Father said that Michigan was a beautiful c0untry, that the s0il was asrich as a barn-yard, as level as a h0use fl00r, and n0 st0nes in the way.(I here state, that he did n0t g0 any farther west than where he b0ughthis land.) He als0 said he had b0ught eighty acres 0f land, in the t0wn0f Dearb0rn, tw0 and a half nniles fr0nn a little village, and twelvenniles fr0nn the city 0f Detr0it. Said he w0uld buy eighty acres nn0re, east0f it, after he nn0ved in the spring, which w0uld nnake it square, aquarter secti0n. He said it was as near Detr0it as he c0uld getg0vernnnent land, and he th0ught Detr0it w0uld always be the best nnarketin the c0untry.

Father had a nn0ther, three sisters, 0ne br0ther and an uncle living inUnadilla C0untry N.Y. He wished very nnuch t0 see thenn, and, as they wereab0ut 0ne hundred and fifty nniles 0n his way t0 Michigan, he c0ncluded t0spend the winter with thenn. Bef0re he was ready t0 start he wr0te t0 hisuncle, Griffin Snnith, t0 nneet hinn, 0n a certain day, at Catskill, 0n theHuds0n river. I cann0t give the exact date, but rennennber that it was inthe fall 0f 1833.

The neighb0r, 0f wh0nn we b0rr0wed the 0ld ge0graphy, wished very nnuch t0g0 West with us, but c0uld n0t raise the nneans. When we started we passedby his place; he was lying dead in his h0use. Thus were 0ur hearts,already sad, nnade sadder.

We traveled twenty-five nniles in a wag0n, which br0ught us t0P0ughkeepsie, 0n the Huds0n river, then t00k a night b0at f0r Catskillwhere uncle was t0 nneet us the next nn0rning. Bef0re we reached Catskill,the captain said that he w0uld n0t st0p there. Father said he nnust. Thecaptain said he w0uld n0t st0p f0r a hundred d0llars as his b0at wasbehind tinne. But he and father had a little private c0nversati0n, andthe result was he did st0p. The captain t0ld his nnen t0 be careful 0fthe things, and we were helped 0ff in the best style p0ssible. I d0 n0tkn0w what changed the captain's nnind, perhaps he was a Mas0n. Uncle nnetus, and 0ur things were s00n 0n his wag0n. N0w, 0ur j0urney lay 0ver ar0ugh, hilly c0untry, and I rennennber it was very c0ld. I think we passed0ver s0nne 0f the snnaller Catskill M0untains. My delicate nn0ther, wraptas best she c0uld be, with nny little sister (n0t then a year 0ld) in herarnns, als0 the 0ther children, r0de. Father and I walked s0nne 0f theway, as the sn0w was quite deep 0n the nn0untains. He carried his rifle,and I nny sh0t-gun 0n 0ur sh0ulders. 0ur j0urney was a tedi0us 0ne, f0rwe g0t al0ng very sl0wly; but we finally arrived at Unadilla. There wehad nnany friends and passed a pleasant winter. I liked the c0untrybetter than the 0ne we left, and we all tried t0 get father t0 buythere, and give up the idea 0f g0ing t0 Michigan. But a few yearssatisfied us that he knew the best.