Indians at Madame Greene's party--Their ideas of waltzing--The
Doctor's admiration of the young ladies--The King's fête,
first of May--Indians in the Palace--Royal Family in the
balcony--Grand and sublime scene on the river--Indians in a
crowd of nobility in the Duc d'Aumale's apartments--Messenger
to Indians' apartments with gold and silver medals--Medals
to the women and children--Consequent difficulties--Visit
to the Hospital of Invalids--Place Concorde--Column of
Luxor--The fountains--Visit to the Triumphal Arch--Jim's
description of an ugly woman--Victor Hugo--Madame Georges
Sands--Indians visit the Louvre--M. de Cailleux--Baron de
Humboldt--Illness of the wife of Little Wolf--A phrenologist
visits the Indians--The phrenologist's head examined--Two
Catholic priests visit the Indians--Indians visit the Garden
of Plants--Alarm of the birds and animals--The "poor prisoner
buffalo"--Visit to the _Salle aux Vins_--Astonishment
of the Indians--The war-whoop--_Chickabobboo_--Cafés
explained--Indians visit _Père la Chaise_--A great funeral--A
speech over the grave--Hired mourners--Visit the _School
of Medicine_--and "_Dupuytren's Room_"--Excitement of the
Doctor--Visit to the _Foundling Hospital_--Astonishment and
pity of the Indians--Entries in Jim's note-book, and Doctor's
remarks--Visit the _Guillotine_--Indians' ideas of _hanging_
in England, and _beheading_ in France--Curious debate--Visit
to the _Dog Market_--Jim's purchase and difficulty--The _Dog
Hospital_--Alarm of the "petites malades"--Retreat--_Bobasheela_
arrives from London--Great rejoicing--Jim's comments on the
Frenchwomen--The _little foundlings_ and the _little dogs_.
Having thus commenced upon our operations in the Salle Valentino,
it was thought best to change the lodgings of the Indians to some
point more near to the place of their exhibitions, and rooms were at
length procured for them in the same building with their hall, and
communicating with it. To these apartments they were removed, and
arrangements were made for two open carriages to drive them an hour
each day for their recreation and amusement. By this arrangement we
had the sights of Paris before us, and easily within our reach, to
be visited at our leisure. Our exhibitions were given each night from
eight to ten, and each afternoon from one to three o'clock; so that
they had the mornings for sight-seeing, and their evenings, from ten to
twelve, to visit the theatres or parties, whenever they were invited
and felt disposed to attend.
The first evening-party they were invited to attend in Paris was that
of the lady of _Mr. Greene_, the American banker. They were there
ushered into a brilliant blaze of lamps, of beauty, and fashion,
composed chiefly of Americans, to whom they felt the peculiar
attachment of countrymen, though of a different complexion, and
anywhere else than across the Atlantic would have been strangers to.
They were received with great kindness by this polite and excellent
lady and her daughters, and made many pleasing acquaintances in her
house. The old Doctor had luckily dressed out his head with his red
crest, and left at home his huge head-dress of horns and eagles'
quills, which would have been exceedingly unhandy in a _squeeze_, and
subjected him to curious remarks amongst the ladies. He had loaded
on all his wampum and other ornaments, and smiled away the hours
in perfect happiness, as he was fanning himself with the tail of a
war-eagle, and bowing his head to the young and beautiful ladies who
were helping him to lemonade and _blanc-mange_, and to the young men
who were inviting him to the table to take an occasional glass of the
"_Queen's chickabobboo_." Their heavy buffalo robes were distressing to
them (said the Doctor) in the great heat of the rooms, "but then, as
the ladies were afraid of getting paint on their dresses, they did not
squeeze so hard against us as they did against the other people in the
room, so we did not get so hot as we might have been."
It amused the Doctor and Jim very much to see the gentlemen take the
ladies by the waist when they were dancing with them, probably never
having seen waltzing before. They were pleased also, as the Doctor
said, with "the manner in which the ladies showed their beautiful
white necks and arms, but they saw several that they thought had better
been covered." "The many nice and sweet and frothy little things that
the ladies gave them in tea-saucers to eat, with little spoons, were
too sweet, and they did not like them much; and in coming away they
were sorry they could not find the good lady to thank her, the crowd
was so great; but the _chickabobboo_ (champagne), which was very good,
was close to the door, and a young man with yellow hair and moustaches
kept pouring it out until they were afraid, if they drank any more,
some of the poor fellows who were dancing so hard would get none."
The scene they witnessed that night was truly very brilliant, and
afforded them theme for a number of pipes of gossip after they got home.
It has been said, and very correctly, that there is no end to the
amusements of Paris, and to the Indians, to whose sight every thing was
new and curious, the term, no doubt, more aptly applied than to the
rest of the world. Of those never-ending sights there was one now at
hand which was promising them and "all the world" a fund of amusement,
and the poor fellows were impatient for its arrival. This splendid and
all-exciting affair was the King's fête on the 1st of May, his birthday
as some style it, though it is not exactly such, it is the day fixed
upon as the annual celebration of his birth. This was, of course, a
holiday to the Indians, as well as for everybody else, and I resolved
to spend the greater part of it with them.
Through the aid of some friends I had procured an order to admit the
party of Indians into the apartments of the Duke d'Aumale in the
Tuileries, to witness the grand concert in front of the Palace, and
to see the magnificent fireworks and illumination on the Seine at
night. We had the best possible position assigned us in the wing of
the Palace, overlooking the river in both directions, up and down,
bringing all the bridges of the Seine, the Deputies, and Invalides,
and other public buildings, which were illuminated, directly under our
eyes. During the day, Mr. Melody, and Jeffrey, and Daniel had taken,
as they called it, "a grand drive," to inspect the various places of
amusement, and the immense concourse of people assembled in them. Of
these, the Barrières, the Champs Elysées, &c., they were obliged to
take but a passing glance, for to have undertaken to stop and to mix
with the dense crowds assembled in them would have been dangerous, even
to their lives, from the masses of people who would have crowded upon
them. The Indians themselves were very sagacious on this point, and
always judiciously kept at a reasonable distance on such occasions.
