[January 1846] 12th [-] was at the office. Am purchase some things for some pasogne [?] and attended a prayer meeting at night in the mansiche hall.

13th we were to of sailed but did not - on account of not having all the front. So we had to wait until Friday the 16th we set sail about 12 o'clock in the ship Liverpool, Captain Devenporte, who is a very nice sociable man and there was near 40 Saints on the ship. And near that many of the world Brothers W. [Wilford] Woodruff, Stratton, and a few more of the brethren came out with us about 10 miles. And during the time Brother Woodruff married me and ship Margaret Hutchinson of Presteign, Readnorshire, England on board of said vessel and I can assure you [p. 53] there was but very little preparation or fuss made by either one of us fore the wedding fore we were married in the very same clothes that we wore on the passage over the sea. Yet we had a very comfortable wedding and all things was done in decency and in order. And it will be a day long to be remembered. There were present Sisters Woodruff, Clark, and Lachton and Brothers Clark, Stratton Fergison & several others.

And soon after this was done the brethren left us and went back to Liverpool. And we bent our way onward the steamboat towed us about 40 miles then left and we had a very good breeze [p. 54] all night.

17th we had a very good wind and got out of the channel very well. And there were but very few of us sick till near night then it began to get rough and the most of us was some sick and remain so for a few days and some were sick for 8 or 10 days. We had tolerable fore wind for a few days and then from about the 20th to 28th we had very rough weather indeed and the water dashed over the bulwarks very much. And for one or two night it happened rough enough to sink the ship, but the tow brought us off safe. And then 27.30 & 31 the wind was not so strong but not very fore all began to get pretty well and eat hearty. [p. 55]

February. 1st was a beautiful day and very calm and it was Sabbath and we had a meeting on deck of the ship. And Brother Clark called on me to speak and I did so. The most of the passengers listened very attentively and it appeared to have a good effect.

The captain & wife & sister & a lady in the cabin all listened very attentively. I preached on the first principle &c.

2nd is a beautiful day but no wind

7th was Sabbath and Brothers Ross & Parker & Clark preached in the forenoon and in the afternoon Brother Parker opened meeting and I spoke. There has nothing very particular transpired up to this, only calms and head winds all the time pretty much. [p. 56]

15th During this week we have had high winds came & storms, especially on this day. It was very stormy indeed. At night the old ship trembled and shook as if she was about ready to give up the ghost and there was very few that slept much that night. But for my part I slept very well and through the assistance of the Lord we saw daylight once more.

We had a very good prayer meeting at night. I think for a few people I never saw as many different spirits collected together before in one place. Those that were not Saints were of the lowest class or order and the devil was in some of them as big as a wood church (as the saying is). [p.57]

16th & 17th head winds all the time.

18th this is a very calm day & warm we are getting down south a good way. This is the 33 day and since we have left Liverpool and we are not more than one third of the way to New Orleans yet. And if we do not get better winds we will be out two months yet.

22nd up to this time we have still had head winds and calms pretty much all the time. This is Sabbath and we had two meetings up on the deck. Brother Clark preached in the morning on the subject of the Book of Mormon and in the afternoon I preached on the same subject and all things went on pretty well. The day was calm.

23rd was very calm as [UNCLEAR, POSSIBLY A POOL]. [p. 58]

24th there was some little wind in our favor.

25th we had a smart little breeze and about 9 o'clock we had the pleasure of seeing a vessel pass close by us. It was from China. Its name was "Magget" - Bound for Liverpool. The two captains spoke. We were in 9 latitude 24 and longitude 35. This is the 40 day that we have been out to sea.

There are two other vessels in sight. We are all anxious to get to land for our water is short. Only one quart per day for a passenger and many of the persons has run short and there are some on the ship that grumbled nearly all the time about it. And call Brother Clark and all the rest of the Saints all the swindlers & hypocrites [p. 59] that they could think of especially one man (or a demon in a human shoe) his name is Marsh he is trying to quarrel with Brother Clark now.

26th & 27 still calm.

28th There was a very nice wind sprang up in our favor and it made us all look pleasant after such a long calm.

29th the wind was still in our favor and good.

March the 1st this is Sabbath. The wind is very good Brothers Furgison [POSSIBLY FERGUSON] & Parker preached to the people this day but many of them are getting quite hardened. Yet some pay very good attention.

2nd & 3rd fair wind still.

4th head winds and rather squally.

5th good winds all day.

