Ixxiv 
LIFE OF WILSON. 
veral copies of the prospectus into my pocket, and walked up 
to this spacious sanctuary of literature. I could amuse you with 
some of my reflections on this occasion, hut room will not per- 
mit. Dr. Smith, the president, and Dr. M‘Lean, 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 M‘Lean, 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 tliis 
department of his profession than he has hitherto done. I visit- 
ed several other literary characters; and, at about half past eight, 
the Pilot coming up, I took my passage in it to New Brunswick, 
which we reached at midnight, and where I immediately went 
to bed. 
“ The next morning was spent in visiting the few gentlemen 
who were likely to patronize 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 extravagant compliments, which I would have 
very willingly exchanged 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 gen- 
tlemen to whom I had written the preceding day. Among these 
I found some friends, but more admirers. The professors of 
Columbia College expressed much esteem for my performance. 
I'he professor of languages, being a Scotchman, and also a Wil- 
son, seemed to feel all the pride of national partiality so common 
