610 THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 



the place that offends. We know that disease has been sent to pnnish them; that dis- 

 ease was never amongst the Indians until white men came— they brought it, and we 

 believe we shall never drive it out of our country." 



The war chief here reached for the pipe again for a minute, and then continued: 

 "My friends, I hope my talk does not offend you; we are children, and you will for- 

 give us for our ignorance. The Great Spirit expects us to feed the poor; our wives and 

 children at home are very poor; wicked white men kill so many of our hunters and 

 warriors with fire-water that they bring among us, and leave so many children among 

 us for us to feed, when they go away, that it makes us very poor. Before they leave 

 our country they destroy all the game also, and do not teach us to raise bread, and our 

 nation is now in that way, and very poor; and we think that the way we can please the 

 Great Spirit first is to get our wives and children something to eat and clothes to wear. 

 It is for that we have come to this country, and still we are glad to hear your counsel, 

 for it is good." 



The reverend gentlemen, and several ladies who had accompanied them, here be- 

 stowed some very beautiful Bibles and other useful presents upon the Indians, and 

 thanking them for their patience, were about to take leave of them when Mr. Melody 

 begged their attention for a few moments while he read to them several letters just re- 

 ceived from reverend gentlemen conducting a missionary school in this tribe, giving a 

 flattering account of its progress, and presented them a vocabulary and grammar, already 

 printed in the Ioway language by a printing press belonging to the missionary school in 

 their country. This surprised them very much and seemed to afford them great satis, 

 faction. 



IOWAYS AT BENJ. DISRAELl'8 HOUSE. 



The comments of the press, as well as the remarks of the public who had seen them, 

 now being made upon the superior interest of this party, they were receiving daily calls 

 from distinguished persons, and also numerous invitations to gentlemen's houses, which 

 daily increased their consequence, and, of course, their enjoyment. Amongst the first 

 of these kind invitations was one from Mr. Disraeli, M. P. , for the whole party to par- 

 take of a breakfast at his house, in Park Lane. 



This was for the next morning after the interview just described; and, not knowing 

 or even being able to imagine what they were to see, or what sort of rules or etiquette 

 they were to be subjected to, they were under the most restless excitement to pre- 

 pare everything for it, and the greatest anxiety for the hour to approach. They were 

 all up at an unusually early hour, preparing every trinket and every article of dress, 

 and spent at least an hour at their toilets in putting the paint upon their faces. 



INDIANS' TOILETTE AND DRESS. 



The doctor had been told that he would sit down at the table amongst many very 

 splendid ladies; and this, or some other embarrassment, had caused him to be dissatis- 

 fied with the appearance of the paint which he had put upon his face, and which he was 

 carefully examining with his little looking-glass. He decided that it would not do, and 

 some bear's grease and a piece of deer-skin soon removed it all. He spent another half 

 hour with his different tints, carefully laying them on with the end of his forefinger:, 

 and, displeased again, they were all demolished as before. Alarm about time now vexed; 

 him, and caused him to plaster with a more rapid and consequently with a more mas- 

 terly touch. The effect was fine. He was ready, and so were all the party, from head 

 to foot. All their finest was on, and all were prepared for the move, when I came in at 

 about eight o'clock to advise them of the hour at which we were to go, and which I had 

 forgotten to mention to them the evening before. I then referred to the note of invitation, 

 and nforraed them that the hour appointed was twelve o'clock. The whole party, who 

 Were at that time upon their feet around me, wrapped in their TQtej their shields. 



