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
This same "medley crowd" appears to have comprised many refugees from
the rule of Napoleon, this being about 1806, and the amusements were
varied, including both gaming and dancing. To quote again: "Among the
passengers was a handsome Virginian girl, young and graceful. She was
constantly honored by the attentions of two Frenchmen who belonged to
the nobility; both were fine young fellows, travelling, as was not
uncommon then, under assumed names. One lovely day the bonnet of the
fair lady was struck by a rope and knocked overboard. One of the
French chevaliers at once leaped into the ocean, captured the bonnet,
and had the good fortune to be picked up himself by the yawl. On
reaching the deck he presented the bonnet with a graceful obeisance
and perfect _sang froid_, while the rival looked at him as black as a
raven. No more was heard of the matter till dawn, when reports of
firearms were heard; the alarm was general, as we feared pirates. On
gaining the deck it was found that a challenge had been given and
accepted, a duel had positively taken place, ending, alas! in the
death of the rescuer of the bonnet. The young lady felt this deeply,
and indeed it rendered us all very uncomfortable."
The voyage ended, Audubon returned to Mill Grove, where he remained
some little time before his marriage to Lucy Bakewell. It was a home
he always loved, and never spoke of without deep feeling. His
sensitive nature, romantic if you will, was always more or less
affected by environment, and Mill Grove was a most congenial spot to
him.
This beautiful estate in Montgomery Co., Pa., lies in a lovely part of
the country. The house, on a gentle eminence, almost a natural
terrace, overlooks, towards the west, the rapid waters of Perkiomen
Creek, which just below empties into the Schuylkill river, across
which to the south is the historic ground of Valley Forge. The
property has remained in the Wetherill family nearly ever since
Audubon sold it to Samuel Wetherill in 1813. The present owner[20]
delights to treasure every trace of the bird lover, and not only makes
no changes in anything that he can in the least degree associate with
him, but has added many photographs and engravings of Audubon which
adorn his walls.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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