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The following letter from a Mormon to his father in England, gives some additional particulars of the city, and the journey overland from New York:

City of the Great Salt Lake, Rocky Mountains, Oct., 1849... "MY DEAR FATHER,-I' scarcely know how to commence the chequered history of my journey from New York, but will endeavour to give you a very abbreviated account, reserving my journal until we again meet, which happiness will, I trust, yet be permitted to us. We started twenty-four in number, on 10th of March, armed and equipped for a long and toilsome journey. During the first part, having the advantage of hotels, we were very merry, and enjoyed ourselves amazingly; but this was not to last long, as we had yet to experience the toils of a camp life. We travelled some 1,000 miles upon the

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Mississippi and Ohio rivers, in American steamers, a mode of transit I am by no means partial to, as I was in a fever of apprehension the whole time, the accidents on these rivers being innumerable. They arise from 'snags' (pieces of timber sticking up in the muddy waters), from fire, collision, and bursting of the thin boilers, which are placed under the saloon. This part of our travel was, however, accomplished, with only the loss of a few goods; and in the early part of May our mules were purchased, and we were ready for a start across the prairie. Our party had four waggons, each drawn by eight

mules; and, in addition, we rode upon these combinations of all that is stupid, spiteful, and obstinate. For some little time I enjoyed the changethe novelty of this predatory mode of life. At day-break we left our tents, were soon busy around the camp fire, preparing breakfast. Our stores did not admit of much variety; coffee, bacon, and hard biscuit, forming the staple of onr provisions. The weather soon became oppressively hot, the thermometer rising to 100° and 110°. This was rendered very trying by the entire absence of shade upon this ocean of land; indeed, these vast plains closely resemble in atmospheric phenomena, and in the appearance of the ground, the dry bed of some mighty sea. The heat, with the quality of our food, soon produced bilious fever, and before our journey thus far was accomplished, half our number had suffered from this complaint. We were much mistaken in believing the route a healthy one, the road being marked with the graves of victims to the California fever. Turning over the leaves of my journal, I find the following account of a night in the prairie, and only one of many similar:-June 19: We had not been an hour in our tents before one of the dreadful storms swept over us; the horizon was of the deepest purple, illumed occasionally by flashes of forked lightning, the accompanying rain resembling, at the distance at which we stood, a rugged cloud descending to the earth. I cannot describe the startling effect of the thunder-each clap resembling some immense cannon, shaking the very earth. I have a full perception of the sublimity and grandeur of these storms, but cannot attempt an adequate description. When the storm

reached the tent it was blown over, and we were left to seek shelter in the best way we could. I dragged my coverings under a waggon, but soon found I was lying in a pool of water, with saturated blankets. I then crawled into a waggon, and in a cramped position, bitten horribly by mosquitoes, I passed an emphatically miserable night.

"About the middle of June I was taken ill, and, with slight interruptions, continued so till we reached this 'city.' You will perhaps imagine that, being so styled, it resembles an English city; but it is only in prospect. The houses are either of logs, or built of mud bricks, called 'dobies,' and, but in a few instances, are not larger than one or two rooms; but time will accomplish much for this energetic and faithful people. Each house stands in an acre and a quarter of garden ground, eight lots in a block, forming squares. The streets, which are wide, are to be lined with trees, with a canal, for the purpose of irrigation, running through the centre. As our waggon entered this beautiful valley, with the long absent comforts of a home in prospect, I experienced a considerable change for the better; and when, to my surprise and gratitude, I met a pious, kind, and intelligent artist, and a countryman also, who took me, emaciated, sick, and dirty, to his humble home, my happiness seemed completed. You must, from their own works, read the history of the Mormonites, and you will then learn how this despised people have been persecuted and driven from place to place, until they have at length found a haven in the all but inaccessible valley of the Rocky Mountains, where are gathered together, almost from every nation,

some 10,000 of those who felt happy in sacrificing all that the world holds dear for the sake of their faith; and after struggling with innumerable difficulties and hardships, are building their temple in the wilderness, and are rapidly increasing both in spiritual and temporal wealth, having a Church organized according to the New Testament pattern, and endeavouring to live by every word that proceedeth from the mouth of the Lord. The land here is most fruitful-I am told it produces 80 bushels of wheat to the acre; and vines, delicious melons, with other fruits and vegetables, grow in profusion. A city lot—that is, one acre and a quarter-may be purchased at one dollar fifty cents, and would produce food sufficient for my wants the whole year. No man with ordinary intelligence can be poor in such a place; and then, glorious privilege! he can be free from the harassments and perplexities which continually destroy the peace of those who live in an artificial state of society.

"When recruited, in order to accomplish the remaining 600 miles, the distance that still intervened between the city and California, the waggons were sold, and ten of our number started for their original destination, through mountains covered with snow, with a prospect of being slain by Indians, or of feeding either upon their mules or each other. The other thirteen remained, earned their living in different ways until later in the season, and have since started upon a southern route of 1,600 miles, for the gold mines, leaving me still too unwell to accompany them."

