CALLED TO AUSTRALIA—MY IGNORANCE—PRES. H. C. KIMBALL'S PROPHECY CONCERNING ME—ARRIVE IN SYDNEY—ADVENTURE WITH A DOG—GO TO CAMDEN WITH A FELLOW-MISSIONARY—SOUGHT FOR BY A DRUNKEN MOB—GOD BLINDS THEIR EYES AND WE ESCAPE—AT PICTON WE PREACH IN THE COURT-HOUSE—THE WRITING ON THE WALL—OUR SUCCESS.
In the Spring of 1856, in the days of my youth, I was called by the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to go on a mission to Australia, to preach the gospel. I was young and inexperienced, and had but very little education. I had been to school but six months in my life, although I had been raised in the Church from infancy, and had been taught by my mother that God had spoken from the heavens in these last days and had sent a holy angel to reveal the gospel that had been lost from the earth. These things I understood; but the scriptures I never had read, from the fact that I could not read. Under these circumstances I went to President Heber C. Kimball and asked permission to stay at home one year, and I would go to school and learn to read and write, and then I would go. But he said that he had called me to a mission and he wanted me to go now. I received my endowments, and President Kimball blessed me and prophesied many great things which should happen to me in the next three years and a half; for he said that I would be gone that time, and should learn to read and write by my close application and the help of the Holy Spirit. I bade farewell to my aged mother and started, in company with some other Elders, for Australia.
We arrived in Carson Valley, where Judge Drummond was holding a court at the time. President Orson Hyde was probate judge in that valley, and had held a court a short time before we arrived. He had decided a case of law between Col. Reese and another in the case of a mill. A. P. Chessley, one of our missionaries, filed a demurrer against Brother Hyde's decision, and the case was tried by Judge Drummond. Col. Reese lost the mill. Brother Hyde told Chessley that he had better not go on his mission, if he did, he should never see home again; for he had sinned, with his eyes open, to get gain. Brother Hyde told us all that if we went with that man we should share with him the displeasure of God.
We arrived at San Francisco and there was a ship about to sail for Australia. Half of the Elders said that they would go on that ship with Chessley, and the remainder of us concluded to wait for another vessel. They started, and, in about thirty days afterwards, a clipper bark was advertised to sail and we embarked in that ship. In thirty-six days we arrived at Sydney, Australia, having sailed about 10,000 miles and had a pleasant voyage. The other brethren had not been heard of. One hundred and fifteen days passed and they arrived at Melbourne. They had almost starved to death, and had sold nearly all of their clothing to the natives for fruit, chickens and pigs, etc., to live on. Thus was Brother Hyde's prediction to them fulfilled.
I was now in Sydney, a large, beautiful city, containing 175,000 inhabitants. I concluded that I would travel through the city a day or two and get something of importance to write home. I was traveling my first day on a back street, and I saw some birds with fine plumage, and several monkeys, performing on some wires that were stretched in a yard near a mill. Not understanding the customs of that country, I stepped through the gate to see the birds and monkeys. Just then a man let loose a large dog and gave a whistle. I looked around and saw the dog coming towards me at full speed. I sprang for the gate and got hold of it; at the same time the dog got hold of my back, and a struggle ensued. I finally extricated myself from the dog, but he had torn my coat off and left me only the sleeves and the collar. I then concluded that I had got something to write home, and I would not travel any further in that city.
We found the opposition to the gospel very great in this place, so I started, in company with another young Elder, to go to the interior of the island to commence our labors preaching the gospel. When we came to a city called Camden, forty miles from Sydney, we concluded to try to get a place to preach in. We were refused all public houses that we asked for. Finally we tried to get the privilege of stopping at a public house, or tavern, all night. We told the landlord that we were missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and we were traveling without purse or scrip, according to the pattern that Jesus had left on record in the Bible. The landlord asked us if we were "Mormons." We said that we were called that name by the world. After talking some time with him he ordered us out of the house, and told some drunken Irishmen to run us out of the town and he would give them a gallon of rum each. It was now after dark, and we went down one of the streets and called at a large boot and shoe shop. The owner said that he would keep us and we were having a good discussion on the principles of the gospel when a rough voice called to the master of the place, and said,
"Are you going to keep them d——d Mormons here all night?"
We looked towards the door and saw there a mob of drunken men, armed with native war clubs, spears and the boomerang. The boomerang is a weapon with which the natives formerly fought.
