Character of the Doctor (_mystery_ or _medicine man_)--An
omnibus drive--The Doctor's admiration of the "jolly
fat dame"--Jealousy--War-dress and war-paint of the
_Roman-nose_--His appearance--He leads the War-dance--The
Welcome-dance, and Bear-dance--Description of--Pipe-of-peace
(or Calumet) dance, and Scalp-dance--_Chip-pe-ho-la (the
Author)_--Speech of the War-chief--The "jolly fat dame"--She
presents a gold bracelet to _Roman-nose_--Jealousy and distress
of the Doctor--She converses with Daniel--Two reverend gentlemen
converse with the Indians about religion--Reply of White-cloud
and War-chief--Questions by the reverend gentlemen--Answers by
the War-chief--Indians invited to breakfast with Mr. Disraeli,
M.P., Park Lane--Indians' toilette and dress--The Doctor and Jim
(Wash-ka-mon-ya) fasting for the occasion.
On paying a visit to the lodgings of the Indians, after they had
returned from the exhibition, I found them in a merry mood, cracking
their jokes upon the Doctor, who had put himself forward in so
conspicuous a manner, to the great amusement of the ladies. During the
exhibition, it would have appeared, from his looks and his actions,
that he was to be perfectly happy for a twelvemonth at least; but he
now appeared sad and dejected as he listened to their jokes, and turned
his splendid bracelet around with his fingers. Several of the women had
received brooches and other trinkets of value, and all had been highly
pleased.
It seemed that the War-chief was looked upon by the rest of the party
as their orator; and, on an occasion like that which had just passed
by, it was usual, and was expected, that he would have arisen and
made a speech; and it was as little expected that the Doctor, who,
they said, was a very diffident and backward man on such occasions,
should have had so much, or anything to say. But the Doctor was a
man of talent and wit, and with an exorbitant share of vanity and
self-conceit, which were excited to that degree by the irresistible
smiles of the ladies, that he was nerved with courage and ambition
to act the part that he did through the evening. Under the momentary
excitement of his feelings, he had, to be sure, but innocently, stepped
a little out of his sphere, and in the way of the chiefs, which had
somewhat annoyed them at the time, but of which they were now rather
making merry than otherwise. The Doctor was a good-natured and harmless
man, and entirely the creature of impulse. He was always polite, though
not always in good humour. The two leading traits in his character, one
or the other of which was always conspicuous, were extreme buoyancy of
spirits and good humour, when he smiled upon everybody and everything
around him, or silent dejection, which bade defiance to every social
effort. In either of these moods he had the peculiarities of being
entirely harmless, and of remaining in them but a very short time;
and _between_ these moods, he was like a _spirit level_, exceedingly
difficult to hold at a balance.
The jokes that had been concentrated on the Doctor had been rather
pleasant and amusing than otherwise, though there had been so many of
them from the chiefs, from the warriors, from the squaws, and also from
Mr. Melody, and Jeffrey and Daniel, all of whom were laughing at his
expense, that I found him, and left him, sitting in one corner of the
room, with his robe wrapped around him, in stoic silence, occasionally
casting his eyes on his gold bracelet, and then upon the smoking
beef-steaks and coffee which were on the table for their suppers, and
of which he partook not.
Whilst the rest were at the table, he silently spread his robe upon the
floor, and wrapped himself in it. In the morning he washed, as usual,
at the dawning of day, spent an hour or so in solitary meditation on
the roof of the house, and afterwards joined with a pleasant face at
the breakfast table, and through the amusements of the day and evening.
Mr. Melody had, with my cordial approbation, employed an omnibus
with four horses, to drive them an hour each day for the benefit of
their health; and, at the same time, to amuse and instruct them, by
showing them everything that they could see in the civilized world to
their advantage. The Doctor joined, in good spirits, in the "drive"
of that day; and, as on the day before, was wrapped in his buffalo,
and seated by the side of the driver, with the polished blade of his
lance glistening above his head, as many Londoners who read this will
forcibly recollect.
