THE GEORGE CATLIN" INDIAN GALLERY. 567 



finest, and attracted more beauty, fashion, and wealth than any of the 

 society balls in Loudon. In the evening they entered the ball-room at 

 8, and, making a decided sensation, remained until 7 o'clock the next 

 morning. In volume 1 of Catlin's Kotes in Europe, pages 69 to 76, Mr. 

 Catlin very humorously describes this event. 



A FORTNIGHT OF MR. CATLIN'S LIFE IN LONDON. 



In illustration of events and incidents in connection with the Catlin 

 Indian Gallery and Museum in London, for a fortnight in 1843 is given 

 in full in chapter 8, pages 79 to 90, inclusive, of vol. 1 of Catlin's Notes 

 in Europe, as follows : 



Among tlie distinguished visitors to my rooms about this time were their royal 

 highnesses the Duke of Coburg and Prince Ernest, the father and brother of Prince 

 Albert, at that time on a visit to the Queen and the Prince. They were accompanied 

 by Mr. Murray, who toot great pains to explain the collection to the duke, who took 

 me by the hand when he left the room, and told me I deserved the friendship of all 

 countries for what I had done, and pronounced it " a noble collection." His second 

 visit was made to it a few days after, when he was also accompanied by Mr. Murray, 

 and remained in the rooms until it was quite dark. 



His royal highness the Due de Brabant, the infant son of the King of the Belgians, 

 on a visit to the Queen, was also brought in by Mr. Murray. He was an intelligent 

 lad, nine or ten years of age, and was pleased with a miniature Indian pipe which I 

 presented to him, and also a small pair of Indian moccasins suitable for his age. 



INTERVIEW WITH THE DUKE OF SUSSEX. 



His royal highness the Duke of Susses, though in feeble health, paid my collection 

 his first visit. It was his wish, from the state that he was in, to meet me alone "in 

 an Indian council," as he called it. My first interview with him lasted for an hour 

 or more, when he told me that if his strength would have permitted it, he could have 

 been amused the whole day. To this fine old venerable man my highest admiration 

 clung. He expressed the deepest sympathy for the Indians, and seemed to have 

 formed a more general and correct idea of them and their condition than any person 

 I had met in the Kingdom. When he left my rooms he took me by both hands and 

 thanked me for the rich treat I had afi^orded him, and assured me that for the bene- 

 fits I was rendering to society, and the justice I was doing to the poor Indians, I 

 should be sure to meet my reward in the world to come, and that he hoped I would 

 also be recompensed in this. 



The Duke of Sussex was a great amateur of pipes and good smoking, and took 

 much interest in the hundreds of different designs and shapes of the carved pipes in 

 my exhibition. He was curious to know what the Indians smoked, and I showed 

 him their tobacco, a quantity of which I had brought with me. The Indians prepare 

 it from the inner bark of the red willow, and when dried and ready for smoking, call 

 it "Wnick-k'' neck." I prepared and lit a pipe of it for his royal highness to smoke, 

 with which he took a seat under the middle of the Indian wigwam, where our conver- 

 sation was held at the moment ; and as he drew the delicious fumes through the 

 long and garnished stem which passed between his knees, with its polished bowl, 

 carved in the red pijiestone, resting on the floor, he presented for a few moments the 

 finished personification of beatitude and enjoyment. He pronounced the flavor de- 

 licious, wanting only a little more strength, which he thought the addition of tobacco 

 would give it. 



I told him that the Indians were always in the habit of mingling tobacco with it 

 when they could alford to buy ii. "Good fellows," said he, "they know what is 