I said to my companion, "We must get out of here."
He replied, "How shall we do it without getting hurt?"
I told him that God had not sent us here to be killed in this manner, and if we would now trust wholly in the Lord, He would deliver us.
I had no more than said these words when the owner of the house caught the same spirit as the mob and said to us, "Get out of my house, or I will kill you," and, at the same time, struck at my partner with a hammer, but missed him as he sprang to one side.
The mob said, "Drive them out and we will use them up in a hurry."
I picked up my carpet-bag and umbrella and went to the door with a prayerful heart to God that he would protect us, and I walked out between many of them. It appeared that they did not see me or they did not notice me. The mob was arranged on both sides of the door, with their weapons drawn ready to strike at the first sight of us; and as my partner came out the leader of the band called the attention of his men to give some instructions how to deal with us, and thus he slipped past them unseen. I took him by the arm and we started down the street. In the darkness of the night they could not see us. About this time the owner of the house came to the door and they asked him where the "Mormons" were. He replied that they had gone out just that minute. They said they knew better; "for," said they, "they have not passed us, and you had better bring them out, or we will knock your house down." At that they broke into the house and, not finding us, they took the master and journeymen out and beat them almost to death.
In this deliverance we see the prediction of President Heber C. Kimball fulfilled; for he said that I should be brought into many close places, and it would seem that death stared me in the face; but, if I would be faithful to my mission, the angels of God would deliver me in all trials, and I should return in safety to the Church and to my home. In all of my travels on that island for two years and a half, I found that when there was a good work to be done in a city, we met with the greatest opposition; for in this same place, where we received such cruel treatment, we afterwards preached, and baptized, and organized a branch of the Church with many members.
We next went to a city called Picton, and, by this time, the Lord had made us bold to declare His gospel, for such light had burst upon our minds as we had never thought of before; and by this time I had learned to read and write, and had learned arithmetic very well. We applied for the court-house and obtained it from the judge of the district. We appointed a meeting for Friday evening, and we then put up some cards stating the time of meeting. At the time appointed the people assembled and filled the house. For two days my companion had been marking passages in the Bible, and on this occasion he was intending to deliver a fine discourse. The meeting was opened and he arose, took his text and commenced with great importance. He had not spoken more than five minutes when he got to the end of his sermon, for he could not say more than "Amen." Then I was introduced to the congregation as Elder Potter, with the remark that I would continue the subject of the gospel. I arose with fear and trembling; for it was the first time in my life that I had stood in a pulpit. Before me was a large Bible and prayer book. I must say that my mind was confused; but I took a text from the Bible that lay open before me. It was from the Prophet Amos:
"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets."
"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets."
After reading it I spoke a few more words and became dumb that I could not speak. I stood there without speaking about two minutes, when the words of President Heber C. Kimball came to me: He said that the time would come when I should be at a loss to know what to say to the people, "and, at that time," he said, "if you will commence to declare the divine mission of Joseph Smith in this our day, and the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon, the Lord will loosen your tongue and you shall say the very things that are needful to be said to the people." When this came to my mind I commenced declaring these things to the congregation. I had spoken but a few minutes, when I thought I saw several lines of large letters printed on the walls of the house, and I commenced to read them and spoke about one hour. When the letters faded from my sight I then stopped speaking. I could not tell all that I had said; but my companion told me it was an excellent discourse. When meeting was dismissed the judge came to us and said if we wanted the court-house again we could have it; so we gave notice that we would preach at that place on Sunday evening next. The next day we went through the city and talked with many of the people, and when Sunday evening came we lighted the chandeliers in the house, went up into the pulpit and sat and read the scriptures. The time arrived for the people to gather, but not a soul came. We waited half an hour, sung a hymn and dedicated the house for meeting. We still waited; but, as no one came, we locked up the house and went to our lodgings.
MALIGNED BY SECTARIAN PRIESTS—INVITATION TO PREACH AT A DISTANT TOWN—MEANS PROVIDED BY A MYSTERIOUS PERSONAGE—BRANCH OF THE CHURCH ORGANIZED—APPLY TO THE AUTHORITIES OF THE COLONY FOR, AND RECEIVE, LICENSE AND PROTECTION AS MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL—ARRESTED—MY COMPANION'S DEFENSE—HONORABLY RELEASED—GO TO WINDSOR—UNABLE TO OBTAIN LODGINGS—DIRECTED BY A STRANGER—KINDLY TREATED—AN ATTEMPT TO POISON ME—MY COMPANION SHOT AT BY A RUFFIAN.