From their drive, in which they had seen many strange things, they
returned in good spirits, and received in their chambers a private
party of ladies and gentlemen, my esteemed friends, and several
editors of the leading journals of London. A long and very interesting
conversation was held with them on several subjects, and the clear and
argumentative manner in which their replies were made, and the truly
striking and primitive modes in which they were found, at once engaged
the profound attention of all, and procured for them, besides some
handsome presents at the time, the strongest recommendations from the
editors of the press, as subjects of far greater interest than the
party of Ojibbeways, whom they had before seen. Amongst these visiters
they recognized with great pleasure, and shook hands with, my kind
friend Dr. Thomas Hodgkin, at whose hospitable board they had, a few
days before, with the author, partaken of an excellent dinner prepared
for them. This was the first gentleman's table they were invited to in
the kingdom, and probably the first place where they ever tried the use
of the knife and fork in the English style.
Dr. Hodgkin being of the Society of Friends, they received much kind
and friendly advice from him, which they never forgot; and from the
unusual shape of his dress, they called him afterwards (not being able
to recollect his name) _Tchon-a-wap-pa_ (the straight coat).
At night they were in the Hall again, and around them, amidst a greatly
increased audience, had the pleasure of beholding nearly all the faces
they had seen the night before; and the Doctor, in particular, of
seeing the smiling ladies whom he had invited to see the _scalp-dance_
and the _scalps_, and, to his more identical satisfaction, of
beholding, at the end of the platform where he had taken pains to
spread his robe and seat himself, the fair dame of _gushing_ charms,
to whom he was occasionally gently turning his head on one side
and smiling, as he presented to her view his copper-coloured arm,
encompassed with the golden bracelet.
This kind lady's goodness was such that she could not but respond
to the bows and the smiles of the Doctor, though (within herself)
she felt a little annoyed at the position which he had taken, so
immediately between her place, which the crowd prevented her from
changing, and that of the splendid "_Roman Nose_," who was now much
more an object of admiration than he had been the night before, and
more peremptorily called for all her attention. He had been selected
to lead in the _scalp-dance_ which was to be given that night; and
for this purpose, in pursuance of the custom of the country, he had
left off his shirt and all his dress save his beautifully garnished
leggings and mocassins, and his many-coloured sash and kilt of eagle's
quills and ermine around his waist. His head was vermilioned red, and
dressed with his helmet-like red crest, and surmounted with a white and
a red eagle's quill, denoting his readiness for peace or for war. His
shoulders and his arms were curiously streaked with red paint, and on
his right and his left breast were the impresses, in black paint, of
two hands, denoting the two victims he had struck, and whose scalps he
then held attached to his painted tomahawk, which he was to wield in
triumph as he had in the _scalp-dance_. Thus arrayed and ornamented,
he appeared in his "war dress," as it is termed; and as he arose from
his seat upon the platform, and drew his painted shield and quiver
from his back, shouts of applause rung from every part of the hall,
and, of course, trepidation increased in the veins of the fair dame,
whose elbows were resting on the edge of the platform, while she was in
rapture gazing upon him, and but partly concealing at times a beautiful
trinket, the sparkling of which the sharp eyes of the Doctor had seen,
as she endeavoured to conceal it in her right hand.
The Doctor could not speak to this fair lady except with his eyes, with
the softest expressions of which he lost no time or opportunity; and
(for several combined reasons, no doubt) he seemed quite unambitious to
leave his seat to "_saw the air_," and strike for a repetition of the
applause he had gained the night before.
Unfortunately in some respects, and as fortunately no doubt in others,
the splendid "_Roman Nose_" held his position at the farther end of the
platform during the greater part of the evening; and the Doctor, for
the several reasons already imagined, remained in the close vicinity
of the fair dame, whose over-timidity, he feared, held her in an
unnecessary and painful suspense.
In this position of things and of parties, the amusements allotted for
the evening had commenced, and were progressing, amidst the roars of
applause that were ready at the close of each dance. They commenced by
giving the _"Welcome Dance" and song_[10] peculiar to their tribe. The
sentiment of this being explained by me, gave great pleasure to the
audience, and prepared them for the dances and amusements which were to
follow.
[10] This peculiar dance is given to a stranger, or strangers,
whom they are decided to welcome in their village; and out of
respect to the person or persons to whom they are expressing
this welcome, the musicians and all the spectators rise upon
their feet while it is being danced.
The song is at first a lament for some friend, or friends, who
are dead or gone away, and ends in a gay and lively and cheerful
step, whilst they are announcing that the friend to whom they
are addressing it is received into the place which has been
left.
