Written by Francis Asbury Hammond
(1822 - 1900)



Submitted by David Hammond Allred

The Hawaiian and California Experience

In the fall of the year 1843, I was taken ashore from the whaling ship Thames and landed at Lahaina, Maui, one of the Sandwich Islands [Hawaii], sick and so disabled that I could not continue the voyage. My trouble was caused by the accident received while in the Arctic Ocean. I was stowing down oil in the hold of the vessel, during a severe gale, and while thus engaged a barrel of flour headed up inside of a 90-gallon oil cask became loose from between decks and fell, striking me on the back. I was carefully hoisted to the main deck and gently carried down to my stateroom in the cabin, where I continued in my berth, only as I was lifted out occasionally by my fellow-officers, until we returned to Lahaina, from whence we had sailed the March previous.

When we bade goodby to my shipmates it was their firm belief they would never see me again alive; in fact, I had but little hopes of recovery myself. I rented a small native house and hired a native boy, Maikai, to take care of me. Here I lived on bananas, poi, and goat’s milk. Strange to relate, in about sixty days I was able to get up and walk about, and soon after I was able to work. I then started in the business of shoemaking; I had learned this trade from my father while in my boyhood. I took a trip to Honolulu, Oahu, about eighty miles by sea, and made a purchase of a small stock of leather and a set of tools, and in a short time had four or five journeymen shoemakers working for me, also several men boarding with me, while Maikai, my native boy, did the cooking.

The Lord blessed and prospered me in business. I soon learned enough of the native language to trade and traffic with the natives in a friendly way. I sought to gain their confidence by dealing justly with them. They were my principal customers, and I can state that during three years’ business relations with them, I never lost a dollar by trusting them. I also had the custom of the foreign population, consisting of American missionaries, merchants, lawyers, and doctors. Money at this time was plentiful. For French calf boots I received $20 per pair; other prices were in proportion.

During the year 1846 I saw an account in the Polynesian, the government newspaper published at Honolulu, Oahu, of the arrival of the ship Brooklyn with a company of Mormons, under the direction of Samuel Brannan, bound for California. Little did I think at that time that I would ever become associated with that people; for from all that I had heard or read of the Mormons, I was led to believe they were about the worst people on earth. Sometimes in the latter part of September, 1847, I was seized with a desire to leave the Islands and return to my home on Long Island, New York, and marry “the girl I left behind me,” as the sailors sing, and then return and make my home with the people of Hawaii, as I had formed a great liking for the people and their delightful country. So in order to carry out this resolution, I quickly sold out my business and wound up my concerns, packed up my shoe tools, and boxed up my stock of leather which I had on hand.

When about ready to embark for Honolulu to take passage to California, I made some calls on friends to bid them goodby. Among others I called on Mr. Forbes, the seamen’s chaplain, a very good friend of mine. When he learned of my intention of returning home by way of California, he immediately set out to discourage me. He advised me to take passage round Cape Horn and land in the midst of good Christian society, “For,” says he, “if you go home by way of California, you will find society there made up of Mexicans, Indians, a few renegade Americans, and those poor, deluded Mormons that went there in the ship Brooklyn; of course you would not wish to associate with them.”

 “No,” said I, “for from all accounts I have heard the Mormon people are a very bad lot.” I told him, however, I had made up my mind to go home across the American continent, for the reason that it would give me a trip around the world, as I had doubled the East Cape, Good Hope, in coming to the Islands.

I had attended on the ministry of Mr. Forbes for three years but could not be induced to believe and accept his doctrines, for they did not to my mind agree with the doctrines and principles taught by the Savior and His apostles as set forth in the New Testament. In fact, I was at this time in my life an unbeliever in what is called orthodox Christianity; yet, I could but believe in a God, and believed in prayer, and did sincerely pray unto Him. In my boyhood in reading the history of Jesus and His apostles, I had wept because I did not have the privilege to live in those days, when men spoke and taught by the power and inspiration of the Holy Ghost. I was told by the ministers of the different denominations that all those things were done away and the canon of scripture was full and no more revelation was needed. For this reason I remained aloof from all churches, believing I would be saved if I would lead a just and upright life, as well outside as inside of any of the man-made churches. Little did I dream that I should live to see and become acquainted with Prophets and Apostles, raised up and ordained and called of God as they were in ancient days.

