,transcriber's ,note3    ,obvious       
typographical errors in the editor's    
text have been   corrected4             
,inconsistent or incorrect accents1     
spelling1   capitalization1 and         
punctuation in the original documents   
and quotes were left as printed4        
,italic text is denoted by underscores4 
,the following apparent spelling        
inconsistencies were left as printed3   
,father ,stanilaus and ,stanislaus      
,trumbull and ,trumball                 
,gwathway's and ,gnathway's ,hotel      
,geoffroy and ,geoffrey ,saint-,hilaire4
    ,on page #ei1 ,march #agdi is an    
apparent error4   ,on page #fi1 alcade  
should perhaps be alcalde4   ,on page   
#cgj1 as ,john as concluded is a        
possible printer's error4   ,on page    
#cga1 ,i now collecting ,letters is a   
possible printer's error4   ,on page    
#cgb1 as never reachd thee is a possible
 printer's error4   ,in footnote #bc1   
,formon is the spelling used in the     
letter printed in   this volume4        

,,audubon      ,,the      ,,naturalist  
,illustration3 ,john ,j4 ,audubon       
,,after ,,the ,,rare ,,engraving ,,by   
,c4 ,,turner1 ,a4,r4,a41 ,,of ,,the     
,,miniature      ,,painted ,,by         
,,frederick ,,cruikshank1 ,,about #ahca2
 ,,published ,,for ,,the      ,,engraver
 ,,by ,,robert ,,havell1 ,,london1      
#ahce4          ,,audubon      ,,the    
,,naturalist       ,a ,,history ,,of    
,,his ,,life ,,and ,,time       ,,by    
,,francis ,,hobart ,,herrick1 ,ph4,d41  
,sc4,d4       ,,professor ,,of ,,biology
 ,,in ,,western ,,reserve ,,university1 
,,author ,,of ,,the ,,home ,,life ,,of  
,,wild ,,birds1 ,,etc4       ,,in ,,two 
,,volumes      ,,illustrated            
,illustration       ,,volume ,i         
,d4 ,,appleton ,,and ,,company          
,,new ,,york         ,,london      #aiag
          ,,copyright1 #aiag1 ,,by      
,d4 ,,appleton ,,and ,,company          
,printed in the ,united ,states of      
,america          ,,to      ,,elizabeth 
,,my      ,,sister     ,,preface   ,the 

origin of the gifted ornithologist1     
animal painter1 and writer1 known to the
 world as ,john ,james ,audubon1 has    
remained a mystery up to the present    
time4 ,in now lifting the veil which was
 cast over his early existence1 ,i feel 
that ,i serve the cause of historical   
truth2 at the same time it is possible  
to do fuller justice to all most        
intimately concerned with the story of  
his life and accomplishments4  ,the     
present work is in reality the outcome  
of what was first undertaken as a       
holiday recreation in the summer of     
#aijc4 ,while engaged upon a research of
 quite a different character1 ,i reread1
 with greater care1 ,audubon's          
,ornithological ,biography1 and after   
turning the leaves of his extraordinary 
illustrations1 it seemed to me most     
strange that but little should be known 
of the making of so original and        
masterful a character4 ,as ,i was in    
,england at the time some investigations
 were undertaken in ,london1 but1 as    

might have been expected1 with rather   
barren results4 ,after my return to     
,america in the following year the      
search was continued1 but as it proved  
equally fruitless here1 the subject was 
set aside4 ,not until #aiac1 when this  
investigation was resumed in ,france1   
did ,i meet with success4  ,every man1  
however poor or inconsequential he may  
appear or be1 is supposed to possess an 
estate1 and every man of affairs is     
almost certain to leave behind him      
domestic1 professional1 or commercial   
papers1 which are1 in some degree1 a    
mark of his attainments and an          
indication of his character and tastes4 
,in the summer of #aiac ,i went to      
,france in search of the personal       
records of the naturalist's father1     
,lieutenant ,jean ,audubon1 whose home  
had been at ,nantes and in the little   
commune of ,couron1 nine miles below    
that city1 on the right bank of the     
,loire4 ,the part which ,lieutenant     
,audubon played in the ,french          

,revolution was fully revealed in his   
letters1 his reports to the ,central    
,committee1 and numerous other documents
 which are preserved in the archives of 
the ,prfecture at ,nantes2 while        
complete records of his naval career    
both in the merchant marine and         
governmental service 7service pour      
l'tat7 were subsequently obtained at    
,paris2 but at ,nantes his name had all 
but vanished1 and little could be       
learned of his immediate family1 which  
had been nearly extinct in ,france for  
over thirty years4  ,again the quest    
seemed likely to prove futile until a   
letter1 which ,i received through the   
kindness of ,mr4 ,louis ,goldschmidt1   
then ,american ,consul at ,nantes1 to   
,m4 ,giraud ,gangie1 conservateur of the
 public library in that city1 brought a 
response1 under date of ,december #bi1  
#aiac1 informing me that two years      
before that time1 he had met by chance  
in the streets of ,couron a retired     
notary who assured him that he held in  

possession numerous exact records of    
,jean ,audubon and his family4 ,the sage
 ,henry ,thoreau once remarked that you 
might search long and diligently for a  
rare bird1 and then of a sudden surprise
 the whole family at dinner4 ,so it     
happened in this case1 and since these  
manuscript records1 sought by many in   
vain on this side of the ,atlantic1 are 
so important for this history1 the      
reader is entitled to an account of     
them4  ,upon corresponding with the     
gentleman in question1 ,m4 ,l4 ,lavigne1
 ,i was informed that the documents in  
his possession were of the most varied  
description1 comprising letters1 wills1 
deeds1 certificates of births1 baptisms1
 adoptions1 marriages and deaths1 to the
 number1 it is believed1 of several     
hundred pieces4 ,this unique and        
extraordinary collection of ,audubonian 
records had been slumbering in a house  
in the commune of ,couron called ,les   
,tourterelles 7,the ,turtle ,doves7 for 
nearly a hundred years1 or since the    

death of the naturalist's stepmother in 
#ahba4  ,since ,i was unable to judge of
 the authenticity of the documents or to
 visit ,france at that time1 my friend1 
,professor ,gustav ,g4 ,laubscher1 who  
happened to be in ,paris1 engaged in    
investigating ,romance literary         
subjects1 kindly consented to go to     
,couron for the purpose of inspecting   
them4 ,monsieur ,lavigne had already    
prepared for me1 and still held1 a      
number of photographs of the most       
important manuscripts1 which are now for
 the first time reproduced1 and1 with   
the aid of a stenographer1 in the course
 of two or three days they were able to 
transcribe the most essential and       
interesting parts of this voluminous    
material4 ,but at that very moment      
sinister clouds were blackening the     
skies of ,europe1 and my friend was     
obliged to leave his task unfinished and
 hasten to ,paris2 when he arrived in   
that city1 on the memorable ,saturday of
 ,august #a1 #aiad1 orders for the      

mobilization of troops had been posted2 
it was some time before copies of the   
manuscripts were received from ,couron1 
and he left the ,french capital to      
return to ,america4  ,these documents   
came into the hands of ,monsieur        
,lavigne through his wife1 who was a    
daughter and legatee of ,gabriel ,loyen 
du ,puigaudeau1 the second1 son of      
,gabriel ,loyen du ,puigaudeau1 the     
son-in-law of ,lieutenant and ,mme4     
,jean ,audubon4 ,gabriel ,loyen du      
,puigaudeau1 the second1 who died at    
,couron in #ahib1 is thought to have    
destroyed all letters of the naturalist 
which had been in possession of the     
family and which were written previous  
to #ahbj1 when his relations with the   
elder ,du ,puigaudeau were broken off2  
not a line in the handwriting of ,john  
,james ,audubon has been preserved at   
,couron4  ,in ,june and ,july1 #aiad1   
,dr4 ,laubscher had repeatedly applied  
to the ,french ,foreign ,office1 through
 the ,american ,embassy at ,paris1 for  

permission to examine the dossier of    
,jean ,audubon in the archives of the   
,department of the ,marine1 in order to 
verify certain dates in his naval career
 and to obtain the personal reports     
which he submitted upon his numerous    
battles at sea1 but at that period of   
strain it was impossible to gain further
 access to the papers sought4  ,having  
told the story of the way in which these
 unique and important records came into 
my possession1 ,i wish to express my    
gratitude to ,professor ,laubscher for  
his able cooperation in securing        
transcriptions and photographs1 and to  
,monsieur ,lavigne for his kind         
permission to use them1 as well as for  
his careful response to numerous        
questions which arose in the course of  
the investigation4  ,in dealing with    
letters and documents1 of whatever kind1
 in manuscript1 ,i have made it my      
invariable rule to reproduce the form   
and substance of the record as it exists
 as exactly as possible2 in             

translations1 however1 no attempt has   
been made to preserve any minor         
idiosyncrasies of the writer4 ,the      
source of all scientific1 literary or   
historical material previously published
 is indicated in footnotes1 and the     
reader will find copious references to  
hitherto unpublished documents1 which in
 their complete and original form1 with 
or without translations1 together with  
an annotated ,bibliography1 have been   
gathered in ,appendices at the end of   
,volume ,,ii4 ,for convenience of       
reference each chapter has been treated 
as a unit so far as the footnotes are   
concerned1 and the quoted author's name1
 with the title of his work in addition 
to the bibliographic number1 has been   
given in nearly every instance4         
,besides the many coadjutors whose      
friendly aid has been gladly            
acknowledged in the body of this work1  
,i now wish to offer my sincere thanks1 
in particular1 to the ,misses ,maria ,r4
 and ,florence ,audubon1 granddaughters 

of the naturalist1 who have shown me    
many courtesies1 and to the ,hon4 ,myron
 ,t4 ,herrick1 late ,american           
,ambassador to ,france1 for his kindly  
assistance in obtaining documentary     
transcripts from the ,department of the 
,marine at ,paris4 ,i am under special  
obligations also to the librarians of   
the ,british ,museum and ,oxford        
,university1 the ,linnan and ,zological 
,societies of ,london1 the ,jardin des  
,plantes at ,paris1 the ,public         
,libraries of ,boston and ,new ,york1   
and the libraries of the ,historical    
,societies of ,new ,york1 ,philadelphia1
 ,boston and ,louisiana1 as well as to  
the ,director of the ,museum of         
,comparative ,zology of ,harvard        
,university1 and to the ,american       
,museum of ,natural ,history in ,new    
,york ,city1 for photographs of         
paintings and other objects1 for        
permission to read or copy manuscripts1 
and for favors of various sorts4        
,furthermore1 ,i am indebted to the good

 offices of ,mr4 ,ferdinand ,lathrop    
,mayer1 ,secretary of ,legation1        
,port-au-,prince1 and of ,m4 ,fontaine1 
,american ,consular ,agent at ,les      
,cayes1 ,haiti1 for a series of         
photographs made expressly to represent 
,les ,cayes as it appears today4 ,i     
would also acknowledge the courtesy of  
the ,corporation of ,trinity ,parish1   
,new ,york1 through ,mr4 ,pendleton     
,dudley1 for an excellent photograph of 
the ,audubon ,monument4  ,i cannot      
express too fully my appreciation of the
 hearty response which the publishers of
 these volumes have given to every      
question concerned with their           
presentation in an adequate and         
attractive form1 and particularly to    
,mr4 ,francis ,g4 ,wickware1 of ,d4     
,appleton and ,company1 to whose        
knowledge1 skill1 and unabated interest 
the reader1 like myself1 is indebted in 
manifold ways4  ,my friend1 ,mr4        
,ruthven ,deane1 well known for his     
investigations in ,auduboniana and      

,american ornithological literature1 has
 not only read the proofs of the text1  
but has generously placed at my disposal
 many valuable notes1 references1       
pictures1 letters and other documents1  
drawn from his own researches and       
valuable personal collections4 ,i wish  
to express in the most particular manner
 also my appreciation of the generous   
spirit in which ,mr4 ,joseph ,y4 ,jeanes
 has opened the treasures in his        
possession1 embracing not only large    
numbers of hitherto unpublished letters1
 but an unrivaled collection of early   
unpublished ,audubonian drawings1 for   
the enrichment and embellishment of     
these pages4 ,for the loan or           
transcription of other original         
manuscript material1 or for supplying   
much needed data of every description1  
,i am further most indebted to ,mr4     
,welton ,h4 ,rozier1 of ,st4 ,louis2    
,mr4 ,tom ,j4 ,rozier1 of ,ste4         
,genevive2 ,mr4 ,c4 ,a4 ,rozier1 of ,st4
 ,louis2 the ,secretary of the ,linnan  

,society of ,london1 through my friend1 
,mr4 ,george ,e4 ,bullen1 of ,st4       
,albans2 ,mr4 ,henry ,r4 ,rowland of the
 ,buffalo ,society of ,natural          
,sciences1 of ,buffalo2 ,mr4 ,william   
,beer1 of the ,howard ,memorial         
,library1 of ,new ,orleans2 and ,mr4 ,w4
 ,h4 ,wetherill1 of ,philadelphia4 ,for 
the use of new photographic and other   
illustrative material1 ,i am further    
indebted to ,mr4 ,stanley ,clisby       
,arthur1 of the ,conservation           
,commission of ,louisiana1 and to       
,cassinia1 the medium of publication of 
the ,delaware ,valley ,ornithological   
,club4  ,through the kindness of        
,messrs4 ,charles ,scribner's ,sons ,i  
have been permitted to draw rather      
freely from ,audubon and ,his ,journals1
 by ,miss ,maria ,r4 ,audubon and       
,elliott ,coues1 and to reproduce three 
portraits therefrom2 original           
photographs of two of these have been   
kindly supplied by ,dr4 ,r4 ,w4         
,shufeldt4 ,i also owe to the courtesy  

of the ,girard ,trust ,company1 of      
,philadelphia1 the privilege of quoting 
certain letters contained in ,william   
,healey ,dall's ,spencer ,fullerton     
,baird4  ,to my esteemed colleague1     
,professor ,benjamin ,p4 ,bourland1 ,i  
am under particular obligations for his 
invaluable aid in revising translations 
from the ,french and in the             
transliteration of manuscripts1 as well 
as for his kindly assistance in         
correspondence on related subjects4 ,i  
have derived much benefit also from my  
sister1 ,miss ,elizabeth ,a4 ,herrick1  
who has made many valuable suggestions4 
,to all others who have aided me by will
 or deed in the course of this work ,i  
wish to express my cordial thanks4      
,,francis ,h4 ,,herrick4       ,western 
,reserve ,university1      ,cleveland4  
,july #b1 #aiag4     ,,contents ,,of    
,,volume ,i                             
,,page       ,,preface                  
vii       ,,chronology                  
xxv       ,,chapter ,i                  

,,introduction       ,audubon's growing 
fame--,experience in ,paris in          
#ahbh--;,cuvier's patronage--,audubon's 
publications--,his      critics--,his   
talents and accomplishments--,his       
,americanism and honesty of             
purpose--,his foibles      and          
faults--,appreciations and              
monuments--,the ,audubon                
,societies--,biographies and            
autobiography--,robert ,buchanan        
and the true history of his ,life of    
,audubon                   #a           
,,chapter ,,ii       ,,jean ,,audubon   
,,and ,,his ,,family                    
,extraordinary career of the            
naturalist's father--,wounded      at   
fourteen and prisoner of war for five   
years in      ,england--,service in the 
,french merchant marine and             
navy--,voyages to ,newfoundland and     
,santo ,domingo--,his      marriage in  
,france--,his sea fights1 capture and   
imprisonment in ,new ,york--,his command
 at the ,battle of                      

,yorktown--,service in ,america and     
encounters with ,british      privateers
                                        
#bd       ,,chapter ,,iii       ,,jean  
,,audubon ,,as ,,santo ,,domingo        
,,planter ,,and ,,merchant              
,captain ,audubon at ,les ,cayes--,as   
planter1 sugar refiner1      general    
merchant and slave dealer1 amasses a    
fortune--,his      return to ,france    
with his children--,history of the      
,santo      ,domingo revolt--,baron de  
,wimpffen's experience--,revolution     
of the whites--,opposition of the       
abolitionists--,effect      of the      
,declaration of ,rights on the          
mulattoes--,the      ,general ,assembly 
drafts a new constitution--,first       
blood drawn between revolutionists and  
loyalists      at                       
,port-au-,prince--,og's futile attempt  
to liberate      the mulattoes--,les    
,cayes first touched by revolution      
in #agij1 four years after the death of 
,audubon's      mother--,emancipation of

 the mulattoes--,resistance of the      
whites--,general revolt of blacks       
against whites and the      ruin of the 
colony                                  
#cf       ,,chapter ,,iv                
,,audubon',s ,,birth1 ,,nationality1    
,,and ,,parentage       ,les            
,cayes--,audubon's ,french ,creole      
mother--,his early                      
names--,discovery of the ,sanson bill   
with the only record      of his        
birth--,medical practice of an early    
day--,birth      of ,muguet1 ,audubon's 
sister--,fougre and ,muguet taken       
to ,france--,audubon's adoption and     
baptism--,his assumed      name--,dual  
personality in legal documents--,source 
of      published                       
errors--,autobiographic records--,rise  
of enigma      and tradition--,the      
,marigny myth                           
#eb       ,,chapter ,v                  
,,lieutenant ,,audubon ,,as             
,,revolutionist       ,background of    
,audubon's youth--,nantes in            

,revolution--,revolt      in ,la        
,vende--,siege of ,nantes--,reign of    
terror under      ,carrier--,plague     
robbing the guillotine--,flight of the  
population--,execution of               
,charette--,the ,chouan raid--,citizen  
,audubon's service--,he reenters the    
navy and takes a      prize from the    
,english--,his subsequent naval         
career--,his      losses in ,santo      
,domingo--,his service and              
rank--,retires on      a pension--,his  
death--,his character and appearance    
#gc       ,,chapter ,,vi       ,,school 
,,days ,,in ,,france       ,molding of  
,audubon's character--,factor of        
environment--,turning failure into      
success--,an indulgent                  
step-mother--,the truant--,his love of  
nature--,early drawings      and        
discipline--,experience at              
,rochefort--,baptized in the      ,roman
 ,catholic ,church                      
#ij       ,,chapter ,,vii       ,,first 
,,visit ,,to ,,the ,,united ,,states1   

,,and ,,life ,,at      ,,mill ,,grove   
,audubon is sent to the ,united ,states 
to learn      ,english and enter        
trade--,taken ill--,befriended by the   
,quakers--,settles at ,mill ,grove      
farm--,its history and                  
attractions--,studies of ,american birds
 begun--,engagement      to ,lucy       
,bakewell--,sports and festivities      
#ih       ,,chapter ,,viii              
,,dacosta ,,and ,,the ,,mill ,,grove    
,,mine       ,advent of a new agent at  
,mill ,grove--,dacosta becomes          
guardian to young ,audubon and exploits 
a neglected lead      mine on the       
farm--,correspondence of ,lieutenant    
,audubon and      ,dacosta--,quarrel    
with ,dacosta--,audubon's return to     
,france       #aac       ,,chapter ,,ix 
,,audubon',s ,,last ,,visit ,,to ,,his  
,,home ,,in ,,france       ,life at     
,couron--,friendship of                 
,d',orbigny--,drawings of      ,french  
birds--,d',orbigny's troubles--,marriage
 of ,rosa      ,audubon--,the ,du       

,puigaudeaus--,partnership with         
,ferdinand      ,rozier--,their         
,articles of ,association--,they sail   
from      ,nantes1 are overhauled by    
,british privateers1 but land           
safely at ,new ,york--,settle at ,mill  
,grove                     #abg         
,,chapter ,x       ,,la ,,gerbeti,,re   
,,of ,,yesterday ,,and ,,today          
,home of ,audubon's youth at            
,couron--,its situation on      the     
,loire--,history of the villa and       
commune--,changes of a      century     
#acf       ,,chapter ,,xi       ,,first 
,,ventures ,,in ,,business ,,at ,,new   
,,york1 ,,and ,,sequel ,,to      ,,the  
,,mill ,,grove ,,mine       ,audubon and
 ,rosier at ,mill ,grove--,their        
partnership      rules--,attempts to    
form a mining company lead to           
disappointment--,decision to sell their 
remaining      interests in ,mill ,grove
 to ,dacosta--,division of the          
property and legal                      
entanglements--,audubon as a clerk      

in ,new ,york--,business correspondence 
and letters to his      father--,later  
history of the lead mine and            
,dacosta--,audubon      continues his   
drawings in ,new ,york and works for    
,dr4      ,mitchell's ,museum--,forsakes
 the counting-room for the              
fields--,personal sketch                
#adf       ,,chapter ,,xii       ,,early
 ,,drawings ,,in ,,france ,,and         
,,america       ,child and man--,his    
ideals1 perseverance and                
progress--,study      under ,david at   
,paris--,david's pupils and             
studios--,david      at ,nantes arouses 
the enthusiasm of its citizens--,his    
part in the ,revolution--,his art and   
influence over      ,audubon--,audubon's
 drawings of ,french birds--,story of   
the      ,edward ,harris                
collection--,the ,birds of ,america in  
the      bud--,audubon's originality1   
style1 methods1 and mastery      of     
materials and technique--,his problem   
and how he solved      it--,his artistic

 defects                                
#agc       ,,chapter ,,xiii             
,,audubon',s ,,marriage ,,and           
,,settlement ,,in ,,the ,,west          
,audubon and ,rozier decide to start a  
pioneer store at      ,louisville1      
,kentucky--,their purchase of goods in  
,new      ,york--,westward ,ho with     
,rozier--,rozier's diary of the         
journey--,an unfortunate investment in  
indigo--,effect of      the ,embargo    
,act--,marriage to ,lucy                
,bakewell--,return to                   
,louisville--,life on the               
,ohio--,depression of trade--,william   
,bakewell's assistance--,audubon's      
eldest son born at the      ,indian     
,queen--,the ,bakewells--,life at       
,louisville               #ahf          
,,chapter ,,xiv       ,a ,,meeting ,,of 
,,rivals1 ,,and ,,sketch ,,of ,,another 
,,pioneer       ,alexander ,wilson and  
his ,american ,ornithology--,his        
canvassing tour of #ahaj--;,his retort  
to a ,solomon of      the               

bench--,descriptions of ,pittsburgh1    
,cincinnati      and                    
,louisville--,meeting with              
,audubon--,journey to ,new              
,orleans--,youth in ,scotland--,weaver1 
itinerant peddler1      poet and        
socialist--,sent to jail for            
libel--,emigrates      to the ,united   
,states--,finally settles as a school   
teacher near ,philadelphia--,his        
friendships with ,bartram      and      
,lawson--,disappointments in            
love--,early studies      of ,american  
birds--,his drawings1 thrift1 talents   
and genius--,publication of his         
,ornithology--,his      travels1        
discouragements and success--,his       
premature      death--,conflicting      
accounts of the visit to ,audubon       
given by the two naturalists--,rivalry  
between the      friends of ,wilson1    
dead1 and those of ,audubon1            
living--,the controversy which          
followed--,an evasive                   
,flycatcher--,singular history of the   

,mississippi ,kite      plate           
#bjb       ,,chapter ,,xv               
,,experiments ,,in ,,trade ,,on ,,the   
,,frontier       ,the ,ohio a hundred   
years ago--,hardships of the pioneer    
trader--,audubon's long journeys by     
overland trail or river      to buy     
goods--,the ark and keelboat--,chief    
pleasures of      the naturalist at     
,louisville--,the partners move their   
goods by flatboat to ,henderson1        
,kentucky1 and then to      ,ste4       
,genevive 7,missouri7--,held up by the  
ice--,adventures      with the          
,indians--,mississippi in flood--,camp  
at the ,great      ,bend--,abundance of 
game--,breaking up of the ice--,settle  
at      ,ste4 ,genevive--,the           
partnership dissolved--,audubon's return
      to ,henderson--,rozier's          
successful career--,his old store at    
,ste4 ,genevive                         
#bcc       ,,chapter ,,xvi              
,,audubon',s ,,mill ,,and ,,final       
,,reverses ,,in ,,business       ,dr4   

,rankin's ,meadow ,brook ,farm--,birth  
of ,john ,woodhouse      ,audubon--,the 
,audubon-,bakewell partnership--,meeting
 with      ,nolte--,failure of the      
commission business--,visit to          
,rozier--,storekeeping at               
,henderson--,purchases of land--,habits 
of frontier tradesmen--,steamboats on   
the ,ohio--,popular                     
pastimes--,audubon-,bakewell-,pears     
partnership--,their famous      steam   
mill--,mechanical and financial         
troubles--,business                     
reorganization--,bankruptcy             
general--,failure of the                
mill--,personal encounter--,audubon goes
 to jail for debt         #bdg          
,,chapter ,,xvii       ,,the ,,enigma   
,,of ,,audubon',s ,,life ,,and ,,the    
,,history ,,of ,,his      ,,family ,,in 
,,france       ,death of ,lieutenant    
,audubon--,contest over his             
will--,disposition of his estate--,the  
fictitious      #ag1jjj--,unsettled     
claims of ,formon and ,ross--,illusions 

of biographers--,gabriel ,loyen du      
,puigaudeau--,audubon's      relations  
with the family in ,france              
broken--,death of the      naturalist's 
stepmother--,the ,du                    
,puigaudeaus--,sources of      enigma4  
#bfb       ,,chapter ,,xviii            
,,early ,,episodes ,,of ,,western ,,life
       ,methods of composition--,a ,wild
 ,horse--,henderson to                  
,philadelphia in #ahaa--,records of     
,audubon and ,nolte1      fellow        
travelers1 compared--,the great         
earthquakes--,the      hurricane--,the  
outlaw--,characterization of ,daniel    
,boone--,desperate plight on the        
prairie--,regulator law      in         
action--,frontier necessities--,the ax  
married to the      grindstone          
#bgc       ,,chapter ,,xix              
,,audubon ,,and ,,rafinesque       ,the 
,eccentric ,naturalist at               
,henderson--,bats and new               
species--,the demolished violin--,m4 de 
,t43 ,constantine      ,samuel          

,rafinesque 7,schmaltz7--,his precocity1
 linguistic      acquirements and       
peripatetic habits--,first visit to     
,america and botanical                  
studies--,residence in ,sicily1      and
 fortune made in the drug               
trade--,association with                
,swainson--,marriage and                
embitterment--,his second journey       
to ,america ends in                     
shipwreck--,befriended--,descends ,ohio 
in a flat-boat--,visit with ,audubon1   
who gives him many      strange new     
species--,cost to zology--,his unique   
work on ,ohio fishes--,professorship in 
,transylvania      ,university--,quarrel
 with its president and                 
trustees--,return      to               
,philadelphia--,his ardent love of      
nature2 his writings1      and fatal    
versatility--,his singular will--,his   
sad end and      the ruthless           
disposition of his estate               
#bhe       ,,chapter ,,xx               
,,audubon',s ,,neid1 #ahai-ahbd3        

,,wanderings ,,through ,,the      ,,west
 ,,and ,,south       ,pivotal period in 
,audubon's career--,his spur and        
balance wheel--,resort to               
portraiture--,taxidermist in the        
,western ,museum--,settles in           
,cincinnati--,history of his            
relations with ,dr4 ,drake--,decides to 
make his avocation      his             
business--,journey down the ,ohio and   
,mississippi      with ,mason and       
,cummings--,experiences of travel       
without      a cent of capital--,life in
 ,new ,orleans--,vanderlyn's            
recommendation--,original               
drawings--,chance meeting with ,mrs4    
,pirrie and engagement as tutor at      
,oakley--,enchantments      of ,west    
,feliciana--,my lovely ,miss            
,pirrie--,the jealous                   
doctor--,famous drawing of the          
rattlesnake--,leaves      ,st4          
,francisville and is adrift again in    
,new      ,orleans--,obtains pupils in  
drawing and is joined by his            

family--,impoverished1 moves to         
,natchez1 and ,mrs4 ,audubon            
becomes a governess--,injuries to his   
drawings--,the labors      of years     
destroyed by rats--,teaching in         
,tennessee--,parting      with          
,mason--,first lessons in oils--,mrs4   
,audubon's school at                    
,beechwoods--,painting tour             
fails--,stricken at ,natchez--,at       
the ,percys' plantation--,walk to       
,louisville--,settles at                
,shippingport                           
#cja       ,,chapter ,,xxi       ,d,,but
 ,,as ,a ,,naturalist       ,makes his  
bow at ,philadelphia--,is greeted with  
plaudits      and cold                  
water--,friendship of ,harlan1 ,sully1  
,bonaparte      and ,harris--,hostility 
of ,ord1 ,lawson and other friends      
of ,alexander ,wilson--,a meeting of    
academicians--,visit to      ,mill      
,grove--,exhibits drawings in ,new ,york
 and becomes a      member of the       
,lyceum--,at the ,falls of ,niagara--,in

 a gale on      ,lake ,erie--,episode at
 ,meadville--,walk to ,pittsburgh--,tour
      of ,lakes ,ontario and            
,champlain--,decides to take his        
drawings to ,europe--,descends the ,ohio
 in a skiff--,stranded      at          
,cincinnati--,teaching at ,st4          
,francisville                    #cbg   
,,chapter ,,xxii       ,,to ,,europe    
,,and ,,success       ,audubon sails    
from ,new ,orleans--,life at            
sea--,liverpool--,the                   
,rathbones--,exhibition of drawings an  
immediate      success--,personal       
appearance--,painting habits            
resumed--,his      pictures and         
methods--,manchester visited--,plans    
for publication--,the ,birds of         
,america--,welcome at                   
,edinburgh--,lizars engraves the ,turkey
 ,cock--,in the rle      of society's   
lion--,his exhibition described by a    
,french      critic--,honors of science 
and the arts--,contributions to         
journals excite criticism--,aristocratic

 patrons--,visit to      ,scott--,the   
,wild ,pigeon and the                   
rattlesnake--,letter to his             
wife--,prospectus--,journey to ,london  
#cdg       ,,chapter ,,xxiii            
,,audubon ,,in ,,london                 
,impressions of the metropolis--,a trunk
 full of      letters--,friendship of   
,children--,sir ,thomas                 
,lawrence--,lizars      stops work--,a  
family of artists--,robert ,havell1     
,junior--,the      ,birds of ,america   
fly to ,london--,the ,zological         
,gallery--,crisis in the naturalist's   
affairs--,royal                         
patronage--,interview with              
,gallatin--,interesting      the        
,queen--,desertion of patrons--,painting
 to      independence--,personal habits 
and tastes--,enters      the ,linnan    
,society--,the white-headed             
,eagle--,visit      to the great        
universities--,declines to write for    
magazines--,audubon-,swainson           
correspondence--,highfield      ,hall   

near ,tyttenhanger--,in ,paris with     
,swainson--,glimpses      of            
,cuvier--,his report on ,the ,birds of  
,america--,patronage      of the ,french
 ,government and the ,duke of           
,orleans--,bonaparte the naturalist     
#cgg       ,,chapter ,,xxiv             
,,first ,,visit ,,to ,,america ,,in     
,,search ,,of ,,new ,,birds             
,settles for a time in ,camden--,paints 
in a fisherman's      cottage by the    
sea--,with the lumbermen in the ,great  
,pine ,woods--,work done--,visits his   
sons--,joins his wife      at ,st4      
,francisville--,record of journey       
south--,life at      ,beechgrove--,mrs4 
,audubon retires from teaching--,their  
plans to return to ,england--,meeting   
with ,president ,jackson      and       
,edward ,everett                        
#dbj       ,,chapter ,,xxv              
,,audubon',s ,,letterpress ,,and ,,its  
,,rivals       ,settlement in           
,london--,starts on canvassing tour with
      his wife--,change of plans--,in   

,edinburgh--,discovery      of          
,mac,gillivray--,his hand in the        
,ornithological      ,biography--,rival 
editions of ,wilson and                 
,bonaparte--,brown's      extraordinary 
,atlas--,reception of the               
,biography--,joseph      ,bartholomew   
,kidd and the ,ornithological           
,gallery--,in ,london      again        
#dcg     ,,illustrations ,,in ,,volume  
,i        ,audubon4 ,after a photograph 
of a cast of the intaglio      cut by   
,john ,c4 ,king in #ahdd4 ,embossed     
medallion             ,cover            
,audubon4 ,after the engraving by ,c4   
,turner1 ,a4,r4,a41 of      the         
miniature on ivory painted by ,frederick
 ,cruikshank      about #ahca2 ,london4 
,published ,jan4 #ab1 #ahce1 for        
the ,proprietor supposed to have been   
the engraver1      but may have been    
,audubon or ,havell1 by ,robert         
,havell1 ,printseller1 #gg1 ,oxford     
,street4 ,photogravure                  
,frontispiece       ,,page ,statue of   

,audubon by ,edward ,virginius          
,valentine in      ,audubon ,park1 ,new 
,orleans                                
,facing #ad       ,the ,audubon         
,monument in ,trinity ,cemetery1 ,new   
,york1 on      ,children's ,day1 ,june1 
#aiae                                   
,facing #ad       ,les ,cayes1 ,haiti3  
the wharf and postoffice                
,facing #dj       ,les ,cayes1 ,haiti3  
the market and ,church of ,sacr ,cur    
,facing #dj       ,first page of the    
bill rendered by ,dr4 ,sanson1 of       
,les ,cayes1 ,santo ,domingo1 to ,jean  
,audubon for medical      services from 
,december #bi1 #aghc1 to ,october #ai1  
#aghe    ,facing #ed       ,second page 
of the ,sanson bill1 bearing1 in the    
entry      for ,april #bf1 #aghe1 the   
only record known to exist of      the  
date of ,audubon's birth                
,facing #ee       ,third page of the    
,sanson bill1 signed as accepted by     
,jean      ,audubon1 ,october #ab1      
#aghf1 and receipted by the doctor1     

when paid1 ,june #g1 #aghg              
,facing #ei       ,audubon's signature  
at various periods4 ,from early         
drawings1 legal documents and letters   
,facing #fc       ,lieutenant ,jean     
,audubon and ,anne ,moynet ,audubon4    
,after      portraits painted between   
#ahja and #ahjf1 now at ,couron         
,facing #gh       ,jean ,audubon4 ,after
 a portrait painted by the ,american    
artist ,polk1 at ,philadelphia1 about   
#aghi                ,facing #gh        
,jean ,audubon's signature4 ,from a     
report to the ,directory      of his    
,department1 when acting as ,civil      
,commissioner1      ,january to         
,september1 #agic                       
#gi       ,certificate of ,service which
 ,lieutenant ,audubon received      upon
 his discharge from the ,french ,navy1  
,february #bf1      #ahja               
#hd       ,mill ,grove in #ahce 7about74
 ,after a water-color      painting by  
,charles ,wetherill                     
,facing #ajb       ,mill ,grove1        

,audubon1 ,pennsylvania1 as it appears  
to-day                                  
,facing #ajb       ,mill ,grove         
farmhouse1 west front1 as it appears    
to-day                                  
,facing #aaj       ,fatland ,ford1      
,audubon1 ,pennsylvania1 the girlhood   
home      of ,lucy ,bakewell ,audubon   
,facing #aaj       ,early drawings of   
,french birds1 #ahje1 hitherto          
unpublished3 the male ,reed ,bunting    
7,sedge ,sparrow71      and the male    
,redstart                               
,facing #abh       ,receipt given by    
,captain ,sammis of the ,polly to       
,audubon      and ,ferdinand ,rozier for
 their passage money from ,nantes       
to ,new ,york1 ,may #bh1 #ahjf          
#acd       ,la ,gerbetire1 ,jean        
,audubon's country villa at ,couron1    
,france1 and the naturalist's boyhood   
home              ,facing #acf       ,la
 ,gerbetire and ,couron1 as seen from   
the highest      point in the commune1  
windmill towers on the ridge            

overlooking ,port ,launay1 on the ,loire
                  ,facing #adb       ,la
 ,gerbetire1 as seen when approached    
from ,couron      village by the road to
 ,port ,launay                          
,facing #adb       ,port ,launay on the 
,loire                                  
,facing #adb       ,beginning of the    
,articles of ,association of ,john      
,james      ,audubon and ,ferdinand     
,rozier1 signed at ,nantes1 ,march      
#bc1 #ahjf                              
,facing #adf       ,first page of a     
power of attorney granted by ,jean      
,audubon1 ,anne ,moynet ,audubon and    
,claude ,franois ,rozier      to ,john  
,james ,audubon and ,ferdinand ,rozier1 
,nantes1 ,april      #d1 #ahjf          
,facing #aeb       ,signatures of ,jean 
,audubon1 ,anne ,moynet ,audubon1 ,dr4  
,chapelain and ,dr4 ,charles d',orbigny 
to a power of      attorney granted to  
,john ,james ,audubon and ,ferdinand    
,rozier1 ,couron1 ,november #bj1 #ahjf  
,facing #aec       ,early drawings of   

,french birds1 #ahje1 hitherto          
unpublished3 the ,european ,crow1 with  
detail of head of      the ,rook1 and   
the ,white ,wagtail                     
,facing #agd       ,early drawing in    
crayon point of the groundhog1 #ahje1   
hitherto unpublished                    
,facing #ahb       ,water-color drawing 
of a young raccoon1 #ahda               
,facing #ahb       ,alexander ,wilson   
,facing #bab       ,william ,bartram    
,facing #bab       ,the twin            
,mississippi ,kites of ,wilson and      
,audubon1 the      similarity of which  
inspired charges of misappropriation    
against ,audubon                        
,facing #bbh       ,audubon's signature 
to the release given to ,ferdinand      
,rozier on the dissolution of their     
partnership in #ahaa        #bdb        
,ferdinand ,rozier in his eighty-fifth  
year 7#ahfb7       ,facing #bdf         
,rozier's old store at ,ste4 ,genevive1 
,kentucky         ,facing #bdf          
,letter of ,audubon to ,ferdinand       

,rozier1 signed ,audubon                
,bakewell1 and dated ,october #ai1      
#ahac1 during the first      partnership
 under this style                       
,facing #bdf       ,audubon's ,mill at  
,henderson1 ,kentucky1 since destroyed1 
as seen from the bank of the ,ohio      
,river                ,facing #bed      
,an old street in the ,couron of today  
,facing #bfd       ,les ,tourterelles1  
,couron1 final home of ,anne ,moynet    
,audubon1 and the resting-place of exact
 records of the      naturalist's birth 
and early life                          
,facing #bfd       ,early drawings of   
,american birds1 #ahjh-i1 hitherto      
unpublished3 the ,belted ,kingfisher and
 the ,wild ,pigeon                      
,facing #bib       ,bayou ,sara         
,landing1 ,west ,feliciana ,parish1     
,louisiana1      at the junction of     
,bayou ,sara and the ,mississippi ,river
                                        
,facing #cad       ,scene on ,bayou     
,sara ,creek1 ,audubon's hunting ground 

in      #ahba                           
,facing #cad       ,road leading from   
,bayou ,sara ,landing to the village of 
,st4 ,francisville1 ,west ,feliciana    
,parish                ,facing #cah     
,oakley1 the ,james ,pirrie plantation  
house near ,st4      ,francisville1     
where ,audubon made some of his famous  
drawings while acting as a tutor in     
#ahba               ,facing #cah        
,an early letter of ,audubon to ,edward 
,harris1 written at      ,philadelphia1 
,july #ad1 #ahbd                        
#ccb       ,note of ,dr4 ,samuel ,latham
 ,mitchell1 written hurriedly in        
pencil1 recommending ,audubon to his    
friend1 ,dr4 ,barnes1      ,august #d1  
#ahbd                                   
#ccg       ,crayon portrait of ,miss    
,jennett ,benedict1 an example of       
,audubon's itinerant portraiture4 ,after
 the original drawn      by ,audubon at 
,meadville1 ,pennsylvania1 in #ahbd     
,facing #cdb       ,miss ,eliza ,pirrie1
 ,audubon's pupil at ,oakley in #ahba4  

,after an oil portrait                  
,facing #cdb       ,early drawing of the
 ,frog-eater1 ,cooper's ,hawk1 #ahaj1   
hitherto unpublished                    
,facing #cdh       ,pencil sketch of a  
,shark1 #g feet long1 off ,cuba1        
from ,audubon's ,journal of his voyage  
to ,england in #ahbf                    
,facing #cdh       ,first page of       
,audubon's ,journal of his voyage from  
,new      ,orleans to ,liverpool in     
#ahbf                           ,facing 
#cdi       ,cock ,turkey1 ,the ,birds of
 ,america1 ,plate ,i4 ,after the        
original engraving by ,w4 ,h4 ,lizars1  
retouched by ,robert      ,havell4      
,color                                  
,facing #ceh       ,title page of the   
original edition of ,the ,birds of      
,america1 ,volume ,,ii1 #ahca-ahcd      
#cha       ,the ,prothonotary ,warbler  
plates1 ,the ,birds of ,america1        
,plate ,,xi1 bearing the legends of the 
engravers1 ,w4 ,h4      ,lizars and     
,robert ,havell1 ,jr41 but identical in 

every      other detail of engraving    
,facing #chd       ,reverse of panels of
 ,robert ,havell's advertising folder   
reproduced on facing insert             
#chf       ,outside engraved panels of  
an advertising folder issued      by    
,robert ,havell about #ahcd4 ,after the 
only original copy      known to exist  
#chf       ,inside engraved panels of   
,robert ,havell's advertising           
folder1 showing the interior of the     
,zological ,gallery1      #gg ,oxford   
,street ,facing                         
#chg       ,reverse of panels of ,robert
 ,havell's advertising folder1          
reproduced on facing insert             
#chg       ,title page of ,audubon's    
,prospectus of ,the ,birds of           
,america for #ahca                      
#cia       ,english ,pheasants surprised
 by a ,spanish ,dog4 ,after a           
painting by ,audubon in the ,american   
,museum of ,natural      ,history       
,facing                                 
#cid       ,letter of ,william ,swainson

 to ,audubon1 ,may1 #ahbh               
#djb       ,audubon4 ,after an oil      
portrait1 hitherto unpublished1         
painted about #ahbf by ,w4 ,h4 ,holmes  
,facing                     #dab        
,part of letter of ,charles ,lucien     
,bonaparte to ,audubon1      ,january   
#aj1 #ahbi                              
#dag       ,mrs4 ,dickie's ,boarding    
,residence1 #bf ,george ,street1        
,edinburgh1 where ,audubon painted and  
wrote in #ahbf-bg1      and in #ahcj-ca 
,facing #dch       ,the ,academy of     
,natural ,sciences1 ,philadelphia4      
,after an      old print                
,facing #dch       ,title page of the   
,ornithological ,biography1 ,volume ,i  
#dda     ,,chronology   #aghe           
,april #bf4--;,fougre1 ,jean ,rabin1 or 
,jean ,jacques ,fougre      ,audubon1   
born at ,les ,cayes1 ,santo ,domingo1   
now ,haiti4   #aghi       ,fougre1 at   
four years1 and ,muguet1 his sister by  
adoption1      at two1 are taken by     
their father to the ,united ,states1 and

      thence to ,france4   #agid        
,march #g 7#ag ventose1 an              
#b74--;,fougre1 when nine years old1    
and ,muguet at six1 are legally adopted 
as the children of ,jean      ,audubon  
and ,anne ,moynet1 his wife4   #ahjj    
,october #bc 7#a brumaire1 an           
#i74--;,baptized1 ,jean ,jacques        
,fougre1 at ,nantes1 when in his        
sixteenth year4   #ahjb-ahjc            
,studies drawing for a brief period     
under ,jacques ,louis ,david1      at   
,paris4   #ahjc       ,first return to  
,america1 at eighteen1 to learn ,english
 and      enter trade3 settles at ,mill 
,grove farm1 near ,philadelphia1        
where he spends a year and begins his   
studies of ,american      birds4   #ahjd
       ,december #ae4--;,half-interest  
in ,mill ,grove acquired by             
,francis ,dacosta1 who begins to exploit
 its lead mine2 he also      acts as    
guardian to young ,audubon1 who becomes 
engaged to ,lucy      ,green ,bakewell2 
quarrel with ,dacosta follows4   #ahje  

,january #ab-ae 7874--,walks to ,new    
,york1 where ,benjamin      ,bakewell   
supplies him with passage money to      
,france4       ,january #ah             
7about74--,sails on the ,hope for       
,nantes1 and      arrives about ,march  
#ah4       ,a year spent at ,la         
,gerbetire1 in ,couron1 where he hunts  
birds with ,d',orbigny and makes many   
drawings1 and at ,nantes1      where    
plans are made for his return1 with     
,ferdinand ,rozier1      to ,america4   
#ahjf       ,enters the ,french navy at 
this time1 or earlier1 but soon         
withdraws4       ,march #bc4--;,a       
business partnership is arranged with   
,ferdinand      ,rozier1 and ,articles  
of ,association are signed at ,nantes4  
,april #ab4--,sails with ,rozier on the 
,polly1 ,captain ,sammis1      and lands
 in ,new ,york on ,may #bf4       ,they 
settle at ,mill ,grove farm1 where they 
remain less than      four months1      
meanwhile making unsuccessful attempts  
to operate      the lead mine on the    

property4       ,september              
#ae4--,remaining half interest in ,mill 
,grove farm      and mine acquired by   
,francis ,dacosta  ,company1            
conditionally1      the ,audubons and   
,roziers holding a mortgage4            
#ahjf-ahjg       ,serves as clerk in    
,benjamin ,bakewell's commission house  
in      ,new ,york1 but continues his   
studies and drawings of birds1      and 
works for ,dr4 ,mitchell's ,museum4     
#ahjg       ,with ,rozier decides to    
embark in trade in ,kentucky4           
,august #a4--,they purchase their first 
stock of goods in ,new      ,york4      
,august #ca4--,starts with ,rozier for  
,louisville1 where they      open a     
pioneer store4       ,their business    
suffers from the ,embargo ,act4   #ahjh 
,june #ab4--,married to ,lucy ,bakewell 
at ,fatland ,ford1 her      father's    
farm near ,philadelphia1 and returns    
with his bride      to ,louisville4     
#ahji       ,june #ab4--,victor ,gifford
 ,audubon born at ,gwathway's hotel1    

the ,indian ,queen1 in ,louisville4     
#ahaj       ,march4--,alexander ,wilson1
 pioneer ornithologist1 visits          
,audubon at ,louisville4       ,moves   
down river with ,rozier to ,redbanks    
7,henderson71      ,kentucky4           
,december4--,moves with ,rozier again1  
and is held up by      ice at the mouth 
of the ,ohio and at the ,great ,bend of 
the      ,mississippi1 where they spend 
the winter4   #ahaa       ,reaches      
,sainte ,genevive1 ,upper ,louisiana    
7,missouri71 in early      spring4      
,april #f4--;,dissolves partnership with
 ,rozier1 and returns to      ,henderson
 afoot4       ,joins in a commission    
business with his brother-in-law1       
,thomas      ,w4 ,bakewell4             
,december4--,meets ,vincent ,nolte when 
returning to ,louisville      from the  
,east1 and descends the ,ohio in his    
flatboat4   #ahab       ,the annus      
mirabilis in ,kentucky1 marked by a     
series of      earthquakes1 which begins
 ,december #af1 #ahaa1 and furnishes    

material for ,episodes4                 
,commission house of ,audubon and       
,bakewell is opened by the      latter  
in ,new ,orleans1 but is quickly        
suppressed by the war1      which breaks
 out in ,june4       ,spring4--,starts a
 retail store1 on his own account1 at   
,henderson4       ,november #cj4--;,john
 ,woodhouse ,audubon1 born at ,meadow   
,brook      farm1 ,dr4 ,adam ,rankin's  
home near ,henderson4   #ahab-ahac      
,storekeeping at ,henderson1 where he   
purchases four town lots      and       
settles down4   #ahaf       ,march      
#af4--;,enters into another partnership 
with ,bakewell2      planning to build a
 steam grist- and sawmill at ,henderson1
      they lease land on the river      
front4   #ahag       ,thomas ,w4 ,pears 
joins the partnership1 and the steam    
mill1      which later became famous1 is
 erected4 7,after long disuse or        
conversion to other purposes1 ,audubon's
 ,mill was finally      burned to the   
ground on ,march #ah1 #aiac47   #ahah   

,summer4--,receives a visit from        
,constantine ,samuel ,rafinesque1       
who becomes the subject of certain      
practical jokes1 at      zology's future
 expense1 and figures in a later        
,episode4   #ahai       ,after repeated 
change of partners1 the mill enterprise 
fails1      and ,audubon goes to        
,louisville jail for debt2 declares     
himself      a bankrupt1 and saves only 
his clothes1 his drawings and      gun4 
,resorts to doing crayon portraits at   
,shippingport and      ,louisville1     
where he is immediately successful4     
#ahai-ahbj       ,at ,cincinnati1 to    
fill an appointment as taxidermist in   
the      ,western ,museum1 just founded 
by ,dr4 ,daniel ,drake2 settles         
with his family and works three or four 
months1 at a salary of      #abe a      
month2 then returns to portraits1 and   
starts a drawing      school4   #ahbj   
,decides to publish his ,ornithology1   
and all his activities      are now     
directed to this end4       ,october    

#ab4--,leaves his family1 and with      
,joseph ,r4 ,mason1      as             
pupil-assistant1 starts without funds on
 a long expedition      down the ,ohio  
and ,mississippi ,rivers1 to ,new       
,orleans1 hoping      to visit          
,arkansas1 and intending to explore the 
country for      birds1 while living by 
his talents3 from this time keeps a     
regular journal and works               
systematically4   #ahba       ,january  
#g4--;,enters ,new ,orleans with young  
,mason without      enough money to pay 
for a night's lodging4       ,february  
#ag4--,sends his wife #bj drawings1     
including the      famous ,turkey ,hen1 
,great-footed ,hawk1 and ,white-headed  
,eagle4       ,obtains a few drawing    
pupils2 is recommended by ,john         
,vanderlyn      and ,governor           
,robertson1 but lives from hand to mouth
 until      ,june #af1 when ,audubon and
 ,mason leave for ,shippingport2      a 
fellow passenger1 ,mrs4 ,james ,pirrie1 
of ,west ,feliciana1      offers        

,audubon a position as tutor to her     
daughter1 and with      ,mason he       
settles on her plantation at ,st4       
,francisville1 ,bayou      ,sara1 where 
he remains nearly five months2 some of  
his finest      drawings are made at    
this time4       ,october #ba4--,leaves 
abruptly and returns with ,mason to ,new
      ,orleans1 where he again becomes a
 drawing teacher1 and resumes      his  
studies of birds with even greater      
avidity4       ,december4--,is joined by
 his family1 and winter finds them in   
dire straits4   #ahbb       ,march      
#af4--,to ,natchez with ,mason1 paying  
their passage by      doing portraits of
 the captain and his wife2 while on the 
way      finds that many of his drawings
 have been seriously damaged      by    
gunpowder2 teaches ,french1 drawing and 
dancing at ,natchez1      and           
,washington1 ,mississippi4       ,july  
#bc4--,parts with ,mason1 after giving  
him his gun1 paper      and chalks1 with
 which to work his way north4           

,september4--,mrs4 ,audubon1 who was    
acting as governess in a      family at 
,new ,orleans1 joins him at ,natchez1   
where she obtains      a similar        
position4       ,receives his first     
lessons in the use of oils from ,john   
,stein1      itinerant portrait painter1
 in ,natchez1 at close of this year4    
#ahbc       ,january4--,mrs4 ,audubon is
 engaged by the ,percys1 of ,west       
,feliciana parish1 ,louisiana1 and      
starts a private school      at         
,beechwoods1 belonging to their         
plantation1 in ,st4      ,francisville1 
where she remains five years4           
,march4--,audubon leaves ,natchez with  
,john ,stein and ,victor on      a      
painting tour of the ,south1 but meeting
 with little success1      they disband 
at ,new ,orleans2 visits his wife1 and  
spends part      of summer in teaching  
her pupils music and drawing4           
,adrift again2 both he and ,victor are  
taken ill with fever at      ,natchez1  
but when nursed back to health by ,mrs4 

,audubon1 they      return with her to  
,beechwoods4       ,september           
#cj4--;,determined to visit             
,philadelphia in the      interests of  
his ,ornithology1 he sends on his       
drawings and      goes to ,new ,orleans 
for references4       ,october          
#c4--,starts with ,victor for           
,louisville1 walking part      of the   
way4   #ahbc-ahbd       ,winter spent at
 ,shippingport1 where ,victor becomes a 
clerk to      his uncle1 ,nicholas ,a4  
,berthoud4       ,paints portraits1     
panels on river boats1 and even street  
signs1 to earn a living4   #ahbd        
,to ,philadelphia1 to find patrons or a 
publisher2 thwarted2 is      advised to 
take his drawings to ,europe1 where the 
engraving      could be done in superior
 style2 befriended by ,charles ,l4      
,bonaparte1 ,edward ,harris1 ,richard   
,harlan1 ,mr4 ,fairman1 and      ,thomas
 ,sully1 who gives him free tuition in  
oils4       ,august #a4--,starts for    
,new ,york1 with letters to ,gilbert    

,stuart1 ,washington ,allston1 and      
,samuel ,l4 ,mitchell2 is kindly        
received and made a member of the       
,lyceum of ,natural ,history4           
,august #ae4--,to ,albany1 ,rochester1  
,buffalo1 ,niagara ,falls1              
,meadville1 and ,pittsburgh1 taking deck
 passage on boats1      tramping1 and   
paying his way by crayon portraits4     
,september4--,leaves ,pittsburgh on     
exploring tour of ,lakes      ,ontario  
and ,champlain for birds2 decides on his
 future course4       ,october          
#bd4--,returns to ,pittsburgh1 and      
descends the      ,ohio in a skiff2 is  
stranded without a cent at ,cincinnati2 
visits ,victor at ,shippingport1 and    
reaches his wife in ,st4                
,francisville1 ,bayou ,sara1 ,november  
#bd4   #ahbe-ahbf       ,teaches at ,st4
 ,francisville1 and gives dancing       
lessons at      ,woodville1             
,mississippi1 to raise funds to go to   
,europe4   #ahbf       ,may #ag4--,sails
 with his drawings on the cotton        

schooner      ,delos1 bound for         
,liverpool1 where he lands1 a total     
stranger1 on ,july #ba4       ,in less  
than a week is invited to exhibit his   
drawings at      the ,royal             
,institution1 and is at once proclaimed 
as a great      ,american genius4       
,exhibits at ,manchester1 but with less 
success4       ,plans to publish his    
drawings1 to be called ,the ,birds of   
,america1 in parts of five plates each1 
at #b guineas a part1      all to be    
engraved on copper1 to the size of life1
 and colored      after his originals4  
,the number of parts was at first fixed 
at #hj1 and the period of publication at
 #ad years2 eventually      there were  
#hg parts1 of #dce plates1 representing 
over a      thousand individual birds as
 well as thousands of ,american         
trees1 shrubs1 flowers1 insects and     
other animals of the      entire        
continent2 the cost in ,england was     
#agd1 which was      raised by the      
duties to #a1jjj in ,america4           

,paints animal pictures to pay his way1 
and opens a      subscription book4     
,october #bf4--,reaches ,edinburgh1     
where his pictures attract      the     
attention of the ablest scientific and  
literary characters      of the day1 and
 he is patronized by the aristocracy4   
,november1 early4--,william ,home       
,lizars begins the engraving      of his
 first plates at ,edinburgh1 and on the 
#bhth1 shows him      the proof of the  
,turkey ,cock4       ,honors come to him
 rapidly1 and he is soon elected to     
membership in the leading societies of  
science and the arts      in ,great     
,britain1 ,france and the ,united       
,states4   #ahbg       ,february        
#c4--;,exhibits the first number of his 
engraved plates      at the ,royal      
,institution of ,edinburgh4       ,march
 #ag4--;,issues his ,prospectus1 when   
two numbers of his      ,birds are      
ready4       ,april #e4--,starts for    
,london with numerous letters to        
distinguished characters and obtains    

subscriptions on the way4       ,may    
#ba4--,reaches ,london1 and exhibits his
 plates before      the ,linnan and     
,royal ,societies1 which later elect him
 to      fellowship4       ,lizars      
throws up the work after engraving ten  
plates1 and      it is transferred to   
,london1 where1 in the hands of ,robert 
,havell1 ,junior1 it is new born and    
brought to successful      completion   
eleven years later4                     
,summer4--,affairs at a crisis2 resorts 
to painting and      canvasses the      
larger cities4       ,december4--,five  
parts1 or twenty-five plates1 of ,the   
,birds      of ,america completed4      
#ahbh       ,march4--,visits ,cambridge 
and ,oxford ,universities2 though       
well received1 is disappointed at the   
number of subscribers      secured1     
especially at ,oxford4       ,september 
#a4--,to ,paris with ,william ,swainson2
 remains eight      weeks1 and obtains  
#ac subscribers2 his work is eulogized  
by      ,cuvier before the ,academy of  

,natural ,sciences1 and he receives     
the personal subscription1 as well as   
private commissions1      from the ,duke
 of ,orleans1 afterwards known as ,louis
 ,philippe4   #ahbi       ,april        
#a4--,sails from ,portsmouth on his     
first return to      ,america from      
,england1 for ,new ,york1 where he lands
 on ,may #a4       ,summer4--,drawing   
birds at ,great ,egg ,harbor1 ,new      
,jersey4       ,september4--,to ,mauch  
,chunk1 and paints for six weeks at a   
lumberman's cottage in the ,great ,pine 
,woods4       ,october4--,down the ,ohio
 to ,louisville1 where he meets his two 
sons1 one of whom he had not seen for   
five years2 thence to      ,st4         
,francisville1 ,bayou ,sara1 where he   
joins his wife1 from      whom he had   
been absent nearly three years4   #ahcj 
,january #a4--,starts with his wife for 
,europe1 first      visiting ,new       
,orleans1 ,louisville1 ,cincinnati1     
,baltimore1 and      ,washington1 where 
he meets the ,president1 ,andrew        

,jackson1 and      is befriended by     
,edward ,everett1 who becomes one of his
 first      ,american subscribers4      
,april #a4--,sails with ,mrs4 ,audubon  
from ,new ,york for      ,liverpool4    
,settles in ,london2 takes his seat in  
the ,royal      ,society1 to which he   
was elected on the #aith of ,march2     
resumes      his painting1 and in       
midsummer starts with his wife on a     
canvassing tour of the provincial towns2
 invites ,william      ,swainson to     
assist him in editing his letterpress1  
but a      disagreement follows4        
,changes his plans1 and settles again in
 ,edinburgh2 meets      ,william        
,mac,gillivray1 who undertakes to assist
 him with his      manuscript1 and      
together they begin the first volume of 
the      ,ornithological ,biography in  
,october4   #ahca-ahci       ,the       
,ornithological ,biography1 in five     
volumes1 published at      ,edinburgh1  
and partly reissued in ,philadelphia and
 ,boston4   #ahca-ahcd       ,in        

,america1 exploring the ,north and      
,south ,atlantic coasts for      birds4 
#ahca       ,march4--,first volume of   
the ,ornithological ,biography          
published1 representing the text of the 
first #ajj      double-elephant folio   
plates4       ,april #ae4--,returns with
 his wife to ,london4                   
,may-,july4--,visits ,paris again in the
 interests of his      publications4    
,august #b4--,starts with his wife on   
his second journey from      ,england to
 ,america1 and lands in ,new ,york on   
,september #d4       ,plans to visit    
,florida with two assistants1 and       
obtains      promise of aid from the    
,government4                            
,october-,november4--,at ,charleston1   
,south ,carolina1 where he      meets   
,john ,bachman and is taken into his    
home4       ,november #ae4--,sails with 
his assistants in the government        
schooner ,agnes for ,st4 ,augustine4    
#ahcb       ,april #ae4--;,in revenue   
cutter ,marion begins exploration of    

the east coast of ,florida2 proceeds to 
,key ,west1 and later      returns to   
,savannah and ,charleston4              
,rejoins his family at ,philadelphia1   
and goes to ,boston2 there      meets   
,dr4 ,george ,parkman1 and makes many   
friends4       ,august4--,explores the  
coasts of ,maine and ,new ,brunswick1   
and      ascends the ,st4 ,john ,river  
for birds4       ,returns to ,boston1   
and sends his son ,victor to ,england to
 take      charge of his publications4  
#ahcb-ahcc       ,winter4--,in ,boston1 
where he is attacked by a severe illness
      induced by overwork2 quickly      
recovers and plans expedition to        
,labrador4   #ahcc       ,june          
#f4--,sails from ,eastport for the      
,labrador with five      assistants1    
including his son1 ,john ,woodhouse     
,audubon1 in the      schooner ,ripley  
chartered at his own expense4           
,august #ca4--,returns to ,eastport     
laden with spoils1 including      few   
new birds but many drawings4            

,september #g4--,reaches ,new ,york and 
plans an expedition to      ,florida4   
,september #be4--,visits ,philadelphia  
and is arrested for      debt1 an echo  
of his business ventures in ,kentucky2  
obtains      subscribers at ,baltimore1 
and in ,washington meets ,washington    
,irving1 who assists him in obtaining   
government aid2 finds      patrons at   
,richmond and at ,columbia1 ,south      
,carolina4       ,october #bd4--,reaches
 ,charleston and changes his plans2     
with his wife and son passes the winter 
at the ,bachman home1      engaged in   
hunting1 drawing and writing4   #ahcd   
,the number of his ,american subscribers
 reaches #fb4       ,april #af4--,sails 
with his wife and son on the packet     
,north      ,america from ,new ,york to 
,england with large collections4        
,settles again in ,edinburgh1 and begins
 second volume of his      ,biography1  
which is published in ,december4   #ahce
       ,many drawings1 papers and books 
lost by fire in ,new ,york4       ,part 

of summer1 autumn and winter in         
,edinburgh1 where the      third volume 
of his ,ornithological ,biography is    
issued in      ,december4   #ahcf       
,audubon's two sons1 who have become his
 assistants1 tour the      ,continent   
for five months1 traveling and painting4
       ,august #b4--,sails from         
,portsmouth on his third journey from   
,england to the ,united ,states2 lands  
in ,new ,york on ,sept4 #f      and     
canvasses the city4       ,september    
#ac4--;,hurries to ,philadelphia to     
obtain access to      the               
,nuttall-,townsend collection of birds1 
recently brought      from the ,rocky   
,mountains and ,pacific ,coast2 is      
rebuffed1      and bitter rivalries     
ensue2 ,edward ,harris offers to buy the
      collection outright for his       
benefit4       ,september #bj4--,starts 
on a canvassing tour to ,boston1 where  
he meets many prominent characters1 and 
obtains a letter of      commendation   
from ,daniel ,webster1 who writes his   

name in his      subscription book4     
,visits ,salem1 where subscribers are   
also      obtained2 meets ,thomas ,m4   
,brewer1 and ,thomas ,nuttall1 who      
offers him his new birds brought from   
the ,west4       ,october #aj4--;,is    
visited by ,washington ,irving1 who     
gives him      letters to ,president    
,van ,buren and recommends his work to  
national patronage4       ,october      
#ae4--,returns to ,philadelphia1 where  
attempts      to obtain permission to   
describe the new birds in the           
,nuttall-,townsend collection are       
renewed2 he is finally      permitted to
 purchase duplicates and describe the   
new forms      under certain conditions4
       ,november #aj4--,to ,washington1 
to present his credentials1      and is 
promised government aid for the         
projected journey to      ,florida and  
,texas4   #ahcf-ahcg                    
,winter4--,spent with ,bachman at       
,charleston1 in waiting for his         
promised vessel2 makes drawings of      

,nuttall's and ,townsend's      birds1  
and plans for a work on the ,quadrupeds 
of ,north      ,america4   #ahcg        
,spring4--,starts overland with ,edward 
,harris and ,john ,w4      ,audubon for 
,new ,orleans2 there meets the revenue  
cutter      ,campbell1 and in her and   
her tender1 the ,crusader1 the          
party proceeds as far as ,galveston1    
,texas2 visits ,president      ,sam     
,houston4       ,may #ah4--,leaves for  
,new ,orleans1 and on ,june #h reaches  
,charleston4 ,john ,woodhouse ,audubon  
is married to ,bachman's      eldest    
daughter1 ,maria ,rebecca4       ,to    
,washington1 and meets ,president       
,martin ,van ,buren4       ,july        
#af4--,sails with his son and           
daughter-in-law on the      packet      
,england from ,new ,york2 reaches       
,liverpool on ,august      #b;d1 and on 
the #gth is in ,london4       ,the panic
 of this year causes loss of many       
subscribers1 but      ,audubon decides  
to extend ,the ,birds of ,america to #hg

 parts1      in order to admit every new
 ,american bird discovered up to        
that time4   #ahch       ,june          
#bj4--;,eighty-seventh part of ,the     
,birds of ,america      published1 thus 
completing the fourth volume and        
concluding      the work1 which was     
begun at ,edinburgh in the autumn of    
#ahbf4       ,summer4--,by way of a     
holiday celebration tours the ,highlands
      of ,scotland with his family and  
,william ,mac,gillivray4                
,autumn4--,to ,edinburgh1 where1 with   
the assistance of      ,mac,gillivray1  
the fourth volume of his ,biography is  
issued      in ,november4   #ahci       
,may4--,fifth and concluding volume of  
the ,ornithological      ,biography is  
published at ,edinburgh4 ,a ,synopsis of
 the      ,birds of ,north ,america1    
which immediately follows1 brings       
his ,european life and labors to a      
close4       ,late summer4--,returns    
with his family to ,new ,york1 and      
settles at #hf ,white ,street4 ,victor1 

who preceded his father      to         
,america1 is married to ,mary ,eliza    
,bachman4       ,projects at once a     
small or miniature edition of his       
,ornithology1 and begins work on the    
,quadrupeds4      ,collaboration of     
,bachman in this project is later       
secured4   #ahdj-ahdd       ,first      
octavo edition of ,the ,birds of        
,america is published      at           
,philadelphia1 in seven volumes1 with   
lithographic1 colored      plates and   
meets with unprecedented success2 issued
 to      subscribers in #ajj parts1 of  
five plates each with text1 at      one 
dollar a part4   #ahdj                  
,june4--,begins a correspondence with   
young ,spencer ,f4 ,baird1      which   
leads to an intimate friendship of great
 mutual benefit1      ,baird discovering
 new birds and sending him many         
specimens4   #ahda       ,purchases land
 on the ,hudson1 in ,carmansville1 at   
the present      #aegth ,street1 and    
begins to build a house4       ,july    

#bi4--,writes to ,spencer ,f4 ,baird    
that he was then as      anxious about  
the publication of the ,quadrupeds as he
 ever      was about procuring birds4   
#ahdb       ,april4--,occupies his      
estate1 now included in the realty      
section of upper ,new ,york ,city called
 ,audubon ,park1 which he      deeded to
 his wife and named for her ,minnie's   
,land4       ,september #ab4--,starts on
 a canvassing tour of ,canada1 going    
as far north as ,quebec1 and returns    
well pleased with his      success1     
after spending a month and traveling    
#a1ejj miles4       ,plans for his      
western journey nearly completed4       
#ahdc       ,march #aa4--;,at           
fifty-eight1 sets out with four         
companions      for the region of the   
,upper ,missouri and ,yellowstone       
,rivers1      but is unable to attain   
his long desired goal1 the ,rocky       
,mountains4       ,november4--,returns  
with many new birds and mammals4        
#ahde-ahdf       ,the ,viviparous       

,quadrupeds of ,north ,america1 in      
collaboration      with the ,rev4 ,john 
,bachman1 issued to subscribers in #cj  
parts      of five plates each1 without 
letterpress1 making two volumes1        
imperial folio1 at #cjj4jj4       ,john 
,w4 ,audubon1 traveling in ,texas1 to   
collect materials for      his father's 
work4   #ahde       ,engrossed with     
drawings of the ,quadrupeds1 in which he
      receives efficient aid from his   
sons4       ,july #ai4--;,copper plates 
of ,the ,birds of ,america injured by   
fire in ,new ,york4       ,december     
#bd4--;,bachman1 his collaborator1      
issues ultimatum      through ,harris1  
but work on the ,quadrupeds1 which had  
come      to a stand1 is resumed4       
#ahdf-ahdg       ,john ,w4 ,audubon in  
,england1 painting subjects for the     
illustration of the ,quadrupeds of      
,north ,america4   #ahdf-ahed       ,the
 ,viviparous ,quadrupeds of ,north      
,america1 in collaboration      with    
,john ,bachman1 published in three      

volumes1 octavo1      text only1 by ,j4 
,j4 and ,v4 ,g4 ,audubon2 volume i      
7#ahdg7 only      appeared during the   
naturalist's lifetime4   #ahdg          
,audubon's powers begin to weaken and   
rapidly fail4   #ahdh       ,february   
#h4--;,john ,w4 ,audubon joins a        
,california company      organized by   
,colonel ,james ,watson ,webb1 and      
starts for the      gold fields1 but his
 party meets disaster in the valley of  
the ,rio ,grande2 he leads a remnant to 
their destination and      returns in   
the following year4   #ahea             
,january #bg4--;,jean ,jacques ,fougre  
,audubon dies at ,minnie's      ,land1  
before completing his sixty-sixth year4 
,,audubon      ,,the      ,,naturalist  
,nothing extenuate1      ,nor set down  
aught in malice4444                     
,,shakespeare1 ,othello to his          
biographers4        ,time1 whose tooth  
gnaws away everything else1 is powerless
      against truth4                    
,,huxley4        ,what a curious1       

interesting book1 a biographer1 well    
acquainted with my life1 could write2 it
 is still more      wonderful and       
extraordinary than that of my father4   
,,audubon1 in letter to his wife1       
,march #ab1 #ahbh4     ,,audubon ,,the  
,,naturalist     ,,chapter ,i           
,,introduction       ,audubon's growing 
fame--,experience in ,paris in          
#ahbh--;,cuvier's                       
patronage--,audubon's publications--,his
 critics--,his talents and              
accomplishments--,his ,americanism and  
honesty of purpose--,his      foibles   
and faults--,appreciations and          
monuments--,the ,audubon                
,societies--,biographies and            
autobiography--,robert ,buchanan and    
the true history of his ,life of        
,audubon4   ,it is more than            
three-quarters of a century since       
,audubon's masterpiece1 ,the ,birds of  
,america1 was completed1 and two        
generations have occupied the stage     
since the ,american ,woodsman quietly   

passed away at his home on the ,hudson  
,river4 ,these generations have seen    
greater changes in the development and  
application of natural science and in   
the spread of scientific knowledge among
 men than all those which preceded them4
 ,theories of nature come and go but the
 truth abides1 and ,audubon's book of   
,nature1 represented by his four massive
 volumes of hand-engraved and           
hand-colored plates1 still remains the  
most magnificent monument which has yet 
been raised to ornithology1 as ,cuvier  
said of the parts which met his         
astonished gaze in #ahbh2 while his     
graphic sketches of ,american life and  
scenery and his vivid portraits of      
birds1 drawn with the pen1 can be read  
with as much pleasure as when the last  
volume of his ,ornithological ,biography
 left the press in #ahci4 ,this appears 
the more remarkable when we reflect that
 ,audubon's greatest working period1    
from #ahbj to #ahdj1 belonged           
essentially to the eighteenth century1  

for the real transition to the          
nineteenth century did not begin in     
,england before #ahcg2 then came the    
dawn of the newer day that was to       
witness those momentous changes in      
communication and travel1 in education1 
democracy and ideas1 which characterize 
life in the modern world4  ,when        
,audubon left ,london for ,paris on     
,september #a1 #ahbh1 it took him four  
days by coach1 boat and diligence to    
reach the ,french capital1 a journey    
which in normal times is now made in    
less than eight hours4 ,mail then left  
the ,continent for ,england on but four 
days in the week1 and to post a single  
letter cost twenty-four sous4 ,writing  
at ,edinburgh a little earlier          
7,december #ba1 #ahbf71 ,audubon        
recorded that on that day he had        
received from ,de ,witt ,clinton and    
,thomas ,sully1 in ,america1 letters in 
answer to his own1 in forty-two days1   
and added that it seemed absolutely     
impossible that the distance could be   

covered so rapidly4 ,this was indeed    
remarkable1 since the first vessel to   
cross the ,atlantic wholly under its own
 steam1 in #ahch1 required seventeen    
days to make the passage from ,new ,york
 to ,queenstown4  ,walking in ,paris1   
said ,audubon in #ahbh1 is disagreeable 
in the extreme2 the streets are paved1  
but with scarcely a sidewalk1 and a     
large gutter filled with dirty black    
water runs through the middle of each1  
and people go about without any kind of 
order1 in the center1 or near the       
houses4 ,the ,paris of that day         
contained but one-fourth the number of  
its present population4 ,having reaped  
the fruits of the ,revolution1 it was   
enjoying peace under the ,restoration2  
moreover1 it was taking a leading part  
in the advancement of natural science1  
of which ,cuvier was the acknowledged   
dean4 ,it was but a year before the     
death of blind and aged ,lamarck1       
neglected and forgotten then1 but       
destined after the lapse of             

three-quarters of a century to have a   
monument raised to his memory by        
contributions from every part of ,europe
 and ,america1 and to be recognized as  
the first great evolutionist of the     
modern school4  ,audubon had not seen   
his ancestral capital for upwards of    
thirty years1 not since as a young man  
he was sent from his father's home near 
,nantes to study drawing in the studio  
of ,david1 at the ,louvre4 ,though in   
the land of his fathers and speaking his
 native tongue1 his visit was tinged    
with disappointment4 ,at the age of     
forty-three he was engaged in an        
enterprise which stands unique in the   
annals of science and literature4 ,but  
fifty plates1 or ten numbers1 of his    
incomparable series had been engraved1  
and this work had then but thirty       
subscribers4 ,that he was bound to sink 
or swim he knew full well4 ,on ,august  
#cj he wrote3 ,my subscribers are yet   
far from enough to pay my expenses1 and 
my purse suffers severely from want of  

greater patronage4 ,this want he had    
hoped to satisfy in ,france1 but after  
an experience of eight weeks1 and an    
expenditure1 as he records1 of forty    
pounds1 he was obliged to leave ,paris  
with only thirteen additional names on  
his list4 ,yet among the latter1 it     
should be noticed1 were those of ,george
 ,cuvier1 the ,duke of ,orleans and     
,king ,charles ,x1 while six copies had 
been ordered by the ,minister of the    
,interior for distribution among the    
more important libraries of ,paris4     
,moreover1 he had won the friendship and
 encomiums of ,cuvier1 which later      
proved of the greatest value4 ,the      
savants who gathered about him at the   
meeting of the ,royal ,academy of       
,sciences1 over which ,cuvier presided1 
exclaimed1 ,beautiful6 ,very beautiful6 
,what a work61 but ,what a price61 and  
acknowledged that only in ,england could
 he find the necessary support4 ,audubon
 concluded that he was fortunate in     
having taken his drawings to ,london to 

be engraved1 for the smaller cost of    
copper on that side of the ,channel was 
an item which could not be overlooked4  
,little did he dream that commercial    
greed for the baser metal would send    
most of his great plates to the melting 
pot half a century later4 ,no doubt he  
was right also in concluding that had he
 followed certain advisers in first     
taking his publication to ,france1 it   
would have perished like a flower in    
,october4 ,it should be added that ,king
 ,charles' subscription expired with his
 fall two years later1 while that of    
,cuvier ended with his death in #ahcb4  
,audubon was one of those rare spirits  
whose posthumous fame has grown with the
 years4 ,he did one thing in particular1
 that of making known to the world the  
birds of his adopted land1 and did it so
 well that his name will be held in     
everlasting remembrance4 ,his great     
folios are now the property of the rich 
or of those fortunate institutions which
 have either received them by gift or   

were enrolled among his original        
subscribers1 and wherever found they are
 treasured as the greatest of show      
books4 ,the sale of a perfect copy of   
the ,birds at the present day is        
something of an event1 for it commands  
from #c1jjj to #e1jjj1 or from three to 
five times its original cost4 ,all of   
,audubon's publications have not only   
become rare but have increased greatly  
in price2 they are what dealers call a  
good investment1 an experience which    
probably no other large1 illustrated1   
scientific or semi-scientific works have
 enjoyed to a like degree4  ,as has been
 said of ,prince ,henry the ,navigator1 
though in different words1 ,john ,james 
,audubon was one of those who by a      
simple-hearted life of talent1 devotion 
and enthusiasm have freed themselves    
from the law of death4 ,audubon was a   
man of many sides1 and his fame is due  
to a rare combination of those talents  
and powers which were needed to         
accomplish the work that he finally set 

out to do4 ,his personality was most    
winning1 his individuality strong1 and  
his long life1 bent for the most part to
 attain definite ends1 was checkered1   
adventurous and romantic beyond the     
common lot of men4  ,few men outside of 
public life have been praised more      
lavishly than ,audubon during his active
 career4 ,though he had but few open    
enemies1 those few1 as if conscious of  
the fact1 seemed to assail him the more 
harshly and persistently4 ,in reading   
all that has been said about this       
strenuous worker both before and since  
his death1 one is continually struck by 
the perverse or contrary opinions that  
are often expressed4 ,he was not this   
and he was not that1 but he was simply  
,audubon1 and there has been no one else
 who has at all closely resembled him or
 with whom he can be profitably         
compared4 ,one charges that he did not  
write the books which bear his name4    
,another complains that he was no       
philosopher1 and was not a man of       

science at heart2 that he was vain1     
elegant1 inclined to be selfish1        
inconsequential1 and that he reverenced 
the great2 that he shot birds for sport2
 that he was a plagiarist2 that he was  
the king of nature fakirs and a         
charlatan2 that he never propounded or  
answered a scientific question2 and1    
finally1 that though at times he wrote a
 graphic and charming style and showed  
occasional glimpses of prophetic        
insight1 he cannot be trusted2 besides1 
he might have been greatly indebted to  
unacknowledged aid received from others4
  ,these or similar charges were brought
 against ,audubon during his lifetime1  
as they have been made against many     
another who has emerged quickly from    
obscurity into world-wide renown4 ,many 
attacks upon his character were         
assiduously repelled by his friends1    
though seldom noticed publicly by       
himself2 as if conscious of his own     
integrity1 he was content to await the  
verdict of time1 and time in ,america   

has not been recreant to his trust4     
,some of these charges it may be        
necessary to examine at length1 if found
 to be justified in any degree1 while   
others may be brushed aside as unworthy 
of even passing consideration4 ,evidence
 of every sort is now ample1 as it      
seems1 to enable us to do justice to all
 concerned1 to penetrate the veil that  
has hidden much of the real ,audubon    
from the world1 and to place the worker 
and the man in the fuller light of day4 
,the reader who follows this history may
 expect to find certain blemishes in    
,audubon's character1 for the most      
admirable of men have possessed faults1 
whether conscious of them or not4 ,the  
lights in any picture would lose all    
value were the shadows wholly withdrawn4
 ,if we blinded ourselves to every fault
 and foible of such a man1 we might     
produce a sketch more pleasing to       
certain readers1 but it would lack the  
vitality which truth alone can supply4  
,the more carefully his character is    

studied1 however1 as ,macaulay said of  
,addison1 the more it will appear1 in   
the language of the old anatomists1     
sound in the noble parts1 free from all 
taint of perfidy1 of cowardice1 of      
cruelty1 of ingratitude1 of envy4  ,in  
this attempt to present a true and      
unbiased estimate of ,audubon in        
relation to his time1 we have the       
advantage of dealing with a well rounded
 and completed life1 not with a broken  
or truncated one4 ,he impressed many of 
his contemporaries in both ,europe and  
,america with the force of his          
contagious enthusiasm and prolific      
genius1 and their opinions have been    
recorded with remarkable generosity4 ,on
 the other hand1 if a life be delayed   
till interest and envy are at an end1   
said an excellent authority1#a we may   
hope for impartiality1 but must expect  
little intelligence1 because the minute 
details of daily life are commonly so   
volatile and evanescent as to soon      
escape the memory1 and are rarely       

transmitted by tradition4 ,such details1
 which often reveal character while they
 add color and life to the narrative1   
have been amply supplied1 as the reader 
will find1 by ,audubon himself1 not only
 in his journals and private letters    
already published but in the numerous   
documents of every sort that are now    
brought to light4  ,if the true man is  
to be revealed1 if we are to know him as
 he was1 and especially if we are to    
know the influences that molded him and 
so profoundly affected him for good or  
evil1 we must begin at the beginning and
 follow him through his struggles1 his  
temptations1 his triumphs4 ,it might be 
better to start in the cradle1 or even  
forty years before he was born1 for1 as 
modern biology teaches us1 nature is    
stronger than nurture and race counts   
for much4 ,certainly this man can never 
be understood if removed from the       
environment which time and circumstance 
gave him2 he needs the historical       
background1 furnished in part by his    

contemporaries1 some of whom were rivals
 with whom he had often to struggle to  
make his way4 ,in recounting this       
history1 in many cases hitherto         
unwritten1 we must recognize the        
proverbial difficulty of tracing human  
motives to their proper source1 and     
endeavor to form no harsh judgments     
without ample basis in documentary or   
other evidence4  ,no more ardent and    
loyal ,american than ,john ,james       
,audubon ever lived4 ,his adopted       
country1 which he would fain have       
believed to have been that of his actual
 birth1 was ever his chief passion and  
pride1 and for him the only abode of    
sweet content4 ,few have seen more of   
it1 of its diversified races1 climates  
and coasts1 its grand mountains1 its    
noble lakes and rivers1 its virgin      
forests and interminable prairies1 with 
all the marvelous stores of animal and  
plant life which were first truly       
revealed to the pioneer woodsman1 artist
 and naturalist4 ,none has been more    

eager to hand down to posterity1 ere it 
be too late1 a true transcript of its   
wild and untameable nature while1 as he 
would say1 still fresh from the         
,creator's own hand4 ,audubon's         
beneficent influence during his long    
enforced residence abroad1 as a         
representative of ,american energy and  
capacity1 can hardly be measured1 while 
in his own land few were more potent in 
bringing the nation to a consciousness  
of its unique individuality and power4  
,audubon1 as has been said1 saw nature  
vividly colored by his own enthusiasm1  
and he never looked at her through the  
spectacles of books4 ,his writings1     
however unpolished or written with      
whatever degree of speed1 have the      
peculiar quality of awakening enthusiasm
 in the reader1 who1 like the youth     
poring over ,robinson ,crusoe1 feels    
within him a new ardor1 in this         
instance1 for hunting and studying birds
 and for leading a life of adventure in 
the wilderness4 ,it would be as unjust  

to judge of ,audubon's rare abilities as
 a descriptive writer from the letters1 
journal jottings and miscellaneous      
extracts given in this work1 as to weigh
 his accomplishments as an artist from  
his itinerary portraits or his early    
sketches of animals in crayon point and 
pastel4 ,those cruder products of his   
pen and brush1 however1 as the reader   
will find1 possess a high degree of     
interest from the light which they throw
 on the development of his character and
 art1 as well as from their personal and
 historical associations4 ,his best and 
only finished literary work1 the        
,ornithological ,biography1 in five     
large volumes1 with the revisions and   
additions which later appeared1 abound  
in animated pictures of primitive nature
 and pioneer life in ,america as well as
 vivid portraits of the birds and other 
characteristic animals4  ,a good        
illustration of ,audubon's habit of     
blending his own experiences with his   
biographies of birds is found in the    

introduction to his account of the      
,common ,gannet3       ,on the morning  
of the #adth of ,june #ahcc1 the white  
sails of      the ,ripley were spread   
before a propitious breeze1 and onward  
she might be seen gaily wending her way 
towards the shores      of ,labrador4   
,we had well explored the ,magdalene    
,islands1 and      were anxious to visit
 the ,great ,gannet ,rock1 where1       
according      to our pilot1 the birds  
from which it derives its name bred4    
,for several days ,i had observed       
numerous files proceeding               
northward1 and marked their mode of     
flight while thus      travelling4 ,as  
our bark dashed through the heaving     
billows1 my      anxiety to reach the   
desired spot increased4 ,at length1     
about      ten o'clock1 we discerned at 
a distance a white speck1 which      our
 pilot assured us was the celebrated    
rock of our wishes4      ,after a while 
,i could distinctly see its top from the
 deck1      and thought that it was     

still covered with snow several feet    
deep4 ,as we approached it1 ,i imagined 
that the atmosphere      around was     
filled with flakes1 but on my turning to
 the pilot1      who smiled at my       
simplicity1 ,i was assured that nothing 
was      in sight but the ,gannets and  
their island home4 ,i rubbed my         
eyes1 took up my glass1 and saw that the
 strange dimness of      the air before 
us was caused by the innumerable birds1 
whose      white bodies and black-tipped
 pinions produced a blended tint      of
 light-grey4 ,when we had advanced to   
within half a mile1      this           
magnificent veil of floating ,gannets   
was easily seen1      now shooting      
upwards1 as if intent on reaching the   
sky1 then      descending as if to join 
the feathered masses below1 and again   
diverging toward either side and        
sweeping over the surface of      the   
ocean4 ,the ,ripley now partially furled
 her sails1 and lay      to1 when all on
 board were eager to scale the abrupt   

side of      the mountain isle1 and     
satisfy their curiosity4#b  ,audubon's  
accounts of the birds are copious1      
interesting and generally accurate1     
considering the time and circumstances  
in which they were produced4 ,when at   
his best1 his pictures were marvels of  
fidelity and close observation1 and in  
some of his studies of mammals1 like    
that of the raccoon 7see p4 #ahb71 in   
which seemingly every hair is carefully 
rendered1 we are reminded of the work of
 the old ,dutch masters and of ,albrecht
 ,drer2 notwithstanding such attention  
to microscopic detail1 there is no      
flatness1 but the values of light and   
shade are perfectly rendered4 ,in his   
historical survey of ,american          
ornithology1 ,elliott ,coues was fully  
justified in designating the years      
#ahbd-ahec as representing the          
,audubonian ,epoch1 and the time from   
#ahcd to its close as the ,audubonian   
,period4 ,the splendid genius of the    
man1 surmounting every difficulty and   

discouragement of the author1 had found 
and claimed its own4444 ,audubon and his
 work were one2 he lived in his work1   
and in his work will live forever4#c    
,there is no doubt that ,audubon        
regarded an honest man as the           
quintessence of ,god's works1 and though
 he sometimes set down statements which 
do not square with known facts1 this was
 often the result of lax habits1 or of  
saying what was uppermost in his mind   
without retrospection or analysis4 ,when
 memory failed or when more piquancy and
 color were needed1 he may have been too
 apt to resort to varnish1 but for      
everything written on the spot his mind 
was as truth-telling as his pictures4   
,in considering the good intent of the  
man1 his extraordinary capacity for     
taking pains1 and his vast              
accomplishments1 criticism on this score
 seems rather captious4 ,on the other   
hand1 when it came to dealing with his  
own early life1 that was a subject upon 
which he reserved the right to speak    

according to his judgment1 and in a way 
which will be considered later4         
,audubon left ,england to settle his    
family finally in ,america in the autumn
 of #ahci1 when he was fifty-four years 
old1 and since he lived but twelve years
 longer1 probably few are now living who
 retain more than a childish memory of  
his appearance in advanced age4 ,many   
,londoners will recall an odd character1
 an aged print dealer who used to sit   
alone1 like a hoary spider in its web1  
in his little shop in ,great ,russell   
,street1 close to the ,british ,museum1 
and another of similar type1 who may    
still haunt a better known landmark1 the
 old naturalist's shop in ,oxford       
,street1 not far from ,tottenham ,court 
,road and but a minute's walk from the  
spot where most of ,audubon's ,birds    
were engraved4 ,both had seen the       
naturalist walk the streets of ,london  
and had known him in business relations4
 ,he occasionally strolled into the old 
naturalist's shop1 which has been       

occupied by father and son for nearly a 
century4 ,the son1 then a young clerk1  
is now 7#aiac7 the crabbed veteran who  
still waits on customers but never waits
 long2 should you hazard a question     
before making a purchase1 he will roar  
like the captain of a ship and leave you
 to your own devices2 but show him money
 and the change in his demeanor is      
wonderful2 his hearing improves1 his    
tone softens1 and he may recount for you
 what he remembers of times long past1  
which is not much4 ,audubon in the      
thirties seemed to him like an aged man1
 an impression quite natural to a youth4
 ,he also remembered seeing ,charles    
,waterton1 ,audubon's declared enemy and
 supercilious critic1 ,william          
,swainson1 his one-time friend1 and     
,william ,mac,gillivray1 his eminent    
assistant2 that they were great rivals  
expressed the sum of his reflections4   
,he recalled the time when ,oxford      
,street was filled1 as he expressed it1 
with horses and donkeys1 and of course  

knew well the old ,zological ,gallery1  
,no4 #gi ,newman ,street1 in which for a
 time ,robert ,havell  ,son conducted a 
shop in connection with their printing  
and engraving establishment4 ,the       
latter1 when moved by ,robert ,havell1  
,jr41 to ,no4 #gg ,oxford ,street1 was  
nearly opposite the old ,pantheon1 which
 still lingers1 and not far from the    
corner of ,wrisley ,street1 the present 
site of ,messrs4 ,waring  ,gillow's     
large store4  ,we already possess       
several biographies of ,audubon1 and    
many of his letters of a personal or    
scientific interest and most of his     
extant journals1 though but a fraction  
of those which originally existed1 have 
been published4 ,america1 my ,country1  
has not forgotten him4 ,mount ,audubon  
rises on the northerly bound of         
,colorado as an everlasting reminder of 
the last and grandest of all his        
journeys1 that to the ,missouri ,river  
in #ahdc4 ,american counties and        
towns1#d as well as parks and streets in

 ,american cities1 bear his name4 ,at   
least four of his beloved birds have    
been dedicated to him4 ,in #ahhe1       
thirty-four years after his death1 the  
,new ,york ,academy of ,sciences began a
 popular movement through which a       
beautiful cross in marble was raised in 
#ahic above his grave in ,trinity       
,cemetery4#e ,the one hundred and       
twenty-fifth anniversary#f of the       
naturalist's birth was celebrated in    
,new ,york in #aije1 and at the         
,american ,museum of ,natural ,history  
an admirable marble bust of ,audubon was
 unveiled on a notable occasion1        
,december #bi1 #aijf1 when similar      
honors were paid to ,louis ,agassiz1    
,spencer ,fullerton ,baird1 ,edward     
,drinker ,cope1 ,james ,dwight ,dana1   
,benjamin ,franklin1 ,joseph ,henry1    
,joseph ,leidy1 ,john ,torrey1 and      
,alexander von ,humboldt4 ,on ,november 
#bf1 #aiaj1 a statue of ,audubon1 after 
an admirable design by the veteran      
sculptor1 ,edward ,virginius ,valentine1

 of ,richmond1 ,virginia1 was unveiled  
in ,audubon ,park1 ,new ,orleans1 where 
the naturalist1 with pencil in hand1 is 
represented in the act of transferring  
to paper the likeness of a favorite     
subject4 ,he also occupies a niche in   
the ,hall of ,fame at ,new ,york        
,university4    ,illustration3 ,,statue 
,,of ,,audubon ,,by ,,edward ,,virginius
 ,,valentine ,,in      ,,audubon ,,park1
 ,,new ,,orleans4       ,published by   
courtesy of ,mr4 ,stanley ,clisby       
,arthur4    ,illustration3 ,,the        
,,audubon ,,monument ,,in ,,trinity     
,,cemetery1 ,,new ,,york1      ,,on     
,,children',s ,,day1 ,,june1 #aiae4     
,published by courtesy of the           
,corporation of ,trinity ,parish1 ,new  
,york ,city4  ,in recent times          
,audubon's name has become a household  
word through the medium of the most     
effective instrument which has yet been 
devised for the conservation of animal  
life in this or any country1 the        
,national ,association of ,audubon      

,societies for the ,protection of ,wild 
,birds and ,animals4 ,this has become   
the cordinating center for the spread   
and control of a great national movement
 that received its first impulse in     
#ahhf4g ,launched anew ten years later1 
it has advanced with ever increasing    
momentum1 until now it is the governing 
head of twenty-nine distinct ,state     
societies1 as well as eighty-five       
affiliated clubs and similar            
organizations4 ,in #aiaf it counted a   
life membership of #cef1 with #c1jbd    
sustaining members1 and realized a total
 income of over #ajj1jjj4 ,it should be 
added that during the past six years    
over #b1ijj ,junior ,audubon ,clubs have
 been formed in the schools1 through    
which nearly #fjj1jjj children have been
 instructed in the principles of the    
,audubon ,society4 ,well may it be that 
this admirable organization1 with its   
successful efforts for remedial         
legislation in state and nation2 its    
initiative1 with the aid of the         

,national ,government1 in establishing  
,federal reservations or sanctuaries for
 the perpetuation of wild life2 its     
educational activities through the      
extension of its influence to the pupils
 of the public schools2 and its watch   
and ward over all the varied interests  
of its cause1 will keep the name of     
,audubon greener to all future time than
 the most cherished of his works4  ,of  
,audubon's works the public now sees but
 little and knows even less1 all without
 exception having been long out of      
print4 ,his admirable plates of birds   
and mammals have been widely copied and 
still serve for the illustration of     
popular books1 but most of his          
publications were projected on too large
 and expensive a scale for general      
circulation1 having been first sold to  
subscribers only and often at great     
cost4 ,no complete reprint1 revision or 
abridgment of his principal volumes has 
been made for half a century 7see       
,bibliography1 ,appendix ,v74 ,no       

complete bibliography of ,audubon has   
ever been prepared1 and none will remain
 completed long1 for it is hard to      
imagine a time when comment on his life1
 his drawings1 and his adventures will  
altogether cease4  ,in ,may1 #ahcd1     
,william ,mac,gillivray1 who was        
assisting him in the technical parts of 
the ,ornithological ,biography1         
suggested that ,audubon write a         
biography of himself1 and predicted a   
wide popularity for such a work4        
,audubon entertained the idea but was   
then too deeply immersed in ,the ,birds 
of ,america to give it much attention2  
yet in #ahce he wrote out a short       
sketch1 entitled ,myself1 addressing it 
in the fashion of that day to his two   
sons1 and then laid it aside4 ,mrs4     
,audubon evidently had access to this   
manuscript when the life of her husband1
 to be referred to later1 was in course 
of preparation1 and thus it has         
furnished1 directly or indirectly1      
nearly all that has been published      

concerning the naturalist's early life4 
,this fragment1 which extends to about  
thirty printed pages1 was characterized 
by ,audubon as a very imperfect 7but    
perfectly correct7 account of my early  
life1 and though written with an eye to 
its possible publication1 which was     
clearly sanctioned1 it was evidently    
never revised4 ,the manuscript was long 
lost but eventually was found in an old 
book which had been in a barn on ,staten
 ,island for years2 it was first        
published by the naturalist's           
granddaughter1 ,miss ,maria ,r4         
,audubon1 in #ahic1 and again in #ahih4 
,as will later appear1 this account is  
inaccurate in many important            
particulars4  ,audubon expressed the    
intention of extending his personal     
history1 which he promised to delineate 
with a faithfulness equal to that       
bestowed on the birds1 but the task was 
never resumed4 ,yet more than most      
writers have done1 he wove the incidents
 of his own career into the pages of his

 principal works1 and this strong       
personal flavor added much to their     
charm4 ,unfortunately1 in giving such   
personal or historical details he is    
most vulnerable to a critic1 who insists
 first upon accuracy1 for errors of     
various sorts and confused and          
conflicting statements are far too      
common4  ,of the more formal biographies
 of ,audubon1 the first to appear was a 
slender volume entitled ,audubon3 the   
,naturalist of the ,new ,world1 by ,mrs4
 ,horace ,stebbing ,roscoe ,st4 ,john1  
published in ,england in #ahef4h ,in the
 same year this work was expanded and   
reissued by the publishers who at that  
time had charge of the sale of          
,audubon's works in ,america4#i ,the    
,american publishers explained in their 
edition that inasmuch as the fair       
authoress in preparing her interesting  
sketch of ,audubon 444 appears not to   
have been aware of the publication of   
his second great work1 the ,quadrupeds  
of ,north ,america 7which had not been  

advertised1 we believe1 in ,europe7 they
 have taken the liberty of giving some  
account of it and making numerous       
extracts from its pages4#aj ,perhaps the
 most interesting or valuable things in 
this little volume at the present day   
are the woodcut on the title page       
showing ,audubon's house on the ,hudson 
as it then appeared1 surrounded by tall 
trees1 and1 inserted on a flyleaf1 a    
list of all of ,audubon's published     
works and the prices at which they could
 be procured in ,new ,york just prior to
 the ,civil ,war 7see ,note1 ,vol4 ,,ii1
 p4 #bjd74  ,in #ahfh there appeared in 
,england a work of combined and confused
 authorship1 commonly referred to as    
,buchanan's ,life of ,audubon1 the      
sub-editor1 as he called himself1 having
 since become better known as an        
original1 skilled and prolific writer of
 verse1 drama1 fiction and literary     
criticism4 ,at that time ,robert        
,buchanan was twenty-six years old1 and 
had published five volumes of poems in  

rapid succession1 some of which had been
 received with favor by the public4 ,a  
second and third edition of this ,life  
followed in #ahfi4 ,finally the work was
 resurrected and again sent to press1   
unrevised1 in #aiab1 when it appeared in
 ,everyman's ,library1 at a shilling a  
copy1 with an introduction which had    
served as a review of the work in #ahfi4
  ,a recent biographer of ,alexander    
,wilson speaks of ,buchanan as          
commissioned by ,mrs4 ,audubon to write 
her husband's life1 but the lady        
herself1 as well as ,buchanan1 has told 
a different story4 ,it seems that in    
about the year #ahff1 ,mrs4 ,audubon    
prepared1 with the aid of a friend1 an  
extended memoir of her husband1 which   
was offered to an ,american publisher   
but without success4 ,the friend1 at    
whose home ,mrs4 ,audubon was then      
living1 was the ,rev4 ,charles ,coffin  
,adams1#aa rector of ,st4 ,mary's       
,church1 ,manhattanville1 now #aceth1   
,street1 ,new ,york4 ,the ,adams        

manuscript1 which consisted chiefly of a
 transcript from the naturalist's       
journals1 then in possession of his     
wife1 was completed presumably in #ahfg4
 ,in the summer of that year it was     
placed in the hands of the ,london      
publishers1 ,messrs4 ,sampson ,low1     
,son1  ,marston1 who without any        
authority turned it over to one of their
 hard-pressed1 pot-boiling retainers1   
,robert ,buchanan1 poet and young man of
 genius4 ,buchanan boiled down the      
original manuscript1 as he said1 to     
one-fifth of its original compass1      
cutting out what he regarded as prolix  
or unnecessary and connecting the whole 
with some sort of a running             
narrative4#ab ,mrs4 ,audubon was unable 
to recover her property from either     
publishers or editor or to obtain any   
satisfaction for its unwarranted use4   
,whatever defects the ,adams memoir may 
have possessed1 this is much to be      
regretted1 since1 as her granddaughter  
has said1 ,mrs4 ,audubon had at her     

command many valuable documents1 the    
originals of which have since been      
destroyed4  ,buchanan1 like ,audubon1   
had been reared in comparative luxury1  
the spoiled darling of a loving mother4 
,after the failure of his father in     
various newspaper enterprises about four
 years before this time1 he had gone up 
to ,london with but few shillings in his
 pocket and had begun life there        
literally in a garret4 ,the reflection  
that ,audubon had fought a similar but  
much harder battle in that same ,london 
thirty years before1 and won1 should    
possibly have awakened in him a somewhat
 friendlier spirit than was then        
displayed4 ,it must be admitted1        
however1 that ,buchanan produced a very 
readable story1 although there was not a
 word in his whole book which showed any
 real sympathy with ,audubon's lifelong 
pursuits1 any knowledge of ornithology1 
or any interest in natural science4     
,though expressing unbounded admiration 
for the naturalist1 his foibles and     

faults seem to have hidden from this    
biographer the true value of his        
distinguished services4 ,in respect to a
 knowledge of natural history it should 
be added that ,buchanan laid no claims1 
and of ,audubon's accomplishments in    
this field comparatively little was     
said1 the book1 like the ,adams'        
manuscript from which it was drawn1     
being mainly composed of extracts from  
the naturalist's private journals and   
,episodes1 as he called his descriptive 
papers4 ,it was here that ,audubon made 
the strongest appeal to this literary   
editor1 who concluded his preface with  
the following words of praise3 ,some of 
his reminiscences of adventure 444 seem 
to me to be quite as good1 in vividness 
of presentment and careful colouring1 as
 anything ,i have ever read4  ,buchanan 
dilated on ,audubon's pride1 vanity and 
self-conceit1 faults which may have     
belonged to his youth but which were    
never mentioned by his intimate friends 
and contemporaries except under         

conditions which reflected rather       
unfavorably upon themselves4 ,complaints
 on this score were spread broadcast by 
reviewers of this work1 seventeen years 
after the naturalist's death and with   
the suddenness of a new discovery4 ,they
 were undoubtedly based on the          
unconscious and allowable egotisms of   
such personal records as ,audubon       
habitually made for the members of his  
family when time and distance kept them 
asunder4 ,vanity and selfishness could  
have formed no essential parts of a     
character that merited the eulogy which 
follows3       ,audubon was a man of    
genius1 with the courage of a lion and  
the simplicity of a child4 ,one scarcely
 knows which to admire      most--the   
mighty determination which enabled him  
to carry      out his great work in the 
face of difficulties so huge1 or        
the gentle and guileless sweetness with 
which he throughout      shared his     
thoughts and aspirations with his wife  
and      children4 ,he was more like a  

child at the mother's knee1 than      a 
husband at the hearth--so free was the  
prattle1 so thorough      the           
confidence4 ,mrs4 ,audubon appears to   
have been a wife in      every respect  
worthy of such a man2 willing to        
sacrifice her      personal comfort at  
any moment for the furtherance of his   
great schemes2 ever ready to kiss and   
counsel when such were      most needed2
 never failing for a moment in her faith
 that      ,audubon was destined to be  
one of the great workers of the         
earth4#ac  ,no one will deny1 however1  
that ,buchanan was right in saying that 
in order to get a man like ,audubon     
understood1 all domestic partiality1 the
 bane of much biography1 must be put    
aside2 but it is equally important to   
make such allowances as the manifold    
circumstances of time and place demand1 
and to be a reasoner rather than a      
fancier4 ,this work abounds in errors1  
but it is not clear to what extent they 
were due to carelessness on ,buchanan's 

part4  ,it was certainly a mistake to   
attribute ,buchanan's attitude to       
partiality for ,alexander ,wilson1 who1 
like himself1 was a ,scotchman4 ,it was 
a case of temperament only1 for gloom   
and poverty had embittered his life4 ,as
 his sister-in-law and biographer#ad    
said of him1 he was doomed to much      
ignoble pot-boiling4444 ,he had few     
friends and many enemies1 and had       
received from the world many cruel      
blows1 while no man needed kindness so  
much and received so little4 ,perhaps   
the best key to the sad history of this 
able writer was given by himself when he
 said3 ,it is my vice that ,i must love 
a thing wholly1 or dislike it wholly4   
,his wife1 we are told1 was much like   
himself1 and like a couple of babies    
they muddled through life1 tasting of   
some of its joys1 but oftener of its    
sorrows4 ,undoubtedly ,robert ,buchanan 
was a genuine lover of truth and beauty2
 he has written numerous sketches of    
birds and outdoor scenes1 but with no   

suggestion of nature as serving any     
other purpose than that of supplying a  
poet with bright and pleasing images4   
,it was with the purpose of correcting  
the false impressions created by        
animadversions in ,buchanan's ,life that
 ,mrs4 ,audubon1 with the aid of her    
friend1 ,james ,grant ,wilson1 revised  
this work and published it in ,america  
under her name as editor1 in #ahfi4 ,the
 changes then made in ,buchanan's text1 
however1 were of a minor character and  
most of its errors remained uncorrected4
 ,the naturalist's granddaughter1 ,miss 
,maria ,r4 ,audubon1 was inspired in    
part by similar feelings in preparing1  
with the aid of ,dr4 ,elliott ,coues1   
her larger and excellent work in two    
volumes1 entitled ,audubon and ,his     
,journals1 which appeared in #ahih4 ,to 
her all admirers of ,audubon owe a debt 
of gratitude for giving to the world for
 the first time a large part of his     
extant journals1 as well as many new    
facts bearing upon his life and         

character4 ,other briefer biographies of
 ,audubon which have appeared have been 
taken so completely from the preceding  
works1 and have repeated and extended   
their errors to such an extent1 as to   
call for little or no comment either    
here or in the pages which follow4      
,through the discovery in ,france of new
 documentary evidence in surprising     
abundance we are obliged to draw        
conclusions contrary to those which have
 hitherto been accepted1 and the new    
light thus obtained enables us to form a
 more accurate and just judgment of     
,audubon the man1 and of his work4      
,,chapter ,,ii  ,,jean ,,audubon ,,and  
,,his ,,family       ,extraordinary     
career of the naturalist's              
father--,wounded at      fourteen and   
prisoner of war for five years in       
,england--,service      in the ,french  
merchant marine and navy--,voyages to   
,newfoundland      and ,santo           
,domingo--,his marriage in ,france--,his
 sea fights1      capture and           

imprisonment in ,new ,york--,his command
 at the ,battle      of                 
,yorktown--,service in ,america and     
encounters with ,british                
privateers4   ,few names of purely      
,gallic origin are today better known in
 ,america1 or touch a more sympathetic  
chord of human interest1 than that of   
,audubon1 and few1 we might also add1   
are so rare4 ,john ,james ,audubon first
 made his family name known to all the  
world1 and though he left numerous      
descendants1 it has become well nigh    
extinct in ,america1 and is far from    
common in ,france4 ,the great ,paris    
directory frequently contains no entry  
under this head2 ,nantes knows his name 
no longer1 and it is rare in the marshes
 of ,la ,vende1 where at some remote    
period it may have originated4  ,the    
lists of the army of five thousand which
 ,rochambeau's fleet brought to our aid 
in the ,american ,war of ,independence  
show but a single variant of this       
euphonious patronym1 in ,pierre         

,audibon1#ae a soldier in the regiment  
of ,touraine1 who was born at ,montigny 
in #agef2 but in the fleet of the ,count
 de ,grasse which coperated with our    
land-forces at the ,battle of ,yorktown1
 on ,october #ai1 #agha1 a ship was     
commanded by an officer with whom we are
 more intimately concerned4 ,this was   
,captain ,jean ,audubon1 who was later  
to become the father of ,america's      
pioneer woodsman1 ornithologist and     
animal painter4  ,by birth a ,vendean1  
at the age of thirty-seven ,jean        
,audubon had plowed the seas of half the
 world1 and in the course of his        
checkered career1 as sailor1 soldier1   
,west ,indian planter and merchant1 had 
met enough adventure to furnish the     
materials for a whole series of dime    
novels4 ,short of stature1 with auburn  
hair and a fiery temper1 he was then as 
stubborn and fearless an opponent as one
 could meet on the high seas1 and one of
 the gamest fighting cocks of the       
,french merchant marine4 ,how much ,jean

 ,audubon's son owed to his ,french     
,creole mother will never be known1 but 
to this self-taught1 thoroughly capable1
 and enterprising sailor we can surely  
trace his restless activity1 his        
versatile mind and mercurial temper1 as 
well as an inherent capacity for taking 
pains1 which father and son possessed to
 a marked degree4  ,the true story of   
,jean ,audubon's career has never been  
told1 but even at this late day it will 
be found an interesting human document2 
and what is more to our purpose1 it     
throws into sharp outline much that has 
hitherto remained obscure in the life of
 his remarkable son4 ,the first ,audubon
 to leave any imprint1 however faint1   
upon the history of his time1 this      
honest1 matter-of-fact sailor1 would    
have been the last to wish to appear in 
the garb of fiction1 and we shall base  
our story solely upon the unimpeachable 
testimony of public and private records1
 which researches in ,france had happily
 brought to light before the beginning  

of the war in #aiad4af  ,jean ,audubon  
came by his sailor's instincts and      
fighting prowess naturally1 for his     
father1 ,pierre ,audubon of ,les ,sables
 d',olonne1 was a seaman by trade4 ,like
 his son he captained his own vessel1   
and for years made long voyages between 
,french ports in both the old and the   
new worlds4 ,pierre ,audubon1 the       
paternal grandfather of ,john ,james    
,audubon1 and the first of that name of 
whom we have found any record1#ag lived 
at ,les ,sables d',olonne1 where with   
,marie ,anne ,martin1 his wife1 he      
reared a considerable family in the     
first half of the eighteenth century4   
,les ,sables1 at the time of which we   
speak1 was a small fishing and trading  
port on the ,bay of ,biscay1 fifty miles
 to the southwest of ,nantes1 but is now
 become a city of over twenty thousand  
people4 ,lying on the westerly verge of 
the ,marais1 or salt marshes and lakes  
of ,la ,vende1 the inhabitants of the   
district1 and more particularly of the  

,bocage1 or plantations1 to the north   
and northeast1 were noted from an early 
day for their conservatism1 as shown in 
a firm adherence to ancient law and     
custom1 as well as for their unswerving 
loyalty to the old nobility and to the  
clergy4 ,like their ,breton neighbors on
 the other side of the ,loire1 the      
,vendeans were honest1 industrious1 and 
faithful to their civic obligations2    
they were also independent1 resourceful1
 and knew no fear4 ,when the neighboring
 city of ,nantes planted trees of       
liberty and displayed the ,national     
colors in #aghi1 the ,vendeans were     
stirred to indignation and later to     
arms1 while the ,chouans on the right   
bank of the river were quick to follow  
their example2 in short1 the rebels of  
,la ,vende raised such a storm that for 
months the very existence of the infant 
,republic was threatened4 ,this spirit  
of revolt to the newer order1 the       
,chouanerie1 as it came to be called1   
was stamped out for the time1 but a few 

smoldering embers always remained1 ready
 to burst into flame at the slightest   
provocation2 recrudescent symptoms of   
this tendency had to be suppressed even 
as late as #ahcj1 when ,charles ,x1 the 
last ,bourbon king1 lost his crown4     
,pierre ,audubon's family1 no doubt1    
shared many characteristics of their    
,vendean and ,breton neighbors1 but as  
the sequel will show1 one at least did  
not approve of their political course1  
for he took up arms against them1 and   
presumably against many of his own kith 
and kin4  ,jean ,audubon was born at    
,les ,sables on ,october #aa1 #agdd1 and
 was christened on the same day1 his    
godfather being ,claude ,jean ,audubon1 
in all probability an uncle after whom  
he was named1 and his godmother1        
,catharine ,martin1 presumably an aunt4 
,twenty-one children1 according to the  
naturalist1 blessed the union of ,pierre
 ,audubon and his wife1 and were reared 
to maturity4 ,whether this statement is 
strictly accurate1 or what became of so 

large a family cannot now be            
ascertained4#ah  ,pierre ,audubon was   
engaged by the ,french ,government to   
transport the necessities of war to     
,cape ,breton ,island in #ageg1 when the
 world-wide struggle between ,france and
 ,great ,britain for supremacy in the   
,new ,world was at hand4 ,the ,french   
were determined at all hazards to hold  
their great fortress of ,louisburg1     
which had been taken by the ,english but
 again restored to the ,french not many 
years before4 ,this was the strongest   
and most costly fortress on the         
,american continent1 as well as a great 
center for the valuable trade in salted 
fish4 ,by a coincidence1 or possibly out
 of compliment to his wife1 ,pierre's   
ship bore the name of ,la ,marianne1 and
 when he sailed from his home port of   
,les ,sables d',olonne on ,april #ae1   
#ageg1 he took with him his own son1    
,jean1 as cabin-boy1 when the lad was   
but thirteen years old4 ,in the         
following ,may ,great ,britain threw    

down the gauntlet to ,france1 and the   
terrific seven years' struggle began4   
,the great fortress of ,louisburg fell  
in the following year to the ,english   
fleet1 and was left a heap of ruins4    
,his father's ship1 the ,mary ,ann1 was 
involved1 and young ,jean ,audubon1 who 
thus began his fighting career at       
fourteen1 was wounded in the left leg   
and made a prisoner4 ,with many of his  
compatriots he was taken to ,england1   
landing on ,november #ad1 #ageh1 where  
he remained in captivity for five years2
 he was released but a short time before
 the treaty of peace was signed at      
,paris1 ,february #aj1 #agfc4 ,apart    
from her interests in the ,west ,indies1
 ,france was stripped at this time of   
all her vast possessions in ,america1   
save only the two little islands of     
,saint ,pierre and ,miquelon4  ,whether 
,pierre ,audubon shared the fate of his 
son we are unable to say1 for at this   
point he drops out of our records and we
 do not hear of him again4 ,it is       

certain that he never made another      
voyage with ,jean1 who returned to his  
native town with his passion for the sea
 unabated1 and at nineteen rentered the 
merchant marine as a novice4 ,his next  
voyage1 on the ship ,la ,caille1        
,captain ,pigeon1 was to execute a      
governmental commission at the ,island  
of ,miquelon4 ,five golden years of his 
youth had been spent in captivity2 if   
productive of nothing else they had     
given him a knowledge of the ,english   
tongue1 but they had also engendered    
bitter hatred of the ,english race1 a   
feeling which his son confessed to have 
shared in his youthful days4#ai  ,the   
period from #agff to #agfh was occupied 
in four voyages to ,newfoundland1       
probably in the interest of the codfish 
trade1 first as sailor before the mast  
in ,le ,printemps1 and then as          
lieutenant in a ship called also ,la    
,marianne1 with alternate sailings from1
 and to1 ,la ,rochelle and ,les ,sables 
d',olonne4 ,on his third voyage to      

,newfoundland1 which was made in #agfg1 
when he was twenty-three years old1     
,jean ,audubon ranked as lieutenant of  
his vessel1 but in the summer of #agfh  
he shipped again from ,les ,sables as   
sailor before the mast for a short      
trading cruise on the coast of ,france2 
in this instance the vessel1 called ,le 
,propre1 was captained by ,pierre       
,martin1 who was possibly an uncle4 ,at 
this juncture ,jean ,audubon enlisted in
 the ,french navy 7service for the      
,state7 as a common sailor1 and made two
 voyages on governmental business from  
the port of ,rochefort1 serving         
altogether nearly nine months 7#agfh-i74
 ,after the termination of this last    
engagement nothing is heard of ,jean for
 over a year1 when in #aggj he makes his
 first appearance at ,nantes1 the city  
that was to know him in many capacities 
for nearly half a century4 ,there he    
rentered the merchant marine1 and on    
,november #a1 #aggj1 began a series of  
eight voyages1 lasting as many years1 to

 the island of ,santo ,domingo1 the     
western section of which was then in    
possession of ,france4  ,since much of  
the mystery which hitherto has shrouded 
the early life of ,john ,james ,audubon 
is involved in the ,west ,indian period 
of his father's career1 we shall now    
trace this history in considerable      
detail4  ,the great export trade of     
,french ,santo ,domingo in those days   
was in brown and white sugar1 then known
 as the ,muscovado and clayed sorts1    
which for the year #aghi amounted to    
over #ada1jjj1jjj pounds1 valued at more
 than #abb1jjj1jjj francs2 and in       
coffee1 which in the same year totaled  
nearly #gg1jjj1jjj pounds1 estimated to 
be worth nearly #eb1jjj1jjj francs4#bj  
,while all such estimates were no doubt 
very crude1 they serve to illustrate the
 richness of the prize that attracted   
,frenchmen by hundreds to the colony1 an
 island that to many seemed a paradise  
in prospect1 but which proved to be a   
purgatory in disguise4  ,jean ,audubon's

 voyages were all made in the interest  
of this valuable trade4 ,since they     
commonly lasted from six months to      
nearly a year1 they became doubly       
hazardous to a ,french sailor after the 
outbreak of the ,american ,revolution1  
for if he escaped his ,scylla1 the      
inveterate pirate1 he might expect to   
encounter an equally formidable         
,charybdis in an ,english privateer4    
,though the northwestern corner of      
,santo ,domingo was the center of their 
forays1 ,jean never lost a ship to the  
buccaneers1 and though sometimes caught 
by the ,english1 he never surrendered4  
,he made three successive voyages from  
#aggj to #aggb in ,la ,dauphine1        
commanded by ,jean ,pallueau1 first as  
lieutenant and later as captain of the  
second grade1 but on his last five      
voyages to the ,west ,indies he         
captained his own ships1 known as ,le   
,marquis de ,lvy 7#aggd71 ,les ,bons    
,amis 7#agge-f71 and ,le ,comte         
d',artois 7#aggg-h74  ,captain ,audubon 

was married on ,august #bd1 #aggb1 at   
,paimbuf1 to ,anne ,moynet1#ba a widow  
of some property1 who had been born at  
,nantes in #agce and was thus nine years
 his senior4 ,her married name was      
,ricordel4 ,she possessed several houses
 at ,paimbuf1 and acquired one in #aggg1
 which was rented to the ,administration
 at the time of the ,revolution 7see    
,vol4 ,i1 p4 #hj71 as well as a dwelling
 at ,nantes1 where she lived while her  
roving sailor of a husband was in ,santo
 ,domingo or the ,united ,states4       
,madame ,audubon was a woman of simple  
tastes1 devoted to culture1 and1 as we  
shall see1 possessed of a kind heart4   
,when ,captain ,audubon left ,les       
,cayes1 ,santo ,domingo1 on his last    
trading voyage1 in the spring of #aggi1 
bound for ,nantes with a valuable cargo1
 his ship1 ,le ,comte d',artois1 was    
attacked by four ,british corsairs and  
two galleys4 ,with the odds             
overwhelmingly against him1 he fought   
until his crew were nearly all killed or

 disabled1 and after an abortive attempt
 to blow up his vessel1 tried to escape 
in his shallop4 ,for the second time he 
was made a prisoner by the ,english1 who
 in this instance took him to ,new      
,york1 then in the possession of        
,british troops4 ,he was landed in that 
city on ,may #ab1 #aggi1 and was held   
there as a prisoner of war for thirteen 
months4 ,if our inference be correct1 he
 finally owed his release to the efforts
 of the ,french ,ambassador1 ,monsieur  
de la ,luzerne1 the same1 we believe1   
who had been a ,governor of ,santo      
,domingo1 and who in #agij became its   
,minister of ,marine4 ,as will be seen  
presently1 this diplomat again exerted  
himself in ,captain ,audubon's behalf4  
,it is interesting to find that on this 
occasion ,jean ,audubon was fighting not
 only for his life1 but for his         
property4 ,his vessel1 ,le ,comte       
d',artois1 was very heavily armed4      
,though of only #bej tons1 she carried  
no less than ten cannon1 four of which  

were mounted on gun carriages1 and ten  
bronze pivot guns1 which might imply    
that she was originally designed as a   
privateer4 ,the ship was not destroyed  
when her captain was made prisoner1 but 
was taken by the ,english to            
,portsmouth1 ,new ,hampshire 7871 and   
burned there before ,december #ae of the
 following year4#bb ,before starting on 
this disastrous voyage ,captain ,audubon
 had sold the vessel and his interest in
 her cargo to the ,messrs4 ,lacroix1    
,formon de ,boisclair and ,jacques1 with
 whom later he had extensive dealings in
 slaves2 but he was not paid1 and though
 an indemnity seems to have come from   
the ,british ,government1 he was never  
able to obtain a satisfactory settlement
 of the ,formon claim4#bc  ,jean        
,audubon's release from captivity in    
,new ,york1 in ,june1 #aghj1 probably   
marks the period of his first intimate  
acquaintance with the ,united ,states4  
,we know only that he did not return    
immediately to either ,santo ,domingo or

