Audubon the Naturalist: A History of His Life and Time. Vol. 2 (of 2)Herrick, Francis Hobart
History
Audubon the Naturalist: A History of His Life and Time. Vol. 2 (of 2)
Herrick, Francis Hobart
Audubon, John James, 1785-1851
From the wild and beautiful scenes about Loch Katrine, which stirred
the naturalist's emotions and evoked the desire to remain until the
curtain of night had gradually and peacefully closed the landscape from
their view, they proceeded to the rocky shores of Loch Lomond, where
they found "a few small stone cabins, some fat bairns, abundance of
ale, and a sufficiency of capital whisky." After crossing to Tarbet
and examining both the head and the foot of the lake, they went on from
Balloch to Dumbarton by stage, and thence by steamer to Glasgow; there
they spent a few days, and returned to Edinburgh by way of Dumbarton
and Lanark. Steamers and coaches, slow as they then were, were all too
fast for Audubon on this journey, and he declared that if ever again he
visited the Highlands, it should be on foot, "for no man, with nerve
and will, and an admirer of the beauties of nature, can ever truly
enjoy the pleasures of travelling, unless he proceed in this manner."
Mrs. Audubon's health had not improved by the journey, for shortly
after their return she was again taken ill; she was placed in the
care of Dr. John Argyle Robertson, for whose efficient aid and "kind
and gentle treatment," said Audubon, "we can never cease to cherish
the most lively feelings of affection." "It is a curious part of
my history," he continues, "that during the whole of my sojourn in
Britain, none of the principal medical advisers whom we had occasion to
employ would receive any recompense from us."
By the 5th of November, 1838, but a few days after the issue of the
fourth volume of his "Biographies," the printing of the fifth and last
had already begun. The following letter[152] is interesting for its
personal details, and in showing that his confidence in the existence
of the "bird of Washington"[153] had not been shaken:
_Audubon to Edward Harris_
EDINBURGH _December 19th., 1838_.
MY DEAR FRIEND:
Your letter of the 13th. instant to Victor reached us
this morning, and glad were we all to hear from you.
My object in writing to you is, for the purpose of
assuring you that I feel great [pleasure] in preparing
a box of bird skins for you according to your desire. It
is true, however, that I am now on the eve of commencing
my synoptical arrangement of our birds, I shall not be
able to show you as many of my specimens [as] I could
otherwise have done, but you must take the will for the
deed. The Box will be taken as far as London by Victor,
who will leave us on the first of January. You will find
in it a list of the contents, and I trust such bird
skins as may answer your purpose well. Besides these
Victor will also attend to your request as soon as in
New York and will ship to you by way of Havre as you
direct.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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