A trip around the world

Preface

In sending forth from the press books and letters of travel, a very common statement is made — that the letters, etc., were not written or intended for the public eye, but only for the enjoyment of the immediate friends of their writers. Without being able to say just the same thing, this much, however, is literally correct, that neither of the writers of the letters here sent forth, had any idea whatever of publishing a book; scarcely, indeed, of publishing even a series of letters for the Christian Standard, in which they appeared. As they were written and sent off from different parts of the world; it was always with the fear that they were very far below, in their interest and worth, the requirements of such a paper. It is no small gratification to the writers, to find that, where they had feared so much, the readers of the letters have enjoyed so much ; and so many of them express a wish to possess them in a permanent form. Such as they are, we send them to the churches, greeting, but with much fear and diffidence. Did the readers know the real difficulties under which they were written, more than common allowance and indulgence would be granted for whatever faults may mar the letters, either in matter or style.

We confess to a little real satisfaction, in thinking that,

with all their blemishes, they are a kind of pioneer trip 'round

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iv. PREFACE.

the world series of letters, amongst us a people, so far as we have any knowledge of the matter.

In every case where we have had to draw upon other sources than our own, on matters of realest interest, but often entirely beyond our own observation, we have drawn from the best and most reliable ; in the first place, that we might ourselves know something about the strange lands we were visiting, and so be enabled to gather instruction and pleasure at every point of our journey — without which it could not be done, except to a small extent; and in the next place, if we published any letters whatever, the readers of them should share in the feast. For many interesting items about missionaries and their work, such authorities as Revs. Taplin, Ingliss, Eeid and Williams, all toilers in the fields of the world; for facts concerning the various lands we visited, the natives, natural history, and kindred matters, Miss Bird, Canon Tristram, Harcus, the Historian, of South Australia, Boswick, F. It. G. S., Historian of the Tasmanians, have been our sources; besides which, a constant lookout was kept for everything that might keep us abreast with what was transpiring around us, as we moved from city to city, and from land to land.

In suffering this little book to go forth amongst the brethren, to whom we send it with Christian greetings, we send it in the hope that it will help, under the Divine blessing, to awaken more interest in the work of missions, and to bring together, as never in the past, all who are pleading for a full return to the right ways of the Lord, into closer bonds of brotherhood, warmer sympathies, and world-wide united activities.

PREFACE. v.

If our small contribution in these letters, shall help in even a very small degree, to accomplish this, our long journey will not have been altogether in vain. It is our abiding conviction that the gospel calls on us, and our assumed position demands of us, that we seek the extension of the Redeemer's kingdom ; not only where Christ is preached, and where His gospel needs to be freed from the traditions of men, but in the regions beyond us, and where dark habitations of cruelty still abound, and teeming millions still sit in the darkness, and in the valley of the shadow of death, and where no light is.

We are sure that if all the churches in America could have seen what we saw — the many large churches, and so intensely alive to the interests of the kingdom of our common Lord, t'hey could not help but thank God and take courage. It appeared to us that the churches of Australia have, for their years and opportunities, gone beyond what their brethren elsewhere have done.

With many fears, and some hopes, we venture to send forth these letters to the churches, hoping that they may prove to be at least one link in a golden chain of Christian love and world-wide sympathy, that shall help to bind them all together.

We pray that a rich blessing from the great Lord of the harvest may rest upon them, and cause them to minister to the joys of His people, and the salvation of men.

T. Coop, H. Exley.

Letter I

The trip proposed — Given up at home — Leave-taking — Stormy starting — Meeting of the travelers — Curious mistake — Gentlemanly conductors — American promptness — Mistake rectified

— Bound for San Francisco — Visit to salt Lake City— Walker House — Mormons — Polygamy — Talk with Mormons in street cars — Mormons growing in numbers — Visit to the Tabernacle

— Temple — Visit to Zion cooperative store — Talk with President of all the Mormons — Their missionary activity — Thorough organization — San Francisco — An old acquaintance — The gospel in California — Slow progress — A difficulty removed

