 | CHAPTER III. Travels in the interior of North America. |  |
CHAPTER III.
RESIDENCE AT FREIBURG AND BETHLEHEM IN PENNSYLVANIA, FROM JULY 30TH TO AUGUST 23RD.
View of the Country—Population of German Origin—Freiburg—Residence there—The Rocky Valley—Excursions—The
Colony of the Moravian Brethren at Bethlehem—Residence there—Excursions.
All the members of our party had now joined, and, though our baggage was not yet arrived
from Boston, I resolved, in order to make myself acquainted with the interior of Pennsylvania,
to take up my abode in the settlement of the Moravian Brethren at Bethlehem. I had previously
paid a visit to the place, and found it very favourably situated for our object. On the
30th of June, before daybreak, in the finest weather and bright moonlight, we drove through the
long streets of Philadelphia, and passed the churchyards, with their white, ghost-like monuments
and tombstones. The day broke when we got out of the city. On both sides of the road were
country houses, alternating with fields, enclosures, gardens, and parks; and high trees of various
kinds were everywhere planted by the road-side. We passed through Germantown, a scattered
village, and, by eight o'clock, arrived at Chestnut Hill, where the passengers usually breakfast.
The inn was rather uncleanly, and the coffee so bad, that a portly Quaker in our company would
not take this beverage, of which he was otherwise very fond. At table we were molested by
innumerable European flies, though a servant girl took great pains to drive them away, by waving
a large green bough over our heads.
The whole country, as far as Bethlehem, and much farther, is chiefly inhabited by the
descendants of German emigrants, who all speak an indifferent low German, and say that they
rather converse in German than in English. The appearance of the country in this part is not
particularly pleasing. Fields of potatoes, clover, oats, and maize as high as a man, alternate with
meadows and little thickets, and all the fields are surrounded with hedges or wooden fences. At
Montgomeryville, the horses are changed a second time, and the road becomes more diversified.
of boards, covered with shingles; sometimes they are merely great block-houses, like the
cowkeeper's cottage in Switzerland. These cottages are surrounded with little gardens, in which
there are various kinds of European plants, such as the hollyhock, hibiscus, larkspur, balsam, &c.
The Hibiscus Syriacus was everywhere in blossom, in the greatest beauty. I have never seen
this fine plant so high and vigorous, or its flowers so large and splendid, in Europe, as here.
They are of three varieties of colour—white, purple, and bright pink, the latter by far the most
beautiful. In general, the trees and shrubs in this country are very vigorous. The vegetative
power increases the more you advance towards the south, and the prodigious fertility of the soil
remains long unimpaired, even after it has been stripped of its primeval forests.
The country, as we advanced, was gradually more and more wooded. We drove through
fine young woods of slender oaks, walnuts and chestnuts, ash, sassafras, beech, tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica),
and other tall trees, all, with the exception of a single spot, without any underwood or
young trees, which is a proof that there is no intention of perpetuating these woods for future
use. In many parts they are on the way to total destruction, for they contain neither timber fit
for felling, nor young plants; and if it is thought fit in future to raise timber in these ruined forests,
the country people must be checked in their love of destruction, and forest laws and regulations
introduced. It is fortunate for Pennsylvania that the rich coal mines have been discovered.
There was a very agreeable succession of woods and meadows, and we saw great numbers of the
beautiful red-headed woodpecker, which, when it spreads its wings, displays a large surface as
white as snow. It is often seen sitting on the fences where the ground squirrel and the reddish
squirrel, with dark lateral stripes (Sciurus Hudsonius), frequently resort. The first, in particular,
is seen in great numbers about all these fences, running backwards and forwards on them. The
birds which we particularly remarked were the robin, the blue bird, the fox-coloured thrush, the
goldfinch, the turtle-dove, &c. The Caprimulgus Virginianus, which the Americans call the night
hawk, was flying about in a meadow in bright sunshine. I have seen these birds everywhere,
flying about in numbers, in the daytime, like Azaras Nacunda in Brazil. This species, too,
shows, when on the wing, the white transverse stripes which are observed in many species in
that country. Crows and blackbirds are common, but there are very few birds of prey,
which are far more numerous in Brazil. The forests in this part of the country become more
lofty; the crowns of the trees spread wider, and afford a thicker shade. Travelling by a road
which runs alternately through corn-fields, meadows, and agreeable eminences, we arrived at
Freiburg, a straggling village, almost wholly inhabited by descendants of German emigrants. We
stopped here a couple of days, to make excursions in the forests, and took up our quarters in a
tolerably good country miller's house, close to which a Jew had set up his store.
