At 3 p.m. we took our seats on the diligence and were soon traveling along towards Berne, the capital city of the Swiss republic, where we arrived at 5 o'clock on the following morning.
Berne has now a population of about forty thousand. It is the capital of the canton as well as of the nation. It is built on the River Aar. Numerous quaint and ornamental fountains decorate its streets; but the buildings are dull and heavy-looking, the windows being generally small. It is what might be called an old-fashioned place. The city derives its name from the word baren, the German for bears. The figure of that interesting animal is conspicuous everywhere, on town gates, fences and houses. For centuries living bears have been kept at the public expense. The Bear Pit is one of the places of interest about Berne, as there is generally, in fine weather, a number of people collected there to enjoy the antics of the imprisoned animals. An Englishman fell into this pit on the night of the 3rd of March, 1861, and was torn to pieces after a desperate struggle. There are many interesting places about this remarkable old town. It has a fine old cathedral, built in the sixth century, with an organ, justly celebrated, said to be about equal to that of Fribourg, another town in Switzerland. The Fribourg organ has sixty-seven stops and one thousand eight hundred pipes, some of the latter being thirty-two feet long. There are also a museum, palace, hospital and other objects of interest.
Our next stage was to the town of Baden where we took train to Schlieren, and then walked to the village of Weiningen, about six miles from Zurich, the principal city of the German portion of Switzerland.
There was a small branch of the Church at this place, and it was designed that I should reside here for a time to commence my study of German. On reaching Bro. Hug's house we were received in the most friendly manner, and soon had some refreshment of which we stood in need. At night a prayer meeting was held in the house. I much enjoyed the spirit which prevailed, but understood not a word. The sound of speaking seemed to be continuous, and it was impossible for me to catch the beginning or end of a word or sentence. The Saints here numbered, in all, fifteen or sixteen, the fruits of the labors of Elder George Mayer who lives now, I believe, in Utah County.
On the 6th, Bro. Mayer went to Zurich and I was left with my Swiss friends and my books.
The family with whom I lived showed me every kindness. How strange it is when a person cannot make known his thoughts, nor understand people when they talk! The very sound of German was harsh to me; but I soon got accustomed to it.
I soon learned that the authorities of Switzerland were very suspicious of anything like a gathering of the people and, therefore, all we did had to be kept very quiet. I did not attract much notice, however, because I was kept very busy in my endeavors to acquire the language.
In my journal I find the following:
"November the 25th. For some considerable time past the inhabitants of Weiningen have been lying against the Saints, and the spirit of persecution has been increasing. The village minister has been lecturing against the 'Mormons' and made the people worse. For the last two or three days they have been threatening to put a stop to 'Mormonism,' and they commenced in the following manner:
"About eight o'clock this evening, while Bro. Henry Hug was gone to baptize two persons, a crowd gathered around the house, railing and swearing against us. They forced open the window shutters and, at length, entered the outer entrance of the house where several of the brethren had gone to speak to them. The mob would not listen, but forced their way into the room, beating back the brethren; we were trying, in the meantime, to prevent them. The mob being more particularly in search of Elder Mayer or myself, gave a howl of satisfaction when they perceived me. Bro. Mayer was not in the place and several men instantly laid hold of me and soon dragged me to the door. The brethren, seeing this, made another effort and succeeded in rescuing me, when a general fight began as well as it could be maintained by seven or eight persons against forty or fifty, that being the number that could come into the apartment. At this stage of the proceedings the small light that stood upon a table was extinguished and we were in sudden darkness, which at once put an end to hostilities. The thought had just passed through my mind that if I could make my escape it would save the property in the house from destruction, and the people from this riotous mob. As soon as we were in darkness Sister Ragela Hug whispered to me to follow her; I did so and, by some crowding and caution, we reached the hall doorway, when a man got hold of me by the hair. I quickly gave him a dig in the stomach with my elbow which as quickly caused him to let go his hold; but he gave the alarm. It was, however, too late: we had gained the back room, which we entered and bolted the door inside. I had but time to unfasten a window and leap from it to the ground before the crowd issued from the doors, both in the front and back of the house. I ran a short distance, then stood and listened, but, hearing no one pursuing, I went into the orchard and drew near the house again, as I wished to know whether the mob had left the house, for if they had I expected the Saints would be safe from further trouble. When near enough I heard the men searching for me in the out houses; so I turned and walked into Zurich, which place I reached about 2 o'clock in the morning, my body bruised, my head uncovered and my clothes very much torn. I went to Elder Baer's house and was soon admitted, had some refreshments and went to bed and slept soundly.
"The next day Elder Baer went to Weiningen and I spent the day with Elder Mayer and the Saints at the meetings. In the evening Elder Baer returned and told us that Bro. Henry Hug, while baptizing on the previous evening, was interrupted by a portion of the mob that had annoyed us. He was smitten on the face and taken before the authorities, first at Weiningen and then at Zurich; and was kept in prison all night. Also that, after I had left Weiningen, the brethren and some of the crowd did some fighting, but there was no one hurt much. Thus the Lord once more delivered us out of the hands of our enemies."
Only a few days elapsed after these events before I was summoned to appear before the Stadthalter (mayor) who, by the aid of an interpreter, examined me at considerable length, the substance of which I insert here as complete as possible: