Communications

Nauvoo, Jan. 5th 1846.

BR. TAYLOR,

Having been requested by many brethren to give some account of my late mission in the Pacific, and being willing to gratify them and others, I send you an abridgment of my journal duriug [during] my mission, which if you deem worthy of publication, is at your disposal.

Truly yours,

NOAH ROGERS.

Being set apart with Brs. Addison Pratt, B. Grouard and Br. K. Hanks, to go the Islands of the South sea, we accordingly took leave of our families, and on the first day of June 1843, left Nauvoo for Pittsburgh, where we arrived on the 12th. Br. Pratt, left us at Evansville for Pleasant Garden, Indiana; Br. Grouard, left the same day for Philadelphia. Br. Hanks and myself, tarried in Pittsburgh until the 14th, when we left for Philadelphia, where we arrived on the 23d. in the evening. Here we found Br Grouard, we stayed in the city until the 29th, when it was agreed, that Brs Grouard and Hanks should go on, and that I should await the arrival of Br. Pratt; during which time I visited a branch at Downingtown, also Goshen, where I attended a Conference with Brs Sheets and Moore, who organized a branch. From thence I visited Centreville Del, on the 4th of July where I tarried until the 6th, with Sister Moseley. I then visited Wilmington, stayed one day, then returned to Philadelphia; and on Sunday 9th, by request of Br Grant preached near the Navy yard and baptized four. In the afternoon attended meeting with Br Grant.

Monday 10th, went to Burlington, New Jersey, and on the 15th was joined by Br Pratt at Mount Holly; the same day we visited Shreesville and returned to Burlington, on the 17th went to New York; and the 21st arrived at New Bedford, Mass. where we found Br Grouard, Br Pratt and myself visited Boston on the 22nd, from thence Br Pratt went to New Hampshire; I followed on the 26th, visited many places in N. H., Conn., Mass., and New York; then returned to Boston, where I found the Twelve; here also I met Brs. Pratt, Grouard, and Hanks. By counsel of Br Young, Br. Pratt went to N. Bedford, to procure a passage, which he did for $100 each, in the ship Timolen, Capt, Plasket. The brethren in Salem and Boston contributed liberally, as did also the brethren in New Bedford, particularly Br. Lewis, who with as liberality becoming a saint, gave us $300. After paying our passage we had 80 dollars left for contingent expenses. All things being ready on the 9th October, we embarked for the Pacific Ocean. There were on board eight passengers besides ourselves; Dr. Winslow and family, and Mr. Lincoln and wife. Br Hanks was quite feeble when we embarked. Br Grouard and myself were sea sick, particularly in the Gulf stream, a pleasing sensation which Brs Pratt and Hanks escaped, although the sea was very rugged. Br Hanks continued to fail until the 3d of November, when he departed this life without a struggle. The evening before his death, he had a vision concerning spirits in prison: an account of which has been written by Br Pratt. The Captain and officers were not willing to keep the body until we could make the Cape Verde Islands, consequently we were obliged to bury our brother in the deep blue seas.

"Amid the wonders of the deep,

We made our brother's grave!

Sweet and unbroken is his sleep;

Lulled by the raring wave."

The loss of Bro. Hanks was severely felt by us all, for he was truly a good man, and a worthy brother. One the 9th November we arrived at St. Nicholas one of the Cape Verde islands. Several of us went on shore, procured donkeys, and rode to Bravo, a village six miles in the interior. The inhabitants of these islands are mostly black, and speak the Portuguese language; their religion the Catholic. The streets are from four to eight feet wide, and the houses are one story high, made of roand [round] stones and clay mortar. The soil is sterile and unproductive. These islands are of volcanic origin, and the island of Fogo has a volcano, which may sometimes be seen in a state of eruption. After leaving these islands we steered for Tristan D' Acunha, and on the 10th December crossed the equator, and continued our way with a fine breezo [breeze] until the 3rd of January, 1844 we made the above named islands, situated in Lat. 37o S. and Long. 20o W. On the 4th we encountered a severe gale which lasted twenty-four hours in consequence of which we were unable to beat up to the island; but I learn that the island contains fifty inhabitants, descendants of one Glass, who was searjant [sergeant] in the English army, from which government he draws a pension, and id Governor of the island.-There are three islands in the group, one only inhabited. They also are of volcanic origin. On the 10th left these islands; and the 25th

doubled the Cape of Good Hope, and stood on for the Island of St. Pauls, which we made on the 21st February. We lowered three boats and caught twenty barrels of fish of the rock cod species. The next day we went on shore where we found fifty or sixty miserable looking Frenchmen and one American from Albany;-these were the only inhabitants of the island. The peculiar form of this island deserves some notice. This island seems to have been thrown up by strong volcanic action, forming in the centre [center] of the island a huge crater. From the crater on the south the land is sunk leaving in the crater a basin or bay into which vessels of light draught may enter and have a safe and commodious harbor. In the centre [center[ of this harbor no soundings can be found. From this basin or crater rises on all sides, a hill, to the height of two thousand feet, broken only by the sunken part. This hill slopes gradually to the sea, and on the top many mounds are thrown up by eruptions. Boiling springs are found near the crater, in one of which we boiled a craw fish. Situated 38o42 S Lat. and 77o52 E. Long. Brother Grouard and myself ascended the hill, where we had an opportunity to pray undisturbed; a privilege we had not enjoyed for months. Nothing unusual occurred on our way to New Holland. On the 20th March made the south cape of Van Dieman's Land; an island south of New Holland; and on the last of March and first of April passed the islands called "Three Kings," and pursued our way to the Society Island of Toeboui, and went on shore with the Captain.

