130 Life of Auduhon, 



work, and he has invited me to make a long visit to his 

 residence in the country. 



"JVovember 28. Saw to-day the first proof of the 

 first engraving of my American Birds, and was very well 

 pleased with its appearance. 



"November 29. Sir Walter Scott has promised a 

 friend to come and see my drawings. Invited to dine 

 with the Antiquarian Society at the Waterloo Hotel. 

 Met the Earl of Elgin at the dinner, who was very cor- 

 dial. The dinner was sumptuous, the first course being 

 all Scotch dishes, a novelty to me, and consisting of mar- 

 row-bones, codfish-heads stufied with oatmeal and garlick, 

 blackpudding, sheepsheads, &c. Lord Elgin presided, 

 and after dinner, with an auctioneer's mallet brought the 

 company to order by rapping sharply on the table. He 

 then rose and said, *The King, four-times-four!" All 

 rose and drank the monarch's health, the president say- 

 ing, * Ip ! ip ! ip ! ' followed by sixteen cheers. Mr. 

 Skein, first secretary to the Society, drank my own 

 health, prefacing the toast with many flatteries, which 

 made me feel very faint and chilL I was expected to 

 make a speech, but could not, and never had tried. 

 Being called on for a reply, I said, * Gentlemen, my 

 incapacity for words to respond to your flattering notice 

 is hardly exceeded by that of the birds now hanging on 

 the walls of your institution. I am truly obliged to you 

 for your favors, and can only say, God bless you all, and 

 may your Society prosper.' I sat down with the perspi- 

 ration running over me, and was glad to drink off a glass 

 of wine that Mr. Lizars kindly handed to me in my dis- 

 tress. Some Scottish songs were sung; and William 

 Allen, the famous Scottish painter, concluded the fun by 

 giving a droll imitation of the buzzing of a bee about the 

 room, following it and striking at it with his handkerchief 

 as if it was flying from him." 



