The public house in which we lived was conducted on account of the society. General Evans was looked for, who was to keep the house; in the mean time it was directed by the physician of the society, Dr. M‘Namee, from Vincennes. Among the public buildings I remarked two of which the lower part was strongly built with rough stone, and provided with loop-holes. The larger of these was the granary, and it was reasonably thought that Rapp had this built as a defensive redoubt for his own people. At the first period of his establishment in this country he not only had the Indians, but also the rude people known under the general title of backwoodsmen, who not only saw the establishment of such a society with jealous eyes, which they knew would be wealthy in a short time, but also entertained a grudge against Rapp’s unnatural rules of chastity.On the morning of the 14th of April, I strolled about the place to look round me. I visited Mr. Neef, but found his wife only at home, a native of Memmingen, in Swabia. Her husband was in the act of leading the boys out to labour. Military exercises form a part of the instruction of the children. I saw the boys divided into two ranks, and parted into detachments marching to labour, and on the way they performed various wheelings and evolutions. All the boys and girls have a very healthy look, are cheerful and lively, and by no means bashful. The boys labour in the field and garden, and were now occupied with newfencing. The girls learn female employments; they were as little oppressed as the boys with labour and teaching; these happy and interesting children were much more employed in making their youth pass as pleasantly as possible. Madam Neef showed the school-house, in which she dwelt, and in which the places for sleeping were arranged for the boys. Each boy slept on a cot frame, upon a straw bed.We went next to Rapp’s distillery: it will be removed altogether. Mr. Owen has forbidden distilling also, as well as the use of ardent spirits. Notwithstanding this, the Irishmen here find opportunities of getting whiskey and fuddling themselves from the flat boats that stop here, &c. We saw also a dye-house and a mill set in motion by a steam-engine of ten horse-power. The engine was old and not in good order, Mr. Owen said however, he hoped to introduce steam-mills here in time from England. From the mills we went to the vineyard, which was enclosed and kept in very good order. I spoke to an old French vine-dresser here. He assured me that Rapp’s people had not understood the art of making wine; that he would in time make more and much better wine, than had been done heretofore. The wine stocks are imported from the Cape of Good Hope, and the wine has an entirely singular and strange taste, which reminds one of the common Spanish wines.We went again to the quondam church, or workshop for the boys, who are intended for joiners and shoemakers. These boys sleep upon the floor above the church in cribs, three in a row, and thus have their sleeping place and place of instruction close together. We also saw the shops of the shoemakers, tailors and saddlers, also the smiths, of which six were under one roof, and the pottery, in which were two rather large furnaces. A porcelain earth has been discovered on the banks of the Mississippi, in the state of Illinois, not far from St. Louis. Two experienced members of the society, went in that direction, to bring some of the earth to try experiments with, in burning. The greater part of the young girls, whom we chanced to meet at home, we found employed in plaiting straw hats. I became acquainted with a Madam F——, a native of St. Petersburg. She married an American merchant, settled there, and had the misfortune to lose her husband three days after marriage. She then joined her husband’s family at Philadelphia, and as she was somewhat eccentric and sentimental, quickly became enthusiastically attached to Mr. Owen’s system. She told me, however, in German, that she found herself egregiously deceived; that the highly vaunted equality was not altogether to her taste; that some of the society were too low, and the table was below all criticism. The good lady appeared to be about to run from one extreme to the other;for she added, that in the summer, she would enter a Shaker establishment near Vincennes.II.19I renewed acquaintance here with Mr. Say, a distinguished naturalist from Philadelphia, whom I had been introduced to, at the Wistar Party there; unfortunately he had found himself embarrassed in his fortune, and was obliged to come here as a friend of Mr. M‘Clure. This gentleman appeared quite comical in the costume of the society, before described, with his hands full of hard lumps and blisters, occasioned by the unusual labour he was obliged to undertake in the garden.In the evening I went to walk in the streets, and met with several of the ladies of the society, who rested from the labours of the day. Madam F—— was among them, whose complaints of disappointed expectations I had listened to. I feared still more from all that I saw and heard, that the society would have but a brief existence. I accompanied the ladies to a dancing assembly, which was held in the kitchen of one of the boarding-houses. I observed that this was only an hour of instruction to the unpractised in dancing, and that there was some restraint on account of my presence, from politeness I went away, and remained at home the remainder of the evening. About ten o’clock, an alarm of fire was suddenly raised. An old log building used as a wash-house was in flames, immediately the fire-engine kept in a distinct house, was brought and served by persons appointed to that duty. They threw the stream of water through the many apertures of the log-house, and quickly put a stop to the fire. In a quarter of an hour, all was over. Since the houses in the place all stand separately, there is nothing to fear from the extension of fire, unless in a strong wind. The houses, however, are all covered with shingles.On the 15th of April, I went into the garden back of Rapp’s house to see a plate or block of stone, which is remarkable as it bears the impression of two human feet. This piece of stone was hewed out of a rock near St. Louis, and sold to Mr. Rapp. Schoolcraft speaks of it in his travels, and I insert his remarks, as I have found them correct. “The impressions are to all appearance those of a man standing upright, the left foot a little forwards, the heels turned inwards. The distance between the heels by an exact measurement was six and a quarter inches, and thirteen and a half between the extremities of the great toes. By an accurate examination, it however will be ascertained, that they are not the impression of feet, accustomed to the use of European shoes, for the toes are pressed out, and the foot is flat, as isobserved in persons who walk barefoot. The probability that they were caused by the pressure of an individual, that belonged to an unknown race of men, ignorant of the art of tanning hides, and that this took place in a much earlier age than the traditions of the present Indians extend to, this probability I say, is strengthened by the extraordinary size of the feet here given. In another respect, the impressions are strikingly natural, since the muscles of the feet are represented with the greatest exactness and truth. This circumstance weakens very much the hypothesis, that they are possibly evidences of the ancient sculpture of a race of men living in the remote ages of this continent. Neither history nor tradition, gives us the slightest information of such a people. For it must be kept in mind, that we have no proof that the people who erected our surprising western tumuli, ever had a knowledge of masonry, even much less of sculpture, or that they had invented the chisel, the knife, or the axe, those excepted made from porphyry, hornstone or obsidian. The medium length of the human male foot can be taken at ten inches. The length of the foot stamp here described, amounts to ten and a quarter inches, the breadth measured over the toes, in a right angle with the first line is four inches, but the greatest spread of the toes is four and a half inches, which breadth diminishes at the heels to two and a half inches. Directly before these impressions is a well inserted and deep mark, similar to a scroll of which the greatest length is two feet seven inches, and the greatest breadth twelve and a half inches. The rock which contains these interesting traces, is a compact limestone of a bluish-gray colour.”This rock with the unknown impressions are remembered as long as the country about St. Louis has been known, this table is hewn out of a rock, and indeed out of a perpendicular wall of rock.The garden of Rapp’s house was the usual flower-garden of a rich German farmer. In it was a green-house, in which several large fig trees, an orange, and lemon tree stood in the earth. Mr. Owen took me into one of the newly-built houses, in which the married members of the society are to dwell. It consisted of two stories, in each two chambers and two alcoves, with the requisite ventilators. The cellar of the house is to contain a heating apparatus, to heat the whole with warm air. When all shall be thoroughly organized, the members will alternately have the charge of heating the apparatus. Each family will have a chamber and an alcove, which will be sufficient, as the little children will be in a nursery, and the larger at school. They will not require kitchens, as all are to eat in common. The unmarried women will live together, as will also the unmarried men, in the manner of the Moravian brethren.I had an ample conversation with Mr. Owen, relating to his system, and his expectations. He looks forward to nothing less than to remodel the world entirely; to root out all crime; to abolish all punishments; to create similar views and similar wants, and in this manner to avoid all dissension and warfare. When his system of education shall be brought into connection with the great progress made by mechanics, and which is daily increasing, every man can then, as he thought, provide his smaller necessaries for himself, and trade would cease entirely! I expressed a doubt of the practicability of his system in Europe, and even in the United States. He was too unalterably convinced of the results, to admit the slightest room for doubt. It grieved me to see that Mr. Owen should allow himself to be so infatuated by his passion for universal improvement, as to believe and to say that he is about to reform the whole world; and yet that almost every member of his society, with whom I have conversed apart, acknowledged that he was deceived in his expectations, and expressed their opinion that Mr. Owen had commenced on too grand a scale, and had admitted too many members, without the requisite selection! The territory of the society may contain twenty five thousand acres. The sum of one hundred and twenty thousand dollars was paid to Rapp for this purchase, and for that consideration he also left both his cattle, and a considerable flock of sheep behind.I went with the elder Doctor M‘Namee, to the two new established communities, one of which is called No. 2, or Macluria; the other lately founded, No. 3. No. 2, lies two miles distant from New Harmony, at the entrance of the forest, which will be cleared to make the land fit for cultivation, and consists of nine log houses, first tenanted about four weeks since, by about eighty persons. They are mostly backwoodsmen with their families, who have separated themselves from the community No. 1, in New Harmony, becauseno religionis acknowledged there, and these people wish to hold their prayer meetings undisturbed. The fields in the neighbourhood of this community were of course very new. The community No. 3, consisted of English country people, who formed a new association, as the mixture, or perhaps the cosmopolitism of New Harmony did not suit them; they left the colony planted by Mr. Birkbeck, at English Prairie, about twenty miles hence, on the right bank of the Wabash, after the unfortunate death of that gentleman,II.20and came here. This is a proof that there are two evils that strike at the root of the young societies; one is a sectarianor intolerant spirit; the other, national prejudice. No. 3, is to be built on a very pretty eminence, as yet there is only a frame building for three families begun.After we had returned to New Harmony, I went to the orchard on the Mount Vernon road to walk, and beheld, to my great concern, what ravages the frost had committed on the fruit blossoms, the vines must have been completely killed. The orchards planted by Rapp and his society are large and very handsome, containing mostly apple and peach trees, also some pear and cherry trees. One of the gardens is exclusively devoted to flowers, where, in Rapp’s time, a labyrinth was constructed of beech tree hedges and flowers, in the middle of which stood a pavilion, covered with the tops of trees.I afterwards visited Mr. Neef, who is still full of the maxims and principles of the French revolution; captivated with the system of equality; talks of the emancipation of the negroes, and openly proclaims himself anAtheist. Such people stand by themselves, and fortunately are so very few in number, that they can do little or no injury.In the evening there was a general meeting in the large hall, it opened with music. Then one of the members, an English architect of talent, who came to the United States with Mr. Owen, whose confidence he appeared to possess, and was here at the head of the arranging and architectural department, read some extracts from the newspapers, upon which Mr. Owen made a very good commentary; for example, upon the extension and improvement of steam-engines, upon their adaptation to navigation, and the advantages resulting therefrom. He lost himself, however, in his theories, when he expatiated on an article which related to the experiments which had been made with Perkins’s steam-gun. During these lectures, I made my observations on the much vaunted equality, as some tatterdemalions stretched themselves on the platform close by Mr. Owen. The better educated members kept themselves together, and took no notice of the others. I remarked also, that the members belonging to the higher class of society had put on the new costume, and made a party by themselves. After the lecture the band played a march, each gentleman took a lady, and marched with her round the room. Lastly, a cotillion was danced: the ladies were then escorted home, and each retired to his own quarters.I went early on the following morning, (Sunday,) to the assembly room. The meeting was opened by music. After this Mr. Owen stated a proposition, in the discussion of which he spoke of the advances made by the society, and of the location of a new community at Valley Forge, in Pennsylvania, and another in the state of New York. A classification of the members wasspoken of afterwards. They were separated into three classes, first, of such as undertook to be security for the sums due Mr. Owen and Mr. M‘Clure, (that is, for the amount paid to Rapp, and so expended as a pledge to be redeemed by the society,) and who, if desirous to leave the society, must give six months previous notice; secondly, of such as after a notice of fourteen days can depart; and, lastly of those who are received only on trial.After this meeting, I paid Mr. M‘Clure a visit, and received from him the French papers. Mr. M‘Clure is old, childless, was never married, and intends, as is reported, to leave his property to the society. Afterwards I went with Mr. Owen, and some ladies of the society, to walk to the cut-off, as it is called, of the Wabash, where this river has formed a new channel, and an island, which contains more than a hundred acres of the best land; at present, however, inundated by water. There is here a substantial grist-mill, erected by Rapp, which was said to contain a very good set of machinery, but where we could not reach it on account of the water. We went some distance along the river, and then returned through the woods over the hills, which, as it was rather warm, and we could discover no pathway, was very laborious to the ladies, who were uncommonly alarmed at the different snakes we chanced to meet. Most of the serpent species here are harmless, and the children catch them for playthings. The poisonous snakes harbouring about here, are rattlesnakes and copperheads; these, however, diminish rapidly in numbers, for it is a common observation, that the poisonous serpents, like the Indians and bears, fly before civilization. The rattlesnakes have a powerful enemy in the numerous hogs, belonging to the settlers, running about the woods, which are very well skilled in catching them by the neck and devouring them.In the evening I paid visits to some ladies, and witnessed philosophy and the love of equality put to the severest trial with one of them. She is named Virginia, from Philadelphia; is very young and pretty, was delicately brought up, and appears to have taken refuge here on account of an unhappy attachment. While she was singing and playing very well on the piano forte, she was told that the milking of the cows was her duty, and that they were waiting unmilked. Almost in tears, she betook herself to this servile employment, deprecating the new social system, and its so much prized equality.After the cows were milked, in doing which the poor girl was trod on by one, and daubed by another, I joined an aquatic party with the young ladies and some young philosophers, in a very good boat upon the inundated meadows of the Wabash. The evening was beautiful moonlight, and the air very mild; the beautiful Miss Virginia forgot herstablesufferings, and regaledus with her sweet voice. Somewhat later we collected together in the house No. 2, appointed for a school-house, where all the young ladies and gentlemen ofqualityassembled. In spite of the equality so much recommended, this class of persons will not mix with the common sort, and I believe that all the well brought up members are disgusted, and will soon abandon the society. We amused ourselves exceedingly during the whole remainder of the evening, dancing cotillions, reels and waltzes, and with such animation as rendered it quite lively. New figures had been introduced among the cotillions, among which is one called thenew social system. Several of the ladies made objections to dancing on Sunday; we thought however, that in this sanctuary of philosophy, such prejudices should be utterly discarded, and our arguments, as well as the inclination of the ladies, gained the victory.On the 17th April, a violent storm arose, which collected such clouds of dust together that it was hardly possible to remain in the streets, and I remained at home almost all day. I received a visit from a Mr. Von Schott. This person, a Wurtemburger by birth, and brother of lady Von Mareuil, in Washington, has settled himself seven or eight miles from New Harmony, and lives a real hermit’s life, without a servant or assistant of any kind. He was formerly an officer in the Wurtemburg cavalry, took his discharge, and went, from pure enthusiasm, and overwrought fanaticism, to Greece, to defend their rights. As he there discovered himself to be deceived in his anticipations, he returned to his native country, and delivered himself up to religious superstition. To extricate himself, in his opinion, from this world plunged in wretchedness, he accompanied his sister to the