Jan 15^th 1835

ever behold which was ownly inhabited by deer, wolves, &c. We spent the night with
Brother J. Hitchcock still in Jackson County He signed the petition to the Governor

16^th We Travelled 12 miles south of Grand River and was kindly received by Mr James
Porter we preached the gospel to him & his household the distance of the day was 23 miles

17^th we travled 26 miles and was kindly received by one Mr Walker within 12 miles of the Harmony Mission

18^th we travelled to the Harmony Mission we there had an interview with the President of
the mission a Presbyterian Minister He knew we were mormons he looked upon us with
scorn it was near sundow when we left him & it was 15 miles to the nearest house on
the Osage River which was an indian trading House kept by A Frenchman named Jarew
I asked the Missionary to give us the direction to the House. He said there was but one straitght
road & that forked but once said the right hand fork was the one for us to take, the spirit said
to me he was deceiving us I asked him the question tree times over And he affirmed
each time that he was telling us the truth, we took his direction and it led us into the Osage
River swamp and we were lost in the darkness of the night. we undertook to follow the
river but it being about the crookedest one on Earth & we wallowing in mud & water we
made but slow progress we finally struck out into the open prairie concluding to lie
down till day light. But the Osage Indians were having a pa wa at the traiding post
and by the sound of their drums, hoops, yiels, & shouts, we were guided into their midst
near midnight vary weary & covered with mud, about a dozen large savage Indgian
dogs surrounded us before we got into camp came & smelt of us in a friendly manner
but did not either bite or bark. We were vary kindly received & entertained by Mr
Jerew through the night He had an Osage Squaw for a wife. she got us a good
supper but marvelled that we did not drink coffee. she offered us their best
bed which we did not except off as we were as were covered with mud, she then made
us a good bed before a large fire whare we slept till Morning. May the Lord reward
both Mr. Jerruw & wife also the Priesbyterian Minister both according to their deserts

19^th This morning Mr Jarrew furnished us with a good breakfast sent an Indian to set us across
the Osage River, and we started upon our long days Journey it being 60 miles to the nearest House in
the direction in which we were travelling & we had not one mouthful of any kind of food with us
my feet were quite lame in the morning being galled by my boots while travelling in the mud &
water the night before we travelled in a South East direction we crossed a long level prairie
we travelled in but little timber through the day. we came into timber about dark a large black
boar [bear] came out of the timber & met us on the prairie we had no weapons of any kind when He
approached within a few rods of us he arose upon his hind feet and examined us closely then left
us & went away in another course. we travelled vary hard & fast all day as we wished to get
to a house, at about 9 oclok at night we were travelling in the woods it was exceding dark we had
great difficulty in keeping the road, we were surrounded by a hungry drove of woolves what number
we could not tell, but their seemed to be many of them, they would rush upon us & come within
a few feet of us & then fall back and kept up a continual Howling we travelled in the midst
of them in ^this^ way for about one hour untill we felt that it was dangerous to travel in such company
we concluded to build a fire & wait untill morning Having fireworks with us we struck up a
great fire of large oak limbs & the wolves retreated to the distance. as we were about to lie down

Jan 15th 1835

ever behold which was ownly inhabited by deer, wolves, &c. We spent the night with Brother J. Hitchcock still in Jackson County He signed the petition to the Governor

16th We Travelled 12 miles south of Grand River and was kindly received by Mr James Porter we preached the gospel to him & his household the distance of the day was 23 miles

17th we travled 26 miles and was kindly received by one Mr Walker within 12 miles of the Harmony Mission

18th we travelled to the Harmony Mission we there had an interview with the President of the mission a Presbyterian Minister He knew we were mormons he looked upon us with scorn it was near sundow when we left him & it was 15 miles to the nearest house on the Osage River which was an indian trading House kept by A Frenchman named Jarew I asked the Missionary to give us the direction to the House. He said there was but one straight road & that forked but once said the right hand fork was the one for us to take, the spirit said to me he was deceiving us I asked him the question tree times over And he affirmed each time that he was telling us the truth, we took his direction and it led us into the Osage River swamp and we were lost in the darkness of the night. we undertook to follow the river but it being about the crookedest one on Earth & we wallowing in mud & water we made but slow progress we finally struck out into the open prairie concluding to lie down till day light. But the Osage Indians were having a pa wa at the traiding post and by the sound of their drums, hoops, yels, & shouts, we were guided into their midst near midnight vary weary & covered with mud, about a dozen large savage Indian dogs surrounded us before we got into camp came & smelt of us in a friendly manner but did not either bite or bark. We were vary kindly received & entertained by Mr Jerew through the night He had an Osage Squaw for a wife. she got us a good supper but marvelled that we did not drink coffee. she offered us their best bed which we did not except off as we were as were covered with mud, she then made us a good bed before a large fire whare we slept till Morning. May the Lord reward both Mr. Jerruw & wife also the Presbyterian Minister both according to their deserts

19th This morning Mr Jarrew furnished us with a good breakfast sent an Indian to set us across the Osage River, and we started upon our long days Journey it being 60 miles to the nearest House in the direction in which we were travelling & we had not one mouthful of any kind of food with us my feet were quite lame in the morning being galled by my boots while travelling in the mud & water the night before we travelled in a South East direction we crossed a long level prairie we travelled in but little timber through the day. we came into timber about dark a large black bear came out of the timber & met us on the prairie we had no weapons of any kind when He approached within a few rods of us he arose upon his hind feet and examined us closely then left us & went away in another course. we travelled vary hard & fast all day as we wished to get to a house, at about 9 oclok at night we were travelling in the woods it was exceding dark we had great difficulty in keeping the road, we were surrounded by a hungry drove of wolves what number we could not tell, but their seemed to be many of them, they would rush upon us & come within a few feet of us & then fall back and kept up a continual Howling we travelled in the midst of them in this way for about one hour untill we felt that it was dangerous to travel in such company we concluded to build a fire & wait untill morning Having fireworks with us we struck up a great fire of large oak limbs & the wolves retreated to the distance. as we were about to lie down