Sir. these Mormons are determnd to be the fir[s]t in every thing. Last wednesday the Steamers “Maid of Iowa” and “Amaranth” arrived at the , direct f[r]om , These are were the first boats that have been up this spring; one was four & the other Eleven days coming f[r]om . buffetting the ice all the way, but their arrival was little consolation to any one but the Mormons. there <​of whom​> theres 200 on one & 250, on the other to the exclusion of almost every other passenger, The Amarnth after discharging her freight, proceded up the , & the & Maid of Iowa returnd direct to after more Saints, for the is lined with them & vessels ship loads are continly coming in from the old world. Two or three ships have already arrived at this spring, beside. the thousnd emgrnts [emigrants] that were caught in the ice bound heere who, to s[e]cure their safe arrvail, & do good as they had the opportunity the “Maid of Iowa <​ of the​> “Maid of Iowa.” who apperd well while here, & is shewing himself off— as a diligent in their service,

As these emigra[n]ts were the first to break the Ice, so the prophet “Jo” was the first to meet them at the landing & greet his “old fri[e]nds” who had been absent for years, & had returned with thire flocks, like as the prpht <​he​>said, “like doves coming to their windows;”— Yes. Jo leaped on the boat, <​by​> the first plank that was thown out more like a boy who was hunting his mate,— than a “great Prophet” So familar is he in his deprtmnt [deportment]; and, sir, I am sure it would have warmed your heart, (for it did mine as much of an infidel as I am,) to have seen the 1000s who collected on the beach to ready to greet <​the arrival of​> their friends Expected fr[i]ends whom they <​had​> left in the old world.—

But I must repeat a<​n​> little anecdote related me yestrday by one of these emigra[n]ts who stopped a few days at . “As <​of Antie Mormon Anti notority, I hardly dare write his name, it is such as stink here.—​> had collected round him some 12 or 15 Missoirians in a bar room in grog shop, trying to persuade them to go with him & Kidnap Jo Smith. one of Joe’s apostates told them that Jo was more than a match for 30 of the best missourans they could pick, This made them look daggrs at each other, & broke up the meeting,— their castle of air in a mom[en]t,”

Thursday many— all the <​new​> Emigrats & some thousand of othe[r]s,— assembled at the ,— & the prophet— that the prophet might be the first in evry thing, & give them [p. [1]]