 ,france1 but became an enthusiast for  
the ,american cause1 and sought the     
earliest opportunity to avenge his      
wrongs at the hands of the ,british4 ,he
 did not have long to wait1 for through 
the exertions of the ,ambassador de la  
,luzerne1 he was placed in command of   
the corvette ,queen ,charlotte4 ,with   
her1 in ,october1 #agha1 he joined the  
fleet of the ,count de ,grasse before   
,yorktown1#bd where he soon witnessed   
the surrender of ,cornwallis and the    
humiliation of his enemies4 ,after this 
turning point of the war ,captain       
,audubon remained in the ,united        
,states1 and in ,april1 #aghb1 commanded
 a merchantman called ,l',annette1#be in
 which he was also personally           
interested1 and delivered a cargo of    
,virginia tobacco at the port of        
,nantes4 ,shortly after his return to   
,america in the same year he was placed 
in command of an ,american armed vessel 
,the ,queen and sent on another mission 
to ,france4 ,near the ,chausse des      

,saints he was attacked by a ,british   
privateer1 but after a stubborn fight at
 close quarters he sank his enemy and   
entered the port of ,brest4 ,nothing is 
said of the taking of prisoners on such 
occasions1 and there were doubtless few 
survivors among the defeated crew4 ,this
 command ,jean ,audubon held until peace
 was concluded between ,great ,britain  
and her former colonies in ,america1    
probably until the close of #aghc4 ,the 
hostile army was disbanded in the spring
 of that year1 the treaty of peace was  
made definitive in ,september1 and on   
,november #be1 #aghc1 the last ,british 
troopers left the city of ,new ,york4   
,,chapter ,,iii  ,,jean ,,audubon ,,as  
,,santo ,,domingo ,,planter ,,and       
,,merchant       ,captain ,audubon at   
,les ,cayes--,as planter1 sugar refiner1
      general merchant and slave dealer1
 amasses a fortune--,his      return to 
,france with his children--,history of  
the ,santo      ,domingo revolt--,baron 
de ,wimpffen's experience--,revolution  

of the whites--,opposition of the       
abolitionists--,effect of      the      
,declaration of ,rights on the          
mulattoes--,the ,general      ,assembly 
drafts a new constitution--,first blood 
drawn between      revolutionists and   
loyalists at ,port-au-,prince--,og's    
futile      attempt to liberate the     
mulattoes--,les ,cayes first touched by 
revolution in #agij1 four years after   
the death of ,audubon's                 
mother--,emancipation of the            
mulattoes--,resistance of the           
whites--,general revolt of blacks       
against whites and the ruin      of the 
colony4   ,after the ,american struggle 
for liberty had been finally won1       
,captain ,audubon resigned his          
commission held in the ,united ,states  
and returned to his home at ,nantes1 but
 town or country could not hold him     
long4 ,lured by the prospects of great  
wealth which ,santo ,domingo offered to 
the merchant of those days1 and having  
learned by long experience in her ports 

the devious methods by which fortunes   
were attained1 he decided to give up the
 sea and embark in colonial trade4 ,for 
six years1 from #aghc to #aghi1 he lived
 almost continuously in the ,west       
,indies1 and as merchant1 planter1 and  
dealer in slaves amassed a large        
fortune4 ,meanwhile his wife1 who had   
seen little of him since their marriage 
in #aggb1 remained at ,nantes4  ,captain
 ,audubon traveled through the ,united  
,states early in #aghi1 and again late  
in that year when on his way to ,france1
 probably in the first instance         
returning to ,santo ,domingo by way of  
the ,ohio and the ,mississippi4         
,symptoms of unrest were already        
prevalent in the northern provinces of  
the island but had caused no serious    
alarm in the south4 ,jean ,audubon's aim
 seems to have been to collect debts due
 him in the ,united ,states and to leave
 the capital invested there4 ,at all    
events it was on this occasion that he  
purchased the farm of ,mill ,grove1 near

 ,philadelphia1 the history of which    
will be given a little later 7see       
,chapter ,,vii74 ,he had no intention1  
however1 of living in ,pennsylvania1 for
 he immediately leased this estate to   
its former owner and hurried away4      
,july #ad1 #aghi1 found the elder       
,audubon enlisted as a soldier in the   
,national ,guards at ,les ,cayes4 ,these
 colonial troops1 which were originally 
militia organizations modeled after     
similar bodies in ,france1 were         
reorganized at this time to meet any    
possible emergencies4 ,affairs in the   
southern provinces of ,santo ,domingo   
had followed1 up to this moment1 their  
normal course1 and ,jean ,audubon1 who  
could have learned nothing of what had  
transpired at home1 decided to entrust  
his various interests to the hands of   
agents and return to ,france4 ,this was 
probably in late ,august or early       
,september1 #aghi1 as we know that he   
first returned to the ,united ,states   
and visited ,richmond1 ,virginia1 at the

 close of that year4#bf ,strangely      
enough1 on the twentieth day of the     
former month the ,national ,assembly at 
,paris had voted the celebrated         
,declaration of ,rights1 which was      
destined to upturn the whole social     
system of ,santo ,domingo and to convert
 that island into a purgatory of the    
direst anarchy1 strife1 and bloodshed   
which the world had ever known1 or at   
least remembered2 but fully six weeks   
must have elapsed before news of this   
grave decision could have reached the   
colony4  ,at this time ,jean ,audubon   
was no doubt regarded as a very rich    
man1 and though he happened to leave    
,les ,cayes at a critical moment1 little
 could he have dreamed of the disaster  
that awaited him there as well as in his
 beloved ,france4 ,his personal affairs 
during this eventful period1 involving  
as they necessarily do the early life of
 his distinguished son1 have hitherto   
been shrouded in the dark and sinister  
history of that ever smiling but ever   

turbulent island4 ,now1 however1 the    
veil of mist that has settled over the  
page can be penetrated at the most      
important points4 ,in this and          
subsequent chapters we shall follow the 
life of father and son through the      
course of events which has been thus    
briefly summarized4  ,to return to the  
earlier threads of our narrative1 at    
about the close of #aghc1 ,captain      
,audubon was engaged by the ,coirond    
brothers1 colonial merchants at ,nantes1
 to take charge of their foreign trade1 
which centered chiefly at ,les          
,cayes1#bg ,santo ,domingo1 then a most 
thriving and populous town1 as it is    
today the largest seaport on the        
southern coast of the ,republic of      
,haiti4 ,their ships brought sugar1     
coffee1 cotton and other ,west ,indian  
products to ,france1 and laden with     
fabrics1 wines and every luxury known to
 the colonists of that day1 returned to 
,les ,cayes1 as well as to ,saint       
,louis1 an important port a little      

farther to the east1 where these        
merchants also possessed warehouses and 
stores4  ,in a short time ,jean ,audubon
 had acquired an independent business of
 his own1 both as a planter and         
merchant4 ,he made his home at ,les     
,cayes1 but extended his enterprises to 
,saint ,louis and possibly to other     
points4 ,from this time onward he       
commonly described himself as           
ngotiant1#bh or merchant1 and his son1  
when writing to his father from         
,america1 addressed him in this way4    
,his business letters and other         
documents of the period refer to his    
house at ,les ,cayes1 his plantations of
 cane and his sugar refinery1 his       
exportation of colonial wares1 his      
purchases of ,french goods1 particularly
 at ,nantes1 and to his trade in black  
slaves which eventually assumed large   
proportions4 ,how important his sugar   
plantations may have been is not known1 
but a tax-receipt shows that at one time
 he possessed forty-two slaves4#bi ,the 

naturalist said that his father acquired
 a plantation on the ,ile  ,vaches1 an  
island of considerable importance at the
 southern bound of the roadstead of ,les
 ,cayes and nine miles from the town1   
but we have found no other reference to 
it4  ,great numbers of negroes must have
 passed through ,jean ,audubon's hands1 
as shown by his bills of sale1 which    
strangely reflect the customs of a much 
later and sadder day on the ,north      
,american continent 7see ,appendix ,i1  
,documents ,nos4 #d-f74 ,in one of these
 bills1 dated at ,les ,cayes1 ,september
 #af1 #aghe1 ,jean is credited with     
one-half the net proceeds of the sale of
 forty negroes1 bought originally of ,m4
 ,th4 ,johnston for the sum of #fj1jjj  
francs1 and sold by ,jean ,audubon and  
,messrs4 ,la ,croix1 ,formon  ,jacques  
for #ga1eeb francs2 after deducting #ahc
 francs for food and treatment1 the net 
returns became #ga1cfi francs1 and      
,jean's profits1 on a half-interest     
basis1 #e1fhd francs1 or about #adb     

francs per head4 ,the prices of these   
slaves1 which were sold to planters on  
the island when not retained for their  
own use1 ranged from #a1ejj to #b1ajj   
francs1 or from #cjj to #dbj1 at the    
present rate of exchange4 ,it is        
interesting to notice that while these  
negroes were held for sale1 the exact   
period of which is not stated1 they     
received as food eighty bunches of      
bananas and three beef heads2 though    
under the care of a physician1 it is not
 surprising to find that one of them    
died4 ,another bill1 bearing date of    
,august #g1 #aghe1 records the sale to  
,jean ,audubon of ten negroes and three 
negresses for a total sum of #bf1jjj    
francs2 #af1jjj francs of this amount   
was paid in sugar1 but what is          
particularly interesting now is the fact
 that a balance of #b1jjj francs was    
finally cancelled on ,june #i1 #aghh1 a 
year or more after ,jean ,audubon1      
according to the accepted accounts1 is  
supposed to have lost his wife and his  

property and to have fled from the      
island4 ,mme4 ,anne ,moynet ,audubon    
never visited ,america1 and her husband1
 as we have seen1 left ,santo ,domingo  
in #aghi1 before the outbreak of the    
revolution4 ,his property remained      
substantially intact until after #agib1 
and in some years1 it is believed1      
yielded him in rents #ij1jjj francs1    
which at present rates in ,american     
money would be equivalent to #ah1jjj4   
,in giving his certificate of residence 
at ,nantes in that eventful year1       
,captain ,audubon publicly declared that
 he possessed a dwelling1 a sugar       
refinery1 and warehouses or stores at   
both ,les ,cayes and ,saint ,louis4     
,moreover1 his ,west ,indian estate was 
not completely settled until #ahbj1 two 
years after his death4    ,illustration3
 ,,les ,,cayes1 ,,haiti3 ,,the ,,wharf  
,,and ,,post ,,office2 ,,at ,,the       
,,left ,,is ,,seen ,a ,,pile ,,of       
,,logwood ,,awaiting ,,shipment4        
,illustration3 ,,les ,,cayes1 ,,haiti3  

,,the ,,market ,,and ,,church ,,of      
,,sacr ,c,,ur4       ,after photographs 
made at ,les ,cayes in ,june1 #aiag1 and
 obtained      through the kindness of  
,mr4 ,ferdinand ,lathrop ,mayer1        
,secretary      of ,legation1           
,port-au-,prince1 ,haiti4  ,slaves were 
regarded in ,santo ,domingo as an       
indispensable commodity1 as they had    
been in ,virginia and the ,carolinas for
 a century past1 and were still to be   
for three-quarters of a century to come2
 the friends of the blacks as the       
abolitionists were called1 were         
considered by most planters as the      
enemies of the whites4 ,degradation and 
cruelty1 ever attendant upon a system   
that drew its chief support from the    
self-interest of a class1 were all too  
common in the island1 yet there were    
many who earnestly strove to soften the 
lot of their slaves4 ,though a born     
fighter1 ,jean ,audubon was humane1 and 
the evidence1 so far as it goes1 shows  
that his own slaves were treated with   

kindness and consideration4  ,this      
period in ,santo ,domingo1 particularly 
from the year #aghe to #aghi1 not only  
is important for our story1 but happened
 to mark a crisis in ,french sovereignty
 in ,america4 ,it will be necessary1    
therefore1 to follow certain events in a
 history which can serve only as a      
warning to mankind1 for it contains     
little to satisfy the understanding and 
nothing to excite the fancy or gladden  
the heart4 ,it is to be noticed first1  
however1 that according to the accepted 
accounts1 ,john ,james ,audubon was born
 of a ,spanish creole mother1 in        
,louisiana1 in #aghj4 ,shortly after his
 birth1 his mother is said to have gone 
to ,santo ,domingo1 where she perished  
in a local uprising of the blacks1 when 
,jean ,audubon's plantations and        
property were totally destroyed2 ,jean  
managed to escape with only his two     
children1 a few faithful slaves1 and a  
part of his money and valuables1 to ,new
 ,orleans1 whence he subsequently went  

to ,france4 ,investigation of existing  
records has proved that these statements
 are not in accord with the facts1 but  
before entering into further personal   
details it will be well to examine those
 conditions on the island of ,santo     
,domingo which led many into easy       
fortune only to involve them later in a 
ruin as complete and irretrievable as it
 was unforeseen and unnecessary4  ,for  
nearly a hundred years the western half 
of ,santo ,domingo had been held by     
,france1 and to every outward appearance
 it had enjoyed such unbounded and      
steadily increasing prosperity that it  
was regarded with envy on every side2 in
 fine1 it seemed to be one of the       
richest and most desirable colonies in  
the whole world4 ,historians1 said an   
observer of a later day1#cj were never  
weary of enumerating the amount of its  
products1 the great trade1 the          
warehouses full of sugar1 cotton1       
coffee1 indigo and cocoa2 its plains    
covered with splendid estates1 its      

hillsides dotted with noble houses2 a   
white population1 rich1 refined1        
enjoying life as only a luxurious       
colonial society can enjoy it4 ,few     
could then see the foul blot beneath so 
fair a surface1 or realize that what had
 been bought by the misery and blood of 
a prostrate race would demand an        
equivalent1 and that a settlement might 
be forced4  ,negroes had been imported  
into ,santo ,domingo from the ,african  
coasts in incredible numbers1 first by  
,spain after she had succeeded in       
exterminating the inoffensive native    
,caribs1 and later by ,france4 ,one     
hundred thousand blacks of all ages were
 entering the colonies each year1 and to
 secure this number of bossals1 as the  
native ,africans were called1 involved  
the death of nearly as many more1 either
 through the fighting that preceded     
their capture on land1 or from the      
terrors of pestilence or shipwreck that 
awaited them at sea4 ,by #agij the      
blacks of ,santo ,domingo outnumbered   

the whites sixteen to one1 and the      
number of blacks then in the island was 
estimated at #dhj1jjj1 in contrast to   
#cj1hjj whites1 and about #bd1jjj free  
mulattoes or people of color4  ,under   
,french rule the blacks had been        
subjected1 as many believed1 to a system
 of slavery unsurpassed for cruelty and 
barbarity4 ,no doubt there were         
,frenchmen who1 in their fierce struggle
 to become rich1 worked their slaves    
beyond human endurance and did not      
hesitate to terrorize them with the     
severest punishment upon the first      
symptoms of revolt2 but1 on the whole1  
such sweeping denunciations were        
probably unjust4 ,an impartial observer 
and historian of that day1 himself an   
,englishman1#ca declared that the       
,french treated their slaves quite as   
well as the ,english did theirs1 and    
clothed them better4 ,he believed that  
the lot of the ,santo ,domingo blacks at
 the period of which we speak would     
compare favorably with that of the      

peasantry of ,europe1 a comment made    
familiar to ,american ears when applied 
to the slave population of the ,south4  
,the real trouble came from the more    
enlightened disaffection of the         
mulattoes and free negroes1 fanned by   
the fanatic zeal of abolitionists       
abroad1 particularly of those who formed
 the society of ,les ,amis des ,noirs in
 ,france1 who were determined to carry  
out their policies by any means and at  
whatever cost4  ,the mulattoes were     
really in worse plight than the actual  
slaves1 for they were virtually slaves  
of the ,state and had no master to whom 
they could appeal1 being subject to     
military service without pay1 to the    
corve or labor upon the highways1 the   
hardships of which were insupportable1  
as well as to a constant and galling    
tyranny4 ,the law was invariably framed 
in favor of the white man1 who1 if he   
struck a mulatto1 was subject to a      
trivial fine1 while retaliation by the  
man of color might cost him his right   

hand4 ,it should be added1 however1 that
 custom was usually more lenient than   
the law1 and that such atrocious        
enactments were generally a dead letter4
  ,as might have been expected in the   
circumstances1 the mulattoes took their 
revenge on the despised blacks1 whom    
they were permitted to hold as slaves4  
,they were notoriously the hardest      
taskmasters in the island1 and in return
 they were naturally envied and hated by
 the ignorant mass of black humanity4   
,the whites1 to complete the discord1   
were divided among themselves1 the      
,frenchmen from ,europe affecting a     
superiority over the white ,creoles1 the
 seasoned natives of the island1 a      
condition that never made for good      
feeling4 ,moreover1 the white planter1  
who endeavored to gain a foothold by    
producing sugar1 cotton or coffee1 seems
 to have had a just grievance against   
the merchants whom the law favored and  
who set the price for negroes and all   
other commodities that had to be bought 

in exchange for produce4 ,such at least 
was the conviction and experience of a  
keen observer1 ,francis ,alexander      
,stanislaus1 ,baron de ,wimpffen1#cb who
 went to ,santo ,domingo in #aghh1 tried
 to establish himself as a coffee       
planter at ,jaquemel1 on the southern   
coast not far from ,les ,cayes1 and     
after three years of fruitless effort1  
gave up the attempt in disgust1 glad to 
escape1 as from the flames of purgatory1
 to the ,united ,states1 where he       
settled in ,pennsylvania4 ,baron de     
,wimpffen's lack of success no doubt    
colored his impressions of the country  
to some extent1 but after making due    
allowance on this score1 we find in his 
letters1 beyond a doubt1 an essentially 
true picture of ,santo ,domingan society
 and plantation life at the very time   
and place with which our story is most  
intimately concerned4 ,a sketch of the  
picture which the ,baron has drawn1     
though in brief outline1 will enable us 
better to understand the real condition 

of affairs4  ,the prevailing taste in   
,santo ,domingo1 according to this      
observer1 was creolian tinctured with   
boucan1 or with the characteristics of  
the buccaneers4 ,white society on the   
island was divided into governmental or 
town officials1 merchants1 and planters1
 the several classes having their own   
interests1 which were often conflicting4
 ,the planters were concerned only with 
negroes1 their sugar1 their cotton or   
their coffee1 and could talk of nothing 
else2 values were reckoned in negroes1  
or in sugar1 for which slaves were      
commonly exchanged4 ,the laxity of      
morals1 the absence of schools1 and the 
total lack of books were patent on every
 hand4 ,after sunset dancing was the    
chief form of amusement in the towns1   
and handsome mulattoes were the         
acknowledged ,bacchantes of the island4 
,it was from this class that            
housekeepers were usually chosen by the 
greater part of the unmarried whites4   
,they had some skill1 said ,baron de    

,wimpffen1 in the management of a       
family1 sufficient honesty to attach    
themselves invariably to one man1 and   
great goodness of heart4 ,more than one 
,european1 abandoned by his selfish     
brethren1 has found in them all the     
solicitude of the most tender1 the most 
constant1 the most generous humanity1   
without being indebted for it to any    
other sentiment than benevolence4       
,expense of cultivation at this time is 
said to have risen out of all proportion
 to the value of the product4 ,while    
negro service was a prime necessity to  
the planter1 the ,african mine was      
becoming exhausted2 even then slave     
dealers were penetrating a thousand     
leagues or more from the ,guinea coast4 
,added to the cost of slaves1 which was 
yearly increasing and had already       
reached to #b1jjj or even #c1jjj francs 
per head1 the ,government exacted a     
ruinous capitation tax1 which bore with 
special weight on the planter4#cc       
,physicians and lawyers1 however        

ignorant1 exacted exorbitant fees2      
masons and carpenters1 however          
inefficient1 demanded an unreasonable   
wage2 they1 we are told1 with the       
merchant and official governmental      
class1 were the only money makers on the
 island4 ,the merchant whom we have seen
 taking the planter's produce at his own
 price1 in exchange for slaves again at 
his own price1 had the advantage in     
every business transaction2 the planter1
 as a result1 was his chronic debtor1   
and at usurious rates4  ,subject to an  
enervating climate1 which ,europeans    
with their intemperate habits could     
seldom endure for long1 the planter1    
though weak and sick himself1 was often 
obliged to be overseer1 driver1         
apothecary1 and nurse to his negroes1   
the slave of his slaves4 ,in spite of   
every care1 out of one hundred imported 
negroes the mortality was nearly twenty 
per cent in the first year4 ,where less 
oversight was given to their food1 the  
slightest scratch was likely to         

degenerate into a dangerous wound1 while
 the most dreaded disease1 then known in
 ,english as the yaws and in ,french as 
la grosse vrole 7to distinguish it from 
the smallpox1 la petite vrole71 was a   
scourge for which no remedy had then    
been found4 ,every slave was branded    
with a hot iron on the breast1 with both
 the name of his master and that of the 
parish to which he belonged1 but        
notwithstanding such precautions        
desertions were far from uncommon4  ,the
 ,santo ,domingan blacks were put to    
work in the morning with a crack of the 
arceau1 a short-handled whip1 delivered 
on their backs or shoulders1 and so     
accustomed had they become to the       
regularity of this stimulus that they   
could hardly be set in motion without   
it4 ,how to manage the true bossal1 as  
distinguished from the ,african creole1 
with humanity and success was a problem 
to which many considerate planters must 
have addressed themselves in vain1 if1  
as this one declared1 the black's ruling

 passion was to do nothing1 and he was  
by nature a thief1 to whom indulgence   
was weakness and injustice a defect of  
judgment that excited both his hatred   
and his contempt4  ,stanilaus further   
observed that the soil of ,santo        
,domingo was then already becoming      
exhausted1 and he believed that the day 
of rapid fortunes for the planter had   
passed4 ,calculate now1 said he1 the    
privations of every kind1 the commercial
 vicissitudes1 the perpetual            
apprehensions1 the disgusting details1  
inseparable from the nature of slavery2 
the state of languor or anxiety in which
 he vegetates between a burning sky1 and
 a soil always ready to swallow him up1 
and you will allow with me that there is
 no peasant1 no day-labourer in ,europe1
 whose condition is not preferable to   
that of a planter of ,san ,domingo4 ,i  
never met1 he adds1 a ,west ,indian in  
,france who did not enumerate to me with
 more emphasis than accuracy1 the charms
 of a residence at ,saint ,domingo2     

since ,i have been here1 ,i have not    
found a single one who has not cursed   
both ,saint ,domingo1 and the obstacles1
 eternally reviving1 which1 from one    
year to another1 prolong his stay in    
this abode of the damned4  ,having      
followed ,de ,wimpffen to this point1   
the reader is entitled to hear his      
parting epigrams4 ,the more ,i know1 he 
said1 of the inhabitants of ,saint      
,domingo1 the more ,i felicitate myself 
on quitting it4 ,i came hither with the 
noble ambition of occupying myself      
solely in acquiring a fortune2 but      
destined to become a master1 and        
consequently to possess slaves1 ,i saw1 
in the necessity of living with them1   
that of studying them with attention to 
know them1 and ,i depart with much less 
esteem for the one1 and pity for the    
other4 ,when a person is what the       
greater part of the planters are1 he is 
made to have slaves2 when he is what the
 greater part of the slaves are1 he is  
made to have a master4  ,whether ,jean  

,audubon's long experience would have   
confirmed all that has just been said is
 doubtful1 for he was primarily a       
merchant or dealer and thus belonged to 
the favored class4 ,but what especially 
interests us now is that both he and ,de
 ,wimpffen were owners of plantations in
 the southern province of ,santo        
,domingo at the same time4 ,the one who 
wished to retain a valuable property    
followed the custom of the time by      
confiding the management of his affairs 
to an agent1 either at a fixed salary or
 on a profit-sharing basis2 while the   
other1 who stayed long enough to discern
 the trend of events1 was glad to sell  
his land and his slaves and shake the   
dust of the island from his feet        
forever4#cd  ,before resuming the       
intimate details of our narrative1 we   
must follow the whirlwind of political  
events already set in motion in the     
island colony4 ,in the spring of #aghi  
the white colonists of ,santo ,domingo  
took administrative matters into their  

own hands1 and without vestige of legal 
authority1 elected and dispatched       
eighteen deputies to the                
,states-,general1 then sitting in       
,france4 ,these men reached ,versailles 
in ,june1 a month after that body had   
declared itself the ,national ,assembly1
 but only six were ever admitted to its 
counsels4 ,for a long time opposition to
 the planters had been fomented in      
,paris by the ,friends of the ,blacks1  
the abolition society to which we have  
referred2 stories of cruelty to the     
slaves1 colored and intensified in      
passing from mouth to mouth1 as         
invariably happens when atrocity tales  
are used as partisan weapons1 added to  
the arrogance and extravagant habits of 
many planters when resident in the      
mother country1 did not tend to soften  
the prejudice of the public towards     
their class4 ,the planters could get no 
consideration at home1 and1 as we have  
seen1 the ,declaration of ,rights       
followed promptly in ,august1 while a   

legislative ,assembly was ordered in    
,september4 ,meantime the mulattoes on  
the island were clamoring for the       
political rights which the decree had   
promised them1 and1 to make matters     
worse1 some of the influential whites   
espoused their cause1 even preaching the
 enfranchisement of the blacks1 from    
whom up to this time little had been    
heard4 ,in short1 the whites were       
divided as effectually as were blacks   
and mulattoes4  ,the dominant party in  
,santo ,domingo1 led by the             
,governor-,general1 were determined to  
uphold the old despotic rgime1 while the
 ,general ,assembly1 which met at ,saint
 ,marc in obedience to orders from the  
mother country1 on ,april #af1 #agij1   
drafted a new constitution4 ,the clash  
came in ,july of this year1 and in the  
northern province1 where the first blood
 of the revolution was drawn at         
,port-au-,prince4 ,on ,october #ab1     
#agij1 ,james ,og1 a mulatto1 inspired1 
financed and equipped by the ,friends of

 the ,blacks in ,paris1 landed secretly 
in ,santo ,domingo1 established a       
military camp at ,cap ,franois and      
called all mulattoes to arms4 ,his plan 
was to wage war on the whites as well as
 upon all mulattoes who refused to join 
his standard of revolt2 but ,og and his 
company were quickly suppressed1 and    
this incompetent leader1 who fled to    
,spanish territory1 was later extradited
 and broken on the wheel4 ,this episode 
naturally infuriated the whites against 
all mulattoes1 who took up arms at ,les 
,cayes and at other points4 ,the whites 
also armed1 and a skirmish occurred at  
,les ,cayes1 ,jean ,audubon's old home1 
where fifty persons on both sides lost  
their lives1 but a temporary truce was  
immediately effected4 ,this was the     
first serious incident in which the town
 of ,les ,cayes figured in the bloody   
revolution of ,santo ,domingo2 it       
occurred1 we believe1 in the late autumn
 of #agij4 ,audubon's mother had then   
been dead four years1 and her son1 the  

future naturalist1 had left the country 
in the fall of #aghi2 in order to bring 
out these facts clearly it has seemed   
necessary to enter into this detail4    
,later events in ,santo ,domingo now    
moved in a direction and with a velocity
 which few then were able to comprehend4
 ,the danger and the potency of the     
volcano that had long been muttering    
beneath their feet needed but a few     
touches from without to reveal its full 
explosive power4 ,these were furnished  
not only by the mulattoes1 many of whom1
 after having fought under ,french      
officers in the ,american ,revolution1  
had returned to the island and there    
spread wide the spirit of disaffection  
and revolt2 but also by the ,national   
,assembly in ,france1 which by its      
vacillating policies destroyed every    
hope of reconciliation4 ,in ,march1     
#agij1 this ,assembly granted to the    
citizens of ,santo ,domingo the right of
 local self-government1 but only a year 
later1 on ,may #ae1 #agia1 tore up this 

decree and emancipated the mulattoes4   
,when the news reached the island six   
weeks later1 the colony was thrown into 
the utmost consternation2 the whites as 
a class refused point-blank to accept   
the decision and summoned an ,assembly  
of their own1 which met in ,august4 ,the
 mulattoes again took up arms1 and the  
blacks1 who by this time had been won to
 their side1 started a general revolt   
which had its origin on a plantation    
called ,no1 in the parish of ,acul1 nine
 miles from ,cap ,franois4 ,they began  
by burning the cane fields and the sugar
 houses and murdering their white       
owners4 ,thenceforth ,santo ,domingan   
history becomes an intricate and        
disgusting detail of conspiracies1      
treacheries1 murders1 conflagrations1   
and atrocities of every description4    
,the only ray of light comes from the   
first genuine leader of the blacks1 the 
gallant but unfortunate ,toussaint1 in  
#agic4  ,as has already been intimated1 
,jean ,audubon's ,santo ,domingo        

property suffered long after he left the
 island1 and certainly after #agib when1
 as we shall soon see1 revolutions were 
demanding his attention and all his     
energies at home4     ,,chapter ,,iv    
,,audubon',s ,,birth1 ,,nationality1    
,,and ,,parentage       ,les            
,cayes--,audubon's ,french ,creole      
mother--,his early                      
names--,discovery of the ,sanson bill   
with the only record of      his        
birth--,medical practice of an early    
day--,birth of ,muguet1      ,audubon's 
sister--,fougre and ,muguet taken to    
,france--,audubon's      adoption and   
baptism--,his assumed name--,dual       
personality in      legal               
documents--,source of published         
errors--,autobiographic                 
records--,rise of enigma and            
tradition--,the ,marigny myth4   ,santo 
,domingo1 though repeatedly ravaged by  
the indiscriminate hand of man1 is a    
noble and productive land1 which1 for   
the diversity and grandeur of its       

scenery and the rare beauty of its      
tropical vegetation1 was justly regarded
 as one of the garden spots of the ,west
 ,indies and worthy to be in truth a    
,paradise of the ,new ,world4 ,for every
 lover of birds and nature this         
semi-tropical island1 and especially    
,les ,cayes1 upon its south-westerly    
verge in what is now ,haiti1 will have a
 peculiar interest when it is known1    
that there1 amid the splendor of sea and
 sun and the ever-glorious flowers and  
birds1 the eyes of ,america's great     
woodsman and pioneer ornithologist first
 saw the light of day4  ,jean ,audubon  
met somewhere in ,america1 and probably 
at ,les ,cayes1 a woman whom he has     
described only as a creole of ,santo    
,domingo1 that is1 one born on the      
island and of ,french parentage1 and who
 is now known only by the name of ,mlle4
 ,rabin4#ce ,to them was born1 at ,les  
,cayes1 a son1 on the twenty-sixth of   
,april1 #aghe4 ,this boy1 who was       
sometimes referred to in early documents

 as ,jean ,rabin1 crole de              
,saint-,domingue1 and who again was     
called ,fougre 7in ,english1 ,fern71    
received the baptismal name of ,jean    
,jacques ,fougre six months before his  
sixteenth birthday4  ,the bill of the   
physician1 ,doctor ,sanson of ,les      
,cayes1 who assisted at young ,audubon's
 birth still exists1 and as the reader  
will perceive1 it is a highly unique and
 interesting historical document4#cf    
,written in the doctor's own hand1 it is
 receipted by him1 as well as approved  
and signed by ,jean ,audubon himself4   
,this tardy discovery1 along with other 
pertinent records in the commune of     
,couron1 in ,france1 finally resolves   
the mystery which has ever hedged the   
,melchizedek of ,american natural       
history4 ,the child's name1 of course1  
is not given in the bill1 but authentic 
records of ,audubon's subsequent        
adoption and baptism agree so completely
 in names and dates as to establish his 
identity beyond a shadow of doubt4 ,much

 other documentary evidence which also  
has recently come to light is all in    
harmony with these facts1 and further   
shows that the natal spot and time as   
given in the ,sanson bill can refer only
 to this talented boy4 ,but before      
turning to these legal documents we must
 examine the personal record of ,jean   
,audubon's physician4  ,dr4 ,sanson's   
carefully itemized account1 to the      
amount of #a1cci francs1 extends over a 
period of nearly two years1 from        
,december #bi1 #aghc1 to ,october #ai1  
#aghe2 it was accepted and signed by    
,captain ,audubon on ,october #ab1      
#aghf1 and receipted by the doctor when 
paid on ,june #g1 #aghg4 ,the bill is   
interesting as a commentary on the      
medical practice of an early day1 as    
well as for the light which it throws on
 ,jean ,audubon's ,santo ,domingan      
career1 his establishment at ,les       
,cayes1 and his treatment of black      
slaves and dependents4 ,this quaint     
document1 moreover1 tends to confirm a  

remark of ,baron de ,wimpffen to the    
effect that every doctor in ,santo      
,domingo grew rich at his profession1   
and also recalls what he said in regard 
to the household remedies of the period4
 ,every colonist1 to quote this observer
 again1 is commonly provided with a     
small chest of medicines1 of which the  
principal are manna1 salts1 and rhubarb2
 the country itself produces tamarinds1 
and the leaves of the cassia tree1 a    
slight infusion of which1 with a little 
orange juice1 makes as good a purge as a
 mixture more scientifically composed4  
,illustration3 ,,first ,,page ,,of ,,the
 ,,bill1 ,,rendered ,,by ,,dr4 ,,sanson1
 ,,of      ,,les ,,cayes1 ,,santo       
,,domingo1 ,,to ,,jean ,,audubon ,,for  
,,medical ,,services      ,,from        
,,december #bi1 #aghc1 ,,to ,,october   
#ai1 #aghe4       ,after the original   
document in possession of ,m4 ,l4       
,lavigne1      at ,couron4 ,the note in 
upper left-hand corner1 trs curieux     
,mlle4 ,rabin  son enfant1 has been     

added by a later hand4    ,illustration3
 ,,second ,,page ,,of ,,the ,,sanson    
,,bill1 ,,bearing1 ,,in ,,the ,,entry   
,,for ,,april #bf1 #aghe1 ,,the ,,only  
,,record ,,known ,,to ,,exist ,,of ,,the
 ,,date ,,of      ,,audubon',s ,,birth4 
,illustration3 ,,third ,,page ,,of ,,the
 ,,sanson ,,bill1 ,,signed ,,as         
,,accepted ,,by      ,,jean ,,audubon1  
,,october #ab1 #aghf1 ,,and ,,receipted 
,,by ,,the ,,doctor1 ,,when      ,,paid1
 ,,june #g1 #aghg4  ,this physician's   
chief resources are seen to have been   
ipecacuanha1 purgative decoctions1      
including such as the tamarind tree     
provided1 manna1 mineral waters1        
lotions1 plasters1 and kino1 an         
astringent juice derived from different 
leguminous plants1 which gave a red     
color to the saliva1 not to speak of    
other medicines1 the nature of which is 
not revealed1 which were liberally      
supplied to whites and blacks1 both old 
and young1 alike4 ,it will be noticed   
further that the slaves of ,african     

birth when not named are referred to as 
bossals though many young blacks and    
mulattoes are called ,joue2#cg that a   
cooper1 attached presumably to the      
,audubon sugar refinery1 was dosed      
thrice daily with kino on four days in  
succession2 and that this favorite      
treatment was repeated a month later4 ,a
 clerk in the establishment1 ,monsieur  
,aubinais1 is mentioned as requiring    
frequent attention1 as well as ,jean    
,audubon himself1 who was once bled at  
the arm4  ,in the entry for ,march #bg1 
#aghd1 there is this interesting        
reference3 ,inoculated ,csar1 ,jupiter1 
and ,rose1 at thirty francs each1 ninety
 francs2 and if there were any doubt why
 ,csar had been inoculated1 a hint is   
immediately given under ,may #aa3 ,for  
attention1 visits1 and remedies1 during 
the smallpox 7la petite vrole7 of the   
mulatto ,joue1 sixty francs2 again we   
read3 ,june #cj1 inoculated a little    
negro bossal1 named ,joue1 thirty       
francs4 ,every fresh batch of negroes   

landed in the colonies led to a new     
outbreak of this terrible scourge1 and  
but one other disease1 la grosse        
vrole1#ch was more common or more fatal 
among the blacks4 ,for a long period it 
had been a common practice to inoculate 
both whites and blacks directly with the
 smallpox in order to secure some degree
 of protection against its most virulent
 form1 but this method of fighting the  
devil with fire had its disadvantages4  
,by the end of the eighteenth century   
opinion was about equally divided upon  
the advisability of continuing the      
measure1 since induced variola or       
smallpox was apt to be virulent1 and was
 often quite as infectious as when      
manifested in the usual and natural way4
 ,then came ,edward ,jenner's grand     
discovery1 made twelve years before this
 date but not announced until #agih1    
that vaccinia would prevent variola4    
,almost immediately vaccination spread  
like wild fire over ,europe1 and it has 
never been appreciated more fully or    

more highly lauded by the best          
representatives of the medical          
profession everywhere than at the       
present day4  ,the most interesting     
references in this historic document are
 to ,mlle4 ,rabin1 whose name occurs no 
less than seventeen times1 beginning    
,may #ba1 #aghd1 and closing with the   
entry for the seventeenth of ,august1   
#aghe4 ,we learn that the physician     
spent the nights of ,april #bd and #be1 
#aghe1 at the woman's bedside1 and that 
her child was born on the twenty-sixth  
day of that month1 probably in the      
morning4 ,it will be noticed further    
that she had been bled previously at the
 arm1 that she had suffered also from   
the erysipelas1 and that later she was  
treated for abscesses4 ,these frequent  
attentions of the physician1 extending  
over several months1 the last record    
being for ,august #ag1 show only too    
clearly that at this time ,audubon's    
mother was in feeble health4 ,all that  
is further known about her is that she  

died either at the close of #aghe or in 
#aghf1 when her infant son was probably 
less than a year old4#ci  ,a daughter of
 ,jean ,audubon1 ,rosa1 who was first   
called ,muguet 7in ,english1 ,lily of   
the ,valley71 was also born in ,santo   
,domingo1 and probably at ,les ,cayes1  
on ,april #bi1 #aghg4 ,her mother1      
,catharine ,bouffard1 crole de          
,saint-,domingue1 who subsequently went 
to ,france1 had another daughter1 born  
also at ,les ,cayes1 named ,louise1 who 
was living at ,la ,rochelle in #ahai4dj 
,when ,captain ,audubon finally left the
 ,west ,indies in the autumn of #aghi1  
he took with him1 in the care of        
trustworthy slaves1 these two children1 
,fougre or ,jean ,rabin1 aged four and a
 half years1 and ,muguet or ,rosa1 an   
infant of less than two4 ,we know that  
he visited ,richmond1 ,virginia1 to     
collect a long outstanding claim against
 ,david ,ross1 then engaged in an iron  
industry near that city 7see ,chapter   
,,viii1 p4 #aba71 and it is possible    

that he traveled by way of ,new ,orleans
 and the ,mississippi and ,ohio rivers4 
,after spending some time at the close  
of this year in the ,united ,states1 he 
went to ,france and made a home for his 
children at ,nantes4 ,this city became  
essentially their permanent abode until 
their father's retirement from the navy 
on ,january #a1 #ahja1 when he finally  
settled in the little commune of        
,couron1 on the north bank of the       
,loire4 ,the storm that burst over      
,nantes soon after their arrival        
revealed the true colors of ,jean       
,audubon's patriotism1 and the man was  
seen at his best1 as will be related in 
the following chapter4  ,madame         
,audubon1 who had no children of her    
own1 tenderly received the little ones1 
thus wafted from over the sea to her    
door in the ,rue de ,crbillon4#da ,as   
the story proceeds we shall see that she
 was a most kind1 if over-indulgent1    
foster mother1 and became excessively   
proud of her handsome boy4 ,the first of

 my recollective powers1 said the       
naturalist when writing of himself in   
#ahce1db placed me in the central       
portion of the city of ,nantes 444 where
 ,i still recollect particularly that ,i
 was much cherished by my dear          
stepmother 444 and that ,i was          
constantly attended by one or two black 
servants1 who had followed my father to 
,new ,orleans and afterwards to ,nantes4
  ,jean ,audubon1 who spent a good part 
of his life at sea and in a country     
almost totally devoid of morals1 must be
 considered as the product of his time4 
,he was better1 no doubt1 than many who 
made greater professions1 better        
certainly than a ,rousseau1 who gave    
excellent advice to parents upon the    
proper methods of rearing their children
 but sent his own offspring to orphan   
asylums4 ,as most men have their faults1
 said the son1 the father had one that  
was common to many individuals1 and that
 never left him until sobered by a long 
life2 but1 he added1 as a father1 ,i    

never complained of him2 his generosity 
was often too great1 and his good       
qualities won him many desirable        
friends4 ,whatever his faults1 ,jean    
,audubon was just1 generous and         
possessed of a kind heart4 ,he was in   
reality a truer father than many who    
give their children their name but deny 
them sympathy and a wise oversight4     
,jean ,audubon not only cherished the   
two children but made them his heirs4   
,on ,march #g1 #agic1 ,fougre at the age
 of eight and ,muguet at six were       
legalized by a regular act of adoption  
in the presence of witnesses at ,nantes 
as the children of ,jean and ,anne      
,moynet ,audubon4  ,this step was taken 
at the very moment when the storm had   
burst over ,la ,vende1 when the fate of 
,nantes was trembling in the balance and
 the life of her citizens was most      
insecure4 ,the act of adoption reads3#dc
            ,extract from the registers 
of births of the           sections of  
,la ,halle and ,jean ,jacques of the    

commune           of ,nantes1 department
 of the ,loire infrieure1 on            
the seventh of ,march1 #agdi1 the second
 year of the           ,republic1 one   
and indivisible1 at ten o'clock in      
the morning4       ,before us1 ,joseph  
,theulier1 public officer1 elected to   
determine the public status of citizens1
 have appeared in the      town hall1   
,jean ,audubon1 commanding the war sloop
 ,cerberus1      vessel of the          
,republic1 aged forty-nine years1 native
 of ,les      ,sables d',olonne1        
department of ,la ,vende1 and ,anne     
,moinet his      wife1 aged fifty-eight 
years1 native of the former parish      
of ,saint-,leonard1 of this commune1    
who1 assisted by ,ren      ,toussaint   
,julien ,beuscher1 manufacturer1 aged   
twenty-five      years1 living in the   
section of ,la ,halle1 ,rubens ,street1 
and      by ,julien ,pierre ,beuscher1  
marine surgeon1 aged twenty-four        
years1 living in the section of ,la     
,fraternit1 ,marchix ,street1      and  

employed steadily in the said war sloop 
,cerberus1 have      declared before me 
that they do adopt and recognize from   
this      moment as their lawful        
children1 to wit3       ,a male child   
named ,fougre1 born since their         
marriage1      which took place on the  
twenty-fourth of ,august1 #aggb1 in     
the commune of ,paimbuf1 in this        
department1 to him1 ,jean      ,audubon1
 and a woman living in ,america1 who has
 been dead      about eight years1 and a
 female child1 named ,muguet1 born      
also since the marriage aforesaid1 to   
him and another woman      living in    
,america1 named ,catharine ,bouffard1 of
 whose fate he      is ignorant4        
,the two children being present1 the    
first aged nine years1      that will   
expire on the #bb;d of next ,april1 the 
second aged      seven years1 that will 
also expire on the #bfth of ,april      
next1 and both having been born in      
,america1 according to this             
declaration that the witnesses above    

mentioned have signified      as true1  
,i have drawn up the present act1 which 
the natural      father and the mother  
by adoption1 as well as their witnesses 
have signed1 together with myself in    
this said day and year4  ,it will be    
noticed that in this legally attested   
document1 ,bouffard1 the true name of   
,muguet's mother1 is given1 while the   
name of the mother of ,audubon is       
suppressed4 ,it might therefore be      
inferred that the name ,rabin1 which    
appears later1 was assumed1 but as      
already remarked1 such evidence is not  
conclusive4  ,fougre1 who was also      
called ,jean ,rabin1 was baptized on    
,october #bc1 #ahjj1 by a priest of the 
church of ,saint-,similien at ,nantes4  
,the archives of this church for the    
period in question have disappeared1 but
 ,jean ,audubon's copy of the record has
 survived1 and reads as follows3#dd     
,,the ,,act ,,of ,,baptism ,,of ,,jean  
,,audubon-,,rabin           ,october    
#bc1 #ahjj       ,we1 the undersigned1  

certify to have baptized on this day    
,jean ,jacques ,fougre ,audubon1        
adoptive son of ,jean ,audubon1         
lieutenant of a frigate of the          
,republic1 and of ,anne ,moinet1        
his legitimate wife1 who being present  
bear witness that the      adoption of  
the said ,fougre1 made by them1 is in   
accordance      with the present act4   
,signed ,,tardiveau1 priest of          
,saint-,similien1             of the    
town of ,nantes4  ,the act of adoption  
was drawn at a time when ,captain       
,audubon could have had little leisure  
to consult records had he been disposed 
to do so1 but the dates of birth which  
he then gave for these two children were
 correct both as to the year and month4 
,fougre1 however1 was born on the       
twenty-sixth1 instead of the            
twenty-second of ,april1 and ,muguet1 on
 the twenty-ninth1 instead of the       
twenty-sixth1 of that month4 ,audubon's 
mother's name is indicated in numerous  
legal documents of later date1 and1 as  

will appear1 in every instance her son's
 identity is clearly established4       
,young ,audubon1 who disliked the names 
of ,fougre and ,rabin1 and naturally    
wished to be rid of their early         
associations1 adopted the fanciful name 
of ,la ,forest1#de but used it only     
sporadically and for a short time4 ,some
 of his drawings of birds made at       
,nantes or ,couron as early as #ahje1   
and in ,new ,york in #ahjf and #ahjg1   
and possibly others of slightly later   
date1 are signed ,j4 ,l4 ,f4 ,a41 or ,j4
 ,j4 ,l4 ,audubon4#df  ,jean ,audubon   
and his wife are said to have settled   
some property upon ,jean ,rabin1 crole  
de ,saint ,domingue1 which he refused to
 accept1 saying1 my own name ,i have    
never been permitted even to speak2     
accord me that of ,audubon1 which ,i    
revere1 as ,i have cause to do4#dg ,the 
reference in this instance was1 ,i      
believe1 to the final will of           
,lieutenant ,audubon1#dh according to   
which his property1 after being held in 

usufruct by his wife during her         
lifetime1 was to be equally divided     
between their two adopted children4 ,in 
his first will the son was referred to  
as ,jean ,audubon1 but in the second and
 last document1 executed in #ahaf1 two  
years before the testator's death1 he   
appears as ,jean ,rabin4 ,madame        
,audubon drew four wills2 in the first1 
dated ,december #d1 #ahad1 her adopted  
son is called ,jean ,audubon2 in the    
next1 of #ahaf1 he is ,jean ,rabin1     
crole de ,saint-,domingue1 while in a   
draft written ,december #bf1 #ahai1 he  
is styled simply ,jean ,rabin2 finally1 
in her fourth and last testament of     
,july #af1 #ahba1 the wording is ,jean  
,audubon1 called ',jean ,rabin4' ,it is 
thus very plain that ,audubon's foster  
parents considered it advisable to have 
his identity clearly set forth in legal 
documents4 ,in one of his               
autobiographical sketches ,audubon      
remarked that his own mother was said to
 have been as wealthy as she was        

beautiful1 and if this were true1 such  
caution might be explained and a key    
found to certain other enigmatical      
conditions which seemed to hedge his    
early life4 ,but to such possibilities  
it will be necessary to revert at a     
later point of our story4#di            
,illustration3 ,,audubon',s ,,signature 
,,at ,,various ,,periods ,,from #ahje   
,,to      #ahdg4       ,the first1      
fourth and sixth are from early         
drawings2 the      second from ,audubon 
and ,rozier's ,articles of ,association2
      the fifth from a release given to 
,rozier2 and the remainder      from    
letters4  ,this dual personality was set
 forth by the naturalist himself1 but in
 a more curious form1 in a power of     
attorney#ej executed at ,henderson1     
,kentucky1 on ,july #bf1 #ahag1 in favor
 of his brother-in-law1 ,gabriel ,loyen 
du ,puigaudeau4 ,this measure was taken 
more than a year after ,audubon's father
 had drawn up his last will1 in which   
the son was referred to as ,jean ,rabin1

 and was evidently designed to          
facilitate any settlement of this will  
which events in ,france might render    
necessary4 ,the naturalist was then     
engaged in his famous but disastrous    
financial enterprises on the ,ohio      
,river1#ea but whether any intimation   
had come to him of possible legal       
troubles1 which later actually ensued in
 ,france1 cannot be stated4  ,in reading
 the published accounts of ,audubon's   
early life many have been puzzled by the
 absence of definite dates1 as well as  
by the numerous contradictions in which 
they abound4 ,it is needless to burden  
this narrative with a tedious reference 
to all these errors or to attempt to    
trace their origin1 which no doubt had  
many sources1 but since we have given   
the first true account of the           
naturalist's birth1 we cannot pass these
 matters without a word of comment4 ,the
 situation is somewhat involved1 since  
we should possibly differentiate between
 what ,audubon at different times       

believed to be true1 and what he wished 
to make known to his family or to the   
public2 possibly also we should         
discriminate between what he actually   
published over his own signature during 
his lifetime and the material which has 
appeared since his death1 even though   
originally written by his own hand4     
,the first definite date which ,audubon 
ever gave concerning his own life was   
that of his marriage in #ahjh1 when he  
was twenty-three years of age1 and all  
that he ever published of a biographical
 nature is to be found in his           
,ornithological ,biography4#eb ,in the  
introduction to this work he simply said
 that he had received light and life in 
the ,new ,world1 and further that he    
returned to ,america from ,france1      
whither he had gone to receive the      
rudiments of his education1 at the age  
of seventeen4 ,since ,audubon's first   
return to ,america was in the autumn of 
#ahjc1 when he was actually about       
eighteen and one-half years old1 this   

statement is not so wide of the mark as 
to imply that the date of his birth was 
not then well understood4 ,moreover1 the
 record of his adoption1 which was      
certified to at the time of his baptism 
in #ahjj1 was carefully preserved among 
the family documents1 and there is no   
reason to suppose that knowledge of his 
age was ever withheld from him4         
,nevertheless1 ,audubon was inclined to 
overestimate his years1 a characteristic
 rare in these days2 when at ,oxford in 
#ahbh he was asked for his autograph1   
and was begged to inscribe also the date
 of his birth2 that1 he said in         
recording the incident1 ,i could not do1
 except approximately1 and his hostess  
was greatly amused that he should not   
know4  ,while going down the ,ohio      
,river in #ahbj1 bound for ,new         
,orleans1 ,audubon took advantage of a  
rainy day to write in his journal       
something about himself that he thought 
his children at some future time might  
desire to know4 ,this brief record may  

or may not have been at hand when in    
#ahce he wrote the more extended version
 that finally saw the light in #ahic4ec 
,since the manuscript of the later      
sketch was presumably in possession of  
,mrs4 ,audubon when the biography of her
 husband was prepared in ,new ,york     
about the year #ahff1 that account in   
its various versions has furnished      
biographers with practically all of the 
available material1 not purely          
conjectural1 concerning the naturalist's
 early life4 ,such additions as were    
made subsequently have proved to be very
 inaccurate4  ,in the first of these    
sketches1 which1 so far as it goes1 is  
more in strict accord with facts1       
,audubon said nothing of his birth1 and 
of his mother remarked only that he had 
been told that she was an extraordinary 
beautiful woman1 who died shortly after 
he was born4 ,his father1 he added1 saw 
his wealth torn from him1 until there   
was left barely enough to educate his   
two children1 all that remained of the  

five1 his three elder brothers#ed having
 been killed in the wars4 ,he then      
believed1 as he said1 that his first    
journey to ,france was made when he was 
two years old4  ,the later and fuller   
biography1 referred to above as written 
in #ahce and published in #ahic1 begins 
with these words3#ee       ,the precise 
period of my birth is yet an enigma to  
me1 and ,i      can only say what ,i    
have often heard my father repeat to me 
on this subject1 which is as follows3   
,it seems that my father      had large 
properties in ,santo ,domingo1 and was  
in the habit      of visiting frequently
 that portion of our ,southern ,states  
called1 and known by the name of1       
,louisiana1 then owned by      the      
,french ,government4       ,during one  
of these excursions he married a lady of
 ,spanish      extraction1 whom ,i have 
been led to understand was as           
beautiful as she was wealthy1 and       
otherwise attractive1 and      who bore 
my father three sons and a daughter1--,i

 being the      youngest of the sons and
 the only one who survived extreme      
youth4 ,my mother1 soon after my birth1 
accompanied my father      to the estate
 sic of ,aux ,cayes1#ef on the island of
      ,santo ,domingo1 and she was one  
of the victims during the               
ever-to-be-lamented period of the negro 
insurrection of that      island4       
,my father1 through the intervention of 
some faithful servants1      escaped    
from ,aux ,cayes with a good portion of 
his plate      and money1 and with me   
and these humble friends reached ,new   
,orleans in safety4 ,from this place he 
took me to ,france1 where      having   
married the only mother ,i have ever    
known1 he left      me under her charge 
and returned to the ,united ,states in  
the      employ of the ,french          
,government1 acting as an officer under 
,admiral ,rochambeau4 ,shortly          
afterward1 however1 he landed in        
the ,united ,states and became attached 
to the army under ,la      ,fayette4    

,the true history of ,jean ,audubon's   
commercial1 naval1 and civic career is  
given in the preceding and following    
chapters4  ,the naturalist1 in his      
letters and journals1 made frequent     
allusions to his age1 but1 as his       
granddaughter remarked1 with one        
exception1 no two agree2 hence1 his     
granddaughter concluded that he might   
have been born anywhere from #aggb to   
#aghc4 ,in the face of such uncertainty 
she adopted the traditional date of ,may
 #e1 #aghj1 adding that the true one was
 no doubt earlier4 ,audubon was thus    
five years younger than his biographers 
supposed1 and twenty-one years were     
added to the age of his father1 who     
actually lived to be only seventy-four  
years old1 while his son died in his    
sixty-seventh year4  ,wherever there is 
mystery there tradition is certain to   
raise its head1 and though the          
naturalist carried his enigma to the    
grave1 others1 building upon his story1 
have fixed upon the very house in       

,louisiana in which he is said to have  
been born4 ,indeed1 advocates of more   
than one house in that state as the     
probable scene of ,audubon's nativity   
have arisen in recent times4 ,we are    
obliged1 therefore1 to examine somewhat 
farther the now universally received but
 thoroughly erroneous idea that ,john   
,james ,audubon was a native of         
,louisiana at a time when that          
,commonwealth was part of a province of 
,france4  ,upholding a tradition of     
rather recent growth1 ,audubon's        
granddaughter has expressed the belief  
that the naturalist was born in a house 
belonging to the famous ,philippe de    
,marigny and known as ,fontainebleau4   
,this was a sugar plantation on the     
north side of ,lake ,ponchartrain1 three
 miles east of what is now the village  
of ,mandeville and twenty-five miles due
 north of ,new ,orleans4  ,pierre       
,enguerrand ,philippe de ,mandeville1   
,ecuyer ,sieur de ,marigny1#eg at one   
time owner of vast estates in and about 

,new ,orleans1 was born in that city in 
#agej1 and served as its alcade or mayor
 for two years4 ,a lavish dispenser of  
hospitality1 in #agih he entertained in 
great state the ,duke of ,orleans1 later
 known as ,louis ,philippe of ,france1  
together with his two brothers who      
accompanied him4 ,he died at ,new       
,orleans1 leaving five sons1 of whom the
 third1 ,bernard ,marigny1 later became 
the owner of ,fontainebleau1 which it   
has been mistakenly assumed was         
inherited from his father4 ,at the time 
of the ,duke of ,orleans' visit just    
mentioned ,jean ,audubon had been out of
 the country nine years2 there is no    
evidence of his ever having owned       
property at ,new ,orleans1 or ever      
having sustained any relations with the 
,marigny family4  ,before following the 
,marigny myth further1 it will be       
interesting to notice a late echo of the
 ,fontainebleau story4 ,in #aiaj the    
,reverend ,gordon ,bakewell1 then in his
 eighty-ninth year1 gave some           

interesting reminiscences of ,audubon1  
and spoke very definitely concerning    
both the time and place of his birth4   
,dr4 ,bakewell was a nephew of ,mrs4    
,audubon1 and as a youth1 in #ahcd1 had 
passed some time at her home in ,london4
 ,john ,w4 ,audubon1 with his father's  
assistance1 painted at that time a      
portrait of young ,bakewell1 who at a   
later day was welcomed in their home on 
the ,hudson4 ,dr4 ,bakewell's           
contribution was as follows3#eh         
,the uncertainty as to the place of     
,audubon's birth has been      put to   
rest by the testimony of an eye witness 
in the person      of old ,mandeville   
,marigny now dead some years4 ,his      
repeated      statement to me was1 that 
on his plantation at ,mandeville1       
,louisiana1 on ,lake ,ponchartrain1     
,audubon's mother was his      guest2   
and while there gave birth to ,john     
,james ,audubon4      ,marigny was      
present at the time1 and from his own   
lips1      ,i have1 as already said1    

repeatedly heard him assert the         
above fact4 ,he was ever proud to bear  
this testimony of his      protection   
given to ,audubon's mother1 and his     
ability to bear      witness as to the  
place of ,audubon's birth1 thus         
establishing      the fact that he was a
 ,louisianian by birth4  ,we do not     
doubt the candor and sincerity of the   
excellent ,dr4 ,bakewell1 but are bound 
to say that the incidents as related    
above betray a striking lapse of memory 
and an even greater misunderstanding of 
recorded facts4 ,singularly a footnote  
to the paragraph quoted shows that the  
,marigny to whom he refers was1 as must 
have been the case1 ,bernard ,mandeville
 de ,marigny1 who was born in #aghe1 the
 same year as the naturalist4 ,since    
both were in the cradle at the same     
time1 he is hardly available as a       
witness4 ,moreover1 the official records
 of the ,united ,states ,government     
prove that the estate called            
,fontainebleau was not in possession of 

the ,marigny family at the time of      
,audubon's birth4 ,the land in question 
was granted to a creole named ,antonio  
,bonnabel1 on ,january #be1 #agii1 by   
,manuel ,goyon de ,lemore1              
,governor-,general of the ,province of  
,louisiana and ,west ,florida4 ,bonnabel
 sold his tract to ,bernard ,marigny in 
#ahjj1 and ,congress confirmed his title
 to it by a special act in #ahcf4ei     
,bernard ,marigny served in the ,french 
army towards the close of the           
,napoleonic period1 and his return to   
the ,united ,states from ,france1 about 
#ahah1 is said to have been hastened by 
a duel which he fought with one of his  
superior officers4 ,on his return he    
named ,bonnabel's old tract on ,lake    
,ponchartrain ,fontainebleau1 in        
remembrance of the place where his      
regiment had been assigned for duty in  
,france1 and eventually built upon the  
estate a sawmill and a sugar-house1 and 
planted sugar cane1 living meanwhile on 
another plantation two and one-half     

miles away4 ,the latter estate was      
allotted by him in #ahcb1 when he gave  
it the name of ,mandeville2 the         
settlement thus started has since grown 
to a village of some #a1ejj people4     
,here a summer house which belonged to  
,bernard's father still exists1 although
 in altered form2 it has been raised to 
accommodate a lower story1 and is now   
known as the ,casino4 ,according to     
those who have most carefully           
investigated existing records1 this is  
the only house in ,mandeville which     
belonged to the elder ,marigny at the   
time of which we speak4  ,bernard       
,marigny was one of those who befriended
 ,audubon when he was in desperate      
straits at ,new ,orleans in #ahba1 by   
advancing him money in return for       
portraits or drawings of birds4 ,he died
 in that city in #ahfh1 when in his     
eighty-third year1 a poor and honest    
man4     ,,chapter ,v  ,,lieutenant     
,,audubon ,,as ,,revolutionist          
,background of ,audubon's youth--,nantes

 in ,revolution--,revolt in      ,la    
,vende--,siege of ,nantes--,reign of    
terror under ,carrier--,plague          
robbing the guillotine--,flight of the  
population--,execution      of          
,charette--,the ,chouan raid--,citizen  
,audubon's service--,he      reenters   
the navy and takes a prize from the     
,english--,his      subsequent naval    
career--,his losses in ,santo           
,domingo--,his      service and         
rank--,retires on a pension--,his       
death--,his character      and          
appearance4   ,the ancient city of      
,nantes1 long famed for the beauty of   
its situation on the banks of a noble   
river1 within easy reach of the sea1 as 
well as for its importance in the arts  
of war and peace1 numbered at the time  
of the ,revolution #gj1jjj souls4 ,the  
modern visitor to this favored spot will
 find quiet and orderly streets adorned 
with monumental statues 7one of these   
representing ,gupin1 the revered        
historian of the city71 the old         

buildings nearly all replaced by better1
 the ,loire spanned by handsome bridges1
 and the ancient bounds of the town     
extended until it has become the sixth  
city of the ,republic4 ,since ,nantes   
formed a somber background to ,audubon's
 youth1 we shall follow in brief some of
 the ordeals through which his family1  
in common with thousands of other       
,nantais1 were destined to pass during  
those eventful years which witnessed the
 close of the eighteenth century in     
,france4  ,when ,captain ,audubon       
reached ,nantes presumably not far from 
the beginning of #agij1 he found the    
city in a state of the greatest turmoil 
and agitation4 ,the commons1 or third   
estate1 included hundreds of its rich   
and influential citizens1 and their     
demands for a fair hearing and a        
representation equal to that of the     
other orders had then passed the stage  
of open revolt1 for they had planted    
their liberty tree and were sworn to    
defend it4 ,in ,august of #aghi a       

permanent ,committee of ,public ,safety 
had been constituted at ,nantes1 and by 
the end of that month #a1bjj had        
volunteered for service in the ,national
 ,guard4 ,there were many loyalists in  
the city but they could not crush the   
ardent spirit of this revolt1 and when  
in ,september money was needed to equip 
the revolutionary soldiery1 young school
 children raised large sums for the     
popular cause4 ,jean ,audubon           
immediately cast his lot with the       
revolutionists and joined the ,national 
,guard1 but how much service he saw in  
the field cannot now be determined2 it  
is known1 however1 that he was with     
these troops in the spring of #agib4fj  
,in ,march1 #agic1 the loyalists of ,la 
,vende rose to arms1 and marching on    
,nantes under the able leadership of    
,charette1 threatened to put its        
garrison to the sword if it were not    
surrendered within six hours4 ,the      
,national ,guard met these invaders     
outside the walls and left the citizens 

to shift for themselves4 ,thus thrown   
upon their own resources1 the ,nantais  
showed that they could help themselves4 
,they requisitioned and used for defense
 everything at hand2 they exhumed the   
leaden coffins in their grand cathedral 
and appropriated waterspouts for        
ammunition1 while their church bells    
were molded into cannon4 ,though held in
 check1 the ,vendeans laid siege to the 
city1 and but for the resolution of its 
mayor1 ,baco1 ,nantes would probably    
have fallen--in which event ,audubon    
would have had a different history and  
would probably never have become a      
pioneer naturalist in ,america4 ,baco1  
disregarding the advice of his military 
chiefs1 immediately placarded the walls 
of ,nantes decreeing death to any who   
should suggest capitulation1 and called 
all the inhabitants to arms1 sparing    
neither woman nor child4 ,the ,vendeans 
had met their match1 for they were      
dealing with many of their own blood1   
but though the siege began in early     

,march1 they were not effectually       
dispersed until the end of ,june1 and   
then only after much bloodshed without  
the walls4 ,when the immediate crisis   
had passed1 the ,constitution of the    
,republic was unanimously accepted by   
the eighteen sections of ,nantes1 on the
 twenty-first day of ,july1 #agib4  ,a  
few months later in that fateful year a 
more terrible calamity befell the city1 
when the reign of terror under the      
notorious ultra-revolutionist1 ,jean ,b4
 ,carrier1 began4 ,carrier reached      
,nantes on ,october #h and at once      
proposed to exterminate both the        
,vendean royalists and their ,nantais   
sympathizers4 ,he reorganized the entire
 administration to suit his purposes1   
and to carry out his plans recruited    
from the lowest classes a revolutionary 
army to spy upon1 denounce and arrest   
private citizens1 many of whom were sent
 to ,paris for trial when not secretly  
dispatched4 ,the whole district was soon
 paralyzed by the barbarity of the      

crimes then committed1 and the unhappy  
,vendeans were dragged to ,nantes1 to be
 shot1 guillotined or drowned1 in such  
numbers that the city was unable to bury
 its dead or the river to discharge them
 to the sea4 ,thus perished thousands1  
uncounted if not unknown1 and the       
pestilence of typhoid fever that        
immediately followed claimed another    
heavy toll regardless of political      
sympathies4 ,while these dire scenes    
were being enacted1 ,jean ,jacques      
,fougre ,audubon1 then a lad of eight   
years1 was living in the heart of       
,nantes1 and his father was one of its  
leading revolutionists4 ,an aunt of the 
future ornithologist1 according to his  
account1 who was one of these wretched  
victims of revolutionary fury1 was      
dragged through the streets of ,nantes  
before his eyes1 but apparently she did 
not actually meet her death at that     
time4#fa  ,that ,jean ,audubon moved his
 family out of ,nantes during the       
revolutionary crisis is possible1 and   

,couron would have been available as a  
place of refuge4 ,many ,nantais are     
known to have fled to ,lorient on the   
coast of ,brittany1 where they found in 
the heroic youth ,julien the ardent and 
fearless patriot who was destined to    
become the real savior of their stricken
 city4 ,young ,julien denounced ,carrier
 in his letters to ,robespierre1 and    
when one of these was intercepted1      
defied him in person4 ,when his stirring
 appeals finally reached the ,tribunal  
at ,paris1 its misnamed representative  
was recalled1 and left ,nantes under    
cover of night on ,february #ad1 #agid4 
,during his mad reign of four months1   
,carrier had gone far towards carrying  
out his theory of republican government1
 that should begin1 as he openly avowed1
 by suppressing half of the population  
of ,france4 ,the records show that      
nearly nine thousand bodies were buried 
in ,nantes in a little over three       
months1 from ,january #ae to ,april #bd1
 #agid4 ,the plague of fever no doubt   

accounted for many of these1 but the    
wide reaches of the ,loire never told   
their full story4  ,though the most     
grievous affliction of ,nantes passed   
with the recall of ,carrier1 the city   
had no lasting peace until the execution
 of the ,vendean leader1 ,charette1 in  
,march1 #agif2 ,poor ,charette1 said    
,audubon1 writing in his journal at     
,liverpool1 ,december #bd1 #ahbg1 whom  
,i saw shot on the place de ,viarme at  
,nantes4 ,this virtually ended the war  
in the ,vende1 but the ,chouans1 under  
their intrepid chief1 ,dupr1 the miller1
 called ,tte-,carre1 managed to furnish 
considerable excitement1 and raided     
,nantes in #agii4 ,dupr's followers     
stole in secretly at three o'clock on   
the morning of ,october #ai and left    
before daylight1 after liberating       
fifteen royalists from the prison1 which
 seems to have been their chief purpose4
 ,the cannon of alarm was fired from the
 ,chateau2 the tocsin sounded1 calling  
the city to arms2 there was much street 

fighting1 but it was too foggy and dark 
to distinguish friend from foe1 and when
 the ,national ,guard was finally       
assembled1 the enemy had vanished4 ,this
 brief attack cost the city twenty-one  
deaths and wounds for twice the         
number1#fb but it was only a passing    
incident in comparison with events that 
had gone before4 ,thenceforth the       
history of the town is blended with that
 of the nation4#fc  ,we have only slight
 indications of ,jean ,audubon's        
activities from the close of #aghi1     
when1 according to his own statement1 he
 was in the ,united ,states1 to the     
period of his service in the ,national  
,guard at ,nantes in the spring of      
#agib2 he was then living in the house  
of ,citizen ,carricoule1 rue de         
,crbillon1 and the lease of his ,mill   
,grove farm1 which was renewed in       
,october1 #agij1 was dated at ,nantes4  
,we may safely assume that he was       
engaged in revolutionary business during
 most of this interval3 his name begins 

to appear in the written records of     
,nantes and of the department of the    
,lower ,loire in ,january1 #agic1 and   
existing documents#fd show that he was  
engaged as a commissioner and member of 
the ,department and as a member of the  
,council of the ,navy until the         
twenty-fifth of ,june1 when he enlisted 
for active service in the navy of the   
,republic4 ,jean ,audubon served also on
 various republican committees1 his     
duties comprising the enlistment of     
recruits1 organizing the ,national      
,guard1 soliciting funds and food       
supplies for ,nantes1 finding cannon and
 other military or naval materials1     
posting proclamations1 administering the
 oath of allegiance1 and watching the   
movements of loyalist troops in the     
district4 ,we have seen that the father 
of the naturalist was a game and        
determined fighter1 and there is ample  
written testimony to prove that in the  
commune of ,nantes he was regarded as an
 ardent patriot1 who could be relied    

upon to act with tact1 and if necessary 
with force4    ,illustration3           
,,lieutenant ,,jean ,,audubon     ,,anne
 ,,moynet ,,audubon       ,,after ,,oil 
,,portraits ,,painted ,,between #ahja   
,,and #ahjf1 ,,now ,,in                 
,,possession ,,of ,m4 ,l4 ,,lavigne1    
,,at ,,cou,,ron4    ,illustration3      
,,jean ,,audubon       ,,after ,,an     
,,oil ,,portrait ,,painted ,,by ,,the   
,,american ,,artist ,,polk1      ,,at   
,,philadelphia1 ,,about #aghi1 ,,now    
,,in ,,possession ,,of ,,mrs4 ,,morris  
,,frank ,,tyler4 ,,published ,,by       
,,courtesy ,,of ,,miss ,,maria ,r4      
,,audubon4  ,having been appointed a    
,civil ,commissioner by the ,directory  
of the ,department on ,january #ag1     
#agic1 ,citizen ,audubon was sent to    
,savenay1 a town of some importance     
twenty-five miles to the northwest of   
,nantes4 ,his instructions on this      
mission were to gather useful           
information on the civil1 moral and     
political state of the district1 in     

order to bring a remedy1 and to         
administer the oath of allegiance to all
 administrative and judicial bodies4    
,jean began operations without delay1   
and his report1 which was kept in       
journal form and embraces the period    
from ,january #ai to ,september #aj1    
#agic1 is an interesting document2 it   
covers fifty-one large foolscap pages1  
written now in a fine and again in a    
bold1 regular hand1 in the course of    
which his characteristic signature#fe   
occurs no less than twenty-two times1   
each section of the report having been  
signed as completed4 ,in one section of 
this journal he wrote3 ,our operations  
having been finished1 we assembled      
around the tree of liberty1 and there   
sang the hymn of the ,marseillaise1     
which was interrupted with frequent     
shouts of ',vive la rpublique61' ',vive 
la nation61' and more than one charge of
 musketry4    ,illustration3 ,,one ,,of 
,,jean ,,audubon',s ,,signatures ,,in   
,,his ,,report ,,to ,,the               

,,directory1 #agic4       ,from the     
original in the archives of the         
prfecture at ,nantes4  ,jean ,audubon   
with eight others was charged with      
organizing the ,national ,guard in the  
canton of ,pellerin1 and ordered to     
accompany the detachment that marched to
 the relief of ,pornic1 ,march #bg1     
#agic4 ,the ,citizen was busy also in   
other directions4 ,he said in his       
report3       ,in virtue of the power   
conferred upon us by the ,central       
,committee1 on the ninth of ,april we   
were transported to the      parish of  
,couron1 where we arrived at seven      
o'clock in the      morning4            
,proclamations were posted both at      
,couron and at      ,port ,launay close 
by1 while some were sent across the     
river      to ,pellerin4 ,we availed    
ourselves on this occasion of the       
services of two officers of a corsair1  
who demanded that we      aid in        
removing from ,pellerin four cannon with
 four-pound      balls1 and we succeeded

 in putting to flight a small barque    
and four men1 who an hour later returned
 with cannon4444 ,the      parish of    
,couron appears very tranquil1 and is in
 a better      mood than at first seemed
 to us4  ,a little later ,jean proceeded
 to ,paimbuf on a similar errand4 ,his  
letters to the citizen-administrators of
 that commune are dated at ,nantes on   
the seventeenth of ,april and the       
fourteenth of ,may2 in one of these he  
refers to the sum of four hundred francs
 due from the ,administration for one   
year's rent of my house in calle        
,rondineau 7 la calle rondino71 which   
you have taken for a corps de garde 7see
 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #cb74  ,in ,july and      
,august of this second year of the      
,republic1 ,citizen ,audubon was sent to
 his native town of ,les ,sables        
d',olonne to follow the movements of the
 loyalist generals ,westermann and      
,boulart1#ff a mission which could      
hardly have been agreeable if1 as seems 
to have been the case1 some of his own  

people were loyal to the old rgime4     
,correspondence by sea between ,les     
,sables and ,nantes1 which was open     
before the siege1 was not broken at this
 time1 for the royalists had named one  
of their representatives1 ,benoit1 as a 
delegate to fraternize with the citizens
 of ,nantes1 to invite the authorities  
to correspond1 and beg them to send food
 if they had more than they required4   
,four of ,jean's letters1 dated at ,les 
,sables on the fifth and eighth of ,july
 and the sixth of ,august1 besides one  
from ,la ,rochelle on the fourteenth of 
,july1 all addressed to the             
,administration of the ,loire infrieure1
 have been preserved4  ,in the          
manuscript records of the ,department   
for #agic is found also a notice of     
,jean's appointment as ,special         
,commissioner1 with a memorandum of all 
the money paid to reimburse him for the 
expenses of his numerous journeys4      
,thus1 it is noted that he had been paid
 #ade francs for a service of           

twenty-nine days1 which would represent 
the modest allowance of a dollar a day4 
,another item shows that he had received
 #ajj francs for a tour of ten days2 a  
note which was added to this item to    
explain the ,directory's sanction for   
the payment of another forty-five francs
 and ten sous reads as follows3 by its  
order of the sixth of ,march last1 the  
,council had1 in effect1 named ,citizen 
,audubon as its ,commissioner1 to visit 
the coasts and to secure signatures1    
with full power to treat with all       
people1 to acquire materials for the    
navy and other objects of his mission2  
if this mission did not prove           
successful1 it was solely through force 
of circumstances1 and not from any lack 
of zeal on his part4#fg  ,on the        
twenty-fifth of ,june1 #agic1 while     
engaged in duties to which we have just 
referred1 ,jean ,audubon was appointed1 
with rank of ensign1 to command the     
,republican lugger named the            
,cerberus4#fh ,during this charge1 which

 lasted until the twenty-second of      
,november of the following year1 he     
fought one of the stiffest engagements  
of his career4 ,on the twelfth of ,july 
he encountered the ,brilliant1 an       
,english privateer of fourteen cannon   
which had captured an ,american ship    
laden with flour2 and after a desperate 
battle which lasted three hours1 in the 
course of which ,jean was wounded in the
 left thigh1 the ,englishman1 beaten and
 obliged to surrender his prize1 was    
glad to escape under cover of night4    
,jean towed the ,american into the port 
of ,la ,rochelle1 and afterwards sent to
 the ,administration a full account of  
the engagement4#fi ,ensign ,audubon's   
next command was a dispatch boat called 
,l',eveill 7,the ,awakened71 on which he
 served for nearly nine months1 from    
,november #bc1 #agid1 to ,august #ad1   
#agie4 ,he was then detailed for port   
duty at ,la ,rochelle from ,august #ae1 
#agie1 to ,january #bd1 #agig4 ,his last
 ship was ,l',instituteur 7,the         

,institutor71 which he commanded with   
the rank of lieutenant de vaisseau1     
,january #be to ,october #c1 #agig1     
while he was engaged in governmental    
business between the ports of ,la       
,rochelle and ,brest4  ,the financial   
losses which ,lieutenant ,audubon       
sustained at ,les ,cayes in consequence 
of the revolution in ,santo ,domingo    
were a crushing blow to him2 he never   
recovered his fortune1 later estimated  
by his son-in-law at a sum which at that
 day would have been fabulous4#gj ,the  
business house in which he was          
interested failed2 his plantations1     
refinery1 houses and stores1 the rents  
from which1 as we have seen1 in certain 
years after #aghi1 had yielded #ij1jjj  
francs1 were presumably ravaged and     
partially destroyed4 ,when the news of  
this misfortune reached him after #agib1
 his hands were tied by revolutions at  
home4 ,though he applied to his         
,government for relief1 as undoubtedly  
did a host of other losers1 he was      

eventually granted only a small         
indemnity1 not exceeding #cj1jjj francs4
  ,friends of ,jean ,audubon at ,nantes 
had made repeated demands of the        
,ministry of ,marine that he be given a 
rank more in accord with his patriotism 
and efficient service to the ,state1 and
 on ,october #aa1 #agig1 he was         
commissioned lieutenant-commander       
7lieutenant de vaisseau71#ga one grade  
below that of captain4 ,he held this    
rank for three years1 during which he   
was engaged in vigilance service at ,les
 ,sables d',olonne and in military duty 
at ,rochefort1 or until he was retired  
from the navy for disability1 ,january  
#a1 #ahja 7le #aa nivose1 an #i71 at the
 age of fifty-seven4#gb ,he had served  
the ,state for over eight years1 and his
 total period of active duty on sea and 
land when employed in the merchant      
marine and navy of ,france1 as estimated
 from port to port1 amounted to nineteen
 years1 nine months and twelve days1    
while it had extended with interruptions

 over more than forty years4#gc ,after  
this long period of service1 when1      
suffering from a pulmonary affection1 he
 applied to his ,government for a       
pension1 he received the paltry annuity 
of #fjj francs or #abj4                 
,illustration3 ,,certificate ,,of       
,,service ,,of ,,lieutenant ,,jean      
,,audubon1      ,,february #bf1 #ahja4  
,from a photograph of the original in   
the ,lavigne ,,mss4  ,with this modest  
pension and a property yielding an      
income not above #b1jjj a year#gd1      
,lieutenant ,audubon retired to his     
quiet villa of ,la ,gerbetire1 at       
,couron1 where he could indulge his     
taste for country life and for raising  
his favorite fruits and flowers2 he is  
said to have kept some live stock1 but  
could have been a farmer only on a      
modest scale4 ,meanwhile he continued to
 maintain a house1 or at least rooms1 at
 ,nantes1 whither he went periodically  
to conduct his correspondence and       
business affairs4 ,the following letter 

of attorney1 issued by ,lieutenant      
,audubon a year after he had retired    
from the navy1 shows that he still had  
interests in ,santo ,domingo1 and was   
endeavoring to collect rents1 long      
overdue1 from houses and stores that    
belonged either to himself or to his    
clients4 ,whether through the dishonesty
 of agents or from what other cause1    
this property which the elder ,audubon  
held in his own right seems gradually to
 have melted away3       ,the #aith     
pluviose1 in the eleventh year of the   
,republic1 one      and indivisible     
,january #g1 #ahjb1 before the public   
notaries      of the department of      
,loire infrieure1 who reside in ,nantes 
and ,doulon1 the undersigned have seen  
present the citizen ,jean      ,audubon1
 lieutenant of frigate1 retired1 and    
proprietor at      ,santo ,domingo1 aged
 #ei years1 infirm and unable in        
consequence      of his infirmities to  
go himself to attend to his business    
affairs in ,santo ,domingo1 living in   

,rubens ,street1 in the      ,mocquard  
house1#ge ,no4 #ci1 in the city and     
commune of ,nantes1      department of  
,loire infrieure3       ,who has made   
and constituted for his general and     
special      attorney ,jean ,franois    
,blanchard1 merchant1 and originally    
from the commune of ,chateaubriand1     
department of ,loire      infrieure1    
living at the town of ,les ,cayes1 in   
the southern      section of the island 
of ,santo ,domingo1 opposite ,ile       
,vaches1      to whom he gives full and 
complete powers to revoke for him1      
and in his name1 every preceding bill of
 attorney1 for the      purpose of      
managing the stores magazins at ,les    
,cayes1 in      the southern part of    
,santo ,domingo1 opposite ,ile  ,vaches3
      ,to demand and obtain all accounts
 from the holders of said               
properties1 who have had or still have  
charge of them there2      to examine   
the said accounts1 to debate1 close up  
and stop      them 444 to lease the said

 properties1 without the power of       
making any extensive repairs to them    
whatsoever1 about which      he had not 
informed the constituent in ,france1 and
 that he has      not authorized him    
there to do1 at least by a special      
letter1      it being understood that   
the actual tenant is obliged to make    
all the necessary repairs to the said   
houses and stores to the      extent of 
#ae1jjj francs1 and he should not use   
more than #d1jjj      francs yearly for 
the space of five years1 counting from  
the      month of thermidor1 year #h    
,july #ai-;,august #ag1 #ahjj4       ,it
 is demanded of citizeness ,fauveau1 or 
of her assigns1 to      know the reason 
why she has failed1 to the present      
moment1      to pay to the constituent  
in ,france for the domicile of the      
citizeness ,coyron1#gf the twelve       
thousand six hundred francs      that   
she should annually pay to him1         
according to the act of      ,july #ae1 
#aghh1 as given by ,domergue1 notary at 

,les ,cayes4 ,you      will satisfy them
 with the state of the dwelling house in
 the      plain of ,jacob1 opposite ,ile
  ,vaches4       ,this was sold by the  
said act to the said citizeness ,fauveau
      and to her late husband by the    
said constituents1 to whom he      will 
report regularly on the state of        
affairs1 at least twice      in the     
year4444            ,signed at ,nantes  
,j4 ,,royer one of             the      
undersigned notaries  ,lieutenant ,jean 
,audubon died at ,nantes1#gg when on a  
visit to that city1 on ,february #ai1   
#ahah1 at the age of seventy-four1      
regretted most deservedly1 said his son1
 on account of his simplicity1 truth1   
and perfect sense of honesty2 his       
manners1 he continues1 were those of a  
most polished gentleman 444 and his     
natural understanding had been carefully
 improved both by observation and by    
self education4 ,jean ,audubon's means  
in ,france had been reduced partly by   
bad debts1 for he seems to have been    

generous in lending money to his        
friends2 ,madame ,audubon found herself 
greatly hampered by lack of ready money1
 although1 as her son-in-law remarked1  
her hands were full of notes4  ,when    
,jean ,audubon applied for nomination to
 the naval service of the ,republic in  
#agic1 we find a description of his     
previous life and habits recorded as a  
part of the information required by the 
,committee of ,public ,safety4 ,the     
commune of ,nantes at that time gave a  
flattering testimonial to his           
patriotism1 in which he was described as
 an officer of merit1 who had acquired  
through long experience at sea an       
extensive knowledge of navigation1 who  
was a man of honor1 and devoid of any   
inclination to vice or gambling2 his    
nautical experience had been chiefly    
gained in ,american waters1 the voyages 
of his choice being those to ,santo     
,domingo and the ,united ,states4  ,at  
the age of forty-eight the elder        
,audubon thus briefly described himself3

 short in stature1 measuring five feet1 
five inches2 figure1 oval2 eyes1 blue2  
nose and mouth1 large2 eyebrows1 auburn2
 hair and beard turned gray4 ,contrary  
to the naturalist's expressed belief1   
there seems to have been little or no   
physical resemblance between father and 
son4 ,at a corresponding age1 ,john     
,james ,audubon1 according partly to his
 own account1 stood five feet1 ten      
inches in stockings2 his hair was dark  
brown2 he had sunken1 hazel eyes1       
flecked with brown1 and of remarkable   
brightness2 while his clean-cut profile 
showed an aquiline nose4 ,in temper1    
said the son1 to continue the           
comparison1 we much resembled each      
other1 being warm1 irascible1 and at    
times violent1 but it was like the blast
 of a hurricane1 dreadful for a time1   
when calm almost instantly returned4    
,though passionate at times1 ,jean      
,audubon was a man of force and         
decision1 as his career amply shows4 ,if
 he does not loom large in the history  

of his time or was but little known     
beyond the limits of his province1 it   
must be remembered that the time called 
forth thousands of the ablest men of his
 nation4     ,,chapter ,,vi  ,school    
,days ,in ,france       ,molding of     
,audubon's character--,factor of        
environment--,turning      failure into 
success--,an indulgent stepmother--,the 
truant--,his      love of nature--,early
 drawings and discipline--,experience at
      ,rochefort--,baptized in the      
,roman ,catholic ,church4   ,it is now  
commonly believed that of the three     
great factors which mold                
character--environment1 training and    
heritage1 the last is the most          
important1 since it alone is            
predetermined and unalterable4          
,environment may be uncertain or        
unsuitable1 training defective or       
deferred1 but blood is the one          
possession of which the child cannot be 
robbed2 and since it sets the limits to 
possibility1 in no small degree must it 

determine the acquisitions and          
accomplishments of a lifetime4 ,this1   
however1 is not the whole truth4 ,race  
may account for much1 but it does not   
account for everything2 the child is    
effectually robbed whenever it is not   
permitted to realize to the full upon   
its inheritance4 ,to be able to convert 
possibilities into actualities it must  
receive fit training and right          
incentives1 and if at critical times the
 proper spur is wanting1 its patrimony  
may be sadly wasted4 ,the good          
environment for the youth1 too often    
thought to be the soft conditions of an 
easy life1 is in truth that only which  
provides the proper and necessary       
stimulus4 ,this may be now fear or      
pride1 now hard necessity or bitter     
want2 again1 an awakened sense of       
responsibility or ambition to excel may 
be induced by concrete examples and     
fostered1 as it often is1 by lofty      
purposes and the uplift of a high ideal4
  ,audubon's life affords a striking    

proof of the power which environment can
 exert in awakening dormant capacity1 in
 developing talents to their full and   
calling into use every force held in    
reserve4 ,when we consider what his life
 work finally became1 and what he       
eventually accomplished in a field for  
which he had no training1 except in     
drawing1 we find it easier to wonder at 
the man than to criticize him4 ,with a  
formal schooling in ,france of the      
slenderest sort1 in which the writing of
 his own language was never completely  
mastered1 at eighteen he came to        
,america and adopted a new tongue1 which
 he first heard from the ,quakers4      
,twenty years more were to elapse before
 he had a definite plan1--during which  
his environment was mainly that of a    
trader and storekeeper in the backwoods1
 never remote from the white man's      
frontier1 hardly the soil one would seek
 for the development of budding talents 
in art1 literature or science4 ,failure 
in trade was one of the spurs which     

started ,audubon on his ultimate career1
 for it led to the immediate development
 of the talents which he possessed2 the 
encouragement which he received from his
 wife was undoubtedly another4 ,when he 
finally emerged1 like a somewhat wild   
but well ripened fruit1 at the age of   
forty1 rich in experience1 ready to     
absorb what from lack of earlier motives
 or opportunities he had failed to      
acquire1 and with the determination to  
succeed1 he won recognition as much     
through his personality and enthusiasm  
as by his extraordinary versatility and 
talents4  ,in an early sketch of his    
life ,audubon said that his father had  
given both him and his sister an        
education appropriate to his purse2 his 
teachers were possessed of agreeable    
talents1 and he might have stored up    
much had not the continental wars in    
which ,france was then engaged forced   
him from school at an early age1 when1  
much against his will1 he entered the   
navy as midshipman1 at ,rochefort4 ,this

 naval experience terminated1 as he then
 recorded1 in #ahjb1 during the short   
peace between ,england and ,france2 he  
was then seventeen years of age4#gh     
,this was the year following his        
father's retirement1 and the year       
previous to his first independent visit 
to the ,united ,states4  ,more details  
of this early period were given later1  
when the naturalist spoke with great    
affection of his foster mother1 to whom 
his education had been mainly entrusted4
 ,let no one speak of her as my         
step-mother1 said he2 ,i was ever to her
 as a son of her own flesh and blood1   
and she was to me a true mother4 ,his   
every idle wish was gratified1 he tells 
us1 and his every whim indulged1 in     
accordance with the notion that fine    
clothes and full pockets were all that  
were needed to make the gentleman3 ,she 
hid my faults1 boasted to every one of  
my youthful merits1 and1 worse than all1
 said frequently in my presence1 that ,i
 was the handsomest boy in ,france4  ,if

 ,madame ,audubon broke the prevailing  
tradition and by going to the other     
extreme did her best to spoil this      
affectionate boy1 some allowance must be
 made for parental over-indulgence4 ,in 
#agic1 when the future naturalist was   
eight years old1 the public buildings of
 his city had been converted into       
prisons and its streets were both       
unsanitary and unsafe1 while in the     
following year1 as we have seen1 a      
mortal plague began to rob the prisons  
and the guillotine4 ,many had lost their
 all in the tempest that swept over     
them2 many more had fled1 and public    
schooling at ,nantes must have been at a
 stand or disorganized for a            
considerable period4  ,young ,audubon   
could not have tasted much schooling    
before the outbreak of the ,revolution1 
when he was seven years old1 and but    
little after it1 since this discipline  
practically terminated in #ahjb4 ,his   
passionate love of nature1 which was    
undoubtedly innate1 was manifested at an

 early day4 ,living things of every     
description which he found by the banks 
of the ,loire or along the stonewalls   
and hedgerows of ,couron gave him the   
greatest pleasure1 but birds were his   
early favorites4 ,these he soon began to
 depict with pencil and crayon1 but to  
the dryer discipline of the school he   
ever turned with laggard feet4  ,when   
the versatile ,lord ,avebury1 who became
 one of the greatest modern students of 
the powers of ants and other social     
insects1 was four years old1 his mother 
made this record in her diary3 ,his     
great delight is in insects4            
,butterflies1 ,caterpillars or ,beetles 
are great treasures1 and he is watching 
a large spider outside my window most   
anxiously4 ,the same boy at eight1 when 
writing home from school1 added this    
postscript to a letter3 ,i am a favorite
 with most of the boys because ,i do not
 care about being laughed4 ,the boy who 
has a good inheritance1 follows his own 
bent1 and does not care about being     

laughed1 may be on the road to success  
and with talents may achieve            
distinction4 ,john ,james ,audubon was  
one of those boys1 although his path was
 never strewn with the roses that many  
have imagined4  ,the naturalist tells us
 that his father hoped that he would    
follow in his footsteps1 or else become 
an engineer1 and he saw that his son was
 instructed in the elements of          
mathematics1 geography1 fencing and     
music4 ,but as ,lieutenant ,audubon was 
continually on the move1 supervision in 
those matters fell to the over-indulgent
 stepmother1 with the result that1      
instead of doing his duties at school1  
young ,audubon took to the fields4      
,every night1 he said1 he would return  
with his lunch basket well laden with   
the spoils of the day--birds' nests1    
eggs1 and curiosities of every sort     
destined for the museum into which his  
room had already been transformed4 ,he  
was then in the collecting stage1 when  
that sense of possession dominates the  

heart of the boy1 which1 if well        
directed1 can be turned to excellent    
account4  ,lieutenant ,audubon          
encouraged his son's taste for natural  
history and for drawing1 but did not    
regard such accomplishments as a        
substitute for what he considered more  
serious subjects4 ,he himself had       
suffered too much from lack of a formal 
education and was resolved to give his  
children the best opportunities within  
their reach4 ,revolutions1 he once      
remarked1 according to his son1 were not
 confined to society1 but could also    
take place in the lives of individuals1 
when they were all too apt to lose in   
one day the fortune they had before     
possessed2 but talents and knowledge1   
added to sound mental training1 assisted
 by honest industry1 could never fail1  
nor be taken from any one when once the 
possessor of such valuable means4  ,when
 the elder ,audubon returned from one of
 his periodic cruises1 my room1 said the
 naturalist1 made quite a show1 and the 

father complimented him on his good     
taste2 but upon being questioned in     
regard to the progress made in his other
 studies1 he could only hang his head in
 silence4 ,his sister ,rosa1 on the     
contrary1 who was also called to        
account1 was warmly commended upon the  
improvement shown in her musical        
exercises4 ,the next morning at dawn a  
carriage was drawn up before the        
,audubon door1 and with the father and  
son1 together with the latter's trunk   
and violin1 was soon proceeding in the  
direction of ,rochefort4 ,the sailor had
 laid his plans and was about to execute
 them in his own way4 ,presently1 said  
the son1 his father drew forth a book   
and began to read1 thus leaving him to  
his own resources4 ,in this way they    
traveled for a number of days1 not an   
unnecessary word being spoken during the
 entire journey1 until the walls of     
,rochefort had been passed1 and they    
alighted at the door of the father's    
house in that city4 ,when they had      

entered1 the naturalist continues1 my   
father bade me sit by his side1 and     
taking one of my hands1 calmly said to  
me3 ',my beloved boy1 thou art now safe4
 ,i have brought thee here that ,i may  
be able to pay constant attention to thy
 studies2 thou shalt have ample time for
 pleasures1 but the remainder must be   
employed with industry and care4 ,this  
day is entirely thine1 and as ,i must   
attend to my duties1 if thou wishest to 
see the docks1 the fine ships-of-war1   
and walk around the wall1 thou mayest   
accompany me4'  ,the youth accepted his 
father's proposal with good grace1 and  
was presented to the officers whom they 
met1 but he soon found that he was like 
a prisoner of war on parade4 ,he was    
enrolled at once in the military school1
 where he was placed under the immediate
 care of ,gabriel ,loyen du ,puigaudeau1
 his future brother-in-law4 ,it was not 
long1 however1 before young ,audubon    
gave his guardian the slip2 he jumped   
from the window of his prison and made  

for the gardens of the ,marine          
,secrtariat1 but a corporal1 whom he had
 recognized as a friend1 suddenly nipped
 his plans in the bud2 he was ordered1  
he said1 aboard a pontoon1 then lying in
 port1 and there was obliged to remain  
until his father1 who was absent at the 
time1 finally released him1 not without 
a severe reprimand4 ,the following      
record1 written long after1 is          
reminiscent of this period3 ,this day   
twenty-one years since ,i was at        
,rochefort in ,france4 ,i spent most of 
the day at copying letters of my father 
to the ,minister of the ,navy4444 ,what 
has happened to me since would fill a   
volume4444 ,this day1 ,january first1   
#ahba1 ,i am on a keel boat going down  
to ,new ,orleans1 the poorest man on it4
  ,audubon's stay at ,rochefort1 the    
date of which is no doubt correctly     
given in the journal just quoted1 was   
destined to be short4 ,after a year he  
returned to ,nantes1 and later to ,la   
,gerbetire1 where as before he spent all

 of his leisure in roaming the fields   
and looking for birds1 their nests1     
their eggs and their young4 ,at about   
this time1 when fifteen years of age1   
,audubon began to make a collection of  
his original drawings of ,french birds1 
which was greatly extended in #ahje and 
#ahjf4  ,he has recorded that at the    
behest of his foster mother1 who was an 
ardent ,catholic1 he was confirmed in   
that ,church when within a few months of
 being seventeen years old2 he was      
surprised and indifferent1 but took to  
the catechism1 studied it and other     
matters pertaining to the ceremony1 and 
all was performed to her liking4 ,since 
no record of this act has been found1 it
 is probable that the ceremony in       
question was confused with that of his  
baptism1 which1 as we have noticed1     
occurred on ,october #bc1 #ahjj1 six    
months before he attained his sixteenth 
birthday4  ,after having seen something 
of the character of ,audubon's early    
training in ,france1 it will not be     

surprising to find that when1 at the age
 of forty-five1 he first seriously began
 to write for publication and in        
,english1 which was not his mother      
tongue1 he found himself handicapped in 
many ways4 ,in after life he wrote that 
the only school which he had ever       
attended was that of ,adversity1 and    
that his tuition there had been of a    
prolonged and elaborate character4      
,though this statement was made under   
the stress of present feeling1 it was   
not wholly devoid of truth4             
,,chapter ,,vii  ,,first ,,visit ,,to   
,,the ,,united ,,states1 ,,and ,,life   
,,at ,,mill ,,grove       ,audubon is   
sent to the ,united ,states to learn    
,english and      enter trade--,taken   
ill--,befriended by the                 
,quakers--,settles at      ,mill ,grove 
farm--,its history and                  
attractions--,studies of      ,american 
birds begun--,engagement to ,lucy       
,bakewell--,sports and      festivities4
   ,if there were ever a time when      

,lieutenant ,audubon wished to see his  
son following the victorious eagles of  
,napoleon1 whom he is said to have      
idolized1 the hated conscription of that
 day1 which was robbing every home in   
,france of its best blood1 might well   
have brought counsels of prudence4      
,little could the father have thought   
that by following other eagles of his   
own choice1 his son was destined to add 
a far greater luster to the family name4
 ,whatever may have turned the scale1 in
 #ahjc a decision was quickly reached1  
and the issue was fortunate for the     
future of natural science in ,america2  
it was decided that young ,audubon      
should emigrate at once to the ,united  
,states1 with what end in view we shall 
soon see expressed in the sailor's own  
words4 ,accordingly1 to his intense and 
indescribable pleasure1 the future      
naturalist1 who had now passed his      
eighteenth birthday1 eagerly prepared   
for the journey1 the first of many that 
were later to become memorable in the   

annals of ,american science4 ,no record 
of this voyage has been preserved1 but  
from evidence derived from a variety of 
sources we can fix the time as the      
autumn of #ahjc4gi  ,audubon's          
introduction to the country of his      
adoption proved most inauspicious1 for1 
to follow his account1 when walking to  
,greenwich in ,connecticut1 some thirty 
miles from ,new ,york1 to cash the      
letter of credit that his father had    
given him1 he was seized with the yellow
 fever4#hj ,fortunately at this critical
 moment his captain came to his aid1 and
 placed him in the care of two ,quaker  
ladies who kept a boarding house at     
,morristown in ,new ,jersey4 ,to the    
faithful ministrations of these kindly  
sisters the naturalist believed that he 
owed his life4  ,when ,jean ,audubon    
finally left the ,united ,states not far
 from the beginning of #agij1 he placed 
his business interests in ,america in   
charge of an agent1 named ,miers        
,fisher1 a rich and honest ,quaker of   

,philadelphia1 and to the hands of this 
trustworthy man he now confided his son4
 ,accordingly1 when young ,audubon had  
been nursed back to health1 word was    
sent to his father's friend1 who came in
 his carriage and drove the lad to his  
own home in the outskirts of            
,philadelphia4 ,to follow the account   
which the naturalist gave1 when writing 
of this visit a quarter of a century    
later1 his host1 finding his charge to  
be a comely youth1 and having a daughter
 of no mean appearance1 proposed that he
 should remain with them and become one 
of the family4 ,audubon seems to have   
suspected that this was a premeditated  
scheme to entangle him in marriage1 and 
as he had no liking for the severity of 
,quaker manners1 determined to make his 
escape4 ,this1 he said1 was finally     
accomplished by appealing to his own    
rights and to the honest ,quaker's sense
 of duty in seeing him established on   
the estate which his father had designed
 for him4  ,though effective for the    

time1 as will presently appear1 this    
appeal was quite fanciful1 for ,jean    
,audubon's ideas concerning the future  
of his son were of a more practical     
character1 and he had no intention at   
this time of establishing him at ,mill  
,grove1 which was soon to be sold4 ,the 
friend to whom the following letter was 
addressed is implored to aid in finding 
a good ,american family in which his son
 could acquire the ,english language as 
a step to entering trade3#ha       ,this
 will be handed to you by my son1 to    
whom1 ,i request you      will render   
every service in your power1 wishing    
that you      shd4 join ,mr4 ,miers     
,fisher to procure him a good and       
healthy      place where he might learn 
english4 ,i come to point out to you    
,morristown1 and look for a good and    
decent familly in that      place to    
recommend him to her as your own ,son4  
,this service      from you will deserve
 my everlasting gratitude4 ,i am ,sir1  
with      consideration4            ,yr 

,mo ob ,ser--4  ,mr4 ,miers ,fisher1 who
 evidently received a copy of this      
letter1 no doubt considered his own     
family as good as the best1 and in      
detaining young ,audubon at his home1 we
 must credit him with the desire of     
following the instructions thus         
received4  ,mill ,grove1 which was      
finally reached in the spring of        
#ahjd1hb was a new-found paradise to the
 young naturalist4 ,here1 however1 he   
was destined to spend but little over a 
year1 though it was doubtless the       
happiest year of his life4 ,the farm was
 then conducted by a ,quaker1 named     
,william ,thomas1 who was installed as  
tenant with his wife and family4 ,it was
 arranged1 said ,audubon1 that he should
 receive from them a quarterly allowance
 in ready money1 in a sum that was      
considered sufficient for the           
expenditure of a young gentleman4#hc    
,well might any youth fond of wild life 
in the country have fallen in love with 
this secluded spot1 the beauty and charm

 of which are suddenly revealed to the  
visitor of today as he approaches it    
from the old ,philadelphia road4        
,standing high on the rugged banks of   
the ,perkioming ,creek1 which empties   
into the ,schuylkill ,river just below  
this point1 the old house1 facing west1 
commands a wide and diversified scene1  
extending from the living waters below1 
over bottom lands of the valley1 to the 
dim1 undulating lines of the ,reading   
hills in the farther distance4 ,this old
 landmark#hd of ,colonial times remains 
today in perfect preservation1 thanks to
 the never-failing care and interest of 
the present owner1#he who has done all  
in his power to maintain its historic   
associations1 and to keep the memory of 
the naturalist green in one of the few  
spots in ,america where material        
landmarks of his career have not been   
completely effaced4 ,the place has had  
an interesting history1 and though      
,audubon's occupancy was brief1 it      
affected1 as we shall see1 his whole    

after-life4    ,illustration3 ,,mill    
,,grove ,,in #ahce1 ,,showing ,,the     
,,mills ,,on ,,the ,,bank ,,of          
,,perkioming ,,creek1 ,,the ,,farmhouse1
 ,,and ,,the ,,old ,,smelting ,,works   
7,,built      ,,by ,,samuel             
,,wetherill71 ,,then ,,in ,,disuse4     
,after a water-color painting by        
,charles ,wetherill1 son of      ,samuel
 ,wetherill1 and uncle of ,william ,h4  
,wetherill1 the      present owner of   
the estate4    ,illustration3 ,,mill    
,,grove ,,as ,,it ,,appears ,,to-,,day4 
,the above from photograph by1 and this 
published by courtesy      of1 ,mr4 ,w4 
,h4 ,wetherill4  ,audubon thought       
nothing of walking to and from          
,philadelphia when no conveyance was at 
hand1 but to-day the railroad brings the
 traveler within a mile and a half of   
his old farm4 ,not far to the south1    
beyond the present railway station of   
,protectory1 lies ,valley ,forge and the
 wooded hills where ,washington's ragged
 veterans passed in log huts the ever   

memorable winter of #aggg-h4 ,audubon   
fancied that his father had made the    
acquaintance of ,general ,washington at 
that date1 but this was eleven years    
before the place had come into the      
possession of his family1 and at that   
time ,captain ,audubon was sailing the  
seas 7see ,chapter ,,ii1 p4 #cb74       
,equally fanciful also was the idea that
 his mother had once lived there1 which 
he expressed in a letter 7quoted in full
 in ,chapter ,,xxxiii7 written from ,new
 ,york on ,february #aj1 #ahdb1 to young
 ,spencer ,f4 ,baird1 at ,carlisle1     
,pennsylvania4 ,the naturalist was      
assuring his young friend that the slow 
but beautiful ,little ,carlisle was to  
be preferred to ,great ,new ,york1 with 
all its humbug1 rascality1 and          
immorality1 and added3 ,it is now a good
 long time since ,i was young1 and      
resided near ,norristown in             
,pennsylvania4 ,it was then and is now a
 very indifferent place as compared with
 ,new ,york2 but still my heart and my  

mind oftentime dwell in the pleasure    
that ,i felt there1 and it always       
reminds me that within a few miles of   
that village1 my ,mother did live4  ,the
 soil of this farm region is of a dark  
red color1 owing to a friable shale     
which outcrops everywhere4 ,the high1   
wooded bank of the ,perkioming abounds  
in caves1 scooped out by the hand of    
nature or man1 as well as in great pits 
and shafts1 for deep down under its     
shale1 ,mill ,grove was rich in         
minerals1 particularly the sulphide of  
lead1 associated with copper and zinc1  
to reach which many excavations have    
been made4 ,the lead mines of this farm 
are said to have been famous in         
,revolutionary times1 and have been     
worked sporadically for a hundred years2
 if traditions are trustworthy1 many a  
winged bullet that laid a ,red-coat low 
in the ,war of ,independence was a      
messenger from ,mill ,grove4 ,in some of
 the old conveyances1 which go back to  
the time of ,penn1 the place was        

commonly designated as the ,mill ,grove 
,mines ,farm4 ,it is recorded that the  
original tract of two thousand acres1   
extending from the ,schuylkill to the   
,perkioming as far as the mouth of      
,skippack ,creek1 was sold to ,tobias   
,collett by ,william ,penn in #afii for 
fifteen shillings4 ,we shall soon see   
that the mineral wealth which ,mill     
,grove was supposed to hide beneath its 
rugged slopes was a source of no little 
trouble to the ,audubons1 the ,roziers1 
and their successors for many a year4   
,at the foot of the declivity towards   
the west1 half hidden by foliage1 stood 
a picturesque stone mill1 at a point    
where a solid rampart had been thrown   
across the stream to divert its power to
 the use of man4 ,hard by was the       
miller's house1 which antedates the     
mansion1 and which was built and first  
occupied by ,james ,morgan1 who came    
into possession of the property in      
#agdi4 ,it was this old mill site1      
originally distinct from the farm1 that 

gave the name to the place4 ,behind the 
gristmill an extensive sawmill1 built   
over the mill race1 was also in         
operation4 ,today the dam is broken     
through1 and the great mill wheel of    
wood and iron1 twelve feet in diameter  
and fifteen feet wide1 has come to rest 
after turning for more than a century4  
,like the mill1 the original house on   
the hilltop was built of rough-hewn     
native stone1 which is brown or red and 
very hard4 ,it consists of two stories1 
with central hall1 and a curiously      
divided attic with dormer windows1 which
 ,audubon is said to have converted into
 a museum4 ,a marble slab in the south  
gable bears the date of #agfb2 an       
addition of the same rough stone was    
built on the north side1 but at a       
considerably lower level1 in #agfc1 and 
the commemorative tablet in this        
instance bears the initials ,j4 ,m41    
proving that the construction of the    
buildings of ,mill ,grove was due to the
 old miller1 ,james ,morgan4 ,the       

interior1 with its odd chimney-corner1  
low ceilings1 bold fireplace and        
hand-wrought iron-work1 bears witness to
 a time when honest1 substantial        
construction and pride in workmanship   
received the first consideration4 ,the  
present owner of ,mill ,grove has added 
attractive porches at the front and     
back4 ,ampelopsis climbs over the walls1
 which are shaded by handsome trees2 one
 of these1 a fine black walnut at the   
easterly porch1 which in ,august bore   
its great green balls in full clusters1 
must have been vigorous in ,audubon's   
day1 and possibly suggested the         
introduction of sprays of this          
full-fruited tree into some of his      
plates4  ,while on a visit from ,santo  
,domingo in #aghi1 concerned with his   
business interests1 ,captain ,audubon   
spent some time in ,philadelphia4 ,on   
,march #bh1 #aghi1 he purchased the     
,mill ,grove property1 at that time     
consisting of #bhd acres of land1       
mansion house1 mill1 barns1 furniture1  

tools and live stock1 from ,henry       
,augustin ,prevost#hf and his wife1 for 
the sum of #b1cjj ,english pounds1 in   
gold and silver4 ,he never lived there1 
and that he never intended to make it   
his immediate residence is shown by the 
fact that in less than a fortnight he   
leased the farm in its entirety1 as     
already noticed1 to its former owner1   
and gave him a mortgage which stood for 
seventeen years4#hg  ,young ,audubon    
lived at ,mill ,grove from the winter of
 #ahjd to the spring of #ahje1 and again
 for a few months in the summer of      
#ahjf1 the year of its final sale by the
 ,audubons and ,roziers 7see p4 #adh74  
,in his journal of #ahbj the naturalist 
wrote that his father had once the honor
 of being presented to ,general         
,washington1 and also to ,major ,crogan1
 of ,kentucky1 who was particularly well
 acquainted with him4 ,jean ,audubon    
left at ,mill ,grove oil portraits of   
himself and of ,washington1 both by an  
inferior ,american artist named         

,polk1#hh and it is probable that the   
one of himself was painted while he was 
at ,philadelphia in the spring of #aghi2
 the drawing is hard and flat1 but the  
appearance of the face clearly indicates
 a man past middle life1 and ,captain   
,audubon had then reached his           
forty-fifth year4  ,young ,audubon1 we  
may be sure1 lost no time in exploring  
the resources of this fine estate1 where
 every bird1 tree and flower came to him
 as a new discovery4 ,in following the  
,perkioming above the mill dam he found 
a cave1 carved out of the rocks1 as he  
thought1 by nature's own hand1 which was
 a favorite haunt of the unpretentious  
but friendly pewees1 the first ,american
 birds to attract his serious attention4
 ,so delighted was the youthful         
naturalist that he decided to make the  
pewees' cave his study2 thither         
accordingly he brought his books1       
pencils and paper1 and there made his   
first studies of ,american bird life1 in
 the spring of #ahjd1 in the third year 

of the presidency of ,thomas ,jefferson4
 ,it was early in the season when       
,audubon chanced upon this quiet        
retreat2 the buds were swelling and     
maples had already burst into bloom1 but
 snow still lingered in patches through 
the woods1 and the air was piercing     
chill4 ,the pewees were not yet at home1
 but one of their nests1 fashioned of   
mud and finest moss1 was fixed above the
 vaulted entrance2 their coming was not 
long delayed1 and ,audubon1 marking the 
very night or day's dawn when the first 
pewee arrived1 saw them beginning to    
restore their old home on the tenth of  
,april4  ,strange to say1 almost at that
 very time another pioneer in ,american 
ornithology1 ,alexander ,wilson1 who    
will enter this history later1 was      
teaching a rough country school at      
,gray's ,ferry1 ,kingsessing1 also on   
the ,schuylkill1 and not over           
twenty-five miles away4 ,though         
,audubon's early studies were very      
desultory1 both naturalists began their 

observations at about the same time1 for
 on ,june #a1 #ahjc1 ,wilson wrote to a 
friend that many pursuits had engaged   
his attention since leaving ,scotland in
 #agid1 and that then he was about to   
make a collection of all our finest     
birds4  ,it must be set down to         
,audubon's credit that in the little    
cave on the banks of the ,perkioming1 in
 ,april1 #ahjd1 he made the first       
banding experiment on the young of an   
,american wild bird4 ,little could he or
 any one else then have thought that one
 hundred years later a ,bird ,banding   
,society would be formed in ,america to 
repeat his test on a much wider scale1  
in order to gather exact data upon the  
movements of individuals of all         
migratory species in every part of the  
continent4 ,after a few trials1 ,i      
fixed1 said he1 a light silver thread on
 the leg of each1 loose enough not to   
hurt the part1 but so fastened that no  
exertions of theirs could remove it4 ,in
 the following spring he had the        

satisfaction of catching several pewees 
on their nests farther up the creek1 and
 of finding that two of them had a      
little ring on the leg1 proving that the
 young of a migratory bird1 steering by 
the compass which is carried in its     
brain1 did sometimes return to its home 
region1 if not to the actual cradle or  
home site4  ,across the ,philadelphia   
road1 which today leads to the little   
railway station1 and not more than a    
quarter of a mile from ,audubon's       
farmhouse1 stood another but more       
pretentious mansion of the ,colonial    
era1 called ,fatland ,ford1 pertaining  
to an extensive farm of that name which 
was noted for the fertility of its      
alluvial acres4 ,a road from the present
 village of ,audubon to the ,schuylkill 
,river and the ford runs through the    
,fatlands of ,egypt1 as the most        
productive parts of this old farm were  
then called4 ,from the house could be   
seen the camping grounds of the         
,revolutionary soldiers1 and ,james     

,vaux1 its owner and builder1 is said to
 have entertained ,general ,howe at     
breakfast and to have shown him the room
 which ,general ,washington1 his guest  
of the previous day1 had left just in   
time to avoid an introduction4  ,shortly
 before ,audubon reached ,mill ,grove1  
,william ,bakewell1 an ,englishman who  
had emigrated to ,new ,haven in #ahjb1  
bought this farm1 and with his wife and 
family took possession in the winter or 
spring of #ahjd4hi ,of the six ,bakewell
 children1 the two eldest1 ,lucy ,green 
and ,thomas ,woodhouse1 were but three  
years younger than the naturalist4 ,the 
senior ,bakewell1 said ,audubon1 called 
at ,mill ,grove to pay his respects1 but
 being then from home1 and having       
brought with him a ,frenchman's dislike 
for everything ,english1 he failed to   
respond4 ,in the autumn1 however1 when  
grouse had become plentiful in the      
woods1 a chance meeting brought them    
together1 and young ,audubon1 who was a 
great admirer of his neighbor's expert  

marksmanship and well trained dogs1 duly
 apologized for his neglect and         
forthwith paid a visit to ,fatland      
,ford4  ,we shall let the naturalist    
tell in his own words of his first      
meeting with the young woman who        
afterwards became his wife3       ,well 
do ,i recollect the morning1 and may it 
please ,god that      ,i may never      
forget it1 when for the first time ,i   
entered ,mr4      ,bakewell's dwelling4 
,it happened that he was absent from    
home1 and ,i was shown into a parlor    
where only one young      lady was      
snugly seated at her work by the fire4  
,she rose      on my entrance1 offered  
me a seat1 and assured me of the        
gratification her father would feel on  
his return1 which1      she added1 would
 be in a few moments as she would       
despatch a      servant for him4 ,other 
ruddy cheeks and bright eyes made their 
transient appearance but1 like spirits  
gay1 soon vanished from      my sight2  
and there ,i sat1 my gaze riveted1 as it

 were1 on the      young girl before me1
 who1 half working1 half talking1       
essayed      to make the time pleasant  
to me4 ,oh6 may ,god bless her6 ,it     
was she1 my dear sons1 who afterward    
became my beloved wife1      and your   
mother4  ,when ,mr4 ,bakewell returned1 
his daughter1 ,lucy1 presided at the tea
 that was served1 and ,audubon received 
his first experience of hospitality in  
the ,english style1 that was to be      
repeated in ,britain at a later day on a
 more lavish scale4 ,a hunting          
expedition was arranged and the men     
started out at once4 ,festivities of    
various sorts1 and1 later1 skating      
parties1 became the order of the day1   
and it was not long before hospitalities
 were exchanged1 when ,audubon1 having  
secured1 with the aid of his tenant's   
son1 as many partridge as possible1 had 
the whole ,bakewell family to dinner    
under his roof at ,mill ,grove4         
,audubon's choice of a wife1 thus       
quickly made1 marked a turning-point in 

his career1 and the curious fact remains
 that while he might have ransacked the 
country from ,florida to ,maine1 as he  
afterwards repeatedly did in his search 
after birds1 and woefully blundered1 the
 woman who by her sterling qualities of 
mind and heart was the one to recognize 
and call forth the best that was in him1
 should have been placed by             
circumstances close by his door4        
,whatever the world has ever owed to    
,audubon is a debt due to ,lucy         
,bakewell1 for every leaf of oak that is
 plaited for his brow1 another of       
lavender should be twined for hers4     
,during this gay but brief period of his
 life1 ,audubon has described himself as
 inordinately fond of dress1 often      
cutting1 as he said1 an absurd figure by
 shooting in black satin breeches and   
silk stockings1 and wearing the best    
shirts which the ,philadelphia market   
could afford2 he took pride1 he adds1 in
 riding the best horse that he could    
procure1 and in having his guns and     

fishing tackle of the most expensive and
 ornate description4 ,not a ball1 he    
said1 a skating match1 a house or riding
 party took place without me4           
,illustration3 ,,mill ,,grove           
,,farmhouse1 ,,west ,,front1 ,,facing   
,,perkioming      ,,creek4              
,illustration3 ,,fatland ,,ford1 ,,the  
,,childhood ,,home ,,of ,,lucy          
,,bakewell      ,,audubon4       ,this  
and the above after photographs of      
,august #af1 #aiad4  ,while freely      
acknowledging his follies at this time1 
he was able to say that he was addicted 
to no vices4 ,his usual custom was to   
rise with the dawn1 when his bird       
studies would begin1 in the early hours 
which are best for this purpose4        
,according to his own account1 ,audubon 
was extremely abstemious in his youth1  
for he declared that he had lived on    
fruits1 vegetables and milk1 with only  
an occasional indulgence in game and    
fish1 and that he had not swallowed a   
single glass of wine or spirits until   

his wedding day4 ,this was the more     
remarkable in a youth coming from a     
country which flowed with good wine1    
where school children are still served  
with watered wine for lunch1 and where  
the cooks1 as ,goldsmith believed1 could
 concoct seven different dishes out of a
 nettle-top1 and who1 if they had enough
 butcher's meat 7a want that has since  
been abundantly supplied71 would be the 
best purveyors in the world4 ,audubon   
attributed his iron constitution to this
 simple regimen1 which had been         
followed1 he said1 from his earliest    
recollection1 though he admitted that   
while in ,france it was extremely       
annoying to all about him2 for this     
reason he would not dine out when his   
peculiar habits were likely to be the   
subject of unpleasant comment4 ,to      
follow this account of himself3         
,pies1 puddings1 eggs1 milk and cream1  
was all ,i cared for in      the way of 
food1 and many a time ,i have robbed my 
tenant's      wife1 ,mrs4 ,thomas1 of   

the cream intended to make butter for   
the ,philadelphia market4444 ,all this  
time ,i was as fair and      rosy as a  
girl1 though as strong1 indeed stronger 
than most      young men 444 and why    
have ,i thought a thousand times1 should
      ,i not have kept to that delicious
 mode of living1 and why      should not
 mankind in general be more abstemious  
than mankind      is8#ij  ,william      
,gifford ,bakewell1 a younger brother of
 ,lucy1 has left this interesting record
 of a visit paid to ,mill ,grove in the 
summer of #ahjf3       ,audubon took me 
to his house where he and his companion1
      ,rozier1 resided1 with ,mrs4      
,thomas1 for an attendant4 ,on          
entering his room1 ,i was astonished and
 delighted to find that      it was     
turned into a museum4 ,the walls were   
festooned with      all kinds of birds' 
eggs1 carefully blown out and strung on 
a      thread4 ,the chimney-piece was   
covered with stuffed squirrels1         
racoons1 and opossums2 and the shelves  

around were likewise      crowded with  
specimens1 among which were fishes1     
frogs1      snakes1 lizards1 and other  
reptiles4 ,besides these stuffed        
varieties1 many paintings were arrayed  
on the walls1 chiefly      of birds4 ,he
 had great skill in stuffing and        
preserving      animals of all sorts4   
,he had also a trick in training dogs   
with great perfection1 of which art his 
famous dog1 ,zephyr1      was a         
wonderful example4 ,he was an admirable 
marksman1 an      expert swimmer1 a     
clever rider1 possessed of great        
activity1      prodigious strength1 and 
was notable for the elegance of      his
 figure and the beauty of his features1 
and he aided      nature by a careful   
attendance to his dress4 ,besides other 
accomplishments he was musical1 a good  
fencer1 danced well1      and had some  
acquaintance with legerdemain tricks1   
worked in      hair1 and could plait    
willow baskets4     ,,chapter ,,viii    
,,dacosta ,,and ,,the ,,mill ,,grove    

