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
published articles about Audubon; but there is no word of anger
anywhere in the letters or journals, only of regret or pain.[35]
Of Mr. Harris we find this: "July 12, 1824. I drew for Mr. Fairman a
small grouse to be put on a bank-note belonging to the State of
New-Jersey; this procured me the acquaintance of a young man named
Edward Harris of Moorestown, an ornithologist, who told me he had
seen some English Snipes[36] within a few days, and that they bred in
the marshes about him." And also: "July 19th. Young Harris, God bless
him, looked at the drawings I had for sale, and said he would take
them _all_, at my prices. I would have kissed him, but that it is not
the custom in this icy city."
Other friends were made here, almost as valuable as Mr. Harris, though
not as well _loved_, for these two were truly congenial souls, who
never wearied of each other, and between whom there was never a shadow
of difference. Thomas Sully, the artist, Dr. Richard Harlan,[37]
Reuben Haines, Le Sueur,[38] Dr. Mease, and many another honored name
might be given.
In August Philadelphia was quitted, and another period of travel in
search of birds was begun. Of this next year, 1825, no record whatever
can be found besides the episodes of "Niagara" and "Meadville," and
two detached pages of journal. Audubon went to New York, up the
Hudson, along the Great Lakes, then to Pittsburg, and finally to Bayou
Sara, where, having decided to go to England, he made up his mind to
resume at once his classes in drawing, music, and dancing, to make
money for the European journey, for which he never ceased to
accumulate pictures of his beloved birds. Reaching Bayou Sara in
December, 1825, this work at once began by giving lessons in dancing
to the young ladies under my grandmother's care; and Judge Randolph, a
near neighbor, had his sons take lessons in fencing. In these branches
Audubon was so successful that the residents of the village of
Woodville, fifteen miles distant, engaged him for Friday and Saturday
of each week, and here he had over sixty pupils. From the account of
this class I take the following: "I marched to the hall with my violin
under my arm, bowed to the company assembled, tuned my violin; played
a cotillon, and began my lesson by placing the gentlemen in a line.
Oh! patience support me! how I labored before I could promote the
first appearance of elegance or ease of motion; in doing this I first
broke my bow, and then my violin; I then took the ladies and made them
take steps, as I sang in time to accompany their movements."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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