268 AUDUBON, THE NATURALIST 



This letter was sent to Henderson, Kentucky, more 

 than a year after the naturalist had finally left that 

 state; at the moment it was written he was making his 

 way down the Ohio River to New Orleans in a flatboat, 

 "the poorest man aboard," as he thought at the time. 

 Writing in his journal on December 26, 1820, when 

 they had touched at Natchez, Audubon said that on 

 that day he had received letters from his wife, who was 

 then at Cincinnati, written on November 7 and 14, and 

 that the last "contained one from my brother, G. Loyen 

 Dupuigaudeau, dated July 24, 1820." If the month in 

 this instance was misnamed, this might have been the 

 following letter, which was written at Coueron on the 

 twenty-fourth of June, 1820, and sent to Henderson 

 like the last. 



Two years have passed without our having any news of 

 you. What a long lapse of time, and in what anxiety are we 

 plunged ! In God's name give us some news about yourself, if 

 it be but a word to set us at rest in regard to your condition. 

 I should not know how to persuade myself that you were not 

 on friendly terms with me, since I have given you no cause 

 [for grievance] ; if it is so, be generous enough to relieve me 

 from this anxiety. The business matters of Mr. Audubon are 

 at last concluded, and I await only the return of the papers 

 from Cayes to set them in order with justice [to all]. 11 



Profiting by an opportunity for New York, I have only 

 time to refer to my letters of 15 September, 30 October, 19 

 December, 1818, 1st February, 15 April, 15 May, 3d August, 

 1819, in all their contents. 



Madam Audubon is coming to live with us ; she found her- 

 self isolated at "La Gerbetiere," and was very dull there; I 

 wish that she may be contented here. She does not cease to 



"This reference is evidently to the litigation over Lieutenant Audu- 

 bon's will and the final disposition of his estate. 