,,mine       ,advent of a new agent at  
,mill ,grove--,dacosta becomes guardian 
to young ,audubon and exploits a        
neglected lead mine on the              
farm--,correspondence of ,lieutenant    
,audubon and ,dacosta--,quarrel         
with ,dacosta--,audubon's return to     
,france4   ,if young ,audubon was       
playing the rle of a prodigal son at the
 ,mill ,grove farm1 which in a certain  
sense was doubtless true1 an episode    
soon occurred which put a check to his  
carefree existence4 ,not long after the 
naturalist had arrived1 ,william        
,thomas1 the tenant1 called his         
attention to the lead-ore deposits1     
which he thought had been discovered by 
a ,mr4 ,gilpin in #agia1 and the news of
 this prospect was promptly communicated
 to the elder ,audubon in ,france4      
,though the presence of this mineral at 
,mill ,grove had been known1 as we have 
seen1 at a much earlier day1 its        
rediscovery excited great interest1 and 
may have been a factor of influence in  

the steps which were soon to be taken4  
,it should be noticed1 however1 that    
before ,may1 #ahjc1 a young ,frenchman  
from ,nantes1 bearing the ,portuguese   
name of ,francis ,dacosta1 had preceded 
young ,audubon to ,mill ,grove1 and     
apparently had acquired at that time a  
certain interest in the farm4#ia        
,dacosta soon succeeded ,miers ,fisher  
as ,jean ,audubon's agent1 and becoming 
enthusiastic over the lead mine1 was    
anxious to exploit it4 ,acting also upon
 the senior ,audubon's request1 he      
assumed a sort of guardianship over the 
son4  ,dacosta began to dig for ore in  
the following year4 ,news of his        
enterprise spread rapidly1 and this long
 neglected mine was heralded in the     
newspapers as one of the first          
discoveries yet made in the ,united     
,states4#ib ,on ,december #ae1 #ahjd1   
,dacosta purchased a one-half undivided 
interest in ,mill ,grove1#ic giving1 as 
we believe1 a mortgage1 and hoping to   
pay for his share out of the profits of 

the lead mine4 ,thereafter for about two
 years he continued to conduct the farm 
and develop the mine1 upon the basis of 
a one-half interest1 in addition to a   
small salary4#id ,in case the mine      
proved a success1 it was understood that
 young ,audubon was to be taken into the
 business and thus obtain a means of    
self-support4  ,dacosta was at first    
averse to forming a company1 but the    
,quaker tenant1 ,william ,thomas1 who   
caught the fever1 and who was thought to
 possess more knowledge of the mine than
 he was ready to divulge1 seems to have 
been taken conditionally into the       
partnership4 ,dacosta made full reports 
of his progress to the old sailor at    
,couron1 who came regularly to ,nantes  
to send back to ,america his well       
considered answers and candid advice4   
,dacosta also called persistently for   
money1 but as ,lieutenant ,audubon was  
unable to meet these demands1 he applied
 to his friend ,franois ,rozier1 a      
wealthy merchant at ,nantes1 to supply  

the needed capital4 ,rozier invested    
#af1jjj francs1 and to complicate       
matters took a mortgage upon one-half of
 the value of ,mill ,grove1 in which the
 earlier proprietor1 ,john ,augustin    
,prevost1 as well as ,francis ,dacosta1 
was also interested4 ,jean ,audubon1    
,dacosta and ,rozier thus became        
partners in an enterprise which seems to
 have swallowed up all of the money     
which was advanced and never to have    
made any substantial returns4  ,the     
eventual failure of the lead mine must  
be attributed in part to the high cost  
of materials1 as well as to the expense 
involved in uncovering the ore1 a       
difficulty which all later exploiters   
seem to have found insuperable4 ,dacosta
 also discovered that the management of 
his youthful charge was quite as        
difficult as making a success of the    
mine4 ,his grievances on this score were
 duly reported at ,couron1 and if he was
 really trying to carry out the         
instructions which came from ,france1 it

 was perhaps no wonder that he received 
the undisguised contempt of his         
rebellious pupil4 ,how just the         
naturalist's charges against his hated  
tutor may have been1 will be considered 
in the sequel1 but ,lieutenant          
,audubon's letters1#ie to be given      
presently at length1 clearly show that  
in spite of the strained relations which
 later ensued1 ,dacosta continued to    
enjoy his confidence for some time after
 young ,audubon's return to ,france in  
#ahje4 ,the more serious troubles that  
followed seem to have arisen from       
entanglements into which all were later 
drawn4  ,in the first two letters to be 
given1 but the third and fourth of the  
series1 ,jean ,audubon refers           
particularly to ,mill ,grove and the    
prospective mine1 and to the proposed   
marriage of his son to ,lucy ,bakewell1 
concerning which he was reluctant to    
give his consent for reasons which he   
specifies at length2 his sanction was in
 fact withheld until the young man was  

on the road to self-support two years   
later4   ,jean ,audubon to ,francis     
,dacosta            ,,nantes1 #ahjd-e   
,i told you to sell to ,w4 ,thomas the  
portion on the other side      444 but  
your letter of the #bgth of ,september  
with that of ,mr4      ,miers ,fisher1  
who is not in favor of it1 has made me  
change      my mind in the meantime4 ,if
 your plan succeeds1 as ,i wish it      
may1 this part of the farm would become 
almost indispensable      for           
exploitation of the mine4 ,moreover1 has
 not ,mr4 ,w4      ,thomas intentions1  
which we do not know8 ,might it not be  
possible that in this very same part he 
had made more valuable      discoveries 
than those which he has shown us8 ,in   
all these      matters1 however1 ,i rely
 entirely on the wisdom of ,mr4 ,miers  
,fisher and of yourself1 and ,i thank   
you for your willingness      to remain 
in charge of my affairs1#if by accepting
 anew      the power of attorney1 which 
he sends me together with the           

indenture to be signed by my wife and by
 myself in presence      of witnesses4  
,but you ask that this should be done   
before      the mayor of ,nantes1 while 
we have been living1 since you          
departed1 in the commune of ,couron2    
accordingly this will be      taken     
before the mayor of that commune1 and   
legalized by a      prefect of the      
department4 ,that1 ,i believe1 will     
fulfil the      same obligations1 for   
should it be necessary for my wife to   
come to ,nantes in the weather that we  
are constantly having it      might     
cause a delay that would be prejudicial 
to us4 ,remember1      my dear ,sir1 ,i 
expect that if your plan succeeds1 my   
son will      find a place in the works1
 which will enable him to provide       
for himself1 in order to spare me from  
expenses that ,i can1      with         
difficulty1 support4 ,your first letters
 have almost      persuaded me that this
 so-called mine was of little or no     
account1 but the arrangement that you   

have made with ,w4 ,thomas      is so   
important that ,i do not doubt you made 
certain of the      value of the object 
before deciding to grant him a          
recompense1      which was to be only in
 the thing itself4 ,in this work we     
should then be making a very great      
sacrifice1 and it would be      a loss4 
,if1 however1 you propose to forestall  
the payment of      the sums that you   
owe1 ,i accept the proposition to be    
paid      in ,philadelphia2 ,i will     
reflect upon it1 and will look into     
it4 ,if ,i can arrange matters for this 
plan with ,mr4 ,dupuir1      my next    
will be more explicit upon this subject4
 ,my son speaks      to me about his    
marriage4 ,if you would have the        
kindness to      inform me about his    
intended1 as well as about her parents1 
their manners1 their conduct1 their     
means1 and why they are      in that    
country1 whether it was in consequence  
of misfortune      that they left       
,europe1 you will be doing me a signal  

service1      and ,i beg you1 moreover1 
to oppose this marriage until ,i may    
give my consent to it4 ,tell these good 
people that my son is      not at all   
rich1 and that ,i can give him nothing  
if he marries      in this condition4   
,jean ,audubon to ,francis ,dacosta     
,,nantes1 le #ai ventose1 an #ac #i     
,march1 #ahje       ,,mr4 ,,dacosta1    
,philadelphia3       ,i have received at
 this very moment your duplicate of the 
twelfth of ,november1 and your letter of
 ,december fifth1 which      is not so  
favorable for several reasons as the one
 preceding      it1 yet this impels us  
to hope that your last tunnel will not  
be a deserter1 and that the oxides of   
iron which are present      will not    
vanish upon further digging2 this1 at   
least1 is my      hope4 ,you do well to 
make every effort to obtain associates4 
,if this does not succeed1 and if you   
should wish to work for      our        
interests1 ,i should always approve of  
everything that you      do1 since you  

have my confidence4 ,in this case ,i    
believe 444      that you should make   
the most urgent repairs1 above all at   
the principal house1 before going there 
to live4 ,as to ,mr4      ,w4 ,thomas1  
you do well to keep him for yourself for
 every      reason that you give me1 and
 ,i believe that he will not be         
stubborn about withdrawing until he has1
 or has not1 deserved      his reward4  
,i am vexed ,sir2 one cannot be more    
vexed at the fact that      you should  
have reason to complain about the       
conduct of my      son1 for the whole   
thing1 when well considered1 is due only
      to bad advice1 and lack of        
experience2 they have goaded his        
self-esteem1 and perhaps he has been    
immature enough to boast      in the    
house to which he goes1 that this       
plantation should      fall to him1 to  
him alone4 ,you have every means to     
destroy      this presumption2 it is    
known at ,philadelphia that you have    
the same rights as ,i have1 and that you

 are doing nothing but      for our     
mutual advantage4 ,i am writing to him  
on this subject1      for he does not   
speak of it to me1 and ,i am giving him 
the      rebuke that his indiscretion   
deserves4 ,read this letter1 and        
have the kindness to seal it before     
delivering it to him4      ,you tell me 
that ,i can refer1 in regard to his     
conduct1 to      the report that ,mr4   
,miers ,fisher has given of it in his   
long      letter of the month of        
,september2 that1 unhappily1 ,i have not
      received1 for ,mr4 ,fisher tells  
me nothing about him1 neither      what 
is good nor bad4 ,as to going to that   
country1 this seems      well nigh      
impossible2 to recall my son is not     
easier2 the      reasons which made me  
send him out there still remain4 ,only  
an instant is needed to make him change 
from bad to good2 his      extreme youth
 and his petulance are his only faults1 
and if      you have the goodness to    
give him the indispensable1 he will     

soon feel the necessity of making       
friends with you1 and he      can be of 
great service if you use him for your   
own benefit4       ,it is necessary     
then1 my dear ,sir1 that we endeavor1 by
      gentleness1 to reclaim him to his 
duty4 ,if you are indulgent      with   
him1 it will be ,i who should be under  
every obligation      to you4 ,i hope   
that the enclosed letter will work a    
change      with him4 ,this is my only  
son1 my heir1 and ,i am old4 ,when      
,mr4 ,miers ,fisher shall have shown my 
letter to the would-be                  
father-in-law1 he will see that he is   
mistaken in his      calculation upon   
the assumed marriage of his daughter1   
for if      it should take place without
 my consent1 all help on my part        
would cease from that instant2 this1 if 
you will have the      kindness1 is what
 you may say to the would-be            
father-in-law1      that ,i do not wish 
my son to marry so young4       ,your   
letters of the #bhth of ,october and the

 #abth of ,november      are in the     
country4#ig ,i cannot reply             
categorically upon      their contents2 
,i will examine them1 and will tell you 
in my      next what ,i think about     
them4 ,your family1 which ,i have seen1 
is well4 ,our ladies thank you for your 
kind remembrance4 ,i      am4444  ,when 
the preceding letter was written young  
,audubon was on his way to ,france1 to  
protest1 as he said1 against ,dacosta's 
treatment of him4 ,at the date of the   
letter which follows1 he was at ,couron1
 hunting birds with ,dr4 d',orbigny4    
,jean ,audubon to ,francis ,dacosta     
,,nantes1 #ad ,june1 #ahje       ,,to   
,,mr4 ,,dacosta1 ,philadelphia3       ,i
 have received1 at this very moment1    
your letter of the #hth      of ,april4 
,i have replied to your preceding by    
duplicate4 ,like      yourself ,i am    
greatly astonished that you should not  
have      received the contracts which  
,i forwarded to you at once4 ,i         
have reserved copies of these papers1   

which ,i have literally      copied4    
,if ,i had the least idea that they     
would not reach you1 and      that an   
accident had befallen the ship1 ,i      
should forward them      in duplicate1  
but as this boat1 at the time of its    
departure1      was long delayed by the 
embargoes as well as by bad weather1    
,i am persuaded that this is the sole   
cause1 and that they will      have     
reached you since4       ,you are about 
to appeal to the supreme court to prove 
your      ownership2 is there a living  
being who can contest it8 ,if our       
deeds1 granted in ,france1 have not     
their full force in that      country1  
nothing can annul them for us who are   
,french4 ,you      shall do in this     
matter what you like2 the greatest      
objection      is this1 that it stops   
your operations2 but who is to blame8   
,it is due to distance1 and not to any  
negligence4       ,you say that you will
 do nothing until you have these        
documents2 if your intention is to work 

for our benefit1 as      you say in your
 preceding1 a company still being       
disagreeable      to you1 that ought not
 to stop you2 you have every power1     
and time lost is irreparable4 ,i am much
 annoyed at the      delay that this    
,mr4 ,miers ,fisher causes you2 as you  
say1 he      is an honest man1 but      
negligent1 and this in consequence of   
his age1 and absorption in his great    
business4       ,we now return to ,mr4  
,david ,ross1#ih who in his letter tells
      a pack of lies4 ,at the close of  
#aghi ,i presented myself      at his   
house with the power of attorney of ,mr4
 ,formon1#ii      when we settled the   
business of the ,count of ,artois1 and  
the ,annette4#ajj ,there never has been1
 as he said1 any      dissolution of the
 partnership between ,mr4 ,formon and   
myself4      ,i settled the accounts at 
that time both with him and with        
,samuel ,plaisance concerning these     
vessels1 with the exception      of a   
residue of three thousand francs which  

are due me from      ,mr4 ,edward1 their
 associate1 who died at ,london4 ,when  
,i asked      him for his certificates1 
he gave me for excuse that they were    
at the iron factory above ,richmond1 and
 that he had given ,mr4      ,formon a  
private obligation that he would be very
 glad to have      an exchange for the  
certificates4 ,this affair has rested   
there      ever since1 and according to 
his letter ,mr4 ,formon has taken       
out seven thousand1 four hundred        
dollars1 which exceeds his      share by
 #a1fej dollars4 ,if the estate of ,mr4 
,formon is not      without resources1  
it is to his heirs that you must apply  
for      this overdraft1 and get from   
,mr4 ,david ,ross all that you can1     
for with such people one cannot rely    
upon getting anything      except with  
iron hooks4       ,the son-in-law of    
,mr4 ,formon doubtless will have found  
among      his papers all that          
constitutes the legal basis of my       
portion2      his certificates1 his     

letter of attorney prove it1 and this is
      a title1 and ,i believe that ,i   
have proofs by accounts current4      ,i
 salute you4   ,jean ,audubon to        
,francis ,dacosta            ,,nantes1  
#bb ,june1 #ahje       ,,to ,,mr4       
,,dacosta3       ,i have just received  
your letter of ,april #bc1 and hasten   
to reply to it1 in order to prove to you
 that not one of      yours has been    
neglected1 which could be readily seen  
by my      copybook4 ,i am not surprised
 that at this time you have not         
received your papers1 because they      
cannot have left before      the #ajth  
or #aeth of last ,march1 having been    
held up by the      embargoes and the   
bad weather1 as you will see by the date
 of      the letters which accompany    
them4       ,they were entrusted to the 
son-in-law of ,mr4 ,paulin1 and      if 
the ship arrives safely as ,i trust it  
will1 you have now      received them4  
,what negligence on the part of ,mr4    
,miers ,fisher6 ,in truth      it is    

unpardonable1 to let the mortgages stand
 after having      paid them6#aja ,will 
you then1 ,i pray1 clear this up for the
      sake of our mutual peace of mind8 
,you speak of repairs to the            
house1#ajb it needs a complete cover2   
would it not be better      for me to   
send some slate from here8 ,this would  
perhaps be      less expensive1 and well
 nigh everlasting4 ,should you consider 
it advisable ,i will send you some at   
once4       ,i beg you not to neglect   
the affair of ,david ,ross2 if you can  
collect this sum1 you will use it for   
our needs4 ,i am annoyed      that all  
these mishaps prevent you from          
working2#ajc be well      persuaded that
 it is no fault of mine1 and that ,i am 
guilty      of no negligence4       ,you
 speak of my going to that country2 if  
such had been my      intention ,i      
should have done it long ago4 ,i am     
still troubled      with an inflammation
 of the lungs2 and one ought not to be  
ill      in a foreign country1 where he 

does not receive the care that      he  
enjoys in his own home4 ,you ask me to  
bring you money4444      ,you know      
better than anyone else what was my     
financial      position when ,i sold to 
you2 by that alone you must know how    
difficult this would be for me4 ,it is  
necessary to manage      so that our    
object suffices us or so that the mine  
pays its      way1 and if we cannot work
 on a grand scale1 we must needs do     
the best with our affairs on a lower    
plane2 for that ,i depend      on you4  
,i salute you4            ,p4,s4 ,when  
you shall have my papers from ,mr4      
,miers           ,fisher1 you will find 
a promissory note of ,mr4               
,samuel ,plaisance of ,richmond1 for the
 business of           the widow ,ross4 
,if there were justice there this       
sum would be paid to me with the costs4 
,the foregoing letters show that        
,dacosta had been asked to oppose the   
proposed marriage of the younger        
,audubon to ,lucy ,bakewell until       

consent should be given2 that he was    
calling for more money to exploit the   
lead mine and was urging ,lieutenant    
,audubon to come to ,america2 and that  
their relations were becoming strained1 
,dacosta1 to prove his title to a       
one-half interest in the mine and farm1 
having threatened to take his case to   
the courts4  ,this mining experiment was
 spread over many years4 ,before turning
 to the sequel 7see ,chapter ,,xi71 let 
us glance at the picture which the      
naturalist has left of his unsympathetic
 tutor4 ,dacosta1 he said1 was intended 
to teach me mineralogy and mining       
engineering1 but in fact he knew nothing
 of either2 besides which he was a      
covetous wretch1 who did all he could to
 ruin my father1 and indeed swindled us 
both to a large amount4 ,i had to go to 
,france to expose him to my father to   
get rid of him1 which ,i fortunately    
accomplished at sight of my kind parent4
 ,a greater scoundrel than ,dacosta     
never probably existed1 but peace be    

with his soul4 ,in one respect only1    
said ,audubon1 did he receive any       
sympathy from his guardian3 ,dacosta    
commended his drawings of birds4 ,one   
morning1 ,audubon relates1 when ,i was  
drawing a figure of the ,ardea herodias 
the great blue heron1 he assured me that
 the time might come when ,i should be a
 great ,american naturalist2 however    
curious it might appear1 he adds1 that  
praise from the lips of such a man      
should affect me1 ,i assure you that    
they had great weight with me and ,i    
felt a certain degree of pride in these 
words even then4  ,to follow ,audubon's 
story further1 not only did ,dacosta    
take control of his finances1 but he    
interfered with his personal liberty1   
first by objecting to his proposed      
marriage to ,lucy ,bakewell1 and then by
 cutting off his stipend when he        
rebelled4#ajd ,audubon1 being thoroughly
 aroused1 determined to return to       
,france and lay the case before his     
father in person4 ,with this end in view

 he walked to ,philadelphia1 whither    
,dacosta had gone1 to demand the money  
necessary to take him to ,nantes4 ,he   
was given1 as he says1 what purported to
 be a letter of credit to a ,mr4        
,kauman1 an agent and banker in ,new    
,york4 ,returning with his letter to    
,mill ,grove1 he then started on foot   
for ,new ,york1 where he arrived on the 
evening of the third day4 ,while there  
he stayed at the house of ,mrs4         
,palmer1#aje a lady of excellent        
qualities1 who received him most kindly4
 ,audubon called promptly upon ,benjamin
 ,bakewell1 for whom he was the bearer  
of a letter from his brother1 ,william  
,bakewell1 of ,fatland ,ford4 ,instead  
of an order for money1 ,kauman's letter1
 he said1 contained only the advice that
 its bearer be arrested and shipped to  
,canton4 ,perplexed and bewildered      
beyond endurance1 ,audubon said that for
 the first time he felt the call of     
murder in his blood1 and his outraged   
feelings were not assuaged until his    

landlady1 to whom he had opened his     
heart1 and ,mr4 ,bakewell1 had come to  
his aid4 ,having secured from this      
gentleman the necessary funds1 he bought
 a passage in the ship ,hope1 which was 
then about to sail direct for ,nantes4  
,thanks to an old cash account of       
,william ,bakewell1 we can follow       
,audubon's movements at this time fairly
 closely4 ,this record#ajf extends from 
,january #d1 #ahje1 to ,april #i1 #ahaj1
 during which time he advanced money to 
his future son-in-law and received      
credits due him from various sources4   
,he did the same for the young partners 
when an association in business had been
 formed between ,audubon and ,rozier1   
and acted as their agent or attorney    
after the sale of their farm and their  
settlement in the ,west2 as will be seen
 he aided ,audubon very substantially   
later when money was needed at          
,louisville and for the more ambitious  
projects at ,henderson1 in which his son
 was also interested4 ,this particular  

record shows that he supplied ,audubon  
with small sums of money on ,january #d 
and #ab1 #ahje1 just before his         
departure from ,mill ,grove1 and that on
 the eighteenth of the same month he    
paid his brother1 ,benjamin ,bakewell of
 ,new ,york1 #aej on the young man's    
account4 ,this was undoubtedly the      
passage money which ,audubon had        
borrowed from his friend1 and as the    
ship was then ready to sail1 the date of
 his voyage on the ,hope is very closely
 fixed4  ,after his vessel had passed   
,sandy ,hook and was opposite ,new      
,bedford1 the captain1 in order1 as he  
averred1 to make necessary repairs1 ran 
her into that port1 where they passed a 
week4 ,this was thought to be only a    
ruse on the captain's part to gain time1
 for1 having recently married1 he wanted
 a holiday on shore2 accordingly he had 
ordered a few holes bored below the     
waterline in the bows of his ship4 ,when
 they finally put to sea in earnest1    
they passed through an immensity of dead

 fish floating on the surface of the    
water1 a remark which now recalls       
stories of the famous tilefish1 once    
thought to be extinct1 which have been  
found floating dead in vast numbers in  
that part of the ,atlantic4 ,after      
nineteen days out the ,hope entered the 
,loire and anchored at ,paimbuf1 the    
lower harbor of ,nantes2 this was in    
,february1 and not far from the         
eighteenth of that month4     ,,chapter 
,,ix  ,,audubon',s ,,last ,,visit ,,to  
,,his ,,home ,,in ,,france       ,life  
at ,couron--,friendship of              
,d',orbigny--,drawings of ,french       
birds--,d',orbigny's troubles--,marriage
 of ,rosa ,audubon--,the ,du            
,puigaudeaus--,partnership with         
,ferdinand ,rozier--,their ,articles    
of ,association--,they sail from        
,nantes1 are overhauled by      ,british
 privateers1 but land safely at ,new    
,york--,settle at      ,mill ,grove4    
,reaching his home at ,couron in the    
spring of #ahje1 ,audubon took his      

parents completely by surprise4 ,he     
found his father1 then in his           
sixty-first year1 still hale and hearty1
 and his chre maman as fair and good as 
ever4 ,it was a time of momentous events
 in ,france2 ,napoleon had placed the   
crown upon his head but a few months    
before2 defeat and victory followed in  
rapid succession4 ,but this did not     
prevent the young naturalist from       
spending a year in the lap of comfort at
 ,nantes and in the quiet villa of ,la  
,gerbetire1 where as usual he hunted    
birds and collected objects of natural  
history of every sort4  ,at this time   
also ,audubon formed a friendship with a
 young man after his own heart1 ,dr4    
,charles ,marie d',orbigny1 who with his
 young wife and infant-son was then     
living near his home4 ,the doctor1 he   
said1 was a good fisherman1 a good      
hunter1 and fond of all objects in      
nature4 ,together we searched the woods1
 the fields and the banks of the ,loire1
 procuring every bird we could1 and ,i  

made drawings of every one of them--very
 bad1 to be sure1 but still they were of
 assistance to me4#ajg  ,charles        
d',orbigny1 who was ,audubon's most     
intimate early friend and in all        
probability his father in natural       
history1 was always spoken of in terms  
of great affection4 ,while at ,paris in 
,october1 #ahbi1 ,audubon learned from  
the naturalist ,lesson that ,d',orbigny 
was then in charge of the museum at ,la 
,rochelle and that his son1 ,charles1   
then twenty-one1 whom he had held in his
 arms many times1 was in the city2 on   
,october #h he wrote in his journal3    
this morning ,i had great pleasure in   
meeting my godson1 ,charles d',orbigny4 
,oh6 what past times were brought to my 
mind4#ajh   ,illustration3 ,,early      
,,unpublished ,,drawings ,,of ,,french  
,,birds3      ,,above1 ,,le ,,friquet   
,m,,le ,,de ,,buffon4 ,,the ,,sedge     
,,sparrow4 ,,no4      #ac4 ,,near       
,,nantz1 #ahje4 ,j4 ,j4 ,a42 ,,below1   
,,le ,,rossignol ,,de                   

,,murailles--,,de ,,buffon--,,the       
,,redstart4 ,,no4 #ej4 ,,near ,,nantz1  
,,august1      #ahje4 ,j4 ,l4 ,f4 ,a4   
,published by courtesy of ,mr4 ,joseph  
,y4 ,jeanes4  ,in later life the elder  
,d',orbigny seems to have fallen on evil
 times4 ,he appeared as a debtor to     
,lieutenant ,audubon's estate1 and the  
cordial relations that had long existed 
between the two families were broken2   
this is shown only too plainly by the   
following sharp letter#aji written by   
,gabriel du ,puigaudeau and addressed to
 the doctor1 on ,august #c1 #ahai1 when 
the family had become reduced in means3 
,gabriel du ,puigaudeau to ,charles ,m4 
d',orbigny       ,your letter of the    
twenty-fifth of ,january reached me in  
due time4 ,i am grieved to see that you 
are annoyed because      ,i addressed   
you through the voice of the mayor of   
the town      in which you live1 since  
,i had not the honor of knowing the     
mayor any more than the enmity which may
 exist between you2 ,i      was in duty 

bound to find out where you were2 ,i    
heard it said      that ,esnaudes was   
your home and ,i wrote you more than a  
year      ago2 when ,i received no      
reply1 the supposition was that ,i must 
have been misinformed4 ,i wrote to the  
mayor of ,esnaudes and      he had the  
kindness to reply that you were         
practicing in his      commune4 ,i am   
writing to you under this cover1        
persuaded that      my last will not    
have the same fate as my first1 which   
surely      had not reached you4        
,as to the claim that ,madame ,audubon  
has upon you1 the      different credits
 which you mention are assuredly more   
than      enough to pay the amount1 but 
with forfeitures2 unfortunately         
there are many creditors who do nothing 
but this2 ,madame      ,audubon gets    
nothing1 and finds herself in           
straightened      circumstances1        
although her hands are full of notes4   
,you say      that your creditors can   
claim only thirty-five hundred francs4  

,i have certain knowledge to the        
contrary1 since already the             
mortgages on your house reach nearly    
three thousand francs1      while       
,madame ,audubon is your creditor in the
 sum of at least      sixteen hundred   
francs4 ,i wish in business to be frank1
 and to      have others so with me4    
,you say that you owe rather those who  
have supplied you with food2 you are    
unwilling then to recall      that the  
sums that the late ,mr4 ,audubon lent   
you repeatedly      were for the same   
purpose4 ,you tell us to be patient1 and
      who have been more patient than we
 for the past four years8      ,you     
speak of reduction of interest2 indeed  
it is impossible      that you should   
have thought of this1 or that we should 
be      content with what you should be 
so good as to give us1 and      that    
when you deem it convenient1 without our
 being able to      file a protest4 ,i  
leave you to reflect on what we must    
think      of this matter1 and ,i beg   

you to see in my manner of writing      
to you the interpretation that ,i have  
given to what you write      yourself4  
,madame ,audubon does not think that she
 should exact at once      the capital  
in addition to the interest1 but she    
charges me      to say to you that1     
having a right at least to the interest 
accrued1 she begs you to have that money
 paid to her with the      least        
possible delay4  ,the following letter  
concerning ,d',orbigny's affairs was    
also written by ,gabriel du ,puigaudeau 
to ,j4 ,cornet of ,esnaudes1 on ,june   
#bf1 #ahai3   ,gabriel du ,puigaudeau to
 ,j4 ,cornet       ,your honored letter 
of the sixteenth was duly received4 ,it 
is impossible to be more grateful to you
 than ,i am for the      information    
that you have been kind enough to give  
me about      ,mlle4 ,bouffard#aaj as   
well as about ,m4 ,delouche4 ,i will    
use it to my profit4 ,as to the question
 that you put to me      concerning ,m4 
d',orbigny1 ,i have the honor to tell   

you that      he has lived in the       
commune of ,vue in this department1 and 
was highly esteemed and regretted when  
he left to come here4      ,he lived    
here fifteen years without any one      
having cause to      reproach him in any
 way4 ,he has always been very well     
regarded      and received by the best  
society here1 and he carried from ,vue  
the regrets of all4 ,he left us to take 
part in a manufactory      of soda1     
established at ,noismoutiers1 in the    
department of ,la      ,vende4       ,i 
have had no news of him since4 ,as to   
his pecuniary      resources1 ,i know   
him to have but one4 ,his wife had a    
house1      at ,paimbuf in this         
department1 which was sold three years  
ago      to satisfy the holders of      
mortgages4 ,this is all that ,i can     
tell you about them2 he owes my         
mother-in-law about fifteen      hundred
 francs 7money received at different    
times from my      late father-in-law71 
for which we have his notes1 but ,god   

only      knows when we shall be paid4  
,as early as the autumn of #ahje1 if not
 before1 plans were laid for getting    
young ,audubon again safely out of      
,france1 for fear1 no doubt1 that the   
remorseless conscription officers of    
,napoleon would send him to the war if  
he remained4 ,at that time ,lieutenant  
,audubon and his wife issued jointly to 
their son and to ,ferdinand ,rozier a   
power of attorney for the conduct of    
their business affairs in ,america4     
,parts only of this punctilious         
document1 which was written in ,french1 
have been preserved1#aaa and these      
through the translation of a notary     
public and sworn interpreter of foreign 
languages for the ,commonwealth of      
,pennsylvania1 resident in              
,philadelphia4 ,the names of the        
grantors1 who signed this letter on     
,october #ba1 #ahje1 were attested under
 the signature and seal of the mayor of 
,couron2 this official upon the same day
 declared that1 in conformity with the  

rigorous requirements of the laws of the
 ,state of ,pennsylvania1 since no other
 act1 not even a notarial instrument1   
can in any manner supply the same1 he   
had examined ,anne ,moynet ,audubon     
apart1 when she admitted that she       
perfectly understood the nature of the  
act1 which she had signed1 sealed1 and  
delivered of her own free will and      
accord1 without being compelled thereto 
by her husband1 either by threats1 or by
 any other means of compulsion          
whatsoever4 ,the mayor's signature was  
authenticated three days later by the   
subprefect of ,savenay1 and the         
formality was finally closed by the     
attestation of his signature by the     
prefect1 on the #bgth of ,november4  ,it
 was during this last visit to his home 
in ,france that ,audubon's sister1      
,rosa1#aab was married to ,gabriel      
,loyen du ,puigaudeau1 who was not1     
however1 as the naturalist has stated1  
either the son of a fallen nobleman or  
his father's secretary4 ,du ,puigaudeau 

came from a family of merchants in easy 
circumstances1 and for a long time lived
 the life of a country gentleman of     
leisure--for a period at ,port ,launay1 
below ,couron1 and later1 after         
,lieutenant ,audubon's death1 at his own
 villa1 ,les ,tourterelles1 in that     
commune1 not far from ,la ,gerbetire4   
,his father1 though of a rich family1   
was not a gentleman1 that is1 a member  
of the aristocracy1 as the term was then
 used in ,france4 ,du ,puigaudeau was   
without any settled business1 but his   
revenues1 upon which he depended1 failed
 not long after the death of his        
father-in-law4 ,he and young ,audubon   
appear to have been good friends for    
many years1 and after the latter's      
return to ,america they corresponded to 
as late as #ahbj1 when for some reason  
their relations were broken4  ,in the   
spring of #ahjf ,lieutenant ,audubon    
arranged a business partnership between 
his son and ,ferdinand ,rozier1 to      
endure for nine years1 and also secured 

passports for both to enable them to    
emigrate immediately to the ,united     
,states4 ,to the same hand can also be  
traced their ,articles of ,association1 
which were drawn with the utmost care   
and designed to govern them in all their
 future business relations in the ,new  
,world3 these were signed by ,jean      
,audubon1 and ,ferdinand ,rozier1 at    
,nantes1 on ,march #bc1 #ahjf4          
,moreover1 eight days before they       
embarked1 a second and more elaborate   
letter of attorney was issued to them   
jointly by the ,lieutenant1 his wife1   
and1 in this instance1 the aged father  
of ,ferdinand1 under date of ,april #d1 
#ahjf4aac ,according to the terms of    
this admirably executed paper the       
partners were entitled to conduct all   
the affairs of the grantors in reference
 to their property in the ,united       
,states to the best of their judgment   
and ability2 to carry on the ,mill      
,grove farm1 to the extent of their part
 ownership in the estate1 or to dispose 

of this interest2 to exploit or cause to
 be exploited the mine recently         
discovered on the said farm1 to consult 
in every important matter ,mr4 ,miers   
,fisher1 merchant of ,philadelphia1--as 
a common friend and good counsellor1 to 
keep all necessary books and registers1 
and at the end of each year1 or sooner1 
to strike a balance of the receipts and 
expenses of the said farm and the       
exploitation of the mine1 should there  
be reason for it4  ,illustration3       
,,receipt ,,given ,,by ,,captain ,s4    
,,sammis ,,of ,,the ,,polly ,,to        
,,audubon ,,and ,,ferdinand ,,rozier    
,,for ,,their ,,passage ,,money ,,from  
,,nantes      ,,to ,,new ,,york4        
,from the ,tom ,j4 ,rozier ,,mss4  ,to  
secure at this time the necessary       
passports for their young men no doubt  
taxed all the resources of the elder    
,audubon2 ,rozier's1 said the           
naturalist1 was written in ,dutch1 of   
which he did not understand a single    
word1 while his own letter stated that  

he was born in ,new ,orleans4 ,these    
subterfuges worked so well that the     
inspection officer1 after reading       
,audubon's paper1 promptly offered him  
his congratulations1 adding that he     
would be only too glad to leave his     
unhappy country under as favorable      
conditions4 ,audubon and ,rozier sailed 
from ,nantes on ,saturday1 ,april #ab1  
#ahjf1 on the ship ,polly1 ,captain     
,sammis1 but they did not land in ,new  
,york until ,tuesday1 ,may #bh1 after a 
perilous voyage of nearly eight weeks4  
,a fortnight had been passed at sea when
 they sighted a suspicious looking      
vessel which immediately gave chase1    
fired several shots across their bows1  
and compelled the captain to heave to   
and submit to being boarded and         
searched4 ,this proved to be an ,english
 privateer1 named the ,rattlesnake4 ,she
 was rather considerate for a ,british  
cruiser of the period1 for she merely   
impressed two of their best seamen and  
robbed them of their provisions1        

carrying off1 said ,audubon1 all of     
their pigs1 sheep1 coffee and wine1#aad 
in spite of loud remonstrances of the   
captain and of an ,american ,congressman
 who happened to be among the           
passengers4 ,the ,rattlesnake1 he       
continued1 kept us under her lee1 and   
almost within pistol-shot1 for a day and
 a night1 ransacking the ship for money1
 of which we had a great store in the   
run under the ballast which was         
partially removed1 but they did not go  
deep enough to reach the treasure4 ,the 
gold belonging to ,rozier and myself ,i 
put away under the ship's cable in the  
bow1 where it remained until the        
privateers had departed4  ,upon reaching
 a point thirty miles off ,sandy ,hook1 
they learned from a fishing smack that  
two ,british frigates lay off the harbor
 and were impressing ,american seamen1  
that1 in short1 they were even more     
unwelcome than pirates who sailed under 
letters of marque4 ,the captain1 thus   
forewarned of one danger1 had the       

misfortune to run into another1 for upon
 taking his vessel into ,long ,island   
,sound1 she encountered a storm and was 
stranded in a gale2 no great harm was   
experienced1 however1 for the vessel was
 finally floated off and reached ,new   
,york on the following day4 ,the passage
 money paid by ,audubon and ,rozier to  
,captain ,sammis amounting to #ebe      
livres1 or #abe1aae was entered1        
according to their articles of          
agreement1 as the first item of their   
social expenses4 ,after a brief visit   
with ,benjamin ,bakewell they hurried to
 ,mill ,grove1 and ,audubon to the home 
of his sweetheart1 ,lucy4     ,,chapter 
,x  ,,la ,,gerbeti,,re ,,of ,,yesterday 
,,and ,,today       ,home of ,audubon's 
youth at ,couron--,its situation on the 
,loire--,history of the villa and       
commune--,changes of a century4         
,before following further ,audubon's    
history in ,america1 we shall return for
 a more intimate view of the happy home 
which he had left behind him in ,france4

 ,this was at ,couron1 a small commune  
in the arrondissement of                
,saint-,nazaire1 on the right bank of   
the ,loire1 nine miles west of ,nantes4 
,here1 as we have noticed1 his father   
had acquired a country place at about   
the outbreak of the ,revolution4 ,the   
old house still stands1 though in decay1
 and is still known as ,la ,gerbetire1 a
 name possibly referring to the wheat   
which is harvested from the surrounding 
fields as of yore4 ,in the records of   
that district country places are always 
designated by their proper names1 and it
 is a curious fact that while such names
 survive1 they are seldom or never      
displayed on door or gate4              
,illustration3 ,,la ,,gerbeti,,re ,,jean
 ,,audubon',s ,,country ,,villa ,,at    
,,cou,,ron1      ,,france1 ,,and ,,the  
,,naturalist',s ,,boyhood ,,home4       
,from a photograph of ,august #ah1      
#aiac4  ,in a journal written before    
#ahbf1 ,audubon says3 ,my father's      
beautiful country seat1 situated within 

sight of the ,loire1 about mid-distance 
between ,nantes and the sea1 ,i found   
quite delightful to my taste1           
notwithstanding the frightful cruelties 
,i had witnessed in that vicinity not   
many years previously4 ,the gardens1    
greenhouses1 and all appertaining to it 
appeared to me of a superior cast4      
,though it was occupied for many years  
previously as a refuge from the turmoil 
or heat of the city1 ,lieutenant        
,audubon made ,la ,gerbetire his        
permanent abode only when he retired    
from the navy in #ahja1 still           
maintaining1 as we have seen1 a foothold
 in ,nantes4  ,upon ,audubon's first    
return from the ,united ,states in the  
spring of #ahje1 he said that his vessel
 entered the mouth of the ,loire and    
anchored off ,paimbuf1 the lower harbor 
of ,nantes4 ,on sending my name to the  
principal officer of the customs1 the   
narrative continues1 he came on board1  
and afterwards sent me to my father's   
villa1 ,la ,gerbetire1 in his barge and 

with his own men4 ,it is to be noticed1 
incidentally1 that as the distance to be
 covered between the lower and upper    
harbors was twenty-five miles1 or       
sixteen miles to ,couron1 such journeys 
no doubt were made upon the arrival of  
incoming vessels for the regular        
business of the service4  ,it has been  
suggested1 without proof1 that ,couron  
represents the ancient town of ,corbilo1
 mentioned by ,strabo at the beginning  
of our era4 ,though unquestionably      
ancient1 at the time of the ,revolution 
it was a small and unimportant parish of
 poor but industrious farmers4 ,it      
occupies rolling ground1 but little     
raised above the ,loire1 to the east of 
,port ,launay and nearly opposite       
,pellerin4 ,as this commune was easily  
accessible by river-barge from ,nantes1 
the revolutionists seem to have thought 
it worth watching1 though ,citizen      
,audubon found its people in a tranquil 
mood when he canvassed their district in
 behalf of the ,central ,committee in   

,april1 #agic4 ,couron is still a       
farming community1 but its              
population#aaf has been considerably    
swelled in recent years by the          
development of a large industry for the 
treatment of lead2 it is the shot tower 
and forest of chimneys of these great   
metallurgical works that arrest the eye 
of the traveler as he approaches ,couron
 by river at the present day4 ,the town 
is also accessible by railroad1 but the 
steamer journey from ,nantes1 which is  
made in less than an hour1 is more      
attractive as well as more direct4 ,in  
this section the ,loire is flanked on   
either side by bottom lands1 reduced in 
places to narrow strips1 which are      
followed at intervals by elevations     
called1 by courtesy1 hills or buttes4   
,to the west of ,couron1 and especially 
at ,pellerin1 which stands high1 these  
buttes come close to the river1 which is
 eating them away4  ,my visit to        
,couron1 which was made on a warm       
midsummer's day in #aiac1 served to     

correct certain previous impressions1   
but ,i found the old ,audubon homestead 
in its essential aspects but little     
changed1 considering that over a century
 had rolled by since the naturalist's   
visit which we have just described4     
,after leaving ,nantes at the ,gare de  
la ,bourse by one of those quaint little
 trains which still do service in the   
less traveled parts of ,france1 we      
traversed the broad ,quai with requisite
 deliberation1 passing shops1 warehouses
 and factories in long array4 ,a slight 
swerve from the river soon brought us to
 ,chatenay1 now a part of the city2 it  
is still some distance from that point  
before the real countryside is reached1 
and scenes familiar to southern         
,brittany are in a measure reproduced4  
,there were the old farmhouses of rough 
stone1 dear to every painter's heart1   
mellowed by age and lichens1 and        
surrounded by great ricks of straw1 for 
the harvest had been gathered and the   
stubble fields were brown4 ,there also  

the farms were divided into small plats1
 marked by willows or ramparts of stone4
 ,on higher ground stood the windmills1 
characteristic of ,brittany             
also1--stalwart towers of stone1 with   
broad arms of latticed wood ever ready  
to take the sails4  ,the small station  
for ,couron lies in the commune of      
,sautron1 and at this isolated point the
 traveler will sometimes find a country 
conveyance to take him to the village4  
,while we were raising the dust from    
this old ,couron pike on the eighteenth 
day of ,august1 swallows hawking with   
characteristic energy for their insect  
prey were the only birds we saw to      
remind us of the ornithologist1 who as a
 youth had doubtless passed this way    
many times1 over a hundred years before4
 ,the most direct approach to the old   
,audubon place from ,sautron1 as we     
afterwards learned1 is by a path which  
diverges on the right and leads through 
stubble fields and cabbage patches1     
along hedgerows and stone walls4 ,we1   

however1 fared on to the town and soon  
began to pass shops and small modern    
houses4 ,on the side of the village the 
traveler's eye is certain to be arrested
 by a great crucifix in stone1#aag which
 rises high above the street from a     
lofty pedestal1 and is approached by    
tiers of stone steps4 ,nearly opposite  
stands the secrtariat1 or official      
bureau of the commune1 where a solitary 
clerk1 who seemed to welcome my         
intrusion in a place where business was 
utterly stagnant1 closed his office and 
with characteristic courtesy cheerfully 
showed me the way4 ,this led directly   
westward to one side of the center of   
the town1 and after passing down a      
street of old houses of the humblest    
description1 we were again in the region
 of brown fields and old farmsteads4    
,couron village1 which is marked by a   
modern church with an aggressive spire1 
extends along the river bank1 but since 
its streets run parallel with it1 the   
river itself is seen only at certain    

openings1 occurring at irregular        
intervals4 ,in going to ,la ,gerbetire  
by the course ,i have described1 the    
,loire was not visible at any point1 and
 was not seen until we emerged from one 
of the village streets at the steamer's 
pier4 ,my guide had said that from the  
rise at the next crossroads we should   
see the roof of the house which we had  
come to visit1 and his prediction was   
verified when ,i recognized immediately 
its cupola raised above the gray stone  
walls which there bound every highway   
and field4 ,the old villa is rather less
 than a mile from the village1 but owing
 to the rolling nature of the country1  
it is completely hidden until at close  
approach it stands suddenly revealed4   
,it lies in a fork of the road1 securely
 inclosed by high1 massive walls of     
stone1 now hoary with age1 while on the 
front it is further screened by a       
natural growth of bushes and trees4     
,immediately behind and to the west     
rises a prominent butte which cuts off  

the view to ,port ,launay on the river2 
this forms the one distinctive landmark 
of the district1 as its two windmill    
towers are visible from all surrounding 
points4 ,in ,audubon's day the house    
commanded a wide view of the ,loire1 but
 the river is now so completely masked  
by foliage as to be visible only from   
the upper windows2 apparently it once   
flowed nearer to the house but has been 
pushed away by the construction of      
modern dykes4 ,the hilltop to which ,i  
have just referred1 like the roof of the
 villa1 commands a panorama of the whole
 region1 including ,nantes and all the  
surrounding communes4  ,la ,gerbetire is
 now a small estate of less than fifty  
ares1 or one and a half acres1 of land4 
,the buildings1 which form a quadrangle 
with enclosed court1 occupy a corner    
next the side street1 and stand about   
#bjj feet back from the main highway    
leading from ,couron to ,port ,launay4  
,the extent of the original property    
cannot now be determined1 but           

,lieutenant ,audubon1 who retired at the
 age of fifty-seven1 was never a farmer 
on a large scale4 ,the original house1  
which probably dates from early in the  
eighteenth century1 has an easterly wing
 or ,l1 continued into a long1 low      
section through which the court is now  
entered from the road at the side2 this 
was probably added by ,jean ,audubon1   
but the westerly end and wing are a more
 modern accretion1 built for the        
accommodation of additional tenants1 as 
many as three families having occupied  
the place in #aheg4  ,la ,gerbetire was 
entered from the main street by a small 
door which pierces the high enclosing   
wall1 and leads the visitor into what   
was formerly an ornamental garden1 the  
original design of which can still be   
traced4 ,at the time of my visit1       
however1 this entrance had long ceased  
to be an avenue of response4 ,encouraged
 by the sight of a peddler's cart1 ,i   
walked up the side street and entered   
the court4 ,here the response was prompt

 and vigorous enough1 and from the      
guardians of the place1 one of which was
 chafing at his chain close to the      
doorway4 ,i crossed rather gingerly to  
an open hallway1 opposite the main      
entrance1 and knocked repeatedly1 noting
 here that rooms opened to this small   
entrance hall on either side1 and that a
 steep stairway led to others above4 ,at
 last1 during a temporary lull in the   
barking of dogs1 the tok-tok of sabots  
was heard on the stairs1 and ,i handed  
up my card with one from the director of
 the ,natural ,history ,museum at       
,nantes4 ,after various messages had    
been shouted back and forth1 ,i was led 
through another passage to the tenant1  
who was talking with the peddler in the 
garden4 ,julien ,lebrton1 who was a     
farmer on a small scale1 received me    
kindly and answered my questions to the 
best of his ability2 it did not surprise
 me that he was both puzzled and        
suspicious1 or that his first thought   
was of our coming to look over the place

 with a view to its purchase4  ,the     
decayed villa1 which stands in the midst
 of scattered farmhouses of a humble    
order1 reproduces a style characteristic
 of many parts of ,france4 ,the original
 house1 of two stories1 was built of    
cream-colored limestone1 similar to that
 for which many ,french towns are       
famous4 ,it has a swelled slated roof   
with beveled gables4 ,surmounting the   
roof is a cupola which suggests a third 
story1 carried out in harmony with the  
lower structure4 ,a narrow balcony1     
resting upon a molding of stone and     
protected by an iron grill1 without     
which no such house would be considered 
complete1 runs the length of the second 
story1 and is accessible from every room
 by glass doors4 ,from the main entrance
 below one passes directly through to   
the court1 about which are now grouped  
various stables and other low buildings1
 not all of which date from ,audubon's  
day4    ,illustration3 ,,la             
,,gerbeti,,re ,,and ,,cou,,ron1 ,,as    

,,seen ,,from ,,the ,,windmill          
,,towers ,,on ,,the ,,ridge             
,,overlooking ,,port ,,launay1 ,,on     
,,the ,,loire4       ,,la ,,gerbeti,,re1
 ,,as ,,seen ,,when ,,approached ,,from 
,,cou,,ron ,,village ,,by      ,,the    
,,road ,,to ,,port ,,launay4            
,,port ,,launay ,,on ,,the ,,loire4     
,what was once a small formal garden is 
still marked by solid boundaries of cut 
limestone4 ,this was evidently          
constructed by ,jean ,audubon1 since it 
occupies the area in front of the       
original house and the easterly         
extension which is attributed to him4   
,the remaining available land was       
devoted to fruit1 vegetables1 and       
possibly to the greenhouses which the   
naturalist mentioned4 ,at one time an   
orangery occupied some part of the house
 or court4 ,there are now no large trees
 on the property2 the fruits are all of 
recent and inferior growth1 while the   
garden ,i saw was planted to cabbage and
 running riot with weeds4  ,when ,jean  

and ,madame ,audubon passed through the 
door leading from the main street1 they 
entered upon a paved alley which ran    
parallel with the high wall1 whence they
 could reach the house by any one of    
several walks or enter the fruit garden 
by another4 ,if so inclined1 they could 
turn to the right1 ascend a flight of   
granite steps to a platform on a level  
with the top of the wall1 and under a   
shady bower of vines and leafy          
shrubbery1 look off on the racing waters
 of the ,loire1 scrutinize their        
visitors before admitting them1 or      
observe such manifestations of life as  
lonely country roads of that period had 
to offer4 ,as they passed up the central
 garden walk they could admire the beds 
of old-fashioned flowers1 kept1 we may  
be sure1 in perfect order1 for ,jean was
 a very methodical man1 and his wife1 we
 believe1 an excellent home maker4 ,this
 walk led to a low terrace1 flanked with
 a heavy wall1 which ran the whole      
length of the house4  ,what little ,i   

saw of the interior of ,la ,gerbetire   
was wholly devoid of interest1 which    
agrees with the experience of another   
traveler who visited ,couron at a       
slightly earlier date2#aah at the time  
of his visit the place was unoccupied   
and forlorn1 and the vegetation on the  
garden side so dense that it was utterly
 impossible to see any distance from the
 lower windows4  ,when ,la ,gerbetire   
came into ,jean ,audubon's possession it
 was already venerable with age1 and it 
was completely restored for him by an   
architect named ,lavigne4#aai ,in an    
inventory drawn up shortly after ,madame
 ,audubon's death in ,october1 #ahba1   
the property of ,la ,gerbetire is       
described by reproducing the account    
given in an early deed bearing date of  
,november #aa1 #agfi1 which reads as    
follows3       ,a house called ,la      
,gerbetire1 situated near the port of   
,launay1 consisting of a sitting room1  
drawing room1 kitchen1      upper       
chamber 444 garret1 and other quarters  

serving as a      laundry1 stable at the
 back1 with pigeon loft above1 court1   
parterre1 vegetable garden to one side1 
an orangery with      orange trees1 in  
the middle of the house1 the whole in   
front      of a close surrounded by high
 walls except on the side of the        
setting sun1 with land belonging to the 
heirs of ,m4 de la ,haye      ,moricaud1
 held mutually1#abj the whole bounded on
 all other      sides by highways4      
,notice3 ,the aforesaid house and       
parterre      stand in an empty field1  
which serves as a fair-ground1 and      
is partly planted with young trees in   
serial rows2 held in      common with   
the ,marquis de la ,musse1 with another 
empty field      containing about two   
journals of land4444#aba  ,la           
,gerbetire1 never more than an          
unpretentious country house with an     
attractive garden1 was idealized in the 
fervent imagination of ,audubon when in 
after life he drew upon the memories of 
his youth in ,france2 for it had meant  

to him escape from the city1 which he   
detested1 to the fields and river which 
he loved4 ,yet1 in spite of the abuse   
which a long line of poor tenantry      
inevitably entails1 with intervals of   
total neglect lasting for nearly a      
century1 this decayed villa of          
pre-,revolutionary days still stands in 
marked contrast to its neighbors1 and   
bears witness to a taste to which they  
were strangers4 ,the greenhouses1 the   
fruit and shade trees1 if such it       
possessed1 and all lesser adornments of 
the place have vanished long ago1 but   
thanks to the durability of ,french     
stone and mortar1 much about this old   
country seat is still well preserved4   
,whether ,audubon ever saw his old      
,couron home again after leaving it in  
#ahjf is doubtful1 though one of his    
sons visited the place1 and the         
naturalist incidentally speaks of a     
pilgrimage to ,les ,sables d',olonne    
which might have occurred in #ahca or a 
little later4 ,in following the fortunes

 of the naturalist's family in ,france  
it will be necessary for us to return to
 ,la ,gerbetire4#abb     ,,chapter ,,xi 
,,first ,,ventures ,,in ,,business ,,at 
,,new ,,york1 ,,and ,,sequel ,,to ,,the 
,,mill ,,grove ,,mine       ,audubon and
 ,rozier at ,mill ,grove--,their        
partnership      rules--,attempts to    
form a mining company lead to           
disappointment--,decision to sell their 
remaining interests      in ,mill ,grove
 to ,dacosta--,division of the property 
and      legal entanglements--,audubon  
as a clerk in ,new ,york--,business     
correspondence and letters to his       
father--,later history of the      lead 
mine and ,dacosta--,audubon continues   
his drawings in ,new      ,york and     
works for ,dr4 ,mitchell's              
,museum--,forsakes the counting         
room for the fields--,personal sketch4  
,when ,audubon and ,rozier reached ,mill
 ,grove at the beginning of the summer  
of #ahjf1 they found the troublesome    
,dacosta installed as its master by     

virtue of his interest in the property  
and his former position as agent1 to    
which they were now to succeed4 ,no     
doubt they found difficulties in        
carrying out all the articles of        
agreement#abc in their business         
constitution1 for they were to take     
possession and call ,dacosta to account4
 ,they were also in duty bound to       
investigate the lead mine on the farm1  
and ascertain whether it promised any   
success1 and if the expenses already    
incurred were warranted1 before         
committing themselves to further        
development4 ,one-half the product of   
the mine and farm was to be equally     
divided between them1 and in order to   
visualize clearly their profit and loss1
 they agreed to keep a special book for 
the purpose4 ,on one side1 their third  
,article read1 will be entered the items
 of expense1 day by day1 and at the     
moment this is done1 on the other side  
shall also be entered the sales and     
products of the farms1 and of all that  

can result from this business1 in such a
 way that the profit shall be always    
apparent by the addition of the items   
which compose the debit and the credit4 
,illustration3 ,,beginning ,,of ,,the   
,,articles ,,of ,,association ,,of      
,,john      ,,james ,,audubon ,,and     
,,ferdinand ,,rozier1 ,,signed ,,at     
,,nantes1 ,,march #bc1      #ahjf4      
,after the original manuscript of       
,rozier's copy1 in possession of        
,mr4 ,charles ,a4 ,rozier4  ,the house  
at ,mill ,grove was to be treated as an 
object separate from all business1 in   
order1 so the ,articles read1 that we   
may settle matters as completely as we  
desire4 ,it was also agreed1 in the     
fourth ,article1 that they should add to
 the expenses of this exploitation those
 necessary for life1 and others of a    
mutual character1 so long as it should  
suit them to live and dwell together4   
,it was further stipulated that even if 
the mine proved a failure1 they should  
remain six months on the farm1 in order 

to gather useful information from the   
country1 before embarking in any form of
 commerce1 whether inland or maritime4  
,the cost of their journey to ,america  
was to be entered as the first item of  
their social expenses1 and any          
expenditure for travel in their mutual  
interests was to be considered under the
 same head4 ,in case they should        
persuade any merchants in ,america to   
send goods to ,m4 ,rozier1 ,senior1 at  
,nantes1 he should be entitled to       
one-half the profits1 while the partners
 should divide the other half between   
them4 ,all other profits and losses     
resulting from their commercial         
transactions were to be shared equally4 
,the partners resolved to maintain      
friendship and a mutual understanding1  
but upon the least difficulty each      
should choose one arbitrator1 and the   
two thus chosen were authorized to      
select a third2 the partners were bound 
to accept the decision thus reached     
without appealing to any court4 ,in the 

case of the death of one of the         
associates1 read the tenth ,article1 the
 survivor should have sole charge of    
making a settlement of the business and 
should report to the proper heirs4 ,the 
survivor1 in such an event1 would be    
entitled to a commission of ten per cent
 in addition to his one-half interest1  
but in no case should the partnership be
 dissolved until after nine years1      
counting from the day of the date of the
 present instrument4 ,as will be seen1  
,audubon and ,rozier were unable to     
fulfill all the conditions thus         
carefully laid down4  ,young ,audubon's 
dislike of ,dacosta1 the uncertainty of 
the mining project1 and other           
difficulties of the situation soon      
decided the partners to cut short their 
stay at ,mill ,grove4 ,both were equally
 interested in the lead mine1 but after 
working several months without success  
in an attempt to form a mining company1 
they wisely decided to leave such       
experiments to the enthusiastic ,dacosta

 and to seek an opening in trade1 where 
the hazard would be no greater and their
 ignorance less profound4 ,following the
 advice of their ,quaker friend1 ,miers 
,fisher1 they decided to sell to        
,dacosta their remaining rights in ,mill
 ,grove4 ,as a preliminary it was       
necessary to divide the property which  
had been held in common by him and      
,lieutenant ,audubon since #ahjd1 and   
this division was effected by an        
agreement drawn up at ,philadelphia on  
the fifth day of ,september1 #ahjf4abd  
,ten days later the remainder of ,mill  
,grove was conveyed to ,francis         
,dacosta1 representing a number of      
capitalists whom he had managed to      
interest in the mine1 of whom the astute
 ,stephen ,girard is said to have been  
one4 ,the sale was subject to           
conditions1#abe dependent upon their    
success in mining lead1 which1 as will  
appear eventually1 could not have been  
fulfilled4 ,these various transactions  
are so clearly set forth by ,ferdinand  

,rozier in writing to his father at     
,nantes that we shall reproduce his     
letter in full3#abf   ,ferdinand ,rozier
 to ,claude ,franois ,rozier            
,,philadelphia1 #ab ,sept41 #ahjf       
,duplicate4       ,,my ,,very ,,dear    
,,and ,,venerable ,,father3       ,still
 in hope of cherished news from you1 and
 replies to my      letters of #ca ,may1
 #bb ,june1 and #d ,july1 ,i have to    
tell you      that we have since        
succeeded in closing all our business   
relations with ,mr4 ,francis ,dacosta1  
in the following      manner3 ,we are   
anxious that our method of procedure may
      be satisfactory to you2 we have   
followed the advice of ,mr4      ,miers 
,fisher1 and have had his approval in   
all that we have      done4 ,what should
 set you at rest is that as regards your
      investment1 you will find that ,i 
have made quite a neat      profit4     
,here is a copy of the agreement4       
,it is agreed between ,mr4 ,dacosta and 
,mr4 ,j4 ,audubon           that the    

farm of ,mill ,grove1 which they now    
hold           in common1 shall be      
divided between them as follows3        
#a4 ,mr4 ,dacosta shall have the lot of 
#aac and a           half acres1        
situated on the ,n4,e4 side of          
,perkioming           creek1 with all   
the buildings1 mines1 et cet41 and      
in general all that it contains4        
#b4 ,mr4 ,audubon shall have the lot of 
#aga acres1           situated on the   
other side of the creek4            #c4 
,mr4 ,dacosta shall pay to ,mr4 ,audubon
 for the           difference in value  
of the lot of #aac acres1 and           
of that which it contains3              
#a4 ,the sum of eight hundred dollars1  
payable with interest1 in three years   
from                this day2           
#b4 ,the sum of four thousand dollars1  
upon                the first products  
of the lead mine4            #d4 ,the   
contract made with ,mr4 ,thomas shall   
remain           to the charge of the   
two parties4            ,note4 ,mr4     

,duponceau is begged to draw up the     
necessary deeds to put this agreement   
into           execution1 which deeds we
 undertake mutually to                  
exchange at the first requisition4      
,executed at ,philadelphia1 this #eth of
 ,sept1 #ahjf4            ,signed ,fcis 
,,dacosta                    ,,ferdinand
 ,,rozier                    ,j4        
,,audubon       ,the futile attempt that
 we have made to form a company to      
work this mine1 which is a condition of 
success1 the slight      resources at   
our command1 as well as our lack of     
knowledge      in work of this kind1 all
 have determined us to abandon our      
rights for the offer of four thousand   
dollars#abg upon the      first products
 that shall come from the mine4 ,the    
expense      that must be incurred in   
working it will be very heavy2 to       
this must be added the uncertainty of   
success4 ,the mine may      promise much
 at the beginning1 and after that yield 
nothing4      ,in short an enterprise of

 this kind can be properly conducted    
only by a capitalist or by a company4   
,we have regarded this      mine as a   
lottery which can make the fortune of   
the promoter1      or lead him into     
great losses4 ,as to the agreement with 
,mr4      ,wm4 ,thomas1 we do not       
consider it as very serious2 since      
it is quite uncertain whether he will be
 paid in whole or      in part1 as he   
has not kept his agreements4 ,this is   
,mr4      ,dacosta's opinion4 ,as to our
 half we are decided not to let      it 
go under eight thousand dollars1 which  
is its value as      estimated by       
several farmers4 ,so you see1 my dear   
papa1 that      our half as worth #h1jjj
 dollars1 at least1 the sum of eight    
hundred dollars by mortgage1 with       
interest1 and that of four      thousand
 dollars upon the first products from   
the mine1 will      cover easily the    
interest on the purchase of sixteen     
thousand      francs4       ,since      
expenses are at least double what they  

would be in      ,france1 owing to the  
cost of products of every sort1 we are  
determined to go into trade1 to cover   
our expenses1 and to      choose for    
ourselves some kind of serious work that
 can lead      us to an honorable       
establishment4 ,you should be at ease   
about      the manner we shall adopt for
 our operations1 as we wish only      to
 go slowly1 and especially to be guided 
by the advice of      the respectable   
persons whose acquaintance we are so    
fortunate      as to enjoy1 and who     
beyond a doubt will aid us along this   
thorny path4       ,by our letter of the
 #dth ,july we have sent the account    
current of ,mr4 ,dacosta1 by which ,mr4 
,audubon is charged      with #cae      
dollars and #e cents2 we have begged you
 to send      the documentary evidence  
which may put us in a position to       
prove that ,mr4 ,audubon ought not to   
pay ,mr4 ,dacosta's private             
expenses1 as the matter is to be decided
 here by arbitrators4      ,we beg ,mr4 

,audubon to use the utmost speed in     
sending his      documents4 ,it is our  
ardent hope also that you have received 
our first letter of ,may #ca1 with that 
of ,mr4 ,bakewell1 the      merchant in 
,new ,york1 with a remittance of #c1jjj 
and a few      francs for the purchase  
of divers objects4 ,i assure you that   
we are in the greatest anxiety as to    
what is the state      of your          
health1#abh as well as that of the      
family1 and to      learn if you have   
received our letters4 ,the nephew of    
,mr4      ,bakewell writes us that his  
uncle in ,new ,york has despatched      
several vessels consigned to you1 for   
which ,i congratulate you               
sincerely4 ,we have also received your  
letter of the #cjth of      ,june1 but  
,i cannot reply to it1 since the boat is
 leaving this      evening for          
,amsterdam1 but you can count upon my   
conforming      to its contents4 ,your  
personal letter grieved me particularly 
by your last expressions1 and ,i should 

wish that you would      have done me   
more justice2 ,i can have made mistakes1
 but for      444 the idea alone has    
made me shudder4 ,i am delighted that   
all the family is enjoying perfect      
health4 ,embrace dear ,mama      for me2
 my kind regards to my brother and      
sisters2 do not      forget to remember 
me to all the family1 and to our friend1
      ,mr4 ,audubon1 the father1 and his
 family4 ,finally1 my dear      ,papa1  
be assured that ,i shall forget nothing 
to increase our      intimacy4 ,you give
 me the means of supporting it with     
labor4      ,believe in my sincere and  
enduring attachment4            ,your   
respectful son1            ,,ferdinand  
,,rozier4            ,we are eager to   
hear of the receipt of our letters1     
and we beg you to address them to ,mr4  
,bakewell of           ,new ,york4  ,the
 inbred caution1 sound sense1 and       
sterling integrity which this letter    
displays would be a good foundation for 
any career1 and we are not surprised to 

find that in after life ,ferdinand      
,rozier became a keen and successful    
trader on the western frontier4         
,illustration3 ,,first ,,page ,,of ,,the
 ,,power ,,of ,,attorney ,,granted ,,by 
,,jean ,,audubon1 ,,anne ,,moynet       
,,audubon ,,and ,,claude ,,fran,,ois    
,,rozier      ,,to ,,john ,,james       
,,audubon ,,and ,,ferdinand ,,rozier1   
,,nantes1 ,,april #d1      #ahjf4       
,after the original manuscript of       
,ferdinand ,rozier's copy1 in           
possession of ,mr4 ,tom ,j4 ,rozier4    
,illustration3 ,,signatures ,,of ,,jean 
,,audubon ,,and ,,anne ,,moynet         
,,audubon1 ,,and ,,dr4 ,,chapelain ,,and
 ,,dr4 ,,charles ,d',,orbigny1 ,,as     
,,witnesses1 ,,to ,,the ,,power ,,of    
,,attorney ,,granted ,,to ,,john ,,james
      ,,audubon ,,and ,,ferdinand       
,,rozier1 ,,cou,,ron1 ,,november #bj1   
#ahjf4       ,after the original        
manuscript in possession of ,miss ,maria
 ,r4      ,audubon4  ,the division and  
sale of ,mill ,grove probably ended the 

joint interests of the elder ,audubon   
and ,rozier1 for in ,november1 #ahjf1 a 
new power of attorney#abi was given to  
the young men by ,lieutenant ,audubon   
and his wife2 as later events will      
prove1 however1 their rights in the     
property were not completely surrendered
 with its transfer to ,dacosta and his  
mining company in the autumn of this    
year4 ,the partners were now free to    
choose some kind of serious work1 and   
,ferdinand1 who was then twenty-nine1   
was anxious to make a beginning at once4
 ,since he was not as yet proficient in 
the ,english tongue1 ,rozier engaged as 
a clerk in the ,french importing house  
of ,laurence ,huron1 of ,philadelphia1  
while ,audubon1 following the advice of 
his future father-in-law1 entered the   
office of the latter's brother1         
,benjamin ,bakewell1 in ,new ,york4  ,in
 the autumn of #ahjf ,benjamin ,bakewell
 was conducting a successful wholesale  
importing business at #age ,pearl       
,street4 ,he then owned several vessels1

 and his correspondents were scattered  
over ,england1 ,france1 the ,west       
,indies and the ,southern ,states4 ,with
 him were associated at this time a     
number of young men1 including his      
nephew1 ,thomas ,w4 ,bakewell1 ,thomas  
,pears1 a nephew of his wife1 ,thomas   
,bakewell1 his son1 as well as ,john    
,james ,audubon4 ,the hospitable family 
to which young ,audubon was now admitted
 on terms of intimacy1 in accordance    
with the custom of the day1 lived in the
 rear of the counting-house during the  
winter months but in summer migrated to 
the country1 the ,bakewells going five  
miles out on the ,bloomingdale ,road4   
,benjamin ,bakewell had come to this    
country in #agid1 in the same year as   
the famous chemist1 ,joseph ,priestley1 
whose friendship he enjoyed and whose   
religious teachings had drawn both him  
and his brother1 ,william1 from rigid   
,calvinism to the greater tolerance of  
the ,unitarian belief4 ,at twenty-four  
he was an independent mercer in         

,cornhill1 ,london1 and was well        
acquainted in ,france1 where he had     
spent considerable time during the      
,revolution1 which had destroyed his    
trade4 ,one of his patrons at this time 
was ,claude ,franois ,rozier of ,nantes1
 and inasmuch as the correspondence with
 him had to be conducted in ,french1 and
 may possibly in this instance have been
 due to young ,audubon's initiative1 it 
was naturally intrusted to him4  ,seven 
letters of the naturalist1 dating from  
,january #aj1 #ahjg1 to ,july #ai of    
that year1 by good fortune have been    
preserved1 and they throw into full     
light another shaded corner of his      
interesting life4 ,from the contents of 
these letters1#acj as well as from other
 facts1 we know that ,audubon remained  
in ,bakewell's office for nearly a year1
 from the autumn of #ahjf to the summer 
of #ahjg4 ,bakewell's house imported    
linens1 lace1 gloves1 wines1 firearms   
and any kind of merchandise that        
promised a ready and remunerative sale  

in ,new ,york2 in return they forwarded 
coffees1 sugars and other commodities to
 ,rozier1 receiving from him also prices
 current and introductions to other     
merchants in ,france4 ,another          
correspondent was the ,huron firm in    
,philadelphia1 so it is probable that   
,ferdinand owed his employment there to 
,benjamin ,bakewell4  ,while ,audubon   
expressed himself at this time as freely
 in ,english as in ,french1 in the      
former language the tendencies of his   
,french tongue and the influence of his 
,quaker friends were strangely blended4 
,he never bothered with accents1 and    
took as many liberties with the spelling
 of ,french as of ,english4 ,some of    
these lapses are purely phonetic1 while 
others are more original1 as schacket   
for packet1 fither for ,fisher2 two     
variations of ,rozier's name and of     
,nantes occur in the same letter4 ,it   
should be remembered1 however1 that at  
the beginning of the nineteenth century 
bad or random spelling was a very venial

 offense1 which gentlemen of quality1 or
 even scholars1 could commit with       
impunity4 ,in this respect ,audubon's   
early essays in ,english would probably 
compare favorably with ,gibbon's        
youthful ,french4   ,john ,james        
,audubon to ,claude ,franois ,rosier    
,letter ,no4 #a1 addressed              
,m4 ,,fr4 ,,rozier1                     
,merchant-,nantes4            ,,new     
,,york1 #aj ,january1 #ahjg4            
,,dear ,,sir3       ,we have had the    
pleasure of receiving by the ,penelope  
your      consignment of #bj pieces of  
linen cloth1 for which we send      our 
thanks4 ,as soon as we have sold them1  
we shall take great      pleasure in    
making our return4       ,i am truly    
sorry that you had not received any     
letters from      us when you wrote1 and
 ,i am also very disconsolate at having 
no news from my good father4 ,you did us
 a most acceptable      service in      
making us acquainted with your friends  
in different      parts of ,france1 and 

in offering to send us such goods as you
      shall deem suitable4 ,upon the    
same proposals ,i sent you orders       
several months ago1 and did ,i dare1 ,i 
should tell you that all      articles  
having much show and little value are   
the very things      that are  la mode1 
and these in one hundred per cent1      
and ,i assure you that we should be very
 happy to receive      some small       
consignments4 ,as soon as we shall have 
realized our      funds1 we will make   
our orders1 in accordance with our      
means4      ,mr4 ,bakewell has made a   
great profit on the consignment that    
you made him shortly after our arrival4 
,we should be flattered      by another 
like it4 ,have the kindness to write us 
often1 and      to send us prices       
current as far as possible4 ,i hope that
 you      will have had our letters     
concerning a plan of business with      
,mr4 ,huron4 ,if you will have the      
kindness to see him1#aca he      can    
communicate to you his ideas on the     

subject4 ,his plan1 ,i      believe1    
will be advantageous both to you and to 
us4       ,your son is just about to    
come from ,philadelphia1 to live in     
,new ,york until there is some news2 but
 we will write you more      at length  
by ,capt4 ,sammis1 who brought us to    
this country4 ,i      even venture to   
hope that you will send back some       
merchandise      for us4 ,have the      
kindness to forward us invoices1 with   
the      goods consigned to us1 in order
 to avoid the penalty and      the      
expense of having them taken to a public
 warehouse1 a      proceeding which is  
often a great disadvantage on account of
      the fees4 ,consign always to ,mr4 
,benjamin ,bakewell1 who treats      us1
 so far as possible1 as good friends4   
,present my respects to your family1 and
 believe me ever            your        
faithful servant1            ,j4 ,j4    
,,audubon4   ,john ,james ,audubon to   
,claude ,franois ,rozier                
,letter ,no4 #b1 addressed              

,monsieur ,,fr4 ,,rozier1               
,negociant1           ,nantes4          
,loire ,inferieure4            ,,new    
,,york1 ,april #bd1 #ahjg4       ,,my   
,,dear ,,sir3       ,i am profiting by a
 good opportunity for ,bordeaux to      
apprise      you of the receipt of a    
duplicate of the orders that you gave   
us several months ago4 ,you will also   
know that the wines1      consigned to  
,mr4 ,l4 ,huron1 have arrived in this   
city and the      insurance has been    
saved4 ,your son has gone to the spot   
the      dock in ,philadelphia1 and by  
one of his letters advised me      that 
the #fj cases of wine are sold4 ,he     
tells me that you can      count on a   
net profit of nearly #bj p4 c4 ,if it   
turns out very      good1 the remainder 
will not fail to find a purchaser4 ,mr4 
,le ,ray has arrived and has brought    
with him a small box of      lace for   
,mr4 ,benjamin ,bakewell here2 it ought 
to arrive in a      few days from       
,philadelphia4 ,mr4 ,b4 ,b4 appeared    

satisfied with      the sale of his     
squared timber2 he is anxious only to   
see the      returns2 he is unhappy that
 the commerce of your town with         
this country cannot be regularly        
conducted except by ,bordeaux1          
whence we have vessels every month4 ,as 
our friend1 ,ferdinand1      will write 
you from ,philadelphia concerning ,mr4  
,huron1 ,i shall      not enlarge about 
him4 ,in several of your letters you    
intimate      that if we decide upon    
establishing a retail shop1 you can     
keep us constantly employed2 our ideas  
upon this subject      are in perfect   
accord1 and it would be indeed a        
pleasure if      we could start under   
the auspices and good advice of ,mr4    
,bakewell here2 objects well chosen1    
favorably bought1 and      shipped with 
care1 are always sure of meeting a good 
sale4 ,i      venture to hope that the  
ship ,la ,jeanne1 ,capt4 ,sammis1 will  
have arrived in your port1 and that the 
,indigoes shipped by      ,mr4 ,bakewell

 will reach there in time for the sale  
of this      merchandise1 of which ,i   
have some fears1 in view of the sum     
they have cost him4       ,we thank you 
for the prices current that you have    
sent us4 ,in      one of my last1       
directed by way of ,bordeaux1 ,i begged 
you to      call on ,mr4 ,fleury ,emery 
for a box of seeds1 from ,martinique    
and from this country1 for you and for  
my father4 ,this was      aboard the    
ship1 the ,virginia1 ,capt4 ,roberts1   
from this      section4 ,we hope shortly
 to send you some merchandise1 and      
possibly ,mr4 ,bakewell will profit by  
an opportunity that we      shall have  
in a few days for your port4 ,a little  
more than      three weeks ago ,i was at
 ,mill ,grove1 and ,i rented it for a   
year1 being unable to do better for the 
present4 ,your son1      now in         
,philadelphia1 is trying to settle the  
accounts of my      father with ,mr4    
,dacotta ,dacosta1 who does not easily  
forget      the rle of chicaner4        

,present1 ,i pray you1 my respects and  
compliments to your good family and     
wife1 and believe in me      as your    
devoted and constant            servant1
            ,j4 ,j4 ,,audubon4          
,have the kindness to deliver the       
enclosed to my good father4  ,the       
following quaint and charming letter1   
which young ,audubon enclosed with the  
preceding and under separate seal1 but  
which his good father may not have      
received1 will be transcribed in full1  
without the change of a letter or mark4 
,lieutenant ,audubon1 who was then in   
his sixty-third year1 was living1 as we 
have seen1 at ,couron1 the small river  
town nine miles west of ,nantes1 the    
center of the mails for the ,loire      
,infrieure1 and came frequently to that 
city to conduct his business            
correspondence4   ,john ,james ,audubon 
to ,jean ,audubon            ,letter    
,no4 #c1 enclosed with ,no4 #b1         
addressed            ,,john ,,audubon1  
,esq41           ,nantes4           pr  

,bourdeaux            ,,new ,,york      
,april #bdth #ahjg       ,,my ,,dear    
,,father       ,i send thee by a good   
opportunity1 but going to ,bordeaux ,i  
deed send about a month ago a small ,box
 containing some very      curious seeds
  some useful ones the whole was        
directed to ,mr4      ,fleury ,emery it 
was given here to the ,care of ,capt44  
,roberts      of the ,virginia ,i do    
hope they are now in thy possession thou
      have been so often disappointed   
that it always pains me to      think   
that they have been ,miscarried3 thou   
shalt found some      of the ,best      
,whatter ,missions and ,girmonds ,called
 here ,st4      ,domingo ,schachet#acb  
as in a few days ,i shall have again a  
good opportunity for ,nantz ,i will send
 thee a ,duplicate of the      same     
,seeds1 ,i have seen in the ,news ,paper
 that a ship called      the ,betzey had
 been in ,nantz do make some ,enquiries 
for it      there are on board of her   
,many ,birds and a collection of seeds  

from ,america for thee ,the ,caps44     
,mc,dougal2 pray when thou      answer  
to this be kind enough to mantion these 
little things4      ,i hope that the    
,jane ,cap44 ,sammis as reached your    
,port and      given thee some ,turtle  
fit to be eaten in soupe4 ,mr4 ,l4      
,huron      deed few days ago4 ,received
 some ,wines on a_/c of ,m4 ,rozier     
and hits they prove goods#acc and will  
bring a good profit4      ,mr4 ,f4      
,rozier the son speaks of going to      
,france some time this      summer he is
 now near ,mr4 ,huron at ,philadelphia  
and will try      while he is there to  
settle the ,business between ,m44       
,dacotta      and thee ,m44 ,rozier had 
shosen ,m44 ,huron for arbitrator but   
,i would not agree to it until ,m44     
,miers fither#acd was to      have part 
in it4 ,i am now waiting for an answer4 
,i am allways      in ,mr4 ,benjamin    
,bakewell's store where ,i work as much 
as ,i      can and passes my days happy2
 about thee weeks ago ,i went      to   

,mill ,grove for a_/c of the latter and 
had the pleasure      of seeing there my
 ,biloved ,lucy who constantly loves me 
and      makes me perfectly happy4 ,i   
shall wait for thy ,consent and      the
 one of my good ,mamma to ,marry her4   
could thou but see      her and thou    
wouldst ,i am sure be pleased of the    
prudency      of my choice2 ,m44,b4     
,bakewell is allways willing to oblige  
me      and will do many things for me3 
do not participate the ,ideas      of   
,m4 ,rozier ,going to ,france to his    
father it would perhaps      ,injure us 
for a while4 ,i wish thou would wrights 
to me ofnor      and longuely think by  
thy self how pleasing it is to read a   
friend's letter4 ,give my love to all my
 friends and thine and      kiss mamma1 
,rosa and ,brother ,pigaudeau#ace for me
 ,i hope they      continue to be all   
happy1 do remember to send me thy       
portrait      in miniature dressed as an
 officer#acf it will cost thee          
little and will please me much4 ,some of

 thy hair and ask my      sister for the
 ,music she does not want4 ,i wish to   
receive some      letter from ,m44      
,dorbigny#acg whom ,i have often        
wrighten and      send some curiosities4
 he is yet to answer to my first4       
,when thou seeist ,mr ,rozier pray him  
and try to engage him to      send us   
some-goods then we feel very inclined to
 set up in a      retail store which    
would do1 us a great deal of good4 ,i   
will      send him a letter by this     
opportunity--,good by farwell good      
father believe me for life thy most     
sincere friend be well be      happy    
thy son            ,j44 ,j44 ,,audubon  
,j'espere que tu poura                  
lire--adieu--adieu4   ,john ,james      
,audubon to ,claude ,franois ,rozier    
,letter ,no4 #d1 addressed              
,,mr4 ,,fccis ,,rozier1                 
,merct1 ,nantes--,ocean4                
,,new ,,york1 ,may #fth1 #ahjg4         
,,dear ,,sir3       ,i wrote you        
recently by a ship going to ,bordeaux2  

the letters      were carefully         
intrusted1 and ,i hope that they were   
received4      ,i notified you of the   
arrival of the wines to the address of  
,mr4 ,huron of ,philadelphia1 and told  
you that part of the cases      were    
sold4 ,your son informed me this morning
 that wine of so      good quality ought
 never to be exported in cask1 and that 
the      profit would have been greater 
if the whole had been in case4      ,mr4
 ,benjamin ,bakewell has received the   
bill of lading of ,mess      ,gereche   
brothers1 and the gloves and the lace   
are at present      on the road from    
,philadelphia to this place2 perhaps we 
shall      have them tomorrow2 ,i am    
afraid that they may be dear4 ,in       
several of your letters to ,ferdinand   
you speak of a retail      store1 and my
 friend begs me tell you that nothing   
could suit      us better than that you 
should have the kindness to send us     
enough goods to set up a shop at once on
 a good footing4      ,as soon as       

advised1 we shall order you to stock it 
with      merchandise of your choice4   
,you should have already received       
the bill of sale of a bale of linen     
cloth4 ,you can judge that      ,i have 
learned to shave ,messrs the ,americans1
 since ,i have      been with ,mr4 ,b4  
,b4 ,in conscience1 however1 the goods  
have      been sold at one third above  
their value4 ,should you decide         
upon sending another shipment1 do not   
count upon so good a      sale4 ,you    
must know1 however1 that ,i am always   
disposed to do      everything for your 
interests1 and that ,i shall always seek
      to merit your approbation4 ,should
 you decide to make us a                
consignment for a retail shop1 have the 
kindness to follow1      point by point1
 the following bill3             #fj    
doz4 morocco leather powder             
flasks--green or gray1                  
copper mounted1 like those that you sell
 at the                 shop for #be    
sols soldos4             #fj doz4 d4 d4 

of leather1 mahogany color1 at the same 
price4            #ajj boxes d4         
#ajj music boxes1#ach in prices from #aj
 to #ah francs1 good                    
pieces and gay music4            #ajj   
boxes of seal-wafers1 containing #a     
gross each1 assorted                 in 
color but more of the red than any      
other4             #aj gross of small   
boxes of seal-wafers4              #c   
boxes of pastels1 good1 well assorted1  
and chosen by                 the sons  
of ,m4 ,belloc2 more would not return us
                 anything4       ,if you
 could procure us good books in ,english
 at ,paris1 ,m4      ,bakewell assures  
me that we would realize a great profit 
on them1 and upon the other articles as 
given above1 if well      chosen4 ,we   
hope to sell ,mill ,grove1 and we will  
credit you      with a great part of the
 profit in colonial merchandise4 ,it    
is with impatience that ,i await some   
news of the indigo of      ,mr4 ,b4     
,bakewell4 ,have the kindness1 ,i pray  

you1 to forward      the enclosed letter
 to my father as soon as possible1 and  
will      you take from the ship ,ocean1
 the carrier of this letter1 a          
little box sent to your address for him1
 and will you send      this to him     
also8 ,present my respects to your      
ladies2 accept      mine and those of   
the ,bakewell family4 ,ferdinand is     
well4 ,i      salute you1 and ,i am     
your devoted friend1                    
,,audubon4            ,herewith the bill
 of lading of the box4           ,the   
captain did not wish to make any        
charge1 and has been perfectly polite4  
,john ,james ,audubon to ,jean ,audubon 
,letter ,no4 #e1 inclosed with ,no4 #d1 
in ,french1 and addressed               
,mr4 ,,fccis ,,rozier           ,mercht 
,nantes            pour ,mr4 ,audubon   
pre           aussitt que possible      
,,my ,,dear ,,friend3       ,thou wilt  
find herewith a bill of lading of a     
small box      containing nineteen      
species of seeds1 a bottle of reptiles  

for ,mr4 ,derbigny ,d',orbigny1 and some
 dried plants also      for the latter4 
,i will write thee of ,mr4 ,kauman1 by  
the ship      ,mentor1 which is to leave
 a little while after this one4         
,adieu1 my good friend6 ,the box will be
 addressed to ,mr4      ,audubon1       
,md1#aci ,nantes1 with ,american seeds  
written      above2 besides two ,bs1    
like this which follows ,b4,b#adj ,the  
,capn4 promises me to take care of it1  
and of my letters      also4 ,if thou   
findest in my letter anything which     
displeases      thee1 remember that ,i  
am thy son4 ,adieu6 ,farewell1 my good  
friend6 ,thine for life4            ,j4 
,j4 ,,audubon4            ,new ,york1   
,may #f1 #ahjg4       ,do not forget1 ,i
 pray thee1 to send me for the good     
,mrs4      ,bakewell the complete works 
of ,mr4 ,genlis#ada by the first        
opportunity1 and for me an exact copy of
 the departments of      ,france like   
that which ,i made1 and which is in thy 
cabinet4      ,i wish thee to copy them 

for my brother-in-law4#adb   ,john      
,james ,audubon to ,claude ,francois    
,rosier            ,letter ,no4 #f1     
addressed            ,,monsieur ,,fccis 
,,rozier1           ,merchant           
,nantes           p4 ,brig ,mentor      
,,new ,,york1 ,may #cjth1 #ahjg4        
,,mr4 ,,francis ,,rozier1               
,merchant1 ,nantes4       ,,dear ,,sir3 
,by my last1 sent on board the ship     
,ocean1 ,capt4 ,bunken1 ,i      apprised
 you of the arrival of the gloves and   
lace1 shipped      by your order at     
,rochelle for the account of my good    
friend1      ,benj4 ,bakewell4 ,i can   
now inform you of their sale1 which     
is also advantageous1 although the      
principal part was fine      and of very
 great price4 ,the gloves in prices of  
#bc #bh ,d1      are what is needed for 
this market here1 and especially if     
they are of any other color than yellow 
or bottle green they      are less apt  
to soil2 further they conceal defects   
more1 and      find in consequence more 

purchasers4 ,the laces were better1     
although there was a heavy duty4 ,you   
should know that here      the          
extravagance of the women equals or     
rather quite balances      the          
circumspection of the men1 so that all  
articles for women      should be       
beautiful1 that is to say1 conspicuous4 
,i await with      a kind of pleasure   
the arrival of ,cap4 ,sammis1 for       
although      ,i am convinced that the  
indigoes will meet with no success      
at ,nantes1 their return here will      
compensate us4 ,i am sorry      that ,i 
did not order from you some little      
pistols and the      guns which would   
serve perfectly4 ,believe nothing as to 
,mr4      ,bakewell1 and be well assured
 that he is our friend4 ,have then      
less fear3 ,i hope shortly to consign1  
that is to say1 ,mr4      ,b4 ,b4 will  
consign for us1 coffee and sugar from   
,martinique      to your address4 ,your 
son is still at ,philadelphia with ,mr4 
,huron4 ,they have sold the wines quite 

well4       ,but in truth ,i have been  
astonished that ,mr4 ,huron did not     
make you an immediate return4 ,i thank  
you sincerely for the      little       
package that you said had been prepared 
for us4 ,be sure      that ,mr4 ,b4 ,b4 
will aid us to a sufficient degree1 and 
always      in a way that anything which
 you send us will be promptly           
returned in merchandise assigned to you4
 ,the land1 which we      cannot sell   
without a great disadvantage1 keeps us  
very short      of cash1 and prevents us
 for the moment from dealing on as      
large a scale as we should desire2 but  
with your kindness in      sending us   
the materials for starting a grand      
retail shop with      different         
articles1 it will aid us very much4 ,as 
you well say1      it is a little       
unfortunate that there is no longer a   
boat from      your port here4       ,i 
write to my father by the same          
opportunity4 ,will you1 ,i      pray1   
get it to him as soon as possible1 and  

,i beg you to go      aboard for the    
live birds for him and for you4         
,present my respects to your good       
family1 and believe me for      ever    
,your faithful friend and               
servant            ,,audubon4       ,i  
should be very happy if you would send  
me a good box      of pastels1 chosen by
 ,mr4 ,belloc1 the younger1 at #b c #c  
,louis4#adc   ,john ,james ,audubon to  
,claude ,franois ,rozier                
,letter ,no4 #g1 addressed              
,,monsieur ,,fr4 ,,rozier1              
,negociant1           ,nantes4          
,loire ,infrieure4            ,,new     
,,york1 ,july #ai1 #ahjg4       ,,dear  
,,sir3       ,mr4 ,benjamin ,bakewell as
 well as myself have received your      
letters by the ,comet1 which had a      
passage of #db days4      ,we have at   
present in the warehouse a great part of
 the      merchandise of the latter     
vessel1 and in good condition2      ,mr4
 ,b4 ,b4 appears to be satisfied2 he is 
about to send some      teas that you   

have ordered from him4 ,it has grieved  
me much      to see him send a boat to  
,nantes1 and not consigned to you1      
but his reasons were1 ,i believe1 so    
sound that ,i did not dare              
remonstrate4 ,the agents of the house of
 ,rossel and ,boudet      paid him the  
of the invoice1 or a draft upon ,london 
for an      equivalent sum1 that neither
 ,ferdinand nor ,i were authorized      
to do2 the latter is at ,philadelphia4  
,in a short time we are      leaving for
 a voyage upon the ,ohio1 the details of
 which you      will learn from him1 or 
from my father1 and which ,i believe    
will be very advantageous to us4 ,we    
hope to sell ,mill ,grove      this     
autumn1 which we shall do1 however1 only
 at a profit4      ,we received this    
morning a letter from ,mr4 ,fleury      
,emery1 who      urges ,mr4 ,b4 ,b4 to  
give him some shipments1 but regarding  
this      ,i do not know his intentions4
 ,i have also received a letter         
to-day from our friend1 ,fd1 who is     

quite well1 and longs to      be doing  
something4       ,mr4 ,emery advises me 
of the receipt of a little box of seeds 
for my father and you4 ,i think that    
your gardens are now      embellished   
with foreign trees4       ,mr4 ,b4 ,b4  
is loading tea for you1 a thing that    
gives me much      pleasure4 ,i am      
sending you a letter from ,ferdinand    
that ,i      received yesterday4        
,presenting you as well as your whole   
amiable family with humble respects1    
,i continue to be           your        
faithful servant1            ,,audubon4 
,my regards1 ,i pray to you1 to my      
cousin1 the younger4  ,audubon's loyalty
 to his kind-hearted employer is evident
 in every one of these amiable letters1 
yet it is plain that they were written  
upon his own initiative1 and a merchant 
of today might seriously object to such 
a candid exposition of his dealings as  
young ,audubon's friendly epistles      
occasionally revealed4  ,the numerous   
references which these letters contain  

regarding the disposition of the ,mill  
,grove farm may well puzzle the reader  
who has followed the story to this      
point2 we must therefore attempt to     
unravel the tangled threads of this     
intricate affair4 ,in the spring of     
#ahjg ,audubon1 who was then anxious to 
start a retail shop1 complained that the
 land1 which could not be sold to       
advantage1 kept them short of capital   
and prevented them from dealing on so   
large a scale as they could wish4 ,on   
the #bdth of ,april he wrote that three 
weeks before he had gone to ,mill ,grove
 and closed an agreement for renting the
 property 7evidently referring to the   
farm as distinct from the mine7 for a   
year1 being unable to do better1 and    
that ,ferdinand was then in             
,philadelphia trying to settle his      
father's accounts with ,dacosta1 who did
 not readily forget his trickster's rle4
 ,in ,audubon's letter of the same day1 
inclosed in the same packet with the    
request that it be delivered to his     

father1 there is a similar reference1   
with the note that ,ferdinand1 who had  
charge of the settlement1 had chosen    
,mr4 ,huron as arbitrator1 but that he  
would not agree unless honest ,miers    
,fisher had a part in it4 ,finally1 as  
late as the #aith of ,july of that year 
he wrote to ,rozier1 the elder1 that    
they were hoping to sell ,mill ,grove in
 the autumn1 but would do so only at a  
good profit2 yet at this time the       
property had been out of their          
possession1 technically at least1 for   
nearly a year4  ,still more curious is  
this statement in ,audubon's            
autobiography1#add relating to the year 
#ahac2 ,i bought a wild horse1 and on   
its back travelled over ,tennessee and a
 portion of ,georgia1 and so round till 
,i finally reached ,philadelphia1 and   
then to your grandfather's at ,fatland  
,ford4 ,he had sold my plantation of    
,mill ,grove to ,samuel ,wetherill1 of  
,philadelphia1 for a good round sum1 and
 with this ,i returned through ,kentucky

 and at last reached ,henderson once    
more4  ,when ,mill ,grove was           
conditionally sold to ,dacosta and his  
mining company in ,september1 #ahjf1 he 
gave a mortgage and bond to ,miers      
,fisher1 who again became ,lieutenant   
,audubon's agent4 ,many months elapsed  
before the necessary legal papers could 
arrive from ,france1 and meanwhile      
,dacosta's yearly accounts were         
contested1 and gave no end of           
trouble4#ade  ,after operating the lead 
mine for five years1 ,dacosta's company 
failed1 and ,mill ,grove again passed   
into other hands2 it was finally sold to
 ,samuel ,wetherill in #ahac4adf ,if our
 inferences are correct1 the mortgages  
by which the ,audubon and ,rozier       
interests were protected were repeatedly
 transferred1 and the first considerable
 amount of ready money that had appeared
 in the entire series of transactions   
was furnished by ,mr4 ,wetherill4 ,it is
 doubtful if ,jean ,audubon ever        
received any returns from his ,american 

farm after the advent of ,dacosta in    
#ahjc4 ,the ultimate failure of the lead
 mine was assuredly not the fault of    
this exploiter1 but his dubious methods 
of accounting and probable failure to   
keep his contracts no doubt led the     
naturalist to denounce him as a         
swindler4  ,it may be recalled that in  
their ,articles of ,association ,audubon
 and ,rozier had agreed that the house  
at ,mill ,grove should be an object     
separate from all business1 in order    
that we may control this property as    
long as we desire1 but the conditional  
sale to ,dacosta apparently included the
 farmhouse as well as the land4  ,many  
of ,audubon's references to ,mill ,grove
 were apparently wide of the mark1 but  
viewed in the light which we have       
endeavored to shed upon this involved   
affair1 they would be in harmony with   
the essential truth2 in writing to the  
elder ,rozier1 who became a partner in  
the enterprise1 there was no motive     
which could have led him to depart from 

it4#adg  ,we will now return to the     
story of ,audubon's life in ,new ,york4 
,while he was supposed to be learning   
the exporting business with ,benjamin   
,bakewell1 his heart was in the woods   
and fields1 and every hour that could be
 snatched from the counting-room found  
him in the pursuit of birds or drawing  
their portraits4 ,he used the pencil and
 black crayon point combined with       
pastels1 and while much of his artistic 
work at this time was hastily done1 he  
was capable of producing excellent      
likenesses4 ,a very delicate drawing of 
the ,wood ,thrush1 signed with his      
initials1 and dated at ,mill ,grove1    
,pennsylvania1 #ad aout1 #ahjf1 is      
numbered #bji1 showing that his         
collection of ,american birds was       
already extensive1 even if it did not   
include many that were well known4 ,in  
the winter of #ahjf-g1 while in ,new    
,york1 ,audubon paid most attention to  
the waterfowl1 frequently visiting the  
shore and the markets for his subjects4 

,the sketches which he then made were   
all in full size1 and1 as an evidence of
 the rapidity with which he worked1 it  
may be noticed that he would often      
complete two or more large drawings of  
ducks on the same day4 ,new ,york at    
this time was a city of about #ge1jjj   
people2 ,audubon said that by walking   
briskly he could pass from one end to   
the other in a few minutes4  ,in the    
foregoing letters we have seen young    
,audubon sending seeds and live birds to
 his father and to ,francois ,rozier1   
and reptiles and dried plants to        
,charles d',orbigny1 and ordering for   
his own use the best drawing materials  
from ,france4 ,while at ,new ,york he   
had the good fortune to become a friend 
and protg of the most distinguished     
naturalist of the metropolis1 ,dr4      
,samuel ,l4 ,mitchell1#adh eminent in   
many walks of life1 and at that time a  
member of the ,united ,states ,senate4  
,audubon prepared many birds and mammals
 for ,dr4 ,mitchell's collections1 and  

the friendship thus early formed proved 
of much service to him later4 ,he was   
probably working for ,dr4 ,mitchell     
when1 as the story goes1 some of his    
neighbors lodged a complaint with the   
municipal authorities on account of the 
strong odors that habitually issued from
 his workroom1 and a constable was sent 
to investigate4  ,audubon remained in   
,new ,york as late as ,august #bb1      
#ahjg1 for on that day he made a drawing
 of the ,sprig-tail ,duck1 but without  
doubt he had come to feel the           
incongruity of his position in a        
business to which his heart was a       
stranger4 ,as an instance of his        
preoccupation at this time1 he confesses
 to have once forwarded but forgot to   
seal a letter containing #h1jjj4 ,if    
,benjamin ,bakewell failed to make a    
business man out of ,audubon1 it was not
 from lack of kindness1 and probably no 
one else would have been more           
successful4 ,as it happened1 ,audubon   
did not leave his employer any too soon1

 for at the close of #ahjg ,benjamin    
,bakewell's exporting business was      
ruined by the ,embargo ,act1 through    
which ,president ,jefferson had hoped to
 bring ,great ,britain and ,france to   
terms by cutting off their ,american    
trade1 and for a year or more his estate
 was in the hands of creditors for      
settlement4  ,the naturalist has left a 
characteristic sketch of himself at this
 time3 ,i measured1 said he1 five feet1 
ten and one half inches1 was of fair    
mien1 and quite a handsome figure2      
large1 dark1 and rather sunken eyes1    
light-colored eyebrows1 aquiline nose   
and a fine set of teeth2 hair1 fine     
texture and luxuriant1 divided and      
passing down behind each ear in         
luxuriant ringlets as far as the        
shoulders4 ,the habit of wearing his    
hair long1 thus early acquired and later
 favored by his wandering mode of life1 
appears to have lasted more than twenty 
years4     ,,chapter ,,xii  ,,early     
,,drawings ,,in ,,france ,,and ,,america

       ,child and man--,his ideals1     
perseverance and progress--,study       
under ,david at ,paris--,david's pupils 
and studios--,david at      ,nantes     
arouses the enthusiasm of its           
citizens--,his part in      the         
,revolution--,his art and influence over
 ,audubon--,audubon's      drawings of  
,french birds--,story of the ,edward    
,harris      collection--,the ,birds of 
,america in the bud--,audubon's         
originality1 style1 methods1 and mastery
 of materials and      technique--,his  
problem and how he solved it--,his      
artistic      defects4   ,audubon began 
to draw birds and other animals when a  
child1 and1 like most children1 was     
ready to believe that his crude sketches
 were finished pictures if only they    
possessed some sort of a head1 a tail1  
and sticks in place of legs4 ,but1      
unlike the majority of youth1 he went   
direct to nature for his subjects1 and  
his family of cripples failed to satisfy
 him long4 ,he gradually developed a    

high ideal1 and at an early age felt    
stirring within him the impulse and the 
power to express it4 ,on stated         
anniversaries his masterpieces1 he tells
 us1 were burned1 in spite of the praise
 and flattery they had evoked2 he would 
then exert all his powers to do better1 
and this commendable practice was kept  
up for years4  ,in this respect the     
child was father of the man1 for on the 
#eth of ,march1 #ahbb1 when ,audubon was
 living in ,new ,orleans1 too poor to   
buy even a blank-book for a journal1 he 
thus wrote of his work during the       
previous months3 ,every moment ,i had to
 spare ,i drew birds for my ornithology1
 in which my ,lucy and myself alone have
 faith4 ,february was spent in drawing  
birds strenuously1 and ,i thought ,i had
 improved by applying coats of          
water-color under the pastels1 thereby  
preventing the appearance of the paper1 
that in some instances marred my best   
productions4 ,i discovered also many    
imperfections in my earlier drawings1   

and formed the resolution to redraw the 
whole of them4 ,seldom satisfied with   
the results attained1 he kept up this   
laborious process of revision and       
selection by which he approached more   
closely to his ideal1 the truth of      
living nature1 for more than forty      
years1 until1 in fact1 the last plates  
of his ,birds of ,america came from the 
press in ,england in #ahch4 ,an         
examination of the originals of those   
plates today#adi proves that many of    
their defects were inevitably caused by 
the makeshifts to which he was sometimes
 forced by lack of time4  ,audubon has  
credited his father with the only       
judicious criticism which he ever       
received at the youthful stage of his   
art4 ,he was so kind to me1 said the    
son1 that to have listened lightly to   
his words would have been highly        
ungrateful4 ,i listened less to others  
and more to him1 and his words became my
 law4 ,when he was about seventeen years
 old1 or probably not far from the year 

#ahjb1aej he was sent to ,paris to study
 drawing under ,jacques ,louis ,david1  
the acknowledged leader of ,french art  
during the period of the ,revolution4   
,this popular artist1 who had uttered   
fierce invectives against the last five 
despots of ,france1 became nevertheless 
court painter under ,napoleon2 like many
 another ,conventional regicide1 he was 
destined to end his career as an exile  
from ,france1 and died in ,brussels in  
#ahbe4    ,illustration3 ,,early        
,,unpublished ,,drawings ,,of ,,french  
,,birds3      ,,above1 ,,european ,,crow
 ,,with ,,head ,,of ,,rook1 ,,le        
,,corbeau ,,ou      ,,corneille ,,noire 
,,de ,,buffon1 ,,english ,,crow1 ,,en   
,,compagne ,,autour      ,,de ,,nantes1 
,,grole1 ,,petite ,,grole1 ,,no4 #aee2  
,,detail1 ,,bec ,,de ,,la               
,,fragonne ,,ou ,,freux ,,bufton--,,bec 
,,of ,,the ,,jaig ,,daw ,,no4 #aff2     
,,below1      ,,white ,,wagtail1 ,,la   
,,lavandiere ,,de ,,buffon4             
,,wag-,,tail1 ,,whatter                 

,,wag-,,tail1 ,,white ,,whatter ,,wag   
,,tail1 ,,common ,,dish ,,washer1 ,,the 
#bb      ,,of ,d,,cember1 #ahje4 ,,near 
,,nantz4 ,,no4 #fe4       ,published by 
courtesy of ,mr ,joseph ,y4 ,jeanes4    
,audubon has said but little of this    
,paris experience1 but he remarked3 ,at 
the age of seventeen when ,i returned   
from ,france1 whither ,i had gone to    
receive the rudiments of my education1  
my drawings had assumed a form4 ,david  
had guided my hand in tracing objects of
 large size4#aea ,an interesting        
sidelight is thrown upon this incident  
by the fact that1 not many years before1
 ,david had been warmly welcomed in the 
city of ,nantes1 when it is not unlikely
 that the naturalist's father was one of
 the throng of citizens who made his    
acquaintance4 ,the occasion to which ,i 
refer was so noteworthy in the annals of
 ,audubon's paternal city as to make a  
digression at this point of our         
narrative inevitable4 ,in ,march1 #agij1
 ,daniel de ,kervegan1 a wealthy        

merchant who was then serving his second
 term as mayor1 had aroused so much     
enthusiasm by his public spirit and     
sterling character that the citizens had
 voted the sum of #cjj livres1 or about 
#fj1 for his portrait1 to be executed in
 oils and placed in one of their public 
buildings4 ,the commission was offered  
to ,david1 who accepted it1 and with    
such enthusiasm did he set to work1 that
 upon reaching ,nantes he asked the     
privilege of paying his respects to the 
,municipal ,assembly1 which was in      
session4 ,upon being admitted to the    
,chamber1 on the #bdth of ,march1 he    
expressed these sentiments3       ,if   
ever my art has brought me any          
gratification1 or      any success1     
never before have ,i had better excuse  
for      boastfulness4       ,i have    
made it a duty to respond to the worthy 
invitations1      inspired by patriotism
 and gratitude1 that hallow this most   
timely and most astounding revolution4  
,it is your work1 gentlemen1 and the    

respect which you render      to the    
chief of your administration which      
speaks in praise      of your sentiments
 and virtues and which will transmit    
their      memory1 along with your      
glory1 to posterity4#aeb  ,david worked 
on this portrait for about a month1 and 
on ,april #bc1 before his departure for 
,paris1 he asked the privilege of again 
addressing the ,assembly4 ,not only was 
the request granted1 but he was publicly
 thanked for the trouble he had taken in
 coming to their city1 and a committee  
was appointed to express the sentiments 
of esteem with which he had inspired the
 whole community4 ,we may add that      
,david seems to have taken this canvas  
to his studio in ,paris1 where it was   
subsequently lost or destroyed in the   
period of turbulence that followed4     
,david's radical speeches from the      
tribune1 added to his popularity as an  
artist1 no doubt brought him pupils in  
plenty from every quarter of republican 
,france4 ,young ,audubon was probably   

admitted to the most elementary class1  
for he received no instruction in the   
use of oils but was directed to study   
the rudiments of drawing from the cast4 
,as he had hoped to perfect himself in  
the art of depicting animals1 he was    
disappointed4 ,eyes and noses belonging 
to giants1 he said1 and heads of horses1
 represented in ancient sculpture1 were 
my models4 ,he also spoke of drawing    
heads and figures in different colored  
chalks1 and of tolerable figures        
obtained by use of the manikin1 but     
adds3 ,these1 although fit subjects for 
men intent on pursuing the higher       
branches of the art1 were immediately   
laid aside by me2 yet he returned to the
 woods of the ,new ,world with fresh    
ardor1#aec and there began a series of  
drawings which were later published4    
,while this is virtually all that has   
been recorded of this incident in       
,audubon's career1 a number of          
interesting facts might be added which  
throw light upon the surroundings of his

 life at ,paris while under the tuition 
of this master4 ,at that time ,david was
 enjoying the privilege1 accorded to    
eminent artists from an early day1 of   
living with his family and of having his
 studios in special quarters set apart  
for the purpose in the palace of the    
,louvre2 this was continued until all   
the artist tenants were turned out by   
one of ,napoleon's peremptory orders in 
#ahjf4 ,david's principal studio was at 
the corner of the ,quai de ,louvre and  
the square1 facing the church of ,st4   
,germain l',auxerrois1 at a point       
occupied in the present structure by the
 grand staircase leading to the         
,egyptian ,gallery4 ,it was here that   
his more advanced pupils studied2 the   
appearance of its interior1 with his    
pupils at work1 as well as the view from
 one of its windows1 by means of which  
its exact position can be determined1   
may be seen today in the interesting    
painting by ,matthew ,cochereau4 ,this  
small picture1 first exhibited in the   

salon of #ahad1 now hangs in the ,louvre
 in company with some of the finest of  
,david's works1 and immediately beneath 
his huge canvas representing the        
coronation of ,napoleon4 ,over his      
principal room ,david had also a private
 studio1 and at one time he had another 
on the ,quai1 opposite the ,institute of
 ,france1 while his numerous pupils     
occupied a series of rooms1 one above   
another1 not remote from the first4     
,access to these apartments was gained  
from the street by means of a spiral    
stairway1 the opening of which may still
 be seen in the ,egyptian ,hall4  ,it is
 common to speak of this gifted man as  
if he alone had stifled all the art of  
the eighteenth century in ,france1 as if
 he were the molder of his age and not a
 part of it4 ,too often has he been     
judged on the basis of a few1           
unfortunately conspicuous1 theatrical   
pieces1 while his excellent portraits1  
of which there are many1 entitle him to 
the gratitude of posterity4 ,buchanan   

remarked that the mannerism of ,david   
could still be traced in certain        
pedantries discernible in ,audubon's    
style of drawing1 which is a fancy      
without any basis in fact4 ,if it could 
be shown that drawing from the casts of 
antique statues could develop mannerisms
 in the careful delineation of birds and
 mammals1 it would still appear that    
,audubon's style was really formed at a 
later period4  ,this brief ,paris       
episode1 which at most could have lasted
 but a few months1 represented all the  
formal instruction which ,audubon ever  
received in drawing1 although he enjoyed
 some private tuition at a much later   
day4 ,as to the sciences now embraced in
 biology1 that is1 zology and botany1   
which would have been most useful to    
him1 the score was blank2 even books on 
any of these subjects were rare in      
,america at the beginning of the        
nineteenth century4  ,when ,audubon     
first came to the ,united ,states1 he   
brought with him all his drawings of    

,french birds1 and a few pieces which   
may belong to this early period have    
been described4#aed ,done in a          
combination of crayon and water color1  
they represent a ,european ,magpie1 a   
,coot and a ,green ,woodpecker1 the     
latter especially1 which bore the number
 #if1 showing evidence of care and      
skill4 ,the year passed at ,mill ,grove 
was not particularly fruitful1 but      
during the ,couron visit which followed 
in #ahje and #ahjf1 ,audubon said that  
he made drawings of about two hundred   
species of birds1 all of which he       
brought to ,america and gave to his     
,lucy4 ,after finally reaching this     
country in the latter year1 these       
studies were continued1 with an alacrity
 that seldom failed1 until #ahbb1 when  
he began to revise much of his earlier  
work1 substituting water colors more    
completely for pastels1 pencil and      
crayon point4  ,in writing to ,bachman  
in #ahcf1 ,audubon thus referred to the 
work of his apprenticeship3 ,some of my 

early drawings of ,european birds are   
still in our possession1 but many have  
been given away1 and the greatest number
 were destroyed1 not by the rats that   
gnawed my collection of the ',birds of  
,america1' but by the great fire4#aee   
,when the naturalist was in             
,philadelphia in #ahbd1 in search of a  
publisher and sadly in need of funds1 he
 made the acquaintance of ,edward       
,harris1#aef who looked at the drawings 
he had for sale and said at once that he
 would take them all and at ,audubon's  
own prices4 ,upon his leaving that city1
 this generous friend1 we are told1     
pressed a #ajj bill in his hand1 saying3
 ,mr4 ,audubon1 accept this from me2 men
 like you ought not to want for money4  
,i could only express my gratitude1     
continues the naturalist1 by insisting  
on his receiving the drawings of all my 
,french birds4 ,the worthy ,harris      
cherished this large series of          
,audubon's early studies and added to it
 many specimens of his later work4 ,the 

entire collection remained in his family
 unbroken and unimpaired until #ahib4aeg
  ,this beautiful and unique collection1
 which represents ,the ,birds of        
,america in the bud1 illustrates the    
development of ,audubon's art from about
 #ahjj or a little later to #ahba1aeh   
and clearly shows that the fuller       
mastery which he attained after the     
latter date was manifested in no small  
degree at a much earlier period4 ,his   
drawings of the ,wood ,thrush 7#ahjf71  
the ,whippoorwill and ,kingfisher       
7#ahaj71 the ,carolina ,parrot 7#ahaa71 
and the ,nighthawk 7#ahab71 though      
detached and less ambitious as pictures1
 for truth of line and delicacy of      
finish would compare favorably with the 
best of his later work4 ,after #ahbj his
 ability had so far outstripped his     
ambition that there was needed only the 
stimulus of a powerful motive and a well
 defined plan to bring his powers into  
full fruition at once4 ,a little later1 
when he began to revise1 enrich and     

standardize all of his previous work1 he
 used the brush and water colors more   
freely than ever before4 ,hundreds of   
his earlier studies were cast aside2    
many1 to be sure1 were hastily drawn in 
pastel1 crayon and pencil1 and had not  
time failed him at the end1 nothing of  
his earlier ,american period would have 
remained in the final product4  ,nearly 
all of these rejected drawings bear     
serial numbers1 which from the lack of  
sequence now observed1 show that they   
were subject to constant change and that
 their total number must have been      
great4 ,all bear the scientific and     
common names in ,french or ,english or  
both1 and many are signed with the      
artist's initials or name2 besides      
giving the place and date1 in some cases
 the weights and measurements of his    
subjects are added1 with detailed       
sketches of foot1 bill1 or eggs4#aei  ,a
 large crayon sketch of a groundhog1 in 
excellent drawing1 is labeled ,marmotte 
de sauvage1 ,no4 #aei1 le #f juin1      

#ahje4 ,the ,redstart1 executed in      
,august of the same year1 is a good     
example of ,audubon's more delicate     
early work2 it shows also the attention 
which he was then beginning to pay to   
accessories1 his bird being perched on a
 spray of ripening blackberries4 ,the   
,wagtail1 on the other hand1 was a rough
 crayon sketch1 dashed off on ,december 
#bb of the same year4 ,a pencil and     
crayon drawing of the ,mountain         
,titmouse1 which is a ,european bird1   
was probably made from a captive1 and at
 sea1 since it bears the date of        
,january #bb1 #ahje1 when ,audubon was1 
,i believe1 aboard the ,hope4#afj ,the  
latest of these ,french pieces1         
designated ,no4 #id4 ,woodpecker1 le #h 
mars1 #ahjf4 prs ,nantes2 #ab to the    
tail1 was executed1 about a month before
 the naturalist finally left ,france    
with ,rozier to settle permanently in   
the ,united ,states4 ,the excellence of 
such a drawing as that of the ,wood     
,thrush 7#ahjf7 is in marked contrast to

 the more ambitious ,fish ,hawk or      
,osprey1 ,a4 ,willson1 ,perkioming      
,creek1 #ahji1 in which the bird holds a
 white sucker in its talons but is less 
happily rendered4 ,nine large pastels of
 waterfowl and two smaller pieces1      
representing a ,robin and ,brown        
,thrush1 in the same style1 are good    
examples of ,audubon's cruder efforts of
 that time2 they were merely hurried    
sketches or practice work1 with no      
attempt to finish with all the          
perfection of detail of which he was    
then capable4  ,in a full-size pastel of
 the ,black ,surf or ,velvet ,duck1     
drawn on ,december #bh1 #ahjf1 and      
signed ,j4 ,j4 ,l4 ,audubon1 the note is
 added3 the only specimen of the kind ,i
 have ever seen4 ,he became well        
acquainted with the ,velvet ,ducks1 now 
better known as the ,white-winged       
,scoters1 and in his account of the     
species says3 ,as we approached the     
shores of ,labrador1 we found the waters
 covered with dense flocks of these     

birds1 and yet they continued to arrive 
there from the ,st4 ,lawrence for       
several days in succession4 ,we were all
 astonished at their numbers which were 
such that we could not help imagining   
that all the ,velvet ,ducks in the world
 were passing before us4#afa  ,several  
of these drawings are credited to ,the  
,falls of the ,ohio1 as the rapids of   
this river at ,louisville were then     
generally called2 a number to ,red      
,banks1 the old name of ,henderson1     
,kentucky2 while five were done in      
,pennsylvania1 probably when ,audubon   
was at the home of his father-in-law1   
,william ,bakewell1 in the spring of    
#ahab4 ,an excellent drawing of the     
,chuck ,wills ,widow was probably made  
on the ,red ,river1#afb in ,arkansas1   
when ,audubon was exploring that country
 and slowly making his way to ,new      
,orleans in ,june1 #ahba1 though it     
should be noticed that a steamboat on   
which he sometimes traveled was called  
the ,red ,river4    ,illustration3      

,,early ,,unpublished ,,drawing ,,of    
,,the ,,groundhog3      ,,marmotte ,,de 
,,savage1 ,,le #f ,,juin1 #ahje1 ,,no4  
#aei4       ,published by courtesy of   
,mr4 ,joseph ,y4 ,jeanes                
,illustration3 ,,water-,,color ,,drawing
 ,,of ,a ,,young ,,racoon ,,of ,,this   
,,year1 ,,september #aj1 #ahda4         
,published by courtesy of the ,american 
,museum of ,natural      ,history1 ,new 
,york4  ,audubon began in the usual way1
 by representing his birds in profile1  
and often on a simple perch1 but        
gradually introduced accessories which  
eventually became such an important part
 of his plan that1 after #ahbb1 his     
plates took on more the character of    
balanced pictures1 literally teeming    
with the characteristic fruits and      
flowers of ,america1 as well as with    
insects and animals of every sort1      
suggestive of the food and surroundings 
of his subjects1 not to speak of        
,american landscapes drawn from many    
parts of the country4  ,dissatisfied    

with the older methods of drawing birds 
in the stereotyped attitudes of most    
stuffed specimens1 ,audubon made many   
experiments at ,mill ,grove before      
hitting upon what he called his method  
of using wires to pierce and hold the   
body of the bird in any attitude which  
he desired to represent4 ,his device1   
which was simple only for one who       
possessed the requisite knowledge and   
skill1 was publicly exhibited at a      
meeting of the ,wernerian ,society at   
,edinburgh on ,december #af1 #ahbf4 ,a  
recently killed bird was fixed in the   
position desired by means of wires1 and 
placed against a background ruled with  
division lines in squares to correspond 
with similar lines on ,audubon's paper4 
,the parts1 measured if necessary with  
compasses1 were then drawn in1 and every
 part was rendered in due proportion4   
,as to the difficulty of thus securing  
natural attitudes1 aside from any       
question of draughtsmanship1 we have    
only to recall the bungling work of most

 taxidermists2 there are careful        
students of animal life who are able to 
reanimate their subjects1 even when     
reduced to dried and mounted skins1 but 
such ability is not easy to acquire or  
impart4 ,method is always subordinate to
 power1 and ,audubon at his best1 when  
not hampered by lack of time1 was able  
to represent the living1 moving bird in 
a hundred attitudes never attempted     
before1 which surprised the world of his
 day by the remarkable skill1 freshness 
and fidelity they displayed4  ,some have
 complained that ,audubon1 in striving  
for effect1 too often exaggerated the   
action of his subjects2 his birds1 like 
the ,frenchman he was1 gesticulate too  
much1 while ,wilson's were more cautious
 or sedate1 as became a canny ,scot4    
,the complaint may be well founded1 but 
the explanation is too trivial for      
serious consideration4 ,wilson1 like his
 predecessors1 regardless of            
nationality1 merely followed custom1    
which led by the path of least          

resistance4 ,barraband and all the best 
,french artists before him in depicting 
bird and animal life had done the same1 
and in their hands the perch1 were the  
subject a bird1 became stereotyped to   
the last degree1 as if inserted with a  
rubber stamp4 ,audubon followed the same
 course until he became imbued with the 
desire of endowing his animals with all 
the moving energy of which they were    
capable1 whether in seizing their prey1 
feeding their young1 or fighting their  
enemies4 ,it is well known that many an 
animal1 though ordinarily cautious or   
even timid1 can be roused to vigorous   
action under the spur of emotion1 as    
when its young are suddenly threatened1 
and be it warbler1 bluebird1 or cuckoo1 
may become a contortionist at a moment's
 notice4 ,very few of the #a1jfe        
life-size drawings of birds which appear
 in his large plates could be truly     
described as fantastic or unnatural4    
,audubon's problem was rendered more    
difficult by the fact that all of his   

animals were drawn to the size of life1 
and because his desire and style        
compelled him to represent the utmost   
detail1 even to the barbs of a feather  
or the individual hairs of a mammal4    
,when a landscape was to be included it 
was not an easy task to harmonize       
life-sized objects in the foreground    
with receding objects1 and here he      
sometimes failed4 ,some of his least    
happy compositions1 however1 were the   
result of haste1 as an examination of   
the originals of his ,birds of ,america 
has clearly shown2 when hard pressed for
 time he would resort to the scissors   
and paste1 in order to combine the parts
 of several distinct drawings into one  
plate1 and often leave the backgrounds  
to be supplied entirely by the engraver4
 ,one of the few grotesque results of   
such methods is seen in plate #ada1     
wherein are represented the ,goshawk and
 the ,stanley ,hawk2 the latter1 which  
was originally designed for different   
surroundings1 has quite lost its center 

of gravity on an islet amid stream4 ,an 
early reviewer thought that the artist  
must surely have intended this for a    
caricature1 as in the case of one of    
,hogarth's famous prints1 in which a man
 on a distant hill is lighting his pipe 
at a candle held out of a window in the 
foreground4  ,the action of ,audubon's  
subjects was sometimes exaggerated2 his 
birds on the wing were occasionally ill 
drawn1 and other defects might be       
mentioned4 ,but we must admire his      
boldness for attempting so many         
difficult positions1 and admit that1    
when all is considered1 he succeeded to 
admiration1 and set a new standard for  
the illustration of works on natural    
history4     ,,chapter ,,xiii           
,,audubon',s ,,marriage ,,and           
,,settlement ,,in ,,the ,,west          
,audubon and ,rozier decide to start a  
pioneer store at      ,louisville1      
,kentucky--,their purchase of goods in  
,new      ,york--,westward ,ho with     
,rozier--,rozier's diary of the         

journey--,an unfortunate investment in  
indigo--,effect of      the ,embargo    
,act--,marriage to ,lucy                
,bakewell--,return to                   
,louisville--,life on the               
,ohio--,depression of trade--,william   
,bakewell's assistance--,audubon's      
eldest son born at the ,indian          
,queen--,the ,bakewells--,life at       
,louisville4   ,in the summer of #ahjg  
,audubon and ,rozier had decided to try 
their fortunes in the ,west1 which then 
meant the ,ohio ,valley and the wilds of
 ,kentucky1 and had fixed upon          
,louisville as a promising point for    
pioneer trade4 ,on ,august #a they      
purchased a considerable stock of goods 
through the commission house of their   
friend1 ,benjamin ,bakewell1 and three  
days later gave their note1 payable in  
eight months1 for over #c1fjj4afc ,then1
 or a little later1 they had dealings   
also with ,messrs4 ,robert ,kinder      
,company1 of ,new ,york1 as well as the 
,french importing house of ,laurence    

