Tuesday, September 21, 1875

Sept. 21st. I had another talk with Irishman about President Young and the Mormons. I occupied the time reading and conversing as usual. At 6:00 P.M. while I was taking the temperature at the aft-capstan, a gentleman, learning that I was from Utah, asked of its development and its mineral progress. ( The English had invested in the Emma Mine, above Alta in Little Cottonwood Canyon, east of Salt Lake City, Utah.)

The man continued with such questions as: Were the Mormons in Utah? What was their progress? Did they tolerate other religions? Was Brigham their leader? Had he got back? (He understood that Brigham had been imprisoned in Washington.) He understood that the Mormons practiced the Bible religion of polygamy, which would suit him. Was the sect founded in England or the U.S.A.? Was Joseph Smith the founder? Was he still living? All of these questions I answered in turn.

This being the hour for the evening promenade, several first class passengers and some others were listening at the beginning. As the cry, "A Mormon is talking at the aft-capstan!" was being passed along, most of the promenaders gathered around, until most of the passengers and the off duty sailors were listening during most of the three quarters of an hour of the talk.

When I rebuked a man, who admitted that angels often visited men, as recorded in Holy Writ, ridiculing the statement that the young Prophet, Joseph Smith received the plates from an angel, I showed him that if he believed the Bible, he must believe that angels, would come to man with the Gospel and priesthood in latter times.

"How about the Mountain Meadow Massacre," was cried by one who said he had been to Utah, and the cry, "Yes, tell us." was general. Awaiting its cessation, I said, "You now give a harder question." Before leaving England, we were told that a jury of twelve men, hearing the evidence, had failed to say how, having disagreed. "But" said I, "Those who are following this, are not content to fix the guilt upon the guilty parties, but, passing them, are trying to fix the guilt upon our leaders, who, gentlemen, are just as innocent of that crime as you are." I was not assailed again on this subject on the voyage.

By this time. Brother Welling, hearing the din and cry from his cabin (250 feet forward), came, edging his way through the throng, to my side, and I said, "Elder Welling, gentlemen." When he expressed a willingness to answer any civil questions, my questioner said: "What are the tenets of Mormon faith?" Job Welling preached a Gospel sermon of fifteen minutes after quoting our Articles of Faith and, when he bore his testimony, he was asked, by which of the five senses he knew it. As he had stated that prostitution does not exist with us, he was asked, "What do you young men do before they marry?" (Illustrating the world's view of social evils.) This is our first public introduction as L.D.S. Missionaries.

Monday, September 20, 1875

Sept. 20th. Wind southeast by east. All the square sails are set. The screw is lifted.

Sunday, September 19, 1875

Sept. 19th, 1875. 256 miles. Temperature 74 degrees in the shade, 82 in the sun, 68 in the evening. I had a one hour talk on the Gospel with a new inquirer. (I am sought after.) I had another talk with the German on proofs of Deity as seen in science and also other religious topics.

Saturday, September 18, 1875

Sept. 18th. 224 miles. Seasick again. In the evening I had another talk with my German friend on politics and religion; also a talk with an Irishman from Queensland on sundries.

Friday, September 17, 1875

Sept. 17th. 212 miles. Ditto.

Thursday, September 16, 1875

Sept. 16th, 1875. 186 miles. I am three months from home and, with all my travels, my diary shows that I have done much missionary work. I am a little better but there is still heavy pitching.

Tuesday, September 14, 1875

HEAVY SEAS ROLL STEAMER

Sept. 14th and 15th. Seasick and vomiting twice. The ship is pitching and rolling the worst it has done yet. I have a headache and a weak stomach. I had another talk with Mr. Robinson on the Gospel and loaned him the Book of Mormon as a result of our talk about the Indians and their traditions, showing Jewish descent and that we have the history of their ancestry in our Book of Mormon.

Monday, September 13, 1875

Sept. 13th. The gentleman of Saturday evening engaged me in talk on the same subject and asked my opinion of yesterday's services, also of faith removing mountains as read from John. I had another talk with Mr. Robinson on science, religion, mythology and Mormonism. I compared our Gospel with the New Testament; our polygamy with that of the Old. I gave a brief sketch of the rise, progress and persecutions, showing the analogy to the persecutions in the Apostles' time. We parted with a request from him for further conversation. So I have been in my field of labor from home. I am, and have been, doing my missionary work.

