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
January 23, 1833
Early in the morning, slightly overcast sky; dreary, hazy horizon. At seven thirty, 2°R [36.5°F, 2.5°C]. I went to the shooting stand near the dead horse on Fox Island to shoot birds of prey. I did not see anything as I stood near my huge Platanus. Crows were calling and flying past high in the sky. A buzzard (apparently Falco borealis) gave a call, which is exactly like that of our F. buteo. Nothing appeared, but suddenly a St. John’s buzzard (F. sancti-johannis), which had been sitting hidden in the tall forest cane, flew up from the ground. It looked at me for a long time, then grew confident [and] flew onto a thick grapevine (Vitis labrusca) nearby, where I shot it. Many small birds flitted around me. At twelve o’clock, temperature of 9°R [52.3°F, 11.3°C]. The sky had been dreary; at two o’clock it also began to rain heavily, and the sky became completely overcast.
Several backwoodsmen came to see our collection. Each of them claims to know something new and offers to send us animals. I was at the home of Mr. Say for a short while, where we talked much about the Missouri and its numerous Indians, in which he still maintains a very strong interest. In the evening I visited Mr. Say. Wind and rain on my way home and during the night.