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
February 11, 1833
Early in the morning, dreary, dark sky with rain. At seven thirty, temperature of 5 7/8°R [45.2°F, 7.3°C]. The natural history specimens sent from New Orleans by Mr. Bodmer included two kinds of univalves, the Planorbis lentus S. and Helix profunda S.; [and] a third, very commonly occurring mussel Clathrodon Gnathodon cuneatus Gray or [the genus] Rangia Desmoulins that is said to have contained the third generic name even now. This mussel occurs in large numbers in Lake Pontchartrain and in all nearby bodies of water. They are taken in great wagonloads to the city, where they are poured on the docks, streets, and the like.
Yesterday we talked about the confusion regarding the genus Crotalus [rattlesnakes] in the various systems. Daudin, too, has confused the species in the United States. What he calls Crotalus durissus is Linné’s Crotalus horridus. The former [Daudin], however, gives the latter name to the boiquira of Brazil! There is only one rattlesnake (C. horridus Linn.) in all the northern and central states, and it has a black tail, whereas Daudin named another species atricaudus. In the southern states there are two other species: that with rhombi (Say regards it as the durissus of Linné) first described by Palisot, and a small species (Crotalus miliarius). Mr. Say has described two interesting new western species, Crotalus tergeminus and confluentus. Along the Wabash there is only the usual species in two varieties: one with gray and black spots, the other yellowish and black. Both, however, rarely occur near Harmony, since the region is not rocky and stony and thus hot and dry during summer, something that these creatures like very much.
We worked at home this morning. The rain had soon stopped. At twelve o’clock we received an Arctomys monax Falco, No. 89, and Anas crecca. At noon, 8°R [50°F, 10°C]. During the afternoon when I went for a walk, it began to rain, and this rain became heavy. I saw wild geese (Anser canadensis) flying low over the Wabash, from which a dense fog rose like steam. Dreidoppel saw a bluebird and several woodpeckers. In the evening, visit at the home of Mr. Say, where we went over part of David Thomas’ journey together.
Today Mr. Lesueur gave me the sawed-off point of a deer antler and a large number of bones, both from old Indian graves near Harmony. Mr. Maclure informed me that the two deer heads with the tangled antlers had arrived for me, although I had not yet heard anything about them.
We also talked about the arrangement of the United States by states. There are twenty-four states, but there are supposed to be only thirteen stars on the flag, which correspond to the original number. It is believed that there will soon be a new state—Michigan, I believe—for when the population reaches a certain size, the people have the right to form a state. The states are divided into counties, the counties into townships, the townships into sections. Each state has its own constitution. These, however, often agree on many points.