732 THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 



tained, with, accuracy, their names,, with translations, as seen in t he forepart of this 

 catalogue, and even there, the most famous of them take new names for every great 

 achievement. 



Amongst the Chetibos, the Sensis, and other tribes, I had painted a considerable num- 

 ber of portraits, which surprised them very much, and gained me many compliments 

 and many attentions as a great medicine man ; and of the Cornibas I had also painted 

 several portraits, and passed amongst them for a wonderful man ; but in the midst of 

 all my success my medicine met with a sudden reverse. 



The Great Medicine, whom I had heard so much of * * * returned. * * » 

 He was an ill-looking, surly, wrinkled up old gentleman. He soon had a view of my 

 works. * * * He soon had his face painted black and was parading about with 

 his rattle * * * singing a doleful ditty — his death song, * * * telling his 

 people "This wouldn't do; that it was very fortunate for the m that he had arrived 



just as he had." 



# # * # * # # 



" These things" (the portraits), said he, "are a great mystery; but there you are, 

 my friends, with your eyes open all night — they never shut. This is all wrong, and 

 you are foolish to allow it. You never will be happy afterwards if you allow these 

 things (the portraits) to be always awake in the night. My friends, this, is only a 

 cunning way this man has to get your skins, and the next thing they will have glass 

 eyes, and be placed amongst the skins of the wild beasts and birds and snakes. Don't 

 hurt this man (Mr. Catlin), that is my advice ; but he is a bug-cat cher and a monkey- 

 skinner."* 



I was at once informed that my operations must cease, and the portraits which I 

 had made must be destroyed. 



Those whose portraits I had made all came to me and told me they would rather 

 have them destroyed, for if I took them away they might have some trouble. I told 

 them we would let them remain over another night, which would give them more 

 time to think about it (give my pictures more time to dry), and if on the next day 

 they still continued in their resolve I would destroy them as they desired. 



I had yet another motive for this delay, the hope of being able, by a little compli- 

 ment and flattery, to get the old doctor to change his views and to take up the right 

 side ; but in this I entirely failed, almost for the first time in my life. He had been 

 to Para or other places, where he had seen the stuffed skins in a museum with glass 

 eyes, and the poor old fellow had got the idea fixed in his mind that I was gathering 

 skins, and that by this process the skins of his people would find there way there and 

 soon have glass eyes. I luckily found in the bank of a little stream some white clay, 

 and the next morning when the Indians came in with the doctor I had a good quan- 

 tity of clay on my palette, mixed with water and some water colors. I then said 

 " These are your portraits ; I am very sorry you didn't let me have them to show to 

 my friends amongst the white people, but you have resolved to have them destroyed. 

 There are three ways — you may burn them, or you may drown them, or you may 

 shoot them. Your medicine man, who has frightened you about them, can tell you, 

 most likely, which way will be the least dangerous." 



The old doctor lit his pipe and they all sat down and smoked and talked awhile, 

 when he informed me that they were afraid to do either. I then said there was an- 

 other way I had, that of our unpain ting them, from which there would be no possible 

 harm but it required each one to sit a few minutes for the operation. This seemed 

 to afford them a great relief and in a few minutes they were all unpainted, covered in 

 with a thick coat of clay which would perfectly preserve them until I wanted to see 

 them again— all were satisfied. I took to my canoe and came off— all good friends. 

 —Life among the Indians, pages 329, 332. 



* Naturalist or collector of natural-history specimens. 



