On Tuesday Feb. 22nd Brothers Cock and Hillier went with me to the ship, in order to put our luggage on board and while we were in the act of so doing Brother Cock slipped off the planks onto the ship's deck. I was not present when he fell, but saw him immediately after, when to my utter consternation, I beheld him whom I love as "Jonathen loved David," with his eyes apparently fixed for death and blood and froth [-] from his mouth, and his senses entirely gone. I and Brother Sims laid hands on him directly, and afterwards carried him to the best cabin. Brother Lyon was on hand he alas laid hands on him, and likewise Brother Philips, after a short time recovered his senses, and went to bed in the second cabin. He got up in the course of the day and came to our lodgings and the next day he was quite well, for which I was truly thankful to almighty God and do sincerely believe it was the power of God that restored him.

Wednesday Feb. 23. I and my family for the first time slept on board a ship, we slept very comfortably too consider all things.

On Friday the 25th of Feb. we left the docks and passed the Liverpool Lighthouse 21 minutes to one o'clock [p.21] and on Monday the 28th of Feb. about 6 o'clock a.m. the ship left the River Mersey and towed out into the English Channel and has been sailing up to this time March 7th.

Monday 7th of March. I slept with my wife, she changed her berth thinking to more comfortable. The next day she was very ill with a pain in her head.

This day is Tuesday the 31st of March 1852 [1853] I am very weak, can scarcely walk up the hatchway. I have been on board the ship 5 weeks and have scarcely enjoyed anything during that time. I shall be so thankful to see land again and partake of the rich bounties thereof.

Sunday April 3rd. 16 were confirmed in the church. This day the captain told us that we should not reach New Orleans for 9 weeks to come if the winds did not change and also suggested the propriety of going on half rations so that the food may hold out. The same evening we supplicated the almighty to alter the winds that we may be enabled to proceed as our voyage. The Lord heard and answered our prayers and changed the winds in our favor, for this I feel thankful.

7 of April. The winds have been very favorable since the last date and everything has moved on harmoniously. Several of the crew have been baptized. Yesterday the 6 of April we held a festival. We had music, singing and dancing, and weddings. Four were married and everything moved along harmoniously. The Spirit of the Lord was with us and we rejoiced together. The captain and crew joined in with us and paid us the greatest respect possible. [p.22]

New Orleans Steam Boat "Liah Tuna," Wednesday April 27, 1853. All bustle and confusion, head over heels, some singing, others grumbling, and not a few chatting, and stuffing. My wife's father out and the boat ready to start. We arrived in New Orleans on Saturday the 23rd of April about 6 o'clock in the evening. To our great joy and rejoicing we beheld the mouth of the great Mississippi River with the green herbage and trees luxuriantly growing on its banks.

