152 AUDUBON 



surd in my estimation, during all the time ; besides, I also 

 felt the penetrating looks and keen observation of the 

 learned man before me, so that the cold sweat started 

 from me. As I wiped my forehead on finishing my 

 paper, a large black dog came in, caressed his master, and 

 made a merciful diversion, and as my agitation gradually 

 subsided I was able to talk with Dr. Brewster and was 

 afterwards introduced to his lady, who put me soon at my 

 ease, and told me I was to be introduced to Sir Walter 

 Scott on Monday next at the Royal Academy. Poor 

 me ! — far from Sir Walter I could talk to him ; hun- 

 dreds of times have I spoken to him quite loudly in 

 the woods, as I looked on the silvery streamlets, or the 

 dense swamps, or the noble Ohio, or on mountains 

 losing their peaks in gray mists.- How many times have I 

 longed for him to come to my beloved country, that he 

 might describe, as no one else ever can, the stream, the 

 swamp, the river, the mountain, for the sake of future 

 ages. A century hence they will not be here as I see 

 them. Nature will have been robbed of many brilliant 

 charms, the rivers will be tormented and turned astray 

 from their primitive courses, the hills will be levelled with 

 the swamps, and perhaps the swamps will have become a 

 mound surmounted by a fortress of a thousand guns. 

 Scarce a magnolia will Louisiana possess, the timid Deer 

 will exist nowhere, fish will no longer abound in the rivers, 

 the Eagle scarce ever alight, and these millions of lovely 

 songsters be driven away or slain by man. Without Sir 

 Walter Scott these beauties must perish unknown to the 

 world. To the great and good man himself I can never 

 say this, therefore he can never know it, or my feelings 

 towards him — but if he did? What have I to say more 

 than a world of others who all admire him, perhaps are 

 better able to do so, because more enlightened. Ah ! 

 Walter Scott ! when I am presented to thee my head will 

 droop, my heart will swell, my limbs will tremble, my lips 