United States, came to Indiana, bought a piece of land from Rapp, by whom he asserted he was imposed upon, and had difficulties to undergo, since he knew nothing of agriculture. He lived in this manner in the midst of the forest with a solitary horse. A cruel accident had befallen him the week before, his stable with his trusty horse was burnt. He appeared to be a well-informed man, and spoke well and rationally, only when he touched upon religious topics, his mind appeared to be somewhat deranged. He declared that he supported all possible privations with the greatest patience, only he felt the want of intercourse with a friend in his solitude.To-day two companies of the New Harmony militia paraded, with drums beating, and exercised morning and afternoon. They were all in uniform, well armed, and presented an imposing front.I was invited to dinner in the house, No. 4. Some gentlemen had been out hunting, and had brought home a wild turkey, which must be consumed. This turkey formed the whole dinner.Upon the whole I cannot complain either of an overloaded stomach, or a head-ache from the wine affecting it, in any way. The living was frugal in the strictest sense, and in nowise pleased the elegant ladies with whom I dined. In the evening I visited Mr. M‘Clure and Madam Fretageot, living in the same house. She is a Frenchwoman, who formerly kept a boarding-school in Philadelphia, and is calledmotherby all the young girls here. The handsomest and most polished of the female world here, Miss Lucia Saistare and Miss Virginia, were under her care. The cows were milked this evening when I came in, and therefore we could hear their performance on the piano forte, and their charming voices in peace and quiet. Later in the evening we went to the kitchen of No. 3, where there was a ball. The young ladies of the better class kept themselves in a corner under Madam Fretageot’s protection, and formed a little aristocratical club. To prevent all possible partialities, the gentlemen as well as the ladies, drew numbers for the cotillions, and thus apportioned them equitably. Our young ladies turned up their noses apart at the democratic dancers, who often in this way fell to their lot. Although every one was pleased upon the whole, yet they separated at ten o’clock, as it is necessary to rise early here. I accompanied Madam Fretageot and her two pupils home, and passed some time in conversation with Mr. M‘Clure on his travels in Europe, which were undertaken with mineralogical views. The architect, Mr. Whitwell, besides showed me to-day the plan of this establishment. I admired particularly the judicious and economical arrangements for warming and ventilating the buildings, as well as the kitchens and laundries. It would indeed be a desirable thing could a building on this plan once be completed, and Mr. Owen hopes that the whole of New Harmony will thus be arranged.On the following day I received a visit from one of the German patriots who had entered the society, of the name of Schmidt, who wished to have been considered as first lieutenant in the Prussian artillery, at Erfurt. He appeared to have engaged in one of the political conspiracies there, and to have deserted. Mr. Owen brought him from England last autumn as a servant. He was now a member of the society, and had charge of the cattle. His fine visions of freedom seemed to be very much lowered, for he presented himself to me, and his father to Mr. Huygens, to be employed as servants.Towards evening, an Englishman, a friend of Mr. Owen, Mr. Applegarth, arrived, who had presided over the school in New Lanark, and was to organize one here in all probability. After dinner I went to walk with him in the vineyard and woods. We conversed much concerning the new system,and the consequences which he had reason to expect would result, &c. and we discovered amongst other things, that Mr. Owen must have conceived the rough features of his general system from considering forced services or statutory labour; for the labour imposed upon persons for which they receive no compensation, would apply and operate much more upon them for their lodging, clothing, food, the education and care of their children, &c. so that they would consider their labour in the light of acorvée. We observed several labourers employed in loading bricks upon a cart, and they performed this so tedious and disagreeable task, as a statutory labour imposed on them by circumstances, and this observation led us to the above reflection. I afterwards visited Mr. M‘Clure, and entertained myself for an hour with the instructive conversation of this interesting old gentleman. Madam Fretageot, who appears to have considerable influence over Mr. M‘Clure, took an animated share in our discourse. In the evening there was a ball in the large assembly room, at which most of the members were present. It lasted only until ten o’clock, in dancing cotillions, and closed with a grand promenade, as before described. There was a particular place marked off by benches for the children to dance in, in the centre of the hall, where they could gambol about without running between the legs of the grown persons.On the 19th of April, a steam-boat came down the Wabash, bound for Louisville on the Ohio. It stopt opposite Harmony, and sent a boat through the overflow of water to receive passengers. I was at first disposed to embrace the opportunity of leaving this place, but as I heard that the boat was none of the best, I determined rather to remain and go by land to Mount Vernon, to wait for a better steam-boat there. We took a walk to the community, No. 3. The work on the house had made but little progress; we found but one workman there, and he was sleeping quite at his ease. This circumstance recalled the observation before mentioned, concerning gratis-labour, to my mind. We advanced beyond into the woods, commencing behind No. 3: there was still little verdure to be seen.On the succeeding day, I intended to leave New Harmony early; but as it was impossible to procure a carriage, I was obliged to content myself. I walked to the community No. 2, or Macluria, and farther into the woods. They were employed in hewing down trees to build log houses. The wood used in the brick and frame houses here is of the tulip tree, which is abundant, worked easily, and lasts long. After dinner I walked with Mr. Owen and Madam Fretageot, to community No. 3. There a new vegetable garden was opened; farther on they were employed in preparing a field in which Indian corn was to be sown.This answers the best purpose here, as the soil is too rich for wheat; the stalks grow too long, the heads contain too few grains, and the stalks on account of their length soon break down, so that the crop is not very productive. The chief complaint here is on account of the too great luxuriancy of the soil. The trees are all very large, shoot up quickly to a great height, but have so few, and such weak roots, that they are easily prostrated by a violent storm; they also rot very easily, and I met with a great number of hollow trees, in proportion. I saw them sow maize or Indian corn, for the first time. There were furrows drawn diagonally across the field with the plough, each at a distance of two feet from the other; then other furrows at the same distance apart, at right angles with the first. A person goes behind the plough with a bag of corn, and in each crossing of the furrows he drops six grains. Another person with a shovel follows, and covers these grains with earth. When the young plants are half a foot high, they are ploughed between and the earth thrown up on both sides of the plants; and when they are two feet high this operation is repeated, to give them more firmness and to destroy the weeds. There is a want of experienced farmers here; the furrows were badly made, and the whole was attended to rather too muchen amateur.After we returned to Madam Fretageot’s, Mr. Owen showed me two interesting objects of his invention; one of them consisted of cubes of different sizes, representing the different classes of the British population in the year 1811, and showed what a powerful burden rested on the labouring class, and how desirable an equal division of property would be in that kingdom. The other was a plate, according to which, as Mr. Owen asserted, each child could be shown his capabilities, and upon which, after a mature self-examination, he can himself discover what progress he has made. The plate has this superscription: scale of human faculties and qualities at birth. It has ten scales with the following titles: from the left to the right, self-attachment; affections; judgment; imagination; memory; reflection; perception; excitability; courage; strength. Each scale is divided into one hundred parts, which are marked from five to five. A slide that can be moved up or down, shows the measure of the qualities therein specified each one possesses, or believes himself to possess.I add but a few remarks more. Mr. Owen considers it as an absurdity to promise never-ending love on marriage. For this reason he has introduced the civil contract of marriage, after the manner of the Quakers, and the French laws into his community, and declares that the bond of matrimony is in no way indissoluble. The children indeed, cause no impediment in case of aseparation, for they belong to the community from their second year, and are all brought up together.Mr. M‘Clure has shown himself a great adherent of the Pestalozzian system of education. He had cultivated Pestalozzi’s acquaintance while upon his travels, and upon this recommendation brought Mr. Neef with him to Philadelphia, to carry this system into operation. At first it appeared to succeed perfectly, soon however, Mr. Neef found so many opposers, apparently on account of his anti-religious principles, that he gave up the business, and settled himself on a farm in the woods of Kentucky. He had just abandoned the farm to take the head of a boarding-school, which Mr. M‘Clure intended to establish in New Harmony. Mr. Jennings, formerly mentioned, was likewise to co-operate in this school; his reserved and haughty character was ill suited for such a situation, and Messrs. Owen and M‘Clure willingly consented to his withdrawing, as he would have done the boarding-school more injury, from the bad reputation in which he stood, than he could have assisted it by his acquirements. An Englishman by birth, he was brought up for a military life; this he had forsaken to devote himself to clerical pursuits, had arrived in the United States as a Universalist preacher, and had been received with much attention in that capacity in Cincinnati, till he abandoned himself with enthusiasm to thenew social system, and made himself openly and publicly known as anAtheist.II.21I passed the evening with the amiable Mr. M‘Clure, and Madam Fretageot, and became acquainted through them, with a French artist, Mons. Lesueur, calling himself uncle of Miss Virginia, as also a Dutch physician from Herzogenbusch, Dr. Troost, an eminent naturalist. Both are members of the community, and have just arrived from a scientific pedestrian tour to Illinois and the southern part of Missouri, where they have examined the iron, and particularly the lead-mine works, as well as the peculiarities of the different mountains. Mr. Lesueur has besides discovered several species of fish, as yet undescribed. He was there too early in the season to catch many snakes. Both gentlemen had together collected thirteen chests of natural curiosities, which are expected here immediately. Mr. Lesueur accompanied the naturalist Perron, as draftsman in his tour to New South Wales, under Captain Baudin, and possessed all the illuminated designs of the animals which were discovered for the first time on this voyage, upon vellum. This collection is unique of its kind, either as regards the interest of the objects represented,or in respect to their execution; and I account myself fortunate to have seen them through Mr. Lesueur’s politeness. He showed me also the sketches he made while on his last pedestrian tour, as well as those during the voyage of several members of the society to Mount Vernon, down the Ohio from Pittsburgh. On this voyage, the society had many difficulties to contend with, and were obliged often to cut a path for the boat through the ice. The sketches exhibit the originality of talent of the artist. He had come with Mr. M‘Clure in 1815, from France to Philadelphia, where he devoted himself to the arts and sciences. Whether he will remain long in this society or not, I cannot venture to decide.II.22----CHAPTER XXII.Travels to Louisville, and Stay in that City.Onthe 21st of April, we left New Harmony, after taking a cordial leave of Mr. Owen, and availed ourselves of the mail stage, which leaves here once a week for Mount Vernon, to make this passage. Besides our company, there was only a single traveller in the stage, a Mr. Riley, from Cincinnati, and a native of Ireland. One mile from New Harmony, we were forced to alight from the carriage, as the horses would not draw us up a steep hill. One-half mile farther, we got out again on account of a similar dilemma, and we had hardly done so, when it was overturned by the unskilfulness of the driver. We unloaded our baggage, left it under the care of Böttner, my servant, permitted the driver to his chagrin and mortification to go on alone, and returned back on foot to New Harmony, to look about for another method of conveyance. I paid a visit to Messrs. M‘Clure, Lesueur, &c. They told me that about ten o’clock a cart under the direction of a Mr. Johnson would leave this place for Mount Vernon, in which our baggage would find a place. As to our own conveyance, I saw plainly that it would be the wiser plan to confide mine to my own trustworthy legs. I assumed therefore the pilgrim’s staff, left my slower moving travelling companions something behind, and accomplished the sixteen miles to Mount Vernon, over a very hilly road, in five hours.I did not pass through Springfield, saw only two solitary log-houses,and encountered but few people. The herbage had advanced very much during a week; many trees were in blossom, and the young green leaves, particularly those of the tulip trees, produced a very pleasing effect. I passed by many sugar-maples, which were perforated, to draw the sugar juice from them. When the trees are completely in leaf, the natural scenery of these forests, of which the ground is very hilly, must be extremely beautiful, especially to the eyes of a northern European, who is not accustomed to the grandeur of the colossal sycamores, tulip trees and maples. In noticing these trees, I may add the remark that Mr. Rapp had planted the Lombardy poplar in the streets of New Harmony; that these poplars had succeeded very well at first, but when their roots struck a stratum of reddish sand lying under the good fertile soil, they died. Mr. Rapp then substituted mulberry trees, which have thriven well, and Mr. Owen has it in design, to make an experiment in raising silk-worms.I reached Mount Vernon, tolerably fatigued, about three o’clock, P. M. I met Dr. Clark again. Mr. Huygens and Mr. Riley made their appearance after some time. Towards evening the expected cart arrived, but without Böttner and my baggage. The carter said in his own excuse, that they had given him so much freight in New Harmony, that his horses could hardly draw it, and that there was no room left for my effects. After having made a survey of the localities in person, I was obliged to admit the cogency of his reasons, in spite of my vexation; and of course to find a remedy in patience.In this state of affairs, I solaced myself with Major Dunn’s society. He and his countryman Riley, belonged to the better class of Irish, and possessed a good deal of shrewdness, so that the time passed very pleasantly. In the evening we went to the court-house, to hear a Presbyterian preacher, travelling from the eastern states. He was quite a young man, of the name of Stewart, whom I had met in New Harmony; he had, however, only looked about, without announcing himself as a clergyman, probably from his knowing the anti-religious opinions prevailing there. In the little new settled places of the western states, they do not build churches before houses, as is the practice in the north-eastern section, but a dwelling and clearing of land is their first object. Nevertheless, divine service is not lacking; for many clergymen, who are not located, seek after a situation; in so doing are accustomed to preach, where they can be heard. In most of the public houses, and ferry-boats, no pay is required from these clergymen, and thus they can take pretty long journies, the descriptions of which are often published, at a very cheap rate. From the want of a church in Mount Vernon, themeeting was held in the court-house. It was a temporary log-house, which formed but one room. The chimney fire, and two tallow candles formed the whole illumination of it, and the seats were constructed of some blocks and boards, upon which upwards of twenty people sat. The singing was conducted by a couple of old folks, with rather discordant voices. The preacher then rose, and delivered us a sermon. I could not follow his discourse well, and was very much fatigued by my day’s walk. In his prayer, however, the minister alluded to those who despise the word of the Lord, and prayed for their conviction and conversion. This hint was evidently aimed at the community in New Harmony and the new social system. In the sermon there was no such allusion. Probably the discourse was one of those, which he knew by heart; which he delivered in various places, and admitted of no interpolations. The service lasted till ten o’clock at night.Unluckily for me, my port-folio also remained behind among my other baggage. I suffered therefore, the whole forenoon of the next day the most excessive tedium, and was obliged to remain in noble idleness. I went to walk in the woods, gaped about at the pretty flowers, and the amazing variety of butterflies; came back, seated myself in Mr. Dunn’s store, and viewed the steam-boats going down the river. At length in the afternoon, Böttner arrived, with my baggage in a one-horse cart, splashed all over with mud, as he had been obliged to lead the restive horse all the way by the bridle. The poor fellow bivouacked in the woods yesterday, from one o’clock in the morning till four in the evening, when by chance the shepherds of New Harmony passed by, and gave Mr. Owen an account of Böttner’s situation, upon which old Dr. M‘Namee had come out with his one-horse vehicle, and brought back the baggage and its guard. By Mr. Owen’s kindness, the cart was on this day sent on, with my effects.Now my earnest desire was to get away as quickly as possible. To be sure, the splendid view of the Ohio and its banks by the light of the moon, regaled me in the evening; but the residence in this place was too inhospitable and uninteresting; besides I suffered the whole afternoon and evening with tooth-ache, and symptoms of fever. But how were we to get away? During the night a steam-boat passed, going up the river, but she kept to the left bank where the deepest water was, and took no notice of Mount Vernon. About nine o’clock on the 23d of April, another steam-boat, the General Wayne, came up, bound in the same direction. A flag was hoisted, to give notice that passengers wished to come on board, we waved our handkerchiefs, but the vessel did not regard us, and passed on. To kill time, I wentwith Mr. Riley