COMING again to London on Thursday, January 18, I was informed by the captain that the vessel would positively leave the Docks on January 26, and Gravesend on the following day. Promises of sea-captains must always be taken as conditional; consequently, not much reliance can be placed upon them. Not until Monday, the 29th, then, was I able to bid farewell to my kind relatives in Holford Square, and embark in the good ship Robert Morrison, 800 tons, which was lying in the Shadwell Basin. Here my fellow-voyagers awaited my arrival and the departure of the vessel, which could not leave for want of some of the sailors. The delay enabled me to put things a bit straight, which can always be done best before a voyage commences. On the 30th we left the Docks, and were towed to Gravesend. The weather was cold and bleak on the water, and snow overlaid the decks. On February 1 we were towed to the Mouse, where, the wind and tide being against us, we had to anchor. The next day a tug took us near to the Downs, and on the day following we actually reached this well-known anchorage for ships waiting for a fair wind to carry them down Channel. The three travellers under my care began to experience the effects of venturing out to sea, but I kept pretty fair. This was well, as the cooking and preparation of the food depended upon me. I had originally no intention of undertaking this sort of work, but to accommodate those who were not in a position to pay for attendance, I took kindly to it, and it afforded occupation for spare time, which, to my active mind, would have been hard to endure. I have often felt that the imposition of enforced idleness upon me would be far worse than a sentence to hard labor. [253] On Lord's-day, February 4, we were still in the Downs, awaiting a favorable wind. I gathered a few people together, both in the morning and afternoon, for the reading of Scripture and prayer; this, of course, to supply the needs of our spiritual nature. For our bodily wants I prepared a dinner of preserved roast beef, potatoes, and plum-pudding. During the night my aunt was taken very unwell, and thought she was going to die. The next day the captain sent for a doctor, who came off and prescribed for the sick one of our number. As she improved only very little, the captain did not like to proceed to sea with her in that state. Under these unfavorable circumstances I telegraphed to my relatives in London, who came down, took my aunt under their care, and conveyed her ashore. This was a great disappointment, and seemed like a bad beginning, but I felt sure that it was all for the best. My aunt recovered, and lived in England for several years after this. To my mind her removal from the vessel was providential, for no sooner had she reached the shore than a fair breeze sprang up, and, in company with a number of vessels that had been wind-bound, we proceeded down the Channel.

      On Wednesday, February 7, we were going with a fair wind and all sails set; and on the next day bade adieu to the coast of Old England. I adopted the plan of reading a portion of Scripture night and morning with those under my care, and each Lord's-day, when the weather permitted, I conducted a service on deck for all who liked to attend. I had no hymn-books, but selected two well-known hymns, set to popular tunes. The hymns chosen were those commencing with:

and,

      The tunes were respectively "Job" and "Warwick." The congregation soon became acquainted with these, and appeared to take an interest in the services. As we got out to sea the ship began to roll us about far more than was agreeable, and was what sailors call "a wet one." The fact is, the boat was too heavily laden, and, as Plimsoll's load-line had not then been established, our decks were only a few inches above sea level. With a fair wind, she would roll to such an extent as to be continually taking in water on one side or the other; and this would be all awash from side to side. The duties I had undertaken necessitated walking the deck, whatever the weather might be, with bare feet, [254] in true sailor fashion; but I did not make a trouble of this, nor of any other trifle. Soon after starting I obtained some leaven from the steward, and succeeded in making good bread all the way out. Before the end of the voyage the steward's leaven turned sour, and I had the satisfaction of letting him have some of mine, which kept sweet. When not attending to the preparation of our food, I spent my time in reading and writing, and in teaching two children, whose parents were pleased for me to do this, as it kept the little ones out of mischief for the time. I also undertook to do a little in the medical line, and had reason to be pleased with the success of my prescriptions. We had no doctor on board, and, knowing such would be the case, a kind friend had fitted up for my use a box of homeopathic medicines, with a book of instructions. With the captain's consent I treated the chief officer, and this gentleman assured me that under my care for three weeks he had received more benefit than had been derived in as many months on shore. Two or three other sick ones were also taken in hand, in each instance with good results. No credit attached to myself, as I merely followed the directions given in the book; but it was a pleasure to be able to afford relief. My honorary duties might now be said to be:--Preacher, schoolmaster, doctor, and caterer.