They next announced the "_Bear Dance_" and amused the audience very
much in its execution. This curious dance is given when a party are
preparing to hunt the _black bear_, for its delicious food; or to
contend with the more ferocious and dangerous "_grizly bear_," when a
similar appeal is made to the _bear-spirit_, and with similar results,
(_i.e._) all hands having strictly attended to the important and
necessary form of conciliating in this way the good will and protection
of the peculiar _spirit_ presiding over the destinies of those animals,
they start off upon their hunt with a confidence and prospect of
success which they could not otherwise have ventured to count upon. In
this grotesque and amusing mode, each dancer imitates with his hands,
alternately, the habits of the bear when running, and when sitting up,
upon its feet, its paws suspended from its breast.
It was customary with them to be seated a few minutes after each dance,
and to pass around the pipe; and in the interval they were thus filling
up after this dance, the Indians, as well as the audience, were all
surprised at the appearance of a large square parcel handed in, and on
to the platform, by a servant in livery, as a present to the Indians
from his anonymous mistress. "Curiosity was on tip-toe" to know what
so bulky a parcel contained; and when it was opened, it was found to
contain 14 beautifully bound Bibles--the number just equal to the
number of Indians of the party; and a very kind letter addressed to
them, and which was read, exhorting them to change the tenor of their
lives, to learn to read, and to profit by the gifts enclosed to them.
The Bibles being distributed amongst them, the War-chief arose, and in
the most respectful and appropriate manner returned his thanks for the
liberal present and the kind wishes of the lady who gave them; he said
he was sorry he did not know which lady to thank, but by thanking all
in the room, he considered he was taking the surest way of conveying
his thanks to her.
After this, the _ne plus ultra_ (as the Doctor would undoubtedly call
it), the frightful "_Scalp Dance_,"[11] was announced. All parties,
the modest _squaws_ (of whom they had four with them) as well as the
men, were arranging their dresses and implements to take part in it.
The drums struck up, and the "splendid _Roman Nose_" led off, waving
his two scalps on the point of a lance, until he was once around the
circle, when they were placed in the hands of a squaw to carry, whilst
he wielded his tomahawk and scalping-knife, and showed the manner in
which his unfortunate enemies had fallen before him. This was probably
the first time that the Scalp Dance, in its original and _classic_
form, was ever seen in the city of London, and embellished by the
presence of real and _genuine scalps_.
[11] This barbarous and exciting scene is the Indian mode of
celebrating a victory, and is given fifteen nights in
succession, when a war party returns from battle, having taken
scalps from the heads of their enemies. Taking the scalp is
practised by all the American tribes, and by them all very
much in the same way, by cutting off a patch of the skin from
a victim's head when killed in battle; and this piece of
skin, with the hair on it, is the scalp, which is taken and
preserved solely for a trophy, as the proof positive that its
possessor has killed an enemy in battle, and this because they
have no books of history or public records to refer to for the
account of the battles of military men. The scalp dance is
generally danced by torch light, at a late hour in the night;
and, in all tribes, the women take a conspicuous part in it,
by dancing in the circle with the men, holding up the scalps
just brought from battle, attached to the top of a pole, or
the handle of a lance.
A scalp, to be a genuine one, must have been taken from the head
of an _enemy_, and that enemy _dead_. The living are sometimes
scalped, but whenever it occurs, it is on a field of battle,
amongst the wounded, and supposed to be dead, who sometimes
survive, but with the signal disgrace of having lost a patch
of the skin and hair from the top of their heads.
This exciting scene, with its associations, had like to have been too
much for the nerves and tastes of London people; but having evidently
assembled here for the pleasure of receiving shocks and trying their
nerves, they soon seemed reconciled, and all looked on with amazement
and pleasure, whilst they were sure for once in their lives, at least,
that they were drawing information from its true and native source.
This dance was long and tedious, but when it was finished, it was
followed by a deafening round of applause, not of approbation of the
shocking and disgusting custom, but of the earnest and simple manner
in which these ignorant and thoughtless people were endeavouring to
instruct and to amuse the enlightened world by a strict and emphatic
illustration of one of the barbarous, but valued, modes of their
country.
The subject and mode of _scalping_, and of thus celebrating their
victories, so little understood in the enlightened world, afforded me
an interesting theme for remarks at this time; and when the Indians
were again seated and "_taking a smoke_," I took the occasion of this
complete illustration to explain it in all its parts and meanings, for
which, when I had done, I received five times as much applause as I
deserved for doing it.
