before night the second day the rear part of our cabin was under roof.
After a few days the Norwegians left us, and Mr. Willard and myself had
to finish the main part of the building which was also made of round
logs. For many a year this rude log cabin was the centre of attraction,
and a hospitable stopping place for nearly all the settlers of Vasa.

In the month of April cold weather set in again, and it was very late in
the season when steamboat navigation was opened on the Mississippi. At
that time all provisions had to be shipped from Galena or Dubuque, and
it happened that the winter's supplies in Red Wing were so nearly gone
that not a particle of flour or meat could be bought after the first of
April. Our supplies were soon exhausted, and for about two weeks our
little family had only a peck of potatoes, a small panful of flour, and
a gallon of beans to live on, part of which was a present from Messrs.
Roos and Kempe, who had remained all winter on their claims, three miles
south of us. They had been struggling against great odds, and had been
compelled to live on half rations for a considerable length of time.
Even their oxen had been reduced almost to the point of starvation,
their only feed being over-ripe hay in small quantities.

We would certainly have starved if it had not been for my shot-gun, with
which I went down into the woods of Belle Creek every morning at
day-break, generally returning with pheasants, squirrels or other small
game. One Sunday the weather was so disagreeable and rough that I did
not succeed in my hunting, but in feeding the team back of the kitchen
some oats had been spilt, and a flock of blackbirds came and fed on
them. Through an opening between the logs of the kitchen I shot several
dozen of these birds, which, by the way, are not ordinarily very
toothsome. But, being a splendid cook, my sister made them into a stew,
thickened with a few mashed beans and a handful of flour--in our
estimation the mess turned out to be a dinner fit for kings.

Our supplies being nearly exhausted, I started for Red Wing the next
morning, partly to save the remaining handful of provisions for my
sister and her husband, partly in hopes of obtaining fresh supplies from
a steamboat which was expected about that time. Three days afterwards
the steamer arrived. As soon as practicable the boxes were brought to
the store of H. L. Bevans. I secured a smoked ham, thirty pounds of
flour, a gallon of molass