A correspondent of the New York Tribune, writing under the date of July 8, 1849, gives the following account of the state of affairs at the new Mormon city: :

"The company of gold-diggers which I have the honour to command, arrived here on the 3rd instant, and judge our feelings when, after some twelve hundred miles of travel through an uncultivated desert, and the last one hundred miles of the distance through and among lofty mountains, and narrow and difficult ravines, we found ourselves suddenly, and almost unexpectedly, in a comparative paradise.

"We descended the last mountain by a passage excessively steep and abrupt, and continued our gradual descent through a narrow canon for five or six miles, when, suddenly emerging from the pass, an extensive and cultivated valley opened before us, at the same instant that we caught a glimpse of the distant bosom of the Great Salt Lake, which lay expanded before us to the westward, at the distance of some twenty miles.

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Descending the table land which bordered the valley, extensive herds of cattle, horses, and sheep, were grazing in every direction, reminding us of that home and civilization from which we had so widely departed for as yet the fields and houses were in the distance. Passing over some miles of pasture land, we at length found ourselves in a broad and fenced street, extending westward in a straight line

CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE GREAT SALT LAKE CITY.

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for several miles. Houses of wood or sun-dried brick were thickly clustered in the vale before us, some thousands in number, and occupying a spot about as large as the city of New York. The whole space for miles, excepting the streets and houses, was in a high state of cultivation. Fields of yellow wheat stood waiting for the harvest, and Indian corn, potatoes, oats, flax, and all kinds of garden vegetables, were growing in profusion, and seemed about in the same state of forwardness as in the same latitude in the States.

"At first sight of all these signs of cultivation in the wilderness, we were transported with wonder and pleasure. Some wept, some gave three cheers, some laughed, and some ran and fairly danced for joy—while all felt inexpressibly happy to find themselves once more amid scenes which mark the progress of advancing civilization. We passed on amid scenes like these, expecting every moment to come to some commercial centre, some business point in this great metropolis of the mountains; but we were disappointed. No hotel, signpost, cake and beer shop, barber pole, market-house, grocery, provision, dry goods, or hardware store distinguished one part of the town from another, not even a bakery or mechanic's sign was any where discernible.

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Here, then, was something new: an entire people reduced to a level, and all living by their labour-all cultivating the earth, or following some branch of physical industry. At first I thought it was an experiment, an order of things established purposely to carry out the principles of 'Socialism' or 'Mormonism.' In short, I thought it very much like Owenism personified. However, on inquiry, I found that a combination of seemingly unavoidable circumstances had produced this singular state of affairs. There were no hotels, because there had been no travel; no barbers' shops, because every one chose to shave himself, and no one had time to shave his neighbour; no stores, because they had no goods to sell, nor time to traffic; no centre of business, becaase all were too busy to make a centre.

"There was abundance of mechanic's shops, of dressmakers, milliners, and tailors, &c. ; but they needed no sign, nor had they time to paint or erect one, for they were crowded with business. Beside their several trades, all must cultivate the land, or die; for the country was new, and no cultivation but their own within a thousand miles. Every one had his lot, and built on it; every one cultivated it, and perhaps a small farm in the distance.

"And the strangest of all was, that this great city, extending over several square miles, had been erected, and every house and fence made, within nine or ten months of the time of our arrival; while at the same time, good bridges were erected over the principal streams,

and the country settlements extended nearly one hundred miles up and down the valley.

"This territory, state, or, as some term it, ' Mormon Empire,' may justly be considered as one of the greatest prodigies of our time, and, in comparison with its age, the most gigantic of all republics in existence; being only its second year since the first seed of cultivation was planted, or the first civilized habitation commenced. If these people were such thieves and robbers as their enemies represented them in the States, I must think they have greatly reformed in point of industry since coming to the mountains.

"I this day attended worship with them in the open air. Some thousands of well dressed, intelligent-looking people assembled; some on foot, some in carriages, and on horseback. Many were neatly, and even fashionably clad. The beauty and neatness of the ladies reminded me of some of our best congregations in New York. They had a choir of both sexes, who performed extremely well, accompanied by a band who played well on almost every musical instrument of modern invention. Peals of the most sweet, sacred, and solemn music filled the air, after which, a solemn prayer was offered by Mr. Grant (a Latter-Day Saint), of Philadelphia. Then followed various business advertisements, read by the clerk. Among these I remember a call of the seventeenth ward, by its presiding bishop, to some business meeting; a call for a meeting of the thirty-second quorum of the seventy; and a meeting of the officers of the second cohort of the military legion, &c., &c.

“After this, came a lengthy discourse from Mr. Brigham Young, president of the society, partaking somewhat of politics, much of religion and philosophy, and a little on the subject of gold, showing the wealth, strength, and glory of England, growing out of her coal mines, iron, and industry; and the weakness, corruption, and degradation of Spanish America, Spain, &c., growing out of her gold, silver, &c., and her idle habits.

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Every one seemed interested and pleased with his remarks, and all appeared to be contented to stay at home and pursue a persevering industry, although mountains of gold were near them. The able speaker painted in lively colours the ruin which would be brought upon the United States by gold, and boldly predicted that they would be overthrown because they had killed the prophets, stoned and rejected those who were sent to call them to repentance, and finally plundered and driven the Church of the Saints from their midst, and burned and desolated their city and temple. He said God had a reckoning with that people, and gold would be the instrument of their overthrow. The constitutions and laws were good-in fact, the

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