|
|
Number
2 - Spring 1989 Front
Cover The Wreck of the Julia Ann by John Devitry-Smith* John Devitry-Smith; BYU
Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.5 Between 1840 and 1890,
approximately 335 organized companies carried more than eighty-five thousand
Latter-day Saints by sea to the United States from around the world.1
Remarkably, only one of these vessels, the Julia Ann, was shipwrecked and
Mormon passengers drowned. A reporter for the San Francisco Herald, upon
hearing an eyewitness narrative of the wreck wrote that it exhibited "a
picture of suffering, privation and distress seldom equalled in the annals of
maritime disaster."2 The following is an account of that voyage, a look
at the lives of the Mormons aboard, and a description of the ordeal that
followed the shipwreck. John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.5 Australia accounted for
less than 1 percent of the total world-wide Mormon migration. The first group
of twenty-nine converts, under the direction of Elder Charles Wandell, left
Sydney on 6 April 1853, bound for San Francisco.3 By January 1854, mission
president Augustus Farnham and his first counselor William Hyde had set about
securing a vessel for the second company to leave for Zion in April. An
agreement was reached in the weeks following with Benjamin Franklin Pond,
part owner of the relatively small 372-ton American barque, the Julia Ann,
skippered by Captain C. B. Davis of New Bedford, Massachusetts.4 The fare per
adult was twenty-four pounds sterling, quite expensive considering wages at
the time.5 Elder John Perkins, for example, worked as a storekeeper in Sydney
and earned two pounds five pence per week.6 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.5 The first company of
Mormons to sail on the Julia Ann left Newcastle, New South Wales, 22 March
1854, for San Pedro, California, under the charge of Elder William Hyde.7 The
vessel made exceptional time for the first leg of its journey, but the latter
part became "protracted and tedious" after the ship encountered a
"succession of head winds for some fifty days."8 To replenish
supplies, stops were made at Huahine, an island northwest of Tahiti, and again
at Hawaii. Periods of seasickness, an outbreak of measles, and the death of a
Sister Esther Allen following the birth of her child were the low points of
the passage, which lasted eighty-three days. Despite these difficulties,
Elder Hyde was impressed by the accommodations, crew, and sailing qualities
of the vessel, remarking that "the officers generally have shown us
every kindness I could reasonably look for." After arriving at San
Pedro, Hyde wrote to President Farnham with the news that the Julia Ann would
soon be back in Sydney, stating that "should there be a company of
Saints in readiness I do not think the chances will be very frequent for
finding a vessel on this trade, where the same number of passengers can be
accommodated."9 Captain Pond was likewise impressed with the orderly
conduct of the Saints and sent word to Farnham, "[I] should be glad to
make another passage engagement with you, and hope that another trip may
prove more expeditious and successful than our last."10 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.6 President Farnham
contacted Captain Pond upon his return with the Julia Ann but found not as
many members were ready to make the voyage as previously expected.11 When the
vessel sailed, only twenty-eight of the fifty-six passengers were Latter-day
Saints: John S. Eldredge, age 34, and James S. Graham, both returning
American missionaries; John Penfold, Sr., in charge of the company, and
Elizabeth Penfold, his wife; Peter Penfold, 24; Stephen Penfold, 19; John
McCarthy, 25; Andrew Anderson, 44, and Elizabeth Anderson, his wife, 44, with
their children Jane, 19, Agnes, 17, Alexander, 14, Marion, 10, and James,
together with three other children not named; Eliza Harris, 30, and her
children Maria, 2, and Lister, 6 months; Martha Humphries, 43, and her
daughters Mary and Eliza and son Francis; Charles Logie and his wife and
child; and Brother Pegg.12 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.6 Although the party was a
small one, several members had played important roles in the history of the
Church in Australia. Andrew Anderson, his wife, and three children arrived in
Sydney on 6 October 1841, as the first known Mormon family in Australia.13
The only active Mormon to precede them was William James Barratt, who arrived
in Adelaide, South Australia, November 1840.14 Elizabeth Anderson was
baptized in Edinburgh, Scotland, in September 1840 by Orson Pratt.15 Andrew
was also baptized by Elder Pratt, most likely at the same time as his wife.
