VISITED BY PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH—CALLED ON ANOTHER MISSION TO THE SOCIETY ISLANDS—PREPARE TO RESPOND—A BLESSING BY APOSTLE LORENZO SNOW—APPOINTED TO PRESIDE OYER THE SOCIETY ISLANDS MISSION—ATTEMPTS TO DISCOURAGE ME FROM UNDERTAKING THE JOURNEY—SURPRISE PARTY BY MY CHILDREN—FAREWELL RECEPTION IN THE WARD HALL—START ON MY MISSION, ACCOMPANIED BY MY SON AND OTHERS WHO HAD BEEN CALLED—VOYAGE TO TAHITI—MADMAN ON BOARD THE VESSEL—AT MARQUESAS ISLANDS—STRANGE CHARACTERS—TATTOOED WHITE MAN—HIS PECULIAR CAREER—CATCHING SHARKS—ARRIVE AT PAPEETE—MY RECEPTION THERE—MEET NATIVE JOSEPHITE PREACHERS, WHO SEEM CONFUSED—ELDERS FROM UTAH GREET US—IN POOR HEALTH.

ON March 30, 1892, President Joseph F. Smith called at my residence in Salt Lake City, and handed me a letter written by an Elder who was on the island of Tahiti. At the same time President Smith asked me how I would like to take another mission to the Society Islands, in the South Pacific Ocean. I told him I did not wish any man to call me on a mission—that my health was not good, and such a journey as he suggested was a big undertaking for one in my condition. He replied that he would leave the letter for me to read, and would call the next day to learn what I thought of it. He came according to appointment, and informed me that the First Presidency wanted me to undertake the mission. I replied that when properly called I was not afraid to go, as I had faith that God would not require of any man more than he would have the ability to do if he were faithful. The day following this conversation I visited the First Presidency and learned that they were a unit in requesting me to go to the Society Islands.

From this time I began to settle my affairs to meet the call. On April 8th, I was set apart for the mission, Elder Francis M. Lyman being mouth in the blessing. On the 15th, I went to Ogden on business, and while on the train met Apostle Lorenzo Snow, who told me he felt the spirit of prophecy. He said that the mission I was going on should be one of the greatest I had ever performed; that I would prosper therein and be blessed with more power and influence than ever before; that the Lord would be with me to sustain and comfort me, and that my family should be provided for. As he spoke I felt a thrill of testimony through my whole being. When he concluded he took from his pocket two five-dollar gold pieces, remarking that he had been a missionary himself, and insisted that I should take the money, keep it till I got in a close place, and then use it, which I did.

On April 22nd I received at President Woodruff's office a letter of appointment to preside over the Society Islands Mission, which included the Society and Tuamotu groups, comprising from eighty to one hundred islands and an area of about fifteen hundred square miles. About this time I had many visitors, a considerable number of whom expressed surprise at my being appointed to such a mission at my time of life and in my condition; for I was sixty-four years of age and walked on crutches and one foot, as I had to abandon my artificial limb in Arizona, owing to the intense pain it caused me. One man said that he would not go in my situation for ten thousand dollars. But these discouraging remarks did not raise a doubt in my mind of the propriety of the call.

On the 24th of April I was engaged in writing, when my children and grandchildren to the number of sixty-five burst in upon me in a surprise party. We had a happy time and I gave them a father's blessing. Then we repaired to the Seventeenth Ward meeting house, where members of the ward had assembled, and I preached a farewell sermon and took an affectionate leave of the people.

I sold some of my real estate to pay the expenses of my journey, and for my family; also received contributions in money from a number of friends; and on April 26th I started on my mission, accompanied by my son Elando. We stayed over night at Ogden, then continued on to San Francisco, arriving there April 28th. On April 30th we boarded the barkentine City of Papeete, which sailed the next day.

The sea voyage occupied the entire month of May, Tahiti coming into view on the evening of the 31st. Our fare, cabin, was seventy-five dollars each. The first few days out we had headwinds, and there was a goodly share of seasickness. On the 10th a native of Tahiti, named Manhele, commonly known as John Bull, became violently insane, and had to be restrained. On the 12th he freed himself and crawled out on the jib boom, from which he was about to plunge into the sea, when he was secured. It took five men to handle him. At five o'clock on the morning ............