INTRODUCTION 



' I "HE Labrador trip, long contemplated, was 

 made with the usual object, that of procur- 

 ing birds and making the drawings of them for the 

 continuation of the " Birds of America," the pub- 

 lication of which was being carried on by the 

 Havells, under the supervision of Victor, the elder 

 son, who was in London at this time. To him 

 Audubon writes from Eastport, Maine, under date 

 of May 31, 1833: — 



" We are on the eve of our departure for the 

 coast of Labrador. Our party consists of young Dr. 

 George Shattuck of Boston, Thomas Lincoln of 

 Dennysville, William Ingalls, son of Dr. Ingalls of 

 Boston, Joseph Coolidge, John, and myself. I have 

 chartered a schooner called the ' Ripley,' com- 

 manded by Captain Emery, who was at school with 

 my friend Lincoln; he is reputed to be a gentleman, 

 as well as a good sailor. Coolidge, too, has been 

 bred to the sea, and is a fine, active youth of twenty- 

 one. The schooner is a new vessel, only a year 

 old, of 106 tons, for which we pay three hundred 

 and fifty dollars per month for the entire use of 

 the vessel with the men, but we supply ourselves 