After arriving in New South Wales, the family moved inland to Wellington, 240
miles from Sydney, where Andrew worked as a shepherd for Robert Howe, who had
assisted in paying the family's passage from Scotland in exchange for a
year's labor at moderate wages.16 Considering his situation, Anderson was a
remarkable missionary in the Wellington district. He traveled extensively,
held meetings, and despite the threat of expulsion from the area managed to
organize the first branch of the Church in Australia in late 1844.17 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.7 Eliza and Edmund Harris
were among the half-dozen documented Mormon families to arrive in Australia
before the full-time missionaries in late 1851. They were
"rediscovered" in May 1852 after reading an article in the Sydney
Morning Herald in defense of Mormonism by Elder Charles Wandell. Eliza made a
plea to the elders in Sydney for any Latter-day Saint literature, stating,
"I care not what I pay for [it]," and requesting the elders to be
sent to their home in Maitland as soon as possible.18 Although very poor,
Edmund and Eliza were instrumental in introducing and setting up meetings for
the first missionaries in the remarkably successful Maitland area. The
majority of the first company of sixty-three converts who sailed on the Julia
Ann in 1854 were from the Maitland district. Edmund Harris did not travel
with his wife and children on the second, and fatal, voyage of the Julia Ann,
in which his wife and son were drowned. He had planned on making the trip,
but the recent news that assistance could no longer be given through the
Perpetual Emigration Fund probably forced him to remain in order to save
enough to pay his fare with the following company. John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.7 John McCarthy and John
Jones were the missionaries sent to open the Maitland area as requested by
the Harrises. McCarthy stands out as one of the greatest local converts to
emerge from the Australian mission. Born in Ireland and raised in a staunch
Catholic family, he began studying to be a priest at an early age. He had a
brief encounter with Mormonism while at school and later dropped out of the
Catholic church. For this he was disinherited by his parents and
"punished for his rebellion. He was placed in a dungeon with skeletons;
a horsehair coat, which had been dipped in lime, was placed upon him, and the
punishment was so severe from this treatment, that he carried flesh wounds
from it for the rest of his life."19 With the help of a friend, he
escaped and boarded a ship as a stowaway. His adventure eventually brought
him to Sydney, where he listened to the preaching of Elders John Murdock and
Charles Wandell. After his baptism in May 1852, at the age of twenty-two,
McCarthy was set apart within the month as a traveling elder to Maitland,
where he excelled as a missionary. In the following years, he traveled
extensively throughout New South Wales, and he was the first elder to
proselyte in what is now Queensland.20 Accounts of his great faith and
ability to heal the sick are among the very few existing credible miracles
documented in Australia. The following was recorded by Charles Wandell and
later published in the Western Standard at San Francisco in 1856 by George Q.
Cannon: John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.8 As Elder McCarthy was
proceeding to the water at Williams' river to baptize brother Bryant and
household; his wheat, being just ready for the sickle was set on fire by the
carelessness or malice of a neighbor. The brethren hastened to the spot as
quickly as possible. The fire raged fearfully. There was no help, but from
God; and the Elder prayed to God to quench the fire; when to the astonishment
of the spectators, the fire went out apparently of itself in less than five
minutes. What is not the least remarkable, Elder McCarthy, when he rebuked
the fire, he went directly into it; and although the flames reached above his
head, yet even his clothes were not scorched, neither was the smell of fire
found upon him. John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.8 These facts were testified
to the writer by brothers Bryant's and Stapley's families and others, not
less than a dozen persons in all.21 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.8 Wandell also reported an
account by Martha M. Humphries, who wrote that she was "raised from a
bed of severe fever," through the ministrations of John McCarthy at the
time of her baptism, 17 December 1853: "I was taken from my bed, against
the remonstrances of my physician, who threatened elder McCarthy with
prosecution if I died, and was placed in a carriage and taken more than a
mile to the water and baptized, and walked home well. I was healed by the
power of God."22 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.8 John Penfold, Sr, was
appointed by Australian Mission President Augustus Farnham to take charge of
the company of Saints leaving on the Julia Ann. He and his family had been
baptized by Elder William Hyde on 15 August 1853 in Clarence Town. Three
months later the Clarence Town Branch was officially organized, and in
accordance with the wishes of the Saints, John Penfold, Sr., was appointed to
preside.23 Charles Logie and family were members of the Sydney Branch. He was
an experienced seaman, and signed on in Sydney as one of the crew of the
Julia Ann and helped load her with coal.24 American Elders John Eldredge and
James Graham had arrived in Sydney on 9 April 1853 and were appointed to
travel together in the districts of Camden and Penrith in New South Wales.
They were returning to Utah after completing successful missions.25 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.8 After a final farewell
from the Saints in Sydney, the Julia Ann with fifty-six souls and a 350-ton
load of coal left Sydney Heads at 2:00 P.M., 7 September 1855, bound for San
Francisco.26 As the voyage began, the passengers gathered between the poop
and steerage house to sing "The Gallant Ship Is Under Weigh," but
the thought of leaving friends and familiar surroundings for an uncertain
future made the departure a more solemn occasion than joyous for many. Most
of the adults had traveled from the British Isles to Australia and knew from
prior experience the perils of the sea. Cramped quarters, poor food, and
months of boredom awaited them, and the cool sea breeze rekindled these
memories and created a chill of apprehension and anxiety. Andrew Anderson,
upon leaving, commented that the song sounded "more like a funeral hymn
than on the occasion it was."27 Captain Pond expressed the same
sentiments in his retrospective account: "The day seemed very
unpropitious and gloomy and before our anchor was weighed it commenced
blowing and raining, and in getting out of the harbor we met with very many
annoying accidents."28 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.9 Nonetheless the converts
on board felt God's church had once again been restored to the earth and were
determined to gather and contribute in its restoration. This conviction
overshadowed all their fears, as expressed in a letter Martha Humphries wrote
to her mother before leaving on the Julia Ann: John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.9 and now my dear mother, I
will answer that question you put me, of when, are we going . . . We leave
Australia with all its woes, and bitterness, for the Land of Zion next April.
