118 AUDUBON, THE NATURALIST 
upon this subject. My son speaks to me about his marriage. 
If you would have the kindness to inform me about his in- 
tended, as well as about her parents, their manners, their con- 
duct, their means, and why they are in that country, whether 
it was in consequence of misfortune that they left Europe, 
you will be doing me a signal service, and I beg you, moreover, 
to oppose this marriage until I may give my consent to it. 
Tell these good people that my son is not at all rich, and that 
I can give him nothing if he marries in this condition. 
Jean Audubon to Francis Dacosta 
Nantes, le 19 ventose, an 13 9 March, 1805 
Mr. Dacosta, Philadelphia: 
I have received at this very moment your duplicate of the 
twelfth of November, and your letter of December fifth, which is 
not so favorable for several reasons as the one preceding it, yet 
this impels us to hope that your last tunnel will not be a de- 
serter, and that the oxides of iron which are present will not 
vanish upon further digging; this, at least, is my hope. You do 
well to make every effort to obtain associates. If this does not 
succeed, and if you should wish to work for our interests, I 
should always approve of everything that you do, since you 
have my confidence. In this case I believe . . . that you should 
make the most urgent repairs, above all at the principal house, 
before going there to live. As to Mr. W. Thomas, you do 
well to keep him for yourself for every reason that you give 
me, and I believe that he will not be stubborn about withdrawing 
until he has, or has not, deserved his reward. 
I am [vexed] Sir; one cannot be more vexed at the fact that 
you should have reason to complain about the conduct of my 
son, for the whole thing, when well considered, is due only to 
bad advice, and lack of experience; they have goaded his self- 
esteem, and perhaps he has been immature enough to boast in 
the house to which he goes, that this plantation should fall to 
him, to him alone. You have every means to destroy this pre- 
sumption; it is known at Philadelphia that you have the same 
