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
[20] No Indian language in America affords the power of swearing,
not being sufficiently rich and refined.
I here diverted their attention from the jokes they were beginning
upon the Doctor, by asking them how they liked the _chickabobboo_ they
got in the gardens, which they recollected with great pleasure, and
which they pronounced to have been very good. Mr. Cross had invited
the whole party to a private view, and after showing us, with great
politeness, what he had curious, invited us into one of his delightful
little refreshment rooms, and treated all to cold chickens, pork pies,
pastries, and champagne, which the Indians called _chickabobboo_; and
as he did not know the meaning of the word, I related the story of it,
which pleased him very much.
The Doctor made some laugh, by saying that "he was going over there
again in a few days, if he could find some strings long enough, to
measure the elephant and the bones of the whale, as he had got the
dimensions of the giant man." Jim told him "he had not got the measure
of the _giant man_--he had only measured the _giant woman_, and
getting scared, he only half measured her; and he was so much afraid
of women, that he didn't believe he could ever take the measure of one
of them correct, if a hundred should stand ever so still for him."
The Doctor smiled, and looked at me as if to know if I was going to
ask some question again. He was fortunately relieved at that moment,
however, by Mr. Melody's question to Jim, "how he liked the looks of
the hyenas, and whether he would like him to buy one to carry home
with him?" Jim rolled over on to his back, and drew his knees up (the
only position in which he could "think fast," as he expressed it;
evidently a peculiarity with him, and a position, ungraceful as it
was, which it was absolutely necessary for him to assume, if he was
going to tell a story well, or to make a speech); and after thinking
much more profoundly than it required to answer so simple a question,
replied, "Very well, very well," and kept thinking on. The Little Wolf,
who was lying by his side, asked him "what he was troubled about?--he
seemed to be thinking very strong." Jim replied to this, that "he was
thinking a great way, and he had to think hard." He said, that when he
was looking at the hyenas, he said to Jeffrey that he thought they were
the wickedest looking animals he ever saw, and that he believed they
would go to hell; but that the gentleman who came to the garden with
Mr. Melody[21] said to him, "No, my friend, none but the animals that
laugh and cry can go to heaven or to hell." He said that this gentleman
then wanted to know how he had heard of hell, and what idea he had of
it. He said, he told Jeffrey to say to him that some white men (_black
coats_) had told amongst his people, that there was such a place as
hell, very low under the earth, where the wicked would all go, and for
ever be in the fire. He said, the gentleman asked him if he believed
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