xliv 
LIFE OF 
can find itself at home by an Indian fire in the depth of the woods, 
as well as in the best apartment of the civilized, — I have at present 
a real design of becoming a traveller. But I am miserably deficient 
in many acquirements absolutely necessary for such a character. 
Botany, mineralogy, and drawing, I most ardently wish to be 
instructed in. Can I yet make any progress in botany, sufficient 
to enable me to be useful ? and what would be the most proper 
way to proceed ? I have many leisure moments that should be 
devoted to this pursuit, provided I could have hopes of succeeding. 
Your opinion on this subject will confer an additional obligation on 
your affectionate friend.” 
This, his first journey after the acquirement of any knowledge of 
natural history, is described in the poem of the Foresters , afterwards 
published in the Portfolio ; and his visit to Niagara furnished the 
materials for his beautiful description and poem of the Bald Eagle 
and Fish Hawk. These expeditions destroyed the success of his 
school, which he yet retained ; and the additional circumstance of 
the winter of 1805 being a very unfavourable one, from the severe 
and continued frosts, nearly exhausted the little emoluments pro- 
duced by his labours. Writing to Mr W. Duncan, he says, — 
“ This winter has been entirely lost to me, as well as to yourself. 
I shall, on the 12th of next month, be scarcely able to collect a 
sufficiency to pay my board, having not more than twenty-seven 
scholars. Five or six families, who used to send me their children, 
have been almost in a state of starvation. The rivers Schuylkill 
and Delaware are still shut ; and wagons are passing and repassing 
at this time on the ice.” Wilson still remained at Union School ; 
and, by perseverance, was enabled to maintain himself honestly. 
He could not, however, give up his design of illustrating the birds 
of the United States, though prudence, and the calculations of Mr 
Lawson, still forbade the scheme. On the 2d July of this year, he 
again writes to Mr Bartram : “ I dare say you will smile at my pre- 
sumption, when I tell you that I have seriously begun to make a 
collection of drawings of the birds to be found in Pennsylvania, or 
that occasionally pass through it. Twenty-eight, as a beginning, 
I send for your opinion. They are, I hope, inferior to what I shall 
produce, though as close copies of the original as I could make. 
