QUICKNESS OF IMITATION—GOOD NATURE. ADT 
But I venture the assertion that no Indians on the continent have learned 
to copy after civilization im so short a time. I will give a few instances. 
Shasta I'rank, a Wintiin, born and bred to savagery, was a perfect gentle- 
man in the neatness and elegance of his dress, in his manners, and in his 
speech. For instance, having inadvertently said “setting”, he instantly 
corrected himself with “sitting”. He gave me a brief account of his lan- 
guage, which delighted me by its accuracy, clearness, and philosophic 
insight. I was told of another Wintiin who had become a book-keeper and 
was drawing a good salary as such. Matilda, a Modok woman, living in the 
wildest regions of the frontier, showed me a portfolio of sketches, made by 
herself with a common pencil upon letter-envelopes and such casual scraps 
of paper, which were really remarkable for their correctness. She would 
strike off, at first sight, an American, an Englishman, a German, a China- 
man, or any odd and eccentric face she happened to see, with a fidelity and 
expressiveness that were quite amusing. If she had ever had any advan- 
tages, she would have been heard of in the art-world. ‘The pioneers 
acknowledge that they speedily acquire a subtileness of cheating in card- 
playing which outwits even themselves, and would have done honor to the 
‘heathen Chinee”. Again, it is the testimony of the reservation agents 
that the Indian children pick up simple Sunday-school melodies and the 
like with the facility of the plantation pickaninny down South. 
There is a curious feature of aboriginal character, which is manifested 
more particularly in their games. An Indian seems to be very little cha- 
grined by defeat. I have often watched young men and boys, both in 
native and American games, and have never failed to remark that singu- 
larly lymphatic good-nature with which everything is carricd forward. 
American boys will contend strenuously, and even fight, for nice points in 
the game, down toa finger’s breadth in the position of a marble; but Indian 
youths are gayly indifferent, jolly, easy, and never quarrel. They appear 
to be just as well pleased and they laugh just as heartily when beaten as 
when victorious. Everything goes on with a limp and jelly-like hilarity, 
which makes it extremely stupid to an American to watch their contests very 
long. When engaged in an athletic game, it is true, they exert themselves 
to their utmost, and accomplish truly wonderful feats of agility and bottom; 
