xl 7.V ME MORI AM: ELLIOTT COUES. 



considerations; and although he conld command large sums for his labor, he pre- 

 ferred to devote himself to pure science, which, if less remunerative pecuniarily, 

 achieves a more lasting result and one of greater honor. 



After all these years of scientific work, his thoughts and labors turned to a new 

 channel, that of historical research, and the last eight or ten years of his life were 

 devoted to editing the journals of the early explorers of our continent, and he made 

 many long and wearisome journeys over the various routes taken by these hardy 

 pioneers in order to familiarize himself with the country traversed and locate the 

 many places mentioned, but which had no designation on any published map. His 

 former army life and his great experience as a naturalist eminently fitted him for 

 this task, and probably no one could have proved himself so competent to fulfil 

 this duty. The first of these works was that of the Expedition of Lewis and 

 Clarke, which appeared in 1893, followed in 1895 by the Expedition of Zebulon 

 M. Pike. In 1897 came the Henry & Thompson Journals; in 1898 appeared the 

 Fowler Journal and the Narrative of Charles Larpentner, forty years a Fur Trader 

 on the Upper Missouri ; and during this year The Diary of Francisco Garces, on 

 the trail of a Spanish Pioneer : in all, fifteen volumes. All of these books bear the 

 impress of his most conscientious care and wonderful minuteness of annotation ; 

 and it is to Coues more than to any other that the original sources of the early 

 explorations of the western portion of our country, beyond the Mississippi, are 

 preserved. 



It was during an arduous journey in New Mexico and Arizona in the summer 

 of 1899, undertaken, as he wrote me, as a " still hunt for old Spanish MSS.," and 

 to refresh his memory of the country described by Francisco Garces, and render 

 still more effective his editing of the Diary in his possession, that Coues's splendid 

 physique and robust health, that for so long seemed to defy fatigue and exposure, 

 gave way, and he was brought to Santa Fe in a rather critical condition, where for 

 a month he was very ill, but in September he came to Chicago. He seemed to be 

 getting better, and at my last interview with him, during which his condition was 

 freely discussed, although he fully appreciated the gravity of his case, yet he 

 expressed the hope, and perhaps he thought it was clearly among the possibilities, 

 that he might be present at the last meeting of this Society in Philadelphia. Re- 

 garding him, as I then did, as in a critical condition, I could not share this hope, 

 although I encouraged him in his belief, or what seemed to be his belief, for Coues 

 had been too long a skilled medical practitioner to try and deceive himself ; but 

 from his references to his attendant physician it was clearly apparent that he pre- 

 ferred to advance the opinion of his medical adviser, of whom he spoke in the 

 highest terms, rather than any of his own. He was greatly changed in appearance, 

 but the old fire and enthusiasm, that I had so often admired and not infrequently 

 contended with in friendly confiict during so many years, was not a whit abated, 

 and he spoke with all his old-time interest of the work he had himself in view and 

 that of others. But the voice was feeble and tlie frame was weak, and he was 

 filled with a restlessness that was foreign to him. But when I bade him an adieu, 

 which was to be our last on earth, he was cheerful and spoke hopefully of meeting 

 soon again. As you all know, his condition became more serious after he arrived 



