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
I was somewhat amused with the simple fellow's careless and easy
manner, and handed him eighteen pence, thinking it a reasonable
compensation for bringing two small trunks and a carpet-bag; but
he instantly assumed a different aspect, and refused to take the
money, saying that no gentleman would think of giving him less than
half-a-crown for such a load as he had brought. I soon settled with and
dismissed him by giving him two shillings; and as he departed, and I
was about entering the coffee-room, another of his ragged fraternity
touched my elbow, when I asked him what he wanted. "Wo, Sir, your
luggage there--" "But I have paid for my luggage--I paid the man you
see going out there." "Yes, Sir; but then you sees, hi elped im put
it hon; hand I elped im along with it, hand it's werry ard, Sir, hif
Ise not to be paid has well as im." I paid the poor fellow a sixpence
for his ingenuity; and as he left, a third one stepped up, of whom I
inquired, "What do _you_ want?" "Why, Sir, your luggage, you know,
there--I am very sorry, Sir, to see you pay that worthless rascal
what's just going out there--I am indeed sorry, Sir--he did nothing,
but was hol the time hin our way--hit urts me, Sir, to see a gentleman
throw is money away upon sich vagabonds, for it's hundoubtedly ard
earned, like the few shillings we poor fellows get." "Well, my good
fellow, what do you want of me?" "Ho, Sir, hit's honly for the cart,
Sir--you will settle with me for the cart, Sir, hif you please--that
first chap you paid ad my cart, hand I'll be bound you ave paid im
twice has much has you hought." "Well, to make short," said I, "here,
take this sixpence for your cart, and be off." I was thus brief, for I
saw two or three others edging and siding up in the passage towards me,
whom I recollected to have seen escorting my luggage, and I retreated
into the coffee-room as suddenly as possible, and stated the case to
one of the waiters, who promised to manage the rest of the affair.
I was thus very comfortable for the night, having no further annoyance
or real excitement until the next morning after breakfast, when it
became necessary to disembark the grizly bears. My other heavy freight
had gone to Her Majesty's Custom-house, and all the passengers from
the cabin and steerage had gone to comfortable quarters, leaving the
two deck passengers, the grizlies, in great impatience, and as yet
undisposed of. My man Daniel had been on the move at an early hour, and
had fortunately made an arrangement with a simple and unsuspecting old
lady in the absence of her "good man," to allow the cage to be placed
in a small yard adjoining her house, and within the same inclosure,
which had a substantial pavement of round stones.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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