The 1863
voyage of the emigrant ship Amazon is
noted for the most people emigrating to the Salt Lake Valley that would go on
to fame. Before the ship left England for America, what famous British citizen
visited the ship?
a.
King George
b.
Sir Winston
Churchill’s father
c.
Queen
Victoria
d.
Charles
Dickens
Yesterday’s answer:
D) The voyage with the most baptisms
Joseph and
Ann Harvey Day and their family departed from England in February 1853 with 419
Latter-day Saints on the ship International,
bound for New Orleans. The voyage is considered one of the most notable in
the history of LDS emigration. During the crossing there were seven deaths,
seven births, five marriages, and forty-eight baptisms.
John Lyon, a member of the company
presidency, records:
February 21, 1853. . . . Slept on board. 22,
A Female child born [Joseph and Ann Harvey Day’s infant, Jane Day]. . . .
[March] 4. . . . Porpoises were seen. . . . 6. Fine weather: this day there
were three meetings, the sacrament administered in the afternoon on deck.
Captain, mates, and crew were present, all seemed to go on first-rate. . . .
12. Remarkable dream of Capt. Brown that himself, mates, and crew were all
baptized in the Mormon faith, and when he awoke he found himself at prayer. . .
. 17. Testimony meeting in the evening, tongues and interpretation expressive
of our blessing from God. . . . April 1. Three baptized, amongst whom was the
carpenter of the ship. . . . 2. A testimony meeting in the evening, much of the
spirit of God made manifest by tongues and interpretations; a ship passed in
the distance; a whale seen. . . . 4. Captain’s cook baptized.
On 6 April the emigrants gathered to
celebrate the anniversary of the founding of the Church. The celebration began
with the firing of six musket rounds followed by talks, scripture readings,
singing, partaking of the sacrament, dancing, and four marriages. The company
presidency wore sashes with white rosettes on their chests. Twelve young women
and twelve young men, also wearing sashes, seated themselves with the
presidency.
Lyon continues his journal entries:
[April] 13, Ship rolled much overnight;
calm by 11 o’clock; a ship seen in the horizon; some flying fish seen; no land
as yet seen; still on the look-out for it. Six o’clock p.m. Land in sight;
great rejoicing. . . . First mate baptized; dancing on the main deck and
singing on the forecastle. . . . A child of Joseph and Ann Day (from Bethnal
Green) died [at nearly two years of age]. . . . 15. A shark seen; Cuba
lighthouse glimmered in the distance about 11 o’clock p.m. . . . 17. Excessive heat, 110 degrees; crossing the
gulf stream. . . . 20. Half past 4 a.m. Captain David Brown baptized. . . .
During the day a dolphin caught; in the evening the Captain and two others were
confirmed , after which the Captain and ship’s carpenter were ordained to the
office of an Elder. . . . 23, Arrived in New Orleans Port at 5 p.m. Doctor came
on board to examine us.
Soon the passengers on the International were transferred to two
Mississippi riverboats that took them to Keokuk, the outfitting station for the
trek across the plains.
Holzapfel,
Richard Neitzel, Their Faces Toward Zion (Salt
Lake City: Bookcraft, 1996), 82.
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