North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-02-12
rFyJh, Ike Meao York Herald.1 S
Mrmo1R OF JOHN JAMES AUDItBON.

q SeVenIy-Sl4,
and has gone down to the grave, leaving name dis
tingushed among the scientific men of every nation
! "a name earned by steady perseverance in the
beautiful field of ornlthology, the cultivation of which
demands fancy, ase' judgment and general love Oh
nature. F.t rst -
Mr. Audubon was born plantation in Louisiana,
near New Orleans. His parents were French, his
father being an admiral in the navy of France and it
is said, friend of Washington's. The Audubon
family still preserve the likenesses of the Admiral
and of our first Commander-in- Chief, which were
painted in the camp at Valley Forge. 1t was on this
occasion that Washington sat for the first time to
painter After passinghs early boyhood in Louisiana,
young Audubon was taken by his father to France,
where the rudiments of his future education were inn
parted TO him. His return was delayed until ne was
about eighteen years old, when his natural activity OF
mind began to show itself, modified only by the
garb in which the Instructions of his French tutors
had mantled it. 1t in Paris that he first increased
his early love for the of painting; and whilst there
he was guided in bis studies by the celebrated David,
whose oriental colorlng doubt captvated his youth
full fancy. In the of science, also, he had ia
ken uncommon delight, and thus prepared for
those future experiences, which, eventually. made up
a history once valuable and romantic.
On arriving years of maturity, his father gave
him residence the fruitful banks of the Schylkill,
and all that wealth and luxury could do to bind his
ambitious love of nature there surrounded him. He
hear in the sunshine of his fancy the songs
of the winged inhabitants of the western wilds,
pictured his imagination the still brighter plumage
of the myriads of birds of the American tropics. We
find him accordingly, in 1910, in uncovered skif,
ccompanied by his wife and infant son, floating down
the stream of Ohio, in search of home roman
tic than that selected by his father. He fixed up
on point in the State of Kentucky, whereupon to
settle, and having there established home, pur-
sued his faverite studies in every direction roaming
through The forests crossing and sailing every
river, and skeching the yet undescrbed birds which
fell beneath the keen shot of his rife. The result of
his early experience given to the world in five
volumes of his IS pathological Biography" Hhas
hoon said hat he aOff ho koc
large bird, far beyond his reach, and that he
ten years in finding another of the description,
which he found three thousand miles from the place
where his first sight of the species was seen. The
history of his perilous adventures for period of
twenty years. in which ne passed through every degree
of hab table latitude, constantly exposed the varied
alterna tons of heat and cold is but portion of the
monu to his ZEAL and his ardent love of nature,
his constantly recurring self sacrifices, his painful
privaons and his ultimate success in the objects of
his ambition. 1t was his fortune to meet in these
excursions, others like himself, whose minds were
drawn by the allnrements of science and labor from
the luxurious Incidence of civilized society, whose
best pleasure only cloy the of one who has
learned to look upon mental treasures the highest
reward of human exertion.
We remember that on one occasion, at this office,
when a strange bird had been brought in from Long
Island as object OF wonder, Audubon came to
it. At the very first sight, strange, bloody, and dis
ordered it was, he gave it its pathological name,
and then described its various habits in his peculiarly
mdnner-nlS
head, arched and commanding above his deeply
set gray eyes, which were shaded by heavy brows,
that caused them sparkle the in their
ecePiacles The best portrait of him, of recent date,
is in that admirable work, THE Gallery of Illus
trious Americans" He then, say twelve years
ago, more active than most young men Of day.
The minds elasticity gave sup pleness to his form,
and his zeal was fresh then, probably, in 1910.
when he first braVed the wilderness in his darling
pursuit. AS an illustration of his decision of char.
acter-whicb might be easily read in his prominent
chin, aquine nose and usually compressed, Iips-it
has been remembered that on one occasion, when
great and perllouS adventure proposed to him by
friend, he decided undertake it. On being asked
when he would commence his journey, he replied
"To-monow ~ When the sun arose, Audubon was
on his way. Another Illustration, quite as significant,
will be found in his own writings. 1t was period
when he had lost al-nearly thousand-of his draw
ings by fire, and had means of replacing them,
but by the renewal of the labors which had created
them. He has said of that event, The burning
heat which rushed through my brain, when saw my
loss, great slept not for several nights and
my days were oblivion-but took u my gun, note
book, and pencils, and went forth to the woods as
gay as if nothing had happened. could make bet
drawings than beore-in three years my portfolio
was filed" One of the proudest of his trumphs,
the discovery of his Washington Sea Eagle-a
description of which will be found in his works. Most
OF his birds were painted in the forest, while their
plumage yet fresh, and he never have
been satisfied with the brlliancy of his coorng, since
1t did not represent life itself.
In 1924 his pursuits took commercial aspect.
Lucien Bonapare proposed to buy his drawings.
Audubon hesitated, and then esoved to publish them
himself. For this purpose he visited England, where
he landed a stranger. His name, however, had
gone before him, and the first men, distinguished in
the sciences and arts were happy to welcome him.
On the continent Herchel, Cuvier, and his old friend
Humboldt, who had penetrated the tropical
gions with him, were delighted TO honor him. In the
81 Cosmos of the latter, his talents have been
forgotten. The publication of his great work soon
in fair way Brewster, Scott, Jeffrey and Wilson,
encouraged him. After fourteen years it compile
ted, and than satisfied the world that has await
subscriptions, thousand dollars each, paid him
the price of his labor. Eighty of his subscribers,
we proud to say, were found in country-a
very good offset to the neglect often visited upon those
who enter the fields of literature and of art.
OF course such a work-so magnificent in design
and execution-a portfolio of great dimensions-en-
rched with the details of lifes experience among
forest birds-could not but stimulate the great soce
ties of Europe to do him honor. He made the |
subject of dissertation in the Royal Society of Lon
don all the members of which gladly contributed
his talents by the highest distinction in
their power.
A synopsis of his work published in Edinburgh, |
and readily commanded extensive sale, did also,
a New York edition in octave and in 1889 Audubon
returned this country, where he established
of peaceful retirement. Here he labored with Dr. |
Bachman, in preparing &c The Quadrupeds of Amer
lea "a work published last year. In some of his !
works his two have ably assisted in the designs
and purposes of the distinguished naturalist who has,
among scientific men an impershable name-a name,
as the editor of s. The Gallery of Ilustrious Amer-
cans has said, not in the keeping history alone.