Wednesday [June] the 14th early in the morning I went to the harbor where expected to meet the Saints from Barnholm but on account of bad weather the ships came 4 hours later than usual and the Saints was very sick when they came in. After helping them to their quarters I went and bought a few things for my family. [p. 19]

Thursday the 15th I spent the day in going around to bid my friends farewell and in packing my things together and in fixing up for going home.

Friday the 16th at 7 in the morning all was at the harbor and ready to go on board the ship and they all seemed to rejoice that the day had come when they could say farewell to Babylon and turn their face toward the west and go to the place that the Lord had prepared to gather his people in their last days and it seemed as tho it was a day of [p. 20] joy and rejoicing with all the Saints that was going to leave native land although some of them shed tears for their friends [-] they had to leave behind a great many. Strangers was present and many these was some who was very bitter toward us and a great many remarks was made about the Mormons. As the ship was about to start some of the brethren came and wanted me to go with the other ship that would start in about two hours after the first ship had started. I heard J.C. Nielsen sister say that she wished [p. 21] he had died for he became a Mormon cause now they would kill him. I went down to the other ship and that started at half past 11 and that day went very well but next day when we got out in the North Sea most of the Saints got sick and I took sick and did not get up til

Monday the 19th. When we landed in Hull in the afternoon and soon made arrangements to get to the railroad station and took the 7 o'clock train for Liverpool where we arrived at one in the night. Agents was there to receive us. We was taken to the dock and us missionaries was invited down in the [p. 22] cabin to have some refreshments. After this some refreshments was brought for all the Saints which made them feel good and most of them spent the night in singing, and those that had children laid them on some bails of cotton and the night was part with good satisfaction.

Tuesday, the 20th. I spent the day in helping the Saints to get fixed in their bunks and in helping them buy such things as they needed for the journey and I also took a trip up to the office and helped on board the ship. [p. 23]

Wednesday, the 21st. The forenoon was taken up in getting everything ready for the journey and at 2 in the afternoon we left Liverpool. One child died of measles and the family was not allowed to go on board, so they had to stay back.

Thursday, the 22. We had fine weather and all felt well. We passed Queenstown in the afternoon and traveled a distance of 300 miles from Thursday noon to Friday noon. We sailed 259 miles and the following days we sailed as follows Sat. 219, Sun. 293, Mon. 292, Tues. 282, Wed. 220, Thurs. 259, Fri. 297, Sat. 290, Sun. 282, Mon. 261. [p. 24] We had quite a pleasant trip across the ocean. Although we had the wind against us and a great many of the Saints was very seasick and I had a good share of it myself. All went off in good order and nothing unusual happened.

On the 28th we passed 2 icebergs and one of them was said to be 200 feet above the water. In the afternoon of the second of July, we landed in New York and we all felt to rejoice and thank the Lord for bringing us safe across the waters. In the evening, reporters came to find out the particulars and they was much astonished [p. 25] to hear that so big an emigration and to hear of so many returning missionaries. We was 927 souls and 34 of them was elders returning to their homes.

Monday, 3rd of July. We got off the ship and the custom officers examined our trunks and some of them was sent to the custom house, and the brethren had to pay duty. My trunk was also marked for the custom house but somehow it slipped by without going there. We went to Castle Garden and then crossed over to Brooklyn where we took the cars on the evening [p. 26] and next day we come to [-] place where changed cars in the evening and traveled all night and the following day we came to Detroit where we was ferried across a river and in the evening of the same day we came to Chicago and here we changed in the night. We were all taken to the station in tack. One of the drivers tried to collect 40 cents of each person on his hack. I went and got the number of his hack and I reported him and he was arrested. We left Chicago about two in the night and [p. 27] the next evening at eleven p.m. came [to] the Bluffs, where we all bought our supplies, and we also changed cars and then crossed the great Missouri Bridge where some more elders joined us. We traveled all night and in the morning we came to Platte which we followed all day.

Saturday morning the 9th. We came to Cheyenne and Sunday morning - We came to Green River and the same evening at 7, we arrived in Ogden where a great many of the Saints met their friends and relatives and for [p. 28] who had acquaintances, they were allowed to stay in the cars overnight and the Saints in Ogden brought an abundance of provision so that all had all they could ear and as a general thing the Saints felt well, some apostates also made their [-] and begun to tell their fares but they did not have much influence as no one would listen to them.

Monday the 10th we spent the forenoon in Ogden and half past 12 we started for Salt Lake City and arrived there half past 2. Ag great many [p .29] people was at the station to meet their friends and teams came to take all the emigrants up to the Tithing Yard where some provisions were brought for them. . . . [p. 30]

BIB: Hansen, James H. Daybook (Ms 936), fd.1, vol.4, 2p. pp. 19-30. (CHL)
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