EDWARD HARRIS
REPRODUCED FROM "CASSINIA" FOR 1902.
Toward the close of Audubon's Charleston visit he had an unpleasant experience; he was sued for an old debt, which no doubt dated from his Henderson period and the failure of his mill in 1819.[52] Apparently the case was carried into court, where the naturalist was defended by a lawyer named Dunkin, who, if my inference is correct, later became a distinguished judge and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court[53] of South Carolina. The incident was referred to by Audubon in letters written from New York at this time; on April 6, he wrote to Miss Maria Martin as follows:
I told friend Bach. in my letter of yesterday that I knew nothing of Mr. Pettigrue, connected with my business at Charleston, and that if that gentleman had presented himself before the court, it must have been for charity's sake; indeed, from the conversations that passed between Friend B. & I respecting Mr. Dunker [Dunkin], it would have been absurd in me to think for a moment of employing any other person than Mr. D.
In the letter just quoted Audubon said also that he had spent all of the morning of the previous day in going from shop to shop with friend Harris to procure some models for "the dear girls," but in vain; New York with its two hundred and fifty thousand souls, possessed but two drawing masters; "these instruct in 3 months," he added, "and starve for the nine of the year." In reference to financial matters, he said that he had managed to collect about £600 sterling, and had sent 500 to Victor in bills of exchange, so that when they reached London, they would be tolerably well off, considering that they were "naturalists from the wilds of America." "Nothing starts the blues so effectually," he continued, as "constant unemployment; for myself who have done next to nothing since I left you, have had horrors all around me; dreams of sinking and burning ships at night, fears of lost drawings, & failures of subscribers by day, have ever and anon been my companions." "Victor," he added, "has sent 6 boxes of pills, which will be divided into 3 parts, the largest for G. Ord."
The Audubons finally sailed from New York on April 16, 1834. On the preceding day the naturalist sent his friend, Edward Harris, a parting letter, in which he said:
To tell you that I am surprised at your generous conduct in remitting to me Four hundred, Ninety dollars in advance, for all the numbers of my book, would be a poor gratification to me. I feel your generosity, and I cannot say any more. God bless you.
Nos. 36 & 37 have reached this place; my drawings shipped from Charleston are safely in the hands of Victor at London. I have been able to forward him 650 £, and I have 30 sovereigns to defray our expenses from Liverpool to the Great Metropolis. In 1824, poor J. had dreams, but how far was I then from believing that I should ever have succeeded as I have; who will believe my story? Only one or two besides yourself, have an Idea of what I have undergone, but, if God grants me life, I shall publish that story, and send you the sheets thereof, as they are struck by the printer.