Mrs. Perrie. 



79 



bus, Captain John D' FT art, for Shipping Port, Kentucky. 

 Been greatly oppressed while at \vork lately, and greatly 

 tormented by mosquitoes, which prevented my sleeping 

 at night. Much disappointed by one patron at New Or 

 leans, who affected great interest in me, but would noi 

 pay one hundred dollars he owed." 



It happened however that Audubon was not to re- 

 turn to his family as soon as he expected. The voyagf 

 to Shipping Port was cut short by the acceptance of n 

 situation in the family of Mrs. Perrie, who owned a plar 

 tation at Bayou Sara, in Louisiana. The duties acceptec 

 by Audubon were apparently simple enough. He was to 

 teach Mrs. Perrie's daughter drawing during the summer 

 months, at sixty dollars per month. His lessons would 

 absorb one half of the day, and with a young friend, 

 Mason, he was to have the rest of his time free for hunt- 

 ing. Board and lodging were provided for the two friends, 

 and Mrs. Perrie's aim appears to have been to provide 

 an opportunity for Audubon to carry on his pursuits un- 

 der the guise of an employment which would be con- 

 genial, and not interfere with his work. 



" We arrived at the landing at the mouth of the bayou 

 on a hot sultry day, bid adieu to our fellow-passengers, 

 climbed the hill at St. Francisville, and rested a few min- 

 utes at the house of Mr. Swift. Dinner was nearly ready, 

 and we were invited to partake, but I had no heart for it. 

 I wished myself on board the Columbus ; I wished for 

 my beloved Lucy and my dear boys. I felt that I should 

 be awkward at the table ; and a good opportunity having 

 offered me to go to Mr. Perrie's, we walked slowly on, 

 guided by some of the servants, who had been sent, when 

 the family heard of our coming, to bring our luggage, 

 which they found light. 



" The aspect of the country was entirely new to me, 

 and distracted my mind from those objects which are the 



