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184 



AUDUBON 



see Dr. Andrew Brown, Professor of Rhetoric. I found 

 him a very polished man, and after some conversation he 

 asked me to write him a paper on the manners and cus- 

 toms of Indians. But I must promise less writing of this 

 kinc', for I am too busy otherwise ; however, immediately 

 on my return home I sat down to write a long list of mem- 

 oranda for a journey in America which I had promised Cap- 

 tain Basil Hall, and I wrote till my head ached. Mr. Daniel 

 Lizars has invited me to dine with him on Friday at three, 

 and has procured two cats, Vvhich he wishes me to paint. 

 Now this suits me to a " T " — a long morning's work, 

 a short meal, and some hours more of work ; very different 

 from to-day, for it was five minutes of seven when I reached 

 Captain Hall's. We dined delightfully with just the com- 

 pany he had promised me, and I was not compelled to 

 ask any one to take wine with me, a thing in my opinion 

 detestable quite, a foppish art I cannot bear. I wish 

 everybody was permitted to drink when he is thirsty, or at 

 least only when he likes, and not when he dislikes it. 

 The ladies having left us, the map of my native land was 

 put on the table ; I read my notes, the Captain followed 

 the course with his pencil from New York to New Orleans, 

 visiting besides Niagara, St. Louis, and a hundred other 

 places. We talked of nothing but his journey in my dear 

 country, and Mrs. Hall is delighted -it the prospect. The 

 Captain wishes to write a book, and he spoke of it with as 

 little concern as I should say, " I will draw a duck ; " is it 

 not surprising? He said to me, " Why do not you write 

 a little book telling what you have seen ? " 1 .^mot write 

 at all, but if I could how could I make a Uitle book, .vhen 

 I have seen enough to make a dozen large books? I will 

 not write at all. 



Friday, December 15. I have just returned from the the- 

 atre, where I saw for the first time " The Beggars' Opera " 

 and " The Lord of the Manor." They were both badly 

 represented, most certainly. Only one lady could sing, or 



