xliv AUDUBON THE NATURALIST 



October 21. — Leaves abruptly and returns with Mason to New 

 Orleans, where he again becomes a drawing teacher, and 

 resumes his studies of birds with even greater avidity. 



December. — Is joined by his family, and winter finds them in 

 dire straits. 



1822 



March 16. — To Natchez with Mason, paying their passage by 

 doing portraits of the captain and his wife ; while on the 

 way finds that many of his drawings have been seriously 

 damaged by gunpowder ; teaches French, drawing and 

 dancing at Natchez, and Washington, Mississippi. 



July 23. — Parts with Mason, after giving him his gun, paper 

 and chalks, with which to work his way north. 



September. — Mrs. Audubon, who was acting as governess in a 

 family at New Orleans, joins him at Natchez, where she 

 obtains a similar position. 



Receives his first lessons in the use of oils from John Stein, 

 itinerant portrait painter, in Natchez, at close of this 

 year. 



1823 



January. — Mrs. Audubon is engaged by the Percys, of West 

 Feliciana parish, Louisiana, and starts a private school at 

 "Beechwoods," belonging to their plantation, in St. Fran- 

 cisville, where she remains five years. 



March. — Audubon leaves Natchez with John Stein and Victor 

 on a painting tour of the South, but meeting with little suc- 

 cess, they disband at New Orleans ; visits his wife, and 

 spends part of summer in teaching her pupils music and 

 drawing. 



Adrift again ; both he and Victor are taken ill with fever at 

 Natchez, but when nursed back to health by Mrs. Audu- 

 bon, they return with her to "Beechwoods." 



September 30. — Determined to visit Philadelphia in the inter- 

 ests of his "Ornithology," he sends on his drawings and 

 goes to New Orleans for references. 



October 3. — Starts with Victor for Louisville, walking part of 

 the way. 



