728 THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLEEY. 



profession, who seated themselves around him, and also a number of boys, whom it 

 was requested should remain with him, and whom I supposed it possible might have 

 been pupils whom he was instructing in the mysteries of rtiateria medica and lioca poca. 

 iSe took his position in the middle of the room, waiving his eagle calumets in each 

 hand and singing his medicine-song, w^hich he sings over his dying patient, looking 

 me full in the face until I completed his picture, which I painted at full length. His 

 vanity has been completely gratified in the operation ; he lies for hoiars together, day 

 after day, in my room, in front of his picture, gazing intently upon it ; lights my pipe 

 for me while I am iiainting, shakes hands with me a dozen times on each day, and 

 talks of me, and enlarges upon my medicine virtues and my talents wherever he goes, 

 so that this new difficulty is now removed, and instead of preaching against me, he is 

 one of my strongest and most enthusiastic friends and aids in the country. — Pages 

 105-114, vol. 1, Catlin's eight years. 



MR. CATLIX PAINTS A MANDAN INDIAN BEAU — A FOP. 



Whilst I have been painting from day to day, there have been two or three of these 

 fops continually strutting and taking their attitudes in front of my door; decked out 

 in all their finery, without receiving other benefit or other information than such as 

 they could discover through the cracks and seamsof my cabin. The chiefs, I observed, 

 passed them by without notice, and of course without inviting them in ; and they 

 seemed to figure about my door from day to day in their best dresses and best atti- 

 tudes, as if in hopes that I would select them as models for my canvas. It was 

 natural that I should do so, for their costume and personal appearance was entirely 

 more beautiful than anything else to be seen in the village. My plans were laid, and 

 one day when I had got through with all of the head men, who were willing to sit to 

 be painted, and there were two or three of the chiefs lounging in my room, I stepped 

 to the door and tapped one of these fellows on the shoulder, who took the hint and 

 stepped in, well pleased and delighted with' the signal and honorable notice I had at 

 length taken of him and his beautiful dress. You cannot imagine what was the ex- 

 pression of gratitude which beamed forth in this poor fellow's face, and how high his 

 heart beat with joy and pride at the idea of my selecting him to be immortal, along- 

 side of the chiefs and worthies whose portraits he saw arranged around the room ; 

 and by which honor he undoubtedly considered himself well paid for two or three 

 weeks of regular painting, and greasing, and dressing, and standing alternately on 

 one leg and the other at the door of my premises. 



Well, I placed him before me, and a canvas on my easel, and " chalked him out" 

 at full length. He was truly a beautiful subject for the brush, and I was filled with 

 enthusiasm. His dress from head to foot was of the skins of the mountain goat, and 

 dressed so neatly that they were almost as soft and as white as Canton crape. Around 

 the bottom and sides it was trimmed with ermine, and porcupine quills of beautiful 

 dyes garnished it in a hundred parts ; his hair, which was long and spread over his 

 back and shoulders, extending nearly to the ground, was all combed back and parted 

 on his forehead like that of a woman. He was a tall and fine figure, with ease and 

 grace in his movements that were well worthy of a man of better caste. In his left 

 hand he held a beautiful pipe, and in his right hand he plied his fan, and on his 

 wrist was still attached his whip of elk's horn, and his fly-brush, made of the buffalo's 

 tail. There was naught about him of the terrible, and nought to shock the finest, 

 chastest intellect, 



I had thus far progressed, with high-wrought feelings of pleasure, when the two 

 or three chiefs, who had been seated around the lodge, and whose portraits I had be- 

 fore painted, arose suddenly, and wrapping themselves tightly in their robes, crossed 

 my room w'ith a quick and heavy step and took an informal leave of my cabin. I 

 was apprehensive of their displeasure, though I continued my work; and in a few 

 moments the interpreter came furiously into my room, addressing me thus : " My God, 

 sir ! this never will do ; you have given great offense to the chiefs — they have made 



