Henry and I drew our pay for our work.  I had five dollars in cash and the rest in pay from the company’s store.  We purchased three nice whitewood boards, eighteen inches wide, from which we made us a boat and a good sized chest which we filled with provisions and some clothing and quilts.  This, with our guns and ammunition, composed the cargo of our boat.  When all was ready, we put the boat on a wagon and were to haul it to the river some eight miles away for embarkation.  After getting the wagon loaded, father said to me;—­“Now my son, you are starting out in life alone, no one to watch or look after you.  You will have to depend upon yourself in all things.  You have a wide, wide world to operate in—­you will meet all kinds of people and you must not expect to find them all honest or true friends.  You are limited in money, and all I can do for you in that way is to let you have what ready money I have.”  He handed me three dollars as he spoke, which added to my own gave me seven dollars as my money capital with which to start out into the world among perfect strangers, and no acquaintances in prospect on our Western course.

When ready to start, mother and sister Poll came out to see us off and to give us their best wishes, hoping we would have good health, and find pleasant paths to follow.  Mother said to me:—­“You must be a good boy, honest and law-abiding.  Remember our advice, and honor us for we have striven to make you a good and honest man, and you must follow our teachings, and your conscience will be clear.  Do nothing to be ashamed of; be industrious, and you have no fear of punishment.”  We were given a great many “Good byes” and “God bless you’s” as with hands, hats and handkerchiefs they waved us off as far as we could see them.  In the course of an hour or so we were at the water’s edge, and on a beautiful morning in early spring of 1840 we found ourselves floating down the Grand River below Jackson.

The stream ran west, that we knew, and it was west we thought we wanted to go, so all things suited us.  The stream was small with tall timber on both sides, and so many trees had fallen into the river that our navigation was at times seriously obstructed.  When night came we hauled our boat on shore, turned it partly over, so as to shelter us, built a fire in front, and made a bed on a loose board which we carried in the bottom of the boat.  We talked till pretty late and then lay down to sleep, but for my part my eyes would not stay shut, and I lay till break of day and the little birds began to sing faintly.

I thought of many things that night which seemed so long.  I had left a good dear home, where I had good warm meals and a soft and comfortable bed.  Here I had reposed on a board with a very hard pillow and none too many blankets, and I turned from side to side on my hard bed, to which I had gone with all my clothes on.  It seemed the beginning of another chapter in my pioneer life and a rather tough experience.  I arose, kindled a big fire and sat looking at the glowing coals in still further meditation.