378 AUDUBON, THE NATURALIST 



besides nearly a trunkful for the Continent, as well as 

 general letters from Henry Clay, Andrew Jackson and 

 others in America for our consular and diplomatic rep- 

 resentatives in Europe. His epistolary basis for the 

 acquisition of useful acquaintances could hardly have 

 been better, and further testimonials were gathered at 

 every stage of his progress to the city of his hopes, but 

 Audubon's best letter of credit, which could be read by 

 all the world, was an open, winning countenance. After 

 he had wandered over London for the greater part of 

 three days without finding a single individual at home, 

 he was tempted to consign his valuable documents to 

 the post, an error which he did not repeat, as it deprived 

 him of the acquaintance of fully one-half of the people 

 to whom they were addressed. One of these London 

 letters which follows, written by Captain Basil Hall to 

 John Murray, the noted publisher and founder of the 

 Quarterly Review, is particularly interesting in show- 

 ing that Audubon was far from pleased with the prog- 

 ress of his work in Edinburgh, and that he was then 

 contemplating a change which was later effected. 



Basil Hall to John Murray 



Edinb 23rd Feby. 1827 

 My Dear Sir 



This will be delivered to you by my friend Mr John Audu- 

 bon, an American Gentleman who has been residing here this 

 winter, & I beg in the most particular manner to introduce him 

 to your acquaintance and to ask for him the advantage of your 

 good offices. 



Mr Audubon has spent [a] great part of his life in making 

 a collection of drawings of the Birds of North America, & in 

 studying their Habits, with the intention of publishing a Com- 

 plete Ornithology of America. For such a work his materials, 

 both in the shape of drawings and of written notes, are immense 