The morning after the meeting alluded to in the last chapter we learned that the priests and parsons of the different denominations had met and decided to unite in preventing their people from coming to hear us preach, for they said that we were dangerous men, and we were of the class of false prophets of whom Jesus spoke, who should come in the last days to deceive the people. We had labored a few weeks in this city and had baptized a few into the Church, when we received a letter from Emue Plains, stating that the people would like to see and hear a "Mormon" Elder. Emue Plains was a distance of sixty miles from where we were, and when we started it had been raining about a week, and a great portion of the country was flooded with water. We had a large river to cross on the way, and we were informed that the bridge had been carried off and there was a ferry established across the river which charged five shillings each passenger. We did not have any money with which to pay this charge, and my companion was anxious to know what we should do for money to pay the ferriage with. We were then about three miles from the ferry, and were passing through timber. I told him that we would go into the woods and pray to God to open the heart of some one to give it to us. We did so, and we had traveled but a short distance through a lane between two fields, when we looked ahead of us a little way and saw an old man coming across the field. He came into the road ahead of us, and as he came to meet us he had a smile on his countenance. He reached out his hand to me, as if to shake hands, and left a crown, or five shilling piece, in my hand and went to my companion and did the same; but spoke not a word. I cannot describe the feeling that we had when the man took hold of our hands; we felt our hearts burn within us, and it did not seem that we had power to ask him his name or where he was from, as we usually did when a person gave us any article of clothing or money. He was a man about six feet high, well proportioned, and wore a suit of light gray clothes and a broad-brimmed hat, and his hair and beard were about eighteen inches long and as white as snow. We passed on and came to the ferry, and the money that we had was just enough to pay our ferriage.
We came to Emue Plains, labored and preached one month, baptized twenty-one persons and organized a branch of the Church. So you see that our Heavenly Father opened up our way to preach the gospel. We returned to Sidney and met in council with the American Elders. We came to the conclusion that we would like to have more influence with the people. We went before the parliament of New South Wales colony and applied to get our names registered as ministers of the gospel, in common with ministers of other denominations in that country. We spent two days answering the questions of the governor and of the members of parliament, and they decided that the doctrine that we taught was a scriptural doctrine, and therefore we should be protected in our rights as ministers of the gospel. They then furnished us with blank books and forms to solemnize marriages and register births and deaths in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Having procured our licenses we were encouraged with the idea that we could now do more good among the people. By this time a large amount of books had arrived from the Liverpool office, England, and we started again for the interior of the country, taking with us books and tracts.
Gamberriar was a mining town containing twenty thousand inhabitants. To this place we repaired. We commenced traveling through the city, talking to the people and selling our books and tracts; but, to begin with, could not get any place to preach in. Early one morning, before we started out on our labors for the day, an officer with six men came with a writ to take us before the judge of that district, to answer to five different complaints. We were charged with being guilty of treason against the government, with being horse thieves, with selling goods without a license, with preaching a blasphemous doctrine and with trying to cause a rebellion. The court was in session; we were brought before the judge and the trial came on. The charges were read and we were asked, "Are you guilty, or not guilty?" We answered, "Not guilty." The words of Jesus came to our minds:
"But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak; for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you."
"But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak; for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you."
Our accusers were two merchants, two lawyers and one doctor. They commenced giving in their evidence one by one, and after the judge had heard it all he asked us if we had any defense to make, or if we wanted a lawyer. We told him we did not want a lawyer, but we had a defense to make; and as my companion was my senior in age, he arose to make our defense before the court. He commenced on the treaty between England and America. He had spoken but a few minutes when the Holy Spirit rested upon him in such a way as I had never seen before. His face was very white and he spoke with great power and authority. The judge looked amazed. The house and yard were full of men who were all silent for one hour. When he was through we presented our passports from the city of Washington, our recommendation from the First Presidency of the Church and our licenses from the parliament of New South Wales colony.
