Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-12-26
Audubon and the Eccentric Naturalist


the river, l observed man landing
from boat with what thought bun
die OF dried clover on his back. How
the boatmen stare at him. Sure he
must be an original" He assembled
with rapid step, and, approaching me.
asked if could point out the house in
which Mr.. Audubon resided. "Why,
am the man, said |, and will gladly
lead you to my dwelling
The traveller rubbed his hands to-
gether with delight, and, drawing let.
ter from his pocket, handed it to me
without any remark. broke the seal,
and read as follows: MY dear Audi.
bon, send you an odd fish, which you
may prove to be undescribed, and hope
you will do so in your next letter. Be-
lieve me always your friend, b."
With all the simplicity of a back.
woodsman asked the bearer where the
odd fish was, when M. de T. flor, kind
reader, the individual in my presence
was none else than that renowned nat.
uralist) smiled, rubbed his hands, and
with the greatest good humor, said, II
am that odd fish, l presume, Mr.. Au.
dubon." l felt confounded, and
blushed, but contrived to stammer out
an apology.
We soon reached the house, when !
presented my learned guest to my fam
lily, and was ordering a servant to go to
the boat for NJ. de Us luggage, when
he told me he had none but what he
brought on his back. He then loosened
the pack of weeds which had first drawn
my attention. The ladies were little
surprised, but l checked their critical
glances; for the NONE Mt the naturalist
pulled off his shoes, and while engaged
in drawing his stockings, not up, but
down, in order to cover the holes about
the heels, he told US, in the gayest mood
imaginable, that he had walked great
distance and had only taken a passage
on board the ark, to be- put on this
shore, and that he was sorry his apparel
had suffered SO much from his late Jour
ney. Clean clothes were offered, but
he would not accept them and it was
with evident reluctance that he per
formed the lavations usual on such &C.
casions, before he sat down to dinner.
At table, however, his agreeable con-
versation made us all forget his singu.
lar appearance; and, indeed, it was only
as We strolled in the garden that his
attire struck me as exceedingly remark
able; o long loose coat of yellow nan
keen, much the worse of the many rubs
it had got in its time, and stained all
over with tile juice of plants, hung
loosely about HIM, like sack; a waist.
coat of the same, with enormous peck
cts, and buttoned up to the chin,
reached below over pair of tight pan
falcons, the lower parts of which were
buttoned down TO the ankle; his beard
was as long as have known my own to
be during some of my peregrinations,
and his lank black hair hung loosely
over his shoulders; his forehead was so
broad and prominent, that any tyro in
phrenology would instantly have pro.
nounced it the residence of mind OF
strong powers; his words impressed an
assurance of rigid truth, and, as he di.
rected the conversation to the study OF
the natural sciences, 1 listened to him
with as much delight Us Telemachus
could have listened to Mentor. He had
come to visit me, he said, expressly iol
the purpose OF seeing my drawings
having been told that my representa-.
tons of birds were accompanied with
those of shrubs and plants, and he was
DESTROYS of knowing whether 1 Nigh,
chance to have in my collection any
with which he was unacquainted. 1 OBJ
served some degree OF impotence IL
his request to be allowed to see what
had. We returned to the house, wher
opened my portfolios, and laid then
before him.
He CHANGED to turn over the drawing
OF a plant quite new to him. After in
speeding it closely he shook his head
and told me no such plant existed il
nature; for, kind reader, NJ. de r., al
though highly scientific man, was sus
picious to fault, and believed sucl
plants only to exist as he had himself
seen, or such as. having been discovered
OF old, had, according to Father Mele
branches expression, acquired .'ven
cradle beard" told my guest that i
was common in the immediate neighbor
hood, and that should show it him or
me morrow. and why tomorrow
Mr.. Audubon? Let us 60 now" W,
did SO; and on reaching the bank Of til,
river, lpointed to the plant. NJ. de +
1 thought had gone mad; he plucket
the plants one after another, danced
hugged me in his arms, and exultingl,
told me that he had got not merely :,
new species, hut new genus. W6e1
we returned home the naturalist Opened
the bundle which lie had brought OF
his back. and took journal, rendered
waterproof by leather case. togetheJ
with a small parcel Of linen, examined
the new plant, and wrote its descrip
uon. The examination of nv drawing,
then went on. You would be pleased
Kind reader, with his criticisms. which
were OF the greatest advantage to me
Tor, being we'll acquainted with books
as well as with nature, LIE was well fit
ted 70 give me advice. 1t Was summer
and tue heat was SO great that the WIN
dows were all open. The light of the
candle attracted many insects, among
which was observed a large species OF
scarab@us. l caught one, aud, aware OF
his inclination to believe only what he