— Parting songs and prayers — On the sea at last. . . . 11-23

Letter II

Sandwich Islands — Honolulu — Visit on shore — As the Islands used to be — As they are now — Missionaries and their work — Leprosy—Episcopalians — Death of Queen mother — All aboard — Swimming boys — A sick traveler. 24-31

Letter III

Safely in New Zealand — More about Sandwich Islands— Volcanoes — Mauna Loa in 1859 — Land rocked like sea— Pillar of fire — River of molten lava — Bottomless pit — Awful grandeur — Fountain of fire — River of fire — Alone at sea — Flying fish — Preaching on ship-board — Clerical smallness — Serious consequences of a slight mishap — Severe suffering — Crossing the Equator — A sleek Jesuit — A lost day, and a puzzled doctor — Laid up at Auckland — A city in commotion — Ministering Angels — A Christian home , 32-40

LETTER TV.

A busy man — Pleasant things — Almost with us — Preaching under difficulties — Old disciples — Papakura — A model Christian family — Ye did it unto me — A country ride — Scared horses — Bushranging — Another ride, and a fine time — A happy fisherman—Getting stronger — Better rub than rust — Precious fruits

— A gracious time — Leave-taking again— A stormy voyage — Native New Zealand clergymen — ^eekinsr for Disciples — Found the firstling of an ass — Church at Wellington — Two confessions — A prosperous church — On the sea again — Mighty waves — Another church — A . pleasant surprise — Farming prospects — A stormy time — A quiet haven 41-54

Letter V

A sailor's home — Churches iu Dunedin — A successful preacher — Open fields — Material in the churches — Call for a Pan Christian council — Enemies in the dark — "The enemy is yonder"— Preaching in Dunedin — Bound for Australia — A lost sixpence

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viii CONTENTS.

— Tax to Neptune — Wonderful progress of New Zealand — Life not too anxious — Everything solid — Loafers scarce — A lump of gold — Farm produce — Mild climate — Cloth manufacturing

— The smallest chapel — The largest clock — Dunedin from the

Bay — Daily papers 55-65

Letter VI

New Zealand thrift — Business hours — General characteristics — All good — General diameter, English — The native population — Once cannibals — Dwindling away — The pig a civilizer — Maorie superstition — A prophet — Chief hindrances to civilization

— Precision at drill — Cruel cannibalism — Captives tortured — Missionaries and difficulties — Romanist activity — Te-Whiti and the gospel — "Is not that grand ? " — What might be done — Why it can not 66-75

Letter VII

In Australia — The Rip — Melbourne — Human nature — A touching scene — Brothers met — Glad welcome — Wonderful city — Buildings — Library — Museum — Parks — S. S. Picnic — City Hall — Great organ — Area of Victoria — Population nearly all English — Enterprise and wealth of colony — Gold-fields — Libraries — Schools — Education — Admiration compelled — A marvelous city — Ranks witli the best — Labor and wages — Holidays — International Exhibi-.ion — Extraordinary progress

— Talk with a Baptist minister — Christian Churches — Immense meetings — Travelers impressed into service — Beware of Hymns — Christmas day — A good time — Sending up a balloon — A social tea — New arrivals from England. . . . 76-89

Letter VIII

Off for Adelaide the Beautiful — Storm after storm — Friends to welcome — Area of South Australia — Colony founded — Historical tree — A free Slate well founded — Population — Religion flourishes — Care for the suffering — A young colony's great exports — Vast wealth — Roads — Bridges — Telegraphs — White fellows' devil — Public parks — Games — A beautiful city — The press — Education compulsory — Teachers reasonably paid — University — No religious tests — Yet it is the city of "churches

— A handsome gift — Land office — Magnificent gardens — Parks

— Aslonishing to all — Country visit — A private gentleman's home 90-101

Letter IX

A great oil country — Hot winds — Rainfall — Wheat production — Healthy climate — Aborigines — Beings with spears in their , heads — Boomerang — Healing the sick — Squeezing and dancing — To make them Christians — " Hang them by a' means, sir" — "What him say " — Infanticide — Native customs — Origin lost

