112 AUDUBON, THE NATURALIST 



Audubon to William Swainson 



LONDON April 28th 1830 [1831] 

 MY DEAR MR SWAINSON, 



We arrived here last evening & I found your favour of the 

 17th instant for which I offer you my sincere thanks I had 

 began to think that I was erased from your list. I have now 

 the pleasure of sending you a copy of my first volume of 

 ornithological biography which I hope you will accept as a 

 small memento of the high regard I have for your self & your 

 talents. My inserting your name was not a matter merely of 

 duty but of great pleasure and believe when I say that I 

 never will be ungrateful to anyone who has been kind to me. 



We are going to Paris on Friday- week & will be absent 

 about a month on the first day of August next we sail from 

 Liverpool to America where I intend to beat the bushes once 

 more my peregrinations will extend in all probability & God 

 willing to the Pacific Ocean into California etc After my 

 return I wish to settle in England somewhere, but where is yet 

 undetermined. 



I have felt much grieved at reading the article of yours 

 respecting French Naturalists. I say grieved, because I am 

 always so when I see men of superior talents employing their 

 pen time and mind at sparring instead of peacably giving to 

 the world those results of their investigations & experience at 

 all times so desired by everyone bent on studying the wonder- 

 ful laws & beauties of nature. I do not wish to read a lecture 

 to you but from my heart I am sorry you should be a la 

 joute [ ?] with any one & will conclude by sincerely hoping that 

 you will have no more of this sort of warfare. 



I am over head in business as you may well suppose after 

 an absence of 8 months but will be most happy to hear from 

 you. Have you heard from C. Bonaparte lately? Is he still at 

 Rome? it is now two months since I heard from him. 



Present our united kind respects to your good Lady, accept 

 the same yourself & believe me your friend 



J. J. AUDUBON. 

 77 Oxford Street. 