to Major Dunn’s store, where we told stories about steam-boats to keep off ennui as well as we could, but in vain. In the evening I heard much concerning Rapp’s society, from a German mechanic, who had belonged to it, and who had left it as he said, because Rapp refused to let him have the inheritance of his father-in-law. We heard psalmody in the court-house, for the religious inhabitants of the place, mostly methodists, hold Sunday evening prayer meetings without a clergyman. The day was upon the whole quite warm, and towards evening we had to contend with numbers of mosquetoes. To prevent in some measure their coming from the woods, where they harboured, fires were kindled about the place, and likewise before the houses. The situation here must be an unhealthy one, for not only was I annoyed during the night with head-ache and fever, but Messrs. Huygens, Riley, and Johnson, complained of being unwell. With the exception of some miserable, filthy lodgings in Canada, I do not recollect in any part of the United States, even among the Creek Indians, to have found myself so wretchedly situated in every respect, as here. The food, furnished in small quantity as it was, was hardly fit to be eaten; the only beverage was water, which it was necessary to mix with ordinary whiskey; the beds very bad; and the whole house in a state of the most revolting filthiness.On the morning of the 24th of April, came the hour of our deliverance. The steam-boat General Neville came up the river after seven o’clock. We dispatched a boat to tell them that severalcabin passengerswaited for them in Mount Vernon. Immediately the vessel steered for our shore, and took us in.We were extremely rejoiced at our escape from this disagreeable place. The boat had come from St. Louis, and was bound for Louisville. She was but small, containing sixteen births in her cabin, and had a high-pressure engine. Luckily, however, we found but three cabin passengers on board. We started immediately, and the banks of the river here and there low and subject to inundation, gratified us very much by the fresh green of the trees. We passed by some considerable islands. One of them, Diamond Island, is about three miles and a half long and above a mile broad, and must contain several thousand acres of excellent land. Afterwards we saw upon the left bank, here pretty high, the little town of Henderson, in Kentucky. Eleven miles and a half higher, we saw Evansville upon an eminence on the right shore, still an inconsiderable place, but busy; it being the principal place in the county of Vandeburg, in the state of Indiana, lying in the neighbourhood of a body of fertile land, and is a convenient landing place for emigrants, who go to the Wabash country. Upon the same shore are seen several dwellings upon the freshturf, shaded by high green trees. Close below Evansville, a small river called Big Pigeon creek falls into the Ohio. In its mouth we saw several flat boats, with apparatus similar to pile-driving machines. These vessels belong to a contractor, who has entered into an engagement with the government, to make the Ohio free and clear of the snags and sawyers lying in its current. This work was discharged in a negligent manner, and the officer to whom the superintendence was committed, is censured for having suffered himself to be imposed upon. I remembered having seen models in the patent-office at Washington, of machines which were intended to effect this purpose. Seven miles and a half higher up, Green river unites itself to the Ohio on the left bank. Of this the Western Navigator says: “that it is a considerable river in Kentucky, navigable about two hundred miles, and rises in Lincoln county.” On board our boat we did not find ourselves comfortable, either in respect to lodging, or the table. All was small and confined, and in the evening we were much annoyed by the mosquetoes. My mosqueto bar, purchased in New Orleans, assisted me very much as a defence during the night.During the night, we stopped several times to take in wood, and once to repair the engine. An overhanging tree, which we approached too nearly, gave us a powerful blow, and did much damage to the upper part of the vessel. I had no state room, and therefore obtained no sleep during the constant uproar. The banks became constantly higher, and more picturesque in their appearance. They were frequently rocky: in several rocks we observed cavities, which with the houses built in front of them, produced a pleasing effect. Upon the right bank, was a little place called Troy; several settlements, composed of frame houses, instead of logs. Towards evening we saw upon the left bank, the mouth of a little stream, Sinking creek. Upon the right shore of this creek, is a group of houses called Rome, and on the left a little place, named Stevensport; both places are united by a wooden bridge, resting upon one high pier. I spent nearly the whole day on deck, to regale myself with the beautiful landscapes surrounding us. Between several turns of the river the country is so shut in, that one would suppose himself sailing on a lake. The agreeable sensations caused by the beautiful country, and the mild spring temperature which surrounded me, upon the whole compensated for many of our privations. We indeed were in want of every thing but absolute necessaries. I met an acquaintance indeed; one of our fellow travellers who had formerly been a clerk of the English North West Company, and had remained three years at the posts of the company in the Rocky Mountains, and on the Columbia river; but this personhad acquired so many of the habits of the savages, that his company was in no wise an acquisition. I was also, as well as all the other gentlemen who had been in that unlucky Mount Vernon, tormented with constant pains in the limbs, and our coarse food was so bad, that it was hardly possible to consume it. There was neither wine nor beer on board, nor any acids, so that water and whiskey, were the beverages to which we were reduced. For many years I had never undergone such gastronomic privations, as in the western parts of America. The Ohio appears to contain many good and well tasted fish, but it seems that the people here prefer the eternal hog meat, and that mostly salted, to every thing else, for until now I had seen no fish in these regions, at least none procured for eating. In the night, we advanced on our voyage without stop or accident.On the morning of the 26th of April, we saw the mouth of Salt river, which, as the Western Navigator says, is a considerable river of Kentucky, about one hundred and thirty yards wide at its mouth, and navigable one hundred and fifty miles. Twenty miles above this, the little town of New Albany lies on the right bank, which promises to be a flourishing place. It has a factory of steam-engines, which finds good employment here. On the bank, a newly-built steam-boat was lying, waiting for her engine. These engines must be built very strong, proportionably too powerful for the tonnage of the vessel, on account of the stiffness of the current. They of consequence suffer a violent shock from it, and can only be used about three years. An island in the river divides it into two narrow channels, in which there are rapid currents. Above the island is the foot of the Falls of Ohio. At the present high stage of water, the descent does not strike the eye, and vessels are able to pass up or down the river over the falls. Ours, which went no farther up, stopped on the left bank at Shippingport, opposite New Albany, two miles below Louisville.Shippingport, is an insignificant place, which is supported by the lading and unlading of vessels. We found several hackney coaches, which carried us and our baggage by land to Louisville, where we took up our abode in a large and respectable inn, called Washington Hall, kept by a Mr. Allen. The Western Navigator has the following remarks upon this neighbourhood: “The rapids of the Ohio are, in a natural as well as a political regard, a point well deserving of attention. In low states of the water, they are the termination of navigation by steam-boats, and the last place in the descent of the Ohio, where any considerable impediment occurs in its course. A number of infant towns have already sprung up on both shores of the Ohio, in the neighbourhood of this point, Jefferson, Clarksburg, and New Albany, inIndiana; Louisville, Shippingport, and Portland, in Kentucky. Among these is Louisville, the principal, with a population of three thousand souls; while new Albany contains about one thousand, Shippingport six hundred, and Jeffersonville five hundred inhabitants; all these are thriving situations. Inclusive of the towns and neighbourhood, there is a population of ten thousand people in this vicinity. In the year 1810, Louisville contained only thirteen hundred and fifty-seven inhabitants; it exceeds beyond a doubt its present estimate of five thousand, and will still increase. It is the seat of justice for Jefferson county, Kentucky, contains a prison, court-house, and the other essential buildings, besides a theatre, three banks, of which one is a branch of the United States Bank, a market, several places of worship, and three printing-offices. Louisville lies in 38° 18’ north latitude, and 5° 42’ west longitude from Washington.”Louisville, at least the main street of it, running parallel with the Ohio, has a good appearance. This street is rather broad, paved, and provided with foot-walks; it contains brick buildings and several considerable stores. In our hotel, I renewed my acquaintance with Major Davenport, of the sixth regiment of infantry, whom, together with his lady, I had known in Washington, at General Brown’s, and who is here on recruiting duty. It fell out luckily enough, that the post-master here, Mr. Gray, had just married his daughter, and in compliment to her gave a splendid party, to which I received an invitation. I repaired to it with Major Davenport, and found an extremely numerous, and, contrary to my expectations, even an elegant society. It was a real English rout, so full that many of the guests were obliged to remain on the steps. I was introduced to most of the ladies and gentlemen, was forced to talk a good deal, and found myself very much annoyed by the heat prevailing in the rooms. About eleven o’clock, I reached home heartily fatigued.In former years, when the state of Kentucky was an integral part of Virginia, Louisville consisted of a stockade, built as a protection against the hostile Indian tribes, who then still inhabited the banks of the Ohio. It received its name as a mark of respect for the unfortunate King, Louis XVI. This is attributable to the Canadian traders, who established this post to secure their trade. By degrees white settlers joined them, and thus the town commenced, which at first suffered much from the Indians. It is five hundred and eighty miles distant from Pittsburgh, one hundred and thirty-one from Cincinnati, and thirteen hundred and forty-nine from New Orleans. I took a walk with Major Davenport through the town, and to the new canal. It consists of three streets running parallel with the Ohio, of which only the first or front one is built out completely and paved; and of severalcross streets which cut the former at right angles. It has several churches, tolerably well built; a new one was began, but on rather too large a scale. The pious funds were exhausted; therefore a lodge of freemasons undertook the finishing of this grand house, and kept it for their own use. The canal is destined to light vessels over the Ohio, when they cannot pass the falls on account of low water, and are obliged to discharge their cargo. It is apprehended however, that the money invested in the canal will not yield a great interest, as the time of service, for which the canal is required does not extend beyond three months. During six months of the year the Ohio is so low, that not a solitary boat can navigate it, and when it rises, it becomes so high, that the rocks which produce the rapids are covered, so that vessels can go up and down without danger. The labour on the canal has been commenced about six weeks. The banks in the neighbourhood of the canal are high, and present a beautiful prospect over the rapids, and the adjacent region, which is well cultivated and bounded by woody hills.A second walk with Major Davenport, was directed to the north side of the town, where several respectable country houses are situated, all built of brick; and then to a handsome wood, through which a causeway runs, which is used by the inhabitants as a pleasure walk. The wood contains very handsome beech trees, sugar maples, sycamores and locust trees, also different species of nut-bearing trees.The state of Kentucky is involved at this period in considerable confusion. A son of Governor Desha, was arrested on a charge of having robbed and murdered a traveller the year before; was tried and found guilty by two different juries. For the purpose of screening his son, as was reported, the governor had changed the whole court, and filled it anew with his own creatures. There was a prodigious excitement through the state at this arbitrary stroke of authority. It was torn by parties; I was assured that political struggles, often terminating in sanguinary conflicts, were the order of the day; nay, that this division had already given occasion to several assassinations. It is said to be almost as dangerous to speak upon the political relations of the state, as to converse upon religion in Spain.A merchant from Lexington, Mr. Wenzel, a native of Bavaria, made me acquainted with an architect, Barret, from New York, who has the superintendence over the canal that is going forward. I received some more particular intelligence from this person concerning the work. The expense was estimated at three hundred and seventy-seven thousand dollars. The labour on it began this March, and is to be concluded in the month of November of the following year. The length of the canalamounts to nearly two miles. It commences below Louisville in a small bay, goes behind Shippingport, and joins the Ohio between that place and Portland. Its descent was reckoned at twenty-four feet. Three locks, each at a distance of one hundred and ninety feet from each other, will be located not far from the mouth near Shippingport, and the difference of level in each will be eight feet. The breadth of the locks was fixed at fifty feet, to admit of the passage of the broadest steam-boat, on which account also the interval from one lock to the other was made one hundred and ninety feet. Above the highest lock on both sides of the canal, dry docks will be constructed for steam-boats to repair in. The sides of the canal are only walled with masonry between the locks. The banks above are in a terrace form. One advantage this canal has, is that the bottom consists of rock; the depth to which it is hewed or blown out, must be throughout fifty feet wide. The rock, however, which is broke out here is a brittle limestone, which is not fit for water masonry, and of course does not answer for locks. The rock employed for this work is a species of blue stone, brought out of the state of Indiana, and a bulk of sixteen square feet, four feet deep, costs four dollars delivered at the canal. To dig this canal out, twenty-seven feet of yellow clay at its thickest part, then seven feet thick of yellow sand; from here fifteen feet thick of blue clay, must be passed through before you come to the rock, where there are ten feet thickness still to be dug away. As for the lock gates, they were to be made only of timber, and none of the improvements introduced in England, either the elliptical form of the gates, or the iron frames were to be employed. Moreover, I observed from the profile of the work, the incredible height of the river, which often raises itself fifty feet over places fordable in the last of summer.Upon the following day I took a walk with Dr. Croghan and Major Davenport, down the canal to Shippingport, and witnessed the labour in removing the earth for the canal. The soil intended to be dug out, was first ploughed by a heavy plough, drawn by six oxen. Afterwards a sort of scoop drawn by two horses was filled with earth, (and it contained three times as much as an ordinary wheel-barrow,) it was then carried up the slope, where it was deposited, and the scoop was brought back to be filled anew. In this manner much time and manual labour was saved.Several steam-boats lie at Shippingport, among them was the General Wayne, which had arrived at New Orleans in five days voyage from this place; had stopt there five days on account of unloading, and reloading, and had made her return trip from New Orleans to Louisville in ten days; consequently had moved against the stream one hundred and thirty-five miles daily.Several hackney coaches waited here from Louisville, expecting the arrival of the steam-boat George Washington, which was looked for every minute. The country is highly romantic. We found ourselves on an eminence upon the bank, where a large substantial warehouse had been built jutting over the river. Before us was the foot of the falls; opposite an island overgrown with wood, to the right the falls, and Louisville in the back ground; to the left on the other shore, New Albany, and all around in the rear, a green forest of the finest trees.On our return we passed by a large deserted brick building. It is called the Hope Distillery, and was established by a company of speculators to do business on a large scale. After the company had invested about seventy thousand dollars, several of the stockholders stopped payment. One of them procured the whole at auction for three thousand dollars, and would now let any one have it for less. In the year 1817, the desire to buy land and build upon it, had risen to a mania in this place. Dr. Croghan showed me a lot of ground, which he had then purchased for two thousand dollars, and for which, at present, no one would hardly offer him seven hundred. He has hired a German gardener, who has laid out a very pretty vegetable garden on this spot, which will yield considerable profit by his industrious management.Dr. Ferguson, a physician here, carried us to the hospital. This edifice lies insulated upon a small eminence. The building was commenced several years ago, and is not yet finished. The state of Kentucky gave the ground as a donation, and bears a part of the expenses of building. As the establishment is principally used for the reception of sick seamen, congress has given the hospital a revenue from the custom-house in New Orleans. The hospital consists of a basement story, three stories above, and wings, which each have a basement and two stories. In the basement of the centre building, are the kitchen, wash-house, the store-rooms, &c., and in the upper story, the chamber for the meeting of the directors, the apothecary’s room, the steward’s dwelling, and the state rooms for patients paying board and lodging. In the third story a theatre for surgical operations will be arranged. In the wings are roomy and well aired apartments for the white patients, and in the basement, those for the negroes and coloured persons. Slavery is still permitted in Kentucky. There has been until now only one apartment habitable, in which twelve patients are lying. These have cleanly beds, but only wooden bedsteads. When the building is thoroughly finished, it will contain at least one hundred and fifty persons with comfort. Such an establishment is