LIFE IN WASHINGTON 231 



for that year, speaks of him as one of the pioneers in 

 comparative philology. Beside an extensive knowledge of 

 modern European languages he had an unusual acquaint- 

 ance with those of the Orient, both ancient and modern. 

 Becoming interested in the North American Indian 

 tongues, he gained a wide knowledge of them. Miss Lucy 

 says: "He was perhaps the most intimate personal friend 

 of our household from 1850 till the time of his death," 

 among those who were not working in the Natural 

 Sciences, " and indeed there was no friend of whom my 

 parents were more fond." His sisters, Miss Susan and 

 especially Miss Jane, who was for many years associated 

 with the Smithsonian Library, are affectionately remem- 

 bered by the surviving habitues of the Institution of that 

 day. 



Another special friend of the house in 1857-8 was 

 Robert Kennicott, of Illinois, a youth of twenty-two, 

 but already an enthusiastic naturalist and always bubbling 

 over with fun and wonderful plans for the future. He, with 

 Dr. William Stimpson, August Schonborn the artist, and 

 some other resident students, formed under Stimpson's 

 leadership a club for mutual housekeeping. Stimpson 

 was the only one who had any money; he was under 

 salary working up the collections of the North Pacific 

 Exploring Expedition of Ringgold and Rodgers, and 

 Schonborn was making exquisite silver point drawings 

 of the crabs. Stimpson hired a cottage, the club was 

 formed under the name of the Megatherium Club, and 

 the members lodged and took their meals there under 

 the auspices of a colored "Aunty." To reduce the cost 

 of living they kept hens, and when, as occasionally 

 happened, there was a surplus of eggs, the young fellows 

 concocted a bowl of egg nog and indulged in vocal music 



