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
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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