I had tanned some nice buckskin and had a good outfit of clothes made of it, or rather cut and made it myself.

Where I crossed the Bad Axe was a the battle ground where Gen.

Dodge fought the Winnebago Indians.

At Prairie du Chien I found a letter from Mr.Bennett, saying that the grass was so backward he would not start up for two or three weeks, and I had better come back and start with them; but as the letter bore no date I could only guess at the exact time.

I had intended to strike directly west from here to Council Bluffs and meet them there, but now thought perhaps I had better go back to Mineral Point and start out with them there, or follow on rapidly after them if by any chance they had already started.
On my way back I found the Kickapoo river too high to ford, so I pulled some basswood bark and made a raft of a couple of logs, on which to carry my gun and blanket; starting the pony across I followed after.