The Journey 
from Beer 
Spring to 
Fort Crocket 
its meat a delicacy. I, too, tried some of it, and found 
its taste not so bad. 
In addition to some trappers and Indians, we found 
five Americans here, who had started in the spring 
with a larger party from Peoria, Illinois, to make a 
settlement on the Columbia River. They had arrived 
in Westport after our departure, and had journeyed 
first by the Santa Fe road, then up the Arkansas. But 
through several quarrels and mishaps, the company, 
consisting mainly of novices, was split up into several 
smaller groups. The party we here met had made 
most progress, and had not yet abandoned the plan 
of going to the Columbia. But the most difficult part 
of their journey lay before them. So two of them, 
Mr. Ogley and Mr. Wood, thought it best to avail 
themselves of the opportunity to return now offered 
them, and to join our party. Our party was thereby 
increased to seven. Among the people of the fort I 
had expected to meet an old friend of University days 
who had been roving through the mountains these six 
years, and who was supposed to be at this time at the 
fort. To note the metamorphosis from a jovial stu- 
dent at Jena into a trapper would be interesting 
enough in itself. The presence of $. would have af- 
forded me a pleasure far beyond this, as we had not 
seen each other for ten years. Unfortunately, I 
learned that he had gone beaver-trapping and would 
not return before fall. So we left the fort the next 
day. 
