FIRST VENTURES IN BUSINESS 163 



John James Audubon to Jean Audubon 



[Letter No. 5, inclosed with No. 4, in French, and addressed] 

 Mr. Fccis Rozier 

 Mercht 



Nantes 

 pour Mr. Audubon pere 

 aussitot que possible 

 My dear Friend : 



Thou wilt find herewith a bill of lading of a small box con- 

 taining nineteen species of seeds, a bottle of reptiles for Mr. 

 Derbigny [D'Orbigny], and some dried plants also for the lat- 

 ter. I will write thee of Mr. Kauman, by the ship Mentor, 

 which is to leave a little while after this one. Adieu, my good 

 friend! The box will be addressed to Mr. Audubon, Md, 17 

 Nantes, with "American seeds" written above ; besides two Bs, 

 like this which follows B. 18 The Capn. promises me to take care 



B 

 of it, and of my letters also. If thou findest in my letter any- 

 thing which displeases thee, remember that I am thy son. Adieu ! 

 Farewell, my good friend ! Thine for life. 



J. J. Audubon. 

 New York, May 6, 1807. 



Do not forget, I pray thee, to send me for the good Mrs. 

 Bakewell the complete works of Mr. Genlis 19 by the first op- 

 portunity, and for me an exact copy of the departments of 

 France like that which I made, and which is in thy cabinet. 

 I wish thee to copy them for my brother-in-law. 20 



that were very popular in America down to the time of the Civil War, 

 or even later. They were manufactured at St. Croix as late as 1880; instru- 

 ments of similar type, with dancing figures, have been adapted to the penny- 

 in-the-slot machines common in Switzerland to-day. 



17 Marchand, or retail merchant. 



18 Initials of the head of his firm, Benjamin Bakewell. 



19 The reference was to Mme. Stephanie-Felicite de Genlis (1746-1830), 

 teacher of the children of the Duke of Orleans, Philippe-Egalite, and 

 authoress of many works on education, once popular, but now known only 

 to the antiquary and the ragman. 



20 Meaning possibly his prospective brother-in-law, Thomas W. Bake- 

 well, a fellow clerk in the office. 



