. . . Went to the English hotel where we took a good supper. The brethren spoke. Brother Williamson and I went to the Commercial Hotel.

Hamburg, 23. Wednesday. Went on board. Brother Brown returned to Copenhagen. Wiederborg [Widerborg], Williamson, and Christensen went ashore. Went out of Hamburg Harbor about 10:00 a.m. We were towed down the river with a little steamer. The name of the vessel which we [will] sail with to America is the Kenilworth. The captain's name, Brown. Number of passengers, 689 souls. The water being so low we could not get over the bar. Anchored about 4 miles from Hamburg. Brother Lund and myself set about to organize the people into messes. Worked busy till evening. Got supper. All well. Sleep in the cabin. I have cabin passage. A few sick.

On board ship Kenilworth, May 24, 1866. Thursday. I seen that all the people got their food Brother Wiederborg [Widerborg] & Williamson came on board. Brother W. organized us. Put me in as president [p. 7] the people. M. [Morten] Lund as my counselor, he likewise dedicated the ship and everything pertaining thereto blessed the Saints then he left us as we supposed for good. We saw our brethren go with sorrow. Brother Lund and myself were busy all day working the people.

On board Kenilworth, May 25th. Friday 1866. One of the brethren called me up from below. On coming to my supper I saw Brothers Wiederborg [Widerborg], Williamson. They had come to see us once more before we sailed. I received several hundred dollars to give out to the people exchanging money. In the afternoon weighed anchor. The weather beautiful about 9 o'clock in the evening. We were along side of [-]. This is the last bit of land we saw. We had got all things organized very well on board 44 messes from 12 to 17 in a mess. The different district presidents set in. In the evening at 8 o'clock the horn blowed for prayers. All had to go below at 9 o'clock. The sound of the horn all hands go to bed. [p. 8] One or two sick on board several others but slight. I retired after the others had gone to rest. Went all through the ship to see if all was well & the guard in their places.

On board ship Kenilworth, May 26. This day out to sea. Begin our journey. Some few sick of no consequence. One girl sick. One birth, a little boy. I named him after the ship. About 9 o'clock in the evening when all should go to bed there came a little heavier wind, began to cast up. The first seasickness of any account. We comforted the sick. Went the rounds after all had gone to bed. We had been favored with beautiful weather all day. The captain came in on me a little about Mormonism. I feel pretty well in spirits.

May 27th. Sunday. Beautiful weather. No wind. All felt well. In the afternoon held meeting on deck. I addressed the people then Brother Lund. The horn sounded at 9 o'clock. The wind had risen some. Begin to feel symptoms of seasickness. I went the rounds with [p. 9] Brother [O. Lole H.] Berg, the captain of the guard, after all had gone to bed.

May 28th. Monday. On board ship. Heavy sea, strong wind. All hands sick on board. I was busy all day administering to the sick. Felt rather bad myself. We had one crazy woman on board. Heavy sea all day.

May 29th. Tuesday. Brother [Fredrik R.E.] Bertelson [Bertelsen's] oldest child died, 5 years old. I saw it breathe its last the breath. Helped to lay it out, cast it overboard half an hour after its death. Many suffering from seasickness. Some few other cases. Winds not fair. Still in North Sea. I felt rather poorly. The sick got [-] [-] oatmeal supper, etc.

May 30 On board Kenilworth. North Sea. Arose 7 a.m. Captain Brown showed me the coast of Norway. It was very cold. We had nasty weather all day. Squalls, heavy wind.

May 31, 1866. No wind, calm pretty much all day. The sick got better. I was busy administering to their wants. [p. 10] A fresh breeze sprung up towards evening. Fair, all well on board.

June 1st, 1866 On board ship Kenilworth. Arose 7 a.m. Fair wind. Sailing 8 knots an hour, came in sight of Shetler [POSSIBLY: Shetland Islands]. About noon passed by them. Had good winds all day out in Atlantic.

June 2nd. Got up. Went down below. Child dead. Soon got it ready to cast it overboard. 1 year old.

June 3rd Sunday 1866. Beautiful weather. Very little wind. Held forenoon meeting up on deck. Brothers Bertlesen, Lund & myself spoke. Had a good meeting. All felt well. A few sick, not serious.

June 4th Monday, ship Kenilworth. Fine weather, fair wind.

June 5th Tuesday. Fair wind. All well. One old sister, 86 years old, sick.

June 6th Wednesday. Fair wind all day, rainy & cold. We have had cold weather all the [-] . [p. 11]

June 8th Arose after breakfast. Went below & visited the sick there. Got the people all up on deck. The day was a beautiful one, the winds fair & strong. Towards evening it changed. Wind contrary.

June 9th Saturday. Opposite wind though not sufficient to hinder us from sailing. All well on board.

June 10th Sunday. Strong head wind. Held meeting down in the first deck. Brothers [-], Thomsen & myself preached, had a good time. I married Jens Petersen & Ansene Marie Larsen.

Monday, 11th Bad winds.

Tuesday, 12th Contrary winds. Cold. All well on board.

June 13th Wednesday On board Kenilworth. I made it a business to keep among the Saints to see that all went well & healed them. I done all I could for their comfort. Got meals & from the captain [p. 12] Brown. He is a good kind man to us. Also the mates. Contrary winds. Took in sails in the evening as it looked like a stormy sea. A little rough.

