66 LIFE OF AUDUBON. 



and seventy, and twenty-two from the vent to the tail. The 

 heat of the weather was so great that I could devote only 

 sixteen hours to the drawing, 



" October 20. Left Bayou Sara in the Eamapo, with a medley 

 of passengers, and arrived safely in New Orleans. My long, 

 flowing hair, and loose yellow nankeen dress, and the unfortunate 

 cut of my features, attracted much attention, and made me desire 

 to be dressed like other people as soon as possible. My friends 

 the Pamars received me kindly and raised my spirits ; they 

 looked on me as a son returned from a long and dangerous 

 voyage, and children and servants as well as the parents were 

 all glad to see me. 



" October 25. Eented a house in Dauphine Street at seventeen 

 dollars per month, and determined to bring my family to New 

 Orleans. Since I left Cincinnati, October 12, 1820, I have 

 finished sixty-two drawings of birds and plants, three quadru- 

 peds, two snakes, fifty portraits of all sorts, and have subsisted 

 by my humble talents, not having had a dollar when I started. 

 I sent a draft to my wife, and began life in New Orleans with 

 forty-two dollars, health, and much anxiety to pursue my plan 

 of collecting all the birds of America." 



Audubon speaks with boyish gaiety of the comfort which a 

 new suit of clothes gave him. He called on Mrs. Clay with his 

 drawings, but got no work — no pupils. He determined to make 

 a public exhibition of his ornithological drawings. 



Under date November 10, he remarks : " Mr. Basterop called 

 on me, and wished me to join him in painting a panorama of 

 the city ; but my birds, my beloved birds of America, occupy 

 all my time, and nearly all my thoughts, and I do not wish to 

 see any other perspective than the last specimen of these 

 drawings." 



