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plative and abstracted ; but when doubts and difficulties were 

 solved, he was apparently light and buoyant. *' At the con- 

 clusion of a piece of work," says one who has been most 

 intimate with him, " I have seen him rise from his chair, 

 approach the stove, and, in his own peculiar way, put his 

 hands behind his back, and, for an hour or two, pour forth a 

 torrent of narrative and scientific facts on which was the cast 

 of his own philosophical thoughts and conclusions. I have 

 frequently seen him in social circles, when he was the delight 

 of the company, from his cheerful and natural replies to all 

 interrogatories, and his voluntary details upon the subject of 

 his travels and adventures."''' 



I may be permitted here to relate a few anecdotes charac- 

 teristic of the great naturalist. In one of his solitary excur- 

 sions in the wilderness Nuttall got lost, and not returning, the 

 party did not wait for him, but resumed their march, sending 

 out some friendly Indians to look for him and conduct him 

 upon his journey to rejoin the company. The Indians per- 

 formed their duty faithfully. Looking upon him, however, as 

 a great medicine man, they were afraid to approach him. 

 They therefore surrounded him, and kept at a respectful dis- 

 tance. Nuttall was soon aware that he was watched by sa- 

 vages, and not knowing their character, whether friends or 

 foes, he was in the greatest state of alarm. From all he had 

 already experienced at their hands, he had the utmost horror 

 of the Indians. Therefore hiding himself, and taking advan- 

 tage of every ravine, every tree and bush, he succeeded in 

 regaining the track of the caravan, which he followed for 

 three days without food or sleep, when, to his infinite delight, 

 he overtook it and was relieved from his anxieties. 



On another occasion Nuttall was rambling in the vicinity of 

 the camp, when a band of Indians, apparently hostile, made its 

 appearance. The alarm was immediately given, with orders 

 to arm and be ready for the expected attack ; but Nuttall was 

 not among them. A friend, uneasy about him, ran in search 



'•" This delineation of Mr. Nuttall's person and character has been fur- 

 nished to me by Prof. Carson, to whom, as well as to Dr. Pickering, Mr. 

 Lea, and other friends, I owe many of the details herein mentioned. 