The judge then arose and said,
"Gentlemen, my decision in this case is that you, the accusers, who have brought these men before this court under the pretense of grave charges, have not proved anything against them. To the prisoners I say, you are honorably acquitted. You are strangers to us; but I believe you are gentlemen of honor, or our government would not have given you the document that you bear with you. Go your way in peace, and we are bound to protect you from the ruthless hands of degraded men. I am sorry that we have put you to so much trouble; but go in peace."
After court adjourned I heard the people say that if we did not leave the town we would find ourselves in a deep hole some night, so we concluded to leave; but not before we had sold one hundred volumes of our books. We left a testimony with them that they will never forget.
Leaving Gamberriar we traveled through the gold mine one week and sold our books and tracts to the miners and preached to them the gospel, and then came to a city called Windsor situated on the Penreth River. As we had been traveling several days in the rain, and had been wet through every day, we were desirous of getting a place to stay in the suburbs of this city and recruit ourselves and clean up before commencing our labors in the ministry. We tried twelve times to stay all night, but were refused very abruptly each time. We found that a parson of the church of England had gone before us, and had warned the people that the "Mormon" Elders were coming, and they must shut their doors against them. It was now nine o'clock at night, and was raining very hard. We walked up Main street in this city, and were so wet, tired and hungry that we could but just walk. We had traveled twenty-four miles that day with but very little food to eat, and our boots were worn out and our feet scalded with the water and blistered very badly. In those circumstances my companion said to me, with tears in his eyes,
"Is it possible that the Lord has forsaken us, and will suffer us to die in the streets of this city?"
I said to him, "Brother John Said," for that was his name, "this is a trial of our faith, and after the bitter then comes the sweet."
While we were thus conversing, I looked ahead some distance and saw a confectioner's shop with the door open. I said to my companion "we will try to stay there." As we drew near to the place we saw a man come out of the shop and walk into the middle of the street. He came down the street towards us. He and I met first, as I was in advance of my companion, and he said: "Good evening, friends. I have been waiting for you some time. What has made you so late?" As I answered his questions I drew close to him, and looked him in the face to see if I could recognize him; but I could not.
He asked: "Where are you going to stay to-night."
I said: "We do not know."
He then put his hand into his pocket and gave me some money, and went to my companion and did the same; and then said:
"Boys, do you see that large four-story house on the corner?"
We replied that we did.
"Well," said he, "you go there and tell the landlord that you have been sent there to occupy the green room to-night, and he will conduct you to it, and give you all the accommodations that he can afford."
After saying this the stranger left us, and passed on out of our sight, in the dark. We then proceeded to the house, and found all things as the stranger had represented. The landlord conducted us to the green room, it was in the fourth story of the house, and while going up the long stairs my companion said to me, "Stop;" I stopped and he said in a low voice, "I fear that this is a plan laid to destroy us." I told him not to fear, for we had suffered enough, and the Lord was about to bless us. Arriving at the room we found it a beautiful place, but we were not fit tenants for such a fine room, as our clothing was wet through and muddy. We found everything as the stranger who met us in the street had told us. There was dry clothing for us to put on, and a good bed to sleep in, and the landlord sent us up a warm supper. We then looked at the money that the man gave us in the street and found it to be English money of the denominations ranging from a crown down to the smallest coin in silver, and what seemed strange to us was that both of us had the same amount and pieces just alike; the man seemed to have a pocket nearly full of money, and it was dark when he gave it to us. After supper we went to bed and had a good night's rest and pleasant dreams. The next morning we got up and partook of the hospitalities of the house and asked the landlord our bill. He answered that "there was no charge," so we went on our way rejoicing.