_The Pipe of Peace_ (or Calumet) _Dance_[13] was the next announced;
and was danced with great spirit, and gained them much applause. At
the close of this, their favourite dance, it became peculiarly the
privilege of the War-chief to make his boast, as the dance is given
only at the conclusion of a treaty of peace between hostile tribes, and
at which treaty he is supposed to preside. For this purpose he rose,
and straightening up his tall and veteran figure, with his buffalo robe
thrown over his shoulder and around him, with his right arm extended
over the heads of his fellow warriors, made a most animated speech to
them for several minutes (with his back turned towards the audience),
reminding them of the principal exploits of his military life, with
which they were all familiar. He then called upon one of the younger
men to light his pipe, which being done, and placed in his hand, he
took several deliberate whiffs through its long and ornamented stem;
this done, and his ideas all arranged, he deliberately turned around,
and passing his pipe into his left hand, extended his right over the
heads of the audience and commenced:--
"My Friends,--We believe that all our happiness in this life is given
to us by the Great Spirit, and through this pipe I have thanked Him
for enabling me to be here at this time, and to speak to you all who
are around me. (_How, how, how!_ and applause)
"My Friends,--We have had a long journey, and we are still very
much fatigued. We prayed to the Great Spirit, and He has heard our
prayers; we are all here, and all well. (_How, how, how!_ and _Hear!_)
"My Friends,--We are poor and live in the woods, and though the
Great Spirit is with us, yet He has not taught us how to weave the
beautiful things that you make in this country; we have seen many
of those things brought to us, and we are now happy to be where all
these fine things are made. (_How, how, how!_)
"My Friends,--The Great Spirit has made us with red skins, and taught
us how to live in the wilderness, but has not taught us to live as
you do. Our dresses are made of skins and are very coarse, but they
are warm; and in our dances we are in the habit of showing the skins
of our shoulders and our arms, and we hope you will not be angry with
us--it is our way. (_How, how, how!_ and great applause.)
"My Friends,--We have heard that your chief is a woman, and we know
that she must be a great chief, or your country would not be so
rich and so happy. (Cheers and _Hear!_) We have been told that the
Ojibbeways went to see your queen, and that she smiled upon them;
this makes us the more anxious to see her face, as the Ojibbeways are
our enemies. (_How, how, how!_)
"My Friends,--We hope to see the face of your queen, and then we
shall be happy. Our friend _Chippehola_[12] has told us that he
thinks we shall see her. My Friends, we do not know whether there are
any of her relations now in the room. (_How, how, how!_ and a laugh.)
"My Friends,--We shall be glad to shake your hands. This is all I
have to say." (Great applause.)
[12] The _Pipe of Peace_ (or calumet) is a sacred pipe, so held by
all the American tribes, and kept in possession of the chiefs,
to be smoked only at times of peace-making. When the terms of
a treaty have been agreed upon, this sacred pipe, the stem of
which is ornamented with eagle's quills, is brought forward,
and the solemn pledge to keep the peace is passed through the
sacred stem by each chief and warrior drawing the smoke once
through it. After this ceremony is over, the warriors of the
two tribes unite in the dance, with the pipe of peace held in
the left hand, and a she-she-quoi (or rattle) in the right.
[13] Geo. Catlin.
At the close of his speech, and as he turned around to meet the
approbation of his fellow-warriors, there was a sudden burst of
laughter amongst the Indians, occasioned by the sarcastic and exulting
manner in which the old Doctor told him he had better say something
more before he sat down, "because," said he, "you have not made half
as much laugh yet as I did last night." "I should be sorry if I had,"
said the War-chief; "the audience always laugh the moment they see your
ugly face."
The Doctor's troubles commenced here, for just at that moment the
"fair dame" had caught the eye of the "_Roman-nose_," and holding up
a beautiful bracelet enclosing a brilliant stone, she tempted him up,
while she clasped it upon his arm as it was extended immediately over
the Doctor's head, whose unfailing politeness induced him to bow down
his head to facilitate the operation.
When the "_Roman-nose_" had taken his seat, and the poor Doctor
had raised up his head to meet the eyes and the taunts of his
fellow-Indians, who were laughing at him, and the gaze of the visitors
from every quarter of the room, there _was_ a _smile_, but altogether
a _new_ one, and a _new word_ should be coined for the sudden and
singular distress of the dilemma he was in: it would not do to
undervalue the beautiful present that was already upon his arm, and to
save his life he could not smile as pleasantly upon the _fair hand_
that gave it as he had been smiling a few minutes before. The trinket
had instantly fallen fifty per cent. in its value--the _brilliant_
prospect that had been before him had fled, and left him in the dread,
not only that his beautiful commercial prospects were blighted, but
that he was to have an enemy in the field.