It was amusement enough for them during the day to ride rapidly about
and through the streets, anticipating the pleasure they were to have
in the evening, and taking a distant view from their carriages, of
the exciting emulation of the _May-pole_, and a glance at the tops of
the thousand booths, and "flying ships," and "merry-go-rounds" of the
Champs Elysées.
At six o'clock we took our carriages and drove to the Tuileries, and,
being conducted to the splendid apartments of the Duke d'Aumale, who
was then absent from Paris, we had there, from the windows looking down
upon the Seine and over the Quartier St. Germain, and the windows in
front, looking over the garden of the Tuileries and Place Concorde, the
most general and comprehensive view that was to be had from any point
that could have been selected. Under our eyes in front, the immense
area of the garden of the Tuileries was packed with human beings,
forming but one black and dotted mass of some hundreds of thousands
who were gathered to listen to the magnificent orchestra of music,
and to see and salute with "Vive le Roi!" "Vive la Reine!" and "Vive
le Comte de Paris!" the Royal Family as they appeared in the balcony.
Though it appeared as if every part of the gardens was filled, there
was still a black and moving mass pouring through Rue Rivoli, Rue
Castiglione, Rue Royale, and Place Concorde, all concentrating in the
garden of the Tuileries. This countless mass of human beings continued
to gather until the hour when their Majesties entered the balcony, and
then, all hats off, there was a shout as vast and incomputable as the
mass itself of "Vive le Roi!--Vive le Roi!--Vive la Reine!--Vive le
Comte de Paris!" The King then, with his chapeau in his hand, bowed to
the audience in various directions; so did her Majesty the Queen and
the little Comte de Paris. The band then struck up the national air,
and played several pieces, while the Royal Family were seated in the
balcony, and the last golden rays of the sun, that was going behind
the Arc de Triomphe, was shining in their faces. Their Majesties then
retired as the twilight was commencing, and the vast crowd began to
move in the direction of the Seine, the Terrace, and Place Concorde, to
witness the grand scene of illumination and "feu d'artifice" that was
preparing on the river.
As the daylight disappeared, the artificial light commenced to display
its various characters, and the Indians began to wonder. This scene was
to be entirely new to them, and the reader can imagine better than I
can explain what was their astonishment when the King's signal rocket
was fired from the Tuileries, and in the next moment the whole river,
as it were, in a blaze of liquid fire, and the heavens burst asunder
with all their luminaries falling in a chaos of flames and sparkling
fire to the earth! The incessant roar and flash of cannons lining the
shore of the river, and the explosion of rockets in the air, with the
dense columns of white, and yellow, and blue, and blood-red smoke,
that were rising from the bed of the river, and all reflected upon the
surface of the water, heightened the grandeur of its effect, and helped
to make it unlike anything on earth, save what we might imagine to
transpire in and over the deep and yawning crater of a huge volcano in
the midst of its midnight eruption.
This wonderful scene lasted for half an hour, and when the last flash
died away, all eyes like our own seemed to turn away from the smoking
desolation that seemed to be left below, and the dense mass was
dividing and pouring off in streams through the various streets and
avenues, some seeking their homes with their little children, and
hundreds of thousands of others, to revel away the night amidst the
brilliant illuminations and innocent amusements of the Champs Elysées.
We turned our eyes at that moment from the scene, and, in turning
around, found ourselves blockaded by a phalanx of officers in gold lace
and cocked hats, and ladies, attachés of the royal household, Deputies,
Peers of France, and other distinguished guests of the Royal Family,
who had been viewing the scene from other windows of the Palace, and
had now gathered in our rooms to look at "_les Peaux Rouges_." My good
friend M. Vattemare was present on this occasion, and of great service
to us all, as there were in this crowd the incumbents of several high
offices under the Crown, and others of distinction with whom he was
acquainted, and to whom he introduced us all, converting the rooms and
the crowd in a little time into a splendid soirée, where conversation
and refreshments soon made all easy and quite happy.
The servants of the Duke's household conducted us into the several
apartments, explaining the paintings and other works of art, and
also took us into the Duke's bedchamber, where were the portraits of
himself and the Duchess, and others of the Royal Family. There was, we
learned, in another part of the Palace, a grand _bal_ on that evening,
and that accounted for the constant crowds of fashionable ladies and
gentlemen who were pouring into our apartments, and who would have
continued to do so in all probability for the greater part of the night
had we not taken up the line of march, endeavouring to make our way
to our carriages on our way home. This was for some time exceedingly
difficult, as we had a succession of rooms and halls to pass through
before we reached the top of the staircase, all of which were filled
with a dense mass of ladies and gentlemen, who had got information
that the Ioway Indians were in the Duke's apartments, and were then
making their way there to get a peep at them. We crowded and squeezed
through this mass as well as we could, and were all laughing at Jim's
remarks as we passed along. He thought the people had all left the
King and Queen to see the Indians. "Come see Ingins" (said he in
English) "at Salle Valentino--see em dance--better go back, see King,
see Queen--Ingins no good." Mr. Melody gave the poor fellow the first
idea that his words were thrown away, as these people were all French,
and did not understand English; so Jim said, "I spose em no buy Bible
then?" and began to whistle. We soon descended the grand escalier,
and, taking our carriages, were in a few minutes entering the Indians'
apartments in Salle Valentino.
Jim got home a little provoked, as the Doctor was showing a very
handsome eyeglass which had been presented to him: two or three of
the women had also received presents in money and trinkets, but Jim's
wife, as well as himself, was amongst the neglected or overlooked. He
then took out of his pouch and throwing it down upon the table one of
his beautiful gilt bound little Bibles, and said, "Me no sell em."
"Did you try, Jim?" "Yes, me try em, but me no sell em--folks call em
_Onglaise_. Onglaise no good, I guess, I no sell em." Poor Jim! he
looked quite chapfallen at the moment, and much more so when Daniel
afterwards told him that he ought to have had an auction or other sale
of his Bibles before he left England, for the French didn't care much
about Bibles, and if they did they wouldn't buy his, for they were in
the English language, which they could not read. Jim's regrets were
now very great, to think they had so little oversight as to come away
without thinking to make some conversion of them into ready cash.