On the 1st of August, conducted by my obliging neighbour, the German Jew, and some
which was represented to us as very well worth seeing. We proceeded through meadows and
between fences for about half a league, and often saw the large prairie lark (Alauda magna,
Linn.; Sturnella, Vieill.), which usually sits on the ground, on the grass, or on the branch of a
shrub, and, when scared, often lights on the pines. Its song is short, and not disagreeable. This
handsome bird is shy of the sportsman, and flies away betimes, when it may immediately be recognised
by its short, outspread tail, the side feathers of which are white. Our path lay past
isolated farm-houses, most of the inhabitants of which spoke German, and we then reached the
forest, where we shot many fine birds. We next passed by several lonely log or block-houses,
before the doors of which the children, many of them very poorly and dirtily dressed, were at
play, and seemed to be the only possession of the inhabitants. The sky was overcast, and it
rained, while the weather was very warm, which obliged us to visit the cool draw-wells of the
peasants. From this place the forest was more and more filled with blocks of primitive rocks,
mixed with hornblende and quartz, and these blocks lay about irregularly, some of them very
large, and covered with various kinds of lichens. In this wild wooded spot, our guides could not
tell where they were, till a German peasant showed us the rather hidden path, which could
hardly be distinguished among the many blocks of stone. The Actæa racemosa, with its long
spikes of white flowers, was growing everywhere, four or five feet high, like the Digitalis purpurea,
in the mountain forests on the Rhine.
The wood now became thicker, and fuller of brushwood. We reached the bed of a stream,
now dry, likewise quite filled with blocks of stone, which we followed, leaping from block to block,
till we came in sight of the place called the Rocky Valley. Here, on a gentle hill, is a free prospect
through the forest up the stream, where prodigious masses of great blocks of stone were
so piled up, one over another, that a tract, from 150 to 200 paces in breadth, appears quite
covered with them, exactly like similar heaps of stone, especially basalt, in Germany, some of
which are found in the countries on the Rhine, where they are called beilsteine. No shrub or
blade of grass can grow among these boulders, and the rain, which continued to fall, made them
so slippery that it was dangerous to climb over them. No living creature was to be seen in this
wilderness, nor, as I said before, was there any vegetation. These blocks seem to have been
accumulated and piled up by some impetuous torrent, and it is said that, at the season of the year
which is less hot and dry, the sound of water running under the stones is heard.
From this place we returned to the habitation of the German peasant who had showed us
the way, where we refreshed ourselves with brandy-and-water. The inmates of the house were,
in part, engaged, sitting under the shade of the trees, in cutting shingles, which they sold. They
were much astonished at our double-barrelled guns, with percussion locks and safety caps.
There are now scarcely any wild animals in these forests; hardly any but the grey fox, the
the love of destruction of the invaders.
On our return to Freiburg, I found our countryman, Dr. Saynisch, of Bethlehem, whom
I had previously met with. He is a naturalist, and, being well acquainted with this part of the
country, was able to give me much interesting information concerning it. He stopped a couple
of days with us, and we set out on a shooting excursion the same afternoon.
On the 2nd of August, early in the morning, we left Freiburg, in the most beautiful weather,
and our host drove us in his dearborn (such is the name given to a small covered vehicle),
and two spirited horses, to Bethlehem, the road to which afforded us much pleasure. The
country is very agreeable: meadows, corn-fields, habitations, and copses succeeded each other on
the side of low hills; and the fine valley, called, by the inhabitants, Upper Sakena, is remarkably
fertile. The road was here and there shaded by large trees, and a small pond was extremely
interesting to us; for, besides many curious birds, we saw tortoises everywhere on the banks, and
on old stumps in the water, which, however, were very shy, and plunged below the surface as
soon as we approached them. In the sultry heat of noon, we reached the Moravian settlement,
Bethlehem, where we put up at a German inn.