About the first of October, 1847, I sailed for California on board a small schooner loaded with fruit, potatoes, and general products of the Islands. After we had come to anchor we hoisted out our yawl boat, and the captain and three men passengers, besides myself, got in and pulled to shore. On our landing, we found quite a few men with draws, a kind of a low, two-wheeled one-horse cart, with a kind of platform extending quite a distance in the rear of the wheels, and raised but little from the ground. One of these persons stepped up to me and saluted and asked me if I wanted my baggage taken to a hotel. I replied that I did. He asked me to which one. I replied that I was a stranger and told him to take me to any respectable place.

This man was Brother William Corey, as I afterwards learned, a sergeant in the ever-memorable Mormon Battalion. He stopped at a Mormon boarding house kept by William Glover. While sitting at the supper table, which was well supplied with good, substantial food, to my great surprise and disgust, mixed with indignation, I learned that I was in the midst of a company of Mormons, and I the only Gentile in the house. My feelings can only be imagined.

In making the acquaintance of Mr. Grover, I very soon found him to be a real bonny Scotchman and blest with more than an average of good common sense, besides being well read up on many subjects. After this became apparent I was greatly surprised that he was a professed Mormon and who so intelligent and seemingly good and honorable man associated with those abominable Mormons, who were everywhere evil spoken of, I could not understand. I finally made bold to inquire of him about his religious belief. I asked if he and the Mormons believed in the good old Protestant Bible, and soon found myself unable to sustain my position in regard to the Bible being the whole word of God, and I was so surprised to learn that the Mormons had from the Bible so much proof for their faith, that I was quite willing to give up my argument and listen to Mr. Glover, while he unfolded to my mind the true doctrines of Christ as contained in the Bible.

This, my first interview with a Mormon Elder, lasted from early eve until the fowls commenced crowing for morning, and when we parted, it was with a feeling on my part that I would not be ashamed to have it known that I had put up at a Mormon hotel.

I was given the Voice of Warning by Parley P. Pratt. I was more and more surprised as I read and conversed with the Elders, to find that the people called Mormons, whom I had been led to despise, had more truth embraced in their faith than all the world beside. After much prayer and investigation, I came to the conclusion that if the Bible was true, Mormonism was true; but doubts would arise in my mind as to the truth of the Bible, ideas I had received through reading infidel works would force themselves upon me, and I would be filled with doubt and unbelief. I was miserable indeed and felt that I would throw religion aside and try and live a moral, honest, upright life, and let the future take care of itself.

In the midst of this great anxiety and perplexity the Lord was good to me and in a dream showed to me what perfectly convinced me of the truth of the Bible. In my dream a personage clothed in white came and invited me to go with him. I arose immediately and was wafted, in spirit, through the air for a long distance, when we alighted in what seemed to be a far-off country and in the midst of old and ancient buildings, much decayed in appearance. My guide took me inside one of the largest, where we ascended a long flight of stairs to the upper story which was all in one room having no partitions. Here I saw large piles of parchment and bark of trees. “This,” said my guide, “is what the Bible was compiled from.”

I thought my eyes were opened to read the writings found in these piles of manuscript, and to my surprise I thought there was much left there that should have been placed in the Bible, and much that we find in the Bible should have been left in the old loft. This dream had the effect to clear away all the erroneous ideas I had received from indifferent and infidel writers. I received it as coming from the Lord, and I rejoiced greatly, and on the last day of the year 1847, I was baptized by Elder Petch in the waters of San Francisco Bay. I do not remember who confirmed me. I think it was Elder Samuel Brannan.

