DOCUMENTARY 403
tion. Yet many things might have been recorded that would most strikingly have illustrated the goodness of God to me. I think I may safely say concerning my own conduct, that the more prominent features, or rather the general outlines of the picture, have been such as be ; would be ; in the main, approved of by even the judicious.
But, the filling up, the FILLING UP, there is the difficulty. I know full well, that the main object I have kept in view has been the glory of God in the salvation of souls, and having judged it expedient under existing circumstances to employ much of my time in manual labour, I pursued it with that dili- gence and energy for the first twelve months which I have reason to believe superinduced the intermittent fever.
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North Fork Platte River, July 28, 1838. The above para- graph was written in the wilderness, between the Willamette and the Pacific, when on a journey to the latter, with Bro. Shepard for the benefit of our health, accompanied by our companions, and a neighbor. I wrote the above with the in- tention of taking notes for the rest of the journey. Was obliged to break off suddenly to move on, and being rather feeble, I did not resume my pen. I have since kept no journal except for a few days when on a trip to Umpqua. The trip to the Pacific had a beneficial effect upon my debilitated sys- tem, which had then been suffering more than a year and a half from the effects of the intermittent fever. I still, how- ever, continued feeble during the fall and winter; unable to take any violent exercise without sensible injury. During the winter I nearly despaired regaining my wonted health if I remained in that climate.
The 16th Feb. I set out for Umpqua and after 23 days of toil and hardship reached home in safety, and after a few days rest found myself rather better for the trip. This was en- couraging, considering the difficulties encountered such as being drenched in rain many times, fording creeks high enough
