18 JOHN JAMES AUDUBON 



The cause of his wrath was this ; a 

 lead mine had been discovered upon the 

 farm of Mill Grove, and Audubon had 

 applied to his father for counsel in regard 

 to it. In response, the elder Audubon 

 had sent over a man by the name of Da 

 Costa who was to act as his son's partner 

 and partial guardian was to teach him 

 mineralogy and mining engineering, and 

 to look after his finances generally. But 

 the man, Audubon says, knew nothing 

 of the subjects he was supposed to teach, 

 and was, besides, "a covetous wretch, 

 who did all he could to ruin my father, 

 and, indeed, swindled both of us to a 

 large amount. " Da Costa pushed his 

 authority so far as to object to Audu- 

 bon' s proposed union with Lucy Bake- 

 well, as being a marriage beneath him, 

 and finally plotted to get the young man 

 off to India. These things very naturally 

 kindled Audubon' s quick temper, and 

 he demanded of his tutor and guardian 

 money enough to take him to France 



