Chapter I: Preface

The reader of this book, being supposed to have read my former work, in two volumes, and to have got some account from them, of the eight years of my life spent amongst the wild Indians of the "_Far West_," in the forests of America, knows enough of me by this time to begin familiarly upon the subject before us, and to accompany me through a brief summary of the scenes of eight years spent amidst the civilization and refinements of the "_Far East_." After having made an exhibition of my Indian Collection for a short time, in the cities of New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, in the United States, I crossed the Atlantic with it--not with the fear of losing my scalp, which I sometimes entertained when entering the Indian wilderness--and entirely without the expectation of meeting with excitements or novelties enough to induce me to commit the sin of writing another book; and the thought of doing it would never have entered my head, had not another of those untoward accidents, which have directed nearly all the important moves of my life, placed in my possession the materials for the following pages, which I have thought too curious to be withheld from the world.

After I had been more than four years in England, making an exhibition of my collection, and endeavouring, by my lectures in various parts of the kingdom, to inform the English people of the true character and condition of the North American Indians, and to awaken a proper sympathy for them, three different parties of Indians made their appearance, at different dates, in England, for the purpose of exhibiting themselves and their native modes to the enlightened world, their conductors and themselves stimulated by the hope of gain by their exertions.

These parties successively, on their arrival, (knowing my history and views, which I had made known to most of the American tribes,) repaired to my Indian Collection, in which they felt themselves at home, surrounded as they were by the portraits of their own chiefs and braves, and those of their enemies, whom they easily recognised upon the walls. They at once chose the middle of my Exhibition Hall as the appropriate place for their operations, and myself as the expounder of their mysteries and amusements; and, the public seeming so well pleased with the fitness of these mutual illustrations, I undertook the management of their exhibitions, and conducted the three different parties through the countries and scenes described in the following pages.

In justice to _me_, it should here be known to the reader, that I did not bring either of these parties to Europe; but, meeting them in the country, where they had come avowedly for the purpose of making money, (an enterprise as lawful and as unobjectionable, for aught that I can see, at least, as that of an actor upon the boards of a foreign stage,) I considered my countenance and aid as calculated to promote their views; and I therefore justified myself in the undertaking, as some return to them for the hospitality and kindness I had received at the hands of the various tribes of Indians I had visited in the wildernesses of America.

In putting forth these notes, I sincerely hope that I may give no offence to any one, by endeavouring to afford amusement to the reader, and to impart useful instruction to those who are curious to learn the true character of the Indians, from a literal description of their interviews with the fashionable world, and their views and opinions of the modes of civilized life.

These scenes have afforded me the most happy opportunity of seeing the _rest_ of Indian character (after a residence of eight years amongst them in their native countries), and of enabling me to give to the world what I was not able to do in my former work, for the want of an opportunity of witnessing the effects which the exhibition of all the ingenious works of civilized art, and the free intercourse and exchange of opinions with the most refined and enlightened society, would have upon their untutored minds. The reader will therefore see, that I am offering this as _another Indian book_, and intending it mostly for those who have read my former work, and who, I believe, will admit, that in it I have advanced much further towards the completion of a full delineation of their native character.

I shall doubtless be pardoned for the unavoidable want of system and arrangement that sometimes appears in minuting down the incidents of these interviews--for recording many of the most trivial opinions and criticisms of the Indians upon civilized modes, and also the odd and amusing (as well as grave) notions of the civilized world, upon Indian manners and appearance, which have got into my note-book, and which I consider it would be a pity to withhold.

I have occasionally stepped a little out of the way, also, to advance my own opinion upon passing scenes and events; drawing occasional deductions, by contrasting savage with civilized life (the modes of the "Far West" with those of the "Far East"); and, as what I have written, I offer as matter of history, without intending to injure any one, I do not see why I should ask pardon for any possible offence that may be given to the reader, who can only be offended by imagining what never was meant.

During the series of lectures which I had been giving in various parts of England, and in my own country, wherein I had been contending for the moral and religious elevation of the Indian character, many of my hearers have believed that I had probably been led to over-estimate it, from the fact that I had beheld it in the wilderness, where there was nothing better to contrast it with. But I venture to say, that hundreds and thousands who read this book, and who became familiar with these wild people whilst in the enlightened world, and in the centre of fashion, where white man was shaking the poor Indian by the hand, and watching for his embarrassment while he was drawing scintillations from him, as the flint draws fire from the steel, will agree with me that the North American Indian rises highest in the estimation of his fellow-men, when he is by the side of those who have the advantage of him by their education, and nothing else.

