ïiii ' ( .. :ÔW®0»'tl6®I®T»'
cessful students to perfect it, i shall rest satisfied with my
labours.
Having hitherto given you some account of the occurrences
that have taken place during the time intervening between
the. appearance of one volume and that of another. I again resume
the subjects hoping that what I have now toi say may
prove not less interesting to a friend like you. W'heti"! last
left Edinburgh, I proceeded to London, full of the desire to revisit
my native land before concluding my work, ftt was
my .wish to cross the. Continent of America; gaze on thé majestic
wilds of the Rocky Mountains, wander along the greeri
valleys ol' the Oregon, and search the shores of the Pacific
Ocean and a. portion of. North California ;; but circumstances
denied: : me the, pleasure anticipated. However, here we are
on the way to the metropolis of England^ we have already
passed through Sewcasfcle;! York, Leeds, and Manchester, and
are just about to alight in the Main Street, of Sheffield. The
gentleman who meets me'¡it.the coach door, is Joii.v HKPI
U ^ S T A U , Esqv well known to ineby correspondence,: but riot
personally until now. Arrived here; according to appointment,
we shake-hands, and in a few minutés are beneath'his most
hospitable roof,.¡and in the midst 'ofiMs family and friends,
The,Bxpgctations which we had formed, s« far from being disappointed,
were more than gratified; for this sincere and honourable
mail is distinguished; not less'.by liberality of sentiment
than by a gem:rosity commensurate, with the goodness
of his heart... In these respects every'member of his family is
a counterpart of himself ; and, 'such being our. Hwsi#ysu mag?
judge how agreeable -to as was our slay (in Sheffield, gît» was
whilerenjoying the hospitality of this oexeéllent friend,! that we
IS-TRODt'CTION. . i*
became acquainted with EBEMEZEE ELLIOT, Esq. and subsequently
with JONATHAN BBAMMELL, Esq. from whom we have
since received many acts of kindness. Stopping afterwards
at Derby, we saw our relations-there, and on arriving in London
were kindly welcomed by my brother-in-law, ALEXANDEE
GORDON, Esq., and soon established ourselves in a house in
Wimpole Street.'
I now again enjoyed tin; society of our numerous friends,
and had the pleasure of seeing my work proceed apace. One
day Mr ROBERT HAVELL informed me, that a gentleman, a
Fellow;, of the Royal Society, residing not far from us, in
the same: street; had subscribed for the IJirds of America.
The gentleman called to see. mei;' my wife and myself, werè
introduced to his lady, and the! several members of his amiable
family; and our intimady and friendship have r6ver since
increased. This excellent friend of mine -is a surgeon of thé
highest merit: - Long before I left England for Ameriéà, he took
chargeof my wife's precarious health ; and when we-parted at
the coach that took my son, JOHN' W'OODHM.SK, and myself,
to Portsmouth; ihgj promised; to watch over her. •' When I again
reached my housè in Wimpole Stèeet-; after an absence1 Of a
year, he was the: first friend to greet me with a1 cordial welcome.
Were I to mention'••the many occasions on which he
has aided me by. his advice'and Superior knowledge of the
world, you would be pleased to find so much: disinterestedness
in human nature. • His professional aSd too, valuable as it has
proved to us, and productive of much iiicouvenieiuuvto him, has
been rendered without reward, for f could never succeed in
inducing him to- ' consider us his patients; although for upwards
of two-years lie inner passed a day without seeing my