Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1857-05-13
What Sort of People 20 to Utah.

The Boston Courier contains some interesting
facts touching the heavy cargo Of Mormons tina
recently arrived at that port in Liverpool
packet
"There were on board sos passengers, divided
! in nationality as follows, viz: English, 720
Scotch, 43 WEIGH, %; German, 10 Irish, 6
French, f. The English were from all parts
England more, however, coming from Noting
! hamshire than any other part. Among the pas
sengers were 10 elders, who had been preaching
the doctrines of the sect throughout the ole
world One of these elders, named Mercer, o
Philadelphia, was on his return from a mission
to the East Indies. The rest of the passenger
We're collected by the elders representations o
duty and the promised land of Utah and were
of al ages and both sexes Four of the womeT
were over 70 years of age and there were "a
infants under one year old.
"The proportion of married men and women
and families was somewhat larger than is usua
among immigrants. The married men had on
ly one wife each.
"Many of the families were possessed of con
siderable property. The captain estimated the
amount of British gold upon the passengers at
$4,000, and said that lie knew OF more than
one person who had $1,000 for his own use and
that Of his family.
''0ne woman left her husband, that she might
go to the land of The saints, and there was an
other beautiful, dark-eyed young woman, with
young infant, whose story, as told by the cap
tain was quite touching. The captain noticed
her when they started, as possessed of great
beauty, but lost sight of her in a day or two,
and supposing she had changed her quarters,
did not inquire for her for eight or ten days
he was then told that she had been very sick,
and was still quite feeble. lie had her brought
from between decks upon the deck, and laid
her on q mattrass, got her some port wine and
cake, and tried to bring back her health. I'm
der this treatment she improved much, and in
reply to his questions told him that she had left
pleasant home, in village in England, and a
husband to whom she had been married only IA
year or two for this journey. He asked her
reasons. She replied that she had done so for
Christ's sake who had promised that if one
forsook father, and mother, and husband for
him, she should receive more abundantly in
this life, and in the world to come, everlasting
life
"Nearly all Of the men were armed with
from two to four revolyers, which they had pur-
chased at the suggestion of the elders, who had
told them that they would need something OF
the sort in crossing the Plains. They had no
muokets or rifles.
Gas soon as the immigrants had left Liverpool
they formed themselves into eight divisions,
with about one hundred in each division, and
chose bishop and an elder to preside over
each company. They had morning and evening
service prayer and singing-and in tile even
ing, generally, n sermon. On Sundays SER
mon was preached TO each section.
"In their personal habits they were very
clearly. Only four of them used tobacco We
ry few Of them drank tea, although nearly all of
them ate animal food. During the whole pas
sage, the captain said, no theft occurred, and
he never heard angry words between them.
a considerable regard was paid to external
morality, no female being allowed on deck after
8 p. NJ, and all the single men having a par
ticular apartment forward. Only one death oc
Cured upon the passage, and that was of man
so yeras old. The ceremonies over his body
were very short"