. . . Having returned from my mission to England and recovered my accustomed health, I now give you a brief sketch of the incidents and travels of the missionaries from that country. On the 19th February, 40 missionaries, accompanied by 25 Saints set sail from Liverpool in the ship Empire. We were favored with a strong breeze which blew us within 5 degrees of Greenland. We passed the banks of Newfoundland and came in collision with a small iceberg in the night. Many of the icebergs were about 1,000 feet square; and we ran by one that was supposed to be 12 or 14 miles long. The ship came in sight of Sable Island Shoals on the 15th day; this was truly a fearful sight, as we were running straight towards them; the waves were seen to be thrown 300 or 400 feet high, breaking in awful grandeur upon the shore; fortunately it was daylight and the ship was tacked in safety; the winds now became variable or dead ahead, so that we had to back ship several times before we finally passed them. After seeing Sable Island, headwinds prevailed, so that 13 days were occupied in reaching New York. Twenty-eight days was a remarkable short passage, for the elders on the "Underwriter" were 56 days crossing the Atlantic and a ship was towed up with us that had been 65 days coming from London. We were ahead of all the vessels that had left Liverpool 10 days previous to the Empire.

We arrived at New York about two weeks before we were expected by President Appleby, who was absent; hence we waited five days to see him, at his request, and to regain our private arms which had been unjustly seized by a Mr. Murphy, an officious searcher, who ought to be dismissed from service for his ignorance of his duty.

Having obtained emigration tickets, we were sent by the slow or goods train to Chicago, where government officials were re-enlisting men to go to Utah, offering $30 a month and also a bounty of beauty and booty on their arrival in Utah; they said if a man killed a Mormon the government would not prosecute him for it; such was the excitement against the Mormons that Jesse Hobson, fearing being searched, destroyed my journal, which is invaluable to me and my friends. . .

On arriving at Burlington, Iowa, we were told that we were two weeks too soon and the missionaries were thrown on their own resources. By disposing of some of the clothes and other goods the most of the brethren managed to get round to Florence, Nebraska Territory, where the brethren continued to gather until the 3rd of May, when the camp moved on to the Elk Horn and organized in messes of 8 and the following officers were appointed: John W. Berry, captain of company; Thomas Bullock, clerk; Enoch Rees, commissary; Bernard Snow, captain of guard. The provisions were calculated to last 50 days, to be dealt out weekly to the captains of each mess. . . . [p.277]

. . . Monday, June 21. Went up East Canyon Creek, passed over the Big Mountain and Little Mountain and arrived in Great Salt Lake City about 5 p.n. found the city deserted by its inhabitants. I went to my house, found the doors fastened, the windows boarded up and everything carried away, which literally and remarkably fulfilled a dream I had near Grand Island when a pioneer in May, 1847. . . . [p.278]

BIB: Bullock, Thomas. [Reminiscences], Our Pioneer Heritage. Comp by Kate B. Carter, vol. 8. (Salt Lake City: Daughters of Utah Pioneers, 1965), pp. 277-278. (CHL)
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