40 AUDUBON, THE NATURALIST 



dated at Les Cayes, September 16, 1785, Jean is cred- 

 ited with one-half the net proceeds of the sale of forty 

 negroes, bought originally of M. Th. Johnston for the 

 sum of 60,000 francs, and sold by Jean Audubon and 

 Messrs. La Croix, Formon & Jacques for 71,552 francs; 

 after deducting 183 francs for food and treatment, the 

 net returns became 71,369 francs, and Jean's profits, 

 on a half-interest basis, 5,684 francs, or about 142 

 francs per head. The prices of these slaves, which were 

 sold to planters on the island when not retained for 

 their own use, ranged from 1,500 to 2,100 francs, or 

 from $300 to $420, at the present rate of exchange. It 

 is interesting to notice that while these negroes were held 

 for sale, the exact period of which is not stated, they re- 

 ceived as food eighty bunches of bananas and three beef 

 heads; though under the care of a physician, it is not 

 surprising to find that one of them died. Another bill, 

 bearing date of August 7, 1785, records the sale to Jean 

 Audubon of ten negroes and three negresses for a total 

 sum of 26,000 francs; 16,000 francs of this amount was 

 paid in sugar, but what is particularly interesting now 

 is the fact that a balance of 2,000 francs was finally can- 

 celled on June 9, 1788, a year or more after Jean Audu- 

 bon, according to the accepted accounts, is supposed to 

 have lost his wife and his property and to have fled from 

 the island. Mme. Anne Moynet Audubon never visited 

 America, and her husband, as we have seen, left Santo 

 Domingo in 1789, before the outbreak of the revolu- 

 tion. His property remained substantially intact until 

 after 1792, and in some years, it is believed, yielded 

 him in rents 90,000 francs, which at present rates in 

 American money would be equivalent to $18,000. In 

 giving his certificate of residence at Nantes in that 

 eventful year, Captain Audubon publicly declared that 



