On September ro, Maximilian began the supervision of the packing of five large cases of natural history specimens at Bethlehem for shipment abroad. The next day Bodmer arrived from Mauch Chunk with additional studies of that area, including a watercolor describing the location in the Mahoning Valley of the former Moravian settlement of Gnadenhutten. Maximilian had earlier visited this site, referring to it in his journal on August 31 as having been settled by a group of religious brethren from Herrenhut in the middle of the eighteenth century.

This unfinished watercolor, made at Bethlehem during the latter part of July, depicts the landscape in the direction of Mauch Chunk, center of an important anthracite coal mining operation some fifty miles away. It includes a view of Wohler's vineyards near the inn of that name on the outskirts of Bethlehem.

Before sunup on July 25, Maximilian and Bodmer set out for Bethlehem, at that time a settlement of about a thousand persons located on the stage line between Philadelphia and Harrisburg. On the evening of his arrival, Maximilian met a German physician, Lewis Saynisch, who accompanied him on several outings in the area. At Bethlehem, Bodmer occupied himself with sketching various points of local interest.