116 
or intolerant spirit; the other, national prejudice. No. 3, is to be 
built on a very pretty eminence, as yet there is only a frame 
building for three families begun. 
After we had returned to New Harmony, I went to the or¬ 
chard on the Mount Vernon road to walk, and beheld, to my 
great concern, what ravages the frost had committed on the fruit 
blossoms, the vines must have been completely killed. The or¬ 
chards planted by Rapp and his society are large and very hand¬ 
some, containing mostly apple and peach trees, also some pear 
and cherry trees. One of the gardens is exclusively devoted to 
flowers, where, in Rapp’s time, a labyrinth was constructed of 
beech tree hedges and flowers, in the middle of which stood a 
pavilion, covered with the tops of trees. 
I afterwards visited Mr. Neef, who is still full of the maxims 
and principles of the French revolution; captivated with the sys¬ 
tem of equality; talks of the emancipation of the negroes, and 
openly proclaims himself an Atheist. Such people stand by 
themselves, and fortunately are so very few in number, that they 
can do little or no injury. 
In the evening there was a general meeting in the large hall, 
it opened with music. Then one of the members, an English 
architect of talent, who came to the United States with Mr. 
Owen, whose confidence he appeared to possess, and was here at 
the head of the arranging and architectural department, read some 
extracts from the newspapers, upon which Mr. Owen made a 
very good commentary; for example, upon the extension and im¬ 
provement of steam-engines, upon their adaptation to navigation, 
and the advantages resulting therefrom. He lost himself, how¬ 
ever, in his theories, when he expatiated on an article which re¬ 
lated to the experiments which had been made with Perkins’s 
steam-gun. During these lectures, I made my observations on the 
much vaunted equality, as some tatterdemalions stretched them¬ 
selves on the platform close by Mr. Owen. The better educated 
members kept themselves together, and took no notice of the 
others. I remarked also, that the members belonging to the 
higher class of society had put on the new costume, and made a 
party by themselves. After the lecture the band played a march, 
each gentleman took a lady, and marched with her round the room. 
Lastly, a cotillion was danced: the ladies were then escorted 
home, and each retired to his own quarters. 
I went early on the following morning, (Sunday,) to the as¬ 
sembly room. The meeting was opened by music. After this 
Mr. Owen stated a proposition, in the discussion of which he 
spoke of the advances made by the society, and of the location of 
a new community at Valley Forge, in Pennsylvania, and another 
in the state of New York. A classification of the members was 
