"THE SHIP OLYMPUS, Captain Wilson, having been detained by adverse winds left the river on Tuesday morning, the 4th instant, having on board in the company of the Saints, 245 souls, under the presidency of Elder William Howell. Among the number of passengers in this company, we would mention the names of Elders William Henshaw, who first preached the gospel of the last dispensation in South Wales; Thomas Smith, late of Northampton, in the Bedfordshire Conference; and Thomas Bradshaw of Woolwich, in the London Conference. These brethren have made an extensive acquaintance with the Saints of different conferences in this nation, and very many will cherish their memories with gratitude, for having been the means of opening their eyes to an understanding of the truth. The joy and comfort which prevailed in the midst of the company on shipboard during their detention, became proverbial in the town. May they have as cheerful times during their entire passage.
With the departure of the Olympus, closes our emigration season, as it is not deemed prudent to send out companies to New Orleans after about the first of March, until the first of September, on account of the sickness of that climate during the summer season."
MS 13:6 (Mar 15, 1851), p.88
"FIFTY-FIFTH COMPANY. -- Olympus, 245 souls. Tuesday morning March 4th, 1851, the ship Olympus sailed from Liverpool, having on board a company of Saints numbering two hundred and forty-five souls, under the presidency of Elder William Howell, the man who first introduced the fullness of the gospel in South Wales and subsequently in France. His counselors were Thomas Bradshaw, Thomas Smith, J. Lindsay and W. Henshaw.
Besides the Saints there were about sixty other passengers on board. The ship should have sailed several days before, but was prevented by adverse winds. . . .
. . . Elder William Howell, in continuing his narrative of the voyage, says that the morning and evening prayer meetings were held on deck; also the preaching services, at which five or six of the brethren usually would deliver short interesting addresses; the spiritual gifts were often enjoyed by the Saints, such as prophecy, speaking in tongues and interpretation of tongues, besides the healing of the sick, the casting out of evil spirit, etc. The daily prayer meetings were held at ten o'clock in the morning, and at nine o'clock in the evening. Day schools were also held for the children of both Saints and fellow passengers, at which the rudiments of the English and French languages were taught, as well as other branches of learning; at five o'clock in the evening lectures were given, at which the congregation would sit around the lecturer, on the deck floor; the subjects treated upon were various, including astronomy, geography, agricultural improvements, etc.
The provisions and water served out on board were good, and the cooking was carried on in the gallery by three of the brethren, who worked in turns of four hours each.
During the voyage two infants died, and one child was born.
From New Orleans this company of British Saints continued the journey to St. Louis, Missouri, on the streamer Atlantic.
In the Organ and Reville, a Republican newspaper published at St. Louis, of May 9th, 1851, the following notice appears:
'The steamer Atlantic arrived yesterday morning from New Orleans, having on board two hundred and forty "Mormon" emigrants. This company sailed from Liverpool on the ship Olympus. * * * Part of those who arrived on the Atlantic were detained on the quarantine on account of a man being sick of what was supposed to be cholera.'
Like the emigrants who had arrived in previous companies, part of the Saints who had crossed the Atlantic in the Olympus, stopped temporarily at St. Louis, while others continued the journey to the Bluffs on the steamer Statesman, together with a company of New England Saints, and also a number from the St. Louis conference, including Alexander Robbins, who had presided over the same.
In the Frontier Guardian of May 30th, 1851, the following notice was published:
'The steamer Statesman, from St. Louis, thirteen days out, arrived at Kanesville landing on Tuesday, the twentieth (May), having on board a company of Saints, under the care of Alexander Robbins, late president of the St. Louis Conference. Among the number of passengers were President Orson Pratt from the British Isles, his lady and family, en route for the Valley, in good health and spirits, * * * Elder James McGaw, one of our missionaries from Texas, and our celebrated French missionary, William Howell and family, who was so successful in making converts crossing the Atlantic on board the ship Olympus, while on the way from Liverpool to New Orleans. We are informed that there were only fifty-two passengers on board the Olympus, who did not belong to the Church, with the exception of the captain and crew, and out of that number fifty were baptized into the Church before they arrived at New Orleans; and no less singular is a circumstance that occurred on the Statesman. After her arrival here her cooks and deck hands left her, preferring rather to be teamsters across the plains for "Mormons" and have their society in fair Utah, than remain any longer as cooks and deck hands on the muddy waters of the Missouri.'"
Cont., 13:8 (June 1892), pp.344-45, 349-50
"Tues. 4. [Mar 1851] -- The ship Olympus sailed from Liverpool, England, with 254 Saints, bound for Utah, under the direction of William Howell. Some fifty non-Mormon passengers were converted and baptized on the voyage to New Orleans, where the company arrived about April 27th."
CC, p.42
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