history, wherein he described his sensations on viewing the first bird that presented itself as he entered the forests of Delaware; it was a red-headed woodpecker, which he shot, and considered the most beautiful bird he had ever beheld. On his arrival at Philadelphia, he deliberated upon the most eligible mode of obtaining a livelihood, to which the state of his funds urged immediate attention. He made himself known to a countryman of his, Mr. John Aitken, a copper-plate printer, who, on being informed of his destitute situation, gave him employment at this business, at which he continued for a few weeks; but abandoned it for his trade of weaving, having made an engagement with Mr. Joshua Sullivan, who resided on the Pennypack creek, about ten miles north of Philadelphia. The confinement of the loom did not agree either with Wilson's habits or inclinations; and learning that there was considerable encouragement afforded to settlers in Virginia, he migrated thither, and took up his residence near Shepherd's Town, in that part of the state known by the name of New Virginia.* Here he again found himself necessitated to engage in the same sedentary occupation; and soon becoming disgusted with the place, he returned to the mansion of his friend, Mr. Sullivan. I find from one of his journals, that, in the autumn of the year 1795, he travelled through the north part of the state of *The habits of the people with whom Wilson was compelled to associate, in this section of the state, it should seem, gave him no satisfaction; and the life he led added not a little to the chagrin which he suffered on finding himself an alien to those social pleasures which, hitherto, had tended to sweeten his existence. His letters at this period would, no doubt, afford some curious particulars, illustrative of his varied life; but none of them have fallen into my hands. The following extract from some of his manuscript verses will lead to the conclusion that he did not quit Virginia with regret: "Farewell to Virginia, to Berkley adieu, Where, like Jacob, our days have been evil and few! New Jersey, with an acquaintance, in the capacity of a pedler, and met with tolerable success. His diary of this journey is interesting. It was written with so much care, that one is tempted to conjecture that he spent more time in literary occupation than in vending his merchandise. It contains observations on the manners of the people; and remarks on the principal natural productions of New Jersey; with sketches of the most noted indigenous quadrupeds and birds. In these sketches one is enabled to perceive the dawning of that talent for description, which was afterwards revealed with so much lustre. On his return from this trading adventure, he opened a school on the Oxford road, about five miles to the north of Frankford, Pennsylvania. But being dissatisfied with this situation, he removed to Milestown, and taught in the school-house of that village. In this latter place he continued for several years; and being deficient in the various branches of learning, necessary to qualify him for an instructor of youth, he applied himself to study with great diligence; and acquired all his knowledge of the mathematics, which was considerable, solely by his own exertions. To teaching he superadded the vocation of surveying; and was occasionally employed, by the neighbouring farmers, in this business. Whilst residing at Milestown, he made a journey, on foot, to the Genessee country, in the state of New York, for the purpose of visiting his nephew, Mr. William Duncan, who resided upon a small farm, which was their joint property. This farm they had been enabled to purchase through the assistance of Mr. Sullivan, the gentleman in whose employ Wilson had been, as before stated. The object of this purchase, which some might deem an act of imprudence, in those whose slender funds did not suffice without the aid of a loan, was to procure an assylum for Mr. Duncan's mother, and her family of small children, whom poverty and misfortune had, a short time before, driven to this country. This was somewhat a fa tiguing journey to a pedestrian, who, in the space of twentyeight days, travelled nearly eight hundred miles. The life of Wilson now becomes interesting, as we are enabled, by a selection from his letters, to present him to the reader as his own biographer. "Dear Bill, TO MR. WM. DUNCAN. Milestown, July 1, 1800. "I had the pleasure of yours by the hands of Mr. P. this day; and about fours weeks ago I had another, directed to Mr. Dobson's care, both of which were as welcome to me as any thing, but your own self, could be. I am just as you left me, only my school has been thinner this season than formerly. "I have had four letters from home, all of which I have answered. Their news are-Dull trade-provisions most exorbitantly high-R.'s sister dead-the Seedhills mill