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
November 23, 1832
Early in the morning at seven thirty, 1°R [34.3°F, 1.3°C]. Sky overcast, weather calm. From Mr. Say I received various interesting books, including Lahotan and Bullock on Mexico. With Mr. Twigg, Mr. Bodmer took a ride to the boundaries of the prairies near Albion to shoot prairie hens. He will not return until three days from now. At twelve noon, 2 1/2°R [37.6°F, 3.1°C]. Stroll in the afternoon with Mr. Say. In Mr. Maclure’s large orchard, where we very often did not see any birds at all, we found many today. Picus villosus were pecking on the tree trunks. Several splendid red cardinals, as well as a group of bluebirds (Sylvia sialis) [and] flights of Fringilla hudsonia; several tits flew to the trees before us. Today I found Mr. Lesueur somewhat better.