CHAPTER XXVI. 



Rettirii to Boston — Wanderings in the Neighborhood— Voyage to Lab' 

 radar in the Schooner Ripley — Misadventures at Little River — 

 Seal and Mud Islands — The Gnt of Cansean. 



ROM Frederickton Audubon returned in a private 

 conveyance to Houlton, thence along the United 

 States military road to Bangor, and thence by 

 public stages to Boston, where he arrived early in Octo- 

 ber. Finding that it would improve his great work on 

 the " Birds " to remain another year in America, and visit 

 parts of the country yet unexplored by him, Audubon 

 determined to send his eldest son Victor to England, to 

 superintend the engraving, and to look after his general 

 interests there. Victor Audubon accordingly sailed from 

 New York for Liverpool, toward the end of October, while 

 his father remained in Boston during that and the following 

 winter, actively engaged in making drawings of new birds 

 which he had discovered, and also in redrawing and 

 greatly improving some of his older drawings. He also 

 made frequent excursions into the surrounding country. 

 " Here," says the Journal, " I was witness to the melan- 

 choly death of the great Spurzheim, and was myself sud- 

 denly attacked by a short but severe illness, which greatly 

 alarmed my family ; but thanks to Providence and my 

 medical friends, Parkman, Shattuck, and Warren, I was 

 soon enabled to proceed with my labor — a sedentary Hfe 

 and too close application being the cause assigned for 

 my indisposition. I resolved to set out again in quest of 

 fresh materials for my pencil and pen. My wishes direct- 



