Good-Friday March 25th 1853. James Walker McNaughtan & his wife & a friend called, or rather came on board the ship Falcon. They expected to have met Brother Crawford & his wife Mary Ann. I went up to town with them. He very kindly gave me or bought for me 2/6 worth of biscuits for the baby Lorenzo. Brother Rollins & his wife paid us a visit in the evening 10 o'clock.

Saturday March 26th 1853. 10 o'clock a.m. I went to the watch-maker first to President W. W. Richards to get his note of introduction to him. He had it ready. He charged me [-] after a little conversation he reduced it to [-]. It is a good lever jeweled, & engraved, "Holiness to the Lord" & my name Deseret, & the keys of the priesthood. I paid him [-].

Monday March 28th 1853. We left Liverpool 12 o'clock noon & as we were leaving the docks [APPARENTLY A FEW WORDS ARE MISSING HERE.] Tugged out by the steamer, took us out a long way. It was a pleasant day & a fair wind. But the wind did not long continue in our favor, for we had a headwind for some 9 days. On the evening of the 31st we had a severe gale or storm & what it most frightful below was that on account of many or nearly all the tins were untied so that at every roll of the vessel the [p. 38] tins & the boxes slipped from side to side, & made a most alarming noise. The same day Brother Stewart's child died & was committed to the deep, at 12 o'clock noon. Monday night, March 28th, I married a couple from Wales, William Lloyd & Ame [Ann] Thomas.

Tuesday March 29th 1853. 11 a.m. I married William Burton to Elizabeth, George Summers [Somers] to Maryan Gettins [Mary Ann Gittins]. Meetings were established - prayers were made morning & evening. Brother Samuel W. Richard for Bagnale, [Bagnall] Caffle, [Caffall] & I to his office 15 Wilton Street Liverpool on Thursday evening, March 24th 1853. He gave Brother Bagnale [Bagnall] from London the presidency of this company: I & Elder Caffle [Caffall] his 2 counselors.

On board the ship Falcon my wife on the morning of the 12th of April , 1853, began to be exceedingly ill & continued to be ill in her bowels with diarrhea - for several days. It seemed that all the medicine the captain had was powerless to resist the disease or check the purging. I made use of a mixture from Brother Walker--what he used in St. Louis, in case of cholera or such like. Its bases is Cayenne. She was somewhat better by that. I gave her a second dose & was still better. I did not fail to have the ordinance administered by a number of elders, & by the prayer of faith & the wisdom we possessed my wife began to mend for which do I thank & praise thee, O my God.

Sunday March 20th 1853, we met downstairs, had the sacrament administered - a.m. At 4 p.m. we met on deck for the first time. Weather was most beautiful. I being desired by President Bagnal [Bagnall] I addressed the meeting for some considerable time. The captain was present paid marked attention. He seemed to be a feeling, kind & good hearted man & was very kind to my Mrs. when ill for such "The Lord bless him."

We left Liverpool on the 28th of March 1853, and arrived at New Orleans, on the 18th of May 1853, being a passage of seven weeks and two days. During this time there were 3 marriages and 4 deaths of children. Meetings for sacrament & testimony were held on the middle deck, & on the upper deck we had a more public one in the p.m. We had first-rate times in those meetings. The Lord certainly recognized us & blessed us. Also every morning & evening at which time we had prayers. The weather in the latter part of our journey was very mild & pleasant. The greatest difficulty we had to combat on board the Falcon was cooking. The convenience being so limited but even in this matter we got along much better than we had even anticipated.

A.T. Wade. Captain. Sangerville, Maine U.S.

Thursday May 19th, 1853. St. Louis, at 9 o'clock Brother James McGregor from the Glasgow Conference fell overboard & was drowned. He was intoxicated. Some of the Brethren were present, & made every exertion to save him but failed.

Friday May 20th 1853. at 6 o'clock p.m. we sailed from New Orleans for St. Louis on board the steamer, "St. Nicolas." Elder Brown our Emigrating Agent accompanying us.

Friday May 27th 1853. At 30 minutes past 4 a.m., we arrived at St. Louis. Met with our agent, Elder Eldrige, [PROBABLY, Eldridge] & got all our luggage on board the Packet "Die Vernon" then sailed for Keokuk at 4 p.m. same day.

Saturday May 28th, 1853. 4 o'clock p.m. we arrived at Keokuk & after seeing Elder [Isaac C.] Haight, Wheelock, & Lyon we stopped all night at the depot.

Sabbath May 29th 1853. Early in the morning wagons were sent down from the camp & took up our luggage to the camping ground. Here we had the unspeakable pleasure of being in the camp of Brothers Barnes & Allen, from Hull and of seeing their families. What a meeting!

Sabbath June 5th 1853. Meetings were held for public worship at the camp ground, at past 10 a.m. & at 4 p.m. The Saints were addressed by Elders Harmon, & McNaughtan.

Sabbath June 12th 1853. Meetings were held on the ground at past 10 a.m. Addressed by Brother Haight in the afternoon by Elders Haight & McNaughtan. In the evening a testimony meeting was held where many of the Saints bore testimony. These were good times, on both Sabbaths. The Lord truly blessed us.

Monday June 13th 1853. A month's provisions were served out. Flour, bacon, sugar, soap & saleratus; each wagon a washtub, bucket, [-] pan, baking kettle, a whip & a hatchet between 2 wagons.

Wednesday June 15th 1853. In the morning got everything packed up, our oxen yoked, hitched on and moved off at past 9 o'clock a.m. Camped in the afternoon after traveling 9 miles. Elder Harmon leading the company. . . . [p. 39]

. . . October 16th 1853. Our train & also captain Brown's got into Great Salt Lake City. It being Sunday the meeting was convened in the Tabernacle not withstanding we were met by many of the natives & old acquaintances. . . . [p. 40]

BIB: McNaughton, James. (Ms 5557) pp. 38-40; Acc. #22323. (Typescript) (CHL)
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