Having spent my first Sabbath at Waupun I next visited Ceresco, where a
settlement had been made by the Wisconsin Phalanx, a Fourierite
Association. There was no direct route, as all previous travel had taken
a circuit to the west, thereby striking the trail from Watertown. But I
deemed it best to open a track at the outset across the country to the
point of destination. Obtaining a horse and saddle, and substituting a
pocket compass for the saddlebags, as that evidence of civilization had
not yet reached the village, I started out on my trip. Unfortunately the
day was cloudy, and in the absence of the sun recourse at an early stage
of the journey was had to the faithful compass, but unhappily not soon
enough to avoid perplexity. After having traveled some distance, as I
believed in the right direction, I fell into a questioning, whether I
should go to the right or left of a marsh lying directly before me. The
compass was brought to aid in deciding the question. It was poised on
the knob of the saddle, when, to my surprise, it seemed to point several
degrees too far to the left. I boxed the truant thing again and again,
but could not bring the needle to point in any other direction. So I
concluded, if the mountain would not come to Mahomet, Mahomet must go to
the mountain. Out upon the trackless wilds, absolutely without any other
guide, it would not do to ignore the compass. But now a new question
arose. If the needle tells the truth, I must have been going in the
wrong direction for, perhaps, some considerable distance. In such case,
it is impossible to conjecture how far I may be out of the direct line
of travel or how far I may be astray. The needle may point to the north
pole, but I cannot be sure that, if I follow its guidance now, I will
find Ceresco in the line of travel. But there was no time to be lost.
So, deciding that I must follow the compass, I reined my horse into line
and started on, I had not gone far, however, before I found myself
confronted by another large marsh. This must be avoided, and hence I
made a circuit to the west and passed it, but in doing so, much precious