Tuesday, June 1, 1869. Came on board the Minnesota at Liverpool bound for New York came on board about 11 a.m. had dinner of rice, potatoes, and beef at 1 p.m. Had supper at 6 p.m. tea-biscuit and butter then got our beds ready.

Wednesday, June 2, 1869. We were astir by half past 5 a.m. had breakfast over at 8 a.m. of coffee and small loaf. Dinner at 1 p.m. while at our dinner we started on our journey. The anchor lifted, the engine set going without our knowing anything about it, we had a splendid day for our start (may it continue) attended prayer meeting at 7:30.

Thursday, June 3, 1869. Attended prayer meeting at half past seven a.m. We arrived in Queenstown at eleven-thirty a.m. It is a splendid seaport town built on hilly ground along the water edge. We left Queenstown at 1:30.

Sunday, June 6, 1869. We have all been seasick with the exception of my father, since Thursday evening and we are not much better yet; passed a sailing ship at 4:30 p.m.

Monday, June 7, 1869. It has not been a very fine day our ship has been rolling very much. We saw [p.1] no sail the whole day but our own, and a concert in the evening comic and sentimental singing — there was one woman who was a splendid singer. Attended prayer meeting.

Tuesday, June 8, 1869. This has been another fine day, the sea is very smooth, we passed a sailing ship, early this morning; we are going at the rate of twelve knots an hour yesterday we went 293 miles. I played a few tunes on the cornet this evening on deck; it sounded very well on the water.

Wednesday, June 9, 1869. Has been very cold today, we are passing Newfoundland; we met two sailing-ships and a steamer, the steamer belonged to the Inman Line. I saw two whales today only their heads, they were throwing water a good distance in the air. I also saw a good many seagulls and a sort of swallow. There was a woman on board gave birth to a child today. We have a mist here just like a winter day at home. There are 110 of a crew on board the Minnesota. I had a talk with the chief baker, he is a Scotchman and belongs to Dumbarton, he used to be leader in the Dumbarton Flute Band, Dales I think is his name. He knows W. McLean James Cuthbertson and a good deal of Dumbarton folks. The 2nd engineer is a Scotchman from Ayre I was singing some Scotch songs with him tonight.

Thursday, June 10, 1869. Very wet and cold this morning the fog was so thick we could not see above twenty [p.2] yards around the ship, but it cleared by midday and there has been a strong breeze blowing since and bitter cold, saw two ships homeward bound. Attended prayer meeting at seven-thirty tonight.

Friday, June 11, 1869. We have had a very fine day clear and calm, I saw two ships they were both a good distance off. I was at concert tonight in the Saloon, it is a splendid place, we had vocal and instrumental music.

Saturday, June 12, 1869. We have had another very fine day. We met the S. S. "Manhattan" at nine a.m. this morning and a steamer of the Cunard Line at one p.m. We had a shower of rain in the afternoon and I think I never saw the like of it for big drops, it was truly an American shower like everything sure to be big.

Sunday, June 13, 1869. Fine morning the sea as smooth as glass. I saw more than five ships this morning a [-]. It has been a splendid day.

Monday June 14, 1869, We intended to be in New York this morning but owing to the fog that is so thick. We are lying at anchor twenty miles from Ne w York. It cleared up about two o'clock and we arrived at Castle Garden about four o'clock in the afternoon. We will go ashore tomorrow morning.

Tuesday, June 15, 1869. We got on shore this morning by ten a.m. [p.3] We had a stroll through the city, there is a great deal of traffic going on here especially near the dock, oranges are selling at [-] cents each apple for a cent. We will not leave till tomorrow.

Wednesday, June 16, 1869. We secured very good lodgings last night, we all got into one room with three bed. We crossed the river today, to get into the train we are now in it, seated along the sides with cushions and there is a passage up the center of chairs. You can go from one car in train to the other. We started tonight at seven p.m. It is a very strange railroad it goes right up the center of the streets and no fences on either side and foot-passengers and carriages have to wait until trains passes to cross the streets.

Thursday, June 17, 1869. We have passed through some very fine towns today; it is a splendid country to look at, the wheat which is very fine looking is almost ready for cutting. We crossed some fine bridges as we traveled this morning in a.m. We had a view of river all the afternoon.

Sunday, June 20, 1869. We have arrived at Council Bluff. It is now 10 p.m.

Monday, June 21, 1869. We crossed the Missouri River in a ferryboat to Omaha. This a.m. it is quite a new town, it used to be an Indian Country.

I have seen some Redskins today they go begging along the trains, they are strong looking men and women with very long black [p.4] hair nicely plaited; we left Omaha at 6:15 p.m.

Tuesday, June 22, 1869. We are now on the plains, green plains as far as the eye can see on one side and a plain with the river Platte running through it on the other side, we have kept in view of the river the whole day, we crossed it early in the morning, it was about one-half mile broad; it was a very poor looking bridge we crossed.

I was standing quite close to the prisoners. The soldiers told us they took about thirty of them, all women and children, but these three I have mentioned they kept prisoners and the rest off. I saw three snakes. They were in a sort of ditch that runs along the side of railway, one of them was about three and one half feet long. I also saw a good many prairie dogs. They are something like the rabbit in color and they have holes in the ground the same, but they are in shape like the squirrel but larger.

Wednesday, June 23, 1869. We are still on the plains— no trees to be seen. We saw some wolfs and a great many antelopes, elk, and deer.

We had a funeral today of a child. It died near a place called Cheyenne. It was buried on the plains about an hour after its death. That is the first death that has happened in our company of 200. [p.5]

Thursday, June 24, 1869. We are coming into a mountainous country. A great deal of the mountains are covered with snow and some are very high. I saw hare it was just the same as our hare that you see on the moors. While we were at a place called Rawlings a young man (a Scotchman) came to me and asked, "Whar are ye gaun?" I told him and had a talk with him for a minute or two. He belongs to the Barrhead and has been out here this three years. He is an engineer by trade. It is about 290 miles from Salt Lake.

Friday, June 25, 1869. We saw a camp of peaceable Indians, they had a great mount of horses. It beat any Ballock Fair I ever saw. We are now going through the Rocky Mountains and such a sight I never thought I would see, the train goes jolting round the foot of the mountains and to look up and see rock hanging over you in all shapes it is grand yet terrible. No one can imagine the many different shapes that the rocks are in. Some parts like castles with all sorts of turrets and parts like monuments on top of them. We arrived in Deseret this evening at 7 p.m. We are to camp here all night.

Saturday, June 26, 1869. My cousin William McMaster came here to meet us last night, two hours after we landed. We were very glad to see him.

We had the privilege of seeing Brigham Young this morning at 4:30. He shook hands with all who were awake. He is a fine looking man, heavy and tall with gray whiskers. . . . [p.6]

BIB: Forrest, Thomas Meikle, Diary of Thomas Meikle Forrest, pp. 1-6, submitted by Keith Forrest.
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