AUDUBON JOURNAL 



Saturday March 31''* 1821 



I spent my time these 3 Last Days More at think- 

 ing than any thing else — and often indeed have I 

 thought My Head very heavy — 



This Morning I Waited on M" Gordon with a Wish 

 to receive from him an amendment to my Letter to 

 the President, for all in my head is the Pacific Expe- 

 dition he Wrote, I read it, but was Not altogether 

 Satisfied — I Called on M'" Vanderlyn the Historical 

 Painter With my Port Folio — to shew him some of 

 my Birds with a View to Ask him for a few Lines of 

 recommandation — he examined them attentively and 

 Called them handsomely done, but being/ar from possess- 

 ing any Knowledge of Ornithology or Natural History, 

 I was quite satisfied he Was No Judge but of their 

 being better or Worst Shaded Yet he spoke of the 

 beautifuU Coloring and Good Positions and told Me 

 that he would With pleasure give me a Certificate of his 

 hdiVing Inspected tho-m. — Are all Men of Talents fools and 

 Rude purposely or Naturally? I cannot assert, but 

 have often thought that they were one or the other. 



When I arrived at M^ V's Room, he spoke to me as 

 if I had been an abject slave, and told Me in Walking 

 Away to Lay my Drawings down there the Dirty [ — ] 

 that he would return presently and Look them over. — 

 I felt so vexed that My first Intention Was to Pack off, 

 but the Expedition Was in View, I thought how Long 



— 143 



