After making a few inquiries of others, Mr.Carson was engaged to act as guide with a salary of one hundred dollars a month.
The expedition commenced its march from near the mouth of the Kansas on the 10th of June 1842.

It followed along the banks of that stream, in a westerly direction.

The whole party consisted of twenty-eight souls.

They were well armed and were well mounted with the exception of eight men, who drove as many carts.

These carts were each drawn by two mules and were packed with the stores of the party, their baggage and their instruments.
There were a number of loose horses in the train to supply the place of any, which might be disabled by the way.