--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Coombs, M. Vernon collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 25 number: 5 published: 1922-03 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'M. Vernon Coombs, "A Thrilling Experience and a Testimony," *Improvement Era* 25, no. 5 (March 1922): 407–411.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2505unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera2505unse start_page: 407 end_page: 411 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1922-03) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2505unse publication_year: 1922 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1922, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # A Thrilling Experience and a Testimony A Thrilling Experience and a Testimony By M. Vernon Coombs, President of the Tongan Mission We were set apart for our mission to Tonga by Presi- dents Lund and Penrose, Brother Penrose being mouth. Among the beautiful blessings pronounced upon our head», the two fol- lowing were impressed indelibly upon my mind. Speaking to Sister Coombs he said, "You shall accompany your husband on his mission, and return in safety, bringing your sheaves with you." To me he promised, "You shall go in safety on land and by sea." These two promises are indeed remarkable when con- sidered in the light of subsequent events. We left for our field of labor with two small sons; by the time we had been here two months we had been blessed by the arrival of a fine baby girl. Three fine "sheaves" and Sister Coombs had been prom- ised that she would return to Zion with them in safety. We Were thoroughly enjoying Elder David O. McKay's visit and had held a very successful conference in Togatabu, many of the Saints having come from the Haapai and distant Vavau con- ferences that they might shake by the hand and associate with an apostle of the Lord. In justice to the many faithful Saints of these two northern conferences, and to give Brother McKay an opportunity to see the whole of our mission, it was decided that we visit them during the few days remaining before the arrival of the steamer which would carry Brother McKay away from us. Sister Coombs decided to accompany us on this trip with the three small children L'Monte, aged three and one-half years; Melburn, aged two years, and Vemetta not yet weaned. The Haapai Saints had, a few days before, returned in their own boat to Haapai. The Vavau Saints waited to go north with us. Elder May was able to charter a small two mast vessel, the Tararawa of only 35 tons on which ninety of us crowded and set sail one afternoon at four o'clock. The vessel boasted of no passenger accommodation at all. The cargo of flour, in the hold, with our trunks and boxes, had been piled against the sides of the hold and many of the women with small children occupied the space below thus provided. One woman, Sister Maeli Wolfgramme was there with her little three-months-old baby. The rest of us squatted on the dirty, greasy decks as best we might. The Captain had given his berth in the cabin tp 408 IMPROVEMENT ERA Sister Coombs while the half cast mate had left his berth for any one who wanted it. Besides these two officers the crew consisted of four Fijians. The sails were all set, and we were looking forward to an interesting voyage, for this was the first time that gome of our el- ders, with Brother McKay and Sister Coombs, had experienced a voyage at sea in a sailing vessel. At first we had a pleasant wind and all were in the best spirits. Everything went along splendidly until dusk. We had cleared the dangers as well as the protection afforded of the outer reefs and were out on the open sea. Without warning, a heavy wind came up which made the boat behave in such a fashion that we elders, and many of the natives, were suddenly reminded that the rail was a pretty good friend upon which to lean in case of an emergency. Even Brother McKay, experienced sailor that he now is, was glad to avail himself of the mate's unoccupied berth. Sister Coombs had likewise gone below leaving the three little tots entirely in the care of the natives. I was even content to stay near to the rail with the heavy seas washing over me, for I knew from past experiences how my stomach would act when upset by a rough sea. Neither of us was able to look after those helpless babies. If we were ever grateful for friends, we were then. A few of the natives who were better sailors than the rest, cared for those children during the terrors of three long nights and two seemingly endless days that will never be forgotten. The tiny craft, rocked, leapt, careened and rolled from side to side in a manner that beggars all description, while wave after wave broke on the deck causing the cans of kerosene to bang and float about creating a horrid din. The wind howled in the rigging like a maniac straining at the bands with which he was bound. At irregular intervals a flash of lightning would make the scene more vivid. We were wet, time and time again, by the heavy seas which came thundering over the rails, and all the time we were clinging on for dear life, for to have been washed over- board would have been the last. The captain was drinking heavily and but for the heroic vigil kept by Elder McKay he would have completely incapacitated himself. The helm was lashed down and the boat was left with no one to guide her and to drift as best she might for the