148 AUDUBON, THE NATURALIST 
and a mutual understanding, but “upon the least dif- 
ficulty” each should choose one arbitrator, and the two 
thus chosen were authorized to select a third; the part- 
ners were bound to accept the decision thus reached 
without appealing to any court. In the case of the 
death of one of the associates, read the tenth “Article,” 
the survivor should have sole charge of making a set- 
tlement of the business and should report to the proper 
heirs. The survivor, in such an event, would be enti- 
tled to a commission of ten per cent [in addition to his 
one-half interest], but in no case should the partnership 
be dissolved “until after nine years, counting from the 
day of the date of the present [instrument].” As will 
be seen, Audubon and Rozier were unable to fulfill all 
the conditions thus carefully laid down. 
Young Audubon’s dislike of Dacosta, the uncer- 
tainty of the mining project, and other difficulties of 
the situation soon decided the partners to cut short their 
stay at “Mill Grove.” Both were equally interested in 
the lead mine, but after working several months with- 
out success in an attempt to form a mining company, 
they wisely decided to leave such experiments to the 
enthusiastic Dacosta and to seek an opening in trade, 
where the hazard would be no greater and their igno- 
rance less profound. Following the advice of their 
Quaker friend, Miers Fisher, they decided to sell to 
Dacosta their remaining rights in “Mill Grove.” As a 
preliminary it was necessary to divide the property 
which had been held in common by him and Lieutenant 
Audubon since 1804, and this division was effected by 
an agreement drawn up at Philadelphia on the fifth day 
of September, 1806.2 Ten days later the remainder 
2 Among the elder Rozier’s papers was part of an old letterbook be- 
longing to his son; it is written in French, and labeled “Correspondence 
of Ferdinand Rozier.” On one of the four sheets preserved this item 
