day & night but lighted the boat during the time

August 1, 1842 ~ Monday

Aug 1^st An exceding cold day & night & morning
as for myself I am in almost evry kind of trouble
A severe cold has settelled throughout my body
I have the Rheumatism, teeth ake, head ake, bones ake,
have got the musketoe fever, Bilious fever, & sick
stomack, & am fearful that if we run on to many
more sand bars & am many more weeks getting
to St Louis & if the Musketoes do not favor me
more than they have done, that it will be a question
whether I ever reach home or not but I hope for the
best, H [blank] we have run smash into another
sand bank we have not gone more than 3 miles
since we left the other that we was on the whole
day this is election day in Illinois Nauvoo &c.
I wish I was there but here I am fast on a sand bar &
like to be we are both out of provisions & wood I think
sumthing will be done for the hands have gon on to the
Island cutting wood, got a lighter & took of[f] some
of the led we then got off the bar & soon got
on another soon got of[f] & sailed 3 miles up the river
& down again in another channel, then tied up
to a wood pile & spent the night

August 2, 1842 ~ Tuesday

2^nd Start well in the morning, the Musketoes
have spotted up my face in a dredful manner
after running aground twice we pased Alton
& the mouth of the Missouri River & arived in
St Louis at 12 oclock AM we stoped at the
American House. After Dining one of my
busy scenes commenced notwithstand[ing] my ill
state of health with the fever raging upon me
I had much to do & but 24 hours to accomplish
it in I bought my stock of paper & other
articles & walked till 10 oclock at night was
tired out returned to the tavern & went to bed
sick with severe pain in the head I did not
get sleep untill 2 oclock

August 3, 1842 ~ Wednesday

3^rd Was awoke in the morning by bleeding at
the nose bled 1 pint felt vary weak much paine
in the head not seen a well day since I left
home, commenced business before breakfast