246 AUDUBON 



not to be enjoyed in manufacturing towns like Leeds and 

 Manchester ; neither can any one praise a bird who sings 

 by tuition, like a pupil of Mozart, as a few Linnets and 

 Starlings do, and that no doubt are here taken as the 

 foundation stone of the singing powers allotted to European 

 birds generally. Well, is not this a long digression for thee ? 

 I dare say thou art fatigued enough at it, and so am L 



May 8. Until two o'clock this day I had only one 

 visitor, Mr. John Marshall, a member of Parliament to whom 

 I had a letter ; he told me he knew nothing at all about 

 birds, but most generously subscribed, because, he told me, 

 it was such a work as every one ought to possess, and to 

 encourage enterprise. This evening I dined with the 

 Messrs. Davy, my old friends of Mill Grove ; the father, who 

 for many months has not left his bed-chamber, desired to 

 see me. We had not met since 1810, but he looked as fresh 

 as when I last saw him, and is undoubtedly the handsomest 

 and noblest-looking man I have ever seen in my life, ex- 

 cepting the Marquis de Dupont de Nemours. I have at 

 Leeds only five subscribers, — poor indeed compared with 

 the little town of York. 



May 5. I breakfasted with young Mr. Davy, who after 

 conducted me to Mr. Marshall's mills. We crossed the 

 Ayre in a ferry boat for a half-penny each, and on the 

 west bank stood the great works. The first thing to see 

 was the great engine, 150 horse-power, a stupendous struc- 

 ture, and so beautiful in all its parts that no one could, I 

 conceive, stand and look at it without praising the ingenu- 

 ity of man. Twenty-five hundred persons of all ages and 

 both sexes are here, yet nothing is heard but the burr of 

 machinery. All is wonderfully arranged ; a good head 

 indeed must be at the commander's post in such a vast 

 establishment. 



Manchester, May 6, 1827. My journey was uneventful 

 and through the rain. I reached Mr. Bentley's soon after 

 noon, and we were both glad to meet. 



