Exhibition rooms—Great crowd—The “jolly fat dame”—Her interview with Cadotte—She gives presents to all the Indians—Excitement in the crowd—Women kissing the Indians—Red paint on their faces and dresses—Old Chief’s dream and feast of thanksgiving—An annual ceremony—Curious forms observed—Indians invited to the St. George’s archery-ground—They shoot for a gold medal—They dine with the members of the club—The “jolly fat dame” and Cadotte—She takes him to his lodgings in her carriage—Cadotte (or the “Strong-wind”) gets sick—Is in love with another!—Daniel unfolds the secret to her—Her distress—She goes to the country—The “jolly fat dame” returns—Cadotte’s engagement to marry—Rankin promotes the marriage—The Author disapproves of it. The reader will easily imagine the position of the Indians at this time to have been a very pleasant and satisfactory one to themselves—all in good health; having seen and pleased the Queen; having met the public several times in the great city of London, where their Hall was crowded every night, and was likely to continue so; where everybody applauded, and many bestowed on them presents in trinkets and money; with plenty of roast beef, and withal indulged in their chickabobboo. The old chief had finished his talks on religion, and Cadotte was in the delightful state of incubation under the genial warmth of the wing of the jolly fat dame. The Hall on this evening was as overflowing as on the previous nights. The “jolly fat dame” had been the first one at the door, and, by the power of her smiles upon Daniel’s gallantry, she had passed in before the hour for admitting the public. This had most luckily (and bewitchingly, as she did not expect it) allowed her a delightful tÊte-À-tÊte of a few minutes with Cadotte, who happened to be saunter Leaving these excitements for a while, which were now become of nightly occurrence, we come to one of a different character and of curious interest. It is impossible for me to recollect the day, but it was about this time, the old chief related to Mr. Rankin a dream which he had had the night before, which made it incumbent upon them to make a feast, and of course necessary for Mr. Rankin and myself to furnish all the requisite materials for it. In his dream (or “vision,” as he seemed disposed to call it) he said the Great Spirit appeared to him, and told him that he had kept his eye upon them, and guarded and protected them across the great ocean, according to their prayers, which he had heard; that he had watched them so far in this country; that they had been successful in This injunction, he said, was laid upon him thus, and he could not from any cause whatever neglect to attend to it; if he did, he should feel assured of meeting the displeasure of the Great Spirit, and they should all feel at once distressed about the uncertainty of their lives on their way back. This Feast of Thanksgiving must be given the next day, and they should wish us to procure for them a whole goat, or a sheep, and said that it must be a male, and that they would require a place large enough to cook it without breaking a bone in its body, according to the custom of their country. The request of this good old man was of course granted with great pleasure; and Mr. Rankin, in a short time, returned from the market with the sheep, which, on close inspection, seemed to please them; and a large chamber in the Egyptian Hall, which Mr. Clark, the curator of the building, had placed at their service, was decided on as the place where the feast should be prepared and partaken of. Mr. Clark and his wife, who are kind and Christian people, afforded them all the facilities for cooking, and rendered them every aid they could in preparing their feast; and the next day, at the hour appointed, it was announced to Mr. Rankin and myself that the “feast was ready, and that we were expected to partake of it with them.” When we entered the room we found the feast arranged on the floor, in the centre of the large hall, and smoking, and the men all seated around it on buffalo robes; and the only two guests besides ourselves, my man Daniel and Mr. Everything now being in readiness, the pipe was lit by the war-chief, who rose up with it, and, presenting its stem towards the north and the south, the east and the west, and then upwards to the Great Spirit, and then to the earth, smoked through it himself a few breaths, and then, walking around, held it to the lips of each one of the party (the women excepted), who smoked a whiff or two through it; after which he made a short and apparently vehement appeal to the Great Spirit to bless the food we were then to partake of. When he had taken his seat, the medicine-man took his wa-be-no (medicine-drum) and commenced beating on it as he accompanied its taps with a medicine song to the Great Spirit. When the song was finished he arose, and, shaking a rattle (she-shee-quoin) in his left hand, and singing at the same time, he handed the cup of whisky around to the lips of each guest, all of whom tasted of it; it was then passed to the women, who also tasted it, and returned it to its former position but partially emptied. The War-chief then rose upon his feet, and, drawing his large knife from his belt, plunged the thumb and fore finger of his left hand into the sockets of the sheep’s eyes, by which he raised the head as he severed it from the body with his knife, and held it as high as he could reach. At this It is worthy of remark, also, that at this strange feast there was nothing offered but the flesh of the sheep; but which was cooked in a manner that would have pleased the taste of an epicure. When the eating was done, the war-chief took the rattle in his hand, and, lightly shaking it as a sort of accompaniment, took at least a quarter of an hour to repeat a long prayer, or return of thanks, to the Great Spirit, which was spoken (or rather sung than spoken) in a very remarkable and rapid manner. After this the pipe was lit, and, having been some three or four times passed around, the feast was finished, and we took leave. I leave this strange affair (having described it as nearly as I possibly could) for the comments of the curious, who may have more time than I can justly devote to it at this moment, barely observing that the old chief, after