AUDUBON’S NEID 307 
back, for he was now confident of being able to live 
by his talents alone. 
Accordingly, he left his wife to care for their two 
boys, and on October 12, 1820, started down river in a 
flatboat, bound for New Orleans. His companions on 
this journey were Captain Cummings,‘ an engineer who 
had been in the government service, to whom Audubon 
became much attached; J oseph R. Mason, a promising 
artist of eighteen, in the rdle of pupil-assistant, and his 
dog “Dash.” Although Audubon had no funds, he was 
careful to provide himself with letters to or from men 
of mark who could be of assistance to him and this cus- 
tom was followed to good effect at a much later day. 
On this occasion he bore recommendations from 
William H. Harrison, who afterwards became Presi- 
dent, to Governor Miller of Arkansas, and from Henry 
Clay, as well as his letter from Rev. Elijah Slack, in 
which it was stated that the naturalist was traveling to 
complete his collection of the birds of the United States 
which he intended to publish at some future time. 
Audubon also wrote a personal letter to Governor 
Miller, fully outlining his plans, and asking for infor- 
mation; he told the Governor that he had been working 
fifteen years, and that his drawings of birds and plants 
were all from nature and life-size, showing that the idea 
of publication which was afterwards realized was then 
fixed in his mind. Audubon kept a careful journal on 
this journey, which extended over a year, the last entry 
being for the close of 1821.” 
4 See Audubon’s letter to Thomas Sully, reproduced in Vol. II, p. 68. In 
his Ohio and Mississippi Rivers Journal Audubon wrote on April 5, 1821: 
“Cap. Cumming left us on the 10 for Phila; the poor man had not one cent 
with him.” 
5 This early journal fills a large unruled book, measuring about 13 by 
8 inches, of 201 pages, beginning with Oct. 12, 1820, and closing with 
December 31, 1821; it forms a part of the John E. Thayer collection of 
