Adventures of the Ojibbeway and Ioway Indians in England, France, and Belgium; Vol. 2 (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. 2 (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
A council was held that evening in the Indians' apartments, and several
pipes smoked, during which time the conversation ran upon numerous
topics, the first of which was the interesting meeting they had held
that day, and on several former occasions, with the Friends, and which
good people they were about to leave, and they seemed fearful they
should meet none others in their travels. They were passing their
comments upon the vast numbers which Daniel and _Bobasheela_ had told
them there actually were of poor people shut up in the poorhouses,
besides those in the streets, and underground in the coal-pits; and
concluded that the numerous clergymen they had to preach to them, and
to keep them honest and sober, were not too many, but they thought they
even ought to have more, and should at least keep all they had at home,
instead of sending them to preach to the Indians. _Jim_ was busy poring
over his note-book, and getting Daniel to put down in round numbers the
amount of poor in the poorhouses and in the streets, which they had
found in some newspaper. And he was anxious to have down without any
mistake the large sum of money they had presented to the hospitals, so
that when they got home they could tell of the charity they had done
in England; and if ever they got so poor as to have to beg, they would
have a good paper to beg with. The sum, in American currency (as they
know less of pounds, shillings, and pence), amounted to the respectable
one of 370 dollars.
This last night's talk in Birmingham was rather a gloomy one, for it
was after leave had been taken of all friends. _Bobasheela_ was to
start in the morning for Liverpool, and I for London, where I had
been summoned to attend as a witness in court, and Mr. Melody and the
Indians were to leave for Nottingham and other towns in the north. So
at a late hour we parted, and early in the morning set out for our
different destinations, bearing with us many warm attachments formed
during our short stay in the beautiful town of Birmingham.
For what befel these good fellows in Nottingham and Leeds there will
probably be no historian, as I was not with them. I commenced with
them in York, where I became again the expounder of their habits and
mysteries, and was delighted to meet them on classic ground, where
there is so much to engage the attention and admiration of civilized
or savage. I had visited York on a former occasion, and had the most
ardent wish to be present at this time, and to conduct these rude
people into the noble cathedral, and on to its grand tower. I had
this pleasure; and in it accomplished one of my favourite designs in
accompanying them on their northern tour.
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