulty in proceeding with a light wagon, or even a loaded 

 team, as the Indian practice of firing the prairies every fall has 

 relieved the surface from underbrush and fallen timber. After 

 driving a few miles, we encountered two Winnebagoes on horse- 

 back, the forward rider having a white man in tie behind him. 

 The latter informed us that his name was H., that he had come 

 out to Twelve-mile Creek, for the purpose of locating himself 

 there, and was in pursuit of a hired man, who had gone off, with 

 some articles of his property, the night previous. With this re- 

 lation, and a boshu* for the natives, with whom we had no means 

 of conversing, we continued our way, without further incident, to 

 Duck Creek, a distance of ten miles. We here struck the path, 

 which is one of the boundary lines, in the recent purchase from 

 the Winnebagoes. It is a deeply marked horse path, cutting 

 quite through the prairie sod, and so much used by the natives as 

 to prevent grass from growing on it ; in this respect, it is as well- 

 defined a landmark as " blazed tree," or " saddle." The sur- 

 veyor appointed to run out the lines, had placed mile-posts on the 

 route, but the Winnebagoes, with a prejudice against the practice 

 which is natural, pulled up many, and defaced others. When 

 we had gone ten miles further, we began to see the glittering of 

 water through the trees, and we soon found ourselves on the 

 rrargin of a clear lake. I heard no name for this handsome 

 sheet of water. It is one of the four lakes, which are connected 

 with each other by a stream, and have their outlet into Reck 

 River, through a tributary called the Guskihaw. We drove 

 through the margin of it, where the shores were sandy, and in- 

 numerable small unio shells were driven up. Most of these 

 jmall species appeared to be helices. Standing tent-poles, and 

 other remains of Indian encampments, appeared at this place. A 

 rock stratum, dark and weather-beaten, apparently sandstone, 

 jutted out into the lake. A little farther, we passed to the left of 

 an abandoned village. By casting our eyes across the lake, we 



* This term is in use by the Algic or Algonquin tribes, particularly by the 

 Chippewas. The Winnebagoes, who have no equivalent for it, are gener- 

 ally acquainted with it, although I am not aware that they have, to any extent, 

 adopted it. It has been supposed to be derived from the French bonjour. 



