"DEAR BROTHER JAMES:—I embrace the present opportunity of writing you a line, perhaps for the last time before leaving for California, though I hope we may be able to arrange matters so that you will be permitted to come here and make one of our party across. The governor is now absent, down at Raiatea, consequently nothing can be done about your case until he returns. * * * *

"Wednesday, 21st.—Mr. Kelly has sent for you on his own responsibility. You must be careful and not go on shore on the protectorate islands, but be sure and come, or rather, he has authorized me to send for you.

"I have the honor to be, your brother in Christ, and fellow laborer in the Gospel,

B. F. GROUARD."

From this it will be seen that I was released from further labors in that mission. I also was without any means in sight to get away from the land that had been so fruitful of troubles to me. It is true that the natives had a schooner of twenty or twenty-five tons burden in course of construction, but they were so uncertain and tardy in their movements that there was really no dependence to be placed in anything of the kind that they undertook. Indeed, it was doubtful whether they would complete the vessel at all, though six or eight weeks was ample time in which to finish it. Besides, they were liable to get into a quarrel that would cause delay for many months. Again, so frail was the boat that it did not seem that it ever could be safe to go to sea. Nearly every stave and brace was made from the bark of the buru tree, and twisted by hand. The anchor was a chunk of wood with old scraps of iron spiked on to it, and for a chain the same kind of material was used as for the stays and braces. The galley was only a square box of two and a half feet, filled with soil and tied down to the deck with a bark rope; and as to the helm, it had to be held by hand, taking two or three men to manage it, especially in rough weather. The compass was no better than a tin plate; in fact, it could not be of any service whatever—and the sails were almost rotten. But at last the boat was launched, and leaked so badly that it did not seem possible to make it of service; but the natives persevered and baled it out, and it was soaked up until they considered it safe.

This boat being built, it seemed to offer a possible means for me to see white men's land again. There was no one for me to advise with, the very men who had planned my destruction being the owners and masters of the craft. The voyage they anticipated taking was said by them to be seven hundred miles, to the island of Rapia, and from thence a like distance to Tahiti, in all fourteen hundred miles. The food and fresh water supply was also very uncertain. The water had to be carried in large gourds and cocoanuts. Nor was this all that had to be considered. In those parts there are dense fogs and rainstorms, for days together, so that navigation is very hazardous where there is only the sun, moon, and stars to depend upon, and these obscured.

The reader will perceive the gravity of the situation that confronted the writer when he came to decide what to do. As the time drew near for the boat's departure, I retired to a lonely place in the woods, and there fasted and prayed for three days, fasting all the time and going to my retreat to pray as often in the three days as I thought proper. This was done in order to ascertain from the divine Source whether or not I should take the risk of going on that vessel at that time. The answer came plain and distinct to my understanding, though not in words to the natural senses, yet to my entire satisfaction that all would be well if I went. From that moment I hungered and thirsted, but had not done so before in all the time that I had fasted.

Accordingly, on September 22, 1852, I engaged passage on the Raivavai schooner, bound for Rapia. On the 23rd I went aboard, and we sailed out, but some of the rigging gave way, and we were bound to return for repairs. On the 24th we tried again, passing out of the harbor with a light breeze, at 5 o'clock a.m. There were sixty-two souls on board, all seasick. On the 26th and 27th there was a dead calm. At daylight on the 28th we found ourselves on the opposite side of the island and very near it, surrounded by hundreds of great whales. Our navigators were so confused that they did not know their own island until they went ashore. Again the rigging gave way, and we had to put into port to repair it and to replenish our food supply.

On October 4th we sailed once more, and with a strong and fair wind on the 9th we reached the island of Rapia, which has a high and abrupt coast with a good harbor, but a very narrow passage thereto, in which we were hailed by a fisherman who inquired about the white man on board. When the crew told him it was a Mormon Elder, he hastened to the shore, ran to the village and told the people that a Mormon Elder was on the schooner. The people had never seen a Mormon, but had heard the most ridiculous stories about us. They became excited, and frightened as well, for they had heard that Mormons had cloven feet and shells on their backs, and were some kind of mongrel between man and beast. They also had been told that the Mormons were so lustful that it was very difficult for the females to escape from them. This being the only information the people had about the Latter-day Saints, it was no wonder that the men armed themselves with muskets and fish spears, and came to the landing or lay in ambush, the females keeping at a respectful distance, while the more brave and fearless ventured to come on board, inspect the "animal," and forbid him to set his foot on shore on pain of death. Strange as this statement of affairs may appear, it is nevertheless true.

At length a number of the people came on board and spied around as if to discover the peculiar features of a Mormon Elder, and they, with my friends, thought that possibly it was safe for me to go ashore; accordingly I went in the first canoe. As we neared the landing, six or seven men, some with muskets and some with fishing spears, rose up out of the brush and tall grass, and peeked and pried, as they afterwards said, to discern the cloven foot. As they could not discover the deformities which they had expected to find, they said, "Why, he looks like any other white man or minister; we do not want to kill him." There were others who, however, acted very surly, and would not speak nor shake hands, but told my friends that I must leave their island or I would be killed. Finally we were permitted to go up to the village, where the people all ran together to see the stranger. None dared invite him into their houses, so he took his seat out on a log, while they feasted. His friends joined with the feasting parties, thinking it would be better for him if they were sociable with the people and acquainted them with the supposed monster's customs and habits, as also with what he had been teaching the people.