DINNER OF THE ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY. HI 



committee from the Eoyal Institution of Edinburgh called upon 

 me and offered me the use of the rooms for the exhibition of 

 my drawings, and the receipts from this source amounted to £5 

 per day. 



" What, however, most pleased me was the offer of Mr. Lizars 

 to bring out a iirst number of my 'Birds of America,' the plates 

 to be the size of life, I have obtained from Mr. Eathbono his 

 name as a subscriber, and have written to him with a prospectus, 

 and explained that I shall travel about with a specimen 

 number until I obtained three himdred subscribers, which will 

 assure the success of the work. Sir William Jardine, now in 

 the midst of his extensive ornithological publication, spends 

 many hours a day beside me examiiiing my manner of work, 

 and he has invited me to make a long visit to his residence in 

 the country. 



" November 28. Saw to-day the iirst-proof of the iirst engrav- 

 ing of my American Birds, and was very well pleased with its 

 appearance. 



" November 29. Sir Walter Scott has promised to a friend to 

 come and see my drawings. Invited to dine with the Antiquarian 

 Society at the Waterloo Hotel. Met the Earl of Elgin at the 

 dinner, who was very cordial. The dinner was sumptuous, the 

 first course being all Scotch dishes, a novelty to me, and con- 

 sisting of marrow-bones, cod-fish heads stuffed with oatmeal and 

 garlick, blackpudding, sheepsheads, &c. Lord Elgin presided, 

 and after dinner, with an auctioneer's mallet brought the com- 

 pany to order by rapping sharply on the table. He then rose 

 and said, ' The King, four-times-four !' ALL rose and drank the 

 monarch's health, the president saying, ' ip ! ip ! ip'!' followed 

 by sixteeen cheers. Mr. Skein, first secretary to the Society, 

 drank my own health, prefacing the toast with many flatteries, 

 and which made me feel very faint and chill. I was expected 

 to make a speech but could not, and never had tried. Being 

 called on for a reply, I said, ' Gentlemen, my incapacity for 

 words to respond to your flattering notice is hardly exceeded by 

 that of the birds now hanging on the walls of your Institution. 

 I am truly obliged to you for your favours, and can only say, 

 God bless you all, and may your Society prosper.' I sat down 

 with the perspiration running over me, and was glad to drink off 



