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
"Horns on a chief's head-dress have _no bad_ meaning."
"Mr. Catlin _is not_ a repudiator," &c., &c.
And thus went on poor Daniel's list to the number of about 100
commonplace questions which he had hoped to have disposed of by a sort
of steam operation; but finding that they must all continue to be
"done by hand," as before, he returned to his post, which, from his
disappointment in his unrealized hopes, seemed to drag more heavily
than ever upon him, and so rapidly to wear him down that he was obliged
to plan a tour to his own native land of Erin, where he went for
some weeks, to restore his lungs and his strength. His labour-saving
suggestion might have been a very convenient one for me in his absence,
but it was dispensed with, and he was soon back at his post, recruited
and assuming the command again, whilst I was busy in advancing the
material for my forthcoming work.
The Notes of my Eight Years' Travels amongst Forty-eight different
Tribes of Indians in America, to be illustrated with more than 300
steel plate illustrations, were nearly ready to be put to press; and I
called on my good friend John Murray, in Albemarle Street, believing
that he would be glad to publish them for me. To my surprise he
objected to them (but without seeing my manuscript), for two reasons
which he at once alleged: first, because he was afraid of the great
number of illustrations to be embodied in the work, and secondly for
(certainly) the most unfashionable reason, that "he loved me too much!"
I had brought a letter of introduction to him from his old friend
Washington Irving; and from the deep interest Mr. Murray had taken
in my collection and the history and prospects of the poor Indians,
my rooms (which were near his dwelling-house) were his almost daily
resort, and I a weekly guest at his hospitable board, where I always
met gentlemen of eminence connected with literature and art. Good and
generous old man! he therefore "loved me too much" to share with me
the profits of a work which he said should all belong to me for my
hard labour and the risks of my life I had run in procuring it; and
as the means of enlarging those profits he advised me to publish it
myself. "I would advise you," said he, "as one of your best friends, to
publish your own book; and I am sure you will make a handsome profit
by it. Being an artist yourself, and able to make the drawings for
your 300 illustrations, which for me would require a very great outlay
to artists to produce them, and having in your exhibition-room the
opportunity of receiving subscriptions for your work, which I could
not do, it will be quite an easy thing for you to take names enough to
cover all the expenses of getting it up, which at once will place you
on safe ground; and if the work should be well received by Mr. Dilke
and others of the critical world, it will insure you a handsome reward
for your labours, and exceedingly please your sincere friend, John
Murray."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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