Audubon and His Journals, Volume 1Audubon, John James
History
Audubon and His Journals, Volume 1
Audubon, John James
Audubon, John James, 1785-1851 -- Diaries; Birds -- North America; Naturalists -- United States -- Diaries
On landing at New York I caught the yellow fever by walking to
the bank at Greenwich to get the money to which my father's
letter of credit entitled me. The kind man who commanded the
ship that brought me from France, whose name was a common one,
John Smith, took particular charge of me, removed me to
Morristown, N.J., and placed me under the care of two Quaker
ladies who kept a boarding-house. To their skilful and untiring
ministrations I may safely say I owe the prolongation of my
life. Letters were forwarded by them to my father's agent, Miers
Fisher of Philadelphia, of whom I have more to say hereafter. He
came for me in his carriage and removed me to his villa, at a
short distance from Philadelphia and on the road toward Trenton.
There I would have found myself quite comfortable had not
incidents taken place which are so connected with the change in
my life as to call immediate attention to them.
Miers Fisher had been my father's trusted agent for about
eighteen years, and the old gentlemen entertained great mutual
friendship; indeed it would seem that Mr. Fisher was actually
desirous that I should become a member of his family, and this
was evinced within a few days by the manner in which the good
Quaker presented me to a daughter of no mean appearance, but
toward whom I happened to take an unconquerable dislike. Then he
was opposed to music of all descriptions, as well as to dancing,
could not bear me to carry a gun, or fishing-rod, and, indeed,
condemned most of my amusements. All these things were
difficulties toward accomplishing a plan which, for aught I know
to the contrary, had been premeditated between him and my
father, and rankled the heart of the kindly, if somewhat strict
Quaker. They troubled me much also; at times I wished myself
anywhere but under the roof of Mr. Fisher, and at last I
reminded him that it was his duty to install me on the estate to
which my father had sent me.
One morning, therefore, I was told that the carriage was ready
to carry me there, and toward my future home he and I went. You
are too well acquainted with the position of Mill Grove for me
to allude to that now; suffice it to say that we reached the
former abode of my father about sunset. I was presented to our
tenant, William Thomas, who also was a Quaker, and took
possession under certain restrictions, which amounted to my not
receiving more than enough money per quarter than was
considered sufficient for the expenditure of a young
gentleman.
[Illustration: MILL GROVE MANSION ON THE PERKIOMEN CREEK.
FROM A PHOTOGRAPH FROM W. H. WETHERILL, ESQ.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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