. . . perhaps you will say, I am building on worldly hopes, that never will
be realized, not so, Mother . . . knowing what I know, I tell you, if I knew
for a positive certainty, that when we get there persecutions, such as have
been the portion of the saints before, awaited us, I would still insist upon
going, what are a few short years in this present State, compared with Life
Eternal.29 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.9 Rough weather and strong
head winds during the first two weeks caused considerable sickness and
generally made the passage "altogether exceedingly unpleasant."30
Many were unable to keep their first few meals down. After they cleared the
New Zealand coast and entered the south-east trades, the weather turned fine,
and they began to expect a quick voyage. Meetings were held regularly, and at
night there was singing and prayer. After twenty-six days at sea, the Julia
Ann continued "getting on with good wind," and aside from
seasickness the voyage was a complete success with talk of soon arriving in
San Francisco.31 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.9 On the evening of 4
October 1855, Sydney time (3 October international time), Captain Pond had
been on the lookout for low land all day and appeared anxious and
apprehensive. The general area of the Scilly Isles was "a very dangerous
locality for navigators."32 Many of the reefs were incorrectly recorded
on the charts, and "an extra press of sail" had been carried with
the hope of clearing certain dangerous reefs before nightfall. Knowing land
was nearby and expecting to pass between Mopelia and the Scilly Isles, Pond
had posted a watch in the foretop. The wind was blowing free, and according
to John McCarthy's report the barque was making eleven and one-half knots per
hour. At 7:30 P.M., the sea became broken. At sundown no land could be seen,
and the Captain presumed he was at least sixteen miles past any land. At
eight o'clock, after a nerve-racking day, Captain Pond decided to go below and
get some rest. Before retiring he gave the order to chief officer Coffin to
relieve Charles Logie, who had been at the helm since six o'clock. This was a
customary precaution always taken by Pond "when in the vicinity of reefs
or islands."33 Coffin was an experienced seaman and whaler who had
commanded several vessels for himself and others. After giving Coffin the
course he had been steering, Logie also went below to rest as he was off duty
until midnight.34 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.10 By this time many of the
children were asleep below while the majority of adults were out in the
general area of the steerage house and poop deck. The night was dark with
neither the moon nor stars visible. Soon after 8:30 P.M. an alarming cry of "Hard
down the helm!" was heard, and the Julia Ann, with a tremendous crash
that sounded like thunder, smashed head-on into a coral reef.35 The bottom of
the vessel could be heard to "grate harshly on the rocks," leaving
a gaping hole and lifting the bow of the ship high out of the water.36 The
stern of the ship "immediately swung around with her broadside"
pressed hard up against the reef, "the sea [making] a complete breach
over her at every swell."37 Pond wrote, "I sprang to my feet, but
my heart failed me, as I was nearly thrown upon the floor of the cabin by the
violent striking of the ship, and before I could reach the deck, she was
thumping hard."38 Peter Penfold and others were singing on top of the
midship house at the time of impact and, finding it too dangerous where they
were, headed for the cabin. According to Penfold, "[T]he sea [was]
breaking over us every moment, so that it was a thing impossible to
stand."39 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.10 Captain Pond remained
below momentarily to pick up his nautical equipment and soon after was on
deck, only to be met by the stark realization that there was no hope of
saving the vessel. Esther Spangenberg, a young non-Mormon passenger,
recollects that "his chief desire seemed to be to save the lives of the
passengers and crew."40 All passengers were ordered to head for the
after-cabin, and indescribable confusion immediately followed as the steerage
passengers rushed into the cabin, "mothers holding their undressed
children in their arms, as they snatched them from their slumbers, screaming
and lamenting."41 When the women asked the officers what they should do,
they were told to cling to whatever they could, but this in itself was no
easy task. As Captain Pond recalled, "the vessel was laboring and
thumping in a most fearful manner, and it was almost impossible to cling to
the iron railing upon the quarter deck."42 Miss Spangenberg described
her attempt to reach the cabin in these terms: John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.11 I managed to reach the
deck, and wedged myself between the bittheads, clinging to the iron railing.