,huron1 with which ,ferdinand had been  
recently associated in ,philadelphia2   
apparently also they sent goods to      
,franois ,rozier at ,nantes1 and from   
him received imports through the        
,bakewell firm1 but1 as we shall see1   
all foreign trade was soon cut off4     
,when their plans were complete and     
their goods had started for the         
frontier1 they set out themselves for   
,louisville on the last day of ,august1 
#ahjg4  ,ferdinand ,rozier kept a       
record#afd of this journey1 the         
formidable nature of which will be best 
appreciated by reading his              
matter-of-fact narrative composed from  
notes daily jotted down4 ,in these      
easy-going times1 when oceans and       
continents are crossed with ever        
increasing ease and speed1 this simple  
chronicle of early travel in ,america is
 worth preserving1 if only for its      
historical contrasts4       ,on the     
thirty-first day of ,august1 #ahjg1 in  
company with      ,audubon1 ,i left     

,mill ,grove for ,louisville1 ,kentucky1
 where we      anticipated engaging in  
the mercantile business4       ,leaving 
,philadelphia by stage we traveled to   
,lancaster1      ,pennsylvania1 a       
distance of sixty-one miles1 where we   
arrived      at four o'clock in the     
afternoon2 we dined1 and proceeded      
to ,big ,chickers1 distant nine miles   
farther1 where we spent      the night4 
,the roads from ,philadelphia to        
,lancaster were      in excellent       
condition1 and at about every two miles 
we      found good taverns4 ,the only   
remarkable thing we noticed in          
agriculture was hemp1 there being little
 else of interest4      ,the city of    
,lancaster was attractive1 but the short
 duration      of our stay prevented us 
from having more than a casual view     
of it4 ,the tavern where we slept was   
not very good2 from our      chambers1  
however1 we could discern a new bridge1 
which had      two immense arches       
spanning the river4       ,at eight     

o'clock in the morning we left          
,lancaster for      ,elizabethtown1     
distant nine miles4 ,the roads were     
miserable1      and we suffered a severe
 jolting and shaking up4 ,arriving      
there1 we procured two additional       
horses1 which made six all      told1   
and went on to ,middletown1 where we    
breakfasted at a      tavern named the  
,eagle2 the village was small1 with few 
houses1 and nothing of interest4        
,journeying on to ,harrisburg without   
mishap1 over roads      somewhat        
improved1 we finally arrived1 and       
discovered a very      beautiful river  
called the ,susquehanna4 ,the city of   
,harrisburg      itself appeared very   
attractive to us1 and its situation is  
beautiful2 proceeding1 we were first    
compelled to cross the      river1 which
 was accomplished by means of a large   
flatboat      propelled by a sweep of   
generous proportions4 ,the captain1     
who proved a most voluble person1       
informed us that the river      abounded

 in fish1 and then related marvelous    
tales of the      remarkable catches    
that had been made2 many of his stories1
      however1 were of such glaring     
improbability that we were      forced  
to doubt his veracity4       ,carlisle1 
sixteen miles distant1 was reached in   
due course1      and there we changed   
horses at a tavern called the ,john     
,mason4 ,this city1 though small1       
presented a fine appearance1      having
 a market place1 two large churches1    
many brick      buildings1 a large      
academy1 and several attractive taverns4
      ,continuing1 we finally came to   
,walnut ,bottoms1 where we      engaged 
chambers at a very imposing tavern2 this
 proved      far superior to any we had 
hitherto visited2 it was clean      and 
inviting2 its appointments were good1   
and its service      excellent4 ,on our 
journey we were impressed by a tree of  
great      size1 that resembled an oak1 
but upon inquiry learned that      it   
was called ,hackberry1#afe and produced 

a fruit similar      in size to a       
cherry4 ,on the north and south of us   
were high      mountains which presented
 an imposing appearance2 the foliage    
was heavy and luxuriant2 the soil of the
 foot-hills appeared      fertile1 but  
the crops were inferior4       ,we were 
awakened early in the morning so as to  
begin our      journey in good season1  
and having had a heavy storm during     
the night we expected to find the roads 
very bad1 but to our      delight they  
were none the worse for the rain4       
,journeying      most of the way through
 woods1 we came to ,shipensburg and     
breakfasted2 this village had only one  
long street1 and      presented an      
appearance far from pleasing4 ,a lady   
with her      sock knitting work proved 
a great talker and asked us many        
questions4 ,this village was intersected
 by a creek1 called      the            
,middlespring4 ,we next came to         
,chambersburg1 ten miles      away1 and 
there rested and purchased tickets for  

continuing      our journey4 ,that      
village lies in a valley1 and is        
composed of      two squares containing 
a post office1 an academy1 a factory1   
market place and tavern4       ,when the
 stage was at last made ready for its   
journey we took      our places in it1  
but no sooner was the village left      
behind      than we encountered very    
rough roads1 which for a time caused    
great discomfort2 our feelings were     
expressed by all the      passengers1   
but at length we reached a tavern named 
,cable      ,roussed1 where our horses  
were changed4 ,we next stopped at       
the ,john ,campbell tavern1 and saw many
 drunkards about2      then at ,peter   
,white's1 almost at the foot of the     
mountains1      where we were each      
treated to a glass of excellent fresh   
milk4 ,still going on and approaching   
the mountains1 the roads      became so 
excessively rough that ,audubon and     
myself decided      to proceed on foot4 
,though this was a three-mile climb1 we 

managed to cover it in three and a half 
hours4 ,so bad in      truth was the    
road that it seemed well nigh impossible
 for any      vehicle to ascend the     
mountain2 the stage did go up1 however1 
and reached the summit soon after us4   
,on the heights of the      mountain was
 a small tavern where refreshments were 
served1      and while partaking of a   
light lunch there we were waited on     
by a couple named ,currie1 and ,james1  
their hired man4 ,while      we were    
refreshing ourselves1 our host told     
harrowing tales      of wild-animal     
hunting in the mountains1 and assured us
 that      there were many beasts in the
 surrounding woods4 ,leaving the        
summit in the stage1 we continued for   
some distance1 but the      jolting1    
rolling and swaying was so frightful    
that we decided      to descend on foot4
 ,the three miles down the mountain was 
covered quickly1 but we were utterly    
worn out with fatigue      when we      
reached ,mc,connelsburg2 this village   

lies in a valley1      has few houses   
and but little of interest2 we made     
forty      miles during the day4        
,leaving early on the next morning1     
after      traveling thirty-two miles1  
over better roads1 we spent the         
night at the tavern of ,b4 ,mastin4     
,having breakfasted at an early hour1 we
 were again on our way      by sunrise1 
and after driving two miles came to the 
,juniata      ,river1 which was crossed 
in a leaky flatboat4 ,eight miles       
beyond this point we saw a very fine and
 stately mansion which      was said to 
belong to a ,mrs4 ,haily4 ,finally after
 a hard and      tiresome day we arrived
 at ,bedford4 ,the ,juniata ,river flows
      along ,bedford in a narrow bed1   
between high mountain walls2      the   
village is situated in the valley1 and  
boasts many fine      stores and        
residences4 ,we were told that about    
fourteen miles      farther on there    
were mineral springs1 the waters of     
which      possessed great curative     

properties1 and that many people        
visited them each season2 time1 however1
 did not permit us to      visit this   
resort4       ,six horses were hitched  
to our stage when we departed the next  
morning4 ,the mountain roads ascended   
more gradually1 and were      less      
rough2 the weather being exceptionally  
fine1 forty miles      were easily made 
before reaching our destination at a    
village      called ,somerset1 which    
contained a courthouse that marked it   
at once as the county seat4 ,at four    
o'clock of the morning      following we
 were again on our way1 and left        
,somerset in a      heavy fog1 which at 
that early hour sharply accentuated the 
chill in the air4 ,at the end of the day
 we found ourselves at      ,laurel     
,hill1 where we passed the night at the 
tavern of ,john      ,arranats4         
,again at four in the morning we resumed
 our journey1 and      after crossing   
,laurel ,creek once more encountered    
rough roads1      but soon reached a    

tavern called the ,jacob ,hoff1 where we
      breakfasted4 ,still pushing       
forward1 at noon we came to the         
small house of a family called          
,margennefs1 and procured a      meager 
lunch4 ,at a short distance from this   
place a change      of horses was made1 
and after driving all the afternoon we  
entered the attractive village of       
,greensburg1 where we spent      the    
night4 ,rising reluctantly at peep of   
day1 we continued on      our course and
 made ten miles before breakfasting at a
 tavern1      the ,stewart ,auberge by  
name4 ,after leaving this point we      
came to ,turtle ,creek1 when the road   
descended so abruptly that      it was  
decided to dismount and walk1 but the   
heat was sultry      and oppressive1 and
 we suffered greatly4 ,at last1 however1
      the city of ,pittsburgh was       
reached1 and there we found good        
and commodious lodgings at the          
,jefferson ,hotel1 conducted by         
,mr4 ,galland1 a most genial and        

agreeable host4 ,we remained      in    
,pittsburgh several days1 and became    
acquainted with many      of its        
citizens1 among whom were several       
countrymen of ours      who were engaged
 in business and were very congenial and
      hospitable4 ,the city does not    
present a pleasing appearance2      it  
has been increasing in size with        
astounding rapidity1#aff      and       
possesses a remarkable commerce2 the    
,ohio ,river there is      most         
beautiful4       ,the remainder of our  
journey was by way of the ,ohio1 and we 
made it entirely in an open flatboat1 a 
cumbersome unwieldy      craft1 managed 
by hand1 and in this particular instance
      very badly4 ,one who has never had
 this experience can little             
understand the terrible monotony1       
hardships and deprivations              
encountered on a long journey such as we
 endured4 ,we were      unprotected from
 the elements1 and our beds consisted of
 bare      pine boards1 upon which we   

slept as best we could1 enveloped       
in our great coats4       ,there were   
times without number when our boat would
 run upon      hidden sand bars to      
become grounded1 and we were then often 
obliged to get into the cold water and  
assist in the work      of extricating  
her4 ,at other times1 unprotected as we 
were1      the rains drenched us to the 
skin1 and our clothing was so           
saturated that it took many hours to    
dry4 ,at night when it      was clear1  
we continued our course down the river1 
but1 in      bad weather1 or when very  
cloudy and dark1 we were obliged      to
 tie up to the shore1 frequently to the 
bank of some wild1      uninhabited     
island1 and wait there for daylight2    
then we would      resume our slow1     
tedious and seemingly never ending      
journey4      ,added to these hardships1
 our boat was commanded by a most       
disagreeable and ungentlemanly captain1 
named ,harris2 his      language1 and   
demeanor marked him as a person of low  

birth      and bad character4           
,among some of the places which were    
passed en route1 ,i      remember the   
following3 ,wheeling1 ,marietta1 ,market
 ,slough1      famous for the conspiracy
 of ,colonel ,burr1 ,belleville1        
,litards      ,falls1 ,point ,pleasant1 
,manchester1 ,maysville1 ,cincinnati1   
and      finally our journey's end1     
,louisville4  ,at ,louisville the       
partners were attracted by the country  
and its prospects1 as well as by the    
hospitable character of the people4     
,their choice1 as they then thought1 had
 been well made1 and they decided to    
make it their future home4 ,we marked   
,louisville1 said ,audubon1 as a spot   
designed by nature to become a place of 
great importance1 and had we been as    
wise as we now are1 ,i might never have 
published ,the ,birds of ,america2 for a
 few hundred dollars laid out1 at that  
period1 in lands or town lots near      
,louisville1 would1 if left to grow over
 with grass to a date ten years past    

this being #ahce1 have become an immense
 fortune1 but young heads are on young  
shoulders2 it was not to be1 and who    
cares4#afg  ,rozier did not say when    
either they or their goods reached the  
pioneer settlement1 but from an item in 
their account current with the ,bakewell
 house1#afh it is evident that they     
opened a retail shop in ,louisville at  
once1 for on ,september #bi they were   
charged with #eg for an order of powder 
horns and shotbags4 ,in the same record 
there is a more interesting entry under 
date of ,december #ca1 #ahjg3 advanced  
per sailing packet ,jane1 for indigo and
 expences 444 #a1eaf4dc1 ordered        
evidently through ,mr4 ,bakewell1       
presumably for export to ,france4 ,this 
incident ,audubon must have had in mind 
when in after life he wrote3 ,the       
mercantile business did not suit me4    
,the very first venture which ,i        
undertook was in indigo2 it cost me     
several hundred pounds1 the whole of    
which was lost4 ,it may be recalled that

 in his letter of ,april #bd of this    
year1 ,audubon wrote ,francois          
,rozier#afi that the ,bakewell house had
 sent him a consignment of indigo by the
 same ship1 ,captain ,sammis1 and hoped 
for its favorable sale in ,france4 ,no  
doubt the venture succeeded so well that
 the young traders were induced to      
repeat the experiment4 ,as it happened1 
however1 on ,december #bb1 a week before
 this entry for the indigo was made1 the
 famous ,embargo ,act of ,president     
,jefferson had taken effect1 with the   
result of cutting off all exports to    
,england and ,france and at the same    
time of paralyzing ,american trade4 ,the
 ,bakewell house1 as we have already    
noticed1 like so many others1           
immediately went down1 and the partners 
found that their tobacco and other      
western produce found so little sale in 
,new ,york that by ,april #g1 #ahjh1    
they were obliged to call for an        
extension of their notes4               
,notwithstanding the gloomy outlook for 

trade1 ,audubon had no fears for the    
future4 ,as early as ,march1 #ahjh1 he  
left ,rozier in ,kentucky and returned  
to ,pennsylvania4 ,no time was lost in  
making known his plans to ,lucy         
,bakewell and her family1 and having    
received their approval1 the lovers     
prepared for the adventurous journey    
that was to celebrate their wedding4    
,audubon was married to ,miss ,bakewell1
 at ,fatland ,ford1 on ,friday1 ,april  
#h1 #ahjh1 by the ,reverend ,doctor     
,latimer1 an ,episcopal clergyman of    
,philadelphia1 and on the next morning  
started with his bride for the frontier4
 ,this event must be regarded as the    
most auspicious in his career1 for in   
all probability the world would never   
have heard of ,audubon had it not been  
for the spur to his ambition and the    
balance wheel to his character which    
came through his admirable wife4  ,the  
first stage of their honeymoon involved 
the long ride of over #bej miles to     
,pittsburgh1 the hazards and discomforts

 of which we have learned from ,rozier's
 description2 it was marked in this     
instance by an accident1 for in crossing
 the ,alleghany mountains their coach   
was upset and ,mrs4 ,audubon did not    
escape without severe bruises4 ,at      
,pittsburgh the ,audubons met a number  
of young emigrants bound westward like  
themselves1 and in their company they   
prepared to float down the beautiful    
,ohio in a flatboat or ark4 ,their      
entire journey1 which1 owing to the     
windings of the river1 could not have   
been much less than a thousand miles1   
was made in twelve days1 and without    
further mishap4  ,the wild and varied   
beauty of the ,ohio of that day had     
great attractions for the naturalist1   
who often regretted that no facile      
writer had left a true and vivid picture
 of it for the benefit of posterity1 for
 he foresaw with great concern the      
inevitable changes which advancing      
civilization would quickly produce along
 its delightful banks4 ,audubon         

traversed this mighty highway countless 
times in after life1 and some of his    
musings have lost none of their interest
 with the flight of time1 for he had    
witnessed the advance of the white man  
and the retreat of the red1 along with  
the great herds of deer1 elk and buffalo
 that once found peaceful pasturage on  
its banks4 ,speaking of a later but     
hardly less romantic journey1#agj he    
said3       ,as night came1 sinking into
 darkness the broader portions of       
the river1 our minds became affected by 
strong emotions1 and      wandered far  
beyond the present moments4 ,the        
tinkling of bells      told us that the 
cattle which bore them were gently      
roving      from valley to valley in    
search of food1 or returning to their   
distant homes4 ,the hooting of the      
,great ,owl1 or the muffled      noise  
of its wings as it sailed smoothly over 
the stream1 were      matters of        
interest to us2 so was the sound of the 
boatman's      horn1 as it came winding 

more and more softly from afar4 ,when   
daylight returned1 many songsters burst 
forth with echoing      notes1 more and 
more mellow to the listening ear4 ,here 
and      there the lonely cabin of a    
squatter struck the eye1 giving         
note of commencing civilization4 ,the   
crossing of the stream by      a deer   
foretold how soon the hills would be    
covered by snow4       ,many sluggish   
flatboats we overtook and passed2 some  
laden      with produce from the        
different head-waters of the small      
rivers that pour their tributary streams
 into the ,ohio2      others1 of less   
dimensions1 crowded with emigrants from 
distant parts1 in search of a new home4 
,the margins of the shores and of the   
river were at this      season amply    
supplied with game4 ,a ,wild ,turkey1 a 
,grouse1 or      a ,blue-winged ,teal1  
could be procured in a few moments2 and 
we fared well1 for1 whenever we pleased1
 we landed1 struck up      a fire and   
provided1 as we were1 with the necessary

 utensils1      procured a good repast4 
,louisville at this time was a small    
trading and agricultural center of      
barely a thousand people4#aga ,though   
the early promises of business there    
were not fulfilled1 ,audubon and his    
wife at once entered upon a happy       
period1 for they made many friends in a 
new country settled by whole-hearted1   
well-to-do planters2 the men were fond  
of good horses and of hunting1 and the  
naturalist1 who was also a merchant1 was
 welcomed among them as a kindred       
spirit4 ,but1 said ,audubon1 birds were 
birds then as now1 and my thoughts were 
ever and anon turning towards them as   
the objects of my greatest delight4 ,i  
shot1 ,i drew1 ,i looked on nature only2
 my days were happy beyond human        
conception1 and beyond that ,i really   
cared not4444 ,i seldom passed a day    
without drawing a bird1 or noting       
something respecting its habits1 ,rozier
 meantime attending the counter4  ,to   
revert again to the business affairs of 

the ,audubon-,rozier firm at            
,louisville1 an interesting record has  
been preserved in a letter#agb written  
by ,thomas ,bakewell1 a former          
fellow-clerk of the naturalist in the   
senior ,bakewell's counting-house in    
,new ,york2 this was included with the  
statement of account1 referred to above4
   ,thomas ,bakewell to ,audubon        
,rozier            ,at bottom of account
 sheet ,,new ,,york1 ,decemr4 #acth4    
#ahjh            ,,messrs4 ,j4 ,,audubon
  ,f4 ,,rozier           ,louisville    
,,gentn4       ,i have now the pleasure 
to hand you your account current with   
my ,father's ,estate according to your  
desire as expressed in      your letter 
to ,mess ,robt4 ,kinder  ,co4 under date
 the #bast4      of ,novr4 last4 ,i     
cannot tell what error you allude to of 
#ic4      ,i suppose it is the amount of
 commission returned #ic4id_/ajj        
which you will perceive is duly at your 
,cr4 in the a_/c4 ,i am      sorry to   
say that the tobacco is still unsold    

that there is      no prospect of       
selling it so as to cover the balance of
 your      a_/c4 ,messrs ,r4 ,kinder    
,co4 request me to say that they        
wish the yarn mentioned in their letter 
of the word omitted      to be made of  
water rotted ,hemp  that they will write
 you      pr next post with their       
account against you as requested by     
you--            ,i remain ,gentn       
with ,your mo4 obt4 ,servt4             
,,thos4 ,,bakewell           for the    
assignees of my           ,father's     
estate--       ,give my love to ,mrs4   
,a4 my aunt a recd4 hers last night--,s4
       is much as usual--she remains    
very sick yet4            ,t ,b         
,superscribed ,,messrs4 ,,audubon       
,,rozier           ,merchants           
,louisville           ,kentucky         
,audubon fraternized with the sporting  
men of his district1 who gladly sent him
 every rare bird that fell to their     
guns4 ,at ,shippingport also1 then an   
independent center below the falls or   

rapids1 he found a sympathetic spirit in
 ,doctor ,w4 ,c4 ,galt1 a local         
botanist1 as well as in ,nicholas       
,berthoud1 who had become his wife's    
brother-in-law1 and who was a friend on 
whom he could always rely4 ,the spirit  
of hospitality so manifest in all these 
new friends won the heart of ,audubon   
and of his attractive wife1 to whom the 
door of a neighbor's house was sure to  
open whenever business or adventure     
called her husband away4 ,we lived1 said
 ,audubon1 two years at ,louisville1    
where we enjoyed many of the best       
pleasures which this life can afford2   
and whenever we have since passed that  
way1 we have found the kindness of our  
former friends unimpaired4 ,it was while
 they were living at ,gnathway's hotel  
of the ,indian ,queen1 in ,louisville1  
that ,victor ,gifford ,audubon1 who was 
destined to become his father's right   
hand in the publication of his most     
important works1 was born on ,june #ab1 
#ahji4  ,when ,audubon had reached his  

twenty-fourth year1 nature1 his fond    
nurse from infancy1 was calling to him  
more loudly than ever before1 but to    
most of his contemporaries his devotion 
to natural history could have seemed    
little else than sheer madness1 or1 at  
best1 an utter waste of time4 ,by the   
year #ahaj his portfolios were swelling 
with upwards of two hundred pictures of 
,american birds1 produced1 to be sure1  
without any plan1 and far inferior to   
the best of his later work1 but still   
done to the size of life1 in the natural
 colors1 and far excelling in fidelity  
and charm anything that had been        
attempted before4 ,at this time1        
however1 the young traders needed money 
for more practical affairs1 and         
,audubon's father-in-law1 ,william      
,bakewell of ,fatland ,ford1 consented  
to sell a portion of this estate1       
amounting to #agj acres1 in order that  
his daughter1 ,lucy1 might immediately  
realize her interest in it4 ,from this  
sale nearly #h1jjj was obtained2 the    

money was deposited with ,messrs4       
,robert ,kinder  ,company of ,new ,york1
 a firm with which ,audubon and ,rozier 
had dealt from the opening of their     
business at ,louisville4 ,this is       
clearly shown by the following          
interesting letter3#agc   ,william      
,bakewell to ,audubon  ,rozier          
,,fatland ,,ford #aj ,apl #ahaj         
,,messs ,,audubon  ,,rozier             
,,gentn       ,i have at last settled   
the whole business with ,mr ,josh       
,williams ,i have allowed him for the   
two thirds in cash #c      per cent     
have emitted to ,messrs ,kinder's       
#ghch4ej on your      account4--,the    
quantity was surveyed to #agj acres at  
#dg4e per      acre #giih4ej1 from which
 was deducted #afj dols for discount    
,as ,i have had a great deal of trouble 
anxiety in this      business  had to   
find assistants in surveying with       
several      days attendance1 dinners c 
for the whole party several             
journeys to ,norris ,town and also to   

,philada with the      carriage to      
convey the money--postages c4--,i charge
 you #a per      cent on the purchase   
money which ,i hope you will think not  
unreasonable as ,i believe it is under  
the charge of the land      brokers in  
,philada  they have no trouble in the   
business      compared to what ,i have  
had--,i feel as if a great burthen was  
taken off my back now it is all         
finished4 ,out of this you will         
please to present ,lucy with #ch dols   
which was the price the      mare sold  
for--,i expected one of you ,gentn would
 have come to      the ,eastward before 
now it is ,i expect ,mr ,roziers turn   
this      ,spring       ,i had one      
forged note returned at the ,bank out of
 the money of      ,mr ,williams  one   
dollar a counterfiet1 but ,i had        
stipulated      that he should take any 
faulty ones back4 ,he paid about a      
third of the money in specie so that ,i 
was obliged to take      the carriage   
with it4 ,i took it to the ,pennsylvania

 ,bank  got      an order on the        
,manhattan ,bank in ,n ,york  have ,mr  
,kinder's      receipt for the order    
,they have got a considerable quantity  
of ore out of the      mine#agd some    
lead  some copper but ,i do not hear of 
any      being yet sold4       ,present 
the kind regards of our family circle to
 my daughter1      ,mr ,audubon1  my    
,grandson#age who ,i hope are well      
,i remain ,gentn           ,yours truly 
,wm ,,bakewell       ,,ps       ,mr     
,kinder is of opinion that there ought  
to be a      renunciation by ,lucy of   
any claim of dower upon this      estate
 to make the title good this may be sent
 on      when you are coming this way   
,addressed ,,messs ,,audubon  ,,rozier  
,merchs                                 
,louisville                             
,kentucky--           ,endorsed ,recd4  
,may #eth4 #ahaj  ,lucy ,green          
,bakewell1 ,audubon's wife1 was three   
years younger than her husband1 having  
been born at ,burton-on-,trent1         

,england1 in #aghh4 ,her family were    
descended from ,john ,bakewell of       
,castle ,donnington1 in ,leicestershire2
 ,robert ,bakewell1 the geologist1 who  
came to the naturalist's defense many   
years later1 and who lived until #ahdc1 
was a nephew of her grandfather1 ,joseph
 ,bakewell of ,derby4 ,left an orphan at
 an early age1 ,lucy's father1 ,william 
,bakewell1 was brought up by an uncle1  
,thomas ,woodhouse1 a rich bachelor of  
,crith1 ,derbyshire1 who eventually left
 him a fortune4  ,when ,william         
,bakewell succeeded to his uncle's      
estate and manor1 he lived the life of a
 country gentleman1 devoting himself    
mainly to shooting and to the study of  
chemistry and natural philosophy1 while 
he enjoyed the friendship of such men as
 ,joseph ,priestley and ,erasmus        
,darwin4 ,his advocacy of ,priestley's  
republican and liberal religious        
doctrines is said to have cost him the  
honorary office of justice of the peace 
in his community and to have determined 

his emigration to ,america4 ,his first  
visit to ,america was made in the summer
 of #agih1 when1 with his brother       
,benjamin1#agf he started an            
establishment for brewing ,english ale  
at ,new ,haven2 through his chemical    
knowledge and skill he is said to have  
reproduced to perfection the famous     
,burton ales4 ,william ,bakewell brought
 his family to the ,united ,states in   
#ahjb1 and when a disastrous fire       
destroyed his business at ,new ,haven1  
he took up the large farm of ,fatland   
,ford in #ahjd1 as already related 7p4  
#ajh74 ,in that retired spot he devoted 
much time to his library and laboratory1
 while living a life of easy            
independence4 ,if abrupt in manners and 
inclined to severity in discipline1 he  
was generous1 kind-hearted and an ardent
 republican4 ,mrs4 ,audubon's mother1   
who felt keenly the separation from her 
own people1 died in ,september1 #ahjd1 a
 few months after reaching ,fatland     
,ford1 and in the following year        

,william ,bakewell was married to       
,rebecca ,smith4 ,this lady seems to    
have taken a strong dislike to ,audubon1
 for when her death was announced in    
#ahba1agg he referred to her as my      
constant enemy 444 ,god forgive her     
faults4  ,at this time ,audubon studied 
nature for the pure love of it1 without 
the faintest expectation that his labors
 in natural history would ever be of any
 service to the world4 ,but in the year 
#ahaj occurred an event1 of seemingly   
small moment at the time1 which         
nevertheless left a distinct mark upon  
his career1 as will be now related4     
,,chapter ,,xiv  ,a ,,meeting ,,of      
,,rivals1 ,,and ,a ,,sketch ,,of        
,,another ,,pioneer       ,alexander    
,wilson and his ,american               
,ornithology--,his canvassing      tour 
of #ahaj--;,his retort to a ,solomon of 
the ,bench--,descriptions      of       
,pittsburgh1 ,cincinnati and            
,louisville--,meeting with              
,audubon--,journey to ,new              

,orleans--,youth in ,scotland--,weaver1 
itinerant peddler1 poet and             
socialist--,sent to jail for            
libel--,emigrates to the ,united        
,states--,finally settles as a          
school teacher near ,philadelphia--,his 
friendships with ,bartram      and      
,lawson--,disappointments in            
love--,early studies of ,american       
birds--,his drawings1 thrift1 talents   
and genius--,publication of      his    
,ornithology--,his travels1             
discouragements and success--,his       
premature death--,conflicting accounts  
of the visit to ,audubon      given by  
the two naturalists--,rivalry between   
the friends of      ,wilson1 dead1 and  
those of ,audubon1 living--,the         
controversy      which followed--,an    
evasive ,flycatcher--,singular history  
of      the ,mississippi ,kite plate4   
,on ,january #cj1 #ahaj1 a man of rather
 coarse features1 with a head of sandy  
hair1 and possessed of manners that     
could be winning or aggressive according

 to his mood1 might have been seen      
leaving ,philadelphia afoot1 for he had 
planned to keep his expenses down to a  
dollar a day and traveling by coach or  
on horseback suited neither his purse   
nor the objects of his mission4 ,his    
clothing was coarse2 his luggage1 with  
the exception of a fowling-piece and two
 red-backed volumes of quarto size1 was 
of the lightest description4 ,but1 could
 we have peered between the covers of   
those books1 our curiosity would have   
been whetted1 for they were filled with 
colored plates of ,american birds1 the  
first-fruits of their bearer's untrained
 eye and hand2 the text1 moreover1 was  
printed in a style which would have done
 honor to any country4  ,this man was   
,alexander ,wilson1 who1 like ,audubon1 
was a pioneer in the study of the birds 
of his adopted land1 but who was twenty 
years his predecessor in point of       
publication4 ,the books which he then   
carried were part of the first edition  
of his now famous ,american             

,ornithology1 the second volume of which
 had appeared in ,philadelphia at the   
beginning of that year4 ,though not     
destined to be completed until after his
 death1 this work was to become one of  
the scientific and literary treasures of
 the nation1 but it is not likely that  
one in ten thousand had then ever heard 
of him1 whether as poet or as           
ornithologist1 or cared anything about  
his work or his mission4  ,wilson at    
that moment was starting on his last    
long journey through the ,west and      
,south1 in search of new birds4 ,he also
 carried in his pocket a subscription   
list1 and therefore belonged to that    
class of visitor which is seldom        
welcomed with rapture4 ,at ,lancaster1  
,pennsylvania1 ,wilson's first important
 stopping-place1 and at that time the   
capital of the ,state1 ,governor ,snyder
 put down his name for #abj1 the price  
of the completed work4 ,this seemed a   
good omen1 but1 at ,hanover1 in the same
 state1 an incident occurred which might

 have discouraged a less determined man2
 the interview has become historical1   
and we shall give ,wilson's own relation
 of it3#agh       ,having a letter from 
,dr4 ,muhlenburgh to a ,clergyman in    
,hanover1 ,i passed on through a well   
cultivated country1      chiefly        
inhabited by ,germans1 to that place1   
where a certain      ,judge ,hustetter  
took upon himself to say1 that such a   
book      as mine ought not to be       
encouraged2 as it was not within the    
reach of the commonalty2 and therefore  
inconsistent with our      ,republican  
institutions6 ,by the same mode of      
reasoning1 which      ,i did not        
dispute1 ,i undertook to prove him a    
greater culprit      than myself1 in    
erecting a large elegant three story    
,brick      house1 so much more beyond  
the reach of the ,commonalty as he      
called them1 and therefore grossly      
contrary to our ,republican             
institutions4 ,i harangued this ,solomon
 of the ,bench more      seriously      

afterwards1 pointing out to him the     
great influence      of ,science on a   
young rising ,nation like ours1 till he 
began      to show such symptoms of     
intellect1 as to seem ashamed of        
what he had said4  ,at ,pittsburgh      
,wilson met ,audubon's old employer and 
relative by marriage1 ,benjamin         
,bakewell4 ,the picture which he then   
drew#agi of that growing hive of        
industry will be read with interest3    
,on arriving at the town1 which stands  
on a low flat1 and      looks like a    
collection of ,blacksmith shops1 ,glass 
houses1      ,breweries1 ,forges1 and   
,furnaces1 the ,monongahela opened to   
the view on the left running along the  
bottom of a range of      hills so high 
that the sun at this season sets to the 
town of      ,pittsburgh at a little    
past four4 ,this range continues along  
the ,ohio as far as the view reaches4   
,the ice had just begun      to give way
 in ,monongahela1 and came down in vast 
bodies for      the three following     

days4 ,it has now begun in the          
,alleghany1      and at the moment ,i   
write it is one white ,mass of rushing  
ice4      ,the country beyond the ,ohio 
to the west appears a mountainous       
and hilly region4 ,the ,monongahela is  
lined with ,arks1 usually      called   
,kentucky ,boats1 waiting for the rising
 of the river1       the absence of ice1
 to descend4 ,a perspective view of the 
town of ,pittsburgh at this season1 with
 the numerous arks      and covered keel
 boats preparing to descend the ,ohio1  
the      grandeur of its hills1 and the 
interesting circumstance of      its    
three great rivers--the pillars of smoke
 rising from its      ,furnaces ,glass  
works c4 would make a noble picture4 ,i 
began      a very diligent search1 in   
the place the day after my arrival      
for subscribers and continued it for    
four days4 ,i succeeded      beyond     
expectation having got #ai names of the 
most wealthy      and respectable part  
of the inhabitants4 ,the industry of the

      town is remarkable2 every body you
 see is busy2  as a proof      of the   
prosperity of the place an eminent      
lawyer told me that      there has not  
been one suit instituted against a      
mercht4 of      the town these three    
years6 ,the ,glass ,houses1 of which    
there      are #c1 have more demands for
 ,glass than they are able to           
answer4 ,mr4 ,bakewell the proprietor of
 the best1 shewed 444      yesterday a  
,chandelier of his manufacture highly   
ornamented1      444 for which he       
received #cjj dollars4 ,it would        
ornament the      444 in ,philada4 and  
is perfectly transparent4  ,eight days  
after he had reached ,pittsburgh1       
,wilson bravely launched a little skiff1
 which he christened the ,ornithologist1
 and began an arduous and perilous      
journey to ,cincinnati1 ,louisville and 
,new ,orleans1 a distance of two        
thousand miles4 ,in this lonesome       
manner1 he wrote1 with full leisure for 
observation and reflection1 exposed to  

hardships all day1 and hard berths all  
night1 ,i persevered from the #bdth of  
,february to ,sunday evening1 ,march    
#agth1 when ,i moored my skiff safely in
 ,bear ,grass ,creek1 at the rapids of  
the ,ohio1 after a voyage of seven      
hundred and twenty miles4  ,cincinnati1 
then a town of five hundred houses1 was 
reached on the ninth of ,march2 while   
there ,wilson made the acquaintance of  
,dr4 ,daniel ,drake1 who was later      
,audubon's friend1 and examined a       
collection of ,indian relics which had  
been taken from a freshly opened mound4 
,he left ,cincinnati convinced that its 
well-to-do class must be a very         
thoughtful people1 so many of them1 when
 approached for a subscription to his   
work1 having replied that they would    
think about it4 ,upon nearing           
,louisville at nightfall he became      
alarmed lest he should be drawn into the
 suction of the ,falls1 as no lights    
could be seen on the banks3 cautiously  
coasting along the shore1 where he      

encountered many logs and sawyers1 at   
last he entered the ,creek and secured  
his skiff to a ,kentucky boat2 then1    
loading myself with my baggage1 he      
wrote1 ,i groped my way through a swamp 
up to the town4#ahj ,when ,wilson had   
seen the ,falls by daylight1 he felt    
that his fears of the night before had  
been groundless1 and declared that he   
should have no hesitation in navigating 
them single-handed4  ,it will be        
interesting to follow ,wilson's journey 
a little further1 before returning to   
the ,louisville visit4 ,after passing a 
few days in ,audubon's town1 he struck  
out into the heart of ,kentucky1 calling
 at ,shelbyville1 ,frankfort and        
,lexington1 and eventually reaching     
,nashville1 ,tennessee4 ,not far from   
the latter place he met a landlord of   
admirable discrimination1 ,isaac ,walton
 by name1 who showed himself worthy of  
his illustrious ancestor by declaring   
that ,wilson was evidently traveling for
 the good of the world1 and added3 ,i   

cannot1 and will not charge you         
anything4 ,whenever you come this way1  
call and stay with me2 you shall be     
welcome4  ,at ,nashville ,wilson wrote  
to ,miss ,sarah ,miller1 the lady to    
whom he was engaged but whom he did not 
live to marry3 ,nine hundred miles      
distant from you sits ,wilson1 the      
hunter of birds' nests and sparrows1    
just preparing to enter on a wilderness 
of #ghj miles--most of it in the        
territory of ,indians--alone but in good
 spirits1 and expecting to have every   
pocket crammed with skins of new and    
extraordinary birds before he reach the 
,city of ,new ,orleans4 ,continuing on  
his course in search of new birds and   
subscribers1 ,wilson arrived at ,natchez
 on ,may #ah1 and1 passing through      
,louisiana1 on the sixth day of ,june he
 entered ,new ,orleans1 where his       
spirits were immediately raised by the  
accession of sixty new names to his     
list4 ,after six months of continuous   
effort1 traveling now in a small boat1  

now on the back of a horse1 but         
frequently on foot1 drenched by torrents
 of rain or scorched by the unaccustomed
 heat1 often compelled to drink the     
poisonous water of cane brakes in       
,mississippi 7to which must be          
attributed an attack of malarial fever1 
which he was able with difficulty to    
throw off1 but from which1 in all       
probability1 he never fully recovered71 
he returned to ,new ,york by sea1 and on
 ,september #b1 #ahaj1 was again in     
,philadelphia4  ,on this journey ,wilson
 was a pioneer in much of the territory 
which ,audubon had hardly begun to      
explore1 but which later became the     
scene of his wanderings and adventures  
for many a year4 ,at ,louisville the two
 naturalists met1 but they did not      
become good friends2 though devoted to  
the same objects1 differences in        
temperament might in any event have kept
 them apart4 ,unfortunately1 the        
feelings of jealousy which were then    
aroused1 or which were stirred up at a  

later day1 were fostered by some of     
,wilson's injudicious friends to such an
 extent that from the moment ,audubon's 
work became known1 and long before he   
had published a line1 they became as    
thorns in his path1 and they continued  
to vex him for thirty years4 ,it is not 
easy to reach a fair judgment in this   
matter now1 and it would be impossible  
to do so without a better understanding 
of the man who suddenly appeared upon   
,audubon's horizon at ,louisville in    
#ahaj and then vanished4 ,because of the
 peculiar relations which existed       
between these two pioneers1 we must     
follow the history of the elder man a   
little more closely4  ,alexander ,wilson
 was the son of a weaver at ,paisley1   
,scotland1 where he was born in #agff2  
he was thus ,audubon's senior by        
nineteen years4 ,his father1 who was    
esteemed for his honesty and            
intelligence1 had tasted prosperity1 but
 irremediable poverty fell to his lot in
 later life4 ,alexander1 the younger    

son1 was motherless at ten1 and the     
stepmother that soon appeared seems to  
have shown him scant sympathy1 or1 at   
all events1 never won his affection4    
,alexander ,wilson's youth unhappily    
coincided with an era of bad feeling in 
his native land2 the times were hard in 
bonny ,scotland1 education was stagnant1
 and the public morals were debased4    
,wilson was a child of his times2 like  
thousands of other youths1 he was bound 
to suffer from the conditions of his    
early environment1 but unlike many      
thousands of his day1 he was possessed  
of talents and ambition which bitter    
adversity tended to sharpen and could   
never repress4  ,at thirteen young      
,wilson was taken from school and       
apprenticed to a weaver1 ,william       
,duncan1 his brother-in-law1 and for    
three years he was no stranger to hard  
work and the birchen rod4 ,for nearly   
three years more1 as master weaver1 he  
knew little beyond the grind and grime  
of the factory and the society of       

factory hands4 ,at eighteen1 however1   
his rebellious spirit struck1 and for   
ten years he appeared in the rle of     
itinerant peddler1 poet and orator1 and 
as socialist to the extent of           
championing the oppressed weaver class4 
,at one time ,wilson came into          
correspondence with ,robert ,burns and  
later made his acquaintance4 ,his best  
dialect poem1 ,watty and ,meg1 or ,the  
,taming of a ,shrew1 published          
anonymously as a penny chap-book in     
#aghb1 was his one popular success in   
the character of poet2 according to     
report it was attributed to ,burns1 who 
admitted that he would have been glad to
 have written the verses1 which sold so 
freely that a hundred thousand copies   
were disposed of in a few weeks4#aha ,in
 the disputes between capital and labor 
which arose at ,paisley1 ,wilson took an
 active part4 ,in connection with them  
he published a number of lampoons in    
verse1 for which he was convicted of    
libel and was compelled to burn his     

satires at the town cross4 ,in one      
instance1 which occurred in ,february1  
#agic1 a petty tyrant whom he had       
riddled exacted the fine1#ahb and       
because of his inability to pay ,wilson 
was sent to jail1 where he languished   
for over three months4  ,under the      
pressure of such persecutions1 hard     
times1 and possibly from disappointment 
in an affair of the heart1 ,wilson      
decided to emigrate4 ,practically driven
 out in rags from the country which one 
day was to raise a monument to his      
memory1 at the age of twenty-eight he   
sailed from ,belfast with his nephew1   
,william ,duncan1 for the ,eldorado of  
the ,new ,world4 ,wilson slept on deck  
throughout the entire voyage of         
fifty-three days1 and landed at ,new    
,castle1 ,delaware1 with the clothes on 
his back and an old fowling-piece as his
 only possessions4 ,this was on ,july   
#ad1 #agid1 nine years before ,john     
,james ,audubon left ,nantes4 ,taking   
train number #aa1 in the parlance of    

knights of the road1 the two immigrants 
first walked to ,wilmington in search of
 employment1 and finding none there1    
went on twenty-nine miles farther to    
,philadelphia4  ,the story is told that 
while they made their way through the   
woods of ,delaware1 ,wilson shot a      
,red-headed ,woodpecker and met with the
 ,cardinal ,grosbeak2 as he often       
referred to the pleasure which the sight
 of these beautiful birds had given him1
 the incident1 if it really occurred1   
may have played a part in the           
inspiration1 which later came to        
,wilson1 of becoming the historian of   
,american bird life4  ,after eight hard 
years of shifting about1 during which   
,wilson tried day-labor1 weaving1       
peddling and school teaching1 working   
long hours at miserable pay1 he finally 
settled as a country school teacher near
 ,new ,york4 ,on the twelfth of ,july1  
#ahja1 he wrote to a fellow teacher and 
friend1 ,charles ,orr1 who was then     
living at ,philadelphia3 ,i live six    

miles from ,newark and twelve miles from
 ,new ,york1 in a settlement of canting1
 preaching1 praying1 and snivelling     
ignorant ,presbyterians4 ,they pay their
 minister #bej pounds for preaching     
twice a week1 and their teacher #dj     
dollars a quarter for the most          
spirit-sinking1 laborious work--#f1 ,i  
may say #ab times weekly4 ,to the same  
friend1 in #ahjb1 he confided3 ,my      
disposition is to love those who love me
 with all the warmth of enthusiasm1 but 
to feel with the keenest sensibility the
 smallest appearance of neglect or      
contempt from those ,i regard4  ,in     
#ahjb1 at the age of thirty-six1 ,wilson
 decided to take up a school at ,gray's 
,ferry1 on the ,schuylkill ,river1 in   
,kingsessing ,township1 then a small    
settlement four miles from              
,philadelphia4 ,a year later1 in #ahjc1 
,john ,james ,audubon was sent to       
,america to learn ,english and enter    
trade1 and1 as chance would have it1    
settled on the banks of the same river1 

not many miles from ,wilson's old       
schoolhouse4 ,in one respect the older  
man was the more fortunate1 for1 as will
 be seen1 he found close by his door an 
excellent naturalist who played the part
 of mentor4  ,on ,february #ad1 #ahjb1  
while at ,philadelphia1 ,wilson wrote to
 ,orr3       ,on the #beth4 of this     
month ,i remove to the schoolhouse      
beyond      ,gray's ,ferry to succeed   
the present teacher there4 ,i shall     
recommence that painful profession once 
more with the same      gloomy1 sullen  
resignation that a prisoner re-enters   
his      dungeon or a malefactor mounts 
the scaffold2 fate urges him1           
necessity me4 ,the agreement between us 
is to make the school      equal to #ajj
 dollars per quarter1 but not more than 
#ej are      to be admitted4 ,the       
present pedagogue is a noisy1 outrageous
      fat old captain of a ship1 who has
 taught these ten years      in         
different places4 ,you may hear him     
bawling #cjj yards      off4 ,the boys  

seem to pay as little regard to him as  
ducks      to the rumbling of a stream  
under them4 ,i shall have many          
difficulties to overcome in establishing
 my own rules and      authority4  ,at  
,gray's ,ferry1 where he was then       
settled1 ,wilson again wrote in ,july3  
,leave that cursed town at least one    
day4 ,it is the most striking emblem of 
purgatory1 at least to me1 that exists4 
,no poor soul is happier to escape from 
,bridewell than ,i am to smell the fresh
 air and gaze over the green fields     
after a day or two's residence in       
,philadelphia4444  ,george ,ord1        
,wilson's staunch friend1 literary      
executor1 biographer1 and editor of the 
last two volumes of the ,american       
,ornithology1 thus characterized him3   
,he was of the genus irritabile1 and was
 obstinate in opinion4 ,he would        
acknowledge error when discovered by    
himself1 but he could not endure to be  
told of his mistakes4 ,hence his        
associates had to be sparing of         

criticism1 through fear of forfeiting   
his friendship4 ,with almost all his    
friends he had occasionally1 arising    
from a collision of opinion1 some slight
 misunderstanding1 which was soon passed
 over1 leaving no disagreeable          
impression4 ,but an act of disrespect he
 could ill brook1 and a wilful injury he
 would seldom forgive4  ,in #ahja1 while
 teaching and studying ,german at       
,milestown1 ,pennsylvania1 ,wilson had  
another unfortunate love affair1 in this
 instance with a woman already married4 
,to this he alluded in letters written  
in the summer of that year to his friend
 ,orr1 with whom he later quarreled4 ,on
 ,august #g1 #ahja1 he wrote3 ,the world
 is lost forever to me and ,i to the    
world4 ,no time nor distance can ever   
banish her image from my mind4 ,it is   
forever present with me1 and my heart is
 broken with the most melancholy        
reflections4  ,at ,gray's ,ferry1       
however1 ,wilson soon found in the      
estimable ,william ,bartram1 then in his

 sixty-first year1 the sympathetic      
adviser1 kind teacher1 and judicious    
friend that he most needed1 for though  
,wilson took the initiative in his      
ornithological plans1 it was the kindly 
,bartram who eventually extended a      
helping hand4 ,both ,bartram and        
,lawson1 the engraver1 urged him to     
devote his leisure to drawing1 as a foil
 to his melancholic tendencies4 ,wilson 
did not hesitate long1 for on ,june #a1 
#ahjc1 he confided to a friend in       
,scotland that he had begun to make a   
collection of our finest birds4 ,early  
in #ahjd his purpose was clearly fixed1 
and on ,march #ab of that year he wrote 
to ,alexander ,lawson3 ,i am most       
earnestly bent on pursuing my plan of   
making a collection of all the birds in 
this part of ,north ,america4444 ,i have
 been so long accustomed to the building
 of airy castles and brain windmills1   
that it has become one of my earthly    
comforts1 a sort of rough bone1 that    
amuses me when sated with the dull      

drudgery of life4 ,a little later in the
 same month we find him appealing to    
,bartram for exact names1 when he       
writes3       ,i send for your amusement
 a few attempts at some of our          
indigenous birds1 hoping that your good 
nature will excuse      their           
deficiencies1 while you point them out  
to me4444 ,they      were chiefly       
coloured by candle-light4 ,i have now   
got my      collection of native birds  
considerably enlarged1 and shall        
endeavor1 if possible1 to obtain all the
 smaller ones this      summer4 ,be     
pleased to mark on the drawings1 with a 
pencil1 the      names of each bird1 as1
 except three or four1 ,i do not know   
them4    ,illustration3 ,alex ,wilson   
,,after ,,an ,,engraving ,,by ,w ,h4    
,,lizars1 ,,from ,a ,,painting ,,by     
,,james      ,,craw4    ,illustration3  
,will4 ,bartram       ,,reproduced      
,,from ,,cassinia ,,for #aijf4  ,wilson1
 practically self-taught in everything1 
with no experience or training in       

drawing from nature1 thus began at the  
age of thirty-eight to make his drawings
 of birds1 before he knew the names of  
his subjects1 and twenty years before   
,audubon's talents were known to any but
 members of his own family and a few    
intimate friends4 ,the only aid in      
drawing which ,wilson ever received     
appears to have come from the hints     
which ,lawson supplied4 ,nevertheless1  
the best of ,alexander ,wilson's        
original drawings represent a degree of 
excellence and honest workmanship of    
which he had no need to be ashamed1 and 
in many instances he owed far less to   
his engraver1 ,alexander ,lawson1 than  
did his great rival to ,robert ,havell4 
,in #ahhj ,dr4 ,elliott ,coues examined 
a large collection of original ,wilson  
and ,audubon drawings and manuscripts1  
owned and kept with the greed of a      
genuine bibliomaniac by ,joseph ,m4     
,wade1 then editor of ,familiar ,science
 and ,fancier's ,journal4 ,if not       
,wilson's portfolio itself1 its         

contents1 at least1 said ,dr4 ,coues1   
were then in ,mr4 ,wade's possession1   
and this series of ,wilson's drawings   
included1 he thought1 more than half of 
the originals of his famous plates4 ,to 
quote ,dr4 ,coues3#ahc       ,in        
handling these drawings and paintings1  
of all degrees      of completeness1 one
 of sensibility could but experience    
some emotions he would not care to      
formulate in words4444      ,i was      
fairly oppressed with the sad story of  
poverty1 even      destitution1 which   
these wan sheets of coarse paper told4  
,some of ,wilson's originals are on the 
fly-leaves of old      books1 showing   
binder's marks along one edge4 ,one of  
the best      portraits1 that of the    
,duck ,hawk1 is on two pieces of paper  
pasted together4 ,the man was actually  
too poor to buy paper6      ,some of the
 drawings are on both sides of the      
paper2 some show      a full picture on 
one side1 and part of a mutilated       
finished      painting on the other4    

,some show the rubbing process by which 
they were transferred4 ,they are in all 
stages of completeness1      from the   
rudest outlines to the finished         
painting4  ,i know full well that in    
#ahjd1 when ,wilson had fairly begun his
 work on birds1 he was poor enough1 but 
,i hesitate to believe upon such        
evidence that he was too poor to buy    
decent drawing materials4 ,wilson       
doubtless practiced economy in these    
matters as in everything else1 through  
his ingrained habit of ,scotch thrift1  
and he was probably quite as well-to-do 
then as five years before1 when out of  
his slender earnings he was able to lay 
money aside4#ahd ,later1 to be sure1 his
 modest savings were quite consumed by  
his ,ornithology1 and then ,william     
,bartram came to his aid1 even giving   
him a home in his own house4 ,it is also
 wide of the mark to conclude from his  
fugitive letters or from his drawings1  
as this critic has done1 that ,wilson   
was possessed of genius only1 and had   

nothing else1 not even talent and       
ability4 ,wilson certainly had a talent 
for writing and cultivated it with      
marked success2 even his verse was not  
all of a despicable mediocrity4 ,in the 
art of drawing1 however1 his natural    
gifts were of a very modest sort1 and   
what he achieved was the result of the  
most painstaking effort4 ,of course he  
was not a finished scholar1 as graduates
 from the school of adversity seldom    
are1 but he had a passion for knowledge 
and the determination to excel4 ,his    
genius was not fully displayed until a  
powerful motive1 the ambition to make   
known the birds of his adopted land1 had
 possessed his spirit and taxed his     
powers to their utmost capacity4        
,shortly after he had settled at ,gray's
 ,ferry1 ,wilson's susceptible nature   
was touched by another romance1 which   
was again unfortunate for the poet and  
dreamer1 but was probably the making of 
the ornithologist4 ,bartram's ,botanic  
,gardens1 on the outskirts of           

,philadelphia1 had long been famous for 
their large and choice collection of    
native plants1 gathered by the          
indefatigable zeal of their worthy      
founder1 ,john ,bartram1 ,quaker        
philosopher1 traveler1 botanist1        
agriculturalist and nurseryman2 but the 
fairest flower in the whole collection  
at that time is said to have been ,miss 
,anne ,bartram1 daughter of ,john the   
younger1 niece of ,william1 who then    
superintended the ,kingsess ,gardens1   
granddaughter of the founder1 and       
heiress to the estate4 ,to this ,quaker 
maid ,wilson addressed a number of his  
poems1 and he interested her in the     
drawing of birds2 on ,march #bi1 #ahjd1 
he wrote to her uncle3 ,i send a small  
scroll of drawing papers for ,miss      
,nancy4 ,she will oblige me by accepting
 it4 ,this little incident would show   
that ,wilson was no stranger to the use 
of good drawing materials1 however      
frugal his habits in this respect may   
have been4 ,the young lady is said to   

have been not indifferent to her poet   
lover1 and some of her family were      
friendly2 the father1 however1 had no   
notion of bestowing his daughter's hand 
upon a poor schoolmaster1 and for the   
third time ,wilson's dreams of domestic 
bliss were shattered4  ,such experiences
 no doubt tended to chasten the         
sensitive spirit of this real genius1   
whose whole life seemed to have been a  
continuous and losing struggle1 while he
 felt within him an inspiration and a   
power that had failed to find adequate  
expression in labor at the loom1 in     
verse1 or in the hated vocation of      
teaching rough country schools at       
starvation wages4 ,though depressed by  
his misadventures in love1 ,wilson does 
not seem to have been embittered1 and by
 way of diversion1 he set out in the    
autumn of #ahjd1 on a long walking tour 
from ,philadelphia to ,niagara ,falls   
and back2 in the following winter the   
experiences of this journey were        
embodied in a descriptive poem of #b1jah

 lines which he called ,the ,foresters1 
an effort which would have been less    
prosaic if frankly expressed in prose4  
,wilson's friendship for the ,bartrams  
continued under the changed conditions1 
and he was invited to make his home     
under their hospitable roof4 ,he was now
 free to devote himself heart and soul  
to birds and to birds alone4  ,wilson   
etched the first two plates of his      
,american ,ornithology before he had    
obtained an engraver or a publisher4 ,in
 ,april1 #ahjf1 he resigned his school  
at ,gray's ,ferry to accept an editorial
 position on a ,new ,american           
,cyclopdia1#ahe then in course of       
preparation1 at a salary of #ijj a year4
 ,samuel ,f4 ,bradford1 the publisher of
 this work1 soon became interested in   
,wilson's projected ,american           
,ornithology and agreed to publish it4  
,it became the ambition of both author  
and publisher to produce the work in a  
superior style1 and to make it as       
perfect and complete an ,american       

product as possible4 ,only the pigments 
used in coloring some of the plates were
 imported from ,europe4#ahf  ,wilson    
issued in ,april1 #ahjg1 an elaborate   
prospectus of his proposed ,ornithology1
 in which he stated that the completed  
work would comprise ten volumes1 to cost
 #abj1 and that it would be illustrated 
by plates1 engraved and colored by hand1
 after the manner of a carefully        
prepared sample which was issued with   
the printed announcement4 ,in           
,september1 #ahjh1 as already intimated1
 the first volume of the ,american      
,ornithology#ahg appeared in an edition 
of #bjj copies4 ,wilson immediately     
started on a canvassing tour of ,new    
,england1 in the course of which he     
visited the principal towns and         
colleges1 going east to ,portland1      
,maine1 and as far north as ,dartmouth  
,college1 in ,new ,hampshire1 where     
,president ,john ,wheelock and the      
professors received him with marked     
attention4 ,on this journey ,wilson did 

not average one subscriber a day1 and he
 was forced to conclude that he had been
 mistaken in publishing a work too good 
for the country2 it is a fault1 he said1
 not likely to be repeated1 and will    
pretty severely correct itself4 ,daniel 
,d4 ,tompkins1 ,governor of ,new ,york1 
coolly said to him3 ,i would not give   
one hundred dollars for all the birds   
you intend to describe1 not even if ,i  
had them alive2 but a future ,governor  
of that ,state1 ,de ,witt ,clinton1 the 
friend of science and scientific men1   
gave him the substantial encouragement  
he craved4 ,when his second volume was  
ready for issue1 ,wilson wrote to       
,bartram3 ,this undertaking has involved
 me in difficulties and expenses which  
,i never dreamt of1 and ,i have never   
yet received one cent from it4 ,i am1   
therefore1 a volunteer in the cause of  
,natural ,history impelled by nobler    
views than those of money4  ,in the     
autumn of #ahjh ,wilson made a long and 
arduous tour of the ,south1 in the      

course of which he visited every        
important town along the southern       
,atlantic seaboard1 and though it cost  
him dear1 he obtained #bej subscribers2 
it was then that his publishers decided 
to extend the original edition of his   
work to #ejj copies4 ,his longer and    
more perilous journey of #ahaj1 when his
 meeting with ,audubon occurred1 has    
already been described4 ,in #ahab1 after
 the sixth volume of the ,ornithology   
had appeared1 he again resumed his      
travels in the ,east and went as far    
north as ,burlington1 on ,lake          
,champlain2 at ,haverhill1 ,new         
,hampshire1 he was summarily arrested   
and thrown into jail1 the people of the 
town1 utterly unable to comprehend the  
nature of his pursuits1 suspecting that 
in his real capacity he was acting as a 
spy in the employ of the ,canadian      
,government4 ,the seventh and last      
volume of the ,ornithology which ,wilson
 lived to complete made its appearance  
in the spring of #ahac4 ,he had then    

been obliged to relinquish his work on  
the ,cyclopdia1 and was reduced to the  
pittance derived from the coloring of   
his own plates4  ,alexander ,wilson died
 at ,philadelphia1 after a brief        
illness1 on ,august #bc1 #ahac4 ,a story
 was current that his end was saddened1 
if not hastened1 by the dishonesty of   
his publishers1 but ,i cannot vouch for 
it4 ,audubon may have had this report in
 mind when he wrote his name in the     
hotel register at ,niagara ,falls#ahh on
 ,august #bd1 #ahbd2 and added that he  
would never die1 like ,wilson1 under the
 lash of a bookseller4 ,even as late as 
#ahgi ,miss ,malvina ,lawson1 daughter  
of ,wilson's friend and engraver1 left  
no doubt as to her belief when she      
wrote3 and to his other trials was added
 the fact that killed him1--the         
dishonesty of his publisher4#ahi  ,when 
we consider that ,wilson's entire       
working period on the ,ornithology was  
not over ten years1 and that at the age 
of forty-seven he was called to lay down

 his pen and brush forever2 that he     
produced in this brief space a work of  
great originality and charm1 which did  
inestimable service in promoting the    
cause of natural history in both        
,america and ,england1 and which is     
likely to be read and prized for        
centuries to come1 the achievement of   
this man is little short of marvelous4  
,knowing also the disabilities under    
which he labored1 we are more than ready
 to temper our judgment with sympathy1  
and to overlook any faults which his    
character may have displayed4 ,these    
indeed1 we believe1 were for the most   
part of a very trifling nature2 those   
who knew ,wilson best have all testified
 to his kindness of heart1 his          
liberality1 and his high sense of honor4
  ,we must now return to the meeting of 
our two pioneers1 which has been the    
bone of so much acrimonious contention4 
,on his long journey to the ,middle     
,west and ,south1 ,wilson reached       
,louisville on a ,saturday evening1 the 

seventh of ,march1 #ahaj1 and put up at 
the tavern of the ,indian ,queen1 where1
 as it happened1 ,audubon was then      
living with his family2 after spending  
five days in and about the town1 he     
again set out on foot for ,frankfort1 on
 the morning of ,friday1 the            
twenty-third4 ,audubon has given the    
following account in the ,episode of    
,louisville in ,kentucky3#aij       ,one
 fair morning1 ,i was surprised by the  
sudden entrance into      our           
counting-room at ,louisville of ,mr4    
,alexander ,wilson1      the celebrated 
author of the ,american ,ornithology1 of
      whose existence ,i had never until
 that moment been apprised4      ,this  
happened in ,march1 #ahaj4 ,how well do 
,i remember him1 as      he then walked 
up to me6 ,his long1 rather hooked nose1
 the      keenness of his eyes1 and his 
prominent cheek-bones1 stamped      his 
countenance with a peculiar character4  
,his dress1 too1      was of a kind not 
usually seen in that part of the        

country2      a short coat1 trousers1   
and a waistcoat of grey cloth4 ,his     
stature was not above the middle size4  
,he had two volumes      under his arm1 
and as he approached the table at which 
,i was      working1 ,i thought ,i      
discovered something like astonishment  
in his countenance4 ,he1 however1       
immediately proceeded      to disclose  
the object of his visit1 which was to   
procure      subscriptions for his work4
 ,he opened his books1 explained        
the nature of his occupations1 and      
requested my patronage4       ,i felt   
surprised and gratified at the sight of 
the volumes1      turned over a few of  
the plates1 and had already taken a     
pen to write my name in his favour when 
my partner rather      abruptly said to 
me in ,french1 ,my dear ,audubon1 what  
induces      you to subscribe to this   
work8 ,your drawings are certainly      
far better1 and again you must know as  
much of the habits      of ,american    
birds as this gentleman4 ,whether ,mr4  

,wilson      understood ,french or not1 
or if the suddenness with which      ,i 
paused1 disappointed him1 ,i cannot     
tell2 but ,i clearly      perceived that
 he was not pleased4 ,vanity and the    
encomiums      of my friend prevented me
 from subscribing4 ,mr4 ,wilson asked   
me if ,i had many drawings of birds4 ,i 
rose1 took down a      large portfolio1 
laid it on the table1 and shewed him1 as
 ,i      would show you1 kind reader1 or
 any other person fond of such          
subjects1 the whole of the contents1    
with the same patience      with which  
he had shewn me his own engravings4     
,his surprise appeared great1 as he told
 me he never had the      most distant  
idea that any other individual than     
himself had      been engaged in forming
 such a collection4 ,he asked me if     
it was my intention to publish1 and when
 ,i answered in the      negative1 his  
surprise seemed to increase4 ,and1      
truly1 such      was not my intention2  
for1 until long after1 when ,i met the  

,prince of ,musignano in ,philadelphia1 
,i had not the least      idea of       
presenting the fruits of my labours to  
the world4 ,mr4      ,wilson now        
examined my drawings with care1 asked if
 ,i should      have any objections to  
lending him a few during his stay1 to   
which ,i replied that ,i had none3 he   
then bade me good morning1      not1    
however1 until ,i had made an           
arrangement to explore the      woods in
 the vicinity along with him1 and had   
promised to      procure for him some   
birds1 of which ,i had drawings in my   
collection1 but which he had never seen4
       ,it happened that he lodged in   
the same house with us1 but his         
retired habits1 ,i thought1 exhibited   
either a strong feeling      of         
discontent1 or a decided melancholy4    
,the ,scotch airs which      he played  
sweetly on his flute made me melancholy 
too1 and      ,i felt for him4 ,i       
presented him to my wife and friends1   
and      seeing that he was all         

enthusiasm1 exerted myself as much as   
was in my power1 to procure for him the 
specimens which he      wanted4 ,we     
hunted together1 and obtained birds     
which he had      never before seen2    
but1 reader1 ,i did not subscribe to his
      work1 for1 even at that time1 my  
collection was greater than      his4   
,thinking that perhaps he might be      
pleased to publish the      results of  
my researches1 ,i offered them to him1  
merely on      condition that what ,i   
had drawn1 or might afterwards draw and 
send to him1 should be mentioned in his 
work1 as coming from      my pencil4 ,i 
at the same time offered to open a      
correspondence      with him1 which ,i  
thought might prove beneficial to us    
both4      ,he made no reply to either  
proposal1 and before many days had      
elapsed left ,louisville1 on his way to 
,new ,orleans1 little      knowing how  
much his talents were appreciated in our
 little      town1 at least by myself   
and my friends4       ,some time        

elapsed1 during which ,i never heard of 
him1 or of      his work4 ,at length1   
having occasion to go to ,philadelphia1 
,i1 immediately after my arrival there1 
inquired for him and      paid him a    
visit4 ,he was then drawing a           
,white-headed ,eagle4      ,he received 
me with civility1 and took me to the    
,exhibition      ,rooms of ,rembrandt   
,peale1 the artist1 who had then        
portrayed      ,napoleon crossing the   
,alps4 ,mr4 ,wilson spoke not of birds  
or drawings4 ,feeling1 as ,i was forced 
to do1 that my company      was not     
agreeable1 ,i parted from him2 and after
 that ,i never      saw him again4 ,but 
judge of my astonishment some time      
after1      when on reading the         
thirty-ninth page of the ninth volume of
      ,american ,ornithology1 ,i found  
in it the following paragraph3--        
,march #bc1 #ahaj4--;,i bade adieu to   
,louisville1 to which place ,i      had 
four letters of recommendation1 and was 
taught to expect      much of everything

 there2 but neither received one act of 
civility from those to whom ,i was      
recommended1 one subscriber1      nor   
one new bird2 though ,i delivered my    
letters1 ransacked      the woods       
repeatedly1 and visited all the         
characters likely      to subscribe4    
,science or literature has not one      
friend in this      place4  ,what       
actually happened at this meeting of the
 two naturalists will never be certainly
 known1 beyond what can be gathered from
 their rather widely divergent accounts4
 ,it should be noticed1 however1 that   
the paragraph which ,audubon quoted was 
extracted from ,wilson's private diary2 
it was no doubt written on the spur of  
the moment1 possibly to humor his own   
mood1 and certainly with no thought of  
its later publication4 ,it was inserted 
by ,george ,ord in the biographical     
sketch of his friend appended to the    
ninth volume of the ,american           
,ornithology1 which appeared in #ahad1  
the year after ,wilson's death4 ,audubon

 was not concerned1 either directly or  
by implication1 except in the last      
sentence1 for it is evident that he was 
not one of those to whom ,wilson had    
carried letters of introduction4 ,thus  
the matter stood until #ahbh1 when      
,audubon's ,birds of ,america were being
 engraved in ,england4 ,in all          
probability the incident would never    
have been noticed by ,audubon1 had not  
,ord seen fit to revive it when his life
 of ,wilson#aia was issued as a separate
 volume in that year4 ,in this edition  
of the biography ,ord inserted fuller   
extracts from ,wilson's journal1 with   
the evident purpose of placing the rival
 of his friend in an unenviable light4  
,wilson's diary1 which apparently was   
never seen by any of ,audubon's friends1
 is now known to us only through such   
extracts as ,ord and ,waterton1 his     
bitter enemies1 have seen fit to make   
public2 the original has probably been  
destroyed1 for it cannot be traced later
 than #ahdj1 when it was still in the   

hands of ,george ,ord4#aib ,charles     
,waterton gave similar extracts from    
this famous journal in one of his       
philippics against ,audubon in #ahcd1   
when he said that it was the testimony  
of this record that defeated ,audubon's 
friends in their initial attempt to     
bring him into the ,academy of ,natural 
,sciences at ,philadelphia4 ,wilson's   
narrative of his adventures at          
,louisville in #ahaj1 as given by ,ord  
and ,waterton1 is as follows3#aic       
,march #ag4 ,take my baggage and grope  
my way to ,louisville--put      up at   
the ,indian ,queen tavern1 and gladly   
sit down to rest      myself4           
,march #ah4 ,rise quite refreshed4 ,find
 a number of      land-speculators      
here4#aid       ,march #ai4 ,rambling   
round the town with my gun4 ,examined   
,mr4----'s drawings in crayons--very    
good4 ,saw two new birds he      had1   
both ,motacill4       ,march #bj4 ,set  
out this afternoon with the gun--killed 
nothing new4 ,people in taverns here    

devour their meals4 ,many               
shopkeepers board in taverns--also      
boatmen1 land-speculaters1              
merchants c4 ,no naturalist to keep me  
company4       ,march #ba4 ,went out    
shooting this afternoon with ,mr4 ,a4   
,saw      a number of ,sandhill ,cranes4
 ,pigeons numerous4       ,march #bb4   
,march #bc4 ,packed up my things which  
,i left in the care of a      merchant  
here1 to be sent on to ,lexington2 and  
having parted      with great regret1   
with my paroquet1 to the gentleman of   
the      tavern1 ,i bade adieu to       
,louisville1 to which place ,i had four 
letters of recommendation1 and was      
taught to expect much of      everything
 there1 but neither received one act of 
civility      from those to whom ,i was 
recommended1 one subscriber1 nor        
one new bird2 though ,i delivered my    
letters1 ransacked the      woods       
repeatedly1 and visited all the         
characters likely to      subscribe4    
,science or literature has not one      

friend in this      place4 ,everyone is 
so intent on making money1 that they can
      talk of nothing else2 and they    
absolutely devour their meals1      that
 they may return sooner to their        
business4 ,their manners      correspond
 with their features4  ,in this fuller  
record we learn that ,wilson spent five 
days in ,louisville2 he examined        
,audubon's drawings on ,monday1 ,march  
#ai1 hunted alone on the #bjth1 went out
 shooting with ,audubon on the #bast1   
and finally left ,louisville on the     
morning of the #bc;d2 no record was     
admitted by ,ord for ,sunday1 the #ahth1
 or for the #bb;d1 a ,thursday4 ,wilson 
noticed the drawings of two new         
,motacill1 or ,warblers1 in ,audubon's  
collection1 and it would have been only 
natural that he should have felt a      
strong desire to copy them1 yet not a   
word was said about the loan of drawings
 to which ,audubon refers2 ,wilson      
merely stated that from those to whom he
 was recommended he had received not one

 act of civility1--one subscriber1 nor  
one new bird4 ,audubon was evidently    
regarded as one of the many shopkeepers 
who boarded in taverns1 and not as a    
naturalist1 for ,wilson said that he had
 none to keep him company1 and it is    
rather significant that ,audubon's name 
is not once mentioned in his            
,ornithology4  ,twenty-nine years after 
,wilson's visit to ,louisville1 when    
,audubon came to publish the fifth and  
last volume of his ,ornithological      
,biography1 he maintained that ,wilson  
had copied his drawing of a certain     
bird1 called the ,small-headed          
,flycatcher1#aie without any            
acknowledgment4 ,to quote ,audubon's    
words3       ,when ,alexander ,wilson   
visited me at ,louisville1 he found     
in my already large collection of       
drawings1 a figure of the      present  
species1 which being at that time       
unknown to him he      copied and       
afterwards published in his great work1 
but without      acknowledging the      

privilege that had thus been granted to 
him4 ,i have more than once regretted   
this1 not by any means      so much on  
my own account as for the sake of one to
 whom we      are so deeply indebted for
 the elucidation of our ornithology4    
,this troublesome bird was first        
described by ,wilson in #ahab1 when he  
rightly pronounced it very rare1 and    
said that the specimen from which his   
drawing was made had been shot in an    
orchard1 presumably near ,philadelphia1 
on the twenty-fourth day of ,april1 and 
that several had been obtained also in  
,new ,jersey4 ,his friend ,ord1 who came
 to his defense in #ahdj1 confirmed this
 statement by declaring to the ,american
 ,philosophical ,society of             
,philadelphia that he had been with     
,wilson on the day in question and had  
examined the specimen4 ,lawson also     
affirmed that in engraving the plate he 
had worked directly from the bird which 
,wilson had given him4  ,what has become
 of this mysterious phantom that has    

been a wandering and disturbing voice   
among ornithologists for over a century8
 ,it has given rise to no end of        
conflicting and sharp discussions       
between the partisans of the two        
naturalists chiefly concerned1 the only 
thing certain being that if this        
supposititious species ever existed1 it 
has forsaken its old haunts1 if not the 
earth itself1 and has never returned4   
,no doubt it was simply a case of       
mistaken identity1 and both ,wilson and 
,audubon were wrong1 each having had in 
hand and mind an immature representative
 of one of our numerous ,warblers1 which
 are now so much better known4#aif ,if  
,wilson copied ,audubon's drawing of the
 bird1 he must have replaced it with one
 of his own1 for the figures of the two 
naturalists are very unlike4 ,certainly 
,audubon should not have made so serious
 a charge without offering more         
substantial evidence in proof2 perhaps  
what he had intended to convey was that 
,wilson had obtained from him his first 

knowledge of the bird1 and he was       
nettled to find that he had been        
studiously ignored4#aig  ,among the     
originals of ,audubon's ,birds of       
,america in possession of the           
,historical ,society of ,new ,york1     
there is an early drawing of a ,warbler 
which bears in pencil1 in the           
naturalist's hand1 the following note3  
,this bird was copied by ,mr4 ,willson  
at ,louisville4#aih ,the misspelling of 
,wilson's name1 which was common with   
,audubon as late as #ahbj1 would        
indicate that the note was not added    
after that time1 but if ,wilson copied  
this drawing1 there is no evidence that 
he ever used it4  ,ord made another     
charge in which ,audubon does not appear
 to such good advantage2 though it      
refers to a later day1 it is best to    
consider it now4 ,this critic thought   
that a complaint of misappropriation    
came with ill grace from one who had    
been guilty of it himself1 and          
maintained that ,audubon had copied     

,wilson's figures of the female         
,red-wing ,blackbird 7,the ,birds of    
,america1 ,plate ,,lxvii71 and had also 
stolen his drawing of the ,mississippi  
,kite 7,plate ,,cxvii74 ,ord was        
probably mistaken in regard to the      
blackbird1 but without a doubt the lower
 bird in the ,kite plate was taken from 
,wilson 7,american ,ornithology1 ,plate 
#be71 though the copyist has reversed   
the outlines1 left out one of the toes1 
added minor details1 and misnamed the   
sex1 which in the ,wilson original      
represents a male4 ,without a doubt also
 the odium in this case must fall upon  
,audubon1 but we are not at all certain 
that he was directly responsible for the
 theft4 ,audubon's plate of this        
species1 which is finished in elaborate 
detail1 was probably published towards  
the close of #ahca1 when he was in      
,america4 ,he furnished his engraver1 we
 believe1 with the drawing of the upper 
bird only1 which he designated as a     
male1 and the original still exists1    

with clearly written notes showing that 
it was executed in ,louisiana in        
#ahba4aii    ,illustration3 ,,the ,,twin
 ,,mississippi ,,kites ,,of ,,wilson    
7,,left7      ,,and ,,audubon 7,,right71
 ,,the ,,similarity ,,of ,,which        
,,inspired ,,ord',s      ,,charges ,,of 
,,misappropriation ,,against ,,audubon4 
,audubon usually made up his drawings   
for the engraver with great care1 but   
when pressed for time1 ,havell's skill  
was such that he often depended upon him
 to complete or change his figures1 to  
fill in backgrounds1 or even to combine 
several distinct figures into one plate1
 specific directions for all such       
changes being usually written on the    
drawing itself4#bjj ,inasmuch as no     
penciled directions whatever occur on   
this particular drawing1 is it possible 
that ,havell1 in piecing it out to      
improve the composition1 followed his   
own initiative1 not fully appreciating  
the stigma that is rightly attached to  
such methods8 ,the bird in the lower    

half of the plate1 which was            
appropriated from ,wilson1 is           
misrepresented as a female1 so that the 
composite1 as it stands1 is a remarkable
 product1 supposedly depicting a pair   
but in reality showing two males4       
,although the apparent difference in sex
 in this bird was admittedly slight1 it 
is improbable that so gross an error    
could have escaped the naturalist's eye 
had he been directly concerned with the 
result4  ,when ,audubon was descending  
the ,mississippi in ,december1 #ahbj1 he
 saw the kites busily engaged in        
catching small lizards off the bark of  
dead cypress trees1 but having at that  
time no crayons or paper1 he did not    
draw one1 and determined1 as he then    
wrote in his journal1 never to draw from
 a stuffed bird4 ,i first saw the       
,mississippi ,kite1 he added1 when      
ascending in the steamboat ,paragon1 in 
,june1 #ahai4 ,wilson1 on the other     
hand1 in his knowledge of this          
interesting bird was far in advance of  

his later rival1 for his first          
observations were made in #ahaj1 in the 
,mississippi territory1 a few miles     
below ,natchez1 on the plantation of    
,william ,dunbar1 esquire1 when the bird
 represented in the plate was obtained1 
after being slightly wounded2 and the   
drawing made with great care from the   
living bird4 ,for several miles1 as ,i  
passed near ,bayo ,manchak1 ,wilson     
continues1 the trees were swarming with 
a kind of cicada1 or locust1 that made a
 deafening noise2 and here ,i observed  
numbers of the ,hawk now before us      
sweeping about among the trees like     
,swallows1 evidently in pursuit of these
 locusts2 so that insects1 it would     
appear1 are the principal food of this  
species4#bja ,wilson never succeeded in 
procuring the female of this graceful   
hawk1 and his editor1 ,george ,ord1     
evidently continued the quest1 for we   
find his correspondent1 ,john ,abbot1   
writing him from ,scriven ,county       
,georgia ,mar4 #ahad3 ,are you          

acquainted with the female yet of the   
,louisiana ,kite8#bjb  ,we have entered 
into the detailed history of this plate 
because of the unfavorable comment which
 it has provoked1 but it is easier to be
 critical than to be either just or     
correct1 and without more definite      
knowledge than we possess1 it would be  
unfair to censure ,audubon too much or  
to shift the blame too completely upon  
the shoulders of another4  ,to return   
again to the story of ,wilson's diary1  
it is evident that ,wilson would never  
have published his sentiments in the    
form in which they later appeared4 ,they
 were perfectly characterized by a just 
critic of an early day1#bjc who said    
that ,wilson's words were without doubt 
written in a moment of keen depression  
and disappointment and were an exact    
description of his feelings1 though1 as 
we should also add1 not of the facts4 ,a
 man who has given his heart to the     
accomplishment of an object1 believing  
that he has no rival1 must be somewhat  

more than human1 if he be delighted to  
find that another is engaged in the same
 purpose1 with equal energy and         
advantages far greater than his own4    
,barring his usual inaccuracies1 it must
 be admitted that ,audubon's account    
bears the thumbmarks of truth4 ,he could
 not have known the bitter struggles of 
the proud spirit whose history we have  
briefly told2 he saw only a stranger1 an
 ardent devotee of nature1 it is true1  
but a man of unbending disposition1 who 
with a little more suavity of address   
could probably have won his friendship1 
if not his subscription4 ,of the        
literary quality of ,wilson's work1 now 
so well appreciated1 he could have known
 nothing at all2 after turning its pages
 in his ,louisville store for the first 
time in #ahaj1 he probably did not see  
it again for over ten years4  ,that     
,wilson was jealous of ,audubon as a    
future rival is probable1 but the real  
rivalry between these two pioneers was  
of later growth4 ,it was fostered in    

this country chiefly by ,george ,ord and
 some of his friends1 together with     
others who were interested in the sale  
of ,wilson's work4 ,ord1 who seems to   
have felt that the mantle of this       
naturalist had fallen on his own        
shoulders1 strove continually1 and after
 #ahbf with the aid of ,charles         
,waterton in ,england1 to hamper        
,audubon's progress1 to discredit him as
 a man of integrity1 and to break down  
his growing reputation as a naturalist4 
,though ,ord was justified to some      
extent in his attacks upon ,audubon     
which were made over ,wilson's shoulders
 long after that estimable man was laid 
in the grave1 the matter was carried too
 far4 ,neither of the rivals was wholly 
without fault1 and a century is far too 
long to continue any quarrel1 especially
 when one of those whose reputation was 
concerned was never a party to it4      
,audubon1 as we have seen1 frankly      
attributed to personal vanity his       
failure to patronize ,wilson's work1 and

 added that even at that time my        
collections were greater than his4 ,but 
it should be noticed that money was far 
from plentiful with him at that moment4 
,he was1 in short1 at the point of      
failure in the ,louisville enterprise1  
and with ,rozier was obliged to move    
down the river not long after the date  
of ,wilson's visit4 ,audubon has been   
represented as at this time a well-to-do
 man of leisure1 of fastidious tastes4  
,nothing could have been wider of the   
mark4 ,he was still more of a sportsman 
than a naturalist1 and when not occupied
 with drawing1 he spent most of his time
 in the forest1 to the neglect of his   
trade4 ,we may be sure that he was quite
 as used to roughing it as any man on   
the frontier4     ,,chapter ,,xv        
,,experiments ,,in ,,trade ,,on ,,the   
,,frontier       ,the ,ohio a hundred   
years ago--,hardships of the pioneer    
trader--,audubon's long journeys by     
overland trail or river      to buy     
goods--,the ark and keelboat--,chief    

pleasures of      the naturalist at     
,louisville--,the partners move their   
goods by flatboat to ,henderson1        
,kentucky1 and then to ,ste4            
,genevive1 7,missouri7--,held up by the 
ice--,adventures with the               
,indians--,mississippi in flood--,camp  
at the ,great ,bend--,abundance      of 
game--,breaking up of the ice--,settle  
at ,ste4 ,genevive--,the                
partnership dissolved--,audubon's return
 to ,henderson--,rozier's               
successful career--,his old store at    
,ste4 ,genevive4   ,at the beginning of 
the nineteenth century the banks of the 
,ohio ,river were but thinly settled1   
and over vast areas the virgin forest   
still reigned in undisturbed vigor and  
beauty4 ,yet traders were eagerly       
pushing westward in ever growing        
numbers1 and by #ahaj ,audubon and      
,rozier found that competition at       
,louisville was already keen4 ,this     
city1 wrote ,alexander ,wilson in       
describing his experiences in the spring

 of that year1 was as large as          
,frankfort1 and possessed a number of   
good brick buildings and valuable shops2
 it would have been salubrious1 he      
thought1 but for the numerous swamps and
 ponds that intersect the woods in its  
neighborhood1 and the indifference of   
the people1 whom he found too intent    
upon making money to give any heed to   
the drainage and sanitation of their    
town4  ,the prosperity of the partners1 
as already intimated1 was shortlived4   
,audubon was doubtless right in         
admitting that his business abandoned   
him because he could not bear to give it
 the necessary attention4 ,the          
conditions of life for the              
merchant-trader at that early day were  
at best far from easy1 and an honest    
success1 as then understood1 required   
not only plenty of rough work but       
careful planning as well4 ,his goods1   
purchased in the ,east1 were laboriously
 transported across the ,state of       
,pennsylvania1 and if they came from    

,philadelphia they must needs traverse  
the rough wagon roads that led through  
,bedford to ,pittsburgh4 ,there was an  
overland trail from ,pittsburgh to      
,kentucky1 but merchants with heavy     
loads would naturally take the easier   
river route4 ,in going east to renew his
 stock in trade1 it was a common        
practice to travel on horseback from as 
far west as ,st4 ,louis1 but on         
returning the merchant would often sell 
his mount at ,baltimore1 ,philadelphia  
or ,pittsburgh1 where a boat could be   
taken for the remainder of the journey4 
,the ark or flatboat was considered most
 convenient for the transportation of   
either passengers or merchandise down   
the ,ohio1 for any well-to-do traveler1 
while floating leisurely with the       
current1 could make himself comfortable 
by fitting up snug sleeping quarters and
 a kitchen on deck1 and could go ashore 
at will1 with the certainty of          
satisfying his appetite for wild turkey1
 venison and other game in the season4  

,wilson1 who descended the river in     
,april1 #ahaj1 boarded and passed many  
of these arks1 which he described as    
built in the form of a parallelogram1   
from twelve to fourteen feet wide and   
from forty to seventy feet long1 with a 
canopy to protect them from the weather2
 they were casually helped along by     
means of two oars in the bow1 and       
steered by another and more powerful one
 in the stern4 ,several of these        
floating caravans1 said ,wilson1 were   
loaded with store goods for the supply  
of the settlements through which they   
passed1 having a counter erected1       
shawls1 muslins1 and the like1          
displayed1 and everything ready for     
transacting business4 ,on approaching a 
settlement they blew a tin trumpet1     
which announced to the inhabitants their
 arrival4 ,these arks1 he added1        
descended from all parts of the ,ohio   
and its tributary streams1 but in       
greatest numbers in the spring months4  
,although they cost originally about    

#a4ej per foot of length1 when arrived  
at their destination they would seldom  
bring more than one-sixth of that       
amount4 ,from forty to fifty days were  
commonly required to cover the entire   
distance of two thousand miles from     
,pittsburgh to ,new ,orleans4  ,another 
means of conveyance on the river1       
frequently used by ,audubon1 was the    
keel boat or barge1 which1 in some      
cases1 was also roofed and would hold   
about two hundred barrels of flour4#bjd 
,when assisted by oars in the bow1 it   
could reduce the time of a journey to   
,new ,orleans by ten or fifteen days4   
,these barges were pushed up stream with
 the aid of setting poles at an average 
rate of about twenty miles a day1 or1 if
 loaded1 they were laboriously          
cordelled1 or drawn by the hands of men 
who trudged along the banks pulling at  
the cordelle4  ,the chief pleasures     
which ,audubon's business ventures in   
the ,west seem to have afforded him were
 his leisurely journey by river and long

 horseback rides to ,philadelphia to buy
 goods1 when he could roam through his  
beautiful and darling forests of        
,kentucky1 ,ohio1 and ,pennsylvania1    
which gave him grand opportunities to   
make observations upon birds and animal 
life of every sort4 ,he would seldom    
hesitate to swerve from his course to   
study his favorites1 and has related how
 on one occasion1 when driving before   
him several horses laden with           
merchandise and dollars1 he quite lost  
sight of the pack saddles and the cash  
they bore1 in watching the motions of a 
warbler4 ,but few coaches1 said         
,audubon1 were available in those days1 
and the post roads were often unfit for 
lighter carriages4 ,to cover the        
distance from ,louisville to            
,philadelphia on horseback required     
about twenty days1 and only a capable   
animal and rider could make forty miles 
a day2 when steamer traffic on the      
,ohio#bje was well in hand this time was
 reduced to six or seven days1 in       

performing a journey which the modern   
railroad has shortened to not far from  
as many hours4  ,discouraged by the     
gloomy prospects which their business at
 ,louisville presented1 ,audubon and    
,rozier determined in the spring of     
#ahaj to move #abe miles down the river 
to ,henderson4#bjf ,loading the residue 
of their stock on a flatboat1 they      
resolutely set out for the new field1   
but great was their surprise to find1 in
 place of the thriving settlement which 
their imaginations had pictured1 only a 
cluster of log houses on the river bank1
 with a population of less than #bjj    
people and a demand for little else than
 whisky1 gunpowder and coarse woolen    
goods4 ,when the partners arrived1 the  
little town was eighteen years old1 as  
the first log cabins were built there in
 #agib1 but the whole country above and 
below them was1 and for a considerable  
time remained1 one vast canebrake4 ,all 
the commodities known to the pioneer    
store were scarce1 but the people of    

,henderson were friendly1 and the new   
settlers had been provident in bringing 
with them a goodly supply of flour and  
bacon hams4 ,moreover1 the ,ohio1 which 
was half a mile wide at that point1 was 
well stocked with fish1 and the woods   
and canebrakes were alive with birds1   
not to speak of larger and more         
important game4 ,not many years before1 
wild turkeys had been so plentiful that 
they were not sold but were given away1 
while a large buck deer could be bought 
in the season for fifty cents4  ,during 
their stay at ,henderson1 ,rozier was in
 his habitual place behind the counter  
and attended to what little business was
 done1 while ,audubon with a ,kentucky  
lad named ,john ,pope1 who was nominally
 a clerk1 roamed the country in eager   
pursuit of rare birds1 and with rod and 
gun bountifully supplied the table4     
,audubon's first abode in the town was1 
as he said1 a log-cabin1 not a          
log-house1 in which the richest piece of
 furniture was their child's cradle4 ,he

 soon began to cultivate a garden1 but  
his experience in horticulture must have
 been limited1 for he navely remarks    
that the rankness of the soil kept the  
seeds they planted far beneath the tall 
weeds which sprang up the first year4   
,financial distress and hard times were 
already being felt in the ,blue ,grass  
,state1 and these conditions were not   
destined soon to improve4 ,after        
experimenting for six months1 or more1  
at ,henderson1 our two rolling stones   
determined to push still farther west   
and try their luck at a more promising  
point4 ,they had hoped to reach ,st4    
,louis but finally went instead to ,ste4
 ,genevive1 then a small ,french        
settlement in ,upper ,louisiana1 on the 
right bank of the ,mississippi1 a       
hundred miles north of the mouth of the 
,ohio4  ,this new venture promised to be
 both hazardous and uncertain1 and as   
,mrs4 ,audubon and ,rozier were not on  
the friendliest terms1 ,audubon decided 
to leave his family at ,henderson1 where

 a home for his wife and infant son     
could always be had under the hospitable
 roof of ,dr4 ,adam ,rankin1 who became 
one of the naturalist's staunchest      
friends4 ,if their stock in trade at    
this time actually consisted of three   
hundred barrels of whisky1 sundry       
dry-goods and powder1 as ,audubon       
affirmed1 the keel boat which they then 
engaged was certainly calculated to bear
 a goodly load4#bjg ,at all events the  
partners1 with young ,pope1 their clerk1
 set out bravely1 in a snow storm1 in   
,december1 #ahaj4 ,they floated with the
 current at a rate of about five miles  
an hour1 while they helped their craft  
along by means of four oars in her bow  
and steered it with the aid of a slender
 tree trunk1 shaped at its outer        
extremity like the fin of a dolphin4    
,this journey of upwards of #afe miles  
lasted altogether more than nine weeks4 
,it proved adventurous enough1 but it   
was of no use to ,audubon except in     
furnishing him with drawings of new     

birds and the raw materials for many    
,episodes4 ,the journal of his          
experiences on the great rivers during  
that eventful winter of #ahaj and #ahaa 
is interesting for the sidelights which 
it throws both upon his character and   
upon the state of the country at an     
elder day4 ,held up by the ice for      
several weeks at ,cash ,creek1 near the 
mouth of the ,ohio1 to his own delight  
but to ,rozier's sorrow1 ,audubon       
tramped the country and hunted wild     
swans and larger game with the friendly 
,shawnee ,indians4 ,when one day's sport
 was over1 he said1 we counted more than
 fifty of these beautiful birds whose   
skins were intended for the ladies of   
,europe4 ,there were plenty of geese and
 ducks1 but no one condescended to give 
them a shot4 ,this was ,audubon in      
#ahaj1 when such sport was regarded as  
legitimate enough1 and the              
feather-hunting of such ,indians was not
 considered the nefarious trade that it 
proved to be4 ,if we shift the scene to 

twenty years later1 when ,william       
,mac,gillivray needed thousands of      
specimens of ,american birds for his    
studies upon their anatomy and          
variability1 we find ,audubon supplying 
him liberally1 but he could not then    
bear to see them killed wantonly or for 
mere sport2 more than once1 out of      
compassion for individual birds that he 
chanced to be studying1 whether in      
,florida or in ,labrador1 he would not  
permit them to be shot even when needed 
for his collections4  ,at the ,shawnee  
,indian camp1 to relate a characteristic
 anecdote1 ,audubon noticed that a squaw
 who had been delivered of beautiful    
twins during the night was busied on the
 next day at her usual task of tanning  
deer skins4 ,she cut two vines1 his     
record reads1 at the roots of opposite  
trees and made a cradle of the bark1 in 
which the new born ones were wafted to  
and fro with a push of her hand1 while  
from time to time she gave them the     
breast1 and was apparently as           

unconcerned as if the event had not     
taken place4  ,when at last our         
adventurers gained the ,mississippi1 the
 mighty volume of which was running     
three miles an hour1 the patron ordered 
all hands ashore to pull at the bow     
rope4 ,this characteristic remark of the
 naturalist is delightful1 as showing   
the single eye which it has been        
declared of old shall be full of light3 
we made1 said ,audubon1 seven miles a   
day up the famous river2 but while ,i   
was tugging with my back at the         
cordella1 ,i kept my eyes fixed on the  
forests or the ground1 looking for birds
 or curious shells4  ,warping against   
the current was both difficult and      
dangerous1 and though they rose two     
hours before the sun1 they could make   
but one mile an hour or ten miles in the
 day4 ,at night they would go ashore1   
light a good fire and cook their supper2
 then1 after posting a sentinel to guard
 against unfriendly surprises1 they     
would roll in their buffalo skins and   

sleep without further concern4          
,notwithstanding all their efforts1 when
 they reached the ,great ,bend at       
,tawapatee ,bottom1 they were obliged to
 unship their cargo1 protect their boat 
as best they could from being crushed in
 the growing pack1 and await the final  
breaking up of the ice4 ,the sorrows of 
,rozier1 at this dismal announcement1   
said ,audubon1 were too great to be     
described2 wrapped in a blanket1 like a 
squirrel in winter quarters with his    
tail about his nose1 he slept and       
dreamed his time away1 being seldom seen
 except at meals4 ,there was not a white
 man's cabin within twenty miles1 but a 
new field opened to the naturalist1 who 
tramped through the deep forests1 and   
soon became acquainted with all the     
,indian trails and lakes in the         
neighborhood4  ,the six weeks spent at  
this camp passed pleasantly for         
,audubon1 who devoted much of the time  
in studying the ,osage ,indians1 whom he
 thought superior to the ,shawnees1 as  

well as in watching for wolves1 bears1  
deer1 cougars1 racoons and wild turkeys1
 some of which were attracted by the    
bones and scraps of food thrown out for 
them3 ,i drew1 said he1 more or less1 by
 the side of our great camp-fire1 every 
day4 ,while detained at this point1 they
 used for bread the breasts of turkeys1 
buttered with bear's grease1 and opossum
 and bear's meat1 until their stomachs  
revolted and they longed for a little   
,indian meal1 which was procured only   
with the greatest difficulty4  ,when at 
last the ice broke up1 splitting with   
reports like the thunder of heavy       
artillery1 their prospects were dismal  
indeed1 for their boat was immediately  
jammed by the rushing ice1 and they were
 powerless to move her4 ,while we were  
gazing on the scene1 to continue        
,audubon's record1 a tremendous crash   
was heard1 which seemed to have taken   
place about a mile below1 when suddenly 
the great dam gave way4 ,the current of 
the ,mississippi had forced its way     

against that of the ,ohio1 and in less  
than four hours we witnessed the        
complete breaking up of the ice4 ,having
 reloaded their goods1 they were ready  
to start at a favorable moment1 and     
taking leave of the friendly ,indians1  
as when brothers part1 they pushed on   
through the floating ice1 past ,cape    
,girardeau1 to ,sainte ,genevive1 a town
 which ,audubon characterized as not so 
large as dirty1 declaring that the time 
spent there did not yield him half the  
pleasure he had felt at ,tawapatee      
,bottom4 ,it was near a granite tower   
which rose from a dangerous rock in the 
river below ,ste4 ,genevive that        
,audubon caught sight of what he        
afterwards described as ,washington's   
,eagle1 a bird now believed to have been
 the true bird of freedom1 the ,bald- or
 ,white-headed ,eagle1 but in an        
immature state4    ,illustration3       
,,signature ,,to ,,the ,,release ,,given
 ,,by ,,audubon ,,to      ,,ferdinand   
,,rozier ,,on ,,the ,,dissolution ,,of  

,,their ,,partnership ,,at      ,,ste4  
,,genevi,,ve1 ,,april #f1 #ahaa4        
,from the ,tom ,j4 ,rozier ,,mss4       
,though their whisky was welcomed at    
,ste4 ,genevive and what had cost the   
traders twenty-five cents1 brought them 
two dollars1 a gallon1 ,audubon heartily
 disliked the place and its people4     
,rozier1 on the contrary1 who had found 
plenty of ,frenchmen with whom he could 
freely converse1 was resolved to stay4  
,audubon accordingly proposed to sell   
out his share in the business1 and the  
partnership was dissolved on ,april #f1 
#ahaa1 ,rozier paying part of the price 
in cash and the remainder in notes4 ,in 
referring to the incident in his journal
 of #ahbj1 ,audubon wrote3 ,i parted    
with ,mr4 ,rozier1 and walked to        
,henderson in four days--#afe miles2 but
 this does not agree with a later       
account1 in which he spoke of having    
purchased a beauty of a horse1 and1     
happy in the prospect of again seeing   
his family1 set out for ,dr4 ,rankin's  

house in ,kentucky4 ,in the earlier     
record he also wrote that he once had a 
friend in trade1 referring to ,ferdinand
 ,rozier1 with whom he did not agree1   
and so they parted forever2 but ,audubon
 visited ,ste4 ,genevive in the autumn  
of #ahaa and in the winter of #ahab1    
probably for the purpose of collecting  
his money and settling his affairs1     
while the following letters of this     
period show that friendly relations with
 his old partner were not seriously     
impaired3#bjh   ,john ,james ,audubon to
 ,ferdinand ,rozier                     
,,louisville1 #b;d ,november #ahaa4     
,,mr4 ,f4 ,,rozier           ,st4       
,genevive4       ,,my ,,dear ,,rozier2  
,i reached here on the #cast of last    
month a little fatigued1      as you can
 well imagine4 ,yesterday ,i wrote to   
,t4 ,w4 ,bakewell      at ,new ,orleans1
 and doubt not he is sending you        
regularly      the prices current of the
 market there4 ,i have found here a     
letter addressed to my brother-in-law   

from ,benj4 ,bakewell1      who         
complains of us1 and says that we ought 
to settle with      him in one way or   
another2 write to him at ,pittsburgh2 ,i
 will      be with him1 possibly at the 
same time1 and will speak with      him2
 by the bill which he inclosed you will 
see that we are      his debtor for #ee4
 ,i am leaving here in #b or #c days4 ,i
 wish      you health and prosperity1   
and with the respects of my wife1       
,i am always your friend                
,servant            ,j4 ,,audubon4      
,addressed ,,mr4 ,,fd4 ,,rozier         
,merchant                       ,st     
,genevieve                       u4,l4  
,john ,james ,audubon to ,ferdinand     
,rozier            ,,shippingport4 #ajth
 ,augst4 #ahab       ,,my ,,dear        
,,rozier2--       ,as it is quite likely
 that the present opportunity is safe1  
,i take pleasure in writing you a few   
words4       ,your letter sent to       
,philadelphia was duly received1 and    
answered promptly2 since ,i have heard  

news of you only by      the most       
indirect means1 ,i would be happy if you
 can give      a few moments to your    
friends1 if you would count me in       
their number1 and would write me from   
time to time2 ,i left      ,philadelphia
 last month with my wife and son2 most  
of this      time was spent in          
descending the ,ohio1 which is at       
present      very low2 we had the barge 
and crew of ,genl4 ,clark1 with      the
 company of ,mr4 ,r4 ,a4 ,maupin1 and of
 ,mrs4 ,galt1 who had      spent several
 months at ,new ,york  at ,phila4 ,i    
shall probably      descend the river to
 ,new ,orleans this autumn with ,n4     
,berthoud2 all kinds of merchandise are 
extremely scarce and      very dear1    
everywhere1 but even more is this true  
of coarse      woolens1 which one does  
not find at all4       ,i have no doubt 
your lead is selling very well1 this    
article      having increased           
considerably in value since the war4 ,in
 the      latter part of my stay in the 

,east ,i received a letter from my      
father1 and one from your brother2 all  
your family were then      well1 that   
is1 four months ago2 your brother is    
very anxious      to hear from you2 if  
peace should come at a day not far      
remote      7and may it please ,god that
 this be so71 ,i hope to get into       
communication with him4       ,i have   
written to him and ,i urge you to do the
 same2 your      letters can be         
delivered1 if sent to ,new ,york1 and   
from thence      on the ,cartel4#bji ,my
 wife is well and so is my son2 may     
you be the same1 and count among the    
number of your friends      him who     
would esteem you always4                
,adieu            ,j4 ,,audubon4        
,addressed ,,mrs ,f4 ,,roziers          
,mercht                       ,st       
,genevieve                       u4,l4  
,friendly relations with his former     
partner in trade were occasionally      
renewed by the naturalist in after life4
 ,at one of their last meetings1 in     

#ahdb1 ,rozier1 who had then returned   
from ,france1 visited ,audubon at his   
home on the ,hudson1 and both were      
entertained in ,new ,york by their      
mutual friend1 ,nicholas ,berthoud4     
,ferdinand ,rozier1 with whom we now    
part company1 lived to enjoy abundant   
prosperity as a trader and merchant at  
,ste4 ,genevive4 ,born in ,nantes on    
,november #i1 #aggg1baj at the age of   
twenty-five he entered the ,french navy1
 at a time when ,napoleon was contesting
 with ,england the supremacy of the sea4
 ,he made numerous voyages1 and we hear 
of him at the ,cape of ,good ,hope1 the 
,island of ,france or ,mauritius1 at    
,cadiz1 ,teneriffe1 and at the ,island  
of ,bartholomew4 ,eventually1 on ,april 
#h1 #ahjd1 he embarked on the cutter    
,experiment1 with ,captain ,upton in    
charge1 bound for the ,united ,states1  
where he visited a number of ,american  
ports1 including ,philadelphia and      
,norfolk4 ,in the following year he     
returned to ,france in the frigate      

,president1 ,captain ,gallic ,lebrosse1 
and entered the harbor of ,nantes on    
,march #a1 #ahje4baa ,in the spring of  
that year ,john ,james ,audubon1 as we  
have seen1 had also returned to that    
city1 and plans were eventually laid for
 their commercial aggrandizement in the 
,new ,world which both had so lately    
visited4 ,to what extent ,audubon's     
dreams failed of realization may be     
gathered from the following chapters4   
,having settled finally at ,ste4        
,genevive1 ,rozier1 at thirty-six1      
married ,constance ,roy1 a girl of      
eighteen1 who bore him ten children1    
four of whom1 all octogenarians1 were   
living in #aije4 ,ferdinand ,rozier's   
thrift and industry soon brought him    
substantial rewards4 ,in his earlier    
days he is said to have made six        
journeys to ,philadelphia on horseback  
to purchase merchandise1 and these      
trading expeditions were uniformly      
successful4 ,his trade extended over the
 whole of ,upper ,louisiana1 and he     

lived to see the great growth of        
,missouri as a sovereign state1 along   
with the development of the fabulous    
mineral wealth of the district4#bab     
,rozier's old store at ,ste4 ,genevive1 
for long a landmark in that community   
and considered a pretentious building in
 its day1 was undoubtedly built after   
the date of ,audubon's visit4 ,the front
 was devoted to the service of customers
 and a large shed or stock room was     
placed at the rear1 while the family    
lived in the main section1 which was    
entered by a door not shown in our      
illustration4#bac ,when this building   
was demolished to make way for modern   
changes1 the wooden pins used in joining
 the frame were treasured by many as    
souvenirs of pioneer times4  ,ferdinand 
,rozier1 who outlived ,audubon by       
thirteen years1 died at ,ste4 ,genevive 
on ,january #a1 #ahfd1 at the age of    
eighty-seven years4 ,if he were one of  
those who thought that ,audubon was     
wasting his time in his ardent zeal for 

natural history1 it should not surprise 
us1 for their ideals were in conflict1  
and the naturalist's way of working was 
certainly not conducive to success in   
trade4    ,illustration3 ,,ferdinand    
,,rozier ,,in ,,his ,,eighty-,,fifth    
,,year 7#ahfb7    ,illustration3        
,,ferdinand ,,rozier',s ,,old ,,store   
,,at ,,ste4 ,,genevi,,ve1               
,,missouri4       ,this and the above   
published by courtesy of ,mr4 ,ruthven  
,deane4     ,,chapter ,,xvi             
,,audubon',s ,,mill1 ,,and ,,final      
,,reverses ,,in ,,business       ,dr4   
,rankin's ,meadow ,brook ,farm--,birth  
of ,john ,woodhouse      ,audubon--,the 
,audubon-,bakewell partnership--,meeting
 with      ,nolte--,failure of the      
commission business--,visit to          
,rozier--,storekeeping at               
,henderson--,purchases of land--,habits 
of frontier tradesmen--,steamboats on   
the ,ohio--,popular                     
pastimes--,audubon-,bakewell-,pears     
partnership--,their famous      steam   

mill--,mechanical and financial         
troubles--,business                     
reorganization--,bankruptcy             
general--,failure of the mill--,personal
      encounter--,audubon goes to jail  
for debt4   ,the seven years which      
followed the outbreak of war with       
,england in #ahab were the most         
disastrous in the naturalist's career4  
,in many respects they were critical for
 the entire country1 since hundreds who 
were not affected directly by the war   
were ruined by the financial troubles   
which followed in its wake4 ,to ,audubon
 reverses came at this time in rapid    
succession4 ,bereft of one and then     
another of his children1#bad with his   
family in straitened circumstances in   
,france1 and reduced to bankruptcy      
himself1 he finally resolved to throw up
 trade1 for which he was never fitted1  
and to make his avocation the real      
business of life4 ,we shall see how1 by 
the unstinted use of such talents as he 
possessed1 through unremitting effort1  

and with the aid of his energetic and   
capable wife1 he was able1 at the age of
 forty-five1 to turn failure into       
success4  ,after his return to          
,henderson in the spring of #ahaa1      
,audubon began to look for another      
opening in trade1 living meanwhile with 
his family at the home of ,dr4 ,adam    
,rankin1 called ,meadow ,brook ,farm4   
,dr4 ,rankin was the first educated     
physician in his district1 and was for  
many years an officer of the court4 ,a  
doctor of the older school and a genuine
 lover of his kind1 with a large heart  
and an open hand1 he made his home a    
hostelry where anyone in need could find
 refuge without money and without price4
 ,no doubt he was attracted to the      
naturalist by kindred tastes1 and it is 
known that they became life-long        
friends4 ,the old house1 to which       
,audubon refers in one of his           
,episodes1#bae was built of logs1 and   
stood at some distance from the pike1   
about two miles from the village in a   

southeasterly direction4 ,there were    
experienced in greatest frequency1 in   
the winter of #ahaa and #ahab1 the      
terrific earthquakes that repeatedly    
shocked the country at that time2 there 
also ,audubon's younger son1 ,john      
,woodhouse1 was born on ,november #cj1  
#ahab4 ,the ,rankin farm became at a    
much later day the site of the village  
of ,audubon1 which still later was to be
 incorporated in the growing city of    
,henderson1 when most of the old        
landmarks had been obliterated4 ,dr4    
,rankin built a more commodious and     
pretentious brick house in the village  
itself1 and was neighbor to the         
naturalist for many years1 their houses 
being on the same or adjoining lots4 ,he
 was thrice married and had many        
children1 the eldest of whom1 ,william  
,rankin1 became ,audubon's favorite     
companion in the field2 together they   
ransacked the country for birds and     
animals of every sort4  ,audubon's      
unfortunate business relations with his 

brother-in-law1 ,thomas ,w4 ,bakewell1  
began in the autumn or winter of #ahaa1 
when the naturalist was in the ,east and
 ,bakewell was about to return to ,new  
,orleans in the employ of a firm of     
,liverpool merchants who dealt in       
cotton4 ,bakewell1 who had seen much of 
the ,south since the failure of his     
uncle in ,new ,york1 induced ,audubon to
 join him in an independent commission  
business1 with the assurance that his   
,french nationality would help their    
undertakings4 ,according to ,vincent    
,nolte1 when they were descending the   
,ohio in ,december1 #ahaa1 ,audubon     
displayed a business card1 showing the  
firm name of ,audubon and ,bakewell1 and
 indicating that they were to deal in   
such homely products as pork1 lard and  
flour4 ,thomas ,bakewell1 we are told1  
taking with him all the disposable funds
 of ,audubon1 who continued to send him 
almost all the money that he could      
raise1 opened their business at ,new    
,orleans in the winter or spring of     

#ahab1 just in time for the war1 which  
broke out in ,june1 to destroy it4 ,when
 he returned north1 in ,august of that  
year1 ,thomas ,bakewell1 said the       
naturalist1 suddenly appeared one day at
 ,meadow ,brook ,farm1 while he was     
making a drawing of an otter1 and after 
bewailing their misfortune in trade1    
departed4  ,at the approach of spring in
 #ahab ,audubon was hard pressed for    
funds1 and ,rozier's notes to him being 
then overdue he set out on foot for     
,ste4 ,genevive to collect his money in 
person4 ,he went out with a party of    
friendly ,osage ,indians1 but returned1 
still afoot and unpaid1 with his        
faithful dog as his only companion4#baf 
,the prairies were then flooded and     
converted into vast lakes1 but ,audubon1
 anxious to reach his home1 pressed on1 
walking1 as he said1 one hundred and    
sixty-five miles in a little over three 
days1 much of the time nearly ankle-deep
 in mud and water4 ,it was probably on  
this journey1 though it may have been in

 the previous year1 that an incident    
occurred which he has related in ,the   
,prairie1#bag when1 as he declared1 for 
the first time in the course of his     
wanderings for upwards of a quarter of a
 century1 his life was in actual danger 
from his fellow man4  ,when at last he  
had obtained some ready money1 ,audubon 
rode to ,louisville1 where he purchased 
on the half-cash1 half-credit basis a   
small stock of goods1 and again set up a
 retail shop at ,henderson4 ,this modest
 venture promised so well that he bought
 land with the intention of making that 
town his permanent home4 ,i purchased1  
said he1 a ground-lot of four acres1 and
 a meadow of four more at the back of   
the first4 ,on the latter1 to follow    
this account1 were several buildings and
 an excellent orchard1 lately the       
property of an ,english doctor1 who had 
died on the premises and left the whole 
to a servant woman as a gift1 from whom 
it came to me as a freehold3 other land1
 he added1 adjacent to the first1 was   

later secured4    ,illustration3        
,,letter ,,of ,,audubon ,,to ,,ferdinand
 ,,rozier1 ,,signed      ,,audubon      
,,bakewell1 ,,and ,,dated ,,october #ai1
 #ahac1 ,,during ,,the      ,,first     
,,partnership ,,under ,,this ,,style4   
,from the ,tom ,j4 ,rozier ,,mss4       
,these curiously embroidered statements 
regarding land transactions at          
,henderson in #ahac are not in harmony  
with the existing records of that       
frontier town4 ,henderson1 as its       
historian#bah tells us1 was laid out    
originally in #agig into #bfd one-acre  
lots1 of which comparatively few had    
been sold at the time of which we speak1
 though nominal prices were asked and a 
few had been given away to encourage    
settlement4#bai ,audubon is recorded as 
having purchased four one-acre lots from
 the town1 two in #ahac and two in the  
following year1 while a long lease was  
taken upon land adjacent to the river   
where later rose his famous mill4#bbj   
,the old ,audubon store for general     

merchandise1 built of hewn logs1 in a   
single story1 stood at the corner of    
,main and ,mill ,streets 7now ,second   
,street71 fronting the latter1 at a     
point where a modern departmental       
establishment has since risen4          
,adjoining this primitive store1 on the 
main street1 was his log dwelling1#bba  
of one and a half stories1 with a square
 porch at the entrance4 ,immediately    
opposite1 on the two-acre strip of land 
purchased in #ahad1 lay a small pond    
which ,audubon is said to have stocked  
with turtles in order to gratify his    
special fondness for this delicacy4     
,audubon's winning manners made him a   
popular figure among the early settlers 
of this region1 and for the space of    
three years he enjoyed life as never    
before2 the pleasures1 he said1 which ,i
 have felt at ,henderson1 and under the 
roof of that log-cabin1 can never be    
effaced from my heart until after death4
 ,but in a community of exacting        
business men he could never have made a 

permanent success2 he was too good a    
target not to be riddled by many who    
were ready to take advantage of his     
liberality and easygoing ways4          
,traveling from ,frankfort to ,lexington
 in #ahaj1 ,wilson complained that the  
people were all traders but no readers1 
even of the newspaper2 every man1 he    
said1 had either some land to buy or    
sell1 some law-suit1 some coarse hemp or
 corn to dispose of2 and if the         
conversation does not to lead to any of 
these1 he will force it4  ,many stories1
 and no doubt much idle gossip1         
concerning ,audubon's life and habits1  
were current at ,henderson long after he
 left the village4 ,it was said that he 
would often go into the woods in his    
pursuit of birds and remain from home   
for weeks at a time2 that he was once   
known to have followed a hawk for three 
days in succession and in practically a 
straight course1 swimming creeks when   
necessary1 until it finally fell to his 
gun4 ,when steamboats made their first  

appearance on the ,ohio1 they naturally 
excited the greatest interest1 and a    
favorite pastime of many of the men and 
boys was diving from the side of a boat 
into the river4 ,on one of these        
occasions ,audubon is said to have made 
his appearance in the crowd of          
sightseers and to have astonished       
everyone by plunging from the bow and   
emerging from beneath the stern of the  
vessel after swimming under her entire  
length4 ,according to traditional       
accounts1 ,mrs4 ,audubon1 who was also  
an expert swimmer1 would enter the river
 clad in a regular bathing costume and  
cross with ease to the ,indiana shore4  
,in spite of the hard times ,audubon    
managed to keep out of serious business 
troubles until he entered into another  
partnership with ,thomas ,bakewell1 his 
brother-in-law4 ,their project in this  
second association was to erect a steam 
lumber and grist mill at ,henderson1    
which of all mortal follies the         
naturalist considered in the retrospect 

to have been one of the worst4 ,it is   
recorded that on the sixteenth day of   
,march1 #ahag1 ,john ,james ,audubon and
 ,thomas ,w4 ,bakewell1 under the       
designation of ,audubon and ,bakewell1  
applied to the trustees of the village  
for a ninety-nine year lease of a       
section of land on the river front4     
,their petition was granted1 upon a     
consideration of #bj per annum1 and the 
partners began to build their mill on   
the property and completed it within    
that year4 ,thomas ,w4 ,pears1#bbb a    
former fellow-clerk of both ,audubon and
 ,bakewell in ,new ,york1 early joined  
the enterprise1 which was regarded at   
the time as one of considerable         
magnitude4 ,their mill1 which stood for 
ninety-five years1 became famous in the 
annals of the ,ohio ,valley4#bbc ,said  
the historian of ,henderson ,county1    
writing in #ahgi3       ,the weather    
boarding1 whip-sawed out of yellow      
poplar1 is      still intact on three   
sides4 ,the joists are of unhewn logs1  

many of them over a foot in diameter1   
and raggedly rough4      ,the foundation
 walls are built of flat1 broken rock   
and are      four and a half feet thick4
 ,mr4 ,audubon operated the mill on     
a large scale for those times4 ,his     
grist-mill was a great      convenience1
 and furnished a ready market for all of
 the      surplus wheat raised in the   
surrounding country4 ,his saw-mill      
also was a wonderful convenience1 doing 
the sawing for the      entire county4  
,illustration3 ,,audubon',s ,,mill ,,at 
,,henderson1 ,,kentucky1 ,,since        
,,destroyed1 ,,as ,,seen ,,from ,,the   
,,bank ,,of ,,the ,,ohio ,,river4       
,after a photograph of #ahid1 published 
by courtesy of ,dr4 ,r4      ,w4        
,shufeldt4  ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,pears1 who  
had no liking for ,henderson1 early     
withdrew and sold their interest in the 
mill#bbd to ,audubon and ,bakewell1 thus
 adding to their financial              
embarrassment4 ,the engines1 which seem 
to have given no end of trouble1 were   

constructed by ,david ,prentice1 an     
intelligent ,scotch mechanic2 since his 
first work after coming to this country 
was to erect a steam threshing mill at  
,fatland ,ford1 his services were       
probably secured by ,william ,bakewell1 
who afterwards helped to establish him  
at ,philadelphia4 ,while at ,henderson  
he is said to have fitted a small engine
 and paddlewheels to a keel boat1 which 
was christened the ,pike1 and to have   
taken it up the river to ,pittsburgh4   
,prentice seems to have entered the     
partnership and to have retired with    
,bakewell4  ,in order to extend the     
sphere of their operations1 ,audubon is 
said to have purchased at this time a   
tract of #a1bjj acres of government     
land1#bbe and to have engaged a band of 
stalwart ,yankees to fell and deliver   
the timber4 ,according to one account1  
they were a party of emigrants who had  
come to ,henderson with their families  
and encamped on the river bank4 ,for a  
time all went well1 but one day when    

they failed to deliver their usual      
supply of logs1 it was found that they  
had decamped and fled down the river    
towards the ,mississippi1 taking on     
their flatboat ,audubon's draft oxen and
 in fact all the plunder that they could
 lift4 ,nothing was ever recovered and  
but one of the fugitives was ever seen  
again2 this man boarded a river boat on 
which the naturalist happened to be     
traveling1 and it is said that upon     
being recognized he jumped into the     
river and swam to the shore like a      
frightened deer4  ,when ,bakewell       
finally withdrew1 ,audubon appears to   
have been left stranded1 and the        
business was taken over by a new set of 
men1 including another brother-in-law1  
,nicholas ,berthoud1 and ,benjamin ,page
 of ,pittsburgh1 who continued it under 
the name of ,j4 ,j4 ,audubon            
,company4#bbf ,agents were also secured 
at various points on the ,ohio and      
,mississippi rivers4 ,excepting1 as we  
must assuredly do1 his ever staunch     

friend1 ,nicholas ,berthoud1 ,audubon   
believed that he was gulled by all of   
these men4  ,in #ahah a new era of      
building and general prosperity seemed  
to dawn in the valley of the ,ohio4 ,a  
new bank was chartered at ,henderson1   
and the woodwork of its brick structure 
was furnished by ,audubon's mill4#bbg   
,this bank1 however1 failed in the      
course of two years1 and forty others   
scattered throughout that section broke 
in rapid succession1 after having done  
little more than add to the flood of    
worthless paper notes that was          
demoralizing business and sending       
hundreds into bankruptcy4  ,the mill was
 in operation barely two years4 ,the    
machinery1 of which a wooden bolting    
shaft and wooden cog wheels remained as 
a curiosity to recent times1 seems to   
have worked badly from the start4 ,but  
aside from the inexperience of the      
builders and the financial troubles of  
the day1 the enterprise was foredoomed  
to failure in a district which raised   

but little wheat1 and in which the      
demand for lumber was then comparatively
 slight4 ,how ,i labored1 said ,audubon1
 at that infernal mill6 ,but it is over 
now2 ,i am old1 and try to forget as    
fast as possible all the different      
trials of those sad days4  ,in the      
course of the ,audubon and ,bakewell    
partnership#bbh the naturalist became   
involved in a personal quarrel with a   
man whose initials are given as ,s----  
,b----4 ,it seems that in #ahag         
,audubon's mechanic1 ,david ,prentice1  
had built for him a small steamboat1    
though for what purpose is not known4   
,when their interests were severed1 we  
are told1 ,mr4 ,b---- purchased this    
steamer1 but paid for it in worthless   
paper4 ,the captain of the craft ran her
 down to the ,mississippi and thence to 
,new ,orleans1 and ,audubon1 who was    
determined to arrest this man if        
necessary1 started in pursuit in a      
skiff4 ,he failed1 however1 to overhaul 
the fugitive1 and reached ,new ,orleans 

only to find that his vessel had been   
surrendered to another claimant4 ,this  
was probably in ,may1 #ahai1 for in his 
journal of the following year1 under    
date of ,november #bc1 when he was again
 moving down the rivers but in more     
leisurely fashion1 he speaks of two     
large eagle's nests1 one of which he    
remembered having seen as he went to    
,new ,orleans eighteen months before4   
,through the researches of a later      
historian ,i am now able to give a more 
exact account of this affair4 ,the      
purchasers of the steamboat were        
,william ,r4 ,bowen1 ,samuel ,adams     
,bowen1 ,robert ,speed1 ,edmund ,townes1
 ,obediah ,smith1 ,george ,brent and    
,bennett ,marshall1 who immediately sued
 ,audubon in the sum of #aj1jjj1 on the 
plea that he had maliciously taken out  
an attachment upon the vessel in ,new   
,orleans1 where it had been detained4   
,they represented to the judge of the   
circuit court1 ,henry ,p4 ,broadnax1    
that ,audubon was about to leave        

