31st
I arived at the office at half past 11 oclok A.M. I called
at the President office there were Presientent B. Young D. H. Wells G A
Smith Lorenzo Snow F D Richards ^&^ A Carrington. soon Gov.
A Cummings, in company with Capt Burton known as Hajee
Burton pilgrim to Mecca Explorer of Hurrur & discoverer of the
great Central African Lakes Gov Cummings introduced him to
President Young & others. He stayed about one hour He is captain of
the English Army. Conversation turned upon Capt Burtons travels
in India, Arabia & Africa He spoke of his Explorations of two
^
Lakes in Central Africa He went all around the large lake
250 miles long about 100 wide He found mud fish 6 feet long with-
out scales. He found Eels. He found large flocks of sea guls the
lake was 700 miles from the sea He tried to sounded 400 feet
without any bottom. there was no visible outlet to it, though there
were several large streams runing into it. the water was not salt
this lake was surroounded with High Bluffs. He visited another
Lake about 90 miles wide & over 100 long this was not surrounded
with Bluffs like the other He did not go around this as it would
have taken 500 men to have fought there way through among
the natives He had but 150 men with him and the native chiefs
think any stranger that visits them was out of honor to them &
would not let them visit other tribes without forighting for it
He came near loosing his life in a dugout on the large lake.
in speaking of the Mahomitan religion He said it was not
a new religion but a refermation of the Christian religion
opium is sold in that country for its weight in silver. There
was a drug the people took which they received as a luxery
they would set Back to Back so as to not see each others faces if one
sneezed all would sneeze. He spoke of the custom of the Druses
their religion caused them to bath ofton and they are temperate
while many of the Christians of that country are intemperate
and filthy which causes them to be weaker than the Druses which
gives the Druses the advantage over the Christians in war &c
while speaking of the U. S. armey here President Young said
if Col Johnson had staid in this Territory a few years he would
have known more than he does now. he planted his army in the
center of the settlements so the people would protect his army from
the Indians. if he would had made his settlements in Cash
valley he would have had an outlet. Gov Cummings said the
armey did not come out to protect the Emigration but to see you
I had an interview with Emanuel Murphy who has Just
arived from Tenesee David Patten Baptized him in Tenesee in
1836 I was present He also Baptized his Brother Jeremiah who
afterwards Apostitized & died his wife Apostitized & started
for Calafornia in 1846 & got lost in the Sira Vada mountains
and most of the company starved to death and the living cattle
Dead Mrs Murphy was Eat up & some of her children two fof
her sons were saved. Brother Emanuel Murphy has been a true
faithful Latter Day Saint He visited Joseph Smith almost daily
while in prision in Missouri. He liberated Erastus Snow out
of Liberty Jail. He has done much for the Church. He took
supper with me this Evening also Lorenzo Snow.
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