Lot 134
  • 134

[North American Indians]

Estimate
1,000 - 1,500 USD
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Description

  • "Speech of Machawita"
  • paper, ink
Manuscript transcript of a speech on sheet of paper (7 3/8 x 4 1/4 in.; 186 x 109 mm) possibly removed from a sketchbook, the verso docketed "Machawitta's Speech furnished by Dr. Ingsley of the Med Staff of the Canada's" and with an unfinished pen-and-ink landscape sketch. Ca. 1820.

Separated at top horizontal fold, some other fold separations and tears.

Condition

Separated at top horizontal fold, some other fold separations and tears.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Catalogue Note

An early transcription of the famous "love speech" of the Indian youth Machawitta, corresponding exactly with the text given in the "original manuscript" as reported in the New York Evening Post for 3 May 1820. "You have conferred the best Gift—this ring—emblem of love … that endures while the great Spirit endures. My heart is touched—it is yours forever. I will preserve this ring. … I will bear it with me over the mighty waters to the land of the good spirit. I am happy to be with you on this wonderful Canoe, moved by the Great Spirit & surrounded by the big fish of the great deep. I wish to be with you till I go to where my fathers have gone. Take back the ring—give me that which I value more—yourself."  McKenney and Hall later quoted this speech in the biography of Cornplanter in The Indian Tribes of North America as an exemplification of "the self-possession of the Indian, and the the readiness with which he adapts himself to circumstances." Machawitta's speech was made aboard the steamboat Walk-in-the-Water on Lake Erie, in response to the gift of a ring from a young woman.