this, seemed quite contented and happy that he had acted in conformity to the sacred injunction of the Great Spirit, and strictly adhered, though in a foreign country, to one of the The whole party now seemed to be completely happy, and in the midst of enjoyment. They were excited and amused every night in their exhibitions, which afforded them wholesome exercise; and during the days they took their drives through the city and into the country, and beheld the sights of the great metropolis, or reclined around their rooms on their buffalo robes, enjoying their pipes and counting their money, of which they had received some thirty or forty pounds, presented to them in the room at various times, independent of that received from her Majesty, and their wages, and trinkets, and other presents. Of their drives, one of the most exciting and interesting that they had or could have in London was about this time, when her Majesty rode in state to the opening of Parliament. They were driven through the immense concourse of people assembled on the line and along Parliament-street, and conducted to a position reserved for them on the roof of St. Mary’s chapel, near Westminster Abbey. From this elevated position they had a splendid bird’s-eye view of the crowd below, and the progress of the Queen’s state carriage, as it rolled along on its massive wheels of gold, and drawn by eight cream-coloured horses. So grand a pageant filled their rude, uncultivated minds with the strangest conjectures, which were subjects for several evenings’ curious gossip. And what seemed to please them most of all the incidents of the day was, as they said, “that her Majesty and the Prince both most certainly looked up from their golden carriage to see them on the top of the church.” They were also most kindly invited by the members of the St. George’s Archery Club to witness their bow-and-arrow shooting on one of their prize-days. This was calculated to engage their closest attention; and at night they They continued their amusements nightly, much in the same way as I have above described, with full houses and similar excitements, all of which and their effects we will imagine, as I pass over a week or two of them without other notice than merely to say that the “jolly fat dame” still continued to visit them, as she had promised, and nightly to strengthen the spell she seemed Reader, we are now entering upon a drama that requires an abler pen than mine, which has been used only to record the dry realities of Indian life, stripped of the delicious I regret exceedingly that I cannot do justice to the subject that is now before us; but, knowing the facts, I will simply give them, and not aspire to the picture, which the reader’s imagination will better paint than my black lead can possibly draw. On the unlucky evening above alluded to the “jolly fat dame” had made her appearance at the rooms half an hour before the doors were to open; and, with Daniel’s usual indulgence, she passed into the room, in the hope, as she said, to have a few words with the Indians, and shake hands with them all, and bid the good fellows good by, as she was going into the country for a few days. She loitered around the room until it began to fill with its visitors for the evening, without the good luck to meet the “Strong-wind,” as she had been in the habit of doing, before the chandelier was in full blaze, and while the Indians were in their adjoining room, putting on their paint and ornaments. This disappointment, for reasons that she probably understood better than we can, seemed to embarrass her very much, and most likely, even at that early stage, carried forebodings of troubles that were “brewing.” In the embarrassment of these painful moments, not being able to spend the evening in the exhibition, as usual, but under the necessity of returning to pack her things and complete her preparations for her journey, she was retreating towards the door as fast as the audience filled in in front, determined to hold a position in the passage where she could shake hands with the Indians as they passed in, and drop a little billet into the hands of the “Strong-wind,” which, if received, was intended only to stop a sort of palpitation there would be in the side of her breast, in case she should have gone off to the country without informing the “Strong-wind” of it, and that she was to return again in a very few days. Unlucky device! The Indians all passed by, excepting This dilemma was most awful. The thought of actually “going off to the country, as she had promised, for several days, without the chance to say even good bye, or to shake hands, was too bad,—it was cruel!” She went to the door to see Daniel, and said, “Well, this is very curious; I wanted to have seen Cadotte for a moment before I went away, and I can’t stay to-night. I shook hands with all the rest as they went in, but I did not see Cadotte. I don’t understand it.” “Why,” said Daniel, “the poor fellow is not here to-night; he’s getting sick: he was here when you first came in, but he shot out a few moments afterwards, and told me to tell you, if you came, that he was too unwell to be here to-night. He is looking very pale and losing flesh very fast, and his appetite is going. He has only danced once or twice in the last week.” It was a fact that the “Strong Wind” was getting sick; and a fact also that Daniel thought he had gone home, as he told the good lady; and two other facts followed the next day—the one was, that the journey to the country was not made that morning; and the other, that the “jolly fat dame” was at the Hall at an early hour of the evening as usual. Her visit was carefully timed, so as to allow her a little time for gossip with Daniel at the door, and to subject her to the delightful possibility of accidentally meeting the “Strong Wind” as she had sometimes done, in the half-lighted hall. “You see, Daniel, that I didn’t get off this morning; and when I am in London I cannot keep away from those curious fellows, the Indians. They are here, I suppose, before this?” “Yes, madam, they have just come in in their bus.” “Well, how is Cadotte? he is my favourite, you know.” “Well,” said Daniel, “I don’t think he’s any better: I believe there is but one thing that will cure him.” “Bless me, you don’t say