THE RED MEN OF IOWA.

The name by which this village is designated on Marquette's original map is Pewavia, and is laid down on the west side of the "River Conception." About half a league distant were two other villages situated upon higher land.

Marquette, as a Jesuit missionary, had founded a mission at Sault Ste. Marie, in 1668, and had also founded other missions in the region of Lake Superior, including that at Point St. Ignatius, subsequently known as Michillimackinac, and now called Mackinaw. In his missionary work among the Algonquin tribes he had become familiar with their language, and could speak and understand its several dialects readily. When he met these natives so far away from the scene of his former missionary labors, he was delighted to find that he could speak and understand their language. Doubtless the Indians were equally delighted and astonished to perceive that their white visitors could confer with them in their own tongue.

The Indians received the strangers with every possible mark of welcome and hospitality. Four of the oldest and wisest men in the village were selected to meet the visitors in council, while preparations were made to honor them with a fitting ovation. The chiefs informed Marquette that they were Illini--meaning "we are men." The calumet of peace was presented, and Marquette and Joliet

Marquette told the Indians, of the objects for which he and his white companion had come so far to visit them; that they had been sent by the French, who were their friends. He told them of their great father, the king of France, who lived across the great sea, and who desired the welfare of all his white and red children. He told them of the great God who made all things, and who was the same Great Spirit that they worshiped; that he had come to them as the ambassador of God to teach them the truths of the gospel, while his friend (Joliet), who had come with him, was the envoy of France sent to discover new countries.

One of the chiefs then addressed them as follows: "I thank the black-gown chief (Marquette) and the Frenchman (Joliet) for taking so much pains to come and visit us; never has the earth been so beautiful, nor the sun so bright, as now; never has the river been so calm, nor so free from rocks, which your canoes have removed as they passed; never has our tobacco had so fine a flavor, nor our corn appeared so beautiful as we behold it to-day. Ask the Great Spirit to give us life and health, and come ye and dwell with us."

At the close of this conference the strangers were invited to partake of the feast which had been prepared. According to the account given by Marquette it consisted of four courses. The first was served in a large wooden bowl, and consisted of Indian meal boiled in water and seasoned with oil. The head man, or master of ceremonies, served this with a wooden spoon, feeding it to their