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 2, 1832
Wind and rain all night. In the morning, murky sky, rain. At seven thirty, temperature of 5°R [43.3°F, 6.3°C]. This morning Russel, the hunter, brought six wild turkeys, but they were not of good quality. The old toms are now very shy and hard to shoot. The Wabash is rising rapidly, and one assumes that steamboats will soon be able to navigate it. Dreidoppel went out and shot a Loxia cardinalis, a Sitta carolinensis, a Sylvia sialis, and a Fring. hudsonia. From Mr. Maclure’s library, Mr. Say sent us today the large atlases of Cook’s and Lord Macartney’s journeys, which have very nice, excellent illustrations and provide a remarkably accurate idea of those lands. Mr. Bodmer sketched the muskrat (Fiber zibethicus) according to a sketch made from life that Lesueur provided us. It gives a very accurate idea of the animal. Today I gave our agreeable landlord a list of all the varieties of animals I should like to have from this region, which he intends to send his acquaintances in the prairies of Illinois.
At twelve o’clock, temperature of 7°R [47.8°F, 8.8°C]. The weather has cleared up. It is no longer raining; [there is] even bright sunshine during the afternoon. Russel, the hunter, brought a turkey hen and a young Ardea herodias. I made a short excursion and found only Picus auratus, pubescens, Parus bicolor, and Fringilla hudsonia. Afterward, visit at the home of Mr. Lesueur, where I saw some very fine works on fishes. Dreidoppel also went on an excursion and brought back a partridge. We spent the evening at the home of Mr. Say.