I looked over ship's side, but could see nothing but the breakers, which
struck the ship with tremendous force. The rudder was broken, and the
spanker-boom swinging to and fro, struck me severely in the head, while at
the same time I narrowly escaped being swept overboard by a huge wave. I
looked on death as certain, but I resolved to meet it bravely, and I returned
to my state-room to devote the remaining moments of my life in thinking of
friends whom I loved, and that I should never see more.43 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.11 John McCarthy recalled,
"I saw mothers nursing their babes in the midst of falling masts and broken
spars, while the breakers were rolling twenty feet high over the
wreck."44 Andrew Anderson, his wife, and Sisters Harris and Logie were
below in the steerage at the time of impact. By the time the Andersons could
get four of their younger children out of bed, water was knocking about the
boxes. Anderson's leg was bruised badly by a large box that hit him. With
considerable difficulty they made it to the after-cabin.45 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.11 Many passengers were still
clinging to the poop deck. The bashing from the waves was too much for young
Mary Humphries and ten-year-old Marion Anderson. Both were washed off the
poop deck into the foaming surf shortly after the ship ran aground and seen
no more. Elizabeth Anderson and her husband tried frantically to gather all
their children together but in such conditions found it physically impossible
to account for eight children.46 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.11 The Julia Ann was not
sinking but breaking up on the rocks from the continual pounding of the
waves. The vessel had precariously fallen over on its seaward side and was
jammed hard up against the reef. Although fearful that the ship could break
up at any instant, Captain Pond wisely delayed briefly before cutting away
the masts and kept the sails up, trying to force the ship as high as possible
onto the reef. There was no time to lower boats as the sea had torn them from
the davits, and at any rate they were useless in the surf and rocks.47 As the
last boat "broke adrift . . . and plunged headlong into the sea."48
Second Mate Owens and three or four other crewmembers courageously leaped in
after it, only to be catapulted into the reef along with the boat by a large
wave. Owens suffered serious injuries and for a time lay incapacitated but
soon after continued in his efforts to help others from the wreck. John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.11 All were fully aware the
ship was going to pieces and, as there was no land in sight, Pond called for
a volunteer to attempt to swim to the reef and find a firm footing. Posthaste
a crew member stripped and by the aid of the spanker boom and expert swimming
managed to fasten a rope to a rock upon the reef, by which the captain
hastily began sending the women and children to relative safety. "The
process was an exceedingly arduous one, and attended with much peril,"49
but with no other options available the struggle continued. During this time
the passengers were forced to remain collected in the after-cabin, a chaotic
haven at best, considering the description given by Esther Spangenberg: John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.12 When I reached the cabin,
the scene that presented itself to my view, can never be erased from my
memory. Mothers screaming, and children clinging to them in terror and dread;
the furniture was torn from its lashings and all upturned; the ship was lying
on her beam ends; the starboard side of her was opening, and the waves were
washing in and out of the cabin.50 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.12 The passengers were forced
to remain in the cabin until their names were called. Then each attempted to
make it to the reef by the rope. The rocks proved to be a poor sanctuary, for
not a dry spot was to be found as the sea broke over the reef continually.
Captain Pond had given his quadrant, nautical almanac, and epitome to the
first man to go to the reef, making it clear that if anyone did survive the
night their continued existence depended upon the preservation of these
articles. Pond recollects that upon reaching the reef "the man was
required to do nothing, but to watch over the safety of those precious
articles, to us far more valuable than gold."51 The captain's presence
of mind in saving this equipment later proved crucial. John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.12 Esther Spangenberg
remembered her ordeal in getting to the rocks: John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.12 The Captain and officers
had great difficulty in persuading the greater number of the ladies to [try
to escape on the rope]; as for myself, I considered to remain on the ship was
sure death, and I might save my life by trying to reach the reef by means of
the rope. I therefore bade my fellow passengers farewell, and reached the
deck by swaying myself there with a rope, the steps being gone. . . . I was
assisted over the side of the ship, by some of the crew, and directed how to
haul on by the rope; when, after considerable difficulty, I reached the reef,
my clothes torn in shreds, and my person bruised and mangled. But I was
fortunate in escaping, even in that plight.52 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.12 A number of women and
children still remained below and were being helped up onto the poop deck by
a few men. Two of the women, Eliza Harris and Martha Humphries, were without
their husbands, who had intended to follow them in the next company. Eliza
Harris had two children to fend for, her six-month-old son Lister and her
two-year-old daughter Maria. She was no match for the conditions. She bravely
strapped her son to her breast in readiness to go to the rocks. But before
she could begin, a cry was heard, "hold on all!" and "an awful
sea struck the ship, tearing up the bulwarks, threatening death and
destruction to every thing within reach. A fearful shriek arose from the
cabin."53 The Julia Ann had broken in two across the main hatch. The
forward part of the cabin had been smashed in, and the starboard stateroom
completely washed away. Eliza Harris, with her boy in her arms, hardly knew
what hit her and was engulfed amid the waves and debris of the wreck. Both
were drowned. Also in the cabin was forty-three-year-old Martha Humphries,
who just before drowning requested of her friends to "protect her
children and convey them to Great Salt Lake City, for her earthly career was
run."54 Peter Penfold recalled that after helping the remaining women
and children out of the cabin, he climbed up from below and "found the
vessel all broken up into fragments except the cabin, and into that the water
was rushing at a furious rate, sweeping out all the partitions."55 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.13 One man abandoned his wife
and six children and went alone to the rocks. The Captain, feeling there was
"no hope [that] the children" could make it across the hauling line
alone, implored the mother to save her own life, but she could not bring
herself to let her children face death alone, and remained. When her husband
reached the rocks, the crew realized that he had deserted his family, and
"they threw him back into the sea; the next wave, however, washed him
up, and they permitted him to crawl to a place of safety."56 A
seventeen-year-old mother and her husband courageously strapped their baby to
his back and struggled together to the reef with the aid of the rope.57
Captain Pond displayed his true colors and high moral character throughout
the ordeal by ordering Second Mate Owens, who was about to carry eight
thousand dollars belonging to the captain to the rocks, to carry a small girl
to safety first. This was done, and "the child was saved, but the money
was lost."58 The rope soon parted, leaving the captain on board "to
what appeared inevitable destruction." He recounts: John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.13 There was no confusion: up
to the last all were subservient to my orders. But the scene rapidly drew to
a crisis. John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.13 The vessel had fallen off
the reef to more than double her former distance; the rope attached to the
rocks was stretched to its utmost tension, the hauling line had parted for
the third time; the crew were all on the reef, and after repeated efforts to
join us, the attempt was abandoned. At every surge of the sea, I expected the
vessel would turn bottom up. . . . I urged those remaining to try to get to
the reef, on the rope, before it parted--it was a desperate, but only chance
for life. The women and children could not, and the men shrunk from the
yawning gulf as from certain death.59 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.14 As no more passengers
would leave the ship, Pond and Coffin in a last ditch effort to save their
own lives threw themselves upon the rope. Nineteen passengers still remained
on what was left of the ship, unable to make it safely to the reef:
"parents and children, who preferred death sooner than separation from
each other."60 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.14 The Anderson family were
one of two families still on the wreck, and mother Elizabeth was determined
not to leave until she had all her children. Seventeen-year-old Agnes
Anderson had escaped to the reef, while the rest of the family remained on
board. Captain Pond recorded the following touching scene: John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.14 The hauling line had
parted, the forward part of the ship had broken up, and no hope remained for
those who were yet clinging to the quarter deck; but above the roar of the breakers
and shrieks of despair, a mother's voice was heard, crying "Agnes,
Agnes, come to me." Agnes was seated on the wreck of the main mast, that
had floated upon the reef, but no sooner did she hear that mother's piercing
wail, than she sprang to her feet, threw her arms up, shrieking "mother!
