132 John Bachman. 



and their histories are just as interesting, if properly 

 investigated, as those of the land birds. * * * 

 If your visit to Labrador is indispensable, you 

 had better go in the Spring. Florida has not yet 

 been sufficiently explored. Leitner,* and others. 

 Avho are on the look out, may enable you to procure 

 additional treasures from that interesting portion of 

 our country. Austin Settlement, although not a 

 part of the United States, is yet settled b}^ our peo- 

 ple ; there you might travel in safety and obtain 

 many new birds from Mexico. * * * I do not wish 

 you to go to the Pacific, but when you go, be as well 

 prepared as you were on your visit to Florida ; go 

 with a company. * ^^ * A faithful search along the 

 coasts of the Pacific and the banks of the Columbia, 

 and the valleys west of tlie Pacific, ought to take 

 two years, or at least not under twelve months. 

 There is a passage by canoes into the Northern 

 Lakes, but there is scarcely a resting place ; the 

 traders suff'er sadly, and they would not stop to let 

 you kill even a " Bird of Paradise." I hope to live 

 to hear you tell many a good yarn about your ad- 

 ventures in the land of the " Black Foot Indian " 

 and the " Grizzly Bear ; " yet, before this, let your 

 mind be made easy by finishing your work as far as 

 it can be done. You see I have come to no conclu- 

 sion ; but I dare not be more particular. 



Friend Audubon, how many Gulls have you 

 drawn ? the number in Bonaparte startles me. * ^~ 

 Your last birds, like the leaves of the Sibyl, Avill be 

 most valuable, because they will be hard to obtain. 



*Dr. Leitner was an enlightened, highly educated and 

 skilful German physician, wlio afterwards accompanied an 

 expedition sent to Florida by the United States to keep the 

 Indians in check. The savages took Dr. Leitner's scalp as 

 a trophy — the dead body was not recovered. His death 

 was a loss to science and humanity, as well as to friendship 

 and kindred. 



