174 LIFE OF AUDUBON. 



Audubon had only one sovereign left in his poeket, and did not 

 know of a single individual to whom he could apply to borrow 

 another, when he was on the verge of failure in the very 

 beginning of his undertaking ; and above all, who would believe 

 that he extricated himself from all his diiBculties, not by bo>i:row- 

 ing money, but by rising at four o'clock in the morning, work- 

 ing hard all day, and disposing of his works at a. price which a 

 common labourer would have thought little more than sufficient 

 remuneration for his work ? To give you an idea of my actual 

 difficulties during the publication of my first volume, it will be 

 sufficient to say, that in the four years required to bring that 

 volume before the world, no less than fifty of my subscribers, 

 representing the sum of fifty-six thousand dollars, abandoned 

 me ! And whenever a few withdrew I was forced to leave 

 London, and go to the provinces to obtain others to supply their 

 places, in order to enable me to raise the money to meet the 

 expenses of engraving, colouring, paper, printing, &c. ; and that 

 with all my constant exertions, fatigues, and vexations, I find 

 myself now having but one hundred and thirty standing names 

 on my list. 



" England is most wealthy, and among her swarms of inhabi- 

 tants there are many whom I personally kUow, and to whom, if 

 I were to open my heart, there would be a readiness to help me 

 for the sake of science ; but my heart revolts from asking such 

 a favour, and I will continue to trust in that Providence which 

 has helped me thus far." 



The sixth volume of the journal abruptly ends with the above 

 paragraph. But intimations are given in the last chapter of 

 Audubon's intention to return to America as soon as possible. 

 He knew of regions which he had not explored, where he felt 

 confident he could make large additions of new birds to his 

 collection ; and anxious to enrich his store, after making the 

 same careful preparations as before to have his work go on 

 during his absence, he sailed once more for his native land. 



