After an hour or so spent in amusing us with the pleasing reminiscences of his wild life in America, he expressed a wish to see my collection, and requested me to place it in a large hall in the Louvre, for the private views of the Royal Family; and also appointed a day and an hour when he would be glad to see the Ojibbeway Indians at St. Cloud, and desired me to accompany them.
From the Palace, my friend M. Gudin, at the request of the King, proceeded with me to Paris and to the Louvre, with his Majesty’s command to M. de Caillaux, director of the Louvre, to prepare the Salle de Séance for the reception of my collection, which was ordered to be arranged in it. My return from thence to the Indians, with the information that they were to visit the King, created a pleasing excitement amongst them, and, as the reader can easily imagine, great joy and rejoicing.
This was an excitement and a piece of good news to the poor fellows that could not be passed over without some signal and unusual notice, and the result was, that a dog-feast was to be the ceremony for the next day. Consequently a dog was procured at an early hour, and, according to the custom of their country, was roasted whole, and, when ready, was partaken of with a due observance of all the forms used in their own country on such occasions, it being strictly a religious ceremony.
The same indulgence in seeing the sights of Paris, and of exercise in the open air, was shown to them as to the other party; and the same carriages contracted for, to give them their daily drives; in all of which they were accompanied by their guardian, to whom the sights of Paris were also new and equally entertaining, and they all made the best use of their time in these amusements.
Their good friend M. Gudin appointed another day for the whole party to dine at his house, and having a number of distinguished guests at his table, the scene was a very brilliant and merry one. The orator of the party was the chief Maun-gua-daus, though on this occasion the War-chief, whose name was Say-say-gon (the Hail-storm), arose at the table and addressed M. Gudin and his lady in a very affectionate manner; thanking them for their kindness to them, who were strangers in Paris and a great way from their homes, and at the same time proposing to give to his friend M. Gudin a new name, saying that, whenever the Indians made a new friend whom they loved very much, they liked to call him by a name that had some meaning to it, and he should hereafter call him by the name of Ken-ne-wab-a-min (the Sun that guides us through the Wilderness).
There were several gentlemen of high rank and titles present, and all seemed much entertained with the appearance and conduct of the Indians.
CHAPTER XXIX.
Indians’ visit to the Palace of St. Cloud—The Park—Artificial lake—Royal Family—Prince de Joinville—Recollected seeing the Author and Collection in Washington—King and Queen of Belgians—The regatta—The birch-bark canoe and the Prince de Joinville’s “Whitehaller”—War-dance—Ball-play—Archery—Dinner prepared for the Indians—M. Gudin and the Author join them—Indians’ return—Gossip at night—Their ideas of the King and Royal Family—Messenger from the King, with gold and silver medals and money, to the Indians—The War-chief cures a cancer—Author’s Collection in the Salle de Séance, in the Louvre—The Indians and the Author dine with M. Passy, Member of Deputies—Kind treatment by himself and lady—King visits the Collection in the Louvre—The Author explains his pictures—Persons present—An hour’s visit—The King retires—Second visit of the King and Royal Family to the Collection—The Author’s four little children presented to the King—His Majesty relates the anecdote of bleeding himself in America, and his visit to General Washington at Mount Vernon—His descent of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, in a small boat, to New Orleans—Orders the Author to paint fifteen pictures for Versailles.
The day, which had arrived, for our visit to the King at St. Cloud, was a pleasant one, and, all the party being ready, we went off in good spirits; and on our arrival our carriages were driven into the Royal Park, and conducted to a lovely spot on the bank of an artificial lake, where there were a considerable number of persons attached to the Court already assembled to see the Indians; and in the lake, at their feet, a beautiful birch-bark canoe from their own tribe, belonging to the Duchess of Orleans, and by the side of it an elegant regatta-boat, belonging to the Prince de Joinville, with “White Hall,” in large letters, on her sides, showing that she was a native of New York.