17 July [sic, June]: I looked around in the city and mailed a few letters. Cincinnati is an imposing city built [— —] years ago of [— —] inhabitants and [— —] houses. It was regularly [laid] out with broad streets crossing [at right angles], full of life and traffic, [with a] great many fine stores, factories, and manufactories; other books give much information [on all this].

[Their location on] the Ohio facilitates a far-reaching trade to the west, the south, and upriver, as well as a very lively communication [system, which] flourishes through the steamboats. Of these [latter] the following were anchored here: Caledonia, Erin, Blackhawk, Revenue, Paul Jones, Tom Jefferson Je ff erson, Emigrant, Science, U. S. Mail Guyandotte, Conveyance, Gladiator, Helen Mary, Cuba, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Farmer, Native, and another one.

The lower part of the city lies fairly flat [next to] the river, but the riverbank [shortly] rises gently, and the city streets also rise gradually upward.

I visited the so-called Western Museum of a certain Dorfeuille, to whom I had a letter from Mr. Say. I found several interesting artifacts there, although all these American museums are dedicated, not to science, but more to making money. [This one was] illuminated every evening starting about eight o’clock. Music, mostly played by foreigners (especially Germans), could be heard, and a small fountain surrounded by benches was bubbling. Rabble, as well as gentlemen, were sitting around, as is customary in America, [with their feet on the benches, admiring the marvel.

Mr. Dorfeuille is a man who has a real feeling for science and would gladly do more for it, but his museum had insufficient visitors until he opened an exhibition on hell on the upper floor—grottos where numerous skeletons move [and] the devil is among them; here a skeleton is hung, [and over] there is another dreadful scene. This silly performance attracts the rabble. It is sad that in this country someone has to resort to such means if he wishes to promote the interests of the natural sciences, the sublime study. Mr. Dorfeuille owns various interesting objects—petrifactions, or [fossil] impressions; Indian antiquities; Mexican artifacts—much deserves to be published. [His?] Mexican hieroglyphics are incomplete and small. But I did not see one of them that was [then] in the hands of Bullock, a well-known Englishman who settled on the Ohio only a few miles from [ Cincinnati]. He formerly owned a large museum in London and had traveled to Mexico. Mr. Dorfeuille also owns a few good natural history books. It is regrettable that European [research?] resources cannot easily reach and gain ground in these cities of the West.

Among the acquaintances I looked up was Mr. Richard Owen, who lived there at the time. I [also] had the [pleasure] of making the acquaintance of one of the most outstanding North American physicians, Dr. Drake, who is known for his various publications. His Picture of Cincinnati shows that he did not neglect the study of natural science. He had the kindness to inform me about several writings on cholera, among [other subjects]. M14Among the writings of Dr. Drake [——].My time for a sojourn here was very limited. I could otherwise have profited even more from his acquaintance.

At Captain Culbertson’s I had to deliver a letter from Mr. Culbertson on the upper Missouri. In return I received very interesting Dacota artifacts from the St. Peters [Minnesota] River, among them pipe bowls of red stone and similar items, like war clubs, as well as a large medicine (calumet) stem.

At the booksellers in Cincinnati, I searched thoroughly for natural history works and travel accounts about North America. But I was very unlucky, because I found nothing except the second volume of Nuttall’s Ornithology that had been published [during] my trip along the Missouri, as well as the latest Ohio and Mississippi Pilot. Not many strictly scientific books can be found in the bookstores here; [there were] more about belles-lettres, always usually bound elegantly to attract buyers.

During all my walks, I became more and more convinced [that there were] large numbers of Germans living in this city. Indeed, people asserted that there were 10, 000 of them here and [that] easily one-third of the [city’s] population [were] from this nation, which is [an exaggeration]. We heard German spoken everywhere. But most of these people belonged to the coarse, uneducated class and brought their fatherland little honor. Instead of going immediately into the country to work on the plantations [and] learn the local agriculture, they remain here in the city, stroll about, spend the last [of whatever] money they have brought along, become slovenly, and [are then] despised by the inhabitants. There are also some very decent and educated Germans [in Cincinnati], and some of them have decided to found a society to educate their immigrant compatriots—to direct them [and] support them with good advice and, in an emergency, with money. Such an undertaking would bring honor to the founders and be highly useful.