CHAPTER XXXV 



FINAL WORK DAYS 



Painting the Quadrupeds — Assistance of Bachman and Audubon's sons — 

 Copper plates of the Birds go through the fire in New York— Audubon 

 a spectator at the ruins — Bachman's ultimatum — Success of the illustra- 

 tions of the Quadrupeds — Bachman's letterpress — Recommendation of 

 Baird — John W. Audubon in London — Bachman's assistants — His life 

 and labors — Decline of Audubon's powers — Dr. Brewer's visit — Audu- 

 bon's last letters — His death at "Minnie's Land." 



After 1844 Audubon's remaining energies were de- 

 voted exclusively to his work on the Quadrupeds, in 

 which it is necessary to discriminate between the large 

 folio of illustrations, which began to appear, in parts, 

 as early as 1842 and which was completed in 1846; the 

 text, of which he lived to see but one volume finished; 

 and lastly, the first and only composite edition of both 

 text and plates, which was published by Victor Audubon 

 in 1854. 1 This series of works, as already noticed, was 

 produced in collaboration with the Reverend John 

 Bachman, of Charleston, South Carolina; Bachman as- 

 sumed entire responsibility for the text, but owing to 

 his comparative isolation from large libraries, and to 

 the demands of professional duties, he depended on the 

 Audubons to supply him with specimens and books. 



Honest John Bachman, whose motto was, "Nature, 

 Truth, and no Humbug," was suffering sadly, he said, 

 from lack of tools, when he wrote to Victor Audubon in 

 November, 1844: 2 



1 See Bibliography, Nos. 5-7. 



2 See C. L. Bachman, John Bachman, D.D., LL.D., Ph.D. (Bibl. No. 

 191). 



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