After I was baptized, I commenced to worry about the Book of Mormon. The Bible was all right. The evil one got hold of me, and I could not understand so well about the Book of Mormon, and in my perplexity I told my dear, good friend, “Aunt” Matty Pell, of my trouble. As I was about to leave, she took me kindly by the hand, and calling me by name, said if I was sincere and really honest and desired to know the truth, and would go before the Lord and ask of Him in faith, He would give me a testimony of the truth of the Book of Mormon. Accordingly when I returned to my lodgings in my desire to know, I took the Book of Mormon, opened it, knelt down by the side of my bunk, and asked the Lord, in the name of Jesus, if that book was true, and what it purported to be. I used but a very few words in my petition, yet before the words were fairly uttered from my lips a sheet of flame or fire commenced to descend up me, not very warm at the first, but shock after shock succeeded till my whole frame seemed literally being consumed with fire; and yet it was not like the fire that we use daily, and if we touch it will immediately give great pain; this was heavenly fire, and filled me with joy unspeakable. My pen nor tongue cannot express the peace, joy, and happiness that I experienced at this time. It continued till in the fullness of my soul I cried out, “Enough, Lord,” when it gradually departed, leaving me the happiest mortal alive. This was as satisfactory to me as though an angel had appeared and told me the book was true. No power of man or mortal could produce such an effect upon my spirit and body; nothing but the power of God, the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, could do it. It is now forty-six years since I received this testimony, and it has never left me, but is as bright and vivid as the day when the Lord gave it to me. It has been the guiding star of my life. With this testimony came the knowledge that Joseph Smith, the great modern Prophet, was sent of God to usher in the dispensation of the fullness of times.

During the winter, in hearing the brethren talk about the counsel they received from President Young about how they were to return to the Church when they should receive their discharge from the army, I was seized with the spirit of gathering, and longed for the time to come when a company would be formed and take up the line of march for Salt Lake. I had a great desire to see Prophet Brigham Young and Apostle Parley P. Pratt, who wrote that beautiful introductory work to the principles of the gospel, the Voice of Warning. I was so full of love for all such men, I felt in my new-born love and zeal I could almost worship him.

During the winter a company was made up, and a day fixed on which we should be ready to set out for the Valley. My business prospered during the winter, and I was enabled to add considerable to the means I brought with me from the Sandwich Islands. I loaned President Samuel Brannan some $500 which he invested in goods and fitted out a pack train and sent it into Lower California on a trading expedition among the Spaniards and Mexicans. Brother Brannan was not blessed at this time with much wealth, although in a few months from this period he was a very wealthy man. He advised me to go into partnership with him in buying up real estate which, at this time, was very low in San Francisco; I told Brother Brannan that I did not feel it my duty to remain there and go into speculation; that I had agreed to start for Salt Lake with a company in July and gather with the heads of the Church. He did all he could to dissuade me from my purpose, intimating that the Church would be obliged to abandon that desert country where they had settled and emigrate to California, for he did not believe they could sustain themselves in the Rocky Mountains; therefore what a nice thing it would be for me to invest in real estate and have some to sell them when the emigrants should come.

Thus I was tempted to remain in that land and wait for the Church to come to me. The Lord blessed me, however, with a great desire to gather with the people of God who had been driven many times from their homes among Christians and now had been led by the inspiration of the Lord and His Prophet Brigham Young, to pitch their tents in the midst of the Rocky Mountains, as far removed as possible from their former Christian neighbors and red hot persecutors, where they could live in peace in the midst of hostile Indians, rather than among so-called Christians. I remember feeling very sorrowful because I had not had the privilege of being with the Church from the commencement and taking part in the trails and fiery persecutions through which the Saints had been called to wade, all the way from Kirtland to the Rocky Mountains. The thought of gathering to Zion engrossed my soul, and I felt that Zion would soon be redeemed, and I wanted to do all I could to help forward the work. I prayed for the spirit of wisdom, and discernment of spirits, to know evil spirits from good spirits. I also prayed for the gift of preaching that I might be able to tell my fellowmen how to be saved. I longed to return and visit my parents and kindred in Long Island, and tell of the pearl of great price which I had found, believing in my heart that they too would see it and embrace it with gladness. This I many years afterwards found to not be the case, for not one soul of all my father’s house has received my testimony.