      One of the most remarkable incidents of the voyage occurred on Lord's-day, March 11. The weather being warm, I delayed the usual service till towards evening. There was a large gathering, from all parts of the ship; some standing, and others sitting on the spare spars at the side of the vessel. I was reading Acts iv., and had reached verse 31, when there was a strange rumbling sound, and the ship was shaken from stem to stern. The crockery and glass in the cabin rattled as though by an earthquake. Consternation and alarm took possession of most present, and one appeared to be seized with fainting. I had to discontinue the service, and endeavor to calm the minds of those most agitated. The passage of Scripture I was reading when the shock took place was this:--"And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness." In the present instance I am quite sure of two things, namely, that the ship was shaken, and that those present were not filled with the Holy Ghost. After the alarm had subsided, the people on board settled down as if nothing had happened; but the event may have made an impression upon some of them. On arrival at Adelaide I reported the circumstance [255] to the newspaper, and found that another vessel had had a similar experience in about the same latitude and longitude. I supposed this commotion was caused by an earthquake passing along our course, under the ocean. We had rough weather off the Cape, and not only took in water as usual on deck, but shipped some seas over the bulwarks. On one of these occasions I saw the steward conveying a tureen of soup to the saloon, but just as he was about to enter, a sea came over the quarter and unceremoniously washed out the soup, filling the tureen with salt water. This, of course, was a great disappointment to the passengers, and was an apt illustration of the adage, "There's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip." It is no easy matter to walk along the deck when it is inclined 20° or 30° from the horizontal--especially when one's hands are fully occupied. Our decks being often wet for days together, became very slippery; but I do not remember having a single fall.

      After we had been several weeks at sea, the captain asked me if I would conduct a service on Lord's-day mornings in the saloon, and expressed regret that he had not spoken to me before on the matter. I readily complied with his request, and after this we had two services each Lord's-day, when the weather would permit--one in the saloon in the morning, and one in the second cabin in the afternoon. I enjoyed these services, and some of the passengers joined heartily in the singing. We also had singing on deck on favorable evenings. The people, as a rule, were quiet and peaceably-disposed; but two (of the feminine gender) were exceptions to this rule. When it was very rough, and heavy seas were shipped, these two would become dreadfully alarmed, and would actually scream with fear. I once asked them what they were afraid of, knowing full well that they feared to die in their sins.

      On Friday, May 25, land was sighted on the port bow--the first, with the exception of St. Paul's Island, that had been within our horizon since leaving England. For some days previously we had experienced heavy weather, and there was a north-west gale blowing. The atmosphere was hazy also, and, this being the captain's first visit, he was not quite sure of his location. After a short time he discovered that instead of being inside of Kangaroo Island, he was outside of it; and he then endeavored to enter the Gulf of St. Vincent by way of Backstairs Passage. The gale, however, would not allow of this, and we had to bear the disappointment as philosophically as we could under the circumstances. As soon as we lost the shelter from the [256] wind, afforded by the island, the ship was in troubled water again, and we were knocked about as badly as at any time during the voyage. This was a trial of patience for those who had counted on being at Adelaide by this time, as we might have been had the vessel pursued a proper course. Cape Willoughby was abreast at 1 o'clock p.m., and, as there was no prospect of being able to get through the Passage, we lay-to under close-reefed topsails and staysail. The next day the vessel was carried away from the island, and on Lord's-day, May 27, was nearly out of sight of land. A terrific sea was running, which swept away some of our bulwarks, and stove-in one of our boats. Some of the seas which struck the ship made every timber vibrate, and came down on deck with such force as to arouse qualms in the bravest of our company. I was glad to be able to keep calm and trustful, and to speak words of comfort and encouragement to the weak and fearful. In the evening a meeting was held for prayer and reading of the Scriptures, in the midst of the storm, the roaring of the wind, and the crashing of the waters as they spent their force about us, and even came streaming down to where we were. The next morning, as day broke, and some of the passengers went on deck to ascertain the extent of the damage to the vessel, the general exclamation was, "What a fearful night we have had! "As this was followed with a great deal of murmuring, I said that I thought we ought to feel grateful for our preservation. I also suggested that the almost incessant showers of rain, which were so unpleasant for us, might be a great blessing to those on land, who had been suffering from a partial drought.

      On Wednesday, May 30, as we were off Portland Bay the captain decided to put in, and next day a pilot came on board to take us to an anchorage. Here we were informed that we had had the last of the stock of fresh water for breakfast that morning--an item not calculated to make the passengers better pleased with our situation. Orders were given for a cask of water to be brought on board as soon as possible; and, though the weather was cold, there was a rush for the cask when it arrived. Further evidence of the severity of the storm was afforded by the presence in the bay of other vessels, which, like ourselves, had there sought refuge from its fury. Foremost among these was the steamer Burra Burra, with Sir Richard Graves Macdonnell, the new Governor of South Australia, as a passenger. This steamer had been twenty-one days out from Melbourne, had actually reached the entrance to Backstairs Passage, and had [257] then been driven back. As there was no telegraphic communication between Portland and Adelaide at that time, fears were entertained that the steamer and all on board were lost. Three or four of our number decided to forsake us, and go on to Adelaide by the steamer; and as one gentleman knew my mother, he kindly undertook to report our position to her on his arrival. Several of the sailors also, tired, I suppose, of the knocking-about they had experienced, made a raft to take themselves ashore; but their hearts failed them, and the structure was fast alongside the ship next morning.

