Tuesday 21 Nov. 1854. After breakfast Brother Gibson's family and I went off to the ship. When we went we found that we could get on board so we went back and settled with our lodgings [-] which was 13/6 for two nights lodgings and one cut of tea. We then went and got our luggage on board and stopped on board all night. [p. 5]

Wednesday 22 Nov. 1854. The ship lay in the dock all day and I was out sometimes looking after little things. Slept on board all night. I sent away two letters; one to Brother Cain and another to Brother Allan.

Thursday 23 Nov. 1854. The vessel was expected to go out of the dock but it lay all day. Slept on board all night, and there was a sentry walking all night watching the luggage belonging to the passengers.

Friday 24 Nov. 1854. The vessel taken out of the dock and lay out in the River Mersey.

Saturday 25 Nov. The vessel was expected to go but it lay all day.

Sunday 26 Nov. The vessel is still lying in the river and I have wearied very [p. 6] much for the ship to start for to take us to Columbus shore and I feel to trust in the Lord for a safe passage across the ocean. Meetings was held in the evening.

Monday 27 Nov. 1854. Our gallant ship started at 3 o'clock p.m. for to go on its way. In the evening I and wife got very sick which continued all night. I wrote a letter to Brother Allan president of the Auchencairn [Scotland] Branch.

Tuesday 28 Nov. 1854. I and wife very sick and not able to get out of bed. The day was very stormy and the sea rough. We continued sick all night.

Wednesday 29 Nov. 1854. In the morning I was informed that we was going back to Liverpool on account of the stormy weather. We was back at Liverpool about breakfast time and I and wife was still very sick and we had no bread to give our children which was one of the great trials [p. 7] that I have passed through but Brother E. Gibson was very kind in giving them a little. My child Janet, said to Mary wait till the good man sends the baker and we'll get loaves. These expressions caused my heart to feel that the spirit of the Lord was with us as a family. This day has continued very stormy and we are now 4 or 5 miles farther back than when we started on Monday at 3 o'clock p.m. We are well tonight and I feel to thank the Lord for it.

Thursday 30 Nov. 1854. Our vessel was linging [UNCLEAR, POSSIBLY lingering] for a fair wind to carry us away.

Friday 1st Dec. 1854. Still waiting for a fair wind - this day I sent off a letter to Brother Allan.

Saturday 2 Dec. 1854. Still waiting on the wind changing.

Sunday 3 Dec. 1854. I am holding as a fast day so as [p. 8] that I may be strengthened to overcome my weakness and enjoy a greater portion of the Holy Spirit. In the afternoon we held meetings and also in the evening.

Monday 4 Dec. 1854. We was still waiting on a fair wind.

Tuesday 5 Dec. 1854. Still waiting on the wind changing. In the evening we held a meeting when we was told that the Saints on board was to hold tomorrow as a fast day so that the wind might change.

Wednesday 6 Dec. 1854. Held as a fast. We held meetings which was lively in the evening. I wrote letters to Brother Morton and Brother Cruthers and Brother Allan. The weather was very stormy and the wind right against us.

Thursday 7 Dec. 1854. In the morning the wind was in our favor and we all looked for the captain coming every minute. When about 1 o'clock a tug steamer came for us and pulled [p. 9] us away. After we was drawn down past all the docks, the captain came in with a small boat and on we went. I then sent away my letters to the brethren before named. We got along very well till Friday morning when I and wife was sick and could do nothing for our children. On Sunday the 10 I got a little better and was able to go on deck but could eat no meat. In course of the day there was child died - and flung overboard. In the evening the wind was calm and the water smooth when we all went to bed, but through the night the wind arose very high and I was again bad with sickness and I nor wife was able to attend our children. I may say that I was able to do nothing for them till Friday 15th when I was again able to keep out of bed all day. During my sickness I suffered much pain with a sore head [p. 10] and my wife was so bad that she could not be out of bed till Monday 18 when she got up to the deck with my assistance but soon had to return to bed again. My children has been very badly for a few days with sickness and a burning skin when on Sunday the 17 measles made appearance on Janet and is now lying very bad. I do not know as yet what is wrong with Mary only she is lying very bad. During my sickness there was 4 children and 2 women died. A woman died next berth to us with fever. I now feel thankful to God that I am again able to look after my wife and children - and though they are all badly, yet I feel thankful that it is no worse than it is. I feel that the Lord will yet raise them from a sick bed and spare them to get to Zion our home which I long to see. [p. 11]

Tuesday 19 Dec. 1854. Fine weather and a fair wind. My wife is again on deck with my assistance my children is still lying very bad this morning. The ordinance was administered to my wife and children. The measles made their appearance on Mary this day and I was kept so busy attending my wife and children up to the 31 Dec. 1854 that I could not take an observation of our travels when at 1 o'clock on the 31st, my child, Mary departed this life, and Brother Gibson's child, Elisabeth, died 1/4 11 o'clock on the 29 and both the children was sewed up in a bag and let into the sea at 2 o'clock. A very little after they died I may say that no one could know my feelings upon that occasion except a father. When I looked on the little ones laid side by side and then sewed up in a bag to be [p. 12] put in the sea . . . my heart was pained to see them thrown in the sea though I looked forward to a day when the sea will give up its dead. My wife was very bad at the time and continued very bad and weak for the want of food. I went to the captain and asked if he would sell a little food for a sick person and he said why the devil, sir, I have no food for anyone. So I came away from him [with] a little sorrow on account of the weakness of my wife, but she has got over it and is now getting strong again and my daughters, Janet, is now very well and I rejoice in the goodness of the Lord to me and family while there has been a great deal of death on board the ship and in my estimation a great deal of unbecoming conduct with a number of the people. [p. 13]

Wednesday 10 Jan. 1855. I and family are all well and rejoicing in the hopes of being in the River Mississippi today and being in New Orleans tomorrow. I may say that we have had a speedy passage but one of suffering and sorrow owing to sickness. We had no meetings wherein we received instructions to cheer us up from neither the president nor his counselors which I thought strange - and more so Brother F. [Franklin] D. Richards said that every passenger would have three pounds of butter and two of cheese, and when it was given out the butter was 160 pounds short and the cheese was a quarter a pound short to each adult which I thought was not [the] arts of Brother Richards. On the 9 those who was married on board was charged £32/110 by the authority of the President Henry E. Philips [Phelps] Brother Gibson who came with me has appeared very distant to me though well he knew me but yet with all [p. 14] I love him and family and I wish them well and I shall try to do good to all mankind which I know is a principle of Mormonism. There has been 22 deaths and 1 birth and 8 marriages on board the ship.

Thursday 11 Jan. 1855. I and family got to New Orleans where we stayed overnight. In the morning we got on board a steamer called "Oceana" bound for St. Louis where we landed on the 11th of Jan. 1855 with hard work to get through the ice - when we landed we found friends who took us by the hand and assisted us until I got work. I got work at Gravois Coal Mines where I only stopped about six weeks. I then went to a place called Platten Creek or Yankee diggings where I end [-]. [p. 15] Some here things before I got my family there owing to the rough country over which we had to travel. I had two teams belonging to two Germans. . . [p. 16][UNCLEAR]

BIB: Brighton, William Stuart. Diaries. Vol. 1. (Ms 4845) pp. 5-16. (A)
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