The following is a transcription of Abraham P. Dowdle, Letter to C. C. Rich, April 23, 1857 (CHL call no.: MS 829). This is the main body of the letter:
Sydney April 23d 1857
President C. C. Rich
With feelings of pleasure at this
time I attempt to occupy a few Moments in writing to you once More which will
be the last while in this lands.
I am now posting up My books So
as to leave the business of the Mission in Shape So that My Successor May have
a knowledge of the business as it [really] is. I intend leaving a full and true
account of all Moneys that I have Received and the amount expended and when I
leave I intend Bringing a full and true account So that when I get with you I
Can Show an account of My Steward Ship. I have long Since found it to be very
necessary that a full account Should be Kept of all moneys donated for the work
and Als what was done with the Same- as there is a jealousy Existing towards
those who are placed to Receive and use the Money So in this Country than any
place I ever was in before- in Settling up the business I have Some little
difficulty by not having the account of President Hyrumham in Consequence
thereof I Can not go any further back with the General Mission account that to
the time when I Meved the business back to that time I can leave with the
bretherin an account of My Steward Ship which I have no doubt will be quite
Satisfactory to them. If I had have had the general account left with Me I
Could have left it More full but under Circumstances that exist I will do the
best that I Can I Can go back with My books and Shew from the time that I began
to Receive donations at Adelaide up to the time I left there and by Whom it was
given - and what it was laid out for this I feel Glad and willing to do and I
Consider it nothing More than right- then if I have not done as I Should have
done let Me bare the blame of Squandering the Money- I will here Say that I
beleive take the people of Australia throats that they ar the Most Jealous
people in the world- Every Man Seams to be frightened of his Neighbor- in pine
it is a hard Country and insted of Geting beter it is Growing wors Continually
I am now Making up a company to
Start from Sydney the first of June I am not at present prepared to Stat the
number of Saints there will be in the Company I Epect it will be Small there is
Many that would be glad to Get out but they ar Generely pore and not able to
pay there way Consequently they will have to Remain till longer and wate the
lands time to open the way before them there is Some Good Saints in Australia
that is trying to live there religion on the other hand there is Some that have
the Means and will not Gather- nor Yet help thoes that would Gather and thus as
it wer stand in the dore and Keep thoes from Entering or Gatherning whos desire
is to Gather and Serve the lord but So it is—
Since Elders Hannham &
Fleming left there has not bein a gre many Baptized- Since the Elders Came to
Australia we have bein able to Send Mission in to Various places of this and
the adjacent Coloneys. the Elders have went forth and have laboured faithfull
for the Spred of truth and the lord has blessed them in there labours they have
Stired up the Minds of the people in Many places and the prospects ar that
Mutch good will be the Result- Elder Stewart when first he Came here was a
pointd a Mission to New Zealand in Company with Elder Peter but in Consequence
of the Soverity is of Means to Send them forth they was a pointd a Mission in
this Coloney they traveled together for Sum time- when Elder Clark was a pointd
to travel with Elder Stewart Elder Sailed with Peter- Elders Stewart and Clark
Continued traveling until the April Conferenc when Elder Stewart Received an
Appointment with Elder Wall to the Sydney district Elders Clark and peter was
then a pointd to travel together in the Same Mission that Elder Stewart had
bein called from Elders Chaffin & Said weer a pointd A Mission to the
Maitland and Wolumby districts- the other Elders weer Sustained in former
appointments- Elder Stewart was taken in to the presidenc of the Mission As
Elder William Baxter one of My Council has Retired from the Presidency and
Mission with the privilege of Making his way to Zion I feeld hopy of having the
privilege of Saying that as far as I no the Bretherin ar and have bein doing
all that they Can for the Spred of truth Since they landed in this Country-
Whil Elders Stewart & Clarke wer traveling together they Maid a travel of
Some hundred & thirty Miles out from Sydney in there travels they Rept as
having found many people whos harts felt worme to the truth and whos them warm
Reception they think that Mutch Good May be done in that Part of the Country it
is Semde with the others of the bretherin Elders Wall and Stewart Conritute my
Council they take hold of the work with Energy they have bein a Grat help to Me
in Geting along with My buiriness it Requires Men in this Country who has a
pretty Good nerve and with it ambition Elder Wall has had wery bad helth Most
of the time Since he Came in to this Climet and unless his helth improves from
what it is at the present I Epect he will Return home with the first Company
I Shal if the Lord will Cume with
the June Company for I paked and have felt for years back a desire to get home
I fully Expected to have bin with Elders Hannham & Fleming but it turned
other-wise and I maid up my mind to be Content therwith and feeld that all was
right Since there departure I have bein doing the best that I Could have I have
Some pretty hard times but I feeld that the blessings of the lord his bin with
Me for which I feeld Gratefull Taylor and Johnson has Returned to Australia
they have don all that they Could to Make trouble for Me but as Yet I have got
a long with them Middling Quiet- they ar Boath Cut off from the Church- Taylor
is a Worthless being Since he has Return he has Given his Mother and Sisters A
dreadful Bad name I Supose that Sister Taylor thought that to Save his property
She would put it in to the hands of his Sun She has Saved it There is much to
Save that I Epect it will do her Good when She Gets any of it- Johnson has done
all that he Could against the Church Since his Return to Sydney- he has Seen
his Race and left Sydney Whether he will again Return I Can not tell- I have
Given up Sister Taylors papers to her Sun and have got a full Keept so She May
Sleep Sound when She Gets to See this Please to Remember Me to all- My Respects
to you Elders Wall and Stewart Join me in Sending their Respect to You- Your
fellow laborer
Abraham P. Dowdle
This was the additional material attached to the letter:
Arnold peter Whoo Came here with
Elder Said has Carried in high hand against the Church and the authorities of
the Same before he was put in to the Asylum he did considerable We Called on
him to Stay his hand and humble himself before god and do right but our
Entreaties were all in vane he affirmed that he would not subject him self to
be controlled by any of the Mormons no not Even Brigham Consequently he was not
fellow- shiped here- after he was Released from the Asylum he was far more
delusive than before he has done all that he possibly Could to Revile the
Character of president B. Young & also attempted to disclose the principle
of the Enduement this he has done not only privetely but in a Publick Capacity
in the open aire on publick [Square] in the presence of a large Concorse of
people giving out that. he was Caleed of god to Make known the Abominations in
Salt Lake this things wee Submit to your Consideration { A. P. Dowdle As he has
left her Sum time Since for home { W. Cb. Hall { Andrew J Stewart
