p. 395 | Untitled article by Stephen N. Haskell

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jun 25, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 25.

Incidents by the Way. No. 1.

By Stephen N. Haskell

SUNDAY, May 10, we sailed from San Francisco. After parting with friends on the shore we watched with interest the waving of handkerchiefs, and the motion of the hand, until distance forbade the recognition of friends. We then turned to cast the last look at the old familiar San Francisco docks. As we passed out the Golden Gate we heard the cry of, “Whale!” It so happened that this monster of the deep gave us a view of his back and tail, and then receded from view under the briny wave. We then turned our attention to our fellow travelers to see whom we were to have for companions for a month on the ocean. It should be remembered that we are shut up to 36x400 ft., the extent we have for exercise, eating, drinking, and sleeping; although like Noah’s ark our ship was built three stories high (an iron ship of 3,200 tons burden).

We found about sixty cabin passengers, mostly Americans. One hundred officers and sailors manage the ship, wait on passengers, etc., all Englishmen, gentlemanly and kind. They ever manifest an interest in making the voyage as agreeable as possible. This was, however, rather difficult the first few days. As usual on such occasions, we were strongly inclined to remain in our rooms and be waited upon. This gradually wore off, and we found that the voyage was a pleasant one, considering the circumstances.

Among the cabin passengers we found a Presbyterian clergyman and his family, consisting of a wife and three children and an adopted daughter. He was from Pennsylvania and is to settle in Melbourne. There is also a Presbyterian minister from San Francisco. He rooms beside us. In the night, and once or twice during the day, we are reminded that he is in his room by the disagreeable smoke of a cigar which comes into our room. There is yet another minister aboard, from the city of Melbourne. Then taking the three of our own company that are of the ministerial order there are six of that class on board. We were told that seven are enough to sink a ship, but the sea is unusually smooth, and the wind fair, so that we are left to conclude that the voyage is not endangered by so many of that profession on board. Then there is another man of note, the new American consul, and his wife, for Melbourne. He is from Kentucky. There is also a gentleman and his wife from Oakland, Cal., who have started on a tour around the world, to exhibit a fire extinguisher. She is acquainted with us as a people, and our work. She expressed confidence in our views.

We also found a lady to whom we handed a paper to read. Upon receiving it she said when she was in New York City one was handed her that she had read with interest; and upon her arrival in Chicago the next number was handed her; then again in San Francisco she received the third paper; the one we handed her was the last one published up to the time of our leaving, so that by the hands of some friends she had received four copies. She is on her way to New Zealand. We also became acquainted with a gentleman who is a member of the Legislative Council, and a large flour dealer in Adelaide, Australia. He stated that he had ever had his mind troubled on the Sabbath question and had always queried why the Sabbath had been changed to the first day of the week. He said that he had suffered in his mind much on account of the inconsistencies of professed Christians, especially when considering the number of sects that exists, if the Bible be what they claim it to be. He expressed his interest in the doctrines of the SIGNS, and had noticed that the paper advocates that men are not to be tormented eternally, as is commonly taught. Our conversation was an interesting one, and from him we obtained much information about the country to which we are going.

When out of sight of land it is interesting to see anything that has life and intelligence; it furnishes a new theme for conversation, till it has passed out of sight. Occasionally we had this privilege in passing vessels. Sabbath, May 16, we met the steamship Mariposa. She belongs to the regular line of steamers that run between San Francisco and Honolulu. There was something more than usually interesting in the passing of this ship. They ran up three signals, called “International Signals,” by which they inquired about the war. Up ran three little flags that answered, “Peace is patched up.” There was a reason for this, we found when we arrived at Honolulu. At that place they expected that the war had commenced, and consequently they did not expect that the steamer, being an English vessel, would enter the port. There was a Russian man-of-war lying in the harbor, which, we were informed, was ready to capture any vessel that sailed under the British flag. S. N. H.