644 THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 



hour's conversation, they were invited into an adjoining room to a breakfast- table loaded 

 with the luxuries she had thought most grateful to their tastes. This finished, another 

 half-hour or more was passed in the most interesting conversation, containing her ques- 

 tions and their answers, and her Christian advice to prepare their minds for the world 

 to which, said she, "we must all go soon, and, for myself, I am just going, and am 

 ready." When we were about to take our leave of her, she called each one up in suc- 

 cession, and, having a quantity of money in silver half-crownd placed on the sofa by her 

 side, she dealt it out to them as they came up, shaking hands at the same time and bid- 

 ding each one a lasting farewell, embracing each of the women and children in her arms 

 and kissing them as she took leave. This kindness melted their hearts to tears, and 

 brought old Neu-mon-ya (the War-chief) up before her at full length, to make the follow- 

 ing remarks: 



"My friend, the Great Spirit has opened your heart to feel a friendship for the red 

 people, and we are thankful to Him for it. We have been happy to see your face to-day, 

 and our hearts will never forget your kindness. You have put a great deal of money 

 into our hands, which will help to feed our little children, and the Great Spirit will not 

 forget this when you go before him. 



' ' My kind mother, you are very old. Your life has been good ; and the Great Spirit 

 has allowed you to live to see us, and He will soon call you to Him. We live a great 

 way from here, and we shall not look upon your face again in this world; though we all 

 believe that, if we behave well enough, we shall see your face in the world to come." 



INDIANS GIVE A BENEFIT. 



At Manchester the Indians gave a benefit performance for the benefit of two hospitals 

 and a temperance society. A delegation of members of the last waited on the Indians and 

 thanked them. Speeches were made, and amongst others, one by the doctor. The old 

 doctor spoke as follows: 



"My friends, I rise to thank you for the words you have spoken to us; they have been 

 kind, and we are thankful for them. 



' ' My friends, when I am at home in the wilderness, as well as when I am amongst 

 you, I always pray to the Great Spirit; and I believe the chiefs and the warriors of my 

 tribe, and even the women also, pray every day to the Great Spirit, and He has therefore 

 been very kind to us. 



' ' My friends, we have been this day taken by the hand in friendship, and this gives 

 us great consolation. Your friendly words have opened our ears, and your words of ad- 

 vice will not be forgotten. 



' ' My friends, you have advised us to be charitable to the poor, and we have this day 

 handed you three hundred and sixty dollars to help the poor in your hospitals. We have 

 not time to see those poor people, but we know you will make good use of the money for 

 them; and we shall be happy if, by our coming this way, we shall have made the poor 

 comfortable. 



"My friends, we Indians are poor, and we cannot do much charity. The Great Spirit 

 has been kind to us, though, since we came to this country, and we have given altogether 

 more than two hundred dollars to the poor people in the streets of London before we 



looked at them, as they were seated in a half-circle in my drawing-room, immovable as statues, and 

 magnificently dressed in their own costume, with astonishment. I had never seen a spectacle so 

 imposing. At my request, you presented them to me separately — first the men, and then the women 

 and children — and I gave each a small present, for which they were so thankful. At parting, the 

 War-chief stood before me and made a speech, thanking me for my kindness to them, which they 

 should long recollect, and saying, "that, although we should meet no more in the world, yet he 

 hoped the Great Spirit would make us meet in the next." The action of the chief was free and 

 natural, and most graceful; far superior to anything I ever saw. Indeed, these people are the 

 nobility of nature. 



J an», my dear sir, your very obliged and very respectful, 



CATHERINE HUTTON, 



