It was already hot early in the morning. As always, we traveled throughout the night. At daybreak, [we] were still 4 miles from Circleville, where we had to wait a long time for the driver, or ship-puller, to come. We then passed several locks. We could see many sheep near the houses in this area. Farther away, to the right of the canal, [we saw] a low wooded area on the Scioto; [the river here] was full of small, green, wooded islands. The Sambucus bloomed everywhere, and the redheaded woodpecker (Picus erythrocephalus) was very common. Fine, tall forest trees covered the land. The kingfisher was common everywhere. Before Circleville, the canal was quite overgrown on both sides with Sambucus, but grazing cows had completely stripped [the growth].

We reached the fairly significant and rather extensive town of Circleville; [it had] many brick houses. The place received its name from an old, circular Indian fortification, or earthwork, that was formerly in that location. Later, the town was built within it. The courthouse stands now at about the center of the circle, and the largest part of the [town] is built within [the former earthwork]. The circle contained 17 3/4 acres and [formed] a strong earthwork overgrown with grass. It is unfortunate that it was mostly destroyed; [one can see] parts of it in only a few places. At its western end, outside [the circle, there is] a hill from which the town can be surveyed. [Around] the circle, a square was located that Atwater, an inhabitant of Circleville, described and partially sketched. [When] the earthworks were dug up and removed, various remains of the [mound] builders were found, whose story [has] unfortunately [remained] completely in the dark to the present day.

The canal boat made a stop here [lasting] three-quarters of an hour. It was Sunday. We used [the time] to look for remains of the Indian circle, but we returned quite displeased, seeing that all such remains were being destroyed here without regard for the earlier condition and history of the country. This was the case at Marietta, Cincinnati, St. Louis, and many [other] places. Instead of sparing [these] highly interesting documents of antiquity (there was sufficient space to build nearby), [the Americans] have chosen precisely these locations [to build] and have destroyed most everything [in the process]. The usually scanty descriptions of [these sites] are all that remain for us. In this way the Americans, with irresponsible selfishness and callousness, have already destroyed and driven out the native population of the wide tract of land between the ocean and the Mississippi. Now they are engaged in destroying the last records of historic remembrance. Because the population is growing like ants, they will carry out [that task] in a short time.

Two new passengers boarded our boat—the extremely heavy and lame Colonel Evans and, in contrast to him, his slender daughter. This colossal man with his two massive crutches filled the last space in the small cabin so completely that we could not put a foot on the floor during the night.

Many greenish Unio with little striped markings [could be seen] floating in the canal. We [collected] several of them. They seem to be peculiar to this area. The animals themselves were mostly no longer inside [the shells]; [we did find] some [intact], but they were dead.

In this area of the canal, we saw meadows with grazing cattle, forest, bushes, and wooded hills, [all] alternating pleasantly. One could see that this whole land had originally been covered with an endless, uninterrupted, primeval forest. The iris, now without flowers, grew frequently on the banks. The area along the canal here is generally low bog land with many rushes and reeds where Icterus phoeniceus, the red-winged blackbird, swayed on the reed stalks in full splendor. This beautiful bird always lives near water and marshes and builds its nest between reed stalks [or] marsh or water plants. A very nicely leafed Sagittaria commonly grows here. Tringa and Totanus species enliven the marshy meadows. On the bushes we saw the ricebird (Emberiza oryzivora Linn.), and Picus auratus was visible. The large, rough-leafed mullein (Verbascum thapsus) bloomed everywhere on the canal bank. It is said to have come from Europe with the field crops, as have many other plants. Papilio ajax was looking for moisture in wet places on the banks; we observed this during the hot season in Brazil, too. It had rained hard during the night, and the ground was damp.

A fine forest area followed where beautiful, tall walnut trees of various kinds and sugar maples grew. At times the banks of the canal were completely overgrown with pawpaw trees (Annona). Cows and horses grazed underneath and between them. Low Platanus bushes grew almost everywhere near the water, because this is the true habitat of this tall, strong tree—where it thrives best. The beautiful Papilio ajax frequently flew around the Annonas.

Farther away, on the left, Walnut Creek flowed close to the canal among tall, very shady trees. Eight locks follow each other near the small town, or village, [of] Lockbourne, which was founded three years ago and is located on the right bank of the canal. The Columbus feeder joins the canal [here]. We changed horses. The canal rises perhaps one hundred feet here and continues level at that elevation. On both sides the forest was not as high as below [the locks] and had much dry and stag-headed wood. Verbascum thapsus grows on the canal. The kingfisher and the redheaded woodpecker are residents of the canal banks. The forest floor is green [and] overgrown, [with] much dry wood lying about. The forest [had many] beech trees.

Farther on, the canal continues dead straight for a long way through tall forest. On its sides are marshes where forest trees stand [alongside] nice water plants. Turtles were not scarce. Many trees, especially beeches, had completely died, doubtless because of the water and marsh created by the canal. The gray squirrels were very common here. One of our crew shot them with a gun from the boat deck. Nice clumps of bushes were visible, [and] a beautiful rose bloomed. Because it was Sunday, we frequently saw people on the canal, especially dressed-up farmers’ women or country ladies; they visit each other on such days. Near some large, open meadows in the forest, we saw many blackbirds, the Baltimore, and other birds; in marshy spots [we could see] small herons (A. virescens); and then we had picturesque forest scenery again. Near evening we [saw] a handsome, rugged beech forest made up of colossal, slender trunks in whose dark shadows the small wooden houses of its inhabitants were picturesquely located. The curious residents came to the canal to look at the strangers on the boat deck, where chairs were usually placed so [passengers] might enjoy the air and landscape. We left the Scioto in the vicinity of Lockbourne.

As the sun went down, we reached the small town of Waterloo on the left bank of the canal. The evening was cool and pleasant. One mile [before Waterloo] we reached the village of Winchester, where the horses were changed. During the night we passed Havensport, New Baltimore, and Millersburgh. About morning we reached the highest point of the canal, where the canal was laid through a deeply cut hill. This area is called Licking Summit, because we are in the Township of Licking in Muskingum County, which includes the towns of Irville and Nashport. We passed 51 locks from Portsmouth up to the highest place, where we now [were].