JOHN JAMES AUDUBON. 181 



ment. I was fortunate in making a hit with, the 

 portrait of a well known citizen of New Orleans. 

 I showed it to the public; it made a favorable 

 impression, and I obtained several patrons. A few 

 orders for portraits relieved my necessities, and, 

 continuing my work of painting birds, the time 

 passed more pleasantly." 



He was always planning for wider opportunities 

 to study birds for his book. In the midst of his 

 dire poverty, he did not forget this. Now he hoped 

 to join the expedition which surveyed the boundary 

 line of the territory ceded to the United States by 

 Spain, and he says, " Saw nothing but hundreds of 

 new birds in imagination within range of my gun." 

 But this, like other plans, came to naught, for 

 poverty binds with strong cords, and it requires 

 almost superhuman strength to break them. 



At last, in the family of Mrs. Perrie, whs owned 

 a plantation at Bayou Sara, in Louisiana, he ob- 

 tained a situation. He was to teach drawing to 

 her daughter for twelve pounds a month, having his 

 afternoons for his work. Her desire was, under the 

 guise of employment, to help the poor naturalist. 



After fourteen months since leaving Cincinnati, 

 during which time, he says, "I have finished sixty- 

 two drawing of birds and plants, three quadrupeds, 

 t\vo snakes, fifty portraits of all sorts, and have 

 subsisted by my humble talents, not Saving had a 

 dollar when I started," he sent for his family to 

 come to him. A house was rented on Dauphine 

 Street, at seventeen dollars a month. Now if they 



