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 War-chief, who was always dignified and contemplative in his
manners, and yet susceptible of good humour and jokes, returned to the
Indians' room at this time, apparently quite insensible to the mirth
and the remarks around him, as he learned from the Indians, and got the
confirmation from Daniel, that this was the _third_ kind of religion,
and that there were the _Baptists_, the _Jews_, and several other kinds
yet to come. He seated himself on his robe, which he spread upon the
floor, and taking out of his pouch his flint and steel, and spunk,
struck a light in the true Indian way (though there was fire within
reach of his arm), and, lighting his pipe, commenced smoking. During
this silent operation he seemed downcast, and in profound meditation.
Mr. Melody and I entered the room at this moment, but seeing the mood
he was in, did nothing to interrupt the train of his thoughts. When
his pipe was smoked out, he charged it again with tobacco, but before
lighting it he laid it aside, and straightening his long limbs upon the
floor, and drawing another buffalo robe over his body and his head, he
went to sleep.[17]
[17] Though the old War-chief, who was their speaking oracle on
the subject of religion, remained sad and contemplative,
there was daily much conversation and levity amongst the
rest of the party on the subject of the "six religions of
white men," which they had discovered; and either Jim or the
little "commanding general" (son of the War-chief), both of
whom were busy with their pencils, left on the table for my
portfolio the subjoined curious, but significant illustration
of their ideas of white man's paradise, and the six different
modes of getting to it. _Plate No._ 11 is a _fac simile_ of
this curious document, which the reader will appreciate on
examination.
[Illustration: N^o. 11.]
This was the day for "seeing the _Giants_," and they were soon after
announced as having arrived, according to appointment. During one of
the Indians' exhibitions there had been a great excitement produced
amongst them by the appearance in the crowd, of two immense persons,
a man and a woman, who stood nearly the whole length of their bodies
above the heads of others about them! This had excited the amazement
of the Indians so much, that for a while they stopped their dances, to
sit down and smoke a pipe. They must necessarily make some sacrifice
on such an occasion, and it was decided to be done with a piece of
tobacco, which being duly consecrated by them, was carried by the
Doctor (the medicine man) to an adjoining room, and burned in the fire.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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