      On Lord's-day, June 3, we made a start after breakfast for Adelaide, all hands on board cheerfully assisting to trip the anchor and hoist the sails. When we got clear of the Bay we found it was still rough, with a heavy sea, but the wind getting round from the south, we made a little progress. A few of us met for worship in Mr. Newman's cabin in the morning. While worshipping there in the evening, we were struck by a tremendous sea, which not only came on deck, but down below. Next day the wind shifted back, and we had actually to encounter another north-west gale, which knocked us about as before for a whole week; and on Lord's-day, June 10, we did as we had done on the 3rd. This was a trial of faith and patience for me and for all on board, and there was a great deal of grumbling and dissatisfaction; but that did not help us to reach our desired haven.

      On Monday, June 11, we sighted Kangaroo Island, and next day Mount Lofty, and then we knew that our long and stormy voyage was nearly at an end. In the afternoon a pilot came on board and took us through the Narrows, bringing us to anchor below Torrens Island. My two brothers came down in a boat to meet us and take us up to the Port; from there I was taken to Hindmarsh to attend a meeting being held in Robert Street in connection with the Disciples or Church of Christ. I was asked to give an address. I gave a short one, and then asked to be excused, as I did not feel at all fit to say more, after my recent trying experiences.

      I had been absent from Adelaide more than a year, and during that time great changes had taken place in my family relations. My mother had been very seriously ill; my sister had married, and given birth to a daughter; my brothers had joined the Volunteers; and there was much to hear, as well as to tell. My partners had succeeded fairly well with the business I had left to them; and, on the whole, I had good reason to feel thankful that I was again in my adopted country. I found, as [258] anticipated, that the stormy weather had brought with it heavy showers of rain, which had gladdened the hearts of the people, who were only favored with about 15 inches during the previous year (1854). The rainfall for 1855 totalled up to 23 inches, or 8 inches above the preceding year.

      My Church of England friends, having heard of the change in my religious views, did not, of course, welcome me back; but the Christians with whom I had identified myself seemed pleased to extend the right hand of fellowship. This body had a small chapel in Franklin Street, and two or three preaching-stations--Hindmarsh being one of these. At the former place Messrs. P. Santo, J. C. Verco, G. Pearce, and others, conducted the services; and I had the privilege and pleasure of taking part with them: I considered that it was due to my former co-religionists to let them know my reasons for leaving them, and accordingly prepared a manifesto for this purpose. The Synod of the Church of England was then engaged in preparing a Constitution for its guidance, containing the necessary rules and regulations. This fact furnished me with a title for my manifesto, which I designated "A Constitution for All Churches." It was printed as a sixteen page pamphlet. I sent a number of these to the Synod, with a request that they might be circulated gratuitously amongst its members. In the preface to this pamphlet I addressed myself to the members of the Church of England as follows:--"Dear Friends--Though conscience (guided, I trust, by the light of revealed truth) has caused me to withdraw my presence from your assemblies, and to cease laboring with many of you whom I love and esteem and was happily associated with, I beg to assure you that, though thus painfully separated from you for the truth's sake, I do not love and esteem you the less for remaining in a Church which you doubtless believe to be a 'pillar and ground of the truth,' but which I have been led to see is unscriptural in many respects. That you have not been led to view the Church of England in the same light as myself is not to me a matter of surprise. It is almost impossible to arrive at the same results in anything unless a somewhat similar course is pursued; and few, perhaps, when looking at the difference between themselves and their neighbors, in principle, profession, or practice, take into consideration the various circumstances that may have been the cause of producing this difference. Such as the education received, and the habits formed in early life, and the powerful influence these have exerted upon after-life." I then gave some details of the circumstances which led me to make the acquaintance of [259] those Churches in England and America practising, as it appeared to me, a more Scriptural order of worship than the Church of England. I further faithfully urged upon the members of the latter organisation to search the Scriptures and see for themselves whether their Church conformed to the principles and practice of the early Christian Churches; and, if it were found wanting, to do as I had done, whatever the sacrifice they were called upon to make might be.

