Let us now bid adieu to the English settlement, my sentiments respecting which are, from what has been said, so obvious as to render any thing more unnecessary. We are taking the road to the German settlement called Harmony, and will only stop the wheels to make mention of the very complete farm yards and surrounding {125} buildings, which Mr. Flower has erected; also of his flock, consisting of upwards of four hundred sheep, which has been collected in a very short space of time and part of which he brought from England; these feed during the day upon the prairies, and are brought into the yards at night _for safety from the wolves and bears_.[43] A yoke of fine oxen too were daily plowing for him the prairie land, and preparing a considerable breadth of it for cultivation:--But though men of capital may thus in great measure bring many of their comforts with them, and attract others, yet after all that can be said of this place it is at present a bad concern; from which it was with no small pleasure that I knew myself in a situation to get away; and many,--many expressed themselves to be of the same opinion, though with rueful faces, for they were obliged to stay, having spent their all to get there. HARMONY From Bon Pas (the future Emporium of the commerce of New Albion!) we soon crossed the Wabash at a ferry of difficult approach; for the {126} river banks are steep and high, and the descent is therefore rather dangerous for a carriage; we got over safe however, and then keeping the river close on the right, arrived in the evening at the German settlement, and put up at the excellent good tavern, neatness itself, but furnished in the very plainest manner, and beyond a three cornered arm chair, there was not a piece of furniture which could excite the repose of indolence or the indulgence of luxury. After a plain repast, accompanied however with some good beer and a bottle of white wine, both the produce of the colony, (for the last we paid one dollar,) we sallied out to take a view of a place which could afford such good cheer. Before we proceed to examine it, however, I am disposed to talk a little of the great cementing principle of the society--_a communion of goods_.--While the rest of mankind are given up to a selfish principle; while each one is amassing the possessions of this transitory scene, grasping them truly as if he were never to part with them, these people, under the guidance of their spiritual pastor M. Rapp, are shewing to the world the practicability of what they esteem the real christian principle; they are living in the utmost harmony with a strict communion of property. All the products of the earth, which all contribute their share of labour {127} to produce, are deposited in the common stock, whence each one receives whatever may be required for his comforts. Indeed, what my host at the tavern told me seems perfectly true; "We have every thing we can want" says he, "for our comfort and _something more_."