^°l'^^n Deane, Letters of Audubon and Baird. 1^*J 



I have spent my time since I have been here principally 

 between the Treasury Building and the Patent Office. I have a 

 strong desire to spend a few months among the collections of the 

 Exploring Expedition,^ with the privilege of overhauling the arti- 

 cles. This my uncle Mr. Penrose," solicitor of the Treasury, says 

 I will be enabled to do by being connected in some way with the 

 corps to be employed under act of Congress the ensuing winter. 

 He says that if I could get a note from Mr. Audubon intimating 

 in general terms, that from his knowledge of my qualifications, I 

 would make a competent assistant to those gentlemen already 

 engaged, that there would not be much trouble about the matter. 

 Will you do me the favor to write something or other to this efTect 

 which he may use for this purpose. A few lines from you will be 

 of more avail with the Secretary of Navy, or State, than a whole 

 folio would be from anybody else. Will you ask Major Le Conte 

 to send me a few of those very fine steel pins, tightly packed up, 

 directed to me in an enclosure to Chas. B. Penrose, Solicitor of 

 the Treasury, Washington, D. C. With my best respects to 

 Mrs. Audubon and all your family, I remain. 



Yours sincerely, 



Spencer F. Baird. 



P. S. Please address anything to me under cover to Chas. 

 B. Penrose. 



Audubon to Baird. 



New York, July 30, 1842. 

 My Dear Young Friend, — 



Your letter of the 27th Inst, reached me yesterday. I am 

 truly vexed that I should have missed you at the Library or the 

 Congress Chambers, where I went (perhaps too late) between 3 



' United States Exploring Expedition, during the years 1838-42. Under 

 command of Charles Wilkes, U. S. N. 



^Charles B. Penrose of Pennsylvania, Solicitor of the Treasury from 1841 

 to 1845, appointed to office by President William H. Harrison. 



