THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 675 



GOLD MEDALS FROM THE KING. 



After their breakfasts, while they were yet in this cheerful train of feelings, the 

 young man who had brought them the money from the King made his appearance, 

 and I was instantly sent for. On arriving I was informed by him that he had come 

 from His Majesty with the gold and silver medals to be presented in His Majesty's 

 name to each one individually. This announced, the Indians, of course, put all other 

 occupations aside, and, being all seated on the floor, at the request of the chief the 

 medals were called out by the inscriptions on them and presented accordingly. The 

 first presented was a gold medal to White Cloud, the chief. The inscription on the 

 back of it read thus : 



Donne* a Mu-hu-she-lcaiv, par le Roi : 1845." 



The next presented was to the War-chief— a gold medal of equal size, and inscrip- 

 tion in same form. Silver medals, of equal size, with inscriptions, were then presented 

 to all the warriors and women and children. This last part of the list, women and 

 children, seemed to startle them a little. The idea of women and children receiving 

 medals was entirely new to them, and put them quite at a stand. There was no alter- 

 native but to take them, and be thankful for them, but it seemed curious enough to 

 them — a subject not to be named, however, until the messenger had departed with 

 their thanks to His Majesty for his kindness. This was done by the War-chief, and 

 the gentleman departed. 



White Cloud and the War-chief sat during the while, with their families hanging 

 about their shoulders and knees, well pleased, and smiling upon the brightness of his 

 majesty's familiar features in shining gold, as they turned their medals around in 

 various lights. Theirs were of a more precious metal, and each, from the number of 

 his family with him, became the owner of three, instead of one, over which the poor 

 Doctor was yet pondering on the house-top, as he stood looking off towards the mount- 

 ains and prairies. 



When their carriages were at the door, to make their visit to the Hdpital des Inva- 

 lides, as promised the night before, the Doctor was unwilling to break the charm of 

 his contemplations, and Wa-ton-ye could not be waked, and the rest drove off in good 

 cheer and delight. They hung their medals on their necks, suspended by their tri- 

 colored ribbons, the meaning of which having been explained to them, and they were 

 soon at the mouths of the huge cannon, whose u big mouths " had " spoken so loudly" 

 the night before. 



VISIT TO THE "SOLDIERS' HOME." 



After taking a good look at them, and getting something of their curious history, 

 they entered that wonderful and most noble institution, an honor to the name of its 

 founder and to the country that loves and upholds it, the Hdtel des Invalides. Noth- 

 ing on earth could have struck these people as more curious and interesting (a race of 

 warriors themselves) than this institution, with its three thousand eight hundred ven- 

 erable inmates, the living victims of battles, wounded, crippled, fed, and clothed, and 

 made happy, the living evidences of the human slaughter that must have taken jriace 

 in the scenes they had been through. If this scene convinced them of the destructive- 

 ness of civilized modes of warfare, it taught them a useful lesson of civilized sympathy 

 for those who are the unfortunate victims of war and carnage. 



The moral that was drawn from this day's visit was an important one to them, and 

 I took the opportunity, and many others afterwards, to impress it upon their minds. 

 It pleased them to hear that these old veterans, with one leg and one arm, were the 

 very men who were chosen to come to the big guns and fire them off on the day of the 

 King's fete — the same guns that they fought around and over when they were taking 

 them from the enemies. 



The exhibition in the afternoon was attended by many more fashionable ladies and 

 gentlemen than that of the evening, and so many carriages driving up to the door in 