      This manifesto called forth a reply from Bishop Short, in the shape of a printed letter, addressed to me; which was not only short, but, to my mind, very unsatisfactory. The letter was dated from Bishop's Court, October 4, 1855, and in the introductory part the Bishop said: "I have read your 'Constitution for All Churches,' and while the gentleness of spirit in which it is written is commendable, I cannot altogether acquit it of self-sufficiency." The question of "self-sufficiency" was the crucial point, and, finding that my "self-sufficiency," backed up with Scriptural proofs; was not considered enough to satisfy Bishop Short, I gave several quotations from ecclesiastical history in support of my statements. My answer was issued in a printed pamphlet, with his Lordship's letter in full for the purpose of reference. There was no reply to this, and I was afterwards informed that the Bishop's friends had advised him to proceed no further in the matter.

      A few days after returning to Adelaide I called on my old friend Archdeacon Woodcock, and had a long talk with him about the change that had taken place in my religious views. I had written to him after my immersion, but in the course of the conversation I pressed the matter home more closely. The Archdeacon, however, declined to enter into anything like a discussion on the subject of baptism, adding that he would not attempt to defend the practice of infant baptism (or sprinkling) by the Scriptures; but as it was according to the teaching of the Church of England, he accepted it as such. I also approached my former friend Dean Farrell on the same subject, but he was not disposed to argue with me. In reply to a long letter from me, the Dean said:--"My dear Hussey--I hope you will pardon my apparent rudeness in leaving your letter so long unanswered. I need not now trouble you nor myself by stating some reasons that might plead my apology; nor can I, at least at present, enter upon the subject. It was, indeed, like yourself; and like what I should have expected from you--kind, earnest, and honest. You will not be surprised, I think, on reflection, that I should decline [260] your invitation to discuss with you the question of infant baptism in the presence of some who might be profited by our arguments; for, however highly I may think of your zeal and your talent, I can hardly imagine you can argue on the point more ably or more clearly than has already been done and written; while I am positively certain that the side which I should embrace would gain no advantage by my advocacy."

      In course of time several of my relatives, including my mother, followed my example, or did as I had done, in being immersed into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Outside of my family circle, also, several withdrew from the Church of England, and were immersed. Among these might be mentioned the names of Mr. D. Gall, my partner in business; Mr. C. H. Goode, with whom I had been associated as a lay preacher; and others. These seceders acted entirely independently of me, and took the step they did because they were fully assured in their own minds that the immersion of a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, on a confession of faith, was Christian baptism according to the teaching of the New Testament. Up to this time the Baptists had not made much progress in the Colony, and the Churches practising believers' baptism were represented by the Rev. G. Stonehouse (General Baptists), Mr. G. Prince (Particular Baptists), Captain Scott (Scotch Baptists), Pastor T. Playford (Christian), and the Disciples, or Church of Christ. The last-named had no regular pastors or elders, but several of the brethren took it in turn to preside at the Lord's-day meetings and to preach the Gospel. In addition to the pamphlet which I had issued, entitled "A Constitution for All Churches," and the "Letter in Reply to Bishop Short," I prepared the following for general circulation "A Few Remarks on the Bible," "A Few Remarks on Faith and Repentance," "A Few Remarks on Christian Baptism," and "A Few Remarks on the Work of the Holy Spirit." These were quite original, without attempting in any way to set forth the views of the Disciples or Church of Christ; but in the main they were on similar lines. Probably the only exception to this last statement might be found in the fact that I did not take the extreme view with reference to baptism which some of the Disciples did. I believe that much harm has been done to the cause of truth in many instances by those who go to extremes, and on the other hand it is equally unfair to judge of any Church by the views set forth by some of its preachers and partisans. [261] The above pamphlets--especially those on "Baptism," and the "Remarks on the Holy Spirit"--evoked much adverse criticism in certain quarters. With reference to the last-named tract, Bishop Short set me down as a Pelagian, and a friend whom I met addressed me thus: "Mr. Hussey, I understand that you deny the Holy Spirit." I replied: "That is news to me, and it is certainly not true." "Tell me," said he, "what you believe about the Holy Spirit." That was rather a large question to answer on the public highway, so, to be as concise and comprehensive as possible, I replied: "I believe all that the Bible teaches about the Holy Spirit, and nothing more and nothing less." This seemed to satisfy my interrogator for the time being, and if he wanted further particulars, he could gather them from my pamphlet. An Independent minister undertook to criticise my tract on "Baptism." This led to a correspondence extending over a year, which ended very unsatisfactorily. I felt that after bestowing so much time and attention on the subject, it would be best to publish the correspondence. After some delay my opponent agreed to this, but before it was placed in the hands of the printer, he altered his mind, and wriggled out of the contract. I was not ashamed of what I had written seeing the light; but presumably my correspondent came to the conclusion that:

[CLACE 253-262]