Mrs. Audubon's health had not improved by the journey, for shortly after their return she was again taken ill; she was placed in the care of Dr. John Argyle Robertson, for whose efficient aid and "kind and gentle treatment," said Audubon, "we can never cease to cherish the most lively feelings of affection." "It is a curious part of my history," he continues, "that during the whole of my sojourn in Britain, none of the principal medical advisers whom we had occasion to employ would receive any recompense from us."
By the 5th of November, 1838, but a few days after the issue of the fourth volume of his "Biographies," the printing of the fifth and last had already begun. The following letter[152] is interesting for its personal details, and in showing that his confidence in the existence of the "bird of Washington"[153] had not been shaken:
Audubon to Edward Harris
Edinburgh December 19th., 1838.
My dear Friend:
Your letter of the 13th. instant to Victor reached us this morning, and glad were we all to hear from you.
My object in writing to you is, for the purpose of assuring you that I feel great [pleasure] in preparing a box of bird skins for you according to your desire. It is true, however, that I am now on the eve of commencing my synoptical arrangement of our birds, I shall not be able to show you as many of my specimens [as] I could otherwise have done, but you must take the will for the deed. The Box will be taken as far as London by Victor, who will leave us on the first of January. You will find in it a list of the contents, and I trust such bird skins as may answer your purpose well. Besides these Victor will also attend to your request as soon as in New York and will ship to you by way of Havre as you direct.
I am glad that you should have seen what you conceive to be the great rara avis F. Washingtonii. I am sorry you could not have pocketed it, but who knows if it is not left yet in store for you—and I to shoot a pair of these noble birds at The West, and that, after having satisfactorily examined its habits, its eggs, or its young! Bonaparte, between you and I, is exceedingly ignorant as regards our birds, as I found to my cost when he was in London, and where he pumped me sadly too much, but it is now over and I forgive him as I do all others who have or who may try to injure me.
John Bachman wrote to me that he had left in commission to Trudeau, the purchase for me of a copy of Vieillot's Oiseaux de l'Amérique Septentrionale, and also a copy of Boié or Bojé work[154] on birds generally, but I have received neither books or promises of them from Trudeau as yet, perhaps you would undertake the task yourself, and show to Havell as soon as possible, for I shall be sadly in want of them in a few weeks more. I should also like you to try to find Mr. Augustus Thorndike of Boston, to whom Victor wrote a few days ago, with the view to inquire from that Gentleman when he wished his copy of the Birds of America to be delivered. Victor addressed his letter to "his Hotel" or to the care of the "American Embassy." We are not sure, however, whether he is in Paris at present, and let me know what discoveries you have made as regards this.—Victor will remain ten days in London and wishes you, should you write to him there, to put your letter under cover to Havell and request him to keep it. Victor will write you from thence.
I cannot account why Trudeau has not written to me in answer to my last, now full two months old? Should you perchance discover a specimen of the Bird of Washington in Paris and purchase the same, I should like you to send it to me on loan to enable me to compare it with mine, and the Immature of the F. Albicilla of Europe!