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 25, 1833
In the morning, overcast sky, strong wind. At seven thirty, 1 3/4°R [35.9°F, 2.2°C]. Early today Dreidoppel and I left Harmony to shoot some parakeets (Psitt. carolinensis). We crossed the Wabash and immediately saw two splendid Aquila leucocephala but could not get close to them. They hovered over the river looking for fish. Dreidoppel shot the agile Troglodytes ludovicianus. From there we went to Long Pond, which is connected to the Fox River.
Dreidoppel first found flights of parakeets, of which he killed fourteen, sometimes several of them with one shot. Then they came toward me, and I also shot three of them. These most delightful creatures are not at all timid and alight immediately after they have been shot at. When winged, they very quickly become tame. They frequently produce their shrill, somewhat whirring call, which is similar to that of parakeets in Brazil.
On Long Pond, where we fished for the aquatic plant [——] covering it, we also frequently saw blue jays (Corvus cristatus Linn.) and cardinals (Loxia cardinalis). We did not take the regular road home from the single dwelling and cornfield on Long Pond but [instead] cut straight through the woodlands, covered with an understory of tall cane, to the Wabash. The cane (Miegia) growing here seems to contain much sugar, for the sap is very sweet. Its consumption is also said to produce much acid in cattle and horses, so that they are given salt from time to time.
Here in the wild forest we again found various kinds of woodpeckers and also parakeets, which today sat very quietly beside each other to keep warm in the feeble noonday sun. A dead cow had attracted several hundred vultures (urubus, turkey buzzards), but we did not obtain any of them, since they were too shy. Several trees were completely full of them. On the bank of the Wabash we found crows and a large flock of wild ducks but did not bag any of them. At twelve o’clock on this very pleasant day, we had a temperature of 3°R [38.8°F, 3.8°C]. Visit that evening at the home of Mr. Say.