[Footnote 53: The Menomonee river forms a part of the northeastern boundary of Wisconsin, running in a southeasterly direction between this state and Michigan, and emptying into Green bay on the northwest side. The earliest location, on a map, of a Menomonee village, is that given by Charlevoix on his "Carte des Lacs du Canada," accompanying his "Histoire et Description Generale de la Nouvelle France," Vol. I., Paris, 1744. The village ("des Malonines") is placed at the mouth of the river, on what is now the Michigan side of the stream.] [Footnote 54: Synonyms: Maroumine, Oumalouminek, Oumaominiecs, Malhominies,--meaning, in Algonquin, wild rice (_Zizania aquatica_ of Linnæus). The French called this grain wild oats--folles avoine; hence they gave the name of Les Folles Avoine to the Menomonees. "Passant ce plus petit lac, on entre dans la seconde mer douce, sur les riues de laquelle sont les Maroumine."--Vimont, _Relation_, 1640, p. 35.] [Footnote 55: I have drawn, for this description of the Menomonees, upon the earliest accounts preserved of them; but these are of dates some years subsequent to Nicolet's visit. (Compare Marquette's account in his published narrative, by Shea.) Vimont seems not to have derived any knowledge of them from Nicolet, beside the simple fact of his having visited them; at least, he says nothing further in the _Relation_ of 1640.] [Footnote 56: "Two days' journey from this tribe [the Winnebagoes], he sent one of his savages," etc.--Vimont, _Relation_, 1643, p. 3. This was just the distance from the Menomonees. Du Creux, although following the _Relation_ of 1643, makes Nicolet an ambassador of the Hurons, for he says (Hist. Canada, p. 360): "When he [Nicolet] was two days distant [from the Winnebagoes], he sent forward one of his own company to make known to the nation to which they were going, that a European ambassador was approaching with gifts, who, in behalf of the Hurons, desired to secure their friendship." But the following is the account of Vimont (_Relation_, 1643, p. 3), from the time of Nicolet's departure from the Huron villages to his being met by the young men of the Winnebagoes: "Ils [_Nicolet and his seven Hurons_] passerent par quantité de petites nations, en allant et en reuenant; lors qu'ils y arriuoient, ils fichoient deux bastons en terre, auquel ils pendoient des presens, afin d'oster à ces peuples la pensée de les prendre pour ennemis et de les massacrer. A deux iournées de cette nation, il enuoya vn de ces Sauuages porter la nouuelle de la paix, laquelle fut bien receuë, nommément quand on entendit que c'estoit vn European qui portoit la parole. On depescha plusieurs ieunes gens pour aller au deuant du Manitouiriniou, c'est à dire de l'homme merueilleux; on y vient, on le conduit, on porte tout son bagage."]