mother! I come, I come," and plunged headlong into the sea. A sailor was
fortunately near, seized her by the clothes and drew her back again. . . .
The mother said she felt as though she wanted Agnes with her and then all
would die together.61 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.14 Around 1:00 P.M.,
"just as their last hopes were dying out," the vessel broke into
pieces, and "a heavy sea striking her" carried the quarterdeck high
upon the rocks.62 When the vessel finally split in two, the cargo of coal
immediately sank and miraculously the part of the vessel on which the
passengers clung was carried upon the rocks and "in consequence most
providentially saved."63 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.14 The whole ordeal had
lasted nearly three hours. Bruised, with lacerated arms, hands, feet, and
numerous other injuries, the fifty-one surviving men, women, and children
waited for the dawn. Many were sitting on parts of the broken masts and
others on pieces of the wreck. Peter Penfold records they spent a dreadful
night "up to the waist in water."64 They were stranded in the
middle of the Pacific Ocean, uncertain of exactly where they were, and all
conceded there was no chance of survival on the reef for any extended amount
of time. The chance of being rescued by a passing ship was almost nonexistent
as they were miles off course and in dangerous water. John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.14 Pond wrapped himself in a
wet blanket he had found among the floating spars and climbed into the
battered boat, where he sat waist-deep in water. According to his later
account, John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.15 Though death threatened
ere morning's dawn, exhausted nature could bear up no longer, and I slept
soundly. 'Twas near morning when I awoke. The moon was up and shed her faint
light over the dismal scene; the sullen roar of the breakers sent an
additional chill through my already benummed frame. The bell at the wheel,
with every surge of the sea, still tolled a knell to the departed, and naught
else but the wailings of a bereaved mother broke the stillness of the night,
or indicated life among that throng of human automata; during the long hours
of that weary night the iron had entered their souls, and the awful solemnity
of their situation was brooded over in silence.65 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.15 Esther Spangenberg
recalled the night in similar terms: John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.15 I cannot help but return
thanks to Him who rules the sea and land, for His mercy and kindness to me
and others, in first rescuing us from a watery grave, and afterwards
sustaining us through that night of horrors. Imagine our situation, the water
above our knees, standing on a sharp reef, with the tempest howling above us,
the sea washing and roaring like a lion for his prey at our feet, cold, naked
and dispirited, women lamenting, children crying, and none of us certain but
the next moment would be our last. . . . The ship's bell could also be heard,
tolled by the motion of the waves, as if it were our funeral dirge.66 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.15 At first daylight, a full
realization of their situation settled on the survivors as no land could be
seen. If land could not be reached in the next few days and fresh water
found, many would die where they stood. At length, to the relief of all, some
of the crew sighted land about eight miles distant directly into the sun.67
All were in agreement that they had to get to the island and find a supply of
drinking water. In spite of extensive damage, the quarterboat saved by the
crew was hastily repaired with "copper and canvas," and although
the boat would scarcely float, Captain Pond and a few crew members rowed out
to survey the land a little after sunrise, assuring the others they would
return with a report as soon as possible. The first island they encountered
was covered with rocks and "presented a very barren appearance,"
and although it was covered with pandanus trees and a variety of unusually
tame birds, "no water, fruit or vegetables could be found."68 The
islands, three in number, turned out to be little more than sandbars, and at
low tide it was possible to wade from one island to the next. The highest
point was no more than twelve feet above sea level, and the "only
inhabitants were rats and sea-fowl."69 The islands were completely
encompassed by a coral reef approximately seven miles long and five-and-a-half
miles wide that formed a beautiful lagoon.70 As evening was closing in, the
party was forced to return with the disheartening news, arriving back at the
reef about 4:00 P.M.71 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.16 Those who remained on the
reef had been busily engaged wading around picking up any provisons that
could be found. After considerable difficulty, a makeshift raft was built
from floating spars and pieces of the wreck to carry the salvaged supplies.