► —Savage life hinders increase — Language remnant of a noble tongue — No self-elevation — Lost Englishman — Churches of Adelaide — Grand tea-meeting welcome — Proportion of Disciples to population — A model S. s>. building — Faithful, but not procrustean. 102-111

Letter X

Separation at last — A long looked for joy given up — Laboring alone

— Another comfortless voyage — Back to Melbourne — The Melbourne churches — Sunday-schools — The banner city of the

CONTENTS. ix

Disciple world — A model church —With large heart and open hand — A country church — A pleasant visit to see and help it

— Public houses— .Preaching in Melbourne again— The final resurrectio- —A handful of dust — A bunch of flowers — Venturing 10 lecture — Another social meeting — Another good-bye — Off to Tasmania — The Albatross — Mutton birds — Sea-serpent

— Tasmania — Launceston — People and churches — Workman's club — Population of colony — Hobart — Mount Wellington — Climate — Large exports — Education compulsory — Wise encouragement — Aborigines all dead — A brave church — Left almost alone, yet struggle on — A sudden death —Another alarm — Joyous success — A self-sacrificing church — How to help struggling churches — Loving hospitality —Fern tree bower — The Derwent — Fine privileges — Farewell to Hobart

— Another distressing voyage — On the Parliament House-top —

Too late — Another voyage contemplated 112-125

LETTER XL

Tasmanians — 111 treatment of natives — A dying man's testimony — A fact as remarkably as Dr. Tanner's fast — First Governor present at Bunker Hill — A penal settlement — First Wedding — Runaway convict —Forgets his mother tongue — Cruelties on the natives — Nearly whole race die rejecting Christianity — A remarkable virtue in savages — S'aughtered to make room for sheep — Infanticide, result of cruelty — Women suckle pups — Prayer-ongs for absent husbands — Shell-heaps — Obtaining fire — Cause of incurable enmity — A drunken officer — A stolen woman — Woman wantonly shot — Remarkable providence — Last male Tasmanian — killed by drink — His head stolen — Last Tasmanian woman — Readings of phrenology, and readings of fact. 126-139

Letter XII

Come over and help us — Bay of Sydney — Search for Christians — Unexpected — Kindly welcome — A spoiled city — Commercial importance — Mineral wealth of New South Wales — Street railways—Meat exportation to England — Scientific methods — Wealth in stock — Sheep-shearing — Winter in June — Oranges and flowers — No snow — Gardens — Libraries — Readers — Museum — Universities — Outdoor preaching — Aborigines throwing boomerang — Poisoned arrows — Christian Churches — Worthy of imitation — Striking providence — Reaping after sowing — Preaching in the poor-house — The spirit of Christ — Church in the house — A berth engaged at last. . . . 140-154

Letter XIII

Religion the true civilizer— Marvelous contract — Four translations carried on one ship — Missionary difficulties — Self-sacrifices — Constant peril — Stooping to save — Often a martyr — Amusing ignorance — White fellows' supposed mothers and wives — Origin of languages — Let us eat plenty of flour — Missionary work not a pleasure trip — The Master'sgrerU lesson — Washing disciples' feet — Mark Twain outdone — Kind of men and women wanted — Episcopalian examples — Bishops Patterson and selwyn — Christly work — Girded with towels — Seeking to save — Missionary must denationalize himself — Patterson martyred — New Zealand savages — Eleven men killed and eaten — Power of the gospel — Missionaries must lay all at foot of cross — Missions cost inTmey — St Xavier's devotion — Joy of helping to save — Then the final victory — Universal joy. 155-166 x CONTENTS.

