kindled his wrath afresh. He says that had he had a weapon about him the
banker's heart must have received the result of his wrath. His Spanish
blood began to declare itself.

Then he sought out a brother of Mr. Bakewell and the uncle of his
sweetheart, and of him borrowed the money to take him to France. He took
passage on a New Bedford brig bound for Nantes. The captain had recently
been married and when the vessel reached the vicinity of New Bedford, he
discovered some dangerous leaks which necessitated a week's delay to repair
damages. Audubon avers that the captain had caused holes to be bored in the
vessel's sides below the water line, to gain an excuse to spend a few more
days with his bride.

After a voyage of nineteen days the vessel entered the Loire, and anchored
in the lower harbour of Nantes, and Audubon was soon welcomed by his father
and fond foster-mother.

His first object was to have the man Da Costa disposed of, which he soon
accomplished; the second, to get his father's consent to his marriage with
Lucy Bakewell, which was also brought about in due time, although the
parents of both agreed that they were "owre young to marry yet."

Audubon now remained two years in France, indulging his taste for hunting,
rambling, and drawing birds and other objects of Natural History.

This was probably about the years 1805 and 1806. France was under the sway
of Napoleon, and conscriptions were the order of the day. The elder Audubon
became uneasy lest his son be drafted into the French army; hence he
resolved to send him back to America. In the meantime, he interested one
Rozier in the lead mine and had formed a partnership between him and his