MERCHANT OF SAVANNAH. 561 



land, under the care of my excellent friend J. G. Children, Esq. of the 

 British Museum. The merchant took me back to the hotel, when he de- 

 sired me to open the few drawings I had with me, and lay them, as I usually 

 do, on the floor. He then went off in search of subscribers. I received three 

 visits from the worthy soul, on each of which he was accompanied by a 

 gentleman, of whom two subscribed, the merchant himself paying me the 

 price of a copy of my first volume for each of them. Others who he 

 thought might have met my wishes in the same agreeable way, were ab- 

 sent from town. The time of my departure having arrived, he accompa- 

 nied me to the ferry boat, when I bade him adieu with feelings of grati- 

 tude which I found it utterly impossible to express. 



Travelling through the woods, already rendered delightfully fragrant 

 by the clusters of yellow jessamines that bordered them, I arrived in 

 safety at Charleston, where I had the happiness of finding all my friends 

 well. The next mail brought me a remittance from Savannah, and an 

 additional name to my list of subscribers ; and before the week was ended, 

 two checks on the Branch Bank of the United States came to me with 

 two more names. 



Leaving Charleston some time after, I revisited the Floridas, crossed 

 the whole of the Union, went to Labrador, and in October 1833, returned 

 to my starting place, when I wrote to my generous friend at Savannah, 

 announcing to him my intention of sailing for Europe. By return of post 

 I received the following answer : — " Three of your subscribers are now, 

 alas ! dead ; but I had taken the precaution to insure the continuation of 

 their subscription for your works. I have called on their executors, who 

 at once have paid over to me their respective amounts for the second vo- 

 lume of the ' Birds of America C and I now feel great pleasure in enclos- 

 ing to you a bill for the whole amount, including mine for the same vo- 

 lume, payable in London at par." 



Some weeks ago I had the pleasure of forwarding the volumes wanted 

 at Savannah, which I hope have reached their destination in safety ; and 

 here let me express my gratitude towards the generous merchant, who, 

 on being made aware of the difficulties which men have to encounter whose 

 success in their pursuits tends to excite the malevolent feelings of their 

 competitors, nobly resolved to exert himself in the cause of science. I 

 trust he will not consider it improper in me to inform you, that on in- 

 quiring at Savannah for William Gaston, Esq. you will readily find 

 him. 