extremely necessary for such a place as Louisville, which is very unhealthy in summer.I made with Major Davenport an excursion into the country, to the very respectable country-seat, Locust Grove, six miles from Louisville, belonging to Dr. Croghan and a younger brother, and inherited from their father. Close by the town we crossed a small stream, which falls here into the Ohio, and is called Bear Grass creek. This serves the keel and flat boats as a very safe harbour. From the bridge over this, the road goes several miles through a handsome wood on the banks of the Ohio, past country-seats, and well cultivated fields, behind which fine looking hills arose. The wood consisted mostly of sycamores. We observed five that sprung from one root; two are quite common. The trees are very thick. We measured the bulk of the thickest sycamore, and found it twenty-seven feet four inches in circumference. I never recollect to have seen such a mammoth tree. Locust Grove itself lies about a mile from the river, and is, as appears from its name, surrounded by those trees. We found here the doctor, his brother William Croghan, with his young wife, a native of Pittsburgh, and a fat, lovely little boy, who strikingly reminded me of my sons.At a party in the house of Mr. Use, a rich merchant and president of the branch of the United States Bank here, we met a very numerous and splendid society. Cotillions and reels were danced to the music of a single violin, and every thing went off pleasantly. We remained till midnight, and the company were still keeping up the dance, when we left them.Dr. Ferguson was very much occupied in vaccination. The natural small-pox had made its appearance within a few days, under a very malignant form, in the town. On this account every one had their children vaccinated as speedily as possible; even those who were prejudiced against vaccination. In the evening, I went with Major and Mrs. Davenport to the house of Mrs. Wilson, to tea, whose daughter, fifteen years of age, had been married above a month. The young females marry much too early here, quite as early as in Louisiana.There were two pieces represented at the theatre for the benefit of a Mrs. Drake; Man and Wife, a favourite English drama, and a farce called Three Weeks after Marriage. We were present on this occasion. The proscenium is very small; a confined pit, a single row of boxes, and a gallery. It was well filled; as Mrs. Drake was very much a favourite with the ladies here, all the boxes were full of the fashionables of the place. The dramatic corps was very ordinary with the exception of Mrs. Drake. Most of the actors were dressed very badly, had not committed their parts, and played in a vulgar style. One actor was so intoxicated, that he was hardly able to keep his legs.I was furthermore witness to a revolting spectacle in Louisville,from which I escaped as quick as I was able. A pregnant mulatto woman was offered for sale at public auction, with her two children. The woman stood with her children on a bench at a coffee-house; the auctioneer standing by her side, indulged himself in brutal jests upon her thriving condition, and sold her for four hundred dollars!----CHAPTER XXIII.Cincinnati, interior of the State of Ohio.—Pittsburgh, in Pennsylvania.Onthe 30th of April I was very agreeably surprised by a visit from Colonel Wool, returning from an inspection on the Red river, theArkansas, and New Orleans: he had ascended the stream in the steam-boat Washington, and arrived in the night at Shippingport. Being on his return to Washington, he took his passage on board the steam-boat Atlanta, for Pittsburgh. As this boat stopped at Cincinnati, whither it was my intention to go, I immediately concluded upon continuing my journey in the same boat, to enjoy as long as possible the society of so estimable a friend. We went on board between ten and eleven. The Atlanta was crowded with passengers, but we were fixed very comfortably and neatly. The greater part of the passengers were from Natchez, who came with the intention of spending the summer in the healthier northern states. Among them was Major Chotard, who was going with his family to New York, whence he intended to embark for France; and Abbé Martial, a Frenchman, who had kept a boarding-school in New Orleans for a long time, and was at that time employed by the Bishop of Kentucky in Bairdstown, on whose account he was to travel in France and Italy.Our trip up the river was very pleasant. The weather was fine; the shores of the Ohio became more and more interesting the higher we ascended the stream. In the afternoon, we perceived on the right shore the little town of Madison, situated on an eminence. It appeared to be in a flourishing condition, and contained many brick houses; a multitude of well-dressed persons were standing on the shore. Towards evening we passed the mouth of the Kentucky river on the left shore. The Kentucky river, according to the Western Navigator, is a beautiful river in Kentucky. It originates in the Cumberland mountains,is two hundred miles in length, one hundred and fifty of which are navigable. Its mouth is one hundred and sixty yards broad, and proves to be an excellent harbour for boats. The town occupies a very pretty situation; above its mouth, and farther down lies Prestonville. The flourishing town of Frankfort, the seat of government, is situated about sixty miles from the mouth of the river. The former is five hundred and twenty-four and a half miles distant from Pittsburgh, fifty-seven and a half from Cincinnati, and fifty-five and a half from Louisville. Shortly after leaving Louisville, we were followed by another steam-boat called the General Marion, towards evening it reached, and wanted to pass us; a race took place, which discomposed us considerably, and became dangerous to a high degree. The boilers, being soon over-heated, might have burst and occasioned a great disaster; during this time we were so close together, that the railing, as well as the roofs of the wheels knocked against each other. The danger increased as night drew on, and particularly so as there were a great number of ladies on board, who were crying in a most piteous manner. One of them conducted herself most distractedly; she fell into hysteric fits, wanted to throw herself in the water on the opposite side of the boat, and could scarcely be prevented by three strong men. The heating of the boilers of the General Marion had been so violent, that they ran short of wood, and to their great confusion, and our extreme satisfaction, they were not only left behind, but were overtaken by the slow steam-boat Ohio: thus the Atlanta obtained a brilliant victory. Ten miles above the mouth of the Kentucky river on the right shore, is the little town of Vevay, built and inhabited by Switzers. They planted vineyards, which it is said give them a good revenue. I regretted very much that we passed them by night, and thus were deprived of the view of Vevay. On the left shore is a small village called Ghent, in honour of the treaty concluded in that city, in Flanders. I regretted not to have been able to visit that place, if only on account of the name. Without farther accident we went on the whole night, and next morning found ourselves opposite to the mouth of the Great Miami, which joins the Ohio from the right shore. This stream forms the boundary between the states of Indiana and Ohio, and the Western Navigator makes the following observation concerning it. “The Great Miami is a considerable river, which takes its sources in Allen, Logan, Shelby, Merion, and Drake counties. It runs southerly through Miami and Montgomery counties, and receives in the last two considerable rivers, on the left the Mad river, and on the right the south-west fork. On entering Butler county the Miami takes a south-westerly direction, and flows into the Ohio at the south-west corner of this state, and the north-east one of Indiana. Its course is one hundred and twentymiles. Its sources situated between 40° and 41° lat. are in the vicinity of the Massassinaway, a branch of the Wabash, the Auglaize and St. Mary’s, which are branches of the Maumée and the Sciota, its course is in general rapid, but without any considerable falls, and runs through a large and fertile valley which is partly submerged by high water. Near Dayton, about seventy-five miles from its mouth, the Miami receives on the east side the Mad river; from this place boats carrying three and four thousand barrels, may run into the Ohio during high water. The trial of ascending Mad river is seldom made, the stream being too rapid and there being a great many sand-banks and dams. The Miami has a diameter of one hundred and fifty yards during forty miles. ”We found the shores of the Ohio well cultivated, with orchards and Indian corn: we observed several very pretty country-seats. These shores are mostly elevated, and at the distance of about a mile we could perceive a chain of hills covered with woods, which made a fine prospect. Towards ten o’clock in the morning we reached Cincinnati, four hundred and forty-nine miles from Pittsburgh, one hundred and thirty-one from Louisville, and fourteen hundred and eighty from New Orleans. It is situated on the right shore of the Ohio, and built at the foot of a hill, which is surrounded by a half circle of higher hills covered with forests. This city presents a very fine aspect. The hills on the opposite side likewise form a half circle, and in this manner the hill on which Cincinnati is built, lies as it were in a basin. On the left shore, the Licking river flows into the Ohio. This, says the Western Navigator, is a considerable river in Kentucky, which, originating not far from the sources of the Cumberland and running about two hundred miles in a north-westerly direction, flows into the Ohio opposite Cincinnati. The towns of Newport and Covington, the former immediately above, and the latter below the mouth of Licking river, are beautifully situated in Campbell county, Kentucky: Newport contains a military depot of the United States. The shores near Cincinnati are rather steep, and to render the loading and unloading of boats more convenient, they are paved and provided with rings and chains of iron.Before we could land, the health officers came on board to seek information respecting the health of the passengers, as great fears were entertained in Cincinnati of the small-pox, which was raging in Louisville. We took lodgings at Mack’s, a good hotel, near the shore. Shortly after our arrival, I took a walk in town with Colonel Wool and Major Foster, of the sixth regiment, who came here to recruit. We visited some bookstores. The town contains about fifteen thousand inhabitants, and consists mostly of brick houses. Some of the streets run parallel with the Ohio, and others form a right-angle with them, which makes them very regular; they are wide, well-paved, and haveside-walks. Those streets which cross in the direction of the river, ascend and lead to the top of the hill, from which there is a view resembling a panorama. Here they were building a large Catholic cathedral, which was commenced during the last year, and would probably be finished the next: it will be an ornament to the city. The Bishop, Mr. Fenwick, had been travelling for some years past in the Catholic countries of Europe, and had collected considerable contributions for the construction of this cathedral. The old cathedral, a modest wooden building, stands yet in the rear of the new one; it is to be demolished when the former is finished. Cincinnati was settled in the year 1788, round an old fort, called Washington. The first settlers came from New England. The settlement did not succeed until 1794, when General Wayne subdued the Indians. In 1815, it contained six thousand five hundred, in 1818, about nine thousand, and in 1826, about fifteen thousand. Cincinnati is the most important city of the western states. There are two Presbyterian, two Methodist, one Episcopal, one Baptist, one Swedenborg, and one Quaker church, and the Catholic cathedral. There are three markets, and several museums. We visited the principal one, called the Western Museum, but did not meet with any thing new: several Indian dresses, weapons, pipes, a human scalp, a dried human head from the South Sea Islands, the head of an Egyptian mummy, manuscripts on papyrus from the sarcophagus of the mummies, several ancient and modern coins, the last consisting mostly of foreign gold coins, and some objects of natural history; a handsome collection of birds, many of them European, several quadrupeds, some minerals, as well as an indifferent collection of butterflies. We also saw some oil paintings,II.23scarcely worth mentioning, and finally some show-boxes.To my great regret, Colonel Wool left us this day, to continue his journey up the river, on board the Atlanta. Having seen on the map of the city of Cincinnati, the indication of some Indian mounds, I went in search of them, but was unsuccessful, for the very good reason that the hills had been demolished and in their place houses built. After this I called on Bishop Fenwick, but he was not at home. I here met with a clergyman who was a native of Hildesheim, his name was Rese, who was educated in the Propaganda in Rome. This man showed me the old and new cathedral. The former is built of wood, resembling a German village church; in its interior the splendid episcopal seat is particularly distinguished. The altar had but few ornaments withthe exception of four silver chandeliers which the Queen of Etruria gave to Bishop Fenwick for his church, and a gilded tabernacle a gift from Pope Pius VII. In the sacristy there were no ornaments, with the exception of two gilded frames with relics. The new cathedral is a spacious and lofty building: they were building the choir, in which an organ made in Pittsburgh was to be placed. There was to be a large vault under the altar, destined for the sepulture of the bishops and clergymen. The church had not as yet any bells, with respect to these, the clergy expected some contributions from Italy. The vicar-general of the bishop was Abbé Hill,II.24he had formerly been a captain in the British service, and having become a Catholic while in Italy, entered the Dominican order. He was said to be a good orator.Deer creek runs into the Ohio above the town—two wooden bridges lead over it. This brook was very inconsiderable, and could be leaped over, but it was evident from its steep shores that it swelled sometimes to a great height. On the other side of this creek is the highest hill in the vicinity. From its summit there is a delightful prospect over the city and valley, the centre of which it occupies. This view,evenin Europe, would be considered as very handsome. I found on the top a great quantity of reddish limestone with shells, an evident proof that this part of the country was formerly covered by the sea. Among the gentlemen who favoured me with their visits, I remember a General Neville, from Pittsburgh, whose father had been adjutant to General La Fayette during the revolutionary war. Mr. Symmes,II.25brother of Captain Symmes, author of the theory that our planet is hollow and inhabited, drew very well, and had collected the likenesses of all the persons visiting Cincinnati who had interested him: he had the kindness to include my portrait in his collection. Some of these gentlemen conducted me to see the remains of Indian antiquities which are yet existing, but which could scarcely be recognized. We ascended an Indian mound, which is about thirty feet high, situated in a garden. One part of it had been cut off, but nothing being found in it, they began to plant it with trees. I had resolved on travelling in the interior of the state of Ohio, in order to convince myself of the condition of this country, which has been inhabited but thirty years by a white population. I therefore renounced the comfortable travelling on the Ohio for the inconvenient passage by land. To be enabled to travel at my leisure, I hired a carriage with four horses, at six dollars per day, and left Cincinnati on the 3rd of May, at eleven o’clock, A. M. We rode that day twenty-one miles, to thelodgings of the governor, Mr. Morrow, to whom I had letters from Governor Johnson, of New Orleans. The road led through a hilly and well-cultivated country. The fields separated by worm fences adjoin each other, and contain good dwelling-houses and barns. Their extensive orchards mostly contain apple and peach trees. I had not seen before any place in the United States in so high a state of cultivation. But alas! the rain had made the roads so muddy, that it was with difficulty we proceeded. Fourteen miles from Cincinnati we reached a little country town, Montgomery, of very good appearance, surrounded with handsome fields. A few years past there were nothing but woods here, as the roots which still exist bear testimony. They cultivate Indian corn and wheat, which is said to succeed better here than in the state of Indiana. The dwelling of the governor consists of a plain frame house, situated on a little elevation not far from the shore of the little Miami, and is entirely surrounded by fields. The business of the state calls him once a month to Columbus, the seat of government, and the remainder of his time he passes at his country-seat, occupied with farming, a faithful copy of an ancient Cincinnatus; he was engaged at our arrival in cutting a wagon pole, but he immediately stopt his work to give us a hearty welcome. He appeared to be about fifty years of age; is not tall, but thin and strong, and has an expressive physiognomy, with dark and animated eyes. He is a native of Pennsylvania, and was one of the first settlers in the state of Ohio. He offered us a night’s lodging at his house, which invitation we accepted very thankfully. When seated round the chimney fire in the evening, he related to us a great many of the dangers and difficulties the first settlers had to contend with. They suffered mostly from the Delawares, the Indians then living there. They had to place their houses in a state of defence. There are at present scarcely any Indians in the state of Ohio, and it is not now necessary for the inhabitants to guard their crops and cattle, or to tremble for their lives. The governor told us that the increase of population in the state of Ohio was almost incredible. In the year 1800, it amounted to two hundred thousand inhabitants, in 1810, between four and five hundred thousand, in 1820, about eight hundred thousand, and it is to be expected that at the next census of 1830, it will pass one million. Very few of the settlers brought any thing with them, it was therefore necessary that they should do every thing by their industry and exertion. The state had not yet been able to undertake any public works, roads, &c. The two canals which were constructing, were the first great work which they had attempted. We spent our evening with the governor and his lady. Their children are settled, and they have with them only a coupleof grandchildren. When we took our seats at supper, the governor made a prayer. There was a bible and several religious books lying on the table. After breakfasting with our hospitable host, we took our leave at nine o’clock, and rode fifteen miles to Union Village, a settlement of the Shakers. The road was again hilly, and the country as well cultivated as that we saw yesterday; we passed through a country town of good appearance, Lebanon, which lies only four miles from the Shaker Village.