,kentucky1 and a warrant was issued to  
arrest him2 he was taken into custody1  
said the narrator whom ,i am following1 
but executed a bail bond in the sum of  
#aj1jjj with ,fayette ,posey as surety1 
and was released4 ,convinced that a     
trial at ,henderson would lead only to a
 defeat of justice1 ,audubon now served 
notice that he would apply for a change 
of venue to another county4 ,that notice
 together with the other papers in the  
action1 is among the records of the     
,daviess circuit court1 at ,owensboro1  
,kentucky4 ,it was written and signed by
 ,audubon4 ,application for a change of 
venue was made at ,hardinsburg and the  
case was transferred to the ,daviess    
circuit court4 ,when the case was       
called1 the plaintiffs asked for a      
continuance1 and it was granted them1   
but when the case was called again at   
the next term of court1 the plaintiffs  
failed to appear1 and the action was    
finally dismissed4  ,returning home1    
,audubon was obliged to walk from the   

mouth of the ,ohio ,river to ,shawnee   
,town4 ,upon reaching ,henderson he     
found that ,mr4 ,bowen had anticipated  
him4 ,acting upon advice1 he was        
prepared for an encounter with this man1
 who as his neighbors declared1 had     
sworn to kill him1 and whose violent and
 ungovernable temper was only too well  
known4 ,the anticipated encounter       
ensued4 ,audubon1 who was then carrying 
his right hand in a sling from a recent 
injury received in his mill1 waited1 as 
he said1 until he had received twelve   
severe blows from his assailant's       
bludgeon2 then with his left hand he    
drew a dagger and struck in his own     
defense4 ,his assailant was felled to   
the ground1 but happily the wound       
inflicted was not mortal4 ,mr4 ,bowen   
was carried away on a plank1 and when   
the affair was settled in the judiciary 
court1 according to a ,henderson        
tradition1 ,judge ,broadnax gravely left
 the bench1 approached the man who had  
been under charge of assault1 and said3 

,mr4 ,audubon1 you committed a serious  
offense--an exceedingly serious offense 
,sir--in failing to kill the d----      
rascal4#bbi ,thomas ,bakewell1 added the
 naturalist1 who possessed more brains  
than ,i1 sold his town lots and removed 
to ,cincinnati1 where he has made a     
large fortune1 and ,i am glad of it4#bcj
  ,when the mill was finally closed and 
the company dissolved in #ahai1 ,audubon
 as usual was the heaviest loser4       
,arrested and sent to the ,louisville   
jail for debt1 he was able to obtain    
release only by declaring himself a     
bankrupt in court4 ,i paid all ,i       
could1#bca he said in his journal of the
 following year1 and left ,henderson    
poor and miserable in thought4 ,my      
intention to go to ,france and see my   
mother and sister was frustrated1 and at
 last ,i resorted to my poor talents to 
maintain you and your dear mother1 who  
fortunately became easy at her change of
 condition1 and gave me a spirit such as
 ,i really needed1 to meet the surly    

looks and cold reception of those who so
 shortly before were pleased to call me 
their friend4 ,i parted1 to revert to   
his later account1 with every particle  
of property ,i held1 to my creditors1   
keeping only the clothes ,i wore on that
 day1 my original drawings1 and my gun4 
,without a dollar in his pocket he left 
,henderson and walked to ,louisville    
alone2 this1 he said on reflection1 was 
the saddest of all my journies1 the only
 time in my life when the ,wild ,turkeys
 that so often crossed my path1 and the 
thousands of lesser birds that enlivened
 the woods and the prairies1 all looked 
like enemies1 and ,i turned my eyes from
 them1 as if ,i could have wished that  
they never existed4  ,passing down the  
,ohio in the following year ,audubon    
made these entries in his diary3        
,november #bnd1 #ahbj4 ,floated down    
slowly within two miles of              
,henderson4 ,i can scarcely conceive    
that ,i stayed there eight      years1  
and passed therein comfortably1 for it  

is undoubtedly      on the poorest spot 
in the country1 according to my present 
opinion4       ,nov4 #crd1 #ahbj4 ,we   
left our harbor at daybreak1 and passed 
,henderson about sunrise4 ,i looked on  
the mill perhaps for the      last time1
 and with thoughts that made my blood   
almost run      cold bid it an eternal  
farewell4     ,,chapter ,,xvii  ,,the   
,,enigma ,,of ,,audubon',s ,,life ,,and 
,,the ,,history ,,of ,,his ,,family ,,in
 ,,france       ,death of ,lieutenant   
,audubon--,contest over his             
will--,disposition      of his          
estate--,the fictitious                 
#ag1jjj--,unsettled claims of           
,formon and ,ross--,illusions of        
biographers--,gabriel ,loyen      du    
,puigaudeau--,audubon's relations with  
the family in      ,france              
broken--,death of the naturalist's      
stepmother--,the du                     
,puigaudeaus--,sources of enigma4       
,lieutenant ,jean ,audubon1 as already  
recorded1 died at ,nantes in #ahah1 at a

 time when his son's financial troubles 
in ,america were culminating1 and left  
an estate1 then none too large1 for the 
sole enjoyment of his widow during her  
lifetime4 ,the naturalist1 so far as is 
known1 never received a penny in payment
 of bequests made by either his father  
or stepmother1 but the reasons for this 
fact were far different from those which
 his biographers have assigned4  ,we    
have referred to the curious wording    
which appears in the six different wills
 that were executed by ,lieutenant ,jean
 ,audubon and ,anne ,moynet1 his wife1  
between the years #ahab and #ahba4bcb   
,the first four of these documents#bcc  
were of a mutual nature1 and were so    
drawn that the survivor should enjoy the
 entire property of the other during his
 or her lifetime1 but this eventually   
was to be divided between their two     
children1 or heirs of the latter should 
any exist4 ,in ,jean ,audubon's last    
will1 made at ,couron on the #aeth of   
,march1 #ahaf1 he added the provision   

that in case his dispositions in favor  
of ,jean ,rabain and ,rose ,bouffard1   
wife of ,loyen du ,puigaudeau1 should be
 attacked and annulled1 he bequeathed   
his entire estate1 without exception1 to
 his wife1 ,anne ,moynet1 for her sole  
use4 ,his fears1 as already intimated1  
were well grounded1 and his will was    
immediately contested by four nieces1   
,mme4 ,lejeune de ,vaugeon of ,nantes1  
,mme4 ,jean ,louis ,lissab1 whose       
husband was a pilot1 and ,anne and      
,domenica ,audubon1 seamstresses at     
,bayonne4#bcd ,this trial dragged on in 
the courts for a long time1 and served  
further to impoverish ,madame ,audubon1 
who was obliged to dispose of most of   
her valuable effects1 but it was finally
 settled by a compromise in #ahbj4 ,in  
that year1 at the age of eighty-five1   
she left ,la ,gerbetire to live with her
 daughter and son-in-law at ,les        
,tourterelles close by1 where she       
remained until her death on ,october    
#ah1 #ahba4  ,it seems incredible that  

,audubon should not have heard of the   
death of his foster mother1 since he had
 been devotedly attached to her in his  
youth and was moreover a beneficiary    
under her will4 ,yet on ,august #f1     
#ahbf1 he wrote in his journal3 ,my     
plans now are to go to ,manchester1 to  
,derbyshire to visit ,lord ,stanley1    
,birmingham1 ,london for three weeks1   
,edinburgh1 back to ,london1 and then to
 ,france1 ,paris1 ,nantes1 to see my    
venerable stepmother1 ,brussels1 and    
return to ,england4 ,on ,september #cj  
of the same year he wrote from          
,liverpool3 ,i long to enter my old     
garden on the ,loire and with rapid     
steps reach my mother1--yes1 my mother6 
the only one ,i truly remember2 and no  
son ever had a better1 nor more loving  
one4#bce ,again in #ahbh he spoke of    
this estimable woman as if she were then
 alive1 although she had been dead seven
 years4  ,in ,madame ,audubon's last    
will1 which was made in the ,july       
preceding her death1 she left her       

property to be equally divided between  
her two adopted children1 ,mr4 ,jean    
,audubon1 called ,jean ,rabin1 husband  
of ,lucy ,bakewell1 and who ,i believe  
is at present in the ,united ,states of 
,america1 and to ,rose ,bouffard1 wife  
of ,m4 ,gabriel ,loyen du ,puigaudeau1  
my son-in-law1 who is living at ,couron2
 she also took care to guard against the
 pretensions of any spurious heirs1 and 
to make provision for her grandchildren 
in case of the death of either or both  
of her heirs direct4  ,having given the 
precise1 if somewhat prosaic1 recorded  
facts of the case1 we will quote the    
story narrated by the naturalist's      
biographers1 who never could have seen  
the legal documents and who thus had    
only hearsay and conjecture on which to 
build3       ,at this juncture of       
critical business affairs at ,henderson1
      the father of ,audubon died2 but  
for some unfortunate cause      he did  
not receive legal notice for more than a
 year4 ,on      becoming acquainted with

 the fact he traveled to ,philadelphia  
to obtain funds1 but was unsuccessful4  
,his father had left      him his       
property in ,france of ,la ,gibitre     
,gerbetire1 and      seventeen thousand 
dollars which had been deposited with a 
merchant in ,richmond1 ,virginia4       
,audubon1 however1 took no      steps to
 obtain possession of his estate in     
,france1 and in      after years1 when  
his sons had grown up1 sent one of them 
to      ,france1 for the purpose of     
legally transferring the property       
to his own sister ,rosa4 ,the merchant  
who held possession of      the         
seventeen thousand dollars would not    
deliver them up until      ,audubon     
proved himself to be the son of         
,commodore ,audubon4      ,before this  
could be done the merchant died         
insolvent1 and      the legatee never   
recovered a dollar of his money4#bcf    
,illustration3 ,,an ,,old ,,street ,,in 
,,the ,,cou,,ron ,,of ,,to-,,day4       
,illustration3 ,,les ,,tourterelles1    

,,cou,,ron1 ,,final ,,home ,,of ,,anne  
,,moynet ,,audubon1 ,,and ,,the         
,,resting ,,place ,,of ,,exact ,,records
 ,,of ,,the      ,,naturalist',s ,,birth
 ,,and ,,early ,,life4  ,a key to the   
origin of the fictitious seventeen      
thousand dollars is probably to be found
 in the letters of ,jean ,audubon to    
,francis ,dacosta1 written in #ahje1bcg 
where he refers to certain unsettled    
business claims against his former      
partners1 ,messrs4 ,formon and ,ross1   
who had been respectively interested    
with him in two vessels1 ,le ,comte     
d',artois and the ,annette1 the history 
of which has already been noticed4#bch  
,they were also engaged at a later time 
in certain iron-works above ,richmond1  
,virginia1 but with these ,lieutenant   
,audubon was not directly concerned4    
,formon1 his partner in ,santo ,domingo 
trade1 who was charged with having drawn
 #a1fej in excess of his share1 had died
 without making any final settlement of 
their accounts2 another associate1      

,edward1 had died in ,london leaving an 
unsettled claim of #cjj2 while ,david   
,ross1 who was owing a certain sum1 had 
also died without liquidating his debt4 
,the amount of the latter claim probably
 was not large1 since ,dacosta was      
instructed to use this sum for his needs
 in developing the mine at ,mill ,grove 
should he be so fortunate as to collect 
it2 when you receive my papers from     
,miers ,fisher1 said ,lieutenant        
,audubon in his letter of the #bb;d of  
,june1 #ahje1 you will find a promissory
 note of ,mr4 ,samuel ,plaisance of     
,richmond1 for the business of the widow
 ,ross4 ,if there were justice there    
this sum should be paid to me with the  
costs4  ,lieutenant ,audubon was never  
able to collect these different amounts1
 which probably did not much exceed     
#b1jjj1 but an echo of one of these     
transactions appeared as late as #ahai1 
when ,audubon's brother-in-law sent him 
a document referring to the claim on the
 ,ross estate1 in the hope that some    

money might still be forthcoming1       
writing as follows3#bci       ,in       
turning over some letters ,i have found 
a letter of ,mr4      ,david ,rost      
,ross1 and a memorandum that ,i thought 
pointed to      what was referred to in 
it4 ,as ,i have sometimes heard it said 
that this ,mr4 ,david ,rost owed a      
considerable sum1 it should      be     
possible that this letter1 which is in  
,english1 might be      of use to you4  
,i cannot say anything about it1 not    
knowing      your language1 and not     
having ventured to get it translated1   
from fear of compromising us1 ,i am     
sending it to you1 and      you will    
judge of its importance4 ,should chance 
will that it      bring you money1 send 
me some of it1 ,i beg you1 for ,i am in 
great need of it4  ,the same biographer 
whom we have just quoted said in        
reference to ,la ,gerbetire3 ,this      
estate was left by ,commodore ,audubon  
to his son ,john ,james1 who conveyed it
 to his sister without even visiting the

 domain he so generously willed away4   
,we have now seen what provisions were  
actually made for the disposition of    
this property under the terms of the    
various wills of ,lieutenant ,audubon   
and his wife4 ,we need only add that not
 long after his father's death1 the     
naturalist lost touch with his family in
 ,france2 his one-half interest in his  
stepmother's estate1 which was heavily  
encumbered1 was never claimed1 and at a 
much later day was informally           
relinquished in favor of his sister and 
her family4  ,during his ,henderson     
period ,audubon was in communication    
with his brother-in-law1 ,gabriel ,loyen
 du ,puigaudeau1 who kept him informed  
in regard to all that transpired in     
their ,french home2 on ,july #bf1 #ahag1
 the naturalist had given him a power of
 attorney1 the curious wording of which 
has already been noticed4#bdj ,whether  
deterred by the legal complications     
which soon followed1 displeased by the  
mode of settlement1 or for what other   

cause now unknown to us1 ,audubon seems 
to have severed all relations with his  
family at ,couron1 or to have written to
 them only after long lapses of silence4
 ,on ,new ,year's ,day1 #ahbj1 ,gabriel 
du ,puigaudeau dispatched to him a      
friendly letter#bda of greeting3        
,i take the opportunity at the renewal  
of the year1 to offer      you the good 
wishes of the entire family4 ,our every 
desire is      that you1 your beloved   
wife1 and dear children may be happy1   
that you may prosper1 that you may enjoy
 good health1 and this      is the wish 
of your nieces also4 ,but1 awaiting the 
pleasure      of seeing you all1 by what
 fatality during the past eighteen      
months have ,i not had any news of you1 
why no reply to at      least twenty    
letters that ,i have written to you8    
,can ,i have      been so unfortunate   
that some one has given you any report  
that would prejudice you against me8 ,i 
do not believe that      there could    
exist any one who would be able to do   

this1 at      least with truth2 if some 
one has really sought to estrange       
your friendship for me1 act with        
frankness1 and tell me your             
suspicions4 ,i do not believe it would  
be difficult to destroy      them1 and  
,i even promise that ,i would offer you 
no reproach      for having momentarily 
believed it1 should this after all have 
occurred4 ,for what concerns our        
business affairs1 ,i refer you      to  
my letters which have preceded this4    
,this letter was sent to ,henderson1    
,kentucky1 more than a year after the   
naturalist had finally left that state2 
at the moment it was written he was     
making his way down the ,ohio ,river to 
,new ,orleans in a flatboat1 the poorest
 man aboard1 as he thought at the time4 
,writing in his journal on ,december    
#bf1 #ahbj1 when they had touched at    
,natchez1 ,audubon said that on that day
 he had received letters from his wife1 
who was then at ,cincinnati1 written on 
,november #g and #ad1 and that the last 

contained one from my brother1 ,g4      
,loyen ,dupuigaudeau1 dated ,july #bd1  
#ahbj4 ,if the month in this instance   
was misnamed1 this might have been the  
following letter1 which was written at  
,couron on the twenty-fourth of ,june1  
#ahbj1 and sent to ,henderson like the  
last4       ,two years have passed      
without our having any news of you4     
,what      a long lapse of time1 and in 
what anxiety are we plunged6      ,in   
,god's name give us some news about     
yourself1 if it be      but a word to   
set us at rest in regard to your        
condition4 ,i      should not know how  
to persuade myself that you were not on 
friendly terms with me1 since ,i have   
given you no cause for      grievance2  
if it is so1 be generous enough to      
relieve me      from this anxiety4 ,the 
business matters of ,mr4 ,audubon are   
at last concluded1 and ,i await only the
 return of the papers      from ,cayes  
to set them in order with justice to    
all4#bdb       ,profiting by an         

opportunity for ,new ,york1 ,i have only
 time to      refer to my letters of #ae
 ,september1 #cj ,october1 #ai          
,december1      #ahah1 #ast ,february1  
#ae ,april1 #ae ,may1 #c;d ,august1     
#ahai1 in all      their contents4      
,madam ,audubon is coming to live with  
us2 she found herself      isolated at  
,la ,gerbetire1 and was very dull there2
 ,i wish      that she may be contented 
here4 ,she does not cease to speak      
of you1 and is as much astonished as ,i 
am that we receive no      news of you4 
,the naturalist's elder son1 ,victor1   
visited ,couron about the year #ahce1   
when his cousin1 ,gabriel ,loyen du     
,puigaudeau the second1 who was nearly  
of the same age1 returned from military 
service to meet him4 ,he was            
disappointed at the appearance of his   
father's old home1 ,la ,gerbetire1 which
 had not been occupied by the family for
 fifteen years4#bdc  ,rosa ,audubon du  
,puigaudeau1 the naturalist's sister1   
died at ,les ,tourterelles after ,august

 #c1 #ahdb1 leaving a daughter1 ,rose du
 ,puigaudeau1 who died without issue1   
,october #bj1 #ahha1 and1 if we are     
correctly informed1 one son1 ,gabriel   
,loyen du ,puigaudeau the second1 who   
died at ,les ,tourterelles1 ,couron1    
,june #bc1 #ahib1 when past his         
eightieth year2 a daughter of this only 
son was married to ,monsieur ,l4        
,lavigne1 notary at ,couron4 ,at the    
time of her uncle's death1 his property1
 including the personal records of      
,lieutenant ,jean ,audubon1 passed into 
the hands of ,madame ,lavigne1 who is a 
grand step-niece of the naturalist1 and 
who aside from her children1 so far as  
known1 is the only surviving member of  
his family in ,france4  ,at this point  
we must examine a little more carefully 
the peculiar status of what ,audubon    
referred to as the enigma of his life4  
,in some of his private journals and    
letters#bdd he dramatically declared    
that a mystery had surrounded his early 
existence1 which he was bound by a      

solemn oath exacted by his father never 
to reveal1 and that this secret must be 
carried by him to the grave4 ,if it be  
the duty of a biographer to make the    
true character of his subject known1 the
 passage of time would now seem to      
sanction reference to many personal     
matters which a century ago should have 
been more rigidly guarded4 ,i enter upon
 this task solely with the view of      
placing ,audubon's character in a truer 
and fairer light4  ,the essential facts 
regarding ,audubon's birth and early    
years have now been given1 and this is  
the true1 though possibly not the       
complete1 story4 ,anything which we now 
add1 however1 can be regarded as little 
better than speculation4 ,audubon is    
said to have received through his father
 a large sum of money from an unknown or
 unnamed source1#bde but as such stories
 are apt to be exaggerated1 especially  
when an ocean intervenes between a      
testator and his heir1 the statement may
 be erroneous2 we have seen that        

,lieutenant ,audubon was not in a       
position to make such gifts himself had 
he been so disposed4 ,if the report were
 true1 the money may have come from the 
estate of his mother1 and through the   
agency of the mysterious ,audubon of ,la
 ,rochelle1 who is said to have been a  
politician4#bdf ,in some of the passages
 which we do not quote1 the naturalist  
would have his family believe that he   
was of noble birth1 that his adoptive   
father was not his true father1 and that
 both he and ,lieutenant ,audubon had   
received irremediable injury through the
 treachery of the mysterious uncle1     
,audubon of ,la ,rochelle4 ,now these   
strange statements of the naturalist1   
though not in accord with the facts as  
they are known to us1 should be         
interpreted1 ,i believe1 in the light of
 possible stories that may have come to 
him in the glamour of his youth2 his    
mind may have been diverted by them1 he 
may have believed them1 but of this     
nothing now can positively be known4 ,to

 continue our conjectures1 it is        
possible that the plain conflict between
 these supposititious tales and the     
facts that were revealed at his         
adoption1 his baptism1 and in the wills 
of his father and stepmother1 as well as
 by the lawsuit which followed the      
former's death1 all led him to resort to
 enigma4 ,we should also remember that  
the naturalist1 who was careless of     
dates and historical facts1 had finally 
left his home at the age of twenty1 when
 young men as a rule are not curious    
about their family history1 and that he 
reached the reminiscent stage late in   
life4 ,it seems probable that the       
wording of his father's will and the    
later attempt to annul it finally       
induced him to wash his hands of the    
whole matter1 even to breaking off      
relations with his family in ,france4   
,feeling1 as undoubtedly he did1 that   
public knowledge of those conditions1   
for which he was in no way responsible1 
might be a bar to all future            

aspirations1 he was not loath to let the
 matter rest1 so far as he and his      
immediate family were concerned1 under a
 cloak of mystery4 ,if such were in     
truth the case1 ,i think few would find 
cause to blame him4  ,when we view the  
whole subject in this double light1 of a
 duty owed to his family and of the     
possibility that conflicting stories had
 come to him at an earlier day1 any     
embroidery or confusion which appears in
 many of his statements of a personal   
nature can be better understood4 ,such  
an explanation would be quite convincing
 if payments had actually come to him   
from his own mother's estate4  ,we will 
only add that ,mrs4 ,audubon1 who seemed
 to have shared her husband's intimate  
thoughts1 apparently believed to the    
last in his high birth4 ,when her       
younger son1 ,john ,woodhouse ,audubon1 
lay at the point of death1 in ,february1
 #ahfb1 she was summoned to his bedside1
 but reached it too late to see him     
alive2 upon entering the room ,mrs4     

,audubon is said to have exclaimed3 ,oh1
 my son1 my son6 to think that you      
should have died without having known   
the secret of your father's early life6 
,when asked by members of her family to 
what she then referred1 she turned their
 questions aside1 saying only that such 
remarks were common in moments of       
intense grief and excitement4           
,,chapter ,,xviii  ,,early ,,episodes   
,,of ,,western ,,life       ,methods of 
composition--,a ,wild ,horse--,henderson
 to      ,philadelphia in               
#ahaa--,records of ,audubon and ,nolte1 
fellow      travelers1 compared--,the   
great earthquakes--,the hurricane--,the 
outlaw--,characterization of ,daniel    
,boone--,desperate plight on      the   
prairie--,regulator law in              
action--,frontier necessities--,the     
ax married to the grindstone4           
,audubon's sketches of life and scenery 
in ,america1 which he designated as     
,episodes1 were interspersed in his     
,biography of birds#bdg to brighten the 

narrative and beguile the reader4       
,extending to the number of sixty1 and  
dealing mainly with events between the  
years #ahjh and #ahcd1 they abound in   
tales of adventure and graphic pictures 
of pioneer life which for their personal
 charm1 local coloring1 and human       
interest are worthy of high praise4     
,some of these sketches have been copied
 widely and some have been translated   
into ,audubon's native tongue2 some have
 even found their way into schoolbooks4 
,while they have deservedly won the     
naturalist many readers1 not a few have 
subjected him to harsh criticism on the 
score of too vivid coloring or          
historical inaccuracy1 a fault to which 
he was particularly prone4 ,whenever    
,audubon went directly to nature to     
exercise his pencil or brush or wrote   
with his subject before him1 he was     
truth itself1 but in writing offhand and
 from memory of past events he was wont 
to humor his fancy1 disregarding dates  
as readily as he did the accents on     

,french words4 ,this tendency is        
particularly apparent in the accounts of
 some of his early adventures in the    
western country1 such as ,louisville in 
,kentucky 7#ahjh-aj71 ,the ,prairie     
7#ahab71 ,a ,wild ,horse 7#ahaa-ac71 and
 ,the ,eccentric ,naturalist 7#ahah71   
the history of which is detailed in the 
following chapter4 ,we shall examine    
some of these stories at this point1    
though their composition belongs to a   
later period1 in order to reach a just  
conclusion in regard to the author's    
method1 as well as for the intrinsic    
interest of the narratives themselves4  
,during ,audubon's early life in        
,kentucky1 as we have seen1 he          
frequently visited the ,east1 whether in
 the interest of birds or business1     
traveling by way of the river and the   
forest roads4 ,incidents of these       
journeys frequently occur in the        
,episodes1 but since dates commonly are 
omitted and the order of events is      
liable to be blended or confused1 they  

cannot be trusted always for historical 
accuracy4 ,thus1 ,the ,wild ,horse      
episode#bdh professes to be an account  
of a single journey from ,henderson1 in 
,kentucky1 to ,philadelphia and back    
again1 whereas some of the events       
recorded occurred in reality at least   
two years apart1 such as the meeting    
with ,nolte at the ,falls of the        
,juniata ,river in ,december1 #ahaa1 and
 the naturalist's return from           
,pennsylvania with the proceeds of ,mill
 ,grove1 which could not have been      
earlier than #ahac1 the date of its sale
 to ,mr4 ,samuel ,wetherill1            
,junior4#bdi  ,audubon visited          
,philadelphia in ,november1 #ahaa1 and  
returned to ,kentucky in ,december of   
that year1 but whether it was upon this 
or some other journey that he rode a    
wild horse through seven states in going
 from his home at ,henderson to the     
,quaker city1 or whether such a journey 
ever occurred1 is immaterial to the     
interest of the narrative4 ,in this     

instance1 however1 we have the advantage
 of comparing the notes of a fellow     
traveler1 ,vincent ,nolte1 then a       
merchant at ,new ,orleans4#bej ,first to
 follow ,audubon's account1 as given in 
his ,episode1 we are told that he rode a
 wild mustang1 named ,barro1 that had   
never known a shoe1 having been recently
 captured near the headwaters of the    
,arkansas4 ,in going east he diverged   
from the beaten track to extend his     
knowledge of the country and of its bird
 life4 ,from ,henderson he passed       
through the heart of ,tennessee to      
,knoxville1 thence to ,abington1 the    
,natural ,bridge1 and ,winchester in    
,virginia1 crossed the corner of ,west  
,virginia to ,harper's ,ferry1 then to  
,frederick1 ,maryland1 and on through   
,lancaster to ,philadelphia2 there1 he  
said1 he remained four days1 and        
returned by way of ,pittsburgh1         
,wheeling1 ,zanesville1 ,chillicothe1   
,lexington and ,louisville1 to          
,henderson4 ,he estimated the whole     

distance traversed at nearly two        
thousand miles1 and at a rate of not    
less than forty miles a day4 ,much is   
said in praise of his favorite bay      
horse1 and its food and daily treatment 
are duly recorded4 ,this horse was very 
docile1 and would wade swamps1 swim     
rivers1 and clear a rail fence like an  
elk2 corn blades as well as corn and    
oats entered into his daily ration1 to  
which a pumpkin and fresh eggs1 when    
procurable1 were occasionally added4    
,it was upon his return journey that the
 naturalist met with ,vincent ,nolte1   
who twelve years later did his chance   
acquaintance a good turn1 when the      
latter was about to sail for ,england in
 #ahbf4bea ,nolte1 said ,audubon1       
was mounted on a superb horse1 for which
 he had paid three      hundred dollars1
 and a servant on horseback led another 
as      a change4 ,i was then an utter  
stranger to him1 and when ,i            
approached and praised his horse1 he not
 very courteously      observed that he 

wished ,i had as good a one4 ,finding   
that he      was going to ,bedford to   
spend the night1 ,i asked him what      
hour he would get there3 ,just soon     
enough to have some      trouts ready   
for our supper1 provided you will join  
when      you get there4 ,i almost      
imagined that ,barro understood our     
conversation2 he pricked up his ears1   
and lengthened his pace1      on which  
,mr4 ,nolte caracolled his horse1 and   
then put him to      quick trot1 but all
 in vain2 for ,i reached the hotel      
nearly a      quarter of an hour before 
him1 ordered the trouts1 saw to the     
putting away of my good horse1 and stood
 ready at the door to      welcome my   
companion4 ,from that day to this       
,vincent ,nolte has      been a friend  
to me4  ,audubon added that they rode   
together as far as ,shippingport1 now a 
part of ,louisville1 where his          
brother-in-law1 ,nicholas ,berthoud1 was
 then living4  ,we shall now follow the 
equally circumstantial but widely       

divergent account of this meeting and   
the subsequent journey as given by the  
other traveler4 ,nolte had sailed from  
,liverpool in ,september1 #ahaa1 and    
landed in ,new ,york after a perilous   
voyage of forty-eight days4 ,he had no  
servant1 but was accompanied by a young 
,englishman1 named ,edward ,hollander1  
whom he had engaged in a business       
capacity while in ,london and with whom 
he was making his way to ,new ,orleans4 
,hollander had been sent in advance to  
,pittsburgh to purchase two flatboats1  
for in addition to their horses they had
 planned to carry #djj barrels of flour1
 from the sale of which in the ,south   
they expected to defray the expenses of 
their journey4 ,having purchased a fine 
horse in ,philadelphia1 ,nolte left that
 city in ,december1 and with saddle-bags
 strapped to his horse's back1 rode on  
entirely alone4 ,he crossed the highest 
point of the ,alleghany ridge at ten    
o'clock of a winter's morning and later 
in the same day reached a small inn     

close by the ,falls of the ,juniata     
,river4 ,the landlady1 to quote his     
narrative1 showed me into a room1 and   
said1 ,i perhaps would not mind taking  
my meal with a strange gentleman1 who   
was already there4 ,this stranger1 who  
immediately struck him as an odd fish1  
was sitting at a table1 before the fire1
 with a ,madras handkerchief wound      
around his head1 exactly in the style of
 the ,french mariners1 or laborers1 in a
 seaport town4 ,in the course of the    
conversation which then ensued he       
declared that he was an ,englishman1 but
 ,nolte was the last person to be       
deceived on a question of nationality   
and remarked at once that his speech    
betrayed him4 ,he showed himself1 to    
quote our senior traveler again1 to be  
an original throughout1 but at last     
admitted that he was a ,frenchman by    
birth1 and a native of ,la ,rochelle4   
,however1 he had come in his early youth
 to ,louisiana1 had grown up in the     
sea-service1 and had gradually become a 

thorough ,american4 ,when asked how this
 account squared with his earlier       
statement1 said ,nolte1 he found it     
convenient to reply in the ,french      
language3 'when all is said and done1 ,i
 am somewhat cosmopolitan2 ,i belong to 
every country4' ,this man1 to conclude1 
who afterwards won for himself so great 
a name in natural history1 particularly 
in ornithology1 was ,audubon1 who1      
however1 was by no means thinking1 at   
that time1 of occupying himself with    
natural history4  ,in the interview as  
thus far recorded1 ,audubon was clearly 
chaffing his new acquaintance1 for not  
one of the statements attributed to him 
was true1 if we accept the fact of his  
,french extraction4 ,nolte1 to be sure1 
writes as a somewhat vain and garrulous 
man1 and after a lapse of forty-three   
years1 but he professes to speak the    
truth and there is no reason to suppose 
that his narrative is pure invention4   
,nolte further informs us that          
,audubon's father-in-law1 ,mr4          

,bakewell1 formerly of ,philadelphia1   
was then residing and owning mills at   
,shippingport1 which was not the case4  
,to continue1 finding that ,audubon1 who
 was bound for ,kentucky1 was a         
companionable man and devoted to art1 a 
field which he had cultivated himself1  
,nolte proposed that they should travel 
together1 and offered the naturalist a  
berth on one of his flatboats4       ,he
 thankfully accepted the invitation1 and
 we left ,pittsburgh      in very cold  
weather1 with the ,monongahela and ,ohio
 rivers      full of drifting ice1 in   
the beginning of ,january1 #ahab4       
,i learned nothing further of his       
traveling plans until we      reached   
,limestone1 a little place in the       
southwestern corner      of the ,state  
of ,ohio4#beb ,there we had both our    
horses taken      ashore1 and ,i        
resolved to go with him overland1 at    
first to      visit the capital1        
,lexington1 and from there to           
,louisville1      where he expected to  

find his wife and parents-in-law4444 ,we
      had hardly finished our breakfast 
at ,limestone1 when ,audubon1      all  
at once1 sprang to his feet1 and        
exclaimed in ,french2      ,now ,i am   
going to lay the foundation of my       
establishment4      ,so saying1 he took 
a small packet of address cards from his
      pocket1 and some nails from his   
vest1 and began to nail up one      of  
the cards to the door of the tavern1    
where we were taking      our meal4     
,later they rode on together as far as  
,lexington1 where they appear to have   
parted company4  ,the discrepancies     
between these accounts could hardly be  
greater1 and they serve to illustrate   
the liberties which ,audubon sometimes  
took with facts in composing his        
,episodes4 ,the travelers met1 not on   
horseback1 but at the supper table of a 
country inn2 ,nolte was then alone and  
had but one horse1 while the greater    
part of the return journey was made by  
flatboat with ,audubon as his guest2    

corn blades1 pumpkins and trout suggest 
any other season than midwinter1 with   
heavy snows on the mountains and rivers 
choked with ice4 ,audubon in this       
instance1 as already explained1 combined
 the incidents of two different journeys
 and colored the narrative to suit his  
fancy4 ,there was no apparent motive to 
mislead the reader1 and one of his      
readers he must have known would        
probably be ,vincent ,nolte1 though he  
was not a subscriber to ,the ,birds of  
,america2 ,nolte did read the story1 and
 was pleased with the flattering        
acknowledgment of the little service    
that he was able to render ,audubon at  
that time as well as later in his       
career4  ,both travelers felt the great 
earthquakes while making this journey1  
but probably not until they had parted  
company at ,lexington4 ,audubon has     
given a vivid account of this experience
 in a characteristic sketch1 but as     
usual there are no dates4#bec ,he was   
overtaken1 as he said1 while traveling  

through the ,barrens of ,kentucky 444 in
 the month of ,november1 when he thought
 his terrified horse was about to die1  
and would have sprung from his back had 
a minute more elapsed1 but at that      
instant all the shrubs and trees began  
to move from their very roots2 the      
ground rose and fell in successive      
furrows1 like the ruffled waters of a   
lake4 ,for ,november he should have     
written ,january of the year #ahab4bed  
,this series of memorable earthquakes   
was followed in #ahac by a hurricane1   
more terrific than destructive1 which   
swept the lower part of ,henderson      
,county1 ,kentucky1 and cut a wide swath
 through the virgin forests1 without    
causing any loss of life4 ,audubon's    
account of this event#bee is that of a  
close observer who escaped destruction  
by a hair's breadth and who related only
 what he himself had experienced4       
,critics inclined to be supercilious    
have complained that he exaggerated the 
importance of a merely local event and  

stretched the course of the storm some  
#hjj miles until it had covered several 
states4 ,sir1 said ,waterton1 in        
pointing a dart through ,audubon to     
another target1 this is really too much 
even for us ,englishmen to swallow1     
whose gullets are known to be the       
largest1 the widest1 and the most       
elastic1 of any in the world4 ,what     
,audubon said was3 ,i have crossed the  
path of this storm1 at a distance of a  
hundred miles from the spot where ,i    
witnessed its fury1 and1 again four     
hundred miles farther off1 in the ,state
 of ,ohio4 ,lastly1 ,i observed traces  
of its ravages on the summits of the    
mountains connected with the ,great     
,pine ,forest of ,pennsylvania1 three   
hundred miles beyond the place last     
mentioned4 ,in all these different      
parts1 it appeared to me not to have    
exceeded a quarter of a mile in breadth4
 ,audubon was doubtless mistaken in his 
hasty inference that marks of forest    
devastation observed at such widely     

separated points were due to the same   
storm1 but this would only illustrate a 
lack of caution which he sometimes      
displayed4  ,a contemporary writer#bef  
declared that ,audubon's account of     
,mason1 the outlaw1 whose name we are   
told should be spelled ,meason1 was     
altogether fabulous2 that he was not    
killed by a regulator party1 nor was his
 head stuck upon a tree in the way      
described4#beg ,the same critic further 
discredited the naturalist's account of 
,daniel ,boone1 whom he had             
characterized as follows3#beh ,the      
stature and general appearance of this  
wanderer of the western forests         
approached the gigantic4 ,his chest was 
broad and prominent2 his muscular powers
 displayed themselves in every limb2 his
 countenance gave indication of his     
great courage1 enterprise1 and          
perseverance4 ,boone1 said this writer1 
was under six feet high1 probably not   
more than five feet1 ten inches1 and of 
that round1 compact build1 which makes  

little show4 ,though very active1 he had
 the appearance of being rather slender 
and did not seem as large as he really  
was4 ,in the case of the outlaw1        
,audubon no doubt retold a story that   
had passed from mouth to mouth1 but he  
later learned to be wary of second-hand 
information1 which in matters of natural
 history sometimes led him into more    
serious difficulties4 ,in his           
description of ,boone there was no more 
apparent motive to deceive than in the  
case of his own father1 to whom his     
imagination had added nearly half a foot
 in stature4#bei  ,when ,audubon was    
returning from ,ste4 ,genevive in the   
spring of #ahab1 an incident occurred in
 which1 for the first time in the course
 of his wanderings for upwards of       
twenty-five years1 he felt his life to  
be in danger from his fellow man4#bfj   
,overtaken by night on the prairie1 he  
approached the hearth fire of a small   
log cabin1 which at first was mistaken  
for the campfire of some wandering      

,indians4 ,on craving shelter1 he was   
admitted by a tall1 surly woman in      
coarse attire1 who displayed both an    
evil eye and a repellent countenance2   
but she offered him a supper of venison 
and jerked buffalo meat and bade him to 
make his bed upon the floor4 ,when she  
espied his gold watch and chain1 her    
demeanor suddenly changed and she asked 
to take them in her hand2 she put the   
chain around her brawny neck and by her 
manner betrayed every token of covetous 
desire4 ,meanwhile1 a young ,indian     
stoic1 who was nursing a recent arrow   
wound1 had been sitting in silence by   
the fire2 though he spoke not a word1 he
 cast an expressive glance in ,audubon's
 direction whenever the woman's back was
 turned1 and having drawn his knife from
 its scabbard1 expressed in pantomime   
what the confiding stranger might       
eventually expect4  ,audubon's          
suspicions were at last thoroughly      
aroused4 ,he asked for his watch1 and   
under pretense of forecasting the       

weather1 took up his gun and sauntered  
out of the cabin2 in the darkness       
outside he slipped a ball in each of the
 barrels of his gun1 scraped the edges  
of his flints1 renewed the primings1 and
 returned with a favorable report of his
 observations4 ,then laying some deer   
skins on the floor in a corner and      
calling his faithful dog to his side1 he
 lay down and to all appearances was    
soon asleep4 ,presently sounds of       
approaching voices were heard1 and at   
length two sturdy youths1 who were      
evidently the woman's sons1 appeared    
bearing a dead stag1 which they had     
slung to a pole2 they asked at once     
about the stranger1 and called loudly   
for whisky4 ,audubon tapped his dog1 who
 showed by eye and tail that he was     
already alert4 ,observing that the      
whisky bottle was paying frequent visits
 to the mouths of the trio1 he hoped    
that they would soon be reduced to a    
state of helplessness1 but the woman was
 seen to take in her hands a large      

carving knife and go deliberately       
outside to whet its edge on a           
grindstone2 then1 calling to her drunken
 sons1 she asked them to settle the     
stranger and bade them do their bloody  
work without delay4 ,audubon cocked both
 barrels of his gun1 touched his dog    
again1 and was resolved to shoot at the 
first suspicious move4 ,at this dramatic
 moment the door suddenly opened and two
 burly travelers with rifles on their   
shoulders entered the cabin4 ,audubon   
sprang to his feet1 and welcoming the   
strangers with open arms1 lost no time  
in making known to them his desperate   
position4 ,no parley was necessary1 for1
 said he1 they were regulators1 who then
 and there took the law into their own  
hands4 ,the woman and her sons were     
promptly secured1 bound1 and left until 
morning to sober off2 they were then led
 into the woods and shot4 ,we marched   
them into the woods off the road1 said  
,audubon1 and having used them as       
,regulators were wont to use such       

delinquents1 we set fire to the cabin1  
gave all the skins and implements to the
 young ,indian1 and proceeded1 well     
pleased1 towards the settlements4 ,would
 you believe1 he added1 that not many   
miles from where this happened1 and     
where fifteen years ago1 no habitation  
belonging to civilized man was expected1
 and very few ever seen1 large roads are
 now laid out1 cultivation has converted
 the woods into fertile fields2 taverns 
have been erected1 and much of what we  
,americans call comfort is to be met    
with8 ,so fast does improvement proceed 
in our abundant and free country4  ,i   
have given a paraphrase of this ,episode
 as a further illustration of ,audubon's
 tales of adventure4 ,there is doubtless
 a certain amount of invention1 and it  
reads like the setting of a dime novel  
incident1 but we see no reason to doubt 
the substantial truth of either the     
local coloring or the fact4 ,in answer  
to the question of a recent             
commentator1#bfa ,did remote prairie    

cabins have grindstones and carving     
knives8 we would reply that the knife   
and the ax have followed man to the     
frontier posts of civilization          
everywhere1 and without the grindstone  
the ax is useless4 ,as a concrete       
instance in point1 compare this minute  
entered in the ,proprietors' ,book of   
,records of ,perrytown1 afterwards      
,sutton1 ,new ,hampshire1#bfb for the   
third day of ,september1 #aggj3 ,voted a
 grindstone of about #h shillings to be 
sent up to ,perrystown1 for the use of  
the settlers there2 the first settler   
had entered that wilderness but three   
years before1 and at the time this vote 
was taken the number was five4          
,,chapter ,,xix  ,,audubon ,,and        
,,rafinesque       ,the ,eccentric      
,naturalist at ,henderson--,bats and new
      species--,the demolished          
violin--,m4 de ,t43 ,constantine        
,samuel ,rafinesque 7,schmaltz7--,his   
precocity1 linguistic      acquirements 
and peripatetic habits--,first visit to 

,america      and botanical             
studies--,residence in ,sicily1 and     
fortune      made in the drug           
trade--,association with                
,swainson--,marriage      and           
embitterment--,his second journey to    
,america ends in                        
shipwreck--,befriended--,descends the   
,ohio in a flatboat--,visit      with   
,audubon1 who gives him many strange new
 species--,cost      to zoology--,his   
unique work on ,ohio                    
fishes--,professorship      in          
,transylvania ,university--,quarrel with
 its president and                      
trustees--,return to ,philadelphia--,his
 ardent love of nature2      his        
writings and fatal versatility--,his    
singular will--,his sad      end and the
 ruthless disposition of his estate4    
,audubon's humorous sketch of ,the      
,eccentric ,naturalist has often been   
quoted1 and it presents a picture which 
is amusing1 however short of the truth  
it may fall or however it may fail in   

doing justice to its subject4 ,though   
his real hero is not named1 no doubt as 
to his identity has ever been           
entertained4 ,this episode occurred at  
,henderson in the late summer of #ahah1 
and was published thirteen years after  
in the ,biography of birds4#bfc ,since  
the story was not fully told then and   
the after-effects were productive of    
much harsh criticism1 it cannot be      
overlooked if we would do justice to    
both the writer and his subject4  ,when 
walking one day by the river1 to follow 
,audubon's story1 he saw a man landing  
from a boat with what appeared like a   
bundle of dried clover on his back2 he  
concluded from his appearance that the  
stranger must be an original1 a term    
which had been applied also to himself4 
,a meeting followed1 and the stranger1  
who had inquired for ,mr4 ,audubon's    
house1 explained that he was a          
naturalist1 and had come to see         
,audubon's drawings of birds and plants2
 he bore also a letter from a friend1   

introducing an odd fish which might     
prove to be undescribed4 ,the visitor   
was made welcome in ,audubon's          
,henderson home1 where1 to quote the    
naturalist1       at table his agreeable
 conversation made us all forget his    
singular appearance4444 ,a long loose   
coat of yellow nankeen1      much the   
worse of the many rubs it had got in its
 time1      and stained all over with   
the juice of plants1 hung loosely       
about him like a sac4 ,a waistcoat of   
the same1 with enormous      pockets1   
and buttoned up to the chin1 reached    
below over      a pair of tight         
pantaloons1 the lower parts of which    
were      buttoned down to the ankles4  
,his beard was as long as ,i have       
known mine to be during some of my      
peregrinations1 and his      lank black 
hair hung loosely over his shoulders4   
,his forehead      was so broad and     
prominent that any tyro in phrenology   
would      instantly have pronounced it 
to be the residence of a mind      of   

strong powers4 ,his words impressed an  
assurance of rigid      truth1 and as he
 directed the conversation to the study 
of      the natural sciences1 ,i        
listened to him with as much delight    
as ,telemachus could have listened to   
,mentor4  ,all had retired for the night
 when of a sudden a great uproar was    
heard in the visitor's room4 ,to his    
great astonishment1 ,audubon found his  
guest running about the apartment naked1
 holding the handle of his host's       
favorite violin1 the body of which had  
been battered to pieces against the     
walls in the attempt to secure a number 
of fluttering bats which had entered by 
an open window4 ,i stood amazed1 said   
,audubon1 but he continued jumping and  
running round and round1 until he was   
fairly exhausted1 when he begged me to  
procure one of the animals for him1 as  
he felt convinced they belonged to 'a   
new species4' ,although ,i was convinced
 to the contrary1 ,i took up the bow of 
my demolished ,cremona1 and             

administering a sharp tap to each of the
 bats as it came up1 soon had specimens 
enough4 ,other incidents of this visit1 
which ,audubon said lasted three weeks1 
are fully recorded4 ,the eccentric      
naturalist collected an abundance of    
plants1 shells1 bats and fishes4 ,one   
evening he failed to appear1 and after a
 prolonged search was nowhere to be     
found2 nor were the ,audubons wholly    
assured of his safety until some weeks  
later they received a letter with due   
acknowledgments of their hospitality4   
,the ,m4 de ,t4 of this episode was     
,constantine ,samuel ,rafinesque1 in    
many respects the most singular figure  
that has ever appeared in the annals of 
,american science4 ,although young in   
years1 for ,rafinesque was then but     
thirty-five1 he was already old in      
experience and that of the bitterest    
sort2 and although already known to many
 in both hemispheres1 he had few        
friends4 ,it is certain that neither    
,audubon nor anyone else in that part of

 ,kentucky had ever heard of him before4
  ,born in ,constantinople1 of a father 
who was a ,french merchant from         
,marseilles and of a mother with a      
,german name who by nativity was ,greek1
 ,rafinesque had known life in many     
lands1 and was destined1 as he said1 to 
be a traveler from the cradle to the    
tomb4#bfd ,his first voyage1 made with  
his parents on their return to ,france1 
by way of ,scutari in ,asia1 ,smyrna1   
and ,malta1 led to his first discovery1 
when he was a year old1 for he was able 
to announce that infants are not subject
 to sea-sickness4 ,at eleven he read    
,latin and collected plants2 at thirteen
 he wrote his first scientific paper1   
,notes on the ,apennines1 which he had  
seen when traveling from ,leghorn to    
,genoa4 ,his father1 who set out for    
,china in #agia1 fell in with pirates1  
but managed to reach ,america2 he died  
of the yellow fever in ,philadelphia in 
#agic4 ,to escape the ,reign of ,terror 
in ,france1 ,rafinesque's mother fled   

with her children to ,italy1 where four 
years were passed at ,leghorn4 ,there   
,constantine studied with private       
tutors1 but his education was never     
formal and he was allowed to follow his 
omnivorous tastes1 reading1 as he said1 
ten times more than was taught in the   
schools4 ,his writings are mainly in    
,french1 ,italian1 and ,english1 and his
 facility with languages was no doubt   
remarkable1 even if we discount his     
egotized estimate of his own            
attainments3 ,i have undertaken to read 
the ,latin and ,greek1 as well as the   
,hebrew1 ,sanskrit1 ,chinese1 and fifty 
other languages1 as ,i felt the need or 
inclination to study them4  ,in #ahjb   
,rafinesque was sent with his brother to
 ,america and became a shipper's1 clerk 
at ,philadelphia1 where he spent all of 
his spare time in the study of nature1  
plants being his first and greatest     
love4 ,here he was befriended by ,dr4   
,benjamin ,rush1 and during this period 
he made the acquaintance of many pioneer

 naturalists in the ,united ,states4 ,in
 #ahje the offer of a lucrative         
situation in ,sicily lured him back to  
the ,old ,world and to a country already
 known to him4 ,there he soon discovered
 the medicinal squill1 of ancient repute
 and thought to be an antidote1 which in
 the form of syrup was long the bane of 
childhood2 this and other medicinal     
drugs he exported to the ,european and  
,american markets in such quantities    
that before the secret of his trade     
became known to the jealous ,sicilians1 
he had reaped from it1 in conjunction   
with his other enterprises1 a small     
fortune4 ,during the ten years that were
 spent in ,sicily we find him the       
manager of a successful whisky          
distillery1 the chancellor or secretary 
of the ,american ,consulate at ,palermo1
 editor1 writer1 and correspondent of   
learned men in ,europe1 as well as      
traveler and explorer in every part of  
the island1 which he proposed to        
monograph with all of its contents4 ,at 

,palermo ,rafinesque met the ,english   
naturalist1 ,william ,swainson1 his     
lifelong correspondent2 together they   
tramped over the island and together    
they worked for a number of years on the
 fishes of the western coast4#bfe       
,swainson1 who became the friend of     
,audubon1 was one of the few who later  
defended ,rafinesque4  ,rafinesque      
espoused a ,sicilian woman of the       
,catholic faith1 and had by her two     
children1 of whom a daughter lived to   
maturity2 this experience seems to have 
embittered him against the sex1 for no  
other woman excepting his mother1 to    
whom his ,life of ,travels was          
dedicated1 was ever mentioned in his    
writings1 and this one was disinherited 
in his extraordinary will4 ,through fear
 of being drafted into the ,french wars1
 he assumed for a time his mother's     
family name of ,schmaltz1 and finally   
left ,sicily in disgust2 taking with him
 his fortune and fifty boxes of personal
 goods1 he set out again for ,america in

 #ahae4 ,sicily1 he declared in epigram1
 offered a fruitful soil1 a delightful  
climate1 excellent productions1         
perfidious men1 deceitful women4  ,this 
second voyage to the ,new ,world began  
late in ,july but did not end until #ajj
 days later1 when1 on the night of      
,november #b1 his ship ran on the ,race 
,rocks near ,new ,london1 at the western
 end of ,long ,island ,sound1 and       
eventually went down within sight of    
land with all his possessions4 ,i had   
lost everything1 he said1 my fortune1 my
 share of the cargo1 my collections and 
labors for twenty years past1 my books1 
my manuscripts1 my drawings1 even my    
clothes 444 all that ,i possessed1      
except some scattered funds1 and the    
insurance ordered in ,england for one   
third of the value of my goods4 ,i have 
found men1 he continued1 vile enough to 
laugh without shame at my misfortune1   
instead of condoling with me6 ,but ,i   
have met also with friends who deplored 
my loss1 and helped me in need4 ,one of 

these friends was ,dr4 ,samuel ,l4      
,mitchell of ,new ,york1 who had given a
 helping hand to ,audubon1#bff and it   
was probably through him that           
,rafinesque obtained a position as      
private tutor in a family living on the 
,hudson4 ,traveling up and down the     
country1 collecting objects in natural  
history1 writing1 with frustrated       
attempts at business1 occupied a number 
of the following years2 meanwhile he had
 aided in founding the ,lyceum of ,new  
,york and had become a member of the    
,literary and ,philosophical ,society4  
,at ,philadelphia he found another      
friend in ,mr4 ,john ,o4 ,clifford1 of  
,lexington1 ,kentucky1 who encouraged   
him to visit the ,west1 and in the      
spring of #ahah he descended the ,ohio  
in an ark in company with several others
 who had joined him in the enterprise4  
,at ,shippingport he was welcomed by the
 ,tarascon brothers1 flour merchants1   
formerly of ,marseilles and             
,philadelphia1 and it was through them1 

possibly1 that he first heard of        
,audubon's drawings of birds4  ,such was
 the odd fish who a little later greeted
 ,audubon on the river bank at          
,henderson4 ,had ,audubon known the true
 history of his visitor either then or  
at a later time1 he would not1 we       
believe1 have held him up to ridicule in
 the ,episode quoted above1 and could he
 have foreseen the unpleasant           
consequences that ensued1 his conduct   
would assuredly have been different4 ,a 
part of the episode1 which ,audubon does
 not relate1 was supplied by another    
naturalist at a much later day4#bfg     
,audubon1 it seems1 was at that time a  
good deal of a wag1 and whether to vent 
his dislike of species-mongers1 to      
avenge the loss of his violin1 or to    
gratify some spirit of mischief1 he     
played upon the credulity of his guest1 
in a way that could be deemed hardly    
creditable1 in giving him detailed      
descriptions and even supplying him with
 drawings of sundry impossible fishes   

and mollusks4 ,rafinesque took the bait 
eagerly1 duly noted down everything on  
the spot1 and1 what was more unfortunate
 for ,american zology1 a year later     
began to publish the results4 ,the      
fictitious species of fish1 to the      
number of ten1 communicated by ,mr4     
,audubon1 first appeared as a series of 
articles in a short-lived and long      
forgotten western magazine1#bfh but in  
#ahbj they were gathered into a little  
volume #bfi now considered so quaint and
 rare that it has been reproduced in its
 entirety4 ,in this pioneer work on the 
ichthyology of the ,ohio ,river and the 
great ,middle ,west1 #aaa kinds of      
,american fresh-water fishes are briefly
 described4 ,those ten new species1     
representing apparently a number of new 
genera1 so like and yet so unlike to    
anything yet known1 long remained a     
stumbling block to ,american zologists2 
naturally they tended to discredit the  
work of ,rafinesque4    ,illustration3  
,,early ,,unpublished ,,drawings ,,of   

,,american ,,birds3      ,,above1       
,l',,alcion ,d',,amerique               
,,septentrionale ,,buffon4 ,,king       
,,fisher4 ,,chute ,,de ,l',,ohio ,,july 
#ae1 #ahjh4 ,,belted ,,king ,,fisher    
,a4 ,w4-,j4 ,a4 ,,alcedo ,,alcion4      
,,drawn ,,by ,j4 ,j4 ,,audubon4 ,,no4   
#aaj2      ,,below1 ,,passenger         
,,pigeon--,a4 ,w4 ,,columba             
,,migratoria4 ,,chute ,,de              
,l',,ohio4 ,,decemb4 #aa1 #ahji4 #ab    
,,pennes  ,,la ,,queue ,,tres ,,tagee4  
,,appel ,,ici ,,wild ,,pigeon4 ,j4      
,,audubon4 ,,no4 #aji4       ,published 
by courtesy of ,mr4 ,joseph ,y4 ,jeanes4
  ,as a specimen of these spurious fish 
stories1 which were previously published
 in both ,america and ,europe1 we       
reproduce a part of ,rafinesque's       
description of the #iast4 ,species4     
,devil-,jack ,diamond-fish4 ,litholepis 
adamantinus3       ,this may be reckoned
 the wonder of the ,ohio4 ,it is only   
found as far up as the falls1 and       
probably lives also in the              

,mississippi4 ,i have seen it1 but only 
at a distance1 and have      been shown 
some of its singular scales4 ,wonderful 
stories are      related concerning this
 fish1 but ,i have principally relied   
upon the description and figure given me
 by ,mr4 ,audubon4 ,its      length is  
from #d to #aj feet4 ,one was caught    
which weighed      four hundred pounds4 
,it lies sometimes asleep or motionless 
on the surface of the water1 and may be 
mistaken for a log      or a snag4 ,it  
is impossible to take it in any other   
way than      with the seine or a very  
strong hook1 the prongs of the gig      
cannot pierce the scales which are as   
hard as flint1 and even      proof      
against lead balls6 ,its flesh is not   
good to eat4 ,it is      a voracious    
fish3 ,its vulgar names are ,diamond    
fish1 7owing      to its scales being   
cut like diamonds7 ,devil fish1 ,jack   
fish1      ,garjack1 c4444 ,the whole   
body covered with large stone scales    
laying in oblique rows1 they are        

conical1 pentagonal1 and      pentdral  
with equal sides1 from half an inch to  
one inch in      diameter1 brown at     
first1 but becoming of the colour of    
turtle      shell when dry3 they strike 
fire with steel6 and are ball           
proof6  ,while we cannot defend ,audubon
 in his treatment of ,rafinesque1 it    
would be hardly fair to judge such      
incidents wholly in the light of after  
events1 for1 as our narrative will show1
 it is unlikely that he ever saw        
,rafinesque or heard of him again until 
long years after this incident1         
certainly not until after his ,episode  
was published in #ahca4bgj ,rafinesque  
evidently enjoyed this sketch of        
himself1 for he gave unstinted praise to
 the work in which it was published4 ,as
 late as #ahcb1 when the appearance of  
,the ,birds of ,america seems to have   
stimulated him to even more grandiose   
conceptions of his own merits than was  
usual1 he declared that his discoveries 
were counted by the thousand1 and that  

he had traveled twenty thousand miles1  
always collecting and drawing4 ,in view 
of the fact that drawing was a talent   
which nature had unequivocally denied   
him1 it is interesting to read this     
boast that an unfriendly critic drew    
forth3 ,my illustrations of #cj years'  
travels1 with #b1jjj figures will soon  
begin to be published1 and be superior  
to those of my friend ,audubon1 in      
extent and variety1 if not equal in     
beauty4 ,i shall study and write as long
 as ,i live1 in spite of all such mean  
attempts against my reputation and      
exertions1 trusting in the justice of   
liberal men4#bga  ,after leaving        
,audubon at ,henderson in the summer of 
#ahah1 ,rafinesque passed down the ,ohio
 into the ,mississippi1 pausing only to 
pay his respects at the famous          
communistic settlement of ,new ,harmony1
 by the mouth of the ,wabash in         
,indiana1 then the abode of ,thomas     
,say1 ,david ,dale ,owen1 and ,charles  
,le ,sueur1 all of whom have left bright

 and honored names in the annals of     
,american science4 ,he eventually       
returned to ,philadelphia by way of     
,lexington1 ,kentucky1 where he was     
induced to settle and teach natural     
history and the modern languages in the 
,transylvania ,university1 at that time 
the most important seat of learning in  
the ,west4 ,after closing up his        
business affairs in ,philadelphia1      
,rafinesque entered upon his new labors 
at ,lexington in the autumn of #ahai4   
,he was probably the first teacher of   
these subjects west of the ,alleghanies1
 and certainly the first in that section
 of the country to use the present      
object method in the elucidation of     
natural history4 ,the lot of a pioneer  
in education has never been a sinecure1 
and the post which ,rafinesque then     
filled was not a chair but a hard       
settee4 ,in those days the classics were
 in the saddle and rode mankind1 while  
the natural sciences1 when tolerated at 
all1 were given short shrift2 yet this  

eccentric foreigner held his position   
for seven years and accomplished an     
extraordinary amount of work4 ,as usual 
he spread his energies over the whole   
field of knowledge1 lecturing1 writing  
and publishing on almost every subject1 
but concentrating upon none4 ,meanwhile1
 he roamed far and wide and made        
extensive collections4  ,while at the   
,transylvania ,university ,rafinesque   
seems to have applied for the master of 
arts' degree1 but was at first refused1 
as he said1 because ,i had not studied  
,greek in a college1 although ,i knew   
more languages than all of the ,american
 colleges united1 but it was granted at 
last2 but the ,doctor of medicine was   
not granted1 because ,i would not       
superintend anatomical dissections4     
,one of his many projects1 as           
meritorious as it was impractical1 at   
that time1 was a ,botanic ,garden with a
 ,library and ,museum for ,lexington1   
which was then but a small village2     
though land was actually secured and a  

start in tree planting begun1 the       
project of course came to nothing and   
had to be abandoned4 ,rafinesque also   
invented1 as he believed1 the present   
coupon system of issuing bonds1 the     
,divitial ,invention1 as he called it2  
in #ahbe he set out for ,washington in  
order to secure his patent rights1 but  
his journey and idea never brought him  
any returns4 ,on the contrary1 the      
incident marked the culmination of his  
troubles with the president of the      
,university and its governing board1    
whom he seems to have constantly nettled
 by his independent ways and roaming    
habits4 ,upon returning from ,washington
 he found that ,dr4 ,holley1 who1 he    
said1 hated and despised the natural    
sciences and wished to drive him out    
altogether1 had broken into his rooms   
during his absence1 and had given one to
 the students1 and thrown all my        
effects1 books and collections in a heap
 in the other1 besides depriving him of 
certain other privileges4 ,i took       

lodgings1 he continued1 in town and     
carried there all my effects2 thus      
leaving the college with curses on it   
and ,holley2 who were both reached by   
them soon after1 since he died next year
 at sea of the yellow fever1 caught at  
,new ,orleans2 having been driven from  
,lexington by public opinion2 and the   
,college has been burnt in #ahbh with   
all its contents4  ,after this          
unpleasant experience ,rafinesque       
returned to ,philadelphia1 where he     
spent the last and saddest part of his  
checkered career4 ,his insistent ideas1 
which were undoubtedly the index of an  
unbalanced mind1 increased1 especially  
his mania for describing new species of 
animals and plants2 this mania perverted
 everything that he wrote1 especially   
toward the end of his life1 and made him
 a thorn in the side of every naturalist
 who tried to verify his work4 ,a       
non-conformist and a respecter of no    
authority but his own is never popular1 
though a part of the antagonism which   

,rafinesque aroused was due to the      
conservatism of his age4 ,he boldly     
advocated organic evolution when almost 
the whole world believed that species   
were fixed and unchangeable things1 and 
in many other respects was fifty years  
ahead of his time2 but nothing was ever 
carefully worked out in his fertile     
mind1 with the consequence that the     
world paid no heed to his crude and     
undigested ideas4  ,the great mass of   
,rafinesque's books and monographs1 his 
tracts1 broadsides1 and ephemeral papers
 of all sorts1 extending to nearly a    
thousand titles1 must have gone into    
paper rags1 when not used to kindle     
fires1 for he was generous in their     
distribution1 and they are now          
exceedingly rare4 ,he touched nearly    
everything1 it is true1 but little that 
he touched1 especially in this later    
period of his life1 did he ever truly   
ornament4 ,his best pioneer work1 in the
 opinion of competent students1 was that
 done upon the fishes of ,sicily and the

 natural history of the ,ohio ,valley2  
his ,medical ,flora1 in two volumes     
7#ahbh and #ahcj71 is also admitted to  
have possessed real value2 but his      
writings are now sought after as        
literary or scientific curiosities1 and 
as such they are unique4  ,no doubt     
,rafinesque was often treated unjustly1 
either through ignorance or intent1     
while many naturalists were exasperated 
by the barbed arrows which he shot into 
the air or direct at the mark4 ,others  
through sheer inability to follow him   
gave up the attempt1 one writer#bgb     
saying that such an attitude was        
justified when it appeared that he had  
made six species out of one1 not to     
speak of several different genera and   
two sub-families4 ,if anyone still      
believes that ,rafinesque has been      
misjudged1 says ,gnther1#bgc let him    
read his letters to ,swainson1 from     
#ahji to #ahdj1 fifty-three in number1  
covering #agh closely written quarto or 
folio pages1 now in possession of the   

,linnan ,society of ,london4            
,rafinesque1 continues this critic1 was 
a man deeply to be commiserated1 not    
merely on account of the unfortunate    
circumstances which left him in his     
youth to himself1 without teacher or    
guide1 but still more on the ground of  
that natural disposition by which his   
universal failure in life was brought   
about4 ,he was possessed of a feverish  
restlessness which entirely disqualified
 him from serious study of any of the   
multitudinous subjects which attracted  
his mind in rapid succession4           
,rafinesque1 bereft of friends and      
fortune1 unknown even to his neighbors1 
by whom he seems to have been regarded  
as a harmless herb doctor1 was left to  
struggle on alone1 without recognition  
and without sympathy or support4        
,reduced finally to abject poverty1 he  
concocted and sold medicines which were 
advertised much like quack remedies at  
the present day1 especially his ,pulmel1
 which without a doubt he thought had   

cured him of the pulmonary consumption4 
,to advertise this he wrote a little    
treatise1 hoping to realize something   
from its sale and at the same time to   
avoid any undue appearance of           
empyricism4  ,toward the very end of his
 life1 ,rafinesque projected a savings  
bank1 and1 strangely enough1 this seems 
to have been a success1 though just how 
is not clear1 since it both borrowed and
 loaned money at six per cent4 ,he had  
already attempted to secure rights on a 
steam-plough1 a submarine boat1         
incombustible houses1 and similar       
novelties which abler inventors have    
later perfected4 ,for a long time he led
 the life of a perfect recluse in a     
garret in a poor quarter of             
,philadelphia1 in the midst of his      
collections1 his books and his          
manuscripts1 never the world forgetting 
but ever by the world forgot4 ,there1 in
 the direst misery1 he died in #ahdj1 at
 the age of fifty-six1 without a word of
 cheer or a tear of regret4 ,his body   

was barely saved from the dissecting    
table and given decent burial through   
the loyalty and promptitude of one of   
his few remaining friends1 ,dr4 ,william
 ,mease1 who with undertaker            
,bringhurst1 broke into the room where  
his body lay and let it down through a  
window by ropes4#bgd ,even his will was 
ruthlessly violated1 and all of his     
effects1 in eight dray-loads1 were      
hurried off to the public auction rooms 
and sold in bargain lots1 his books and 
all else bringing but a mere pittance1  
not even enough to pay his landlord and 
the administrator of his estate4  ,thus 
died the eccentric naturalist whom      
,audubon had portrayed1 and for whom the
 world in general had shown scant       
sympathy4 ,rafinesque1 nevertheless1    
possessed a mind of extraordinary acumen
 and an energy and versatility little   
short of marvelous4 ,he dipped into     
every field of knowledge1 looking for   
precious metal1 but much that he brought
 to the surface was dross4 ,his restless

 versatility alone would probably have  
ruined him1 for nothing short of an     
analysis of the globe with all of its   
contents would have satisfied his       
ambitious spirit4 ,his was the ardor of 
the traveler and the explorer1 with a   
passionate love for nature seldom       
equaled1 but without the incentive and  
the patience of the investigator or a   
balance-wheel in the judgment4 ,his     
ambition in early life was to become the
 greatest naturalist of his age2 had his
 early training and environment been    
suited to his needs1 and had fortune    
favored him more consistently with her  
smiles1 this ambition possibly might    
have been realized1 but we suspect that 
in this case nature would have proved   
stronger than nurture1 and that he would
 have been ,rafinesque to the end4      
,,chapter ,,xx  ,,audubon',s ,,neid1    
#ahai-ahbd3 ,,wanderings ,,through ,,the
 ,,west ,,and ,,south       ,pivotal    
period in ,audubon's career--,his spur  
and      balance-wheel--,resort to      

portraiture--,taxidermist in the        
,western ,museum--,settles in           
,cincinnati--,history of his            
relations with ,dr4 ,drake--,decides to 
make his avocation his                  
business--,journey down the ,ohio and   
,mississippi with ,mason and            
,cummings--,experiences of travel       
without a cent of capital--,life      in
 ,new ,orleans--,vanderlyn's            
recommendations--,original              
drawings--,chance meeting with ,mrs4    
,pirrie1 and engagement      as tutor at
 ,oakley--,enchantments of ,west        
,feliciana--,my      lovely ,miss       
,pirrie--,the jealous doctor--,famous   
drawing of      the rattlesnake--,leaves
 ,st4 ,francisville and is adrift again 
in ,new ,orleans--,obtains pupils in    
drawing and is joined by      his       
family--,impoverished1 moves to         
,natchez1 and ,mrs4 ,audubon            
becomes a governess--,injuries to his   
drawings--,the labors      of years     
destroyed by rats--,teaching in         

,tennessee--,parting      with          
,mason--,first lessons in oils--,mrs4   
,audubon's school at                    
,beechwoods--,painting tour             
fails--,stricken at ,natchez--,at the   
,percys' plantation--,walk to           
,louisville--,settles at ,shippingport4 
,audubon's failure at ,henderson was the
 crucial turning point in his career4   
,for the five years that immediately    
followed he led a peripatetic existence 
in the southern and western states1     
seldom tarrying long at one point1 often
 leaving his family for months at a     
time1 living from hand to mouth1 but    
ever bent on perfecting those products  
of his hand and brain1 his life studies 
of ,american birds and plants4  ,at this
 crisis ,audubon could have accomplished
 nothing but for the intelligent        
devotion of his capable wife4 ,generous1
 emotional1 inclined to be              
self-indulgent1 ,audubon needed both the
 example and the spur of a strong       
character such as his wife possessed1   

and at this time ,lucy ,audubon         
furnished both the motive power and the 
balance-wheel that were requisite for   
the development of her husband's genius4
 ,without her zeal and self-sacrificing 
devotion the world would never have     
heard of ,audubon4 ,his budding talents 
eventually would have been smothered in 
some backwoods town of the ,middle ,west
 or ,south4 ,for the space of nearly    
twelve years1 ,mrs4 ,audubon1 now as the
 head of a small private school1 now as 
a governess in some friendly family who 
appreciated her worth1 practically      
assumed the responsibility for the      
support and education of their children 
in order that her husband's hands might 
be free1 and with her hard-earned       
savings was able to aid him materially  
in the prosecution of his labors4 ,when 
relatives or friends upbraided him for  
not entering upon some form of lucrative
 trade1 she recognized his genius and   
always came to his support1 being fully 
persuaded that he was destined to become

 one of the great workers of the world4 
,whatever others may have said or done  
at that time1 both ,audubon and his wife
 were confident of the ultimate success 
of his mission4 ,in short1 the work in  
which the naturalist was engaged became 
a family interest1 in which every member
 was destined sooner or later to bear a 
part4  ,audubon recalled a somber       
incident of this time which he thought  
might furnish a lesson to mankind1 and  
he shall relate it in his own words3    
,after our dismal removal from          
,henderson to ,louisville1 one          
morning when all of us were sadly       
desponding1 ,i took you      both1      
,victor and ,john1 from ,shippingport to
 ,louisville4 ,i had      purchased a   
loaf of bread and some apples2 before   
you reached      ,louisville you were   
hungry1 and by the river side we sat    
down      and ate our scanty meal4 ,on  
that day the world was with me      as a
 blank1 and my heart was sorely heavy1  
for scarcely had      ,i enough to keep 

my dear ones alive2 and yet through     
those      dark days ,i was being led to
 the development of the talents      ,i 
loved1 and which have brought so much   
enjoyment to us      all4444  ,at       
,shippingport ,audubon was welcomed by  
his brother-in-law1 ,nicholas ,a4       
,berthoud4 ,wasting no time in vain     
regrets1 he began doing portraits in    
crayon1 and with such success that he   
was able to rent a modest apartment and 
have his family about him again4 ,from  
no charges for his tentative efforts the
 price was gradually raised until he    
received five dollars or more a head2   
with the spread of his fame orders      
filled his hands1 and he was called long
 distances to take likenesses of the    
dying or even of the dead4 ,audubon's   
facility in portraiture was a valuable  
resource1 and it kept him from the      
starving line at many a pinch in later  
years4  ,through the influence of       
friends the naturalist was offered a    
position as taxidermist at a museum     

which had just been started at          
,cincinnati2 here his family joined him 
in the winter of #ahai-bj1 and here he  
remained for nearly a year4 ,the        
published accounts of this ,cincinnati  
experience are strangely confused and   
have led to aspersions of bad faith     
which were1 we believe1 quite           
undeserved4 ,i was presented1 said      
,audubon1 to the president of the       
,cincinnati ,college1 ,dr4 ,drake1 and  
immediately formed an engagement to     
stuff birds for the museum there1 in    
concert with ,mr4 ,robert ,best1 an     
,englishman of great talent1 adding that
 his salary was large2 so industrious   
were they1 to continue his account1 that
 in about six months we had augmented1  
arranged1 and finished all that we could
 do1 but they found to their sorrow that
 the members of the ,college museum were
 splendid promisers and very bad        
paymasters4#bge ,it has been stated that
 ,audubon got nothing from ,dr4 ,drake1 
but that ,mrs4 ,audubon afterwards      

received four hundred dollars1 of the   
twelve hundred due1 and that the        
remainder was never paid4#bgf ,this     
matter can now be fully cleared up1 and 
it will appear that the ,cincinnati     
,college was in no way involved2 ,dr4   
,drake was not its president1 although  
he drew its charter and was one of its  
trustees2 the ,museum in which the      
naturalist worked was an independent    
foundation2 and ,mrs4 ,audubon was      
probably paid in full for the service   
which her husband had rendered4         
,audubon wrote in his journal in #ahbj1 
when this experience was fresh in his   
mind1 that owing to his talent for      
stuffing fishes he entered the service  
of the ,western ,museum at a salary of  
#abe a month2 he made no complaint at   
that time of any lack of pay4 ,moreover1
 on the day before he started on his    
cruise down the ,ohio ,river on the     
#aath of ,october of that year1 the     
,rev4 ,elijah ,slack gave him a letter  
of introduction in which he said that   

,audubon had been engaged in our museum 
for #c to #d months1 and that his       
performances do honor to his pencil4    
,since ,mr4 ,slack1 like ,dr4 ,drake1   
was one of the managers of the ,western 
,museum1 he must have known of          
,audubon's term of service4 ,we are     
convinced that ,dr4 ,daniel ,drake1#bgg 
whose character was above reproach and  
who was a keen naturalist himself1 was  
,audubon's good friend1 and that no     
misunderstanding ever rose between them4
 ,in writing offhand from memory1 years 
after the events1 ,audubon misstated the
 facts but evidently without design4    
,in #ahah ,dr4 ,drake organized the     
,western ,museum ,society1 of which he  
said3 ,i have drawn up the constitution 
in such a manner as to make the         
institution a complete school for       
natural history1 and hope to see        
concentrated in this place1 the choicest
 natural and artificial curiosities in  
the ,western ,country4 ,the first       
meeting of the ,society was held in the 

summer of #ahai1 not long before        
,audubon was engaged to work for it4    
,the membership fee was #ej1 a          
considerable sum for that period1 but   
the enterprise was well patronized4 ,it 
was in charge of a board of whom ,dr4   
,drake was the moving spirit2 another   
member1 as we have seen1 was ,rev4 ,mr4 
,slack1 who became the first president  
of the ,cincinnati ,college1 which was  
organized in #ahah-ai4 ,the collections 
of the ,museum were placed in one of the
 buildings of the ,college in order     
better to serve the students and public1
 which would account for some of the    
confusion noted above4  ,dr4 ,drake's   
hands at this time were more than full2 
in ,october1 #ahai1 he wrote to a       
friend3 ,the ties which bind me to the  
world at large seem every day to        
increase in strength and numbers4 ,the  
crowd of mankind with whom ,i have some 
direct or indirect concern1 thickens    
around me1 and ,i see little prospect of
 more leisure1 nor any of retirement and

 seclusion4 ,at this juncture also1 when
 ,audubon and ,best were working for his
 ,museum1 ,dr4 ,drake was experiencing  
the first disastrous check in his       
energetic career4 ,in ,january1 #ahbj1  
in spite of the opposition and intrigue 
of professional rivals1 he succeeded in 
organizing the ,medical ,college of     
,ohio1 and ,robert ,best became the     
assistant in chemistry and the curator  
of the ,western ,museum4 ,opposition did
 not abate1 but instead of strangling   
the ,college which he had founded1 the  
marplots succeeded in expelling the     
,doctor from its staff4 ,at last1       
feeling obliged to leave the city1 ,dr4 
,drake accepted in #ahbc a position in  
the rival medical school of             
,transylvania ,university1 and thus     
became a colleague of ,constantine      
,rafinesque4 ,it will be seen that      
,audubon's engagement at ,cincinnati    
fell in a troubled era1 and the         
annoyance which he may have felt at lack
 of pay was probably no fault of the    

harassed doctor4  ,while at ,cincinnati 
,audubon was obliged to resort to his   
crayon portraits2 and he also started a 
drawing school1 but it required all of  
,mrs4 ,audubon's skill in management to 
keep the family out of debt4 ,in #ahbj  
he began for the first time seriously to
 consider the possibility of publishing 
his drawings1 and under the spur of this
 incentive began to exert himself as    
never before4 ,he planned a long journey
 through the ,middle ,west and ,south1  
his intention being to descend the ,ohio
 and ,mississippi ,rivers1 explore the  
country about ,new ,orleans1 and then   
proceed as far east as the ,florida     
,keys2 he wished also to ascend the ,red
 ,river1 cross ,arkansas1 and visit the 
,hot ,springs1 before returning again by
 river to ,cincinnati4 ,lack of ready   
money was no drawback1 for he was now   
confident of being able to live by his  
talents alone4  ,accordingly1 he left   
his wife to care for their two boys1 and
 on ,october #ab1 #ahbj1 started down   

river in a flatboat1 bound for ,new     
,orleans4 ,his companions on this       
journey were ,captain ,cummings1#bgh an 
engineer who had been in the government 
service1 to whom ,audubon became much   
attached2 ,joseph ,r4 ,mason1 a         
promising artist of eighteen1 in the rle
 of pupil-assistant1 and his dog ,dash4 
,although ,audubon had no funds1 he was 
careful to provide himself with letters 
to or from men of mark who could be of  
assistance to him and this custom was   
followed to good effect at a much later 
day4 ,on this occasion he bore          
recommendations from ,william ,h4       
,harrison1 who afterwards became        
,president1 to ,governor ,miller of     
,arkansas1 and from ,henry ,clay1 as    
well as his letter from ,rev4 ,elijah   
,slack1 in which it was stated that the 
naturalist was traveling to complete his
 collection of the birds of the ,united 
,states which he intended to publish at 
some future time4 ,audubon also wrote a 
personal letter to ,governor ,miller1   

fully outlining his plans1 and asking   
for information2 he told the ,governor  
that he had been working fifteen years1 
and that his drawings of birds and      
plants were all from nature and         
life-size1 showing that the idea of     
publication which was afterwards        
realized was then fixed in his mind4    
,audubon kept a careful journal on this 
journey1 which extended over a year1 the
 last entry being for the close of      
#ahba4bgi  ,as their flatboat stopped at
 many towns and plantations on the      
rivers1 ,audubon could hunt game and    
birds to his heart's content4 ,having   
resolved1 as he said1 never to draw from
 a stuffed specimen1 he worked at every 
new bird with the greatest diligence4   
,it seems almost incredible that he     
should never have met with the ,hermit  
,thrush before this journey1 yet under  
date of ,oct4 #ad1 #ahbj1 there is this 
entry3 ,we returned to our boat with a  
,wild ,turkey1 a ,telltale ,godwit and a
 ,hermit ,thrush1 which was too much    

torn to make a drawing of it2 this was  
the first time ,i had met with this     
bird1 and ,i felt particularly mortified
 at its condition4#bhj  ,their visit to 
,natchez furnished ,audubon with        
materials for at least two of his       
,episodes4#bha ,this incident of his    
generosity may be taken as              
characteristic2 finding that one of his 
companions was down at the heel and as  
short of ready money as himself1 he     
sought out a shoemaker and offered to do
 a portrait of the man and his wife for 
two pairs of boots2 the proposal was    
accepted forthwith1 and he set to work2 
the sketches were finished in the course
 of two hours1 and ,audubon and his     
companion1 having selected their boots1 
went on their way rejoicing4  ,audubon  
left ,natchez on ,december #ca1 #ahbj1  
on a keel boat belonging to his         
brother-in-law1 ,nicholas ,a4 ,berthoud1
 who accompanied him1 and at one o'clock
 the steamer ,columbus hauled off from  
the landing and took them in tow4       

,towards evening1 when they were looking
 up their personal belongings1 the      
naturalist found to his dismay that a   
portfolio containing all of the drawings
 that he had made on the voyage down the
 river was missing4 ,letters were       
despatched to ,natchez friends1 but it  
was not until the #afth of ,march that  
his anxiety was relieved2 the missing   
portfolio had been found and left at the
 office of ,the ,mississippi            
,republican1 whence it was forwarded on 
his order1 and reached his hand on the  
#eth of ,april4 ,so very generous had   
been the finder of it1 he said1 that    
when ,i carefully examined the drawings 
in succession1 ,i found them all present
 and uninjured1 save one1 which had     
probably been kept by way of commission4
  ,on ,new ,year's ,day1 #ahba1 they    
came to at ,bayou ,sara1 at the mouth of
 the inlet of that name1 which later saw
 much of ,audubon and his family4 ,on   
the following day he made a likeness of 
the master of their craft1 ,mr4         

,dickenson1 for which he was paid in    
gold2 he also outlined two warblers by  
candle-light in order to have time to   
finish them on the morrow4 ,the captain 
of their steamer in his anxiety to make 
haste had set them adrift at this point1
 and they were obliged to make their way
 as best they could1 by aid of the      
current and oars1 to the port of ,new   
,orleans1 which was finally entered on  
,sunday1 ,january #g1 #ahba4  ,audubon  
landed at ,new ,orleans without enough  
money to pay for a night's lodging1 for 
someone had relieved him of the little  
he possessed1 and he was obliged to pass
 several nights on the boat while       
looking for work4 ,undismayed by his    
financial straits1 his first visit at   
daybreak on ,monday was to the famous   
markets of the southern city1 where he  
found dead birds exposed for sale in    
great numbers--mallard1 teal1 ,american 
widgeon1 ,canada and snow geese1        
mergansers1 tell-tale god-wits1 and even
 robins1 bluebirds and red-wing         

blackbirds2 he added that the prices    
were very dear4  ,upon leaving          
,cincinnati ,audubon had resolved upon  
making one hundred drawings of birds2   
this was actually accomplished1 but only
 after repeatedly modifying his plans   
and working in more humble capacities   
than he was at first inclined to        
consider4 ,on the #abth of ,january he  
wrote in his diary of meeting an        
,italian painter at the theater1 and of 
showing him his drawing of the          
,white-headed ,eagle#bhb at the rooms of
 ,mr4 ,berthoud2 he was much pleased1   
and took him to his painting apartment  
at the theater1 then to the directors1  
who very roughly offered me one hundred 
dollars per month to paint with         
,monsieur l',italien4 ,i believe really 
now that my talents must be poor1 said  
,audubon4 ,his refusal of this offer in 
view of his straitened circumstances1   
and the entry which followed1 were      
characteristic3 ,jan4 #acth1 #ahba4 ,i  
rose up early1 tormented by many        

disagreeable thoughts1 again nearly     
without a cent1 in a bustling city where
 no one cares a fig for a man in my     
situation4 ,the following day ,audubon  
applied to a self-taught portrait       
painter1 ,john ,w4 ,jarvis1 and after   
showing his drawings1 was engaged to    
assist him in finishing the clothing and
 ground2 but this artist's manners were 
declared to be so uncouth and the pay so
 poor that he left him in disgust4      
,when he had made a hit1 as he said1    
with the likeness of a well known       
citizen1 orders came to him1 and he was 
able to resume his drawing of birds4 ,on
 ,february #bb he recorded that he had  
spent his time in running after orders  
for portraits1 and also in vain         
endeavors to obtain a sight of          
,alexander ,wilson's ',ornithology1' but
 was unsuccessful in seeing the book1   
which is very high priced4 ,later1      
however1 he appears to have succeeded in
 this quest1 for on the #agth of that   
month he was able to send his wife      

twenty drawings of birds1 eight of which
 were marked as not described by        
,willson4 ,among them were the originals
 of some of the most famous of his      
plates1 such as the ,great-footed ,hawk1
 the ,white-headed ,eagle1 and the ,hen 
,turkey4#bhc ,having seen in a newspaper
 a notice of an expedition which the    
,government was about to send to the    
,pacific ,coast1 to survey the boundary 
of the territory that had been recently 
ceded by ,spain1 ,audubon became much   
excited over a possible appointment as  
draughtsman and naturalist4 ,he sat down
 at once and wrote a personal letter to 
,president ,monroe1 while hundreds of   
imaginary birds of new and interesting  
kinds seemed to come within the range of
 his gun2 on the #cast of ,march he was 
still pondering on the project1 and     
although it is not likely that his      
letter ever reached the eye of the      
,president1 he did receive a            
recommendation from ,governor ,robertson
 of ,louisiana4 ,it was with this       

expedition in view that he sought an    
interview with ,john ,vanderlyn1#bhd an 
eminent painter of historical subjects1 
then working in ,new ,orleans2 according
 to one version ,vanderlyn treated him  
as a mendicant1 and ordered him to lay  
down his portfolio in the lobby1 but    
ended by giving him a very complimentary
 note1 in which he praised his drawings 
without stint1 particularly his studies 
of birds4  ,during the five months spent
 at ,new ,orleans in #ahba1 ,audubon    
attempted to support himself and his    
companion by means of their artistic    
talents1 while he was pushing forward   
his ambitious design of figuring all of 
,america's birds and most characteristic
 plants4 ,that he received scant        
encouragement but many rebuffs is not   
surprising4 ,they did succeed in        
obtaining a few pupils in drawing1 and  
,audubon made a number of rapid         
portraits1 but after living for a time  
on ,ursuline ,street1 near the old      
,convent1 and later shifting from one   

quarter to another1 their finances had  
reached so low an ebb by the beginning  
of ,june that a move was imperative4    
,audubon then decided to go to          
,shippingport1 ,kentucky1 and on the    
#afth of ,june1 with young ,mason1 he   
again boarded the steamer ,columbus1    
,john ,d',hart1 captain1 and started up 
river4 ,an incident now occurred which  
affected the naturalist's whole after   
life by introducing him to one of the   
most favored spots in ,louisiana1 if not
 in the whole country1 for the study of 
bird life1 not to speak of the          
impressions which the charm of new      
scenery1 a rich flora1 and natural      
products of the most varied description 
must have then made on his mind4 ,mrs4  
,james ,pirrie1 wife of a prosperous    
cotton planter of ,west ,feliciana      
,parish1 happened to be their           
fellow-passenger4 ,doubtless her        
curiosity was piqued by the winning     
manners and flowing locks of the        
artistic traveler1 whose ,gallic accent 

at once betrayed his nationality4       
,whether ,audubon had made her          
acquaintance previous to this journey or
 not is not known1 but before it was    
ended his fine enthusiasm and ambitious 
plans had found a sympathizer1 and he   
was engaged as tutor to ,mrs4 ,pirrie's 
daughter at #fj a month4 ,to further his
 ornithological pursuits it was         
understood that he and his companion    
should live at ,oakley1 her husband's   
plantation1 five miles from ,st4        
,francisville1 on ,bayou ,sara1 and that
 one-half of his time should be         
absolutely free for hunting and drawing4
 ,thus1 on ,june #ah1 #ahba1 was forged 
the link that bound the heart of        
,audubon to the ,state which was first  
in his affections1 and which he would   
fain believe might have been the scene  
of his nativity4 ,well may the          
,louisianians of today adopt him as     
their son1 for from that early time he  
cherished their ,state as in a peculiar 
sense his own4  ,it was a hot and sultry

 day when our wanderers landed at ,bayou
 ,sara1#bhe a small settlement at the   
junction of the sluggish stream which   
bears that name and the ,mississippi1   
and proceeded to climb to ,st4          
,francisville1 the village a mile away  
on the hill4 ,mrs4 ,pirrie1 who seems to
 have preceded the travelers by         
carriage1 sent some of her servants to  
relieve them of their luggage1 which    
,audubon said they found light4 ,they   
rested in the village at the house of   
,mr4 ,benjamin ,swift1 where they were  
invited to stay to dinner1 then at the  
point of being served1 but feeling      
somewhat ill at ease1 they thanked their
 host and again took to the road4       
,following their leisurely guides1 they 
now traversed a country so new1 so      
strange1 and so enchanting1 that the    
five miles to the ,pirrie house seemed  
short indeed4 ,the rich magnolias1      
covered with fragrant blossoms1 the     
holly1 the beech1 the tall yellow       
poplar1 the hilly ground1 and even the  

red clay1 to quote ,audubon's record    
made at the time1 all excited my        
admiration4 ,such an entire change in   
the face of nature1 in so short a time1 
seems almost supernatural1 and          
surrounded once more by numerous        
warblers and thrushes1 ,i enjoyed the   
scene4    ,illustration3 ,,bayou ,,sara 
,,landing1 ,,west ,,feliciana ,,parish1 
,,louisiana1 ,,at ,,the ,,junction ,,of 
,,bayou ,,sara ,,and ,,the ,,mississippi
      ,,river4    ,illustration3 ,,scene
 ,,on ,,bayou ,,sara ,,creek1           
,,audubon',s ,,hunting      ,,ground    
,,in #ahba4       ,this and the above   
after photographs by ,mr4 ,stanley      
,clisby      ,arthur1 #aiaf4  ,in       
passing up the ,mississippi from ,new   
,orleans1 the topography of the country 
suddenly changes at about this point2 in
 the parish of ,west ,feliciana the     
alluvial lowlands of the river valley   
give place to beautiful highlands1 which
 still harbor as rich and distinctive a 
flora and fauna as in ,audubon's day4   

,following ,audubon's course in ,june1  
#aiaf1 or ninety-five years later1 ,mr4 
,arthur found the region about ,st4     
,francisville wonderfully rich in birds1
 and there noted seventy-eight resident 
kinds which were seen on the same day1  
from shortly before noon to seven       
o'clock in the evening4  ,upon reaching 
the plantation house1 ,audubon and his  
companion were kindly received by the   
,scotchman1 ,james ,pirrie1 who         
introduced to them his daughter1 ,eliza1
 then a beautiful and talented girl of  
seventeen--my lovely ,miss ,pirrie1 of  
,oakley1 as ,audubon once characterized 
her in his journal--who was to become   
his pupil in drawing1 and who1 as after 
events proved1 was destined to a        
romantic and checkered career4  ,the    
,oakley house1 which by a strange turn  
of fortune's wheel thus became the      
naturalist's home in the summer of      
#ahba1 has changed but little since that
 time1 but the century that has nearly  
sped its course has added strength and  

beauty to the moss-hung oaks which now  
encompass it and temper the heat of the 
southern sun in the double-decked       
galleries which adorn its whole front4  
,built of the enduring cypress1 as my   
correspondent remarks1 the house stands 
as firm and sound as the gaunt but      
living sentinels of that order which    
tower from the brake not far away4      
,audubon spent nearly five months at the
 ,pirrie estate4 ,he worked with great  
ardor at his ,ornithology and produced  
the originals of many of his plates that
 were afterwards published1 while his   
assistant1 ,joseph ,mason1 who had      
followed him from ,cincinnati1 labored  
with equal diligence at the plants that 
were chosen as a setting for the        
birds4#bhf ,an early drawing of the     
,chuck ,will's ,widow is dated ,red     
,river1 ,june1 #ahba1 and it is probable
 that he followed this stream into      
,arkansas1 for on leaving ,cincinnati in
 the autumn of the previous year1 he had
 planned to enter that ,state1 and later

 references in his journals clearly     
imply that this object was attained4    
,another favorite hunting ground was    
,thompson's ,creek1 and he often        
recalled its heated banks1 where1 on a  
,fourth of ,july1 he once satisfied his 
hunger by swallowing the roasted eggs of
 a large soft shelled turtle4  ,on      
,august #aa1 #ahba1 while ,audubon was  
living at ,oakley1 he made this entry in
 his journal3       ,watched all night  
by the dead body of a friend of ,mrs4   
,p----2 he      was not known to me1 and
 he had literally drunk himself to an   
everlasting sleep4 ,peace to his soul6  
,i made a good sketch of      his head1 
as a present for his poor wife4 ,on such
 occasions      time flies very slow    
indeed1 so much so that it looked as if 
it stood still1 like the hawk that      
poises over its prey4  ,in the same     
journal also1 for ,august #be1 occurs a 
record which throws light on one of     
,audubon's most discussed and           
questionable pictures1 that of the      

mocking-birds defending their           
jessamine-embowered nest from the       
sinister designs of a rattlesnake2#bhg  
little did he think at the time how much
 discord this venomous reptile1 when    
coiled in the branches of a tree1 could 
later breed4#bhh ,the entry was3        
,finished drawing a very fine specimen  
of a rattlesnake1 which      measured   
five feet and seven inches1 weighed six 
and a quarter      pounds1 and had ten  
rattles4 ,anxious to give it a position 
most interesting to a naturalist1 ,i put
 it in that which the      reptile      
commonly takes when on the point of     
striking madly      with its fangs4 ,i  
had examined many before1 and especially
      the position of the fangs along   
the superior jaw-bones1 but      had    
never seen one showing the whole of the 
fangs exposed      at the same time4    
,he then described the generous         
provision which nature has made to keep 
the rattlesnake in fighting trim1 by    
giving it a dental arsenal on which it  

can draw in case of loss2 he added that 
the heat of the day was such that he    
could devote only sixteen hours to the  
drawing4  ,at this time ,audubon was a  
handsome and attractive man2 his pupil1 
who did not enjoy the best of health1   
was attended by a young physician who   
was also her lover4 ,it is not          
surprising therefore to learn that      
jealousy on the part of the doctor led  
to a misunderstanding1 and that the     
naturalist suddenly made his departure  
and returned to ,new ,orleans4 ,in      
recording this incident ,audubon could  
not repress his amusement at the        
prescription of the physician1 who      
ordered the young lady to abstain from  
all writing and drawing for a period of 
four months1 but meanwhile permitted her
 to eat anything which pleased her      
fancy1 in spite of the relapses of fever
 that occasionally occurred4 ,audubon   
was allowed to see her only at appointed
 hours1 as if1 he said1 he were an      
extraordinary ambassador to some distant

 court1 and was obliged to preserve the 
utmost decorum of manner2 he expressed  
the belief that he had not once laughed 
in the presence of the young lady during
 the entire term of his tutorial        
engagement1 which lasted from the #ahth 
of ,june to the #bast of ,october4      
,later1 in ,december of the same year1  
when his former pupil passed him without
 recognition in the streets of ,new     
,orleans1 he indulged in the reflection 
that she had apparently quite forgotten 
the great pains with which at her own   
request he had done her portrait in     
pastels1 but1 thanks to his talents1 he 
thought that he could run the gauntlet  
of the world without her help4#bhi  ,at 
,new ,orleans ,audubon soon found new   
pupils1 particularly through the aid of 
,mr4 ,r4 ,pamar and ,mr4 ,william       
,braud1#bij who came to his assistance1 
,mrs4 ,braud and her son paying him at  
the rate of three dollars for a lesson  
of one hour4 ,on ,november #aj1 #ahba1  
he wrote3       ,continued my close     

application to my ornithology1 writing  
every day1 from morning until night1    
omitting no observations1               
correcting1 re-arranging from my notes  
and measurements1 and      posting up2  
particularly all my land birds4 ,the    
great many      errors ,i found in the  
work of ,wilson astonished me4 ,i try to
      speak of them with care1 and as   
seldom as possible1 knowing      the    
good will of that man1 and the vast many
 hearsay accounts      he depended on4  
,illustration3 ,,road ,,leading ,,from  
,,bayou ,,sara ,,landing ,,to      ,,the
 ,,village ,,of ,,st4 ,,francisville1   
,,west ,,feliciana ,,parish1            
,,louisiana4    ,illustration3 ,,oakley1
 ,,james ,,pirrie',s ,,plantation       
,,house ,,near      ,,st4               
,,francisville4       ,this and the     
above after photographs by ,mr4 ,stanley
 ,clisby      ,arthur1 #aiaf4  ,again1  
on the #beth of that month is this      
entry3       ,since ,i left ,cincinnati 
,i have finished #fb drawings of birds  

and plants1 #c quadrupeds1 #b snakes1   
fifty portraits of all      sorts1 and  
the large one of ,father ,antonio1#bia  
besides      giving many lessons1 and ,i
 have made out to send money to      my 
wife sufficient for her and my ,kentucky
 lads1 and to live      in humble       
comfort with only my talents and        
industry1 without      one cent to begin
 on4 ,i sent a draft to my wife1 and    
began      to live in ,new ,orleans with
 forty-two dollars1 health1 and         
much anxiety to pursue my plan of       
collecting all the birds of             
,america4  ,the close of the year #ahba 
found ,audubon teaching a few pupils at 
,new ,orleans1 where1 he said1 his style
 of work and the large prices he        
received caused him the ill will of     
every artist in the city4 ,the figure   
which he cut in the streets1 with his   
loose dress of nankeen and long1 flowing
 locks1 made him wish to appear like    
other people1 and he was soon able to   
rejoice in a new suit of clothes4       

,though still in need of work1 when he  
was asked to aid in painting a panorama 
of ,new ,orleans1 he refused1 begrudging
 the time1 saying that he did not wish  
to see any other perspective than that  
of the last of his drawings4  ,having   
been from home for over a year1 ,audubon
 now wished to have his family about him
 again4#bib ,his plan did not appeal to 
his practical wife1 who had many friends
 at ,cincinnati1 where she was assured  
of a good income through her teaching2  
,mrs4 ,audubon also felt that to be     
constantly shifting about was anything  
but favorable to the education of their 
children4 ,her reluctance1 however1 gave
 way1 and in ,december she joined her   
husband in ,new ,orleans1 but only to   
find that the city could afford them no 
settled means of support4 ,the situation
 of the ,audubon family during the      
winter of #ahba-bb became precarious in 
the extreme1 and for two months ,audubon
 gave up his habit of journalizing1 one 
reason being that he could not afford   

the paltry sum necessary to buy a blank 
book for this purpose4  ,compelled at   
last to make a new move1 ,audubon       
started for ,natchez1 on the #afth of   
,march1 #ahbb1 paying for his passage on
 the steamer ,eclat by doing a crayon   
portrait of the captain and his wife4   
,it was while going up the river at this
 time that he opened a chest containing 
two hundred of his drawings to find them
 sadly damaged by the breaking of a     
bottle of gunpowder1 but the loss then  
sustained was apparently slight in      
comparison with that which he had       
experienced in an earlier disaster4 ,to 
follow his account of this earlier and  
better known incident1 when leaving     
,henderson for ,philadelphia1 he        
carefully placed all of his drawings in 
a wooden box and entrusted them to the  
care of a friend1 with injunction that  
no harm should befall them2 upon        
returning several months later1 his     
treasure chest was opened1 but only to  
reveal that a pair of ,norway rats had  

taken possession of the whole1 and had  
reared a young family amongst the gnawed
 bits of paper1 which but a few months  
before represented nearly a thousand    
inhabitants of the air4 ,the heat that  
was immediately felt in his head1 said  
the naturalist1 was too great to be     
endured1 and the days that followed were
 days of oblivion to him2 but upon      
recuperation he took up his gun1 his    
notebook and his pencils1 and went forth
 to the woods as gaily as if nothing had
 happened2 after a lapse of three years 
his portfolio was again filled1 and the 
earlier work replaced by better4        
,audubon's drawings and plates were also
 repeatedly ravaged by fires1 but this  
was at a much later day4  ,while        
,audubon was engaged in teaching        
,french1 music1 or drawing1 now to      
private pupils at ,natchez1 now in a    
school at ,washington1 ,mississippi1    
nine miles away1 the summer of #ahbb    
passed with the outlook as ominous as   
ever4 ,on ,august #bc he wrote3 ,my     

friend1 ,joseph ,mason1 left me today1  
and we experienced great pain at        
parting4 ,i gave him paper and chalks to
 work his way with1 and the double      
barrelled-gun 444 which ,i had purchased
 in ,philadelphia in #ahje4 ,mason1 who1
 for a year and nine months1 was        
,audubon's aid and constant companion1  
seems to have settled eventually as an  
artist in ,philadelphia1 where we hear  
of him in #ahbd and again in #ahbg4bic  
,in the following ,december ,audubon    
received a fresh impetus towards the    
goal of his ambition by the arrival at  
,natchez of a traveling portrait        
painter1 named ,john ,stein1 who gave   
him his first lessons in the use of     
oils2 his initial attempt was the copy  
of an otter from one of his own         
drawings4 ,audubon and ,stein together  
later painted a full-length portrait of 
,father ,antonio which was sent to      
,havana4 ,artists who have worked long  
in one medium are not always successful 
in another1 but those who have seen some

 of ,audubon's later and better works in
 oil1 such as his large canvas of the   
,wild ,turkeys1#bid must admit that he  
attained a high degree of skill4 ,as    
will be seen1 this acquisition was a    
strong string to his bow2 when in       
,england his brush helped largely to pay
 for the issue of his early plates4     
,mrs4 ,audubon1 who joined her husband  
in ,new ,orleans on ,december #h1 #ahba1
 soon felt obliged to seek employment4  
,she engaged as nurse or governess in   
the family of ,mr4 ,braud1 presumably   
the same whose wife and son had received
 instruction in drawing from the        
naturalist the previous autumn1 and     
remained with that family until         
,september1 #ahbb1 when the death of the
 child that was placed in her charge    
left her free to follow her husband to  
,natchez4 ,after attempting a similar   
position in the home of a clergyman     
there and finding it impossible to      
obtain her salary1 in ,january1 #ahbc1  
she was invited by the ,percys to ,west 

,feliciana1#bie then a prosperous cotton
 district1 at the apex of the salient   
made by the neighboring state of        
,mississippi and bordered on two sides  
by the great river4 ,her worth was      
evidently appreciated1 for she was      
encouraged to establish a private school
 on the ,percys' plantation1 which she  
conducted successfully for five years4  
,captain ,robert ,percy1 who before     
coming to ,america in #agif had been an 
officer in the ,british ,navy1 was      
living at this time with his wife and   
five children at their plantation of    
,weyanoke1 on ,big ,sara ,creek1 fifteen
 miles from ,st4 ,francisville2 this    
town1 owing to its large shipments of   
cotton1 was then at the height of       
prosperity1 and its population no doubt 
exceeded that of the present day2 it now
 stands at about one thousand souls4    
,letters and journals of the period     
constantly refer to ,beechwoods1 which  
was not the mansion house1 though it    
undoubtedly belonged to the ,robert     

,percy estate4 ,there it was that the   
wife of the naturalist lived1 and there 
she started her school1 for the benefit 
not only of the ,percy boys and girls1  
but also of a limited number of children
 of their wealthy neighbors2 her own    
son1 ,john ,woodhouse ,audubon1 then    
eleven years of age1 at this time       
received instruction at her hands4 ,the 
parish of ,west ,feliciana1 at this     
early period1 was one of the richest    
cotton-producing sections of the entire 
,state2 its care-free planters led an   
easy life until the king was            
unceremoniously dethroned by a small1   
but not insignificant insect which has  
proved mightier than either fire or     
sword1 namely1 the boll-weevil2 now many
 a fine old estate which has languished 
under the influence of the pest could   
probably be bought for a song4          
,beechwoods1 thus devoted to educational
 purposes1 later came into the hands of 
,thomas ,percy1 but the house1 like that
 of ,weyanoke1 was long since burned to 

the ground4  ,while ,mrs4 ,audubon was  
establishing her rules and authority at 
the ,percy school1 the naturalist was   
painting with ,stein at ,natchez1 and he
 remained there with his elder son until
 the spring of #ahbc4 ,at this period he
 wrote in his journal3 ,i had finally   
determined to break through all bonds1  
and follow my ornithological pursuits4  
,my best friends solemnly regarded me as
 a madman1 and my wife and family alone 
gave me encouragement4 ,my wife         
determined that my genius should        
prevail1 and that my final success as an
 ornithologist should be triumphant4    
,in ,march1 #ahbc1 ,audubon and friend  
,stein bought a horse and wagon1 and in 
the hope of raising money through their 
joint efforts as itinerant portrait     
painters1 set out with ,victor on a tour
 of the ,southern ,states4 ,this        
venture1 however1 did not succeed1 and  
after visiting ,jackson and a number of 
other towns1 they disbanded at ,new     
,orleans4 ,audubon then started north   

with his son for ,louisville1 but upon  
paying a visit to his wife at the       
,beechwoods school1 he was invited by   
the ,percys to remain there for the     
summer and teach the young ladies music 
and drawing4 ,according to a tradition  
which has survived among the ,percy     
descendants1 ,audubon spent most of his 
time in roaming through the woods1 but  
he also taught his wife's pupils to swim
 in the large spring house at ,weyanoke1
 where the water could be deepened at   
pleasure4 ,it was also said that he     
painted the ,wild ,turkeys in the woods 
of ,sleepy ,hollow near by1 but ,i have 
already given ,audubon's own record in  
regard to one of these pictures1 and1 as
 ,mr4 ,arthur remarks1 the places in    
,louisiana where he drew these famous   
subjects are as numerous as the beds in 
which ,lafayette slept when at ,new     
,orleans4  ,audubon remained with the   
,percys during the greater part of the  
summer1 or until some misunderstanding  
arose1 when he was again adrift and upon

 a sea of difficulties4 ,while visiting 
a plantation near ,natchez1 both he and 
,victor were stricken with fever2 his   
faithful wife hastened to them1 and     
after nursing both back to health1 she  
returned with them to the ,percy        
plantation1 where they remained from the
 #hth to the #cjth of ,september4  ,in  
the autumn of #ahbc ,audubon was        
determined to visit ,philadelphia1 in   
the hope of finding a sponsor for his   
,ornithology4 ,although the work was    
then far from ready for publication1 he 
felt that at least he might better his  
condition1 and with this end in view he 
sent his drawings from ,natchez to that 
city2 a hasty visit was made also to    
,new ,orleans1 for the purpose1 no      
doubt1 of obtaining credentials to      
possible patrons in the ,east4 ,at last1
 on ,october #c1 he started with ,victor
 on the steamer ,magnet#bif for         
,louisville4 ,low water quickly held    
them up after entering the mouth of the 
,ohio1 and they were obliged to         

disembark at the little village of      
,trinity1 at the mouth of ,cash ,creek1 
the scene of ,audubon's misadventures   
with ,rozier thirteen years before4 ,the
 remoteness of the situation and the    
state of their funds1 which corresponded
 with that of the river1 left no        
alternative but to walk1 and they       
undertook to reach ,louisville1 several 
hundred miles distant1 afoot4 ,two other
 travelers joined them1 and with        
,victor1 then a lad of nearly fourteen1 
the party left the creek at noon on     
,october #ae and struck across country  
through the forests and canebrakes4 ,at 
,green ,river1 which was reached on the 
#bast1 ,victor gave out from sheer      
exhaustion1#big and the remainder of the
 journey was finished in a ,jersey      
wagon4 ,at length1 said ,audubon1 ,i    
entered ,louisville with thirteen       
dollars in my pocket4 ,at ,shippingport1
 then an independent town at the ,falls 
of the ,ohio1 he was obliged to settle  
down for the winter4 ,a place for       

,victor was found in the counting-house 
of ,nicholas ,a4 ,berthoud1 while the   
father undertook anything that came to  
hand1 painting portraits1 landscapes1   
panels for river boats1 and even street 
signs1 so hard pressed was he at times  
to eke out a subsistence for them both4 
,yet ,audubon was as sanguine as ever1  
and on ,november #i he recorded the     
resolution to paint one hundred views of
 ,american scenery1 and added3 ,i shall 
not be surprised to find myself seated  
at the foot of ,niagara1 a prediction   
which was fulfilled in the following    
year4  ,during the winter spent at      
,shippingport1 ,audubon lost a gentle   
friend in ,madame ,berthoud1#bih the    
mother of ,nicholas4 ,in his journal for
 ,january #bj1 #ahbd1 we read his       
emotional words3       ,i arose this    
morning by the transparent light which  
is the      effect of the moon before   
dawn1 and saw ,dr4 ,middleton passing   
at full gallop towards the white house2 
,i followed--alas6      my old friend   

was dead6444 many tears fell from my    
eyes1      accustomed to sorrow4 ,it was
 impossible for me to work2 my          
heart1 restless1 moved from point to    
point all round the      compass of my  
life4 ,ah ,lucy6 what have ,i felt      
to-day6 444      ,i have spent it       
thinking1 thinking1 learning1 weighing  
my      thoughts1 and quite sick of     
life4 ,i wished ,i had been as quiet    
as my venerable friend1 as she lay for  
the last time in her      room4         
,,chapter ,,xxi  ,d,,but ,,as ,a        
,,naturalist       ,audubon makes his   
bow at ,philadelphia--,is greeted with  
plaudits and cold water--,friendship of 
,harlan1 ,sully1      ,bonaparte and    
,harris--,hostility of ,ord1 ,lawson and
 other      friends of ,alexander       
,wilson--,a meeting of                  
academicians--,visit      to ,mill      
,grove--,exhibits drawings in ,new ,york
 and becomes a      member of the       
,lyceum--,at the ,falls of ,niagara--,in
 a gale on      ,lake ,erie--,episode at

 ,meadville--,walk to ,pittsburgh--,tour
 of      ,lakes ,ontario and            
,champlain--,decides to take his        
drawings      to ,europe--,descends the 
,ohio in a skiff--,stranded at          
,cincinnati--,teaching at ,st4          
,francisville4   ,in #ahbd after five   
hard years of struggle and              
embarrassment1 ,audubon decided that the
 time had come to bring his labors to   
the light of day4 ,at thirty-nine1 he   
read and spoke two languages but was    
without adequate training in either2 he 
had never written a line for            
publication1 and to the scientific world
 he was a stranger4 ,though without a   
definite plan1 he cherished the ardent  
hope of presenting the birds of his     
beloved ,america as he had depicted     
them1 to the size of life1 and with all 
the added interest and zest that a      
natural environment could give them4    
,to ,philadelphia the naturalist now    
turned his steps1 for that city was then
 a ,mecca for scientific men4 ,leaving  

,shippingport in ,march1 he reached the 
,quaker capital on the fifth day of     
,april4 ,there he purchased a new suit  
of clothes1 and1 dressed with extreme   
neatness1 paid his respects to ,dr4     
,william ,mease1 the one friend there   
whom he had known intimately in his     
younger and more prosperous days4 ,it   
was primarily through this excellent    
man's interest that ,audubon met the    
leading artists and scientific men of   
the city1 including ,thomas ,sully1     
,robert and ,rembrandt ,peale1 ,richard 
,harlan1 ,charles ,le ,sueur1 and       
,charles ,l4 ,bonaparte1 the latter then
 a rising young ornithologist of one and
 twenty4 ,it was ,bonaparte who         
introduced ,audubon to the ,academy of  
,natural ,sciences1 where his drawings  
were exhibited and generally admired4   
,among his critics on that occasion was 
,george ,ord1 who from their first      
interview seems to have looked upon the 
new luminary with jealous eyes4 ,whether
 this was true or not1 there is no doubt

 that ,ord became one of his few really 
bitter and implacable adversaries1 and  
not many days elapsed before ,audubon   
came to feel that many in ,philadelphia 
would be glad to see him return to the  
backwoods of the ,middle ,west1 from    
which1 like an apple of ,sodom1 he      
seemed suddenly to have dropped into    
their midst4 ,those who were most       
interested in the continued sale and    
success of ,wilson's ,ornithology1 he   
declared1 advised him not to publish    
anything1 and threw not only cold water 
but ice upon all his plans4 ,thus began 
that unseemly rivalry1 fostered for many
 years by ,george ,ord in this country1 
between the friends of ,alexander       
,wilson and those of ,john ,james       
,audubon1 the dead embers of which are  
occasionally stirred even to this       
day4#bii  ,ord1 who was about ,audubon's
 own age1 was a quiet1 persistent1 and  
unassuming worker1 held in high esteem  
by many of his associates4 ,audubon     
seems to have done his best to          

conciliate him then and at a later day1 
but all to no purpose2 ,dr4 ,harlan once
 advised him to give up the attempt1    
since ,ord1 he declared1 had no heart   
for friendship1 having been denied that 
blessing by nature herself4 ,ord1 as we 
have seen1 had edited the eighth and    
written the ninth1 or concluding1 volume
 of ,wilson's ,american ,ornithology1 as
 well as a life of its author2 the      
appearance of a new star in the         
ornithological horizon may not have been
 a welcome sight4 ,at all events1 we    
soon find him engaged upon a new edition
 of ,wilson's work4#cjj ,ord had        
objected to ,audubon's method of        
combining plants and other accessories  
with his drawings of birds1 a criticism 
that in the case of purely technical    
works could be easily sustained1 and    
some of his later charges1 though       
carried too far1 were not wholly without
 foundation4#cja  ,bonaparte1#cjb on the
 other hand1 was captivated by          
,audubon's drawings and anxious to      

secure his services for his own work1   
then well in hand4 ,this was the        
,american ,ornithology1 for which       
,titian ,r4 ,peale was then making the  
drawings1 and ,thomas ,lawson1 who had  
been ,wilson's engraver1 was engaged on 
the plates2 though quite distinct in    
itself1 this was much in the style of   
,wilson's earlier work1 of which it was 
virtually a continuation4 ,when         
,bonaparte introduced ,audubon to these 
men1 it is not surprising that the      
meeting was not productive of the best  
of feeling on either side4 ,peale's     
stiff and rather conventional portraits 
of birds naturally failed to awaken     
enthusiasm in the trader naturalist1 as 
some who looked upon him as a rival     
rather contemptuously called him4 ,the  
interview with ,lawson1 if correctly    
reported by his friend1#cjc shows that  
his interest could not have been of the 
most disinterested sort4 ,lawson told   
me1 said this reporter1 that he spoke   
freely of the pictures1 and said that   

they were ill drawn1 not true to nature1
 and anatomically incorrect4 ,thereupon 
,bonaparte defended them warmly1 saying 
that he would buy them and that ,lawson 
should engrave them4 ,you may buy them1 
said the ,scotchman1 but ,i will not    
engrave them 444 because ornithology    
requires truth in the forms1 and        
correctness in the lines4 ,here are     
neither4 ,other meetings are said to    
have followed1 but to have ended only in
 mutual dislike4 ,nevertheless1 one of  
,audubon's drawings was engraved by     
,lawson and appeared in ,bonaparte's    
work1#cjd but most of the figures in    
,bonaparte's concluding volumes were by 
the hand of a ,german named ,alexander  
,rider4 ,it was doubtless a fortunate   
circumstance that the prejudice and     
obstinacy of this overbearing ,scot was 
a bar to any further absorption of      
,audubon's talents4#cje  ,audubon met at
 this time a more appreciative engraver 
in ,mr4 ,fairman1 who urged him to take 
his drawings to ,europe and have them   

engraved in a superior style2 on ,july  
#ab the naturalist wrote that he had    
drawn for ,mr4 ,fairman a small grouse  
to be put on a banknote belonging to the
 ,state of ,new ,jersey4 ,by some lucky 
chance this incident brought him the    
acquaintance of ,edward ,harris1#cjf    
whom he met that summer in              
,philadelphia1 and who became one of his
 most constant and disinterested        
friends4 ,it was ,harris who a few days 
after their meeting took all of the     
drawings which ,audubon had for sale and
 at the artist's own prices2#cjg who for
 years was continually sending him rare 
or desirable specimens of birds2 who    
accompanied him through the ,southern   
,states to ,florida in #ahcg and on the 
famous ,missouri ,river ,expedition in  
#ahdc4 ,edward ,harris became a patron  
of science through his friendship with  
scientific men1 and many besides        
,audubon were indebted to him for       
judicious advice as well as more        
substantial benefits4    ,illustration3 

,,an ,,early ,,letter ,,to ,,edward     
,,harris1 ,,dated ,,july      #ad1 #ahbd
 ,,at ,,the ,,beginning ,,of ,,their    
,,life-,,long ,,friendship4       ,from 
the ,jeanes ,,mss4 ,audubon's last      
letter to ,edward ,harris1      from the
 same source1 is reproduced in ,volume  
,,ii1 page #bhg4  ,the ,academy of      
,natural ,sciences1 founded in #ahab1   
was well established at this time1 and  
its rapidly growing ,museum was already 
the largest and most valuable in the    
,new ,world2 ornithology was a favored  
subject1 and the ,academy's roll        
embraced every ,american pioneer worker 
of note in the entire field of the      
natural sciences4 ,the following account
 of a meeting of the ,academy1 held on  
,october #aa1 #ahbe1 when ,ord presided1
 has been preserved in a letter of the  
period3#cjh       ,a few evenings since 
,i was associated with a society of     
gentlemen1 members of the ,academy of   
,natural ,sciences4 ,there      were    
present fifteen or twenty4 ,among the   

number were ,le      ,sueur1            
,rafinesque1 ,say1 ,peale1 ,pattison1   
,harlan1 and ,charles      ,lucien      
,bonaparte4       ,among this collection
 life was most strikingly exemplified3  
,le      ,sueur1 with a countenance     
weather-beaten and worn1 looked on1     
for the muscles of his ironbound visage 
seemed as incapable      of motion1 as  
those on the medals struck in the age of
 ,julius      ,csar4 ,rafinesque has a  
fine black eye1 rather bald and black   
hair1 and withal is rather corpulent4 ,i
 was informed that      he was a native 
of ,constantinople2 at present he lives 
in      ,kentucky4 ,dr4 ,harlan is a    
spruce young man4444 ,peale is the      
son of the original proprietor of the   
,philadelphia ,museum1      and one who 
visited the ,rocky ,mountains with      
,major ,long2      he is a young man1   
and has no remarkable indications of    
countenance to distinguish him4 ,say1   
who was his companion in      the same  
expedition1 is an extremely interesting 

man2 to him      ,i am particularly     
obligated for showing me their ,museum  
and      ,library4 ,i think he told me  
that their society had published        
nine volumes4444 ,bonaparte is the son  
of ,lucien ,bonaparte      and nephew to
 the ,emperor ,napoleon2 he is a little 
set1      black-eyed fellow1 quite      
talkative1 and withal interesting       
and companionable4  ,among the working  
naturalists at ,philadelphia ,dr4       
,richard ,harlan was possibly one whose 
friendship was most valuable to         
,audubon2 the artist from whom he       
received most encouragement was ,thomas 
,sully1 the portrait painter1 who took  
him into his studio and gave him lessons
 in the use of oils4 ,sully was one of  
those who saw the good side of          
,audubon's character1 discerned his     
talent1 and predicted for him a great   
future2 at a later day ,sully was able  
to rejoice in finding his prediction    
amply fulfilled4#cji  ,convinced that   
the advice which ,fairman and ,bonaparte

 had given him was sound1 ,audubon      
decided to look to ,europe for a        
publisher of his ,birds1 and with this  
end in view1 set hard to work at his    
drawings4 ,i had some pupils offered1 he
 said1 at a dollar per lesson2 but ,i   
found the citizens unwilling to pay for 
art1 although they affected to patronize
 it4 ,i exhibited my drawings for a     
week1 but found the show did not pay1   
and so determined to remove myself4     
,audubon remained in ,philadelphia until
 ,august1 and while in doubt as to what 
step he should take next1 he was cheered
 by a visit to ,mill ,grove1 made in the
 carriage of his ,quaker friend1 ,reuben
 ,haines4 ,to quote his journal3        
,as we entered the avenue1 which led to 
the farm1 every      step brought to my 
mind the memory of past years1 and ,i   
was      bewildered by the recollections
 until we reached the door of      the  
house1 which had once been the residence
 of my father as      well as of myself4
 ,the cordial welcome of ,mr4           

