Adventures of the Ojibbeway and Ioway Indians in England, France, and Belgium; Vol. 1 (of 2): being Notes of Eight Years' Travels and Residence in Europe with his North American Indian CollectionCatlin, George
History
Adventures of the Ojibbeway and Ioway Indians in England, France, and Belgium; Vol. 1 (of 2): being Notes of Eight Years' Travels and Residence in Europe with his North American Indian Collection
Catlin, George
England -- Description and travel; France -- Description and travel; Indians of North America
The Hall on this evening was as overflowing as on the previous nights.
The "jolly fat dame" had been the first one at the door, and, by
the power of her smiles upon Daniel's gallantry, she had passed in
before the hour for admitting the public. This had most luckily (and
_bewitchingly_, as she did not expect it) allowed her a delightful
_tête-à-tête_ of a few minutes with Cadotte, who happened to be
sauntering about in the half-lighted hall of the exhibition, while the
Indians were in an ante-chamber, putting on their streaks of paint, and
arranging their locks of hair and ornaments for the evening. Lucky,
lucky hour! What passed there in these few minutes nobody knows. _One
thing_, however, we may presume, _did pass_ in that short time. Upon
Daniel's authority she had a letter in her hand when she entered, and
which was never identified on her person afterwards, though a similar
one poor Cadotte was seen poring over for several subsequent days, at
odd spells, like a child at its task in its spelling-book. As she was
first in, she took her old position, which had afforded her so much
pleasure the evening before. As her heart was more smitten, her hand
became more liberal: she had come this night loaded with presents, and
dealt them out without stint to the whole party. As each one received
his brooch, or his pin, or his guard-chain, he held it up and gave a
yell, which made the good lady's kindnesses subjects of notoriety; and
we believed, and _feared_ also, that her vanity was such, that, to make
the most of the occasion, she drew upon some of the most costly of the
ornaments that adorned her own ample person. During the excitement
thus produced by the distribution of her trinkets, some female in the
midst of the crowd held up and displayed a beautiful bracelet "for the
first one who should get to it." Three or four of the young fellows,
with their naked shoulders and arms, leaped with the rapidity almost
of lightning into the screaming mass. The little _Sah-mah_, who was
the _beau-ideal_ of Indian beauty among them, bore off the prize. As
there was not the same inducement for retracing their steps, and they
were in the midst of strong inducements to stay in the crowd, it became
exceedingly difficult to get them back, and to resume the amusements of
the evening. Many ladies were offering them their hands and trinkets:
some were kissing them, and every kiss called forth the war-whoop (as
they called it, "a _scalp_"). The women commenced it as _Sah-mah_ had
dashed into the crowd; and as he was wending his way back, finding it
had pleased so well, he took every lady's hand that was laid upon his
naked arm or his shoulder as a challenge, and he said that he kissed
every woman that he passed. This may or may not be true; but one thing
is certain, that many there were in the room that evening who went home
to their husbands and mothers with streaks of red and black paint upon
their cheeks, which nothing short of soap and water could remove. And,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account