Contemplated or seen, roaming in his native wilds, with his rude weapons, lurking after game or his enemy, he is looked upon by most of the world as a sort of wild beast; but when, with all his rudeness and wildness, he stands amongst his fellow-men to be scanned in the brilliant blaze of the Levée into which he has been suddenly thrown, the dignified, the undaunted (and even courteous) gentleman, he there gains his strongest admirers, and the most fastidious are willing to assign him a high place in the scale of human beings.

Into many such positions were these three parties of the denizens of the American forest thrown, during their visits to the capitals and provincial towns of England, Scotland, Ireland, France, and Belgium; and as I was by their side, their interpreter, at the hospitable boards, the Soirées and Levées to which they were invited by the gentry, the nobility, and crowned heads of the three kingdoms, I consider it due to them, and no injustice to the world, to record the scenes and anecdotes I have witnessed in those hospitable and friendly efforts of enlightened and religious people, to elicit the true native feelings of, and to commune with, their benighted fellow-men.

THE AUTHOR.

CONTENTS OF VOL. 1.

CHAPTER I.

The Author embarks at New York, with his Indian Collection,
and cage with two grizly bears, for England, in the fall
of 1839--Packet-ship Roscius, Captain Collins--Gale
in the middle of the ocean--A ship dismasted and in
distress--The Captain and twenty-eight men taken off and
saved--The shipwrecked Captain and his faithful dog--"My
man Daniel"--Sailor's nose taken off by grizly bear--Dr.
Madden--Terrible gale--Sea-sickness of the grizly
bears--Alarm on deck--"Bears out of their cage"--Passengers
rush below and close the hatches--A _supposed_ bear enters
the cabin!--Great excitement--The explanation--The gale
subsides--Amusing mistake--The Author in the steerage--Two
eccentric characters--Arrival in Liverpool Page 1

CHAPTER II.

Howling of the grizly Bears--Alarm and excitement about
the docks--Scuffle for luggage--Scene at the Grecian
Hotel--Landing the grizly bears--Author's journey to
London--Ibbotson's Hotel--First sally into the streets--First
impressions of London--Adventure in the fog and mud--Amusing
occurrence in the street--Beggars at the crossings of the
streets--Ingenious mode of begging--Rich shops--No pigs
in the streets--Soot and smoke of London--Author returns
to Liverpool--Daniel's trouble with the bears--Passing
the Indian Collection and grizly bears through the
Customs--Arrival in London with Collection and bears--Daniel
in difficulty--Howling of bears passing through the
Tunnel--The "King of New York," and "King Jefferson" 12

CHAPTER III.

Letters of introduction--Driving a friend's horse and
chaise--Amusing accidents--English driving--"Turn to the
_right_, as the law directs"--A turn to the _left_--A fresh
difficulty--Egyptian Hall--Lease for three years--Arrangement
of Collection--Bears sold and removed to Regent's Park
Zoological Gardens--Their fates 28

CHAPTER IV.

Indian Collection arranged for exhibition--Description of
it--The Hon. Charles Augustus Murray--Collection opened to
private view--Kindness of the Hon. Mr. Murray--Distinguished
visitors--Mr. Murray's explanations--Kind reception by the
Public and the Press--Kind friends--Fatigue of explaining
and answering questions--Curious remedy proposed by a
friend--Pleasures and pains of a friendly and fashionable
dinner 34

CHAPTER V.

Author's illness from overtalking in his Collection--Daniel's
illness from the same cause--Character of Daniel--His
labour-saving plan for answering one hundred questions--His
disappointment--Daniel travels to Ireland for his
health--Author prepares to publish his Notes of Travel
amongst the Indians--John Murray (publisher)--His reasons
for not publishing the Author's work--His friendly
advice--Author's book published by himself at the Egyptian
Hall--Illustrious subscribers--Thomas Moore--Critical notices
in London papers 45

CHAPTER VI.

The Author's wife and two children arrive in the
British Queen, from New York--First appreciation of
London--Sight-seeing--Author lectures in the Royal
Institution--Suggests a _Museum of Mankind_--Great
applause--Vote of thanks by members of the Royal
Institution--The "_Museum of History_"--Author lectures
in the other literary and scientific institutions of
London--Author dines with the Royal Geographical Society, and
with the Royal Geological Society--Mrs. Catlin's travels in
the "Far West"--Her welcome, and kind friends in London 60

CHAPTER VII.

