English state documents show an annual loss of £3,000,000 and 1,000 lives on the coast of Portsmouth, for want of harbors of refuge.
Friday, 28.—At home.
Saturday, 29.—Rode out to the prairie with my brothers, William and Samuel, and John Topham, and apportioned a lot between Sister Mullholland and John Scott.
Elders Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Wilford Woodruff, George A. Smith, Joseph Young, and Peter Haws rode to Augusta, Iowa.
Sunday, 30.—The brethren held a meeting at Augusta, and had a good time. About 200 Saints were present. Augusta is a flourishing little town. There are three saw mills and two flour mills, having excellent water privileges.
At ten a.m. a trial commenced before the First Presidency, Graham Coltrin v. Anson Matthews, being an appeal from the High Council on complaint—
Minutes of a High Council Meeting—Coltrin vs. Matthews.
First, for a failure in refusing to perform according to contract respecting the sale of a piece of land by him [Matthews] sold to me [Coltrin]. Second for transferring his [Matthews] property in a way to enable him to bid defiance to the result and force of law, and to evade the aforesaid contracts, thereby wronging me [Coltrin] out of my just claim to the same; and also for lying, etc.
Witnesses for plaintiff—Henry G. Sherwood, N. G. Blodgett, Zebedee Coltrin, Father Coltrin.
Witnesses for the defense—Two affidavits of George Reads, Mrs. Matthews, Brother Browett, Samuel Thompson, Richard Slater.
Decision of the Council is that the charges are not sustained.
Monday, May, 1.—I rode out with Lucien Woodworth, and paid him £20 for the Nauvoo House, which I borrowed of William Allen.
Comment of the Prophet on the Kinderhook Plates.
I insert fac-similes of the six brass plates found near Kinderhook, in Pike county, Illinois, on April 23, by Mr. Robert Wiley and others, while excavating a large mound. They found a skeleton about six feet from the surface of the earth, which must have stood nine feet high. The plates were found on the breast of the skeleton and were covered on both sides with ancient characters.