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     Friday, 18.--Waiting the arrival of the Tamerlane. She landed, but still no Harriet.
     Saturday, 19.--Hiatus.
     Sunday, 20.--Hiatus.
     Monday, 21.--Hiatus.
     Tuesday, 22.--Celebrated the birthday of the Father of his Country, by having a social select convivial party in M^r Tibb's counting room. Quite a pleasant and agreeable time. Our wit and the chief author of our merriment was a M^r Dyke.
     Wednesday, 23.--Done nothing. Read the news.
     Thursday, 24.--Clearing up the yard, assisted by John Lynch.
     Friday, 25.--Engaged in the same.
     Saturday, 26.--Same. Got our mail. Not much news.
     Sunday, 27.--Read Fremont's defense.
     Monday, 28.--Hauled wood all day. Brought my big wagon home and lent it again to John Van Meter.¹ Somewhat fatigued at night. M^r and M^rs Davis, with C. G. came on a visit and staid all night.
     Tuesday, 29.--Attended Council. Made out our appropriation bill for 1848. Tried and convicted Thomas Stand-In-The-Water of burglary and theft. Transacted various minor matters of business. A person named Quinby called, enquiring for a fugitive slave who absconded from his master in Platte City. MARCH, 1848.

     Wednesday, 1.--Resumed our operations in clearing up, and as Major J. Downing says, "Sitting things to rights." Miss Blossom was last night delivered of an heir. A fine calf.
     Thursday, 2.--Snowing at a most furious rate. Kept housed up all day. The sky black as a raven's wing, and the air white as the crest of 'he foaming billow.

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     ¹ The Van Meters were Mohawks; they were adopted Wyandots.

     Friday, 3.--At daylight, thermometer 10^o below zero. Hauled corn and fodder. Widow Driver was buried to-day.¹      Saturday, 4.--At daylight, thermometer at zero. Matthew Peacock² was buried to-day. "Insatiate archer, could not one suffice!"

     Pleasant in the afternoon, but towards sunset the wind blew from the north and turned very cold. Received a letter from Jesse Stern, Esq., upon land matters. Also some public documents from A. Guthrie. C. Graham staid all night and bespoke boarding for himself and assistant, Orange Wilcox.
     Sunday, 5.--Thermometer "0" (zero). Bright and clear. This day I complete my forty-seventy year. Can this be possible? Verily I cannot realize [it]. I can hardly persuade myself that I have already lived so long and ambled upon this bustling stage 47 years; yet such is the fact. The record shows it. I was born in the County of Wayne, Territory (now State) of Michigan on the 5th of March A. D., 1880.³ Methinks it was but last week I was a crazy-headed, reckless, fun-loving and unstudious school boy. How swift is the flight of time.
     Monday, 6.--Assisted by John Lynch, I overhauled our spring, which had been failing. Put in a new trough, but Alas! we toiled for naught; we gained but little water.
     Tuesday, 7.--Went to town. John Lynch chopped in the woods pasture. Joel set out for N. Y.

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     ¹ The mother of Francis Driver.
     ² He was buried in Huron Place Cemetery. On the stone above his grave is this:

Matthew Peacock
Died
Oct 1843
Aged 68 Yrs.

     The date is wrong. There being no day of the mouth given indicates that there was uncertainty as to the date by those having the stone put up. It was probably not erected until many years after his death.
     ³ See biographical sketch of Governor Walker for different dates given for his birth. This is undoubtedly the correct date.

     Wednesday, 8.--Overhauled my pork. Lent the Deacon one of my barrels and repacked his pork. Worked on my smoke house and in the garden. Overhauled the roots of my fruit trees. Manured them with spall-stones and compost. Paid John Lynch four dollars.
     Thursday, 9.--Clear and beautiful morning. Got up my work cattle, intending to haul out the waste timber out of my Woods pasture; but my Frenchman not coming, did but little in the way of hauling. Summon'd to attend a special session of the Council. Heard of the death of John Quincy Adams.
     Friday, 10.--Wrote to J. Stern upon land matters. Bought three bushels of corn meal. Sent for Pharoah for consultation. Came in the evening. Mr. Graham brought our Westport mail.
     Saturday, 11.--Beautiful morning. M^rs W.went to Kansas to purchase supplies, and brought our mail. A letter from Harriet. Chopped my Sunday's wood. Did various other "chores" about the house. Read my newspapers. To-day the thermometer stood nearly at "summer heat." This seems like the commencement of spring. Hannah Hicks came on a visit and drummed on the piano. Considering her opportunities she plays a few tunes very well.
     Sunday, 12.--Rained a little last night, and this morning the thermometer stood 20 below freezing point. Prospect of a fine day.
     In the evening C. Graham and Orange returned. Read and wrote all day.
     Monday, 13.--Cold, frosty morning. Wrote to Harriet to come home with S. Armstrong on his return from St. Louis. Pottered about the house.
     Tuesday, 14.--Bright and clear morning. Hauled some wood out of the woods pasture. Went to the Council. Came home and set out some peach trees.