Daniel told him, however, that he thought there would be nothing lost
on them, as they would sell better in America than they would have sold
in England, and he had better pack them away until they went home.
The conversation running upon Bibles, Jim was asked, as there was
some sympathy expressed for him, how many he and his wife had, to
which he replied, "I no know--I guess a heap." It was in a few moments
ascertained more correctly from his wife, who had the immediate charge
of them, that they had twenty-eight, and the account soon returned from
the whole party, that in all they had received about 120 since they
arrived in England.
They took their suppers, which were ready when they got back, and their
_chickabobboo_ (vin rouge) with their pipe, and engaged M. Vattemare
for some time to explain the meaning of the many beautiful decorations
they had seen worn on the breasts and shoulders of the officers they
had met in the palace. The explanations of these things pleased
them very much: as to the fireworks, they said that was such great
_medicine_ to them, that they did not care about talking on the subject
until they had taken more time to think.
Just as M. Vattemare and I were about to leave the room, I found Jim
and the Doctor interrogating Daniel about the "big guns that spoke
so loud: they thought they must have very large mouths to speak so
strong," and were anxious to see them. Daniel told them that those
which made the loudest noise were at the Hospital of the Invalides, and
it was then agreed that they should go there the next day to see them.
Jim said they had all been delighted at what Daniel read in his paper
about their going before the King and Queen, and that he must be sure
to bring the paper at an early hour the next morning, to let them hear
what was said about the Indians being in the palace the second time,
and in the rooms of the Duke, to see the fireworks.
The rest of their evening was taken up in "thinking" on what they had
seen, and the next morning, as he had promised, Daniel came in with the
paper and read a long account of the amusements of the day and evening,
and also of the hundreds of thousands in the crowd who moved along in
front of the Duke d'Aumale's apartments to look at the Indians, in
preference to look at the King and the Queen. It was decided (as he
read) that the crowd was much more dense and remained at a much later
hour in front of that wing of the palace than in front of the balcony,
where the Royal Family and the orchestra of music were. This pleased
them all very much; and after their breakfasts, while they were yet in
this cheerful train of feelings, the young man who had brought them the
money from the King made his appearance, and I was instantly sent for.
On arriving I was informed by him that he had come from his Majesty
with the gold and silver medals, to be presented in his Majesty's name
to each one individually. This announced, the Indians of course put all
other occupations aside, and, being all seated on the floor, at the
request of the chief, the medals were called out by the inscriptions on
them and presented accordingly. The first presented was a gold medal to
White Cloud, the chief: the inscription on the back of it read thus:--
"Donné à _Mu-hu-she-kaw_, par le Roi: 1845."
The next presented was to the War-chief--a gold medal of equal size,
and inscription in the same form. Silver medals, of equal size with
inscriptions, were then presented to all the warriors and women and
children. This last part of the list, women and children, seemed to
startle them a little. The idea of women and children receiving medals
was entirely new to them, and put them quite at a stand. There was no
alternative but to take them, and be thankful for them; but it seemed
curious enough to them--a subject not to be named, however, until
the messenger had departed with their thanks to his Majesty for his
kindness. This was done by the War-chief, and the gentleman departed.
The old Doctor and _Wa-ton-ye_, the two unmarried men of the
party, were the only ones who seemed to show anything like decided
dissatisfaction in their faces, though Jim and Little Wolf were
fumbling theirs over in their fingers, evidently in a struggle of
feeling whether to be dissatisfied or not. The Little Wolf was a
warrior of decided note, who had taken several scalps, and his
wife had never taken one, and yet her medal was equal to his own;
however, by the operation he had got two medals instead of one. Jim
felt a little touched, and, though never having done much more in war
than his squaw had, was preparing to make a great harangue on the
occasion, and even rolled over on his back, and drew up his knees,
for the purpose, but, taking the shining metal from his wife's hands,
and placing it by the side of his own, he thought they would form a
beautiful ornament, both hanging together, symbolic of an affectionate
husband and wife, and he was silent. The poor old Doctor, though, who
had taken _one prisoner_ certain, and _possibly_ some scalps, and (as
the old War-chief had one day told him) undoubtedly "many lives," who
could only dangle one medal (having no wife), and that one no better
than those given to the women and children, lost all traces of the
complaisant smiles that had shone on his face a little time before,
and, rising suddenly up, and wrapping his robe around him, he found his
way to the house-top, where he stood in silent gaze upon the chimneys
and tiles, more suited to the meditations that were running through his
troubled mind. _Wa-ton-ye_, in the mean time, with smothered feelings
that no one ever heard vent given to, hung his with its tri-coloured
ribbon upon a nail in the wall just over his head, and, drawing his
buffalo robe quite over him, hid his face, and went to sleep.
White Cloud and the War-chief sat during the while, with their families
hanging about their shoulders and knees, well pleased, and smiling upon
the brightness of his Majesty's familiar features in shining gold, as
they turned their medals around in various lights. Theirs were of a
more precious metal, and each, from the number of his family with him,
became the owner of _three_, instead of _one_, over which the poor
Doctor was yet pondering on the house-top, as he stood looking off
towards the mountains and prairies.
When their carriages were at the door, to make their visit to the
_Hôpital des Invalides_, as promised the night before, the Doctor was
unwilling to break the charm of his contemplations, and _Wa-ton-ye_
could not be waked, and the rest drove off in good cheer and delight.
They hung their medals on their necks, suspended by their tri-coloured
ribbons, the meaning of which having been explained to them, and they
were soon at the mouths of the huge cannon, whose "big mouths" had
"spoken so loudly" the night before.