Sunday, September 12, 1875

Sunday Sept. 12th. Noon at the equator 16 degrees 12 minutes west, wlth 79 degrees in the shade, only 85 degrees in the sun. To my surprise, we pass the line of contact of the two equatorial currents which could be seen for miles east and west. The thermometer dropped a degree, as the sun is over 30 degrees north. In passing from north to south latitude we have passed from fall to spring. Services 10:30, Sunday School, 2:30. God bless the little children. There are six lady teachers in the Sunday School. I believe they are sincere in their labor of love.

Saturday, September 11, 1875

Sept. 11th. At noon we have a verticle sun. This evening a gentleman, seeing me reading the Compendium, cautioned me against reading Mormon books. This led to a conversation in which I learned that his prejudice was from evil reports and not from investigation. I defended polygamy from scripture and moral grounds, preached first principles and bore testimony of the truth.

Thursday, September 9, 1875

Sept. 9th. I slept on deck; it is cooler and less pitching by getting amidship, as our cabin is forward of the foremast. At 5:30 A.M. there was a heavy squall with rain from the Port bow. The sails, close hauled, were taken aback, with much bustle taking the sail in, the heavy wind and rain. At 10:00 A.M. it is cloudy and pleasant, the evening is the same, as also is the 10th.

Wednesday, September 8, 1875

Sept. 8th. A head wind set the vessel to pitching; I am seasick again with no supper. I had a conversation on religion with Mr. Stewart of our table. He admits the Christianity, as now extant, is saving only a small minority of its advocates or adherents, the greater portion not living to their profession. He took the passengers as a sample of the world. He was almost led to the conclusion that the orthodox creeds were of man's invention, but he could not conceive of our Heavenly Father as a personage.

Tuesday, September 7, 1875

Sept. 7th. We are passing from 80 to 100 miles out from Africa. Close hauled, all fifteen square sails are taken in. It is said that all the canvas of this vessel would cover three acres of land.

Monday, September 6, 1875

Sept. 6th. Wind increasing, perhaps we are reaching the northeast trades. At nine the screw propeller is lifted in fifteen minutes by 40 men, with power to aid. The Great Britain is a heavy, fullrigged auxiliary with a screw propeller weighing twenty-nine tons. The temperature in the shade is 79 degrees.

At 3:00 P.M. the sailors "Buried the dead horse", as the termination of their advance pay. It was an amusing affair. Dressed in burlesque, with rope yarn hair and whiskers, they marched three times around the deck with a stuffed dummy horse mounted on a gun carriage which was lifted with much demonstration up the fore hatch. Then the horse was sold at auction by a witty Irishman who added each bid to all the others, with a clerk taking the name and amount of each bid, which amounts we were told would be called for, of course, as a donation, (I had nothing to bid). Then the horse and rider were run out to the end of the starboard foreyard, twenty feet over the side and sixty feet above the water. Then taking a knife, the rider cut a rope and the horse fell into the sea with a shout from the sailors.

This evening I conversed with Mr. Robinson, an engineer, minister, Sunday School and University teacher going to Australia as an engineer. We talked on science, religion and infidelity. He expressed a wish to converse again. The wind is light and the screw is lowered.

Sunday, September 5, 1875

Sept. 5th. Nice weather. Services at 10:30 according to Church of England form. What an easy way to serve the Lord when all the prayers, Bible reading, psalms and hymns are set apart in their regular order for each day of the year. Yet how very earnestly many join in the worship. I cannot do less than give them credit for sincerity. How strong are the bands of tradition! Sunday School at 2:30 P.M. The sentiment: "Only believe on Jesus Christ and you will be saved" predominates. The evening service at 8:00 P.M. has about the same information, but different in matter.

Saturday, September 4, 1875

Sept. 4th. We have Irish, German, French as well as English and American passengers. There is a light changeable wind.

Friday, September 3, 1875

Sept. 3rd. The sails were taken in at 3:00 A.M. and set again at ten. Up at seven, I took my usual sponge bath. Land Ho! within ten miles of Palma in the Canary Island group. It looks like a mountain top with but little lowland showing.

Thursday, September 2, 1875

Sept. 2nd. We are passing Porto Santo at a distance of 40 miles. Maderia is on the port bow and at 3:00 P.M. as we are passing within one and one-half miles and signaling, we will be reported to England, as there is a cable from here to there. Along the coast and hillsides we see several nice villages. Viewed in the glass, (I have a good twenty diameter) we can see people moving about, caring for their vineyards, etc. This is the island where the noted Maderia wine is produced. The side of the mountain is trellised for growing vineyards and there are shrubbery and small trees.

Wednesday, Sept. 1, 1875

Wednesday Sept. 1st, 1875. There is a nice breeze on the port quarter and all sails are filled. Oh, what a lovely deep.