I am just about to start for Washington, to get letters from the President for John and I will try and see the collection brought back by the exploring expedition, including the famous Black-tail Deer. I am in a great bustle, the office is full of Californians.
The California party, which eventually consisted of nearly one hundred young men, sought to reach the goldfields by way of Texas, Mexico and Arizona; attacked by cholera in the valley of the Rio Grande and deserted by their leader, a remnant of the company chose in his stead young Audubon, who bravely conducted them to their destination. John Audubon returned in the following year, after thirteen of the members of the party and $27,000 had been lost in the venture.
Like a patriarch of old, as a friend had once pictured him, Audubon passed the end of his days surrounded by loving and able retainers, who, like "ministers of state," were only too glad to execute his every wish. Distinguished and handsome in age, appearing to many older than he actually was, for years his snowy locks and benign countenance attracted every passer on the street, and for each he had a friendly look, word, or greeting, until in him were fulfilled the words of the Psalmist: "When thou art young thou goest whither thou willest, but when thou art old another shall lead thee, and thou shalt go whither thou willest not." On the 27th of January, 1851, Jean Jacques Fougère Audubon died, before attaining his sixty-seventh year, "as gently as a child composing himself for his beautiful sleep."
CHAPTER XXXVI
AFTERWORD: AUDUBON'S FAMILY IN AMERICA
Bachman completes his text on the Quadrupeds—Victor Audubon's success in canvassing—John Woodhouse Audubon's family—New houses at "Minnie's Land"—Second octavo edition of the Birds—Victor Audubon's illness and death—Attempt to reissue The Birds of America in America—The residual stock of this imperfect edition—Death of John Woodhouse Audubon—His career and work as an artist and field collector—Mrs. Audubon resumes her old vocation—Fate of "Minnie's Land"—Death of Mrs. Audubon—Her share in her husband's fame—Story written on Audubon's original drawings—Fate of the original copper plates of the Birds—A boy comes to the rescue—"Minnie's Land" today—The "Cave"—A real "Audubon Park."
After the death of the elder Audubon, his sons, under the leadership of Bachman, continued the work on the Quadrupeds until the third and last volume of the letterpress was completed in 1852. On March 13 of that year Bachman wrote to Edward Harris:[229]
Rejoice with me, the book is finished. I did not expect to have lived to complete it. But Victor Audubon came on, and I made him hold the pen, while I dictated with specimens and books before me, and we went on rapidly; we worked hard, and now we are at the end of our labors. I have, at last, prevailed on them to give the Bats. At the end of the work, I intend to give a synopsis and scientific arrangement of all our American species, including seals, whales and porpoises. This will be included in the letter-press of the Third Volume.
Here I will venture to consult you in regard to the publication of additional plates of species, not figured in the Large Work. A very small Arvicola and Shrews, we may not obtain, and they cannot be figured; but nearly all are within our reach. Some of the subscribers have bound up their plates, and there cannot be a sufficient number to make even half of another Volume. I propose, as all these figures will be contained in the Small Work, that they should be inserted in the letter-press of the Large Work, so that subscribers, by merely paying the cost of the small plates, would have the work complete—what do you think of this?
What do you think of Victor's obtaining one hundred and twenty-nine subscribers in about three days, and I think he will double the number, next week; so, if the "Large Work" will not pay, the "Small" one, and this is large enough, is sure to do it.