June 14th Thursday. Rainy weather. No wind. 1200 miles from New York. I felt poorly today. Union & peace prevailed amongst the Saints. They are a good lot of people. I love them much. Rained hard all day. The people were obliged to remain below which made it rather unpleasant.

June 15th Friday. Just three weeks since we came out to sea. One old lady sick, 72 years old. Contrary winds all day. Blowed very hard. After retiring to rest I was called up to go below. The old lady had died 11 1/2. The sailors sewed her up in a sack & we committed her to the deep. I had waited on the sick all day off & on.

June 16th Saturday. Contrary winds all day. Very cold. We could smell icebergs. [p. 13] Thick fog in the forenoon. Attended to the sick. Brother Lund assisted me. He is a good brother.

June 17th Sunday. Held forenoon meeting down in the first deck. I married twp couples.

Several of the brethren spoke, Brother Lund, Berg, Larsen, and [Isaacsen] & myself. Al felt well. Not good winds.

June 18th Monday. Contrary winds. Seen a large steamship from Liverpool. They will report us. On arrival we signal. Seen other vessels.

June 19th Fair wind. The day was a beautiful one. All seemed cheerful. About 1 o'clock a small child died 1 year old. It was soon got ready to commit to the waters. In the afternoon the wind dwindled away. The weather warmer.

June 20th Wednesday. Wind dead ahead. Warmer. After breakfast I attended the sick and got medicine from the captain. Got all the people up on deck.

June 21st Wind dead ahead all day. [p. 14]

June 22 Friday. Calm most of the day. A little fair wind.

June 23 Saturday. Head winds all day very strong. A gale. About 20 minutes to 1:00, Christensen's wife died she was in a family way. Stoppage of the breath half an hour afterwards she was committed the deep.

June 24 Sunday. Held forenoon meetings between decks. Brother Hans Jorgensen, Bermen [Behram], Lund and myself preached. Had a good meeting. There was a good spirit amongst the Saints.

June 25th Monday. I administered to several of the Saints who were sick. Bad winds. Late in the afternoon a young man by the name of Niels Christian died disease unknown. He was soon after cast overboard.

June 26th Head winds on the Newfoundland Banks. About 8 heavy squall of rain.

June 27 Wednesday. Northwesterly winds. [p. 15] A little infant died, the first child born on board.

June 28th Thursday. Thick fog all day. Northwest winds. I felt a little [- - - -].

June 29th Friday. Winds west northwest. We should go west southwest. Thick fog.

June 30th Saturday. West northwesterly winds. Very dense fog.

July 1st, 1866. Sunday. Kenilworth. The fog still continued. We had run in close to Sable Island. The captain turned around & put to sea again. East southeasterly course.

July 2nd Monday. Thick fog. The decks wet all day. Very unpleasant weather for the people.

July 3 Thick fog all day. Unhealthy for our people. The captain had not taken the sun for several days. A little infant died. I had various things to arrange with some of the brethren. Comfort those who were dispirited & take meals to those who were sick.

July 4th The captain treated the women folk to wine. [p. 16] The fog last disappeared about 11 o'clock so that the captain took the latitude. He told me we were about 575 miles from New York. Wind fair.

July 5th Thursday. Foggy, contrary winds.

July 6th Friday. Today, 6 weeks ago, we sailed out to sea. We have been 6 weeks out.

July 7th Saturday. Nice warm weather. Tolerable winds.

July 8th Sunday. Held our forenoon meeting early in the morning between decks. Brother Lund & myself preached. The Saints feel well today. The day is beautiful. Head winds. I married Nicoline Svendsen to Jens Thomsen.

July, Monday 9th. Opposite winds.

July 10th Tuesday. Fair winds. Weather warm.

July 11th Fair wind but not much of it. [p. 17]

July 12 Thursday. The earlier part of the forenoon about 10 a.m. cleared up. 11 o'clock a.m. the pilot came on board. He brought some newspapers which was a treat for me. Today we have been out to sea 48 days.

July 13th. A child died. Fair winds.

July 14th. Fair winds. Wrote a letter to C. Wiederborg [Widerborg] in Denmark to publish in the "Stjerne."

July 15th. 51 days out to sea. Fair winds. After dinner about 3 could see the lighthouse. At 5:01 o'clock land distantly. A young man by the name of Jens Hansen jumped overboard and drowned. He was foolish. Sailed in & cast anchor off Stan-Island [STATEN ISLAND] about 1 o'clock at night.

July 16th. Sailed into the harbor just out of Governors Island. Brother Taylor, the agent, came on board. Brother Fulsom came [p. 18] with him. Taylor said he would advise the brethren to exchange their gold for greenbacks. I collected some 3 thousand dollars gold. The heat was intense, almost unendurable especially for us who had just came from the sea.

July 17th. I had the Saints get their things all in order ready to go ashore. The commission officers came on board, also Brothers T. Taylor & Fulsom. A small tugboat came alongside about 11 o'clock. The sun had great force. We reserved some of the able bodied men to help with the luggage. The rest went on board the boat. Brother Lund stopped to see to the luggage. The officers passed it without examination. Brother Taylor paid them. On our way from the vessel to Castle Garden several fainted down under the heat, it being a over 100 degree. 3 or 4 died. We came to the wharf. [p. 19] [END OF DIARY]

BIB: Sprague, Samuel Lindsay. Diaries, vol. 2. pp.7-19 (CHL).
(source abbreviations)