46 JOHN JAMES AUDUBON 

 of each day to follow his own pursuits. 

 He continued in this position till October 

 when he took steamer for New Orleans. 

 "My long, flowing hair, and loose yel- 

 low nankeen dress, and the unfortunate 

 cut of my features, attracted much atten- 

 tion, and made me desire to be dressed 

 like other people as soon as possible." 



He now rented a house in New Orleans 

 on Dauphine street, and determined to 

 send for his family. Since he had left 

 Cincinnati the previous autumn, he had 

 finished sixty-two drawings of birds and 

 plants, three quadrupeds, two snakes, 

 fifty portraits of all sorts, and had lived 

 by his talents, not having had a dollar 

 when he started. " I sent a draft to my 

 wife, and began life in New Orleans 

 with forty-two dollars, health, and much 

 eagerness to pursue my plan of collecting 

 all the birds of America. 77 



His family, after strong persuasion, 

 joined him in December, 1821, and his 

 former life of drawing portraits, giving 



