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 5, 1833
Early in the morning, nice, bright weather. At seven thirty, 1 1/4°R [34. 8°F, 1.6°C]. Early in the morning, I sent a wagon to Mount Vernon to bring back my live animals, thirteen turtles, and the Amphiuma. Achilles took care of this matter. Dreidoppel went out to hunt in the vicinity but found nothing interesting. On the other hand, Russel brought a male Mergus merganser, two squirrels, and a parakeet. His other ducks were the ordinary [A.] boschas variety. At twelve o’clock, 8 3/4°R [51.7°F, 10.9°C].
I had received books from Mr. Say that kept me pleasantly occupied while I had a bad head cold. In the afternoon, after a short walk in nice weather, our animals arrived from Mount Vernon. They consisted of three varieties of turtles (Testudo clausa [and] Emys serrata and concentrica), and a live coati, which was very tame. Several other things had been forgotten; they will have to be fetched tomorrow. Dreidoppel went to the duck blind. While I was writing, a turkey buzzard, a coati, and fourteen turtles were moving about in our two large rooms. Mr. Lesueur, Mr. Nohl, and others came to see the animals. In the evening I stayed at home since I had a fever from my cold.