Having called on Mr Breedlove, Collector of Customs for New Orleans, and presented to him my letters from the Honourable Levi Woodbury, he at once assured me that the Revenue Cutter the Campbell, would be at my disposal in a very few days. But the service, or other circumstances, did not allow the arrival of that vessel at New Orleans until late in March, and at a time when, apprehensive that our intended voyage might be frustrated, we were all “crest-fallen.” Time, however, passed on, and one morning I was gladdened by being called upon by the Commander of the Campbell, and still more upon recognising in him the Lieutenant and Pilot of the Marion, or Lady of the Green Mantle, so frequently mentioned in the former volumes of these Ornithological Biographs. I knew that Napoleon Coste was a true sea-fowl. He assured me of the excellence of his vessel, and gay and happy were we all when we removed on board the tight little sea-boat, of scarcely more than sixty tons burden. Proceeding down the Mississippi, we sailed through its south-west Pass, where we were joined by a vessel of eight tons, as a tender for our excursions along the shores. It was commanded by Captain William Taylor, now, I believe, a Commodore in the Texian service, a gentleman who has seen much of the world, an excellent companion, and a good hunter and fisher.
Of our various excursions, whether by water or by land, between the mouths of the Mississippi and the point at which we returned, a detailed account would prove tedious and fatiguing; for what interest can there be in the relation of our wading through mud for whole days, exposed to the scorching heat, and continually annoyed by myriads of insects? We reached the Bay of Galveston on the 24th of April 1837, and ransacked not only the island of that name, but all those in that celebrated inlet of the Mexican Gulf, which we thought worthy of our attention. It was a curious circumstance to me, that, being on board of the first American armed vessel in the United States’ Service that had entered the Bay, the fort of Galveston returned the salute of twenty-six fires from the great gun of the Campbell; and almost equally so when I received a visit from the Secretary of the Navy of the infant Republic of Texas, with a written invitation to proceed to the seat of Government, the newly founded city of Houston, distant from our anchorage about eighty miles. Toward this place the Campbell proceeded about twenty miles, when, meeting with a bar, on which there is not more than about four feet of water at full tide, she again came to anchor. At this place, which is called Red-Fish Bar, on the 9th of May, my friend Edward Harris, Captain Coste, and five sailors took the gig, while the Crusader, our tender, took the Secretary of the Texian Navy, M. Fisher, Esq., a Mr Ward, my son, and myself. We crossed a large but shallow bay with a fair wind, and proceeding rapidly, passed the lately founded town of New Washington, and soon afterwards several plantations, the sight of all which afforded us much pleasure, as contrasted with the low salt-marshes and flat lands along the shores of the Mexican Bay, among which we had so long wandered. About noon we entered Buffalo Bayou, near the mouth of the San Jacinto River, almost opposite the celebrated battle-ground. Ducks of various species, Ibises, Wild Turkeys, and many other birds, were seen in great numbers, and we proceeded smoothly over the then turbid waters of the Bayou, until we reached a comfortable house, where we spent the night, after previously examining several miles of the country around.
The Secretary of the Texian Navy being anxious to reach the seat of his government, we started in the gig of the Campbell, although the rain, which had commenced in the night, was falling in torrents, and the waters of the Bayou, which the day before were still, now rushed at a rapid rate toward the Gulf. About two o’clock in the afternoon, we reached Houston, completely drenched, and were soon afterwards introduced to the President General Houston, who received us kindly, and offered us horses and men to assist us in our researches. The town was crowded with hundreds of Indians, only a few of whom were sober. Although here and there groups of great interest to the painter might be seen, their howlings and gesticulations were by no means pleasing. The beautiful level plain on the margin of which Houston is situated, was covered with water ankle deep. Having seen all that was thought interesting, and offered the President as well as all the officers of his Staff my best thanks, we returned to our yawl, and floating on the accumulated waters, flew as it were down the stream. Several days were afterwards spent in rambling as much as possible over the country, and among other places, we visited the battle-ground of San Jacinto, where we saw scattered the remains of numerous individuals destroyed in that bloody fray.
On our way towards “Red-Fish Bar,” we stopped two days at the hospitable mansion of Colonel James Morgan, who received us in the most friendly manner. This spot, possessing a fine extent of woodland, surrounded by vast prairies, ornamented with numerous detached groves, reminded us of some of the beautiful parks of England. There, among other rarities, we procured a fine specimen of the climbing Rattle-snake with recurved fangs, which, along with several others of the same kind, is now in my possession.
