42 LIFE OF AUDUBON. 



CHAPTEE IX. 



Addubon Suffers feom new Misfortunes — Seventeen Thousand Dol- 

 lars Lost — Transfers his Father's Property to his Sister — 

 Starts in Business at Hendehsonvillb, and Succeeds — Eefuses a 

 Commission in an Expedition to South America — Narrow Escape 



FROM A EUPFIAN — ERECTION OP A MlLL AND EeNEWBD MISFORTUNES 



— ^MovES TO Louisville — Commences to Draw Portraits — Ensagb- 

 MENT at Cincinnati Museum. 



While resident at Hendersonville, Audubon entered upon a 

 new adventure with his brother-in-law to carry on business at 

 New Orleans, under the firm of " Audubon & Go." In this 

 speculation he embarked all the fortune at his disposal; but 

 instead of attending to his interests he remained hunting in 

 Kentucky, and soon afterwards was informed that all his money 

 had been swept away in business misadventures. 



At this juncture the father of Audubon died ; but from some 

 unfortunate cause he did not receive legal notice for more than 

 a year. On becoming acquainted with the fact he travelled to 

 Philadelphia to obtain funds, but was unsuccessful. His father 

 had left him his property in France of La G-ubitiere, and 

 seventeen thousand dollars which had been deposited with a 

 merchant in Eichmond, Yirginia. Audubon, however, took no 

 steps to obtain possession of his estate in France, and in after 

 years, when his sons had grown up, sent one of them to France, 

 for the purpose of legally transferring the property to his own 

 sister Eosa. The merchant who held possession of the seventeen 

 thousand dollars would not deliver them up until Audubon 

 proved himself to be the son of Captain Audubon. Before this 

 could be done the merchant died insolvent, and the legatee never 



