A Friendly Letter. 377 



ter, and as evincing, moreover, how Audubon was es- 

 dmated by his friends : 



" Philadelphia, September 30, 1833. 

 " My dear Governor, 



" I do not know when I have done a more acceptable 

 service to my feelings, nor when I have been just in a sit- 

 uation to afford as much gratification to yours, as in pre- 

 senting to your notice, and private and official friendship, 

 the bearer, Mr. Audubon. It were superfluous to tell you 

 who he is ; the whole world knows him and respects him, 

 and no man in it has the heart to cherish or the head to 

 appreciate him, and such a man, beyond the capacity of 

 yourself 



" Mr. Audubon makes no more of tracking it in all 

 directions over this, and I may add other countries, than 

 a shot star does in crossing the heavens. He goes after 

 v/inged things, but sometimes needs the aid of — at least 

 a few feathers, to assist him the better to fly. He means 

 to coast it again round Florida — make a track through 

 Arkansas — ^go up the Missouri — pass on to the Rocky 

 Mountains, and thence to the Pacific. He will require 

 some of your official aid. I took an unmerited liberty 

 with your name and readiness of purpose, and told him 

 you were the very man ; and I need not say how happy 

 I shall be to learn that you have endorsed my promise 

 and ratified it. God bless you. 



" In haste, 

 "Thos. L. McKenney. 

 " To the Hon. Lewis Cass, Secretary of War, 

 Washington City," 



'''■Richmond^ Virginia, October {110 date). Travelling 

 through the breeding-places of our species is far from being 

 as interesting to me as it is to inspect the breeding-places 



