On September 12 Audubon set out on a canvassing tour of Canada, on which he went as far north as Quebec; as he passed his home, he hailed his sons, who were sailing on the river, and the sight of them at this moment brought tears to his eyes. Whitehall, New York, was reached on September 13, St. Johns, Canada, on the following day, and on the 15th he was in Montreal; three days were spent at Quebec (September 16-18), where, as at other points, he met with the most gratifying success. After reaching home in October, the following glowing account of this tour and of the attractions of his new estate on the Hudson was given in a letter to Dr. Benjamin Phillips of London,[191] dated from "New York, 7th Nov., 1842": [Illustration: AUDUBON AFTER A PORTRAIT PAINTED BY JOHN WOODHOUSE AUDUBON ABOUT 1841, NOW IN POSSESSION OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, NEW YORK. PUBLISHED BY COURTESY OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY.] _Audubon to Dr. Benjamin Phillips_ I went on a tramp to the Canadas, leaving our comfortable abode on the 12th of Sepr. last and was absent for a whole month. My Journey extended to something like 1500 miles: during which I visited for the first time, the North-American Gibralter [Quebec], the sight of which was as new to me as it was wonderful in the days of old. The views (for I must speak in the plural) from the Citadel, are as far as I have seen the grandest and the most sublime I ever gazed upon. The St. Laurence River, is noble indeed, and when we know that that stream carried forth to the Atlantic the congregating waters of all our sea-lakes, we must not be astonished at her great breadth, depth, and strength of current to about 60 miles below Montreal. About the latter city that noble stream is intercepted by many rapids, and a vast number of Islands, the latter of which so intersect the view that in some instances it would prove quite out of the question to discover with certainty either of the main shores. I visited the falls of Montmorency, those of the Rivierre Serria and of La Chan[u]diere. I besides made many an acquaintance and a few very valuable friends. At Quebec I sold a copy of our large Work to the Earl of Caledon who also subscribed to our quadrupeds. At Montreal I sold several Copies of our Small Edition of the Birds of America and procured several good names to the quadrupeds. At Kingston where I had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with Sir Charles Bagot and family (all delightful persons) I sold two copies of the large work to both Houses of Parliament, and also procured their double subscriptions to the Animals. Thus I returned home highly pleased with all that I had done and seen. The more perhaps because I procured in the meantime most valuable specimens of rare quadrupeds and a fund of