Life of Joseph Bates
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE EARLY LIFE AND LATER EXPERIENCE AND LABORS ----OF---- ELDER JOSEPH BATES. EDITED BY ELDER JAMES WHITE. _______________ STEAM PRESS OF THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION, BATTLE CREEK, MICH. ___ 1877. Life of Bates – Joseph Bates AUTHOR'S PREFACE. ________ I HAVE frequently been solicited by relatives and friends to write a brief history of my past life, but never felt seriously inclined to do so until the year 1858, when I was requested by my friends in the West to furnish a series of articles in relation to my past life, for a religious paper entitled, The Youth's Instructor, published at Battle Creek, Mich. In compliance with their wishes, fifty-one numbers were issued and published in said paper, ending in May, 1863. As these numbers are about exhausted, we again comply with the request of friends to furnish them, with additional numbers, for publication in book form. JOSEPH BATES. MONTEREY, MICH., MAY 1, 1868. EDITOR'S PREFACE. ________ THE body of this work is a reprint of the Autobiography of Elder Joseph Bates, which received great public favor. A large edition of it has been sold, and the book has been out of print more than a year. The call for it continues. The author was one of those noble and godly men who though "dead yet speaketh." The editor of this work was an intimate and close fellow-laborer with Elder Joseph Bates for more than a quarter of a century. And it is with great pleasure that we give his life sketches, with introduction and closing remarks, in this volume. J. W. BATTLE CREEK, MICH., AUGUST 16, 1877. 2 Life of Bates – Joseph Bates CONTENTS. ________ CHAPTER I. Parentage - Birth - Residence - First Foreign Voyage - Hurl Gate - London Water for Sailors - Mr. Lloyd's Story - Mr. Moore and his Book - Sea Journal - Overboard - Shark. CHAPTER II. Shipwrecked in the Ice - An attempt to throw the Captain Overboard - Deliverance - Arrive in Ireland - Pursuing our Voyage - British Convoy - Part our Cable - Taken by Privateers - Nature of an Oath, and the Box - Ship Condemned - Voyage up the Baltic - Arrive in Ireland - Pressed into the British Service. CHAPTER III. Attempt to Escape - Flogging - Ship St. Salvadore - Attempt to Swim Away - Rodney 74 - Spanish War Ship - A Levanter - Image Worship - Another Attempt for Freedom - Battle - Storm - Shipwreck - Blockading Squadron - Church Service on Board a King's Ship - Port Mahon - Subterranean Passage - Holy-stone - Wash Days - Threatened Punishment - Storm - New Station. CHAPTER IV. Impressing American Seamen - Documents of Citizenship - War - Voluntary Surrender as Prisoners of War - Preparation for a Battle - Unjust Treatment - Close Confinement - Relieved - British Fleet Outgeneraled - Prisoners Sent to England - London Newspaper - Successful Movement - Without Bread. CHAPTER V. Cutting a Hole Through the Ship - Perilous Adventure of a Narragansett Indian - Hole Finished - Eighteen Prisoners Escape - Singular Device to Keep the Number Good - Drowning Man - Night Signals for Relief - Another Hole Cut - Letter from the Escaped Prisoners - U. S. Government Clothe their Prisoners - Prisoners sent to Dartmoor - Cheering News of Peace. CHAPTER VI. Subterranean Passage - A Traitor - Ratification of Peace - American Consul Hung in Effigy - Without Bread for Two Days - Prisoners Demand and Obtain their Bread - Inhuman Massacre of Prisoners - English Soldier Liberated - Court of Inquiry - Arrival of a Cartel - Liberated from Prison - Display of Flags Respecting the Massacre. CHAPTER VII. Embarkation for the United States - Injustice to Prisoners - Excitement Respecting our Port of Destination - Banks of Newfoundland - Perils of the Ocean - Threatened Mutiny - Islands of Ice - Mutiny on the High Seas - Speak an American Ship - Joyful News - Land in Sight - A Prize Taken - Safe Arrival at New London, Ct. - Sail Again for Boston. CHAPTER VIII. Arrival Home - Voyage to Europe - Singular Rock in the Ocean - Sudden Commencement of Winter - Voyage Ended - Another Voyage - Perilous Situation in Chesapeake Bay - Criterion in Distress - Wrecked in a Snow-storm - Visit to Baltimore - On Board the Criterion Again - Cargo 3 Life of Bates – Joseph Bates Saved - Another Voyage - Hurricane - Voyage Ended - Married - Another Voyage - Captain Reefing Top-sails in his Sleep. CHAPTER IX. Allowance of Water - Casting Cargo into the Sea - Allowance of Provisions - Terrible Storm - Gulf Stream - Dead Calm and Rushing Hurricane - The Cook's Prayer - Silent Agony - Wallowing between the Seas - More Respecting the Gale - Leak Increasing - Supply of Provisions - Council - Bear up for the West Indies - Reported - Safe Arrival in the West Indies. CHAPTER X. A Spoiled Child - Passage Home from the West Indies - False Alarm - Arrival Home - Voyage in the Ship New Jersey - Breakers off Bermuda - Dangerous Position in a Violent Storm - Turk's Island - Cargo of Rock Salt - Return to Alexandria, D. C. - Voyage to Liverpool - Storm in the Gulf Stream - Singular Phenomenon on the Banks of Newfoundland - Arrival at Liverpool - A Great Change - An Old Shipmate. CHAPTER XI. Who the Stranger Was - Black List - Salt Shoveling - Peak of Pico - Voyage Ended - Visit my Family - Voyage to South America - Trade-winds - Sea-Fish - Rio Janeiro - Desperate Situation - Montevideo - Returning North - Cutting in a Whale - Resolved Never to Drink Ardent Spirits - Arrival in Alexandria - Preparations for Another Voyage - Visit my Family - Escape from a Stage - Sail for South America - Singular Fish - Arrival at Rio Janeiro - Sail for River La Plata - Dispose of my Cargo at Buenos Ayres - Catholic Host. CHAPTER XII. Crossing the Pampas of Buenos Ayres - Preparation for the Pacific Ocean - Resolved Never to Drink Wine - Aspect of the Starry Heavens - Alarming Position off Cape Horn - Double the Cape - Island of Juan Fernandez - Arrival at Callao - A Whale Harpooned in the Harbor - Voyage to Pisco - The Patriot Soldiers - Scenery and Climate of Lima - Earthquakes - Destruction of Callao - Cemetery - Disposal of the Dead. CHAPTER XIII. Mint - Stamping Coin - Catholic Churches and Feasts - The Sunset Bells - Spanish Inquisition - Voyage to Truxillo - Sell the Chatsworth - Smuggling - Spanish Boats - Silver Conveyed by Indians - Deliver up the Chatsworth - Passage to Callao - Trouble with the Captain - Wine at a Dinner Party - Smoking. CHAPTER XIV. Money Matters - Highway Robbers - Searching Ships for Specie - A Lieutenant Shot - Sail for Home - Tobacco - Serious Reflections - Pass Cape Horn - Equator - North Star - Violent Gale - A Sudden Change of Wind - Desperate Position - Joyous Sight of Land - Vineyard Sound - Arrival in Boston - At Home - Another Voyage - Off the Capes of Virginia - Outward Bound. CHAPTER XV. Conviction of Sin - Funeral at Sea - Covenant with God - A Dream - Arrival at Pernambuco - Landing a North American Lady - Wine at a Dinner Party - Sell my Cargo - Another Voyage - Religious Views - Whaling - Brazilian Flour - Arrive at St. Catherine's - Also Paraiba - Sell my Cargo - Third Voyage - Confidence Rewarded. 4 Life of Bates – Joseph Bates CHAPTER XVI. Soul-refreshing Seasons in the Forest - Effigy of Judas Iscariot - Sail from St. Catherine's - Arrival at Paraiba - Fourth Voyage - Arrival at the Bay of Spirits - Dangerous Position - Rio St. Francisco - Rio Grande - Banks of Sand - A City in Ruins - Jerked Beef - Rio Grande to Paraiba - Kattamaran - Catholic Procession and Burial - Sail for New York - Arrival at Home - Family Prayer - Experience. CHAPTER XVII. Revival of Religion - Baptism - Join the Church - Temperance Society - Cold-Water Army - Another Voyage - Rules for the Voyage - Temperance Voyage - Altar of Prayer on Shipboard - Semi-Weekly Paper at Sea - Sunday Worship - Arrival in South America - Paraiba - Bahia - Privateer - St. Catherine's. CHAPTER XVIII. Overhauled by a Buenos Ayres Privateer, or Pirate - Plunder - Passengers Made Prisoners - Search for Money - Crew and Passengers Released - Season of Prayer - Arrival at Rio Janeiro - Bethel Meeting - Rio Grande - Dangers of the Coast - Fresh Water - Religious Views - Letter - Vessel Lost - Sail - Arrive at St. Catherine's - Sail for New York - Singular Phenomenon. CHAPTER XIX. Revival at Sea - Arrive in New York - Bethel Ships and Meetings - Friendless Young Men - Arrival in New Bedford - Temperance Reform - Sea-faring Life Ended. CHAPTER XX. At Home - Farming - My Promise - Seaman's Friend Society - Missions - American Tract Society - American Colonization Society - Meeting-House - Religious Revival - Tea and Coffee - Change of Residence - Progress of the Temperance Cause - Progress of the Antislavery Cause - My own Position - Mob in Boston, Mass. - Falling Stars. CHAPTER XXI. Moral Reform - Culture of Silk - Proposed Manual-Labor School - Second Advent of Christ - William Miller's Theory - His Lectures in Boston - First Second-Advent Paper - Eld. D. Millard's Letter - Eld. L. D. Fleming's Letters - H. Hawley's Letter - Wm. Miller in Portland. CHAPTER XXII. First Call for a Second-Advent Conference - Convened in Boston, Mass. - Conference Address Sent Forth to the World - Diving-Bell - Clearing the Ship Channel - Wm. Miller's Lectures in Fairhaven, Mass. - Also in New Bedford - Address to Ministers - Ministers' Meeting - Antiochus Epiphanes - Thirty-two Square Rods for Every Person - Second Second-Advent Conference. CHAPTER XXIII. Fall of the Ottoman Empire - Passing of the Second Woe - Space of Time to Proclaim the First Angel's Message, Rev. 14:6, 7 - Conferences - Trials on Leaving the Church - Moral-Reform Societies