I took my diary as my guide, and filled out the ideas suggested in it so they would understand them.

I soon ran through with my paper and bought more, and kept on writing.

The weather was cold and stormy, and I found it the best occupation I could have to prevent my being lonesome; so I worked away, day after day, for about a month, and I was really quite tired of this sort of work before I had all the facts recorded which I found noted down in my diary.

My notes began in March, 1849, in Wisconsin, and ended in February, 1852, on my return to Mineral Point.

I found, as the result of my elaboration, over three hundred pages of closely written foolscap paper, and I felt very much relieved when it was done.