xxx AUDUBON THE NATURALIST 



October 81. Leaves abruptly and returns with Mason to New 

 Orleans, where he again becomes a drawing teacher, and 

 resumes his studies of birds with even greater avidity. 



December. Is joined by his family, and winter finds them in 

 dire straits. 



March 16. To Natchez with Mason, paying their passage by 

 doing portraits of the captain and his wife; while on the 

 way finds that many of his drawings have been seriously 

 damaged by gunpowder; teaches French, drawing and 

 dancing at Natchez, and Washington, Mississippi. 



July %3. Parts with Mason, after giving him his gun, paper 

 and chalks, with which to work his way north. 



September. Mrs. Audubon, who was acting as governess in a 

 family at New Orleans, joins him at Natchez, where she 

 obtains a similar position. 



Receives his first lessons in the use of oils from John Stein, 

 itinerant portrait painter, in Natchez, at close of this 

 year. 



1823 



January. Mrs. Audubon is engaged by the Percys, of West 

 Feliciana parish, Louisiana, and starts a private school at 

 "Beechwoods," belonging to their plantation, in St. Fran- 

 cisville, where she remains five years. 



March. Audubon leaves Natchez with John Stein and Victor 

 on a painting tour of the South, but meeting with little suc- 

 cess, they disband at New Orleans; visits his wife, and 

 spends part of summer in teaching her pupils music and 

 drawing. 



Adrift again; both he and Victor are taken ill with fever at 

 Natchez, but when nursed back to health by Mrs. Audu- 

 bon, they return with her to "Beechwoods." 



September 30. Determined to visit Philadelphia in the inter- 

 ests of his "Ornithology," he sends on his drawings and 

 goes to New Orleans for references. 



October 3. Starts with Victor for Louisville, walking part of 

 the way. 