Among the items found was the ship's clock. It was still operational, but
after it ran down it never worked again. John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.16 The precarious situation
of those remaining on the reef is well illustrated by young Miss Spangenberg:
"We remained in the water all that day, keeping as close as possible to
prevent the sharks from attacking us, as there were a great many of them
swimming about close to us. We had nothing to eat all day, and truly
presented a miserable group; almost naked, our faces bloated, and our lips
swollen to an unusual size."72 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.16 With the return of Captain
Pond and the quarterboat, the women and children were loaded and taken to the
land by Captain Coffin, where they spent another "wretched night, lying
on bare rocks"73 which were, nonetheless, a marked improvement over the
reef. Ever gallant Captain Pond remained on the reef for another night,
during which the tide came up so high the men were obliged to stand and still
the water came around their middles. Unfortunately all the men could not fit
upon the makeshift raft, and some were forced to stay in the water.74 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.16 After one day and two
nights on the reef, the men were desperate for drinking water. When Coffin
returned on the second morning, Pond sent him again in search of water. As it
would take too long to carry everyone to the islands by the quarterboat, a
precarious plan to "walk" around the circular reef in an attempt to
reach the land was adopted. About ten in the morning, after loading the two
rafts with several bags of flour, a barrel of bread, beans, peas, and
whatever clothing could be found, the men began wading along the reef pulling
the rafts in a bid to reach the islands. The older and more helpless men were
placed aboard the rafts as the water proved deep most of the way. For over a
mile they were up to their necks with the shorter men being forced to
"cling to the rafts." Sharks posed an ominous threat, and at
regular intervals the men were compelled to scurry from the water onto the
rafts; at one time over twenty sharks were counted in their wake. Attesting
to the difficulties encountered in wading along the reef, Pond records,
"Several deep inlets had to be crossed when our best swimmers were
called in requisition. In one of these attempts I nearly lost two of my best
men."75 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.16 By late evening, after
hours of steady, painstaking progress, they finally trudged onto dry land,
exhausted. The magnitude of the feat they had just accomplished was briefly
forgotten as the children directed the men to a number of holes filled with
fresh water. Drinking water had been obtained by digging a hole in the sand
below the level of the sea. A pearl shell placed at the bottom of the hole
would soon fill with water filtering through the sand, which rendered it
comparatively fresh and palatable. For a more permanent and ample supply, a
common flour barrel was later buried in the coral sand, level with the
surface.76 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.17 A fire was started by
using a sun glass, and a light meal of roasted shellfish was prepared for the
men. Now that all had arrived on the island, Captain Pond called the survivors
together and stated, "[A]s they were cast upon a desolate island a
common brotherhood should be maintained, and every man should hunt birds and
fish for our common substance."77 All consented to the proposition, and
the company began to improvise and do the best they could with what they had:
"We divided ourselves into families, built huts, and thatched them with
the leaves of the pandanus tree. All the provisions found were thrown into
one common stock, and equally divided among each mess every morning, and we
gradually became reconciled to our sad fate."78 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.17 Two days after arriving at
the reef, Pond took an exploring party to the far side of the reef about seven
miles distant and discovered another small island with a fine grove of about
twenty coconut trees. "Our hearts dilated with gratitude, for without
something of this kind our case would have been indeed desperate."79 On
the chance that a vessel might pass by, a lookout was shortly thereafter
posted on the island where the coconuts were found. John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.17 The first week the group
survived mostly on crabs while the search for a more stable and substantial
supply of food continued. John McCarthy writes, "Too much cannot be said
in commendation of the Saints in this very trying situation. I have seen an
old lady of sixty years of age out at night hunting turtles." Within the
week a three-hundred-pound turtle was found on the beach, which provided a
good meal for all.80 They soon discovered that the turtles came up on the
beach at night to lay eggs in the sand. The boys in the party were assigned
to go out at night and lay them on their backs, and the next morning one
would be brought in for food. A pen was soon built for them and one killed
every day. With the coconuts and turtle eggs and meat plus flour and other
foodstuffs saved from the ship, the risk of starvation had been averted for a
time. The women improvised their own brand of pancakes by grating the coconut
meat and then mixing it with turtle eggs and a little flour.81 Sharks were
caught intermittently and added a little variety to the castaways' diet. A
garden John Devitry-Smith; BYU
Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.18 Wreck
of the Julia Ann John Devitry-Smith; BYU
Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.19 planted with pumpkin, pea,
and bean seeds from foodstuffs saved in the wreck flourished for a few weeks
then withered up and died.82 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.19 The captain had saved his
quadrant and found by taking observations from the sun that they were some
three hundred to five hundred miles from the nearest populated island of the
Society group. He also ascertained that the Julia Ann had struck the
southwest reef of the Scilly Isles; they had been sixteen miles off course
due to an error on his charts.83 Forty-seven days passed before any attempt
was made to go for help. The only hope of deliverance was with the
quarterboat. To make nails and the ironwork necessary to repair the boat, a
forge and smith's bellows were constructed, and several trips were made back
to the reef to obtain "canvass, boards and many other necessary
