16 AUDUBON 



ship that brought me from France, whose name was a common 

 one, John Smith, took particular charge of me, removed me to 

 Morristown, N. J., and placed me under the care of two Quaker 

 ladies who kept a boarding-house. To their skilful and untiring 

 ministrations I may safely say I owe the prolongation of my life. 

 Letters were forwarded by them to my father's agent, Miers Fisher 

 of Philadelphia, of whom I have more to say hereafter. He came 

 for me in his carriage and removed me to his villa, at a short dis- 

 tance from Philadelphia and on the road toward Trenton. There 

 I would have found myself quite comfortable had not incidents 

 taken place which are so connected with the change in my life as 

 to call immediate attention to them. 



Miers Fisher had been my father's trusted agent for about 

 eighteen years, and the old gentlemen entertained great mutual 

 friendship ; indeed it would seem that Mr. Fisher was actually 

 desirous that I should become a member of his family, and this 

 was evinced within a few days by the manner in which the good 

 Quaker presented me to a daughter of no mean appearance, but 

 toward whom I happened to take an unconquerable dislike. Then 

 he was opposed to music of all descriptions, as well as to dancing, 

 could not bear me to carry a gun, or fishing-rod, and, indeed, 

 condemned most of my amusements. All these things were diffi- 

 culties toward accomplishing a plan which, for aught I know to 

 the contrary, had been premeditated between him and my father, 

 and rankled the heart of the kindly, if somewhat strict Quaker. 

 They troubled me much also ; at times I wished myself anywhere 

 but under the roof of Mr. Fisher, and at last I reminded him 

 that it was his duty to install me on the estate to which my father 

 had sent me. 



One morning, therefore, I was told that the carriage was ready 

 to carry me there, and toward my future home he and I went. 

 You are too well acquainted with the position of Mill Grove for 

 me to allude to that now ; suffice it to say that we reached the 

 former abode of my father about sunset. I was presented to 

 our tenant, William Thomas, who also was a Quaker, and took 

 possession under certain restrictions, which amounted to my 

 not receiving more than enough money per quarter than was 



