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Jany. 8th. 1820

My Dear Salley,
I am now at Mr. Janetts on the banks of the Ten-
nessee River where I arrived the 17th ulto. I sent Jeff last Sa-
turday to Smithland for letters if any were in the post Office for
me, & gave him two Dollars to buy linnen for a bag to carry
corn meal in to the woods, and pay the postage on my letters: he
came home Drunk at night: with four bottles of whiskey along
altho I had sent for none, my money all gone, & a bill from
the Merchant with an account against me for a ballance
due for bottles & Whiskey. I was so provocated I did not
know what to do. He had a great big Irishman mounted up
on [fox?] behind him, for he had broake down his horse, so that
he will not be fit to ride this winter. [Fox?] was sweating &
[smoaking?] cold as the weather was: he had waisted all the
day drinking in town: got [lost?] & [road?] hard with his man be-
hind him, to keep from lying in the woods all night.
I started Sunday for the woods with two bushels of sifted
meal & a midling of [pork?], the 3d. time to go round the
17,000 acres on Clarks River: The surveyor failed to meet
me: Monday Jeff hobbled our horses in the [corner?] on
monday night and I have not seen nor heard of
them since: I sent Jeff tuesday after them, he returned back
Drunk, went to the first house where there was whiskey
& no further: I started him Wednesday another course
he went out of sight & then turned round through the
woods to the same house (5 miles off) where he got drunk
the day before, & stayed out all night, I went myself
the same day where I thought it was likely I might hear
of the horses: but got no tidings of them: thursday & friday
I traced up about 5 miles & a half of my lines found one
corner: it began to rain; & I came back here; the nearest
house to my work, I lodged at when I did not lie
in the woods all night: and strange to tell the man with
a wife & 5 or 6 children had not one ounce of meet
of any kind nor a grain of corn or meal nor a drop of milk nor a cow; they had
some turkey meet when I first arrived; They lived on
my provisions while I stayed there & with comers & goers
eat up my provisions: this is the 3d. time I have been out &
not finished the first survey: and here I am a foot.