We spent a few days in this city, and preached and sold our books and had a good time with the people. I baptized one man and his family; the man had been a Methodist preacher, and I ordained him an Elder, and he commenced preaching the doctrines of the Latter-day Saints. While traveling in this city I called at a public house to distribute our books. I found two American men there, and when they heard me say I was an American, they asked me if I was a "Mormon" preacher. I said, "Yes, sir." "Well," said one of them, "you must have something to drink with me as you are a fellow-countryman of mine." I told him that I did not drink spirituous liquors of any kind, but he insisted that I must take some wine with him. So he went into another room, as he said, to get some wine out of the cellar. I was showing my books to several in the room when he returned with the glasses of wine and presented one of them to me and requested me to drink with him. I could see by the man's countenance that he had done something wrong, so I told him that I should not drink the wine in the glass that he offered me, but if he would change glasses and give me the one that he was going to drink, I would drink it if he would drink the one he offered me. He then flew into a rage, for he knew that I had detected his design to try to poison me. I had overheard him say, while he was gone after the wine, that "the Mormon priests say that poison will not hurt them, but I will soon show you that I will make one of them ache." He also said that he was one of the party that shot Joseph Smith at Carthage jail. He took one of my books and said that I should not have it again if I did not drink the wine that he gave me. I stepped to the door and saw two policemen passing and called to them. They came to my assistance, and I told them my story. They hunted for the man, to take him, but he was not to be found. The next day my companion went to a farm house a few miles from the city to distribute some tracts and books and found one of those Americans there. When he left the house this stranger followed him with his Minnie rifle, and remarked that he had a killing contract to kill all of the "Mormon" Elders that he could find, and when he had said those words he drew his rifle to his face, and said "here goes for the first one!" and fired, the bullet passing within a few inches of my comrade's head. This vile murderer was so close to him that he did not take close sight on his gun. When he found that he had not hit him, he commenced loading his piece again, but by the time he had got his gun loaded my partner was nearly a quarter of a mile distant. The ruffian gave chase and when he came within about one hundred yards he took a rest on a stump and fired. But the bullet whistled near by and missed again. The assassin then gave up the chase and went back.
A CHAT WITH A CATHOLIC—CHASED BY DOGS—AN IRISHMAN'S DESIGN TO MURDER ME—REMARKABLE ESCAPE—ADVENTURE WITH A WILD BULL—"HAS HE GOT YOU?"—MY RELEASE FROM MY MISSION—INCIDENTS OF THE HOME JOURNEY—A PROPHECY AND ITS FULFILLMENT—A VISIT TO A SICK LADY—CONCLUSION.
My companion was called to Sidney on business, and I being left to travel alone for a few weeks, started on a tour through the country to sell our books. While traveling I met with an adventure at a large tavern called the Half-way House, kept by a Roman Catholic. This house was situated half way between Penrith and Bathurst cities. When I called at this house the landlord was away from home, but his wife was there and I showed her my books, some of which she purchased; and as dinner was nearly ready I was invited to stay and get dinner. While I was having a good discussion on the scriptures, the master of the house came home, and brought with him a Catholic priest. The woman showed the priest the books that she had bought, and he gave her a severe reprimand for taking them, and then turned to me and said that I was an infernal heretic and ought to be burned at the stake and killed. The master of the house partook of the same murderous spirit, and remarked that he would set his dogs on me and tear me to pieces; while he was whipping his wife, I stepped out and started. This was in a very heavy timbered country, and I did not follow the road, for I knew that he would follow me, and if he found me that he would do something desperate if he could. I had been traveling about half an hour when I heard the sound of the large hounds and bull dogs on my track. A thousand thoughts passed through my mind in a short time, and I imagined that perhaps I should never see my aged mother again; but then the thought came to me that President Heber C. Kimball had prophesied on my head that I should live to fill my mission and return again to the bosom of the Church. I then tried to climb up a tree, but the bark was so smooth that I could not climb it, and by this time the dogs had come in sight and I could hear a man's voice urging them on. While in this situation I called on the Lord for help, and my prayer was heard; for as the dogs came near me a large kangaroo crossed my track in full speed, and the dogs, seeing it, turned square about and went after the animal and did not see me at all. I then turned and went to the road, but my troubles were not yet ended. The dogs had gone out of hearing, but the man had discovered that the dogs were after the animal and tried to call them back, but could not; so he came into the road to hunt for me. I heard a rough voice calling after me, and I looked back in the road and saw an Irishman coming on a run carrying a large club in his hand. He swore bitterly, and said as he had caught me now he would use me up with that club. I could see that he was possessed of a spirit to kill, so I walked up to him and offered him my hand, with the remark that I wanted to talk with him a short time before he carried his threat into execution. I said, "Sir, I am an American, and I have come here thousands of miles to do you and others good," and then, to draw his attention, I told him that there were many Irish people in America and some of them were very wealthy, and they built our railroads, and made the best soldiers, and more than that, when the famine was raging in Ireland the Americans sent several ship loads of flour and bread stuff to them, and did not charge them one cent for them. By this time he dropped his club and we walked along together until we came on the hill within sight of the city Paramatta. He stopped and we talked a short time, and he confessed to me that he intended when he came up to me, to have killed me with the club, but he was glad now that he did not strike me with it. He shook hands with me and started back home. Little did he think that it was an overruling Providence that stayed his hand that he was not permitted to strike with the club. Here I joined my companion again and we started on a tour through the country.