After taking a good look at them, and getting something of their
curious history, they entered that wonderful and most noble
institution, an honour to the name of its founder and to the country
that loves and upholds it, the _Hospital_ of _Invalids_. Nothing on
earth could have struck these people as more curious and interesting
(a race of warriors themselves) than this institution, with its
3800 venerable inmates, the living victims of battles, wounded,
crippled, fed, and clothed, and made happy, the living evidences of
the human slaughter that must have taken place in the scenes they had
been through. If this scene convinced them of the destructiveness
of civilized modes of warfare, it taught them an useful lesson of
civilized sympathy for those who are the unfortunate victims of war and
carnage.
The moral that was drawn from this day's visit was an important one
to them, and I took the opportunity, and many others afterwards, to
impress it upon their minds. It pleased them to hear that these old
veterans, with one leg and one arm, were the very men who were chosen
to come to the big guns, and fire them off, on the day of the King's
fete--the same guns that they fought around, and over, when they were
taking them from the enemies.
Returning from the "_Invalides_," our carriages were stopped in Place
Concorde for a view of the beautiful fountains playing, which pleased
and astonished them, as they do all foreigners who pass. The Egyptian
obelisk column of Luxor, of seventy-two feet, in one solid piece of
granite, and brought from Egypt to Paris, was shown and explained to
them, and our carriage driven to the ground where the _guillotine_ had
stood on which the blood of Kings and Queens had been shed, and where
the father of Louis Philippe was beheaded. These extraordinary and
almost incredible facts of history, and that so recent, filled their
minds with amazement, and almost with incredulity. Our drive that day
was continued through the broad avenue of the Champs Elysées to the
_triumphal arch_ at the Barrière d'Etoile, and our view from the top of
it was one of the finest they thought in the world. We were not quite
as high as when we were on the tower of the York cathedral, but the
scene around us was far more picturesque and enchanting.
When we returned we found the old Doctor and _Wa-ton-ye_ seated upon
their buffalo robes, and playing at cards, quite in good humour, and
their medals put away, as if nothing had happened to put them out. They
were much amused at the descriptions of what the others had seen, and
particularly so at Jim's description of an ugly woman he saw on top of
the Arc de Triomphe, and who followed him around, he said, and looked
him in the face until he was frightened. Here the Doctor, who had been
out of humour, and was disposed to be a little severe on Jim, replied
that "it was laughable for such an ill-looking, big-mouthed fellow as
him to be talking about any one's ill looks, and to be alarmed at any
one's ugliness, looking out over such a set of features as he had on
the lower part of his face." Jim, however, having two medals, took but
little notice of the Doctor's severity, but proceeded to tell about
the ugly woman he saw. He said, "her eyes had all the time two white
rings clear around them, and the end of her nose turning up, as if she
had always smelled something bad, had pulled her upper-lip up so high
that she could not shut her mouth or cover her teeth. She had two great
rows of teeth, and there was black all between them, as if a charge of
gunpowder had gone off in her mouth, and her skin was as white as snow,
excepting on her cheeks, and there it was quite red, like a rose."
"Stop, stop, Jim," said I, "let me write that down before you go any
further."
But this was all. He said he could not bear to look at her, and
therefore he did not examine her any further. He also made some fun
about two English ladies, who were up there when they were on the Arc
de Triomphe. He said, "he had sat down by the side of the railing with
his wife, where these ladies came to them. One of them asked if they
could speak English, to which he made no reply, but shook his head. He
said they had a great many things to say about him, and one of them
wanted to feel his face (his chin, he supposed), to see if he had any
beard; and when she did not find any, she said something which he did
not understand, but he said it tickled them very much, and then he said
she put her hand on his shoulder, which was naked, and took hold of
his arm, and said several things, about which they had a great deal of
laugh, which he understood, and which he would not like to mention, for
his wife did not understand them, and he did not wish her to know what
they were laughing about."
The hour having approached for their afternoon's exhibition, the
conversation was here broken off. I was, however, obliged to delay
a few minutes for some account they wished me to give them of the
guillotine, which I had spoken of while in the Place Concorde. I
briefly described it to them, and they all expressed a wish to go some
day and see it, and I promised to take them.
The exhibition in the afternoon was attended by many more fashionable
ladies and gentlemen than that of the evening; and so many carriages
driving up to the door, in a pleasant day, was always sure to put the
Doctor into the best of humour, and generally, when he was in such
a mood, there would be wit and drollery enough in him, and his good
friend Jim, to influence the whole group. They were usually in good
spirits, and, when so, were sure to please; and thus were they on that,
the first of their morning's entertainments; and it happened luckily,
for we had in the rooms some of the most fashionable and literary
personages of Paris--amongst these, the famous writers, _Victor Hugo_,
_Madame Georges Sands_, and several others, to whom the Indians and
myself were personally introduced.
The old Doctor was told by M. Vattemare, who was again there, to do
his best, and all did their parts admirably well, and much to the
astonishment of the ladies, several of which old dames I found had
really supposed, until now, that the "_sauvages_" were little more
than wild beasts. After the Indians had finished their amusements and
retired from the rooms, _I_ was left _lion_ again and "lord of all the
visitors were now surveying." Then it was that _my_ embarrassment came,
losing in a great measure the pleasure that I could have drawn from the
society of such persons who came to praise, by not speaking the French
language.
However, I had generally the benefit of my friend M. Vattemare or
others around me ready to help me through the difficulty. It gave me
daily pleasure to find that my works were highly applauded by the
press, as well as by personal expressions in the room, and in all the
grades of society to which I was then being invited.
Our second evening soon approached, and we found the hall fashionably
filled again, and of course the Indians, though in a strange country,
in good spirits and gratified, as their very appearance while entering
the room got them rounds of applause. After their exhibition was over
in the usual way I got _my_ applause, and so our mutual efforts were
daily and nightly made to instruct and amuse the Parisians, which I
shall always flatter myself we did to a considerable extent.
While our exhibitions were now in such a train, we were studying how to
make the most valuable use of our extra time, by seeing the sights of
Paris and its environs.
The _Louvre_ was one of the first objects of our attention; and having
procured an order from the Director to visit it on a private day, we
took an early hour and made our entry into it. We were received by
the Director with kindness, and he conducted the party the whole way
through the different galleries, pointing out and explaining to them
and to us the leading and most interesting things in it.