The public house in which we lived was conducted on account of the society. General Evans was looked for, who was to keep the house; in the mean time it was directed by the physician of the society, Dr. M‘Namee, from Vincennes. Among the public buildings I remarked two of which the lower part was strongly built with rough stone, and provided with loop-holes. The larger of these was the granary, and it was reasonably thought that Rapp had this built as a defensive redoubt for his own people. At the first period of his establishment in this country he not only had the Indians, but also the rude people known under the general title of backwoodsmen, who not only saw the establishment of such a society with jealous eyes, which they knew would be wealthy in a short time, but also entertained a grudge against Rapp’s unnatural rules of chastity.
On the morning of the 14th of April, I strolled about the place to look round me. I visited Mr. Neef, but found his wife only at home, a native of Memmingen, in Swabia. Her husband was in the act of leading the boys out to labour. Military exercises form a part of the instruction of the children. I saw the boys divided into two ranks, and parted into detachments marching to labour, and on the way they performed various wheelings and evolutions. All the boys and girls have a very healthy look, are cheerful and lively, and by no means bashful. The boys labour in the field and garden, and were now occupied with newfencing. The girls learn female employments; they were as little oppressed as the boys with labour and teaching; these happy and interesting children were much more employed in making their youth pass as pleasantly as possible. Madam Neef showed the school-house, in which she dwelt, and in which the places for sleeping were arranged for the boys. Each boy slept on a cot frame, upon a straw bed.
We went next to Rapp’s distillery: it will be removed altogether. Mr. Owen has forbidden distilling also, as well as the use of ardent spirits. Notwithstanding this, the Irishmen here find opportunities of getting whiskey and fuddling themselves from the flat boats that stop here, &c. We saw also a dye-house and a mill set in motion by a steam-engine of ten horse-power. The engine was old and not in good order, Mr. Owen said however, he hoped to introduce steam-mills here in time from England. From the mills we went to the vineyard, which was enclosed and kept in very good order. I spoke to an old French vine-dresser here. He assured me that Rapp’s people had not understood the art of making wine; that he would in time make more and much better wine, than had been done heretofore. The wine stocks are imported from the Cape of Good Hope, and the wine has an entirely singular and strange taste, which reminds one of the common Spanish wines.
We went again to the quondam church, or workshop for the boys, who are intended for joiners and shoemakers. These boys sleep upon the floor above the church in cribs, three in a row, and thus have their sleeping place and place of instruction close together. We also saw the shops of the shoemakers, tailors and saddlers, also the smiths, of which six were under one roof, and the pottery, in which were two rather large furnaces. A porcelain earth has been discovered on the banks of the Mississippi, in the state of Illinois, not far from St. Louis. Two experienced members of the society, went in that direction, to bring some of the earth to try experiments with, in burning. The greater part of the young girls, whom we chanced to meet at home, we found employed in plaiting straw hats. I became acquainted with a Madam F——, a native of St. Petersburg. She married an American merchant, settled there, and had the misfortune to lose her husband three days after marriage. She then joined her husband’s family at Philadelphia, and as she was somewhat eccentric and sentimental, quickly became enthusiastically attached to Mr. Owen’s system. She told me, however, in German, that she found herself egregiously deceived; that the highly vaunted equality was not altogether to her taste; that some of the society were too low, and the table was below all criticism. The good lady appeared to be about to run from one extreme to the other;for she added, that in the summer, she would enter a Shaker establishment near Vincennes.II.19
I renewed acquaintance here with Mr. Say, a distinguished naturalist from Philadelphia, whom I had been introduced to, at the Wistar Party there; unfortunately he had found himself embarrassed in his fortune, and was obliged to come here as a friend of Mr. M‘Clure. This gentleman appeared quite comical in the costume of the society, before described, with his hands full of hard lumps and blisters, occasioned by the unusual labour he was obliged to undertake in the garden.
In the evening I went to walk in the streets, and met with several of the ladies of the society, who rested from the labours of the day. Madam F—— was among them, whose complaints of disappointed expectations I had listened to. I feared still more from all that I saw and heard, that the society would have but a brief existence. I accompanied the ladies to a dancing assembly, which was held in the kitchen of one of the boarding-houses. I observed that this was only an hour of instruction to the unpractised in dancing, and that there was some restraint on account of my presence, from politeness I went away, and remained at home the remainder of the evening. About ten o’clock, an alarm of fire was suddenly raised. An old log building used as a wash-house was in flames, immediately the fire-engine kept in a distinct house, was brought and served by persons appointed to that duty. They threw the stream of water through the many apertures of the log-house, and quickly put a stop to the fire. In a quarter of an hour, all was over. Since the houses in the place all stand separately, there is nothing to fear from the extension of fire, unless in a strong wind. The houses, however, are all covered with shingles.
On the 15th of April, I went into the garden back of Rapp’s house to see a plate or block of stone, which is remarkable as it bears the impression of two human feet. This piece of stone was hewed out of a rock near St. Louis, and sold to Mr. Rapp. Schoolcraft speaks of it in his travels, and I insert his remarks, as I have found them correct. “The impressions are to all appearance those of a man standing upright, the left foot a little forwards, the heels turned inwards. The distance between the heels by an exact measurement was six and a quarter inches, and thirteen and a half between the extremities of the great toes. By an accurate examination, it however will be ascertained, that they are not the impression of feet, accustomed to the use of European shoes, for the toes are pressed out, and the foot is flat, as isobserved in persons who walk barefoot. The probability that they were caused by the pressure of an individual, that belonged to an unknown race of men, ignorant of the art of tanning hides, and that this took place in a much earlier age than the traditions of the present Indians extend to, this probability I say, is strengthened by the extraordinary size of the feet here given. In another respect, the impressions are strikingly natural, since the muscles of the feet are represented with the greatest exactness and truth. This circumstance weakens very much the hypothesis, that they are possibly evidences of the ancient sculpture of a race of men living in the remote ages of this continent. Neither history nor tradition, gives us the slightest information of such a people. For it must be kept in mind, that we have no proof that the people who erected our surprising western tumuli, ever had a knowledge of masonry, even much less of sculpture, or that they had invented the chisel, the knife, or the axe, those excepted made from porphyry, hornstone or obsidian. The medium length of the human male foot can be taken at ten inches. The length of the foot stamp here described, amounts to ten and a quarter inches, the breadth measured over the toes, in a right angle with the first line is four inches, but the greatest spread of the toes is four and a half inches, which breadth diminishes at the heels to two and a half inches. Directly before these impressions is a well inserted and deep mark, similar to a scroll of which the greatest length is two feet seven inches, and the greatest breadth twelve and a half inches. The rock which contains these interesting traces, is a compact limestone of a bluish-gray colour.”
This rock with the unknown impressions are remembered as long as the country about St. Louis has been known, this table is hewn out of a rock, and indeed out of a perpendicular wall of rock.
The garden of Rapp’s house was the usual flower-garden of a rich German farmer. In it was a green-house, in which several large fig trees, an orange, and lemon tree stood in the earth. Mr. Owen took me into one of the newly-built houses, in which the married members of the society are to dwell. It consisted of two stories, in each two chambers and two alcoves, with the requisite ventilators. The cellar of the house is to contain a heating apparatus, to heat the whole with warm air. When all shall be thoroughly organized, the members will alternately have the charge of heating the apparatus. Each family will have a chamber and an alcove, which will be sufficient, as the little children will be in a nursery, and the larger at school. They will not require kitchens, as all are to eat in common. The unmarried women will live together, as will also the unmarried men, in the manner of the Moravian brethren.
I had an ample conversation with Mr. Owen, relating to his system, and his expectations. He looks forward to nothing less than to remodel the world entirely; to root out all crime; to abolish all punishments; to create similar views and similar wants, and in this manner to avoid all dissension and warfare. When his system of education shall be brought into connection with the great progress made by mechanics, and which is daily increasing, every man can then, as he thought, provide his smaller necessaries for himself, and trade would cease entirely! I expressed a doubt of the practicability of his system in Europe, and even in the United States. He was too unalterably convinced of the results, to admit the slightest room for doubt. It grieved me to see that Mr. Owen should allow himself to be so infatuated by his passion for universal improvement, as to believe and to say that he is about to reform the whole world; and yet that almost every member of his society, with whom I have conversed apart, acknowledged that he was deceived in his expectations, and expressed their opinion that Mr. Owen had commenced on too grand a scale, and had admitted too many members, without the requisite selection! The territory of the society may contain twenty five thousand acres. The sum of one hundred and twenty thousand dollars was paid to Rapp for this purchase, and for that consideration he also left both his cattle, and a considerable flock of sheep behind.
I went with the elder Doctor M‘Namee, to the two new established communities, one of which is called No. 2, or Macluria; the other lately founded, No. 3. No. 2, lies two miles distant from New Harmony, at the entrance of the forest, which will be cleared to make the land fit for cultivation, and consists of nine log houses, first tenanted about four weeks since, by about eighty persons. They are mostly backwoodsmen with their families, who have separated themselves from the community No. 1, in New Harmony, becauseno religionis acknowledged there, and these people wish to hold their prayer meetings undisturbed. The fields in the neighbourhood of this community were of course very new. The community No. 3, consisted of English country people, who formed a new association, as the mixture, or perhaps the cosmopolitism of New Harmony did not suit them; they left the colony planted by Mr. Birkbeck, at English Prairie, about twenty miles hence, on the right bank of the Wabash, after the unfortunate death of that gentleman,II.20and came here. This is a proof that there are two evils that strike at the root of the young societies; one is a sectarianor intolerant spirit; the other, national prejudice. No. 3, is to be built on a very pretty eminence, as yet there is only a frame building for three families begun.
After we had returned to New Harmony, I went to the orchard on the Mount Vernon road to walk, and beheld, to my great concern, what ravages the frost had committed on the fruit blossoms, the vines must have been completely killed. The orchards planted by Rapp and his society are large and very handsome, containing mostly apple and peach trees, also some pear and cherry trees. One of the gardens is exclusively devoted to flowers, where, in Rapp’s time, a labyrinth was constructed of beech tree hedges and flowers, in the middle of which stood a pavilion, covered with the tops of trees.
I afterwards visited Mr. Neef, who is still full of the maxims and principles of the French revolution; captivated with the system of equality; talks of the emancipation of the negroes, and openly proclaims himself anAtheist. Such people stand by themselves, and fortunately are so very few in number, that they can do little or no injury.
In the evening there was a general meeting in the large hall, it opened with music. Then one of the members, an English architect of talent, who came to the United States with Mr. Owen, whose confidence he appeared to possess, and was here at the head of the arranging and architectural department, read some extracts from the newspapers, upon which Mr. Owen made a very good commentary; for example, upon the extension and improvement of steam-engines, upon their adaptation to navigation, and the advantages resulting therefrom. He lost himself, however, in his theories, when he expatiated on an article which related to the experiments which had been made with Perkins’s steam-gun. During these lectures, I made my observations on the much vaunted equality, as some tatterdemalions stretched themselves on the platform close by Mr. Owen. The better educated members kept themselves together, and took no notice of the others. I remarked also, that the members belonging to the higher class of society had put on the new costume, and made a party by themselves. After the lecture the band played a march, each gentleman took a lady, and marched with her round the room. Lastly, a cotillion was danced: the ladies were then escorted home, and each retired to his own quarters.
I went early on the following morning, (Sunday,) to the assembly room. The meeting was opened by music. After this Mr. Owen stated a proposition, in the discussion of which he spoke of the advances made by the society, and of the location of a new community at Valley Forge, in Pennsylvania, and another in the state of New York. A classification of the members wasspoken of afterwards. They were separated into three classes, first, of such as undertook to be security for the sums due Mr. Owen and Mr. M‘Clure, (that is, for the amount paid to Rapp, and so expended as a pledge to be redeemed by the society,) and who, if desirous to leave the society, must give six months previous notice; secondly, of such as after a notice of fourteen days can depart; and, lastly of those who are received only on trial.
After this meeting, I paid Mr. M‘Clure a visit, and received from him the French papers. Mr. M‘Clure is old, childless, was never married, and intends, as is reported, to leave his property to the society. Afterwards I went with Mr. Owen, and some ladies of the society, to walk to the cut-off, as it is called, of the Wabash, where this river has formed a new channel, and an island, which contains more than a hundred acres of the best land; at present, however, inundated by water. There is here a substantial grist-mill, erected by Rapp, which was said to contain a very good set of machinery, but where we could not reach it on account of the water. We went some distance along the river, and then returned through the woods over the hills, which, as it was rather warm, and we could discover no pathway, was very laborious to the ladies, who were uncommonly alarmed at the different snakes we chanced to meet. Most of the serpent species here are harmless, and the children catch them for playthings. The poisonous snakes harbouring about here, are rattlesnakes and copperheads; these, however, diminish rapidly in numbers, for it is a common observation, that the poisonous serpents, like the Indians and bears, fly before civilization. The rattlesnakes have a powerful enemy in the numerous hogs, belonging to the settlers, running about the woods, which are very well skilled in catching them by the neck and devouring them.
In the evening I paid visits to some ladies, and witnessed philosophy and the love of equality put to the severest trial with one of them. She is named Virginia, from Philadelphia; is very young and pretty, was delicately brought up, and appears to have taken refuge here on account of an unhappy attachment. While she was singing and playing very well on the piano forte, she was told that the milking of the cows was her duty, and that they were waiting unmilked. Almost in tears, she betook herself to this servile employment, deprecating the new social system, and its so much prized equality.
After the cows were milked, in doing which the poor girl was trod on by one, and daubed by another, I joined an aquatic party with the young ladies and some young philosophers, in a very good boat upon the inundated meadows of the Wabash. The evening was beautiful moonlight, and the air very mild; the beautiful Miss Virginia forgot herstablesufferings, and regaledus with her sweet voice. Somewhat later we collected together in the house No. 2, appointed for a school-house, where all the young ladies and gentlemen ofqualityassembled. In spite of the equality so much recommended, this class of persons will not mix with the common sort, and I believe that all the well brought up members are disgusted, and will soon abandon the society. We amused ourselves exceedingly during the whole remainder of the evening, dancing cotillions, reels and waltzes, and with such animation as rendered it quite lively. New figures had been introduced among the cotillions, among which is one called thenew social system. Several of the ladies made objections to dancing on Sunday; we thought however, that in this sanctuary of philosophy, such prejudices should be utterly discarded, and our arguments, as well as the inclination of the ladies, gained the victory.
On the 17th April, a violent storm arose, which collected such clouds of dust together that it was hardly possible to remain in the streets, and I remained at home almost all day. I received a visit from a Mr. Von Schott. This person, a Wurtemburger by birth, and brother of lady Von Mareuil, in Washington, has settled himself seven or eight miles from New Harmony, and lives a real hermit’s life, without a servant or assistant of any kind. He was formerly an officer in the Wurtemburg cavalry, took his discharge, and went, from pure enthusiasm, and overwrought fanaticism, to Greece, to defend their rights. As he there discovered himself to be deceived in his anticipations, he returned to his native country, and delivered himself up to religious superstition. To extricate himself, in his opinion, from this world plunged in wretchedness, he accompanied his sister to the United States, came to Indiana, bought a piece of land from Rapp, by whom he asserted he was imposed upon, and had difficulties to undergo, since he knew nothing of agriculture. He lived in this manner in the midst of the forest with a solitary horse. A cruel accident had befallen him the week before, his stable with his trusty horse was burnt. He appeared to be a well-informed man, and spoke well and rationally, only when he touched upon religious topics, his mind appeared to be somewhat deranged. He declared that he supported all possible privations with the greatest patience, only he felt the want of intercourse with a friend in his solitude.