The next day all the the passengers went on shore also. This island contains about four hundred inhabitants; they having no missionary, and finding who we were, requested us to stay. Brother Pratt stayed among them. On this island were a company of Americans, eight or nine who were building a schooner: they received us kindly. We tarried here nine days, when we set sail for Tahiti; which we made on the 13th, and on the 14th came to an anchor in the harbor of Papeeti. The French have possession of this town and harbor, which is under martial law: the harbor guarded by a Frigate, Corvette, and Steamer. The French and natives had a battle a few days before our arrival, and three or four since. The French are generally victorious, for the natives are more afraid of the sound of big guns, than they are of bullets. After obtaining a permit of the French Governor to land, we went on shore;-where we could not obtain board among the white inhabitants for less that seven dollars per week. I however made a hon (friend) of a native with whom I lived for two dollars and a half per week. Brother Grouard boarded with Mr. Lincoln, (our fellow passenger mentioned above) at about the same price. A few days after our arrival a battle took place between the French and natives at Point Venus: in which an English missionary was accidently [accidentally] shot by the French: whose funeral I attended. On my arrival at the place of the funeral, I knocked at the door for admittance; but no one bidding me enter, and the door being ajar I entered without farther ceremony. On entering, I saluted them respectfully; but not one of the missionaries spoke to me, or even bowed.

No doubt their grief was so deep and their sorrow so profound, that they forgot for the time that they were gentlemen: their subsequent conduct proved that they were not, their pretensions to the contrary notwithstanding, I went with them to the meeting house; heard their sermon: followed to the grave, and returned with them:-yet not one of these very pious, self-denying, cross-bearing embassadors [ambassadors] of sectarianism, deigned to honor me with a word or a nod; although they distinctly understood who I was, report having anticipated our arrival by a week. We could not get an interview with them; and they soon closed the meeting house and locked it against us; which was built by foreign residents and shipmasters, for the benefit and use of foreigners. We hired a house for eight dollars per month, and commenced preaching in it, and soon baptised [baptized] from fifteen to twenty whites; Americans and English. In the mean time we began to acquire the Tahitian language, and to preach to the natives, hundreds of whom professed to believe our preaching, but would not obey. Their reason was that they dare not, because they expected assistance from the English against the French, and they feared the missionary influence with the English Government would be exerted against them if thy embraced our principles. Affairs being thus in Tahiti, Bro. Grouard and I thought best to visit other islands. Accordingly we ordained Bro. Lincoln to preside over the branch in Tahiti, and took our departure; Bro. Grouard East, and I West. I visited Morea, Huhena, Rieaties, Bobobolo, and Taha; from thence to the island of Mote one of the Harvey group.

From thence to the island of Mangla, where I landed. This island contains about four thousand inhabitants, whose language is a little different from the Tahitian, No missionary was on this island, so I offered to tarry and teach them; but they informed me that they had received letters from Mr Pratt and Mr. Baff,

English missionaries, forbidding them to receive any missionaries or teachers, unless they brought letters from them; that all who had not these letters were Popa havare, (lying Catholics.) Consequently they had passed a law that no white man should live among them. From there I went to the island of Ruruto, where they told me the same story. So I found that the missionaries had written to all the islands in the group to prevent our landing. The Lord reward them according to their works. I then returned to Tahiti, where I received letters from Bro. Grouard. He had landed on the island of Anama, one of the chain group. This group consists of thirty or forty low coral islands, with no vegetable but cocoanuts [coconuts], but they have plenty of fish and hogs. The population of Auana is about four thousand. Bro. Grouard had baptised [baptized] twenty of the principal men and many were investigating the work. Bro. Grouard thinks that twenty or thirty elders might be well employed on this group; he will probably do a great work in those islands. The productions of the society Islands are bread-fruit, bannana [banana], oranges, 'aii, plantains, yams sweet potatoes, taro, viies, guovas, &c. &c. Cattle and horses have been brought here, and hogs, dogs, goats, sheep, and fowls are here also. The natives are tall, well proportioned and muscular; of an open, intelligent countenance, dark olive, or copper color, quick of apprehension, of a mild disposition and very friendly. Finally on the third July 1845, I left for home in ship "Free Brother," Capt. Mitchell; on the sixth, made the island of Tooboui; went on shore, but was much disappointed not seeing Bro. Pratt, who was on the other side the island, six miles distant. A native immediarely [immediately] run to carry him word of my arrival, but the Captain would not wait; so I was obliged to leave without seeing him. I learned that he had baptized eight or nine Americans who were building the schooner, and about forty natives, in all fifty or more. After staying on shore about an hour, and obtaining a few vegetables and hogs, we went on board and stood away for Cape Horn; after passing which the captain gave me leave to preach, which I did four or five sundays; the result was that seven or eight believed, two of whom I baptised [baptized] in Philadelphia. The Captain himself believed, but finding that he must obey also became very bitter, which renderd [rendered] some part of the voyage rather disagreeable. After a passage of one hundred and thirty days from Tahiti, I arrived at Nantucket, Massachusetts, on the sixth November, and on the twenty second arrived in Philadelphia, where I staid [stayed] two days ands baptised [baptized] three. On the twenty fourth left for Nauvoo, where I arrived on the twenty ninth of December. Thus, after an absence of two years and a half, I have circumnavigated the Globe, to build up the kingdom of Christ, and prepare a way for the spread of the gospel among the islands of the sea.

NOAH ROGERS.