312 AUDUBON 



seats in a cart, and returned to Paris along a road with a 

 double line of vehicles of all sorts going both ways. Every 

 few rods were guards on foot, and gens d'armes on horse- 

 back, to see that all went well ; and we at last reached our 

 hotel, tired and dusty, but pleased with all we had seen, 

 and at having had such an opportunity to see, to compare, 

 and to judge of the habits of a people so widely different 

 from either Americans or English. 



September 8. We went to pay our respects to Baron 

 Cuvier and Geoffroy St. Hilaire ; l we saw only the first, 

 who told us to be at the Acad^mie Royale des Sciences in 

 an hour. I had hired a portfolio, and took my work. As 

 soon as we entered, Baron Cuvier very politely came to us, 

 ordered a porter to put my book on a table, and gave me 

 a seat of honor. The seance was opened by a tedious lec- 

 ture on the vision of the Mole ; then Cuvier arose, announc- 

 ing my friend Swainson and me and spoke of my work ; it 

 was shown and admired as usual, and Cuvier requested to 

 review it for the " Memoires of the Academy." Poor Au- 

 dubon ! here thou art, a simple woodsman, among a crowd 

 of talented men, yet kindly received by all — so are the 

 works of God as shown in His birds loved by them. I left 

 my book, that the librarian might show it to all who wished 

 to see it. 



September 9. Went to the Jardin du Roi, where I met 

 young Geoffroy, who took me to a man who stuffs birds 

 for the Prince d'Essling, who, I was told, had a copy of my 

 work, but after much talk could not make out whether it 

 was Wilson's, Selby's, or mine. I am to call on him to- 

 morrow. I took a great walk round the Boulevards, look- 

 ing around me and thinking how curious my life has been, 

 and how wonderful my present situation is. I took Mrs. 

 Swainson to the Louvre, and as we were about to pass one 

 of the gates of the Tuileries, the sentinel stopped us, saying 

 no one could pass with a fur cap ; so we went to another 

 1 Isidore Geoffroy St. Hilaire, 1805-1861, zoologist. 