,wetherill1 the      owner1 was         
extremely agreeable4 ,after resting a   
few moments1      ,i abruptly took my   
hat and ran wildly to the woods1 to the 
grotto where ,i first heard from my wife
 that she was not      indifferent to   
me4 ,it had been torn down1 and some    
stones      carted away2 but raising my 
eyes towards heaven1 ,i repeated        
the promise we had mutually made4 ,we   
dined at ,mill ,grove1 and      as ,i   
entered the parlor ,i stood motionless  
for a moment on      the spot where my  
wife and myself were forever joined4    
,in this dramatic rehearsal the         
naturalist clearly implies that he was  
married in the parlor of his own home1  
but his excellent wife1 who was surely  
in this instance the better authority1  
explicitly states that their marriage   
took place in her father's house at     
,fatland ,ford4 ,since ,audubon was in  
the habit of sending extracts from his  
journal to his family1 it is clear that 
errors of this sort were the simple     

result of an impulsive temperament2 the 
moment his imagination pictured his     
wedding as having taken place in his old
 abode1 down went the jotting in the    
journal1 which was written at odd       
moments anywhere1 often at late hours1  
and with no care in revision or thought 
of future publication4  ,on ,august #a1 
#ahbd1 ,audubon recorded in his diary   
that he had left ,philadelphia for ,new 
,york on the day before1 in good health1
 free from debt1 and free from anxiety  
about the future4 ,sully had given him  
glowing letters of introduction to      
,gilbert ,stuart1 ,washington ,allston  
and ,colonel ,trumbull1 but then as now 
midsummer was not a propitious time to  
find city people at home1 and he began  
to consider the advisability of visiting
 both ,albany and ,boston4 ,alternately 
elated or depressed by the prospects of 
the day or the hour1 ,audubon wrote on  
,august #d that he had called with a    
letter of introduction on ,dr4          
,mitchell1 who had given him a kind     

letter to his friend ,dr4 ,barnes4 ,this
 hurriedly penciled note from the       
,nestor of ,american science of that day
 has been carefully preserved1 and reads
 as follows3#caj   ,dr4 ,samuel ,l4     
,mitchell to ,dr4 ,barnes       ,mr4 ,a4
 who brings strong testimonial of       
excellence from our      friends in ,pha
 is now sitting with me--,i have been   
delighted      and instructed by a      
,display of his ,port ,folio containing 
,drawings ,done from ,life of ,north    
,american ,birds and      illustrating  
the ,connect1 of ornithology with       
,botany4 he has      ,superior          
attainments  skill in the natural       
sciences which he      has cultivated   
for more than #bj y4       he wishes to 
show his ,elegant performances to the   
,members of      the ,lyceum and to be  
made a ,member of that ,society--it is  
his      intention to ,leave this ,city 
for ,boston on ,sunday morning4         
,meanwhile ,i recommend him to your good
 offices4            ,yours ,truly as   

ever            ,,sam1 ,l4 ,,mitchell   
,aug t #d t #ahbd    ,illustration3     
,,note ,,of ,,dr4 ,,samuel ,l4          
,,mitchell1 ,,written      ,,hurriedly  
,,in ,,pencil1 ,,recommending ,,audubon 
,,to ,,his ,,friend1 ,,dr4              
,,barnes1 ,,august #d1 #ahbd       ,from
 the ,howland ,,mss4  ,dr4 ,mitchell1   
who was the father and first president  
of the ,lyceum of ,natural ,history1 had
 been a friend of young ,audubon when he
 was clerking in ,new ,york in #ahjg4caa
 ,his recommendation was accepted1 and  
the naturalist was enrolled on the      
,lyceum's list of members2 to justify   
his election1 two papers1 representing  
his first contribution to ornithology1  
were presented to the ,society1 and     
appeared in its ,annals of that         
year4#cab ,audubon visited the ,lyceum  
with ,dr4 ,de,kay and exhibited his     
drawings1 but said that he felt awkward 
and uncomfortable4 ,on ,august #c he    
called on ,john ,vanderlyn1 the artist1 
examined his pictures1 and saw the medal

 given him by ,napoleon1 but was not    
impressed with the idea that he was a   
great painter4 ,upon meeting ,vanderlyn 
again a little later1 he was asked to   
sit for a portrait of ,andrew ,jackson2 
his journal entry regarding the incident
 was as follows3#cac       ,august #aj4 
,my spirits low1 and ,i long for the    
woods again2 but      the prospect of   
becoming better known prompts me to     
remain      another day4 ,met the artist
 ,vanderlyn1 who asked me to give       
him a sitting for a portrait of ,general
 ,jackson1 since my      figure         
considerably resembled that of the      
,general1 more than      any he had ever
 seen4 ,i likewise sketched my landlady 
and      child1 and filled my time4     
,the context shows that the sitting was 
given1 and as ,mr4 ,stanley ,c4 ,arthur 
remarks1 ,vanderlyn's portrait1 which   
now hangs in the ,city ,hall in ,new    
,york1 shows ,old ,hickory from the     
shoulders up1 but from the shoulders    
down it is ,john ,james ,audubon4  ,on  

the #adth ,audubon wrote cheerfully to  
,sully3   ,audubon to ,thomas ,sully    
,my reception in ,new ,york has         
surpassed my hopes4 ,i have been        
most kindly received1 and had ,i seen   
,col4 ,trumball1 ,i would      have     
found him the gentleman you represented1
 but his absence      at ,saratoga      
,springs has deprived me of that        
pleasure4       ,new ,york is now an    
immense city4 ,strangers are received   
here      with less reserve generally   
than at ,philadelphia4 ,i found the     
,academy well supplied with paintings1  
and sculptures of the      ,greek       
masters4 ,the steam boats of the ,sweet 
,ohio1 with all      their swiftness of 
motion and beautiful forms1 do not      
interest      the eye like those that   
are here tossing over the foaming       
billows with the grace of the wild swan4
 ,were ,i a painter--ah      could ,i1  
like ----1 carry in my mind's eye all my
 mind feels      when looking at the    
,battery at the moon's tender           

reflections      on the farthest sails1 
forcing the vessel they move with the   
very wind's heart1--express as he does  
the quick moving tar      hauling in a  
reef at the yard's end1--and make on the
 canvas a      noble commander speak1 as
 you have done2 then1 my dear friend1   
,i could show you ,new ,york's harbor   
and all its beauties4444       ,i cannot
 part with that ,fair ,city             
,philadelphia this soon2      ,i cannot 
help thanking ,fairman1 ,peale1 ,neagle1
 ,le ,sueur1      and many others       
besides ,mc ,murty for their attentions 
to      me4 ,should you see honest      
,quaker ,haines1 beg him to believe     
me his friend2 should you see ,mr4 ,ord1
 tell him ,i never was      his enemy4  
,think of me some time1 and accept the  
truest best      wishes of              
,,john ,j4 ,,audubon4       ,i leave for
 ,boston tomorrow4 ,should you please to
 write to      me1 direct to ,care of   
,messrs4 ,anshutz  ,co1 ,pittsburgh1    
where      ,i shall be in about #dj     

days4  ,the very next day ,audubon      
changed his plans and sailed up the     
,hudson to ,albany1 where he hoped to   
meet ,de ,witt ,clinton1 then at the    
height of his fame1 who in the course of
 his great undertakings had found time  
to write letters on the natural history 
and antiquities of his ,state1 and ,dr4 
,beck1 the botanist4 ,failing to find   
either at home1 ,audubon was compelled  
by the depleted state of his pocketbook 
to give up his plan of visiting ,boston1
 and being determined to see ,niagara   
,falls1 he took passage on a canal boat 
to ,buffalo instead4 ,the ,falls were   
reached on the #bdth of ,august1 and it 
was then1 on recording his name at an   
hotel1 that ,audubon wrote underneath3  
,who1 like ,wilson1 will ramble1 but    
never1 like that great man1 die under   
the lash of a bookseller4#cad ,upon his 
first view of the ,falls he was         
satisfied that ,niagara never had been  
and never could be painted4 ,he wanted  
to cross the bridge at ,goat ,island but

 was deterred by the necessity of       
economy4 ,visitors it seems1 had already
 learned to venture under a small       
section of the ,american ,falls1 and    
,audubon said that while looking through
 the falling sheet of water1 at their   
feet thousands of eels were lying side  
by side1 trying vainly to ascend the    
torrent4 ,after strolling through the   
village to find some bread and milk1 the
 naturalist recorded that he ate a good 
dinner for twelve cents1 and that he    
went to bed thinking of ,franklin eating
 his roll in the streets of             
,philadelphia1 of ,goldsmith traveling  
by the aid of his musical powers1 and of
 other great men who had worked their   
way through hardships and difficulties  
to fame1 and fell asleep1 hoping1 by    
persevering industry1 to make a name for
 himself among his countrymen4  ,the    
schooner from ,buffalo to ,erie1        
,pennsylvania1 on which ,audubon had    
taken deck passage1 as he was unable to 
afford a berth in the cabin1 was caught 

in a violent gale on the way and was    
obliged to anchor in the harbor of      
,presque ,isle4 ,it was on the #bith of 
,august1 #ahbd1 his diary reads1 and    
never shall ,i forget that morning4     
,captain ,judd1 of the ,united ,states  
,navy1 had sent a gig with six men to   
its relief1 and my drawings1 he         
continues1 were put into the boat with  
the greatest care4 ,we shifted into it1 
and seated ourselves according to       
direction4 ,our brave fellows pulled    
hard1 and every moment brought us nearer
 the ,american shore2 ,i leaped upon it 
with elated heart4 ,my drawings were    
safely landed1 and for anything else ,i 
cared little at the moment4  ,at this   
point ,audubon set out with a fellow    
traveler1 who was also an artist1 for   
,meadville1 ,pennsylvania4 ,the earliest
 version of his journal#cae which gives 
an account of this experience reads as  
follows3       ,on the shore of upper   
,canada1 my money was stolen4 ,the      
thief1      perhaps1 imagined it was of 

little importance to a naturalist4      
,to repine at what could not be helped  
would have been unmanly4      ,i felt   
satisfied ,providence had relief in     
store4 ,seven dollars      and a half   
were left to us1 two persons1 #aejj     
miles from home1      at the entrance of
 ,presque-,isle ,harbor4  ,five dollars 
was paid to their driver1 and when they 
reached ,meadville1 and entered ,j4 ,e4 
,smith's ,traveler's ,rest1 they had but
 one hundred and fifty cents between    
them4 ,no time was to be lost1 and      
,audubon at once started out with his   
portfolio and his artist friend to look 
for work3       ,i walked up the ,main  
,street1 looking for heads1 till ,i saw 
a      ,hollander gentleman in a store1 
who looked as if he might want      a   
sketch4 ,i begged him to allow me to sit
 down4 ,this granted1      ,i remained  
perfectly silent till he very soon      
asked3 ,what      is in that portfolio8 
,this sounded well2 ,i opened it4 ,he   
complimented me on my drawings of birds 

and flowers4 ,showing      him a        
portrait of my ,best ,friend1 ,i asked  
him if he would like      one of        
himself4 ,he said ,yes1 and ,i will     
exert myself to gain      as many more  
customers as ,i can4  ,according to a   
story current at ,meadville long after  
the event ,audubon made the acquaintance
 of ,mr4 ,benedict1 a merchant1 lately  
come from ,new ,haven1 whose attractive 
daughter1 named ,jennett1#caf was then  
one and twenty2 his family lived at the 
village tavern1 called the ,torbett     
,house1 in which ,mr4 ,augustus ,colson 
had a store4 ,it was ,mr4 ,colson1 to   
whom ,audubon probably refers1 who      
responded generously to his appeal for  
work1 and called in a number of his     
young friends as possible patrons4      
,among them was ,miss ,jennett          
,benedict1 and the naturalist1 attracted
 by her agreeable manners and pleasing  
appearance1 asked permission to make a  
portrait-sketch1 saying that he would   
pay for the privilege by presenting her 

with a copy4 ,this was evidently good   
business enterprise1 for1 according to  
the story1 a grain bin in the ,colson   
store was soon converted into a studio1 
and ,audubon was rewarded by a number of
 sitters4 ,here is his account from the 
record just quoted3       ,next day ,i  
entered the artist's room1 by crazy     
steps of the      store-garret2 four    
windows faced each other at right       
angles2      in a corner was a cat      
nursing1 among rags for a paper-mill2   
hogsheads of oats1 ,dutch toys on the   
floor1 a large drum1      a bassoon1 fur
 caps along the walls1 a hammock and    
rolls of      leather4 ,closing the     
extra windows with blankets1 ,i procured
      a painter's light4       ,a young 
man sat to try my skill2 his phiz was   
approved2 then      the merchant2 the   
room became crowded4 ,in the evening ,i 
joined      him in music on the flute   
and violin4 ,my fellow traveller also   
had made two sketches4 ,we wrote a page 
or two in our journals1      and went to

 rest4       ,the next day was spent as 
yesterday4 ,our pockets replenished1    
we walked to ,pittsburgh in two days4   
,illustration3 ,,miss ,,jennett         
,,benedict ,,an ,,example ,,of          
,,audubon',s      ,,itinerant           
,,portraiture2 ,,drawn ,,at ,,meadville1
 ,,pennsylvania1 ,,in      #ahbd4       
,,after ,,the ,,original ,,crayon       
,,drawing ,,in ,,possession ,,of ,,mr4  
,,frederick ,a4 ,,sterling4             
,illustration3 ,,miss ,,eliza ,,pirrie  
,,my ,,lovely ,,miss ,,pirrie      ,,of 
',,oakley1' ,,audubon',s ,,pupil ,,in   
#ahba4 ,,after ,a ,,portrait      ,,in  
,,possession ,,of ,,her ,,granddaughter1
 ,,miss ,,lucy ,m4 ,,matthews4          
,,published ,,by ,,courtesy ,,of ,,mr4  
,,stanley ,,clisby ,,arthur4  ,a month  
was spent at ,pittsburgh1 where ,audubon
 searched the country for birds and     
continued his drawings4 ,while there he 
made the acquaintance of the ,reverend  
,john ,henry ,hopkins1 a man of superb  
appearance and rare conversational and  

oratorical powers1 later known as the   
learned and versatile first ,episcopal  
,bishop of ,vermont4 ,audubon attended  
some of the ministrations of this       
remarkable man1 through whose influence1
 he said1 ,i was brought to think1 more 
than ,i usually did1 of religious       
matters2 but ,i never think of churches 
without feeling sick at heart at the    
sham and show of some of their          
professors4 ,to repay evil with kindness
 is the religion that ,i was taught to  
practice1 and this will forever be my   
rule4  ,in the autumn of #ahbd ,audubon 
planned another visit to the ,great     
,lakes in search of new birds1 and tried
 to induce his friend1 ,mr4 ,edward     
,harris1 to accompany him4 ,while       
wandering in the forests along those    
lakes he thought out the plan which was 
finally followed in the publication of  
his ,birds of ,america3       ,chance1  
and chance alone1 had divided my        
drawings into three      different      
classes1 depending upon the magnitude of

 the objects      to be represented2    
and1 although ,i did not at that time   
possess all the specimens necessary1 ,i 
arranged them as well      as ,i could  
into parcels of five plates--,i improved
 the whole as      much as was in my    
power2 and as ,i daily retired farther  
from      the haunts of man1 determined 
to leave nothing undone1 which      my  
labor1 my time1 or my purse could       
accomplish4#cag  ,audubon's journal kept
 on the lakes has been lost1 but that   
journey was fresh in mind when he wrote 
the following letter to ,edward         
,harris4#cah   ,audubon to ,edward      
,harris            ,,beechwoods4 ,near  
,,bayou ,,sara1 ,,la4           ,jany4  
#ca #ahbe4       ,surely ,i have not    
dismerited your esteem2 when on the     
,lakes1 both ,ontario and ,champlain1 ,i
 wrote to you--again from               
,pittsburgh1 all without any answer1 and
 ,i am sorry to say that      ,i have   
been either abandoned or forgotten by   
all those other      persons who had    

promised to keep up a correspondence    
with      me4444       ,the country ,i  
visited was new1 in great measure1 to   
me4 ,i      have been delighted with the
 tour1 but will forever regret      that
 your sister's indisposition could not  
allow you time to      augment my       
pleasure by your company4       ,audubon
 offers to send his friend shrubs and   
fruits from the      ,south1 and        
concludes2 ,in fact1 my dear ,mr4       
,harris1 ,i am yet      the same man you
 knew at the corner of #eth1 and ,minor 
,streets      in ,philadelphia1 and will
 continue forever the same4  ,after his 
tour of the ,lakes ,audubon returned to 
,pittsburgh1 and on ,october #bd1 #ahbd1
 started down the ,ohio in a skiff1     
intending to descend to the ,mississippi
 and thence reach his family in         
,louisiana4 ,bad weather and lack of    
funds interfered with this plan1 and ere
 long he was once more stranded in      
,cincinnati1 where he was beset by      
claimants for payment upon articles     

ordered for the ,western ,museum five   
years before4 ,finding it difficult at  
this time to replenish an empty purse1  
,audubon felt that he must borrow       
fifteen dollars1 but could not make up  
his mind how to ask the favor until he  
had several times walked past the house 
where he had once been known4           
,nevertheless1 he succeeded in obtaining
 the necessary funds1 took passage on a 
boat bound for ,louisville1 and slept   
cheerfully that night on a pile of      
shavings which he managed to scrape     
together on deck4 ,the spirit of        
contentment which ,i now feel1 he wrote1
 is strange2 it borders on the sublime2 
and1 enthusiastic or lunatic1 as some of
 my relatives will have me1 ,i am glad  
to possess such a spirit2 later he      
added3 ,i discover that my friends think
 only of my apparel1 and those upon whom
 ,i have conferred acts of kindness     
prefer to remind me of my errors4       
,louisville was reached on ,november    
#bj1 and a number of days were spent in 

visiting his eldest son1 ,victor1 who   
was then at ,shippingport4#cai ,he      
finally arrived at ,bayou ,sara in late 
,november1 #ahbd4 ,the captain of his   
vessel1 which was bound for ,new        
,orleans1 put him ashore at midnight1   
and he was left to grope his way to the 
village on the hill4 ,st4 ,francisville1
 to his dismay1 was nearly deserted1 a  
scourge of yellow fever having driven   
most of its inhabitants to the pine     
woods4 ,the postmaster1 however1 was    
able to assure him that his wife and son
 were well1 and ,mr4 ,nbling1 a friendly
 ,german1 whom he described as a man of 
cultivation and taste1 and a lover of   
,natural ,science1 gave him refreshment 
and a horse4 ,in his eagerness to cover 
the fifteen miles to the ,percy house as
 rapidly as possible1 he tried to strike
 a straight course through the dark     
forest1 but missed his way1 and dawn    
found him on unfamiliar ground2 he then 
learned from a negro that he was two    
miles beyond the place4 ,when he arrived

 at last with rent and wasted clothes1  
and uncut hair1 and altogether looking  
like the wandering ,jew1 his wife was   
busily engaged in teaching her pupils4  
,during his absence of nearly fourteen  
months she had prospered greatly1 and   
she was not only ready but eager to     
place her earnings at her husband's     
disposal4  ,when he had finally decided 
to take his drawings to ,europe for     
publication1 ,audubon set to work to    
increase his capital1 and soon had      
pupils in ,french1 music1 and drawing1  
while a dancing class of sixty was      
organized in a neighboring town4 ,his   
country lads and lassies proved rather  
awkward material1 and he broke his bow  
and nearly ruined his violin in his     
impatience to evoke a single graceful   
step or motion2 when1 however1 he       
consented to dance to his own music1 he 
never failed to bring down thunders of  
applause4 ,these efforts were continued 
for over a year1 until he had realized a
 considerable sum4 ,with this money in  

hand1 supplemented by what his wife     
could spare1 he determined to seek his  
fortunes in the ,old ,world4            
,,chapter ,,xxii  ,,to ,,europe ,,and   
,,success       ,audubon sails from ,new
 ,orleans--,life at                     
,sea--,liverpool--,the                  
,rathbones--,exhibition of drawings an  
immediate success--,personal            
appearance--,painting habits            
resumed--,his pictures and              
methods--,manchester visited--,plans for
 publication--,the      ,birds of       
,america--,welcome at                   
,edinburgh--,lizars engraves the        
,turkey ,cock--,in the rle of society's 
lion--,his exhibition      described by 
a ,french critic--,honors of science and
 the      arts--,contributions to       
journals excite criticism--,aristocratic
      patrons--,visit to ,scott--,the   
,wild ,pigeon and the                   
rattlesnake--,letter to his             
wife--,prospectus--,journey to ,london4 
,when ,audubon had reached the age of   

forty-one1 his fortunes were destined to
 undergo still further kaleidoscopic    
changes1 but the patterns and hue were  
now of a more agreeable character4 ,he  
had failed repeatedly in business       
ventures of various kinds2 he had failed
 also to find either encouragement or   
support for his ambitious schemes of    
publishing his drawings in the ,united  
,states4 ,but there was still a chance  
for success in the ,old ,world1 and     
thither he was determined to go to try  
the hazard of fortune in either ,england
 or ,france4 ,accordingly1 he left his  
family at ,st4 ,francisville and went to
 ,new ,orleans1 where he engaged passage
 on a cotton schooner bound for         
,liverpool1 named the ,delos1 ,captain  
,joseph ,e4 ,hatch4 ,with his drawings1 
a few books1 and a purse1 if not ample1 
at least sufficient for his immediate   
needs1 and fortified with numerous      
letters1 he finally set sail on the     
#agth of ,may1 #ahbf4    ,illustration3 
,,early ,,unpublished ,,drawing ,,of    

,,the ,,frog-,,eater1      ,,cooper',s  
,,hawk2 ,,red ,,banks1 ,,ky4 ,,november 
#bi1 #ahaj4 ,,longeur      ,,total #ai  
,,pouces ,,poids #a lb4 #f oz4 ,,queue  
#ab ,,pennes4       ,published by       
courtesy of ,mr4 ,joseph ,y4 ,jeanes4   
,illustration3 ,,pencil ,,sketch ,,from 
,,audubon',s ,,journal ,,of ,,his       
,,voyage ,,to ,,england ,,in #ahbf3     
,,shark #g ,,feet ,,long1 ,,off ,,cuba1 
,,june      #ah,,th1 #ahbf4             
,published by courtesy of ,miss ,maria  
,r4 ,audubon4    ,illustration3 ,,first 
,,page ,,of ,,audubon',s ,,journal ,,of 
,,his ,,voyage      ,,from ,,new        
,,orleans ,,to ,,liverpool4             
,reproduced by courtesy of the ,misses  
,florence and ,maria ,r4      ,audubon4 
,this voyage1 like every other which the
 naturalist ever made1 was turned to    
good account2 the log book or journal   
kept on this occasion abounds in        
interesting observations upon the life  
of the sea1 particularly on the fishes  
and birds which were encountered in the 

,gulf4 ,the first page of this          
journal1#cbj reproduced with            
orthographic exactness1 reads as        
follows3       #bf ,april #ahbf--       
,i ,left ,my ,beloved ,wife ,lucy       
,audubon and ,my ,son ,john ,woodhouse  
on ,tuesday afternoon the #bfth ,april1 
bound to ,england1      remained at     
,doctr ,pope at ,st ,francisville untill
 ,wednesday #d      o'clock ,p4 ,m43 in 
the ,steam ,boat ,red ,river ,cape      
,kimble--having      for ,compagnons    
,messrs ,d4 ,hall  ,john                
,haliday--reached ,new      ,orleans    
,thursday #bgth at #ab--,visited ,many  
,vessels for ,my      ,passage and      
concluded to go in the ,ship ,delos of  
,kennebunk      ,cape ,joseph ,hatch    
bound to ,liverpool1 ,loaded with       
,cotton      entirely--       ,the ,red 
,river ,steam ,boat left on her return  
on ,sunday and ,i      ,wrote by her to 
,thee ,my ,dearest ,friend and forwardd 
,thee #b      ,small ,boxes of          
,flowering ,plants--       saw1 spoke to

  walked with ,charles ,briggs1 much    
altered young      man--       ,lived at
 ,new ,orleans at ,g4 ,l4 ,sapinot in   
,company with ,cost--       ,during ,my 
,stay at ,new ,orleans1 ,i saw my old   
and friendly      acquaintances the     
familly ,pamar2 but the whole time spent
 in      that ,city was heavy  dull--a  
few ,gentlemen ,calld to see ,my        
,drawings--,i ,generally ,walked from   
,morning untill ,dusk ,my hands         
behind me1 paying but very partial      
attention1 to all ,i saw--,new          
,orleans to a ,man who does not trade in
 ,dollars or any other      ,such       
,stuffs is a miserable ,spot            
fatigued and discovering that the ,ship 
could not be ready for      ,sea for    
several days1 ,i ascended the           
,mississipy again in the      ,red      
,river and once more found ,myself with 
my ,wife and ,child4      ,i arrived at 
,mrs ,percy at #c o'clock in the        
morning1 having      had a ,dark ride   
through the ,magnolia ,woods but the    

,moments      spent afterwards full     
repaid me--,i remained #b days and #c   
,nights1 was a ,wedding--of ,miss       
,virginia ,chisholm with ,mr4 ,d4       
,hall c4 ,i ,left in ,company ,with     
,lucy ,mrs ,percy house at      ,sun    
rise and went to ,breakfast at ,my good 
friend's1 ,augustin      ,bourgeat4     
,the captain and mates of the ,delos    
were friendly1 and whenever their vessel
 was becalmed1 they would let down a    
boat so that ,audubon could procure the 
stormy ,petrel and numerous other birds 
which he was anxious to examine in the  
flesh or depict for his ,ornithology4   
,during his long voyage of sixty-five   
days our adventurous traveler was       
alternately elated or depressed by hopes
 or fears for the future1 until land was
 at last reached on ,friday1 ,july #ba1 
#ahbf4 ,the appearance of ,liverpool1   
said ,audubon1 was agreeable1 but no    
sooner had ,i entered it than the smoke 
became so oppressive to my lungs that ,i
 could hardly breathe4 ,at the customs  

he was charged two pence on each of his 
drawings1 as they were water-colored1   
but on his ,american books he had to pay
 four pence per pound1 a circumstance in
 which he was possibly favored by the   
following letter which he had brought   
with him from a friend in ,new ,orleans3
   ,edward ,holden to ,george ,ramsden  
,,new ,,orleans1 ,may #bfth41 #ahbf4    
,,george ,,ramsden1 ,,esq4       ,,dear 
,,sir4       ,the present will be handed
 to you by ,mr4 ,j4 ,j4 ,audubon of this
      city1 whom most respectfully ,i   
beg to introduce to you4       ,the     
principal object of ,mr4 ,audubon's     
visit to ,england is      to make       
arrangements for the publication of an  
extensive and      very valuable        
collection of his drawings in ,natural  
,history1      chiefly if not wholly of 
,american ,birds1 and he takes them     
with him for that purpose4 ,can you be  
of any assistance to      him by letters
 to ,manchester and ,london8 ,if you can
 ,i have      no doubt that my          

introduction of him will insure your    
best      attention and services4--,mr4 
,audubon is afraid of having to      pay
 heavy duties upon his drawings4 ,he    
will describe them to      you1 and if  
in getting them entered ,low at the     
,custom ,house1      or if in any other 
respect you can further his views1 ,i   
shall      consider your aid as an      
obligation conferred upon myself4       
,pray introduce him particularly to ,mr4
 ,booth1 who ,i am sure      will feel  
great interest in being acquainted with 
him1 were      it only on account of the
 desire he has always expressed to      
be of service to the new ,manchester    
,institution1 to which ,mr4             
,audubon's drawings would be an         
invaluable acquisition4       ,i am ,dr4
 ,sir            ,yours truly1          
,,edward ,,holden4  ,among the letters  
which ,audubon carried on this occasion1
 but which apparently he did not        
deliver1 was the following1 addressed by
 a friend in ,new ,orleans to ,general  

,lafayette3#cba   ,louis ,p4 ,caire to  
,general ,lafayette            ,,new    
,,orleans1 #ae ,may1 #ahbf4       ,,my  
,,dear ,,general1       ,monsieur       
,audubon1 after having spent twenty-two 
years      in the ,united ,states1 is   
returning to ,europe in order to        
publish a work to which he has devoted  
his entire life4      ,this             
distinguished ornithologist1 who bears  
letters from      the most eminent      
citizens of the ,union1 will find1 ,i   
trust1      the encouragement to which  
his talents and his perseverance      so
 fully entitle him1 and however         
flattering may be the                   
recommendations which his friends are   
eager to give him1 these      are yet1  
my dear ,general1 beneath his merits4 ,i
 have presumed      to assure him of    
your patronage1 and in introducing him  
to      you ,i am convinced that it will
 be agreeable to you both4       ,adieu 
my ,general3 give my kind regards to all
 your family1      and permit me to     

embrace you as ,i love you4             
,,louis ,p4 ,,caire4  ,before ,audubon  
left ,new ,orleans1 an old acquaintance1
 ,mr4 ,vincent ,nolte#cbb of that city1 
had also furnished him with credentials1
 in which it was stated that the        
naturalist was carrying with him four   
hundred original drawings1 and that his 
object was to find a purchaser or a     
publisher4 ,he has a crowd of letters1  
continued ,nolte1 from ,mr4 ,clay1 ,de  
,witt ,clinton1 and others for ,england1
 which will do much for him2 but your   
introduction to ,mr4 ,roscoe and others 
will do more4 ,this judgment was sound1 
but the most valuable letter which      
,audubon carried proved to be that of   
,nolte himself addressed to ,richard    
,rathbone1 ,esq41 of ,liverpool1 for it 
brought him into immediate friendly     
relations with an influential family of 
merchants which also included ,william  
,rathbone1 a brother1 as well as their  
father1 ,william ,rathbone1 ,senior1    
whose interest in birds had made him in 

his younger days an amateur collector   
and student4 ,seldom has the rle of     
,mcenas been played more effectively and
 with less ostentation than by those    
intelligent men of affairs1 to whom     
,audubon1 with his fine enthusiasm and  
bold literary plans1 seemed to embody   
all the romance of the ,new ,world4     
,they stood sponsor for his work and    
worth1 and did all in their power to    
make their new discovery known4 ,at the 
home of the senior ,rathbone1 called    
,greenbank1 three miles out of          
,liverpool1 the naturalist was warmly   
welcomed1 and his excellent hostess1    
,mrs4 ,william ,rathbone1 the ,queen    
bee1 as he called her1 received from him
 lessons in drawing and became his first
 subscriber4  ,at this period ,audubon  
often complained of shyness felt in     
meeting strangers1 but his observatory  
nerves1 as he said1 never gave way4 ,he 
studied his ,english friends as closely 
as he had the birds of ,america1 and the
 results of his shrewd observations were

 often turned to practical account4     
,that he was as diffident as he declared
 himself to be may be doubted1 for he   
seems to have met nearly everyone of    
prominence wherever he went1 and a list 
of his acquaintance at the end of his   
sojourn abroad would read much like a   
,blue ,book of the ,british ,isles4  ,at
 ,liverpool ,audubon received much      
assistance also from ,edward ,roscoe1   
botanist and writer1 ,dr4 ,thomas ,s4   
,traill#cbc and ,adam ,hodgson1 who     
introduced him to ,lord ,stanley4 ,when 
he came to write his ,ornithological    
,biography1 these early friends were all
 publicly called by name1 and we thus   
had 7though1 as it afterwards appeared1 
in name only7 the ,rathbone             
,warbler1#cbd ,stanley ,hawk1           
,children's ,warbler1 ,cuvier's         
,regulus1 ,roscoe's ,yellow-throat1     
,selby's ,flycatcher1 and still possess 
,bewick's ,wren1 ,traill's ,flycatcher1 
,henslow's ,bunting1#cbe                
,mac,gillivray's ,finch1 and ,harlan's  

,hawk1 to cite a few instances of this  
form of acknowledgment4  ,within barely 
a week after landing at ,liverpool a    
total stranger1 ,audubon was invited to 
show his drawings at the ,royal         
,institution4 ,the exhibition1 which    
lasted a month1 was a surprising        
success2 #dac persons1 as he recorded1  
were admitted on the second day1 and it 
netted him one hundred pounds although  
no charge for admission was made during 
the first week4  ,everyone1 said the    
naturalist1 was surprised at his        
appearance1 for he wore his hair long1  
dressed in unfashionable clothes1 rose  
early1 worked late1 and was abstemious  
in food and drink4 ,shortly after his   
arrival1 his sister-in-law1 ,mrs4       
,alexander ,gordon1 urged him to have   
his hair cut and to buy a fashionable   
coat1 but he could not then bear to     
sacrifice his ambrosial locks1 which    
continued to wave over his shoulders    
until the following ,march4 ,if we can  
accept ,sir ,walter ,besant's           

characterization of the period1 the     
long-haired ,achan was no stranger to   
the streets of ,london as late as #ahcg3
 brave is the exhibition of flowing     
locks2 they flow over the ears and over 
the coat-collars2 you can smell the     
bear's grease across the street2 and if 
these amaranthine locks were to be      
raised you would see the shiny coating  
of bear's grease upon the velvet collar 
below4  ,audubon had not been in        
,england three weeks before he resumed  
his drawing and painting habits1 at     
first in order to repay his friends for 
their kindness1 and later as a means of 
support2 at times he would devote every 
spare moment to this work1 and he was   
then able to paint fourteen hours at a  
stretch without fatigue4 ,on ,october #b
 he recorded that he had made in less   
than twenty minutes a diminutive sketch 
of the ,turkey ,cock from his large     
twenty-three hour picture4 ,this was for
 ,mrs4 ,william ,rathbone1 ,senior1 who 
later presented it to him in the form of

 a handsome gold-mounted seal1 inscribed
 with his favorite motto1 ,america1 my  
country4#cbf ,the facility which        
,audubon displayed in producing his     
pictures of animal life--,american wild 
turkeys1 trapped otters1 fighting cats1 
,english game pieces1 and the like1 in a
 style both novel and individual1 added 
much to his immediate popularity in     
,england1 as it later did to his purse4 
,his painting devices are thus referred 
to in a journal entry for ,january1     
#ahbg3       ,no one1 ,i think1 paints  
in my method2 ,i1 who have never        
studied but by piece-meal1 form my      
pictures according to my      ways of   
study4 ,for instance1 ,i am now working 
on a ,fox2 ,i take      one neatly      
killed1 put him up with wires and when  
satisfied      with the truth of the    
position1 ,i take my palette and work as
      rapidly as possible2 the same with
 my birds2 if practicable ,i      finish
 the bird at one sitting1--often1 it is 
true1 of fourteen      hours1--so that  

,i think they are correct1 both in      
detail and      composition4  ,when he  
was painting pheasants and needed a     
white one as a keystone of light to his 
picture1 a nobleman sent word that he   
would be given leave to see the pictures
 in his hall1 but this ,audubon         
characteristically refused1 being       
determined to pay no such visits without
 invitation4  ,on the #ajth of          
,september1 #ahbf1 ,audubon left        
,liverpool1 in a hopeful mood1 for      
,manchester1 with the intention of      
visiting the chief cities of ,england   
and ,scotland4 ,he was fortified with a 
bundle of letters to a long list of     
distinguished people1 including ,baron  
von ,humboldt1 ,general ,lafayette1 ,sir
 ,walter ,scott1 ,sir ,humphry ,davy and
 ,sir ,thomas ,lawrence4 ,his first step
 proved a disappointment1 and when he   
finally left the ,city of ,spindles six 
weeks later1 he found himself poorer    
than when he had entered it4 ,at        
,manchester1 however1 he added to his   

list of interested friends and possible 
patrons1 and acting upon their          
suggestion1 opened a subscription book  
for the publication of his long         
meditated work1 to be called ,the ,birds
 of ,america4 ,the ,rathbones1 as well  
as other friends whose advice he        
esteemed1 tried to dissuade him from the
 plan of publishing his drawings in     
their full size1 which was that of life1
 on account of the great expense        
involved and the enormous bulk such a   
work would assume2 but he could not     
bring himself to give up the idea1 in   
which he received the support of the    
,london bookseller1 ,mr4 ,bohn1 who1    
after seeing ,audubon's drawings        
reversed his opinion1 saying that they  
must be brought out in their full size1 
and that they would certainly pay4      
,after coming to ,england ,audubon often
 thought of the shifting scenes and     
strange contrasts his life had brought4 
,one day he felt the pinch of poverty1  
but on the next fared sumptuously at the

 tables of the rich2 now a rambler in   
the wilds of ,america1 glad to accept   
the hospitality of the humblest prairie 
squatter1 now the guest of some         
metropolitan aristocrat4 ,the squatter1 
he said1 when writing in ,england1 is   
rough1 true1 and hospitable2 my friends 
here polished1 true1 and generous4 ,both
 give freely1 and he who during the     
tough storms of life can be in such     
spots may well say that he has tasted   
happiness4  ,while at ,manchester       
,audubon was driven to the town of      
,bakewell1 the spot1 he wrote in        
deference to his wife1 which has been   
honored with thy ancestor's name4       
,shortly after1 on ,october #bc1 he     
started by stage for ,edinburgh1 and the
 distance of #bab miles was covered in  
three days2 the fare was #e #es4 #e;d41 
which he regarded as exorbitant1 but he 
complained not so much of the charge as 
of the beggarly manner of the drivers1  
who never hesitated to open the door of 
their coach and ask for a shilling at   

the slightest provocation4  ,at         
,edinburgh ,audubon was welcomed so     
warmly that he began to feel that       
ultimate success was at last within his 
reach4 ,professor ,robert ,jameson of   
the ,university did much to make his    
work known1 and invited him to coperate 
in an enterprise upon which he was then 
engaged2#cbg this was pronounced by ,dr4
 ,knox of the ,medical ,school to be a  
job book1 but whatever its merits may   
have been1 ,audubon decided after due   
reflection to stand on his own feet4    
,not long after reaching the ,scottish  
capital1 ,audubon made the acquaintance 
of ,mr4 ,w4 ,home ,lizars1 styled a ,mr4
 ,lizard by a snapshot biographer of a  
later day1 a well known1 expert engraver
 and painter1 who engaged in various    
publishing enterprises4 ,when ,audubon  
had held up a few of his drawings for   
his inspection1 ,lizars rose1           
exclaiming3 ,my ,god6 ,i never saw      
anything like this before4 ,the picture 
of the ,mockingbirds attacked by a      

rattlesnake particularly struck his     
fancy1 but when he came to the drawing  
of the ,great-footed ,hawks1 with bloody
 rags at their beaks' ends1 and cruel   
delight in their daring eyes1 ,lizars   
declared that he would both engrave and 
publish it4 ,mr4 ,audubon1 said he1 the 
people here don't know who you are at   
all1 but depend upon it1 they shall     
know4 ,lizars eventually agreed to      
engrave and bring out the first specimen
 number of ,the ,birds of ,america1 and 
about the #ajth of ,november made a     
beginning with the first plate4 ,on     
,november #bh1 #ahbf1 he handed ,audubon
 a first proof of the ,wild ,turkey     
,cock1 a subject chosen to justify the  
great size of the work1 which was to be 
in double elephant folio1 and which in  
point of size is perhaps to this day the
 largest extended publication in        
existence4#cbh ,this and the second     
plate1 which represented the            
,yellow-billed ,cuckoo#cbi in the act of
 seizing a tiger swallowtail butterfly  

on a branch of the paw-paw tree1 were   
finished by ,december #aj2 the first    
number of five plates was ready some    
weeks later4 ,lizars engraved at        
,edinburgh the first ten of ,audubon's  
plates1 but most of these were          
subsequently retouched1 colored and     
reissued by his successor in ,london1 as
 will presently appear4                 
,illustration3       ,,plate ,i         
,wild ,turkey ,,meleagris ,,gallopavo4  
,linn4 ,male4      ,american ,cane4     
,miegia macrosperma4       ,drawn from  
nature by ,j4 ,j4 ,audubon              
,f4,r4,s4,f4,l4,s4      ,engraved by ,w4
 ,h4 ,lizars ,edinr4      ,retouched by 
,r4 ,havell ,junr4  ,when ,audubon's    
pictures were exhibited at the ,royal   
,institution of ,edinburgh1 their       
success was immediate1 and like the     
appearance of a new ,waverley novel1    
they became the talk of the town2 the   
,american woodsman had provided a new   
thrill for the leaders of fashion1 as   
well as for the literati and the        

scientific men4 ,the noblest ,roman of  
them all1 ,sir ,walter ,scott1 refused  
to attend1 but after having met the     
naturalist he wrote this in his journal3
 ,i wish ,i had gone to see his         
drawings2 but ,i had heard so much about
 them that ,i resolved not to see       
them--'a crazy way of mine1 your honor4'
  ,philarte-,chasles1 a well known      
,french critic of the period1 has left  
the following record#ccj of the effect  
which this exhibition made on his       
impressionable mind3       ,we have     
admired in the rooms of the ,royal      
,society of ,edinburgh      the public  
exhibition of ,audubon's original       
watercolor      drawings4 ,a magic power
 transported us into the forests which  
for so many years this man of genius has
 trod4 ,learned and      ignorant alike 
were astonished at the spectacle1 which 
we will      not attempt to reproduce4  
,imagine a landscape wholly ,american1  
trees1 flowers1 grass1      even the    
tints of the sky and the waters1        

quickened with      a life that is real1
 peculiar1 trans-,atlantic4 ,on twigs1  
branches1 bits of shore1 copied by the  
brush with the      strictest fidelity1 
sport the feathered races of the ,new   
,world1 in the size of life1 each in its
 particular attitude1      its          
individuality and peculiarities4 ,their 
plumages sparkle      with nature's own 
tints2 you see them in motion or at     
rest1      in their plays and their     
combats1 in their anger fits and        
their caresses1 singing1 running1       
asleep1 just awakened1      beating the 
air1 skimming the waves1 or rending one 
another      in their battles4 ,it is a 
real and palpable vision of the         
,new ,world1 with its atmosphere1 its   
imposing vegetation1 and      its tribes
 which know not the yoke of man4 ,the   
sun shines      athwart the clearing in 
the woods2 the swan floats suspended    
between a cloudless sky and a glittering
 wave2 strange and      majestic figures
 keep pace with the sun1 which gleams   

from the      mica sown broadcast on the
 shores of the ,atlantic2 and this      
realization of an entire hemisphere1    
this picture of a nature      so lusty  
and strong1 is due to the brush of a    
single man2 such      an unheard of     
triumph of patience and genius6--the    
resultant      rather of a thousand     
triumphs won in the face of innumerable 
obstacles6  ,another ,french writer#cca 
remarked that ,audubon produced the same
 sensation among the savants of ,england
 that ,franklin had made at the close of
 the eighteenth century among the       
politicians of the ,old ,world2 his     
works1 he added1 should be translated   
into his native tongue1 and produced in 
a form which would enable them to reach 
the library of every naturalist in      
,france4  ,one after another the        
scientific1 literary1 and arts societies
 of the modern ,athens elected ,audubon 
to honorary membership2 ,combe1 the     
phrenologist and author of ,the         
,constitution of ,man1 examined the     

naturalist's head and modeled it in     
plaster1 for of course it proved to be a
 perfect exemplification of his system2 
,syme1 the artist1 did his portrait for 
,lizars to engrave4 ,meanwhile the press
 was giving such flattering accounts of 
the man and his work that ,audubon      
confessed that he was quite ashamed to  
walk the street4 ,at the annual banquet 
of the ,royal ,institution1 held at the 
,waterloo ,hotel and presided over by   
,lord ,elgin1 ,audubon was toasted1 and 
it required all his resolution to rise  
and1 for the first time in his life1    
address a large assembly2 this1 however1
 he managed to do in the following      
words3 ,gentlemen2 my command of words  
in which to reply to your kindness is   
almost as limited as that of the birds  
hanging on the walls of your            
,institution4 ,i am truly obliged for   
your favors4 ,permit me to say2 may ,god
 bless you all1 and may this society    
prosper4 ,on the #ajth of ,december he  
wrote3 ,my situation in ,edinburgh      

borders on the miraculous1 and he felt  
that his reception in that city was a   
good augury for the future4 ,but the    
life that he was compelled to lead was  
extremely fatiguing1 and he often longed
 to return to his family and to his     
favorite magnolia woods in ,louisiana4  
,i go to dine1 he wrote1 at six1 seven1 
or even eight o'clock in the evening1   
and it is often one or two when the     
party breaks up2 then painting all day1 
with my correspondence1 which increases 
daily1 makes my head feel like an       
immense hornet's nest1 and my body      
wearied beyond all calculation2 yet it  
has to be done2 those who have my best  
interests at heart tell me ,i must not  
refuse a single invitation4 ,but        
notwithstanding the tax which society   
always levies upon the lion's strength1 
he wrote almost daily in his journal or 
diary1#ccb and its pages1 from which we 
have been quoting1 became a mirror of   
all that he saw1 heard1 or did4 ,audubon
 was generous with his time1 as with    

everything else1 and would never        
hesitate to lay aside his own work for  
the sake of a friend who was eager to   
acquire his method of drawing4 ,but when
 his entertainment commenced with an    
invitation to breakfast1 he began to be 
alarmed at the large share of his       
working hours which had to be           
surrendered to his friends4 ,i seem1 in 
a measure1 he said1 to have gone back to
 my early days of society and fine      
dressing1 silk stockings and pumps1 and 
all the finery with which ,i made a     
popinjay of myself in my youth4444 ,it  
is ,mr4 ,audubon here1 and ,mr4 ,audubon
 there1 and ,i can only hope they will  
not make a conceited fool of ,mr4       
,audubon at last4  ,in response to      
urgent appeals he began at this time to 
contribute to the scientific journals of
 the ,scottish capital1 a step which    
only served to remind him that the rose 
was more prolific in thorns than        
flowers4 ,dr4 ,brewster1 however1 in his
 ,journal of ,science1 and ,john ,wilson

 in ,blackwoods1 sang pans in his       
praise1 and there is no doubt that      
,christopher ,north1 so like and yet so 
unlike the ,american woodsman1 did much 
to smooth his path in his own country as
 well as in ,europe4 ,though keenly     
feeling the need of literary advice in  
those early contributions1 ,audubon was 
quite shocked at the alterations which  
,dr4 ,brewster had made in one of these 
articles1 for though the editor had     
greatly improved the style1 he had quite
 destroyed the matter4  ,on ,december   
#ba1 #ahbf1 ,audubon wrote to ,thomas   
,sully that he would send him a copy of 
the first number of his ,birds1 with the
 request that he forward it in his name 
to that ,institution which thought me   
unworthy to be a member4444 ,there is no
 malice in my heart1 he continued1 and  
,i wish no return or acknowledgment from
 them4 ,i am now determined never to be 
a member of that ,philadelphia ,society4
 ,let it be noted1 however1 that        
,audubon was elected to membership in   

the ,american ,philosophical ,society1  
when their recognition could no longer  
be withheld and when mutual animosities 
had died down4 ,three days later he     
recorded that all of his drawings had   
been taken from the walls of the ,royal 
,institution1 where they had been on    
exhibition a month1 and that he was     
intending to present to the ,society his
 large canvas of the ,wild ,turkeys1 for
 which ,galley1 the picture dealer1 had 
offered him a hundred guineas on the    
previous day4#ccc  ,among ,audubon's    
early patrons were ,lord and ,lady      
,morton1 and more than once he was      
invited to visit them in their beautiful
 country seat of ,dalmahoy1 where a     
large1 square1 half-,gothic building1   
crowned with turrets and adorned with   
all the signs of heraldry1 overlooked a 
beautiful landscape to ,edinburgh1      
marked by its famous castle1 seen in    
miniature on the horizon1 eight miles   
away4 ,being somewhat apprehensive of   
meeting the former ,chamberlain to the  

late ,queen ,charlotte1 ,audubon had    
imagined the ,earl to be a man of great 
physical strength and size2 instead1    
however1 he saw       a small1 slender  
man1 tottering on his feet1 weaker than 
a      newly hatched partridge2 he      
welcomed me with tears in his      eyes1
 held one of my hands1 and attempted    
speaking1 which was      difficult to   
him1 the ,countess meanwhile rubbing his
 other      hand4 ,i saw at a glance the
 situation1 and begged he would be      
seated 444 and ,i took a seat on a sofa 
that ,i thought would      swallow me   
up1 so much down swelled around me4 ,it 
was a vast      room1 at least sixty    
feet long1 and wide in proportion1 let  
me say thirty feet1 all hung with       
immense paintings on a rich      purple 
ground2 all was purple about me4 ,the   
large tables      were covered with     
books1 instruments1 drawing apparatus1 a
      telescope1 with hundreds of       
ornaments4  ,after luncheon ,audubon's  
,book of ,nature was produced1 and his  

drawings spread out and admired4 ,next  
day the ,countess1 who was a woman of   
superior intellect and conversation1 was
 given a most unnecessary lesson in     
drawing1 for1 said the naturalist1 she  
drew much better than ,i did2 but ,i    
taught her to rub with cork1 and prepare
 for water-color4 ,before he left the   
,countess wrote her name in his         
subscription book1 and arranged that he 
should return and resume his            
instruction4  ,one of ,audubon's early  
friends at ,edinburgh was ,captain      
,basil ,hall1#ccd traveler and writer1  
who was then about to start on a journey
 through the ,united ,states2 he told   
the naturalist that he was a midshipman 
on board the ,leander when ,pierce was  
killed off ,new ,york1 at the time of   
,audubon's return with ,rozier to       
,america in #ahjf1 when ,captain        
,sammis1 upon seeing the ,british       
frigate1 wore around ,long ,island      
,sound1 and reached ,new ,york by ,hell 
,gate4 ,it was at ,captain ,hall's home 

that ,audubon met ,francis ,jeffrey4    
,the indomitable critic and reviewer was
 described as a small 7not to say tiny7 
man1 who entered the room with a woman  
under one arm1 and a hat under the      
other4 ,his looks were shrewd1 said the 
naturalist1 his eyes almost cunning and 
though he talked much1 he appeared      
unsympathetic4 ,their meeting was       
productive of no friendly feelings on   
either side4  ,three months after       
reaching ,edinburgh1 the long awaited   
opportunity of meeting the greatest     
literary figure of the day came to      
,audubon unexpectedly1 for he did not   
wish to be introduced in a crowd4 ,under
 date of ,january #bb1 #ahbg1 he wrote  
that ,captain ,hall came to his rooms   
and said3 ,put on your coat1 and come   
with me to ,sir ,walter ,scott3 he      
wishes to see you now4 ,in a moment1    
said ,audubon1 ,i was ready4444 ,my     
heart trembled2 ,i longed for the       
meeting1 yet wished it over4 ,when they 
were ushered into ,sir ,walter's study1 

the great ,scot came forward1 and warmly
 pressing the hand of his visitor1 said 
he was glad to have the honor of meeting
 him4 ,audubon's record of the meeting  
continues3       ,his long1 loose1      
silvery locks struck me2 he looked like 
,franklin at his best4 ,he also reminded
 me of ,benjamin ,west2      he had the 
great benevolence of ,william ,roscoe   
about him1 and      a kindness most     
prepossessing4 ,i could not forbear     
looking      at him2 my eyes feasted on 
his countenance4 ,i watched his         
movements as ,i would those of a        
celestial being2 his long1      heavy1  
white eyebrows struck me forcibly4 ,his 
little room      was tidy1 though it    
partook a good deal of the character of 
a laboratory4 ,he was wrapped in a      
quilted morning-gown of      light      
purple silk2 he had been at work writing
 on the ,life      of ,napoleon4 ,he    
writes close lines1 rather curved as    
they go      from left to right1 and    
puts an immense deal on very little     

paper4444 ,i talked little1 but1 believe
 me1 ,i listened and      observed4     
,two days later ,audubon paid ,scott a  
second visit1 this time with his        
portfolio1 but little was recorded of   
this interview other than that it was   
more agreeable than the first1 and that 
he greatly admired the accomplished     
,miss ,scott1 to whom he later sent as a
 gift the first number of his plates4   
,audubon's drawings were exhibited at a 
meeting of the ,royal ,society over     
which ,sir ,walter presided1 and ,scott 
was also in attendance at the ,royal    
,institution when ,audubon's large      
painting of the ,black ,cocks was shown4
 ,we talked much on this occasion1 said 
the naturalist1 and ,i would have gladly
 joined him in a glass of wine1 but my  
foolish habits prevented me4 ,this      
restriction on wine was soon removed1 as
 was that on whisky1 whether of the     
,scotch or ,kentucky brand1 and during  
his later life in ,america ,audubon was 
never a teetotaler by any means4 ,while 

at the ,exhibition ,sir ,walter pointed 
to ,landseer's picture of the dying     
stag1 saying1 many such scenes1 ,mr4    
,audubon1 have ,i witnessed in my       
younger days4 ,audubon was doubtless too
 polite to express an opinion of that   
popular artist1 though of that very     
picture he had written in his journal   
three days before that there was no     
nature in it1 and that he considered it 
a farce2 the stag1 he said1 had his     
tongue out1 and his mouth shut6 ,the    
principal dog1 a greyhound1 held the    
deer by one ear1 just as if a loving    
friend2 the young hunter had laced the  
deer by one horn very prettily1 and in  
the attitude of a ballet-dancer was     
about to cast the noose over the head of
 the animal4  ,scott and ,audubon were  
kindred spirits in their love of sport1 
of wild and untameable nature1 as well  
as of man in his ,homeric relation to   
it4 ,shortly after their first interview
 the great ,scotsman wrote this handsome
 tribute in his journal3       ,january 

#bb #ahbg4--;,a visit from ,basil ,hall 
with ,mr4 ,audubon1      the            
ornithologist1 who has followed that    
pursuit by many a      long wandering in
 the ,american forests4 ,he is an       
,american by      naturalization1 a     
,frenchman by birth2 but less of a      
,frenchman      than ,i have ever       
seen--no dash1 or glimmer1 or shine     
about      him1 but great simplicity of 
manners and behaviour2 slight      in   
person1 and plainly dressed2 wears long 
hair1 which      time has not yet       
tinged2 his countenance acute1 handsome 
and interesting1 but still simplicity is
 the predominant      characteristic4   
,of the later visit of which we just    
spoke we find this account3             
,january #bd4--,visit from ,mr4         
,audubon1 who brings some of his        
birds4 ,the drawings are of the first   
order--the attitudes of      the birds  
of the most animated character1 and the 
situations      appropriate2 one of a   
snake attacking a bird's nest1 while    

the birds 7the parents7 peck at the     
reptile's eyes--they      usually1 in   
the long-run1 destroy him1 says the     
naturalist4      ,the feathers of these 
gay little sylphs1 most of them from    
the ,southern ,states1 are most         
brilliant1 and are represented      with
 what1 were it not connected with so    
much spirit in      the attitude1 ,i    
would call a laborious degree of        
execution4      ,this extreme           
correctness is of the utmost consequence
 to      the naturalist1 but as ,i think
 7having no knowledge of      vertu71   
rather gives a stiffness to the         
drawings4 ,this      sojourner in the   
desert has been in the woods for months 
together4 ,he preferred associating with
 the ,indians to the      company of the
 ,back ,settlers2 very justly1 ,i       
daresay1 for      a civilized man of the
 lower order--that is1 the dregs of     
civilization--when thrust back on the   
savage state becomes      worse than a  
savage4444       ,the ,indians1 he says1

 are dying fast2 they seem to pine      
and die whenever the white population   
approaches them4 ,the      ,shawanese1  
who amounted1 ,mr4 ,audubon says1 to    
some thousands      within his memory1  
are almost extinct1 and so are various  
other tribes4 ,mr4 ,audubon could never 
hear any tradition about      the       
mammoth1 though he made anxious         
inquiries4 ,he gives no      countenance
 to the idea that the red ,indians were 
ever a more      civilized people than  
at this day1 or that a more civilized   
people had preceded them in ,north      
,america4 ,he refers the      bricks1   
etc41 occasionally found1 and appealed  
to in support      of this opinion1 to  
the earlier settlers1--or1 where kettles
      and other utensils may have been  
found1 to the early trade      between  
the ,indians and the ,spaniards4        
,audubon was anxious to receive a       
written recommendation from the great   
,wizard of the ,north touching the      
merits of his work1 the publication of  

which had just begun1 but ,sir ,walter  
,scott sensibly demurred1 on the ground 
that his knowledge of natural history   
was insufficient to qualify him to pass 
expert judgment4 ,but1 he added1 ,i can 
easily and truly say1 that what ,i have 
had the pleasure of seeing1 touching    
your talents and manners1 corresponds   
with all ,i have heard in your favor2   
and ,i am a sincere believer in the     
extent of your scientific attainments4  
,while ,audubon was playing the rle of  
society's pet lion at ,edinburgh in the 
winter of #ahbg1 he was painting to meet
 the expense of engraving his first     
plates1 and writing at odd times of the 
day or night4 ,on ,february #bj he      
recorded that his paper on the ,habits  
of the ,wild ,pigeon of ,america was    
begun on the previous ,wednesday1 and   
finished at half past three in the      
morning2 so completely1 said he1 was he 
transported to the woods of ,america and
 to the pigeons1 that his ears were as  
if really filled with the noise of their

 wings2 yet he added that were it not   
for the facts it contained1 he would not
 give a cent for it1 nor anybody else1  
,i dare say4 ,four days later1 at the   
,wernerian ,society1 he read his paper  
on the rattlesnake1 but the torrent of  
abuse which soon rewarded his efforts in
 this direction finally led him to      
reserve all literary efforts for a      
future and more propitious time4#cce  ,a
 large painting begun in ,january of    
this year1 called ,pheasants attacked by
 a ,fox1 was probably a variant of the  
,pheasants attacked by a ,dog           
7illustrated at page #cid71 the original
 of which is now in the ,american       
,museum of ,natural ,history1 ,new ,york
 ,city4 ,this canvas1 which was         
exhibited by the ,scottish ,society of  
,artists in ,february1 #ahbg1 measured  
nine by six feet1 and was the largest   
piece he had ever attempted4 ,sometimes 
,i like the picture1 he said1 and then a
 heat rises in my face and ,i think it a
 miserable daub4 ,as to the birds1 he   

added1 so far as they are concerned ,i  
am quite satisfied1 but the ground1 the 
foliage1 the sky1 the distance1 are     
dreadful4#ccf  ,in the spring of #ahbg  
,audubon enjoyed the novel sensation of 
going to church in a sedan chair1 and of
 hearing ,sidney ,smith preach4 ,he     
pleased me at times1 he said1 by        
painting my foibles with care1 and again
 ,i felt the color come to my cheeks as 
he portrayed my sins4 ,later there was  
an opportunity to meet the famous       
preacher with his fair daughter1 and to 
show them his drawings of ,american     
birds4  ,the following letter#ccg was   
sent at this time to his wife in        
,america3   ,audubon to his ,wife       
,,edinburgh ,march #abth1 #ahbg4        
,,my ,,dearest ,,friend       ,i am now 
proud that ,i can announce thee the     
result of the last      meeting of the  
,royal ,society of ,edinburgh4 ,i was   
unanimously      elected a ,foreign     
,member of that ,institution on the     
#et4h4      ,instant and am at last an  

,f4 ,r4 ,s44--,wilt thou not think it   
wonderful2 to me it is like a dream1 and
 quite as much so when      ,i see the  
particular attentions paid me by all    
ranks of the      best ,society4 ,on the
 #ft4h4 ,i received the official ,letter
      from the ,secretary with the seal 
of the ,society and the arms      of    
,scotland--this along with my other     
diplomas and ,letters1 ,i      assure   
thee enable me to be respected and well 
received in any      portion of the     
,civilized ,world4 ,sir ,walter ,scott  
has also been      so kind as to give me
 a ,letter that ,i may exhibit wherever 
,i may go,i have ,two ,letters from him 
very kindall this ,i      think will    
afford thee great ,pleasure4       ,i am
 now preparing to leave ,edinburgh and  
will do so in a few      days1 ,i am now
 anxious to visit ,london as soon as ,i 
possibly      can1 and yet want to spend
 a few days at ,new ,castle1 ,york1     
,liverpool1 ,dublin1 then back again to 
,england1 go by ,cambridge      and     

,oxford4--,if ,i meet the success that  
,i expect in that ,tour      it is very 
probable that soon after my reaching    
,london1 ,i will      write for thee to 
,come1 and when ,i do so1 my ,lucy may  
come      without the least ,hesitation 
for ,i will then be ready to            
receive her6       ,since my last of the
 #bb;d of ,february1 ,i have received   
thine      of the #cat of ,december1    
#c;d of ,january and #hth of ,do4       
this last mostly ,john's1 ,i am         
particularly glad that thou      hast   
left the ,beech ,woods1 yet thou might  
as well have given      me at once thy  
good reasons for doing so4 ,i hope that 
at      this ,instant that ,i am        
writing1 thou art snug and comfortably  
settled afresh4       ,the ,trees and   
,segments have not yet arrived1 but ,i  
hope to      hear soon that they        
have--,i have not a word about the      
,seeds      reaching yet4 do my ,love   
always say by what vessel any thing     
comes1 as ,john as concluded to take    

,lessons of ,music ,i have no      wish 
to sell my ,gun but wish to give it him 
as his own in      ,fee ,simple1 as soon
 as he deserves it from thy own ,hands4 
,may ,god bless him6--if all continues  
well with me ,victor and      him may   
rise to eminence and therefore try      
,johny's ,spunk4 do      beg or make him
 draw all kinds of ,limbs of ,trees or  
,flowers      for me and whenever he    
kills a bird of any kind tell him to    
measure the ,guts particularly and make 
a regular list of      the names of the 
,birds1 length and thickness of those   
,guts      and their contents#cch       
,i wrote a long letter to each ,victor  
and ,n4 ,berthoud on      the #bg       
,february1 but not a word from either of
 them as yet      reached me4 ,i was    
quite shocked to see thy last letter of 
the      #hth of ,january without the   
print of thy new ,seals1 ,i am          
quite frightened at thy watch not having
 reachd thee1 yet      ,i hope every new
 ,letter will bring me better tidings4  

,i now      collecting ,letters from all
 my ,friends here and will have ,god    
knows enough of them4 ,i only hope ,i   
may soon be in a regular      way of    
making a comfortable living for         
ourselves all3       ,all the papers and
 books ,i send thee mention my name4 ,my
 work      is lookd upon as unrivalled  
in any ,country1 ,i will soon      know 
how it will pay4--,i can only add that  
,i will write to      thee from all the 
places ,i visit,let ,victor have a copy 
of      this,collect all kinds of       
,curiosities whatevertry to send      or
 bring with thee but send first if      
,possible ,live ,birds of      hardy    
kinds such as ,blue ,jays by            
,,themselves4 ,red ,birds ,do4      red 
wingd ,starling ,do1 ,partridges c      
c4--present my humble      respects to  
,mr  ,mrs ,johnsons and remembrances to 
good      ,friend bourgeat--try to send 
me an account of the growing of         
,cotton from ,a to ,z1 written by an    
able ,planter--,i wish thee to      make

 regular memorandums thyself respecting 
all about ,habits       ,localities c   
c4thou wilst scarce believe that this   
day there are in many places #af feet of
 snow4 the weather      has been        
tremendous--yet with all this no        
,invitation is ever      laid aside and 
the other evening ,i went to ,diner in a
      ,hackny ,coach drawn by #d        
,horses1 and to church on ,sunday last  
in a ,sedan chair to hear the famous    
,sidney ,smith1 curious      diferences 
of manners here ,i assure thee4       ,i
 have seen and know personally all the  
great men of ,scotland      and many of 
,england4       ,what a curious         
interesting book a ,biographer--well    
acquainted      with my ,life could     
write1 it is still more wonderfull and  
extraordinary than that of my ,father6  
,fear not my connecting myself in any   
way with ,charles ,m4 he      is a mere 
worm on the hearth1 and since he has    
abandoned his      ,grand ,flora is out 
of my books--it has perhaps been an     

error      in our ,lives that thou didst
 not come with me4 ,so much indeed      
do ,i now think so that ,i have advised 
,capn ,hall to take his      ,lady and  
child with him4 be sure to pave the way 
for them to      ,judge ,mathews and ,n4
 ,berthoud to whom ,i have given him    
letters      to4--,i send thee his      
,travels1 read his interview with       
,napoleon2      ,i write my ,journal    
every day1 it seems that that portion of
      it forwardd thee long ago as never
 reachd thee as thou dost      not      
mention it4 ,i am sorry for all these   
little misfortunes      and can hardly  
a_/c for them4 ,i have not heard from   
,h4 ,clay but      will refresh his     
memory1 ,i hope at the same time to     
receive a      ,letter from the         
,president,i hope this day the last     
beautiful      broach ,i sent thee as a 
new ,years gift is shining on thy       
bosom1 as ,i have witnessed the         
brightness of thy own sweet      ,eyes1 
oh my ,lucy what would ,i give now in my

 possession for      a kiss on thy ,lips
 and----,god for ever bless thee thine  
,husband      and ,friend for ever--    
,,john ,j4 ,,audubon                    
,f4,r4,s4,e4   ,fellow ,royal ,society  
,edinburgh--            ,f4,a4,s4--     
,fellow ,royal ,society antiquarians--  
,m4,w4,s4,n4,h4--,member ,wernerian     
,society of ,natural ,history           
,m4,s4,a4--    ,member ,society of ,arts
 of ,scotland--                         
,m4,p4,l4,s4--  ,member ,philosophical  
,literary ,society ,liverpool           
,m4,l4,n4,y4--  ,member ,lyceum of ,new 
,york4       ,,my ,,dear ,,john--       
,i am very thankfull to you for your    
,letters continue to write      from    
time to time1 draw1 and study music     
closely1 there is      time for all     
things--,i give you my ,gun with all my 
,heart best      wishes1 but earn it at 
your ,dear ,mamma's will--,god bless    
,you--            ,your ,father and     
,friend--           ,,john ,j4 ,,audubon
  ,at ,edinburgh ,audubon met a young   

landscape painter1 ,joseph ,b4 ,kidd1   
and the two worked together for some    
time1 ,kidd receiving instruction in    
animal painting and ,audubon hints on   
the treatment of his landscapes1 which  
had always been a source of trouble to  
him4 ,kidd was ,audubon's ,edinburgh    
agent for a time1 and later entered upon
 the ambitious project of reproducing   
all of his birds in oils1 as will be    
noticed later4#cci  ,on ,march #ag1     
#ahbg1 when the second number of his    
,birds was in preparation1 ,audubon     
boldly issued his ,prospectus1 contrary 
to the advice of some of his friends1   
who could see only egregious folly in   
such an undertaking and regarded it as  
foredoomed to failure4 ,as everybody    
knows1 it is easier to say things than  
to do them1 but all these friendly      
critics sang a different tune later on1 
when they had seen more of the          
indomitable will and self-reliance of   
the man1 who was to carry steadily      
forward to a successful issue a work    

which was in press nearly twelve years  
and which cost over #ajj1jjj to produce4
 ,in ,audubon's original prospectus of  
,the ,birds of ,america the             
specifications as to the form1 size1 and
 cost of the work1 which had been       
determined for some months1 underwent   
little change in subsequent editions of 
this printed statement4#cdj  ,audubon   
left ,edinburgh for ,london on ,april   
#e1 #ahbg1 with locks shorn but energy  
unabated4 ,he followed a roundabout     
course1 visiting ,belford1 ,mitford     
,castle1 ,newcastle-upon-,tyne1 ,york1  
,leeds1 ,liverpool1 and ,shrewsbury1 at 
every point extending his acquaintance1 
showing his drawings to many1 and adding
 appreciably to his growing list of     
subscribers4 ,several days were spent in
 hunting and drawing birds with the     
,selbys1 at their beautiful country     
place called ,twizel ,house1 at         
,belford1 in ,northumberland1 where he  
was soon made to feel as much at home as
 with his older ,liverpool friends1 the 

,rathbones1 at ,green ,bank4  ,p4 ,j4   
,selby1 after whom ,audubon named a     
,flycatcher which appeared in his second
 number1 was an amateur artist and      
ornithologist1 and at that time was     
engaged upon an extensive publication to
 which ,audubon was invited to          
contribute1 a single volume of plates   
and text having then been published4#cda
  ,at ,newcastle1 where ,audubon spent a
 week1 he saw much of its grand old man1
 ,thomas ,bewick1 the first wood cutter 
in the world1 and conceived a deep      
regard for him1 which he afterwards     
expressed in one of his ,episodes4 ,as  
they parted1 this great son of nature   
held him closely by the hand1 and for   
the third time repeated1 ,god preserve  
you6 ,i looked at him in such a manner1 
said ,audubon1 that ,i am sure he       
understood ,i could not speak4  ,as he  
proceeded southward1 his subscription   
list augmented apace1 ,manchester alone 
giving him eighteen new names1 and he   
began to feel more sanguine of success1 

if1 he added1 ,i continue to be honest1 
industrious1 and consistent4            
,,chapter ,,xxiii  ,,audubon ,,in       
,,london       ,impressions of the      
metropolis--,a trunk full of            
letters--,friendship of ,children--,sir 
,thomas ,lawrence--,lizars      stops   
work--,a family of artists--,robert     
,havell1 ,junior--,the      ,birds of   
,america fly to ,london--,the ,zological
 ,gallery--,crisis      in the          
naturalist's affairs--,royal            
patronage--,interview with              
,gallatin--,interesting the             
,queen--,desertion of patrons--,painting
      to independence--,personal habits 
and tastes--,enters the      ,linnan    
,society--,the ,white-headed            
,eagle--,visit to the great             
universities--,declines to write for    
magazines--,audubon-,swainson           
correspondence--,highfield ,hall near   
,tyttenhanger--,in ,paris      with     
,swainson--,glimpses of ,cuvier--,his   
report on ,the ,birds of                

,america--,patronage of the ,french     
,government and the ,duke of            
,orleans--,bonaparte the naturalist4    
,audubon reached ,london on ,may #ba1   
#ahbg1 and put up at the ,bull and      
,mouth tavern1 but soon moved into more 
permanent lodgings at number #ee ,great 
,russell ,street1 near the ,british     
,museum4 ,though for a long time eager  
to see the capital1 no sooner had he    
reached it than he was anxious to be    
away and more homesick than ever for his
 family and his beloved ,america4       
,london then seemed to him like the     
mouth of an immense monster1 guarded by 
millions of sharp-edged teeth1 from     
which he could escape only by miracle4  
,he had brought with him a formidable   
array of letters addressed to the lite  
of the capital1#cdb and he bore besides 
nearly a trunkful for the ,continent1 as
 well as general letters from ,henry    
,clay1 ,andrew ,jackson and others in   
,america for our consular and diplomatic
 representatives in ,europe4 ,his       

epistolary basis for the acquisition of 
useful acquaintances could hardly have  
been better1 and further testimonials   
were gathered at every stage of his     
progress to the city of his hopes1 but  
,audubon's best letter of credit1 which 
could be read by all the world1 was an  
open1 winning countenance4 ,after he had
 wandered over ,london for the greater  
part of three days without finding a    
single individual at home1 he was       
tempted to consign his valuable         
documents to the post1 an error which he
 did not repeat1 as it deprived him of  
the acquaintance of fully one-half of   
the people to whom they were addressed4 
,one of these ,london letters which     
follows1 written by ,captain ,basil     
,hall to ,john ,murray1 the noted       
publisher and founder of the ,quarterly 
,review1 is particularly interesting in 
showing that ,audubon was far from      
pleased with the progress of his work in
 ,edinburgh1 and that he was then       
contemplating a change which was later  

effected4   ,basil ,hall to ,john       
,murray            ,,edinb #bcrd ,feby4 
#ahbg       ,,my ,,dear ,,sir           
,this will be delivered to you by my    
friend ,mr ,john ,audubon1 an           
,american ,gentleman who has been       
residing here this winter1       ,i beg 
in the most particular manner to        
introduce him to your      acquaintance 
and to ask for him the advantage of your
 good      offices4       ,mr ,audubon  
has spent a great part of his life in   
making      a collection of drawings of 
the ,birds of ,north ,america1       in 
studying their ,habits1 with the        
intention of publishing      a ,complete
 ,ornithology of ,america4 ,for such a  
work his      materials1 both in the    
shape of drawings and of written notes1 
are immense and he is now going to      
,london in order to set this            
gigantic work in motion4       ,mr      
,audubon1 however1 is not very well     
versed in the details      of such      
matters1  therefore ,i beg of you to    

have the      goodness to aid him with  
your advice on the occasion--to         
introduce engravers printers  so forth  
to him1 and generally      speaking to  
put him in the way of bringing out his  
work in an      advantageous manner to  
himself4       ,i trust all this will   
give you no more trouble than you will  
be willing to take at my earnest        
solicitation4            ,i remain      
,ever1 ,my ,dear ,sir1           ,most  
,sincerely ,yrs            ,,basil      
,,hall4           ,,john ,,murray ,esqr 
,audubon carried also a long letter from
 ,mr4 ,hay1#cdc dated at #af ,athol     
,crescent1 ,edinburgh1 #ae ,march1      
#ahbg1 and addressed to the care of his 
brother1 ,robert ,william ,hay1 of      
,downing ,street1 ,west1 in which this  
curious statement occurs3 ,mr4 ,a4 is   
son of the late ,french ,admiral        
,audubon1 but has himself lived from the
 cradle in the ,united ,states1 having  
been born in one of the ,french         
colonies4  ,the document which was to   

prove of greatest service to him1       
however1 was addressed to ,john ,george 
,children1#cdd then in charge of the    
,department of ,zology in the ,british  
,museum and secretary of the ,royal     
,society4 ,children assumed the         
management of ,audubon's work when he   
returned to ,america in #ahbi and again 
in #ahca2 to him and ,lord ,stanley1 in 
#ahcj1 the naturalist probably owed his 
nomination to membership in the ,royal  
,society4  ,soon after reaching ,london 
,audubon paid his respects to ,sir      
,thomas ,lawrence1 for whom he had two  
letters1 and made an appointment for    
showing his work to this famous artist4 
,he was also gratified to receive the   
subscription of ,lord ,stanley and of   
,charles ,lucien ,bonaparte1 who was    
then in ,london4  ,audubon had not been 
in ,london a month before word was      
received from ,lizars that all his      
colorers had struck work and that       
everything was at a stand4 ,accordingly1
 he began to search ,london for skilled 

workmen1 and on ,june #ah wrote3 ,i went
 five times to see ,mr4 ,havell1 the    
colorer1 but he was out of town4 ,i am  
full of anxiety and greatly depressed4  
,oh6 how sick ,i am of ,london6 ,three  
days later another discouraging letter  
came from ,lizars1 who shortly after    
threw up his contract and left his      
patron in a sad predicament--with an    
enormously expensive work1 still-born1  
on his hands1 without adequate funds1   
and1 in short1 with all his cherished   
plans suspended in mid-air4 ,audubon no 
doubt realized that if his grand        
undertaking were to succeed at all1 it  
must experience a new birth in ,london1 
where an expert engraver of the         
requisite enterprise and zeal must be   
found without delay4 ,he closed his     
journal on the second day of ,july with 
the remark that he was too dull and     
mournful to write a line1 and it was not
 opened again for nearly three months4  
,illustration3 ,,title ,,page ,,of ,,the
 ,,original ,,edition ,,of ,,the ,,birds

 ,,of      ,,america1 ,,volume ,,ii1    
#ahca-ahcd4  ,this gap in ,audubon's    
record can now be filled in reference to
 some important particulars1 for in the 
interval he made his greatest discovery 
in ,england1 in ,robert ,havell1        
,junior1 then a young and unknown artist
 of thirty-four1 who through eleven     
years of the closest association with   
his new patron was to become one of the 
greatest engravers in aquatint the world
 has ever seen4 ,until recently the     
intimate story of ,audubon's relation to
 the ,havells has been much             
obscured4#cde ,the reference in the     
journal record of ,june #ai1 just given1
 was undoubtedly to ,robert ,havell1    
,senior1 who for many years was         
associated with his father1 ,daniel     
,havell1 the first of five generations  
of artists of that name1 in the         
engraving and publishing business1 but  
who at this time was established        
independently at #gi ,newman ,street1   
,london2 he also conducted a shop called

 the ,zological ,gallery1 at which were 
sold engravings1 books1 artists'        
materials1 naturalists' supplies1 and   
specimens of natural history of every   
sort4 ,his three sons1 ,robert1 ,george1
 and ,henry ,augustus1 all became       
artists1 but the eldest1 who bore his   
father's name1 was educated for a       
learned profession4 ,contrary to his    
father's injunctions and advice1        
,robert1 who was bent on becoming an    
artist1 abruptly left his home in #ahbe1
 determined to shift for himself4 ,he   
began with an extensive sketching tour  
on the ,river ,wye1 in ,monmouthshire1  
and produced numerous paintings which1  
as his biographer remarks1 display all  
the charm found in the work of his      
distinguished cousin1 ,william ,havell4 
,these won immediate recognition in     
,london1 where he received commissions  
from various publishers1 including the  
house of ,messrs4 ,colnaghi  ,company4  
,robert ,havell1 ,senior1 then in his   
fifty-eighth year1 though deeply        

interested in ,audubon's adventurous    
plans1 felt himself too old to embark on
 so extended a work1 which it was then  
believed would require from fourteen to 
sixteen years for completion2 he        
volunteered1 however1 to do his best to 
find a substitute4 ,with this in view1  
he applied to ,mr4 ,colnaghi1 the       
publisher1 and was immediately shown the
 unsigned proof of a beautiful          
landscape1 exquisitely drawn and        
engraved by one of the youthful         
retainers of his establishment4 ,the    
elder ,havell1 after scrutinizing it    
carefully1 exclaimed1 ,that's just the  
man for me6 ,then1 replied the          
publisher1 send for your own son6       
,through this singular coincidence1     
father and son became reconciled and a  
partnership between them was soon       
announced4  ,as a test of young         
,havell's skill1 to follow the story of 
his biographer1 ,audubon gave him his   
drawing of the ,prothonotary ,warbler1  
which had already been engraved and     

issued by ,lizars as ,plate iii of ,the 
,birds of ,america earlier in that year4
 ,havell finished the engraving in two  
weeks1 when a proof was struck and the  
naturalist summoned4 ,audubon examined  
the print with the utmost keenness and  
deliberation2 then he seized the sheet1 
and holding it up1 danced about the     
room1 calling out in his ,french accent3
 ,ze jig is up1 ze jig is up6 ,the      
,havells1 who at first thought this     
might signify disapproval1 were quickly 
disabused when ,audubon approached young
 ,robert and1 throwing his arms about   
his neck1 assured him that his          
long-sought engraver had been found at  
last4 ,having given this story1 ,i wish 
it were possible to confirm it1 but a   
close examination of this plate proves  
either that the story is a fiction1 or  
that some other drawing was used as a   
test of ,havell's skill4#cdf  ,the part 
which this interesting family played in 
,audubon's success will be unfolded     
later4#cdg ,suffice it now to say that  

,messrs4 ,robert ,havell  ,son1 in      
,london1 undertook afresh the production
 of ,the ,birds of ,america in the      
summer of #ahbg4 ,the partnership was   
divided or dissolved in #ahbh1 when     
,robert1 junior1 who from the first did 
all of the engraving1 took entire charge
 of that part of the business1 and moved
 his engraving establishment around the 
corner to #gg ,oxford ,street2 there it 
remained until broken up in #ahch4      
,robert ,havell1 ,senior1 continued in  
charge of the printing and coloring     
until #ahcj1 when he seems to have      
permanently retired1 two years before   
his death in #ahcb1 events which1 as    
will be seen1 are indirectly registered 
in the legends of some of ,audubon's    
plates4#cdh    ,illustration3 ,,the     
,,prothonotary ,,warbler ,,plates1 ,,the
 ,,birds ,,of      ,,america1 ,,plate   
,,xi1 ,,bearing ,,the ,,legends ,,of    
,,the ,,engravers ,w4 ,h4      ,,lizars 
7,,left7 ,,and ,,robert ,,havell1 ,,jr4 
7,,right71 ,,but ,,identical      ,,in  

,,every ,,other ,,detail ,,of           
,,engraving1 ,,any ,,apparent           
,,difference      ,,being ,,due ,,to    
,,the ,,coloring1 ,,which ,,was ,,added 
,,by ,,hand4  ,under the younger        
,havell's guiding hand1 ,audubon found  
that his illustrations could be produced
 in better style1 more expeditiously1   
and at far less cost than in ,edinburgh4
 ,when ,lizars was later shown the third
 number which the ,havells had produced1
 he called his assistants and observed  
how completely the ,london workmen had  
beaten them2 he even offered to resume  
work on the engraving and at ,havell's  
price1 but ,audubon was averse to       
further experimenting4 ,if he can fall1 
said he1 twenty-seven pounds in the     
engraving of each number1 and do them in
 a superior style to his previous work1 
how enormous must his profits have been2
 a good lesson to me in the time to     
come1 though ,i must remember ,havell is
 more reasonable owing to what has      
passed between us in our business       

arrangements1 and the fact that he owes 
so much to me4  ,this characteristic    
note was sent from ,liverpool1 ,december
 #f1 #ahbg1 to his agent1 ,daniel       
,lizars1 father to ,w4 ,h4 ,lizars1 at  
,edinburgh3       ,i will not ask if you
 have any new name for me1 as ,i might  
be disappointed were ,i to expect an    
affirmative answer4       ,if you see   
,sir ,wm4 ,jardine tell him that        
,charles ,bonaparte has      left the   
,u4 ,s4 for ever1 and has gone to reside
 in ,florence1      ,italy4       ,i    
have wrote to ,mr4 ,havell to send you a
 ,no4 #e1 which ,i wish      you to send
 to ,professor ,wilson1 or indeed a     
whole set1 to      enable him to write  
the notice he has promised for me the   
#ast4      of next month4               
,illustration3 ,,reverse ,,of ,,panels  
,,of ,,robert ,,havell',s ,,advertising 
,,folder ,,reproduced ,,on ,,facing     
,,insert4    ,illustration3 ,,outside   
,,engraved ,,panels ,,of ,,an           
,,advertising      ,,folder ,,issued    

,,by ,,robert ,,havell1 ,,about #ahcd2  
,,the ,,printing ,,on      ,,the        
,,reverse ,,is ,,reproduced ,,on ,,the  
,,facing ,,page4       ,from the only   
copy known to exist1 in possession of   
,mr4      ,ruthven ,deane4 ,it is a     
strip of heavy paper1 #ah by #c inches  
in size1 printed on both sides1 and     
folded twice1 the folded      size being
 #d by #c inches4 ,one side bears the   
four panels1      engraved by ,robert   
,havell1 reproduced on this and the     
following page2 and the reverse1 the    
printed matter reproduced      on pages 
#chf and #chg4    ,illustration3        
,,inside ,,engraved ,,panels ,,of ,,the 
,,advertising      ,,folder ,,issued    
,,by ,,robert ,,havell1 ,,about #ahcd4  
,the lower panel shows the interior of  
the ,zological      ,gallery1 #gg       
,oxford ,street4 ,audubon's plate of the
 ,cock ,turkey      is being examined at
 one of the tables4                     
,illustration3,,reverse ,,of ,,panels   
,,of ,,robert ,,havell',s ,,advertising 

,,folder ,,reproduced ,,on ,,facing     
,,insert4  ,audubon sent another letter 
to this agent1 from ,london1 ,january   
#ba1 #ahbh1 when he was still waiting   
for an answer to his last3 ,when ,i     
write to any one ,i expect an answer1   
but when ,i write to a man ,i esteem1   
and to whom ,i entrust a portion of my  
business1 ,i feel miserable until ,i    
hear from him4444 ,i am extremely       
anxious to close my business for #ahbg1 
and cannot do so without receiving your 
a_/c1 and the money due by my           
subscribers4  ,the summer of #ahbg was  
probably ,audubon's most critical period
 in ,england4 ,his work was then in the 
air and ruin of all his hopes seemed    
inevitable1 but with palette and brush  
he again extricated himself from        
financial difficulties4 ,at this time1  
he said1 ,i painted all day1 and sold my
 work during the dusky hours of the     
evening as ,i walked through the ,strand
 and other streets where the ,jews      
reigned2 popping in and out of          

,jew-shops or any others1 and never     
refusing the offer made me for the      
pictures ,i carried fresh from the      
easel4 ,he sold seven copies of the     
,entrapped ,otter in ,london1           
,manchester1 and ,liverpool1 and from   
seven to ten copies of some of his other
 favorite subjects2 once when he        
inadvertently called at a shop where he 
had just disposed of a picture1 the     
dealer promptly bought the duplicate and
 at the same price that he had paid for 
the first4  ,in the autumn of this year1
 when it was found that his agents were 
neglecting their business1 ,audubon     
determined to make a sortie to collect  
his dues and further augment his        
subscription list4 ,he left ,london on  
,september #af1 and visited in          
succession ,manchester1 ,leeds1 ,york1  
,newcastle-on-,tyne1 ,alnwick ,castle   
and ,belford1 to see the ,selbys1       
finally reaching ,edinburgh on the #bbnd
 of ,october4  ,audubon had set his mark
 at obtaining #bjj subscribers by ,may1 

#ahbh1 but he fell far short of         
realizing it4 ,on ,august #i he wrote3  
,this day seventy sets have been        
distributed2 yet the number of my       
subscribers has not increased2 on the   
contrary1 ,i have lost some4 ,at ,york  
he found that a number of his ,birds1   
which had been forwarded from ,edinburgh
 before he had taken his departure1 was 
miserably poor1 scarcely colored at all2
 and a copy of his first number which   
was later examined at the ,radcliffe    
,library in ,oxford was so              
unsatisfactory that he rolled it up and 
took it away1 with the reflection that  
,lizars1 whom he had paid so amply and  
so punctually1 could have made him a    
better return4 ,the colorists gave no   
end of trouble1 but he never hesitated  
to reject their work when it did not    
meet his requirements1 and the defective
 plates were invariably sent back to    
,havell's shop to be washed1            
hot-pressed1 and done over again4 ,to   
such watchful care must be ascribed1 in 

large measure1 the high degree of       
perfection which his big work eventually
 attained4 ,when it is remembered that  
upwards of one hundred thousand of his  
large plates had to be colored          
laboriously by hand1 and that at one    
time fifty persons were engaged at the  
,havell establishment1 we can understand
 the difficulties involved in           
maintaining a uniform standard of       
excellence in a work that was issued    
piecemeal and spread over a long period 
of time4  ,in ,august1 #ahbg1 ,audubon  
wrote to ,mrs4 ,thomas ,sully of        
,philadelphia to announce the removal of
 his business to ,london4 ,by this      
change he expected to save upwards of an
 hundred pounds per annum1 a large sum1 
as he remarked1 for a man like me4 ,his 
third number had then been issued1 and  
he expressed the hope that all would go 
smoothly after this first year of hard  
trials and times1 and that he would be  
able to send for his wife and one of his
 sons in the coming autumn or winter4   

,he was then painting a flock of ,wild  
,turkeys for the king1 who had honored  
him with his particular patronage and   
protection4 ,when writing to his young  
son1 ,john ,w4 ,audubon1 on the #ajth of
 the same month1 he charged him to      
devote two hours daily to the           
preparation of bird skins1 and to send  
him not only the skins but live birds   
and mussel shells1 for which he would be
 duly paid4 ,said the father3       ,i  
would give you #ejj dollars per annum1  
were you able to make      for me such  
drawings as ,i will want4 ,i wish you   
would draw one      bird only1 on a     
twig1 and send it to me to look at1 as  
soon      as you can after receiving    
this letter4444 ,i should like to       
have a large box filled with branches of
 the trees1 covered      with mosses c41
 such as ,mama knows ,i want2 now       
recollect1      all sorts of ,birds1    
males and females1 ugly or handsome4    
,audubon had come to ,london with the   
idea of having his work published under 

the patronage of ,king ,george ,,iv2 in 
order to gain a personal interview with 
the ,sovereign he had brought a letter  
to ,robert ,peel1 who was then the ,home
 ,secretary1 but a change in the        
,cabinet had upset his plans and the    
letter was returned4 ,he then applied to
 the ,american ,ambassador1 ,mr4 ,albert
 ,gallatin1 who upon their first meeting
 addressed him in ,french and showed the
 ease and charm of manner of a perfect  
gentleman2 but when the question of an  
audience with the ,king was broached1   
,gallatin laughed at the idea as        
preposterous4 ,the king1 he declared1   
sees nobody2 he has the gout1 is        
peevish1 and spends his time playing    
whist at a shilling a rubber4 ,i had to 
wait six weeks before ,i was presented  
to him in my position of ambassador1 and
 then ,i merely saw him six or seven    
minutes4 ,when ,audubon then suggested  
that the ,duke of ,northumberland might 
interest himself in his behalf1         
,gallatin1 who disliked the ,english    

heartily1 replied3 ,i have called       
hundreds of times on like men in        
,england1 and have been assured that his
 grace1 or lordship1 or her ladyship was
 not at home1 until ,i have grown wiser1
 and stay at home myself1 and merely    
attend to my political business1 and    
,god knows when ,i will have done with  
that4    ,illustration3 ,,title ,,page  
,,of ,,audubon',s ,,prospectus ,,of     
,,the ,,birds      ,,of ,,america ,,for 
#ahca4  ,as the ,american ,ambassador   
had predicted1 ,king ,george evinced no 
ardent desire to meet the ,american     
woodsman1 though he consented to take   
the work under his patronage and to     
become a subscriber on the usual terms2 
this plan1 however1 fell through1 for   
the ,king1 who was reported to have     
taken his copy1 failed to pay for it4   
,with ,queen ,adelaide1 on the other    
hand1 the naturalist was more           
successful1 and in his ,prospectus of   
#ahca she was announced as his special  
patron1 with her name heading his list4 

,negotiations to interest the ,queen    
were going on when the following note   
was sent to ,audubon by ,sir ,j4 ,w4    
,waller1 who occupied some position in  
the king's household and was spoken of  
as oculist to his majesty3   ,sir ,j4   
,w4 ,waller to ,audubon                 
,saturday #i o clock #ahcj4       ,i    
have scarce an ,instant as ,i am going  
to ,town to breakfast      with the ,dk4
 of ,gloucester1 but yr4 ,letter is     
urgent       therefore ,i can only      
desire ,mr4 ,a4 to send his ,number     
immediately to the ,stable ,yard1       
directed to her ,majesty1       the     
first moment ,i can see her1 ,i will    
speak on the subject1      but at this  
,moment ,i will not promise to mention  
it to the      ,king for reasons ,i     
cannot put on paper4            ,yrs4   
ever1            ,j4 ,w4 ,,waller  ,at  
,edinburgh ,audubon was alarmed to find 
that subscribers were rapidly deserting 
him1 six having cancelled their names   
without the formality of giving reasons4

 ,he hoped to supply their places at    
,glasgow1 then a rich city of one       
hundred and fifty thousand people1 but  
after a visit there of four days in     
,november1 #ahbg1 he was obliged to     
return to ,edinburgh with but one new   
name on his list4  ,on ,october #bb he  
expressed the resolve for the coming    
year to positively keep a cash account  
with himself and others1 a thing he had 
never yet done4 ,the wisdom of that     
decision was apparent upon settling his 
accounts for #ahbg with both ,lizars and
 ,havell1 as appears from this note1    
written in his journal on ,january #ag1 
#ahbh3 ,it is difficult work for a man  
like me to see that he is neither       
cheating nor cheated4 ,all is paid for  
#ahbg1 and ,i am well ahead in funds4   
,had ,i made such regular settlements   
all my life ,i should never have been as
 poor a man as ,i have been2 but on the 
other hand ,i should never have         
published the ,birds of ,america4       
,again1 for ,february #g we find this   

record3 ,havell brought me the sets he  
owed me for #ahbg1 and ,i paid him in   
full4 ,either through him or ,mr4       
,lizars ,i have met with a loss of      
nearly #ajj1 for ,i am charged with     
fifty numbers more than can be accounted
 for by my agents or myself4 ,this seems
 strange always to me1 that people      
cannot be honest1 but ,i must bring     
myself to believe many are not1 from my 
own experiences4  ,shortly after        
reaching ,london1 as we have seen1      
,audubon had made the acquaintance of   
,sir ,thomas ,lawrence1 then at the head
 of the ,royal ,academy and favorite    
painter of the ,court and fashionable   
society4 ,the friendship of this        
influential artist at a critical moment 
proved most fortunate1 for ,sir ,thomas 
called repeatedly at his lodgings1 and  
at each visit brought patrons who went  
away with some of his pictures but not  
without leaving a handsome toll of      
sovereigns in his lap2 the ,entrapped   
,otter again did duty by bringing him   

twenty-five pounds1 while others        
returned from seven to thirty-five      
pounds4 ,at a later time the artist     
visited the ,zological ,gallery1 as the 
,havell establishment in ,newman ,street
 was then known1 and saw ,audubon's     
large paintings called ,the ,eagle and  
the ,lamb1 and ,english ,pheasants      
,surprised by a ,spanish ,dog or ,sauve 
qui peut4 ,audubon1 who on this occasion
 missed seeing his distinguished        
visitor1 had written in his journal     
three days before 7,december #bc1 #ahbh7
 that the paintings were what he called 
finished1 but that1 as usual1 he could  
not bear to look at either4 ,sir ,thomas
 praised the ,eagle1 admired an ,otter1 
which was later exhibited in ,london1   
but gave no opinion on the ,pheasants4  
,afterwards1 however1 when ,audubon     
proposed to present this canvas to ,king
 ,george1 the artist assured him that   
this picture was worth #cjj guineas and 
that it was too good to be given away2  
if offered to the ,king1 no doubt1 said 

he1 it would be accepted and placed in  
his collections1 but you would receive  
no benefit from the gift4 ,according to 
a later record1 this canvas was sold to 
,mr4 ,john ,heppenstall of ,sheffield2  
whether it was ever delivered1 or not1  
,i do not know1 but either the original 
or a copy1 here reproduced1 now forms   
the central figure in the large ,audubon
 collection in the ,american ,museum of 
,natural ,history in ,new ,york1 and is 
an excellent illustration of the        
elaborate and ambitious character of    
,audubon's larger compositions4 ,these  
fortunate windfalls came none too soon1 
for to follow the journal3       ,mr4   
,havell had already called to say that  
on ,saturday ,i must      pay him sixty 
pounds4 ,i was then not only not worth a
 penny1      but had actually borrowed  
five pounds a few days before to        
purchase materials for my pictures4 ,but
 these pictures which      ,sir ,thomas 
sold for me enabled me to pay my        
borrowed money1      and to appear      

full-handed when ,mr4 ,havell called4   
,thus ,i      passed the ,rubicon4      
,illustration3 ,,english ,,pheasants    
,,surprised ,,by ,a ,,spanish ,,dog     
,,after ,,audubon',s ,,original         
,,painting1 ,,about ,,six ,,by ,,nine   
,,feet ,,in      ,,size1 ,,now ,,in     
,,possession ,,of ,,the ,,american      
,,museum ,,of ,,natural      ,,history1 
,,new ,,york4 ,,published ,,by          
,,courtesy ,,of ,,the ,,american        
,,museum ,,of ,,natural ,,history4      
,this was before the reform of the penal
 laws in ,england1 when it seems to have
 been hard for a man to escape hanging1 
not to speak of being sent to prison for
 debt1 the chief terror of life in      
certain circles4 ,there were #bbc       
capital offenses1 and in #ahbi in the   
city of ,london alone #g1aad persons    
were sent to the debtors' prison4#cdi   
,without the sale of his pictures in the
 summer of #ahbg1 ,audubon felt that he 
must certainly have become a bankrupt1  
yet he was periodically displeased with 

the results of his efforts in oil       
colors1 and resolved to spoil no more   
canvas but to draw in my usual old      
untaught way1 which is what ,god meant  
me to do2 ,i can draw1 he continues1 but
 ,i shall never paint well4 ,in the fall
 of #ahbh1 however1 he was again working
 in oils1 and produced four large       
pieces1 one of which was called ,the    
,eagle and the ,lamb1 and two others    
which were doubtless variations of his  
,pheasant and ,otter pictures4 ,it is   
charity1 said the artist1 to speak the  
truth to a man who knows the poverty of 
his talents1 and wishes to improve2 it  
is villainous to mislead him1 by        
praising him to his face1 and laughing  
at his work as they go down the stairs  
of his house4 ,sir ,thomas ,lawrence had
 praised some of these pictures and had 
promised to select one for exhibition at
 ,somerset ,house4 ,as regards ,the     
,eagle and the ,lamb1 which ,audubon    
hoped would go to ,windsor ,castle1     
,william ,swainson would give no        

opinion2 the same canvas1 or else a     
replica1 was in possession of the       
,audubon family in #ahih4cej  ,on       
,december #ad1 #ahbg1 ,audubon wrote    
that1 acting upon the advice of ,mr4    
,maury1 the ,american consul at ,london1
 he had presented a copy of his ,birds  
to ,john ,quincy ,adams1 the ,president 
of the ,united ,states1 and another1    
through ,henry ,clay1 to the ,american  
,congress2 in order that the latter     
should be as perfect as possible1       
,havell was asked to do the coloring    
himself1 but these proposed gifts do not
 appear to have been executed4#cea  ,new
 ,year's1 #ahbh1 found the naturalist in
 ,manchester1 where but a few days      
before he had received the fifth and    
last number of his plates for #ahbg and 
expressed himself well pleased with it4 
,while returning to ,london by coach1 he
 consented to take a hand at cards to   
accommodate his fellow passengers1 but  
declined to play for money2 ,i never    
play1 he confessed1 unless obliged to by

 circumstances2 ,i feel no pleasure in  
the game1 and long for other occupation4
 ,i missed my snuff1 he added1 and      
whenever his hands went into his pockets
 in search of the box1 he discovered the
 strength of habit thus acting without  
thought2 but he remembered a resolution 
he had formed to give up the habit and  
stuck to it for a time at least2        
doubtless1 like his later friend1 ,john 
,bachman1 he reformed more than once1   
for in a letter to ,victor ,audubon1 of 
,november #e1 #ahdf1 ,bachman added this
 postscript3 ,to ,audubon3 ,the         
snuff--the snuff1 it is here6 ,i have   
just taken a pinch1 and the ladies have 
blown you up--sky-high1 for teaching me 
such a bad practice2 ,i say1 however1   
that you beat me all to pieces in that  
art4  ,the first winter in ,london      
dragged heavily for the naturalist1 who 
exclaimed in ,january1 #ahbh3 ,how long 
am ,i to be confined in this immense    
jail2 when ,daniel ,lizars reported from
 ,edinburgh the loss of four of his     

subscribers1 he writes1 ,i am dull as a 
beetle4 ,why do ,i dislike ,london8 ,is 
it because the constant evidence of the 
contrast between the rich and the poor  
is a constant torment to me1 or is it   
because of its size and crowd8 ,i know  
not1 but ,i long for sights and sounds  
of a different nature1 such1 we might   
add1 as the flocks of wild duck which   
were occasionally seen from ,regent's   
,park as they passed over the city and  
made him more homesick than ever4       
,audubon hated the city quite as        
cordially as ,charles ,lamb ever        
affected to detest the country1 and when
 leaving it1 afoot or by stage1 it      
seemed as if he could never be rid of   
it4 ,what a place is ,london1 he would  
say1 but navely add3 many persons live  
there solely because they like it4  ,on 
,february #d1 #ahbh1 ,audubon was       
elected to membership in the ,linnan    
,society1 and in ,november he presented 
it with a copy of his work1 which was   
then well under way4 ,this was noticed  

in a letter to ,swainson1 written on    
,november #g1 when no acknowledgment of 
the gift had then been received2 and he 
mentioned also the sale of his picture  
of ,blue ,jays for ten guineas4 ,at a   
meeting of the ,linnan ,society not long
 after his election1 copies of ,selby's 
,illustrations of ,british ,ornithology 
and of his own work were placed side by 
side for inspection1 and very unfair    
comparisons were drawn between the two2 
had ,selby1 ,audubon reflected1 been    
given the same opportunities that my    
curious life has granted me1 his work   
would have been far superior to mine2 ,i
 supported him1 he added1 to the best of
 my power4  ,revision of his older      
drawings demanded much of ,audubon's    
attention during these years4 ,on       
,february #aj1 #ahbh1 he began the      
,whiteheaded ,eagle 7,no4 #g1 ,plate    
xxxi71 the original of which had been   
procured on the ,mississippi1 where the 
bird was represented as dining on a wild
 goose2 now1 he said1 ,i shall make it  

breakfast on a catfish1 the drawing of  
which is also with me1 with the marks of
 the talons of another eagle1 which ,i  
disturbed on the banks of the same      
river1 driving him from his prey4 ,on   
the #afth of that month he was engaged  
with this drawing from seven in the     
morning until half after four1 stopping 
only to take the glass of milk which his
 landlady would bring to him4 ,this     
plate was engraved in the following     
,april1 and on ,may #a1 #ahbh1 a first  
proof was sent to the ,marquis of       
,landsdowne1 president of the ,zological
 ,society1 as a mark of appreciation by 
its author1 who had become a member of  
that body in the preceding winter4  ,a  
striking characteristic of ,audubon's   
work was its diversity1 produced not    
only by attractive embellishments of    
many kinds1 but by the moving force and 
action with which he ever sought to     
vitalize his subjects4 ,it is therefore 
not surprising that he was nettled by an
 incident like this3       ,february    

#bh4 ,to-day ,i called by appointment on
 the ,earl of      ,kinnoul1 a small    
man1 with a face like the caricature of 
an      owl2 he said he had sent for me 
to tell me all my birds were      alike1
 and he considered my work a swindle4   
,he may really      think this2 his     
knowledge is probably small2 but it is  
not the      custom to send for a       
gentleman to abuse him in one's house4  
,i      heard his words1 bowed1 and     
without speaking1 left the rudest       
man ,i have met in this land4  ,audubon 
had not yet visited the great university
 towns of ,england1 the support of which
 he knew would be a valuable asset1 and 
on ,march #c1 #ahbh1 he set out by stage
 for ,cambridge4 ,his driver1 he        
remarked1 held confidances with every   
grog-shop between ,london and           
,cambridge1 and his purple face gave    
powerful evidences that malt liquor was 
more enticing to him than water4 ,his   
reception at ,cambridge was hearty2 he  
was entertained by ,professors          

,sedgwick1 ,whewell1 and ,henslow1 dined
 repeatedly in ,hall with the dons1 and 
received the subscription of the        
librarian of the ,university4 ,it is    
interesting to recall that young        
,charles ,darwin1 the man who walks with
 ,henslow1 as some of the dons called   
him1 was then an undergraduate at       
,king's ,college1 and that thirty-one   
years were to pass before modern biology
 was born in #ahei1 the year of the     
appearance of the epoch-making ,origin  
of ,species4  ,by the #aeth of ,march   
,audubon was again in ,london1 and on   
the #bdth he started for ,oxford4 ,dr4  
,williams1 as he noted in his journal1  
subscribed for his ,birds in favor of   
the ,radcliffe ,library1 as did also    
,dr4 ,kidd for the ,anatomical ,school2 
but1 though hospitably treated by all1  
not one of the twenty-four colleges of  
that great ,university emulated their   
example1 and the naturalist went away   
disappointed4  ,upon his return to      
,london in early ,april1 ,audubon       

received a call from ,john ,c4 ,loudon1 
editor of the ,magazine of ,natural     
,history1 and was invited to contribute 
to that journal4 ,i declined1 he said1  
for ,i will never write anything to call
 down upon me a second volley of abuse4 
,i can only write facts1 and when ,i    
write these1 the ,philadelphians call me
 a liar4 ,he was then chafing under the 
criticism which his rattlesnake stories 
had produced4#ceb ,on ,april #f the     
persistent ,mr4 ,loudon called again and
 offered ,audubon eight guineas for an  
article1 only to be again refused4      
,still unwilling to admit defeat1 the   
editor proposed to engage ,william      
,swainson to prepare an extended review 
of the naturalist's work1 and in this he
 succeeded so well that ,audubon        
immediately relented and sent him a     
paper4#cec ,swainson offered to write   
the review for a copy of the work at its
 cost price1 and ,audubon replied in the
 following letter3#ced   ,audubon to    
,william ,swainson            ,,london1 

,april #ith #ahbh4       ,,my ,,dear    
,,sir1       ,mr4 ,loudon called on me  
yesterday and showed me a letter        
from you to him1 in which many very     
flattering expressions      respecting  
myself and my works you are so kind as  
to offer to      review the latter so as
 to have your opinion in writting in    
time for the first no4 of the magazine  
that will appear next      month4--you  
also desire that ,i should send you a   
sett of the      works as far as        
publishing which you wish to keep       
provided      ,i will let you have it at
 the price it costs me4 ,i assure       
you my ,dear ,sir1 that was ,i to take  
you at your word it would      be a sore
 bargain for you as the a_/m would be   
very nearly      double that for which  
it is sold to my subscribers4--therefore
      you will permit me to alter your  
offer and to say that if it      suits  
you to pay #ce shillings per number ,i  
will be contented2      ,i would be     
still more so was ,i rich enough to     

present it to      you4--       ,it is  
the only set on hand at present except  
one which ,i must      have to          
exhibit4--       ,the answer respecting 
the ,shrieke ,shrike has ,i hope met    
with      your wishes4--       ,ever    
since ,i became acquainted with our     
mutual friend ,dr4      ,fraill ,traill 
,i have had a great desire to see and   
speak to      you  ,i regret that ,i    
never have had an opportunity4 ,my time 
is so completely taken up that it is    
with difficulty that ,i      can enjoy a
 day's rest--,should you come to town   
pray call on      me when ,i may have   
the pleasure of shaking your hand and to
      assure you verbally that ,i am    
truly and sincerely            yours obe
 st            ,,john ,j4 ,,audubon     
#ie ,great ,russell ,st4                
,bedford ,sq4    ,illustration3         
,,letter ,,of ,,william ,,swainson ,,to 
,,audubon1 ,,may1 #ahbh4       ,from the
 ,deane ,,mss4  ,thus began an intimate 
friendship between ,william ,swainson   

and ,john ,james ,audubon which lasted  
until #ahcj1 and their intercourse did  
not wholly cease before #ahch4 ,in his  
use of ,english at this time ,audubon   
was not far behind ,swainson1 whose     
mother tongue it was4 ,swainson1        
according to ,dr4 ,gnther1 was extremely
 careless in orthography and loose in   
his style of writing3 he persistently   
misspelt not only technical terms1 but  
also the names of foreign authors1 and  
even of some of his familiar friends and
 correspondents2 he knew no other       
language but his own1 and the           
application of ,latin and ,greek for the
 purpose of systematic nomenclature was 
a constant source of error4  ,at this   
time ,swainson was living in            
semi-retirement at a farmstead of       
considerable size1 called ,highfield    
,hall1#cee near ,tyttenhanger ,green1 a 
small settlement1 off the highroad1 two 
miles southeast of the historic town of 
,st4 ,albans1 in ,hertfordshire2 though 
his letters were always dated from ,the 

,green at ,tyttenhanger1 his            
associations were with the more         
considerable village of ,london ,colney1
 but a mile to the south1 on the road to
 ,barnet4 ,audubon had brought a letter 
of introduction from ,dr4 ,traill1 a    
valiant champion of ,swainson at        
,edinburgh1 but was unable to go to the 
country to deliver it4 ,swainson1       
however1 attended promptly to the       
review1 and on ,april #aa1 #ahbh1 sent  
it to ,mr4 ,loudon1 who published it in 
the ,may number of his ,magazine4#cef   
,swainson's review was extremely        
laudatory1 and ,audubon reproduced      
extracts from it in later editions of   
his ,prospectus4 ,to quote a            
characteristic paragraph1 he said that  
the naturalist's ornithological papers  
printed in one of the ,scotch journals1 
are as valuable to the scientific world1
 as they are delightful to the general  
reader4 ,they give us a rich foretaste  
of what we may hope and expect from such
 a man4 ,there is a freshness and an    

originality about these essays1 which   
can only be compared to the animated    
biographies of ,wilson4444 ,to represent
 the passions and the feelings of birds1
 might1 until now1 have been well deemed
 chimerical4 ,rarely1 indeed1 do we see 
their outward forms represented with any
 thing like nature4 ,in my estimation1  
not more than three painters ever lived 
who could draw a bird4 ,of these the    
lamented ,barrabaud ,barraband1 of whom 
,france may be justly proud1 was the    
chief4 ,he has long passed away2 but his
 mantle has at length been recovered in 
the forests of ,america4  ,audubon spent
 four days with ,swainson and his family
 at ,tyttenhanger1 from ,may #bh to     
,june #a1 #ahbh1 when they talked birds 
and made drawings2 ,audubon also showed 
,swainson how to put up birds in his    
style1 which delighted him4 ,the        
friendship between these men1 though    
very intimate while it lasted1 received 
a sudden check two years later1 when    
,audubon was about to publish the       

letterpress to his plates1 as will be   
related farther on4#ceg  ,though his    
hands were already more than full at    
this time1 ,audubon seems to have played
 with the idea of publishing a work on  
the birds of ,great ,britain1 but on    
,may #a he wrote to ,swainson that the  
plan did not meet with favor1 and later 
he relinquished all claims in such a    
project to his assistant1 ,william      
,mac,gillivray4#ceh  ,in the spring of  
#ahbh ,audubon began to think of        
returning to the ,united ,states1 to    
renew or revise his drawings and extend 
his researches4 ,i am sure1 he said1    
that now ,i could make better           
compositions1 and select better plants  
than when ,i drew mainly for amusement4 
,in order to raise the necessary funds1 
he resorted again to picture painting1  
his never failing resource1 and worked  
in oil colors daily from morning light  
until dusk1 unless called to ,havell's  
to decide some question of necessary    
detail4 ,the following letters to       

,swainson shed further light on this    
work and on the progress of ,the ,birds 
of ,america1 the eighth number of which 
was published early in ,july3   ,audubon
 to ,william ,swainson                  
,,london1 ,july #ast #ahbh4       ,,my  
,,dear ,,sir4--       ,i have been      
expecting to have the pleasure of seeing
 you for      upwards of a week1 having 
mentioned in your last note that        
you intended spending a couple of days  
in ,london before the      end of       
,june4--,when are you coming8--the      
beautifull lamb came      quite safe and
 is now on the canvas 7in efigy7 for    
ages to      come--,i bought a superb   
,golden ,eagle from ,mr4 ,cross that    
also      has helped to fill it ----    
,here apparently some words have        
been deleted1 and it is impossible to   
read them4 ,i long to      shew them to 
you4--,i have finished the picture of   
the ,turkeys1      and painted a white  
headed eagle--in fact ,i have worked    
from      #d every morning untill       

dark--but the best news ,i have to tell 
is2 that ,i have received #d letters    
from my wife1 one dated #bnd      of    
,may1 all well--but not quite settled   
about coming before      the end of     
summer4 ,i have changed quarters and am 
now at #gi      ,newman ,street ,oxford 
,street1 in ,mr4 ,havell's house where  
,i      have taken #c rooms and feel    
more comfortable although ,i have       
not the little piece of ground to walk  
on4--,i imagine the      country to be  
now quite beautifull and had ,i time to 
spare      would walk out to see you    
,mrs ,s  the dear little folks at       
,tittenhanger ,green4--,i received a    
visit on ,saturday last of      the     
whole of ,lord ,milton's family who     
after complimenting the      author of  
the ,birds of ,america very kindly      
subscribed for      two copies of the   
work4--,i have mended my pen--,i should 
have      sent the ,blackwood magazine  
to you1 but ,i so much expected      to 
see you here that it is yet on my table1

 and will keep it      untill you       
come4--,all my exertions to procure live
 grouses have      been abortive        
here--,i have written to ,scotland to a 
friend and      perhaps will have some  
soon4--,the #hth number is now printing 
and colouring and will be out this      
month--the #ith is began4--,if      you 
are hungry or thirsty when you come to  
town please make      for my here a word
 is omitted1 and ,i will try to manage  
matters in this way4--,may ,i ask what  
you are doing8--,i saw ,dr              
,fraill's ,traill's son a few days      
ago--he inquired after your      son and
 family4--,i expect a copy of ,loudon's 
magazine this      evening4 ,i feel     
anxious to see what sort of a cut the   
,doves      make1 as well as the birds  
of ,washington4--       ,with sincerest 
regards  esteem to yourself and ,lady-- 
,i am yours most truly            ,,john
 ,j4 ,,audubon4            #gi ,newman  
,street1           ,oxford ,street4     
,audubon to ,william ,swainson          

,,london ,thursday ,july #ahbh4         
,,my ,,dear ,,mr ,,swainson1            
,although your last note said that you  
knew not when ,i should      have the   
pleasure of seeing you in town1 ,i have 
hoped every      morning to see you that
 day4--,when will you come8--,there is  
a talk of my picture of the ,eagle and  
the ,lamb going to her      ,majesty1   
,sir ,walter ,waller has been written to
 on the subject      and every thing is 
in train to lead poor ,i like a lamb to 
,windsor ,castle6--,i am told the       
picture is a grand one but      you1 my 
dear ,sir1 have not said so6 ,when you  
come ,i will      show you #ac grouses  
pretty fairly grouped on one canvas1    
with      seven pheasants with a ,fox on
 another1 etc4 etc4 ,i have worked      
hard this month from #d p4m4 untill #g  
a4m4 sic every day--,i      regretted   
that your brother did not come to see   
me--,i have a      great desire to see  
you but ,i cannot at present leave      
town4--,my      #hth ,no4 is just       

out4--,the #ith  #ajth are              
engraving4--,i have      sent word to my
 son to land 8  bring some skins for you
       perhaps you may have a rare      
assortment bye and bye4--,i hope        
your ,lady and dear ,children are all   
quite well ,pray remember      me kindly
 to them4----,i wish to name a bird     
after you in the      #ast ,no4 of #ahbi
  wish you to choose a name4            
,believe yours ever and truly obliged   
,j4 ,j4 ,,audubon            #gi ,newman
 ,street1           ,oxford ,street4    
,by the #ith of ,august eight pictures  
had been begun1 but none was finished1  
and the number of his subscribers had   
fallen to seventy4 ,at about this time  
,captain ,basil ,hall#cei returned from 
his journey through the ,united ,states1
 and brought direct news from ,victor   
,audubon1 who was then at ,louisville1  
from ,dr4 ,richard ,harlan and ,thomas  
,sully1 to all of whom the naturalist's 
letters had been delivered the previous 
year4 ,towards the end of the month     

,audubon received the following note    
from the secretary of the ,zological    
,society1 ,n4 ,a4 ,vigors1 who was also 
anxious to obtain from him an article   
for his ,journal3   ,n4 ,a4 ,vigors to  
,audubon            ,,bruter ,,ct       
,aug4 #bc1 #ahbh4       ,,my ,,dear     
,,sir3--       ,i hope you do not forget
 your promise of giving us a paper for  
the ,zological ,journal4 ,we should be  
much gratified by having      your name 
with us3 and1 if possible1 should wish  
to have      whatever you may favour us 
with within the next ten days4 ,i       
have been but a few hours in town1 and  
shall leave town again      tomorrow for
 a few days1 or ,i should have called   
upon you to      speak personally upon  
the subject4 ,i believe ,i have already 
mentioned1 that we are in the habit of  
remunerating those of      our          
correspondents who wish for payment for 
their labours1 at      a rate not       
exceeding #aj4aj4j per sheet4       ,a  
letter from you in answer will reach me1

 if sent to ,bruter      ,ct3 before    
,wednesday on which day a parcel will be
 forwarded      to me from thence4      
,believe me my dear ,sir1               
,yours faithfully1            ,n3 ,a3   
,,vigors4            ,addressed ,j4 ,j4 
,,audubon ,esq41                        
#fi ,great ,russell ,st42               
,bloomsbury4            ,readdressed    
,newman ,street1                        
,oxford ,street  ,audubon refused this  
request1 saying that no money can pay   
for abuse1 and this time he did not     
retract4  ,without immediate prospect of
 seeing his family1 for neither ,mrs4   
,audubon nor her sons were enthusiastic 
over the proposal that they should go to
 ,england1 the naturalist was           
momentarily depressed2 he turned to     
,swainson for advice1 at the same time  
suggesting that they visit ,paris       
together4 ,audubon wrote in his journal 
for ,august #af1 #ahbh1 that he had     
invited ,swainson to accompany him to   
,france1 whither his friend had         

expressed a desire to go when the       
subject had been broached at            
,tyttenhanger2 on the #beth of that     
month he added3 ,i do not expect much   
benefit by this trip1 but ,i shall be   
glad to see what may be done4 ,the      
letter just referred to follows3        
,audubon to ,william ,swainson          
,,london1 ,wednesday ,augt4 #ac1 #ahbh4 
,,my ,,dear ,,mr4 ,,swainson1       ,i  
reached my lodging in great comfort by  
the side of your      amiable ,docr     
,davie two hours and a half after we    
shook      hands--,i wish ,i might say  
as much of my ,journey through          
,life4--,i have had sad news from my    
dear wife this morning1      she has    
positively abandoned her coming to      
,england for some      indefinite time1 
indeed she says that she looks anxiously
 for      the day when tired myself of  
this country ,i will return to      mine
 and live although a humbler 7,public7  
,life1 a much happier      one--her     
letter has not raised my already        

despondent spirits in      somethings   
and at the very instant ,i am writing to
 you it      may perhaps be well that no
 instrument is at hand with which      a
 woeful sin might be committed--,i have 
laid aside brushes1      thoughts of    
painting and all except the ties of     
friendship--,i      am miserable just   
now and you must excuse so unpleasant a 
letter--,would you go to ,paris with me8
 ,i could go with you      any day that 
you would be please to mention1 ,i will 
remain      there as long and no longer 
than may suit your callings--,i         
will go with you to ,rome or anywhere1  
where something may be      done for    
either of our advantage and to drive off
 my very      great uncomfortableness of
 thoughts--,my two sons are also        
very much against coming to ,england1 a 
land they say where      neither freedom
 or simplicity of habits exist and      
altogether      uncongenial to their    
mode of life4--,what am ,i to do8 ,as a 
man      of the ,world and a man        

possessed of strong unprejudiced        
understanding ,i wish that you would    
advise me4--,but now on your            
account ,i will change the subject--,i  
called on ,newman two days      ago  to 
the following enquiries he gave me      
yesterday the      following answers    
,what the price of             doz best 
,pure ,lake     dowards 8 answer #ab_/--
                   ,carmin              
#bj_/--                   ,ultra,marine 
#hd_/--                   ,vermillion   
#f_/--                   ,terra di      
,verona                   #d_/--        
,as ,i thought the above prices enormous
 ,i have declined      advising chalks  
for you  will await your advent4--      
,should you not feel inclined to go to  
,france at present which      by the bye
 is the very best season on account of  
seeing the      vintage etc4            
etc4--please write to me so or come to  
town which      would be still more     
agreeable  talk the matter over as ,i   
think ,i would persuade you to absent   

yourself for a month      or so--,i hope
 your kind lady continues quite well    
your ,dear      ,little ones--          
,believe me yours most sincerely        
,,john ,j4 ,,audubon4            ,please
 write by return of ,post--             
#gi ,newman ,street           ,oxford   
,street4  ,on this journey to ,paris    
,audubon was accompanied by ,mr4 and    
,mrs4 ,swainson and an ,american artist1
 named ,parker1 who had been at work on 
a portrait of the naturalist in oils4   
,for ,audubon it was mainly a canvassing
 tour2 ,parker hoped to obtain orders   
for portraits1 and ,swainson1 new       
ornithological material at the great    
museum in the ,jardin des ,plantes1 for 
a work upon which he was then           
engaged4#cfj  ,the party set out on the 
#ast of ,september1 traveling by way of 
,dover and ,boulogne1 and reached ,paris
 on ,thursday1 ,september #d4 ,they     
alighted at the ,messagerie ,royale1    
,rue des ,victoires1 and1 after looking 
up lodgings1 went at once to the ,jardin

 des ,plantes to pay their respects to  
,cuvier4 ,the ,museum of ,natural       
,history was closed1 but they knocked   
and asked for the ,baron4 ,he was in1   
said ,audubon1 in the journal of his    
,paris experience1       but1 we were   
told1 too busy to be seen4 ,being       
determined to      look at the great    
man1 we waited1 knocked again1 and with 
a      certain degree of firmness sent  
in our names4 ,the messenger            
returned1 bowed1 and led the way up     
stairs1 where in a minute      ,monsieur
 the ,baron1 like an excellent good man1
 came to us2 he      had heard of my    
friend ,swainson and greeted him as he  
deserves      to be greeted2 he was     
polite and kind to me1 though my name   
had never made its way to his ears4 ,i  
looked at him1 and here      follows the
 result3 age about sixty-five2 size     
corpulent1      five feet five1 ,english
 measure2 head large2 face wrinkled and 
brownish2 eyes gray1 brilliant and      
sparkling2 nose aquiline1      large and

 red2 mouth large1 with good lips2 teeth
 few1 blunted      by age1 excepting one
 on the lower jaw1 measuring nearly     
three-quarters of an inch square4#cfa   
,they were immediately invited to dine  
on the following ,saturday at six       
o'clock1 and later saw ,cuvier at his   
home1 at his ,museum1 and at the        
,academy of ,sciences1 over which he    
presided4  ,geoffroy ,saint-,hilaire    
pleased ,audubon greatly and proved to  
him by his conversation that he         
understood perfectly the difference     
between the ,french and the ,english4   
,the ,duke of ,orleans1 who then        
occupied the ,palais ,royal1 seemed to  
him the finest physical type of man he  
had ever met4 ,he had my book brought   
up1 said the naturalist1 and helped me  
untie the strings and arrange the table1
 and began by saying that he felt great 
pleasure in subscribing to the work of  
an ,american1 for he had been most      
kindly received in the ,united ,states  
and should never forget it4 ,when the   

plate of the ,baltimore ,orioles was    
held up to view1 the ,duke exclaimed3   
,this surpasses all ,i have seen1 and ,i
 am not astonished now at the eulogiums 
of ,m4 ,redout4 ,he conversed in both   
,english and ,french1 had much to say of
 ,american cities and rivers1 and added3
 ,you are a great nation1 a wonderful   
nation4 ,the ,duke wrote his name in    
,audubon's subscription book1 promised  
to try to enlist a number of the crowned
 heads of ,europe in his behalf1 and    
gave him besides a number of orders for 
pictures of animals4  ,audubon had      
already made friends with the veteran   
painter of flowers1 ,pierre ,joseph     
,redout1 and when it was proposed that  
they should exchange works1 the ,raphael
 of ,flowers consented1 gave ,audubon at
 once nine numbers of his ,belles       
,fleurs1 and promised to send ,les      
,roses4  ,during this visit of eight    
weeks ,parker painted portraits of both 
,cuvier and ,redout2 ,swainson worked   
steadily at the ,museum1 where ,isidore 

