134 AUDUBON, THE NATURALIST 



that he would be only too glad to leave his unhappy 

 country under as favorable conditions. Audubon and 

 Rozier sailed from Nantes on Saturday, April 12, 1806, 

 on the ship Polly, Captain Sammis, but they did not 

 land in New York until Tuesday, May 28, after a 

 perilous voyage of nearly eight weeks. A fortnight had 

 been passed at sea when they sighted a suspicious look- 

 ing vessel which immediately gave chase, fired several 

 shots across their bows, and compelled the captain to 

 heave to and submit to being boarded and searched. 

 This proved to be an English privateer, named the 





RECEIPT GIVEN BY CAPTAIN S. SAMMIS OF THE a POLLY" TO AUDUBON AND FERDI- 

 NAND ROZIER FOR THEIR PASSAGE MONEY FROM NANTES TO NEW YORK. 



From the Tom J. Rozier MSS. 



Rattlesnake. She was rather considerate for a British 

 cruiser of the period, for she merely impressed two of 

 their best seamen and robbed them of their provisions, 

 carrying off, said Audubon, all of their "pigs, sheep, 

 coffee and wine," 8 in spite of loud remonstrances of the 

 captain and of an American Congressman who hap- 



8 In the register of the Central Committee of Nantes it is noted, 

 under date of October 4, 1793, that "owing to the friendly relations 

 then existing between France and the citizens of the United States, and 

 to the good feeling evinced by them in sending to us for food, four 

 American ships are accordingly permitted to leave the port of Nantes, 

 with cargoes of wine, sugar, and coffee, and also to take enough biscuit 

 for the voyage." 



