THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 607 



treaty he is supposed to preside. For this purpose he rose, and straightening up his tail 

 and veteran figure, with his buffalo robe thrown over his shoulder and around him, 

 with his right arm extended over the heads of his fellow- warriors, made a most ani- 

 mated speech to them for several minutes (with his back turned toward the audience), 

 reminding them of the principal exploits of his military life, with which they were all 

 familiar. Pie then called upon one of the younger men to light his pipe, which being 

 done, and placed in his hand, he took several deliberate whiffs through its long and or- 

 namented stem; this done, and his ideas all arranged, he deliberately turned around, 

 and passing his pipe into his left hand, extended his right over the heads of the audi- 

 ence and commenced: 



SPEECH OF THE WAE CHIEF. 



' ' My friends, we believe that all our happiness iii this life is given to us by the Great 

 Spirit, and through this pipe I have thanked Him for enabling me to be here at this 

 time, and to speak to you all who are around me. ('How, how, how ! ' and applause.) 



"My friends, we have had a long journey, and we are still very much fatigued. We 

 prayed to the Great Spirit, and He has heard our prayers; we are all here, and all well. 

 ('How, how, how !' and 'hear!') 



" My friends, we are poor and live in the woods, and though the Great Spirit is with 

 us, yet He has not taught us how to weave the beautiful things that you make in this 

 country ; we have seen many of those things brought to us, and we are now happy to be 

 where all these fine things are made. ('How, how, how ! ') 



"My friends, the Great Spirit has made us with red skins, and taught us how to live 

 in the wilderness, but has not taught us to live as you do. Our dresses are made of 

 skins and are very coarse, but they ase warm; and in our dances we are in the habit of 

 showing the skins of our shoulders and our arms, and we hope you will not be angry 

 with us — it is our way. ('How, how, how ! ' and great applause.) 



" My friends, we have heard that your chief is a woman, and we know that she mast 

 be a great chief, or your country would not be so rich and so happy. (Cheers and hear !) 

 "We have been told that the Ojibbeways went to see your queen, and that she smiled 

 upon them; this makes us the more anxious to see her face, as the Ojibbeways are our 

 enemies. ( ' How, how, how ! ' ) 



"My friends, we hope to see the face of your queen, and then we shall be happy. 

 Our friend Chippeliola* has told us that he thinks we shall see her. Lly friends, we do 

 not know whether there are any of her relations now in the room. ( ' How, how, how ! ' 

 and a laugh. ) 



"My friends, we shall be glad to shake your hands. This is all I have to say." 

 (Great applause. ) 



At the close of his speech, and as he turned around to meet the approbation of his 

 fellow- warriors, there was a sudden burst of laughter amongst the Indians, occasioned 

 by the sarcastic and exulting manner in which the old Doctor told him he had better 

 say something more before he sat down, "because," said he, "you have not made half 

 as much laugh yet as I did last night." " I should be sorry if I had," said the war- 

 chief; "the audience always laugh the moment they see your ugly face." 



CONVEESATION WITH THE lOWAYS ON EELIGION. 



The next morning after this the Rev. Mr. and Mr. called upon me at my 



family residence, to ask if it would be consistent with my views and the views of the 

 Indians for them to have some conversation with them in private on the subject of re- 

 ligion and education. I replied that it was one of the greatest satisfactions I could' 

 have during their stay in England, to promote as far as in my power such well-meant 

 efforts to enlighten their minds, and to enable them to benefit in that way by their visit 



♦George Catlin. 



