40 AUDUBON, THE NATURALIST 
dated at Les Cayes, September 16, 1785, Jean is cred- 
ited with one-half the net proceeds of the sale of forty 
negroes, bought originally of M. Th. Johnston for the 
sum of 60,000 francs, and sold by Jean Audubon and 
Messrs. La Croix, Formon & Jacques for 71,552 francs; 
after deducting 183 francs for food and treatment, the 
net returns became 71,369 francs, and Jean’s profits, 
on a half-interest basis, 5,684 francs, or about 142 
francs per head. The prices of these slaves, which were 
sold to planters on the island when not retained for 
their own use, ranged from 1,500 to 2,100 francs, or 
from $300 to $420, at the present rate of exchange. It 
is interesting to notice that while these negroes were held 
for sale, the exact period of which is not stated, they re- 
ceived as food eighty bunches of bananas and three beef 
heads; though under the care of a physician, it is not 
surprising to find that one of them died. Another bill, 
bearing date of August 7, 1785, records the sale to Jean 
Audubon of ten negroes and three negresses for a total 
sum of 26,000 francs; 16,000 francs of this amount was 
paid in sugar, but what is particularly interesting now 
is the fact that a balance of 2,000 francs was finally can- 
celled on June 9, 1788, a year or more after Jean Audu- 
bon, according to the accepted accounts, is supposed to 
have lost his wife and his property and to have fled from 
the island. Mme. Anne Moynet Audubon never visited 
America, and her husband, as we have seen, left Santo 
Domingo in 1789, before the outbreak of the revolu- 
tion. His property remained substantially intact until 
after 1792, and in some years, it is believed, yielded 
him in rents 90,000 francs, which at present rates in 
American money would be equivalent to $18,000. In 
giving his certificate of residence at Nantes in that 
eventful year, Captain Audubon publicly declared that 
