Ilookedaboutmeagain，andsawtheletter-writinggoingonwiththemostcuriouscomposure。Perfectlyabstractedinthemidstofthecrowd；whilegreatcaskswereswingingaloft，andbeingloweredintothehold；whilehotagentswerehurryingupanddown，adjustingtheinterminableaccounts；whiletwohundredstrangersweresearchingeverywherefortwohundredotherstrangers，andwereaskingquestionsaboutthemoftwohundredmore；whilethechildrenplayedupanddownallthesteps，andinandoutamongallthepeople’slegs，andwerebeheld，tothegeneraldismay，topplingoverallthedangerousplaces；theletter-writerswroteoncalmly。
Onthestarboardsideoftheship，agrizzledmandictatedalonglettertoanothergrizzledmaninanimmensefurcap:whichletterwasofsoprofoundaquality，thatitbecamenecessaryfortheamanuensisatintervalstotakeoffhisfurcapinbothhishands，fortheventilationofhisbrain，andstareathimwhodictated，asamanofmanymysterieswhowasworthlookingat。Onthelar-boardside，awomanhadcoveredabelaying-pinwithawhiteclothtomakeaneatdeskofit，andwassittingonalittlebox，writingwiththedeliberationofabookkeeper。Down，uponherbreastontheplanksofthedeckatthiswoman’sfeet，withherheaddivinginunderabeamofthebulwarksonthatside，asaneligibleplaceofrefugeforhersheetofpaper，aneatandprettygirlwroteforagoodhourshefaintedatlast，onlyrisingtothesurfaceoccasionallyforadipofink。Alongsidetheboat，closetomeonthepoop-deck，anothergirl，afresh，well-growncountrygirl，waswritinganotherletteronthebaredeck。Laterintheday，whenthisself-sameboatwasfilledwithachoirwhosanggleesandcatchesforalongtime，oneofthesingers，agirl，sangherpartmechanicallyallthewhile，andwrotealetterinthebottomoftheboatwhiledoingso。
’Astrangerwouldbepuzzledtoguesstherightnameforthesepeople，Mr。Uncommercial，’saysthecaptain。
’Indeedhewould。’
’Ifyouhadn’tknown，couldyoueverhavesupposed-？’
’HowcouldI！Ishouldhavesaidtheywereintheirdegree，thepickandflowerofEngland。’
’SoshouldI，’saysthecaptain。
’Howmanyarethey？’
’Eighthundredinroundnumbers。’
Iwentbetween-decks，wherethefamilieswithchildrenswarmedinthedark，whereunavoidableconfusionhadbeencausedbythelastarrivals，andwheretheconfusionwasincreasedbythelittlepreparationsfordinnerthatweregoingonineachgroup。Afewwomenhereandthere，hadgotlost，andwerelaughingatit，andaskingtheirwaytotheirownpeople，oroutondeckagain。Afewofthepoorchildrenwerecrying；butotherwisetheuniversalcheerfulnesswasamazing。’Weshallshakedownbyto-morrow。’’Weshallcomeallrightinadayorso。’’Weshallhavemorelightatsea。’SuchphrasesIheardeverywhere，asIgropedmywayamongchestsandbarrelsandbeamsandunstowedcargoandring-boltsandEmigrants，downtothelower-deck，andthenceuptothelightofdayagain，andtomyformerstation。
Surely，anextraordinarypeopleintheirpowerofself-abstraction！
Alltheformerletter-writerswerestillwritingcalmly，andmanymoreletter-writershadbrokenoutinmyabsence。Aboywithabagofbooksinhishandandaslateunderhisarm，emergedfrombelow，concentratedhimselfinmyneighbourhoodespyingaconvenientskylightforhispurpose，andwenttoworkatasumasifhewerestonedeaf。Afatherandmotherandseveralyoungchildren，onthemaindeckbelowme，hadformedafamilycircleclosetothefootofthecrowdedrestlessgangway，wherethechildrenmadeanestforthemselvesinacoilofrope，andthefatherandmother，shesucklingtheyoungest，discussedfamilyaffairsaspeaceablyasiftheywereinperfectretirement。Ithinkthemostnoticeablecharacteristicintheeighthundredasamass，wastheirexemptionfromhurry。
Eighthundredwhat？’Geese，villain？’EIGHTHUNDREDMORMONS。I，UncommercialTravellerforthefirmofHumanInterestBrothers，hadcomeaboardthisEmigrantShiptoseewhatEighthundredLatter-daySaintswerelike，andIfoundthemtotheroutandoverthrowofallmyexpectationslikewhatInowdescribewithscrupulousexactness。
TheMormonAgentwhohadbeenactiveingettingthemtogether，andinmakingthecontractwithmyfriendstheownersoftheshiptotakethemasfarasNewYorkontheirwaytotheGreatSaltLake，waspointedouttome。Acompactly-madehandsomemaninblack，rathershort，withrichbrownhairandbeard，andclearbrighteyes。Fromhisspeech，IshouldsethimdownasAmerican。
