Peny-darran, May 21st, 1849.

Dear Brother Pratt, I received the letters you sent me that came from America, sailed in the ship Lord Asburton, and if you remember I spoke to you, (upstairs in your house,) concerning their condition before they sailed, and you made reply, that you had learned from long experience, that the best way was not to take notice of such things, for they would either get better or worse; and that when they got to sea, perhaps they would get a good rolling which might lead them to repentance. I took particular notice of your words, and a thought struck me that they would have a rough passage, and surely it came to pass. They say in their letters, that they went out to sea, from Liverpool, on the 17th of November 1848, but they were obliged to turn back, and stay to the 19th when they put out again, but the wind was against them, and they were rolling about in the Irish Channel, for about six or seven weeks. Two weeks after they sailed their ship took fire, but that was soon put out again. They lost the middle-mast and some of their yards. They were obliged to turn into Kingston, in Jamaica, for a fresh supple of provisions etc. They were altogether eleven weeks six days on their voyage to New Orleans; and I think if a rough passage will lead men to repentance, that they had it rough and long enough to repent.

But still I feel sorry for them, and I hope that they will see that it was a great blessing that they were spared to reach their journey's end. [p.172]

BIB: Davis, G. [Letter], Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star 11:11 (June 1, 1849) p. 172. (CHL)
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