In the forepart of May, 1848, some of the members of the Mormon Battalion, while engaged in digging for Captain [John A.] Sutter’s saw mill, discovered some, to them, queer-looking substances, mixed among the sand and gravel, which they were removing. A few small specimens were gathered up and sent down to San Francisco to President S. Brannan, stating in the letter that “if this is good for anything, there’s lots of it here.” This discovery caused one of the greatest revolutions or movements this generation has witnessed. Now commenced one of the wildest scenes I ever witnessed. Everything seemed turned into the utmost confusion. All old lines of order were completely broken up, and men, women, too, became almost beside themselves, and a wild, mad rush to get to the mines seized everybody. Captains and crews deserted their ships moored in the bay, and fled helter skelter for the region of gold! Lawyers left their offices, priests left their flocks, merchants and clerks left their businesses, servants left their employers, and San Francisco became almost depopulated, as it were, in a day. Commodities of all kinds immediately took a fabulous rise. You could not get service of the most ordinary kind for less than five dollars a day, and wages soon ran up to $16 or an ounce of gold dust a day!

I must confess that I too caught the fever, sold out my business at what now would seem a fabulous price, and mounted one of my mustang ponies and set out in haste for Santa Cruz Mountain, some sixty miles or more south of San Francisco, for the purpose of obtaining some quicksilver. In the latter part of June, I quit mining and divided the results with my partners. I certainly never made money so fast as during the time I spent digging gold and trading with the Indians those few days. It was not uncommon for me to clean up from one day’s work $250 to $300.

I returned to San Francisco and purchased an outfit for the journey to Great Salt Lake. I was so full now of the spirit of gathering that I did not regard gold at all; but my trial and temptation was to come. I was now engaged in carrying out the promise I made during the winter that I would be ready to join a company in July, ready for the journey to the “valley.” After spending a few days in San Francisco, I returned with my outfit to the diggers and pitched my tent on the banks of the river opposite Mormon Island. I soon found that I had not lost all love for gold or the wealth of this world. Goods of the class I had in my wagon were in great demand, and I was offered great profits on my stock—from 200 to 500 per cent, was I offered. It fairly made my head swim and I began to waver in my feelings as to keeping my word and start for the valley in July, so I vacillated and went about looking for the best offer for my goods. Satan whispered in my ear, “Why not remain another year, and trade and speculate and get rich; and then you can assist the poor Saints, the widow, and the orphan, and take them up to Zion, and you will become famous on your arrival there; besides, it is a new and untried country, and the people already there are hard put to sustain themselves.”

In this manner was I tried, and sorely, too. I was in great distress of mind and could not decide, and while in this condition one night I went to my bed in great perplexity of my mind, earnestly desiring to know what to do. I had scarcely fallen asleep when a personage appeared at my tent door, calling me by name, and asking me to come outside. I arose immediately and stood by his side at the tent door, when he said to me, “Look up the river.” As I did so I saw instead of water, what seemed to me pitch or some black substance rolling sluggishly down the bed of the river. I beheld the multitude digging and washing gold, paying no attention to the melted pitch, and the personage said, “Look again up the river.” I beheld the multitude digging, and saw the same substance coming, but much more rapidly as it was this time quite hot; and still the crowd kept at their labor. Again I was told to look up, when this pitch was coming down about hip deep and almost boiling hot, and the people in the diggings now seemed willing to quit if they could recover what they had spread out on rocks on their clothes or pieces of buckskin, and while searching and diving to secure these treasures I was told to look again up the river, and I saw this substance resembling pitch coming down the bed of the river in a solid mass, about fourteen feet in height and filling the river bed from bank to bank and hot as burning streams of lava that issue from volcanoes. In my fright I seemed to make a rush for the banks of the river and caught hold of the brush which lined the banks and thus made my escape. I also saw quite a number of the brethren make their escape in the same way. I also saw quite a number of the crowd being carried away and lost to view.

In the morning when I awoke I was much disturbed in my mind, having never experienced anything of the kind before. However, I still went about looking for a sale for my goods. Prices were increasing every day, and the temptation was growing stronger. The same vision was repeated that night. I did very little during the day, and went to bed the next night wondering what would become of me, for I had become almost desperate, when to my surprise the dream or vision was again given to me precisely as on the previous nights. When I awoke in the morning, my mind was perfectly clear, and I felt to thank the Lord with all my soul that He had thus warned me, His poor servant, to flee from that land and gather with His people in the vales of Deseret, and learn to be obedient unto His commands and harken to the voice and counsels of His holy priesthood, His prophets and apostles, whom He has sent to lead His people.