,geoffrey ,saint-,hilaire gave him the  
use of his private study2 while         
,audubon1 for the most part1 was driving
 from post to pillar in his not         
altogether successful efforts to extend 
his subscription list4 ,as already      
intimated1 his greatest success in      
,paris was in winning the friendship and
 endorsement of ,cuvier1 who reported   
upon his work at a meeting of the ,royal
 ,academy of ,sciences held on          
,september #bb4cfb ,audubon has related 
how on this occasion he had an          
appointment to meet the ,baron in the   
library of the ,institute at precisely  
half past one o'clock2 he waited2 the   
hall filled1 and the clock ticked on1   
but the great savant did not appear4    
,finally1 said ,audubon1 after an hour  
had passed1 all at once ,i heard his    
voice1 and saw him advancing1 very warm 
and apparently fatigued4 ,he met me with
 many apologies1 and said1 ',come with  
me'2 and as we walked along1 he         
explaining all the time why he had been 

late1 while his hand drove a pencil with
 great rapidity1 and he told me that he 
was actually now writing the report on  
my work6#cfc ,cuvier's published report1
 which was extremely laudatory1 showed  
little signs of haste4 ,after speaking  
of ,audubon's talents and               
accomplishments he said3       ,the     
execution of these plates1 so remarkable
 for their size1      seems to us       
equally successful in the drawing1 the  
engraving1      and coloring1 and though
 it may be difficult to represent       
relief in a colored print with as much  
effect as in painting      proper1 this 
is no disadvantage in works on natural  
history2      naturalists prefer the    
true color of objects to those          
accidental shades which result from the 
diverse inflections of      light2      
necessary though these be for completing
 the truth of a      picture1 they are  
foreign as well as prejudicial to       
scientific      accuracy4#cfd           
,illustration3 ,,audubon       ,,after  

,a ,,portrait ,,in ,,oils1 ,,hitherto   
,,unpublished1 ,,painted ,,about        
#ahbf ,w4 ,h4 ,,holmes ,,for ,,walter   
,,horton ,,bentley1 ,,of ,,manchester1  
,,and ,,in #aiac ,,in ,,possession ,,of 
,,his ,,grandson1 ,,john ,,conway       
,,bentley1 ,,formerly ,,of ,,glasgow4   
,,in ,,the ,,original ,,audubon ,,is    
,,represented ,,in ,a ,,green ,,coat1 ,a
 ,,crimson ,,cloak ,,with ,,deep ,,fur  
,,edging ,,thrown ,,over ,,one          
,,shoulder1 ,,and ,,with ,,portfolio    
,,in ,,hand4      ,,from ,a ,,photograph
 ,,in ,,possession ,,of ,,mr4 ,,ruthven 
,,deane4  ,by ,november ,audubon was    
once more in ,london1 busy at painting  
to fill his orders and his purse4 ,on   
the #aath of the month1 we find         
,swainson1 whose own exchequer was      
empty1 writing to ,audubon for a loan2  
this letter1 and one soon to follow1    
illustrate some of the characteristics  
to which we have referred3   ,william   
,swainson to ,audubon                   
,tuesday #aa ,nov4 #ahbh4       ,i had  

written the enclosed1 my dear ,mr4      
,audubon1 before your      letter of    
,monday reached me4 ,it has come this   
instant1 ,dreams1      you know1 must   
always be interpreted contrawise1 we    
might      have lifted up our arms1 as  
you saw in your dream but1 if you       
had not awoke1 it was no doubt to have  
shaken hands6 ,but that      my regard  
for you may be evinced1 ,i will bring   
myself to lay      under an obligation1 
which ,i would only ask for one of my   
own      family4 ,i was that moment     
thinking to which ,i should write1      
to ask the loan of #hj  for a few       
months1 and now ,i will ask      it of  
you4 ,if you was aware of the peculiar  
feelings which      we ,englishmen have 
on such occasions1 perhaps you would    
smile1      but so it is that we never  
ask any one1 from whom we have the      
least idea of a refusal4 ,now1 did ,i   
not believe you to be a      sincere    
friend1 do you imagine ,i should have   
told you ,i was      in want of ,money  

much less have asked you to lend me     
some4      ,the fact is1 ,i have        
suffered a severe loss during my being  
in ,paris1 what little ,i had on hand   
has been spent there      and in making 
preparations for the publication of my  
,zool4      ,illustrations4 ,two or     
three months however1 hard work will    
bring me round again  repay you4        
,let me see your letter to the          
,president of the ,zool4 ,soc4          
before it goes1 and you shall see mine4 
,i shall be most thankful for the       
,grouse4 ,i send #b drawings to         
,havell to be engraved spur him on for  
,i want to have every      thing ready  
before the new year4            ,yours  
most sincerely1            ,w4          
,,swainson4            ,,john ,j4       
,,audubon1 ,esq4           #gi ,newman  
,st4  ,in ,december the ,swainsons      
invited ,audubon to dine with them at   
,christmas2 in his letter ,swainson     
said3       ,why are you so sad8 ,i     
would lay ten shillings that old ,havell

      has been disappointing you as he  
has done me4 ,he is in matters      of  
business a complete daudle--an old      
woman1 and ,i have done      with him4  
,his son ,i think better of he has a    
good idea of      punctuality in        
business4444 ,in one of your walks ,i   
hope you      have thought about the    
,french ,wine that we talked so much    
about and have ascertained the          
particulars from your friend1      so   
that we may order a cask4 ,i hope you   
have not mistaken the      price1--for  
if not1 nothing that can be drank in    
this country      is one half as cheap4 
,in the following letter ,swainson      
refers to the second series of his      
,zological ,illustrations1#cfe the sale 
of which was irritating him1 and to ,n4 
,a4 ,vigors1 with whom he had entered   
upon a notorious controversy in #ahbh3  
,william ,swainson to ,audubon          
#ah ,january1 #ahbi4       ,,my ,,dear  
,,mr4 ,,audubon1       ,i write this in 
utter uncertainty whether it will find  

you in      ,london4 ,my first number   
has now been out three weeks--it has    
been seen and universally admired1 and  
how many copies do you      think the   
,publisher has sold8 now pray guess as  
the ,americans      say4 #ajj--no4      
twentyfive1 no4 fifteen1 no4 ten8 yes4  
positively      ten copies and no more1 
has been sold4 ,i blush almost to       
confess this mortification to even1 you1
 but so it is4 ,now1      my dear ,sir1 
what am ,i to think of the generally    
diffused      taste1 as the phrase is1  
for ,natural ,history4       ,this      
allthough vexing to me1 may be a        
consolation to you1      who are able to
 exhibit on what ,i call your ,red ,book
 the      names of a good portion of    
#aej subscribers to a #bjj guinea       
,book4 ,think yourself my friend        
exceedingly well off4       ,the amount 
of sale must be kept silent1 it would be
 a nice      nut to crack for ,v igors4 
his friends4       ,i shall be able to  
do without the water birds1 if you have 

not found any4       ,i have had a most 
extraordinary letter from ,waterton1    
which      will highly amuse you4 ,the  
man is mad--stark1 staring mad4         
,yours very faith'ly            ,w4     
,,swainson4       ,can you tell me any  
safe expeditions made of sending and    
receiving letters and ,parcels from     
,philadelphia4            ,j4 ,j4       
,,audubon ,esq4           #gi ,newman   
,st4           ,oxford ,st4  ,early in  
#ahbi ,bonaparte wrote from ,rome1 where
 he had then settled1 and the following 
letter shows that he had then heard of  
,audubon's visit to ,france1 and was    
keenly interested in his success3       
,charles ,l4 ,bonaparte to ,audubon     
,,rome ,january #aj th #ahbi4           
,,dear ,,sir1       ,i received in due  
time your favours of ,november #c;d4    
,december      #ba st4  now come to     
thank you for them1 wishing you or      
rather expressing to you at the occasion
 of the renewal of      the year1 the   
warm wishes ,i constantly have for your 

health1      happiness  especially for  
the success of your work4 ,from the     
contents of your letter ,i clearly      
perceive that one at least      of my   
letters to you must have miscarried4    
,nothing could be      more interesting 
to me than the narrative of your journey
      to ,france1 though ,i had heard   
from other quarters the good       well 
deserved reception you met with4 ,your  
letter of ,august #bj      th4 never    
came at hand1  it must have been the    
same with at      least one of mine to  
you4 ,what you mention about ,temminck  
quite astonishes me6 444 ,i thought he  
would have undertaken      even a       
journey to see you  your drawings666    
,please let me      know when you write 
whether the ,ornithological             
,illustrations      of ,jardine1 ,vigors
  ,co are stopped or still going        
on4--,the      animals ,i spoke to you  
of were reported as delivered to you    
by ,mr ,gray of the ,british ,museum who
 had received them for me      from the 

,u4 ,states4 ,is it not so8 444 ,corvus 
,cornix with us is      very fond of the
 sea shore  feeds occasionally on fish1 
but      ,i never observed it had the   
singular habits of ,c4 ossifragus       
at least as described by ,wilson4       
,i am surprized at ,messrs ,j ,b's      
conduct2 ,i have always      found them 
extremely kind and well disposed towards
 me2       although we have settled our 
accounts ,i had no reason to            
believe they would refuse our box4      
,however we can do without      their   
interference quite as well1  ,i hope you
 have already      forwarded the box to 
,leghorn recommending it to the care of 
my      agent in that port4 ,messrs ,f4 
,a4 ,filuchs4787 ,i shall keep      a   
good lookout for it being extremely     
anxious to see your      new number4 ,i 
should never have done if ,i was to     
repeat      to you all the praise given 
to your work by our ,italian            
artists  men of science6444 ,i shall    
merely state that on my      part ,i    

prefer the plate of ,goldfinches to any 
other1 birds      and plants1 being life
 itself2  that ,i am most anxious to    
see ,astur ,stanleyi which ,i strongly  
suspect to be my ,falco                 
,cooperii4444 ,by this time1 however you
 may have been able      to ascertain   
the fact 444 please let me know how the 
thing      stands4 ,it is only by your  
letter that ,i hear of my work 7#b      
d7 being in ,london3 ,i have not yet    
seen a copy myself nor did      ,i know 
positively that it had been published4  
,you must surely      have received one 
from myself at all events1 for ,i       
directed      ,messrs ,gay  ,lea to let 
you have one of the very first out4     
,let me know whether you have it  your  
opinion about it4--,i      think you are
 right in going to ,russia1 especially  
as in      giving them the ,american    
,birds you will probably give us the    
,russians1 some of which are hardly     
known4 ,try to get for me      ,pyrrhula
 longicauda1 ,p4 rosea                  

,scalopax--thalina1 the latter          
especially4 ,i shall not loose sight of 
the portrait1 but it      will be still 
more difficult to get the signature4 ,i 
will      however endeavor from some of 
my relations4 ,you were right      in   
supposing me dans les bras de la paix   
le bonheur d'un      heureux pre de     
famille but greatly mistaken to think ,i
 was      taking le plaisir des         
sciences4 ,settling and other cursed    
worldly affairs have so much taken up my
 time1 that ,i have not      looked a   
specimen or a book since ,i am in ,rome 
444 my small      library itself  my    
,cabinet have not even been arranged  ,i
      tremble to find all my birds      
destroyed when the happy day      will  
come to look into them4 ,in the mean    
time an addition has      been made six 
weeks ago to my small family4 ,i have   
another son      who has received the   
names of ,lucien ,louis ,joseph         
,napoleon       better than that who is 
the porthrait of health itself4      ,i 

am sure you will divide my happiness    
excuse my delay in      answering you   
principally on that account4 ,i am in   
debt with      half the scientific world
  this has been the first letter ,i     
scratched since ,i am in ,rome6444 ,i   
hope to be more regular       less in a 
hurry in future 444 though ,god         
knows6444 ,i will not      however close
 this letter without mentionaing the    
pleasure ,i      had the other day in   
getting you a new subscriber  that among
      the ,english themselves46 ,the    
,earl of ,shrewsbury  his good          
,lady highly admired your work the other
 day at my house  were      so pleased  
with it that they said they would write 
immediately      to add their name to   
the list4 ,the ,earl of ,shrewsbury is  
as      you know the first ,earl of     
,great ,britain a catholic  what      is
 more to you a man of great taste4 ,his 
not having heard of      your work shows
 that you have not made enough noise    
about it3       ,i am sure his name will

 be followed by a great many others     
to which ,mr4 ,chapittar 7,lord         
,shrewsb4 friend7 has promised      me  
to show the work  deliver the           
prospectuses4 ,did you hear      of the 
death of poor ,mr ,barnes killed by a   
stag 7874 ,it is a      great loss for  
the ,queen4 ,i remain1 ,dear ,sir1      
begging you the      ,london news       
your most obliged friend                
,,charles ,l4 ,,bonaparte4              
,addressed ,mr4 ,j4 ,j4 ,,audubon       
#gi ,newman ,street                     
,oxford ,st4                            
,london                                 
,inghilterra4            ,endorsed      
,answered ,feby4 #h th4 #ahbi4          
,j4 ,j4 ,a4  ,audubon continued to work 
on his paintings during the winter of   
#ahbh-i1 hoping to put his affairs in   
such order that he might be able to     
start for ,america in the following     
year4    ,illustration3 ,,part ,,of     
,,letter ,,of ,,charles ,,lucien        
,,bonaparte ,,to      ,,audubon1        

,,january #aj1 #ahbi4       ,from the   
,howland ,,mss4     ,,chapter ,,xxiv    
,,first ,,visit ,,to ,,america ,,in     
,,search ,,of ,,new ,,birds             
,audubon settles for a time in          
,camden--,paints in a fisherman's       
cottage by the sea--,with the lumbermen 
in the ,great ,pine      ,woods--,work  
done--,visits his sons--,joins his wife 
at ,st4      ,francisville--,record of  
journey south--,life at                 
,beechgrove--,mrs4      ,audubon retires
 from teaching--,their plans to return  
to      ,england--,meeting with         
,president ,jackson and ,edward         
,everett4   ,audubon laid his plans to  
visit ,america in #ahbi with unusual    
care1 and was fortunate in being able to
 entrust his publication to the         
competent hands of ,john ,george        
,children1 of the ,british ,museum4     
,this was to be actually his third      
voyage to the ,united ,states1 but it   
was the first which he made from        
,english soil1 and after he had become  

known as an ornithologist and animal    
painter4 ,he wished to renew at least   
fifty of his earlier drawings and to    
obtain new materials of every           
description4 ,although he was naturally 
anxious to see his wife1 from whom he   
had been absent for nearly three years1 
and his boys1 the elder of whom had been
 left at ,shippingport five years       
before1 he felt constrained to devote to
 his work every moment that could be    
spared4  ,when writing to his wife of   
his difficulties and prospects at this  
period1 he assured her that he would act
 cautiously1 with all due diligence and 
sobriety1 and continued3       ,thou art
 quite comfortable in ,louisiana1 ,i    
know2 therefore      wait there with a  
little patience4 ,i hope the end of this
 year      will see me under headway    
sufficient to have thee with me in      
comfort here1 and ,i need not tell thee 
,i long for thee every      hour ,i am  
absent from thee4 ,if ,i fail1 ,america 
will still be      my country1 and thou1

 ,i will still feel1 my friend4 ,i will 
return to both and forget forever the   
troubles and expenses      ,i have had2 
when walking together1 arm in arm1 we   
can see our      sons before us1 and    
listen to the mellow sounding thrush1 so
      plentiful in our woods of         
magnolia4#cff  ,a little later in #ahbi 
he also wrote3 ,i have finished the two 
first years of publication1 the two most
 difficult to be encountered4 ,at that  
time he fully expected that fourteen    
years would be required for the         
completion of his task1 owing to the    
many difficulties experienced1          
especially in securing competent        
workmen1 as well as the necessity of    
distributing the expense for the benefit
 of his subscribers4  ,when ,havell had 
been provided with all the drawings     
needed for the remainder of the year    
#ahbi and the first issue of #ahcj1     
,audubon sailed from ,portsmouth on the 
#ast of ,april1 #ahbi1 in the packet    
ship ,columbia1 which reached ,new ,york

 on the opening day of ,may4 ,i chose   
the ship1 he said1 on account of her    
name1 and paid thirty pounds for my     
passage4  ,he paused in ,new ,york to   
exhibit his drawings at the ,lyceum of  
,natural ,history1 of which he had      
become a member in #ahbd1 but soon      
hurried to ,philadelphia1 and finally   
settled down for work at ,camden1 in    
,new ,jersey1 later known to fame as the
 home of the good gray poet4 ,there1 at 
a boarding house kept by a ,mr4         
,armstrong1 he remained three weeks1    
from about ,may #bc to ,june #ac1       
hunting and painting every day4 ,from   
,camden he went to ,great ,egg ,harbor1 
then a famous resort of both land and   
water birds in great variety1 and for   
three weeks more he lived and worked in 
a fisherman's cabin by the sea4 ,it is  
interesting to recall that ,alexander   
,wilson1 in company with ,george ,ord1  
had spent a month at this point in the  
spring of #ahac4  ,the following        
letter#cfg from ,swainson was probably  

the one to which ,audubon replied from  
,new ,jersey on ,september #ad3         
,william ,swainson to ,audubon          
,,my ,,dear ,,mr4 ,,audubon       ,i    
welcomed the news of your arrival in    
,america yesterday1      and as ,i am   
making up a packet for ,liverpool today1
 ,i seize      the opportunity of       
wishing you joy and happiness in the new
      world4 ,i am surprised and        
disappointed as not receiving one       
line from ,ward it is at the best       
negligent1 and somewhat      ungrateful4
 ,hope you have begun your studies among
 the birds      on a better plan than   
formerly1 that is1 in preserving the    
skins of every one on which there is the
 least doubt whether      the bird is   
young or old1 particularly the former4  
,if you are      to give scientific     
descriptions and definitions of the     
species      this precaution is         
absolutely necessary4 ,what your        
,americans      do with their money ,i  
know not1 ,mr4 ,lea tells me he cannot  

procure one purchaser for my new        
,illustrations3 here it is      now     
going on very well4       ,you asked me 
what you can do for me in ,america4 ,i  
will tell      you4 ,send me a cart load
 of shells from the ,ohio1 or from any  
of the ,rivers near ,new ,orleans4 ,the 
very smallest1 as well      as the very 
largest--all sizes4 ,i have been long   
expecting      those which your son     
promised you for me near twelve months  
ago6 but ,i have heard nothing of them6 
you may spend a few      dollars for me 
and send people to fish the shells at   
the dry      season1 when the waters are
 low1 that is the best time4            
,things go on here much as usual1 but ,i
 have not been in ,london      since    
,xmas4 ,the first volume1 containing the
 ,quadrupeds1 of      ,dr4 ,richardson's
 work1 is out4 ,i am now busy in        
preparing the      second1 which        
contains the ,birds4 ,let me            
particularly direct      your attention 
to the manners of the ,cedar ,bird1     

,ampelis      ,americana4 ,i suspect it 
feeds much on ,insects in default of    
fruit1 but what is desirable1 is to know
 the way in which      it captures      
,insects1 whether as a flycatcher i4e4  
by seizing      them on the wing1 or    
like the ,gold crest--by picking them up
      among the branches or leaves4 ,i  
am now in close correspondance      with
 ,charles ,bonaparte1  a most valuble   
correspondant he is4       ,mrs4        
,swainson is just recovering from her   
confinement after      giving me another
 little son ,i am happy today they are  
both      going on well4       ,wilson  
,i believe mentions two birds very like 
the ,red eyed      ,flycatcher1 this is 
a point deserving your attention1 but   
the manners of these birds are much more
 important4 ,i feel      convinced there
 are several species of my ,genus       
,ammodramus      shore finch1 in the    
,so4 ,states1 they all have narrow      
pointed      tails1 like the            
seasidefinch of ,wilson4 ,i further     

suspect      there is more than one     
species confounded with the ,towee      
,buntling4       ,i hope soon again to  
hear more fully from you1 and of your   
ornithological acquisitions4 ,the dear  
little ones are quite      well4        
,yours very sincerely1            ,,wm4 
,,swainson            ,,the ,,green #bf 
,june #ahbi4            ,,mr4 ,,john ,j4
 ,,audubon           care of            
,mess4 ,,thomas ,e4 ,,walker  ,,co4     
,merchants4           ,new ,york        
,philadelphia  ,on the #dth of ,july    
,audubon returned to ,philadelphia and  
prepared for a longer sojourn in the    
,great ,pine ,forest1 or ,great ,pine   
,swamp1 as it was sometimes called1 in  
,northumberland ,county1 ,pennsylvania4 
,in this letter to his son we shall find
 an account of his plans and            
accomplishments3   ,audubon to his son1 
,victor            ,,philadelphia1 ,july
 #e th41 #ahbi4       ,,my ,,dear       
,,victor3--       ,i have been in       
,america two months this day1 and not a 

word      from you have ,i had in answer
 to my several letters1 dated      ,new 
,york1 and at this place4 ,i am also    
without answer from      your ,mama1 but
 do not feel so surprised as ,i know    
that about #b      months is the time   
necessary to have a return from         
,louisiana4       ,i have come to take  
your ,mama over to ,england1 if her wish
      inclines her to do so1 and have   
wrote fully to her1 giving      her all 
the particulars respecting my situation 
that ,i thought      could possibly be  
trusted to a letter4       ,i have also 
come to ,america to redraw some of my   
earliest      productions1 and am now   
closely engaged at this4 ,i remained    
near this city for #c weeks1 and since  
have spent #c more at      ,great ,egg  
,harbour1 from which place ,i returned  
yesterday4 ,i      have already #ac     
drawings by me4 ,i have letters from    
,london1 up      to #cj th4 ,april1 when
 all my business was going on well with 
an increase of #d subscribers4 ,i have  

no news to transmit2 on      the        
contrary1 ,i was in hopes that ere this 
,i should have had      at least one    
long letter from you4 ,i beg you will   
write me      when you last heard from  
your ,mama4 ,direct your letter to the  
care of ,messrs ,thos4 ,e4 ,walker1     
,co1 merchants here1 who know      all  
my movements1 and will see anything     
forwarded to wherever      ,i may choose
 to go to4       ,i hope your uncle     
,berthoud  family are all well2 present 
them      my best regards1 and to all   
others who may feel interested in       
my welfare1 and believe me              
your affectionate father1               
,,john ,j4 ,,audubon4       ,i have     
bought a good gold time-keeper1 intended
 for you1      and a copy bound1 of my  
work1 and wish to know how it can be    
forwarded4 ,god bless you4  ,after      
outfitting himself in ,philadelphia1    
,audubon proceeded to ,mauch ,chunk2 his
 provisions for this journey to the     
forest consisted of a wooden box        

containing a small stock of linin1      
drawing-paper1 my journal1 colors and   
pencils1 together with twenty pounds of 
shot1 several flints1 a due quantum of  
cash1 my gun ',tear ,jacket1' and a     
heart as true to nature as ever4 ,from  
,mauch ,chunk he traveled fifteen miles 
into the heart of the wooded hills1 and 
was received into the family of         
,jedediah ,irish1 lumberman and         
philosopher1 whose praise was celebrated
 in a later ,episode4#cfh ,what         
pleasure1 said the naturalist1 ,i had in
 listening to him1 as he read his       
favourite poems of ,burns1 while my     
pencil was occupied in smoothing and    
softening the drawing of the bird before
 me4 ,was this not enough to recall to  
my mind the early impressions that had  
been made upon it by the description of 
the golden age1 which ,i here found     
realized8  ,during his stay in the      
forest ,audubon paid particular         
attention to the smaller land birds1    
such as finches1 warblers and           

flycatchers1 and many of the original   
drawings which were made in the summer  
of #ahbi still bear his penciled        
designations of time and place#cfi4     
,about ten weeks#cgj were spent in the  
woods1 from late ,july until the #ajth  
of ,october1 when the naturalist        
returned to ,philadelphia and settled   
again for a time in ,camden4 ,at this   
period he was enjoying the best of      
health and spirits1 and he worked during
 the entire season under the highest    
pressure of which he was capable4 ,at   
,camden1 ,october #aa1 #ahbi1 he wrote3 
,i am at work1 and have done much1 but  
,i wish ,i had eight pairs      of      
hands1 and another body to shoot the    
specimens1 still ,i am      delighted at
 what ,i have accumulated in drawings   
this season4      ,forty-two drawings in
 four months1 eleven large1 eleven      
middle      size1 and twenty-two small1 
comprising ninety-five birds1 from      
,eagles downwards1 with plants1 nests1  
flowers1 and sixty kinds      of        

eggs4#cga ,i live alone1 see scarcely   
any one1 besides      those belonging to
 the house where ,i lodge4 ,i rise long 
before      day1 and work till          
night-fall1 when ,i take a walk1 and to 
bed4  ,at about the middle of ,october  
,audubon set out to join his family in  
the ,south4 ,crossing the mountains by  
mail-coach to ,pittsburgh1 where he met 
his former partner in business1 ,thomas 
,pears 7see p4 #bed71 he descended once 
more his favorite river1 the ,ohio4 ,it 
was no longer necessary to rough it on a
 flatboat or to sleep on a steamer's    
deck2 it was to be poor ,audubon no     
longer4 ,to be sure1 he was not rich1   
but he had made his way and his mark1   
and the attention which he now began to 
receive when traveling in his adopted   
land must have gratified his heart4 ,he 
paused at ,louisville to visit his two  
boys1 the elder of whom1 ,victor1 was   
then a clerk in the office of his uncle1
 ,william ,g4 ,bakewell1 while ,john was
 with another uncle1 ,nicholas ,a4      

,berthoud4 ,hastening on he reached     
,bayou ,sara on ,november #ag1 where he 
finally joined his wife1 who was living 
at the home of ,william ,garrett        
,johnson1 in ,west ,feliciana ,parish1  
near ,wakefield4 ,some account of this  
journey is given in the following       
letter1#cgb written on the eighteenth to
 ,dr4 ,richard ,harlan2 in the          
postscript ,audubon gives the first     
reference to a new hawk which he        
proposed to name after his friend1 and  
which has given no little trouble to    
ornithologists ever since3#cgc          
,audubon to ,dr4 ,richard ,harlan       
,superscribed ,,richd ,,harlan ,esqr4   
,m4 ,d4 c c c                           
,philadelphia ,pensa            ,,st    
,,francisville ,,louisiana ,novembr     
#ahth           #ahbi--       ,,my      
,,dear ,,friend4--       ,you will see  
by the data of this the rapidity with   
which ,i      have crossed two thirds of
 the ,united ,states4 ,i had the        
happiness of pressing my beloved wife to

 my breast ,yesterday      morning2 saw 
my two sons at ,louisville and all is   
well4--from      ,philadelphia to       
,pittsburgh ,i found the ,roads1 the    
,coaches1      horses ,drivers and ,inns
 all much improved and yet needing      
a great deal to make the traveller quite
 comfortable--,the      slownesse of the
 stages is yet a great bore to a man in 
a      hurry--,i remained part of a day 
at ,pittsburgh where of course ,i       
paid my respects to the ,museum6 ,i was 
glad to see the germ of      one--it is 
conducted by a very young man named     
,lambdin--,i made      an arrangement   
with him place of seal--paper gone c4 c4
      c4 at ,cincinnati ,i also visited 
the ,museum paper gone it      scarsely 
improves since my last view of it1      
except indeed by      wax figures and   
such other shows as are best suitable to
 make      money and the least so to    
improve the mind4--,i could not see     
,d illegible my time was very           
limited4--,the ,ohio was in good        

order for ,navigation and ,i reached    
,louisville distant from      you about 
#a1jjj ,miles in one week4as you spoke  
of travelling      westwardly ,i give   
you here an a_/c of the ,fare4--to      
,pittsburgh      all included #ba4--to  
,louisville #ab4--;and #be more to      
,bayou      ,sarah where ,i ,landed4 #cj
 is the price from ,louisville to ,n4   
,orleans4our ,steam ,boats are          
commodious and go well--but my          
,dear ,friend the most extraordinary    
change has taken place      in          
appearance as ,i have proceeded4--,the  
foliage had nearly      left the ,trees 
in ,pensylvania1 the ,swallows had long 
since      disapeared severe frost      
indeed had rendered ,nature gloomy      
and uninteresting--,judge of the        
contrast3 ,i am now surrounded      by  
,green ,trees and ,swallows gambole     
around the house as in      ,pensylvania
 during ,june  ,july,the mock bird is   
heard to sing      and during a ,walk   
with my ,wife yesterday ,i collected    

some #bj      or #cj ,insectsthat is not
 all1 a friend of mine here says        
that he has discovered #b or #c ,new    
,birds666--new ,birds are new      birds
 our days1 and ,i shall endeavour to    
shew you the ,facts      ,simile when   
again ,i shall have the pleasure of     
shaking your      hand--       although 
so lately arrived1 ,i have established  
the fact that      ,mrs ,a4 and myself  
will be on our way towards ,old ,england
      by the #aeth of ,jan4y4 we will   
ascend the ,mississipi and      after   
resting ourselves at ,louisville with   
our sons and other      relatives about 
one month and then proceed with the     
,rapidity      on the ,wild ,pigeon     
should ,god grant our wishes6--         
have you seen or heard any thing of     
,ward8--have you the little      sketch 
of ,dear8we had a passenger on ,board   
the ,huntress      named ,potts from    
your ,city who knows you well as lively 
young ,gentleman2 has a ,brother 7a     
,clergyman7 established and      married

 at ,natchez4--       ,i will begin     
,drawing next week having much          
scratching with the      ,pen to perform
 this one1 and ,i am also desirous to   
make paper      gone ,large ,shipment of
 aborigines both animal and vegetal as  
soon as possible4--,turkeys1 ,aligators1
 ,oppossums1 ,paroekett1      and       
plants1 as ,bignonias c c c4 will be    
removed to      the ,zoological ,gardens
 of ,london1 from the ,natural ones of  
this ,magnificent ,louisiana6--meantimes
 ,i will not forget my      ,friends in 
,phila4 no ,i would rather forgive all1 
to all      my ,ennemies there4--assure 
,dr4 ,hammersley that ,ivory ,billed    
and ,peleated ,woodpeckers will be      
skinned1 and who knows but      ,i may  
find something more for him4--,i will   
give free leave to      ,dr4 ,pickering 
to chuse amongst the ,insects and who   
knows but      ,i may find something new
 for him4 remember me most kindly to    
both1 nay not in the common manner of   
saying ,mr ,audubon begs      to be     

remembered no not at all4 ,this way ,mr 
,a remembers      you and you and ,i    
will remember you and you and ,i        
always66--       ,may ,i also beg to be 
remembered in humble words to a fine    
pair      of ,eyes2 divided1 not by the 
,allegany ,mountains2 but by a nose     
evidently imported from far ,east1 to a 
placid forehead1 to      a mouth        
speaking happiness to----dash nearly    
across page4       ,should you see      
,friend ,sully remember me to him       
also--and should      you see ,george   
,ord ,esqr4 ,fellow of all the          
,societies      ,imaginable present him 
my most humble----dash line more than   
across the page4       ,should you see  
that good woman where ,i boarded at     
,camd'den      tell her that ,i am well 
and thankful to her for her attentions  
to me4--       ,i cannot hope the       
pleasure of an answer from you here but 
you      may do so1 and ,i say pray do  
so1 directed to the care of ,n4         
,berthoud ,esqr ,louisville             

,kentucky4--by the bye my sons are      
taller than me1 the eldest one so much  
altered that ,i did not      know him at
 first sight1 and yet ,i have ,eyes--   
,god bless ,you1 ,your ,friend          
,,john ,j4 ,,audubon4       ,the        
following is written across the first   
page3       ,i reopened my letter to say
 that ,i have ,just now killed a        
,large ,new ,falcon yes positively a new
 ,species of ,hawk almost      black    
about #be ,inches ,long and #d feet     
broad tail square ,eye      yellowish   
,white1 ,legs and ,feet bare short      
strong4----,i will      skin it666--    
remember me to ,lehman----       ,what  
,i have said about the ,hawk to ,you    
must be ,lawful to      ,academicians   
and you will please announce ,falco     
,harlanii      by            ,,john ,j4 
,,audubon           ,f4 ,l4 ,s4 ,l4     
,the following extracts are from a      
letter#cgd written by ,swainson1        
,january #cj1 #ahcj1 and sent to ,havell
 in ,london to be readdressed3          

,william ,swainson to ,audubon       ,i 
know not in what part of the ,wilds of  
,america you may now      be wandering1 
but ,i hope you are fully intent upon   
your great      object1 and that you are
 not only making drawings1 and taking   
notes1 but preserving ,skins1 of all    
your little favorites4      ,don't      
forget the ,shrikes1 of which ,i have   
strong suspicions      there are #b or  
#c species mixed up with the name of    
,loggerhead4      ,should you be in the 
land of the ,scarlet ,ibis1 do pray     
procure a dozen or two of the best      
skins1 they are the most                
magnificent birds of ,no4 ,america1 and 
are said to be common      towards ,new 
,orleans4       ,you will learn frm the 
,newspapers how uncommonly severe is    
our winter the snow has now been upon   
the ground five weeks      and it is    
still falling4 ,i manage1 however1 to   
walk out every      day1 and thus have  
acquired better health than ,i have     
enjoyed      for many years4            

,previous to your embarking to ,england1
 which ,i hope you will      do very    
early in the spring you must do me one  
favor4 ,bring      me two ,grey         
,squirrels alive1 and a cage full of    
little birds1      either the painted or
 non-,pareil finch the ,blue finch1 or  
the      ,virginian ,nightingale1 as    
they are called1 #c or #d of each to    
guard against casualties by death on the
 voyage4 ,i do not care      one        
farthing whether they sing or not1 so   
that ,i presume they      may be got for
 a mere trifle4 ,the ,squirrels would   
delight the      little people beyond   
measure1 and would prove a never-failing
      source of amusement to them4 ,i   
believe you have other kinds      than  
the grey1 so that any will do4 ,if you  
cannot get them      pray supply their  
place by two ,parrots of ,america4      
,we continue pretty well at the ,green4 
,seldom go to town1      but ,i find    
people begin to discover the true       
character of ,v      igors4 and many    

that were formerly his friends now speak
      very differently of him4 ,his     
father having died the property      has
 come to him4 ,he has now taken a fine  
house in the ,regents      park1 and    
holds conversaziones 7in humble         
imitation of those      of the          
,president of the ,royal ,society7 every
 ,sunday evening      during the        
season66 all this is very grand1 and he 
appears      to have abandoned writing  
any more papers on ornithology1         
since ,i have begun to point out his    
errors4       ,ward wrote to me since my
 last1 he is a poor weak fellow1 with   
a good natural disposition1 but so      
little to be depended upon1      that he
 is turned round by every feather1 after
 inserting that      he could not go on 
in my service as he called it1 under    
ten dollars a week1 he now says he      
should be most happy      to receive    
four4 ,he says not a word of his        
marriage1 which      proves his wish to 
decive one4 ,i have done with him4444 ,i

 hope      you have got me lots of      
,river shells4       ,about the         
beginning of the year #ahbg ,mrs4       
,audubon gave up      her ,beechwoods   
school1 and thereafter took a position  
as      governess in the home of ,mr4   
,william ,garrett ,johnson1 whose       
plantation1 called ,beechgrove1 was     
situated in the same      parish4 ,an   
anonymous writer thus referred to this  
house in      #ahea4cge       ,in the   
hospitable mansion of ,w4 ,g4 ,j----1 in
 the parish of ,west      ,feliciana1 if
 one will look into the parlor1 they    
will see      over the piano a cabinet  
sized portrait1 remarkable for a        
bright eye and intellectual look4 ,the  
style of it is free1 and      there is  
an individuality about the whole that   
gives assurance      of a strong        
likeness4 ,opposite hangs a proof       
impression of the      bird of          
,washington1 a tribute of a grateful    
heart to an old      friend4 ,the first 
is a portrait of ,audubon painted by    

himself2      the other is one of the   
first of his engravings that ever       
reached the ,united ,states4  ,there    
,audubon spent nearly two months at the 
close of #ahbi1 and followed his usual  
occupations of hunting and drawing1     
while his wife prepared for their       
contemplated journey to ,europe4 ,he is 
said to have drawn at this time the     
,black ,vulture attacking a herd of     
,deer1 several large hawks1 squirrels1  
and heads of deer which were never      
finished4  ,although ,audubon's business
 affairs in ,england had been left in   
charge of his trustworthy friend1 ,john 
,g4 ,children1 his engraver1 ,havell1   
had become alarmed at the loss of       
subscribers and the failure of certain  
of their agents1 and particularly ,m4   
,pitois of ,paris1#cgf to render due    
returns4 ,havell1 as it proved1 was     
unduly disturbed1 but his gloomy        
accounts tended to hasten the           
naturalist's departure1 a circumstance  
that was later deplored4 ,these matters 

are clearly reflected in the following  
letter written from the ,johnson home in
 ,louisiana when the ,audubons were     
preparing to leave it2 particularly     
interesting are the included statements 
through which it was hoped that a       
competent successor might be secured for
 the duties of the position which ,mrs4 
,audubon had so ably filled3   ,audubon 
to ,robert ,havell            ,,beech   
,,grove1 ,,louisiana           ,decr    
#afth #ahbi       ,,my ,,dear ,,mr4     
,,havell4--       ,i received yesterday 
from ,new ,york your letter of the      
#bith4      ,sept4 which must have      
reached ,philadelphia #c days after my  
departure for home       ,i am sorry    
that ,bartley should have made you      
suffer a      moment by sending you the 
intelligence of the failure of the      
several subscribers you mention in your 
favor--it cannot be      helped--there  
is none of your fault and ,i must repair
 these      matters when ,i reach       
,england again       ,i am considerably 

more sorry and much vexed that ,sowler  
should      have failed in his written  
promise to accept your ,dfts4--even     
in a case of the diminution of          
subscribers he could certainly      have
 sent you a progressional amount--,i am 
now almost sure      that ,pitois has   
failed or acted the ,rogue       ,we are
 making all preparations in our power to
 leave ,louisiana      on the #e or     
#ajth4 of ,jan4y and we will proceed as 
fast as      ,steam ,boats1 ,coaches and
 the weather will admit of and we will  
sail for ,england from ,new ,york with  
all possible dispatch4      ,i have made
 a shipment of ,forest trees to ,england
 that ,i      hope will turn to good    
account as they are to be presents to   
,public ,institutions c and that ,i     
think it necessary to be      remembered
 myself4--       ,we are both well--our 
sons are at ,louisville1 ,kentucky where
      we will see them about the #bjth4 
of next month4--,i sent you      in my  
letter a proposal for your sister and   

should you not      have received it ,i 
send it you again here in ,mrs ,a4's4   
hand      writing4--,i would advise your
 sister to come if the money      is an 
object4--,i think that besides she will 
be comfortable      with the familly    
,johnson--if she thinks fit to wait     
untill we      see her1 we can tell her 
all about it4       ,i have received    
only one letter from friend ,children   
during      all this absence against my 
very many--,i hope the insects ,i       
sent him by the ,annibal have reached   
safely4--have no news to      give      
you--,keep up a good heart--we will be  
in ,london as soon      as possible4--,i
 have not had a letter from ,miss       
,hudson for a      long time--,i hope   
her mother  her are well--,remember me  
kindly      to your ,dear ,wife and     
,little ones--,mrs ,audubon joins me in 
all      good wishes--,if you see       
,parker my remembrances to him,i will   
carry with me some ,drawings that ,i    
know will make the graver      and the  

,acid ,grin again4--            ,believe
 me your friend--            ,,john ,j4 
,,audubon4       ,when you present my   
sincere regards to friend ,swanson      
,swainson tell him that ,i have had only
 one letter from him      and that ,i am
 now quite unable to say where ,mr ,ward
 is,i      had a letter from ,henry     
,havell#cgg the other day merely        
acknowledging the money ,i have paid    
him--he was in ,new ,york1      ,i hope 
quite well--            ,enclosure      
,a friend of ours here named ,wm4       
,garrett ,johnson 7a cotton             
planter7 a gentleman who resides in a   
perfectly healthy and      agreeable    
part of the country1 desires that ,i    
should write      to ,england to procure
 for him a ,governess1 one who can teach
      music1 drawing and the usual      
branches of education to young          
,ladies4 ,mr4 ,johnson will pay the sum 
of one thousand dollars      per annum1 
board1 lodging c1 also and considered in
 all      respects as a member of the   

family1 to any lady who will            
undertake occupation 7the sum is about  
#bcj7 the governess      will have to   
instruct ten or twelve young persons of 
various      ages1 and may make the     
arrangement for five years if desirous  
of it4 ,i have thought this would suit  
your sister precisely1      and for my  
part knowing the family ,johnson as ,i  
do ,i should      think it an excellent 
thing for her4 if not ,i will look for  
some one when ,i am in ,england1        
,sailing from ,england direct for       
,new ,orleans1 steam ,boats reach the   
place of ,mr ,johnson in two      days4 
,duplicate4       ,i1 ,wm4 ,garrett     
,johnson do authorize my friend ,j4 ,j4 
,audubon      to make the above         
proposition and do by these present     
obligate      myself to comply with them
 punctually and particularly4           
,,wm4 ,,garrett ,,johnson4              
,addressed            ,,mr ,,robt       
,,havell ,,jur           ,engraver      
#gi ,newman ,street           ,oxford   

,street           ,london               
,england  ,on ,january #a1 #ahcj1 said  
the naturalist1 we started for ,new     
,orleans1 taking with us the only three 
servants yet belonging to us1 namely1   
,cecilia1 and her two sons1 ,reuben and 
,lewis4 ,we stayed a few days at our    
friend ,mr4 ,braud's1 with whom we left 
our servants1 and on the seventh of     
,january took passage on the splendid   
steamer ,philadelphia for ,louisville1  
paying sixty dollars fare4#cgh ,after a 
long visit with their sons1 on the      
seventh of ,march they ascended the     
,ohio to ,cincinnati1 and at ,wheeling  
took the mail-coach to ,washington4 ,at 
the national capital ,audubon met the   
,president1 ,andrew ,jackson1 and was   
befriended by ,edward ,everett1 at that 
time a leader in the ,house of          
,representatives4 ,congress1 said the   
naturalist1 was then in session1 and ,i 
exhibited my drawings to the ,house of  
,representatives1 and received their    
subscription as a body4 ,he also        

recorded that he obtained three         
subscribers in ,baltimore1 and left for 
,philadelphia1 where they remained a    
week4 ,the following note1 which ,edward
 ,everett gave ,audubon for ,new ,york1 
is particularly interesting1 since it   
expressly states that at that time the  
ornithologist had not received a single 
subscriber in the ,united ,states3      
,edward ,everett to ,dr4 ,wainwright    
,,washington #ah ,march #ahcj       ,,my
 ,,dear ,,sir1       ,allow me to       
introduce to your acquaintance1 the     
bearer of this      letter1 ,mr4        
,audubon of ,louisiana4 ,his drawings of
 ,american      ,birds1 of which he will
 show you some1 will ,i am sure command 
your approbation1 as they have the      
applause of ,europe4--,i      am sorry  
to say1 that he has not yet procured a  
single      subscriber1 in the ,united  
,states of ,america4 ,will not one      
of your ,institutions in ,new ,york--or 
your wealthy and liberal                
individuals--take a copy8 ,i pray you   

endeavor to procure him      at least   
one subscriber1 in ,new ,york4--        
,yours with great regard            ,e4 
,,everett4            ,,rev ,,dr        
,,wainwright  ,audubon had evidently    
reconsidered his expressed intention of 
presenting a copy#cgi to ,congress1 and 
to ,edward ,everett belongs the credit  
of subscribing to ,the ,birds of        
,america in behalf of the ,congressional
 ,library4 ,at about this time also he  
obtained another subscriber at          
,washington1 in the person of ,baron    
,krudener1 the ,russian envoy1 but later
 experienced difficulty in collecting   
his dues4#chj     ,,chapter ,,xxv       
,,audubon',s ,,letterpress ,,and ,,its  
,,rivals       ,settlement in           
,london--,starts on canvassing tour with
      his wife--,change of plans--,in   
,edinburgh--,discovery of               
,mac,gillivray--,his hand in the        
,ornithological ,biography--,rival      
editions of ,wilson and                 
,bonaparte--,brown's extraordinary      

atlas--,reception of the                
,biography--,joseph ,bartholomew ,kidd  
and the ,ornithological ,gallery--,in   
,london again4   ,on the #ast of ,april1
 #ahcj1 ,audubon and his wife sailed    
from ,new ,york in the packet ship      
,pacific1 bound for ,liverpool1 where   
they landed after a voyage of           
twenty-five days4 ,upon returning to    
,london the naturalist found that upon  
the #ahth of the preceding ,march he had
 been elected to membership in the      
,royal ,society1 an honor for which he  
felt indebted to ,lord ,stanley and his 
friend ,children1 of the ,british       
,museum2 after paying the entrance fee  
of #ej1 he took his seat in that body on
 the #fth of ,may4 ,the painting of     
pictures was at once resumed to meet his
 heavy expenses1 but towards the end of 
,july he started with ,mrs4 ,audubon on 
a canvassing tour1 in the course of     
which his plans suddenly were changed so
 that ,london did not see him again for 
nearly a year4#cha ,on this journey they

 touched at ,birmingham1 ,manchester1   
,leeds1 ,york1 ,hull1 ,scarborough1     
,whitby1 ,new ,castle1 and ,belford1 to 
visit the ,selbys1 and on the #acth of  
,october reached ,edinburgh1 where they 
were soon comfortably settled in the    
naturalist's old lodging place1 the     
house of ,mrs4 ,dickey1 ,number #bf1    
,george ,street4  ,audubon was now ready
 to begin the text of his ,birds of     
,america1 to be called ,ornithological  
,biography1 which is often referred to  
as his ,biography of ,birds4 ,this work1
 which was eventually extended to five  
large volumes of over three thousand    
pages1 was published at ,edinburgh from 
#ahca to #ahci4 ,he had made crude      
beginnings with this in view as early as
 #ahba1 and on ,october #af1 #ahcj1 he  
wrote3 ,i know that ,i am not a scholar 
444 but1 with the assistance of my old  
journals and memorandum-books1 which    
were written on the spot1 ,i can at     
least put down plain truths1 which may  
be useful1 and perhaps interesting1 so  

,i shall set to at once4 ,i cannot1     
however1 give scientific descriptions1  
and here must have assistance4 ,to      
supply this need1 as we have seen       
already1 he had earlier applied to      
,william ,swainson1 but the negotiations
 with that naturalist were soon broken  
off1 and led to a sharp and acrid       
discussion upon the authorship of the   
work itself4#chb  ,by a rare stroke of  
genius or good fortune1 ,audubon chose  
for his assistant a young ,scotch       
naturalist1 ,william ,mac,gillivray1 who
 had been introduced to him by another  
naturalist1 ,james ,wilson1 soon after  
he reached the ,scottish capital4       
,mac,gillivray agreed to revise and     
correct his manuscript at the rate of   
two guineas per sheet of sixteen pages1 
and in the latter part of ,october1     
#ahcj1 they set to work4 ,we shall soon 
have occasion to speak more fully of his
 debt to this estimable ,scotchman1#chc 
and will only add here that a better    
trained or more competent helper than   

,mac,gillivray could hardly have been   
found in ,great ,britain or elsewhere4  
,illustration3 ,,mrs4 ,,dickie',s       
,,boarding ,,residence1 #bf ,,george    
,,street1 ,,edinburgh1 ,,where ,,audubon
 ,,occupied ,,apartments ,,and          
,,painted ,,and ,,wrote ,,in #ahbf-bg   
,,and #ahcj-ca4 ,a ,,large ,,public     
,,building ,,now ,,occupies ,,the       
,,site4       ,after a photograph in    
possession of ,mr4 ,ruthven ,deane4     
,illustration3 ,,the ,,academy ,,of     
,,natural ,,sciences ,,of               
,,philadelphia4       ,after an old     
print2 reproduced from ,cassinia for    
#aiaj4  ,no sooner had ,audubon begun to
 write than it was learned that no less 
than three editions of ',wilson's       
,ornithology' were about to be          
published1 one by ,jameson1 one by ,sir 
,w4 ,jardine1 and another by a ,mr4     
,brown4 ,the outlook could not be       
considered encouraging1 but this        
intelligence only nerved him to greater 
effort1 and he was determined to push   

his own publication with such           
unremitting vigor as to anticipate them 
all4 ,since ,i have been in ,england1 he
 wrote in his journal1 ,i have studied  
the character of ,englishmen as         
carefully as ,i have studied the birds  
in ,america1 and ,i know full well that 
in ,england novelty is always in demand1
 and that if a thing is well known it   
will not receive much support4 ,audubon 
worked continuously at his ,biography1  
rising before the dawn and writing all  
day1 while the able worker at his side  
carried his efforts far into the night1 
and in three months the first volume was
 ready for the printer2 ,mrs4 ,audubon  
meanwhile copied their entire manuscript
 to be sent to the ,united ,states in   
order to secure the ,american copyright4
 ,when this work was offered to the     
publishers at ,edinburgh1 however1 not  
one of them1 said the naturalist1 would 
offer a shilling for it1 but this did   
not deter him from publishing it at once
 and at his own expense4#chd ,on ,march 

#ac1 #ahca1 he wrote3 ,the printing will
 be completed in a few days1 and ,i have
 sent copies of the sheets to ,dr4      
,harlan1 and ,mr4 ,mc,murtie1 at        
,philadelphia1 and also one hundred     
pounds sterling to ,messrs4 ,t4 ,walker 
,sons1 to be paid to ,dr4 ,harlan to    
secure the copyright1 and have the book 
published there4  ,the following        
friendly letter from one of ,wilson's   
editors belongs to this period3   ,sir  
,william ,jardine to ,audubon           
,,jardine ,,hall #c d ,decr4 #ahcj--    
,,my ,,dear ,,sir1       ,i only learnt 
a few days since that you were to winter
 in      ,edinburgh1 and perhaps since  
you are not ,hurried for time in        
,trovelly 8 will come out to spend a day
 or two with me--,if      you can come  
out before the #aj th4 when ,i shall    
have the      pleasure of shewing you   
some ,blackgame ,shooting--,the season  
expires on the ,tenth of the ,month     
partridges have bred so      ill that   
there is scarsely any in the whole      

country1 and      pheasants have been so
 lately introduced that they are yet    
rather scarce--,in a wet day you may    
have your easel  brushes      ,i should 
wish much to hear your account of       
,wilson during the      times you hunted
 with him--and also some account of the 
,new      ,species you figure in the    
american ,ornithology--       ,i am     
happy to learn you intend figuring the  
learned ,men      of ,america as        
accompanyment to your work particularly 
the      ornithologists1 do you know the
 painter of the portrait of             
,wilson--,i have three portraits of him 
in the ,house1 and also      a profile  
taken by the machine ,i should like to  
have your      opinion of them one of   
the portraits was painted from an       
original that went to ,america--        
,i shall expect to hear you are coming  
soon--,mr ,lizars will tell      you    
about coaches--c            ,with best  
regards believe me            ,sincerely
 yours            ,,wm ,,jardine        

,addressed ,j4 ,,audubon ,esqr          
,care of ,w4 ,h4 ,,lizars ,esqr         
#c ,james ,square           ,edinburgh4 
,illustration3 ,,title ,,page ,,of      
,,volume ,i ,,of ,,the ,,ornithological 
,,biography4     ,from a copy presented 
by ,audubon to ,william ,mac,gillivray  
and    bearing the latter's signature4  
,audubon was not outstripped by his     
,edinburgh rivals1 who to all           
appearances had planned to cover the    
field of ,american ornithology so       
thoroughly as to render his work a drug 
on the market1 if not to make it        
superfluous4 ,whether this were really  
true or not1 there is no doubt that     
,audubon's activity furnished the       
stimulus to the sudden appreciation of  
the work of his predecessor that was    
manifested in ,edinburgh at this very   
moment of time4 ,it will be interesting 
to see just what these rival enterprises
 were4 ,professor ,jameson1 who had been
 of great service to ,audubon at the    
beginning of his undertaking1 prepared a

 pocket edition of ,wilson's and        
,bonaparte's ,ornithology1 with         
miniature plates which were issued      
separately1 and the two works1 which    
were intended to go together1 were      
published in #ahca4che ,sir ,william    
,jardine brought out an edition of      
,wilson's and ,bonaparte's work1 in     
three large volumes1 with plates        
engraved by ,w4 ,h4 ,lizars after the   
originals and carefully colored by      
hand4#chf ,this was thoroughly          
legitimate enterprise1 but the climax   
was reached when ,captain ,thomas ,brown
 began to publish an ,audubonized       
edition of ,wilson's and ,bonaparte's   
plates1 or an attempt to present their  
plates of ,american birds in the        
,audubonian manner1 to the extent at    
least of showing the characteristic     
flowers1 trees1 and insects of the      
,american continent1 a plan to which    
some of ,audubon's earlier critics in   
,philadelphia had offered strenuous     
objection4 ,brown's large atlas of      

plates#chg was issued in parts1 from    
#ahca to #ahce1 and was intended as a   
further companion to ,jameson's text for
 all who could afford that expensive    
form of illustration4 ,by a curious     
coincidence ,audubon's ,ornithological  
,biography 7vol4 i71 ,jameson's edition 
of ,wilson and ,bonaparte 7vol4 i71 and 
,brown's ,illustrations 7pt4 i71 were   
all noticed on the same page of the     
,london ,literary ,gazette for ,april   
#i1 #ahca4 ,this day is published1 so   
reads the advertisement of ,audubon's   
work1 price #bes4 in royal octavo1      
cloth1 ,ornithological ,biography4444   
,if the desire of these various editors 
were to cripple the work of the         
,american naturalist1 their efforts were
 certainly vain1 for he was able to make
 his way against all competitors4       
,brown's work was a failure1 so few     
copies having been distributed that it  
is doubtful if more than one ever came  
to this country1 and only one is known  
to be in possession of any large library

 in ,england4  ,audubon's initial volume
 of the ,biography was well received and
 drew forth immediate and unstinted     
praise from many sources4 ,he was       
anxious that ,mac,gillivray should      
contribute some account of it to the    
,london ,quarterly ,review1 then under  
the editorial management of ,john       
,gibson ,lockhart1 but his suggestion   
was coldly received and drew forth the  
following declaration of independence   
from his able1 if as yet                
undistinguished1 coadjutor3#chh         
,with respect to the review1 ,i can only
 say that if ,mr4      ,lockhart is so  
doubtful as to my powers1 he may doubt  
as      long as he lists4 ,i shall not  
submit any essay of mine to his         
judgment4 ,if you had informed me that  
he or the conductor of      my other    
review would print a notice of your     
works1 ,i should      have agreed to    
write one with pleasure1 but under      
existing      circumstances ,i shall    
not1 it being repugnant to my feelings  

and contrary to my practice and         
principles to sue for favor      with   
any man4 ,i have already written three  
reviews of your      books which have   
been printed1 and when ,i am applied to 
for      a fourth ,i shall write it too1
 with an elegance of style1 a      power
 of expression1 and knowledge of the    
subject equal to      those usually     
displayed by the editor of the          
,quarterly4  ,some of the criticism1    
whether friendly or hostile1 which this 
work eventually evoked will be          
considered in a later chapter4  ,shortly
 after his arrival in ,london1 ,audubon 
received a call from ,joseph            
,bartholomew ,kidd1 a young artist whom 
he had met at ,edinburgh the previous   
,march1 and was attracted so much by his
 youth1 simplicity and cleverness that  
he again invited him to paint in his    
rooms4 ,on the #cast of ,march1 #ahca1  
an agreement was made with ,kidd#chi to 
copy some of his drawings in oils and   
put in appropriate backgrounds4 ,it was 

our intention1 said ,audubon1 to send   
them to the exhibition for sale1 and to 
divide the amount between us4 ,he       
painted eight1 and then ,i proposed1 if 
he would paint the one hundred          
engravings which comprise my first      
volume of the ,birds of ,america1 ,i    
would pay him one hundred pounds4 ,in   
#ahcb ,captain ,thomas ,brown gave this 
notice of the undertaking in the        
,caledonian ,mercury3       ,about a    
year ago ,audubon conceived the grand   
idea of a ,natural      ,history        
,gallery of ,paintings1 and entered into
 an agreement      with ,mr4 ,kidd to   
copy all his drawings of the same size1 
and      in oil1 leaving to the taste of
 that excellent artist to add      such 
backgrounds as might give them a more   
pictorial effect4      ,in the execution
 of such of these as ,mr4 ,kidd has     
finished1      he has not only preserved
 all the vivacious character of the     
originals1 but he has greatly heightened
 their beauty1 by the      general tone 

and appropriate feeling which he has    
preserved      and carried throughout   
his pictures4  ,kidd worked             
intermittently on some such scheme for  
about three years1 and produced numerous
 pictures on canvas or mill-board4 ,he  
was thus engaged in #ahcc when he wrote 
to ask for an advance of from twelve to 
fourteen pounds on account of an        
accident that had befallen him on the   
#afth of ,may of that year4 ,kidd said  
in his letter that while he was         
attending a sale of ,lord ,eldin's      
pictures1 the floor of the building     
suddenly gave way with a crash and      
precipitated the whole company1 together
 with the furniture1 into a room below2 
that he had sustained many bruises      
himself1 not to speak of a dislocated   
arm1 but what with blisters1 cupping1   
nurses and remedies of all sorts1 he was
 then slowly mending4 ,another of their 
projects was to publish ,kidd's copies  
of ,audubon's drawings as individual    
pieces1 and a notice of this appeared in

 ,blackwood's ,magazine for #ahca4 ,john
 ,wilson1 in reviewing ,audubon's work  
in the magazine for that year said3 it  
is expected that there will be completed
 by ,audubon1 ,kidd1 and others1--,four 
,hundred ,subjects4 ,audubon purposes   
opening1 on his return from ,america1 an
 ,ornithological ,gallery1 of which may 
the proceeds prove a moderate fortune6  
,all such plans1 however1 seem to have  
been delayed or frustrated1 and a       
misunderstanding with ,kidd brought them
 suddenly to a close in #ahcc4          
,audubon's explicit directions under    
this head were given in a letter to his 
son ,victor1 written at ,charleston on  
,christmas ,day of that year4#cij  ,when
 his letterpress was finished1 ,audubon 
left ,edinburgh with ,mrs4 ,audubon on  
,april #ae1 #ahca4 ,newcastle1 ,york1   
,leeds1 and ,manchester were again      
visited1 and a pause of several days was
 made at ,liverpool before proceeding to
 ,london1 when1 as the naturalist       
recorded1 they traveled on that         

extraordinary road1 called the railway1 
at the rate of #bd miles an hour4 ,in   
,may#cia they visited ,paris1 ,audubon  
no doubt wishing to collect the money   
due from his agent there1 as well as to 
introduce his wife to the unrivaled     
attractions of the great city4 ,upon    
returning to ,london in ,july he had the
 pleasure of again meeting his fidus    
,achates1 ,edward ,harris1#cib of       
,moorestown1 ,new ,jersey1 and          
immediately began to put his affairs in 
order for a long period of absence4     
,while ,audubon was in ,paris1 the      
following letter#cic was written by his 
staunch friend and supporter in         
,congress1 ,edward ,everett1 who1 as has
 been seen1 fully appreciated the       
national character of his great         
undertakings4 ,the effort of this able  
advocate to give ,the ,birds of ,america
 free passage to their native land1     
however1 do not appear to have been     
successful until two years later1 as a  
letter to be quoted in due course       

clearly indicates4   ,edward ,everett to
 ,audubon            ,,charlestown1     
,,mass41 ,may #aith1 #ahca4       ,,my  
,,dear ,,sir       ,i duly received your
 favor of the #ast4 of ,nov4 accompanied
      with some copies of the           
,prospectus1 and a few days since your  
letter of the #eth4 ,march reached me4  
,i owe you an apology for      being so 
tardy in my reply to the former letter4 
,it reached      me at ,washington1     
while ,i was confined with a severe     
illness1      with which1 since ,oct4   
last1 ,i have till lately been much     
afflicted4 ,i was1 most of the session1 
in such a state of      health1 as to be
 kept at my lodgings1 and when in my    
place1      in the ,house of            
,representatives1 little able to attend 
to      business4 ,as soon as ,i went   
abroad1 after the receipt of your       
letter1 ,i consulted some of the most   
influential members of      ,congress1  
as to the probability of being able to  
pass a bill      for the free           

introduction of your work4 ,last winters
 session      was the short session1    
terminating by the ,constitution on the 
#c;d4 of ,march4 ,at this session1 it is
 always very difficult      to pass any 
bills1 originating during the session4  
,the time      is regularly taken up by 
bills1 prepared the previous winter4    
,in addition to this circumstance1 more 
than half of the last      session was  
taken up1 by an impeachment before the  
,senate4      ,a procedure1 which       
suspended during its continuance1 the   
legislative business of the two ,houses1
 and left no time for      scarce       
anything1 beyond the annual             
appropriation bills for      the support
 of the government4 ,under these        
circumstances1      the gentlemen1 whom 
,i consulted1 were of opinion with me   
that      it was impossible1 for want of
 time1 to pass a bill in your           
favor1 and that it was therefor better  
not to attempt it1 at      the late     
session1 but to reserve it for next     

winter1 when it      can be brought up  
seasonably1 and with good hope of       
success4      ,i shall take great       
pleasure to seize the first moment1 at  
the opening of the next session1 to     
bring the subject before      ,congress4
       ,the portions of your work1 which
 arrived at ,washington before      ,i  
left it1 were publicly exhibited in the 
library1 and      attracted great       
attention and unqualified admiration4   
,the      same is true of the copy      
received by the ,boston ,athenaeum4     
,the plates were specially exhibited in 
the great hall of the      ,athenaeum1  
to the entire satisfaction and delight  
of those      who saw them4       ,the  
copy-right law authorizes any citizen of
 the ,u4 ,states to      take out a     
copy-right of his work1 on depositing a 
printed      copy of the title page in  
the office of the ,district ,court4     
,i infer from your letter of the #eth4  
of ,march1 that you had      sent copies
 of the printed sheets of your work to  

,drs4 ,harlan      and ,m4 ,mertrie     
,mc,murtie of ,philadelphia with a view 
of      having the copy-right4       ,i 
have distributed a part of your         
prospectuses1 and shall      do the same
 with the rest1 in the manner that may  
seem most      likely to promote your   
interest4 ,i regret to say1 that ,i     
have not yet been able to add another1  
to the list of your      subscribers4   
,you mention1 in each of your letters1  
the little picture you      were so     
kind1 as to propose sending me4 ,this   
alone leads me to      say1 that        
whenever it comes to hand1 it will be   
most welcome3      but that1 engaged as 
you are in laboring in the cause of     
science and of ,america1 you must not   
feel obliged to consume      one hour of
 your precious time at the sacrifice of 
those      higher objects4       ,i am  
happy to be able to say to you1 that my 
health1 though      not wholly restored1
 is greatly improved1 and that if you   
will      continue to favor me with your

 commands1 ,i will prove myself1        
hereafter1 a more punctual              
correspondent4       ,i look forward    
with sincere pleasure1 to the prospect  
of      meeting you again1 on this side 
of the ,atlantic1 and with my           
respectful compliments to ,mrs4         
,audubon1 ,i beg leave1 dear sir1       
to tender you the assurance of my high  
respects1 and with it      my most      
friendly salutations4                   
,,edward ,,everett4       ,p4,s4 ,since 
the foregoing was written1 ,i have      
received your      favor of the #bc;d4  
of ,april4 ,i beg leave particularly to 
thank      you for your kindness in     
reference to the picture4 ,i shall      
prize it1 not merely on account of its  
scientific value and      beauty as a   
work of art1 7both of which ,i feel     
assured it will      be found to        
possess7 but as a token of your friendly
 regard4      ,it will give me great    
pleasure to furnish you any letters in  
my power1 for your adventurous south    

western tour4 ,these ,i      shall have 
the pleasure of handing you1 when we    
meet this side      the water4          
,you were elected in ,november last a   
fellow of the ,american      ,academy of
 ,arts and ,sciences1 on the nomination 
which ,i had      the honor to submit to
 that body4 ,owing to a change in the   
secretaryship a delay arose in preparing
 your diploma1 which      will however  
be forwarded in a few days4  ,upon      
balancing his accounts with ,the ,birds 
of ,america at about this time1 ,audubon
 thought it was truly remarkable that   
#dj1jjj should have passed through his  
hands for the completion of the first   
volume4       ,who would believe that   
once in ,london ,i had only a sovereign 
left in my pocket1 and did not know to  
whom to apply for      another1 when at 
the verge of failure2 above all1 that ,i
      extricated myself from all my     
difficulties1 not by borrowing          
money1 but by rising at four o'clock in 
the morning1 working      hard all day1 

and disposing of my works at a price    
which a      common labourer would have 
thought little more than sufficient     
remuneration for his work8 ,to give you 
an idea of my actual      difficulties  
during the publication of my first      
volume1 it      will be sufficient to   
say1 that in the four years required    
to bring that volume before the world1  
no less than fifty of      my           
subscribers1 representing the sum of    
fifty-six thousand      dollars1        
abandoned me6 ,and whenever a few       
withdrew ,i was      forced to leave    
,london1 and go to the provinces1 to    
obtain      others to supply their      
places1 in order to enable me to        
raise the money to meet the expenses of 
engraving1 coloring1      paper1        
printing 4442 and that with all my      
constant exertions1      fatigues1 and  
vexations1 ,i find myself now having but
 one      hundred and thirty standing   
names on my list4     ,,footnotes       
#a ,samuel ,johnson1 ,the ,rambler1 ,no4

 #fj4       #b ,ornithological          
,biography 7,bibl4 ,no4 #b71 vol4 iv1 p4
 #bbb4       #c ,elliott ,coues1 ,key to
 ,north ,american ,birds1 #dth ed41 p4  
xxi 7,boston1 #ahij74       #d ,audubon1
 in ,audubon ,county1 ,iowa1 in ,beeker 
,county1      ,minnesota1 and in ,wise  
,county1 ,texas1 as well as ,audubon1   
,montgomery ,county1 ,pennsylvania1 in  
which his old farm1      ,mill ,grove1  
is situated4 ,audubon ,avenue is the    
first of the      subterranean passages 
which lead from the entrance of ,mammoth
      ,cave1 and is noted for its swarms
 of bats4 ,audubon ,park1 ,new          
,york ,city1 between the ,hudson ,river 
and ,broadway and extending      from   
#aefth1 to #afjth ,streets1 embraces a  
part of ,minnie's      ,land1 the       
naturalist's old ,hudson ,river estate1 
but is a      realty designation and is 
now almost entirely covered with        
buildings 7see ,chapter ,,xxxvi74       
#e ,the ,audubon ,monument ,committee of
 the ,new ,york ,academy of             

,sciences was appointed ,october #c1    
#ahhg1 and made its final      report in
 #ahic1 when this beautiful memorial was
 formally      dedicated4 ,subscriptions
 from all parts of the ,united ,states  
amounted to #aj1ebe4ba4 ,the monument is
 a ,runic cross in      white marble1   
ornamented with ,american birds and     
mammals which      ,audubon has         
depicted1 and surmounts a die bearing a 
portrait      of the naturalist1 modeled
 from ,cruikshank's miniature1 with     
suitable inscriptions1 the whole being  
supported on a base of      granite2 the
 total height is nearly #bf feet1 and   
the weight      #b tons4 ,it was        
presented to the ,corporation of        
,trinity ,parish      by ,professor     
,thomas ,eggleston1 and received by     
,rev4 ,dr4 ,morgan      ,dix4 ,the      
cemetery has since been cut in two by   
the extension      of ,broadway2 the    
monument is in the northerly section1   
close      to the parish house of the   
,chapel of the ,intercession4       ,the

 monument at ,new ,orleans1 mentioned   
below1 was erected      under the       
auspices of the ,audubon ,association1  
at a cost of      #aj1jjj1 most of which
 was secured through the efforts of     
,mrs4      ,j4 ,l4 ,bradford1 #a1ejj    
having been contributed by residents    
of the ,crescent ,city4 ,the figure is  
in bronze1 and stands on      a high    
pedestal of ,georgia granite4       ,the
 beautiful bust of ,audubon at the      
,american ,museum of      ,natural      
,history is by ,william ,couper1 of     
,newark1 ,n4 ,j4       #f ,as will later
 appear1 this was in reality the #abjth 
anniversary4       #g ,the first        
,audubon ,society1 devoted to the       
interests of      bird protection1 was  
organized by ,dr4 ,george ,bird         
,grinnell1      editor of ,forest and   
,stream1 in #ahhf1 and #af1jjj members  
were enrolled during the first year2    
,dr4 ,grinnell was also      the father 
of the ,audubonian ,magazine 7see       
,bibliography1      ,no4 #aij71 which   

made its first appearance in ,january1  
#ahhg2 by the middle of that year the   
membership in the new      society had  
increased to #ch1jjj1 but with the      
disappearance      of the ,magazine in  
#ahhi the movement languished and       
came to a speedy end4 ,in #ahif a fresh 
start was taken by      the inauguration
 of ,state societies in ,massachusetts  
and      ,pennsylvania1 and the movement
 gathered greater force through      the
 inauguration in #ahii of the admirably 
conducted magazine1      ,bird-,lore1 as
 its official organ4 ,the ,state        
societies were      federated in #aijb1 
and the ,national ,committee then       
created      gave place in #aije to the 
,national ,association4 ,see ,gilbert   
,trafton1 ,bird ,friends1 for an        
excellent summary of the work      of   
the ,audubon ,societies1 and the        
,twelfth ,annual ,report of      the    
,national ,association of ,audubon      
,societies1 ,bird-,lore1      vol4 xviii
 7#aiaf74       #h ,in this year        

,charles ,lanman1 writer1 and at a later
 time      librarian of the ,library of 
,congress1 wrote to ,victor ,audubon    
as follows3 ,are not you and your family
 willing now to      let me write a book
 about your illustrious father8 ,i feel 
confident that ,i could get up something
 very interesting and      which would  
not only help the big work1 but make    
money4 ,i      could have it brought out
 in handsome style1 and should like     
to have well engraved a portrait and    
some half dozen views      in ,kentucky1
 ,louisiana1 and on the ,hudson4 ,write 
me what you      think about it4        
,lanman's letter is dated ,georgetown1  
,d4 ,c41      ,oct4 #h1 #ahef2 on       
,november #a ,victor ,audubon replied1  
declining      the proposal4       #i   
,messrs4 ,c4 ,s4 ,francis  ,company1 of 
#eed ,broadway1 ,new      ,york4        
#aj ,the publishers in this instance do 
not appear to have      been better     
informed1 for the text of the           
,quadrupeds1 from      which they quote1

 was written by ,john ,bachman1 and the 
first      volume of it was issued in   
,london in #ahdg2 see ,bibliography1    
,no4 #f4       #aa ,rev4 ,dr4 ,adams was
 rector of this parish for twenty-five  
years1 from #ahfc to his death in       
,february1 #ahhh2 he was the      author
 of three volumes on religious subjects 
and various      smaller tracts2 from   
#ahee to #ahfc he had charge of a church
 in      ,baltimore1 ,maryland1 and     
while there published an anonymous      
pamphlet entitled ,slavery by a         
,marylander2 ,its ,institution      and 
,origin2 ,its ,status ,under the ,law   
and ,under the ,gospel 7#h      pp4     
#hvo4 ,baltimore1 #ahfj74       #ab     
,buchanan said that the manuscript      
submitted to him was      inordinately  
long and needed careful revision2 he    
added that      while he could not fail 
to express his admiration for the       
affectionate spirit and intelligent     
sympathy with which the      friendly   
editor discharged his task1 he was bound

 to say      that his literary          
experience was limited4 ,after copying a
      passage from one of ,audubon's    
journals1 this editor had the           
unfortunate habit of drawing his pen    
through the original2      in this way  
hundreds of pages of ,audubon's         
admirable      copper-plate were        
irretrievably defaced4       #ac ,robert
 ,buchanan1 ,the ,life of ,audubon      
7,bibl4 ,no4 #gb71      p4 vi4       #ad
 ,see ,harriet ,jay1 ,robert ,buchanan3 
,some ,account of ,his      ,life1 ,his 
,life's ,work1 and ,his ,literary       
,friendships 7,london1      #aijc74     
,robert ,williams ,buchanan was born at 
,caverswell1      ,lancashire1 ,august  
#ah1 #ahda1 and died in ,london1 ,june  
#aj1      #aija4       #ae ,for similar 
spelling of the name by ,john ,james    
,audubon1      see ,appendix ,i1        
,document ,no4 #ab4       #af ,for      
notice of these records of ,jean        
,audubon and his      family1 see the   
,preface1 and for the most important    

documents1      ,appendix ,i4       #ag 
,pierre ,audubon's service in the       
merchant marine of ,france      is      
undoubtedly recorded in the archives of 
the ,department of      ,marine in      
,paris1 but all researches in that      
direction were      suddenly halted by  
the war4       #ah ,jean ,audubon had a 
brother ,claude1 and on ,february       
#bg1 #agia1 he wrote to him1 asking for 
#d1jjj francs1 which      he needed for 
the purchase of a boat4 ,it was probably
 this      brother who lived at         
,bayonne1 and left three daughters1     
,anne1      ,dominica1 and ,catherine   
,franoise1 who married ,jean ,louis     
,lissab1 a pilot 7see ,vol4 ,i1 p4      
#bfc74 ,if this inference be            
correct1 and the sum referred to was    
demanded in payment of      a debt1 it  
may explain a statement of the          
naturalist that his      father and his 
uncle were not on speaking terms4       
,another brother is said to have been an
 active politician      at ,nantes1 ,la 

,rochelle and ,paris from #agga to      
#agif1 when he      dropped out of sight
 for a number of years4 ,when heard of  
again he was living at ,la ,rochelle in 
affluence and piety4      ,this was     
apparently the ,audubon to whom the     
naturalist      referred in certain of  
his journals and private letters as one 
who1 possessing the secret of his birth 
and early life1 had      done both him  
and his father an irreparable injury    
7see ,vol4      ,i1 p4 #bgj74       ,a  
sister1 ,marie ,rosa ,audubon1 was      
married in #agid to ,pierre de          
,vaugeon1 a lawyer at ,nantes2 their    
only son1 ,louis ,lejeune de            
,vaugeon1 was living at ,nantes as late 
as #ahbb1 when he deeded      his former
 home to ,henri ,boutard4 7,the         
substance of this and      the preceding
 paragraph is based partly upon data    
furnished      by ,miss ,maria ,r4      
,audubon47       ,jean ,audubon gave his
 daughter1 ,rosa1 the name of her aunt1 
but in later life seems to have broken  

off all relations with      his         
brothers4 ,upon his death his will was  
immediately attacked      by ,mme4      
,lejeune de ,vaugeon1 of ,nantes1 and by
 the three nieces      from ,bayonne    
7see ,chapter ,,xvii74 ,the naturalist  
does not give      the name of the aunt 
who1 as he said1 was killed during the  
,revolution at ,nantes1 but ,i have     
found no reference to any      other4   
#ai ,this was recalled by the naturalist
 on ,march #e1 #ahbg1      when he      
wrote3 ,as a lad ,i had a great aversion
 to anything      ,english or ,scotch1  
and ,i remember when travelling with my 
father to ,rochefort in ,january1 #ahjj1
 ,i mentioned this to      him4444 ,how 
well ,i remember his reply4444 ',thy    
blood will      cool in time1 and thou  
wilt be surprised to see how gradually  
prejudices are obliterated1 and         
friendships acquired1 towards      those
 that we at one time held in contempt4  
,thou hast not been      in ,england2 ,i
 have1 and it is a fine country4' 7,see 

,maria ,r4      ,audubon1 ,audubon and  
,his ,journals 7,bibl4 ,no4 #hf71 vol4  
i1      p4 #baf74       #bj ,in #aghi   
over #g1jjj1jjj pounds of cotton and    
#geh1fbh      pounds of indigo were     
exported from the ,french side of       
the island1 while further products of   
that year1 including      smaller       
amounts of cocoa1 molasses1 rum1 hides1 
dye-woods1      and tortoise shell1     
swelled the grand total of exports to   
#bje1jjj1jjj livres or francs4 ,bryan   
,edwards1 however1 whose      deductions
 were based on official returns1 placed 
the average      value of all exports   
from ,french ,santo ,domingo for the    
years      #aghg1 #aghh1 and #aghi1 at  
#aga1edd1jjj livres in ,hispaniola      
currency1 or #d1gfe1abi sterling2 this  
would be equivalent to      about       
#bc1aeh1dbf1 and imply a purchase value 
of the ,french      livre or franc of   
about #ac cents in ,american money4     
,the number of plantations of every kind
 in the ,french colony      was         

estimated by ,edwards in #agij1 at the  
outbreak of the      ,revolution1 at    
#h1ecf2 there were over #hjj sugar      
plantations1      over #c1jjj coffee    
estates1 to mention two such resources4 
,if to these items we add nearly half a 
million slaves1 the      total valuation
 of the movable and fixed property of   
the      ,french planters and merchants 
of this period would reach              
#a1eeg1hgj1jjj francs4 ,in #aghh1 #ih   
slave ships entered the six             
principal ports on the ,french side1 and
 landed #bi1ejf negroes2      ,les      
,cayes received #ai of these ships1     
which delivered at that      port #d1eij
 blacks4 ,these slaves were sold for    
#fa1icf1aij      livres1 or at the rate 
of #b1jjh4cg livres each2 according     
to ,edwards this was equivalent to #fj  
sterling1 or to about      #bia4fj in   
,american money1 at the rate of #ad     
cents to the      livre or franc4 ,see  
particularly ,francis ,alexander        
,stanilaus1      ,baron de ,wimpffen1 ,a

 ,voyage to ,santo ,domingo in the      
,years      #aghh1 #aghi1 and #agij1    
translated by ,j4 ,wright 7,london1     
#ahag72      and also ,bryan ,edwards1  
,an ,historical ,survey of the ,french  
,colony in the ,island of ,san ,domingo 
7,london1 #agig74       #ba ,as signed  
by herself1 but variously spelled       
,moinet1      or ,moynette in family    
documents of the period4 ,on ,august    
#bh1 four days after their marriage1    
they drew up and signed      a mutual   
contract regarding the disposition of   
their property      in case children    
should be born to them4       #bb ,the  
destruction of ,le ,comte d',artois is  
noticed in a      document bearing date 
of ,january #ai1 #aghb2 the name of the 
town only is given1 but it is probable  
that it refers to the      ,united      
,states4       #bc ,for repeated        
reference to this unsettled claim1 see  
his      letter of #ahje to ,francis    
,dacosta 7,chapter ,,viii71 where the   
name is written ,formont4       ,the    

bill of sale of ,le ,comte d',artois was
 drawn on ,february      #ba1 #aggi1    
when ,jean ,audubon appeared before the 
notaries      of the king in the        
seneschal's court of ,saint ,louis1 and 
was described as resident at ,les       
,cayes1 opposite the ,isle              
,vaches4 ,the document1 which in my copy
 is incomplete1 reads      in part as   
follows3       ,the present ,m4 ,jean   
,audubon1 captain-commander of the ship 
,le ,comte d',artois1 of ,nantes1 armed 
for war and now laden      with         
merchandise1 anchored in this roadstead 
of ,les ,cayes1      dispatched1 and at 
the point of departure for ,france2     
armed      by the ,messrs4 ,coirond     
,brothers1 merchants at the said city   
of ,nantes1 acting in his own name as   
one interested in the      armament and 
cargo of the vessel1 as well as in his  
capacity      as captain2 he acting as  
much also for the said furnishers       
of arms as for the others interested in 
the said armaments1      and the        

merchandise1 which will be hereafter    
mentioned1      in consideration of the 
rights of each1 promises to have        
these presents accepted and approved in 
due time2 which said      person1       
appearing in said names1 in the quality 
aforesaid1      by these presents has   
sold1 ceded1 given up1 transferred1     
and relinquished all his legal rights in
 the aforesaid ship1      to the        
business-associates ,lacroix1 ,formon de
 ,boisclair       ,jacques1 three       
merchants in partnership1 living in this
 town1      purchasers conjointly and   
severally1 for themselves and the       
assigns of each1 to the extent of one   
third2 ,to wit3 the      said ship ,le  
,comte d',artois1 of the said port of   
,nantes1      of about two hundred and  
fifty tons1 at present anchored in      
this roadstead of ,les ,cayes1          
dispatched1 and at the point      of    
departure for ,france1 with all its     
rigging1 outfit1 and      dependences1  
which consist among other things of two 

sets of      sail1 complete1 and newly  
fitted out1 all the tools1 and the      
reserve sets of these1 with the         
munitions of war1 consisting      of ten
 cannon1 four of them mounted on gun    
carriages1 and all      that goes with  
them4444 7,translated from the ,french  
original      in possession of ,monsieur
 ,lavigne47       #bd ,the fact that    
,captain ,audubon did not accompany     
,rochambeau's fleet which assembled at  
,brest in ,april1 #aghj1      and       
reached ,newport in mid-,july1 may      
account for the omission      of his    
name from the lists that have been      
recently published4      ,see ,les      
,combattants ,franois de la ,guerre     
,amricaine1      #aggh-aghc 7,paris1    
#aijc74       #be ,others interested in 
this vessel were ,messrs4 ,david        
,ross  ,company1 with whom ,captain     
,audubon later had financial            
difficulties 7see ,chapter ,,viii74     
#bf ,see letter to ,dacosta1 ,vol4 ,i1  
p4 #aba4       #bg ,the proper name of  

this seaport town1 as given by all      
,french cartographers and writers1 is   
,les ,cayes1 meaning the      cays or   
keys 7small islands1 ,spanish cayos72   
omitting the      article it is often   
simply written ,cayes4 ,french residents
      on the island1 however1 when      
dating or addressing a letter      or   
receipting a bill would naturally write 
aux ,cayes1      meaning of course at   
,the ,cays1 where the document was      
signed      or where the person to whom 
the letter was addressed resided        
7see the ,sanson bill1 and bills of sale
 of negroes1 ,appendix      ,i1         
,documents ,nos4 #a1 #d1 #e1 and #f74   
,it was thus an easy step      for      
,englishmen1 in ignorance or disregard  
of the ,french usage1      to call the  
town ,aux ,cayes2 even as early as      
#agig1 ,bryan      ,edwards1 though     
giving the name correctly on his map1   
which      doubtless had a ,french      
source1 wrote ,aux ,cayes in his text2  
the corruption has survived1 and is     

occasionally found in      standard     
works1 but is too egregious to be       
tolerated4       #bh ,and sometime as   
marchand1 more strictly a retailer4     
#bi ,since a colonist's wealth was      
estimated upon the number      of slaves
 he could afford1 and since a slave was 
regarded as      equivalent to a return 
of #a1ejj francs a year1 ,jean          
,audubon's      income on this basis    
would have been #fc1jjj francs4         
#cj ,see ,sir ,spencer ,st4 ,john1      
,hayti1 or the ,black ,republic1        
#b;d ed4 7,new ,york1 #ahhi74       #ca 
,bryan ,edwards1 ,esq41 ,m4,p41         
,f4,r4,s41 c41 ,an ,historical          
,survey of the ,french ,colony in the   
,island of ,san ,domingo      7,london1 
#agig74       #cb ,see ,note1 ,vol4 ,i1 
p4 #ca4       #cc ,the ,superior        
,council1 sitting at ,port-au-,prince1  
in      #aghj fixed the tax for the     
parish of ,les ,cayes at the rate       
of #b francs1 #aj centimes per head1    
which in this instance was              

certainly trifling4 7,note furnished by 
,m4 ,l4 ,lavigne47       #cd ,baron de  
,wimpffen sailed from ,port-au-,prince  
for ,norfolk1      ,virginia1 in ,july1 
#agij1 about a year after ,jean ,audubon
 had      left the island4       #ce    
,this was one of the commonest names    
among the ,french      ,creoles of      
,santo ,domingo1 and was possibly       
assumed1 though      the evidence is    
inconclusive4 ,see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #fa4    
#cf ,for photographic reproduction see  
p4 #ed2 and for      transliteration and
 translation1 ,appendix ,i1 ,documents  
,nos4      #a and #a;a2 for ,fougre see 
,appendix ,i1 ,documents ,nos4 #b and   
#c2 and for ,jean ,rabin1 ,documents    
,nos4 #ad1 #af1 #ag and #ah4       #cg  
,the word ,joue1 which occurs eleven    
times in      this document--as mulatto 
,joue1 ,joue mulatto1 negro      bossal 
named ,joue1 and little negro           
,joue--suggests the      ,english       
equivalent ,cheek1 but no such usage    
appears to be      authorized4 ,it is   

evidently a proper name1 and is more    
likely      to prove the ,french        
rendering of a word common to one of    
the negro dialects of the island4 ,on   
the other hand it might      represent a
 corrupted pet name1 like joujou or     
bijou1      bestowed by the ,french     
,creoles of ,santo ,domingo upon their  
favorite ngrillons or petits ngres1     
which played a      more or less        
ornamental rle in many households1      
whether      as footmen or servants4 ,in
 any case the use of this word is       
doubtless purely local4       #ch ,see  
,vol4 ,i1 p4 #df4       #ci ,it was     
stated in the act of adoption1 which was
 drawn      up in ,march1 #agid1 that   
,audubon's mother had then been dead    
about eight years1 and the testimony of 
the ,sanson bill      shows that she was
 alive as late as ,october1 #aghe4      
#dj ,the following letter of inquiry    
concerning ,louise was      written by  
,rosa's husband when ,jean ,audubon's   
will was being      attacked in the     

courts at ,nantes4 ,it is dated at      
,couron1 ,june      #bf1 #ahai1 and is  
addressed to ,monsieur ,carpentier      
,chess1      engraver1 place ,royale1   
,nantes3       ,following the friendly  
offer that you made me1 ,i have the     
honor of asking you to undertake1 at    
your next visit to ,la      ,rochelle1  
the following inquiries3       #a4      
,there should be at ,la ,rochelle 7it is
 thought at the home      of the widow  
,scipiot7 a ,miss ,louise ,bouffard1    
born at ,les      ,cayes1 ,santo        
,domingo1 in ,america4       ,what is   
her position8 ,what is she doing8 ,what 
is her conduct8      ,in short ,i should
 like to know absolutely all about her1 
being      charged by the ,madame1 her  
mother1 to make all inquiries4          
7,translated from original in ,french1  
,lavigne ,,mss47       #da ,a principal 
street in the old quarters of ,nantes1  
leading      from the ,place ,royale to 
,place ,graslin4 ,jean ,audubon named   
this street as his place of residence in

 #agib1 when he was      living in a    
house belonging to ,citizen ,carricoule4
 ,he made his      home also at ,no4    
#ci1 rue ,rubens1 a short street1 with  
many of      its houses still intact1 in
 the same quarter2 this was rented      
of ,franoise ,mocquard for five years1  
beginning ,june #bd1 #agii      7le #f  
,messidor1 an #g71 at four hundred      
francs per annum4 ,he      also dwelt at
 various times at ,no4 #e1 rue de       
,gigant1 and in      the rue des        
,carmes1 where his wife possessed a     
house1 as well      as in the rue des   
,fontenelles and the rue                
,saint-,leonard4 ,very      likely ,la  
,gerbetire at ,couron was occupied      
intermittently1      especially in      
summer1 after the outbreak of the       
,revolution      and his reverses in    
fortune2 even after his retirement there
      in #ahja1 he still kept a lodging 
7pied--terre7 at ,nantes1      where1 as
 it chanced1 he died1 though it was not 
his usual      stopping-place4 ,see     

,note1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #hf4       #db ,see 
,maria ,r4 ,audubon1 ,audubon and ,his  
,journals 7,bibl4      ,no4 #hf71 vol4  
i1 p4 #h4       #dc ,for the original   
text of this act1 here given in         
translation1 see ,appendix ,i1 ,document
 ,no4 #b4       #dd ,research at ,nantes
 in #aiae revealed that the baptismal   
records of the parish of                
,saint-,similien were wanting for       
the period from #agib to #ahjc1 so it is
 probable that they      were destroyed 
in the ,revolution4 ,the municipal      
archives of      ,nantes possess a book 
of baptismal records of the city without
      distinction of parishes1 but this 
shows the names of neither      ,fougre1
 ,rabin1 nor ,audubon1 for the year in  
question4       ,the ,abb ,tardiveau was
 un prtre asserment1 or one of          
those priests who had sworn in #agij to 
recognize the civil      constitution of
 the clergy4       ,for copy of the act 
of baptism in the ,french original1 see 
,appendix ,i1 ,document ,no4 #c4 ,it is 

impossible to say whether      the      
heading as given in my copy of this act 
was in the      original or not4        
#de ,an ,english writer once gave the   
name of ,audubon's mother      as ,mlle4
 ,la ,fort4       #df ,audubon's        
signature underwent frequent variations 
during      the first twenty-five years 
of his life1 but after #ahbj      he    
almost invariably signed himself ,john  
,j41 or ,j4 ,j4      ,audubon4 ,in the  
record of the civil marriage of his     
sister1      at ,couron in #ahje1 his   
name appears as ,j4 ,j4 ,l4 ,audubon2 in
      the ,articles of ,association with
 ,ferdinand ,rozier1 signed at          
,nantes in #ahjf1 it is ,jean ,audubon1 
and in the release given      on the    
dissolution of this partnership1 at     
,ste4 ,genevive1 in      #ahaa1 the     
,english form1 ,john ,audubon1 appears4 
#dg ,this statement was made to me by   
,miss ,maria ,r4 ,audubon      in #aiad4
       #dh ,for full text of the six    
wills drawn at different times      by  

,jean ,audubon and his wife see         
,appendix ,i1 ,documents ,nos4          
#ac-ah4       #di ,see ,chapter ,,xvii4 
#ej ,this unique document reads as      
follows3       ,to all to whom these    
presents may come3 know ye that ,i1     
,john      ,audubon1 having special     
trust and confidence in my friend1      
,g4 ,loyen ,du ,puigaudeau1 of the      
,department of ,loire and      sic      
,infrieure1 and ,parish of ,couron1 near
 ,nantes1 in      the kingdom of        
,france1 do constitute him my true and  
lawful      attorney1 and the true and  
lawful attorney in fact of ,jean        
,rabin1 husband of ,lucy ,bakewell1 of  
the ,county of ,henderson      and      
,state of ,kentucky1 in the ,united     
,states of ,america1 for      us 81 the 
said ,jean ,rabin1 and in our name to   
our use and      benefit1 to ask1       
demand1 sue for1 recover1 and receive   
all      and every part of the ,real and
 ,personal ,estate1 that is to      say 
,lands1 ,tenements1 ,grounds1 ,chattels1

 and credits1 which ,i      have1 or    
either of us1 in the ,department of     
,loire and sic      ,inferieure in the  
kingdom of ,france1 aforesaid1 and to   
make      sale of the same1 either at   
auction1 or by contract of the      said
 ,lands and ,tenements1 ,goods1         
,chattells1 and ,credits1 to            
receive the money arising from said     
sale1 to give any ,receipt1             
acquittance1 or other discharge for the 
said money or any part      thereof1 if 
money or specie shall be received1 or   
for any      property he may receive in 
exchange or barter for said ,real       
and personal ,estate1 and our said      
attorney1 or the attorney      of ,jean 
,rabin aforesaid1 is hereby authorized  
and empowered      to make1 give1       
execute1 and deliver any ,deed1         
,covenant1 or      transfer of said     
,real and ,personal ,estate to the      
purchaser of      all or any part       
thereof for us1 or for the said ,jean   
,rabin1      in as full and ample a     

manner as he1 the said ,jean1 could do1 
was he personally present in said       
,department1 in the ,kingdom4      ,in  
testimony whereof the said ,john        
,audubon has hereunto set      his hand 
and affixed his seal the ,twenty ,sixth 
day of ,july1      ,anno ,domini ,one   
thousand  ,eight hundred and ,seventeen4
           ,,john ,j4 ,,audubon ,seal   
within       ,on the back of the        
preceding is the notary's certificate   
that      ,jean ,audubon appeared before
 him2 seal affixed1 and dated ,july     
#bf1 #ahag4            ,signed1         
,a,,mbroze ,,barband1           ,notary 
of ,henderson ,county1 ,kentucky4       
#ea ,see ,chapter ,,xvi4       #eb ,vol4
 i1 p4 v2 see ,bibliography1 ,no4 #b4   
#ec ,published by ,maria ,r4 ,audubon   
7,bibl4 ,no4 #gh7 in      ,scribner's   
,magazine1 vol4 xiii 7#ahic74       #ed 
,whether ,jean ,audubon had other sons  
born in ,santo ,domingo      is not     
recorded1 and this reference of the     
naturalist1 which      was repeated in  

his later sketch1 cannot be verified4   
#ee ,see ,maria ,r4 ,audubon1 ,audubon  
and ,his ,journals1 7,bibl4      ,no4   
#hf71 vol4 i1 p4 #g4       #ef ,see     
,note1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #ch4       #eg ,see 
,j4 ,w4 ,crozart1 ,bibliographical and  
,genealogical      ,notes ,concerning   
the ,family of ,philippe de ,mandeville1
 ,ecuyer      ,sieur de ,marigny1       
#agji-ahjj1 ,louisiana ,historical      
,society      ,publications1 vol4 v     
7,new ,orleans1 #aiaa74 ,the portrait   
referred to below now hangs in the ,h4  
,sophie ,newcomb ,memorial              
,college1 ,new ,orleans4       #eh      
,gordon ,bakewell 7,bibl4 ,no4 #ij71    
ibid41 p4 #ca4       #ei ,see ,laws of  
the ,united ,states1 ,treaties1         
,regulations1      and ,other ,documents
 ,respecting the ,public ,lands1 vol4 i1
 p4      #cja 7,washington1 #ahcf74 ,in 
,number #gef1 entitled ,an ,act for     
the ,relief of ,bernard ,marigny1 of the
 ,state of ,louisiana1      ,marigny is 
mentioned as assignee of ,antonio       

,bonnabel1 and      his claim1 which was
 confirmed1 is described as follows3 a  
tract of land of #d1jbj superficial     
arpents1 in the ,state of               
,louisiana1 parish of ,st4 ,tammany1    
bounded on the southwest      by ,lake  
,ponchartrain1 and on the northwest by  
lands formerly      owned by the heirs  
of ,lewis ,davis4       ,i am informed  
by ,mr4 ,gaspar ,cusachs1 president of  
the      ,historical ,society of        
,louisiana1 who has carefully           
investigated the titles of this property
 and to whom ,i am      indebted for    
much information concerning it and its  
owners1      that the tract described   
above included the estate of            
,fontainebleau4 ,marigny's claim        
included also a smaller tract      of   
#ggd arpents in the same parish4 ,this  
land was bounded on      the southwest  
by ,lake ,ponchartrain1 on the north by 
,castin      ,bayou1 and on the south by
 the tract acquired from ,bonnabel2     
it was granted to the heirs of ,lewis   

,davis in #aggg1 and      certain of    
them filed a claim for it in #ahab4     
#fj ,one period of this service bears   
date of ,may #ca4       #fa ,see ,note1 
,vol4 ,i1 p4 #bg4       #fb ,the mayor1 
,saget1 at the moment he was crossing   
the ,place      ,egalit 7the ,place     
,royale of today7 received point-blank a
      ball in his right thigh and       
another in his left leg1 and lost       
both limbs4       #fc ,for the          
revolutionary history of ,nantes ,i am  
chiefly      indebted to ,m4 ,a4        
,gupin's excellent ,histoire de ,nantes1
      #b;d ed4 7,nantes1 #ahci72 ,hipp4 
,etiennez1 ,guide du ,voyageur          
,nantes1 et aux ,environs 7,nantes1     
#ahfa72 ,a4 ,lescadien et ,aug4         
,laurent1 ,histoire de la ,ville de     
,nantes1 t4#b 7,nantes1 #ahcf72      ,f4
 ,j4 ,verger1 ,archives curieuses de la 
,ville de ,nantes et      des           
,dpartments de l',ouest1 t4 #e 7,nantes1
 #ahcg-da72 and to      a scholarly     
monograph by ,dugast-,matifeux1 entitled

 ,carrier       ,nantes3 ,prcis de la   
,conduite patriotique et rvolutionnaire 
des citoyens de ,nantes 7,nantes1       
#ahhe74       #fd ,the unpublished      
documents of this ,department are       
preserved in the archives of the        
,prfecture at ,nantes1      and through 
the courtesy of their custodians ,i was 
enabled      to examine them freely4    
,these documents deal with all the      
revolutionary changes in church and     
state consequent upon the      breaking 
down of the old rgime1 and with the     
enrollment      of volunteers and the   
dispatch of armed forces to centers of  
disturbance throughout that district4   
,the present manuscripts      are said  
to represent but a fraction of those    
which originally      existed1 the      
archives having been subjected to       
repeated      raids1 thefts1 and wanton 
destruction by fire and other           
means4 ,the most important have been    
listed and published by      the        
,government in summary form under the   

title1 ,les ,archives      du           
,dpartement de la ,loire ,infrieure1    
#agij-agii1 ,srie ,l4      7,nantes1    
#aiji74       #fe ,during the           
,revolution ,jean ,audubon always added 
to his      signature the cabalistic    
sign of three dots between parallel     
lines1 which possibly stood for the     
three watchwords of the                 
,republic--,libert1 ,egalit1 ,fraternit4
       #ff ,in the published orders and 
correspondence of the      royalist     
,general ,boulart the following letter1 
given here      in translation1 is      
addressed to ,citizen ,audubon3 ,i give 
you      notice1 ,citizen1 that my      
aide-de-camp will arrive immediately    
from ,niort4 ,i beg you to do all in    
your power to come this      evening to 
confer with me1 since ,i have something 
to ask      you of the utmost           
importance4 ,i also inform you that     
there      has arrived at ,les ,sables  
,citizen ,anguis1 the people's          
representative4 ,perhaps it would be    

more advantageous that      you should  
see him this evening1 and that tomorrow 
early we      attempt to bring all three
 together4 ,you could depart in the     
morning for ,nantes4 ,signed ,,the      
,,general ,,boulart4 ,jean      ,audubon
 filed this letter from the enemy with  
his ,department1      but his answer is 
not given4 ,see ,ch4 ,l4 ,chassin1      
,etudes      ,documentaires sur ,la     
,rvolution ,franaise3 ,la ,vende        
,patriote1      #agic-ahjj1 vol4 ii1 p4 
#cjf1 t4 #a-d 7,paris1 #ahid-ahie74     
#fg ,dlibrations-,arrts de ,directoire  
du ,dpartement4 ,in      ,,mss4 pp4     
#ajg-ajh4       #fh ,jean was actually  
in command of this war vessel in ,march 
of that year1 as shown by a document    
given in full in ,chapter      ,,iv 7p4 
#ei74       #fi ,these records are on   
file in the archives of the             
,department of ,marine at ,paris1 but   
access to them will      doubtless be   
denied until peace is restored in       
,europe4       #gj ,m4 ,l4 ,lavigne     

writes that he possesses a copy of a    
letter      addressed by ,m4 ,g4 ,l4 du 
,puigaudeau to a lawyer in ,paris1 in   
which it is stated that ,lieutenant     
,audubon's losses amounted      to      
#a1ejj1jjj francs4 ,after making due    
allowance for the      psychological    
tendency to overestimate losses1        
especially when      sustained in remote
 and romantic lands1 the true amount was
      no doubt large4       #ga ,or     
lieutenant of a frigate1 and            
corresponding to mate      in the       
merchant marine4       #gb ,the         
certificate which ,lieutenant ,audubon  
received at      the time of his        
discharge is preserved among the        
,lavigne      manuscripts and documents 
at ,couron1 and is headed3              
,sidenote3 ,,port ,,de ,,rochefort4     
,,etat des ,services du ,citoyen ,jean  
,audubon natif des ,sables              
d',ollonne ,dpartement de ,la ,vende g  
de #eh ans4       ,it is signed by the  
,chief of ,administration1 ,daniel1 the 

,naval      ,commander-in-,chief of the 
,district1 ,martin1 and by the naval    
commissioner and clerk1 ,february #bf1  
#ahja 7le sept ,ventose1      an #i de  
la ,rpublique74       #gc ,jean ,audubon
 was #aa years1 #f months and #be days  
in      the service of the merchant     
marine of ,france 7service au           
commerce71 in the course of which he    
rose to the rank      of captain of the 
first grade in #aggd4 ,he served in the 
,french navy 7service  l'tat7 #h years1 
#b months and #ag      days1 ranking    
successively as sailor1                 
ensign-commander1 and                   
lieutenant-commander 7lieutenant de     
vaisseau72 #h months and      #bb days  
of this period 7#agfh-agfi7 were in     
intervals of peace1      and #g years1  
#e months and #be days 7#agic-ahja71 in 
times of      war4 ,any conflict which  
may seem to occur in titles must be     
attributed to this double service4      
#gd ,this property was evidently        
encumbered to a considerable            

extent1 for he repeatedly filed with the
 ,department letters      for the       
removal of restrictions placed upon it  
7lettres pour      obtenir la main      
leve74 ,i cannot give the dates of these
      letters1 but believe that they    
were drawn in #ahja or shortly          
after4       #ge ,this house was rented 
at the time to ,franoise ,mocquard      
7see ,note1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #eg71 but it is
 probable that      ,lieutenant ,audubon
 had reserved rooms which were occupied 
during his visits to the city while his 
permanent home was at      ,couron4 ,in 
the power of attorney issued by ,jean   
,audubon1 his      wife1 and ,claude    
,franois ,rozier1 at ,nantes1 ,april #d1
 #ahjf1      the senior ,audubon gave   
his residence as rue ,rubens1 ,no4 #ci4 
#gf ,presumably a widow of one of the   
,coyrons 7or ,coironds71      merchants 
at ,nantes1 whose business interests in 
,santo ,domingo      were entrusted to  
,jean ,audubon's hands in #aghc 7see    
,chapter      ,,iii1 p4 #ch74       #gg 

,the following extract from the registry
 of deaths at      ,nantes1 which is    
here given in translation1 indicates    
that      ,lieutenant ,audubon passed   
away suddenly1 since his death did      
not occur in his own apartments 7for    
original see ,appendix ,i1              
,document ,no4 #ai73       ,in the year 
#ahah1 on the #aith day of ,february1 at
 eleven      o'clock in the morning1 in 
the presence of the undersigned1        
deputies and officers of the civil      
service1 delegates of      ,monsieur the
 ,mayor of ,nantes1 have appeared the   
,messrs4      ,gabriel ,loyen du        
,puigaudeau1 gentleman of leisure1      
son-in-law      of the deceased1        
residing hereafter at ,couron1 and      
,francis      ,guillet1 grocer1 living  
on the ,quai de la ,fosse1 of legal age1
      who have certified in our presence
 that on this day1 at six      o'clock  
in the morning1 ,jean ,audubon1 retired 
ship-captain1      pensioner of the     
,state1 born at ,les ,sables d',olonne1 

department of ,la ,vende1 husband of    
,anne ,moinet1 died in the      house of
 ,mlle4 ,berthier1 in the ,chausse de le
 ,madeleine1 ,no4      #bd1 #dth        
,canton4       ,the witnesses have      
signed with us the present act1 after it
      was read to them4 ,the deceased   
was #gd years of age4                   
,,gabriel ,,loyen ,,du ,,puigaudeau1    
,signed in the register3- ,,guillet1 and
 ,,joseph ,,de ,,la                     
,,tullaye1 deputy       ,the ,audubons  
and ,du ,puigaudeaus were probably      
buried in one      of the large         
cemeteries at ,nantes1 since no trace of
 their      graves has been found at    
,couron by ,m4 ,lavigne4       #gh      
,audubon said that he was at the time   
fourteen years      old1 which could not
 have been the case1 but when writing in
      #ahce he placed this experience at
 shortly before his return      to      
,america1 which would have been in the  
winter of #ahje-f2      ,i underwent1 to
 quote this later account1 a mockery of 

an      examination1 and was received as
 a midshipman in the navy1      went to 
,rochefort1 was placed on board a       
man-of-war1 and ran a      short cruise4
 ,on my return1 my father had in some   
way obtained      passports for ,rozier 
and me1 and we sailed for ,new ,york4   
#gi ,audubon1 writing in #ahbj1         
described himself at this time      as a
 young man of seventeen1 sent to        
,america to make money      7for such   
was my father's wish71 brought up in    
,france in      easy circumstances2 but 
in the same journal he said that he     
did not reach ,philadelphia until three 
months after landing1      and that     
shortly after his arrival at ,mill      
,grove the      ,bakewell family moved  
to ,fatland ,ford4 ,mr4 ,g4 ,w4         
,bakewell1      the historian of his    
family1 states that in the spring of    
#ahjd1 ,william ,bakewell1 ,audubon's   
future father-in-law1 with      his son1
 ,thomas1 traveled through              
,pennsylvania1 ,virginia and            

,maryland in search of a farm2 they     
purchased ,fatland ,ford1      which was
 then the property of ,james ,vaux4     
,audubon's account      of the ,pewee   
7,ornithological ,biography1 vol4 ii1 p4
 #abd7      shows that he was at ,mill  
,grove before ,april #aj1 when the      
ground was still partially covered with 
snow1 and the air      retained the     
piercing chill of winter4 ,if these     
various      statements are correct1    
they would indicate that ,audubon left  
,nantes about the middle of ,november1  
#ahjc1 and that he finally      reached 
,mill ,grove not far from the end of    
,march1 #ahjd4      ,on the other hand1 
,mr4 ,w4 ,h4 ,wetherill1 the present    
owner of      ,mill ,grove1 informs me  
that his records indicate that the      
,bakewells occupied ,fatland ,ford in   
,january1 #ahjd4 ,if this      were the 
case1 young ,audubon could not have left
 ,france later      than ,august1 #ahjc4
 ,too much weight1 however1 should not  
be      attached to such references of a

 biographical character in              
,audubon's own writings2 for in the     
account referred to above      ,audubon 
said that after his first visit to the  
,united ,states      he remained two    
years in ,france and returned to        
,america early      in ,august2 while we
 know that his sojourn in ,france lasted
      but little more than a year and   
that he landed in ,new ,york on      the
 #bhth of ,may4       #hj ,a plague of  
genuine yellow fever had visited ,new   
,york in      #agie1 but in #ahjd and   
#ahje the city suffered from a malignant
      fever of another type1 and to such
 an extent that #bg1jjj      persons1 or
 one-third of the entire population1 are
 said to      have fled to escape the   
pestilence4 ,this was possibly the      
malady which seized young ,audubon not  
far from the beginning      of the      
former year4       #ha ,the rough draft 
of a letter in ,english1 evidently      
written      by ,lieutenant ,audubon to 
be delivered by his son to the ship's   

captain1 and probably in duplicate to   
his agent1 ,miers ,fisher1      but     
bearing no name or date1 7,lavigne      
,,mss47       #hb ,see ,note1 ,vol4 ,i1 
p4 #ih4       #hc ,the yearly rent of   
,mill ,grove in #ahjd1 according to     
the accounts of ,francis ,dacosta1 who  
had then acquired a half      interest  
in it1 amounted to #cec4cd4       #hd   
,mill ,grove farm is in ,montgomery     
,county1 twenty-four      miles         
northwest of ,philadelphia1 in the town 
known1 after      #ahbc1 as             
,shannonville1 but in #ahii rechristened
 ,audubon2      ,norristown is five     
miles to the east4       #he ,mr4       
,william ,h4 ,wetherill of              
,philadelphia1 whose      hospitality ,i
 have enjoyed and to whom ,i am indebted
 for many      interesting facts and    
records pertaining to ,mill ,grove4     
,samuel ,wetherill1 ,mr4 ,w4 ,h4        
,wetherill's grandfather1 was one       
of the first to bring black rock1 or    
coal1 from ,reading to                  

,philadelphia4 ,samuel ,wetherill1      
,junior1 who is said to have            
started the first woolen mill in the    
country and to have      produced the   
first white lead made in the ,united    
,states1      purchased ,mill ,grove for
 the sake of its minerals in #ahac1     
the war having put a stop to all        
importations from ,england at      that 
time4 ,he actually succeeded in         
extracting several hundred      tons of 
lead from the ,mill ,grove mines1 doing 
better1 it      is thought1 than any who
 preceded or followed him4 ,samuel      
,wetherill1 ,junior1 died in #ahbi1 and 
was succeeded in the      lead and drugs
 industry by his four sons1 of whom     
,samuel ,price      ,wetherill became   
the owner of ,mill ,grove in #ahcc4 ,the
 farm      remained in the hands of the 
,wetherill family until #ahgf1      and 
returned to them again1 when the present
 owner came into      possession1 in    
#ahib4       #hf ,in #agfa ,james       
,morgan1 the first miller and builder1  

conveyed one-half of the mill site of   
five acres to ,roland      ,evans1 who  
came into possession of the other half1 
with the      adjoining farm1 in #agga2 
the property was sold to ,governor      
,john ,penn in #aggf2 it passed to      
,samuel ,c4 ,morris in #aghd1 and       
to the ,prevosts in #aghf4       #hg    
,the lease1 which was drawn up in       
,english1 ,april #aj1      #aghi1 reads 
in part as follows3 ,this indenture1    
made on the      tenth ,day of ,april in
 the ,year of our ,lord1 ,one thousand  
,seven      hundred  ,eighty nine1      
,between ,john ,audubon1 of the ,island 
of      ,st4 ,domingo1 ,gentleman1 now  
being in the ,city of ,philadelphia1    
of the one party1 and ,augustine        
,prevost4444 ,the lease      included   
the messuages1 grist mills1 saw mills1  
plantation and      tract of land1 which
 is described1 tools1 implements1 stock1
      and furniture of the mills and    
farm1 and was drawn for one      year2  
it was signed in the presence of ,miers 

,fisher1 agent      and attorney for    
,jean ,audubon4       ,in the inventory 
were included one windmill1 one pair of 
scales1 with weights of #ef1 #bh and #g 
pounds1 skreen1 four      bolting       
cloths1 two hoisting tubs1 and one large
 screw and      circle for raising the  
millstones4 ,this lease was renewed     
in ,october1 #agij1 when ,jean ,audubon1
 who was then living at      ,nantes1   
agreed to keep the house in good repair 
from that time      onward4 ,it was the 
,prevost mortgage that ,miers ,fisher   
paid but      forgot to cancel 7see     
,vol4 ,i1 p4 #abb72 it was finally      
cleared      up by ,dacosta in ,october1
 #ahjf4       ,miers ,fisher's          
,philadelphia residence1 called ,ury1   
which      ,audubon often visited1 was  
near ,fox ,chase1 now in the            
,twenty-third ,ward4 ,see ,witmer       
,stone1 ,cassinia1 ,no4 xvii            
7,philadelphia1 #aiac74       #hh ,for a
 photograph of this portrait of         
,lieutenant ,audubon      here          

reproduced1 ,i am indebted to ,miss     
,maria ,r4 ,audubon2 the      originals 
of both portraits are now in possession 
of ,audubon's      granddaughter1 ,mrs4 
,morris ,f4 ,tyler4       #hi ,see      
,note1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #ii4       #ij ,for 
this and the preceding quotation1 see   
,maria ,r4      ,audubon1 ,audubon and  
his ,journals 7,bibl4 ,no4 #hf71 vol4 i1
      pp4 #ah and #bg4       #ia ,in    
,dacosta's final statement of his       
account1 which      was disputed1       
carried into court1 and eventually      
settled by      arbitration at          
,philadelphia1 on ,august #a1 #ahjg1    
these items      occur3 ,omitted1       
#cjj4jj1 paid by ,francis ,dacosta to   
,miers      ,fisher1 on ,may #bd1 #ahjc2
 and ,ditto #agf4fg1 the proportion     
of ,francis ,dacosta in the rent of the 
first year1 which has      not been paid
 to him4 7,see ,appendix ,i1 ,document  
#aa;a2 ,,mss4 in      possession of ,mr4
 ,welton ,a4 ,rosier47       ,it seems  
probable that ,dacosta was sent to this 

country by      ,lieutenant ,audubon to 
act as his agent for the disposition of 
,mill ,grove1 and to succeed ,miers     
,fisher in the conduct of      his      
business affairs4 ,interest in the      
neglected and forgotten      mine may   
have diverted them from their original  
plans4       #ib ,the following notice1 
copied from ,relf's ,gazette1           
appeared in the ,new ,york ,herald for  
,saturday1 ,november #ag1      #ahjd3   
,the lead mine discovered on ,perkiomen 
creek1 in ,montgomery      county1      
,pennsylvania1 the property of ,francis 
,dacosta1 has      been lately opened1  
and attended with great success4 ,the   
vein proves to be a regular one1 and of 
long continuance4 ,its      course is   
,n4,n4,e42 its direction is nearly      
perpendicular1 and      its thickness   
from one foot to #ae inches4 ,two tons  
of that      beautiful ore were raised  
in a few hours1 and one ton more      at
 least was left in the bottom on the    
pit1 which is yet but      nine feet    

deep4 ,from the situation of this mine1 
its nearness      to navigation and     
market1 its very commanding height1 its 
richness in metal1 and the large scale  
it forms on2 it is      thought by      
judges to be one of the first           
discoveries yet made      in the ,u4 ,s4
       ,from the analysis made of #ajj  
parts1 it contains3            ,oxyd of 
lead      #he           ,oxyd of iron   
#a           ,sulphuric acid    #ac     
,water              #a                  
----                            #ajj    
,the lead being coupelled1 has proved to
 contain #b oz4 fine      silver to     
#ajj1 which is nearly #c dollars worth  
of that metal4       #ic ,for the sum of
 #ca1jjj francs1 or #f1bjj1 a slight    
advance      on the cost to ,jean       
,audubon1 when he had taken over the    
farm      fifteen years before 7see     
,vol4 ,i1 p4 #aje74       #id ,the      
following item appears in ,dacosta's    
final account3      ,to compensation    
claimed by ,francis ,dacosta for making 

up      half of his expenses1 in        
managing the mining works1 the          
mill-repairs1 and taking up the         
formation of a company during      two  
years of constant cares1 troubles1 and  
loss of time1      at #cjj dollars a    
year--#fjj4jj4 7,from statement of      
disputed      claim2 see ,note1 ,vol4   
,i1 p4 #afh47       #ie ,for copies of a
 part of the ,audubon-,dacosta          
correspondence1 which is perhaps half of
 what exists but all      that it was   
possible to obtain1 ,i am indebted to   
,monsieur      ,lavigne4 ,the first     
letter1 the present copy of which is    
incomplete1 was evidently written in the
 winter of #ahjd-e4      ,lieutenant    
,audubon1 who at this time was sixty-one
 years      old1 was living at ,couron1 
but came to ,nantes to conduct his      
correspondence4 ,all the letters were   
carefully transcribed in      a separate
 copybook1 and are here translated as   
literally as      possible from the     
,french4       #if ,that is1 after      

having become a part owner of the ,mill 
,grove property4       #ig ,that is1 at 
,couron4       #ih ,this name appears as
 ,rost in all the letters4       #ii    
,member of the firm of ,audubon1        
,lacroix1 ,formon  ,jacques1            
engaged in the ,santo ,domingo trade    
7see ,chapter ,,ii1 p4 #cc74      ,in   
these letters the name usually appears  
as ,formont4       #ajj ,vessels in     
which ,jean ,audubon was personally     
interested1      and upon which he      
endeavored in vain to collect the money 
and interest due him 7see ,vol4 ,i1 p4  
#cd74 ,in a document in      ,english1  
dated ,les ,cayes ,april #i1 #aghb1     
concerning the      ,annette1 of which  
,jean ,audubon was captain and part     
owner1      and signed by him and ,david
 ,ross  ,company1 it is stated this     
vessel was bound for ,nantes with a     
cargo of tobacco1 in the      purchase  
and sale of which ,captain ,audubon was 
under orders      of ,mr4 ,ezekiel      
,edwards of ,nantes4       #aja ,this   

was probably the mortgage which ,jean   
,audubon gave      to ,prevost when     
,mill ,grove was purchased in #aghi1 for
 in      ,dacosta's final account for   
#ahjf-ahjg this item occurs under       
,october #ae1 #ahjf3 ,to the recorder in
 ,norristown for entering               
satisfaction of ,john ,audubon mortgage 
to ,john ,augustin ,prevost      444    
#b4hc4       #ajb ,the principal house  
at ,mill ,grove1 which ,dacosta was     
preparing to occupy4       #ajc ,owing  
to the delay in receiving his legal     
papers from      ,france1 ,dacosta had  
threatened to carry his case to the     
courts1 and had stopped work at the     
mine4       #ajd ,in the light of the   
preceding letters1 ,dacosta would       
appear in these respects to have been   
only attempting to carry      out his   
instructions4       #aje ,probably      
,sarah ,white ,palmer1 ,benjamin        
,bakewell's      sister-in-law1 and     
widow of the ,rev4 ,john ,palmer1 who at
 one      time was associated with      

