VISIT VARIOUS PLACES OF INTEREST IN NEW YORK AND VICINITY—ARRIVAL OF THE GREAT EASTERN—PREACH AT WILLIAMSBURG—NEW YORK'S CELEBRATION OF THE FOURTH—MY THIRTY-SECOND BIRTHDAY—SECURE PASSPORTS AND OCEAN PASSAGE—CROWDED IN THE STEERAGE—FOGGY AND WET WEATHER—VIEW OF THE IRISH COAST—FLEET OF BRITISH WARSHIPS—LAND IN LIVERPOOL—ASSIGNED TO BIRMINGHAM CONFERENCE—IN BIRMINGHAM—LISTEN TO ANTI-MORMON LECTURE—VISITING FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE AS A MORMON MISSIONARY—PLACES OF INTEREST—TRANSFERRED TO NOTTINGHAM CONFERENCE—PREACHING AND VISITING—MISSION TRAVELS—GO TO LONDON—SEE NOTABLE PLACES—NEWS OF MY DAUGHTER'S DEATH—BIRTH OF ANOTHER DAUGHTER—RETURN TO NOTTINGHAM.
THE 27th of June was spent with Apostle A. M. Lyman and J. Croxall, walking about the city of New York. That day F. M. Lyman and Reuben McBride arrived, and next day Apostle Lyman and his son Francis M. left for Boston. With Reuben McBride, I visited the various departments of the place where J. Croxall and his son worked. We then crossed East River with Thomas Miller, and strolled through Williamsburg. We were introduced to a Brother Stone and family, with whom we stayed all night. On the 29th we were made acquainted with many Latter-day Saints in Williamsburg, then crossed over to Brooklyn, where we went through the navy yard and other places; at the first named place we went on board the old ship of war North Carolina. That day we heard the salutes fired for the Great Eastern, as she steamed up the wharf in New York. The ocean monster was hailed with joy and enthusiasm. She had been sighted at sea the evening before.
In New York City, on the 30th, we visited Barnum's museum, Castle Garden, the postoffice, and had a view of the Great Eastern. I received a letter from my family reporting all well. The 1st of July was Sunday, and we met with the Latter-day Saints in Williamsburg. The speakers at the meetings that day were Apostle C. C. Rich, Elder Walter Gibson and myself. I crossed over to New York that night, and the remainder of our stay in the city was the guest of Bernard A. Schettler, who treated me very kindly. During the next few days we visited many factories, ships and places of interest, and wrote letters home. On the 4th, which was my thirty-second birthday anniversary, there was a grand celebration. The militia of New York City paraded, passing the George Washington monument in review. There was a grand fireworks display in the evening; and in the afternoon we witnessed the aeronaut, Mr. Wise, ascend out of sight with a balloon. On the 9th we sent to Washington for our passports. W. H. Dame and I were appointed on the 12th to take the money of our party, secure berths on the steamship Edinburgh, of the Blackball line between New York and Liverpool, and to purchase articles necessary for the journey across the Atlantic Ocean. We attended to this duty on the 13th.
July 14th, our party, thirteen in number, went on board, and at 12 o'clock noon, the vessel left the landing. We paid twenty-five dollars each for steerage passage. There were nearly three hundred passengers, and the berths were all taken up, so our lot was rather hard. Being very much crowded for room as well, it was plain that our part of the voyage was not to be very pleasant; but we were on board and had to make the best of it.
By the 18th we were off the banks of Newfoundland, in a dense, damp fog, that obscured the sun and made it impossible to see more than a few rods from the ship. The steam siren kept up a constant whistling, to warn other vessels of our location and approach. The fog lasted till the 23rd, when it lighted up, but the weather was cloudy, with some rain. On the 24th a vessel bore in sight.
Next day we had headwinds, and the sun shone for a short time. We came in sight of the southwest coast of Ireland, and at the cry of "Land!" every countenance brightened. All were on deck to catch a glimpse of the welcome scene. As this proceeding was going on, we heard the cry, "Sail ho!" and in a short time there came into full view a fleet of her majesty Queen Victoria's warships, eleven in number. They were steaming along the coast to the south and in advance of us. Suddenly they changed their course and came to meet us. When they drew near, their signal flags were hoisted on the masts, making a beautiful and imposing appearance.
That night at 11 o'clock we ran into Queenstown, the harbor of Cork, Ireland. There some passengers for Ireland, and mail were taken off, and we headed for the coast of England, coming in sight of Wales the next day.
Early on the morning of the 27th we were on the muddy, dark waters of the Mersey, and soon landed in Liverpool, where the dank, smoky, mildewed walls looked to us as if they had stood for a thousand years. To our eyes the city had a very dismal and forbidding appearance.
After the usual custom house inspection, we sent our baggage to the Latter-day Saints' office at 42 Islington, and walked there ourselves, a distance of a mile and a half. At the office we met Elder N. V. Jones and others, who received us very kindly. The following day we were appointed to our various missionary fields, J. C. Rich and I being assigned to Birmingham pastorate. That afternoon Elder Rich and I paid a visit to Birkenhead, across the river Mersey, and met with some of the Saints.
Sunday, July 29th, we all attended meeting with the Liverpool Saints, in their assembly room on Great George's Street. Next day, Elder Rich and I took train for Birmingham, passing through a tunnel a mile and a half long on the route. Arriving at New Street station, Birmingham, we hailed a cab and were taken to No. 163 Burton Place, Spring Hill. There we had expected to find Elder Charles W. Penrose, but he was not at home. His sister-in-law met us, and seemed surprised at our call. I told her who we were, and we received a rather mistrustful invitation to come in; but after questioning us some she became satisfied of our identity, and provided us with something to eat.
Later, F. G. Blake, who was traveling Elder in that place, came in, and we took a walk with him, meeting Elder Penrose. We all went to West Bromwich that evening, and heard one Mr. Bird, an old apostate from Utah, lecture against the Mormons. He was doing this for money, and the large hall was full of people. He made many false accusations against the Latter-day Saints, which were loudly applauded by his ignorant hearers. After the lecture we returned to Birmingham, and stayed all night at Elder Penrose's.
To us, Birmingham seemed as dark, smokey and mildewed as did Liverpool; but it was well located. The place was one of the busiest manufacturing centers of the world. The railway lines passing through do not obstruct or occupy the streets; on one of the roads, which is built on a series of arches, the cars run level with the chimneys on three-story houses; and other roads pass beneath the city, running under large houses. The New Street station was one of the best and most commodious I have ever seen; indeed it is now one of the largest in the world, occupying eleven acres, with a fine iron and glass roof eleven hundred feet long.
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