A Happy Month. 95 



published works, to tlie assistance rendered him by 

 " my friend John Bachman," and Bachman's noble 

 defence of Audubon when unjustly assailed as a 

 naturalist, form a beautiful commentary on disin- 

 terested friendsliip. 



To Mrs. J. J. Audui50x : 



Charleston, 15th November, 1831. 



Dear Madam — I comply with a request of your 

 kind and worth}^ husband, who laid an injunction 

 on me this morning, that I should w^ite to you. He, 

 together with Mr. Lehman and Henry Ward, left 

 this place this morning, in the schooner " Agnes," 

 for St, Augustine. They were all in good health 

 and spirits, and enthusiastically bent on the accom- 

 plishment of the object of their expedition to the 

 fullest extent. 



The last has been one of the happiest months of 

 my life. I was an enthusiastic admirer of nature 

 from my boyhood, and fond of every branch of 

 Natural History. Ornithology is, as a science, pur- 

 sued by very few persons — and by no one in this 

 city. How gratifying was it, then, to become ac- 

 quainted with a man, who knew more about birds 

 than any man now living — and who, at the same 

 time, was communicative, intelligent, and amiable, 

 to an extent seldom found associated in the same 

 individual. He has convinced me that I w^as but a 

 novice in the study ; and besides receiving many 

 lessons from him in Ornithology, he has taught me 

 how much can be accomplished by a single individ- 

 ual, who will unite enthusiasm with industry. For 

 the short month he remained with my family, we 

 were inseparable. We were engaged in talking 

 about Ornithology — in collecting birds — in seeing 



