Audubon and His Journals, Volume 1Audubon, John James
History
Audubon and His Journals, Volume 1
Audubon, John James
Audubon, John James, 1785-1851 -- Diaries; Birds -- North America; Naturalists -- United States -- Diaries
_Saturday, March 20._ To-day I was with friend Sergeant most of the
time; this evening have paid Havell in full, and now, thank God, feel
free to leave noisy, smoky London.
_Oxford, March 24._ I am now in Oxford _the clean_, and in comfortable
lodgings. I arrived at four o'clock, shrunk to about one half my usual
size by the coldness of the weather, having ridden on top of the
coach, facing the northern blast, that caused a severe frost last
night, and has, doubtless, nipped much fruit in the bud. As I
travelled I saw Windsor Castle about two miles distant, and also
witnessed the turning out of a Stag from a cart, before probably a
hundred hounds and as many huntsmen. A curious land, and a curious
custom, to catch an animal, and set it free merely to catch again. We
crossed the Thames twice, near its head; it does not look like the
Ohio, I assure thee; a Sand-hill Crane could easily wade across it
without damping its feathers.
_March 25._ My feet are positively sore battering the pavement; I have
walked from one house and College to another all day, but have a new
subscriber, and one not likely to die soon, the Anatomical School,
through Dr. Kidd.[150] He and I ran after each other all day like the
Red-headed Woodpeckers in the spring. I took a walk along two little
streams, bearing of course the appellation of rivers, the Isis and the
Charwell; the former freezes I am told at the bottom, never at the
top. Oxford seems larger than Cambridge, but is not on the whole so
pleasing to me. I do not think the walks as fine, there are fewer
trees, and the population is more mixed. I have had some visitors, and
lunched with Dr. Williams, who subscribed for the Radcliffe Library,
whither we both went to inspect the first number. When I saw it, it
drew a sigh from my heart. Ah! Mr. Lizars! was this the way to use a
man who paid you so amply and so punctually? I rolled it up and took
it away with me, for it was hardly colored at all, and have sent a
fair new set of five numbers. I dined at the Vice-Chancellor's at six;
his niece, Miss Jenkins, did the honors of the table most gracefully.
There were ten gentlemen and four ladies, and when the latter left,
the conversation became more general. I was spoken to about Wilson and
C. Bonaparte, and could heartily praise both.
_March 27._ Breakfasted with Mr. Hawkins, Provost of Oriel College,
and went immediately after with him to the Dean of Trinity. The large
salon was filled with ladies and gentlemen engaged with my work; my
drawings followed, and I showed them, but, oh, Lucy, how tired I am of
doing this. The Dean has, I think, the finest family of daughters I
have ever seen; eight blooming, interesting young ladies; from here to
Dr. Kidd, where was another room full of company to see my drawings.
Among my visitors was Dr. Ed. Burton,[151] who invited me to breakfast
to-morrow.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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