The island of Australia abounds in many parts with wild cattle. As we were traveling one day through the woods on an old road not much used, all at once we heard a thundering sound behind us, and my partner who was about one rod behind me cried, "Look out for wild cattle!" There was some fallen timber near by, and I ran, got up on a tree top and then looked back to see where my companion was. I saw that he was in danger and I ran to his assistance, but before I could reach him a wild bull had caught him and thrown him on his horns; but he had no sooner struck the ground than he sprang to his feet again. The bull came the second time and my companion caught him by the horns, and was thrown again, this time alighting in a tree top, where the animal did not attempt to follow him, but turned around at me as I was belaboring him with a club. When I saw that he had turned on me, I felt my first fear of being hurt. There was a tree about three rods distant from me, I thought if I could get to it I could save myself by dodging the bull, so I started to run to the tree, the bull close after me with his head down, ready to hook on the first touch of his horns. Quite faint I succeeded in reaching the tree and whirled myself around it. The bull threw up his head and snorted and passed on. About this time my companion rose up out of the tree-top, where the bull had thrown him, and called to me, "Has he got you?" I answered, "No, sir, it takes a smarter bull than that to catch me on a fair race." I then went to see if my partner was hurt, and found that all the bruise or hurt that he had received was in the palms of his hands, caused by taking hold of the bull's horns to save himself.
On the 15th day of July, 1858, we received a letter from President Brigham Young, stating that we were all of us released from our mission and called home to help protect the homes of the Saints. We therefore settled our business in Sidney, made a short visit to the country branches of the Church, appointed local Elders as presidents over them, bade them all farewell and returned again to Sidney. In a few days we all went on board a fine ship. The names of the American Elders besides myself that were returning were, A. J. Stewart, G. S. Clark, S. R. Chappin and J. H. Said. The night before the ship was to start nearly all the sailors took a boat and deserted, leaving the captain with only four seamen on board. When morning came the captain went on shore and succeeded in capturing and bringing back in irons three of the runaways. He then went among the passengers to see if he could hire hands to man the ship. I agreed to work for him as steward and had the direction of all the store of provision on board. This proved to be a great blessing to the Saints who were with us, as many of them were sick on the trip and I could administer to their wants.
Previous to starting the captain loaded the ship with eleven hundred tons of New Castle coal, and this great weight caused the ship to draw twenty-four feet of water. As our captain was not much acquainted with the South Pacific seas, he concluded to sail south of the Society Islands.
The first ten days of our voyage passed in peace and safety. Nothing happened to us or our good ship only that some of us were very sea-sick, but that soon left us. We had now traveled fifteen hundred miles and were passing the coast of New Zealand when a terrific storm came upon us from the north. During the whole night we drifted towards the land and next morning we could plainly see it. The wind was blowing a gale and the captain ordered the ship to be tacked many times, but it seemed that every tack brought us nearer the shore. The water could be seen flying upon the rocks a distance of many feet. The anchor was lowered, but it was useless as the ground could not be reached. The next order was to throw overboard the loading. All hands therefore went to work and we had soon emptied a hundred tons of our cargo into the sea. This made the ship ride the waves more safely.
About this time the first mate asked us if we would not pray to God that the winds might be stayed or changed to another course. We told him that we had done our praying before starting from shore and now in times of peril we should watch and work. We did, however, ask our Father in heaven to change the winds and they immediately changed from the north to the south and just in time to save our good ship from striking that terrible rock called the King's Head, which towers four thousand feet above the sea. By evening we were out of sight of land and sailing along nicely towards our destination.
I shall never forget the day when we struck the trade-winds. On that day the captain ordered me to get all on board a fresh chicken dinner, the first cabin at eleven, the second at twelve and the steerage at one o'clock. I worked accordingly and while carrying a large china platter full of fresh chickens on my head the man at the wheel let the ship swing into the track of the waves and a large wave struck the ship on the broad side, broke in about eight feet of the bulwarks and covered the deck with about two feet of water. I was thrown to the deck; platter was smashed and the chickens were taken into the sea; but worse than all, I was dashed from side to side and almost drowned; I came near being washed overboard into the sea, the galley was filled with water and the fire was extinguished, so we did not get any fresh dinner that day.