To-day two companies of the New Harmony militia paraded, with drums beating, and exercised morning and afternoon. They were all in uniform, well armed, and presented an imposing front.
I was invited to dinner in the house, No. 4. Some gentlemen had been out hunting, and had brought home a wild turkey, which must be consumed. This turkey formed the whole dinner.Upon the whole I cannot complain either of an overloaded stomach, or a head-ache from the wine affecting it, in any way. The living was frugal in the strictest sense, and in nowise pleased the elegant ladies with whom I dined. In the evening I visited Mr. M‘Clure and Madam Fretageot, living in the same house. She is a Frenchwoman, who formerly kept a boarding-school in Philadelphia, and is calledmotherby all the young girls here. The handsomest and most polished of the female world here, Miss Lucia Saistare and Miss Virginia, were under her care. The cows were milked this evening when I came in, and therefore we could hear their performance on the piano forte, and their charming voices in peace and quiet. Later in the evening we went to the kitchen of No. 3, where there was a ball. The young ladies of the better class kept themselves in a corner under Madam Fretageot’s protection, and formed a little aristocratical club. To prevent all possible partialities, the gentlemen as well as the ladies, drew numbers for the cotillions, and thus apportioned them equitably. Our young ladies turned up their noses apart at the democratic dancers, who often in this way fell to their lot. Although every one was pleased upon the whole, yet they separated at ten o’clock, as it is necessary to rise early here. I accompanied Madam Fretageot and her two pupils home, and passed some time in conversation with Mr. M‘Clure on his travels in Europe, which were undertaken with mineralogical views. The architect, Mr. Whitwell, besides showed me to-day the plan of this establishment. I admired particularly the judicious and economical arrangements for warming and ventilating the buildings, as well as the kitchens and laundries. It would indeed be a desirable thing could a building on this plan once be completed, and Mr. Owen hopes that the whole of New Harmony will thus be arranged.
On the following day I received a visit from one of the German patriots who had entered the society, of the name of Schmidt, who wished to have been considered as first lieutenant in the Prussian artillery, at Erfurt. He appeared to have engaged in one of the political conspiracies there, and to have deserted. Mr. Owen brought him from England last autumn as a servant. He was now a member of the society, and had charge of the cattle. His fine visions of freedom seemed to be very much lowered, for he presented himself to me, and his father to Mr. Huygens, to be employed as servants.
Towards evening, an Englishman, a friend of Mr. Owen, Mr. Applegarth, arrived, who had presided over the school in New Lanark, and was to organize one here in all probability. After dinner I went to walk with him in the vineyard and woods. We conversed much concerning the new system,and the consequences which he had reason to expect would result, &c. and we discovered amongst other things, that Mr. Owen must have conceived the rough features of his general system from considering forced services or statutory labour; for the labour imposed upon persons for which they receive no compensation, would apply and operate much more upon them for their lodging, clothing, food, the education and care of their children, &c. so that they would consider their labour in the light of acorvée. We observed several labourers employed in loading bricks upon a cart, and they performed this so tedious and disagreeable task, as a statutory labour imposed on them by circumstances, and this observation led us to the above reflection. I afterwards visited Mr. M‘Clure, and entertained myself for an hour with the instructive conversation of this interesting old gentleman. Madam Fretageot, who appears to have considerable influence over Mr. M‘Clure, took an animated share in our discourse. In the evening there was a ball in the large assembly room, at which most of the members were present. It lasted only until ten o’clock, in dancing cotillions, and closed with a grand promenade, as before described. There was a particular place marked off by benches for the children to dance in, in the centre of the hall, where they could gambol about without running between the legs of the grown persons.
On the 19th of April, a steam-boat came down the Wabash, bound for Louisville on the Ohio. It stopt opposite Harmony, and sent a boat through the overflow of water to receive passengers. I was at first disposed to embrace the opportunity of leaving this place, but as I heard that the boat was none of the best, I determined rather to remain and go by land to Mount Vernon, to wait for a better steam-boat there. We took a walk to the community, No. 3. The work on the house had made but little progress; we found but one workman there, and he was sleeping quite at his ease. This circumstance recalled the observation before mentioned, concerning gratis-labour, to my mind. We advanced beyond into the woods, commencing behind No. 3: there was still little verdure to be seen.
On the succeeding day, I intended to leave New Harmony early; but as it was impossible to procure a carriage, I was obliged to content myself. I walked to the community No. 2, or Macluria, and farther into the woods. They were employed in hewing down trees to build log houses. The wood used in the brick and frame houses here is of the tulip tree, which is abundant, worked easily, and lasts long. After dinner I walked with Mr. Owen and Madam Fretageot, to community No. 3. There a new vegetable garden was opened; farther on they were employed in preparing a field in which Indian corn was to be sown.This answers the best purpose here, as the soil is too rich for wheat; the stalks grow too long, the heads contain too few grains, and the stalks on account of their length soon break down, so that the crop is not very productive. The chief complaint here is on account of the too great luxuriancy of the soil. The trees are all very large, shoot up quickly to a great height, but have so few, and such weak roots, that they are easily prostrated by a violent storm; they also rot very easily, and I met with a great number of hollow trees, in proportion. I saw them sow maize or Indian corn, for the first time. There were furrows drawn diagonally across the field with the plough, each at a distance of two feet from the other; then other furrows at the same distance apart, at right angles with the first. A person goes behind the plough with a bag of corn, and in each crossing of the furrows he drops six grains. Another person with a shovel follows, and covers these grains with earth. When the young plants are half a foot high, they are ploughed between and the earth thrown up on both sides of the plants; and when they are two feet high this operation is repeated, to give them more firmness and to destroy the weeds. There is a want of experienced farmers here; the furrows were badly made, and the whole was attended to rather too muchen amateur.
After we returned to Madam Fretageot’s, Mr. Owen showed me two interesting objects of his invention; one of them consisted of cubes of different sizes, representing the different classes of the British population in the year 1811, and showed what a powerful burden rested on the labouring class, and how desirable an equal division of property would be in that kingdom. The other was a plate, according to which, as Mr. Owen asserted, each child could be shown his capabilities, and upon which, after a mature self-examination, he can himself discover what progress he has made. The plate has this superscription: scale of human faculties and qualities at birth. It has ten scales with the following titles: from the left to the right, self-attachment; affections; judgment; imagination; memory; reflection; perception; excitability; courage; strength. Each scale is divided into one hundred parts, which are marked from five to five. A slide that can be moved up or down, shows the measure of the qualities therein specified each one possesses, or believes himself to possess.
I add but a few remarks more. Mr. Owen considers it as an absurdity to promise never-ending love on marriage. For this reason he has introduced the civil contract of marriage, after the manner of the Quakers, and the French laws into his community, and declares that the bond of matrimony is in no way indissoluble. The children indeed, cause no impediment in case of aseparation, for they belong to the community from their second year, and are all brought up together.
Mr. M‘Clure has shown himself a great adherent of the Pestalozzian system of education. He had cultivated Pestalozzi’s acquaintance while upon his travels, and upon this recommendation brought Mr. Neef with him to Philadelphia, to carry this system into operation. At first it appeared to succeed perfectly, soon however, Mr. Neef found so many opposers, apparently on account of his anti-religious principles, that he gave up the business, and settled himself on a farm in the woods of Kentucky. He had just abandoned the farm to take the head of a boarding-school, which Mr. M‘Clure intended to establish in New Harmony. Mr. Jennings, formerly mentioned, was likewise to co-operate in this school; his reserved and haughty character was ill suited for such a situation, and Messrs. Owen and M‘Clure willingly consented to his withdrawing, as he would have done the boarding-school more injury, from the bad reputation in which he stood, than he could have assisted it by his acquirements. An Englishman by birth, he was brought up for a military life; this he had forsaken to devote himself to clerical pursuits, had arrived in the United States as a Universalist preacher, and had been received with much attention in that capacity in Cincinnati, till he abandoned himself with enthusiasm to thenew social system, and made himself openly and publicly known as anAtheist.II.21
I passed the evening with the amiable Mr. M‘Clure, and Madam Fretageot, and became acquainted through them, with a French artist, Mons. Lesueur, calling himself uncle of Miss Virginia, as also a Dutch physician from Herzogenbusch, Dr. Troost, an eminent naturalist. Both are members of the community, and have just arrived from a scientific pedestrian tour to Illinois and the southern part of Missouri, where they have examined the iron, and particularly the lead-mine works, as well as the peculiarities of the different mountains. Mr. Lesueur has besides discovered several species of fish, as yet undescribed. He was there too early in the season to catch many snakes. Both gentlemen had together collected thirteen chests of natural curiosities, which are expected here immediately. Mr. Lesueur accompanied the naturalist Perron, as draftsman in his tour to New South Wales, under Captain Baudin, and possessed all the illuminated designs of the animals which were discovered for the first time on this voyage, upon vellum. This collection is unique of its kind, either as regards the interest of the objects represented,or in respect to their execution; and I account myself fortunate to have seen them through Mr. Lesueur’s politeness. He showed me also the sketches he made while on his last pedestrian tour, as well as those during the voyage of several members of the society to Mount Vernon, down the Ohio from Pittsburgh. On this voyage, the society had many difficulties to contend with, and were obliged often to cut a path for the boat through the ice. The sketches exhibit the originality of talent of the artist. He had come with Mr. M‘Clure in 1815, from France to Philadelphia, where he devoted himself to the arts and sciences. Whether he will remain long in this society or not, I cannot venture to decide.II.22
----
Travels to Louisville, and Stay in that City.
Onthe 21st of April, we left New Harmony, after taking a cordial leave of Mr. Owen, and availed ourselves of the mail stage, which leaves here once a week for Mount Vernon, to make this passage. Besides our company, there was only a single traveller in the stage, a Mr. Riley, from Cincinnati, and a native of Ireland. One mile from New Harmony, we were forced to alight from the carriage, as the horses would not draw us up a steep hill. One-half mile farther, we got out again on account of a similar dilemma, and we had hardly done so, when it was overturned by the unskilfulness of the driver. We unloaded our baggage, left it under the care of Böttner, my servant, permitted the driver to his chagrin and mortification to go on alone, and returned back on foot to New Harmony, to look about for another method of conveyance. I paid a visit to Messrs. M‘Clure, Lesueur, &c. They told me that about ten o’clock a cart under the direction of a Mr. Johnson would leave this place for Mount Vernon, in which our baggage would find a place. As to our own conveyance, I saw plainly that it would be the wiser plan to confide mine to my own trustworthy legs. I assumed therefore the pilgrim’s staff, left my slower moving travelling companions something behind, and accomplished the sixteen miles to Mount Vernon, over a very hilly road, in five hours.
I did not pass through Springfield, saw only two solitary log-houses,and encountered but few people. The herbage had advanced very much during a week; many trees were in blossom, and the young green leaves, particularly those of the tulip trees, produced a very pleasing effect. I passed by many sugar-maples, which were perforated, to draw the sugar juice from them. When the trees are completely in leaf, the natural scenery of these forests, of which the ground is very hilly, must be extremely beautiful, especially to the eyes of a northern European, who is not accustomed to the grandeur of the colossal sycamores, tulip trees and maples. In noticing these trees, I may add the remark that Mr. Rapp had planted the Lombardy poplar in the streets of New Harmony; that these poplars had succeeded very well at first, but when their roots struck a stratum of reddish sand lying under the good fertile soil, they died. Mr. Rapp then substituted mulberry trees, which have thriven well, and Mr. Owen has it in design, to make an experiment in raising silk-worms.
I reached Mount Vernon, tolerably fatigued, about three o’clock, P. M. I met Dr. Clark again. Mr. Huygens and Mr. Riley made their appearance after some time. Towards evening the expected cart arrived, but without Böttner and my baggage. The carter said in his own excuse, that they had given him so much freight in New Harmony, that his horses could hardly draw it, and that there was no room left for my effects. After having made a survey of the localities in person, I was obliged to admit the cogency of his reasons, in spite of my vexation; and of course to find a remedy in patience.
In this state of affairs, I solaced myself with Major Dunn’s society. He and his countryman Riley, belonged to the better class of Irish, and possessed a good deal of shrewdness, so that the time passed very pleasantly. In the evening we went to the court-house, to hear a Presbyterian preacher, travelling from the eastern states. He was quite a young man, of the name of Stewart, whom I had met in New Harmony; he had, however, only looked about, without announcing himself as a clergyman, probably from his knowing the anti-religious opinions prevailing there. In the little new settled places of the western states, they do not build churches before houses, as is the practice in the north-eastern section, but a dwelling and clearing of land is their first object. Nevertheless, divine service is not lacking; for many clergymen, who are not located, seek after a situation; in so doing are accustomed to preach, where they can be heard. In most of the public houses, and ferry-boats, no pay is required from these clergymen, and thus they can take pretty long journies, the descriptions of which are often published, at a very cheap rate. From the want of a church in Mount Vernon, themeeting was held in the court-house. It was a temporary log-house, which formed but one room. The chimney fire, and two tallow candles formed the whole illumination of it, and the seats were constructed of some blocks and boards, upon which upwards of twenty people sat. The singing was conducted by a couple of old folks, with rather discordant voices. The preacher then rose, and delivered us a sermon. I could not follow his discourse well, and was very much fatigued by my day’s walk. In his prayer, however, the minister alluded to those who despise the word of the Lord, and prayed for their conviction and conversion. This hint was evidently aimed at the community in New Harmony and the new social system. In the sermon there was no such allusion. Probably the discourse was one of those, which he knew by heart; which he delivered in various places, and admitted of no interpolations. The service lasted till ten o’clock at night.
Unluckily for me, my port-folio also remained behind among my other baggage. I suffered therefore, the whole forenoon of the next day the most excessive tedium, and was obliged to remain in noble idleness. I went to walk in the woods, gaped about at the pretty flowers, and the amazing variety of butterflies; came back, seated myself in Mr. Dunn’s store, and viewed the steam-boats going down the river. At length in the afternoon, Böttner arrived, with my baggage in a one-horse cart, splashed all over with mud, as he had been obliged to lead the restive horse all the way by the bridle. The poor fellow bivouacked in the woods yesterday, from one o’clock in the morning till four in the evening, when by chance the shepherds of New Harmony passed by, and gave Mr. Owen an account of Böttner’s situation, upon which old Dr. M‘Namee had come out with his one-horse vehicle, and brought back the baggage and its guard. By Mr. Owen’s kindness, the cart was on this day sent on, with my effects.