The Director, M. de Cailleux, had invited several of his distinguished
friends to meet him on the occasion, and it was to them, as well as
to us, interesting to see the Indians under such circumstances, where
there was so much to attract their attention and calculated to surprise
them. M. Vattemare was with us on this occasion, and of very great
service in his introductions and interpretations for us. Amongst the
distinguished persons who were present, and to whom I was introduced
on the occasion, was the Baron de Humboldt. He accompanied us quite
through the rooms of the Louvre, and took a great deal of interest in
the Indians, having seen and dealt with so many in the course of his
travels. I had much conversation with him, and in a few days after was
honoured by him with a private visit to my rooms, when I took great
pleasure in explaining the extent and objects of my collection.
The view of the Louvre was a great treat to the Indians, who had had
but little opportunity before of seeing works of art. In London we
thought we had showed them all the sights, but had entirely forgotten
the exhibitions of paintings; and I believe the poor fellows had been
led to think, before they saw the Louvre, that mine was the greatest
collection of paintings in the world. They had a great deal of talk
about it when they got home and had lit their pipe. The one great
objection they raised to it was, that "it was too long--there were too
many things to be seen; so many that they said they had forgotten all
the first before they got through, and they couldn't think of them
again." There was one impression they got while there, however--that no
length of room or number of pictures would easily eradicate from their
memories, the immense number of marks of bullets on the columns of the
portico, and even inside of the building, shot through the windows in
the time of the Revolution of July. This appalling scene was described
to them on the spot by M. Vattemare, which opened their eyes to an
historical fact quite new to them, and of which they soon taxed him and
me for some further account.
The poor fellows at this time were beginning to sympathize with the
noble fellow the Little Wolf, whose wife had been for some weeks
growing ill, and was now evidently declining with symptoms of quick
consumption. The buoyant spirits of the good and gallant fellow seemed
to be giving way to apprehensions; and although he joined in the
amusements, he seemed at times dejected and unhappy. There were days
when her symptoms seemed alarming, and then she would rally and be
in the room again in all the finery of her dress and trinkets, but
was evidently gradually losing strength and flesh, and decided by her
physician to be in a rapid decline. She was about this time advised to
keep to her chamber and away from the excitement of the exhibition and
sight-seeing, in which the rest of the party were daily engaged.
By this time the Ioways had made so much noise in Paris that they
were engaging the attention of the scientific, the religious, and the
ethnologic, as well as the mere curious part of the world, and daily
and almost hourly applications were being made to Mr. Melody and myself
for private interviews with them for the above purposes. We were
disposed to afford every facility in our power in such cases, but in
all instances left the Indians to decide who they would and who they
would not see.
Amongst those applicants there was a phrenologist, who had been
thrusting himself into their acquaintance as much as possible in their
exhibition rooms, and repeatedly soliciting permission to go to their
private rooms to make some scientific examinations and estimates of
their heads, to which the Indians had objected, not understanding the
meaning or object of his designs. He had become very importunate
however, and, having brought them a number of presents at different
times, it was agreed at Mr. Melody's suggestion, one day, as the
quickest way of getting rid of him, that he should be allowed to come
up. We conversed with the Indians, and assured them that there was
not the slightest chance of harm, or witchcraft, or anything of the
kind about it, and they agreed to let him come in. They had a hearty
laugh when he came in, at Jim's wit, who said to him, though in Indian
language that he didn't understand, "If you will shut the door now,
you will be the ugliest-looking man in the whole room." This was not,
of course, translated to the phrenologist, who proceeded with his
examinations, and commenced on Jim's head first. Jim felt a little
afraid, and considerably embarrassed also, being the first one called
upon to undergo an operation which he knew so little about, or what
was to be the result of. Stout, and warlike, and courageous as he was,
he trembled at the thought of a thing that he could not yet in the
least appreciate, and all were looking on and laughing at him for his
embarrassment. The phrenologist proceeded, feeling for the bumps around
his head, and, stopping once in a while to make his mental deductions,
would then run his fingers along again. Jim's courage began to rally
a little, seeing that there was to be nothing more than that sort of
manipulation, and he relieved himself vastly by turning a little of his
wit upon the operator, for a thing that looked to him so exceedingly
ridiculous and absurd, by telling him "I don't think you'll find any
in my head; we Indians shave a great part of our hair off, and we keep
so much oil in the rest of it, that they won't live there: you will
find much more in white men's heads, who don't oil their hair." This
set the whole party and all of us in a roar, and Jim's head shook so
as to embarrass the operator for a little time. When he got through,
and entered his estimates in his book, Jim asked him "if he found
anything in his head?" to which he replied in the affirmative. Placing
his fingers on "_self-esteem_," he said there was great fulness there.
"Well," said Jim, "I'm much obliged to you: I'll set my wife to look
there by and by. And now," said Jim, "take the old Doctor here: his
head is full of em." By this time Jim's jokes had got us all into a
roar of laughter, and the Doctor was in the chair, and Jim looking on
to see what he could discover. White Cloud thought Jim had cracked his
jokes long enough, and as they had all laughed at them, he considered
it most respectful now to let the man go through with it. So he
finished with the Doctor and then with White Cloud and the War-chief,
and when he came to the women they positively declined.
Jim, having been rebuked for laughing too much, had stopped suddenly,
and, instantly resolving to try his jokes upon the poor man in another
mood, assumed, as he easily could, the most treacherous and assassin
look that the human face can put on, and asked the phrenologist if he
was done, to which he replied "Yes." "Now," said Jim, "we have all
waited upon you and given you a fair chance, and I now want you to
sit down a minute and let me examine _your_ head;" at the same time
drawing his long scalping knife out from his belt, and wiping its blade
as he laid it in a chair by the side of him. The phrenologist, having
instantly consented, and just taking possession of the chair as he was
drawing his knife out, could not well do otherwise than sit still for
Jim's operations, though he was evidently in a greater trepidation than
he had put Jim into by the first experiment that was made. Jim took the
requisite time in his manipulations to crack a few jokes more among
his fellow Indians upon the quackery of his patient, and then to let
him up, telling him, for the amusement of those around, that "his face
looked very pale" (which by the way was the case), "and that he found
his head very full of them."