After arriving in San Francisco, the captain went on shore and was offered an advanced price for his load; he asked our counsel and we told him to retain his load for one week; he did so and then sold for six thousand dollars more than he had been previously offered. He made us a nice present in cash which helped us on our way home.
Brother Chappin was impressed to tell the captain that his ship never would cross the ocean again, but would sink to the bottom of the sea and that he should barely escape with his life. One month later the captain freighted his ship with a valuable cargo bound for Melbourne, Australia, but in passing out of the heads at San Francisco without a tug-boat his ship was driven on the sands and in three hours after was a total wreck. Had it not been that a steamer was passing out of the bay at the time and went to the rescue all on board would have been lost, but as it was they were saved. The captain was the owner of the ship and as it was not insured he lost all his fortune in a few dreadful hours; he returned home to Boston, Mass., a poor man. Thus the prophecy of one of the servants of God to him was fulfilled.
Five of us Elders went to Sacramento and then went to other places to get employment in order to procure means for our journey home. I worked a short time at cutting wood, and while at that business I had the following dream: A messenger came to me and said, "You may cease this labor and work in the ministry. You are wanted at one Mr. Green's now." I had been to that man's place and had preached to him and his family. The daughter believed and wanted to be baptized, but could not be at that time.
The next morning while I was settling with the man for whom I had worked, a messenger came on horse-back with the news that this young Miss Green was not expected to live an hour. She had a putrid sore throat and had been asking for me all night. I had a few miles to go before reaching the house and on my way I purchased a bottle of sweet oil and went on a hill in the woods and there consecrated it for the anointing of the sick. About eleven o'clock I arrived at the house and found it full of strangers, most of whom were Irish Catholics. When it was announced that I had come the young lady aroused from her stupor which all pronounced as death. She reached out her hand to me and in a whisper said, "Thank God I have seen you before I die." She tried to speak further, but could not. I then told all in the house to sit down. They did so, and I then knelt by the side of the bed and asked the Lord to spare her a short time. I then anointed her with oil to her burial. At this she sat up in bed and said, "Give me some water." After drinking a little water she conversed on the gospel for half an hour, to the amazement of all in the house. She said she had hoped to live to gather with the Saints, but now she was going home to her God. I had taught these people the principle of baptism for the dead, and her last words were, "Remember me in the day that you are baptized for the dead;" thus saying she sank down again and her noble spirit fled to the paradise of God.
The next day I filled my valise with books and started for the mines, stopping frequently by the way to talk to the people. I experienced much opposition from the people and was about to return without doing much good when I was impressed to go in another direction. I came to a small settlement where I traveled a few days and sold some books. One family by the name of Millgate made me welcome at their house. I stayed there one week and the last night I stayed with them I took the family at midnight and baptized them in a reservoir near at hand. The time had now arrived for us to start home, and having purchased a spring wagon and a pair of horses three of us started for home. Three and a half years had now past since I received my blessing under the hands of President H. C. Kimball and all that had been predicted was fulfilled when I arrived home in safety.
HOW OUR MISSIONARIES ARE SUSPECTED—CHILDREN LOST—SUPPOSED CASE OF KIDNAPPING—MYSELF AND COMPANION ARE ACCUSED—THE DEAD BODIES ARE FOUND—DISOBEDIENCE BRINGS ITS OWN REWARD.
In the winter of 1869-70, while I was on a mission to the Eastern States, the incidents which I am about to relate occurred. They will serve to show the strong prejudice and superstitious dread with which many people regard the Latter-day Saints, or, as they are commonly called, "Mormons."