     Wednesday, 15.--Frosty morning. Went to town to haul some flour and a sack of salt, but owing to the villainous and balky character of Sam's team, broke the wagon tongue, so we left the wagon in town and came home for dinner and at the same time to devise other means of getting our load home. I have it. We will take the ox team, Brin and Brown. Never stall, so now for the bull team.
     Just returned with my flour and salt. No accidents this time. Spent this day to but little purpose.
     Thursday, 16.--Beautiful morning. Looks like Indian summer. Called upon the Grammar school. Went to M. Mudeater¹ and engaged ten bushels of potatoes.

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     ¹ The name Mudeater is an honored one in the Wyandot Nation. There are different accounts of the manner in which it became fixed as a family name. Alfred J. Mudeater, Esq., of Wyandotte, Indian Territory, gave me substantially the following:
     A war party of Wyandots went up the Big Sandy River about the time of the Revolutionary War, for the purpose, as he said, of falling upon the Cherokees, but much more probably for the purpose of raiding the settlements west of New River in Virginia, or along the Watauga in what is now East Tennessee. This party went down a valley after passing the head waters of the Big Sandy River. This valley was inhabited by white settlers who fled at the approach of the Indians, who passed on and went far beyond it. They were gone for about two weeks, when they returned up this same valley to again reach the waters of the Big Sandy, which they would descend on their way home.
     As they were marching up this little valley they saw a small boy run down to the creek some distance ahead of them and disappear in the bushes that fringed the stream. Some of the warriors hastened to the point where the boy was last seen but he was no where to be found. The other warriors of the party came up and a close and systematic search was instituted for the fugitive. One of them noticed that the creek had cut in under the roots of some trees, leaving a mass of roots and earth overhanging the water. He plunged into the stream and looked under this overhanging mass. He saw a boy's legs at the farthest corner of the cavity thus found, and, seizing him by the feet, drew him forth.
     The child, for he was nothing more, being only about six or seven years old, was famished and emaciated. So extreme had been his sufferings from hunger that he had been eating the soapstone found along the bed of the creek. This soapstone and clay were smeared about his mouth and over his face. The Indians, with that aptness for which they are famous in the bestowal of names, called him Mud Eater, a name which he retained ever after.
     The warriors gave him food, and carried him with them to their town on the Sandusky. He said that his people had either abandoned him or forgotten him in their hasty flight from the Indians, and he had been left to starve, or to whatever fate might befall him.
     The Indians adopted him and he grew up among them and married a Wyandot woman.
     The Hon. Frank H. Betton, of Wyandotte county, Kansas, who married Kim

     Friday, 17.--"St. Patrick's day in the morning." Wrought in my garden digging up stumps, and laying off walks, etc. Sent by Mr. Graham my letter to John Greer, written yesterday. I very civilly gave my opinion of his conduct in regard to my sale of a tract of land to him.
     Mr. Mudeater brought the potatoes I contracted for yesterday. Warm day, pleasant evening. Dr. H. (God bless his memory) forgot to bring our mail from the P. 0.
     Saturday, 18.--Yonder comes the powerful king of day rejoicing, in the east. 10 and a half o'clock. Thermometer nearly "summer beat." Working with my fruit trees, covering their roots with broken stone and compost of leached lime and sand. The little leisure I have I devote to reading the memoirs of Aaron Burr by M. L. Davis. What a man! A strange medley of opposite qualities, great and good in some things and treacherous and heartless in others.
     Sunday, 19.--Staid at home, read and wrote. Mr Gil-

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Susanah Mudeater, the sister of Alfred J. Mudeater, Esq., who gave me the foregoing account, believes it possible that the name may have been bestowed from the habits of the turtle which burrows in the mud, and which might be said to be a mud eater. This is a plausible and tenable theory, and it is quite possible that it is correct, if the boy was adopted by the Big Turtle Clan, or the Mud Turtle Clan.
     He related to me another tradition. A party of Wyandots went to visit another tribe, perhaps the Shawnees, or the Delawares. Arrived at the spring at which the village supply of water was obtained they beheld an emaciated white boy eating clay from its banks. He was a captive and had been adopted and had almost starved. The Wyandots from compassion bought him and adopted him into their tribe, and gave him the name of Mud Eater, from the circumstance which caused his purchase and adoption into the Wyandot Nation.
     The improbable part of this version of the matter lies in the assertion that he had been starved after adoption. This could not have been, unless the whole tribe was starving. It was contrary to all Indian customs to withhold food from anyone. While one had food all had it.
     This man Mud Eater had a son named Russia Mudeater, who married a daughter of Chief Adam Brown. One of their children was Matthew Mudeater. He married Nancy Pipe, a direct descendant of Hopocan, or Captain Pipe, Chief of the Wolf Clan, and afterwards Head Chief of all the Delawares, and who burned Colonel Crawford at the stake in what is now Crawford County, Ohio. Of this marriage were born: 1. Silas, died in infancy; 2. Susanah, born in Ohio, March 5, 1841; 3. Thomas Dawson, born February -- , 1843; 4. Zelinda, born in 1845; 5. Mary, born in 1847; 6. Irvin, born in 1849; 7. Benjamin, born in 1851; 8. Infant that died; 9. Alfred J., born in 1855; 10. Matthew, born in 1857; 11. Ida, born in 1859.
     Matthew Mudeater died in the Wyandot Reserve in the Indian Territory.