The phrenologist was a good-natured sort of man, and, only partially
understanding their jokes, was delighted to get off with what he had
learned, without losing his scalp-lock, which it would seem as if he
had apprehended at one moment to have been in some danger. As he was
leaving the room, Daniel came in, announcing that there were two
Catholic clergymen in the room below, where they had been waiting half
an hour to have some talk with the Indians. "Let them up," says Jim;
"I will make a speech to them:" at which the old Doctor sprang up.
"There," said he, "there's my robe; lay down quick." The Doctor's wit
raised a great laugh, but, when a moment had blown it away, Mr. Melody
asked the chief what was his wish, whether to see them or not. "Oh
yes," said he (but rather painfully, and with a sigh); "yes, let them
come in: we are in a strange country, and we don't wish to make any
enemies: let them come up." They were then conducted up and spent half
an hour in pleasant conversation with the chiefs, without questioning
them about their religion, or urging their own religion upon them. This
pleased the Indians very much, and, finding them such pleasant and
social good-natured men, they felt almost reluctant to part company
with them. Each of them left a handsome Bible as presents, and took
affectionate leave.
After they had left, the Indians had much talk about them, and were
then led to think of "the good people," the Friends, they had seen so
many of in England and Ireland, and asked me if they should find any of
them in Paris. I told them I thought they would not, at which they were
evidently very much disappointed.
One of the next sight-seeing expeditions was to the _Jardin des
Plantes_, to which our old friend M. Vattemare accompanied us. The
animals here, from a difference of training, or other cause, were not
quite so much alarmed as they were in the menagerie in London; but when
the doctor breathed out the silvery notes of his howling _totem_, the
wolf at once answered him in a remote part of the garden. Jim imitated
the wild goose, and was answered in an instant by a cackling flock of
them. The panthers hissed, and the hyænas were in great distress, and
the monkeys also: the eagles chattered and bolted against the sides
of their cages, and the parrots lost their voices by squalling, and
many of their feathers by fluttering, when the Indians came within
their sight. They pitied the poor old and jaded buffalo, as they did in
London, he looked so broken-spirited and desolate; and also the deer
and the elks; but the bears they said didn't seem to care much about
it. They were far more delighted with the skins of animals, reptiles,
and fishes in the museum of natural history; and I must say that _I_
was also, considering it the finest collection I ever have seen.
The garden of plants was amusement enough for an hour or so, and then
to the _Halle aux Vins_ in the immediate neighbourhood. This grand
magazine of _chickabobboo_ has been described by many writers, and
no doubt seen by many who read, but few have seen the expression of
amazement upon the brows of a party of wild Indians from the forest
of America, while their eyes were running over the vast and almost
boundless lines of 800,000 casks of wine under one roof, and heard the
piercing war-whoop echoing and vibrating through their long avenues,
raised at the startling information that 20,000,000 of gallons of this
are annually drawn out of this to be drunk in the city of Paris; and
few of those who heard it knew whether it was raised to set the wine
running, or as a note of exultation that they had found a greater
fountain of _chickabobboo_ than the brewery they were in, in London.
However true the latter was, the first was supposed to have been the
design, and it must needs have its effect. A few bottles, in kindness
and hospitality cracked, cooled all parched and parching lips, and our
faithful timepieces told us our engagement with the public was at hand,
and we laid our course again for the _Salle Valentino_.
"Oh! what a glorious country," said Jim, as we were rolling along;
"there's nothing like that in London: the _chickabobboo_ is better
here, and there's more of it too." Poor ignorant fellow! he was not
aware that the brewery they saw in London was only one of some dozens,
and that the wine in all those casks they had just seen was not quite
as delicious as that with which his lips had just been moistened.
With their recollections dwelling on the scenes they had witnessed in
London, they were naturally drawing comparisons as they were wending
their way back; and they had in this mood taken it into their heads
that there were no gin-shops in Paris, as they could see none, which
was quite mysterious to them, until I explained to them the nature of
the cafés, the splendid open shops they were every moment passing,
glittering with gold and looking-glasses. They were surprised to learn
that the delicious poison was dealt out in these neat "palaces," but
which they had not known or suspected the meaning of. They admitted
their surprise, and at once decided that "they liked the free, and
open, and elegant appearance of them much better than those in London,
where they are all shut up in front with great and gloomy doors, to
prevent people from looking into them, as if they were ashamed."
The cemetery of Père la Chaise was next to be seen as soon as there
should be a fine day: that day arrived, and half an hour's drive landed
us at its entrance.
This wonderful place has been described by many travellers, and
therefore needs but a passing notice here. This wilderness of tombs,
of houses or boxes of the dead, thrown and jumbled together amidst
its gloomy cypress groves and thickets, is perhaps one of the most
extraordinary scenes of the kind in the world: beautiful in some
respects, and absurd and ridiculous in others, it is still one of
the wonders of Paris, and all who see the one must needs visit the
other. The scene was one peculiarly calculated to excite and please
the Indians. The wild and gloomy and almost endless labyrinths of
the little mansions of the dead were pleasing contrasts to their
imprisonment within the dry and heated walls of the city; the varied
and endless designs that recorded the places and the deeds of the dead
were themes of amusement to them, and the subject altogether one that
filled their minds with awe, and with admiration of the people who
treated their dead with so much respect.
We wandered for an hour through its intricate mazes of cypress,
examining the tombs of the rich and the poor so closely and curiously
grouped together--a type, even in the solitudes of death, of the great
Babylon in which their days had been numbered and spent. Whilst we
were strolling through the endless mazes of this _sub-rosa_ city, we
met an immense concourse of people, evidently bearing the body of some
distinguished person to the grave. The pompous display of mourning
feathers and fringes, &c., with hired mourners, was matter of some
surprise to the Indians; but when a friend of the deceased stepped
forward to pronounce an eulogium on his character, recounting his many
virtues and heroic deeds, it reminded the Indians forcibly of the
custom of their own country, and they all said they liked to see that.
