436 THE GEOEGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 



far enough west." In Saint Louis, 1,400 miles west of New York, my landlady as- 

 sured me that I would be pleased with her boarders, for they were nearly all merchants 

 from the West. I then asked, " Whence come those steamboats laden with pork, 

 honey, hides, &c. ?" 



" From the West." 



"Whence those ponderous bars of silver, which those men have been for hours 

 shouldering and putting on board that boat ? " 



" They come from Santa F^, from the West." 



"Where goes this steamboat, so richly laden with dry goods, steam-engines, &c.?" 



"She goes to Jefferson City." 



'' Jefferson City. Where is that ? " 



"Far to the West." 



"And where goes that boat, laden down to her gunnels — the Yellowstone ? " 



" She goes still farther to the West." 



" Then," said I, " I'll go to the West." 



I went on the Yellowstone, two thousand miles on her, and we were at the mouth 

 of Yellowstone Eiver — at the West." 



"What! invoices, bills of lading, &c., a wholesale establishment so far to the 

 West ? And those strange-looking, long-haired gentlemen who have just arrived and 

 are relating the adventures of their long and tedious journey, who are they ?" 



"Oh ! they are some of our merchants just arrived from the West." 



"And that keel-boat, that Mackinaw boat, and that formidable caravan, all of 

 which are richly laden with goods? " 



"These, sir, are outfits starting for the West." 



" Going to the West, ha ? Then," said I, " I'll try it again. I will try and see if I 

 can go to the West." 



"What, a fort here, too?" 



"Qui, monsieur — oui, monsieur" (as a dauntless, and semi-harbarian looking, jolly 

 fellow dashed forth in advance of his party on his wild horse to meet me). 



"What distance are you west of Yellowstone here, my good fellow ?" 



"Comment?" 



"What distance? — (stop) — quel distance?" 



" Pard6n, monsieur, je ne sais pas, monsieur." 



" Ne parlez vous 1' Anglais ? " 



" Non, monsieur, I speaks de French and de Americaine ; mais je ne parle pas 1' An- 

 glais." 



" Well, then, my good fellow, I will speak English, and you may speak Ameri- 

 caine." 



" Pard6n, pard6n, monsieur." 



" Well, then, we will both speak Americaine." 



" Val, sare, je suis bien content, pour for I see dat you speaks putty coot Ameri- 

 caine." 



" What may I call your name ? " 



"Ba'tiste, monsieur." 



" What Indians are those so splendidly dressed, and with such fine horses, encamped 

 on the plain yonder ? " 



"lis sont Corbeaux." 



"Crows, ha?" 



"Yes, sare, monsieur." 



"We are, then, in the Crow country?" 



"Non, monsieur, not putty ^xact ; we are in de coontrae of de dam Pieds noirs." 



"Blackfeet, ha?" 



"Oui." 



" What blue mountain is that which we see in the distance yonder ? " 



" Ha, quel montaigne ? cela est la montaigne du (pard6n)." 



