Vanderlyn, 77 



have noticed that bird, always in the same spot and same 

 position, and have been particularly pleased at hearing 

 him imitate the watchman's cry of * All's well ! ' which 

 comes from the fort, about three squares distant ; and so 

 well has he sometimes mocked it that I should have been 

 deceived if he had not repeated it too often, sometimes 

 several times in ten minutes. 



'■^ March 21. Read in the papers this morning that the 

 treaty between Spain and the United States is concluded, 

 and that a clause provides that an expedition is to leave 

 Natchitoches next year to survey the boundary line of the 

 ceded territory. I determined to try for an appointment 

 as draughtsman and naturalist. I wrote to President 

 Monroe, and was quite pleased at the prospect before me. 

 I walked out in the afternoon of the day on which I 

 formed the project, and saw nothing but hundreds of new 

 birds in imagination within range of my gun. I have 

 been struck with the paucity of birds in the neighborhood 

 of New Orleans during a season I had expected to meet 

 with them. Many species of warblers, thrushes, &c., 

 which were numerous during the winter, have migrated 

 eastward towards Florida, leaving swallows and a few 

 water-birds almost the sole representatives of the feathered 

 race. 



''^ March 31. My time has been engrossed thinking 

 over and making plans about the Pacific expedition. I 

 called on Mr. Vanderlyn, the historical painter, with my 

 portfolio, to show him some of my drawings and ask him 

 for a recommendation. He said they were handsomely 

 done, and was pleased with the coloring and positions of 

 the birds drawn. He was however a rude-mannered 

 man, treated me as a mendicant, and ordered me to lay 

 down my portfolio in the lobby. I felt inclined to walk 

 off without farther comment, but the thought of further- 

 ing my prospects in connection with the expedition in- 



