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Show Page 77 On March 9, Orson Pratt began the first of sixteen crossings of the Atlantic, bidding the U.S. farewell aboard the clipper "Patrick Henry," which was towed some distance out of New York harbor by a steam tug. The second such voyage for Kimball, it was the first for everyone else, and Brigham Young for one found himself so sea-sick he could not get out of bed the full four weeks of the voyage. Hitting a gale barely twelve hours out, Orson was prostrated with everyone else - the vomiting, the cold and ague, the decks constantly awash with storm winds made the twenty-eight-day passage a miserable one. The feelings of Orson Pratt were reflected in these lines: "When we contrast the patting of Jacob and his son Benjamin...with our having to part with tender wives and helpless offspring, under circumstances of poverty, sickness and death, robbed, plundered and driven, houseless, and unprovided for...we are led to think that our sacrifice is almost as great as the old Patriarch's 5 was." On the tenth anniversary of the founding of the Mormon Church, the "Patrick Henry" dropped anchor in Liverpool harbor - Brigham Young bounded out of the boat and, understandably, shouted "Hosanna!" The rough sea was behind them, and the apostles partook of the Sacrament that night in a small room in Union Street, praying that their way might be opened to succeed. They proceeded to call general conference of the British members at Preston, some few miles from Liverpool, where Mormonism had first been preached some three years before. During this conference, assignments were made and the country was divided up; Parley P. Pratt was to head a new periodical, the Millennial Star, while Orson was scheduled to open the country of Scotland to the preaching of Mormonism. After blessing and partaking of a bottle of forty-year-old wine, the Twelve 6 separated to begin their labors. |