EXPEDITION TO THE MISSOURI 249 



mean, whether by Land, or by Water, and undertake, besides 

 acting towards me as a friend, to prepare whatever skins of 

 Birds or Quadrupeds, I may think fit for us to bring home. 

 The Birds, you might have one half as your own, the Quad- 

 rupeds, (should you wish it) you might have a 4 th or every 

 4 th specimen of the same species, reserving to myself all that 

 is new or exceedingly rare. 



I will procure and furnish all the materials for skinning, 

 preparing, and saving whatever we may find in Ornithology and 

 in Mammalia, and in all probability (if you think it absolutely 

 necessary) pay one half your expenses from the time we leave 

 St. Louis until our return to that city. You will have to work 

 hard, of course, but then I trust to that the knowledge alone 

 which you must acquire would prove a sufficient compensation, 

 and as you already know me pretty well, I need not say to you 

 that I am not "hard on the trigger." 



It will be necessary for you to provide a good double 

 barrelled Gun, and an excellent Rifle, Shot bag, powder flask, 

 &c, a good hatchet, and a sufficiency of clothes for something 

 like a 12 month's Campaign. But if you will write me at once 

 upon the subject, I can give you a more and a better a/c of all 

 my intentions, than is at present necessary. 



If all goes on as I trust it will go on, we may be back home 

 by Oct r - or Nov r - next, 1843. 



Do not lose a moment in writing to me in answer to this 

 after you have thought deeply upon the matter. 



Remember me kindly to all your friends, and believe me, 



Yours Always, 



JOHN J. AUDUBON. 

 77 Williams Street, New York. 



Baird was unable to reach a decision in the matter, 

 and Audubon actually wrote five more letters on the 

 subject and kept a place open for his young friend for 

 nearly three months. On January 2, 1843, he said that 

 while it was impossible to determine with any degree of 