Now my earnest desire was to get away as quickly as possible. To be sure, the splendid view of the Ohio and its banks by the light of the moon, regaled me in the evening; but the residence in this place was too inhospitable and uninteresting; besides I suffered the whole afternoon and evening with tooth-ache, and symptoms of fever. But how were we to get away? During the night a steam-boat passed, going up the river, but she kept to the left bank where the deepest water was, and took no notice of Mount Vernon. About nine o’clock on the 23d of April, another steam-boat, the General Wayne, came up, bound in the same direction. A flag was hoisted, to give notice that passengers wished to come on board, we waved our handkerchiefs, but the vessel did not regard us, and passed on. To kill time, I wentwith Mr. Riley to Major Dunn’s store, where we told stories about steam-boats to keep off ennui as well as we could, but in vain. In the evening I heard much concerning Rapp’s society, from a German mechanic, who had belonged to it, and who had left it as he said, because Rapp refused to let him have the inheritance of his father-in-law. We heard psalmody in the court-house, for the religious inhabitants of the place, mostly methodists, hold Sunday evening prayer meetings without a clergyman. The day was upon the whole quite warm, and towards evening we had to contend with numbers of mosquetoes. To prevent in some measure their coming from the woods, where they harboured, fires were kindled about the place, and likewise before the houses. The situation here must be an unhealthy one, for not only was I annoyed during the night with head-ache and fever, but Messrs. Huygens, Riley, and Johnson, complained of being unwell. With the exception of some miserable, filthy lodgings in Canada, I do not recollect in any part of the United States, even among the Creek Indians, to have found myself so wretchedly situated in every respect, as here. The food, furnished in small quantity as it was, was hardly fit to be eaten; the only beverage was water, which it was necessary to mix with ordinary whiskey; the beds very bad; and the whole house in a state of the most revolting filthiness.
On the morning of the 24th of April, came the hour of our deliverance. The steam-boat General Neville came up the river after seven o’clock. We dispatched a boat to tell them that severalcabin passengerswaited for them in Mount Vernon. Immediately the vessel steered for our shore, and took us in.
We were extremely rejoiced at our escape from this disagreeable place. The boat had come from St. Louis, and was bound for Louisville. She was but small, containing sixteen births in her cabin, and had a high-pressure engine. Luckily, however, we found but three cabin passengers on board. We started immediately, and the banks of the river here and there low and subject to inundation, gratified us very much by the fresh green of the trees. We passed by some considerable islands. One of them, Diamond Island, is about three miles and a half long and above a mile broad, and must contain several thousand acres of excellent land. Afterwards we saw upon the left bank, here pretty high, the little town of Henderson, in Kentucky. Eleven miles and a half higher, we saw Evansville upon an eminence on the right shore, still an inconsiderable place, but busy; it being the principal place in the county of Vandeburg, in the state of Indiana, lying in the neighbourhood of a body of fertile land, and is a convenient landing place for emigrants, who go to the Wabash country. Upon the same shore are seen several dwellings upon the freshturf, shaded by high green trees. Close below Evansville, a small river called Big Pigeon creek falls into the Ohio. In its mouth we saw several flat boats, with apparatus similar to pile-driving machines. These vessels belong to a contractor, who has entered into an engagement with the government, to make the Ohio free and clear of the snags and sawyers lying in its current. This work was discharged in a negligent manner, and the officer to whom the superintendence was committed, is censured for having suffered himself to be imposed upon. I remembered having seen models in the patent-office at Washington, of machines which were intended to effect this purpose. Seven miles and a half higher up, Green river unites itself to the Ohio on the left bank. Of this the Western Navigator says: “that it is a considerable river in Kentucky, navigable about two hundred miles, and rises in Lincoln county.” On board our boat we did not find ourselves comfortable, either in respect to lodging, or the table. All was small and confined, and in the evening we were much annoyed by the mosquetoes. My mosqueto bar, purchased in New Orleans, assisted me very much as a defence during the night.
During the night, we stopped several times to take in wood, and once to repair the engine. An overhanging tree, which we approached too nearly, gave us a powerful blow, and did much damage to the upper part of the vessel. I had no state room, and therefore obtained no sleep during the constant uproar. The banks became constantly higher, and more picturesque in their appearance. They were frequently rocky: in several rocks we observed cavities, which with the houses built in front of them, produced a pleasing effect. Upon the right bank, was a little place called Troy; several settlements, composed of frame houses, instead of logs. Towards evening we saw upon the left bank, the mouth of a little stream, Sinking creek. Upon the right shore of this creek, is a group of houses called Rome, and on the left a little place, named Stevensport; both places are united by a wooden bridge, resting upon one high pier. I spent nearly the whole day on deck, to regale myself with the beautiful landscapes surrounding us. Between several turns of the river the country is so shut in, that one would suppose himself sailing on a lake. The agreeable sensations caused by the beautiful country, and the mild spring temperature which surrounded me, upon the whole compensated for many of our privations. We indeed were in want of every thing but absolute necessaries. I met an acquaintance indeed; one of our fellow travellers who had formerly been a clerk of the English North West Company, and had remained three years at the posts of the company in the Rocky Mountains, and on the Columbia river; but this personhad acquired so many of the habits of the savages, that his company was in no wise an acquisition. I was also, as well as all the other gentlemen who had been in that unlucky Mount Vernon, tormented with constant pains in the limbs, and our coarse food was so bad, that it was hardly possible to consume it. There was neither wine nor beer on board, nor any acids, so that water and whiskey, were the beverages to which we were reduced. For many years I had never undergone such gastronomic privations, as in the western parts of America. The Ohio appears to contain many good and well tasted fish, but it seems that the people here prefer the eternal hog meat, and that mostly salted, to every thing else, for until now I had seen no fish in these regions, at least none procured for eating. In the night, we advanced on our voyage without stop or accident.
On the morning of the 26th of April, we saw the mouth of Salt river, which, as the Western Navigator says, is a considerable river of Kentucky, about one hundred and thirty yards wide at its mouth, and navigable one hundred and fifty miles. Twenty miles above this, the little town of New Albany lies on the right bank, which promises to be a flourishing place. It has a factory of steam-engines, which finds good employment here. On the bank, a newly-built steam-boat was lying, waiting for her engine. These engines must be built very strong, proportionably too powerful for the tonnage of the vessel, on account of the stiffness of the current. They of consequence suffer a violent shock from it, and can only be used about three years. An island in the river divides it into two narrow channels, in which there are rapid currents. Above the island is the foot of the Falls of Ohio. At the present high stage of water, the descent does not strike the eye, and vessels are able to pass up or down the river over the falls. Ours, which went no farther up, stopped on the left bank at Shippingport, opposite New Albany, two miles below Louisville.
Shippingport, is an insignificant place, which is supported by the lading and unlading of vessels. We found several hackney coaches, which carried us and our baggage by land to Louisville, where we took up our abode in a large and respectable inn, called Washington Hall, kept by a Mr. Allen. The Western Navigator has the following remarks upon this neighbourhood: “The rapids of the Ohio are, in a natural as well as a political regard, a point well deserving of attention. In low states of the water, they are the termination of navigation by steam-boats, and the last place in the descent of the Ohio, where any considerable impediment occurs in its course. A number of infant towns have already sprung up on both shores of the Ohio, in the neighbourhood of this point, Jefferson, Clarksburg, and New Albany, inIndiana; Louisville, Shippingport, and Portland, in Kentucky. Among these is Louisville, the principal, with a population of three thousand souls; while new Albany contains about one thousand, Shippingport six hundred, and Jeffersonville five hundred inhabitants; all these are thriving situations. Inclusive of the towns and neighbourhood, there is a population of ten thousand people in this vicinity. In the year 1810, Louisville contained only thirteen hundred and fifty-seven inhabitants; it exceeds beyond a doubt its present estimate of five thousand, and will still increase. It is the seat of justice for Jefferson county, Kentucky, contains a prison, court-house, and the other essential buildings, besides a theatre, three banks, of which one is a branch of the United States Bank, a market, several places of worship, and three printing-offices. Louisville lies in 38° 18’ north latitude, and 5° 42’ west longitude from Washington.”
Louisville, at least the main street of it, running parallel with the Ohio, has a good appearance. This street is rather broad, paved, and provided with foot-walks; it contains brick buildings and several considerable stores. In our hotel, I renewed my acquaintance with Major Davenport, of the sixth regiment of infantry, whom, together with his lady, I had known in Washington, at General Brown’s, and who is here on recruiting duty. It fell out luckily enough, that the post-master here, Mr. Gray, had just married his daughter, and in compliment to her gave a splendid party, to which I received an invitation. I repaired to it with Major Davenport, and found an extremely numerous, and, contrary to my expectations, even an elegant society. It was a real English rout, so full that many of the guests were obliged to remain on the steps. I was introduced to most of the ladies and gentlemen, was forced to talk a good deal, and found myself very much annoyed by the heat prevailing in the rooms. About eleven o’clock, I reached home heartily fatigued.
In former years, when the state of Kentucky was an integral part of Virginia, Louisville consisted of a stockade, built as a protection against the hostile Indian tribes, who then still inhabited the banks of the Ohio. It received its name as a mark of respect for the unfortunate King, Louis XVI. This is attributable to the Canadian traders, who established this post to secure their trade. By degrees white settlers joined them, and thus the town commenced, which at first suffered much from the Indians. It is five hundred and eighty miles distant from Pittsburgh, one hundred and thirty-one from Cincinnati, and thirteen hundred and forty-nine from New Orleans. I took a walk with Major Davenport through the town, and to the new canal. It consists of three streets running parallel with the Ohio, of which only the first or front one is built out completely and paved; and of severalcross streets which cut the former at right angles. It has several churches, tolerably well built; a new one was began, but on rather too large a scale. The pious funds were exhausted; therefore a lodge of freemasons undertook the finishing of this grand house, and kept it for their own use. The canal is destined to light vessels over the Ohio, when they cannot pass the falls on account of low water, and are obliged to discharge their cargo. It is apprehended however, that the money invested in the canal will not yield a great interest, as the time of service, for which the canal is required does not extend beyond three months. During six months of the year the Ohio is so low, that not a solitary boat can navigate it, and when it rises, it becomes so high, that the rocks which produce the rapids are covered, so that vessels can go up and down without danger. The labour on the canal has been commenced about six weeks. The banks in the neighbourhood of the canal are high, and present a beautiful prospect over the rapids, and the adjacent region, which is well cultivated and bounded by woody hills.
A second walk with Major Davenport, was directed to the north side of the town, where several respectable country houses are situated, all built of brick; and then to a handsome wood, through which a causeway runs, which is used by the inhabitants as a pleasure walk. The wood contains very handsome beech trees, sugar maples, sycamores and locust trees, also different species of nut-bearing trees.
The state of Kentucky is involved at this period in considerable confusion. A son of Governor Desha, was arrested on a charge of having robbed and murdered a traveller the year before; was tried and found guilty by two different juries. For the purpose of screening his son, as was reported, the governor had changed the whole court, and filled it anew with his own creatures. There was a prodigious excitement through the state at this arbitrary stroke of authority. It was torn by parties; I was assured that political struggles, often terminating in sanguinary conflicts, were the order of the day; nay, that this division had already given occasion to several assassinations. It is said to be almost as dangerous to speak upon the political relations of the state, as to converse upon religion in Spain.
A merchant from Lexington, Mr. Wenzel, a native of Bavaria, made me acquainted with an architect, Barret, from New York, who has the superintendence over the canal that is going forward. I received some more particular intelligence from this person concerning the work. The expense was estimated at three hundred and seventy-seven thousand dollars. The labour on it began this March, and is to be concluded in the month of November of the following year. The length of the canalamounts to nearly two miles. It commences below Louisville in a small bay, goes behind Shippingport, and joins the Ohio between that place and Portland. Its descent was reckoned at twenty-four feet. Three locks, each at a distance of one hundred and ninety feet from each other, will be located not far from the mouth near Shippingport, and the difference of level in each will be eight feet. The breadth of the locks was fixed at fifty feet, to admit of the passage of the broadest steam-boat, on which account also the interval from one lock to the other was made one hundred and ninety feet. Above the highest lock on both sides of the canal, dry docks will be constructed for steam-boats to repair in. The sides of the canal are only walled with masonry between the locks. The banks above are in a terrace form. One advantage this canal has, is that the bottom consists of rock; the depth to which it is hewed or blown out, must be throughout fifty feet wide. The rock, however, which is broke out here is a brittle limestone, which is not fit for water masonry, and of course does not answer for locks. The rock employed for this work is a species of blue stone, brought out of the state of Indiana, and a bulk of sixteen square feet, four feet deep, costs four dollars delivered at the canal. To dig this canal out, twenty-seven feet of yellow clay at its thickest part, then seven feet thick of yellow sand; from here fifteen feet thick of blue clay, must be passed through before you come to the rock, where there are ten feet thickness still to be dug away. As for the lock gates, they were to be made only of timber, and none of the improvements introduced in England, either the elliptical form of the gates, or the iron frames were to be employed. Moreover, I observed from the profile of the work, the incredible height of the river, which often raises itself fifty feet over places fordable in the last of summer.
Upon the following day I took a walk with Dr. Croghan and Major Davenport, down the canal to Shippingport, and witnessed the labour in removing the earth for the canal. The soil intended to be dug out, was first ploughed by a heavy plough, drawn by six oxen. Afterwards a sort of scoop drawn by two horses was filled with earth, (and it contained three times as much as an ordinary wheel-barrow,) it was then carried up the slope, where it was deposited, and the scoop was brought back to be filled anew. In this manner much time and manual labour was saved.
Several steam-boats lie at Shippingport, among them was the General Wayne, which had arrived at New Orleans in five days voyage from this place; had stopt there five days on account of unloading, and reloading, and had made her return trip from New Orleans to Louisville in ten days; consequently had moved against the stream one hundred and thirty-five miles daily.Several hackney coaches waited here from Louisville, expecting the arrival of the steam-boat George Washington, which was looked for every minute. The country is highly romantic. We found ourselves on an eminence upon the bank, where a large substantial warehouse had been built jutting over the river. Before us was the foot of the falls; opposite an island overgrown with wood, to the right the falls, and Louisville in the back ground; to the left on the other shore, New Albany, and all around in the rear, a green forest of the finest trees.
On our return we passed by a large deserted brick building. It is called the Hope Distillery, and was established by a company of speculators to do business on a large scale. After the company had invested about seventy thousand dollars, several of the stockholders stopped payment. One of them procured the whole at auction for three thousand dollars, and would now let any one have it for less. In the year 1817, the desire to buy land and build upon it, had risen to a mania in this place. Dr. Croghan showed me a lot of ground, which he had then purchased for two thousand dollars, and for which, at present, no one would hardly offer him seven hundred. He has hired a German gardener, who has laid out a very pretty vegetable garden on this spot, which will yield considerable profit by his industrious management.
Dr. Ferguson, a physician here, carried us to the hospital. This edifice lies insulated upon a small eminence. The building was commenced several years ago, and is not yet finished. The state of Kentucky gave the ground as a donation, and bears a part of the expenses of building. As the establishment is principally used for the reception of sick seamen, congress has given the hospital a revenue from the custom-house in New Orleans. The hospital consists of a basement story, three stories above, and wings, which each have a basement and two stories. In the basement of the centre building, are the kitchen, wash-house, the store-rooms, &c., and in the upper story, the chamber for the meeting of the directors, the apothecary’s room, the steward’s dwelling, and the state rooms for patients paying board and lodging. In the third story a theatre for surgical operations will be arranged. In the wings are roomy and well aired apartments for the white patients, and in the basement, those for the negroes and coloured persons. Slavery is still permitted in Kentucky. There has been until now only one apartment habitable, in which twelve patients are lying. These have cleanly beds, but only wooden bedsteads. When the building is thoroughly finished, it will contain at least one hundred and fifty persons with comfort. Such an establishment is extremely necessary for such a place as Louisville, which is very unhealthy in summer.
