44 JOHN JAMES AUDUBOlSr 



Leaving his family behind him, he 

 started for New Orleans on a flatboat. 

 He tarried long at Natchez, and did not 

 reach the Crescent City till midwinter. 

 Again he found himself destitute of 

 means, and compelled to resort to por- 

 trait painting. He went on with his 

 bird collecting and bird painting ; in 

 the meantime penetrating the swamps 

 and bayous around the city. 



At this time he seems to have heard of 

 the publication of Wilson's " Ornitho- 

 logy," and tried in vain to get sight of 

 a copy of it. 



In the spring he made an attempt to 

 get an appointment as draughtsman and 

 naturalist to a government expedition 

 that was to leave the next year to survey 

 the new territory ceded to the United 

 States by Spain. He wrote to President 

 Monroe upon the subject, but the ap- 

 pointment never came to him. In March 

 he called upon Vanderlyn, the historical 

 painter, and took with him a portfolio 



