National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-01-20

A correspondent Of the New York World
writing Of the late Geo. Catlin, says he spent
thiry-twO years In making his cartoons. Mr..
Catlin Ia described as q slender, pale-faced
man, somewhat short In stature, who dressed
plainly but neatly. lie wore no beard, bis
hair was cut short, and he covered his head
with a velvet skull-cap. He was extremely
deaf, but made mp for this great drawback In
conversation by paying strict attention To all
that was said to him.
The correspondent says;
II asked Mr. Catlin II he always found the
Indians willing to allow him to take their
portraitsl lie said that In some cases, com
paratiyely few, however, their superstition
came very near defeating him. For instance
In his descent Of the Amazon he came very
near losing the portraits he had taken. The
chiefs wives cried and fused to that extent
] suppose the husbands feared kicking hys-
teTlcs, for no doubt the Indian women un-
derstood the efficacy Of that style OF manag-
Ing husband. Mr., Catlln had 10 resort to
many devices, some Of whlsh he dellneates
In his pictures; for Instance, In several OF the
cartoons his little boat, with q cupOla, can be
seen on the river, and his attendant Smythe,
Is represented firing q revolver, which so as
tonishes the natives that they come 10 the
waters edge 10 watch the process.
SIN the meanwhile the cunning artist Is con-
cealed In the cupola, which Is Of wood, and
the sun has warped the seams sufficiently TO
allow him to make sketches by looking
through the creyices, and that very favOra-
bly,, as the Indians are unconscious Of stand
Ing for their portraits, and therefore look
natural. But even siN-shOoter VIII become
exhausted, and then the boatman, who Ia In
the ring, gets on the top cupOla with his I'D
die and the savages all fall TO dancing
Again, Smythe will venture TO land aud he
guile the Indians with trinkets and rs the
artist sketches brisk trade Ia going on. lu
this boat, open except for the cnpola, Mr..
Catlin, his attendant, aud the boatInan tray
eled two thousand miles on the surface OF
the Amazon. lie during ten years, most II
not all Of which period was, believe, passed
In South America, was supposed by his
friends TO he dead. During that time he
never once wrote TO any Oi his relatives or
friends, so absorbed was he In his work,
which carried him completely without the
boundaries OF civilization into localities
where postal facilities do not flourish lie
learned 10 converse with the Indians In their
sign language, and soon placed himself by
means Of II on friendly footing with any tribe
he visited. Tho sign language, ho told me,
was essentially the same among all tribes OF
Indians In America, North or South,
"Hc said he was particularly struck with the
universally OF this means OF communication
when, after his return from South America,
he visited England aud witnessed a singular
and striking Incident ut the asylum In Lon
don for deal muteJ. A few Indlans-men,
women and children-were on exhibition In
England, and day was set for them to visit
the asylum that the mutes might have an OPP
portunity OF seeing them, A distinguished
company, comprising many Of the nobility,
was In attendance TO witness the effect Of the
curious strangers on the afflicted inmates Of
the asylum. Mr.. Catlin, having passed 30
many years in the study Of the savage, was
invited TO attend and did so, The mutes