Autograph Memorandum by Sir Murland de Grasse Evans, headed 'The Comanche tribe', describing an encounter on crossing Arkansas River, including smoking with tribe members in a wigwam.

2pp., small 4to. On two leaves of watermarked paper. Hurriedly-penned abbreviated memoranda. Although related, it is not clear whether the two leaves are sequential. The first is headed 'The Comanche tribe'. After a couple of lines Evans describes 'Crossing Arkansas R[iver] on the way we got to their Wigwam & smoked We were 3/4 <?> arguing re buying of skins I had rep. rifle hairy. The door of wigwam lifted by a string. I lifted door saw the ground cov[ered] with horses feet. Did not stop but stepped out with my ri[fle] I found the wig[wam] comple[tely] surr[ounded] By me an old man app[eared] ch<?>. I went to him & held out my hand he looked & suddenly took it Near him a man import[ant] I said non Aamericano sed Anglese'. The first page ends here. The second page begins: 'So he saw they were going on.' It concludes 'Then the old chief asked me to go back with them as their guest & wd have more time | but man in Am[erican] fort begged me not to accept. The chief took out of his belt at to keep in memory of the tribe - & at any time to bring it back myself or my son & receive the welcome of the tribe - Comanche' [second page ends here]. In 1899 Evans, through the influence of his father, secured a position ith the general manager of the Atlantic Transport Line in New York. He then travelled, according to a newspaper account, 'to the Far West, when he visited the whole coast line from Victoria, British Columbia, to San Diego in Southern California, afterwards returning, via New Orleans and Galveston and the south-east ports up to Washington, whe he had an interesting interview with the late President McKinley at the White House. A short visit in Eastern Canada completed this tour.' He returned to England in July 1900.