Show I 1 EXTRACTS of a letter atom j dmn elder jesse haven CA CAFE town capo cape of good hope hopco aug 1853 PRESIDENT RICHARDS DEAR DE alt SIR far from home friends friend sand and the society of the dainis surrounded with enemies s iu in a foreign arid and desolated land I 1 sit down to inform yon of the prosperity of myself and brethren and the cause of god in this part of his vineyard we arrived in this place on the of april last cape town is situated on the south west side of table bay on tile the south side of the town commences the base of table mountain which ri rises acs to the llie height of feet above tile the level of the sea the upper half of the mountain is nearly perpendicular on tile the west side of the town is a i moan mountain tain called the lions head which is nearly as high as table mountain being the highest part of a mountain extending along on oa the north west side of the town which has the ap para oe arance when seen at sea of a lion lying on his belly cape town has about inhabitants upwards of ono one hlf h lf if are colored people being of all shades from a jet black to almost an european complexion A large portion of the colored population were formerly slaves but by an act of the english parliament they were emancipated in the ear 1838 many of them are mahometano Mahome tans and according to their religion they are permitted and do have a plurality of wives the white population a are te principally english and dutch and their descend descendants a ailts and can call generally speak the english language this is the last winter month in aliis colony miny many say that this winter has been the coldest winter that has been known here for many years it lips has been so cold that there has been a few nights in which we have had a slight frost on oil low ground the winter is the rainy season and the alie season in I 1 I 1 w which aich the agriculturist must grow his vegetables and grain unless ho he has low land or land that can call be irrigated for the summer is vary very dry there boing being little or no rain all say the summers mers are very hot and weakening both to body and mind alt all aiudi of tropical fruits are grown here such as oranges lemons ac considerable wine is made in this colony from the grape and is generally very cheap much of it is the inhabitants and is the cause of much drunkenness if we call into a Wr brangers angers house where they are in comfortable ciruti circumstances instances the almost universal question is will you take some wine having given you yon it a very short synopsis of the country and its inhabitants I 1 I 1 will now speak more particularly of our mission we have tried at three diffie different rent times to hold public meetings in cape town but they always have been broken up by a riol rio we have been threatened by the rioters but as yet have escaped uninjured two of the head licad rioters have been taken up and bound over to court under tinder bonds of 50 sterling each which has made the rioters a little shy I 1 the priests liere here as in every other place where the gospel is is preached are bus busy nearly every one in in cape town and for 20 miles in m the country has lectured against us warning their hearers not to receive the use false prophets as they call us that have lave come amongst them may 1853 today to day myself bys walker and smith went on oil to a mountain called the lions head for the purpose of organizing the church of jesus christ of latter day saints in the cape of good hope when we arrived at the spot we commenced tho the meeting by singing prayer by elder jesse haven after winch which we commenced to organize organ i ze lie e church in in this colony elder haven motioned that the church of jesus christ of latter daiy diy D ay iy saints be tins this day dav organized in in the cape of good hope seconded and carried elder haven wis was sustained as the president of tile the church in in the cape of good hope elder walker was appointed secretary for said church elders walker and smith were sustained as counselors to president haven elder haven then prophesied that the church now DOW organized in the cape of good hope will roll forth foith in this colony and continue to increase till many n ily of the honest in in heart will be made to rejoice 1 in I tile tho eve lasting gospel elder smith motioned molion ed that this mountain now called the lions head be known hereafter liere after by the saints throughout the world by the hie name of 0 mount brigham heber and willard willaid seconded and carried T the lie meeting was closed with prayer by elder wilker walker after we came down off the mountain and got bick back b ick into town a man m in made application alph dation to elder smith to bo be baptized and appointed thursday day the to attend to the ordinance when tile came two were baptized instead of one we are now laboring iq the country from 4 to 20 miles from cape town we have baptized 39 and more are inquiring after truth and probably will wil soon attend to ordinance the here as in in most other places aro are the poor and m meek eek of the earth we have organized ono one branchi bran cli and shall soon organize ano another ther we have ordained two teachers and one deacon those that have been baptized are well united are determined to do right they rejoice that they have lived to see this thia day da and their faces are aie two of us expect soon to start for port eliza ehli baeth and graham town they are about 80 miles apart arid and nearly miles from this place one will stop at port elizabeth and the other at graham town these towns are the two largest in in the colony of tile the cape of good hope with the exception of cape town they consist of about in babi auts ants each a large portion of which are english there are also many small towns in tile the vicinity of these towns winch which are inhabited by english one of us will stop in in the vicinity of cupo town and by the help of god we will all ail try to do what wo we can to spread the gospel in this benighted land A few days ago br bi walker received six numbers of the deseret news from his family which erta gainly was a treat to us lf if we had half a doz ii more elders eld rs here there would be plenty of work vork for them to do 1 Rein remember ember us in your our prayers for we feel that we need thern them |