articles."84 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.19 The trade winds were
constantly blowing from the east, the direction of the Society Islands, and
Captain Pond wrote: "[I] reluctantly abandoned all hope of ever reaching
them, and turned my eyes to leeward. The Navigator Islands seemed our only
chance; and though the distance--some 1,500 miles--was appalling, I
determined to steer for them."85 This decision was supported by Chief
Officer Coffin and the rest of the crew as the wisest course to take. Pond
picked his four best men, and a departure date was set. They immediately
began searching for an opening from the lagoon to the open sea, but for two
days no opening could be found. "[W]e were imprisoned in a circle of
angry breakers. . . . Gloomy despair seemed to fill every breast, those most
active and energetic heretofore, seemed prostrated."86 Pond's leadership
was now needed more than ever, and with all his energy he dispersed the crew
in every direction in a last-ditch systematic search for a break in the
rocks. After three days an area was selected. John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.19 The fatigue and stress of
the ordeal were pressing hard on all the survivors, particulary upon Captain
Pond. He knew it was his decision that would determine the fate of his
company: "My own spirits now seemed crushed; I felt like one going to
the stake; a foreboding evil came over me; the weather was unsettled and
threatening, and I retired to my tent--as I thought, for the last
time--unhappy and without hope. The clouds gathered in gloomy grandeur, and
finally broke in a tornado over the island."87 His life or death
decision continued to weigh heavily upon his mind, and with the tropical
storm he could not sleep. About three in the morning, he walked down to the
beach where he discovered that the boat had disappeared. The devastating news
spread like a plague from tent to tent. Soon the party of despondent men,
women, and children had gathered, gazing in despair at the location
"where the night previous they had seen that priceless boat so snugly
moored."88 Everything of value had been placed in the boat in readiness
for departure. The compass and nautical equipment were the lifeblood of the
attempt. All available materials had been exhausted in repairing the
quarterboat. John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.20 Captain Pond, with his
usual tenacity and vigor, tried to convince the group that the boat must
still be nearby and had probably "dragged her anchor into deep water,
and after drifting across the bay, anchored herself again off one of the leeward
islands." A search began and shortly after, as predicted by Pond, the
boat was discovered, "nearly full of water" but undamaged.89 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.20 At this point, Captain
Pond made a fateful decision that affected the whole party. In a strange
turnabout and against all logic, he decided to row in the direction of the
Society Islands: John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.20 The trade winds blew less
steadily, and all appearances indicated a change. Secretly influenced by a
gloomy, undefined premonition of evil and disaster, as the result of my
proposed attempt to reach the Navigator Islands, and having no charts--all of
my charts were lost--I now determined on the apparently more desperate course
of double banking the boat with a crew of ten men, and, watching a favorable
oppourtunity, endeavor to pull to the nearest windward island. Against this
course Capt. Coffin, an old whaler, opposed all his influence and
experience--said he would rather venture alone than with ten months [mouths]
to feed; that it would be impossible to pull our boat, so deeply loaded,
against a head wind and sea. . . . That, in fact, it was a life or death
undertaking--success or certain destruction awaited us. But desperate diseases
require desperate remedies.90 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.20 Pond's idea was accepted
by the crew with the exception of Chief Officer Coffin, whose experience,
logic, and common sense outweighed his confidence in Pond. Coffin "said
he was an old man, and preferred to die where he was."91 Nevertheless
the decision had been made, and all waited "impatiently" for an
opportunity to launch the boat. John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.20 Many passengers thought
the captain should remain with them in case the attempt failed, and to
satisfy those remaining Pond proposed to stay with them, but the crew
adamantly objected, stating they would not leave without him. All agreed the
captain had led them successfully this far and he should continue to do so.
There would be no second chances, and all hopes of rescue lay with the
captain and his men being able to row the quarterboat hundreds of miles, find
a ship, and come back to rescue the others. John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.20 On 3 December, almost
seven weeks after the wreck, Captain Pond was awakened by Second Mate Owens
and informed that for the first time since their arrival on the island the
wind was blowing from a westerly direction. After a stormy night, the clouds
hung heavy and overcast with a drizzly rain still falling. Pond hesitated for
a long moment then gave the order. The day of departure and hopeful
deliverance had finally come, and Pond with nine other men, including John
McCarthy and Charles Logie, prepared to leave. Their provisions consisted of
two casks of water, a little salt pork salvaged from the wreck, and some
jerked turtle. When all had climbed aboard, the boat was almost level with
the water and there was a great danger of being swamped in the waves breaking
over the reef. Providentially, they succeeded in getting safely over the
breakers and were cheered on by those ashore. John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.21 After three days of steady
progress, their greatest fear was realized when the wind blew up again from
the east and storm clouds began to gather. Nevertheless, they continued
rowing. The captain sat at the helm steering and trying to inspire his men
despite the obvious odds against them. Pond later wrote a letter to his niece
Orella recounting what they all thought were their final days of mortality: John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.21 For hours, and hours, the
fearful but unequal contest, was maintained, 'till human endurance could bear
up no longer, and we lay exhausted in the bottom of our little boat, now
floating at the mercy of the sea. The goal of our hopes, and our very lives,
that dim cloud upon the verge of the horizon, gradually faded from our view!