The _Roman-nose_ received his present in a respectful and thankful
manner, but it was too late to be _affectionately_ accepted, as it
was the _second_ one that was afloat, and taken by him, partly as
an evidence of a kind heart, and partly as a foil to cover the true
meaning of the first one that had been bestowed. However, he valued it
very much, and the secret respecting the mistake that had been made in
presenting the first, having been committed only to Daniel and myself,
was thought best, for the peace of all parties, not to be divulged.
The amusements of the evening being finished, there commenced a general
shake of the hands, and when it had been requested by some of the
audience that the Indians should come on to the floor, the request
was instantly complied with, which afforded the most gratifying
opportunity for the visitors to get near to them, and scan them and
their costumes and weapons more closely. There was a general outcry by
the ladies for the wife of the Little-wolf to descend from the platform
with her little pappoose slung on her back in its splendid cradle,
ornamented with porcupine's quills and ermine skins. It was a beautiful
illustration, and formed one of the most attractive features of the
exhibition, for gentlemen as well as for ladies, as thousands will
recollect.
The "jolly fat dame" had an opportunity of meeting the _Roman-nose_ and
of shaking his hand: but, "oh, the distress!" she could not speak to
him as she had done to Cadotte,--it was impossible for her to explain
to him the abominable mistake of the first night, and she feared he
never would properly appreciate the present which she had just made
him; nevertheless they were "a noble, fine set of fellows." The Doctor
passed about in the crowd shaking hands, and shaking his fan also,
which was made of the eagle's tail. He met the "fair dame," and (cruel
that he could not speak to her) he dropped many smiles as he looked
down upon and over her dimpled cheeks and round neck, as he raised and
showed her his brawny arm with the golden bracelet.
The Indians soon withdrew, and after them the crowd; and after the
crowd the "jolly fat dame," who said to Daniel as she passed, "I
can't stop to-night, Daniel, I am in a great hurry; but I gave the
bracelet to the _Roman-nose_--I got a good opportunity, Daniel--I
buckled it on myself: oh, yes, I did--that I did--the good fellow,
he stood it well--he never stirred. He'll recollect me, won't he,
Daniel? I am going; but oh, look here--I can't, to save my life, make
the poor fellow understand how the accident took place--it is so
provoking!--it's awkward--it is very annoying to me. _You_ can tell
him, Daniel--I wish you would tell him--I want you to explain it to
him. Come, will you, Daniel? that's a good fellow. Tell him I never
intended to give a bracelet to the old Doctor. But stop, he won't tell
the Doctor that, will he? I wouldn't for the world hurt the poor old
man's feelings--no, Daniel, not for twenty bracelets--what shall we
do?" "Oh, there is no danger, Madam, that the Doctor will ever hear of
it." "You think so?" "Oh, I am sure, Madam." "Then it's all right--good
night. I shall be here every night, you know."
The next morning after this, the Rev. Mr. ---- and Mr. ---- called upon
me at my family residence, to ask if it would be consistent with my
views and the views of the Indians for them to have some conversation
with them in private on the subject of religion and education. I
replied, that it was one of the greatest satisfactions I could have
during their stay in England, to promote as far as in my power such
well-meant efforts to enlighten their minds, and to enable them to
benefit in that way by their visit to this country. I told them also,
that I was very glad to say that this party was under the charge of
Mr. Melody, a man who was high in the confidence of the American
Government, and that I knew him to be a temperate and moral man: as he
was interested in the missionary efforts being made in this very tribe,
I felt quite certain that he would do all in his power to promote
their object, and they had better call on him. They did so, and an
appointment was made for them to visit the Indians in the afternoon,
subsequent to their usual daily "drive."
Mr. Melody had had a conversation with the Indians on the subject, and
although they felt some reluctance at first, on account of the little
time they would have to reflect upon it, they had agreed to see the
reverend gentlemen in the afternoon, and I was sent for to be present.