Letter XIV

Gathered fragments — Abiding impressions — Glories of the land — Wonders of the sea — Coleridge's hymn — Depths of the seas — Most ancient land — Oldest forms of bird-life — Volcanic forces still active — Waikato wonders — Raised beaches — Stranded vessel—No snakes — No lion, tiger or wolf — Man a recent introduction' — Hunted the wingless moa — Birds sixteen feet high — Ground ovens of first settlers — Barbarous feasts — Bones of birds and children — Ma orie skeleton — Advent of the Maorie race — Genealogy of a noble family — Came from the Sandwich Islands — Native songs collected — Feather buried — The last relic of the moa — Tasmania— Australia in its natural history

— Tasmanian tiger devil — A friendly caution — Sea-weeds — Kangaroos— Leap fifteen feet — Australian animal life stands alone — Marsupials — Monotremes — Duck-billed platypus — Spiny ant-eater — Gigantic fossil lions — Bears and kangaroos

— Serpents — Strange fishes — Sharks — Kangaroo hunting — White ant — Borer — Cactus — Ferns — Parasites — Medusse — Octopus — Giant trees 167-179

Letter XV

On the sea — Great waves — Retrospect — Sixteen baptisms — Open communion —-Faithful, but not heresy hunters — Armorplated fish — Sea weeds — Roeky coast — A birth-day and social gathering — A loving gift — Farewell gathering — Accompanied to the ship — Alone — Melbourne again — Adelaide and friends

— Unabated storm — Ocean birds — Aborigines — Some Missionary success — Far away — Lunar rainbow — The great and wide sea — Southern cross — The Red Sea — "Sorrow of the sea"

— Buried in the deep — Sinai visible — Egypt and Israel — Burning desert — Arab tents — Suez — Trading Arabs — Grasp- " ing whites — Suez canal — Camping Arabs — Port Said a hard place — Beggars — Veiled women — Taking on coal — Men almost naked— Free fight — Confusion of tongues — Injured man — Curious Treatment — Thieves on ship — Backsheesh — In the Mediterranean — Mount iEtna — Straits of Messina — Stromboli — Vesuvius — Pillar of fire and cloud — Electric Light — Wonderful effect — See Naples and die — Lofty houses, Narrow streets — Poor people — Monks and priests — Naples not the best place in which to die — Beggar girls — Consigned to

the antipodes of heaven — Region of wonders left behind. 180-201

Letter XVI

Gibraltar — Bay of Biscay — A feeble folk — Mr. Plimsol and the devouring sea — England in sight — The stars and stripes — London once more — Brotherly greeting — Old time friends — A Bible talk — Southportand presentation — Not a strong church

— Garfield and our uncrowned Queen. Liverpool work — Social tea and presentation — Going to London — Perhaps not wise — Bound for the West — Old Disciples — A precious lesson

— Old times and loving cooperation — Final adieu — Frivolous passengers — Safely on shore —Unexpected welcome — Wellknown hospitable home — Incurable mischief — A broken sickle — Brings important telegram — Hasty preparations — How we started on the long journey — Expenses — Life — Counting the cost — Redeeming the time — Acts of the apostles — Striking facts — Lesson learned— Wonderful gentleness of the gospel — Parting glance at Christian work in colonies — Work needed done — Universal cooperation — The journey and its perils over — Responsibilities remain 202-221

A TRIP AROUND THE WORLD.

Letter I. Feom Omaha To The Pacific

On Friday evening, September 17, 1880, I received a telegram from Bro. Coop, proposing to me what amounted to a trip around the world — not for pleasure and health only, but to take a brief survey of whatever of mission work might fall in our path on the journey.

In the true spirit of missions, my dear wife at once consented to give me up, and at no small cost to herself of heavy care, hard work and real privation. A deluge, almost, of rain fell during the night, making it doubtful if it would be possible to drive over the seven miles intervening between me and the Union Pacific depot at Lincoln.

On Saturday morning, at five o'clock, gathering my dear ones around me, and all kneeling in prayer, commending them to the Father's care, I left home once more, "not knowing what should befall me."

My son drove me to Lincoln, the water on my own farm running over the bottom of the buggy. Reaching Omaha at 12:15, 1 found Bro. Coop quietly enjoying a lunch in the sleeping-car. The moment he saw me he was on his feet and off to the ticket-office. In purchasing a ticket to San Francisco, one of those curious mistakes occurred which involve several others. In the hurry of the moment, whilst Bro. Coop paid down the money for a first-class ticket, the agent, by mistake, gave him an emigrant ticket! Neither of them observed the mistake. Going then to the office of the Pullman Sleeping Car Company, the agent, without observing the mistake, sold him a ticket for the sleeping-car, handing both tickets to me. I did not observe the mistake either, and showing them both to the keeper of the car, he also failed to see it, and passed me in. By and by the train moved off, and the conductor examined the ticket and checked it off — and he did not discover the mistake either.

