170 JOHN JAMES AUDUBON. 



hundred varieties of birds from life. Arriving in 

 New York, he became ill of yellow fever, and was 

 carried to the home of two Quaker ladies in 

 Morristown, whose kindness doubtless saved his 

 life. 



When he had recovered, he went to his father's 

 farm at Mill Grove, near the Schuylkill Falls, 

 Pennsylvania, and found, as he said, "a blessed 

 spot." He was free, now, to study natural history ; 

 no more mathematics ; no more urging to become 

 a soldier. He was delighted with the mill 

 attached to the property, and with the pewees who 

 built their nests near by. " Hunting, fishing, and 

 drawing occupied my every moment," he says ; 

 " cares I knew not, and cared nothing for them." 



An English gentleman, William Bake well, 

 descended from the Peverils of Derbyshire, ren- 

 dered historical by Scott's novel " Peveril of the 

 Peak," owned the adjoining property. Audubon, 

 being French, did not court the acquaintance of the 

 Englishman, indeed avoided him, till one day, as 

 he was following some grouse down the creek in 

 winter, he met Mr. Bakewell. 



"I was struck with the kind politeness of his 

 manners," says Audubon, "and found him a most 

 expert marksman, and entered into conversation. 

 I admired the beauty of his well trained dogs, and 

 finally promised to call upon him and his family. 

 Well do I recollect the morning, and may it please 

 God may I never forget it, when for the first time 

 I entered the Bakewell household. It happened 



