AUDUBON 33 



on what he was pleased to call " his Safe Guard." I listened, it 

 is true, but looked more at the heavens than on his face, and in 

 the former found so much more of peace than of war that I con- 

 cluded not to accompany him. 



When our boats arrived at Henderson, he landed with me, 

 purchased many horses, hired some men, and coaxed others, to 

 accompany him, purchased a young negro from me, presented 

 me with a splendid Spanish dagger and my wife with a ring, and 

 went off overland toward Natchez, with a view of there gathering 

 recruits. 



I now purchased a ground lot of four acres, and a meadow of 

 four more at the back of the first. On the latter stood several 

 buildings, an excellent orchard, etc., lately the property of an 

 English doctor, who had died on the premises, and left the 

 whole to a servant woman as a gift, from whom it came to me as 

 a freehold. The pleasures which I have felt at Henderson, and 

 under the roof of that log cabin, can never be effaced from my 

 heart until after death. The little stock of goods brought from 

 Louisville answered perfectly, and in less than twelve months I 

 had again risen in the world. I purchased adjoining land, and 

 was doing extremely well when Thomas Bakewell came once 

 more on the tapis, and joined me in commerce. We prospered 

 at a round rate for a while, but unfortunately for me, he took it 

 into his brain to persuade me to erect a steam- mill at Henderson, 

 and to join to our partnership an Englishman of the name of 

 Thomas Pears, now dead. 



Well, up went the steam-mill at an enormous expense, in a 

 country then as unfit for such a thing as it would be now for me 

 to attempt to settle in the moon. Thomas Pears came to Hender- 

 son with his wife and family of children, the mill was raised, and 

 worked very badly. Thomas Pears lost his money and we lost 

 ours. 



It was now our misfortune to add other partners and petty 

 agents to our concern ; suffice it for me to tell you, nay, to assure 

 you, that I was gulled by all these men. The new-born Kentucky 

 banks nearly all broke in quick succession ; and again we started 

 with a new set of partners ; these were your present uncle N. Ber- 

 VOL. i. — 3 



