Next day we had headwinds, and the sun shone for a short time. We came in sight of the southwest coast of Ireland, and at the cry of "Land!" every countenance brightened. All were on deck to catch a glimpse of the welcome scene. As this proceeding was going on, we heard the cry, "Sail ho!" and in a short time there came into full view a fleet of her majesty Queen Victoria's warships, eleven in number. They were steaming along the coast to the south and in advance of us. Suddenly they changed their course and came to meet us. When they drew near, their signal flags were hoisted on the masts, making a beautiful and imposing appearance.
That night at 11 o'clock we ran into Queenstown, the harbor of Cork, Ireland. There some passengers for Ireland, and mail were taken off, and we headed for the coast of England, coming in sight of Wales the next day.
Early on the morning of the 27th we were on the muddy, dark waters of the Mersey, and soon landed in Liverpool, where the dank, smoky, mildewed walls looked to us as if they had stood for a thousand years. To our eyes the city had a very dismal and forbidding appearance.
After the usual custom house inspection, we sent our baggage to the Latter-day Saints' office at 42 Islington, and walked there ourselves, a distance of a mile and a half. At the office we met Elder N. V. Jones and others, who received us very kindly. The following day we were appointed to our various missionary fields, J. C. Rich and I being assigned to Birmingham pastorate. That afternoon Elder Rich and I paid a visit to Birkenhead, across the river Mersey, and met with some of the Saints.
Sunday, July 29th, we all attended meeting with the Liverpool Saints, in their assembly room on Great George's Street. Next day, Elder Rich and I took train for Birmingham, passing through a tunnel a mile and a half long on the route. Arriving at New Street station, Birmingham, we hailed a cab and were taken to No. 163 Burton Place, Spring Hill. There we had expected to find Elder Charles W. Penrose, but he was not at home. His sister-in-law met us, and seemed surprised at our call. I told her who we were, and we received a rather mistrustful invitation to come in; but after questioning us some she became satisfied of our identity, and provided us with something to eat.
Later, F. G. Blake, who was traveling Elder in that place, came in, and we took a walk with him, meeting Elder Penrose. We all went to West Bromwich that evening, and heard one Mr. Bird, an old apostate from Utah, lecture against the Mormons. He was doing this for money, and the large hall was full of people. He made many false accusations against the Latter-day Saints, which were loudly applauded by his ignorant hearers. After the lecture we returned to Birmingham, and stayed all night at Elder Penrose's.
To us, Birmingham seemed as dark, smokey and mildewed as did Liverpool; but it was well located. The place was one of the busiest manufacturing centers of the world. The railway lines passing through do not obstruct or occupy the streets; on one of the roads, which is built on a series of arches, the cars run level with the chimneys on three-story houses; and other roads pass beneath the city, running under large houses. The New Street station was one of the best and most commodious I have ever seen; indeed it is now one of the largest in the world, occupying eleven acres, with a fine iron and glass roof eleven hundred feet long.
After visiting from house to house with the Saints on August 1st, we preached that evening in the Oxford Street Hall. Next day our visiting continued, and we found a dull spirit among the people. Trade was very bad, and the working people were extremely poor. Many of them were unable to give us a good meal of victuals unless they suffered themselves in consequence; yet they seemed very kind to us, but sluggish in spirit. That night we preached in Hockley Chapel, Farm Street.
On the 3rd we visited the different markets in the city; on the 4th met Elders A. M. Lyman, C. C. Rich and N. V. Jones; and on the 5th were with the Saints in conference in the Odd Fellows' Hall, where large congregations assembled. The presidents of the branches in the Birmingham conference made favorable reports, and the Gospel was preached by Apostles Lyman and Rich and others of the Elders. That night J. C. Rich and I stayed at Brother Acock's. It did not seem possible to get the people into the notion of going to bed before midnight; that seeming to be the custom in the English cities.
The Gillott steel and gold pen factory was the object of an interesting visit by J. C. Rich, F. G. Blake and myself on August 6th. We passed through the factory, and saw the work from rolling the large bars of steel down to finishing the pen ready for use; there were four hundred persons employed in the factory. That evening the Elders met in council, and J. C. Rich and I were appointed to labor in the Nottingham pastorate. Next day, in company with several others, I visited the grave of Elder James H. Flanagan, who died while on a mission; his body was interred in the old Birmingham cemetery. In the evening we had a pleasant sociable at the home of Brother Smith, and next day J. C. Rich and I took the train for Nottingham, where we were met at the station by Elder Edward Reid, president of the conference, and were conducted to No. 24 Promenade, Robinhood Street, where the wife of Elder David John had dinner waiting for us. We next went to Radcliffe Chapel, where we met with a goodly number of Saints, and preached to them. Elder David John presided over the Nottingham pastorate. The day after reaching the town I took a severe cold, and had to lay by the next day.