I was there at the time, and when the reverend gentlemen called, I
introduced them to the Indians in their rooms. The Indians were all
seated on the floor, upon their robes and blankets, and passing around
the pipe. After the usual time taken by strangers to examine their
curious dresses, weapons, &c., one of the reverend gentlemen mentioned
to the chiefs, in a very kind and friendly manner, the objects of their
visit, and with their permission gave them a brief account of the life
and death of our Saviour, and explained as well as he could to their
simple minds the mode of Redemption. He urged upon them the necessity
of their taking up this belief, and though it might be difficult for
them to understand at first, yet he was sure it was the only way to
salvation. This gentleman took full time to explain his views to them,
which was done in the most suitable language for their understanding,
and every sentence was carefully and correctly interpreted to them
by Jeffrey, who seemed to be himself much interested in hearing his
remarks.
After the reverend gentleman had finished, Mr. Melody stated to the
Indians that he believed all that the gentleman said was true, and that
he knew it to be worth their closest and most patient consideration.
He then asked White-cloud if he had anything to answer; to which he
said, "he had but a few words to say, as he did not feel very well, and
_Neu-mon-ya_ (the War-chief) was going to speak for him." He thought,
however, that it was a subject which they might as well omit until they
got home.
_Neu-mon-ya_ during this time was hanging his head quite down, and
puffing the smoke as fast as he could draw it through his pipe, in
long breaths, and discharging it through his nostrils. He raised up
after a moment more of pause, and passing the pipe into White-cloud's
hand, folded his arms, with his elbows on his knees, when he drew a
deep sigh, and followed it with the last discharge of smoke from his
lungs, which was now passing in two white streams through his distended
nostrils, as he said--
"My friends,[14]--The Great Spirit has sent you to us with kind
words, and he has opened our ears to hear them, which we have done.
We are glad to see you and to hear you speak, for we know that you
are our friends. What you have said relative to our learning to read
and to write, we are sure can do us no good--we are now too old;
but for our children, we think it would be well for them to learn;
and they are now going to schools in our village, and learning to
read and to write. As to the white man's religion which you have
explained, we have heard it told to us in the same way, many times,
in our own country, and there are white men and women there now,
trying to teach it to our people. We do not think your religion good,
unless it is so for white people, and this we don't doubt. The Great
Spirit has made our skins red, and the forests for us to live in. He
has also given us our religion, which has taken our fathers to 'the
beautiful hunting grounds,' where we wish to meet them. We don't
believe that the Great Spirit made us to live with pale faces in this
world, and we think He has intended we should live separate in the
world to come.
"My friends,--We know that when white men come into our country we
are unhappy--the Indians all die, or are driven away before the white
men. Our hope is to enjoy our hunting grounds in the world to come,
which white men cannot take from us: we _know_ that our fathers and
our mothers have gone there, and we don't know why we should not go
there too.
"My friends,--You have told us that the Son of the Great Spirit was
on earth, and that he was killed by white men, and that the Great
Spirit sent him here to get killed; now we cannot understand all
this--this may be necessary for white people, but the red men, we
think, have not yet got to be so wicked as to require that. If it was
necessary that the Son of the Great Spirit should be killed for white
people, it may be necessary for them to believe all this; but for us,
we cannot understand it."
[14] Being a silent listener to these conversations, I took out my
note book and wrote down the remarks here given, as they were
translated by Jeffrey.
He here asked for the pipe, and having drawn a few whiffs, proceeded.
"My friends,--You speak of the '_good book_' that you have in your
hand; we have many of these in our village; we are told that 'all
your words about the Son of the Great Spirit are printed in that
book, and if we learn to read it, it will make good people of us.'
I would now ask why it don't make good people of the pale faces
living all around us? They can all read the good book, and they can
understand all that the '_black coats_'[15] say, and still we find
they are not so honest and so good a people as ours: this we are sure
of; such is the case in the country about us, but _here_ we have no
doubt but the white people who have so many to preach and so many
books to read, are all honest and good. In _our_ country the white
people have two faces, and their tongues branch in different ways;
we know that this displeases the Great Spirit, and we do not wish to
teach it to our children."
[15] Clergymen.
He here took the pipe again, and while smoking, the reverend gentleman
asked him if he thought the Indians did all to serve the Great Spirit
that they ought to do--all that the Great Spirit required of them? to
which he replied--
"My friends,--I don't know that we do all that the Great Spirit
wishes us to do; there are some Indians, I know, who do not; there
are some bad Indians as well as bad white people; I think it is very
difficult to tell how much the Great Spirit wishes us to do."
The reverend gentleman said--
"That, my friends, is what we wish to teach you; and if you can learn
to read this good book, it will explain all that."
The chief continued--
"We believe the Great Spirit requires us to pray to Him, which we
do, and to thank Him for everything we have that is good. We know
that He requires us to speak the truth, to feed the poor, and to love
our friends. We don't know of anything more that he demands; he may
demand more of white people, but we don't know that."
The reverend gentleman inquired--
"Do you not think that the Great Spirit sometimes punishes the
Indians in this world for their sins?"
_War-chief._--"Yes, we do believe so."
_Rev. Gentleman._--"Did it ever occur to you, that the small pox that
swept off half of your tribe, and other tribes around you, a few
years ago, might have been sent into your country by the Great Spirit
to punish the Indians for their wickedness and their resistance to
his word?"
_War-chief._--"My Friends, we don't know that we have ever resisted
the word of the Great Spirit. If the Great Spirit sent the small
pox into our country to destroy us, we believe it was to punish us
for listening to the false promises of white men. It is white man's
disease, and no doubt it was sent amongst white people to punish
_them_ for their sins. It never came amongst the Indians until we
began to listen to the promises of white men, and to follow their
ways; it then came amongst us, and we are not sure but the Great
Spirit then sent it to punish us for our foolishness. There is
another disease sent by the Great Spirit to punish white men, and it
punishes them in the right place--the place that offends. We know
that disease has been sent to punish them; that disease was never
amongst the Indians until white men came--they brought it, and we
believe we shall never drive it out of our country."
The War-chief here reached for the pipe again for a minute, and then
continued--
"My Friends,--I hope my talk does not offend you; we are children,
and you will forgive us for our ignorance. The Great Spirit expects
us to feed the poor; our wives and children at home are very poor;
wicked white men kill so many of our hunters and warriors with
_fire-water_, that they bring among us, and leave so many children
among us for us to feed, when they go away, that it makes us very
poor. Before they leave our country they destroy all the game also,
and do not teach us to raise bread, and our nation is now in that
way, and very poor; and we think that the way we can please the Great
Spirit first, is to get our wives and children something to eat, and
clothes to wear. It is for that we have come to this country, and
still we are glad to hear your counsel, for it is good."
The reverend gentlemen, and several ladies who had accompanied them,
here bestowed some very beautiful Bibles and other useful presents
upon the Indians; and thanking them for their patience, were about
to take leave of them, when Mr. Melody begged their attention for a
few moments while he read to them several letters just received from
reverend gentlemen conducting a missionary school in this tribe, giving
a flattering account of its progress, and presented them a vocabulary
and grammar, already printed in the Ioway language, by a printing-press
belonging to the missionary school in their country. This surprised
them very much, and seemed to afford them great satisfaction.
* * * * *
The comments of the press, as well as the remarks of the public who had
seen them, now being made upon the superior interest of this party,
they were receiving daily calls from distinguished persons, and also
numerous invitations to gentlemen's houses, which daily increased their
consequence, and, of course, their enjoyment. Amongst the first of
these kind invitations was one from Mr. Disraeli, M.P., for the whole
party to partake of a breakfast at his house, in Park Lane.
This was for the next morning after the interview just described; and,
not knowing or even being able to imagine what they were to see, or
what sort of rules or etiquette they were to be subjected to, they were
under the most restless excitement to prepare everything for it, and
the greatest anxiety for the hour to approach. They were all up at
an unusually early hour, preparing every trinket and every article of
dress, and spent at least an hour at their toilets in putting the paint
upon their faces. The Doctor had been told that he would sit down at
the table amongst many very splendid ladies; and this, or some other
embarrassment, had caused him to be dissatisfied with the appearance of
the paint which he had put upon his face, and which he was carefully
examining with his little looking-glass. He decided that it would not
do, and some bear's grease and a piece of deer-skin soon removed it
all. He spent another half hour with his different tints, carefully
laying them on with the end of his forefinger; and, displeased again,
_they_ were all demolished as before. Alarm about time now vexed him,
and caused him to plaster with a more rapid and consequently with a
more "masterly touch." The effect was fine! He was ready, and so were
all the party, from head to foot. All their finest was on, and all
were prepared for the move, when I came in at about eight o'clock
to advise them of the hour at which we were to go, and which I had
forgotten to mention to them the evening before. I then referred to
the note of invitation, and informed them that the hour appointed was
twelve o'clock. The whole party, who were at that time upon their feet
around me, wrapped in their robes, their shields and quivers slung,
and the choice tints upon their faces almost too carefully arranged
to be exposed to the breath of the dilapidating wind, expressed a
decided shock when the hour of twelve was mentioned. They smiled, and
evidently thought it strange, and that some mistake had been made.
Their conjectures were many and curious: some thought it was _dinner_
that was meant, instead of _breakfast_; and others thought so late an
hour was fixed that they might get their own breakfasts out of the way,
and then give the Indians theirs by themselves. I answered, "No, my
good fellows, it is just the reverse of this; you are all wrong--it is
to _breakfast_ that you are invited, and lest their family, and their
friends whom they have invited to meet you, should not have the honour
of sitting down and eating with you, they have fixed the hour at twelve
o'clock, the time that the great and fashionable people take their
breakfasts. You must have your breakfasts at home at the usual hour,
and take your usual _drive_ before you go; so you will have plenty of
time for all, and be in good humour when you go there, where you will
see many fine ladies and be made very happy."
My remarks opened a new batch of difficulties to them that I had not
apprehended, some of which were exceedingly embarrassing. To wait four
hours, and to eat and to ride in the meantime, would be to derange the
streaks of paint and also to soil many articles of dress which could
not be put on excepting on very particular occasions. To take them off
and put them on, and to go through the vexations of the toilet again,
at eleven o'clock, was what several of the party could submit to, and
others could not. As to the breakfast of huge beefsteaks and coffee
which was just coming up, I had felt no apprehensions; but when it was
on the table I learned that the _old Doctor_ and _Wash-ka-mon-ya_ and
one or two others of the young men were adhering to a custom of their
country, and which, in my rusticity (having been seven or eight years
out of Indian life), I had at the moment lost sight of.
It is the habit in their country, when an Indian is invited to a feast,
to go as hungry as he can, so as to be as fashionable as possible, by
eating an enormous quantity, and for this purpose the invitations are
generally extended some time beforehand, paying the valued compliment
to the invited guest of allowing as much time as he can possibly
require for starving himself and preparing his stomach by tonics taken
in bitter decoctions of medicinal herbs. In this case the invitation
had only been received the day before, and of course allowed them much
less than the usual time to prepare to be _fashionable_. They had,
however, received the information just in time for the _Doctor_ and
_Wash-ka-mon-ya_ and the _Roman-nose_ to avoid the annoyance of their
dinners and suppers on that day, and they had now laid themselves
aside in further preparation for the _feast_ in which they were to be
candidates for the mastery in emptying plates and handling the "knife
and fork" (or "knife and fingers"), the custom of their country.
In this condition the _Doctor_ particularly was a subject for the
freshest amusement, or for the profoundest contemplation. With all
his finery and his trinkets on, and his red and yellow paint--with
his shield, and bow and quiver lying by his side, he was straightened
upon his back, with his feet crossed, as he rested in a corner of
the room upon his buffalo robe, which was spread upon the floor.
His little looking glass, which was always suspended from his belt,
he was holding in his hand, as he was still arranging his beautiful
feathers, and contemplating the patches of red and yellow paint, and
the _tout ensemble_ of the pigments and _copper colour_ with which he
was to make a sensation where he was going to _feast_ (as he had been
told) with ladies, an occurrence not known in the annals of the Indian
country. He had resolved, on hearing the hour was _twelve_, not to eat
his breakfast (which he said might do for women and children), or to
take his usual ride in the bus, that he might not injure his growing
appetite, or disturb a line of paint or a feather, until the hour had
arrived for the honours and the luxuries that awaited them.
I reasoned awhile with these three epicures of the land of "_buffaloes'
tongues_ and _beavers' tails_," telling them that they were labouring
under a misconception of the ideas of gentility as entertained in the
civilized and fashionable world; that in London, the genteel people
practised entirely the opposite mode from theirs; that light dinners
and light breakfasts were all the fashion, and the less a lady or
gentleman could be seen eating, the more sentimental he or she was
considered, and consequently the more transcendently genteel: and that
when they went to breakfast with their friends at 12, or to dine at
7 or 8, they were generally in the habit of promoting gentility by
eating a little at home before they started.
My reasoning, however, had no other effect than to excite a smile from
the Doctor, and the very philosophic reply, "that they should prefer
to adhere to their own custom until they got to the lady's house, when
they would try to conform to that of the white people of London." The
drollness of these remarks from this droll old gentleman entirely
prevented Mr. Melody and myself from intruding any further suggestions,
until the hour arrived, and it was announced that the carriage was at
the door.