21 October (Sunday): At eight o’clock in the morning, temperature of 14°R [63.5°F, 17.5°C].M2At one o’clock, windy and 16°R [68°F, 20°C]. It had rained heavily all night, and there was water everywhere on the
broad, unpaved streets of Harmony. We went to visit Mr. Say, who showed us some interesting works on conchology. He is currently editing a description of the North American Testacea, which is being printed and lithographed here. His wife illuminates the plates. From here we went to the library, printing shop, and copperplate press of Mr. Maclure that Mr. Owen had established earlier.

In the afternoon we visited Mr. Say again and went with him to see Mr. Lesueur, who is well known as a traveler and writer and had been with Captain Baudin and Péron in New Holland. He is a unique person, already rather old, with a very deeply lined face and, despite the long time he has lived here, has still not learned to speak English. He was delighted to be able to speak French with us, and his entire being came to life.

His studio, a hall on one side of the empty church, is most curious. Directly before the entrance there is a view of New Harmony, painted after the manner of a theater setting that, with curtains, forms, so to speak, a small theater. Mr. Lesueur changes this view into one of Market Street in Philadelphia, where one sees Louis [Joseph] Bonaparte’s house. On the pillars beside this small theatrical-perspectival view hang natural history objects: on one side, a Grus americana and an Ardea herodias; on the other, hunting equipment. On the walls, all kinds of instruments; natural history objects on benches, tables, and chairs. There a squirrel was just being stuffed. Here there are rows of enormous Unio from the Ohio, Wabash, and Mississippi; there, beautiful bird skins. Elsewhere the owner’s drawing and painting equipment and the various cartons [portfolios of drawings] he had accumulated on his journeys around the world and on the Mississippi and other North American rivers. We richly enjoyed looking over the sketches of various kinds. The collection of small views of the Ohio and Mississippi was lightly sketched in pencil.

Much abundant and interesting material for a most interesting work on natural history is afforded by the collection of fishes and turtles. Of the latter Mr. Lesueur had drawn the three varieties acquired at Pittsburgh (see my Natural History Diary) and had published them partly in the Annales du Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle de Paris and partly in the publications of American societies. His fishes were remarkably beautifully and distinctively sketched in large format, though only a few were completed. He intends to return to Europe next year and to publish his works there.

Beside his apartment—his bed stands in the midst of the chaotic mélange of all the objects in his studio — Mr. Lesueur has painted a stage, which has been set up in the church (now never used) constructed by Rapp. Several young persons from Harmony have performed on it. We spent the evening in pleasant conversation at the home of Mr. Say.