| 553 The Quorum of Twelve being dissatisfied with the conduct of the Times and Seasons, met on November 30,1841; present Brigham Young, H. C. Kimball, Willard Richards, Orson Pratt, Lyman Wight, John Taylor, and Wilford Woodruff; President Joseph
I have not time to tell you how many days I have been at sea, without food, or how many snails I have eaten; but if I had had plenty of them, I should have done very well. All this is contained in a former letter to you written from Jaffa.
I have been at Cairo, on the Nile, because I could not get a passage direct. Syria is in a dreadful state; a war of extermination is going on between the Druses and Catholics. At the time I was at Beirut a battle was fought in the mountains of Lebanon, near that place, and about eight hundred killed. Robberies, thefts, and murders are daily being committed. It is no uncommon thing to find persons in the street without heads. An English officer in going from St. Jean d'Acre to Beirut, found ten persons murdered in the street, and was himself taken prisoner, but was rescued by the timely interference of the Pasha. The particulars of all these things are contained in a former letter.
An American traveler by the name of Gager, who was a licensed minister of the Congregational or Presbyterian Church, left Jerusalem in company with me. He was very unwell with the jaundice when we left, and at Damietta we had to perform six days' quarantine before we ascended the Nile. On our passage up he was taken very ill with a fever, and became helpless. I waited and tended upon him as well as our circumstances would allow; and when we landed at Bulak, I got four men to take him to the American consul's, in Cairo, on a litter; I also took all his baggage there, and assisted in putting him upon a good bed-employed a good faithful Arabian nurse, and the English doctor. After the physician had examined him, he told me that he was very low with a typhus fever, and that it would be doubtful whether he recovered. Under these circumstances I left him to obtain a passage to this place. After I had gone on board a boat, and was just about pushing off, a letter came from the doctor stating that poor Mr. Gager died in about two hours after I left him. He told me before we arrived at Cairo that he was twenty-seven years of age, and his friends lived in Norwich, Connecticut, near New London, I think. There are many particulars concerning his death which would be interesting to his friends, but I have no time to write them now.
On Sunday morning, October 24, a good while before day, I arose from sleep and went out of the city as soon as the gates were opened, crossed the brook Cedron, and went upon the Mount of Olives, and there in solemn silence, with pen, ink, and paper, just as I saw in the vision offered up the following prayer to him who lives for ever and ever:-
"O Thou, who art from everlasting to everlasting, eternally and unchangeably the same, even the God who rules in the heavens above, and controls the destinies of men on the earth, wilt thou not condescend through thine infinite goodness and royal favor to listen to the prayer of thy servant which he this day offers up unto thee in the name of thy holy child Jesus, upon this land where the Sun of Righteousness sat in blood, and thine Anointed One expired!
"Be pleased, O Lord, to forgive all the follies, weaknesses, vanities, and sins of thy servant, and strengthen him to resist all future temptations. Give him prudence and discernment that he may avoid the evil, and a heart to choose the good; give him fortitude to bear up under trying
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