more of Independence came and staid all night. Went to see Isaiah who was seriously hurt by the falling of his horse while going at full speed on Saturday. Badly hurt.
     Monday, 20.--Rained last night. Clear this morning. Went to town after writing to M^r Reese concerning the Chick lots in Westport.
     Sowed two beds of a mixture of salad and radishes and other work in de jardin.
     C. Graham received a letter from Esau, written from New Orleans, which I perused. He is on his way to Mexico, wishing like many others to revel in the "halls of Montezuma."
     Tuesday, 21.--Cold and cloudy morning. Reading Burr's memoirs. Truly he was an unfortunate man. In the meridian of life his star began to wane and through the bitterness and rancorous hostility with which he was pursued, day and night, he fell from his lofty position like a boulder from the clouds. How true the saying and truly its application in Col. Burr's case is just. A French criminal judge says "Give me four lines in writing of the most honest man in the world, and I will undertake to have him hung."
     Continued cold windy and cloudy. Worked in my garden.
     Wednesday, 22.--Cold and dark morning. My execrations upon that sacre menteur coquin of a Frenchman, Pierre Ballenger, for not coming to work for me as he promised. Continued my gardening operations. Planted early potatoes, but in consequence of my crippled back I was compelled to lay aside my spade, shovel and rake and stop operations. Mild and pleasant this arternoon. Je suis fatigue au jour d'hui.
     Just heard of the ratification of the treaty of peace between the U. S. and Mexico.
     Thursday, 23.--Clear cold and frosty morning. M^rs W. gone to Westport. Writing a letter to Esau in Mexico. Le

memo tems Je ecrite une o pour Madame Guthrie. Planted some more early potatoes. M^rs W. returned from Westport and brought my mail.
     Friday, 24.--Hauled some hay. Then hauled some wood from the woods pasture. Planted a Balm of Gilead.¹ Done various other things. Mr Barstow's school closed to-day. Called upon by James Washington on public business. Agreed to meet to-morrow.
     Saturday, 25.--Sprinkled a little rain last night. Cloudy and threatening rain. Let it come and welcome. Dispatched my letter addressed to Esau by C. G. to the P. 0. Settled with B. F. Barstow for tuition in District No. 3, amount, $58.33.
     Planted a fine lot of top onions. M. R. W. set out to-day for Wolftown in company with M^r Boyd. Requested him to attend to some business for me. Went to town to meet the sub-agent on public business, but [he] was not at home; gone to Fort Leavenworth.
     Sunday, 26.--Cold, cold morning. 1^o below freezing point. Went to see the Widow Mudeater, who is said to be dangerously sick. "Nigh unto death." Some prospect of her recovery yet.
     Monday, 27.--Wrote two deeds for the Deacon. Resumed my gardening operations. Worked hard all day with spade and rake in hand. C. G. sick. Did not come home but staid all night at his cheerless and lonely house. Dr. H. received orders to come to St. Louis for the semi-annual annuity.
     Tuesday, 28.--Clear and frosty morning. Must attend Council to-day. Business of importance. Just returned from Council. Transacted a variety of business. Appointed a National Council for this day a week at the school house in town, to meet the disorganizers. To-day at 12,

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     ¹ Formerly a favorite tree to plant about the house for shade and ornament.

o'clock the widow Mudeater departed this life, a worthy and good woman gathered to her fathers.
     Wednesday, 29.--Clear and frosty morning. 4^o below "freezing." Attended the funeral of the widow Mudeater. M^rs W. went to Kansas and returned. Wrote to Andrew McElvain in reply to his letter of the 10th inst., upon the subject of his wishing, or rather application for [the] Wyandott agency.
     Thursday, 30.--Blustery, windy, and such a whirling of dust, leaves, and trash! Whew!
     Cloudy, prospect of rain. Oh! Boreas send us a refreshing shower! Dry, dry. Watered our fruit trees, for truly they are suffering. Planted a sugar sprout in the yard. Dr. Hewitt set out for St. Louis. At 5 o'clock, planted some May peas and some beets. In the evening the sky became cloudy with very strong indications of rain. At nightfall it commenced raining and rained till midnight.
     Friday, 31.--Cold morning. Thermometer, freezing point. Repaired my meadow fence. Packed rails on my shoulder. Wrote a long letter to Tho. A. Grun. Winding up the day by burning up logs in my field. Continued cold all day. Probably frost to-night. Planted two more sugar sprouts. APRIL, 1848.

