Transcript

[Pages 6-7 transcribed]

In the morning of July 1st, at 3 oclock, we reached Florence. Brother Heinrich Fischer from Zuerich died on the way and was burried in Florence. In Florence houses were assigned to us, so that we didnt have to wait long for a living place.

On the 8th of July the handcarts started, along with 10 oxwagons.

On the 7th we had to drawn lots for the wagons, I got No. 1.— During this time a girl of Brother [Christian] Wittwer from Bern died, also a child of Brother [Heinrich] Baers from Zuerich. Then we received our provisions and prepared everything for our departure.

On the 14th the captains of the companies went to the camp 2 miles from Florence;

on the 18th the swiss wagons had to go there too because the oxens were not yet drawn lots on. My wagon weighted 34 hundredweights and 30 pounds, the wagon itself 1046 pounds, that would leave 23 hundredweight and 84 pounds. I paid 71 Dollars for foodstuff. There were 6 persons in my wagon, Christian Staufer, and

on the 20th Sister Theurer from St. Joseph came in, and John Stucky [Stucki] and sister Theurer and Sister [Anna Gugger] Staufer I had to take in my wagon. Bro. [John] Alder, Bro. [John] Diethelm, Bro. [Heinrich] Baer and myself purchased two oxen conjointly because we had too much weight to carry on, for we could only figure 15-18 hundredweights for two pair of oxen. On the 20th we had to draw lots for the oxen; I had to pay 84 dollars for two pairs and 86 dollars for the wagon, afterwhich only 20 dollars were left.

Right from the first day after our departure I got sick and for an entire month I had to laydown in the wagon. On the very first day after our departure Bro. Diethelms had bad luck, the axle-tree of his wagon broke. 200 miles from Florence sister [Kathrina] Naed [Naef] died.—I too lost three oxen on the plains, so I had to buy another pair for 90 dollars; to paybthat [pay that]I had to borrow 60 dollars from bro. Keller out of the heritage of sister Katharina Naef. 350 miles from Salt Lake Father [Henry] Keller died. Mother [Elizabeth] Keller also got very sick; she fell and a wagonwheel injured her keg [leg] badly.

On October the 5th we arrived in Salt Lake City.