DINES WITH GENERAL JACKSON. 331 



respect one of the be^st general draughtsmen I know. I also 

 recommended the sgn of Dr. McMurtrie (how strange, you will 

 say), and young Ee/nolds of Boston, as an entomologist. 



" The secretary paid me some compliments, and told me the 

 moment the expedition had been mentioned he had thought of 

 me, and Nuttall, and Pickering — a glorious trio ! I wish to 

 Grod that I were young once more ; how delighted I would be to 

 go in such company — learned men and dear friends. He also 

 took us to his house, to see the work published by the French 

 government, of the voyages of L'Athalie, and presented by that 

 government to our own. It is a magnificent production, quite 

 French, and quite perfect. I next took John to the White 

 House, which is the vulgar name for the President's residence. 

 Mr. Earle introduced us, and John saw for the first time that 

 extraordinary man, G-eneral Andrew Jackson. He was very 

 kind, and as soon as he heard that we intended departing to- 

 morrow evening for Charlestown, invited us to dine with him 

 en familh. At the named hour we went to the White House, 

 and were taken into a room, where the President soon joined us. 

 I sat close to him; we spoke of olden times, and touched 

 slightly on politics, and I found him very averse to the cause of 

 the Texans. We talked also of the great naval expedition, 

 European affairs, &c. Dinner being announced, we went to the 

 table with his two nephews, Colonel Donaldson being in the 

 truest sense of the word a gentleman. The dinner was what 

 might be called plain and substantial in England ; I dined from 

 a fine young turkey, shot within twenty miles of Washington. 

 The general drank no wine, but his health was drunk by us 

 more than once ; and he ate very moderately, his last dish con- 

 sisting of bread and milk. As soon as dinner was over we 

 returned to the first room, where was a picture, ay, a picture of 

 our great Washington, painted by Stewart, when in the prime of 

 his age and art. This picture, Lucy, was found during the war 



with England by Mrs. , who had it cut out of the frame, 



rolled up, and removed to the country, as Mr. Earle told me. 

 It is the only picture in the whole house — so much for precious 

 republican economy. Coffee was handed, and soon after John 

 and I left, bidding adieu to a man who has done much good and 

 much evil to our country." 