We took them to the patched and vandalized tomb of Abelard and Eloisa;
but as there was not time for so long a story, it lost its interest
to them. They were evidently struck with amazement at the system and
beauty of this place, and from that moment decided that they liked the
French for the care they took of their old soldiers and the dead.
The poor fellows, the Indians, who were now proceeding daily and
nightly with their exciting and "astonishing" exhibitions, were
becoming so confounded and confused with the unaccountable sights and
mysteries of Paris which they were daily visiting, that they began
to believe there was no end to the curious and astonishing works
of civilized man; and, instead of being any longer startled with
excitement and wonder, decided that it would be better to look at
everything else as simple and easy to be made by those that know how,
and therefore divested of all further curiosity. This they told me they
had altogether resolved upon: "they had no doubt there were yet many
strange things for them to see in Paris, and they would like to follow
me to see them all; but they would look with their eyes only half open,
and not trouble us with their surprise and their questions."
With these views, and their eyes "half open," then, they still took
their daily drives, and Mr. Melody or myself, in constant company,
stopping to show them, and to see ourselves, what was yet new and
wonderful to be seen. There was still much to be seen in Paris, and
the poor Indians were a great way from a complete knowledge of all the
tricks and arts of civilization.
A drive to the _School of Medicine_ and the _Hôpital des Enfans
Trouvés_ was enough for one morning's recreation. The first, with
"_Dupuytren's Room_," was enough to open the old Doctor's eyes, and
the latter, with its 6000 helpless and parentless infants added to it
annually, sufficient to swell the orbs of Jim, and make him feel for
his note-book. The School of Medicine, with Dupuytren's Room, forms
one of the most surprising sights to be seen in Paris, and yet, save
with the Doctor, there seemed to be but little interest excited by the
sight. The Doctor's attitude was one of studied dignity and philosophic
conceit as he stood before those wonderful preparations, not to be
astonished, but to study as a critic, while he fanned himself with his
eagle's tail. The expression of his face, which was the whole time
unchanged, was one of a peculiar kind, and, as it was not sketched at
the time, must be for ever lost.
The novel and pitiful sight of the thousands of innocent little
creatures in the Foundling Hospital seemed to open the "half-closed
eyes" and the hearts of the Indians, notwithstanding the resolutions
they had made. When it was explained to them how these little creatures
came into the world, and then into this most noble institution, and
also that in the last year there had been born in the city of Paris
26,000 children, 9000 of whom were illegitimate, their eyes were surely
open to the astounding facts of the vices of civilized society, and of
the virtue of civilized governments in building and maintaining such
noble institutions for the support of the fatherless and helpless in
infancy, as well as for the veterans who have been maimed in the fields
of glorious battle. When I told them that, of those thousands of little
playful children, not one knew any other parent than the Government,
they groaned in sympathy for them, and seemed at a loss to abhor or
applaud the most, the sins of man that brought them into the world,
or the kind and parental care that was taken of them by the Government
of the country. Jim made a sure demand upon Daniel's kindness for
the entry of these important facts, which he soon had in round and
conspicuous numbers in his note-book, to teach to the "_cruel and
relentless Indians_."
The sentimentalism and sympathy of the poor old Doctor were touched
almost to melancholy by this scene; and in his long and serious
cogitations on it he very gravely inquired why the thousands of women
leading and petting little dogs in the streets could not be induced
to discharge their dogs, and each one take a little child and be its
mother? He said, if he were to take a Frenchwoman for his wife, he
would rather take her with a little child, even if it were her own,
than take her with a little dog.
The _guillotine_, which happened to be in our way, and which they had
been promised a sight of, they thought was more like a _Mississippi
saw-mill_ than anything else they had seen. It drew a murmur or two
when explained to them how the victim was placed, and his head rolled
off when the knife fell, but seemed to have little further effect
upon them except when the actual number was mentioned to them whose
heads are there severed from their bodies annually, for their crimes
committed in the streets and houses of Paris. Our stay before this
awful and bloody machine was but short, and of course their remarks
were few, until they got home, and their dinner was swallowed, and
their _chickabobboo_, and, reclining on their buffalo robes, the pipe
was passing around.
Their conversation was then with Daniel, who had been but the day
before to see the very same things, and they gained much further
information than we did, which he communicated to them. He entered
in Jim's book, as he had desired, the numbers of the _illegitimates_
and _foundlings_ of Paris, which seemed to be a valuable addition to
his estimates of the blessings of civilization; and also the number
of annual victims whose heads roll from the side of the guillotine.
His book was then closed, and a curious discussion arose between the
Indians and Daniel, whether the gallows, which they had seen in the
prisons in England and Ireland, was a preferable mode of execution to
that of the guillotine, which they had just been to see. They had no
doubt but both of them, or, at least, that one or the other of them
was absolutely necessary in the civilized world; but the question was,
which was the best. Daniel contended that the punishment which was most
ignominious was best, and contended for the gallows, while the Indians
thought the guillotine was the best. They thought that death was bad
enough, without the Government trying to add to its pang by hanging
people up by the neck with a rope, as the Indians hang dogs. From
this grave subject, which they did not seem to settle, as there was
no umpire, they got upon a somewhat parallel theme, and were quite as
seriously engaged, when I was obliged to leave them, whether it would
be preferable to be _swallowed whole_ by a whale, or to be _chewed_.
Daniel was referring to Scripture for some authority on this subject,
by looking into one of Jim's Bibles, when Mr. Melody and I were
apprised of an appointment, which prevented us from ever hearing the
result.
The next promise we had to keep with them was the one that had been
made to take them to see the fountain of all the pretty and ugly little
dogs and huge mastiffs they saw carried and led through the streets of
Paris--the "_Dog Market_."
