234 AUDUBON" 



much for difference of taste. I have just returned from 

 old Bewick's. We had a great deal of conversation, all 

 tending towards Natural History; other guests came in as 

 the evening fell, and politics and religion were touched 

 upon. Whilst this was going on old Bewick sat silent 

 chewing his tobacco; the son, too, remained quiet, but 

 the eldest daughter, who sat next to me, was very interest- 

 ing, and to my surprise resembles my kind friend Hannah 

 Rathbone so much, that I frequently felt as if Miss Hannah, 

 with her black eyes and slender figure, were beside me. I 

 was invited to breakfast to-morrow at eight with Mr. 

 Bewick to see the old gentleman at work. 



April 16. I breakfasted with old Bewick this morning 

 quite sans c/remonie, and then the old man set to work to 

 show me how simple it was to cut wood! But cutting wood 

 as he did is no joke ; he did it with as much ease as I can 

 feather a bird ; he made all his tools, which are delicate 

 and very beautiful, and his artist shop was clean and at- 

 tractive. Later I went with Mr. Plummer, the officiating 

 American consul at this place, to the court-rooms, and 

 Merchant Coffee House, also to a new fish market, small 

 and of a half-moon form, contiguous to the river, that I 

 have forgotten to say is as dirty and muddy as an alligator 

 hole. The coal boats were moving down by hundreds, 

 with only one oar and a steerer, to each of which I saw 

 three men. We then went to the Literary and Philosoph- 

 ical Society rooms ; the library is a fine, large room with 

 many books --the museum small, but in neat order, and 

 well supplied with British specimens. Since then I have 

 been showing my drawings to at least two hundred persons 

 who called at my lodgings. I was especially struck with 

 a young lady who came with her brother. I saw from my 

 window a groom walking three fine horses to and fro, and 

 almost immediately the lady and gentleman entered, whip 

 in hand, and spurred like fighting-cocks ; the lady, with a 

 beaver and black silk neckerchief, came in first and alone, 



