EECEIVBD BY THE PEESIDBNT. 329 



and conducive of great national benefit, the most liberal 

 encouragement in every respect ought to be shown to him on 

 the part of our government. 



I am, my dear Sir, 



Your attached Friend, 



Washington Irving. 



The Hon. Martin Van Buben. 



"November 8. Called on Colonel Abert, who received me 

 with his wonted civility, promised to assist me in all my desires, 

 and walked with me to the President's, to present my letters. 

 There we found Colonel Donaldson and Mr. Earle, both 

 nephews, I believe, of General Jackson, and in a moment I was 

 in the presence of this famed man, and had shaken his hand. 

 He read Mr. Swartout's letter twice, with apparent care, and 

 having finished, said, ' Mr. Audubon, I will do all in my power 

 to serve you, but the Seminole war wiS-,- 1 fear, prevent you 

 from having a cutter ; however, as we shall have a committee at 

 twelve o'clock, we will consider this, and give you an answer to- 

 morrow.' The general looked well, he was smoking his pipe, 

 and gave my letters to Colonel Donaldson, who read them 

 attentively, and as I left the room he followed us, and we talked 

 to him respecting the subscription of the different departments, 

 I like this man and his manners ; and I gave him the letters of 

 the Duke of Sussex and the Governor of the Hudson Bay 

 Company to read, and went to see Colonel Earle, who is engaged 

 in painting General Jackson's portrait. ff^tvM"^"*^ 



" Colonel Abort then took me to Mr.\Bradbury,\ Secretary 

 of the Treasury, who received me very politely, and after reading 

 my letters to him, promised me the use of the cutter. The 

 subscription was also broached to him, but nothing decisive was 

 said; and so we passed over to Mr. Butler's office, who is a 

 young man. He read Washington Irving's letter, laid it down, 

 and began a long talk about his talents, and after a while came 

 round to my business ; saying, that the government allows so 

 little money to the departments, that he did not think it probable 

 that their subscription could be obtained without a law to that 

 effect from Congress. This opinion was anything but gratifying ; 

 but he made many courteous promises to bring the matter 



