06th Dec (1858). Monday, and nothing of importance in camp occurs. Have many callers offering lands for sale. Some of the men out viewing the land, I remain with the camp contenting myself with hunting, or rather with killing game. Evening clear and mild. 07th Dec (1858). Still viewing the lands, but no purchases made yet. Some of the explorers came in and reported the land very fine, and some of the company started out to explore the head waters of the War Eagle river, your humble servant being one of this company, and reach head waters and find the land in the valleys very fertile, but in very small bodies. We commenced our return to our camps, and lodged for the night at one, Rev. Bollingers, where we fared well, except my mishap of falling through the floor. It happened this way, the house was built on the mountain side, with the upper side resting on the mountain side and the lower side was at least six feet above the ground and I stepped near that side, and when I rose in the morning, and was in the act of pulling up my pants I happened to step on the end of a puncheon, which had slipped off of the joist, and down I went under the floor, and the puncheon having nearly a center bearing, tilted back and righted itself as if it was leaving me under the floor, but I only had to just go out after getting my foot loose from that position and walk up the steps into the house where I left off. This was a puncheon floor, not nailed down, in fact none of them are nailed. These puncheons were of walnut, about 18 inches wide and the butt ends not well fitted. 08th Dec (1858). To-day is just two months since we started on this journey. We mount our beasts and start for our camps, where we arrived in the evening, meeting with nothing worthy of notice, find all in camp, weather clear and very cold. 09th Dec (1858). Remain idle, with the exception of a tramp to Huntsville. This being settling time with credit merchants and farmers, we saw more cattle and hogs than we had seen in one little town in my days. This being the way of most of the farmers paying yearly bills with merchants. One merchant had a fair size field filled with horses and mules. They were very cheap. Horses and mules as well as hog products would be sent south for a cash market, and cattle driven north. We could buy all the corn fed pork at two and half cents per pound. Good Ark. Milch cows at $10 to $12 each. Most fed pork sold at just a little more than stock hogs would bring. We paid three cents per pound for what we considered very poor flour, and corn and meal was selling at 20 to 40 cents per bushel owing to location. Weather clear and cold. 10th Dec (1858). Leave camp in company of three others of our party to examine the lands on Kings river, and after traveling up Hortons creek, a stream running on top of the mountain, lots of mountain trout in it, being between War Eagle and Kings river, several miles crossing the mountain, we came to Kings river which we crossed and passing up its banks we came to the small village of Kingston, we find the land very fertile, but in very small strips between the mountains. After traveling up this stream six or eight miles we lodged for the night with one Mr. George Neal, an old N.C. from Buncomb county, that state, where we fared sumptuously. His farm was in a pocket or cove near the head of the river, we think the richest land we expected to see though of not more than 100 acres in the body, of tillable land. But he had to go back to Kingston to get out of his place. But he had no neighbors except wild animals and turkeys and could not expect any, as he had the only location on which to live between his place and Kingston and in the other directions we do not know how far to a settlement or where one could be made; but we think not less than ten miles. All streams of any size in this part of Ark. Runs north. We name White, War Eagle and Kings river. Clear. 11th Dec (1858). Clear and mild. After taking on a splendid breakfast, we take a good look at Mr. Neals fine farm, we turn our course back towards our camp 25 miles distance. (Our entertainer had his daughters back in N.C. educating them and he said he intended to send his sons also.) We arrived on our way at a Mr. Corbs where we were invited to partake of a corn husking dinner which we were more than ready and willing to accept, after giving the inner man full satisfaction we with regret departed from our host; leaving his table loaded down with everything the country afforded, including many flasks of apple brandy, with your choice of taking it straight or sweetened with honey or sugar. We again passed Kingston, and crossed the mountain and proceeded to camp where we arrived at a late hour, finding all full of fun, healthy and frolic. This ends our career for this week. 12th Dec (1858). Clody and warm. Sabbath and all remain at camp. Heard a sermon from a Methodist minister. Nothing else worth mention. 13th Dec (1858). Clear and mild, remained idle in camp. Things now are coming to a head, few are satisfied with such a rough and mountainous country, some want to move on to Texas, and some are willing to try the mountains and the balance were in favor of taking a look at the Ark. River valley. There will be a move in a few days. The women mostly wanted to go right back to the old home. 14th Dec (1858). Warm and rainey, weremain in idleness. Nothing of importance occurs. 15th Dec (1858). Four of us, viz. John H. Blackburn, Alfred S. Robinson, John Coon and the writer started for White county, but changed our course for Arkansas river valley. Our object being to look out for satisfactory location. We traveled horseback and leaving the balance of our troops in camp near Huntsville. Our trip led us over rough lofty mountains. We came to White river, and traced it to its source, passed over other high mountains, struck branched of Mulberry, then decending the mountains into Johnson county, took up lodging with one, Mr. Jones, a good distance from Huntsville.