so! What do you think is the matter with him?” “Why, I think he is in love, madam; and I don’t believe there is anything under heaven else that ails him.” “Oh! now, but you don’t think so, do you, really?” “I do, indeed, madam; and I don’t wonder at it, for there are charms that are lavished upon him that are enough to——” “Oh! come, come, now, Daniel, don’t give us any of your dry compliments. He’s a fine man, certainly—that Daniel took in the note to the “Strong Wind,” who was lying on his robe, and in a minute returned with the note and this awful message:—“Tell her she may go out of town—I don’t wish to see her.” This was as much of his ungallant message as Daniel could venture to bear to the good lady, though the “Strong Wind” continued to say, “Take the note back to her: she is making too free with me, and all the people see it. She wants a husband too bad, and I hope she will soon get one.” Daniel returned the note, and apologized for being the bearer of such a message to her; but he said, as he had carried her message to Cadotte, he felt bound to bring his message back. “Certainly, certainly,” said she; “I can’t blame you, Daniel; but this is strange—all this is strange to me; it’s quite incomprehensible, I assure you. The crowd is coming in, I see, Daniel; and I can’t possibly be here through the evening, I’ll be here as soon as I come back. Good night.” One can easily imagine how the peace of the bosom of this good-natured unoffending lady was broken up by the abrupt way of the “Strong Wind,” and how unhappy might have been the few days she was to spend in the country, and which she could not then fail to do, as she had made a promise to friends, that she could not break. By her absence from the exhibition-room for a week or more, it was evident that she was accomplishing her visit to the country; and, though her little archer was unemployed in her absence, it would seem as if the very show of so many bows and arrows in the great city of London had suddenly called into existence, or into service, a reinforcement of those little marksmen, who were concentrating their forces about this time, and seemed to be all aiming their shafts at the breast of the “Strong Wind.” There were several fair damsels who nightly paid their shillings, and took their positions near the platform, in a less conspicuous way, though not less Among this jealous group of inveterate gazers and admirers was always, though most coy and least noticed, the sweet little “black-eyed maiden” of whom I have said Daniel gave some account to the good lady who has gone to the country, as having “kissed her hand and thrown bouquets of flowers” to the “Strong Wind” from the back windows of her father’s house in George-street. The whole soul of the “Strong Wind,” which, until now, had been unchained and as free as the mountain breeze, was completely enveloped in the soft and silken web which the languishing black eyes, the cherry and pulpy lips, and rosy cheeks of this devouring little maid had spun and entwined about it. He trembled when he straightened his tall and elegant figure above the platform, not that he was before the gazing world, but because her soft black eyes were upon him. His voice faltered and his throat was not clear when he brandished his glistening tomahawk and sounded the shrill war-whoop. This was not that the ears of hundreds, but that the ears of ONE, were open to catch the sound. His heart was now free, for a few days at least, from the dangers of the first siege, the guns of which for the time were all silent. The glances of his eyes and his occasional smiles were less scrupulously watched; and now and then they could be welcomed by sweet returns. He had now but one real enemy in the field, and his shafts, though they went to his inmost soul, were every one of them welcome messengers of peace and love. Thus besieged, thus pierced and transfixed, the “Strong Wind” did as much as he could to continue his natural existence, to eat his accustomed meals, and to act his customary parts in the dance; but efforts all seemed in vain. All things at the Egyptian Hall went on as usual for several days, the Indians giving their nightly entertainments, but without the aid of the “Strong Wind,” and consequently without the presence of the “languishing little black eyes” that used to be seen peeping over the corner of the platform. The reader (who has heard already that the “Strong Wind” loved to ride home with this sweet little creature—that he took his dishes of tea in her father’s house, which was next door—and that he often stayed there until twelve and one o’clock at night) can easily understand how the time now passed with the “Strong Wind,” and how hopeless were to be the chances of the good dame who had “gone to the country but for a few days, where she had promised to go, but from which she was soon to return.” The reader who is old enough will easily understand also why the “Strong Wind” grew pale; how it was that everything ceased to taste good—beautiful things to look pretty; and why I had to translate, as well as I could, the speeches of the Indians, who now had no better interpreter. The exhibition-room continued to be filled night after night without the presence of the “Strong Wind;” and at length, on one of these occasions, the “jolly fat dame,” who had gone to the country for a few days, presented herself at the door as usual before the audience had assembled. She was admitted by Daniel’s kindness; and as she got into the passage, the party of Indians came in from their omnibus, and, passing her, gave her their hands, and as they passed Most curiously, all this affair of Cadotte’s and the sweet-mouthed, black-eyed little girl, had passed unnoticed by me, and I had of course entirely mistaken his malady, having sent my physician to attend him. His symptoms and the nature of his disease were consequently fully understood by examinations of the patient and others who had watched closely all the appearances from the commencement of his attack. Getting thus a full report of the case, I held a conversation with Mr. Rankin, who at once told me that it had been well understood by him for some time, and that Cadotte had asked for his consent to marry the young lady, and that he had frankly given it to him. I told him I |