THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 613 



amine the beautiful arrangement for vapor and shower baths, we stepped in, and found 

 the doctor seated in the middle of the room, where he had lit his pipe and was taking 

 a more deliberate look at this ingenious contrivance, which he told us pleased him very 

 much, and which he has often said he thought would be a good mode to adopt in his 

 practice in his own country. He was easily moved, however, when it was announced 

 to him that the breakfast was on the table and ready, where he was soon seated in the 

 chair reserved for him. 



INDIANS DRINKING CHAMPAGNE. 



Great pains were taken by the ladies and gentlemen to help the Indians to the lux- 

 uries they might like best; and among others that were offered their glasses were filled 

 with sparkling champagne, in which their health was proposed. The poor fellows 

 looked at it, and shaking their heads, declined it. This created some surprise, upon 

 which Mr. Melody explained for them that they had pledged their words not to drink 

 spirituous liquors while in this country. They were applauded by all the party for it, 

 and at the same time it was urged that this was only a light wine, and could not hurt 

 them. We were drinking it ourselves, and the ladies were drinking it, and it seemed 

 cruel to deny them. Poor Melody! he looked distressed; he had a good heart and 

 loved his Indians, but he felt afraid of the results. The doctor and Wash-ha-mon-ya 

 kept their hands upon their glasses, and their eyes upon Melody and myself, evidently 

 understanding something of the debate that was going on, until it was agreed and car- 

 ried, by the ladies and all, that taking a little champagne would not be a breach of their 

 promise in the least, and that it would do them no harm. Their health and success were 

 then proposed, and all their glasses were drained to the bottom at once. 



The doctor, after finding the bottom of his glass, turned round, and smacking his lips, 

 dropped me a bow and a smile, seeming to say that ' ' he was thankful, and that the wine 

 was very good." 



The last dish that was passed around the table, and relished by the Indians quite as 

 much as the wine, was a plate of trinkets of various kinds, of brooches, bracelets, 

 chains, and other ornaments for their persons, which they received with expressions 

 of great thankfulness as they were rising from the table. Thus ended the feast, as they 

 called it; and on entering the drawing-room the doctor became a source of much amuse- 

 ment to the ladies, as his attention was arrested by the enormous size of a mirror that 

 was before him, or by the striking effect of his own beautiful person, which he saw at 

 full length in it. He affected to look only at the frame, as the ladies accused him 

 of vanity; and he drew out from under his belt his little looking-glass, about an inch 

 square, imbedded in a block of deal to protect it from breaking. The contrast was strik- 

 ing and amusing, but what followed was still more so. The ladies were anxious to 

 examine his looking-glass (which was fastened to his person with a leathern thong), and 

 in pulling it out, there necessarily came out with it, attached to the same thong, a lit- 

 tle wallet carefully rolled up in a rattle-snake's skin, and which, on inquiry, was found 

 to be his toilet of pigments of various colors, with which he painted his face. A small 

 pair of scissors also formed a necessary appendage, and by the side of them hung a bore's 

 tusk and a human finger shriveled and dried. This he had taken from a victim he had 

 slain in battle, and now wore as his medicine, or talismanic charm, that was to guard 

 and protect him in all times of trouble or danger. This remarkable trophy was gen- 

 erally, on occasions when he was in full dress, suspended from his neck by a cord, and 

 hung among the strings of wampum on his breast; but on this occasion he had so many 

 other things to think of that he had forgotten to display it there. [The Indians then 

 took their leave. ] 



A CATHOLIC PEIEST VISITS THE INDIANS. 



On the next morning, or the day after, at an early hour, Daniel announced to the In- 

 dians that there was a reverend gentleman in the sitting-room who wished to see them 



