292 LIFE OF AUDUBON. 



the country, was of French extraction, handsome, and sufficiently 

 accomplished to make an excellent companion to a gentleman. 

 A smart girl brought us a luncheon, consisting of bread, cheese, 

 and good port wine, to which, having rowed fourteen or fifteen 

 miles that morning, we helped ourselves in a manner that seemed 

 satisfactory to all parties. Our host gave us newspapers from 

 different parts of the world, and showed us his small but choice 

 collection of books. He inquired after the health of the amiable 

 Captain Bayfield of the Koyal Kavy, and the ofScers under him, 

 and hoped they would give him a call. Having refreshed our- 

 selves, we vyalked out with him, when he pointed to a very small 

 garden where a few vegetables sprouted out anxious to see the 

 sun. Gazing on the desolate country around, I asked him how 

 he had thus secluded himself from the world. For it he had no 

 relish, and although he had received a liberal education and 

 had mixed with society, he never intended to return to it. ' The 

 country round,' said he, ' is all my own much farther than you 

 can see. No fees, no lawyers, no taxes are here. I do pretty 

 much as I choose. My means are ample through my own 

 industry. These vessels come here for seal-skins, seal oil, and 

 salmon, and give me in return all the necessaries, and, indeed, 

 comforts of the life I love to follow ; and what else could the 

 world afford me ?' I spoke of the education of his children. 

 ' My wife and I teach liem all that is useful for them to know, 

 and is not that enough? My girls will marry their countrymen, 

 my sons the daughters of my neighbours, and 1 hope all of them 

 wil live and die in the country.' I said no more, but by way 

 of compensation for the trouble I had given him, purchased 

 from his eldest child a beautiful fox-skin. Few birds, he said, 

 came round him in summer, but in winter thousands of 

 ptarmigans were killed, as well as great numbers of gulls. He 

 had a great dislike to all fishermen and eggers, and I really 

 believe was always glad to see the departure of even the hardy 

 navigators who annually visited him for the sake of his salmon, 

 his seal-skins, and oil. He had more than forty Esquimaux 

 dogs ; and as I was caressing one of them he said, ' Tell my 

 brother-in-law at Bras-d'or that we are all well here, and that 

 after visiting my wife's father I will give him a call.' 



"Now reader, his wife's father resided at the distance of 



