Ixxxiv 
LIFE OF WILSON. 
not permit. Dr. Smith, the president, and Dr. McLean, professor 
of Natural History, were the only two I found at home. The latter 
invited me to tea, and both were much pleased and surprised with 
the appearance of the work, I expected to receive some valuable 
information from MTeaii on the ornithology of the country, but I 
soon found, to my astonishment, that he scarcely knew a sparrow 
from a woodpecker. At his particular request, I left a specimen of 
the plates with him \ and from what passed between us, I have 
hopes that he will pay more attention to this department of his pro- 
fession than he has hitherto done. I visited several other literary 
characters ; and, at about half past eight, the Pilot coming up, I 
took my passage in it to Newbrunswick, which we x’eached at mid- 
night, and where I immediately went to bed. 
“ The next morning was spent in visiting the few gentlemen 
who were likely to patronise my undertaking. I had another task 
of the same kind at Elizabethtown ; and, without tiring you with 
details that would fill a volume, I shall only say that I reached 
Newark that day, having gratified the curiosity, and feasted the 
eyes, of a great number of people, who repaid me with the most ex- 
travagant compliments, which I would have very willingly ex- 
changed for a few simple subscriptions. I spent nearly the whole 
of Saturday in Newark, where my book attracted as many starers 
as a bear or a mammoth would have done ; and I arrived in New- 
york the same evening. The next day I wrote a number of letters, 
enclosing copies of the prospectus, to different gentlemen in town. 
In the afternoon of Tuesday I took my book, and waited on each 
of those gentlemen to whom I had written the preceding day. 
Among these I found some friends, but more admirei's. The pro- 
fessors of Columbia College expressed much esteem for my per- 
formance. The professor of languages, being a Scotchman, and 
also a Wilson, seemed to feel all the pride of national partiality so 
common to his countrymen ; and would have done me any favour 
in his power. I spent the whole of this week traversing the streets. 
