436 THE GEORGE CATLtN INDIAN GALLERY 



far enough west." In Saint Louis, 1,400 miles west of New York, my landlady as- 

 sured me that I would be pleased with her boarders, for they were nearly all merchants 

 from the West. I then asked, " Whence come those steamboats laden with pork, 

 honey, hides, &c. ?" 



" From the West." 



"Whence those ponderous bars of silver, which those men have been for hours 

 shouldering and putting on board that boat ? " 



"They come from Santa Fe', from the West." 



"Where goes this steamboat, so richly laden with dry goods, steam-engines, &c?" 



"She goes to Jefferson City." 



" Jefferson City. Where is that ? " 



" Far to the West." 



"And where goes that boat, laden dowu to her gunnels — the Yellowstone ?" 



" She goes still farther to the West." 



"Then," said I, " I'll go to the West." 



I went on the Yellowstone, two thousand miles on her, and we were at the mouth 

 of Yellowstone River — at the West." 



"What! invoices, bills of lading, &c, a wholesale establishment so far to the 

 West ? And those strange-looking, long-haired gentlemen who have just .arrived and 

 are relating the adventures of their long and tedious jouruey, who are they ?" 



"Oh ! they are some of our merchants just arrived from the West." 



"And that keel-boat, that Mackinaw boat, and that formidable caravan, all of 

 which are richly laden with goods?" 



"These, sir, are outfits starting for the West." 



" Going to the West, ha ? Then," said I, " I'll try it again. I will try and see if I 

 can go to the West." 



"What, a fort here, too?" 



"Oni, monsieur — oui, monsieur" (as a dauntless, and semi-barbarian looking, jolly 

 fellow dashed forth in advance of his party on his wild horse to meet me). 



" What distance are you west of Yellowstone here, my good fellow ? " 



"Comment?" 



"What distance?— (stop) — quel distance?" 



"Pardon, monsieur, je ne sais pas, monsieur." 



" Ne parlez vous 1' Anglais ? " 



"Non, monsieur, I speaks de French and de Americaine; mais je ne parle pas l'An- 

 glais." 



" Well, then, my good fellow, I will speak English, and you may speak Ameri- 

 caine." 



" Pard6u, pard6n, monsieur." 



" Well, then, we will both speak Americaine." 



- " Val, sare, je suis bien content, pour for I see dat you speaks putty coot Ameri- 

 caine." 



" What may I call your name ? " 



"Ba'tiste, monsieur." 



" What Indians are those so splendidly dressed, and with such fine horses, encamped 

 on the plain yonder? " 



"lis sont Corbeaux." 



"Crows, ha?" 



"Yes, sare, monsieur." 



"We are, then, in the Crow country?" 



"Non, monsieur, not putty dxact ; we are in de coontrae of de dam Pieds noirs." 



"Blackfeet, ha?" 



"Oui." 



"What blue mountain is that which we see in the distance yonder? " 



" Ha, quel montaigne ? cela est la montaigne du (parddn)." 



