Under the date of March 22d, Sir Humphrey Davy, in a private letter to Dr. Hosack, says:—­

“Mr. Schoolcraft’s narrative is admirable, both for the facts it develops and for the simplicity and clearness of the details; he has accomplished great things by such means, and offers a good model for a traveler in a new country.  I lent his book to our veteran philosophical geographer, Major Rennel, who was highly pleased with it; copies of it would sell well in England.”

Dr. Silliman apprises me that Professor Douglass expects my geological report as part of his work.

Having now finished my geological report, I determined to take it to Washington.  On reaching New York, I took lodgings at the Franklin House, then a private boarding-house, where my friends, Mr. Carter and Colonel Haines, had rooms.  While here, I was introduced one day to a man who subsequently attracted a good deal of notice as a literary impostor.  This was a person named Hunter.  He said that he derived this name from his origin in the Indian country.  He had a soft, compliant, half quizzical look, and appeared to know nothing precisely, but dealt in vague accounts and innuendoes.  Having gone to London, the booksellers thought him, it appears, a good subject for a book, and some hack was employed to prepare it.  It had a very slender basis in any observations which this man was capable of furnishing; but abounded in misstatements and vituperation of the policy of this government respecting the Indians.  This fellow is handled in the Oct.  No. of the North American Review, for 1825, in a manner which gives very little encouragement to literary adventurers and cheats.  The very man, John Dunn, of Missouri, after whom he affected to have been named, denies that he ever heard of him.

I had, thus far, seen but little of the Atlantic, except what could be observed in a trip from New Orleans to New York, and knew very little of its coasts by personal examination.  I had never seen more of the Chesapeake than could be shown from the head of that noble bay, and wished to explore the Valley of the Potomac.  For this purpose, I took passage in a coasting vessel at New York, and had a voyage of a novel and agreeable kind, which supplied me with the desired information.  At Old Point Comfort, I remained at the hotel while the vessel tarried.  In ascending the Potomac one night, while anchored, a negro song was wafted in the stillness of the atmosphere.  I could distinctly hear the following words:—­

Gentlemen, he come from de Maryland shore,
See how massa gray mare go. 
Go, gray, go,
Go, gray, go;
See how massa gray mare go.

I reached Washington late in March, and sent in my geological report on the 2d of April.  Mr. Calhoun, who acknowledged it on the 6th, referred it to the Topographical Bureau.  Some question, connected with the establishment of an agency in Florida, complicated my matter.  Otherwise it appeared to be a mere question of time.  The Secretary of War left me no room to doubt that his feelings were altogether friendly.  Mr. Monroe was also friendly.