FIRST VENTURES IN BUSINESS 149 



of "Mill Grove" was conveyed to Francis Dacosta, rep- 

 resenting a number of capitalists whom he had man- 

 aged to interest in the mine, of whom the astute 

 Stephen Girard is said to have been one. The sale 

 was subject to conditions, 3 dependent upon their suc- 

 cess in mining lead, which, as will appear eventually, 

 could not have been fulfilled. These various transac- 

 tions are so clearly set forth by Ferdinand Rozier in 

 writing to his father at Nantes that we shall reproduce 

 his letter in full : 4 



Ferdinand Rozier to Claude Francois Rozier 



Philadelphia, 12 Sept., 1806 

 Duplicate. 

 My very dear and venerable father : 



Still in hope of cherished news from you, and replies to 

 my letters of 31 May, 22 June, and 4 July, I have to tell }^ou 

 that we have since succeeded in closing all our business rela- 

 tions with Mr. Francis Dacosta, in the following manner: We 

 are anxious that our method of procedure may be satisfactory 

 to you ; we have followed the advice of Mr. Miers Fisher, and 

 have had his approval in all that we have done. What should 

 set you at rest is that as regards your investment, you will find 



occurs: "4 July, 1806, Philadelphia; record of an agreement with Mr. 

 Dacosta, proprietor of one half of the Mill Grove farm, — at least of the 

 value of sale." The first entry is dated "19 fevrier— 1806, New York," 

 which, if correct, would imply that Rozier spent two years instead of one 

 in the United States when he visited this country in 1804. (or came a second 

 time), and that he returned, with young Audubon, almost immediately after 

 reaching France (see Vol. I, p. 245); the last record is "August, 1807, New 

 York." (MS. in possession of Dr. Louis Bureau, Nantes.) 



3 According to the records of Montgomery County, as collated for 

 Mr. W. H. Wetherill, the remaining half interest in "Mill Grove" was 

 sold by J. J. Audubon (and Ferdinand Rozier) to Francis Dacosta & 

 Company, for a consideration of $9,640.33. The business was conducted 

 mainly by Rozier, acting under the advice of their friend, Miers Fisher. 



4 Translated from the French of Ferdinand's copy, in possession of 

 Mr. Welton A. Rozier, to whom I am indebted for the privilege of repro- 

 ducing it. 



