COMPI^TION O^ the: ornithology 99 



healths of his friends. When he landed near 

 Louisville in the night, he had to grope his way up 

 to the town through a miry swamp. The next day 

 he sold his skiff for just half what he had paid for it 

 to a man who wondered why he had given it such a 

 ''droll Indian name" as the "Ornithologist." With 

 that diligence which only a scientist knows, he 

 traversed all the country around, sometimes with 

 his book under his arm, sometimes with both book 

 and gun, but more often it was with the gun alone 

 that he went, seeking specimens of unusual or 

 familiar birds. 



At Cincinnati he had met with poor success ; the 

 people told him they would "think about it" when 

 he asked them to subscribe. "They are," he says, 

 "a very thoughtful people." At Louisville his re- 

 ception was no warmer. In his whole trip through 

 Kentucky he secured only fifteen subscribers, for 

 the country was new and had little time to spare on 

 works of science or of leisure. 



It was in Louisville that there occurred the 

 famous first meeting between Wilson and the after- 

 ward distinguished John James Audubon, who was 

 then engaged in business in that city. Audubon 

 gave this account of their meeting, which took place 

 in March, 1810: 



"One fair morning I was surprised by the en- 

 trance into our counting-room of Mr. Alexander 

 Wilson, the celebrated author of the 'American Or- 

 nithology,' of whose existence I had never, until 

 that moment, been apprized. This happened in 

 1 8 10. * * * He, however, proceeded imme- 

 diately to disclose the object of his visit, which was 



