ther ; and since their son could not 
become a minister, they saw no re¬ 
source but to apprentice him to some 
useful trade, that he might at least have 
the means of procuring a livelihood, 
which they beliesjed the study of natu¬ 
ral history would never secure him. 
And now, Henry, imagine the poor 
youth receiving the final decision of his 
parents to bind him apprentice-to 
what trade, think you ? Alas ! to that 
of a cobbler ! It was, indeed, an hon¬ 
est calling. But only think of the 
young naturalist, exchanging his wild 
wanderings for close confinement to a 
cobbler’s stall ; and- the fragrance of 
flowers, for the perfume of shoemaker’s 
From this sad predicament he was 
rescued by the kindness of Dr. John 
Bothman, professor of medicine in the 
college ofWexicoe. This gentleman 
