Show LETAR from elder chauncey W west BOMBAY Hin doostan july 29 1853 DEIR PRESIDENT RICHARDS it is is with pleasure that I 1 take my poll pen in hand to inform yon von of our success since I 1 last wrote you from ceylon n you may ay think strange to hear that I 1 am in bombay but perhaps not so strange when you learn the circumstances which brou brought glit mo me here bere after writing to 0 o you from ceylon we continued to travel from house to houte among the people trying to get i a house to hold meetings in also trying to reason with those that would lot let us come com e in oftentimes they would shut the door in our face as they saw us comi co ligas the priests had bad told them not to receive us into their houses telling them we were ests and they would be parti kers of our evil deeds under these circumstances it was impossible to get at the people they would not so much as 9 give ive us anything to eat we were told we would not be allowed allo wed to teach if we should find anybody to take us in the priests had men hired to go 1 I 1 1117 1 I 1 from house to house and read the bible to the peo 9 ale and warn them I 1 against us at the same time they were circulating tracts which had bad been written in ill england against the church and sent out ot to this country by the clergy under these circumstances we left columba and walled to gall all sleeping ox OB the ground nights nighta living on rice and cocoanuts cocoa nuts when we arrived at gall we received the same treatment being abused and threatened in a most shameful manner I 1 after this we went and saw the amerlean AmeT lean consular agent who did not treat us with respect he laughed at our papers and said governor young was the roan man who rode rede though salt lake city with sixteen wives he said we had come coma to the wrong place to te preach mormonism we bore testimony tr to him of the gospel which we had come to declare to the people we told 1 him wo we had been misused and he said that was what we might expect after which lie he left the iho room and did not return we were told by a number of gentlemen that lie he had told them that we did not belong to america that the mormons cormons had rebelled against the government and violated the constitution this story being afloat among toe ane people it also had its i influence luence nf before retiring to bed that night we called upon the lord that he would make known unto us what he would have us do as wo we had tried taid every way wary possible to get the people to receive the gospel but to no effect in the night I 1 had bad a dream which I 1 will relate as it is short 1 I dreamed that brother findlay came to me arid and said he wanted me to go and help him to cut down a large tree ho be said it was very large and he wanted help I 1 thought I 1 went and he showed me the tree and it was very large and it had been cut into some we commenced to cut it down and we found it to have a hard shell on the outside and the middle was soft wo we soon cut the tree down and when it fell ft broke all into pieces at which time I 1 awoke I 1 could not make out what the dream meant yet it left a deep impression on my mind tho tb next day we made up our minds to try arr and get a passage to singapore and try and labor there until the monsoons should change so that we could go to siam at last a ship came for water while on its way from australia to bombay we conclude ed if we could get a passage we would go to bombay bagwe we would go and help elder cut down the big tree and when the monsoons should change we would sail from there to siam we went to see the captain Cap tahi and made arrangements with him for our passage on the morning of the he of july we landed at bombay in good health we had a very rough voyage the day before we got in while sailing up the coast about ten milles miles from brorn shore the ship ran aground the wind was blowing very hard and the waves were P running very high and when the a aves would strike the ship they would raise her up and then she would come down with such a crash as if she must come to pieces in a very few minutes and to all human appearance we must be lost in th the mighty deep as aa the small boats were so placed that it would take some time lime to get them overboard and when they did it was doubtful whet whether lier they would ride the sea br dewey and myself went arid and asked the lord that the avind wind might stop blowing and that he would save us from the fury enry of the ele elements menta about this time they launched a boat and it filled in a minute A few minutes after the wind whid fell and they put over another boat and in a few minutes more it was almost a calm As we were wera about to leave the the chip captain lain discovered that it was afloat lie sent theca epenter to sound the pump bump he found she had three feet of water in her hold the captain said lie he would try and take her into bombay he put some of his hands at the pump and some to hoist boist the satis sags and the next morning we landed in bombay the vessel has been condemned thus we see the lord is powerful to save and righteous to his words as spoken by the mouth of his servants the prophets wo we found elder findlay who was very happy to see us after being so long in this country alone and having to cont contend lend as it were with priests the devil earth and hell bell combined he has fought the battle manfully and has some faithful souls added to the kingdom who are the fruits of his labors his health has been poorly for the two last months and lie was very much in want of help as his labors were too much for him heis he is improving in health the alie branch of the church in this liis place numbers 20 bers who are mostly europeans and the branch at poona 80 90 miles from this has about the same number in both of these places there are a number who are believing and investigating the principles br findlay finds it very hard to do anything with the natives of this country as the traditions of their fathers are sf 9 great that it seems almost impossible for them to ever give them up I 1 think we have found br Find lays big tree and we are I 1 going to try and help him cut it down down br findlay thought it would be best for elder dewey to go to poona and labor there and for me to remain in bombay we hold three meetings a week in this place and as soon as elder findlay shall have leave returned from accompanying elder dewey to poona we expect to open meetings in other places in the town tow there are a great many lies and misrepresentations afloat in tile papers about the saints in america and the elie pre indice ii dice is great I 1 hove have not heard hom elders ludington and i savage since I 1 left ahem at calcutta fr findlay received a letter from president jones stating that a himself and the haffits at calcutta were all well also that elders garter carter and fotheringham who went to dinamore Dina Dini pore had to return to calcutta because of the people closing doors against them this is a wicked arid and adulterous people that inhabits this hind and they give but little hoed beed to tile the gospel truly did our lord say as it was in the days das of N nolah oa ii so iso also shall it be in the days of the coming of the son of man mail it is enough to sicken the heart of a saint to see the wickedness corruptions corrupt ions and abominations that are practised practiced among the nations of the earth I 1 feel oftentimes to raise my desires in hi praise and thanksgiving that my name is I 1 enrolled among the saints and that my family are in the peaceful valley of the mountains separated from the follies of the gentiles this is the rainy season here which continues for four months it coining down in torrents fevers are raging very high among the people in this place you will please give my loveto love to my family and inform them I 1 am well I 1 have not received a word from home since I 1 left yours affectionately |