THE GEOEGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 683 



fore they were to go uuderground to the catacoinbs, uuless it waa to warn liim of the 

 catastrophe that might befall them if they were to make their visit there, as they had 

 designed. They had smoked several pipes upon this information early in the morn- 

 ing, and the chiefs had closely questioned him, and also consulted him as their oracle 

 in all suck cases, and had unanimouslj" come to the conclusion that these were fore- 

 boding prognostications sufficient to decide it to be at least prudent to abandon their 

 project, and thereby be sure to run no hazard.'* 



Mr. Melody and myself both agreed that their resolve i)laced them on the safe side 

 at all events, and that we thought them wise in making it if they saw the least cause 

 for apprehension. ''They could easily run to the river however in tkeir drive, and 

 see the other place, the morgue ;" but that could not, on any account, be undertaken, 

 as the two objects had been planned out for the same visit ; and, from the Doctor's 

 dream it did not appear in the least certain in which of the places they were liable 

 to incur the risk, and therefore they thought it best not to go to either. There was 

 a great deal yet to see above ground, and quite as much as they should be able to see 

 in the little time they had yet to remain there, and which would be much i)leasanter 

 to look at than white men's bones under-ground. 



As their visit to the catacombs and the morgue was abandoned, we resolved to drive 

 through the Champs Elys^es and visit the woods of Boulogne, the favorite drive of 

 the Parisians, and probably the most beautiful in the world. 



VISIT TO THE HIPPODROME. 



We had been solicited by M. Franconi, of the hippodrome, to enter into an arrange- 

 ment with him to have the Indians unite in his entertainments three days in the week, 

 where their skill in riding and archery could be seen to great advantage, and for which 

 he would be willing to offer liberal terms. He had invited us to bring the Indians 

 down, at all events, to see the place ; and we agreed to make the visit to M. Franconi 

 on our way to the woods of Boulogne. The view was a private one, known only to 

 a few of his friends who were present and bis own operatic troupe. We were very 

 civilly and politely received; and, all walking to the middle of his grand area, he 

 proposed to make us the offer on condition that the Indians were good riders, which 

 I had already assured him was the case, and which seemed rather difficult for him to 

 believe, as they had so little of civilization about them. As the best proof, how- 

 ever, he x^roposed to bring out a horse and let one of them try and show what he could 

 do. This we agreed to at once ; and, having told the Indians before we started that 

 we should make no arrangement for them there uuless they were pleased with it and 

 preferred it, they had decided, on entering the grounds, that the exercises would bo 

 too desperate and fatiguing to them and destructive to their clothes, and therefore not 

 to engage witti bim. 



JIM RIDES ERANCONI'S HORSE. 



However, the horse was led into tbe area and placed upon the track for their chariot- 

 races, which is nearly a quarter of a mile in circumfei'ence ; and the question being 

 put, "Who will ride?" it was soon agreed that Jim should try it first. "Wal, me 

 try 'em," said Jim; "me no ride good, but me try 'em little." lie was already pre- 

 pared, with his shield and quiver upon his back and his long and shining lance in 

 his hand. The horse was held, though with all its training it was some time, with 

 its two or three grooms about it, before they could get the frightened creature to 

 stand steady enough for Jim to mount. In the first ettort which they thought he was 

 making to get on they were surprised to find that he was ungirting the saddle, 

 which he flung upon the ground, and throwing his buffalo rob'^ across the aniiual's 



* Tho place they had escaped in the great village of the whites they had heen told was a hell. It 

 had heen explained to them, however, that there were several of those places in Loudon and that 

 they were only imitations of hell, hut they seemed to behove that these catacombs (as there were so 

 many milUons of tho bones of Frenchmen gone into them) might bo tho real hell of tlie pale-faces, and 

 it was best to run no risk. 



