The Audubon Reader (71 page)

Have you heard anything from the Nuttall expedition? Do you know if young Doctor Townsend of Philadelphia is still with him? When you next favor me with a letter, give me all you can on all these different subjects. Harlan, one would fear, has given me up, not a word from him as of yet. I have sent him 3 letters. My third volume goes on bravely; 5 Numbers are out and I think are an improvement on the previous ones. I have great hopes now to see the whole completed in three years from this date, plates & letterpress …

Edinburgh, Scotland

16 November 1834

… The 5th Number of water birds is out. I now publish 10 Numbers per annum, and in 3 years (how soon that will pass by) the whole work will be finished, when I certainly hope to retire from the world, and live & die in peace in some of our furthest back settlements!

Nelson
was cast as a great man—so certainly was Napoleon—what do you think of our Washington!!!! Have you forgotten Ben Franklin or Rittenhouse or even Bill Penn? Were they not all wonderful in their way? Has not your city produced a Ruth, a [illegible], a Westen? And nourished a Duponceau and a Vaughn? Have not our backwoods granted us a Clay, a Clark, and a Croghan? Aye, all these are “true bill!” Thus, my dear Harlan, if these are strictly true, and if you will allow me to add your name to that city; why should America be fearful to read of the life of her poor Audubon? Cannot, or will not, people of our days read with as much pleasure of the delightful studies of nature in our woods as they can of frightful revolutions, bloody battles and the carnage of wars which overrun lands as the fearful lava runs down the burning mountain?

Certainly yes. And for that reason alone, I have determined to picture my life on paper as I have already done that of our birds! Simple, full of pleasure, few [illegible] and altogether original! Only think how shocking it would prove to my [illegible] to be tortured by compilers who would produce ten chapters of untruths for my one of realities. Look at the life of Wilson by
anybody
and think for a moment how [illegible]. No one, in my humble opinion, ever [reckons] the stories of another heart. No one [illegible]
pointing his faults with half the truth the original can and will do! As to future reviewers, those beings will forever be as they have ever been: just, unjust, fools or learned men, and from their chaff the sound grain can by all be sifted. Truth, plain and unveiled truth fears no one and I shall abide all consequences when my
Autobiography
appears before them.

As to [Charles] Waterton, let him lie in his own filth. As to [George] Ord, forgive the fool. Selfishness has been the object of both, the charms of science in ornithology my only object; and should I not live long enough to enjoy the little benefit which I hope I deserved—what does it signify? Alive this day, dead tomorrow. Forgotten, perhaps, by this world, but, it is my hope, received without constraint within a far better one. As to number of volumes, I cannot say, but I know this well: that had you read the journals now around me, you would be not a little puzzled to condense them, even by the assistance of steam …

Edinburgh, Scotland

10 December 1834

My dear Bachman,

We were much amused and gratified at receiving and reading your funny letter of October 4. It has had a famous long passage too. If this increases its value is certes more than doubtful.

I am sorry to hear of the disastrous effects and probable consequences originating in the cholera in your neighborhood as well as the fever in your own dear city; may God save you all!

My dear fellow, “the Book” [i.e., volume 2 of the
Ornithological Biography
] is out! Yes, quite done, and I am relieved for a moment at least. It consists of 38 sheets, better stuff than the first Vol. and I am sure much better looking. The reviewers are at work here—God only knows how they may trounce me but no matter, the truth is the truth after all, and beyond that I care not a single jot. I have replied to no one for previous abuses of me, and I think and trust that [George] Ord and that fool [Charles] Waterton will be greatly punished by my contemptuous silence. When
you
read my book,
scratch
all you can and welcome! I shall ship you a few English copies direct to Charleston from Liverpool next week. I cannot send you your own remarks about the
Fauna boreali Americana
of Swainson as my copy is gone back to London, but as soon as I reach there will do so. I think however that what I have said will amply suffice you on this head.