On the 18th of May, we bade adieu to the Texas, amid the salutes of the several armed Texian vessels at Galveston, and were soon on the broad waters of the Gulf of Mexico. We had as passenger Mr Crawford, the British Consul at Tampico; and after a pleasant voyage, anchored on the 24th within the south-west Pass of the Mississippi. After visiting Captain Taylor and his family at the Balize, we were towed by a steamer to New Orleans, where we arrived on the 27th. Here I had the gratification of meeting with my youngest brother-in-law, William G. Bakewell, Esq. of Louisville, Kentucky, as well as with his amiable wife, neither of whom I had seen for several years.
The commercial revolution which had taken place during our absence, prompted us to proceed at once to the eastward, and bidding farewell to our friends, I and my son set out for Charleston by way of Mobile, whence we crossed the country in a cart with the United States’ mail-bags, whereon, in lieu of downy beds and pillows, our bones rested in cramped positions during the night, whilst by day we had ample opportunities of walking over miserable roads, through an almost uncultivated country, and with very indifferent fare. On reaching Montgomery, however, we met with a good coach, and moved more rapidly toward our destination.
My friend Edward Harris had parted from us, at New Orleans, and gone up the Mississippi to secure for me a collection of preserved Reptiles and other objects; but, after a more pleasant journey than ours, by way of Mobile, Pensacola, and the level country between the latter and Augusta in Georgia, joined us again at the house of our friend Dr Bachman, where we arrived on the 5th of June. And here, good-natured Reader, let me say to you, that the friendship which had so long subsisted between that reverend gentleman and myself, became, still more cemented by the marriage of his eldest daughter to my youngest son.
In the course of our long journeys through woods and over plains, and of our sinuous sailings along the many bays, creeks or bayous, which we visited on this expedition, notwithstanding all our exertions and constant anxiety, we did not discover a single bird not previously known. However, the enterprise proved exceedingly interesting to my companions and myself, and I trust its results will be found to possess some value in your eyes also, for, as you will perceive, it has enabled me to speak with more confidence on the migratory movements of a good number of species which visit us from southern climes during the breeding season. It also enables me to define more accurately than I could otherwise have done, the geographical distribution of most of those which at various times make their appearance in the different sections of the United States, and other portions of North America.
Leaving Charleston, we reached Norfolk by a steamer, after a short passage of thirty-eight hours, and proceeded at once to Washington, where I presented myself to the President of the United States, Martin van Buren, to whom I had letters from my amiable and celebrated friend, Washington Irving, Esq., and offered my best thanks to the heads of the several departments, and my various friends. We then passed rapidly through Baltimore and Philadelphia, my wish being to reach New York as soon as possible. There I remained a fortnight, while my son and daughter-in-law visited the Falls of Niagara. They having returned, we embarked, on the 16th of July 1837, on board the American packet-ship, the England, commanded by Robert Waite, Esq., for Liverpool, where, seventeen days after, we were safely landed. Here we quickly paid our respects to the Rathbones, the Chorleys, and other friends, to whom bidding adieu at the same time, we proceeded to join my family in London, where, on the 7th of August, we once more met all together.
I found the publication of the “Birds of America” in a satisfactory state of progression, but received the disagreeable intelligence that a great number of my British patrons had discontinued their subscriptions, and that most of those who still received the numbers as they came out, were desirous of seeing the work finished in Eighty Numbers, as I had at first anticipated. On this account, I found myself obliged to introduce, and in some instances to crowd, a number of species into one and the same plate, in order to try to meet the wishes of those who had by their subscriptions in some measure assisted me in the publication of that work. This, however, I did in such a manner as seemed best to accord with the affinities of the species. But, Reader, Dr Townsend meantime returned to Philadelphia, after an absence of about four years, and with a second collection, containing several rare and new birds, which, after meeting with the same difficulties as on the former occasion, in consequence of the opposition of various enlightened persons at Philadelphia, although Dr Townsend was extremely desirous that every thing new or rare belonging to our Fauna should be given to me, I received only a few weeks before closing the engraving of my plates. A few others did not reach me until several days after. What was I to do? Why, Reader, to publish them to be sure; for this I should have done, to the best of my power, even if every subscriber in Europe had refused to take them. What! said I, shall the last volume of the “Birds of America” be now closed, at a time when new species are in my hands? No! And in spite of threats from this quarter and that, that such and such persons would discontinue their subscriptions (which indeed they have done, and refused to take the few numbers that would have rendered their copies complete), my wish to do all that was in my power has been accomplished:—All Dr Townsend’s species, as well as some received through different channels, have been published. To that enthusiastic naturalist and excellent friend I am also deeply indebted for the valuable notes which he has forwarded to me through my friend Edward Harris.