Chapter XXIX

Indians' visit to the Palace of St. Cloud--The
Park--Artificial lake--Royal Family--Prince de
Joinville--Recollected seeing the Author and Collection in
Washington--King and Queen of Belgians--The _regatta_--The
birch-bark canoe, and the Prince de Joinville's
"Whitehaller"--War-dance--Ball-play--Archery--Dinner
prepared for the Indians--M. Gudin and the Author join
them--Indians' return--Gossip at night--Their ideas of
the King and Royal Family--Messenger from the King, with
gold and silver medals and money, to the Indians--The
War-chief cures a cancer--Author's Collection in the
_Salle de Séance_, in the Louvre--The Indians and the
Author dine with M. Passy, Member of Deputies--Kind
treatment by himself and lady--King visits the Collection
in the Louvre--The Author explains his pictures--Persons
present--An hour's visit--The King retires--Second visit
of the King and Royal Family to the Collection--The
Author's four little children presented to the King--His
Majesty relates the anecdote of bleeding himself in
America, and his visit to General Washington at Mount
Vernon--His descent of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers in
a small boat, to New Orleans--Orders the Author to paint
fifteen pictures for Versailles 287