. . . We left Australia on the 25th May, 1856 on the schooner Jenny Ford with the remaining elders except Absalom Powdell who was left in charge of the mission. We had a pleasant voyage and arrived safe at San Pedro.

We then went to San Bernardino with Brother Mathers' team and he kindly took us to his home. I had not been there long when my baby took sick. The journey was too much for him. He died September 15, 1856, San Bernardino. I had the casket sealed thinking to bring him with my other baby to the valley but I had not kept him long before I found the coffin had not been sealed properly. We bought a lot in the cemetery and buried them both there. It was not quite as bad as leaving them in that far off land. Their father fenced the lot before we came away

With President [Charles C.] Rich's approval we went to Los Angeles to enable us to get an outfit to go to the valley in the spring. My husband worked at his trade and I worked in the Pines Hotel for our board. My husband bought four meals and a wagon. We went back to San Bernardino to prepare for our journey in the spring.

In the spring we started with President Lyman and Rich's company. We had a pleasant journey. My husband got a good deal of running after his...[faded script] [p.3] and herded. I used to [-]. As he brought them up not having drove team before [-] to be about the last time to start but we got along alright and arrived in the valley safe and sound June 11, 1857. . . . [p.4]

BIB: Ridges, Adelade Whiteley. Autobiographical sketch (Ms 668), pp. 3-4. (CHL)
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