THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 663 



necklaces of grizzly bears' claws, their shields, and bows and quivers, their lances 

 and war cliibs, and tomahawks, and scalping-knives. In this way, in full dress, -with 

 their painted buffalo robes wrapped around them, they stepped into the several car- 

 riages prepared for them, and all were wheeled into the Place Carousel, and put down 

 at the entrance to the palace. We were met on the steps by half a dozen huge and 

 splendid-looking porters, in flaming scarlet livery and powdered wigs, who conducted 

 us in, and, being met by one of the King's aides-de-camp, we were conducted by him 

 into His Majesty's presence, in the recei>tion-hall of the Tuileries. 



RECEPTION AT TlIK TUILERIES. 



The royal party wore advancing towards us in the hall, and as we met them Mr. 

 Melody and myself were presented ; and I then introduced the party, each one in per- 

 son, according to his rank or standing, as the King desired. A sort o{ conversazione tooh 

 place there, which lasteel for half an hour or more, in which I was called upon to ex- 

 plain their weapons, costumes, »&c., and which seemed to afford great amusement to the 

 royal personages assembled around and amongst us, who were : their Majesties the 

 King and the Queen, the Duchess of Orleans and Count de Paris, the Princess Adelaide, 

 the Prince and Princess do Joinville, the Duke and Duchess d' Aumalc, and His Royal 

 Highness the Duke de Brabant. 



His Majesty, in the most free and familiar manner (which showed that he had been 

 accustomed to the modes and feelings of Indians), conversed with the chiefs, and said 

 to Jeffrey, "Tell these good fellows that I am glad to see them; that I have been in 

 many of the wigwams of the Indians in America when I was a young man, and they 

 treated me everywhere kindly, and I love them for it. Tell them I was amongst the 

 Senecas near Buffalo, and the Oneidas; that I slept in the wigwanis of the chiefs; 

 that I was amongst the Shawnees and Delawares on the Ohio, and also amongst the 

 Cherokees and Creeks in Georgia and Tennessee, and saw many other tribes as I de- 

 scended the Ohio River the whole length, and also the Mississippi to New Orleans, in 

 a small boat, more than fifty years ago." This made the Indians stare, and the 

 women, by a custom of their country, placed their hands over their mouths, as they 

 issued groaos of surprise. 



"Tell them also, Jeffrey, that I am i^leased to see their wives and little children 

 they have with them here, and glad also to show them my family, who are now nearly 

 all around me. TeM them, Jeffrey, that this is the Queen ; this lady is my sister; 

 these are two of my sons, with their wives ; and these little lads (the Count de Paris 

 and the Due de Brabant) are my grandsons; this one, if he lives, Avill be King of the 

 Belgians, and that one King of the French." 



The King then took from his pocket two large gold medals with his own portrait 

 in relief on one side of them, and told me he wished to present them to the two chiefs 

 with his own hand, and wished Jeffrey to explain to them that after presenting thera 

 in that way, he wished them to hand them back to him that he might have a proper 

 inscription engraved on them, when he would return them, and silver medals of equal 

 size to each of the others, with their names engraved upon them. 



WAR-CHIEF PRESENTS THE CALUMET. 



After the medals were thus presented and returned, the War-chief took out fron: 

 under his robe the beautiful pipe whicli he had prepared, and advancing towards the 

 King, and holding it with both hands, bent forward and laid it down at His Majesty's 

 feet as a present. Having done so ho reached down, and taking it u[i, placed it in 

 His Majesty's hand (Plate 15), and then, assuming his proud attitude of the orator, 

 addressed their majesties in these words : 



war-chief's SPEECH. 



" Great Father and Great Mother, the Great .Spirit, to whom we have a long lime 

 prayed for an interview with you, kindly listens to our words to-day and hears what 

 we say. Great Father, you have .made to us to-day rich presents, and I rise to return 



