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out　of　old　umbrellas。　　All　wore　dust…coloured　shoes。　　My　heart　beat

high；　for；　in　those　four　male　personages；　although　complexionless

and　eyebrowless；　I　beheld　four　subjects　of　the　Family　P。　Salcy。

Blue…bearded　though　they　were；　and　bereft　of　the　youthful

smoothness　of　cheek　which　is　imparted　by　what　is　termed　in　Albion　a

'Whitechapel　shave'　（and　which　is；　in　fact；　whitening；　judiciously

applied　to　the　jaws　with　the　palm　of　the　hand）；　I　recognised　them。

As　I　stood　admiring；　there　emerged　from　the　yard　of　a　lowly

Cabaret；　the　excellent　Ma　Mere；　Ma　Mere；　with　the　words；　'The　soup

is　served；'　words　which　so　elated　the　subject　in　the　canvas　suit；

that　when　they　all　ran　in　to　partake；　he　went　last；　dancing　with

his　hands　stuck　angularly　into　the　pockets　of　his　canvas　trousers；

after　the　Pierrot　manner。　　Glancing　down　the　Yard；　the　last　I　saw

of　him　was；　that　he　looked　in　through　a　window　（at　the　soup；　no

doubt）　on　one　leg。



Full　of　this　pleasure；　I　shortly　afterwards　departed　from　the　town；

little　dreaming　of　an　addition　to　my　good　fortune。　　But　more　was　in

reserve。　　I　went　by　a　train　which　was　heavy　with　third…class

carriages；　full　of　young　fellows　（well　guarded）　who　had　drawn

unlucky　numbers　in　the　last　conscription；　and　were　on　their　way　to

a　famous　French　garrison　town　where　much　of　the　raw　military

material　is　worked　up　into　soldiery。　　At　the　station　they　had　been

sitting　about；　in　their　threadbare　homespun　blue　garments；　with

their　poor　little　bundles　under　their　arms；　covered　with　dust　and

clay；　and　the　various　soils　of　France；　sad　enough　at　heart；　most　of

them；　but　putting　a　good　face　upon　it；　and　slapping　their　breasts

and　singing　choruses　on　the　smallest　provocation；　the　gayest

spirits　shouldering　half　loaves　of　black　bread　speared　upon　their

walking…sticks。　　As　we　went　along；　they　were　audible　at　every

station；　chorusing　wildly　out　of　tune；　and　feigning　the　highest

hilarity。　　After　a　while；　however；　they　began　to　leave　off　singing；

and　to　laugh　naturally；　while　at　intervals　there　mingled　with　their

laughter　the　barking　of　a　dog。　　Now；　I　had　to　alight　short　of　their

destination；　and；　as　that　stoppage　of　the　train　was　attended　with　a

quantity　of　horn　blowing；　bell　ringing；　and　proclamation　of　what

Messieurs　les　Voyageurs　were　to　do；　and　were　not　to　do；　in　order　to

reach　their　respective　destinations；　I　had　ample　leisure　to　go

forward　on　the　platform　to　take　a　parting　look　at　my　recruits；

whose　heads　were　all　out　at　window；　and　who　were　laughing　like

delighted　children。　　Then　I　perceived　that　a　large　poodle　with　a

pink　nose；　who　had　been　their　travelling　companion　and　the　cause　of

their　mirth；　stood　on　his　hind…legs　presenting　arms　on　the　extreme

verge　of　the　platform；　ready　to　salute　them　as　the　train　went　off。

This　poodle　wore　a　military　shako　（it　is　unnecessary　to　add；　very

much　on　one　side　over　one　eye）；　a　little　military　coat；　and　the

regulation　white　gaiters。　　He　was　armed　with　a　little　musket　and　a

little　sword…bayonet；　and　he　stood　presenting　arms　in　perfect

attitude；　with　his　unobscured　eye　on　his　master　or　superior

officer；　who　stood　by　him。　　So　admirable　was　his　discipline；　that；

when　the　train　moved；　and　he　was　greeted　with　the　parting　cheers　of

the　recruits；　and　also　with　a　shower　of　centimes；　several　of　which

struck　his　shako；　and　had　a　tendency　to　discompose　him；　he　remained

staunch　on　his　post；　until　the　train　was　gone。　　He　then　resigned

