44 AUDUBON, THE NATURALIST 



I have been working hard at the Birds from Grand Menan, 

 as well as John, who is overcoming his habit of sleeping late, 

 as I call him every morning at four, and we have famous long 

 days. . . . 



The hull of the vessel has been floored, and our great table 

 solidly fixed in a tolerably good light under the main hatch; 

 it is my intention to draw whenever possible, and that will be 

 many hours, for the daylight is with us nearly all the time in 

 those latitudes, and the fishermen say you can do with little 

 sleep, the air is so pure. 



After repeated delays the Ripley sailed from East- 

 port for Labrador on June 6, 1833, and the journey 

 proved arduous and hazardous enough. Although dis- 

 appointing in respect to the number of new species of 

 birds discovered, Audubon's visit was well timed ; he was 

 aided by a band of devoted and energetic youth, and 

 they spent two months on the coast of a wild country, 

 then but little known save to a nefarious crew of egg 

 robbers and a few enterprising fishermen. His pub- 

 lished journal of the voyage shows that he worked to 

 the full limit of his physical powers in studying and 

 portraying the wonderful bird life which the party en- 

 countered. Despite the miseries of seasickness, an in- 

 competent pilot, tempestuous weather, and the cramped 

 quarters of a small schooner, where all his drawings had 

 to be done under an open hatch, he accomplished won- 

 ders, considering the shortness of his stay. By rising at 

 three o'clock in the morning and working for seventeen 

 hours, he succeeded in completing many large drawings 

 of birds, as well as studies of characteristic flowers ; he 

 also journalized voluminously and saw much of the coast 

 and its adjacent islands. 



From Eastport they passed through the Gut of 

 Canso and steered for the Magdalen Islands, where they 



