I spent two months and seven days after my arrival in New York, in traveling and preaching in that city, New Jersey and Long Island, a portion of the time with Parley and Orson Pratt. I had frequent attacks during this time of the chills and fever, but I preached almost daily.
On the 13th of December I attended our conference in New York City, with Parley P. Pratt, and on this day Elder John Taylor arrived in our midst, and it was a happy meeting.
He had passed through a severe siege of sickness after we parted, but through the mercy of God had been preserved, and was able to continue his journey. He also informed us that others of the quorum of the Twelve had suffered a great deal of sickness, and that it was with difficulty that they could travel.
After spending six days in New York, Elder John Taylor, in company with Elder Theodore Turley and myself sailed out of New York Harbor for Liverpool, on board the packet ship Oxford, on the 19th of December, 1839.
We took the steerage passage, which cost fifteen dollars each. We had storms and rough weather, but most of the winds were favorable for a quick passage.
While on the ship a Methodist minister got into a discussion with some Catholics who were in the company, and the arguments of the minister ran rather more into abuse than sound argument.
Elder Taylor told the Methodist minister that he did not think it was becoming in a daughter to find so much fault with the mother as they did, for as the Methodists came out of the Catholics, Elder Taylor thought the mother had as much right to enjoy her religion unmolested as the daughter had. That ended the argument.
Our company consisted of 109 souls, composed of Americans, English, Scotch, Irish, Welsh and Dutch.
We arrived in Liverpool dock on the 11th day of January, 1840, having made the voyage from New York in twenty-three days.