THE GEOKGE CATLIN INDIAK GALLERY. 581 



not?" said the landlady, ''are they not as good as the men? They are a nice set of 

 women, and that little girl is a dear little creature. I cooked the ducks as much for 

 them as I did for you, and I think it would be cruel not to invite them to eat with 

 you; you are no better now than you were this morning; they ate with you then. 

 If I had known this, I would have kept one of the ducks for them." "Devil a bit ! " 

 said Cadotte, "do you know what medicine is?" "No, I don't suppose I do; but 

 there are the three women all crying now in the other room, poor creatures." "And 

 there they are obliged to cry while we aro in a medicine feast, or we have no luck." 

 "Oh, dear me, what a strange set of beings!" said the old lady, as she returned to 

 the kitchen, "I won't interfere with them; they must take their own way." 



THE RESULT OF THE FEAST. 



With closed doors we went through all the peculiar solemnities of this feast ; and, 

 having devoured all the ducks, leaving "none for the poor women," the medicine- 

 man took about a quarter of an hour to recite a sort of prayer or thanks to the Great 

 Spirit, which, from the extreme rapidity with which he repeated it, I supposed to bo 

 some established form peculiar to such occasions. After this, and while the last pipe 

 was passing around, my man Daniel (in pursuance of my previous instructions) entered 

 the room, and delivered to me a large letter, which he said he thought was from Mr. 

 Murray, as it had the household stamp upon it. The most impatient excitement pre- 

 vailed until I broke the seal and read as follows : 



Buckingham Palace, Thursday Morning. 

 Dear Sir : I have great pleasure in informing you that Her Majesty has expressed 

 a desire to see the party of Ojibbeway Indians, and has appointed Thursday next, at 

 2 o'clock, as the hour when she will receive you with the party in the Waterloo Gal- 

 lery, Windsor Castle. I pray that you will be punctual at the hour, and I will meet 

 you at the threshold, rendering all the facilities that may be in my power. 

 Yours, sincerely, 



C. A. MURE AY, 

 Master of R. M. Household. 

 Geo. Catlin, Esq. 



The reader can readily imagine what was the pleasure of these i^oor people when 

 they heard this letter read; but it would be difficult to know what were their feel- 

 ings of surprise, that the efficacy of their medicine should have brought it in at that 

 opportune moment. The reader will also suppose what their superstition prevented 

 them from ever imagining that this letter was in my pocket several hours before the 

 ducks were bought, and therefore cost me about twenty shillings. 



A Ijipe was here lit by the old chief, and passed around, and smoked to the kind 

 spirit they had successfully invoked, and with it all the anxieties of this day passed 

 away. 



THE NINE OBJIBEWAYS AT WINDSOR CASTLE, 1845. 



Mr. Catlin's description of tlie visit to the Queen and Prince Consort 

 contains so much that is of interest that it is given in full : 



A new chapter commenced here with the Indians, as it commences with my book. 

 All "omnibus drives" were postponed for the present; all communications with the 

 world entirely iutcrdicted; and all was bustle and preparation for the grand event 

 which was to " cap the climax" of their highest ambition — the point to which they 

 had looked ever since they had started, and beyond which it is not probable their 

 contemplations had as yet visibly painted anything. 



Colors and ribbons and beads of the richest hues were called for and procured 

 from various parts of the city ; and both night and day all, men and women, were con- 

 stantly engaged in adding brilliancy and richness of color to their costumes. 



