The Audubon Magazine 



Vol. I. 



SEPTEMBER, 1887. 



No. 8 



JOHN JAMES AUDUBON. 



THE sun of Audubon's life was sinking 

 westward and the indomitable spirit 

 and energy were breaking, but still he could 

 not resign himself to idleness. He began 

 preparing his last great work, which was a 

 reduced copy of the English publication. 



For many years one of Audubon's great- 

 est desires had been to see the great plains 

 of the West and the Rocky Mountains. It 

 was a hope which was always with him, and 

 now, when the infirmities of age were be- 

 ginning to creep upon him, he felt that no 

 time must be lost if he would realize this 

 long cherished wish. So, after settling his 

 family in their home at Minnie's Land, in 

 what is now called Audubon Park, he turned 

 his face toward the West. 



It was in March, 1843, that he left New 

 York for Philadelphia, where he was joined 

 by his friends, Edward Harris, Isaac Sprague, 

 Lewis Squires, John G. Bell and Jedediah 

 Irish, who were to be his companions on his 

 long journey. The party proceeded to Cin- 

 cinnati and St. Louis, and ascending the 

 Missouri River reached Fort Leavenworth 

 early in May. The journey up the river 

 was full of interest for Audubon, and the 

 journal of the trip contains a very full ac- 

 count of all that was seen. Fort Union, at 

 the mouth of the Yellowstone, was reached 

 June I, and this was the furthest point at- 

 tained. Three months were spent here — 

 months that were full of profit and pleasure 



to the naturalist. New birds and new mam- 

 mals were obtained in considerable num- 

 bers, hunting expeditions were organized, 

 and the Indians v/ere studied. The region 

 proved so full of interest that Audubon was 

 anxious that some of his younger compan- 

 ions should remain there during the winter. 

 For himself this was impossible, since his 

 strength would not endure the rigors of a 

 Northern winter, and he returned home, 

 reaching New York early in October. 



Notwithstanding his age and failing 

 strength, Audubon had no sooner returned 

 from the West than, with his usual energy, 

 he began to work again, and in a little more 

 than two years the first volume of the 

 " Quadrupeds of North America " made its 

 appearance. This was his last work, the 

 remaining volumes of the "Quadrupeds" 

 having been prepared chiefly by his sons, 

 Victor and John Woodhouse. 



The declining years of Audubon's life 

 were passed in New York city at his beauti- 

 ful home on the Hudson River, an estate 

 comprising about twenty-four acres, lying 

 between 155th and 158th streets and Tenth 

 avenue and the river. Here, with his wife, 

 his children, and his children's children, the 

 naturalist lived simply but very happily, sur- 

 rounded by those wild creatures among 

 which had been spent so much of the grand 

 life that was now drawing peacefully to its 

 close. The woods were full of birds, and 



