Four-and-a-Half Months’ Stay in New Harmony
Description of the region – Natural history – Messrs. Say, Lesueur, and Owen – Hunting excursions in Indiana and Illinois – Wabash, Fox River – Illinois prairies – Albion – Black River – Mr. Bodmer’s trip to New Orleans
December 30, 1832
Early beautiful, bright sky. At seven thirty, 1°R [34.3°F, 1.3°C]. Today Danny and I went to the Fox River as soon as we had finished breakfast. Dreidoppel remained at home. We landed at the usual place; this time Achilles [Fretageot], the owner of our boat, accompanied me. We found the Fox River still covered with ice, therefore no ducks on it at all. High in the air, large numbers of urubus were soaring about. Several rifle shots were fired at them without success. Woodpeckers and small birds of the kinds frequently mentioned [above] were present in large number.
After we had eaten lunch, sitting on fallen, moss-covered trunks beneath huge Platanus on the bank of the Fox River, we rowed to Turkey Island; the sun warmed us as in spring. At noon today there was a temperature of 10 1/2°R [55.6°F, 13.1°C] in the shade. On the island we did not find any animals to hunt. Everywhere [we saw] the tracks of turkeys, or wild turkeys, and scraped areas on the ground, almost like those made by our European roebuck. When we came to the bank, we saw a gaggle of sixteen wild geese (Anser canadensis) swimming before us, but too far away. Soon thereafter a group of nine turkeys flew over the river. They immediately landed at the bank, drank, and ran away. We hurried after them and set our dog on their tracks, but they had already streaked to solid ground.
Since the strong wind was making sizable waves on the river, we crossed to Cutoff Island, which is 15 miles long, and walked homeward through the tall forest covering it. We found a large Picus pileatus, several small birds, and also two deer, which did not tolerate us, [and] then arrived at Harmony in broad daylight. In the evening I received yet another deer and a prairie hen (Tetrao cupido), as well as an indigenous mole (Scalopus canadensis) of excellent size. I spent the evening very pleasantly in conversation about natural history at the home of Mr. Lesueur.