VISIT TO ME. VANDBBLYN. 61 



and also in vain endeavours to obtain a sight of Alexander 

 Wilson's ' Ornithology,' but was unsuccessful in seeing the book, 

 which is very high priced. Obtained some new birds and made 

 copies. 



" March 12. Of late have been unable to make many entries 

 in my journal. Near our lodgings, on the south angle of a 

 neighbouring chimney-top, a mocking bird regularly resorts, 

 and pleases us with the sweetest notes from the rising of the 

 moon until about midnight, and every morning from about 

 eight o'clock until eleven, when he flies away to the Convent 

 gardens to feed. I have noticed that bird, always in the same 

 spot and same position, and have been particularly pleased at 

 hearing him imitate the watchman's cry of ' All's well !' which 

 comes from the fort, about three squares distant ; and so well 

 has he sometimes mocked it that I should have been deceived 

 if he had not repeated it too often, sometimes several times in 

 ten minutes. 



" March 21. Read in the papers this morning that the treaty 

 between Spain and the United States is concluded, and that 

 a clause provides that an expedition is to leave Natitoches 

 next year to survey the boundary line of the ceded territory. 

 I determined to try for an appointment as draughtsman and 

 naturalist. I wrote to President Monroe, and was quite pleased 

 at the prospect before me. I walked out in the afternoon of the 

 day on which I formed the project, and saw nothing but hundreds 

 of new birds in imagination within range of my gun. I have 

 been struck with the paucity of birds in the neighbourhood of 

 New Orleans during a season I had expected to meet with them. 

 Many species of warblers, thrushes, &c., which were numerous 

 during the winter, have migrated eastward towards Florida, 

 leaving swallows and a few water birds almost the sole repre- 

 sentatives of the feathered race. 



" March 31. My time has been engrossed thinking over and 

 making plans about the Pacific expedition. I called on Mr. 

 Vanderlyn, the historical painter, with my portfolio, to show him 

 some of my drawings and ask him for a recommendation. He 

 said they were handsomely done, and was pleased with the 

 colouring and positions of the birds drawn. He was however a 

 rude-mannered man, treated me as a mendicant, and ordered 