In company with Brother Fairbanks, with whom I was traveling, I visited some of his relatives and stayed a while in the State of New Jersey. From here we took a trip into the northern part of New York State, where we remained some time, and then returned to New Jersey. During our absence the following incident occurred:
Near what is called Pompton Plains, New Jersey, a family, consisting of parents and three children, lived near the edge of a patch of timber land. One evening in the latter part of December, the two elder children, aged respectively nine and five years, went to a hickory tree about half a mile from the house to gather nuts, contrary to the bidding of their mother, who had charged them strictly not to go. Before the mother had time to go after them, night came on, and, to make matters worse, it commenced raining. She called loudly for them, but no answer was received from the little truants. The night grew pitchy dark and the mother's anxiety increased. What was she to do? Her husband not yet returned from his work, no houses near or help at hand and she alone with her young babe, not daring to leave it to go and search the missing ones. As she waited and looked in vain for their return her anxiety became almost unbearable and she started out with her child in her arms, but the rain drove her back. Soon afterwards her husband returned, and the hurried story of his children's absence needed no repeating to rouse him to action. He started immediately in search of them. He went to the hickory tree, but no children were there. He called aloud, but was answered only by the wind whistling through the trees. After satisfying himself that they were not in that vicinity he returned home, fondly hoping that the little ones had, by this time, reached there. But in this he was disappointed. The wind had now set in pretty strongly and the air was keen with frost.
What to do now was the question, for it was certain the children were lost, and, being thinly clad, if they were not soon found they must certainly perish. The father ran to the nearest neighbors, a distance of half a mile, and gave the alarm. As soon as possible a company of fifteen or twenty men and boys were collected to assist in the search. But, by this time, it was nearly midnight, and no tidings had been heard of the little wanderers.
Their arrangements for searching were hurriedly made. They divided into squads and went in different directions, calling loudly as they went and searching every place where they could imagine the children would have strayed, and thus the search was continued all night till the men were almost tired out and frozen. Morning dawned upon that desolate cottage—a cold and cheerless morning to its inmates, for no relief had yet come to the anxious parents. Another call was made upon the people to continue looking for them, and they turned out and scoured the country, but in vain, for not a sign of the missing children could be found. Thus the second night passed. As the news of the loss spread through the district additional interest and anxiety were awakened, and the sympathetic neighbors turned out in force to aid the bereaved parents in seeking the lost ones. As the time passed the hope of finding them alive died out, but the efforts did not cease. About four miles from the house there were large iron works that employed about three hundred men, and on the third day these workmen turned outen masseand increased, by their number, the force engaged in the search.They organized and examined, as they thought, every foot of land in the vicinity, but with the same discouraging result.
A number of Spiritualists resided in the neighborhood, also some "fortune-tellers;" and they were applied to to divine, if possible, where the children were. They pretended to do so, but their stories conflicted fearfully and all conjectures failed. It was finally suggested that they had been kidnapped. A couple of "Mormon" Elders, it was said, had been in that vicinity and they were suspected of having spirited them away and sent them to Salt Lake. This was only one among a great many reports circulated against the Latter-day Saints, all of which gained ready credence. A reward of three hundred dollars was offered for the recovery of the children; and a great many, stimulated by a desire to gain the reward, spent days in searching them.
Thus matters went on for about three weeks, towards the last the search being prosecuted at intervals only; when one Sunday two or three neighbors decided upon going over the ground once more, with a faint hope of finding them. About three quarters of a mile from the house they noticed a number of crows flying around in the air and hopping upon the tree tops, a short distance from them. Though they paid little attention to the crows at first, when they approached nearer to them they noticed, by the peculiar actions of the birds, that there was some unusual attraction for them in the vicinity. Near by was a high ledge of rocks, under which they saw some of the crows fly. They made their way under this ledge to where the crows seemed to be busy, when, to their horror, they discovered the remains of the missing little ones, but so disfigured as hardly to be recognizable. They had wandered there to find shelter, and there perished. The elder of the two had manifested a noble disposition in the hour of their extremity, for it appeared that he had taken off his little coat and tenderly covered it over his little sister to protect her from the cold. Much of their flesh had been eaten off by the crows when found, but their remains were carefully taken to their sorrowful, heart-broken parents.
The next day there was a funeral at the Methodist church, near by, attended by the old and young of the entire neighborhood, assembled to see conveyed to their last resting-place the bodies of the children whose loss they all felt so keenly. No language can describe the feelings of those bereaved parents. Their sorrow was too deep for words to express.
We visited the place a short time afterwards, saw the cliff under which the children died, and learned how the final recovery of their bodies had relieved us of the imputation of having kidnapped them.
There is a lesson which every child may learn from this sad narrative: the necessity of obedience to parents. In obedience only is their safety. Though those grief-stricken parents forgave, in their hearts, the little act of disobedience which robbed them of their loved ones, it was none the less true that had they been obedient, as they ought, to their mother, they would not thus have met their fate.