THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 727 



ling to sit, for fear, as some say, that they will die prematurely if painted ; and as 

 others say, that if they are painted, the picture will live after they are dead, and they 

 cannot sleep quiet in their graves. 



I have had several most remarkable occurrences in my painting-room, of this kind, 

 which have made me some everlasting enemies here ; though the minds and feelings 

 of the chiefs and medicine-men have not been affected by them. There have been 

 three or four instances where proud and aspiring young men have been in my lodge, 

 and after gazing at the portraits of the head chief across the room (which sits looking 

 them in the eyes), have raised their hands before their faces and walked around to 

 the side of the lodge, on the right or left, from whence to take a long and fair side 

 look at the chief, instead of staring him full in the face (which is a most unpardon- 

 able offense in all Indian tribes) ; and after having got in that position, and cast their 

 eyes again upon the portrait which was yet looking them full in the face, have thrown 

 their robes over their heads and bolted out of the wigwam, filled equally with aston- 

 ishment and indignation, averring, as they always will in a sullen mood, that they 

 " saw the eyes move," — that as they walked around the room "the eyes of the por- 

 trait followed them." With these unfortunate gentlemen repeated efforts have been 

 made by the traders, and also by the chiefs and doctors, who understand the illusion, 

 to convince them of their error, by explaining the mystery; but they will not hear 

 to any explanation whatever, saying that " what they see with their eyes is always 

 evidence enough for them "; that they always " believe their own eyes sooner than a 

 hundred tongues," and all efforts to get them a second time to my room, or into my 

 company in any place, have proved entirely unsuccessful. 



I had trouble brewing also the other day from another source ; one of the medicines 

 commenced howling and haranguing around my domicil, amongst the throng that was 

 outside, proclaiming that all who were inside and being painted were fools and would 

 soon die, and very materially affecting thereby my popularity. I however sent for him 

 and called him in the next morning, having only the interpreter with me ; telling him 

 that I had had my eye upon him for several days, and had been so well pleased with 

 his looks that I had taken great pains to find out his history, which had been ex- 

 plained by all as one of a most extraordinary kind, and his character and standing 

 in his tribe as worthy of my particular notice ; and that I had several days since re- 

 solved that as soon as I had practiced my hand long enough upon the others, to get 

 the stiffness out of it (after paddling my canoe so far as I had) and make it to work 

 easily and succesfully, I would begin on his portrait, which I was then prepared to 

 commence on that day, and that I felt as if I could do him justice. He shook me by 

 the bjind, giving me the "doctor's grip," and beckoned me to sit down, which I did 

 and we smoked a pipe together. After this was over, he told me that "he had no 

 inimical feelings towards me, although he had been telling the chiefs that they were 

 all fools, and all would die who had their portraits painted — that although he had set 

 the old women and children all crying, and even made some of the young warriors 

 tremble, yet he had no unfriendly feelings towards me, nor any fear or dread of my 

 art." " I know you are a good man (said he), I know you will do no harm to any one, 

 your medicine is great and you are a great 'medicine-man.' I would like to see my- 

 self very well — and so would all of the chiefs ; but they have all been many days in 

 this medicine-house, and they all know me well, and they have not asked me to come 

 in and be made alive with paints. My friend, I am glad that my people have told you 

 who I am ; my heart is glad ; I will go to my wigwam and eat, and in a little while 

 I will come, and you may go to work." Another pipe was lit and smoked, and he got 

 up. and went off. I prepared my canvas and palette, and whistled away the time 

 until 12 o'clock before he made his appearance, having used the whole of the fore part 

 of the day at his toilet, arranging his dress and ornamenting his body for his picture. 



At that hour, then, bedaubed and streaked with paints of various colors, with bear's 

 grease and charcoal, with medicine-pipes in his hands and foxes' tails attached to his 

 heels, entered Mah-to-he-hah (the old bear, No. 129, Plate 55), with a train of his own 