The Author dines with the Royal Highland Society--The Duke of
Richmond presides--His Grace's compliment to the Author
and his country--Sir David Wilkie--His compliment to the
Author--Charles Augustus Murray and the Author at the
Caledonian Ball (Almack's) in Indian costumes--Their
rehearsal--Dressing and painting--Entering the ball--Alarm
of ladies--Mr. Murray's infinite amusement (_incognito_)
amongst his friends--War-dance and war-whoops--Great
applause--Bouquets of flowers--Scalp-dance--Brooches
and bracelets presented to the chiefs--Trinkets
returned--Perspiration carries off the paint, and Mr. Murray
recognised--Amusement of his friends--The "Indians" return
to Egyptian Hall at seven in the morning--Their amusing
appearance 66

CHAPTER VIII.

Their Royal Highnesses the Duke of Coburg and Prince Ernest
visit the Collection--His Royal Highness the (little)
Duc de Brabant visits the Collection with the Hon. Mr.
Murray--The Author presents him an Indian pipe and pair of
mocassins--Visit of His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex to
the Collection--His noble sympathy for the Indians--He smokes
an Indian pipe under the wigwam--The Author takes breakfast
with the Duke of Sussex in Kensington Palace--The Duke's
dress and appearance--John Hunter, the Indian traveller--The
Duke's inquiries about him--Monsieur Duponceau--Visit to
the Bank of England--To Buckingham Palace--To Windsor
Castle--Author visits the Polish Ball with several friends in
Indian costumes 79

CHAPTER IX.

Consequent troubles for Daniel in the exhibition-rooms--Daniel's
difficulty with an artist making copies--Takes his
sketch-book from him--Tableaux vivans commenced--List of the
groups--Hon. Mr. Murray attends, with His Royal Highness the
Due de Brabant--The Author presented to Her Majesty and His
Royal Highness Prince Albert, by the Hon. Mr. Murray--Indian
Collection removed to Liverpool--Biennial exhibition of
Mechanics' Institution--22,000 children admitted free to the
Indian Collection in one week--The Indian tableaux vivans in
the provincial towns for six months--Collection opened in
Sheffield--In Manchester--Nine Ojibbeway Indians arrive, in
charge of Mr. Rankin--His proposal to the Author 90

CHAPTER X.

Difficulty of procuring lodgings for the Indians--The Author
pays them a visit--Is recognised by them--Arrangement
with Mr. Rankin--Crowds around their hotel--First visit
of the Ojibbeways to the Author's Collection--Their
surprise--Council held under the wigwam--Indians agree to
drink no spirituous liquors--The old Chiefs speech to the
Author--Names of the Indians--Their portraits--Description of
each--Cadotte, the interpreter 103

CHAPTER XI.

Ojibbeways visit the Mayor in Town-hall--They refuse
wine--Distress of the kind and accommodating
landlord--Indians' first _drive_ about the town of
Manchester--Their curious remarks--Saw some white people
drunk--Many women holding on to men's arms and apparently
not sick--Saw much smoke--Vast many poor people--Indians
commence dancing in the Author's Collection--Effects of the
war-dance and war-whoop upon the audience--Various amusements
of the evening--A rich present to the old Boy-Chief--And
his speech--Numerous presents made--Immense crowd and
excitement--Indians visit a great woollen-factory--Casts
made from their heads by a phrenologist--Visit to Orrell's
cotton-mill at Stockport--Their opinions of it--The party
kindly entertained by Mr. Hollins and lady 111

CHAPTER XII.

Indians on the housetops--Great alarm--Curious excitement--People
proposing to "take them" with ropes--Railway to London--The
"Iron-horse"--"The Iron-horse (locomotive) stops to
drink"--Arrive in London--Alarm of the landlady--Visit from
the Hon. Mr. Murray--Interview with His Royal Highness the
Duke of Cambridge--Old Chief's speech--War-dance--The Duke
gives them ten sovereigns and ten pounds of tobacco--Indians
ride about the city in an "omnibus and four"--Remarks on what
they saw--The smoke--"Prairies on fire"--Lascars sweeping
the streets--Visit from the Reverend Mr. S.--Impatience to
see the Queen--Great medicine-feast to gain Her Majesty's
consent--Curious ceremony--Hon. Mr. Murray's letter comes
in--The Queen's appointment to see them--Great rejoicing 123