     All fool's day. Cold frosty morning. I fear for the fruit. Quarterly meeting commenced to-day. The presiding elder Mr. Stateler on the ground. Hauled some wood. Hauled rails and went to town. Came home and positively determined to work no more to-day, lest I should be made [a] "fool" of before the day closes. Bring on my mail! The mail came and all I got was two Independence papers. The treaty with Mexico confirmed by the Senate. 37 Ayes and 15 Nays! Revolution in France. Abdication of Louis Phillip and departure from Paris. The chamber of depu-

ties refuse to settle the crown upon any of the royal family, all in a hub bub. France must undergo another depletion.
     Commenced a letter to the Arch Bishop of the Ohio State Prison, J. B. F.¹
     Sunday, 2.--Went to church. Heard a sermon from Rev. M^r Stateler.
     Monday, 3.--Orange D. Wilcox left for Independence. M^r Stateler called upon us and spent the morning. Chunked up my log heap. Finished my letter to the Arch Bishop. Prospect of a rainy day.
     Must attend a special session of the chiefs to-day at 1 o'clock P. M. to prepare for the convocation of the nation to-morrow.
     Tuesday, 4.--Cold morning. Employed T. H. Noble to clear an addition to my field.
     Attended the grand convocation of the nation at the school house. A warm discussion took place upon our national politics. Came home at 5 o'clock.
     Wednesday, 5.--Frost. Planted our garden peas. Made a summer house of my wild rose.
     Thursday, 6.--Cold morning. Santissimus virgo ora pronobis! Hired James Jackson to work for M^r C. G. and myself jointly. Went to town, bought 102 pounds of bacon from C. G., and brought my seed oats home. Ira Hunter commenced work in the shop. Hauled rails and fenced in the orchard. Je suis fatigue au jour d'hui comme un cheval.
     Friday, 7.--Frosty morning as usual. Le meme chase. Sowed my orchard with oats. Looking every moment for Harriet.

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     ¹ James B. Finley, the Methodist Missionary to the Wyandots; he founded the Mission at Upper Sandusky, Ohio. He was adopted into the Wyandot Nation by the Bear Clan and named Reh'-wah-wih'-ih, meaning "he has hold of the Law." He was given a nickname, Hah-gyeh'-reh-wah'-neh, meaning "big neck." He wrote the " History of the Wyandot Mission" and "Western Methodism." His History of the Wyandot Mission was afterwards published almost entire as "Life Among the Indians."

     She came about two o'clock, having come in a carriage with S. Armstrong and H. M. Northrup.
     Planted some more onions. Sowed parsnips and beets, also cabbage seeds. My hand, Jimmie Jackson, getting sick of work and wants to quit and go home. So he may go. Cloudy night, looks like rain, send it, do, oh do!
     Saturday, 8.--No rain, but cloudy. No frost. M^rs W. went to Kansas, but brought no mail. Set out the shrubbery brought by Harriet from Lexington, viz: a variety of roses, honeysuckle, and flowering almond. Sowed some timothy and clover. Planted some watermelons. Blocking out a memorial to the general conference about to convene at Pittsburg praying that body to refund the proceeds of the Mission farm in Ohio, to be applied, if refunded, to finishing the new Church.
     Sunday, 9.--No rain; ground dry and parched. C. G. and myself went to the Holy Catholic Church near Kansas, and heard a sermon from Father Donnelly, an Irish priest; was introduced to him; a quite pleasant and agreeable man. Got home at 1 o'clock P. M. Received a letter from John Wheeler. Answered it forthwith; a sort of a salmagundi communication. Several of our neighbors called upon us this evening.
     Monday, 10.--Cloudy; some signs of rain. Oh let refreshing showers descend upon the parched earth. Cloudy and cold all day, but no rain, M^r T. H. Noble making rails, and I doing a little of everything.
     Tuesday, 11.--Cold; thermometer "freezing" point! Clear and all hopes of our rain dissipated. Sad disappointment! Steamboat making a rambunctious noise upon the river. Beautiful and enchanting morning. Of all the green groves of the wide spreading forest, there are none so fair or so charming as where the beautiful Kansas doth glide.

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