40 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [xov. 5, 
This morning I called on Col. John James Abert, whom I found at his 
office of the Topographical Bureau ; he received me with his wonted 
cordiality, promised to assist me in all my desires, gave me a letter re- 
ceived by him from I. Bachman, and another from Mr. Coleman, the 
bookseller of New York; and after chatting a while on different sub- 
jects we walked together towards the President’s house, to present my 
letters. Here we found Colonels Donaldson, and Earle, both 
nephews of General Jackson, and the next moment I was in the presence 
of the famous man and had shaken his hand; he read Mr. Swartwart’s 
letter twfce with apparent care, and, having finished, said, ‘‘Mr. Audubon, 
I will do all in my power to serve you, but the Seminole war, I fear, will 
prevent you having a cutter. However, as we will have a committee at 
12 o’clock this day, we will talk of this and will give you an answer to- 
morrow.’’ The General looked well, he was smoking his pipe, and I 
thought was more complaisant to me than ever. I then gave my letters 
to Col. Donaldson, who read them attentively, and as I leftthe room he 
followed us, and we talked to him respecting the subscriptions of the 
different Departments to our work. I like this man and his manners. 
I gave him the Duke of Sussex’s letter and maps from the Governor of 
the Hudson Bay Fur Co ,'and went in to see Col. Earle, who is engaged 
in painting General Jackson’s portrait full length, etc. My opinion of 
this man and of his talents I intend to speak of elsewhere. Col. Abert 
then took me to Mr. Woodbury, Secretary of the Treasurer—received 
me very politely, and after my letters to him being read, he promised 
me the use of the cutter and said that he would find me a letter to-mor- 
row morning. The subscription was broached upon, but nothing decisive 
transpiring, we left him for Mr, Butler’s office. Mr. Butler is a young 
man, he read Washington Irving’s letter, laid it down and opened 
with a long digression on the latter’s talents, ctc. ; at last my business 
was brought forward, but I found that the Government affords so little 
money as contingent that he did not believe it likely that I could suc- 
ceed in obtaining subscriptions from the different Departments without 
a law to that effect from Congress. This opinion was all but gratifying, 
however as he promised to present the matter before next Congres with 
many courteous promises I bid him adieu, hoping for the best. 
2. Our country is becoming more wealthy every day, science is looked 
upon with more congeniality every year—subscribers in this dear 
country of ours do not drop off unless they die—they pay punctually on 
demand, and to have more of them in this land than in Europe is a 
thing which I think may prove of the greatest importance to us—When 
I visited our woods on my first return from England, I was absent for 
12 months; Mr. Rathburn and Mr. Children wrote to me many times to 
return or expect my work to fail—I then went back to Europe before I 
was ready or willing to go, and on my arrival there to my surprise I 
found everything going on as well as could have been wished ; but I 
was again obliged to come to our country to renew my research and 
improve my head as well as my collections and drawings. I had left no 
one like you in England. Now you my dear son are there (thank God 
for it); you proved to be a better man at carrying this publication than 
myself, and to tell you more, I doubt much if I could procure there 
more subscribers than yourself can or have done. Iam truly desirous 
for your sake, and those of your dear brother and most excellently kind 
mother, to do all in my power for the completion of this great work, 
than ever I have felt before. I wish to finish all here that is to be, or 
