356 Life of Audubon. 



him to believe that I shall always be grateful to him and 

 his wife for their hospitable welcome. When our schoon- 

 er, the Ripley, arrived at Bras-cPOr, I paid a visit to 

 Mr. , the brother-in-law, who lived in a house im- 

 ported from Quebec, which fronted the strait of Belle Isle y 

 and overlooked a small island, over which the eye reach- 

 ed the coast of Newfoundland whenever it was the wind's 

 pleasure to drive away the fogs that usually lay over both 

 coasts. The gentleman and his wife, we were told, were 

 both out on a walk, but would return in a very short time, 

 which they in fact did, when we followed them into the 

 house, which was yet unfinished. The usual immense 

 Dutch stove formed the principal feature of the interior. 

 The lady had once visited the metropolis of Canada, and 

 seemed desirous of acting the part of a ' blue stocking.' 

 Understanding that I knew something of the fine arts, 

 she pointed to several of the vile prints hung on the bare 

 walls, which she said were elegant Italian pictures, and 

 continued her encomiums upon them, assuring me that 

 she had purchased them from an Italian who had come 

 there with a trunk full of them. She had paid a shilling 

 sterling for each, frame included. I could give no answer 

 to the good lady on this subject, but I felt glad to find 

 that she possessed a feeling heart. One of her children 

 had caught a siskin, and was tormenting the poor bird, 

 when she rose from her seat, took the little flutterer from 

 the boy, kissed it, and gently launched it into the air. 

 This made me quite forget the tattle about the fine arts. 

 Some excellent milk was poured out for us in clean 

 glasses. It was a pleasing sight, for not a cow had we 

 yet seen in the country. The lady turned the conversa- 

 tion on music, and asked if I played on any instrument. 

 I answered that I did, but very indifferently. Her forte, she 

 said, was music, of which she was indeed immoderately 

 fond. Her instrument had been sent to Europe to be re- 



