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
November 26, 1832
Early in the morning, overcast sky; all night long there had been a violent storm and drenching rain. At seven thirty, temperature of 9 1/2°R [53.4°F, 11.9°C]. Late last evening I had a visit from a jurist from Vincennes on the prairie who told us much about the products of those regions and about the Indians. He recalled many interesting traits of the latter, including some about the famous Indian chief Tecumseh. Once, when this chief was invited to a parley, he appeared at the designated place with fifty warriors. The Americans had drawn up a large number of soldiers there. Immediately Tecumseh complained about this lack of trust; when the presiding officer at the assembly addressed him and spoke about his Great Father, the president of the United States, he twisted his features into a grin and responded, “My father! Up there is our Father (as he pointed to the sun) and down there our Mother (pointing to the earth).”
Late that evening at nine o’clock, I had to have the doctor called for Dreidoppel, who developed an intense fever and had severe diarrhea with a bloody discharge all day today. He was given a laxative of calomel with rhubarb. Mr. Bodmer had not yet returned. Dreidoppel is somewhat better this morning; he still has diarrhea and exactly the same discharge as I had. With these extraordinarily severe changes of weather, such conditions of illness are not unusual, and abdominal troubles are a very common occurrence. Otherwise, New Harmony on the Wabash is an extremely healthful place; one hears little about significant illnesses here, and there are many old people. My visitors yesterday told me about health conditions in St. Louis. In one day (in a population of 5,000–6,000), thirty persons died there of cholera, although in recent weeks there have been no deaths reported. In New Orleans the death rate is said to be still high.
Today it was very warm at noon; unfortunately, I missed [reading] the thermometer. Stroll that afternoon with Mr. Say. We found that the Wabash had risen significantly; there must have been heavy rain farther upstream. A flock of turkeys flying up among fallen trunks along the bank streaked into the cornfields. We saw a Falco borealis hovering, also an urubu (turkey buzzard) and a small Falco sparverius. Otherwise nothing but snowbirds (Fringilla hudsonia).
In Mr. Say’s house one now usually meets planters from the vicinity. Most of them are settling accounts with him, because he is in charge of Mr. Maclure’s business affairs. Most of them are bringing in their rent or want to buy land and farms. These men are extremely crude; they walk past the lady of the house with their hats on, grab the nearest chair, immediately plant themselves down by the fireplace, spit frequently, and make themselves comfortable. Now is the time these men come here, and Mr. Say is often detained almost the entire day.