24 AUDUBON 



come, however, I was ; I found my father hale and hearty, and 

 chere maman as fair and good as ever. Adored maman, peace 

 be with thee ! 



I cannot trouble you with minute accounts of my life in France 

 for the following two years, but will merely tell you that my first 

 object being that of having Da Costa disposed of, this was 

 first effected ; the next was my father's consent to my marriage, 

 and this was acceded to as soon as my good father had received 

 answers to letters written to your grandfather, William Bakewell. 

 In the very lap of comfort my time was happily spent ; I went 

 out shooting and hunting, drew every bird I procured, as well as 

 many other objects of natural history and zoology, though these 

 were not the subjects I had studied under the instruction of the 

 celebrated David. 



It was during this visit that my sister Rosa was married to 

 Gabriel Dupuy Gaudeau, and I now also became acquainted with 

 Ferdinand Rozier, whom you well know. Between Rozier and 

 myself my father formed a partnership to stand good for nine 

 years in America. 



France was at that time in a great state of convulsion ; the re- 

 public had, as it were, dwindled into a half monarchical, half 

 democratic era. Bonaparte was at the height of success, over- 

 flowing the country as the mountain torrent overflows the plains 

 in its course. Levies, or conscriptions, were the order of the 

 day, and my name being French my father felt uneasy lest I 

 should be forced to take part in the political strife of those 

 days. 



I underwent a mockery of an examination, and was received as 

 midshipman in the navy, went to Rochefort, was placed on 

 board a man-of-war, and ran a short cruise. On my return, my 

 father had, in some way, obtained passports for Rozier and me, 

 and we sailed for New York. Never can I forget the day when, 

 at St. Nazaire, an ofiicer came on board to examine the papers of 

 the many passengers. On looking at mine he said : " My dear 

 Mr. Audubon, I wish you joy; would to God that I had such 

 papers ; how thankful I should be to leave unhappy France under 

 the same passport." 