6th the wind was tolerable.

7th very calm and warm and there is a child of [p. 60] one of the passengers that is very sick and I do not think it will live long. We all seem anxious to see land and get there too, for yesterday made seven weeks out to sea. We are in latitude 21 longitude 20'.

8th is Sabbath and that child died one o'clock this morning and was committed to the mighty deep. It was 6 years of age, it was blessed. Brother [Hiram] Clarke preached in the morning with much wind.

9th & 10th pretty good winds all the time.

11th head wind & calm.

12th pretty good wind all day and about 9 o'clock at night there was a very good wind all night.

13th we saw land in the morning early. It was the Island of St. Domingo. We keep in sight of it all day & sailed very fast indeed all day about 9 knots an hour and still keep in sight of the Island. - We saw 6 whales. . . . [p.61]

14th was clam. We were still in sight of St. Domingo

15th was Sabbath. Calm all day, at night the wind passed up some little. We came in sight of the Island of Cuba. It looked very mountainous. We had no meeting for we thought it done but little good. - At night we had prayer meeting.

16th was rather calm and very warm all day at night we had a good breeze. The Island of Cuba is a very fertile for sugar and coffee and [-]. It is under the Spanish government. It is about 500 miles in length. We are still in sight of it today.

17th we have a very good wind it blows us along from 9 to 10 knots an hour. We are in sight of the Island of Jamaica. [p.62] It belongs to the English. It is noted for rum & wine & its inhabitants are chiefly all blacks.

18th very good wind for sailing it is so strong that it breaks these ropes and tares their sails.

19th still a first rate wind blowing us along from 8 to 10 miles an hour - We came in sight of Cape Antonio about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. There is 5 or 6 vessels in sight of us .

20th The wind still is fair and good and in a strong wind we can pass all the vessels that we come to.

21st rather strong in the afternoon but did not last very long.

22nd This is my birthday and I am in good spirits for I expect soon to see land and a steamboat coming puffing to tow us up [p. 63] the river to New Orleans. I am 25 years of age this day. The wind is good and in our favor. The passengers are all straining their eyes to see land. We saw land about 5. There was a steamboat came and spoke to us about 6 o'clock in the evening. We had to anchor all night at the mouth of the river all night and it was very stormy indeed & thunder & the rain came down in torrents.

23rd the steamer came and hitched to us and going over the bar they [-] against another ship and broke the boom of smack, and it broke our fore mast off near the top and such and other sinking, howling & squalling & I never saw and in fact it was rather [p. 64] a serious time but not much damage done. The night was very dark & we anchored in the river over night we run all day slowly and night as there was other ships towed in company with us

25th We landed at our long looked for place (New Orleans) and all the passengers seemed anxious to step on land once more as we had been on the ship about 67 days and we had a very rough passage the most of the way. We saw a brother from Nauvoo and he informed us that about two thousand of the brethren had left that place for the west &c. Brother Clark & I went and engaged a steamboat to take the company up the river as far St. Louis [p. 65] it was the "Cowboy." There was about 31 in company. We gave 2 dollars 75 cents per head all baggage included. - We stayed on the ship over night .

26th We bought some groceries for the west from Mr. Fisher and about 5 o'clock a ferry boat came along side and took our things to the steamboat and we did not get off till the day after. Some of the company got berths & some did not but sleep on their boxes.

27th We left the steamboat landing about 4 o'clock in the afternoon and then went along side of a ship vessel a quantity of salt and she did not get off till about one o'clock in the morning. The steamboat shakes so I can not write. [p. 66]

28th we are well.

29th we arrived at Natchez which is three hundred miles from New Orleans.

30th we passed Vicksburg at 8 o'clock in the morning and there was a boat keep close with us all day by the name of "Morning."

April 1st. We came to a town by the name of Memphis and we run very well all day and the "Morning" still keep in sight some times before us and some times behind.

2nd the boat "Morning" went past us while we were a wooding.

6th we came to Nauvoo and the weather was very wet. . . .

. . . Our eyes soon caught sight of the Temple of the Lord. It looked grand to me after being away [p. 67] forever. Two years in England. And I felt to thank my Heavenly Father that he had brought me home safe - home [- -] say it [-] not seem much like home either as the Saints were having daily [-] making preparations to do so. . . . [p. 68]

BIB: Sheets, Elijah Funk. Journal, (Ms 1314, fd 4), vol. 4 pp. 53-68; Acc. #20169. (CHL)
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