Sojourn in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and Excursions into the Surrounding Region
Bethlehem on the Lecha or Lehigh – Dr. Saynisch – His solicitude – Natural history specimens – Lecha islands – Lecha Mountain Nazareth Delaware Gap – Easton – Delaware Gap – Pocono Mountains – Tunkhannock and Tobyhanna Creek – Beaver and Bear Creek – Susquehanna Valley – Wilkes-Barre – Falls of Solomon Creek – Neskopeck Valley – Lausanne – Nesquehoning Valley – Mauch Chunk on the Lecha – Collieries – Lecha Valley – Mahoning Creek – Lehigh Valley – Mahoning Gap – Preparations for departure from Bethlehem – Nazareth – Allentown
August 6, 1832
In the morning, dreary sky and also very warm. At about seven o’clock, in my room, with open windows, the temperature stood at 18 1/2°R [73.6°F, 23.1°C]. While Dreidoppel stuffed specimens, hummingbirds flew around the beautiful red blossoms of the scarlet runner in the garden of the inn. I presently went out along the canal and to the mountain on the left, found a golden Baltimore oriole there with young ones (without shooting at it), and bagged a beautiful blue finch (Fringilla indigofera). The redheaded woodpecker, the American sparrow (Fringilla americana), and several flycatchers were abundant. I also saw a hummingbird, without being able to shoot at it, as well as a chipmunk and a swimming otter. I found several nice varieties of oak with their fruits, two nice Asclepias (incarnata with dark, soft red blossoms and tuberosa with fiery orange-colored flowers), and, in addition, Actaea racemosa (Cimicifuga racemosa), which grows as tall as 5 feet in the forest.
In the afternoon someone killed a large eagle, the tremendous vitality of which astonished everyone present. We obtained several turtles and went to one of the islands in the river to catch frogs. They really snapped at the red shred on the fishhook but did not hook themselves.