Probably，amanwhohad’knockedabouttheworld’prettymuch。A
manwithafrankopenmanner，andunshrinkinglook；withalamanofgreatquickness。IbelievehewaswhollyignorantofmyUncommercialindividuality，andconsequentlyofmyimmenseUncommercialimportance。
UNCOMMERCIAL。Theseareaveryfinesetofpeopleyouhavebroughttogetherhere。
MORMONAGENT。Yes，sir，theyareaVERYfinesetofpeople。
UNCOMMERCIALlookingabout。Indeed，IthinkitwouldbedifficulttofindEighthundredpeopletogetheranywhereelse，andfindsomuchbeautyandsomuchstrengthandcapacityforworkamongthem。
MORMONAGENTnotlookingabout，butlookingsteadilyatUncommercial。Ithinkso-Wesentoutaboutathousandmore，yes’day，fromLiverpool。
UNCOMMERCIAL。Youarenotgoingwiththeseemigrants？
MORMONAGENT。No，sir。Iremain。
UNCOMMERCIAL。ButyouhavebeenintheMormonTerritory？
MORMONAGENT。Yes；IleftUtahaboutthreeyearsago。
UNCOMMERCIAL。Itissurprisingtomethatthesepeopleareallsocheery，andmakesolittleoftheimmensedistancebeforethem。
MORMONAGENT。Well，yousee；manyof’emhavefriendsoutatUtah，andmanyof’emlookforwardtomeetingfriendsontheway。
UNCOMMERCIAL。Ontheway？
MORMONAGENT。Thisway’tis。Thisshiplands’eminNewYorkCity。ThentheygoonbyrailrightawaybeyondSt。Louis，tothatpartoftheBanksoftheMissouriwheretheystrikethePlains。
There，waggonsfromthesettlementmeet’emtobear’emcompanyontheirjourney’cross-twelvehundredmilesabout。Industriouspeoplewhocomeouttothesettlementsoongetwaggonsoftheirown，andsothefriendsofsomeofthesewillcomedownintheirownwaggonstomeet’em。Theylookforwardtothat，greatly。
UNCOMMERCIAL。OntheirlongjourneyacrosstheDesert，doyouarmthem？
MORMONAGENT。Mostlyyouwouldfindtheyhavearmsofsomekindoranotheralreadywiththem。SuchashadnotarmsweshouldarmacrossthePlains，forthegeneralprotectionanddefence。
UNCOMMERCIAL。WillthesewaggonsbringdownanyproducetotheMissouri？
MORMONAGENT。Well，sincethewarbrokeout，we’vetakentogrowingcotton，andthey’lllikelybringdowncottontobeexchangedformachinery。Wewantmachinery。Alsowehavetakentogrowingindigo，whichisafinecommodityforprofit。IthasbeenfoundthattheclimateonthefurthersideoftheGreatSaltLakesuitswellforraisingindigo。
UNCOMMERCIAL。IamtoldthatthesepeoplenowonboardareprincipallyfromtheSouthofEngland？
MORMONAGENT。AndfromWales。That’strue。
UNCOMMERCIAL。DoyougetmanyScotch？
MORMONAGENT。Notmany。
UNCOMMERCIAL。Highlanders，forinstance？
MORMONAGENT。No，notHighlanders。Theyain’tinterestedenoughinuniversalbrotherhoodandpeaceandgoodwill。
UNCOMMERCIAL。Theoldfightingbloodisstronginthem？
MORMONAGENT。Well，yes。Andbesides；they’venofaith。
UNCOMMERCIALwhohasbeenburningtogetattheProphetJoeSmith，andseemstodiscoveranopening。Faithin-！
MORMONAGENTfartoomanyforUncommercial。Well-Inanything！
Similarlyonthissamehead，theUncommercialunderwentdiscomfiturefromaWiltshirelabourer:asimple，fresh-colouredfarm-labourer，ofeight-and-thirty，whoatonetimestoodbesidehimlookingonatnewarrivals，andwithwhomheheldthisdialogue:
UNCOMMERCIAL。Wouldyoumindmyaskingyouwhatpartofthecountryyoucomefrom？
WILTSHIRE。Notabit。Theer！exultinglyI’veworkedallmylifeo’SalisburyPlain，rightundertheshaddero’Stonehenge。Youmightn’tthinkit，butIhaive。
UNCOMMERCIAL。Andapleasantcountrytoo。
WILTSHIRE。Ah！’Tisapleasantcountry。
UNCOMMERCIAL。Haveyouanyfamilyonboard？
WILTSHIRE。Twochildren，boyandgal。Iamawidderer，Iam，andI’mgoingoutalongermyboyandgal。That’smygal，andshe’safinegalo’sixteenpointingoutthegirlwhoiswritingbytheboat。I’llgoandfetchmyboy。I’dliketoshowyoumyboy。
HereWiltshiredisappears，andpresentlycomesbackwithabig，shyboyoftwelve，inasuperabundanceofboots，whoisnotatallgladtobepresented。Heisafineboytoo，andaboyfurtowork！Boyhavingundutifullybolted，Wiltshiredropshim。
UNCOMMERCIAL。Itmustcostyouagreatdealofmoneytogosofar，threestrong。
WILTSHIRE。Apowerofmoney。Theer！Eightshillenaweek，eightshillenaweek，eightshillenaweek，putbyoutoftheweek’swagesforeversolong。