Voyage of Joseph Fielding on the ship Tyrian, who was appointed with Elder John Towers to superintend the company. Accompanied for a day by Elders Pratt and A. Fielding. The Saints presented gifts to them for the building of the Nauvoo Temple. Sickness was "heavy and severe" but the Saints generally recovered from their conditions. Relates religious services such as prayer and sacrament meetings and describes the addresses he gave on the topics of idleness, selfishness, carelessness with provisions, and Zion. Portrayed the Sailors as being kind to their company. Fielding also recounted the velocity of the wind, seeing several ships while on board, and the birth of a daughter to Sister Littlewood. There was little contention on the ship with the exception of two or three who liked to cause trouble [A.B.].

The ship was dark, there being no light allowed in the deck so we had to find our way to bed and put the children to bed, in the dark, but I felt glad to find myself on the way to Zion, before bringing us down [?] upon the Lord and many responded, amen, Monday 20 We left the dock and anchor in the river, accompanied by Elder Pratt and wife and Elder A Fielding who remained with us through the night settling up these accounts with the Saints who mostly made presents to Elders Pratt and Fielding of 2,,6 each and this chiefly they have sent up and for the Building of the Temple in Nauvoo on Tuesday morning our beloved Brethren took their leave of us while the company sung several farewell hymns and about 10 A.M. we set sail with a fine wind and in a five hours lost sight of our old native land, I being appointed to superintend the company with Elder John Towers to assist me called a council and chose several of the Brethren to unite with us in the management of the company but the departure of Elder Pratt broke up our meeting and before we could again get together some began to be sick and this increased for several days and the wind blew strong in short the sickness grew severe and heavy, the Captain was kind to us and sent his men to empty our [--] and to see that our boxes were fast, but [?] terrain the weather became so fine that we met on deck in the morning and I and a portion of the Word of God and Prayer and in the afternoon we took the Sacrament I would have had the Brethren speak, but they left it to me and I spoke as I was led, to suit the occasion, and in the eve we had Prayer in different parts of the ship and we felt that we had done as was pleasing to the Lord, the next day (27th) the wind began to blow till it became a Storm and at night the hatches were put down, only one was open and early on Tuesday morning the sea broke over and came in to the steerage the ship rolled to and fro very much, and we went from side to side on our floor this alarmed some of the Saints some thought it was all up with us, one Brother ran on deck thinking the ship was going to [?] and thought he would get into the Long Boat, our situation appeared gloomy but in fact there was no danger yet I kneeled up in my berth and prayed, that the Lord would be merciful to us and preserve us, and cause the wind to abate, and my prayer was in some measure answered; when we rose in the morning there was nothing seriously wrong, the water which had rolled to and fro in the ship had found its way out I suppose in to the Hole through the Scuttle[?] Hole some of our boxes and [?] had broke loose and more rolling about my shoes and other things were lost but I found them under the berth the wind blew hard all the next day, properly a storm but on Wednesday we had become [?] steady and in the eve I called the company together as well as I could and spoke to them about 3/4 of an hour on the importance of making a proper use of this time for I saw that some of them were in vain a trifling, I told them that they would wish they had made a better use if theirs, I also saw some who were selfish and covetous, I told them this was no celestial spirit and why must we strive to get rid of it, I also exhorted them to be careful of their food as we know not how long we might be on the water; he Captain and Mates have been very kind and friendly, they often came down to see how we got on and to see that our boxes [?] fast, and would send down the Sailors to empty our Paesxe[?] when we were too sick to help ourselves, in fact they have so far treated us with great kindness, and we have had peace in our company, in a few days often we sailed our number was increased, by Sis Littlewood giving birth to a fine daughter about three o'clock on Friday morning the 24th, she and her child are doing well, we have had some calm which was a comfort to us in our sickness, on Tuesday the 3 of October the weather was too rough to be on deck and we met in two separate parts of the ship of the ship, Bro Tarideg[?] said one and I led the other and spoke on the subject of Zion and the gathering and afternoon we took the sacrament carrying it round to the Saints at their berths, the evening was wet, and we could not [?] any meeting particularly, but we had prayer and singing.

6 Today the wind is blowing about as it did on Tuesday eve and has been ever [?] taking us from 7 to 9 knots for hours about overnight course Monday Night was very wet and the water came in upon our beds but we got them dry again by taking them on deck; we have seen many and spoke several ships since we came out, one was near [?] [H/P?]aul of us, but we have had no accident as yet, the Lord has been kind to and there has been so little discord that it is not worth recording only 2 or 3 records about the fire or the cooking, many are recovered from their sickness only faith and prayer and administering of oil in the name of the Lord.

Saturday Oct 16 Since we last [page torn] have generally had good sailing in one course the sails have [?] been changed as to their course since last Sunday till yesterday, when the yards were [?], we have often sailed 9, 10, or 11 knots per hour, but since the wind came oft we have not gone so fast, we have not had any thing to trouble us in particular we have some few who are sick, but not dangerously we have also a few who are only saints in name, and 2 or 3 that would quarrel if any one would quarrel with them, but the general desire is to maintain peace

10th this was a fine day, the morning was rather too hot, but as the sun got round to the [?] of the ship the Sails shaded us from the sun we met on the deck at past 10 to worship God, Elder Tardeg[?] spoke a while and Elder Mitchell [end of journal]

BIB: Fielding, Joseph. Journals [LDS Church Archives, Ms 1567, vol 4, pp.80-86; Acc. #17371] 1837-1859. (CHL)
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