I told them that this was not “fire-water” as they could themselves judge, but that it was “chickabobboo.” This word seeming to them to be an Indian word, excited their curiosity somewhat, and being called upon by the ladies to explain the meaning of it, as they did not recollect to have met such a word in Johnson’s Dictionary or elsewhere, I related to them the story of chickabobboo, as told by the war-chief of the Ojibbeways, at Windsor Castle; and the manner in which those Indians partook of the Queen’s wine, or “chickabobboo” as they called it, on that occasion.
This explanation afforded much amusement to the party, and to the Indians also, as Jeffrey interpreted it to them; and it was soon proposed that their glasses should be filled again with chickabobboo. The Doctor sat next to me at the table, and every time he emptied his glass of chickabobboo I was amused to hear him pronounce the word “good!”—the first word of English he had learned, and the first occasion on which I had heard him sound it. After the wine was first poured out, he had kept one hand around his glass or by the side of it, and had entirely stopped eating. He had minced but a little in the outset, and seeming to have a delicate stomach, was giving great pain to the ladies who were helping him and urging him to eat, in his irrevocable resolution to be genteel, as he had before suggested, and which they probably never understood.
The last dish that was passed around the table, and relished by the Indians quite as much as the chickabobboo, 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 amusement 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 striking 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 little wallet carefully rolled up in a rattle-snake’s skin; and which, on inquiry, was found to be his toilet of pigments of various colours, with which he painted his face. A small pair of scissors also formed a necessary appendage, and by the side of them hung a boar’s tusk and a human finger shrivelled 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 generally, on occasions when he was in full dress, suspended from his neck by a cord, and hung amongst 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 War-chief at this time preparing his mind to make some remarks before leaving, and to thank the lady for her kindness, was asking “if he should give any offence by lighting his pipe;” to which they all answered at once, “No, oh no! we shall be glad to see the old chief smoke; get him some fire immediately.” When the fire arrived, he had lighted his pipe with his flint and steel, and was arranging his ideas as he was drawing the smoke through its long stem. It amused the ladies very much to see him smoke, and when he was ready he passed the pipe into White Cloud’s hand, and rising, and throwing his head and his shoulders back, he said to the lady that “he was authorized by the chief to return to her and her husband his thanks, and the thanks of all the party, for the kindness they had shown them.” He said they were strangers in the country, and a great way from home, and this would make them more thankful for the kindness they had met this day.
“My Friends (said he), the Great Spirit has caused your hearts to be thus kind to us, and we hope the Great Spirit will not allow us to forget it. We are thankful to all your friends whom we see around you also, and we hope the Great Spirit will be kind to you all.
“My friend the chief wishes to shake hands with you all, and then we will bid you farewell.”
The kindest wishes were expressed, in reply to the old man’s remarks, for their health and happiness; and after a general shaking of hands we took leave, and our omnibus, for St. James’s Street.
The usual dinner hour of the Indians was just at hand when they returned, which was a joyful occurrence for the Doctor, who had, at some inconvenience, been endeavouring to practise Indian and civilized gentility at one and the same time. He smiled when dinner came on, and others smiled to see him endeavouring to mend the breach that had been made.
The excitements of this day had put the Indians in remarkably good humour for their evening’s amusements at the Hall, which they gave to a crowded house, and, as usual, with great applause. The “jolly fat dame” was there as she had promised, still admiring, and still “quite miserable that she could not speak to them in their own language, or something that they could understand.” Daniel had taken a private opportunity to tell the Doctor the whole story of her attachment to Cadotte, and to assure him, at the same time, of her extraordinary admiration of him, the evidence of which was, that “she had made him the first present, after which all others were mere foils.” The Doctor took a peculiar liking to Daniel from that moment, and little else than a lasting friendship could be expected to flow from such a foundation as was then so kindly laid. This most welcome information had been communicated to the Doctor’s ear on the evening previous, and he had now come prepared to present her (with his own hand, and the most gracious smile, and at the end of the platform) a string of wampum from his own neck, and a white feather with two spots of red painted on it, to which he pointed with great energy, and some expression that she heard, but did not understand. The “fair dame” held her exciting present in her hand during the evening, with some little occasional trepidation, expecting to draw from Daniel some key to the meaning of the mysterious gift as she was leaving the rooms. This hope proved vain, however; for Daniel, it seems, was not yet deep enough in Indian mysteries to answer her question, and she carried the present home, with its mysterious meaning, to ruminate upon until the riddle could be solved.
Mr. Melody and I visited the Indians in their apartments that evening after their exhibition was over, and taking a beefsteak and a cup of coffee with them, we found them still in high glee, and in good humour for gossip, which ran chiefly upon the immense looking-glasses they had seen (and “forgot to measure”), and the chickabobboo, which they pronounced to be first-rate for a grand feast, which it would be their duty to get up in a few days to thank the Great Spirit for leading them all safe over the ocean, and to ensure their safe return when they should be ready to go. I then told them of the kind of chickabobboo that the Ojibbeways liked very much, and of which I had allowed each one glass every day at his dinner, and also at night after their dances were done, and which the physicians thought would be much better for them than the strong coffee they were in the habit of drinking; that I had talked with Mr. Melody on the subject, and he was quite willing, with me, that they should have it in the same way, provided they liked it.