Box 1, Folder 5: Diaries 1827-1828

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[Lignic?] Amonia to see if the gas evolved was muriatic acid gas; but to my surprise there was not the slightest effervescence the paper was then dipped into the solution but no white fumes appeared which would have been the case had there been the least quantity of uncombined Muriatic Acid. The oxalic Acid however precipitated a considerable quantity of Oxalate of Lime. Into a solution of another portion of the mineral I poured in a few drops of solution of Nitrate of Silver an immediate white precipitate fell down which proves clearly the existence of Muriatic acid - this precipitate has a reddish tinge as well as the super= natent liquid become purple

We observed this evening that the animal we are keeping (Triton lateralis) Dose not like to be touched on the

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Tail. When he is thus treated with a stick he jump & and springs with great activity compared with his usual appearance which is sluggish and dull. We have observed also that he lays on the side of the tub in which he is kept, on which the light dose not fall, having no doubt some Diolike to it. We were told that in summer they made a noise somewhat like that mate by a puppy whence the name of water puppy is given to it.

Sunday Feb 24. Not much occurred worth mentioning except that I stayed at home all the day

Feb 25th We all (except Mary) went to school this day it being the first time since the 13th of the preaent month - We observed a large halo around the moon this evening

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Shippingsport Ky 1828

Tuesday Feb 26 We did not go to school because of the Rainy weather & consequent muddy roads. Darius today finished the family record which is ornamented with Ionic columns & a masonic arch.

Feb 27. We did not go to school for the same reasons as yester day it having rained all night The river continues to be very high; it has been so ever since the time it was up to our door and if the rain continues much longer we expect it probably will be over the streets again

Feb 28 A very cold morning We went to school Darius bot a blank book to day

Feb 29. We went to school. The river is now in the street below Tailors store and is rising

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It was 25 feet and 9 inches above low water at Louisville at 12 o'clock today - Mr. Henry received a Letter from Parri to day.

March 1st 1828. Darius & myself was engaged the greater part of the day in calculating the lateral pressure of water against each arm of the lock gates, and these weight [one?] to be constructed of cast Iron.

The river commenced falling last night. - Father told me that in one instance he observed Iridescent colors in the Bittiminous [car?] from Pittsburgh.

Sunday March 2. Darius & myself were engaged in making out the calculations && [preparations?] for the cast Iron gate

Mr. Henry visited us this after

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moon and said he had some surveying to do for the U.S. Bank & that I must go to Louisville and get A Compass in the Morning

Monday March 3. Agreeable to the above: I went to Louisville this morning and borrowed A compass of Mr. Joice. At noon We commenced our survey of a tract of land containing 2000 acres laying south of Shippingsport & Portland, & West of Louisville. I came home at night cold & tired with wet feet. And (having drank a good mug of Beer with Mr. Henry) a head rather above the common order.

March 4.

I took breakfast with Mr. Henry in order that I might be ready by the time he was for

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Shippingsport 1828

a trip on to the land, which I have been traversing back and forth ever since. It is all covered with forest trees of which the Beech Oak poplar &c are the most conspicuous It is also contains also a large number of ponds, to get a correct map of which was the principal object of Our Journey. They are nearly dry in summer and support numerous trees particularly the Red or Water Maple (Acer rubrum) which grows very tall and are thickly scattered over the surface. The alder ( ) covers those which contains the most water & we also observed a species of wild Rose (Rosa ) growing with the alder. The soil is composed every where of a yellow clay covered with a layer of vegetable mold to the

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of 5 or 6 inches on the arable land On the little ridge which binds one of the largest of the ponds above mentioned I observed several chestnut trees (Castanea vesca B. americana) the existence of which so near us I had not before suspected. Numerous hogs (Jus scrofa) are turned loose in these woods which keep fat all winter on the hickory nuts beech nuts &c which they find in great plenty, they have become verry wild - We saw the Crow (Crovas corone) Ducks (Ands boschus) the king fisher (Alceas alcyon) two or three species of woodpecker (Picus) Pigeon (Columba migatora) And a great many species of smaller birds which were (as it was a fine day for them) seen in great numbers flying about in every direction from bush to bush and enlivening the lonely woods with their sweet & [mellow?] [wins?]

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music - The flowers of the Red maple (Acer rubrum) and the leaves of the Elder (Sambucus ) & Blackberry (Rhubus [?] velossus) have already made their appearance - the heavy frost last night must have been very injurious to them for I saw a great number of the flowers of the Red maple laying on the ground - We chained a road from the west end of the lot to Louisville (3 1/2 miles) where we stopped and took our dinners at a grocery on Crackers & Cheese

Wednesday March 5 After doing some work up the Canal I was engaged with Mr. Henry at Drawing a map of the land we had examined. Mr. Henry went to Louisville (which is now a city) to get some paper of a size larger than any we had, but was unsuccessful

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Thursday March 6th. I helped finish the map above mentioned this morning - After dinner I worked a little while on the canal, then Mr. Henry went to Louisville & I had nothing to do. I then commenced reading Eaton's Geological Survey of the Erie Canal

March 7th. My Birth Day!! seventeen years old today heigh ho! After taking seventeen severe beatings this morning I went to Mr. Henry's room where I had some writing to do until noon. After Dinner I went to Louisville to return the compass we had borrowed of Mr. Joice. On the way I found a small herbaceous plant the flowers of which had begun to expand I observed that it belonged to the pentandria [monguan?] class & order - corolla white blue; leaves fleshy touch

Pulmonaria virginia

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Shippingsport Ky March 1828

Saturday March 8. A little appearance of rain this morning. After doing a little job for Mr. Henry; I stayed in my room until after Dinner when I had to go up the canal a little ways but soon returned and have been in my room ever since

We have for some time past been trying to get "Darius" into business on the Louis & Portland Canal. The Board of Directors have adapted a new model of Paying their Contractors which is to pay their expenses to the persons to whom they are due and paying the profit of the job to the contractors themselves. This is likely to make so much more work for the Engineer as to make the services of an extra hand necessary. It is Mr. Henry's wish that they should employ an engineer who with myself as Rodman would