TO EUROPE AND SUCCESS 373 



My Dear John — 



I am very thankfull to you for your Letters con- 

 tinue to write from time to time, draw, and study music 

 closely, there is time for all things — I give you my Gun 

 with all my Heart best wishes, but earn it at your Dear 

 Mamma's will — God bless You — 



Your Father and Friend — 



John J. Audubon 



At Edinburgh Audubon met a young landscape 

 painter, Joseph B. Kidd, and the two worked together 

 for some time, Kidd receiving instruction in animal 

 painting and Audubon hints on the treatment of his 

 landscapes, which had always been a source of trouble 

 to him. Kidd was Audubon's Edinburgh agent for a 

 time, and later entered upon the ambitious project of 

 reproducing all of his birds in oils, as will be noticed 

 later. 20 



On March 17, 1827, when the second number of his 

 Birds was in preparation, Audubon boldly issued his 

 "Prospectus," contrary to the advice of some of his 

 friends, who could see only egregious folly in such an 

 undertaking and regarded it as foredoomed to failure. 

 As everybody knows, it is easier to say things than to 

 do them, but all these friendly critics sang a different 

 tune later on, when they had seen more of the indom- 

 itable will and self-reliance of the man, who was to 

 carry steadily forward to a successful issue a work 

 which was in press nearly twelve years and which cost 

 over $100,000 to produce. In Audubon's original 

 prospectus of The Birds of America the specifications 

 as to the form, size, and cost of the work, which had 

 been determined for some months, underwent little 



"See Chapter XXV. 