On Lord's day afternoon, when a new conductor came on the train, the moment he saw the ticket, he said: "I can not honor that ticket!" Then the mistake was apparent enough. A telegram was sent to Omaha from the next station to ask about the mistake, and on Monday evening we received an answer correcting it. The conductors were all exceedingly courteous in the whole matter.

At most of the hotels on the whole line from Omaha to San Francisco, the meals provided are very

FROM OMAHA TO THE PACIFIC. 13

much worse in quality, and the charge for them just as high, as in the superbly splendid Palace Hotel of San Francisco. Some of them are not much better than places designed to give very poor meals at very extortionate charges.

After leaving Omaha, we were astonished at the universally desolate aspect of the whole country. It requires more than the average stock of love of country to see anything beautiful for very many hundreds of miles. A sail up the river Clyde, in Scotland, or the river Hudson, in New York State, w T ill furnish more to delight the eye and satisfy a love of the beautiful than the whole distance from Omaha to San Francisco. Desolation holds supreme dominion.

Finding that we could spend one night and most of one day in Salt Lake City, and still be in time, with nearly two days to spare, to spend in San Francisco before embarking for Australia, we broke our journey at Reno, and taking the cars on the Utah Central Pacific at 7 p. m., in about two hours we were in the far-famed city of Mormons and polygamy. Of course our curiosity was intensely alive, and we did our best to gratify it in the few hours at our disposal. We put up at the Walker House, the best hotel in the city. Whether the owners are Mormons, we did not clearly ascertain.

The city itself is most admirably laid out. The streets, miles in length, are 132 feet wide, including the very ample sidewalks. Most of the streets are planted on either side with a splendid line of the locust tree, which here did not seem to be so subject to the ravages of the borer as in Iowa or Wisconsin. The shade afforded by them is very agreeable, whilst underneath each line of shade trees, close to the curb of the sidewalk, there runs a fine stream of clear, cool water, brought from the mountains. Of course, Salt Lake being to the Mormon the Zion of the last days, it is very natural that he should call at least one of the rivers of the valley, the Jordan. Located on one of the banks of the Utah Jordan, it is said, resides an apostle or bishop of the saints, who has the rare faculty of ruling about eleven wives! It is, however, waggishly suggested that he does sometimes sing in plaintive tone —

"On Jordan's stormy banks I stand," etc.

As we were nearing Salt Lake City on the cars, we became aware that we were in close proximity to both a Mormon apostle and a bishop. We dropped into conversation with them, and were not a little surprised to find the apostle as agreeably communicative as one could desire. He pointed out objects of interest on the road, told us he had been to England, and had held "conferences" in nearly every county in the kingdom. He told us that if we were at the Temple about 11 o'clock on the next day, he would introduce us to the President of the church.

After reaching our hotel, and taking supper, we had a stroll through one or two of the streets of Salt Lake City. The quiet and order are very noticeable,

FROM OMAHA TO THE PACIFIC. 15

At least three-fourths of the entire population are Mormons, although the Protestant Episcopalians, the Methodists, Catholics, Presbyterians and Congregationalists, have each a church edifice in the city. Every business man to whom we spoke was a Morrnan — excepting one or two- — and apparently, most earnestly so. They were all, without exception, ready at once to enter upon a defense of the system, and like men who had entire faith in it. We were not a little surprised to find that in not one of them, with whom we conversed, was there even a shade of timidity, but in all a quiet, earnest, fearless readiness to avow their faith and defend it. Stepping into the street-cars, in which were three gentleman besides ourselves, we entered into conversation with them, apparently all strangers to each other, and found they were all Mormons. The eldest of them, in answer to our questions, told us that polygamy was not an institution for the richer Mormons only, but for the poorer ones aiso, and that great numbers of workingmen had more than one wife. This man was a Scotchman ; told us he was married, had one wife and five children, but that his wife often pressed it upon him to take a second wife ! His love for her, however, was so supreme, that he would not do so, lest, although she strongly desired it herself, he should grieve her by so doing! It was a strange tiling to hear a Scotchman calmly enter into reasons in defense of the system. Every man to whom we spoke — and we spoke to many — answered our questions on the matter, like