On Friday the 22 of April after seeing nothing much but the blue above and the blue below for 53 days it was indeed a treat to see the abodes of man once more, with their cattle around their dwellings, and all nature, teeming with abundance for to supply the wants of man and beast. Yes, it seemed indeed the land of praise, a land well calculated to make glad the hearts of the people of God. A young woman of the name of Louisa Snow came to my house about 3 weeks before we left Putney, to join with us to travel to the Salt Lake Valley together. I first met with her at Newbury, when I paid a visit to my Brother Thomas (an account of which and date is recorded in my first journal. When I first saw her, I thought her to be very good looking and she found favor in my eyes (her age was about 19 years) [p.23] and hearing and believing that a plurality of wives for a man to have was no way displeasing in the sight of God but was to the contrary, I thought I would take her to Zion to inquire of the Lord if it was his mind and will it should be so. To that end I threw myself in her way as much as possible, with circumstance seemed no way disagreeable to her. Well after being in her company two or three days, and finding her company very agreeable I [-] desire to take her to Zion to which she readily consented. At the same time said she had no objection to becoming my wife, if agreeable, to the laws of Zion. With this view I paid to Samuel W. Richards the money to take her all the way. Accordingly she started with us for that purpose on the ship International, an account of date of sail &c, will be found in another part of this book. During her stay with us at Putney she behaved herself tolerably well, so she did after she was on the ship, the first few days, after which time I thought she made herself rather too free with the captain of the same. Consequently I remonstrated [p.24] with her about it. The captain's name is David Brown, I believe from Massachusetts U.S.A. She paid no regard whatever to my admonitions, and continued pacing the deck with him till a late hour every night. It was well known to Brothers Arthur, Waddington, and Lyon - The presidency of the company of Saints on board the vessel, and none but Waddington as I could learn said anything to her about it, but to the contrary. For the night after I had been scolding her C. [Christopher] Arthur said at the meeting, that Captain Brown was one of the most best and gentlemanly men he ever saw, and at the same time said that he (the captain) felt himself mortified because that he, the captain, heard that some of the brethren felt themselves annoyed on account of his walking the sisters about the deck. When I heard that I felt sorry that I had said anything to Miss Snow about it and began to think the same as my president did that the captain was an honorable a man, to take any unseeming liberties with her, and consequently though I had no right [p.25] to interfere so long as my president sanctioned it. Well matters went on like that to the end of the voyage, when on Sunday morning, April 24th she came to me, and communicated the following intelligence that she wished to stay at New Orleans, as she could not feel comfortable in my family, because of my wife. Here I wish to remark that my wife was very much annoyed with her staying out with the captain night after night to so late an hour and consequently scolded her several times for so doing. Here I must also remark that my wife never scolded her when she behaved herself in a becoming manner. Well I told her (Miss Snow) that if she did not feel comfortable she was at liberty to join any family she thought proper. She replied that there was not a family on board the ship that she could associate with, and other very frivolous excuses until at last I told her to do as she liked. Captain Brown, with his family resides at New Orleans, and whether or not she stayed there because of him I cannot say, but I rather should [-] [p.26] when Miss Snow first joined my family she told us she had no money, neither did we see any, but when we arrived at New Orleans she seemed to have plenty. I have every reason to believe the captain gave it her and also a very handsome gold chain that my wife discovered in her possession while on our voyage. During her stay with us I lent her about 30 shillings besides paying her passage money to the Valley, which she paid me at New Orleans, at the same time stated she borrowed it of Brother Dollery - A brother residing at New Orleans, and with whom she was going to live with, as they had known each other when children and brought up together.

We left New Orleans on Wednesday the 27th of April, 1853 in the boat "Liah Tuna" for St. Louis at which place we arrived in safety. The following Thursday week - May the 5th we stayed there one night, and left the next, and boarded the boat about 8 o'clock and arrived at Keokuk on the following night about 11 o'clock May 7th.

Sunday Morning May 8th Brother William Locke and others brought their teams and [-] the Saints to bring their luggage to the camp of Israel. A sight which gladdened my heart to behold.

Sunday May 15 Elder Cyrus H. Wheelock addressed the Saints in a most thrilling manner and gave some excellent instructions and counsel. The afternoon meeting was addressed by him and Brother Gates.

Either Wednesday or Thursday, Mar 11, or 12th I received an appointment to preside over three wagons of Saints, and the presidency of Elder John Lyon.

Sometime in June we left Keokuk and started for the valley of the Great Salt Lake and arrived there on Friday the 30 of Sept. Elder Jacob Gates was our captain and leader and a good one he was too. I think I shall never forget, the industry, energy, and untiring he exercised for the good of the company and upon the while we had a prosperous and quick journey, but I am grieved to say that we had the unspeakable grief of losing our little boy Richard who fell asleep on Monday the 12th of Sept 1853, about 4 miles this side the dividing ridge at a place called the Pacific Spring. [p.27]

BIB: Squires, John Paternoster. Reminiscences and journals, (Ms 2143), pp. 21-27. Acc. #32872. (CHL)
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