THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 603 



A WAR DANCE. 



I now announced to the audience that the Indians were about to give the Warrior's 

 dance as performed by their tribe. I explained the meaning of it, the circumstances 

 under which it was given, and the respects in which it differed from the war dance as 

 given by the Ojibbeways. After which they were all upon their feet, and, with weap- 

 ons in hand, proceeded to give it the most exciting and even alarming effect. 



They received great applause at the end of this dance, and also a number of presents, 

 which were handed and thrown onto the platform. This created much excitement and 

 good cheer among them, and I was not a little surprised, nor was I less amused and 

 gratified, to discover at this moment that the (so-called) "jolly fat dame" of Ojibbeway 

 notoriety was alongside of the platform, at her old stand, and, in her wonted liberality, 

 the first one to start the fashion of making the poor fellows occasional presents. I re- 

 gretted, however, that I should have been the ignorant cause of her bestowing her first 

 present upon a person for whom she did not intend it. The finest looking man of the 

 party, and one of tbe youngest, was No-ho-mun-ya (the Roman Nose), upon whom it 

 seems this good lady's admiration had been fixed during the evening, notwithstanding 

 the smiles that had been lavished by the Doctor and the eloquence which he had 

 poured forth in his boastings and speeches. 



The elegant limbs, Herculean frame, and graceful and terrible movements of this six- 

 foot-and-a-half young man, as she had gazed upon him in this last dance, had softened 

 her heart into all its former kindness and liberality, and she had at this moment, when 

 I first discovered her, unclasped a beautiful bracelet from one of her arms, and was just 

 reaching over the platform to say to me, as she did, "Wonderful ! wonderful ! Mr. Cat- 

 lin; I think it one of the wonders of the world ! Will you hand this to that splendid 

 fellow, with my compliments ? Give him my compliments, will you — it's a bracelet for 

 his arm (Cadotte has got the other, you know). Oh ! but he is a splendid fellow ! — give 

 him my compliments, will you ? I think them a much finer party than the other — oh, 

 far superior ! I never saw the like; hand it to him, will you, and if he can't put it on, 

 poor fellow, I will show him how." 



GOLD BRACELET PRESENTED TO THE DOCTOR. 



All this had been run over so rapidly that I scarcely could recollect what she said, for 

 several were speaking to me at the same time; and at that unfortunate moment it was 

 that I committed the error, for which I was almost ready to break my own back when I 

 found it out. I presented it by mistake to the Doctor who I supposed had of course 

 been winning all the laurels of the evening, and with them the good lady's compliments, 

 which it would have been quite awkward on her part and mine also to have unpre- 

 sented. The Doctor raised up the bracelet as high as he could reach, and made the 

 house ring and almost tremble with the war-whoop, which he several times repeated.* 

 W T hat could be done? She was too gallant, and I did not yet know the mistake. The 

 Doctor happened to know how to put it on ; it fitted to his copper-colored arm above 

 the elbow; and his true politeness led him to bow and to smile a thousand thanks upon 

 the fair dame as he bent over her upon the platform. 



The Approaching dancef was now given, in which the Doctor took the lead in great 

 glee, and of course with great effect. He tilted off with a light and elastic step, as he 

 was ' ' following the track of his enemy, ' ' and when he raised his brawny arm to beckon 



* The frightful war-whoop is sounded at the instant when Indians are rushing into battle, as the 

 signal of attack. It is a shrill-sounded note, on a high key, given out with a gradual swell, and 

 shaken by a rapid vibration of the four fingers of the right hand over the mouth. This note is not 

 allowed to be given in the Indian countries unless in battle, or in the war or other dances, where 

 they are privileged to give it. 



f The Approaching dance is a spirited part of the War dance, in which the dancers are by their 

 gestures exhibiting the mode of advancing upon an enemy, by hunting out and following up the 



