I am glad to learn that you intend to publish your narrative and descriptive writings, in a collected form. I have read parts of them as they were published separately, and the great pleasure derived from the perusal makes me desirous of having the whole in my possession. They carry us into the fastnesses of our mountains, the depth of our forests, the watery wilderness of our lakes and rivers, giving us pictures of savage life and savage tribes, Indian legends, fishing and hunting anecdotes, the adventures of trappers and backwoodsmen; our whole arcanum, in short, of indigenous poetry and romance: to use a favorite phrase of the old discoverers, “they lay open the secrets of the country to us.” I return you thanks for the delightful entertainment which your Summer rambles have afforded me. I do not see that I have any literary advice to give you, excepting to keep on as you have begun. You seem to have the happy, enjoyable humor of old Izaak Walton, and I trust you will give us still further scenes and adventures on our great internal waters, depicted with the freshness and skill of your present volumes. With the best wishes for your further success, I am Very truly, your obliged WASHINGTON IRVING. EDWARD EVERETT wrote: I fully concur with the opinions expressed by Mr. Irving on the subject of a collective edition of your narrative and descriptive writings. While I am not familiar with all of them, from those which I have read and from his emphatic and discriminating commendation, I am confident the series would be welcomed by a large class of readers. You have explored nooks in our scenery seldom visited, and described forms of life and manners of which the greater portion of our busy population are entirely ignorant. Wishing you every success, I am Very truly yours, EDWARD EVERETT. A selection of a few of Mr. Lanman’s chapters will give a slight idea of the variety of his book: Legends of the Illinois—Lake Winnipeg—Fish of the Upper Mississippi—Down the St. Lawrence—The Saguenay River—The Hermit of Aroostook—The Falls of Tallulah—The Valley of Virginia—The Cheat River Country—Tombigbee and Black Warrior Rivers—Accomac—A Week in a Fishing Smack—A Virginia Barbecue—Esquimaux of Labrador—The Western Pioneer.