l82 



A lexa 7ider Wilson. 



'.vhich, and the observations I have had 

 leisure to make upon the passing scenery 

 around me, I shall endeavor as far as pos- 

 sible to compress into this letter for your 

 own satisfaction and that of my friends who 

 mav be interested for my welfare. At 

 I'rinceton I bade my fellow travelers good- 

 by, as I had to wait upon the reverend doc- 

 tors of the college. 



" I took my book under my arm, put sev- 

 eral copies of the prospectus into my pocket, 

 and walked up to this spacious sanctuary of 

 literature. Dr. Smith, the President, and 

 ]3r. McLean, Professer of Natural History, 

 were the only two I found at home. The 

 latter invited me to tea, and both were much 

 surprised and pleased at the appearance of 

 the work. I expected to receive some valu- 

 able information from Mr. McLean on the 

 ornithology of the country, but I soon found 

 to my astonishment that he scarcely knew 

 a sparrow from a woodpecker. I visited sev- 

 eral other literary characters, and about 

 half-past eight the Pilot coming up I took 

 my passage in it to New Brunswick, which 

 we reached about midnight. 



" The next morning was spent in visiting 

 the few gentlemen who were likely to 

 patronize my undertaking. I had another 

 task of the same kind at Elizabethtown; 

 and without tiring you with details that 

 would fill a volume, I shall only .say that I 

 reached Newark that day, having gratified 

 the curiosity and feasted the eyes of a great 

 number of people, who repaid me with the 

 most extravagant compliments, which I 

 would have very willingly exchanged for a 

 few simple subscriptions. I spent nearly 

 the whole of Saturday in Newark, where 

 my book attracted as many starers as a 

 bear or a mammoth would have done, and 

 I arrived in New York the same evening. 

 The next day I wrote a number of letters, in- 

 closing copies of the prospectus to different 

 gentlemen in town, and on the afternoon of 

 Tuesday I took my book, and waited on 

 each of these gentlemen to whom I had 



written the preceding day. Among these I 

 found some friends, but more admirers. 

 The professors of Columbia College ex- 

 pressed much esteem for my performance. 

 The professor of languages being a Scotch- 

 man and also a Wilson, seemed to feel all 

 the pride of national partiality so common 

 to his countrymen, and would have done me 

 every favor in his power. I spent the whole 

 of this week traversing the streets from one 

 particular house to another, till, I believe, 

 I became almost as well known as the pub- 

 lic cryer, or the clerk of the market; for I 

 frequently could perceive gentlemen point 

 me out to others as I passed with my book 

 under my arm. 



"On Sunday morning, October 2, I went 

 aboard a packet for New Haven, distant 

 about ninety miles. The wind was favor- 

 able. The Sound here between Long 

 Island and the main is narrowed to less than 

 half a mile, and filled with small islands and 

 numerous rocks under water, among which 

 the tide roars and boils violently, and has 

 proved fatal to many a seaman. At high 

 water it is nearly as smooth as any other 

 flow, and can then be safely passed. The 

 country on the New York side is orna- 

 mented with handsome villas painted white 

 and surrounded by great numbers of Lom- 

 bardy poplars. The breeze increasing to a 

 gale, in eight hours from the time we set 

 sail the high, red-fronted mountain of New 

 Haven rose to our view. In two hours 

 more we landed, and by the stillness and 

 solemnity of the streets recollected we were 

 in New England, and that it was Sunday, 

 which latter circumstance had been almost 

 forgotten on board the packet boat. * * * 

 " The literati of New Haven received me 

 with ])oliteness and respect; and after mak- 

 ing my usual rounds which occupied a day 

 and a half, I set off for Middleton, twenty- 

 two miles distant. * * * I waited on Mr. 

 A. of this town, and by him was introduced 

 to several others. He also furnished me 

 with a good deal of information about the 