his　arms　to　his　officer；　took　off　his　shako　by　rubbing　his　paw　over

it；　dropped　on　four　legs；　bringing　his　uniform　coat　into　the

absurdest　relations　with　the　overarching　skies；　and　ran　about　the

platform　in　his　white　gaiters；　waging　his　tail　to　an　exceeding

great　extent。　　It　struck　me　that　there　was　more　waggery　than　this

in　the　poodle；　and　that　he　knew　that　the　recruits　would　neither　get

through　their　exercises；　nor　get　rid　of　their　uniforms；　as　easily

as　he；　revolving　which　in　my　thoughts；　and　seeking　in　my　pockets

some　small　money　to　bestow　upon　him；　I　casually　directed　my　eyes　to

the　face　of　his　superior　officer；　and　in　him　beheld　the　Face…Maker！

Though　it　was　not　the　way　to　Algeria；　but　quite　the　reverse；　the

military　poodle's　Colonel　was　the　Face…Maker　in　a　dark　blouse；　with

a　small　bundle　dangling　over　his　shoulder　at　the　end　of　an

umbrella；　and　taking　a　pipe　from　his　breast　to　smoke　as　he　and　the

poodle　went　their　mysterious　way。







CHAPTER　XXVIII　…　MEDICINE　MEN　OF　CIVILISATION







My　voyages　（in　paper　boats）　among　savages　often　yield　me　matter　for

reflection　at　home。　　It　is　curious　to　trace　the　savage　in　the

civilised　man；　and　to　detect　the　hold　of　some　savage　customs　on

conditions　of　society　rather　boastful　of　being　high　above　them。



I　wonder；　is　the　Medicine　Man　of　the　North　American　Indians　never

to　be　got　rid　of；　out　of　the　North　American　country？　　He　comes　into

my　Wigwam　on　all　manner　of　occasions；　and　with　the　absurdest

'Medicine。'　　I　always　find　it　extremely　difficult；　and　I　often　find

it　simply　impossible；　to　keep　him　out　of　my　Wigwam。　　For　his　legal

'Medicine'　he　sticks　upon　his　head　the　hair　of　quadrupeds；　and

plasters　the　same　with　fat；　and　dirty　white　powder；　and　talks　a

gibberish　quite　unknown　to　the　men　and　squaws　of　his　tribe。　　For

his　religious　'Medicine'　he　puts　on　puffy　white　sleeves；　little

black　aprons；　large　black　waistcoats　of　a　peculiar　cut；　collarless

coats　with　Medicine　button…holes；　Medicine　stockings　and　gaiters

and　shoes；　and　tops　the　whole　with　a　highly　grotesque　Medicinal

hat。　　In　one　respect；　to　be　sure；　I　am　quite　free　from　him。　　On

occasions　when　the　Medicine　Men　in　general；　together　with　a　large

number　of　the　miscellaneous　inhabitants　of　his　village；　both　male

and　female；　are　presented　to　the　principal　Chief；　his　native

'Medicine'　is　a　comical　mixture　of　old　odds　and　ends　（hired　of

traders）　and　new　things　in　antiquated　shapes；　and　pieces　of　red

cloth　（of　which　he　is　particularly　fond）；　and　white　and　red　and

blue　paint　for　the　face。　　The　irrationality　of　this　particular

Medicine　culminates　in　a　mock　battle…rush；　from　which　many　of　the

squaws　are　borne　out；　much　dilapidated。　　I　need　not　observe　how

unlike　this　is　to　a　Drawing　Room　at　St。　James's　Palace。



The　African　magician　I　find　it　very　difficult　to　exclude　from　my

Wigwam　too。　　This　creature　takes　cases　of　death　and　mourning　under

his　supervision；　and　will　frequently　impoverish　a　whole　family　by

his　preposterous　enchantments。　　He　is　a　great　eater　and　drinker；

and　always　conceals　a　rejoicing　stomach　under　a　grieving　exterior。

His　charms　consist　of　an　infinite　quantity　of　worthless　scraps；　for

which　he　charges　very　high。　　He　impresses　on　the　poor　bereaved

natives；　that　the　more　of　his　followers　they　pay　to　exhibit　such

scraps　on　their　persons　for　an　hour　or　two　（though　they　never　saw

the　deceased　in　their　lives；　and　are　put　in　high　spirits　by　his

decease）；　the　more　honourably　and　piously　they　grieve　for　the　dead。

The　poor　people　submitting　thems