I made with Major Davenport an excursion into the country, to the very respectable country-seat, Locust Grove, six miles from Louisville, belonging to Dr. Croghan and a younger brother, and inherited from their father. Close by the town we crossed a small stream, which falls here into the Ohio, and is called Bear Grass creek. This serves the keel and flat boats as a very safe harbour. From the bridge over this, the road goes several miles through a handsome wood on the banks of the Ohio, past country-seats, and well cultivated fields, behind which fine looking hills arose. The wood consisted mostly of sycamores. We observed five that sprung from one root; two are quite common. The trees are very thick. We measured the bulk of the thickest sycamore, and found it twenty-seven feet four inches in circumference. I never recollect to have seen such a mammoth tree. Locust Grove itself lies about a mile from the river, and is, as appears from its name, surrounded by those trees. We found here the doctor, his brother William Croghan, with his young wife, a native of Pittsburgh, and a fat, lovely little boy, who strikingly reminded me of my sons.
At a party in the house of Mr. Use, a rich merchant and president of the branch of the United States Bank here, we met a very numerous and splendid society. Cotillions and reels were danced to the music of a single violin, and every thing went off pleasantly. We remained till midnight, and the company were still keeping up the dance, when we left them.
Dr. Ferguson was very much occupied in vaccination. The natural small-pox had made its appearance within a few days, under a very malignant form, in the town. On this account every one had their children vaccinated as speedily as possible; even those who were prejudiced against vaccination. In the evening, I went with Major and Mrs. Davenport to the house of Mrs. Wilson, to tea, whose daughter, fifteen years of age, had been married above a month. The young females marry much too early here, quite as early as in Louisiana.
There were two pieces represented at the theatre for the benefit of a Mrs. Drake; Man and Wife, a favourite English drama, and a farce called Three Weeks after Marriage. We were present on this occasion. The proscenium is very small; a confined pit, a single row of boxes, and a gallery. It was well filled; as Mrs. Drake was very much a favourite with the ladies here, all the boxes were full of the fashionables of the place. The dramatic corps was very ordinary with the exception of Mrs. Drake. Most of the actors were dressed very badly, had not committed their parts, and played in a vulgar style. One actor was so intoxicated, that he was hardly able to keep his legs.
I was furthermore witness to a revolting spectacle in Louisville,from which I escaped as quick as I was able. A pregnant mulatto woman was offered for sale at public auction, with her two children. The woman stood with her children on a bench at a coffee-house; the auctioneer standing by her side, indulged himself in brutal jests upon her thriving condition, and sold her for four hundred dollars!
----
Cincinnati, interior of the State of Ohio.—Pittsburgh, in Pennsylvania.
Onthe 30th of April I was very agreeably surprised by a visit from Colonel Wool, returning from an inspection on the Red river, theArkansas, and New Orleans: he had ascended the stream in the steam-boat Washington, and arrived in the night at Shippingport. Being on his return to Washington, he took his passage on board the steam-boat Atlanta, for Pittsburgh. As this boat stopped at Cincinnati, whither it was my intention to go, I immediately concluded upon continuing my journey in the same boat, to enjoy as long as possible the society of so estimable a friend. We went on board between ten and eleven. The Atlanta was crowded with passengers, but we were fixed very comfortably and neatly. The greater part of the passengers were from Natchez, who came with the intention of spending the summer in the healthier northern states. Among them was Major Chotard, who was going with his family to New York, whence he intended to embark for France; and Abbé Martial, a Frenchman, who had kept a boarding-school in New Orleans for a long time, and was at that time employed by the Bishop of Kentucky in Bairdstown, on whose account he was to travel in France and Italy.
Our trip up the river was very pleasant. The weather was fine; the shores of the Ohio became more and more interesting the higher we ascended the stream. In the afternoon, we perceived on the right shore the little town of Madison, situated on an eminence. It appeared to be in a flourishing condition, and contained many brick houses; a multitude of well-dressed persons were standing on the shore. Towards evening we passed the mouth of the Kentucky river on the left shore. The Kentucky river, according to the Western Navigator, is a beautiful river in Kentucky. It originates in the Cumberland mountains,is two hundred miles in length, one hundred and fifty of which are navigable. Its mouth is one hundred and sixty yards broad, and proves to be an excellent harbour for boats. The town occupies a very pretty situation; above its mouth, and farther down lies Prestonville. The flourishing town of Frankfort, the seat of government, is situated about sixty miles from the mouth of the river. The former is five hundred and twenty-four and a half miles distant from Pittsburgh, fifty-seven and a half from Cincinnati, and fifty-five and a half from Louisville. Shortly after leaving Louisville, we were followed by another steam-boat called the General Marion, towards evening it reached, and wanted to pass us; a race took place, which discomposed us considerably, and became dangerous to a high degree. The boilers, being soon over-heated, might have burst and occasioned a great disaster; during this time we were so close together, that the railing, as well as the roofs of the wheels knocked against each other. The danger increased as night drew on, and particularly so as there were a great number of ladies on board, who were crying in a most piteous manner. One of them conducted herself most distractedly; she fell into hysteric fits, wanted to throw herself in the water on the opposite side of the boat, and could scarcely be prevented by three strong men. The heating of the boilers of the General Marion had been so violent, that they ran short of wood, and to their great confusion, and our extreme satisfaction, they were not only left behind, but were overtaken by the slow steam-boat Ohio: thus the Atlanta obtained a brilliant victory. Ten miles above the mouth of the Kentucky river on the right shore, is the little town of Vevay, built and inhabited by Switzers. They planted vineyards, which it is said give them a good revenue. I regretted very much that we passed them by night, and thus were deprived of the view of Vevay. On the left shore is a small village called Ghent, in honour of the treaty concluded in that city, in Flanders. I regretted not to have been able to visit that place, if only on account of the name. Without farther accident we went on the whole night, and next morning found ourselves opposite to the mouth of the Great Miami, which joins the Ohio from the right shore. This stream forms the boundary between the states of Indiana and Ohio, and the Western Navigator makes the following observation concerning it. “The Great Miami is a considerable river, which takes its sources in Allen, Logan, Shelby, Merion, and Drake counties. It runs southerly through Miami and Montgomery counties, and receives in the last two considerable rivers, on the left the Mad river, and on the right the south-west fork. On entering Butler county the Miami takes a south-westerly direction, and flows into the Ohio at the south-west corner of this state, and the north-east one of Indiana. Its course is one hundred and twentymiles. Its sources situated between 40° and 41° lat. are in the vicinity of the Massassinaway, a branch of the Wabash, the Auglaize and St. Mary’s, which are branches of the Maumée and the Sciota, its course is in general rapid, but without any considerable falls, and runs through a large and fertile valley which is partly submerged by high water. Near Dayton, about seventy-five miles from its mouth, the Miami receives on the east side the Mad river; from this place boats carrying three and four thousand barrels, may run into the Ohio during high water. The trial of ascending Mad river is seldom made, the stream being too rapid and there being a great many sand-banks and dams. The Miami has a diameter of one hundred and fifty yards during forty miles. ”
We found the shores of the Ohio well cultivated, with orchards and Indian corn: we observed several very pretty country-seats. These shores are mostly elevated, and at the distance of about a mile we could perceive a chain of hills covered with woods, which made a fine prospect. Towards ten o’clock in the morning we reached Cincinnati, four hundred and forty-nine miles from Pittsburgh, one hundred and thirty-one from Louisville, and fourteen hundred and eighty from New Orleans. It is situated on the right shore of the Ohio, and built at the foot of a hill, which is surrounded by a half circle of higher hills covered with forests. This city presents a very fine aspect. The hills on the opposite side likewise form a half circle, and in this manner the hill on which Cincinnati is built, lies as it were in a basin. On the left shore, the Licking river flows into the Ohio. This, says the Western Navigator, is a considerable river in Kentucky, which, originating not far from the sources of the Cumberland and running about two hundred miles in a north-westerly direction, flows into the Ohio opposite Cincinnati. The towns of Newport and Covington, the former immediately above, and the latter below the mouth of Licking river, are beautifully situated in Campbell county, Kentucky: Newport contains a military depot of the United States. The shores near Cincinnati are rather steep, and to render the loading and unloading of boats more convenient, they are paved and provided with rings and chains of iron.
Before we could land, the health officers came on board to seek information respecting the health of the passengers, as great fears were entertained in Cincinnati of the small-pox, which was raging in Louisville. We took lodgings at Mack’s, a good hotel, near the shore. Shortly after our arrival, I took a walk in town with Colonel Wool and Major Foster, of the sixth regiment, who came here to recruit. We visited some bookstores. The town contains about fifteen thousand inhabitants, and consists mostly of brick houses. Some of the streets run parallel with the Ohio, and others form a right-angle with them, which makes them very regular; they are wide, well-paved, and haveside-walks. Those streets which cross in the direction of the river, ascend and lead to the top of the hill, from which there is a view resembling a panorama. Here they were building a large Catholic cathedral, which was commenced during the last year, and would probably be finished the next: it will be an ornament to the city. The Bishop, Mr. Fenwick, had been travelling for some years past in the Catholic countries of Europe, and had collected considerable contributions for the construction of this cathedral. The old cathedral, a modest wooden building, stands yet in the rear of the new one; it is to be demolished when the former is finished. Cincinnati was settled in the year 1788, round an old fort, called Washington. The first settlers came from New England. The settlement did not succeed until 1794, when General Wayne subdued the Indians. In 1815, it contained six thousand five hundred, in 1818, about nine thousand, and in 1826, about fifteen thousand. Cincinnati is the most important city of the western states. There are two Presbyterian, two Methodist, one Episcopal, one Baptist, one Swedenborg, and one Quaker church, and the Catholic cathedral. There are three markets, and several museums. We visited the principal one, called the Western Museum, but did not meet with any thing new: several Indian dresses, weapons, pipes, a human scalp, a dried human head from the South Sea Islands, the head of an Egyptian mummy, manuscripts on papyrus from the sarcophagus of the mummies, several ancient and modern coins, the last consisting mostly of foreign gold coins, and some objects of natural history; a handsome collection of birds, many of them European, several quadrupeds, some minerals, as well as an indifferent collection of butterflies. We also saw some oil paintings,II.23scarcely worth mentioning, and finally some show-boxes.
To my great regret, Colonel Wool left us this day, to continue his journey up the river, on board the Atlanta. Having seen on the map of the city of Cincinnati, the indication of some Indian mounds, I went in search of them, but was unsuccessful, for the very good reason that the hills had been demolished and in their place houses built. After this I called on Bishop Fenwick, but he was not at home. I here met with a clergyman who was a native of Hildesheim, his name was Rese, who was educated in the Propaganda in Rome. This man showed me the old and new cathedral. The former is built of wood, resembling a German village church; in its interior the splendid episcopal seat is particularly distinguished. The altar had but few ornaments withthe exception of four silver chandeliers which the Queen of Etruria gave to Bishop Fenwick for his church, and a gilded tabernacle a gift from Pope Pius VII. In the sacristy there were no ornaments, with the exception of two gilded frames with relics. The new cathedral is a spacious and lofty building: they were building the choir, in which an organ made in Pittsburgh was to be placed. There was to be a large vault under the altar, destined for the sepulture of the bishops and clergymen. The church had not as yet any bells, with respect to these, the clergy expected some contributions from Italy. The vicar-general of the bishop was Abbé Hill,II.24he had formerly been a captain in the British service, and having become a Catholic while in Italy, entered the Dominican order. He was said to be a good orator.
Deer creek runs into the Ohio above the town—two wooden bridges lead over it. This brook was very inconsiderable, and could be leaped over, but it was evident from its steep shores that it swelled sometimes to a great height. On the other side of this creek is the highest hill in the vicinity. From its summit there is a delightful prospect over the city and valley, the centre of which it occupies. This view,evenin Europe, would be considered as very handsome. I found on the top a great quantity of reddish limestone with shells, an evident proof that this part of the country was formerly covered by the sea. Among the gentlemen who favoured me with their visits, I remember a General Neville, from Pittsburgh, whose father had been adjutant to General La Fayette during the revolutionary war. Mr. Symmes,II.25brother of Captain Symmes, author of the theory that our planet is hollow and inhabited, drew very well, and had collected the likenesses of all the persons visiting Cincinnati who had interested him: he had the kindness to include my portrait in his collection. Some of these gentlemen conducted me to see the remains of Indian antiquities which are yet existing, but which could scarcely be recognized. We ascended an Indian mound, which is about thirty feet high, situated in a garden. One part of it had been cut off, but nothing being found in it, they began to plant it with trees. I had resolved on travelling in the interior of the state of Ohio, in order to convince myself of the condition of this country, which has been inhabited but thirty years by a white population. I therefore renounced the comfortable travelling on the Ohio for the inconvenient passage by land. To be enabled to travel at my leisure, I hired a carriage with four horses, at six dollars per day, and left Cincinnati on the 3rd of May, at eleven o’clock, A. M. We rode that day twenty-one miles, to thelodgings of the governor, Mr. Morrow, to whom I had letters from Governor Johnson, of New Orleans. The road led through a hilly and well-cultivated country. The fields separated by worm fences adjoin each other, and contain good dwelling-houses and barns. Their extensive orchards mostly contain apple and peach trees. I had not seen before any place in the United States in so high a state of cultivation. But alas! the rain had made the roads so muddy, that it was with difficulty we proceeded. Fourteen miles from Cincinnati we reached a little country town, Montgomery, of very good appearance, surrounded with handsome fields. A few years past there were nothing but woods here, as the roots which still exist bear testimony. They cultivate Indian corn and wheat, which is said to succeed better here than in the state of Indiana. The dwelling of the governor consists of a plain frame house, situated on a little elevation not far from the shore of the little Miami, and is entirely surrounded by fields. The business of the state calls him once a month to Columbus, the seat of government, and the remainder of his time he passes at his country-seat, occupied with farming, a faithful copy of an ancient Cincinnatus; he was engaged at our arrival in cutting a wagon pole, but he immediately stopt his work to give us a hearty welcome. He appeared to be about fifty years of age; is not tall, but thin and strong, and has an expressive physiognomy, with dark and animated eyes. He is a native of Pennsylvania, and was one of the first settlers in the state of Ohio. He offered us a night’s lodging at his house, which invitation we accepted very thankfully. When seated round the chimney fire in the evening, he related to us a great many of the dangers and difficulties the first settlers had to contend with. They suffered mostly from the Delawares, the Indians then living there. They had to place their houses in a state of defence. There are at present scarcely any Indians in the state of Ohio, and it is not now necessary for the inhabitants to guard their crops and cattle, or to tremble for their lives. The governor told us that the increase of population in the state of Ohio was almost incredible. In the year 1800, it amounted to two hundred thousand inhabitants, in 1810, between four and five hundred thousand, in 1820, about eight hundred thousand, and it is to be expected that at the next census of 1830, it will pass one million. Very few of the settlers brought any thing with them, it was therefore necessary that they should do every thing by their industry and exertion. The state had not yet been able to undertake any public works, roads, &c. The two canals which were constructing, were the first great work which they had attempted. We spent our evening with the governor and his lady. Their children are settled, and they have with them only a coupleof grandchildren. When we took our seats at supper, the governor made a prayer. There was a bible and several religious books lying on the table. After breakfasting with our hospitable host, we took our leave at nine o’clock, and rode fifteen miles to Union Village, a settlement of the Shakers. The road was again hilly, and the country as well cultivated as that we saw yesterday; we passed through a country town of good appearance, Lebanon, which lies only four miles from the Shaker Village.