This settlement is built on the top and the side of a hill, at the foot of which the Monocasa
brooks join the Lecha (Lehigh). The Lecha is celebrated for its picturesque valley, which is at
first wild and wooded, and lower down, fruitful and well cultivated. At present, Bethlehem is
no more than a village, but it is rapidly increasing, and has already some pretty considerable
streets, which, however, are still unpaved. The church is a large, neat, light building, quite in
the plain style of the German churches of this sect, and gives the place a pretty appearance,
being situated nearly at the top of the hill. Another large building is the girls' school, which
has a shady garden, planted with timber trees, the lower part of which is on the Monocasa,
where flowers of many kinds attract the little humming-birds. The lower part of the village,
consisting of but a few houses, one of which is the inn where we lodged, and where there is a
long wooden bridge over the Lecha, is situated in Lehigh county; and the large upper part, in
the county of Northampton, the boundary line of the two counties passing through the place.
Like all the settlements of the industrious brethren, Bethlehem has a number of different trades,
mechanics and field-labourers. New settlers are continually arriving, and it will, in time, become
a place of importance. The inhabitants are, for the most part, Germans; but there are likewise
many English, and divine service is performed in the church in German and English alternately,
and most of the inhabitants speak both languages. The country about Bethlehem is agreeable
and diversified; the climate very healthy. Large woods alternate in the vicinity with the fields
of the inhabitants, and a canal, from the coal district of Mauch Chunk to the Delaware, gives
animation and support to the country by the numerous boats that navigate it. All kinds of
to plant vines; but what is called the Alexander grape, yields a rather acid beverage, which
they usually sweeten with sugar. We were told that much better wine is produced in the country
about Lancaster, in Pennsylvania, near York. Fruit does not seem to thrive so well in the United
States as in Europe: the peach, however, may, perhaps, be excepted.
I became acquainted with the directors of this Colony: Mr. V. Schweinitz, well known in the
literary world as a distinguished botanist, Mr. Anders the bishop, and the Rev. Mr. Seidel. All
these gentlemen received me in a very friendly manner, and Mr. Seidel, in particular, showed me
much kindness. Dr. Saynisch lived in the same house with me, and I derived great benefit from
his knowledge of the country. Our whole time at Bethlehem was devoted to excursions in the
neighbouring country. Opposite the place, on the other side of the Lecha, is a range of mountains,
or moderate hills, beautifully wooded, which afforded a great variety of pleasant walks. The
mountains are covered with picturesque forests of oak, walnut, and other timber trees, under
which there is, generally, a thick covert of tall Rhododendron maximum, which was still adorned
with its magnificent large tufts of flowers. In these dark shades we soon learned to distinguish
the notes of the different birds, among which was the flame-coloured Baltimore bird, which we
recognised, at a distance, by its splendid plumage, when it was flying to its remarkable pendent
nest, of which we saw several. The Lecha, the bottom of which was covered with naked blocks
and masses of stone, is adorned by picturesque islands, some of them of considerable extent,
to which we made many interesting excursions. Numerous kinds of aquatic plants grow in the
water; and among these plants we saw numbers of tortoises. Mr. Bodmer made a very characteristic
drawing of this wood and water scenery. (Plate I.) When we had crossed the river, we
landed on the island in a dark, lofty, airy grove, where all the kinds of trees common in this
country grow vigorously, and entirely exclude the sun's rays. The ground is clothed with many
fine plants: the beautiful Lobelia cardinalis, which is common in all this part of the country,
was in blossom on the banks, as well as many other plants.
This beautiful forest was peopled by a great variety of birds; besides those above-mentioned,
we saw, in the crowns of the highest trees, the bright red Tanagra, the black and red Baltimore
bird, the humming-bird, with reddish brown eyes; the greenish heron, and the ash-coloured kingfisher,
flew up from the stones on the bank. Whenever we were overtaken by a shower of rain
on these lovely islands, we took shelter in the hollow trunks of old plane trees, of which there is
one capable of holding ten persons. In these cool shades we did not much feel the heat of the
summer, but it was very oppressive in the town; at nine o'clock in the evening the temperature
of our apartment was 18° Reaumer (72½° Fahrenheit), and there were frequent thunder-storms.
At noon the temperature in the cool passages of our house was at 23° or 24° Reaumer (86°
Fahrenheit).
