the geoege catlin indian gallery. 557 



Oatlin's Indian Gallery and Museum: in Europe, 1839, 1848, 



AND 18G2. 



Mr. Catlin, in his "iN'otes in Europe," thus describes his voyage : 



In the fall of the year 1839 I embarked at New York on board of the packet-ship 

 Roscius, Captain Collins, for Liverpool, with my Indian collection, having received 

 a very friendly letter of advice from the Hon. C. A. Murray, master of Her Majesty's 

 household, who had formerly been a fellow-traveller with me on the Mississippi and 

 other rivers in America, and who, on his return to London, had kindly made a con- 

 ditional arrangement for my collection in the Egyjitian Hall, in Piccadilly. 



Mr. George Adlard, an Englishman, residing in the city of New York, had also ex- 

 erted a friendly iniluence for me in procuring an order from the lords of Her Majesty's 

 treasury for passing my collection into the Kingdom free from the customary duties ; 

 and under these auspices I was launched upon the wide ocean, with eight tons freight, 

 consisting of six hundred portraits and other paintings which I had made in my sojourn 

 of eight years in the prairies and Rocky Mountains of America, several thousands of 

 Indian articles, costumes, weajjons, &c., with all of which I intended to convey to 

 the English people an accurate account of the appearance and condition of the North 

 American tribes of Indians. 



On board also, as a part of my heavy collection, and as a further illustration of the 

 rude inhabitants of the "Far West," I had, in a huge iron cage, two grizzly bears, 

 from the Rocky Mountains, forming not only the heaviest and most awkward part 

 of my freight, but altogether the moat troublesome, as will be seen hereafter. 



After the rescue of a ship's crew in mid-ocean, and a storm, the Eos- 

 cius landed Mr. Catlin, with his gallery, museum, and the bears, at 

 Liverpool, after a six weeks' voyage. The bears became troublesome 

 at London, and were sent to the Zoological Gardens, Eegent's Park, 

 where they died. 



Mr. Catlin, as shown in his notes of his Itinerary, exhibited his gal- 

 lery and museum in Europe eight years. His experience and observa- 

 tions are given in his work entitled "Notes of Eight Years' Travels and 

 Eesidence in Europe, with his North American Indian collection, with 

 anecdotes and incidents of the travels and adventures of three dif- 

 ferent parties of American Indians whom he introduced to the courts of 

 England, France, and Belgium: in two volumes octavo, with numer- 

 ous illustrations. New York: Burgess, Stringer, & Co., 222 Broadway, 

 1848." 



This work is singularly interesting, and in jourual form, or jottings 

 from time to time, describes his adventures. With Mr. Catlin were a 

 nephew, Theodore Burr Catlin, and Daniel, an Irishman, his man Fri- 

 day. Daniel he describes, with a portrait, on page 23, vol. 1, Catlin's 

 "Notes in Europe." 



THE gallery IN LONDON. 



Mr. Catlin paid £550 per year rent for Egyptian Hall, Picadilly, Lon- 

 don, on a three years' lease, from 1840 to 1843. 

 Of this he writes, " Notes in Europe," vol. 1, pages 30 to 35: 

 I called upon my kind friend the Hon. C. A. Murray, at his office in Buckingham 

 Palace, London, whoro I waa received with all that frankness and sincerity pecniiar 



