Three Letters to Audubon's "Kentucky Lads" 



^•k*>l?^ -J.- I^T EARLY a century ai^o, in 1809 and 1812, Audubon's 



' '^?C' X^ "-^^^ ^*^"^ were born; Victor in Louisville, and John 



-^^ , __ ' .^: "^^S^^i' ''^ Henderson, Ky., and in speaking of them together 



^^^.s^" he often called them his "Kentucky lads." During their 



boyhood days the father and sons were separated for long 



periods of time by the nature of Audubon's work, which work became 



that of all three, as years went on, and the long months while father and 



sons were thus apart were bridged over by what, for those days, was a 



very frequent correspondence. 



Unfortunately most of these letters have been lost or destroyed; only 

 a few have fallen into my hands — the three given below, written while 

 Audubon was in Edinburgh bringing out the first number of the 

 'Birds,' and a few others written to the "Kentucky lads" when 

 they too had crossed the ocean and were making what at that time was 

 called the "grand tour," though it really covered only a very moderate 

 portion of Europe. 



The letters here given were penned when Victor, a youth of seven- 

 teen, was in the office of an uncle by marriage, Mr. Nicholas Berthoud, 

 in Louisville, and John, three years younger, was with his mother on a 

 plantation in Louisiana, near Bayou Sara. They are simple letters, but 

 show the companionship that existed between Audubon and his boys, and 

 the intense desire the former had that no talent or opportunity should 

 be neglected by those whose welfare he had at heart, and who were so 

 dear to him. — Maria R. Audubon. 



FIRST LETTER 



Edinburgh, Scotland, 



Saturday, October 2S, 1826. 



My dear Johnny: 



I am writing to you from the place where I wish most you could 

 have been educated. It is a most beautiful city, perhaps the most so I 

 have ever seen; its situation is delightful, not far from the sea, running 

 on two parallel hills, ornamented with highly finished monuments, and 

 guarded by perhaps impregnable castles. The streets are all laid at right 

 angles in that portion of it which is called the New Town — are well 

 paved and cleaned, and lighted by gas. I have been here now three 

 days. I came from Manchester in a public coach that carried four inside 

 passengers and ten outside, or rather, on the top, besides a guard and a 

 driver, and all the luggage. I sometimes stayed inside, and sometimes 



