ZOOLOGICAL GALLERY,

77, OXFORD STREET.

EXTRACT RECEIVED BY ROBERT HAVELL, AUGUST 8th, 1833.

FROM THE
GAZETTE AND DAILY ADVERTISER

*Of New York, July 8th, 1833.*

From a series of communications published in the Charleston Mercury, headed "Sketches of Florida," we select the following, relating to Mr. Audubon, as better calculated than any thing we have seen, to give the world an idea of the indomitable spirit and untiring perseverance with which the ornithological researches of this great Naturalist have been conducted. This sketch we hope will have an important influence in aid of the great, the glorious cause of Temperance. We have been informed by Mr. Audubon, that the only persons belonging to the cutter who could follow him in his excursions, were those who adopted his mode of life and abandoned the use of ardent spirits. Mr. A. is a perfect model of symmetry and manly beauty, and few men in these days are possessed of his share of health and bodily strength; he is absolutely fever proof, the deadly swamps of the South have in vain exerted their noxious influence upon his system. And where is the secret charm that has preserved him through all the exposure, by day and night, to which he has been subjected in every variety of climate? —Temperance! Temperance—is the magic wand or rather the modern styx into which he has been immersed.

The temperance of Mr. A. is not confined to abstaining from drinking. We have met him in his shooting excursions, and at the social board, and we have invariably observed the same remarkable moderation in gratifying his appetite, and we do not hesitate to say that hundreds of fashionable ladies in this city consume more solid food daily, than John J. Audubon Esq. the hero of the following lines:—

JOHN J. AUDUBON.—Every thing relating to this gentleman, is calculated to excite a lively interest. I therefore deem no apology necessary for introducing his name into my Sketches. In the months of March and April, 1832, he visited the Florida Reef, and touched and remained three or four weeks, off and on, at Key West, where I had a good opportunity of becoming acquainted with him. By a friend (from whom he bore a letter of introduction,) I had been apprised of his expected arrival in the Revenue Cutter Marion, Captain Day. It being intimated that he was coming ashore in one of the boats, I walked down about sunset with a number of persons to see him land. On his landing, I was introduced to him by Capt. Day. He immediately took me aside, informed me that he had letters for me from my friend Mr. B. and that he was anxious to have some conversation with me. I invited him to my house, where we sat down; Mr. Audubon at once proceeded to business, making a number of enquiries respecting birds and other objects of his pursuit. After a long conversation we parted for the night. I saw him again on the following day, and almost every day when he came ashore during his stay. Mr. Audubon is a very extraordinary man. An acquaintance of half an hour enabled me to enter at once into his character and feeling. Divested of every thing like pedantry, he is frank, free and amiable in his dispositions, and affable and polite in manners. His engaging manner and mild deportment, united to a perfect possession of what the French term "savior faire," enables him to accomplish many things, which to another person would be unattainable; every one appears to enlist at once in his service, and to be disposed to promote his views. In addition to the possession of these qualities, Mr. Audubon is the most enthusiastic and indefatigable man I ever knew. It is impossible to associate with him without catching some portion of his spirit; he is surrounded with an atmosphere which infects all who come within it, with a mania for bird-killing and bird-stuffing. For my own part, I must confess that I have become an incurable victim to the disease.

When we examine Mr. Audubon's celebrated drawings and plates, we cannot but yield him our warmest approbation and applause; but how few of us can estimate the danger and toil which they have cost him, or through what "untired scenes and changes"

he has passed in procuring his specimens, In our admiration of the Artist we are too apt to forget the labor and privations of the man. In order to give some faint idea of Mr. Audubon's exertions, I will briefly relate the occurrences of one day's excursion, on which I accompanied him. At half past two o'clock, A. M. our party assembled at a given place, we were provided with two good boats, a number of hands, and all the necessary apparatus. At three o'clock we started, and steered for two or three small mangrove keys lying to the northward of Key West; we made a circuit around them, but saw nothing worthy of note. Previous to our getting clear of these keys, we got ashore upon a long bank making out of one of them, which rendered it necessary for all hands to get overboard. Mr. Audubon being among the foremost. We hauled the boat over the bank, and bore away for a narrow opening between Key West and Stock Island, through which we proposed passing. Here we again got into shoal water, and were again compelled to get overboard. Our boats were hauled over a flat nearly a mile in length before we could get them afloat. Having passed through the cut, we landed on a long sand-bank on the eastern extremity of Key West. An hour or more was spent here in collecting shells; after which, we footed it around to Key West, while the boats were rowed along the beach by the hands. Not a pond, lake, or bog, did we leave unexplored, often did we wade through mud up to our knees, and as often were we obliged to scramble over the roofs of the mangrove trees which happened in our course. About eight o'clock, the sun came out intensely hot; we occasionally penetrated the woods to escape his scorching beams, and as often were driven from the woods by myriads of mosquitos and sand flies. One of our party gave out about this time and took to a boat. Most gladly would I have followed his lead, but was deterred by pride. Onward we went, baking and broiling, and what was more discouraging still, we could discover not a single bird worthy of note. Mr. Audubon went on, neither dispirited by heat, fatigue, nor bad luck, whilst we began to lag, and occasionally would dodge under some tree, to catch a breath, or sit down to blow. We toiled along in this way for several miles, and finally reached the Light House, tolerably well broken down. I gladly accepted of the use of a horse, whilst the rest of the party returned to town in a boat. I arrived at home about eleven o'clock, A. M. having made the circuit of Key West. I went to bed immediately, and slept soundly for several hours, when I got up and took some refreshment, pretty well satisfied with the jaunt, and no ways ambitious of repeating it. To Mr. Audubon this was an every day affair: he rose every morning at three o'clock, and went out in a boat, and cruised in search of birds, &c. until twelve or one o'clock, at which time he usually returned to dinner. During these expences he took no refreshments but biscuit and molasses and water, proving by his example that ardent spirits are never necessary to health, even under the greatest exposure and fatigue. Before and after dinner, as soon as he returned from the morning jaunt, Mr. Audubon employed himself in drawing such birds as he might have procured during the morning, and in the evening he was on the hunt again. Thus has Mr. Audubon been employed day after day, for weeks and months on the Florida Reef, exploring Mangrove Keys, swamps, and other places, into which I question much if any animal, two-legged or four-legged, had ever before penetrated, unless it was the Pelican or Cormorant.

Not soon will the recollection of this surprising man pass from my memory, and often as I call him to mind, will I admire his unquenchable ardor in the pursuit of science, and his amiable deportment as a gentleman;—nay more, the recollection will always be associated with a warm sensation of gratitude for his kindness and friendship to one, from whom he had reason to expect but little in return.