We made frequent excursions to these charming islands; and Mr. Bodmer, who went
thither every day to complete his sketch of the forests, generally came back laden with tortoises
(Emys odorata and picta) and other amphibia, or fresh water shells. This Emys picta is one of
the most beautiful kinds of this family in Pennsylvania; there is certainly no country in which
tortoises are so numerous, and of such a variety of species, as North America.
The banks of the Lehigh, chiefly covered with high woods, differ from the more open banks
of the Monocasa, where extensive thickets of reed and reed mace (Typha) are the abode
of the beautiful red-shouldered Oriole. The little shrub-like oak (Quercus chincapin) grows in
abundance on the hills that border this stream. We made other interesting visits to the
wooded Lecha mountains, on the north or north-east bank of that river, below Bethlehem. They
are thickly covered with high timber and much underwood, and from their summits there is a fine
prospect over the whole of the surrounding hilly country. The chestnut trees have been
very much thinned in these forests, as the wood is highly valued, not for fuel, as it is light and
porous, but for fences, because it is said to remain uninjured in the ground for sixty years.
The splendid bright red Tanagra was not uncommon in these forests; but we now met with
none that were quite red, because the old males put on, towards autumn, the plain olive-coloured
plumage of the females. Many of these fine birds had still bright red spots, which showed that
they were undergoing a change in their plumage. Only a couple of species of the genus
Tanagra, which are so numerous in the Brazilian forests, are found in all North America; but the
manner and mode of living of these animals are everywhere the same. They are quiet birds, not remarkable
for their song, but make up for this deficiency by the splendour of their plumage. The
small hare (Lepus Americanus) and the grey squirrel were almost the only quadrupeds we saw
in these woods; but of the class of amphibia there were many kinds. The larger wild animals
have almost wholly disappeared. All North America was formerly one interminable forest,
only there were what are called prairies in the western parts beyond the Alleghany mountains;
but all Pennsylvania, a state comprising 44,500 square miles, was a primeval forest, which
was thinned in a short time by the numerous settlers who flocked to this country. The larger
species of game disappeared in the same ratio; and in the immediate vicinity of Bethlehem there
are now not even any deer. It was mentioned to me as a very rare occurrence, that a bear had
been seen here two years before, and was immediately pursued, but in vain, by the hunters.
Some small animals still live in these forests, which, however, are not to be found except at night;
among these are the opossum (Didelphys Virginiana) and the skunk (Mephitis Americana). The
first is not frequently met with in these parts; the latter, on the contrary, is not uncommon.
In order to catch the skunk, our hunters went by night to the Lecha mountains, and
searched the forest with hounds, and almost always attained their object. The dogs killed the
animal by biting it, and were sometimes a little perfumed. It has been reported that they
statement. In fact, the stories told of the offensive smell of this animal are rather exaggerated, for
an European polecat is often nothing behind the skunk in this disagreeable quality. The hunters
brought home a half-grown skunk alive, and we kept it in a box in the garden, where it was very
tame and quiet, and never emitted the slightest smell. We opened the box, and let it run about
at liberty. It is only when alarmed that the skunk is offensive to the olfactory nerves. The
hollow trees in these forests were the abode of the pretty flying squirrel, which, however, is not
to be seen in the daytime. The banks of the river are inhabited by the musk-rat, which is often
seen swimming, and is sometimes taken in the fishing nets.
One of our usual walks, during our stay at Bethlehem, was up or down the banks of the
Mauch Chunk canal. This canal is divided from the Lecha by a dam, on which grow many fine
plants, about which numbers of humming-birds were fluttering. In my whole journey through
North America, I nowhere found these pretty birds so numerous as here. They hummed about the
yellow flowers of the broad-leaved tree primrose (Oenothera), of the violet Asclepias incarnata
(swallow wort), of the Impatiens fulva, with its deep orange-coloured flowers, &c., and we shot many
of these little creatures, among ten of which we found, at the most, one male, with deep red throat.
The dam was bordered with stones at the sides; and among them were numbers of the striped
ground squirrel. Tall thistles are the constant resort of the goldfinches, which picked the woolly
seeds from the flower heads. At some mills, on an island near the road, there was a grove of tall
trees, the dark shades of which were animated by many interesting birds, especially the beautiful
Baltimore bird and the flycatcher (Muscicapa ruticilla), which is distinguished by the same colours,
and is frequent here. Under the old stems, and from the roots of the trees on the bank, the
great bull-frogs leaped into the water, however softly and cautiously we approached. Their deep,
hollow note was not heard so much in this season, as in the spring and the beginning of the summer.
