194 AUDUBON, THE NATURALIST 



March, 1808, he left Rozier in Kentucky and returned 

 to Pennsylvania. No time was lost in making known 

 his plans to Lucy Bake well and her family, and having 

 received their approval, the lovers prepared for the ad- 

 venturous journey that was to celebrate their wedding. 

 Audubon was married to Miss Bake well, at "Fatland 

 Ford," on Friday, April 8, 1808, by the Reverend Doc- 

 tor Latimer, an Episcopal clergyman of Philadelphia, 

 and on the next morning started with his bride for the 

 frontier. This event must be regarded as the most 

 auspicious in his career, for in all probability the world 

 would never have heard of Audubon had it not been for 

 the spur to his ambition and the balance wheel to his 

 character which came through his admirable wife. 



The first stage of their honeymoon involved the long 

 ride of over 250 miles to Pittsburgh, the hazards and 

 discomforts of which we have learned from Rozier's 

 description; it was marked in this instance by an acci- 

 dent, for in crossing the Alleghany mountains their 

 coach was upset and Mrs. Audubon did not escape with- 

 out severe bruises. At Pittsburgh the Audubons met a 

 number of young emigrants bound westward like them- 

 selves, and in their company they prepared to float down 

 the beautiful Ohio in a flatboat or ark. Their entire 

 journey, which, owing to the windings of the river, could 

 not have been much less than a thousand miles, was 

 made in twelve days, and without further mishap. 



The wild and varied beauty of the Ohio of that day 

 had great attractions for the naturalist, wiio often re- 

 gretted that no facile writer had left a true and vivid 

 picture of it for the benefit of posterity, for he foresaw 

 with great concern the inevitable changes which advanc- 

 ing civilization would quickly produce along its delight- 

 ful banks. Audubon traversed this mighty highway 



