Journey from Bethlehem in Pennsylvania to New Harmony on the Wabash
Reading – Harrisburg on the Susquehanna – Picturesque Juniata Valley – Height of the Alleghenies – Stay at Ebensburg – Hunting excursions – Laurel Hill – Blairsville – New Alexandria – Pittsburgh – Economy on the Ohio – Society of Mr. Rapp – Wheeling – Navigation of the Ohio – Marietta – Parkersburg – Cincinnati – Louisville– Mount Vernon
October 1, 1832
On 1 September October an excursion was made on the Ohio with a fisherman (a German from Swabia who had completely forgotten his native language) to look for the pretty river mussels (Unio), of which there are about sixteen species here. In the evening Dr. Saynisch brought back a big basket full of them, and we actually had at least sixteen different species of these mussels. On the islands of the Ohio, which are covered with tall forest, holes were found under the roots of trees along the bank into which certain animals had carried many of these mussels for food. The fishermen maintained that muskrats (Fiber zibethicus) had done this, but I believe it was mink, a predatory animal more related to the otter, which is at home in the water and is an excellent swimmer. They saw kingfishers (Alcedo alcyon) but otherwise only very few birds. The fisherman brought to our house two species of animals that we found most interesting: the softshell turtle (Trionyx or Aspidonectes Wagl.) and the “alligator,” as it is called here, a big, dark-brown aquatic salamander from the Ohio, of which we obtained young and old specimens so that I could prepare a complete description and Mr. Bodmer very good drawings of them. This strange species of animal has been listed by Dr. Harlan of Philadelphia under the name Menopoma alleganensis. Here softshell turtles (Trionyx) are brought to market. People like to eat them.
On 1 October there was cool weather and some rain.