,joseph ,priestley in editing the       
,theological ,repository1 an organ of   
the ,unitarians4 ,her      son-in-law1  
,thomas ,w4 ,pears1 was later a partner 
in ,audubon's      business ventures at 
,henderson1 ,kentucky4 ,her grave is in 
the      ,bakewell burying plot at      
,fatland ,ford4       #ajf ,see         
,appendix ,i1 ,document ,no4 #g4        
#ajg ,maria ,r4 ,audubon1 ,audubon and  
his ,journals 7,bibl4 ,no4      #hf71   
vol4 i1 p4 #ci4       #ajh ,dr4         
d',orbigny had three sons1 all of whom  
were born in      ,couron3 ,alcide      
,charles ,victor in #ahjb1 ,gaston      
,edouard in      #ahje1 and ,charles in 
#ahjf2 the youngest and eldest became   
distinguished naturalists4 ,so far as   
known1 ,audubon was      godfather only 
to the second1 ,gaston ,edouard1 who    
according      to the records of the    
,catholic church at ,couron1 was        
born on the #c;d day of the present     
month1 the issue of the      legitimate 
marriage of ,mr4 ,charles ,marie        

d',orbigny1 doctor of      medicine1 and
 of ,anna ,pepart1 was christened on    
,august #bj1      #ahje1 in the presence
 of the godfather1 ,john ,james         
,audubon1      the godmother1 ,rosa     
,audubon1 the father and mother1        
together      with the undersigned      
7,extracted by ,monsieur ,lavigne74     
,d',orbigny appears as a witness to the 
powers of attorney which      ,jean     
,audubon and his wife issued jointly to 
their son and to      ,ferdinand ,rozier
 at ,couron in #ahje 7see ,appendix ,i1 
,document      ,no4 #h7 and on ,november
 #bj1 #ahjf 7see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #aec74    
#aji ,for copies of this and the        
following letters1 which are      here  
translated from the ,french1 ,i am      
indebted to ,monsieur      ,lavigne4    
#aaj ,a daughter of ,catharine          
,bouffard1 regarding whom see      ,vol4
 ,i1 p4 #ef4       #aaa ,see ,appendix  
,i1 ,document ,no4 #h4       #aab ,the  
civil ceremony of ,rosa ,audubon's      
marriage was      performed at the      

mayor's office in ,couron1 on ,december 
#af1      #ahje 7le #bf frimaire1 an    
#ad71 when the bride was in her         
eighteenth year2 the contract had been  
drawn on the #abth      day of that     
month 7le #bb frimaire1 an #ad7 by      
notary ,martin      ,daviais1 who was   
mayor of ,couron in the following year1 
and      the religious ceremony was     
conducted by the ,bishop of ,nantes4    
,the following have assisted1 so reads  
in translation the      ,couron record1 
at the marriage1 aforesaid1 on the side 
of      the groom1 ,m4 ,andr ,loyen du  
,puigaudeau1 his brother1 and      ,m4  
,honor ,franois ,guiraud1 his           
brother-in-law2 by the side      of the 
bride1 her father1 and ,m4 ,jean        
,audubon1 her brother1      and these   
have undersigned1 together with the     
bridegroom4      ,audubon's signature   
reads ,j4 ,l4 ,j4 ,audubon4       #aac  
,for the full text of these two         
documents1 which are so      interesting
 for our story1 see ,appendix ,i1       

,documents ,nos4      #i and #aj2 and   
for translations1 ,documents ,nos4 #i;a 
and #aj;a4      ,for the privilege of   
examining and reproducing the first of  
these papers ,i am indebted to ,mr4     
,charles ,a4 ,rozier1 of ,st4           
,louis1 and for the second1 as well as  
the power of attorney      of #ahje 7see
 ,document ,no4 #h71 referred to        
earlier1 to ,mr4 ,tom      ,j4 ,rozier1 
of ,sainte ,genevive1 ,missouri4 ,in the
 case of this      second warrant it    
will be noticed that the grantors signed
      only the minute which was filed   
with the notaries1 who1 with      the   
judge of the ,court of the ,first       
,instance1 affixed their      names to  
the document itself4 ,no better         
illustration could be      given of the 
dignity which the ,french attach to the 
office      of notary1 to the honored   
incumbents of which their private       
affairs are unreservedly entrusted1 than
 this elaborate      judicial document4 
#aad ,in the register of the ,central   

,committee of ,nantes      it is noted1 
under date of ,october #d1 #agic1 that  
owing      to the friendly relations    
then existing between ,france and       
the citizens of the ,united ,states1 and
 to the good feeling      evinced by    
them in sending to us for food1 four    
,american ships      are accordingly    
permitted to leave the port of ,nantes1 
with      cargoes of wine1 sugar1 and   
coffee1 and also to take enough         
biscuit for the voyage4       #aae ,the 
receipt which the captain handed the    
young men1      and which the methodical
 ,rozier preserved1 remains as a        
souvenir of this voyage 7in the ,tom ,j4
 ,rozier ,,mss72 it reads      as       
follows3            ,recvd4 from ,mr4   
,john ,audubon            ferdinand     
,rozier the sum of five ,hundred        
and twenty five ,livers being in full   
for their           passage from ,nantes
 to ,new ,york in the ,ship             
,polly444444444444444444444444444 ,s4   
,sammis            ,in ,rozier's 787    

handwriting ,new ,york ,may #bh1 #ahjf  
,indorsed by ,rozier on back ,pay le #aa
 avril #ahjf       #aaf ,the total      
population of ,couron1 as given in the  
official directory for #aiac1 was       
#b1jce1 but the total working           
population is probably three times as   
great4       #aag ,there is also the    
grand calvaire1 which stands on      an 
eminence in the village4 ,this was      
erected in #ahbe on the      foundations
 of the chateau of the dukes of         
,brittany1 the last      of whom1       
,francis ,,ii1 died at ,couron in #adhh4
 ,his tomb is      in the nave of the   
cathedral at ,nantes2 the grand calvaire
      was restored by two ,couron       
families in #ahgc1 and is a very        
elaborate structure4       #aah ,mr4    
,william ,beer1 who paid a visit to ,la 
,gerbetire      with ,dr4 ,louis ,bureau
 in #aiaj1 writes me that the woodwork  
was poor in quality1 and that all the   
rooms had been altered      in size and 
appearance4       #aai ,but not related 

to ,m4 ,l4 ,lavigne1 to whom ,i am      
indebted      for extracts from the     
deed1 a translation of which is given   
below1 as well as for many other        
references4       #abj ,that is1 the    
landlord to receive one-half the        
produce4       #aba ,a journal of land  
being as much as a man could            
cultivate in a day's labor4       #abb  
,see ,chapter ,,xvii4       #abc ,for   
the privilege of examining ,ferdinand   
,rozier's      copy of their ,articles  
of ,association ,i am indebted to the   
kindness of ,mr4 ,charles ,a4 ,rozier1  
of ,saint ,louis4 ,this is      written 
on three sides of hand-made1 hand-ruled 
,government      linen1 small letter    
size1 with printed revenue stamp 7#ej   
centimes7 of the ,french ,republic at   
top1 and stamped with      the seal of  
the ,department of ,registration and    
,stamps 7,,adm4      ,,des ,,dom4 ,,de  
,l',,enreg4 ,,et ,,du ,,timbre ,,rep4   
,,fra4--,administration      des        
domaines de l'enregistrement et du      

timbre1 ,rpublique      ,franaise74 ,the
 signature of ,jean ,audubon bears a    
close      resemblance to that of the   
father1 ,lieutenant ,jean ,audubon1     
who was undoubtedly the author of the   
document4 ,for the      ,articles in    
full1 in ,french and ,english1 see      
,appendix ,i1      ,documents ,nos4 #i  
and #i;a4       #abd ,among the elder   
,rozier's papers was part of an old     
letterbook belonging to his son2 it is  
written in ,french1      and labeled    
,correspondence of ,ferdinand ,rozier4  
,on one      of the four sheets         
preserved this item occurs3 #d ,july1   
#ahjf1 ,philadelphia2 record of an      
agreement with ,mr4 ,dacosta            
proprietor of one half of the ,mill     
,grove farm1--at least of the      value
 of sale4 ,the first entry is dated #ai 
fvrier--#ahjf1 ,new      ,york1 which1  
if correct1 would imply that ,rozier    
spent two      years instead of one in  
the ,united ,states when he visited this
      country in #ahjd 7or came a second

 time71 and that he returned1      with 
young ,audubon1 almost immediately after
 reaching ,france      7see ,vol4 ,i1 p4
 #bde72 the last record is ,august1     
#ahjg1 ,new      ,york4 7,,ms4 in       
possession of ,dr4 ,louis ,bureau1      
,nantes47       #abe ,according to the  
records of ,montgomery ,county1 as      
collated for ,mr4 ,w4 ,h4 ,wetherill1   
the remaining half interest      in     
,mill ,grove was sold by ,j4 ,j4        
,audubon 7and ,ferdinand      ,rozier7  
to ,francis ,dacosta  ,company1 for a   
consideration of      #i1fdj4cc4 ,the   
business was conducted mainly by        
,rozier1 acting      under the advice of
 their friend1 ,miers ,fisher4          
#abf ,translated from the ,french of    
,ferdinand's copy1 in      possession of
 ,mr4 ,welton ,a4 ,rozier1 to whom ,i am
 indebted for      the privilege of     
reproducing it4       #abg ,gourdes1    
that is1 piasters or ,spanish dollars4  
#abh ,claude ,franois ,rozier1 at this  
time an aged man1      died at ,nantes  

on ,september #g1 #ahjg2 he had two sons
 and      six daughters1 of whom        
,ferdinand was the second son and the   
fifth child2 his wife1 ,rene ,angelique 
,colas1 died at ,nantes1      ,february 
#i1 #ahbd4       #abi ,this was issued1 
so the letter reads1 to their son1      
,john ,audubon1 and ,ferdinand ,rozier1 
both of the said city of                
,philadelphia1 ,gentlemen1 by ,john     
,audubon1 late of the city      of      
,philadelphia1 in the commonwealth of   
,pennsylvania1 now      residing in the 
commune of ,couron1 near the city of    
,nantes      in ,france1 ,gentleman1 and
 ,anne ,moynette1 his wife1 to apply    
to all lands and other property         
belonging to them in the      ,united   
,states1 with the power to raise or     
borrow money on      the whole or any   
part or parts of the said lands1        
tenements1      or hereditaments1 to    
secure the repayment of said monies     
by bond1 warrant of attorney1 to contest
 judgment of the      mortgage of the   

said lands1 tenements1 or hereditaments1
 or      any part or parts thereof4444  
,written in ,french and ,english2       
signed by ,jean ,audubon1 ,anne ,moynet1
 his wife1 by ,doctors      ,chapelain  
and ,c4 d',orbigny as witnesses1 by the 
mayor of      ,couron1 the prefect of   
the arrondissement and the prefect of   
the department2 countersigned on        
,december #d1 #ahjf1 by ,w4 ,d4         
,patterson1 of the ,commercial ,agency  
of the ,united ,states at      ,nantes4 
,for the favor of examining this paper1 
,i am indebted      to the kindness of  
,miss ,maria ,r4 ,audubon4       #acj   
,for the privilege of examining these   
letters ,i am      indebted to the      
courtesy of ,dr4 ,louis ,bureau1        
,director of      the ,museum of        
,natural ,history and ,professor in the 
,school of      ,medicine at ,nantes1   
maternal great-grandson of ,franois1 and
      grandnephew of ,ferdinand ,rozier4
 ,the letters were found in      an old 
trunk that once belonged to his         

grandfather1 ,franois      ,denis       
,rozier4 ,five were written in ,french  
7,nos4 #a1 #b1 #d1 #f      and #g71 and 
addressed from ,new ,york to ,franois   
,rozier at      ,nantes2 one 7,no4 #c7  
in ,english and another 7,no4 #e7 in    
,french      were sent in care of       
,rozier1 to his father1 ,john ,audubon1 
,esq41 ,nantes1 with the direction to be
 delivered as soon as      possible2 all
 are on unruled foolscap1 wafer-sealed1 
and each      also bears an outside seal
 in wax1 stamped with ,bakewell's       
initial 7,b74 ,it is not possible to say
 whether ,lieutenant      ,audubon ever 
received these letters of his son2 if   
received1      it is not very obvious   
why they should have been left in the   
old merchant's hands1 unless his ill    
health at the time1 and      subsequent 
death were the cause 7see ,note1 ,vol4  
,i1 p4 #aeb74      ,i am further        
indebted to ,mr4 ,william ,beer1 for the
 perusal of      his copies1 which have 
been followed to a large extent4        

,since all of these early letters throw 
an interesting light      upon the times
 as well as upon ,audubon's personal    
history1 we      shall give them in     
full1 rendering the ,french into        
,english as      literally as           
practicable4       #aca ,this           
,philadelphia merchant was evidently in 
,france and      intending to visit     
,nantes at this time4       #acb ,of the
 ,st4 ,domingo packet4       #acc ,mr4  
,l4 ,huron did1 a few days ago1 receive 
some wines      on a_/c of ,m4 ,rozier1 
and hopes they prove good1 etc4         
#acd ,miers ,fisher1 for many years     
,jean ,audubon's trusted      agent and 
attorney in ,america4 ,see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 
#ajj4       #ace ,gabriel ,loyen du     
,puigaudeau1 his brother-in-law4        
#acf ,that is a miniature or an old     
portrait of his father      in the      
uniform of a lieutenant-commander1 which
 with its      companion1 representing  
,mme4 ,jean ,audubon1 his stepmother1   
then hung in the house of ,la ,gerbetire

 at ,couron4 ,the      original         
portraits1 which are reproduced facing  
page #gh1      measure #bc by #ah       
inches1 and were painted probably       
between      #ahja and #ahjf2 they were 
inventoried in documents bearing        
date of ,november #ad1 #ae and #ag1     
#ahba1 shortly after ,mme4      ,jean   
,audubon's death4 ,they were restored in
 ,paris about ten      years ago for    
,monsieur ,lavigne1 to whom ,i am       
indebted for the      photographs and   
this information4       #acg ,audubon's 
intimate friend1 see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #abh4 
#ach ,serinettes1 the old time music    
boxes1 or      bird-organs1 of ,swiss   
origin1 that were very popular in       
,america down to the time of the ,civil 
,war1 or even later4 ,they      were    
manufactured at ,st4 ,croix as late as  
#ahhj2 instruments      of similar type1
 with dancing figures1 have been adapted
 to      the penny-in-the-slot machines 
common in ,switzerland to-day4          
#aci ,marchand1 or retail merchant4     

#adj ,initials of the head of his firm1 
,benjamin ,bakewell4       #ada ,the    
reference was to ,mme4                  
,stephanie-,felicit de ,genlis          
7#agdf-ahcj71 teacher of the children of
 the ,duke of ,orleans1                 
,philippe-,egalit1 and authoress of many
 works on education1      once popular1 
but now known only to the antiquary and 
the      ragman4       #adb ,meaning    
possibly his prospective brother-in-law1
 ,thomas      ,w4 ,bakewell1 a fellow   
clerk in the office4       #adc ,one    
,louis was equal to twenty francs1 or   
four dollars4       #add ,maria ,r4     
,audubon1 ,audubon and his ,journals    
7,bibl4 ,no4      #hf71 vol4 i1 p4 #cb4 
#ade ,especially his account current1   
from ,june #a1 #ahjf1 to      ,july #be1
 #ahjg1 with the ,mill ,grove farm1 and 
,john ,audubon      of ,nantz1 drawn up 
and signed at ,philadelphia on the      
latter      date4 ,dacosta then claimed 
a balance due him of #iej4fd above      
the returns from farm and mine1 of which

 he was entitled to      one-half2 this 
sum included his salary and numerous    
minor      expenditures4 ,when his      
account was contested and taken out of  
court for settlement1 it was cut by the 
arbitrators to #ecj4      ,see ,appendix
 ,i1 ,document #aa;a4       ,the        
following is a copy of the ,award given 
by ,john ,laval       ,laurence ,huron  
appointed referees by ,francis ,dacosta 
and ,john      ,audubon the elder by a  
rule of reference in the ,common ,pleas 
of this county to have their differences
 in accounts settled3            ,we the
 within named referees1 having heard the
           parties and examined their   
respective accounts            vouchers1
 do award that there is due by the      
defendant1 ,john ,audubon the elder1 to 
the plaintiff1           ,francis       
,dacosta1 the sum of five hundred and   
thirty           dollars1 which we find 
to be the full balance of all           
current accounts between them1 and we   
award that the           said ballance  

be paid by the said ,john ,audubon the  
elder to the said ,francis ,dacosta by  
defalking the           same from the   
account of the condition of the ,bond   
of ,eight ,hundred ,dollars--mentioned  
in the within           rule of         
reference conformably to the agreement  
endorsed on the said ,bond4             
,witness our hands ,philadelphia #ast   
,august1 #ahjg4                         
,signed--,,john ,,laval4                
,,laurence ,,huron4       7,copy of     
original ,,ms41 in possession of ,mr4   
,welton ,h4 ,rozier47       #adf ,in    
#ahaa ,mill ,grove was conveyed by      
,francis ,dacosta       ,company1 to    
,frederick ,beates1 who in #ahac sold it
 to ,samuel      ,wetherill1 ,jr41 for  
#g1jjj1 the property having shrunk to   
less than one-half the value placed upon
 it in #ahjf4 ,for the      enterprises 
of the ,wetherills1 see ,note1 ,vol4 ,i1
 p4 #ajb4       #adg ,since we have been
 obliged to enter rather minutely       
into the history of ,mill ,grove1 in    

order to trace the      relations of the
 ,audubons to it in an important period 
of      the naturalist's career1 the    
reader may be interested in the         
anticlimax which its famous mines       
reached at a later day4 ,the      ,ecton
 ,consolidated ,mining ,company had been
 in operation at      ,mill ,grove for a
 considerable period1 when1 in #ahdh1   
the      ,perkioming ,association was   
formed and ten thousand dollars was     
at once invested in machinery4 ,in #ahea
 these two companies      were combined 
under the name of the ,perkioming       
,consolidated      ,mining ,company1    
which issued #ej1jjj shares of stock1 at
 six      dollars each1 thus            
representing a capital of #cjj1jjj4 ,a  
mining settlement quickly sprang up on  
,audubon's old farm1      where numerous
 buildings of stone1 a general store1   
and      miners' houses were to be seen4
 ,in the first annual statement         
issued by this company1 the buildings   
were said to represent      an outlay of

 #ae1jjj1 while #adj1jjj had been       
expended on      machinery1 both above  
and below ground4 ,a ,cornish expert1   
who was summoned from ,england1 was paid
 #a1dad for a verbose      report1 the  
substance of which1 it was said1 was    
expressed in      conveying the         
information1 already known1 that the    
mineral      mined is copper ore 7copper
 pyrite occurring in association        
with lead74 ,this company closed its    
business in #ahea1 by      assessing its
 stockholders one dollar a share1 thus  
bringing      the total loss in this    
final effort to #cej1jjj1 nearly        
one-third of which had been drawn from  
,philadelphia4 ,after      one1 or two1 
further unsuccessful attempts had been  
made1      all the substantial buildings
 of the mining works became a           
quarry1 from which stone was sold by the
 perch1 the ruins of      the old engine
 house alone remaining to this day as a 
witness      of the follies of the      
generations that are gone4 7,this       

account      is based upon reports which
 have appeared in the press of          
,philadelphia or in other ,pennsylvania 
newspapers47       #adh ,samuel ,latham 
,mitchell 7#agfd-ahca71 physician1      
naturalist1 politician and voluminous   
writer on many subjects4      ,in #agig 
he founded1 in association with ,dr4    
,edward ,miller      and ,dr4 ,elihu ,h4
 ,smith1 the ,new ,york ,medical        
,repository1      and was its chief     
editor4 ,he began also1 at the          
,university      of ,new ,york1 one of  
the earliest collections in natural     
history1 and in #ahag appealed to the   
,historical ,society of      his city   
for the foundation of a ,zological      
,museum2 in the      same year he       
organized the ,lyceum of ,natural       
,history1 and was      its first        
president1 ,joseph ,le ,conte serving as
 corresponding      secretary1 and ,john
 ,torrey as one of its curators4 ,on    
,april      #i1 the following subjects  
were assigned to different members      

for investigation1 ,ichthyology or      
fishes1 ,plaxology or      crustaceous  
animals1 ,apalology or mollusca1 and    
,geology or the      earth being        
reserved for the president2 ,samuel     
,constantine      ,rafinesque 7see      
,chapter ,,xix7 took charge of          
,helmintology      or worms1 ,polypoligy
 or polyps1 ,atmology or ,meteorology1  
,hydrology or waters1 and ,taxodomy or  
classification2      ,john ,torrey1 who 
became a distinguished botanist1 was    
more      modest1 and assumed charge    
only of ,entomology or insects2         
while to ,john ,le ,conte were given    
,mastodology or mammalia1               
,erpetology or reptiles1 and ,glossology
 or nomenclature4 ,see      the         
,american ,monthly ,magazine and        
,critical ,review 7,new ,york7      for 
,august1 #ahag1 p4 #bgb4       #adi ,see
 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #ahe4       #aej ,cuvier  
stated in his report on ,audubon's      
,birds1      delivered at the ,academy  
of ,sciences1 ,paris1 ,september #bb1   

#ahbh1 that the author had been         
twenty-five years before a      pupil in
 the school of ,david4 ,this would place
 the date in      #ahjc1 but earlier    
than the autumn of that year1 when      
,audubon      started for ,america4 ,see
 ,note1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #ii4       #aea    
,ornithological ,biography 7,bibl4 ,no4 
#b71 vol4 i1 p4      viii4       #aeb   
,f4 ,t4 ,verger1 ,archives curieuses de 
la ville de ,nantes      et des         
dpartements de l'ouest 7,nantes1        
#ahcg-da72 for further      references  
to ,david in this chapter ,i am mainly  
indebted to      ,georges ,cain1 ,le    
,long des ,rues 7,paris1 #ahab71 and    
,charles      ,saunier1 ,louis ,david   
7,paris1 no date74       #aec ,the      
implication as to time1 which is        
repeated above1      contradicts an     
earlier statement1 which is probably    
more      nearly correct1 for when      
,audubon returned to ,america in #ahjf  
he was twenty-one4       #aed ,see ,r4  
,w4 ,shufeldt1 in ,the ,auk and the     

,audubonian      ,magazine              
7,bibliography1 ,nos4 #ahd and #aij74   
#aee ,referring to the fire of #ahce1 in
 ,new ,york4       #aef ,see ,chapter   
,,xxi4       #aeg ,when it passed into  
the equally worthy hands of ,mr4        
,joseph ,y4 ,jeanes1 of ,philadelphia4  
,mr4 ,jeanes purchased from      the    
estate of ,mr4 ,edward ,harris1 #b;d1   
directly or indirectly1      and at     
different times1 about #aaj of these    
early originals2      others were       
dispersed1 four of early date being in  
the ,museum      of ,harvard            
,university4 ,mr4 ,jeanes also possesses
 a large      section of the            
,audubon-,harris correspondence1 which  
extended      over nearly a quarter of a
 century1 and of which little      has  
been published2 to his kindness ,i am   
indebted for the      privilege of      
reproducing some of the drawings1 as    
well as      numerous extracts from the 
letters1 in the present work4       #aeh
 ,audubon said that some of the         

originals of ,the ,birds of             
,america were made as long ago as #ahje1
 which may well have      been the case1
 but the earliest date which has been   
preserved      on the drawings is that  
of ,july #a1 #ahjh1 for ,rathbone's     
,warbler1 later recognized as an        
immature form of the ,summer            
,warbler4 ,the ,carbonated ,warbler was 
drawn ,may #g1 #ahaa4      ,seven bear  
the date of #ahab1 namely3              
,yellow-rumped ,warbler1      ,april    
#bb2 ,le petit ,caporal1 ,april #bc2    
,wood ,pewee1 ,april #bh2               
,blackburnian and ,bay-breasted         
,warblers1 ,may #ab2 ,chestnut-sided    
,warbler1 ,may #ag2 and ,cuvier's ,wren1
 ,june #h4       #aei ,for a list of    
,audubon's early dated drawings see     
,appendix ,,ii4 ,through the courtesy of
 ,mr4 ,jeanes1 ,i am able      to       
reproduce a fuller series of ,audubon's 
early drawings of      ,french and      
,american birds than has hitherto been  
published1      and have chosen the     

subjects to illustrate the development  
of      his style4       #afj ,see ,vol4
 ,i1 p4 #abe4       #afa ,ornithological
 ,biography 7,bibl4 ,no4 #b71 vol4 i1 p4
      #ced4       #afb ,see ,appendix   
,,ii4       #afc ,see ,appendix ,i1     
,document ,no4 #aa4       #afd ,this    
diary was first brought to my attention 
by ,mr4      ,ruthven ,deane1 and for   
permission to reproduce it ,i am        
indebted to the kindness of a           
great-grandson of ,ferdinand1 ,mr4      
,welton ,a4 ,rozier1 of ,saint ,louis4  
,mr4 ,rozier writes that the            
original ,french notes have been mislaid
 or lost1 but that they      were       
closely followed in this translation1   
whenever complete4      ,though numerous
 verbal changes have been made in the   
present      draft1 these have not      
altered the meaning in any respect4     
,ferdinand ,rozier's narrative begins as
 follows3       ,i left ,nantes1        
,france1 in company with ,john ,james   
,audubon1      on ,saturday1 the #abth  

day of ,april1 #ahjf1 bound for the     
city of ,new ,york1 ,u4 ,s4 ,a41 on an  
,american ship named the      ,polly1   
commanded by ,captain ,sammis1 and      
arrived at ,new ,york      on ,tuesday1 
the #bgth day of ,may4 ,while on the    
voyage across      the ocean our vessel 
was stopped1 overhauled1 searched1 and  
robbed by an ,english privateer1 named  
the ,rattlesnake1 which      detained us
 a day and a night4       ,we remained  
in ,new ,york ,city for a few days1 and 
then      removed to ,mill ,grove1 on   
,pickering ,perkioming ,creek1 in       
,pennsylvania1 a tract of land owned by 
our fathers1 and at      that time      
thought to contain valuable minerals4   
#afe ,in the rich bottom-lands of the   
,ohio ,river basin the      hackberry or
 sugarberry 7,celtis occidentals7       
sometimes      exceeds one hundred feet 
in height1 and has a diameter of from   
four to five feet4       #aff ,the      
population of the second city of        
,pennsylvania      in #ahjj was #a1efe2 

in #ahdj1 #d1gfh2 and in #aiaj1 after   
the      annexation of ,allegheny1      
#ecc1ije4       #afg ,maria ,r4         
,audubon1 ,audubon and his ,journals    
7,bibl4 ,no4      #hf71 vol4 i1 p4 #bh4 
#afh ,see ,appendix ,i1 ,document ,no4  
#aa4       #afi ,see ,chapter ,,xi1 page
 #aeh4       #agj ,when ,audubon was    
returning with his wife and infant son  
from ,pennsylvania to ,kentucky in the  
autumn of #ahaj2 see ,the      ,ohio1   
,ornithological ,biography 7,bibl4 ,no4 
#b71 vol4 i1 p4      #bi4       #aga ,in
 #ahjj the population of ,louisville was
 #fjj1 and in      #ahaj it had risen to
 #a1cej2 see ,charles ,cist1 ,cincinnati
 in      #ahda 7,cincinnati1 #ahda74    
#agb ,for this and the letter of ,thomas
 ,bakewell's uncle1      ,william       
,bakewell1 which follows later1 ,i am   
indebted to ,mr4      ,tom ,j4 ,rozier2 
see ,note1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #acc1 and for   
accompanying      ,account ,current of  
,audubon  ,rozier1 ,appendix ,i1        
,document      ,no4 #aa4       #agc ,see

 ,note1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #aif4       #agd   
,the lead mine at ,mill ,grove1 which   
with the remaining      ,audubon and    
,rozier interests in the farm had been  
taken      over by ,dacosta's company in
 ,september1 #ahjf4 ,the failure      of
 ,dacosta followed in about a year after
 the date of this      letter4          
#age ,victor ,gifford ,audubon1 who was 
then nine months old4       #agf ,see   
,vol4 ,i1 p4 #aec4       #agg ,william  
,bakewell died at ,philadelphia on      
,march #f1 of the      same year1 after 
suffering from the effects of a         
sunstroke1      and was1 eventually1    
buried at ,fatland ,ford2 in #ahbb his  
farm1 originally of #hjj acres1 passed  
into the hands of      ,dr4 ,william    
,wetherill4 ,see ,note1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4    
#ii1 and ,w4 ,g4      ,bakewell1        
,bakewell-,page-,campbell 7,bibl4 ,no4  
#bjj74       #agh ,in a letter to       
,alexander ,lawson1 written from        
,pittsburgh1 on ,february #bb1 #ahaj2   
see ,elliott ,coues1 ,private           

,letters of ,wilson1 ,ord1 and          
,bonaparte1 ,penn ,monthly1 vol4      x1
 pp4 #ddc-dee 7,philadelphia1 #ahgi74   
#agi ,see ,elliott ,coues1 loc4 cit4    
#ahj ,letter to ,alexander ,lawson1     
dated at ,lexington1 ,april      #d1    
#ahaj2 see ,grosart1 ,poems and         
,literary ,prose of ,alexander          
,wilson1 vol4 i1 p4 #ahi4       #aha    
,see ,grosart1 ,poems and ,literary     
,prose of ,alexander      ,wilson1 vol4 
i1 p4 xxiv4       #ahb ,for ,the ,shark1
 or ,lang ,mills ,detected1 a satire    
directed against ,william ,sharp1 a     
manufacturer of ,paisley2      ,wilson  
was fined #ab #acs4 #f;d4       #ahc    
,see ,bibliography1 ,no4 #dc4       #ahd
 ,at ,lancaster1 ,pennsylvania1 on      
,october #c1 #agii1      ,alexander     
,wilson sent ,george ,simpson1 ,esq41 a 
,state      ,treasurer's check in favor 
of ,joseph ,brown for #dge1 to be       
entered to the credit of ,mr4 ,brown as 
one installment on #ch      shares of   
scrip in the new loan at eight per cent1

 in the      names of ,thomas ,eyes1 #ad
 shares2 ,alexander ,wilson1 #ad shares2
      and ,kenneth ,sewell1 #aj shares4 
#ahe ,this was the ,american edition of 
,abraham ,rees' revision      of        
,ephraim ,chambers' ,cyclopdia1 which   
had appeared in      ,london in #agbh2  
it was published at ,philadelphia1 in   
forty-one      quarto volumes of text   
and six volumes of plates1 by ,samuel   
,f4      ,bradford and the ,messrs4     
,murray1 ,fairman  ,company1 #ahaj-ahbd4
       #ahf ,the types1 said ,charles   
,robert ,leslie1 which were      very   
beautiful1 were cast in ,america1 and   
though at that time      paper was      
largely imported1 he ,mr4 ,bradford     
determined that      the paper should be
 of ,american manufacture2 and ,i       
remember      that ,ames1 the paper     
maker1 carried his patriotism so far    
that      he declared that he would use 
only ,american rags in making      it4  
7,autobiographical ,recollections1      
,boston1 #ahfj47       #ahg ,the        

,american ,ornithology3 or1 the ,natural
 ,history      of the ,birds of the     
,united ,states3 ,illustrated with      
,plates      ,engraved and ,colored from
 ,original ,drawings taken from ,nature1
      by ,alexander ,wilson1 was        
published in nine imperial quarto       
volumes by ,messrs4 ,bradford and       
,inskeep1 at ,philadelphia1             
#ahjh-ahad4 ,each volume contained nine 
plates and from #ajj to      #afg pages 
of text1 exclusive of prefatory and     
other matter4      ,the eighth volume1  
which was nearly ready for press at the 
time of the author's death1 was edited  
by ,george ,ord1 ,wilson's      friend  
and executor2 the final volume1 which   
was wholly      by ,ord1 and which was  
issued in the same year1 contained a    
life of ,wilson4 ,after the appearance  
of the initial volume1      the edition 
was extended to #ejj copies and the     
first volume      was entirely reset4   
,ord's life of ,wilson was expanded for 
a      three-volume edition of the      

,ornithology1 and from oversheets       
of this work was produced as a separate 
volume in #ahbh 7see      ,note1 ,vol4  
,i1 p4 #bbc74       ,wilson's published 
lists of subscribers show #ddi names1   
calling for #deh copies1 more than half 
of which were taken by      residents of
 ,pennsylvania1 ,new ,york and          
,louisiana2 #gj were      subscribed for
 in ,philadelphia1 chiefly by business  
men1      artists1 and those in the     
middle class of society2 ,new           
,orleans in seventeen days gave him #fj 
subscribers2 ,europe      supplied #ae1 
among whom were ,william ,roscoe1 later 
a patron      of ,audubon1 and ,benjamin
 ,west1 the artist4 ,wilson figured and 
described #bgh species of ,american     
birds 7within the limits of      the    
,united ,states71 of which #ef were     
supposed to be new1 and      the total  
number1 given by ,wilson and ,ord1 is   
said to be #cbj4      ,twenty-three     
species were erroneously supposed to be 
identical      with their ,european     

counterparts1 yet all of ,wilson's birds
      except the ,small-headed          
,flycatcher1 referred to at the end     
of this chapter1 have been identified4  
,considering the time      and the      
difficulties under which he labored1 his
 mistakes were      remarkably few4     
#ahh ,see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #cdj4       #ahi 
,see a letter to ,professor ,s4 ,s4     
,haldeman1 dated ,february      #f1     
#ahgi1 in ,penn ,monthly1 vol4 x        
7,philadelphia1 #ahgi74       #aij      
,ornithological ,biography 7,bibl4 ,no4 
#b71 vol4 i1 p4      #dcg4       #aia   
,sketch of the ,life of ,alexander      
,wilson1 ,author of      the ,american  
,ornithology1 by ,george ,ord1 ,f4 ,l4  
,s4 c4 pp4      i-cxcix1 ,philadelphia1 
#ahbh2 taken from vol4 i of an octavo   
edition of ,wilson1 edited by ,ord1 and 
issued by ,harrison ,hall1      in three
 volumes1 at ,philadelphia in #ahbh-bi1 
with folio atlas      of plates         
reproduced from the original work2 see  
,note #ahg1      supra4       #aib ,see 

,ord's charge of plagiarism against     
,audubon 7,bibl4      ,no4 #ade7 in the 
,proceedings of the ,american           
,philosophical      ,society1 vol4 i    
7#ahdj74 ,so far as could be ascertained
      in the summer of #aiae1 ,wilson's 
diary of #ahaj was not in      the      
possession of any library or scientific 
society in      ,philadelphia1 nor was  
it in the large collection of books     
which was given by ,ord to the ,college 
of ,physicians and      ,surgeons of    
that city at the time of his death in   
#ahff4       #aic ,the bracketed lines  
are from ,waterton1 who once stated     
that he had examined the original4      
#aid ,this sentence is quoted from      
,burns' biographical      sketch of     
,wilson 7,bibl41 ,no4 #afa71 but tenses 
are changed to      correspond with     
other entries4       #aie ,musicapa     
minuta1 which appears in ,figure #e1    
,plate #ej1      of volume vi of        
,wilson's ,american ,ornithology 7pp4   
#fb-fc      of the text71 and in ,figure

 #b1 ,plate ccccxxxiv1 of ,audubon's    
,birds of ,america 7,ornithological     
,biography1 vol4 v1 pp4      #bia-c74   
#aif ,nevertheless so careful and       
discerning a naturalist      as ,thomas 
,nuttall confidently asserted that his  
friend1 ,mr4      ,m4 ,c4 ,pickering1   
had obtained a specimen several years   
ago      near ,salem 7,massachusetts72  
see ,a ,manual of the ,ornithology      
of the ,united ,states and ,canada      
7,cambridge1 #ahcb74 ,dr4      ,elliott 
,coues at one time thought that it might
 have been the      ,pine-creeping      
,warbler1 and ,professor ,baird         
identified it as      the female or     
young of the ,hooded ,warbler4          
#aig ,compare ,ornithological           
,biography1 vol4 iii1 p4 #bjc1          
where in ,audubon's article on the      
,whooping ,crane1 there is      this    
note3 ,louisville1 ,state of ,kentucky1 
,march1 #ahaj4 ,i had      the          
gratification of taking ,alexander      
,wilson to some ponds      within a few 

miles of town1 and of showing him many  
birds of      this species1 of which he 
had not previously seen any other       
than stuffed specimens4 ,i told him that
 the white birds were      the adults1  
and that the grey ones were the young4  
,wilson1 in      his article on the     
,whooping ,crane1 has alluded to this1  
but1      as on other occasions1 he has 
not informed his readers whence      his
 information came4       #aih ,what     
appear to be the original legends1      
written on      this drawing in ink1 are
 as follows3 ,chute de l',ohio4 ,july   
#a1 #ahjh4 ,no4 #ca4 ,j4 ,a4 ,que       
j'avais figur 8 #ab pennes       la     
queue4 ,above were later added1 also in 
ink1 the names1      sylvia ,trochilus  
delicata2 ,sylvia delicata1 ,aud4       
#aii ,on this drawing1 which with       
,audubon's other originals      is in   
the collections of the ,historical      
,society of ,new ,york1      the legends
 are as follows3 ,mississippi ,kite1    
,male1 ,falco      mississippiensis2    

,drawn from nature by ,john ,j4         
,audubon1      ,louisiana1 parish of    
,feliciana1 ,james ,perrie's ,esq41     
,plantation4 ,june #bhth1 #ahba4 ,length
 #ad inches2 ,breadth #c feet1          
inches2 ,weight #aj ounces2 ,tail       
feathers1 #ab4 ,it is drawn      in his 
usual style of that period1 in pastel1  
water color and      pencil1 and has    
been dismounted4       #bjj ,see ,vol4  
,i1 p4 #cje4       #bja ,american       
,ornithology1 vol4 iii1 p4 #hj4         
#bjb ,see ,witmer ,stone1 ,some ,letters
 of ,alexander ,wilson and      ,john   
,abbot1 ,the ,auk1 vol4 xxiii1 #aijf4   
#bjc ,in #ahdj1 by ,w4 ,b4 ,o4 ,peabody1
 naturalist2 author of a      ,life of  
,wilson2 see ,bibliography1 ,no4 #aje4  
#bjd ,vincent ,nolte1 ,fifty ,years in  
,both ,hemispheres 7,bibl4      ,no4    
#agf74       #bje ,the first steamboat  
on the ,ohio was the ,orleans1 a        
vessel of #bjj-djj tons1 built at       
,pittsburgh in the summer and      fall 
of #ahaa1 by ,robert ,fulton and ,robert

 ,m4 ,livingston2 her      first voyage1
 when she touched at ,henderson1 was    
signalized1      as it seemed to many1  
by the great earthquakes of that year4  
,the first ,kentucky steamer was built  
at ,henderson in #ahag1 the      same   
year that a small vessel was constructed
 by ,samuel ,bowen      and ,j4 ,j4     
,audubon at the same place 7see ,chapter
 ,,xvi74 ,compare      ,edmund ,l4      
,starling1 ,history of ,henderson       
,county1 ,kentucky      7,bibl4 ,no4    
#ahf74       #bjf ,known first as       
,redbank or ,redbanks1 to distinguish   
it from ,yellowbank1 or ,owensboro1 on a
 similar bend farther      upstream2    
called also ,hendersonville1 but this   
term had no      official standing4 ,the
 population of ,henderson in #ahaj is   
given as #aei1 and that of the entire   
county1 then larger than      at        
present1 as #e1jjj4 ,see ,starling1 op4 
cit4       #bjg ,see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #bce4 
#bjh ,see translations from copies of   
the originals1 in      ,french1 in      

possession of the ,louisiana ,historical
 ,society1      ,new ,orleans1 in       
,appendix ,i1 ,document ,no4 #ba4       
#bji ,boat for the exchange of prisoners
 of war4       #baj ,compare ,note1     
,vol4 ,i1 p4 #aeb4       #baa ,see      
,note1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #adh4       #bab    
,for this characterization of ,ferdinand
 ,rozier ,i am      indebted mainly to  
an account by his son1 ,firman ,a4      
,rozier1      at one time mayor of ,ste4
 ,genevive and member of the ,state     
,legislature2 see his ,history of the   
,early ,settlement of the               
,mississippi ,valley 7,bibl4 ,no4 #bjb7 
7,st4 ,louis1 #ahij74       #bac ,for a 
photograph of the old ,rozier store at  
,ste4      ,genevive1 as well as for the
 likeness of ,rozier1 made in           
#ahfb1 when he was in his eighty-fifth  
year1 ,i am indebted to      the        
kindness of ,mr4 ,ruthven ,deane1 who   
received them from a      son of        
,ferdinand1 ,felix ,rozier1 in          
,november1 #aije1 when the      latter  

had attained his eighty-third year4     
#bad ,while living at ,henderson the    
,audubons lost their two      daughters1
 ,rosa and ,lucy1 both of whom died when
 very young4       #bae ,the            
,earthquake1 ,ornithological ,biography 
7,bibl4 ,no4      #b7 vol4 i1 p4 #bhj4  
#baf ,this journey was probably made in 
,february1 though the      date is given
 as ,april 7see ,maria ,r4 ,audubon1    
,audubon and his      ,journals1 vol4 i1
 p4 #dd71 if the legends of four        
drawings of      this time are to be    
trusted2 all are labeled ,pennsylvania1 
and      bear the following dates3      
,swamp ,sparrow1 ,march1 #ahab2 ,spotted
      ,sandpiper1 ,april #bb1 #ahab2    
,white-throated ,sparrow1 ,april #bd1   
#ahab2 and ,whippoorwill1 ,may #g1      
#ahab4       #bag ,ornithological       
,biography 7,bibl4 ,no4 #b71 vol4 i1 p4 
#ha4 ,in his biographical sketch of     
#ahce ,audubon said that this           
occurred on his first return from ,ste4 
,genevive to ,henderson      7in #ahaa71

 a contradiction characteristic of his  
manner of      dealing with biographical
 and historical details4 ,for an        
account of this ,episode1 see ,chapter  
,,xviii4       #bah ,for early          
references to ,henderson ,i am indebted 
mainly      to ,edmund ,l4 ,starling1   
,history of ,henderson ,county1         
,kentucky      7,bibl4 ,no4 #ahf71 who  
had access to all the town and county   
records4       #bai ,in #ahai1 the year 
of ,audubon's departure1 #abi town lots 
had been sold1 while #bi had been given 
to privileged persons      or to        
prospective settlers4       #bbj        
,according to the town records1 as      
quoted by ,starling1      on ,december  
#bb1 #ahac1 ,audubon purchased lots     
numbers #ie      and #if1 which were    
one-half of the square lying on the west
      side of ,third ,street and between
 ,green and ,elm ,streets1 from         
,general ,samuel ,hopkins1 agent of the 
,messrs4 ,richard ,henderson            
,company2 on ,september #c1 #ahad1 he   

bought lots numbers #ia      and #ib1 or
 one-half of the square on the west side
 of ,second      ,street1 between ,green
 and ,elm4 ,the mill site on the ,ohio  
,river      was a part of the land given
 to ,henderson by the ,transylvania     
,company1 the original owners of a large
 part of ,kentucky2      this site was  
leased for #ii years to ,j4 ,j4         
,audubon1 was sold      and resold1 but 
reverted to the city of ,henderson in   
#aiae4      ,in the latter year the     
project was broached of obtaining the   
original mill site1 together with       
adjoining property along the      river1
 and converting the whole into a public 
park dedicated      to ,audubon4        
#bba ,at a somewhat later time the      
naturalist occupied a      one-story    
frame house1 built in #ahad1 which stood
 at the      corner of ,fourth and ,main
 ,streets2 see ,starling1 op4 cit4      
#bbb ,see ,note #ae1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #abd4 
#bbc ,a ,henderson correspondent of     
,joseph ,m4 ,wade1 under the            

signature of ,w4 ,s4 ,j41 ,august #h1   
#ahhc1 gave the following      account  
of the structure4 ,the original mill    
covered forty-five      by sixty-five   
feet1 and consisted of four stories and 
basement2 the basement walls of stone   
stood four feet thick1      while at the
 third story the thickness was three    
feet2 the      three upper stories were 
in frame4 ,the studding measured        
three by six1 and the rafters four by   
eight1 inches4 ,many      of the large  
timbers that could then be seen were    
sound      and apparently good for a    
century or more4 ,parts of the old      
machinery that had been used in the     
grist mill were lying      about under  
the eaves2 the building was then used as
 a tobacco      stemmery4 ,see ,joseph  
,m4 ,wade 7,bibl4 ,no4 #ahb71           
,ornithologist      and ,ologist1 vol4  
viii1 p4 #gi 7#ahhc74       ,the old    
,audubon mill in more recent times was  
incorporated      into a warehouse for  
the storage of leaf tobacco2 it was     

burned to the ground on ,march #ah1     
#aiac4       #bbd ,the mill is supposed 
to have cost about #ae1jjj2 of this     
sum ,thomas ,pears is said to have      
contributed from #c1jjj to      #d1jjj1 
and ,william ,bakewell a similar amount 
in the interest      of his son1 while  
,audubon presumably furnished the       
balance4       #bbe ,maria ,r4 ,audubon1
 op4 cit41 vol4 i1 p4 #dg4       #bbf   
,in his journal of #ahbj ,audubon said  
that after the      withdrawal of       
,bakewell1 men with whom ,i had long    
been      associated offered me a       
partnership4 ,i accepted1 and a         
small ray of light appeared in my       
business1 but a revolution              
occasioned by a numberless quantity of  
failures put all to an      end4        
#bbg ,one of ,j4 ,j4 ,audubon           
,company's bills is here      reproduced
 from ,starling1 op4 cit4       ,to the 
,president and ,directors of the ,bank  
of ,henderson to         ,henderson     
steam mill3         ,to three pieces of 

scantling1 #ef feet1 #d c       #b4eb   
,to ten pieces of scantling1 #cd feet   
----         ,to sixty rafters1 #gad    
feet1 at #d c                #bh4ef     
,to five pieces scantling1 #dj feet1 at 
#c c          #a4bj         ,to fifteen 
joists 81 #bgh feet1 at #f c            
#af4ga                                  
------                 ,j4 ,j4 ,audubon 
,co4                    #dh4ii          
#bbh ,according to ,w4 ,g4 ,bakewell1   
,bakewell-,page-,campbell      7,bibl4  
,no4 #bjj71 ,thomas ,bakewell sold his  
interest in the      store and mill to  
,audubon in #ahag1 but this is          
contradicted      by other accounts4    
,for the incident which follows1 see    
,maria      ,r4 ,audubon1 op4 cit41 vol4
 i1 p4 #cd4       #bbi ,see ,dixon ,l4  
,merritt 7,bibl4 ,no4 #bbf;a71 ,audubon 
in      ,kentucky1 ,the                 
,taylor-,trotwood ,magazine1 vol4 #aj   
7#aiji71 p4      #bic4       #bcj       
,thomas ,bakewell later became a        
successful builder of      steamboats1  

first at ,pittsburgh1 and after #ahbd at
 ,cincinnati1      where he was an      
important factor in the rising commerce 
of the      ,ohio ,valley1 and where he 
left his mark on the history of that    
city4 ,as a theoretical mechanic in iron
 and wood he is said to      have had no
 superior2 his business was nearly      
destroyed in the      panic of #ahcg1   
and he never regained his financial     
position4      ,to his credit also it   
must be added that in #ahfj1 at the age 
of seventy-two1 he began at the bottom  
of the ladder again by      engaging as 
a clerk with a paper company at         
,cincinnati1 and1      refusing the     
proffered aid of his children1 he did   
not give up      work until his         
eightieth year1 seven years before his  
death      in #ahgd4 ,see ,w4 ,g4       
,bakewell1 ,bakewell-,page-,campbell    
7,bibl4      ,no4 #bjj74       #bca     
,audubon was not so accurate when in his
 biographical      sketch of #ahce he   
said3 ,finally ,i paid every bill1 and  

at last left ,henderson probably        
forever4441 for when at      ,charleston
 with ,bachman in #ahcd1 one of his     
former creditors      attempted to sue  
him for debt and apparently carried his 
case      to court4 ,when ,bachman asked
 for an explanation1 ,audubon wrote     
from ,new ,york1 ,april #e1 #ahcd1 as   
follows3 ,respecting the      suit let  
me tell you 444 that ,i went to ,gaol at
 ,louisville      after having given up 
all to my creditors1 and that ,i took   
the benefit of the act of insolvency at 
the ,louisville      ,court ,house1     
,kentucky1 before ,judge ,fortunatus    
,crosby  many      witnesses1 and that a
 copy of the record of that step can    
easily be had from that court4444 ,i    
wish friend ,donkin to      do all he   
can to put a ,conclusion--stop to this  
matter1 for      it makes me sick at    
heart4 ,the lawyer here referred to was 
probably ,judge ,dunkin1 friend of      
,bachman and distinguished      in his  
profession1 who had a plantation at     

,waccamaw1 near      ,charleston1 ,south
 ,carolina 7see ,chapter ,,xxvii1 ,vol4 
,,ii1 p4 #fd47       #bcb ,see ,chapter 
,,ix1 p4 #fc4       #bcc ,for complete  
text of these wills1 in the original1   
,see      ,appendix ,i1 ,documents      
#ac-ah4       #bcd ,see ,note #d1 ,vol4 
,i1 p #bg4 ,the suit brought by these   
plaintiffs was based upon a ,french law1
 which at that time      debarred a     
natural child from inheriting property4 
#bce ,maria ,r4 ,audubon1 ,audubon and  
his ,journals 7,bibl4 ,no4      #hf71   
vol i1 pp4 iii and #acj4       #bcf     
,lucy ,b4 ,audubon1 ed41 ,the ,life of  
,john ,james ,audubon      7,bibl4 ,no4 
#gc71 p4 #ee4       #bcg ,see ,chapter  
,,viii1 p4 #aba4       #bch ,see        
,chapter ,,ii1 pp4 #cc and #cd4         
#bci ,from ,g4 ,l4 du ,puigaudeau's copy
 of his letter to ,john      ,james     
,audubon 7at ,henderson71 dated ,couron1
 ,august #ae1      #ahai1 translated    
from the ,french4 7,lavigne ,,mss47     
#bdj ,see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #fd4       #bda  

,this1 and the letter to follow1        
translated from ,gabriel      du        
,puigaudeau's copies4 7,lavigne ,,mss47 
#bdb ,this reference is evidently to the
 litigation over      ,lieutenant       
,audubon's will and the final           
disposition of his      estate4         
#bdc ,it was thought that ,victor had   
come to settle the      family's        
financial affairs1 and his uncle and    
aunt asked      if this were the case2  
he replied that it was not1 that the    
children of ,jean ,audubon who were in  
,america had taken their      share of  
the property in that country1 while     
those in ,france      had theirs in     
,france2 he considered that all was     
settled1      but if ,rosa's children   
wished for any money1 they had but to   
ask for it1 and the heirs in ,america   
would send them what      they desired2 
the subject was then dropped4 ,a        
considerable      correspondence        
followed this visit1 but the letters    
were      all destroyed about           

twenty-five years ago by ,monsieur du   
,puigaudeau1 when putting his effects in
 order4 ,this account      is given on  
the authority of ,monsieur ,lavigne4    
#bdd ,these passages1 which were shown  
to me by his      granddaughter1 ,miss  
,maria ,r4 ,audubon1 in #aiad1 but not  
for      publication1 occur in his      
journals under the following dates2     
,june #d1 #ahbf1 at sea2 ,march #ae1    
#ahbg1 at ,edinburgh1 after             
describing a visit of ,lady ,selkirk and
 her daughter2 again      on the #ahth  
of ,march of the same or the following  
year2 and      on ,october #h1 #ahbh1   
when writing to his wife from ,paris and
      reflecting on the advisability of 
visiting his old home at      ,nantes4  
,while these extraordinary passages are 
not quoted1      out of deference to the
 wishes of his granddaughters1 it       
seems only just to ,audubon1 in view of 
the revelations that      have already  
been made1 to add this brief reference  
to the      incidents in question4      

#bde ,this statement was made to me in  
#aiad by ,miss ,maria ,r4      ,audubon4
       #bdf ,see ,note1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4    
#bg4       #bdg ,in the first three     
volumes only of the ,ornithological     
,biography 7,bibl4 ,no4 #b71 being      
omitted from the last two on            
account of the exigencies of space4     
#bdh ,ornithological ,biography1 vol4   
iii1 p4 #bgj4       #bdi ,while the     
object of this visit is not mentioned in
 the      ,episode1 it is stated in the 
second biographical sketch2      the    
ambiguities connected with the sale of  
this farm1 in which      others besides 
,audubon were then interested1 are      
discussed in      ,chapter ,,xi4        
#bej ,vincent ,nolte1 ,fifty ,years in  
,both ,hemispheres 7,bibl4      ,no4    
#agf74       #bea ,see ,chapter ,,xxi1  
p4 #ceb4       #beb ,limestone or1 as it
 was later called1 ,maysville1 was on   
the left bank of the river1 in          
,kentucky1 and about a hundred          
miles east of ,cincinnati4       #bec   

,the ,earthquake1 ,ornithological       
,biography1 vol4 i1      p4 #bci4       
#bed ,these historic earthquakes1 which 
were most destructive      of life and  
property in the lower ,mississippi      
,valley1 began      on ,december #af1   
#ahaa1 and therefore before ,audubon and
 ,nolte      had reached the western    
country4 ,they were noted for their     
remarkable frequency and persistence1   
#bba shocks having been      recorded in
 a single week at ,henderson1 ,audubon's
 home at      that time2 though their   
force was mostly spent after the first  
three months1 they did not wholly die   
away in the ,ohio ,valley      until    
,december #ab1 #ahac1 when the last     
feeble vibration was      recorded by   
,dr4 ,daniel ,drake at ,cincinnati2 the 
worst shocks      at this point were    
experienced on ,december #af1 #ahaa1 on 
,january #bc and ,february #g1 #ahab4   
,see ,daniel ,drake1 ,natural      and  
,statistical ,view of ,cincinnati1 and  
the ,miami ,valley2 with      an        

appendix1 containing observations on the
 late ,earthquakes1      7,cincinnati1  
#ahae72 and ,edmund ,l4 ,starling1      
,history of      ,henderson ,county1    
,kentucky 7,bibl4 ,no4 #ahf74       #bee
 ,the ,hurricane1 ,ornithological       
,biography1 vol4 i1 p4      #bfb4       
#bef ,james ,hall 7,bibl4 ,no4 #abc71   
,western ,monthly ,magazine1      vol4  
ii 7#ahcd74       #beg ,the ,regulators1
 ,ornithological ,biography1 vol4 i1    
p4 #aje4       #beh ,colonel ,boone1    
ibid41 vol4 i1 p4 #ejc4       #bei ,see 
,chapter ,v1 p #hh4       #bfj ,the     
,prairie1 ,ornithological ,biography1   
vol4 i1 p4      #ha4       #bfa ,john   
,burroughs1 ,john ,james ,audubon       
7,bibl4 ,no4 #hg71 p4      #cg4         
#bfb ,see ,history of ,sutton1 ,new     
,hampshire1 compiled by      ,augustus  
,harvey ,worthen1 pt4 ,i 7,concord1     
#ahij74       #bfc ,the ,eccentric      
,naturalist1 ,ornithological ,biography 
7,bibl4 ,no4 #b71 vol4 i1 p4 #dee4      
#bfd ,for the characterization of       

,rafinesque given in the      present   
chapter ,i am chiefly indebted1 aside   
from his own      writings1 to his two  
most sympathetic biographers1 ,richard  
,ellsworth ,call and ,t4 ,j4            
,fitzpatrick1 as well as to ,david      
,starr ,jordan2 see ,bibliography1 ,nos4
 #aih1 #bbh1 and #ahc4      ,fitzpatrick
 gives photographic reproductions from  
,rafinesque's      exceedingly          
diversiform and scattered works2 his    
bibliographic      titles extend to     
#ici1 and ,rafinesquiana to #acd4       
#bfe ,at ,palermo1 said ,swainson1 ,i   
had the pleasure of      meeting 444    
,rafinesque ,schmaltz1 whose first name 
is familiar      to most zologists4 ,in 
the society of such congenial minds1 ,i 
passed many happy hours1 and made many  
delightful excursions      444 by the   
inducement of the latter1 ,i was led to 
investigate      the ichthyology of the 
western coast4 7,see ,bibliography1 ,no4
      #agj47       #bff ,see ,vol4 ,i1  
pp4 #aga and #ccf4       #bfg ,see      

,david ,starr ,jordon 7,bibl4 ,no4      
#ahc71 ,popular ,science      ,monthly1 
vol4 xxix 7#ahhf74 ,the true story of   
this practical      joke was told me by 
the venerable ,dr4 ,kirtland1 who in    
turn      received it from ,dr4         
,bachman2 the latter1 ,i might add1 was 
the friend and correspondent of the     
,sage of ,rockport after      a visit at
 his home near ,cleveland in the summer 
of #aheb4      ,in the private notebooks
 of ,rafinesque copies of ,audubon's    
drawings are still to be seen1 and a    
glance at these1 said      ,dr4 ,jordon1
 is sufficient to show the extent to    
which science      through him has been 
victimized4       ,audubon was also     
responsible for a number of             
extraordinary      new species of birds1
 the most notorious of which was the    
,scarlet-headed ,swallow1 of which      
,rafinesque published the      following
 account in #ahbj3 ,hirundo             
phenicephala4 ,head      scarlet1 back  
gray1 belly white1 bill and feet black4 

,a fine      and rare swallow seen only 
once by ,mr4 ,audubon near ,henderson1  
,kentucky4444 ,see ,samuel ,n4 ,rhoads1 
,constantine ,s4 ,rafinesque      as an 
,ornithologist1 ,cassinia1 ,no4 ,,xv    
7,philadelphia1 #aiaa74       #bfh ,the 
,western ,review and ,miscellaneous     
,magazine1      ,lexington1 #ahai-bj4   
#bfi ,ichthyologia ,ohiensis1 or        
,natural ,history of the ,fishes        
inhabiting the ,river ,ohio and its     
tributary ,streams1 preceded      by a  
physical description of the ,ohio and   
its branches4 ,by      ,c4 ,s4          
,rafinesque1 ,professor of ,botany and  
,natural ,history in      ,transylvania 
,university1 ,author of the ,analysis of
 ,nature1      c4 c4 ,member of the     
,literary and ,philosophical ,society of
      ,new-,york1 the ,historical       
,society of ,new-,york1 the ,lyceum of  
,natural ,history of ,new-,york1 the    
,academy of ,natural ,sciences      of  
,philadelphia1 the ,american            
,antiquarian ,society1 the ,royal       

,institute of ,natural ,sciences of     
,naples1 the ,italian ,society      of  
,arts and ,sciences1 the ,medical       
,societies of ,lexington and            
,cincinnati1 c4 c4       ,the art of    
seeing well1 or of noticing and         
distinguishing      with accuracy the   
objects which we perceive1 is a high    
faculty      of the mind1 unfolded in   
few individuals1 and despised by        
those who can neither acquire it1 nor   
appreciate its results4                 
,lexington1 ,kentucky3 printed for the  
author by ,w4 ,g4 ,hunt4      7,price   
one dollar47 7,pp4 #a-ij4 ,lexington1   
#ahbj47       ,fitzpatrick 7see         
,bibliography1 ,no4 #bbh7 gives a list  
of #ad      copies of this work1 the    
whereabouts of which are known2 we      
can add another from the library of ,dr4
 ,jared ,p4 ,kirtland1      now in the  
collections of ,western ,reserve        
,university2 it is      bound up with   
,dr4 ,kirtland's notebook on birds and  
fishes1 and      labeled ,scraps of     

,natural ,history4 ,my ,note ,book2 a   
written      notice on the inside of the
 cover1 imploring the finder to         
return the volume to its owner if lost1 
is signed by ,dr4      ,kirtland and    
dated ,cleveland1 ,o41 ,oct4 #afth1     
#ahci4 ,probably      fewer than #bj    
original copies of the work now exist4  
,it was      reproduced in a limited    
edition1 with a sketch of ,rafinesque's 
life and works by ,richard ,ellsworth   
,call1 published by the      ,burrows   
,brothers' ,company of ,cleveland in    
#ahii4       #bgj ,probably not before  
,october of that year1 when ,audubon    
first met ,john ,bachman1 at            
,charleston1 ,south ,carolina4          
#bga ,reply to a criticism of ,g4 ,w4   
,featherstonhaugh      7,the ,monthly   
,american ,journal of ,geological       
,science71 in      ,rafinesque's        
,atlantic ,journal and ,friend of       
,knowledge1 ,no4      #c1 p4 #aac       
7,philadelphia1 #ahcb74 ,rafinesque     
occasionally spoke      of meeting my   

friend ,audubon1 who1 he declared1 had  
invited      him to join his expedition 
to ,florida in #ahca-cb4       #bgb     
,isaac ,lea1 in ,a ,synopsis of the     
,family of ,naiades1      pp4 #h-i      
7,philadelphia1 #ahcf74       #bgc ,see 
,bibliography1 ,no4 #bjd4       #bgd    
,the landlord1 to whom ,rafinesque had  
been in arrears for      rent1 had      
locked his body in the room and refused 
permission      for its burial1 thinking
 to find a market for it in one of the  
medical schools of the city4 ,rafinesque
 was buried in a little      churchyard1
 then outside of the limits of the city1
 known as      ,ronaldson's cemetery1   
now at ,ninth and ,catharine ,streets4  
,see      ,call and ,fitzpatrick1       
,bibliography1 ,nos4 #aih and #bbh4     
#bge ,maria ,r4 ,audubon1 ,audubon and  
his ,journals 7,bibl4 ,no4      #hf71   
vol4 i1 p4 #cf4       #bgf ,ibid41 vol4 
i1 p4 #di4       #bgg ,dr4 ,daniel      
,drake 7#aghe-aheb7 was one of the most 
versatile and prolific writers on       

medicine which the ,west has      ever  
produced1 and ,cincinnati owed to him   
much1 for he was      instrumental in   
organizing in that city a church1 a     
literary      society1 a museum1 a      
hospital1 a college1 and a school of    
medicine1 while he enjoyed a large      
medical practice1 lectured      on      
botany1 and was a partner in two        
mercantile establishments4      ,we     
might also add that his ,notice         
concerning ,cincinnati 7pp4      #a-bh1 
i-iv4 ,printed for the author at        
,cincinnati1 #ahaj71 of      which only 
three copies are known to exist1 is the 
earliest      and rarest published      
record of that city4 ,this little       
pamphlet      included a ,flora of the  
city for #ahji1 and from it we          
transcribe this interesting extract 7p4 
#bg73 ,may #aj4 ,black      locust in   
full flower4       ,it is highly        
probable that the flowering of this     
beautiful      tree1 the ,robinia       
pseudocacia of ,linnus1 indicates the   

proper      time for planting the       
important vegetable the ,indian corn4   
,for      several successive years ,i   
have observed our farmers generally     
to plant corn during some stage of its  
flowering4 ,this from      the #ajth to 
the #bjth of ,may4       ,for the       
privilege of examining one of the       
original copies of      this paper1 ,i  
am indebted to ,mr4 ,wallace ,h4        
,cathcart of the      ,western ,reserve 
,historical ,society of ,cleveland4     
#bgh ,see ,audubon's letter to ,thomas  
,sully1 reproduced in ,vol4      ,,ii1  
p4 #fh4 ,in his ,ohio and ,mississippi  
,rivers ,journal ,audubon      wrote on 
,april #e1 #ahba3 ,cap4 ,cumming left us
 on the #aj for      ,phila2 the poor   
man had not one cent with him4          
#bgi ,this early journal fills a large  
unruled book1 measuring      about #ac  
by #h inches1 of #bja pages1 beginning  
with ,oct4      #ab1 #ahbj1 and closing 
with ,december #ca1 #ahba2 it forms a   
part of the ,john ,e4 ,thayer collection

 of ,audubon and ,wilson                
manuscripts and drawings in possession  
of ,harvard ,university1      having    
been once included in the estate of     
,joseph ,m4 ,wade4 ,the      collection 
embraces four early drawings by         
,audubon1 presumably      at one time in
 the hands of ,edward ,harris 7see      
,note1 ,vol4 ,i1      p4 #ahj72 #gc of  
,audubon's original letters1 comprising 
largely      his correspondence with    
,dr4 ,john ,bachman2 #fj letters by     
,victor      ,g4 ,audubon2 and a few by 
other members of the naturalist's       
family4 ,see the ,annual ,report of the 
,curator of the ,museum      of         
,comparative ,zoology for #aiaj-aiaa4   
,through the courtesy of ,professor ,e4 
,l4 ,mark1 and the ,director      of the
 ,museum1 ,dr4 ,samuel ,henshaw1 ,i have
 been permitted to      examine these   
numerous documents4 ,in any direct or   
casual      reference to this valuable  
material1 ,i have endeavored not to     
overstep the bounds of propriety1 in    

view of the fact that the               
,university contemplates publishing     
copious extracts from it      at an     
early day4 ,it should be noticed that   
excerpts from this      journal have    
already appeared in print4 ,see         
following ,note4       #bhj ,see        
,ruthven ,deane 7,bibl4 ,no4 #da71 ,the 
,auk1 vol4 xxi1      pp4 #ccd-cch4      
#bha ,natchez in #ahbj and ,the ,lost   
,portfolio1      ,ornithological        
,biography 7,bibl4 ,no4 #b71 vol4 iii1  
pp4 #ebi      and #efd4       #bhb ,the 
original of this admirable drawing had  
been shot      at ,new ,madrid1 on the  
,ohio1 on ,november #bc1 and ,audubon1  
who      immediately began to work on   
it1 recorded his conviction that        
the ,white-headed or ,bald ,eagle and   
the ,brown ,eagle1 which      he later  
called ,the ,bird of ,washington1 were  
two different      species2 he thought  
that the young of the former1 which was 
also brown1 was much smaller in size4   
,see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #bda4       #bhc      

,these drawings were as follows3        
,common gallinule2 ,not described by    
,willson2           ,common gull2 ,not  
described by ,willson2           ,marsh 
hawk2           ,boat tailed grackle2   
,not described by ,willson2             
,common ,crow2           ,fish ,crow2   
,rail or ,sora2           ,marsh ,tern2 
,snipe2 ,not described by ,willson2     
,hermit ,thrush2           ,yellow ,red 
poll ,warbler2           ,savannah      
,finch2           ,bath ,ground         
,warbler2 ,not described by ,willson2   
,brown ,pelican2 ,not described by      
,willson2           ,great ,footed      
,hawk2           ,turkey ,hen2 ,not     
described by ,willson2                  
,cormorant2           ,carrion ,crow or 
,black ,vulture2           ,imber       
,diver2           ,white ,headed or     
,bald ,eagle4       #bhd ,vanderlyn1    
like ,audubon1 had been a pupil of      
,david at      ,paris2 he produced      
historical paintings of merit1 as well  
as      panoramas1 then coming into     

vogue2 some of the latter were          
exhibited in the ,rotunda which he      
erected for that purpose      in ,city  
,hall ,park1 ,new ,york1 but this       
enterprise failed1 and      his building
 was seized by the city for debt4       
,vanderlyn died      in absolute want in
 #aheb4 ,see ,samuel ,isham1 ,the       
,history of      ,american ,painting    
7,new ,york1 #aiae74       #bhe ,bayou1 
in ,louisiana1 is a term commonly       
applied to any      slow-running stream4
 ,according to the tradition gathered on
      the spot by ,mr4 ,stanley ,c4     
,arthur1 both stream and settlement     
were formerly called ,new ,valentia1    
while the present name      was derived 
from an old woman called ,sara1 who many
 years      ago lived at the mouth of   
the ,bayou1 where she practiced         
some sort of spurious physic4 ,st4      
,francisville1 on the hill1             
received its name from the circumstance 
that the brothers      of ,st4 ,francis1
 who had a mission at ,pointe ,coupe1 on

 the      opposite bank1 were in the    
habit of ferrying their dead      over  
the river1 in order to bury them on the 
high ground2      ,bayou ,sara and ,st4 
,francisville are used interchangeably  
by the inhabitants4 ,see ,s4 ,c4 ,arthur
 7,bibl4 ,no4 #bcj71                    
,times-,picayune1 ,new ,orleans1 ,august
 #f1 #aiaf4       #bhf ,on the original 
drawing of the ,pine-creeping ,warbler1 
,the ,birds of ,america 7,plate cxl71   
the following legends      appear in    
,audubon's autograph3 ,drawn from       
,nature by ,john ,j4      ,audubon1     
,james ,pirrie's ,plantation1           
,louisiana1 ,july #aj1 #ahba4           
,plant1 ,j4 ,r4 ,mason4       ,sixteen  
of ,audubon's originals1 which still    
bear the      designations of time and  
place1 were produced during this        
interval1 in the year #ahba2 they       
embrace the ,mississippi ,kite          
7,plate cxvii1 see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #bbh71  
,june #bh2 ,yellow-throated      ,vireo 
7,plate cxix71 ,july #aa2 ,red-cockaded 

,woodpecker 7,plate      ccclxxxix71    
,july #bi2 ,american ,redstart 7,plate  
xl71 ,august      #ac2 ,summer ,red-bird
 7,plate xliv71 ,august #bg2 ,prairie   
,warbler      7,plate xiv71 ,sept4 #c2  
and the ,tennessee ,warbler 7,plate     
cliv71      ,oct4 #ag4       #bhg ,the  
,birds of ,america1 ,plate xxi4         
#bhh ,see ,chapter ,,xxviii1 p4 #gb4    
#bhi ,the vivacious ,miss ,pirrie did   
not marry the young      doctor1 but    
eloped to ,natchez with the son of a    
neighboring      planter1 who died      
within a month in consequence of a cold1
      said to have been contracted when 
he waded a deep stream      with his    
lady-love in his arms4 ,audubon's pupil 
was thrice      married1 and bore five  
children2 she died ,april #bj1 #ahea1   
and      her ashes now rest by the side 
of her second husband1 the              
,reverend ,william ,robert ,bowman1 the 
parish minister at ,st4                 
,francisville4 ,see ,arthur 7,bibl4 ,no4
 #bcj71 loc4 cit4       #bij ,mistakenly

 written ,brand by ,audubon's           
biographers1      according to ,mr4     
,stanley ,c4 ,arthur1 who writes that   
,braud      is a very common name in    
,new ,orleans4       #bia ,father       
,antonio de ,sedella1 popularly known as
 ,pre      ,antoine1 after #agia pastor 
of ,st4 ,louis ,cathedral2 an idol      
of the people1 but execrated by         
historians4       ,this seditious priest
 is a ,father ,antoine2 he is a great   
favorite of the ,louisiana ladies2 has  
married many of them1      and          
christened all their children2 he is by 
some citizens      esteemed an          
accomplished hypocrite1 has great       
influence      with the people of color1
 and1 report says1 embraces every       
opportunity to render them discontented 
under the ,american      ,government4   
,executive ,journal of ,governor        
,claiborne4 ,see      ,charles ,gayarr1 
,history of ,louisiana1 vol4 iv1 pp4    
#aed-aee      7,new ,orleans1 #aijc74   
#bib ,this item occurs in ,audubon's    

journal for ,october #be2      ,rented a
 house in ,dauphine street at seventeen 
dollars per      month1 and determined  
to bring my family to ,new ,orleans4    
#bic ,see ,audubon's letter to ,sully1  
,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #fi4       #bid ,now in  
the collection of ,mr4 ,john ,e4        
,thayer1 ,lancaster1      ,mass4        
#bie ,mr4 ,stanley ,c4 ,arthur1 whose   
recent visit to this region      has    
already been noticed1 gathered there    
from the lips of      old residents1    
some of whom were descendants of those  
who      had known the ,audubons1 a     
store of reliable data by which      the
 history of the naturalist at this      
important phase of his      life is     
revealed in its true light2 to him ,i am
 indebted for      a series of excellent
 photographs of the region1 its historic
      houses and people1 as well as for 
much needed information4      ,see      
,arthur 7,bibl4 ,no4 #bcj71 loc4 cit4   
#bif ,one of the early steamboats on the
 ,ohio that had been      built at      

,pittsburgh1 in #ahba1 by ,thomas ,w4   
,bakewell1 his      brother-in-law and  
former partner4       #big ,see ,a      
,tough ,walk for a ,youth1              
,ornithological      ,biography 7,bibl4 
,no4 #b71 vol4 iii1 p4 #cga2 and ,the   
,hospitality of the ,woods1 ibid41 vol4 
i1 p4 #chc4       #bih ,this lady had a 
remarkable history4 ,she was the widow  
of the ,marquis de ,saint ,pie1 and was 
at one time a dame      d'honneur of    
,queen ,marie ,antoinette2 like many    
others of      noble birth1 she had fled
 from ,paris during the ,revolution1    
and emigrated to ,america1 where with   
her husband she assumed      the name of
 ,berthoud4 ,her son1 ,nicholas         
,augustus1 had married      ,mrs4       
,audubon's sister1 ,eliza ,bakewell1 in 
#ahaf4       #bii ,see ,chapter ,,xiv4  
#cjj ,this was the third edition of the 
,american      ,ornithology1 issued by  
,messrs4 ,collins  ,company in ,new     
,york      and by ,harrison ,hall of    
,philadelphia1 in three octavo volumes1 

with an atlas of #gf plates colored by  
hand1 in #ahbh-i4 ,mr4      ,hall1 who  
appears to have been the person most    
interested      financially in this     
edition1 was a brother of ,james ,hall1 
author of a notorious review in which   
this work was praised      at the       
expense of ,audubon1 who was viciously  
attacked 7see      ,bibliography1 ,no4  
#abc74 ,friends of ,audubon repeatedly  
asserted      that as soon as his       
popularity and success began to check   
the sales of ,wilson's work1 ,ord and a 
few others1 aided by      interested    
publishers1 began a systematic series of
 attacks1      some notice of which is  
taken in ,chapter ,,xxviii4       #cja  
,see ,chapter ,,xiv4       #cjb ,charles
 ,lucien ,jules ,laurent ,bonaparte1    
,prince of      ,canino and ,musignano1 
the eldest son of ,lucien1 and nephew   
of ,napoleon1 ,bonaparte1 was born at   
,paris in #ahjc1 and died      there in 
#aheg4 ,at this time he was settled with
 his uncle      and father-in-law1      

,joseph ,bonaparte1 former ,king of     
,spain1      at ,philadelphia1 and there
 and at ,bordentown1 ,new ,jersey1      
where ,joseph had an estate1 he         
undertook the study of      ,american   
birds4 ,his best known scientific works 
are3 ,american      ,ornithology1 or the
 ,natural ,history of the ,birds of the 
,united      ,states1 not ,given by     
,wilson1 #d volumes1 quarto1 with #bg   
colored plates1 ,philadelphia1          
#ahbe-ahcc2 and ,iconographica          
della ,fauna ,italica1 ,rome1           
#ahcc-ahda4 ,in #ahbh he retired      to
 ,italy1 where he was devoted to        
literary and scientific      pursuits4  
,he was an early subscriber to          
,audubon's ,birds of      ,america1 but 
their relations were somewhat strained  
on the      publication of the          
,ornithological ,biography in #ahca 7see
      ,chapter ,,xxix74 ,bonaparte later
 entered politics in ,italy1      and   
was leader of the republican party at   
,rome in #ahdh and      #ahdi2 after    

having been expelled from ,france by the
 order of      ,louis ,napoleon1 he was 
permitted to return in #ahej1 and became
      director of the ,jardin des       
,plantes in ,paris4       ,he was a     
closet naturalist rather than a field   
student1 but      did much for the      
reform of nomenclature4 ,in his         
,ornithology      the number of         
,american birds was raised to #cff1     
nearly one      hundred having been     
added since the work of ,wilson was     
revised      by ,ord1 but he added only 
two that were new1 ,cooper's ,hawk1     
7,accipiter cooperi71 named after       
,william ,cooper of ,new      ,york1 and
 ,say's ,phbe 7,sayornis saya71         
dedicated to ,thomas      ,say1 and     
first procured by ,titian ,r4 ,peale in 
the ,rocky      ,mountain districts of  
the ,far ,west4 ,perhaps his most       
important      technical work1 the      
,conspectus ,generum ,avium1 begun in   
#ahej1      was incomplete at the time  
of his death4       #cjc ,william       

,dunlap1 ,history of the ,rise and      
,progress of the      ,arts of ,design  
in the ,united ,states 7,bibl4 ,no4     
#ei71 vol4 ii1      p4 #djb 7,new ,york1
 #ahcd74       #cjd ,the ,boat-tailed   
,grackle1 vol4 i1 plate iv4       #cje  
,he seems1 however1 to have supplied    
,bonaparte liberally      with notes1   
for after devoting fifteen pages to the 
biography      of the ,wild ,turkey1    
,audubon said3 ,a long account of this  
remarkable bird has already been given  
in ,bonaparte's ,american               
,ornithology1 volume ,i4 ,as that       
account was in a great measure          
derived from notes furnished by myself1 
you need not be      surprised1 good    
reader1 to find it often in accordance  
with      the above4 ,ornithological    
,biography 7,bibl4 ,no4 #b71 vol4 i1    
p4 #af4       #cjf ,edward ,harris was  
born at ,morristown1 ,new ,jersey1 in   
#agii1 where he died in #ahfc4 ,without 
the incentive to earn      money or the 
ambition to acquire fame1 he lived the  

life of      a gentleman of leisure1    
devoted to natural history1 to sport    
and to the cultivation of his paternal  
acres4 ,he had the gift      of         
friendship1 was widely traveled1 wrote  
charming letters1      and kept careful 
records of his observations1 but rarely 
published anything4 ,the breeding of    
fine stock was one of      his hobbies1 
and as a result of a journey to ,europe 
in #ahci1      when he visited a horse  
fair in ,normandy1 he is credited with  
having first introduced the ,norman     
breed into ,america4 ,the               
beneficent results of his quiet1        
unobtrusive life1 says an               
appreciative biographer1 reach down to  
our time1 and1 after      half a        
century1 we are glad that ,edward       
,harris lived4 ,see      biographical   
sketch by ,george ,spencer ,morris1 in  
,cassinia1      vol4 vi 7,philadelphia1 
#aijb74       #cjg ,see ,chapter ,,xii1 
p4 #agi4       #cjh ,written by ,dr4    
,edmund ,porter of ,frenchtown1 ,new    

,jersey1      to ,dr4 ,thomas ,miner of 
,haddam1 ,connecticut1 on ,october #be1 
#ahbe4 ,see ,witmer ,stone1 ,some       
,philadelphia ,ornithological           
,collections and ,collectors1           
#aghd-ahej1 ,the ,auk1 vol4 xvi         
7,new ,york1 #ahii74       #cji ,thomas 
,sully 7#aghc-ahgb71 ,englishman by     
birth1 who had      come to ,america at 
an early age1 and like ,audubon had     
waged      a bitter struggle before     
success was achieved1 became one of     
the first portrait painters of the early
 ,american ,school4       ,in #ahca     
,sully wrote to ,audubon that his       
success in ,england      and ,france had
 charmed all of his friends in ,america1
 that      it was like a personal       
triumph to them1 and that it would      
soon silence his few remaining enemies2 
,be true to yourself1      ,audubon1 he 
added1 and never doubt of success4 ,it  
has been      said that when ,audubon   
first came to ,philadelphia in #ahbd he 
applied to ,sully for instruction1      

saying that he wished to      become a  
portrait painter 7see ,dunlap1 op4      
cit472 again that      he was ready to  
sell his drawings to the highest bidder2
 but      the records of his journals   
from #ahbj onward are sufficiently      
consistent to show what his purpose     
really was4       #caj ,for the favor of
 examining a collection of interesting  
autograph letters written to ,audubon in
 ,europe and ,america1      some of     
which are here reproduced1 ,i am        
indebted to the      kindness of ,mr4   
,henry ,r4 ,howland1 secretary of the   
,buffalo      ,society of ,natural      
,sciences4 ,this note was written on a  
narrow      strip of manila-colored     
drawing paper4       #caa ,see ,chapter 
,,xi4       #cab ,see ,bibliography1    
,nos4 #ae and #af4       #cac ,see ,lucy
 ,audubon1 ed41 ,life of ,john ,james   
,audubon1 the      ,naturalist 7,bibl4  
,no4 #gc71 p4 #ajg4       #cad ,see     
,vol4 ,i1 p4 #bai4       #cae ,probably 
first published in a newspaper1 and     

reprinted      in pamphlet form1 dated  
,april #i1 #ahdf2 see ,bibliography1    
,no4 #db4       #caf ,miss ,jennett     
,benedict in #ahcf became ,mrs4 ,butts2 
the      crayon portrait which ,audubon 
made at this time was carefully         
treasured by her daughter1 the late     
,mrs4 ,frederick ,a4      ,sterling1 of 
,cleveland1 ,ohio1 to whose kindness ,i 
am indebted      for the privilege of   
reproducing it4 ,this original drawing1 
which is presumably a fair specimen of  
,audubon's itinerant      portraiture1  
was made on a sheet of buff1            
water-marked paper1      #ad by #aj     
inches in dimensions2 it was outlined in
 pencil1      and carefully finished in 
crayon-point2 its legend ,j4 ,j4        
,audubon-#ahbd1 was inserted in pencil1 
in a very fine hand      at the lower   
margin of the sketch4 ,the ,colson store
 was at      the corner of ,water       
,street and south of ,cherry ,alley4    
,for an      account of this incident ,i
 am indebted to ,mrs4 ,sterling1 and    

to an article in the ,tribune           
,republican1 of ,meadville1 for         
,february #g1 #aijg4       #cag         
,ornithological ,biography1 vol4 i1 p4  
xi4       #cah ,the ,jeanes ,,mss42 see 
,note1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #ahj4       #cai    
,shipping ,port1 as the village below   
the rapids or      falls of the ,ohio   
was then called1 was joined to          
,louisville by      the ,louisville and 
,portland ,canal1 a channel two and     
one-half      miles long1 in #ahcj1 two 
years after the city received its       
charter4 ,the ,louisville or ,portland  
cement1 a name now      applied to the  
product of a considerable district1 was 
first      manufactured at ,shipping    
,port1 in #ahbi1 for the construction   
of this canal4       #cbj ,audubon's    
#ahbf manuscript journal1 which ,i      
examined      through the courtesy of   
,miss ,maria ,r4 ,audubon in #aiad1 was 
written1 mostly in pencil1 in a ruled   
blank book1 of similar      size and    
quality to that used on the ,ohio ,river

 in #ahbj-ba      7see ,note1 p4 #cjg71 
and was illustrated with a number of    
pencil sketches1 chiefly of fishes4 ,on 
page #b was a rough      outline sketch 
of first mate ,sam ,l4 ,bragdon1 of     
,wells1 ,maine1      reading in the     
booby hatch2 to his kindness ,audubon   
paid      a written tribute2 there was  
also a drawing of a ,balacuda           
,barracouta ,fish1 ,june #ag1 #ahbf2 of 
a ,shark1 #g ft4 long2      off ,cuba1  
,jn4 #ah 7see reproduction72 and of a   
,dolphin2      ,gulph of ,florida1 ,may 
#bh2 other sketches were of a line or   
thread-winder1 a ,flying ,fish1 and     
outlines of the ,cuban      coast4      
,audubon presented a sketch of the      
,dolphin to ,captain ,hatch1      whose 
vessel1 the ,delos1 went down on the    
,grand ,banks of      ,newfoundland in  
the summer of #ahca1 but not until her  
crew and      valuables had been        
transferred to another boat that stood  
by4      7,for this note ,i am indebted 
to ,miss ,maria ,r4 ,audubon47          

#cba ,addressed ,general ,lafayette1    
,paris ou ,lagrange4       ,translated  
from the ,french original1 kindly sent  
to me by ,mr4      ,ruthven ,deane4     
#cbb ,for an account of ,audubon's      
meeting with ,nolte see      ,chapter   
,,xviii4       #cbc ,dr4 ,thomas ,stuart
 ,traill1 after whom one of our common  
flycatchers was named1 was a founder of 
the ,royal ,institution      at         
,liverpool1 and later a professor of    
medical jurisprudence      at           
,edinburgh4 ,when the keepership of the 
,department of      ,natural ,history in
 the ,british ,museum became vacant     
through      the resignation of ,dr4    
,leech in #ahbb1 ,dr4 ,traill supported 
,william ,swainson for the position2    
when ,george ,j4 ,children      received
 the appointment1 he was disinclined to 
accept defeat1      and entered upon a  
crusade against the ,museum's trustees  
in a      series of anonymous articles  
contributed to the ,edinburgh      and  
,westminster ,reviews4 ,traill's        

exposure of the neglect      which the  
natural-history collections had suffered
 in the      custody of the ,british    
,museum paved the way to a separate     
,department of ,zoology1 which in the   
able hands of ,john ,e4      ,gray1 and 
later in those of ,sir ,richard ,owen1  
led to the      present great ,museum of
 ,natural ,history at ,south            
,kensington4       #cbd ,in dedicating  
the ,sylvia rathbonia ,audubon said3    
,were      ,i at liberty here to express
 the gratitude which swells my          
heart1 when the remembrance of all the  
unmerited kindness      and unlooked-for
 friendship which ,i have received from 
the      ,rathbones of ,liverpool comes 
to my mind1 ,i might produce a          
volume of thanks4 ,but ,i must content  
myself with informing      you1 that the
 small tribute of gratitude which it is 
alone in      my power to pay1 ,i now   
joyfully accord1 by naming after them   
one of those birds1 to the study of     
which all my efforts have      been     

directed4 ,i trust that future          
naturalists1 regardful of      the      
feelings which have guided me in naming 
this species1 will      continue to it  
the name of the ,rathbone ,warbler4     
#cbe ,named after ,john ,stevens        
,henslow1 ,professor of ,botany      in 
the ,university of ,cambridge1 whom     
,audubon had met in #ahbh1      when    
,charles ,darwin was still his pupil4   
#cbf ,this seal1 the design of which has
 since been adapted      for a          
bookplate1 was long in use1 and though  
at one time lost1      is still in      
possession of the family4 ,a copy of the
 large      original1 which was to serve
 as his first plate1 was presented      
to the ,royal ,institution of ,liverpool
 as an acknowledgment of      its       
hospitality1 for it had refused         
remuneration in any other      form4    
#cbg ,see ,note1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #cge4     
#cbh ,the plates as issued1 untrimmed1  
measured #ci by #bi      inches2 see    
,bibliography1 ,no4 #a4       #cbi ,see 

,note1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #aig4             
,incidentally it may be      noticed    
that the tiger swallowtail in this plate
 was      possibly added for effect1 for
 few of our birds1 which      habitually
 hunt moths1 ever prey upon butterflies4
 ,i have      seen the cabbage butterfly
 and a few of the smaller kinds         
brought to the nests of the ,chebec and 
,wood ,pewee but never      a monarch or
 papilio2 yet some affirm that the      
,kingbird      will attack the monarch4 
#ccj ,translated from tudes sur la      
,littrature et les      ,murs des       
,anglo-,americains au ,x,i,xe sicle1    
,audubon1 pp4      #ff-ajf 7,paris1     
#ahea74 ,philarte-,chasles1 who wrote   
chiefly on      ,american1 ,english and 
,european authors and books1 has seventy
      volumes credited to him in the    
,national ,library at ,paris4       #cca
 ,p4 ,a4 ,cap1 in ,l',illustration for  
#ahea4 ,cap's hint was      taken by    
,eugne ,bazin1 who translated copious   
selections from      the ,ornithological

 ,biography1 which were published in two
      volumes in ,paris in #aheg 7see   
,bibliography1 ,no4 #ch74       #ccb    
,see ,maria ,r4 ,audubon1 ,audubon and  
his ,journals 7,bibl4      ,no4 #hf74   
#ccc ,audubon's copy of this oil        
painting remained in the      possession
 of his family until a few years ago1   
when it was      sold for a much greater
 amount4 ,it now adorns the beautiful   
ornithological museum of ,mr4 ,john ,e4 
,thayer1 at ,south      ,lancaster1     
,massachusetts2 it represents a cock and
 hen turkey      in life size1 adapted  
from the subjects of his two most famous
      plates1 and is in an admirable    
state of preservation4 ,mr4             
,thayer's collection also embraces      
,audubon's large canvas of      the     
,black ,cocks1 from the ,edward ,harris 
estate1 a charming      study of the    
,hen ,turkey1 with landscape setting1   
and1 also      in oils1 several smaller 
panels of ,flickers and ,passenger      
,pigeons1 which1 if not the work of the 

naturalist1 are copies      after his   
originals1 and possibly made by ,joseph 
,b4 ,kidd4      7,see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #ddf2
 and for a notice of ,mr4 ,thayer's     
other      ,audubonian drawings1 ,vol4  
,,ii1 p4 #bbg1 and ,appendix ,,ii47     
#ccd ,basil ,hall 7#aghh-ahdd71 noted   
for his travels in ,china1      ,korea1 
and on the coasts of ,chili1 ,peru and  
,mexico1 visited      the ,united       
,states in #ahbg-bh2 his ,travels in    
,north ,america      appeared in #ahbi4 
#cce ,see ,chapter ,,xxviii4       #ccf 
,maria ,r4 ,audubon1 op4 cit41 vol4 i1  
p4 #bjd4       #ccg ,which ,i owe to the
 kindness of his granddaughter1         
,miss ,maria ,r4 ,audubon2 it is        
superscribed ,mrs4 ,audubon1 ,st4       
,francisville1 ,bayou ,sarah1           
,louisville1 p ,wm ,penn2 it reached    
,new ,orleans on ,june #ac1 and is      
endorsed as answered on ,june      #bc4 
#cch ,john ,woodhouse ,audubon at this  
time was in his fifteenth      year1 and
 this injunction regarding the internal 

anatomy of      birds1 to which         
ornithologists had hitherto paid but    
little      attention1 was given three  
years before his father made the        
acquaintance of ,mac,gillivray4 7,see   
,chapter ,,xxx47       #cci ,see        
,chapter ,,xxv4       #cdj ,the work1 as
 originally announced1 was to appear in 
parts of #e plates each1 at #b guineas a
 part1 and in order to      distribute  
the expense to purchasers it was        
expected to issue      but #e parts a   
year4 ,the plates1 to be engraved on    
copper1 were      of double elephant    
folio size1 and printed on paper of the 
finest quality1 all the birds and       
flowers to be life-size1      and to be 
carefully colored by hand1 after the    
originals2      any subscriber was at   
liberty to take a part or the whole4    
,it was stated in the prospectus of     
#ahbi1 when #aj parts had      been     
published3 ,there are #djj ,drawings1   
and it is proposed      that they shall 
comprise ,three ,volumes1 each          

containing #acc      ,plates1 to which  
an ,index will be given at the end of   
each1      to be bound up with the      
volume4444 ,it would be advisable for   
the subscriber to procure a ,portfolio1 
to keep the ,numbers      till a volume 
is completed4 ,to avoid the expense     
entailed      by copyright regulations  
in ,england1 indices and all other      
letterpress were eventually omitted2 the
 number of parts was      extended to   
#hg1 or #dce plates1 and the number of  
volumes to      #d1 a necessity imposed 
by the discovery of many new birds1     
even after the omission of the figures  
of the eggs1 which      ,audubon had    
reserved for the close1 and the undue   
crowding      of many of his final      
plates4 ,the ,prospectus issued with the
      first volume of the text in #ahca 
contained a list of the first      #ajj 
plates1 together with extracts of       
reviews by ,cuvier and      ,swainson1  
and a list of subscribers to the number 
of #ahj4 ,for      further details1 see 

,bibliography1 ,no4 #a1 and ,appendix   
,,iii1      ,no4 #b4       #cda         
,illustrations of ,british ,ornithology1
 by ,prideaux      ,john ,selby4 ,the   
,british ,museum copy of this work is in
 two      large folio volumes 7measuring
 about #be by #bj inches71      and was 
issued originally in numbers which      
appeared at      irregular intervals4   
,vol4 ,i1 plates i-iv 7of bills1 heads1 
and feet71 i-c 7of land birds72 most of 
the plates are by      ,selby1 and many 
were etched by him and autographed1     
#ahai-ahba2      plates xiv1 xvi1 and xx
 are by ,captain ,r4 ,mitford1 whose    
home1 ,mitford ,castle1 near ,morpeth1  
,northumberland1 was      visited by    
,audubon in ,april1 #ahbg2 published at 
,edinburgh      by ,archibald ,constable
  ,co41 and by ,hurst1 ,robinson  ,co41 
,london1 #ahbe787-ahbg4 ,volume ,,ii1   
plates i-ciii2 printed for      the     
,proprietor  published by ,w4 ,h4       
,lizars1 ,longman1 ,rees1      ,orme1   
,brown1 ,green  ,longman1 ,london2 and  

,w4 ,curry1 ,junr4       ,co41 ,dublin1 
,,mdcccxxxiv4 ,quaritch1 in offering a  
copy in      #ahhg1 at #ee1 stated that 
there were #chc figures1 in #bba        
colored plates1 and that the published  
price was #aje4 ,newton                 
7,dictionary of ,birds1 p4 #bg7 says    
that the first series of      these     
,illustrations was published in         
coperation with ,sir      ,william      
,jardine1 in #c volumes of #aej plates1 
in #ahbg-ahce1      after which a second
 series was started by them1 and        
completed      in a single volume of #ec
 plates1 issued in #ahdc4 ,this was the 
job book mentioned earlier in this      
chapter 7see p4 #ceh71      but neither 
,jardine's nor ,jameson's name is       
mentioned in the      volumes which ,i  
have examined4       ,in a letter to    
,audubon1 dated ,sept4 #ac;h #ahcj      
,twizel l8      ,house1 and postmarked  
,belford1 ,selby said3 ,i expect to     
bring my own work to a conclusion during
 the course of this      winter having  

only the plates of another ,number to   
finish4 ,i      am happy to add that the
 ,work is doing well  is more than      
paying itself4 ,the second ,vol3 of     
letter press will appear      with the  
last ,no4       ,two volumes of text    
were published in #ahbe and #ahcc       
respectively2 the first1 after          
readjustment to fit the      quinarian  
doctrine1 to which ,selby was a         
temporary convert      7see ,vol4 ,,ii1 
p4 #id71 was issued in a second edition 
at      ,london1 in #ahda2 the second   
volume bore the imprint of ,lizars1     
who soon after began to work for        
,audubon4       ,selby's plates were for
 the most part rather crudely drawn1    
etched and colored1 and could be        
commended only as the work      of      
amateurs who strove for accuracy4       
#cdb ,among the sixty or more persons to
 whom ,audubon carried      written     
credentials at this time were the       
following3 the ,duke      of            
,northumberland1 ,robert ,peel1 ,sir    

,humphry ,davy1 ,sir ,j4 ,d4            
,aukland1 ,albert ,gallatin1 the        
,american ,minister1 ,sir ,thomas       
,lawrence1 ,david ,wilkie1 ,dr4         
,buckland1 ,dr4 ,holland1 ,dr4 ,roget1  
,dr4 ,wollaston1 ,william ,swainson1    
,sir ,william ,herschel1 and      his   
son1 afterwards ,sir ,john ,herschel1   
,john ,george ,children1      ,r4 ,w4   
,hay1 ,n4 ,a4 ,vigors1 ,captain ,cook1  
,john ,murray and ,robert      ,bakewell
 7see ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #acd74       #cdc  
,probably the same that is referred to  
in his journals      as ,mr4 ,hays1 the 
antiquarian4       #cdd ,j4 ,g4         
,children 7#aggg-aheb7 was early        
interested in      chemistry1 and at    
,tunbridge built a good laboratory1 in  
which      ,humphry ,davy conducted many
 of his early experiments1 and          
while there was seriously injured in    
,october1 #ahab4 ,in #ahbd              
,children discovered a method of        
extracting silver without the      use  
of mercury4 ,when ,mr4 ,children1       

,senior1 became insolvent      through  
the failure of his bank1 his son        
obtained a position      at the ,british
 ,museum2 in #ahaf he was librarian in  
the      ,department of ,antiquities1   
but in #ahbc he was transferred to a    
post in zology which was eagerly sought 
by ,william ,swainson2      he was      
secretary of the ,royal ,society in     
#ahbf-bg1 and again      in #ahce-cg4   
,he resigned his position at the ,museum
 in #ahdj1      when ,swainson was again
 an unsuccessful candidate1 and was     
succeeded by ,j4 ,e4 ,gray 7see ,note1  
,vol4 ,i1 p4 #cec74 ,children was not   
a productive zologist1 but has been     
described as a lovable      soul1 who   
was never soured by illness or other    
misfortunes1      and who was as zealous
 in his friendships as in science4 ,see 
,a4 ,a4 7,anna ,atkins71 ,memoir of ,j4 
,g4 ,children1 ,esq4 7,bibl4      ,no4  
#age74       #cde ,in the account which 
follows1 as well as in numerous         
instances in ,chapter ,,xxxii1 ,i am    

most indebted to ,george      ,alfred   
,williams1 who in ,robert ,havell1      
,junior1 ,engraver      of ,audubon's   
,the ,birds of ,america1 7,bibl4 ,no4   
#bcb7      7,print-,collectors          
,quarterly1 vol4 vi1 no4 #c1 pp4        
#bbe-bei1      ,boston1 #aiaf71 has     
given the only satisfactory account of  
the      ,havell family and the best    
analysis of the work of the great       
engraver4       #cdf ,mr4 ,charles ,e4  
,goodspeed1 who recently sent me two of 
the original plates of the ,prothonotary
 ,warbler1 one bearing      the legend  
,engraved by ,w4 ,h4 ,lizars ,edinr1 and
 the other1      ,engraved1 ,printed    
,coloured1 by ,r4 ,havell ,junr1 called 
attention to the identity of the two    
engravings4 ,that these      two        
impressions are absolutely identical in 
aquatint and      line is proved by     
applying a magnifying glass to any part 
of their surfaces1 and by counting and  
comparing the lines      or dots within 
any selected area whatsoever2 in short1 

they      differ only in their legends1 
and in the coloring which was           
applied by different hands4 ,that such  
methods should have been      adopted   
for excluding ,lizars' name is certainly
 surprising4      ,in the first or      
,edinburgh impression of ,lizars'       
original      plate1 the artist's legend
 reads3 ,drawn by ,j4 ,j4 ,audubon      
,m4 ,w4 ,s41 and names of bird and plant
 appear at the bottom      of the plate 
in three lines3 ,,prothonotary          
,,warbler4 ,dacnis      protonotarius4  
,plant ,vulgo ,cane ,vine4 ,in the      
,london edition      the corresponding  
designations are3 ,drawn from nature by 
,j4 ,j4 ,audubon ,f1 ,r1 ,s4 ,f1 ,l1    
,s41 and ,,prothonotary ,,warbler4      
,sylvia ,protonotarius4 ,lath1 ,male4   
#a4 ,female1 #b4 ,cane      ,vine41 in  
four lines4       #cdg ,see ,chapter    
,,xxxii4       #cdh ,see ibid4          
#cdi ,see ,sir ,walter ,besant1 ,london 
in the ,nineteenth      ,century        
7,london1 #aiji74       #cej ,see ,maria

 ,r4 ,audubon1 ,audubon and his         
,journals 7,bibl4      ,no4 #hf71 vol4  
i1 p4 #cdb1 where the ,eagle and the    
,lamb is      reproduced4       #cea    
,see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #dcf4       #ceb ,see 
,chapter ,,xxviii4       #cec ,the      
seventh which he had contributed to the 
scientific      press of ,europe1       
entitled ,notes on the ,bird of         
,washington      7,falco                
,washingtoniana71 or ,great ,sea ,eagle1
 now believed      to have been mistaken
 by him for an immature stage of the    
true bird of freedom1 the ,white-headed 
,eagle4 ,it was      dated ,london1     
,april1 #ahbh1 and was published in     
,loudon's      ,magazine for ,july of   
that year4 ,see ,bibliography1 ,no4 #bc4
       #ced ,from the originals in      
possession of the ,linnan ,society      
of ,london4 ,swainson's scientific      
correspondence was taken      with him  
to ,new ,zealand1 where it remained     
fifty years1 until      returned by his 
daughter1 who sent it to ,sir ,joseph   

,hooker2 it      was finally purchased  
by a number of ,fellows of the ,society1
      and presented to its historical   
collections4 ,it consists of      #icd  
letters written by #bcf correspondents1 
from #ahjf to #ahdj4      ,of the #bd   
letters written by ,audubon1 and dated  
#i ,april1 #ahbi1      to #aa ,january1 
#ahch1 none has been previously         
published4 ,dr4      ,albert ,gnther1   
who has given a summary of their        
contents      7,proceedings of the      
,linnan ,society1 #aabth ,session1      
#aijj2      ,bibliography1 ,no4 #bjd7   
found them rather disappointing1 since  
they dealt mainly with personal and     
domestic matters1 and were      written 
in a style characterized as fantastic   
and unnatural4      ,through the        
kindness of my esteemed friend1 ,george 
,e4 ,bullen1      ,esq41 of the         
,hertfordshire ,county ,museum1 ,st4    
,albans1 and      through the courtesy  
of the ,council of the ,linnan ,society 
and its secretary1 ,dr4 ,daydon         

,jackson1 ,i am able to reproduce       
transcripts of the most interesting of  
these letters1 which      readers in    
,america will1 ,i believe1 find         
interesting because      of their       
personal details4 ,i am indebted also   
for their good      offices to ,john    
,hopkinson1 ,f4,l4,s41 and to ,william  
,rowan1 ,esq4       ,from the context of
 the nine letters which are here        
reproduced      without change1 it is   
evident that ,audubon paid little       
attention to grammar1 syntax1 or        
orthography1 but if the      reader will
 compare the letters written before and 
after #ahcj1      or before and after   
his first serious discipline in ,english
      composition 7see ,chapters ,,xxiii
 and ,,xxix71 he will find marked       
improvement in all these respects4      
#cee ,swainson's house has been kindly  
identified by my      friend1 ,mr4      
,george ,e4 ,bullen1 to whom ,i am      
indebted also      for an interesting   
photograph1 taken from an old print4    

,mrs4      ,swainson1 who died ,february
 #ab1 #ahce1 was buried in the parish   
church1 with which she was closely      
identified1 at ,london      ,colney1 and
 a tablet to her memory is still to be  
seen there4      ,swainson probably     
preferred the historic associations of  
,tyttenhanger1 a name originally applied
 to the manor and manor      house of   
the ,abbot of ,st4 ,albans1 a famous    
abbey property      acquired before the 
,conquest1 with a history extending over
      six hundred years1 but he did not 
live there4 ,the oldest      resident   
now on the spot1 a man over ninety1 told
 ,mr4 ,bullen      that as a boy he     
often collected butterflies1 moths and  
other      specimens of natural history 
which he took to ,highfield      ,hall1 
and was always paid by one of the       
,swainson children4      ,since         
,swainson's time the original house1    
which was approached      by a long     
walk1 has become almost unrecognizable1 
having      received an addition to one 

side2 the grass land which then         
surrounded it has been converted into   
beautiful lawns4       #cef ,see        
,bibliography1 ,no4 #ie4       #ceg ,see
 ,chapter ,,xxix4       #ceh ,see ,vol4 
,,ii1 p4 #acj4       #cei ,see ,note1   
,vol4 ,i1 p4 #cfd4       #cfj ,fauna    
,boreali-,americana2 or the ,zoology of 
the northern      parts of ,british     
,america2 ,part ,second1 ,the ,birds2 by
      ,william ,swainson and ,john      
,richardson 7,london1 #ahca74       #cfa
 ,maria ,r4 ,audubon1 op4 cit41 vol4 i1 
p4 #cjf4       #cfb ,see ,vol4 ,i1 p4   
#c4       #cfc ,maria ,r4 ,audubon1 op4 
cit41 vol4 i1 p4 #cbc4       #cfd ,see  
,bibliography1 ,no4 #ic;a4       #cfe   
,the three volumes of this series bear  
date of #ahcb-cc1      but the preface  
is inscribed ,tittenhanger ,green ,st4  
,albans1      #bdth ,july1 #ahbi4       
#cff ,mary ,f4 ,bradford1 ,audubon      
7,bibl4 ,no4 #he74       #cfg ,published
 originally by ,ruthven ,deane 7,bibl4  
,no4 #bah71      ,the ,auk1 vol4 xxii1  

#aije4       #cfh ,see ,the ,great ,pine
 ,swamp1 and ,great ,egg ,harbour1      
,ornithological ,biography 7,bibl4 ,no4 
#b71 vol4 i1 p4 #eb1 and      vol4 iii1 
p4 #fjf4       #cfi ,though the year is 
not usually indicated on the            
originals1 the following drawings       
probably belong to this      period3    
,black ,poll ,warbler1 ,new ,jersey1    
,may4           ,wood ,pewee            
,flycatcher1 ,new ,jersey1 ,may4        
,small ,green-crested ,flycatcher1 ,new 
,jersey1 ,may4           ,golden-crowned
 ,thrush1 ,new ,jersey1 ,may4           
,warbling ,flycatcher1 ,vireo gilvus1   
,new ,jersey1 ,may #bc4                 
,yellow-breasted ,chat1 ,new ,jersey1   
,june #g4           ,sea ,side ,finch1  
,great ,egg ,harbour1 ,june #ad4        
,marsh ,wren1 ,new ,jersey1 ,june #bb4  
,bay-winged ,bunting1 ,great ,egg       
,harbour1 ,june #bf4           ,canada  
,flycatcher1 ,great ,pine ,swamp1       
,august #a4           ,pine ,swamp      
,warbler1 ,great ,pine ,swamp1 ,august  

#aa4           ,black and ,yellow       
,warbler1 ,great ,pine ,swamp1 ,august  
#ab4           ,hemlock ,warbler1 ,great
 ,pine ,swamp1 ,august #ab4             
,autumnal ,warbler1 ,great ,pine ,swamp1
 ,august #bj4           ,connecticut    
,warbler1 ,new ,jersey1 ,september #bb4 
,mottled ,owl1 ,new ,jersey1 ,october4  
#cgj ,though ,audubon said that he spent
 only six weeks in      the forest1 the 
indications upon his drawings imply a   
longer      period4       #cga ,at this 
time ,audubon intended to figure1 in    
full size      and natural colors1 the  
eggs of the ,birds of ,america1 for     
which the concluding numbers of his     
plates had been reserved1      but when 
the time came1 these numbers had to be  
given over to      new acquisitions1 so 
the eggs were eventually crowded out4   
#cgb ,at one time in possession of ,dr4 
,r4 ,w4 ,shufeldt1 who      received it 
from ,mrs4 ,audubon2 given verbatim by  
,elliott ,coues      7,bibl4 ,no4 #dc71 
,bulletin of the ,nuttall               

,ornithological ,club1      vol4 v1     
#ahhj4       #cgc ,harlan's ,hawk1 or   
the ,black ,warrior1 is now regarded as 
a southern variety of the ,red-tailed   
,hawk1 and is designated      under the 
trinomen1 ,buteo borealis harlani4      
#cgd ,published by ,ruthven ,deane      
7,bibl4 ,no4 #bag71 ,the ,auk1      vol4
 xxii1 #aije4       #cge ,thomas ,b4    
,thorpe 7,bibl4 ,no4 #fd71 ,godey's     
,lady's ,book1      vol4 xlii1 #ahea4   
#cgf ,while in ,paris in #ahbh1 ,audubon
 wrote on ,october #bf that      he had 
received a call from a ,m4 ,pitois1 who 
came to look at      my book1 with a    
view to becoming my agent here2 ,baron  
,cuvier      recommended him strongly1  
and ,i have concluded a bargain with    
him4 ,he thinks he can procure a good   
number of subscribers4      ,his manners
 are plain1 and ,i hope he will prove an
 honest      man4 ,see ,maria ,r4       
,audubon1 ,audubon and his ,journals    
7,bibl4      ,no4 #hf71 vol4 i1 p4 #cci4
       #cgg ,henry ,augustus ,havell1 a 

younger brother of ,robert      ,havell1
 ,junior2 see ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #aia4      
#cgh ,see ,lucy ,b4 ,audubon1 ed41 ,life
 of ,john ,james ,audubon1      the     
,naturalist 7,bibl4 ,no4 #gc71 p4 #bjc4 
,since black slaves      were the only  
domestics available in the ,south at    
that time1      it is probable that the 
servants referred to were employed      
by ,mrs4 ,audubon at her ,beechgrove    
school4       #cgi ,see ,vol4 ,i1 p4    
#cif4       #chj ,see ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4    
#ch4       #cha ,his correspondence with
 ,william ,swainson from this           
point1 and the history of his           
letterpress so far as that              
naturalist was concerned1 will be       
unfolded later 7see ,chapter            
,,xxix74       #chb ,see ,chapter       
,,xxviii1 p4 #hg4       #chc ,see       
,chapter ,,xxx4       #chd ,the first   
volume of the ,ornithological ,biography
 in      the ,european edition bears the
 imprint of ,adam ,black1 #ee           
,north ,bridge1 ,edinburgh2 in the four 

subsequent volumes this      was changed
 to ,adam and ,charles ,black1 while the
 entire      work was printed by ,neill 
,co41 ,printers1 ,old ,fish ,market1    
,edinburgh4 ,see ,bibliography1 ,no4 #b4
       #che ,american ,ornithology1 or  
the ,natural ,history of      the ,birds
 of the ,united ,states4 ,by ,alexander 
,wilson and      ,charles ,lucien       
,bonaparte4 ,edited by ,robert ,jameson 
444 ,regius      ,professor of ,natural 
,history in the ,university of          
,edinburgh4      ,appearing as vols4    
lxviii-lxxi of ,constable's ,miscellany1
 #d      vols41 #ahmo41 ,edinburgh and  
,london1 #ahca4 ,this was the fourth    
787 edition of ,wilson's work1 and the  
first 787 to appear      in ,europe2    
with portrait of ,wilson and vignettes  
on titles      engraved by ,lizars1     
memoir of ,wilson by ,w4 ,m4            
,hetherington1      and extracts from   
,audubon1 ,richardson1 and ,swainson4   
,the plates of this edition were issued 
in numbers1 under      title of         

,illustrations of ,american             
,ornithology2 reduced from      the work
 of ,wilson2 #ahmo41 ,edinburgh and     
,london 7#ahca74 ,in a      notice of   
the first number which appeared in the  
,caledonian      ,mercury 7,edinburgh7  
for ,oct4 #bi1 #ahca1 it was stated that
      the plates were issued in small   
size to be bound up with      ,jameson's
 edition of the text1 and that they were
 intended      for a different class of 
purchasers from those likely to take    
the folio edition1 then being brought   
out by the publishers of                
,constable's ,miscellany4 ,the plates   
were engraved in line and      executed 
in a very superior style1 both plain and
 colored4       #chf ,american          
,ornithology2 or ,natural ,history of   
the      ,birds of the ,united ,states1 
by ,alexander ,wilson1 with a           
,continuation by ,charles ,lucien       
,bonaparte1 ,prince of ,musignano4      
,the ,illustrative ,notes and ,life of  
,wilson by ,sir ,william      ,jardine1 

#c vols41 #hvo41 ,london and ,edinburgh1
 #ahcb4       ,the second 787 ,european 
edition of ,wilson and ,bonaparte1 with 
#ig hand-colored plates engraved by     
,lizars4 ,the ,caledonian      ,mercury 
in noticing the work1 ,october #bi1     
#ahca1 said3 ,it      must be highly    
gratifying to the friends and           
connections of      poor ,sandy ,wilson 
to see such honor1 at last1 paid to his 
memory in his native land4       #chg   
,illustrations of the ,american         
,ornithology of ,alexander      ,wilson 
and ,charles ,lucien ,bonaparte1 ,prince
 of ,musignano4      ,with the addition 
of numerous ,recently ,discovered       
,species1      and ,representations of  
the ,whole ,sylva of ,north ,america4   
,by      ,captain ,thomas ,brown etc41  
etc44 ,folio1 with engraved title1      
engraved dedication1 index1 and #abd    
engraved and hand-colored      plates4  
,edinburgh1 ,frazer  ,co41 #ed ,north   
,bridge1 ,william      ,curry1 ,jun'r   
,co41 ,dublin  ,smith1 ,elder  ,co41 #fe

 ,cornhill1      ,london1 ,,mdcccxxxv4  
,it is stated by the editor of this     
extraordinary work that      he had     
added #afa birds1 and that #hg have been
 considerably      enlarged4 ,there are 
#afg representations of ,american trees 
and shrubs1 said to have been copied for
 the most part from      ,michaux'      
,silva4 ,the striking ,hibiscus         
grandiflorus 7plate      xli7 was taken 
without acknowledgment from ,audubon's  
drawing      of the ,blue-winged        
,warbler 7,the ,birds of ,america1 plate
 xx74      ,for the most part the       
figures of birds are redrawn from       
,wilson      and ,bonaparte and given   
new positions and backgrounds4 ,a few   
of the plates1 as that of the           
,california ,vulture 7no4 #a71 bear     
the legend1 ,drawn by ,captn4 ,tho4     
,brown2 all are uneven1 and      many   
extremely poor in execution1 the        
fourteen by ,w4 ,h4 ,lizars      being  
the best4 ,j4 ,b4 ,kidd1 for a time     
associated with ,audubon      7see ,vol4

 ,i1 p4 #ddf7 is credited with four     
plates2 other      engravers employed on
 the work were ,james ,turvey1 who      
executed      the elaborate title1      
,samuel ,milne1 ,james ,mayson1 ,r4     
,scott1 ,j4       ,j4 ,johnstone1 ,e4   
,mitchell1 ,william ,davie1 ,s4 ,a4     
,miller1 ,john      ,miller1 ,audw4     
,kilgour1 ,wm4 ,warwick1 and ,w4        
,mc,gregor4 ,plate      xiv1 the ,snowy 
,owl1 ,strix nyctea1 engraved by the    
editor1      has the interest of a      
caricature4 ,some plates show as many   
as fourteen birds in a medley of        
brilliant foliage1 flowers      and     
fruits4 ,the violence of the coloring is
 often such as to      destroy the      
effect of the best plates1 and gaudy    
butterflies      flit through the pages 
as if they were the common food of      
every species1 not excluding the        
,american grouse 7see ,note1      ,vol4 
,i1 p4 #cei74       ,captain ,brown's   
,illustrations were said by a writer in 
the ,edinburgh ,literary ,journal for   

,april #i1 #ahca1 to form      a        
companion to the letterpress in         
,constable's ,miscellany      7see      
,note1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #ddb72 price1       
colored1 #ae shillings2      plain1     
#ajs4 #f;d4 ,a few in elephant folio    
7same size as ,selby's      ,british    
,ornithology72 colored1 #a guinea4 ,to  
be completed in      #aj parts1 each    
containing #e colored plates2 #bb inches
 long by      #ag inches broad1 being   
considered more than double the size of 
the original work4 ,the first number of 
this work was reviewed      in the      
,london ,literary ,gazette for ,october 
#h1 #ahca1 when      it was said that in
 it were represented #be birds1 #ac     
forest      trees1 and #ab insects2 the 
completed work would comprehend      all
 the forest trees of ,america1 with     
their fruits1 together      with the    
principal insects of the country1 as    
well as all      the birds that had been
 discovered up to the time of issue4    
,brown's piratical work must have had a 

very limited      circulation1 since it 
is now so rare that not even the        
,british ,museum possesses a copy1 and1 
so far as known1 it      is not found in
 any public library of the ,united      
,states4 ,i      was told at ,wheldon's1
 the ,london shop devoted to works on   
natural history1 that but two copies had
 ever been handled1      and that they  
commanded a high price4 ,the work was   
originally      sold at #bf4 ,the only  
copy known to me is in the library      
of the ,zoological ,society in ,london1 
from which the present      citation is 
made2 on one of its fly-leaves is       
written this      note3 ,i have seen the
 wrapper of ,no4 #a of this work4 ,it   
is dated #ahca4 ,there is no information
 as to its contents4      ,c4 ,davis    
,sanborn4 #bb4e4je4 ,this copy was      
referred to by      ,dr4 ,theodore      
,gill2 see ,the ,osprey1 vol4 v1 pp4 #ca
 and #aji      7,washington1 #aijj and  
#aija74 ,dr4 ,walter ,faxon has traced  
two      other copies1 one formerly in  

possession of ,professor ,alfred        
,newton1 and another1 but very imperfect
 set1 in a private      library at      
,tarrytown1 ,new ,york4 ,according to   
,faxon1 a single      brown paper       
wrapper preserved in the ,tarrytown copy
 bears a      full printed title1 which 
differs1 however1 from that which       
was subsequently engraved for the       
completed work2 for fuller              
citation1 see ,a ,rare ,work on         
,american ,ornithology1 ,the      ,auk1 
vol4 xx 7#aijc71 pp4 #bcf-bda4          
,mr4 ,ruthven ,deane has written me that
 several years ago he      secured in   
,new ,york a fragment of this work1     
consisting of      the paper wrappers of
 four ,parts1 ,nos4 #a-d1 the last three
 of      which contained five plates    
each2 there were in addition #aj        
scattered plates1 making #be plates in  
all2 the price of #ba      ,shillings is
 printed on each of the wrappers1 which 
also bear      the date #ahca1 but no   
titles4       ,another pirated work1    

,illustrations of the ,genera of ,birds1
      by the same author1 was begun in  
#ahde1 but met with even less           
success1 and was never completed2 this  
was taken from ,a ,list      of the     
,genera of ,birds1 published in #ahdj by
 ,george ,robert      ,gray1 and        
according to ,alfred ,newton 7,a        
,dictionary of ,birds1      ,london1    
#ahif1 p4 #cj1 note7 was discreditable  
to all concerned      with it4          
#chh ,see ,ruthven ,deane 7,bibl4 ,no4  
#bji71 ,the ,auk1 vol4 xviii            
7#aija74 ,the extract is from a letter  
dated ,edinburgh1 #bb      ,warriston   
,crescent #gth ,may1 #ahca4       #chi  
,kidd1 who was twenty-three at the time 
he began to      work for ,audubon1 died
 in #ahhi1 when he had attained his     
eighty-first year4       #cij ,see      
,chapter ,,xxvii1 p4 #fb4       #cia ,an
 indication of the time of this visit is
 given by the      following inscription
 written in the copy of the first volume
      of the ,ornithological ,biography1

 which was presented to      ,cuvier at 
this time3            ,to               
,baron ,g4 ,cuvier1           with the  
highest respect of the                  
author4--           ,paris--#ag th4     
,may1 #ahca4       #cib ,on ,wednesday  
evening1 ,july #bg1 #ahca1 ,audubon sent
 the      following note to ,mr4        
,harris3 ,come to meet me tomorrow1     
precisely at twelve o'clock1 at our     
lodgings1 #aba ,great      ,portland    
street4       #cic ,for the perusal of  
this letter the reader is indebted1     
as in so many other instances1 to ,mr4  
,ruthven ,deane4