The _Dog Hospital_, being _en route_, was visited first; and though
one could scarcely imagine what there could be there that was amusing
or droll, still the old Doctor insisted on it that it must be very
interesting, and all resolved to go. It was even so, and on that
particular occasion was rendered very amusing, when the Doctor entered,
with Jim and the rest following. The squalling of "There! there!
there!" by the frightened parrots in Cross's Zoological Gardens bore
little comparison to the barking and yelling of "les petits pauvres
chiens," and the screams of the old ladies--"Ne les effrayez pas,
Messieurs, s'il vous plaît! ils sont tous malades--tous malades:
pauvres bêtes! pauvres bêtes!" It was soon perceived that the nerves
of the poor little "malades," as well as those of the old women
their doctors, were too much affected to stand the shock, and it was
thought best to withdraw. The old Doctor, getting just a glance at
the sick-wards, enough to convince him of the clean comforts these
little patients had, and seeing that their physicians were females,
and also that the wards were crowded with fashionable ladies looking
and inquiring after the health of their little pets, he was quite
reluctant to leave the establishment without going fairly in and
making his profession known, which he had thought would, at least,
command him some respect amongst female physicians. He had some notion
for this purpose of going in alone, but sarcastic Jim said the whole
fright of the poor dogs had been produced by his appearance; to which
the Doctor replied that they only barked because Jim was coming behind
him. However, our visit was necessarily thus short, and attention
directed to the Dog Market, for which Jim was more eager, as he had
a special object. This was a curiosity, to be sure, and well worth
seeing; there was every sort of whelp and cur that could be found in
Christendom, from the veriest minimum of dog to the stateliest mastiff
and Newfoundland; and, at Jim and the Doctor's approach, hundreds
of them barked and howled, many broke their strings, some laid upon
their backs, and yelled (no doubt, if one could have understood their
language) that they never saw before in their lives so ill-looking and
frightful a couple, and so alarming a set as those who were following
behind them. Jim wanted to buy, and, the business-meaning of his face
being discovered, there were all sorts of offers made him, and every
kind of pup protruded into his face; but the barking of dogs was such
that no one could be heard, and then many a poor dog was knocked flat
with a broom, or whatever was handiest, and others were choked, to stop
their noise. No one wanted to stand the din of this canine Bedlam
longer than was necessary for Jim to make his choice, which the poor
fellow was endeavouring to do with the greatest despatch possible.
His mode was rather different from the ordinary mode of testing the
qualities he was looking for, which was by feeling of the ribs; and
having bargained for one that he thought would fit him, the lookers-on
were somewhat amused at his choice. He made them understand by his
signs that they were going to eat it, when the poor woman screamed out,
"Diable! mange pas! mange pas!--venez, venez, ma pauvre bête!"
The crowd by this time was becoming so dense that it was thought
advisable to be on the move, and off. The Doctor became exceedingly
merry at Jim's expense, as he had come away without getting a dog for
their Dog Feast, of which they had been for some time speaking.
On their return from this day's drive, they met, to their very great
surprise, their old friend _Bobasheela_, who had left his business
and crossed the Channel to see them once more before they should set
sail for America. He said he could not keep away from them long at a
time while they were in this country, because he loved them so much.
They were all delighted to see him, and told him he was just in time
to attend the Dog Feast, which they were going to have the next day.
The Doctor told him of Jim's success in buying a dog, and poor Jim was
teazed a great deal about his failure. _Bobasheela_ told them all the
news about England, and Jim and the Doctor had a long catalogue to
give him of their visit to the King--of their medals--their visits to
the great fountain of _chickabobboo_ and the _Foundling Hospital_, all
of which he told him he had got down in his book. All this delighted
_Bobasheela_, until they very imprudently told him that they liked
Paris much better than London. They told him that the people in Paris
did not teaze them so much about religion; that there were fewer
poor people in the streets; and that as yet they had kept all their
money, for they had seen nobody poor enough to give it to. Their
_chickabobboo_ was very different, but it was about as good. The
guillotine they were very well satisfied with, as they considered it
much better to cut men's heads off than to hang them up, like dogs, by
a rope around the neck. This, and keeping men in prison because they
owe money, they considered were the two most cruel things they heard of
amongst the English.
_Bobasheela_ replied to them that he was delighted to hear of their
success, and to learn that they had seen the King, an honour he should
himself have been very proud of. He told them that he never had seen
the King, but that, while travelling in Kentucky many years ago, he was
close upon the heels of the King, and so near him that he slept on the
same (not bed, but) floor in a cabin where the King had slept, with his
feet to the fire, but a short time before. This was something quite new
to the Indians, and, like most of _Bobasheela's_ stories of the Far
West, pleased them exceedingly.
Jim, who was a _matter-of-fact man_, more than one of fancy and
imagination, rather sided with _Bobasheela_, and, turning to his round
numbers last added to his book, of "9000 illegitimate children born in
Paris in the last year," asked his friend if he could read it, to which
he replied "Yes." "Well," said Jim, in broad English, "some _fish_
there, I guess, ha? I no like em Frenchwomen--I no like em: no good! I
no like em so many children, no fader!" We all saw by Jim's eye, and
by the agitation commencing, that he had some ideas that were coming
out, and at the instant he was turning over on to his back, and drawing
up his knees, and evidently keeping his eyes fixed on some object on
the ceiling of the room, not to lose the chain of his thoughts, and
he continued (not in English, for he spoke more easily in his own
language), "I do not like the Frenchwomen. I did not like them at
first, when I saw them leading so many dogs. I thought then that they
had more dogs than children, but I think otherwise now. We believe that
those women, who we have seen leading their dogs around with strings,
have put their children away to be raised in the great house of the
Government, and they get these little dogs to fill their places, and to
suck their breasts when they are full of milk."
"Hut--tut--tut!" said Melody, "you ill-mannerly fellow! what are you
about? You will blow us all up here, Jim, if you utter such sentiments
as those. I think the French ladies the finest in the world except the
Americans, and if they heard such ideas as those, advanced by us, they
would soon drive us out of Paris."
"Yes," said Jim (in English again), "yes, I know--I know you like
em--may be very good, but you see I no like em!" In his decided
dislike, Jim's excitement was too great for his ideas to flow smoothly
any further, and Mr. Melody not disposed to push the argument, the
subject was dropped, and preparations made for the day exhibition, the
hour for which was at hand.