myself, became, still inure cemented by the marriage of his
eldest daughter to-my youngest son.
In the course of our long journeys through woods and over
plains, and, of our. sinuous sailings along the many bays,
creeks or bayous, which we visited on this ¡expedition, notwithstanding
all our exertions and constant anxiety, we did
not discover a single - bird not previously known. I iowever,
the enterprise proved exceedingly interesting to my companions
and myself, and I trust its results will be found to
possess some:value in your eyes also, for, as you will perceive,
it has enabled me to speak with more confidence on the migratory
movements of a good number of species; which .visit
,:
us from southern climes during the breeding season. It also
enables me to deline more accurately than I could otherwise
have done the geographical distribution of most of those
which at. various times, make their appearancehi the different
sections of the l.nited .States, and otlu'r ])ortions of North
America.i
. I.eaviiig Charleston, we- reached Norfolk by a steamer, alt
e r a short pasgMi3, rf thirty-eight hours, and proceeded;'at
qnce to Washington,, where I presented myself to the President
of the- United, States, MARTIN VA.N .BI HKN. to whom I:
had letters from my amial)le ami celebrated friend, ;\VA.SII*M;-
TOX IKVINO, Esq.,, and offered my best thanks to the heads
of the seypral, departments,, and my .various friends. Wo then
passed rapidly through Baltimore and .Philadelphia, my wish
being to reach Now York as soon as possible. There! 1 remained
a fortnight, while my son and daughter-in-law -sisited
the, Falls .of i Niagara. They having returned. w©i embarked,
on the I (¡th .of July lh:i7, op. board the American packet-ship.
USTKODUOTION. **'
the England, commanded,by ROBEHT WAITS, Esq., for Liverpool,
where, seventeen days' after, we were safely landed.
.Here we quickly paid our respects to the RATHBONES, the
Cuoiii.KYH, and other friends, to whom bidding adieu at the
same time, we proceeded to join my family in London, where,
on the 7th of August, we once more met all together.
I found the publication of the " Birds of America" in a satisfactory
state of progression, but received the disagreeable
intelligence that a peat number of my British patrons had
discontinued their subscriptions, and that most of those who
still received the numbers as they came out, were desirous of
seeing the work finished in Eighty Numbers, as I had- at first
anticipated. On this account, I found myself obliged to introduce,
and in some instance« to crowd, a number of species
into one and the same plate, in order to try to meet the wishes
of those who had by their subscriptions in some measure assisted
me in the publication of that work, This, however, I
did in such a manner as seemed best to accord with the affinities
of the species. But, Reader, Dr TOWNSEND meantime
returned to Philadelphia, after an absence of about four years,
and with a second collection, containing several rare and new
birds, which, after meeting with the same difficulties as on the
former occasion, inconsequence of the opposition of various enlightened
persons at Philadelphia, although Dr TOWNSEND was
extremely desirous that every thing new or rare belonging to
our Fauna should be given to me, I received only a few weeks
before closing the engraving of my plates. A few others did
not reach me until 'several days after. What was I to do?
Why, Header, to publish them to be sure; for this I should
have done, to the best of my power, even if every subscriber in