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 18, 1832
During the night we had wind; in the morning, clear, bright weather. At seven thirty, -1/2°R [30.9°F, -0.6°C]. We worked at home until noon. At twelve o’clock, 3°R [38.8°F, 3.8°C]. Windy and raw. Mr. Say paid a very short visit. In the afternoon, [a] walk up along the Wabash in the tall forest. Here there were all kinds of woodpeckers: Picus pileatus, auratus, carolinus, villosus, pubescens, but no erythrocephalus, which are never seen here at this time of year. In addition, Sitta carolinensis, Fringilla hudsonia and canadensis, Parus bicolor and atricapillus, Muscicapa coronata, and also a tiny bird, as well as Troglodytes and several large birds of prey opposite me.
When I came home, the entire house reeked of the skunk, for Dreidoppel was just stuffing it. Later Mr. Bodmer went out again but brought nothing back. He had seen wild geese. We see newborn pigs almost all the time and little chickens just hatched, even in the middle of December. This is the way people neglect all their domestic animals, and as a result of this negligence, many animals perish or, at the very least, always remain small, weak, and inferior.
In the evening Russel, the hunter, came with six turkeys, one of which I bought. We spent the evening at the home of Mr. Say.