My third volume of plates is going on at so rapid a step that I am extremely desirous to have from you all the assistance your friendship towards me can collect and suggest. I now send you a list of queries to which I particularly beg of you to attend to, and in which I trust and hope you will not be slow, respecting habits:

Grus Canadensis
—Canada Goose. Freshwater Marsh Hen—Saltwater Marsh Hen. Virginian Rail. Wood Ducks. Least Bittern. Great Blue Heron. Wood Ibis. Louisiana Heron and every Heron that breed or visit you. Mallard Ducks. White Ibis. Killdeer Plover.
All the Ducks that visit your shores and your market.
Long-billed Curlew
. Sora Rail. Marbled Godwit. Coot. Snipe (common). American Dab Chick (breed about you). Woodcocks. Telltale Godwit. American Bittern. Dusky Duck. Blue-winged Teal. Save all the windpipes and tongues of every species of water birds you can, in spirits, well marked with a ticket on which put sexes, dates, &c., &c., &c. Of all the above I am anxious you should study the habits, I mean describe in black and white their flight, motions on land or in the water. The construction of nests either if deep or flattish or shallow. Situations & localities, materials, eggs, time of incubation, appearance of young from old, food, intestines, time of arrival & departure, if singly or in flocks. Notes in love season, when affrighted or otherwise. Make all inquiries from good and true men and note down their sayings for future corroborations. And “do not put off until tomorrow what can be done today!” Ask the Lee family to note down whatever they meet with in Alabama.

Land birds:

Our
Bank Swallows. Mark well, I think we have two species, at least one large variety—so says my Louisiana journals. Hairy Woodpecker, Red-cockaded Woodpecker and all other small species. Find the nest of the Southern Black-capped Titmouse. Watch the habits of the Barn Owl & save one or two bodies in spirits.
Marsh Hawk—we have
two
species, I am quite sure! Brown Creeper. Scarlet Tanager. Black-throated Bunting, and indeed every other land bird not included in my 2nd Vol. of biography.

I am very sorry to hear of the expedition along Mexico and the Rocky Mountains. This will prove bad for me and
us
. As to the Prussian naturalist, I have no hopes of information from him and you need not expect any skins from that quarter. Some numskull will describe the whole they find in as dry a manner as possible, and old Jostle will have lost a great good chance. However, God granting me life & health, I shall follow their track some days not far off. Procure if you can the experiments made on the Buzzard by Dr. Leitner on paper of the poisonous drugs. Where is Benjamin Strobel, can he not assist us? Write to Dr. Gibbs and ask him to bear us a hand also. Here I am carefully comparing every species supposed to be identical in both continents.

The 7th Number of my water birds is out, and we proceed
soundly, although we have met with a great loss in the death of our first colorer. The
Little Work
[probably an early reference to the Octavo edition] will be begun as soon as we return to London,
but of this not a word
.

Edward Harris of Moorestown, New Jersey, is an excellent friend of mine. I have written to him also to procure for me all sorts of skins and to preserve birds’ heads & feet or entire when small. I wish you would write to him also at least 2 letters on this subject. The same to [Dr. Richard] Harlan, who thinks I have given him up.

I am quite sure I never have been half so anxious as I am at this moment to do all in my power to complete my vast enterprise, and sorrowful indeed would be my dying moments if this work of mine was not finished ere my eyes are forever closed. Nay, my dear friend, there is something within me that tells me that should I be so fortunate as to see the close of my present publication, my name will be honorably handed to posterity and the comforts of my sons and their families much augmented through this means.
You are a member of my family
, and someone besides under your roof [i.e., John
Woodhouse’s fiancée Maria Bachman], not mentioning our own dearly-beloved sweetheart [i.e.,
Maria Martin] and the children, and I know you all so well that I feel confident that your shoulder (and it is a good strong one) will willingly be applied to the wheel.

It seems that I have missed several of your letters, for 2 are all that have reached us and 2 from Maria Martin, of the other dear Maria, I know a youth at London who has received quite a budget. But we are getting old, both of us and perhaps that accounts for the laxity of correspondence, or quite as probable one full half of your letters are thrown overboard during bad weather to lighten the gallant ship!

