visited by president joseph f. smith—called on another mission to the society islands—prepare to respond—a blessing by apostle lorenzo snow—appointed to preside oyer the society islands mission—attempts to discourage me from undertaking the journey—surprise party by my children—farewell reception in the ward hall—start on my mission, accompanied by my son and others who had been called—voyage to tahiti—madman on board the vessel—at marquesas islands—strange characters—tattooed white man—his peculiar career—catching sharks—arrive at papeete—my reception there—meet native josephite preachers, who seem confused—elders from utah greet us—in poor health.
on march 30, 1892, president joseph f. smith called at my residence in salt lake city, and handed me a letter written by an elder who was on the island of tahiti. at the same time president smith asked me how i would like to take another mission to the society islands, in the south pacific ocean. i told him i did not wish any man to call me on a mission—that my health was not good, and such a journey as he suggested was a big undertaking for one in my condition. he replied that he would leave the letter for me to read, and would call the next day to learn what i thought of it. he came according to appointment, and informed me that the first presidency wanted me to undertake the mission. i replied that when properly called i was not afraid to go, as i had faith that god would not require of any man more than he would have the ability to do if he were faithful. the day following this conversation i visited the first presidency and learned that they were a unit in requesting me to go to the society islands.
from this time i began to settle my affairs to meet the call. on april 8th, i was set apart for the mission, elder francis m. lyman being mouth in the blessing. on the 15th, i went to ogden on business, and while on the train met apostle lorenzo snow, who told me he felt the spirit of prophecy. he said that the mission i was going on should be one of the greatest i had ever performed; that i would prosper therein and be blessed with more power and influence than ever before; that the lord would be with me to sustain and comfort me, and that my family should be provided for. as he spoke i felt a thrill of testimony through my whole being. when he concluded he took from his pocket two five-dollar gold pieces, remarking that he had been a missionary himself, and insisted that i should take the money, keep it till i got in a close place, and then use it, which i did.
on april 22nd i received at president woodruff's office a letter of appointment to preside over the society islands mission, which included the society and tuamotu groups, comprising from eighty to one hundred islands and an area of about fifteen hundred square miles. about this time i had many visitors, a considerable number of whom expressed surprise at my being appointed to such a mission at my time of life and in my condition; for i was sixty-four years of age and walked on crutches and one foot, as i had to abandon my artificial limb in arizona, owing to the intense pain it caused me. one man said that he would not go in my situation for ten thousand dollars. but these discouraging remarks did not raise a doubt in my mind of the propriety of the call.
on the 24th of april i was engaged in writing, when my children and grandchildren to the number of sixty-five burst in upon me in a surprise party. we had a happy time and i gave them a father's blessing. then we repaired to the seventeenth ward meeting house, where members of the ward had assembled, and i preached a farewell sermon and took an affectionate leave of the people.
i sold some of my real estate to pay the expenses of my journey, and for my family; also received contributions in money from a number of friends; and on april 26th i started on my mission, accompanied by my son elando. we stayed over night at ogden, then continued on to san francisco, arriving there april 28th. on april 30th we boarded the barkentine city of papeete, which sailed the next day.
the sea voyage occupied the entire month of may, tahiti coming into view on the evening of the 31st. our fare, cabin, was seventy-five dollars each. the first few days out we had headwinds, and there was a goodly share of seasickness. on the 10th a native of tahiti, named manhele, commonly known as john bull, became violently insane, and had to be restrained. on the 12th he freed himself and crawled out on the jib boom, from which he was about to plunge into the sea, when he was secured. it took five men to handle him. at five o'clock on the morning of the 15th it was discovered that the madman had made a fire by rubbing two sticks together. fortunately he was detected in time to prevent the ship being set aflame. a few days after this occurrence his condition improved and continued so to the end of the voyage.
it was at the marquesas islands on may 26th, when we sailed into port, that i went ashore with the rest of the passengers, and met a native of rapia, a very uninviting person in appearance. the people warned us to beware of him as he was a savage and had killed five men. he told me he had seen me forty years before on his native island, and related circumstances of the event that convinced me his statement was true.
marquesas fire dancers
marquesas fire dancers
the next man i spoke to ashore was john h. rumrell of boston, massachusetts, who was taken prisoner by natives on the marquesas islands in 1847, and in the following year was tattooed from the tip of his nose to just above his eyebrows, and back to his ear on the left side of his face; on the right side the tattooing went from the lower part of the nose back to the ear; while above the eyebrow, and reaching to the ear, was another strip. the ink was pricked in with human bone. he said that it was because of this tattooing that he would not return to his people. in his experience he had been without clothing for years. he had two sons and one daughter, and lived like the natives in every respect. he related how that on one occasion the natives had killed a white man and cooked and ate him, and at the same time they had killed a colored man, who was eaten raw, before the flesh was cold. mr. rumrell said he seldom heard from his relatives in boston. he seemed almost oblivious to everything except what was immediately before him; he took as little interest in civilization as did the natives, and i have not found a lower class of people in the south pacific than on the five of eleven marquesas islands which were inhabited at the time of this visit.
the captain of our vessel informed me that the inhabitants of the group numbered about four thousand eight hundred souls, and that there were ten deaths among the natives to one birth, the chief cause of this mortality being the opium habit. the french governor was trying to prohibit the use of the drug, but so far had not been successful.
on the voyage down to the marquesas we saw many flying fish, whales and other varieties of the finny tribe. on may 12th the sailors caught two sharks, and after cutting them up threw them overboard. we left the port of taihai, in the marquesas, on may 28th, and on the 31st sighted tahiti, entering the harbor of papeete on june 1st, after considerable trouble.
i remained on board till the afternoon. mr. dorence atwater, formerly united states consul there, came on the vessel, and recognizing me told me he had an empty room that i was welcome to occupy with my friends until i could do better. i felt that this courtesy had been offered as an answer to my prayers to the lord. i accepted the invitation and we went to the house he had been speaking of, from where we returned to the wharf, and he bade me good evening.
while resting myself a moment near a group of natives i spoke to them, when one came forward and asked why i was there. i replied that i had come to preach the gospel. at this he called four of his companions and introduced them as mormon missionaries of the reorganized church of latter-day saints, or followers of young joseph smith, the prophet's son. i told them i did not belong to their organization, but to the true church of saints, the same as when i was on the islands before. they seemed surprised and confused, and after a pause inquired if i knew the josephite missionaries that came from america. i answered that all the true mormon missionaries came from salt lake city and vicinity. then i asked if they knew where i could get a bed, and after consultation one of them said i could go with him. my baggage, however, was not through the custom house, and the captain suggested that i had better stay on board, so i went back to the vessel.
that evening elders joseph w. damron and wm. a. seegmiller, missionaries from utah, came on board and asked if there were any latter-day saints there. i introduced myself, then my son elando, and elder thomas jones. elder damron insisted that we go on shore with him for the night, which we did, and my son and i were comfortably located at the home of tiniarau, where we remained some time. the other elders went to a house about three miles distant, but next day moved to mr. atwater's place. for some days i was very tired and in poor health, and remained at the house talking to people who called.
