. . . After a sojourn of three months, I left for America, together with my brother and two youngest sisters, September 1, 1881. On board the "Patriot" in Malmo Harbor, we said our last farewell to friends and family. It was very painful, parting with those we formed a friendship with and learned to love, but it had to be done. Soon we started on our voyage across the North Sea to New Castle. We took first cabin. Gus and me one, and Johanna and Kersti another room just opposite. The second day out was still and beautiful weather, but seasickness had commenced with some. The best remedy for it, though is exercise on deck, frequent eating of some salty meat, herring, etc. "All my folks are seasick," said a youth of 20 as he went in the saloon, "but they are on deck just the same."

Two p.m. Everyone sick or pretty near. I for my part am perfectly well and so is Johanna. She is happy as a lark. Kersti and Gus are sick. 3:30 p.m. my company are in bed and I am reading a novel about the promised land. 4 p.m. went up on deck for a walk and gained the information that we were sailing 12 miles an hour. Returned below and made a visit among the passengers, everyone was contented. Went to my cabin, took Johanna on deck. By this time the rolling waves of the sea were in commotion, the cold wind of the North Sea made one shiver. The captain told us we were on the worst place now on the North Sea. 7 p.m. got our supper, fresh herring, fried beef, bologna, cheese and butter, bread and tea. Gus and Kersti didn't eat. Went to bed at 9 p.m.

Sept. 3, 1881. Up at 6:30 a.m. The seasickness had no effect on me or Johanna. We partook of a hearty breakfast at 8 a.m. Got Kersti on deck and Gus is on deck too. 11 a.m. Went and took a nap. Johanna sits by me knitting. 1 p.m. dinner. We all ate a good dinner. 2:30 p.m. Raining. Kersti feels alright now. We have been on deck looking at a couple of fishing boats, how the waves would completely conceal them from our view.

4:15 I have been reading to Kersti till she fell asleep. Went on deck where music and song could be heard. Some sea birds were seen. It was nevertheless not pleasant on deck and the cold wind made it disagreeable. 5 p.m. Johanna is knitting, Kersti is crocheting and Gus is asleep. I am reading. 10 p.m. Everyone is in bed. Kersti is alright now, but she wishes she were on land. Johanna answers that she wouldn't care if it lasted a month. I, for my part, am satisfied.

September 4, 1881. 1:30 a.m. Arrived in New Castle. Our agent, who represented the Guion Steamship Company, took us to a hotel in the city, after we had said our last adieu to the little steamship, "Patriot". Kersti, Johanna and Gustaf were more satisfied now. We went out and bought some fruit such as plums, pears and apples. But our time was short and we finally went on board the cars which took us over on top of a portion of the city. Then out in the county onward to Liverpool where we arrived on the 5th at 3 a.m. Put up in an immigrant hotel. Got a room on the third story where we could look out on the street and see the big horses that pulled great loads. The Prince of Wales came to this city while we were there.

September 10, 1881. 10 a.m. We went on board the steamer Arizona belonging to the Guion Steamship Company, which should take us over the Atlantic Ocean. We had made arrangement to get second cabins, but through some misunderstanding was obliged to take steerage. But on this ship everything was in order. The young boys were placed by themselves, so were the young girls, and the married people by themselves. We had good food and it was well prepared.

September 12th found us out on the ocean many miles. The seasickness had commenced now. Passengers could be seen on deck stretched out right and left sick.

September 13th: Storm at sea. I was up on deck once this day and had a wave sweep over me. One sailor had a leg badly bruised at the same time; but taking all into consideration, the voyage during the whole trip was pleasant. The steamer was one of the largest that ploughed the great deep, with a tonnage of 5,000 tons, Captain Murray, the commander, a sea veteran of great experience, took us safely across to the new world in 7 days and 20 hours from Liverpool or 6 days and 18 hours from Queenstown.

Arrived in New York, September 17, 1881 at 8 p.m. and transported to the Castle Garden where an examination was had of all the immigrants. After a few hours rest we again were on our journey, but this time by railroad via Buffalo, Rochester, Utica, Cleveland and then to Chicago.

September 22nd-10 a.m. Continuing on our journey west through Davenport, Council Bluffs and Omaha through the plains of the great West. But how different from the time of 1863, when I first crossed this plains with herds of buffalo, antelope and deer grazing on its vast fields of grassy meadow in the distant horizon. Then I had walked behind or ahead of an ox train. Every day or night I slept on the ground with only a blanket and the expanse of heaven for a covering. At times the vivid lightning would flash in streaks forward and backward in the clouds, then a peal of thunder would echo forth with its maddening roar to tell the coming of the [p.259] drenching rain storm which would soak the unfortunate sleeper who felt more dead than alive already from the continuous march through clouds of dust in the hot July sun, and the eating of fat bacon, honeycombed by maggots and with saleratus bread. Although we fared and suffered extremely rough from beginning to last, we cannot compare it with those other pioneers of 1856 who crossed the same plains with the same object in view that we had. They pulled their own luggage and had to be satisfied with very little to eat.

I will go back to my journey across the plains in the railroad train. We, my brother Gustaf and my sisters, Johanna and Kersti arrived in Ogden, September 27, 1881. It had taken us eight and one-half days from New York and sixteen days and twenty hours from Liverpool and twenty-seven days from Sweden, but we stayed over in Liverpool seven days, so we made the journey actually in twenty days, a distance of 6,130 miles. . . .[p.260]

BIB: Lingren, John, Autobiography, Treasures of Pioneer History, co-p. by Kate B. Carter, vol. 1 (Salt Lake City: Daughters of Utah Pioneers, 1952) pp. 259-60. (CHL)
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