… Try to study the habits of the
alligators, the time of their propagation, number of eggs, forms of the nests &c., &c., &c. I long to possess all respecting this reptile (amphibian) for my article of the Wood Ibis and
Sandhill Crane, for it will make a fine picture on paper, and I can shew
Waterton the bold
astride of one’s bare back in great style.

By now Dr. Parkman of Boston has at least a portion of the
letterpress [i.e., the
Ornithological Biography
], and I hope has begun printing the second volume of biography—750 copies for America and the same number are printed here. I wish you would cut out from all the newspapers the pros & cons about me.

I shall try my utmost to sail for America on the 1st of August next and in 8 days after reaching New York hope to be with you all, when I am sure you will muster your gun and go with me the Lord knows whereto! The boys keep “grinding” at London, and I, as soon as we reach there, will begin to macerate the third volume of the letterpress. Nay, it must be written all ere I sail for our dear shores.

On Saturday next, I send copies of the 2nd volume of biography to all our agents. Only think, it is just 6 weeks since we began printing and we have finished upwards of 650 pages! The same size, better paper, &c., to correspond, notwithstanding the ludicrous outcry about large books just now in this great and enlightened country. The fashionable size of books just now is in inches 4 by 2½, so modest, so empty of novelty and devoid of facts that it is enough to sicken one to look at their pompous coverings—but “never you mind,” my dear fellow, I shall go on just as I began to the last and my work shall not be a beacon but a tremendous lighthouse!

London, England

14 January 1835

My Dear Friend—

I have had a copy of my 2nd volume of biographies packed and directed for you these 2 weeks, and cannot find the means of sending to you without putting you to the expense of carriage, &c. What should I do with it? The confounded elections have so completely taken hold of everyone here that I have not been able to have even a glance at your brother-in-law. It was not a little amazing to me to find that he had charged you 2 guineas for each of the plates you wanted. He called at Havell’s thinking that the latter had made this extraordinary charge, when Havell opened his books and showed him his entry, in which the charge was as usual to
friend
? I underline the word because I do not replace any lost plates to anybody—numbers, once sent off and certified as having been sent, are conclusive. I have daily applications for plates of early numbers of the work that have been lost through the carelessness of the owners, and I cannot now replace those to them—my colorers will not work them up …

The 49th Number of my work goes to America this week and I am now closely engaged at preparing the letterpress of my 3rd volume, which will be printed this coming summer. The 3rd volume of illustrations will be finished January next.

My second volume of biographies has been well received here; it is reprinted at Boston in America, and is probably now before the American public. I find that my 3rd volume will consist of nearly 700 pages, the second has 600. The first 500. The 4th and last will be about the size of the first. After this is completed I bid adieu to the public forever and return to my own dear woods of the West, to plant cabbages; now & then shoot a Wild Turkey, or catch a trout, and die in peaceable comfort forgotten by the world. But next year I am bound to the Pacific Ocean accompanied by
my youngest son and a large party; the journey will positively be my last in search of information connected with ornithology.

Do, I pray you, write to me as soon as convenient and let me know how soon I can have the satisfaction of shaking you by the hand, to present my small family to you, and offer you a Kentucky dinner in London …

Edinburgh, Scotland

20 July 1835

… You are wrong in saying that I write to you but seldom. I never wait the length of a month without doing so, as my good wife can prove by her books, in which every letter forwarded is entered. I am neither growed rich, fat or lazy. I would have no great objection to the first of these misfortunes to a younger man than I am, but the two others I would despise. We were all glad to know that your ear had got better or well and hope that it will never return. Pray is it a fact that you have had a distressing fire at Charleston? I read a short paragraph in an English paper saying that on the 5th of June a great number of houses & barns had been destroyed, but not a word has appeared since, although I received a letter from
William Gaston dated the 10th without allusions to this. But we are all concerned until we receive Maria’s next letter to John, which must be in a few days, as these young folks are indeed
punctual
in their correspondence.