so AUDUBON THE NATURALIST. 



only, that their origin should be mentioned. 

 The proposal was, however, declined. Wilson 

 departed, leaving Audubon disagi-eeably per- 

 plexed as to what reminiscence of this singular 

 occurrence would be retained by him. To his 

 regret he was enlightened, afterwards, on read- 

 ing the following paragraph in "Wilson's Or- 

 nithology." 



" March 23d, 1810. — I bade adieu to Louis- 

 ville, to which place I had four letters of recom- 

 mendation, and was taught to expect much of 

 everything there ; but neither received one act 

 of civility from those to whom I was recom- 

 mended, one subscriber, nor one new bird; 

 though I delivered my letters, ransacked the 

 woods repeatedly, and visited all the characters 

 likely to subscribe. Science or literature has 

 not one friend in this place." 



This bitter record of disappointment, — cer- 

 tainly, in some measure justified by Audubon, 

 — then, apparently, under the happiest auspices, 

 for his own success, was felt by him as a lasting 

 alloy in his pleasurable associations with Louis- 

 ville. After a residence there of two years, Au- 

 dubon's next dwelling was at Henderson, on the 

 Ohio, whither he repaired in 1811. Eemark- 

 able fertility of soil characterizes the Kentuck- 

 ian State. The beauty of its borders, extend- 

 ing along the margin of the most magnificent of 