burnt to the ground-and some other things of less consequence. "I doubt much if stills could be got up in time to do any thing at the distilling business this winter. Perhaps it might be a safer way to take them up, in the spring, by the Susque hanna. But if you are determined, and think that we should engage in the business, I shall be able to send them up either way. P. tells me that his two stills cost about forty pounds. I want to hear more decisively from you before I determine. Sooner than live in a country exposed to the ague, I would remain where I am. "O. comes out to stay with me two months, to learn surveying, algebra, &c. I have been employed in several places about this summer to survey, and have acquitted myself with eredit, and to my own satisfaction. I should not be afraid to engage in any job with the instruments I have. * * Mr. Duncan at this time resided upon the farm mentioned above, which was situated in the township of Ovid, Cayuga County, New York. "S. continues to increase in bulk, money and respectability; a continual current of elevenpenny bits pouring in, and but few running out. * * * "We are very anxious to hear how you got up; and well pleased that you played the Horse Jockey so luckily. If you are fixed in the design of distilling, you will write me, by the first opportunity, before winter sets in, so that I may arrange matters in time. "I have got the schoolhouse enlarged, by contributions among the neighbours. In summer the school is, in reality, not much; but in winter, I shall be able to teach with both pleasure and profit. 6 * "When I told R. of his sister's death, I expected so,' said Jamie, any other news that's curious?' So completely does long absence blunt the strongest feelings of affection and friendship. May it never be so with you and me, if we should never meet again. On my part it is impossible, except God, in his wrath, should deprive me of my present soul, and animate me with some other." Wilson next changed his residence for one in the village of Bloomfield, New Jersey, where he again opened a school. But being advised of a more agreeable and lucrative situation, he solicited, and received, an engagement from the trustees of Union School, situated in the township of Kingsess or Kingsessing, a short distance from Gray's Ferry, on the river Schuylkill, and about four miles from Philadelphia. This removal constituted an important era in the life of Wilson. His school-house and residence being but a short distance from Bartram's Botanic Garden, situated on the western bank of the Schuylkill: a sequestered spot, possessing attractions of no ordinary kind; an acquaintance was soon contracted with that venerable naturalist, Mr. William Bartram,* *The author of "Travels through North and South Carolina, Georgia, East and West Florida," &c. This excellent gentleman closed his long and useful life on the 22d July, 1823, in the eighty-fourth year of his age. which grew into an uncommon friendship, and continued without the least abatement until severed by death. Here it was that Wilson found himself translated, if we may so speak, into a new existence. He had long been a lover of the works of Nature, and had derived more happiness from the contemplation of her simple beauties, than from any other source of gratification. But he had hitherto been a mere novice; he was now about to receive instructions from one, whom the experience of a long life, spent in travel and rural retirement, had rendered qualified to teach. Mr. Bartram soon perceived the bent of his friend's mind, and its congeniality to his own; and took every pains to encourage him in a study, which, while it expands the faculties, and purifies the heart, insensibly leads to the contemplation of the glorious Author of nature himself. From his youth Wilson had been an observer of the manners of birds; and since his arrival in America he had found them objects of uncommon interest; but he had not yet viewed them with the eye of a naturalist. Mr. Bartram possessed some works on natural history, particularly those of Catesby and Edwards. Wilson perused them attentively; and found himself enabled, even with his slender stock of information, to detect errors and absurdities into which these authors had fallen, from a defective mode of studying nature: a mode, which, while it led them to the repositories of dried skins and preparations, and to a reliance on hearsay evidence, subjected them to the imputation of ignorance, which their lives, devoted to the cultivation and promotion of science, certainly would not justify. Wilson's improvement was now rapid; and the judicious criticisms which he made on the abovementioned authors, gratified his friend and instructor, who redoubled his encouraging assistance, in order to further him in a pursuit for which his genius, now beginning to develop itself, was evidently fitted. |