10 The Wilson Bulletin — Xo. (')2. 



much his talents were appreciated in that Uttle town." Wil- 

 son's version of the Louisville visit is exceedingly brief : 

 "March 17. * * '■' Took my baggage and groped my way to 

 Louisville — put up at the Indian Queen tavern and gladly sat 

 down to rest. March IS. Rose quite refreshed. Found a 

 number of land speculators here. '•-' ''' March 19. Rambled 

 about town with my gun. Examined Mr. (Audubon) 's draw- 

 ings in crayon — very good. Saw two new birds he had, both 

 Moiitacilla. ^Nlarch 20. Sat out this afternoon with gun — 

 killed nothing new. * '•' '•' Many shopkeepers board in taverns 

 — also boatmen, land speculators, merchants, etc. No natural- 

 ist to keep me company. March 21. Went out shooting this 

 afternoon with Mr. A(udubon). Saw a number of Sandhill 

 Cranes. Pigeons numerous. March 23. * * * Having 

 parted with great regret, with my paroquet to the gentlemen 

 of the tavern, I bade adieu to Louisville, to which place I 

 had four letters of recommendation, and was taught to ex- 

 pect so much of everything there ; Init neither received one act 

 of civility from those to whom I was recommended, one new 

 subscriber nor one new bird; though I ransacked the woods 

 repeatedly, and visited all the characters likely to subscribe. 

 Science or literatni^e lias init one friend /ni tliis place." 

 Audubon takes exception to the above, almost if not quite a 

 score of years after ; time enough to have forgotten much in- 

 cident to an ordinary interview, if, upon reading Ord's ex- 

 tracts from Wilson's diary, published in 1814, pic|ue had not 

 aided in the recalling of the most vivid points in his favor. 

 On the other hand, Wilson, at perhaps the time of his great- 

 est irritation and discouragement, had written while the 

 memory of his disappointment was fresh in his mind. Ob- 

 viously x-\udubon was not one of the gentlemen to whom the 

 letters of introduction were addressed, therefore that part of 

 Wilson's words cannot apply to him. Furthermore the 

 original rendition of the opening words of his diary under 

 date of March 2ord make it appear as if the Paroquet was 

 presented or sold to the gentlemen of the tavern, whereas 

 by his own account he carried it from Big Bone Lick, thirty 

 miles above the Kentucky river, upward of a thousand miles. 