night. There was more than one prayer for safety offered during the course of that night. My consolation and assurance lay in the promise of President Penrose. He was acting in his official capacity when those blessings were pronounced upon our heads, and I knew that they would be fulfilled to the very letter. During the night the only life boat was washed loose and A THRILLING EXPERIENCE 409 i hit with a sickening thud on the leg of a poor old sister who as a result has lain in the hospital for eight weeks. The vessel went on her very side and the luggage and boxes and sacks of flour came down in an avalanche on those poor women and children in the hold, but fortunately no one was hurt. Our three chil- dren were in there. Two of the elders, Brothers F. L. Clark and C. A. Oborn, of Ogden, were all but washed overboard, and but for their becoming entangled in the rigging would not have been with us at the end of that voyage. At regular intervals little Vernetta was taken to her mother to be fed, and in so doing both she and the native who carried her ran chances of being washed away, for we could not move about but had to hold fast to something solid to avoid just such an accident. One girl, Jiene found protection for herself and Melbourn in the cook's gaily, a small shanty situated on the forward deck from which location not even the expostulations of the Fijian cook could oust her. As the wind continued to increase in force, the half drunken captain came on deck to see if he could not do something to mitigate our danger from being swamped. All sails were taken in but the main sail and this was made as small as possible by reefing, for the rudder had split, and too much strain might render it completely useless. The wind was now so strong that the captain was afraid to change the course of the boat by tack- ing lest when the sail was changed to the opposite side, the vessel be swamped or the mast snapped off by the force of the wind. One of the good Saints, Lui Wolfgramme, then took the helm and stayed with it all day and piloted us through the in- tricate passages of the Haapai reefs. That morning we saw in the distance a small boat, the Malolo with all sails down, drift- ing helplessly. We learned afterward that her crew had given up hope and after taking down the sails had thrown out two anchors before going below the deck in the desperate hope that one or both of them might catch on to something and thus save the little raft from drifting on to the treacherous reef. It was indeed a relief that evening to land at Haapai at 8 o'clock after twenty-eight hours of such experiences. The next day at 2 p. m., not daunted in the least because of the experiences still fresh in mind, and not yet recovered from the sea sickness, we again boarded the Tararawa, her rud- der having been repaired, and we set out for Vavau. Again, at dusk the wind increased with renewed violence. Last night it howled through the rigging, tonight it fairly shrieked, as it wrestled with the shrouds. The captain afterwards informed me that it was the roughest voyage he had undertaken for three 410 IMPROVEMENT ERA years. We had expected to sight Vavau that evening, but due to the heavy mists and because the captain was unacquainted with the passages we kept too far to the west. In his efforts to avoid the Vavau reefs he missed Vavau altogether, so that when night came we were lost. Again another terrible night of aim- less, helpless drifting about on an angry sea! In spite of the ELDER DAVID O. McKAY AND ELDERS OF THE TONGAN MISSION Front row: George W. Robinson, Clarence Henderson, Walter J. Phil- lips, Reuben Clark, Lewis B. Parkin; center: Clermont A. Oborn, presi- dent of Haapai Con-; Francis L. Clark, retiring president of Haapai Con., Mission President M. Vernon Coombs, Elder David O. McKays Sister La Vera Coombs, S. Ibey May, retiring president of Vavau Con., Reuben M. Wiberg, president of Vavau Con.; standing. Harvey G. Sorenson, Emil C. Dunn, presdent of Togatabu Con.; Reuben L. Hansen. loyal protection rendered our babies by those loyal native Saints, Melbourn and D'Monte were drenched by the huge salty seas which bombarded our tiny craft all night. We were un- able to find our trunks and their clothing so that they had to remain in their wet clothes wrapped in blankets and native gatu ; they didn't even catch a cold. The captain was again under the influence of liquor so that when the morning dawned we were way over by the island of Late, and fifty miles off our proper course. After a great amount of tacking and zigzagging A THRILLING EXPERIENCE 411 against a heavy head wind we were able to make the harbor and with thankful hearts dragged ourselves ashore at 3 p. m., Sunday. We had been three days and two nights on the sea, and it was the worst passage that the captain had experienced in three years of continuous sailing of the South Seas. Even the residents of the islands, when they heard that we had weath- ered that rough passage all safe, sighed in relief. Truly, President Penrose must have been prompted by the Spirit of God when he pronounced those two blessings upon Sister Coombs and me. Then, too, Elder McKay was aboard that vessel as a special envoy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Lat- ter-day Saints, to visit the nations of the world in the interests of the Church of Christ. Verily yes, the Lord will protect his faithful servants in the performance of their duties. Nukualofa, Tonga