16 A TRIP ABOUND THE WORLD.

men who believed it to be a divine institution, reestablished- by direct revelation in these latter days. Another, with whom we entered into conversation, told us he was from Denmark, formerly fire- works maker to the King of Denmark. He said, in reply to our questions, that all his expectations in coming to Utah had been more than realized. All of them, when asked if they did not expect the General Government would put polygamy down, answered, "Never." Another, a tradesman, and one of the " Seventy," said to us, " Do you think, if I did not know that this was of God, that at the call of the church, 1 would leave my family and business, and without scrip or purse go on a mission to Europe?" He was, perhaps, 36 years of age, and had been on such a mission. He informed us that about three companies of Mormons, of about 400 each, had arrived at Salt Lake City, and that another company of about the same number was expected in a few days, and all of whom they had distributed, or would in two or three days, amongst their numbers, so that hardly one could be seen about the city in a day after their arrival. It is evident to almost the blindest observer, that apart from the religious infatuation w r hich has drawn them together, the most consummate business skill enters into everything they do. We visited the vast establishment called Zion Cooperative Mercantile Institution, all over which Ave were shown with the utmost readiness and courtesy. It is 330 feet long, by 99 in breadth, and filled from

LNRY EXLZY,

FROM 031 AH A TO THE PACIFIC. 17

basement to topmost room with such an array of merchandise as the finest mercantile establishment in Christendom might be proud of.

After this we went to. visit the Tabernacle, and the Temple now in course of erection. One of the Mormon officials most courteously conducted us to the great Tabernacle, in the Temple Block. It is 233 by 133 feet, inside measurement, and consists simply of one great roof, supported by 46 parallelogram pillars of red sandstone, and springs with a single stride from side to side and from end to end. It is elliptical in form, and from ceiling to floor is 70 feet. It has a seating capacity of 13,452, and at their gatherings it is often filled in every part. Perhaps there is hardly a building in *the world, of equal capacity, more perfect in its acoustics than this. Good ears can hear a pin drop, from the farthest part of it. Bro. Coop stood in the place of the speaker, near the great organ, and Bro. Exley went to the farthest point away from him, in the gallery, and repeated, in a low, conversational tone,

a Rock of ages, cleft for me," etc.

Coop could hear every word, whilst Exley could hear him saying, " Slower." It boasts of possessing the second largest organ in America (some say the third). When it was constructed it was the largest that had been built in America, and built by Utah artificers and from material obtained in the Territory. The pipes number nearly 3,000, the largest being 32 feet long and 2 feet square on the inside. The entire structure is 58 feet to the top of the great towers, 33 feet deep, and 30 feet wide. Four men are required to work the blowers.

The building has 20 doors, all opening outward, and nearly all 9 feet wide, and so arranged that the vast building can be emptied in one and a half minutes.

The Temple, in course of erection, is a marvelous structure, and very imposing in appearance. Its walls are 9 feet 9 inches thick. Its corner-stone was laid April 6, 1853, and the building is now about 55 feet above the foundation. It has already cost over $3,000,000, and is expected to cost altogether some ten or twelve millions.

After this we went to the private office of President Taylor. Several clerks were busily employed, and a constant stream of men and women, on business of one kind or another, were passing in and out. We observed on the walls of the office several playbills of different kinds, advertising the very mundane tastes of these dwellers in the Utah Zion. After waiting a little, we were ushered, by Apostle Richards, into the presence of the President of all the Mormons — Apostle and President Jno. Taylor. He is a large man, well advanced in years, and quite imposing in appearance. We announced ourselves as travelers in search of information, especially on religious matters, and said we should be happy to receive any information he could give us. He received us