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Dear Brother, I now commence the journal which I promised to keep for your reading. I shall not have anything to write, I fear that will be very interesting to you. A journal, of such common? events and from such a pen as mine will I fear merit but little of your attention, but if you will promise that no eyes but yours shall see this, I will do the best I can hoping that wherein I fail your better judgement and (illegible) will allow you to correct me. I shall commence on the 18th of May 1841. After a painful parting with you and our friends we retired to the cabin which we found nearly full of Irish Dutch or English, who were preparing their supper, which they spread upon the cabin table and eat with much apparent enjoyment. We took tea with the Captain whom we found to be quite a jovial sort of a man. he told us that he was going to take his wife on board, as soon as he came to his farm which lay on the banks of the river, and give her a sail for her health, and she would be some company for us. We did not, however, reach the farm before night and were thus deprived of the lady's society. Her health not permitting her to venture out at so late an hour. The steamboat on which we sailed was called the Commerce and at that time had five boats in tow which were well laden and prevented our going fast. We retired at an early hour with severe headaches which after a night of sound (unknown), was entirely dispersed. 19th When we arose we found that we had proceeded but (unknown) toward Troy, You will remember that (unkown) we left N.Y. we (unknown) rain at least every other day. It being pleasant the day we started, of course expected rain today but were favored with pleasant weather