low brush wood, which
renders it difficult to effect a passage across them. Cotton-wood, beech,
maple, hickory, and white oak, are the trees in greatest abundance.
Spice-wood, sassafras, and dittany, are also plenty. Of these a decoction
is made, which some of the woods-people prefer to tea; but it is not in
general repute. The paw-paw tree (_annona triloba_) produces a fruit
somewhat resembling in taste and shape the fig-banana, but certainly much
inferior to that delicious fruit. We saw several deer in the woods, and
some cranes upon the shore. With smoking, &c., we passed the evening, and
then retired--not to bed, for we had none--but to a right good
substitute, a few dry leaves strewn upon the ground--our heads covered by
the tent, and at our feet a large fire, which we kept up the whole night.
Thus circumstanced, we found it by no means disagreeable.

We spent greater part of next day much after the manner of the preceding,
and concluded that it would be highly irrational to shoot game, having
plenty of provisions; yet I suspect our being too lazy to hunt, influenced
us not a little in that philosophical decision.

Whilst at Harmony, I collected some information relative to the failure of
the community, and I shall here give a slight sketch of the result of my
inquiries. I must observe that so many, and such conflicting statements,
respecting public measures, I believe never were before made by a body of
persons dwelling within limits so confined as those of Harmony. Some of
the _ci-devant_ "communicants" call Robert Owen a fool, whilst others
brand him with still more opprobrious epithets: and I never could get two
of them to agree as to the primary causes of the failure of that
community.

The community was composed of a heterogeneous mass, collected together by
public advertisement, which may be divided into three classes. The first
class was composed of a number of well-educated persons, who occupied
their time in eating and drinking--dressing and promenading--attending
balls, and _improving the habits_ of society; and they may be termed the
_aristocracy_ of this Utopian republic. The second class was composed of
practical co-operators, who were well inclined to work, but who had no
share, or voice, in the management of affairs. The third and last class
was a body of theoretical philosophers--Stoics, Platonics, Pythagoreans,
Epicureans, Peripatetics, and Cynics, who amused themselves in _striking
out plans_--