Box 1, Folder 5: Diaries 1827-1828

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wild ducks and I listened to the song of various others of the feathered creation - such as woodpeckers, crows, and a great many that I do not know the names of, I did not find the Cow at any rate,

Dec 27 Thursday I spent my time in my room nearly all this day. Yesterday I lent to JL Dateste $100. One thing worthy of remark in this place is the great length of time of wet and muddy weather. Our streets have not been clear from mud sence about the first of this month It rained a little this morning but as the sun has now made its appearance again, we are in hopes of fair weather as we was on the 22d of this month

Dec. 28. Friday. During the day and last night we have had very strong wind and in the latter part

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of the day it grew very cold. I went to Louisville to carry the Engineers report and got from Mr. Goodwin the Shermonter mentioned on the 21st of this month. - I also received a letter from Professor B. Silliman of New Haven. I got my hair cut while I was there and got some buttons for my shirts. IT snowed a little this after noon.

Dec 29. Saturday a cold day I spent the greater part of this day in copy ing a geological profile of the country between Louisville and the [Muobs?] and a profile of the canal for Prof. Silliman.

Dec 30 Not much occurred worth of a note

Dec 31 Monday I answered Mr. Silliman’s letter received on the 28th I went to Louisville to see what Mr. Butler would do about the

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Shippingsport Jan 1828.

back Nos of the American Journal. When I came home I commenced examining Gregg's Dictionary which I borrowed from Mr. Bertham

January 1. 1828. I spent my time reading & writing. Father went to Lou= isville to hire a negro woman for the year. Mrs. Chapman left us for Cincinnati to day.

Wednesday. Jan 2. Not much occurred worthy of a place here I spent my time in my room - mushy weather again

Jan 3. The river is now nearly as high as it was on the 23d of Dec. last. - I spent this day in drawing some plants from Gregg's Dictionary

Jan 4. I spent my time in my room reading in the above mentioned book for the Engineer made no report this day.

Jan 5. I got up Time spent nearly

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Shippingsport Ky. 1827.

in the same manner as yesterday. The river is continually raising & we again some expect to be overflowed.

Sunday Jan 6. Father wrote a letter to Darius to day on which the same paper I wrote another to him mentioning my Description of the Canal -

Monday 7th. I commenced going to School again to day - We received three litters from Darius this day and one from D. Thomas for Darius

Jan 8 Gen Jacksons Day. On account of the height of the water in the river, and the prospect of its coming over the plane back of Shippingsport I did not go to school this day. We piled up the wood & done other things preparatory to an unwelcome visitor (viz water of the river) The canal is now crossed by the turnpike

[Left page] 114 Shippingsport 1828

In its middle of the water flows into it from each end, there is a convenient place for [making?] the fall of the river on the rapids, which I found by actual masurement [measurement] to be about one and an half foot. The water from about gust begins to rim over the bar left for the turnpike. The inhabitants of this place is now very much subject to inconvenences [inconveniences] from the hight [height] of the water which is continually rising Wed Jan 9. I receaved [received] the 2nd No of vol 10 of Sillinaus Journal this day. The water of the river is still rising Jan 10. The temperature of the river water before our door 6 inches under its surface is 47.5, while the air is at the same time 52. I looked over my collection of Shells

[Right page] 115 Shipppingsport 1828 which I have numbered as follows No 1. Fromt he Ohio River at the rapids No 2 Do 3. Do 4. Helix albolabris See this Journal for Dec 26 1827 5. Planorbus Do 6. Helix albolabris Do 7. Helix alternata Do 8. Helix I brought these two Shells from the Miami River between Hamilton 87 Middletown Ohio. 9. 10. [Umio?] Falls of the Ohio 11. Do 12. Do 13. Do 14. Do 15. Do Lever be able to find them out. Note Black places left to be filled up with the names if I should I spent most of my time in reading Sillimans Journal - The river is now one & an half feet deep before our door & we are obliged to make use of a raft when we wish to leave it.

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It has, however, not raised more than 2 inches today & we expect that it will begin to fall soon.

Friday 11th Jan. River about the same as yesterday - spent my time in trying to find the names of my Shells.

Jan 12th Not much occurred worthy a place in this Journal - I was in my room nearly all the time

Jan 13th. Sunday =

Genus Daucus. Nutall Vol 1. p 179.

Sp. D. carola (Wild carrot or birds nest)

Slender, hard, brownish fusiform roots Stem 2 feet high, upright, grooved, with upright alternate branches, which are long commonly from 6 to 10 in; they have one leaf, except the primary or terminating ones which is naked; am have a single umbel of flowers at top; the universal umbel has some= times from 30 to 40 unequal rays; the middle rays being very short, the outer ones above an inch long; the flowers are white those in the middle tinged with

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blue purple, these are fertile, those in the circumference, which are irregular & larger, are frequently neuter, or have pistils only; the fruit is spherical, composed of plano-convex seeds, on the back of which are four membranous narrow crests pectinated with linear, setaceous, innocuous, flexible teeth. Nich. Encyclopedia.

Genis Dodecatheon Nutall Vol 1. p 119.

D. meadia (Virginian Cowslip)

Perennial yellow root, from which come out, in the spring, several long smooth leaves, 6 inches long & nearly two broad, at first they stand erect, and after= words they lie on the ground, especially if the plant be much exposed to the sun; from among these leaves rise 3 or 4 flower stalks, 8 or 9 inches high; they are smoother, naked, & terminated by an umbel of flowers of a peach-coloured blossom; these appear in April or May; the seeds ripen about July, soon after which the leaves decay, & the roots remain inactive till the following spring

Ditto

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Shippingsport Ky 1828

Genus Dryas Nutall Vol 1. p 309

D. octopetala - A delicate evergreen plant with snow white blossoms. The stalks & branches are woody & perennial lying flat upon the ground, spreading wide about the roots in tufts. Nicks Enc.

Sunday Not much occurred -

Monday Jan 14. I stayed in my room all day this day - The river fell an inch or so last night but we have no expectations of its going down far yet - On an old rotten long which floats up before our door I collect Shells. No 16 two specimens

17.

18.

See this journal Jan 9. 1828 for former numbers -

Jan 15. This morning I went to Louis ville - Mr. Goodwin says that when the month is out, if I will send him a copy of my Meteorological table he will

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have it printed in the Focus [a weekly newspaper printed in Louisville.]

Mr. Foot of Cincinnati wants a plan of the Locks at this place which I am about to commence Drawing -

Jan. 16 0 Wed. I commenced drawing the plan above mentioned this morning. The river fell 6 inches last night and it raised as much to day

Jan 17 - I worked a little on my plan of the Locks - Not much occurred

Jan 18. A cold morning There. at 20.50 The river fell two feet last night

We were surprised this morning to see several enormous flocks of birds pigeons flying to the north - some of them sit in Indiana opposite this place. They were small birds - I do not know their names the were not pigeons - We were a long time gassing at the different beautiful & varied forms into which the flocks put themselves