I nowhere saw these frogs so numerous as here in Pennsylvania.
Opposite to these hills, on the other bank of the Lecha, was a wood of very tall, old
trees, the airy, shady crowns of which were inhabited by birds of more different kinds than any
other place in this neighbourhood. From that wood we always returned loaded with booty.
There, too, we observed interesting butterflies, such as Papileo turnus, the beautiful black and
blue philenor, and other species. The thick hedges near the houses were the resort of numerous
cat-birds. The fishing-hawk hovered over the river, watching for prey, and we often saw the
three-striped viper (Coluber sirtalis) glide among the grass.
To the north and north-west of Bethlehem the woods consist of oaks without any underwood,
the cattle having their pasture there. All these interesting excursions greatly increased
our collections; and the Rev. Mr. Seidel, who had a good library, and a taste for the study of
Nature, had the kindness to provide us with the necessary literary assistance. We lived here
the extremity of the place, close to the woods and fields, afforded us the most favourable opportunity
for our researches and labours; and our landlord, Mr. Wöhler, from Westphalia, did everything
in his power to assist us in our occupations. This, in some degree, indemnified me for the
deplorable loss of time occasioned by the delay in the arrival of our baggage. I should have
reached the Western States long before, if I had not been obliged to wait for those indispensable
articles. During our stay here, we often saw German emigrants arrive, almost all of whom were
from Würtemberg, Baden, or Rhenish Bavaria. In the most lamentable condition, without
money, without the slightest knowledge of the country or the language, they were going to meet
their precarious fate. They were generally refused admittance at the English inns, and then
Wöhler, not without considerable expense, took on him to forward them on their journey.
We received news from Philadelphia that the cholera had rather abated; it had entirely
spared Bethlehem and its vicinity. The canal colliers gave me an opportunity of sending my collections
to New York, which I did in the beginning of September. The Flora of the country had
then produced its white, yellow, or purple autumnal flowers; the golden rod, sunflower, Eupatorium,
and some kinds of Aster were in blossom, and the white flowers of the Clematis Virginiana.
The weather now remained very uniformly hot during the whole of July and August, with occasional
thunder-storms; and if the summers in the United States are usually of this temperature, as
we were assured, they are more equally hot, and for a longer time, than that season is in Germany.
In order to make myself acquainted with Nazareth, the other settlement of the Moravian brethren,
I drove there in company of the Rev. Mr. Seidel. It is ten miles from Bethlehem. On the road
to it lies Altona, consisting of some scattered habitations, and afterwards, on approaching the
Monocasa, Hecktown. Nazareth is a pleasant place, with some unpaved streets, and has a
gymnasium for the education of young clergymen. All the masters are Germans, but their
instructions are given in the English language. The building seems to be old, and not very
spacious. From the roof there is a fine, extensive prospect to the blue hills on the banks of the
Delaware, and to the verdant, wooded banks of the Lecha. The gymnasium has a small cabinet
of natural history. The church is not so large as that at Bethlehem, but can be easily warmed
in the winter. A little beyond the garden, which has many shady walks, is the churchyard,
where the flat, square tombstones, with short inscriptions, lie in regular rows, near to each other.
The names of the brethren interred here show that most of them were Germans. There is a very
fine prospect from the higher part of this churchyard. The greensward is here thickly covered
with European thyme. Nazareth has about 350 inhabitants, and sixty youths in the gymnasium.
There are in the place a good inn, shops of various kinds, &c. Mr. Herrman, the present
director of the establishment, had the kindness to show us everything worthy of notice, and we
had only to regret that we could not enjoy longer the pleasure of his company, as we were
us by an unexpected visit, returned direct from Nazareth to his own residence. The view of these
Pennsylvanian landscapes would be much more agreeable if the numerous wooden fences did not
give them a stiff, unnatural character. Some idea may be formed of the number of these fences
from the fact that, in the short distance of ten miles, persons going on foot, direct from Bethlehem
to Nazareth, have to climb over twenty-five of these fences.
| CHAPTER III. Travels in the interior of North America. | |