630 THE GEOEGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 



INDIANS C0X7NT THE GIN-PALACES. 



I had told them that if they had the least curiosity there should be no objection to 

 their going with me on some proper occasion, when they again got on their frock coats 

 and beaver hats; and also that if there were any other carious places they wished to see 

 in London Mr. Melody or I would take them there. . Upon hearing this the big-mouthed 

 and quizzical Jim at once took me at my word, and told me that ' ' some gentleman with 

 Daniel had been telling him and the doctor that there were several ' hells ' under the 

 city of London, and that they ought some time to go down and see them." He didn't 

 think from what Daniel and that man said that they were hells of fire, but he thought 

 as Daniel had been to them there could not be much danger, and he thought they would 

 be very curious to see; he knew these were not the hells which the blackcoats spoke of, 

 for Daniel told him there were many beautiful ladies and fine music and chiclcahobhoo 

 there; that they did not wish to drink the cfiickaboiboo, but merely to look and see and 

 then come away; and they had no objections to put on the black coats for that purpose; 

 he said, in fact, that Daniel had invited them to go, and that Jeffrey had agreed to go 

 with them. Jim had me thus " upon the hip" for this enterprise, and when I men- 

 tioned it to poor Melody he smiled as he seemed to shrink from it, and said, "Ah, Catlin, 

 that never will do; we are going to spoil these Indians as sure a's the world; there will 

 be in a little time nothing but what they will want to see, and we shall have no peace 

 of our lives with them. They have all gone now, and Daniel and Jeffrey with them, 

 in their bus all the way to Blackwall, merely to see how many chickabobbooags (gin- 

 palaces) they can count in their way going by one route and returning by another." 



The simple old doctor, in his carious cogitations amidst the din of civilized excitementSj 

 while he had been ogling the thousands of ladies and gin-palaces and other curious 

 things all together from the pinnacle of his bus, had brought home one day in round 

 numbers the total amount of chickabobbooags that he had seen daring the hour's drive 

 on one morning. The enormous amount of these when added up seemed too great 

 for the most credulous; and Jim, seeming to think that the doctor had counted the 

 ladies instead of the grog-shops, disputed the correctness of his report, which had led 

 to the result that was being carried out to-day by some pretty spirited betting between 

 the doctor, Jim, Daniel, and Jeffrey as to the number of gin-palaces (cJiicabobbooags) 

 they should pass on their way from St. James' street to Blackwall (where they had curi- 

 osity to taste "white bait "), and back again bya different route talving Euston Station 

 in their way as they returned. For this purpose it was arranged that the doctor and 

 Jim should take their customary seats with the driver; and Roman Nose and the Little 

 Wolf inside of tbe bus where there was less to attract their attention, should each take 

 his side of the street, counting as they passed them, while the old war-chief should 

 notch them on a stick which they had prepared for the purpose, having Daniel and 

 Jeffrey by their sides to see that there was no mistake. 



The amusements of this gigantic undertaking were not to be even anticipated until 

 they got back, nor its difficulties exactly appreciated until they appeared in the prose- 

 cution of the design. At starting off the Roman Nose and Little Wolf took their posi- 

 tions on opposite seats, each one appropriating a pane of glass for his observations, and 

 the old war-chief, with his deal stick in one hand and a knife in the other; and in this 

 way they were ready for and commenced operations. Each one as he passed a gin-shop 

 called out " chichabobbooag ! " and the old chief cut a notch. This at first seemed to be 

 quite an easy thing and even allowed the old man an occasional moment to look around 

 and observe the direction in which they were going, while the two amusing chubs who 

 were outside could pass an occasional remark or two upon the ladies as they were com- 

 mencing to keep an oral account to corroborate or correct the records that were making 

 inside. As they gradually receded from the temperate region of St. James' (having by 

 an ignorant oversight overlooked the numerous club-houses), their labors began to in- 

 crease, and the old war chief had to apply his knife with precision and quickness; th& 



