JOHN JAMES AUDUBON 43 
In 1819 he was offered the position of 
taxidermist in the museum at Cincinnati, 
and soon moved there with his family. 
His pay not being forthcoming from the 
museum, he started a drawing school 
there, and again returned to his por- 
traits. Without these resources, he 
says, he would have been upon the 
starving list. But food was plentiful 
and cheap. He writes in his journal: 
‘‘Our living here is extremely moder- 
ate; the markets are well supplied and 
cheap, beef only two and one half cents 
@ pound, and I am able to supply a good 
deal myself. Partridges are frequently 
in the streets, and I can shoot wild tur- 
keys within a mile or so. Squirrels and 
Woodcock are very abundant in the 
season, and fish always easily caught.’’ 
In October, 1820, we again find him 
adrift, apparently with thought of hav- 
ing his bird drawings published, after he 
shall have further added to them by 
going through many of the southern 
and western states. 
