xii . IN T R O n C O T f O N .
from Boston, and loud murmurs wore uttered by the; soidUant
friends of science, who objected to my seeing, much less
portraying and describing those valuable relcs of birds, many
of which had not* yet been introduced into our Fauna. The
traveller's appetite is much increased by the knowledge- of the
distance which he has to tramp before he can obtain a meal;
and with me the desire of obtaining the specimens in question
increased in proportion to the difficulties that presented
themselves-. Having ascertained the names of the persons best
able or most willing to assist me on this occasion, and aided
by THOMAS NI TTAI.I., who had now-arrived, Drs PTC.KKIU.NG,
I IAIU.AN, Si (<".. MoKTOSY Secretary to the Academy of Natural
Sciences, >l'ifi;uTiuK, /riiCTiiUft', and above all my friandi
EUWAH!) ! 1A UIUS, ivho ¡ottered to pay for them .with the; view
of presenting them to nuv:I" at length succeeded. It was
agreed that I might ,p«r«/ii/.sv; dupfi<Mte.% /«mvVjfetf the spevifio
names agreed upon by Mr N I T T A U . and myself were published
i„ |)r rowNHK-N'Mis name. This latter part of the affair was
perfectly congenial: to my ¡feelings,: as«I' have seldom cared
much about priority in theMianiing. of speeies.s I therefore-;
paid for the skins which I received; and hav© now published?
such as proved tcrbenew. according to my promise. .-»'Hut,.'let;
me assure you, Reader, that seldom, if eher:in rnv life, haved
felt more disgusted with the conduct! of ¡my opponents ol'
mine, than I was with the unfriendly boasters of their zeal
for the advancement of ornithological .science, AVIIO at the time
existed in the fair city of Philadelphia.
r From Philadelphia I bent; my tswurse toward Baltimore,
where 1 spent a- few days; .Before-leaving'the former city,
my good friend UP W A R D HARRI S had promised to join us at
I N T R O D U C T I O N . xi i i
Charleston, for the purpose of accompanying us along the
western coast of the Florida«, and the Cult' of Mexico, at
least as far as Galveston Island in Texas. On reaching the
city of Washington, • L* presented myself to the Honourable
L E V I WOODBURY, Secretary of the Treasury of the United
States, a gentleman of learning, long friendly towards me,
who at once assured me that he would, if possible, grant me
one of our Revenue Cutters, for my intended voyage. The
war; which was at that time raging between the- Seminole
Indians and the sfttizens of Florida tended strongly to frustrate
my wishes, as every disposable1 vessel of the class under
the Secretary of the Treasury "was engaged on the coast of the
Peninsula. I called on President A.YPRF.W. Ji'disoS,5 from
whom, .since 181.9,. Behave received peculiar facilities, and
who assured me of'diis wisfoto grant'inyrequest. My son and
I dined with him on that day. .«««.«./aff», both of us in the undress
'best suited to practical.-• students of nature. And here
I may;inform you, that 1 have seldom 'eaten ol' a better Wild
Turkey than the one Avhich graced his table;-and which had
been procured not many miles distant from our centre of political
intercourse!. ;-J ¡Aso had the pleasure of seeing my excellent;
friend; Colonel J . T . L AHF.RT; of the :U>.:S;-Topographical
Department,! the'/Honourable j.iiR. Fottsfflsfr^ and the iSedretary
of the Sav$o to ¡whom I then recommended severe
American naturalistsias'Worthy of being engaged on any naval
expedition! of disesverifv > i
We now proceeded towards Chiirleston in South Carolina,
travelling the latter part of the way on one of the most extraordinary
rail-road® (in t the world, and reached in safety the
house of my worthy friend;th& Reverend JOHN BACHMAN, D. D.