Oh! the blank despair of that moment; and as we drew the tarpaulin over the
boat, to shelter us from the dashing spray, thoughts of home mingled in our
prayers; for the sailor, in his hour of peril, never forgets his youthful
home. . . . Thus for hours we were driven at the mercy of the raging wind and
sea, but not forgotten by a kind Providence. John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.21 Late in the afternoon, as
we lay huddled together, under the protecting cover of the tarpaulin,
drenched by the salt spray, faint and exhausted by severe toil, listlessly
gazing out upon the combing, raging sea, that threatened instant destruction,
the sudden cry of "land! land!" . . . Tears of gratitude filled our
eyes.92 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.21 After four days of hard
rowing night and day, they had reached Bora-Bora. They spent two annoying
hours of rowing outside the reef looking for an entrance then determined to
attempt to go directly through the breakers. A native who was spearing fish
observed their difficulties and motioned them farther up the reef. Shortly
thereafter, they found a fine harbor and a small native village.93 The
natives at first were suspicious, thinking the men pirates, but nevertheless
gave them a good meal of poi and breadfruit. Their attention then turned to
the welfare of their stranded company.94 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.21 There was no ship
available at Bora-Bora large enough to attempt the rescue. Pond attempted to
persuade the captain of a small native schooner to take him to Tahiti, but
the captain became suspicious and instead sailed to Maupiti and informed the
king of the newly arrived strangers. In the meantime, Pond had sent part of
his crew to Riatia with a letter to the British consul asking for immediate
assistance.95 The consul, Mr. Chishom, had no way of contacting the United
States consulate at Tahiti. Feeling the situation an urgent one, he sent a
message to Captain Latham, master of the schooner Emma Packer,96 which was docked
at the nearby larger island of Huahine waiting for a load of oranges.97 A
plan was devised in case no help could be found there that John McCarthy and
two of the crew would go to Maupiti to try to find a boat.98 Fortunately,
Captain Latham responded to the request for assistance without delay, only
touching long enough at Bora-Bora to take Captain Pond aboard and thereafter
making directly for the Scilly Isles.99 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.22 On 2 December 1855, sixty
days after being shipwrecked, the forty-one castaways still on the island
"in a state of anxious suspense, thinking continually of the success of
our company" sighted the Emma Packer.100 Returning missionary John
Eldredge writes, "I need not attempt to describe our feelings of
gratitude and praise which we felt to give the God of Israel for His goodness
and mercy in thus working a deliverance for us."101 The ship lay a short
distance from the island for a day and a night, then came closer in and sent
a boat.102 All survivors were taken aboard the Emma Packer, and early the
following morning they sailed for Huahine, arriving there 11 December 1855.
Here they saw the grave of Sister Allen, who had died on the previous
successful voyage of the Julia Ann. After a stay of three days, they
continued on to Tahiti, arriving 19 December.103 The survivors "arrived
in a most destitute condition, having saved literally nothing from the wreck;
from the captain down to the cabin boy." They were all shoeless and had "barely
sufficient clothing to cover their persons."104 Many of the children had
spent their time swimming and playing along the beach and were almost as dark
as the natives. John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.22 With the loss of all
worldly goods, the party expected to be provided for by the American or
English consuls until they could find a way to continue on to the United
States; however, the American consul said they were not authorized to make
provisions available to English citizens, and the English consul refused on
the grounds that they were on an American ship. Fortunately, the United Board
of Masonic Lodges showed great compassion and took immediate measures to
relieve the destitute party's wants by providing shelter and food for all.105
John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.23 A ship stopped at Tahiti
on its way to Sydney in late February 1856, and letters were sent back to
President Farnham explaining details of the disaster. This news was not
received until 30 March 1856 and "cast a sad gloom over the
mission."106 The news of the Julia Ann disaster reached Brigham Young 30
April 1856. President Young gave instruction by letter to George Q. Cannon
asking Charles C. Rich for means to bring the stranded Saints to San
Francisco, but apparently nothing came of this.107 In the fourteenth General
Epistle of the Presidency, Brigham Young recounted the event and the loss of
five persons, adding, "the remainder barely escaped with their
lives." A general word of caution was then issued: John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.23 Without reflection upon
the officers of the Julia Ann all of whom are well spoken of by our brethren,
or even upon the strength and sea worthiness of the vessel which we
understand was good and new, still we wish to caution our Elders, not only
those in Australia but all in foreign countries, not to permit an over
anxiety to emigrate and gather with the Saints to make them careless or
indifferent to the kind and condition of the vessel in which they embark, nor
to the character of the officers and crew on board. This is the second
instance of vessels, sailing from that mission with Saints on board, not
reaching their destination. In the other case no lives were lost, though the
vessel had to put into port where she was condemned and the Saints, after
having paid their passage to the western coast, were left on the Sandwich
Islands. It is a matter worthy of record, and a source of great joy and
satisfaction to us, that in all our foreign emigration those are the only
losses by sea, of that character, that have occurred.108 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.23 James Graham and John
Eldredge decided to return with the Emma Packer to Huahine and, after
remaining there one month, met with the opportunity of continuing on to
Honolulu aboard different whaling ships.109 The two met again in Honolulu,
where they found some of the seventy-two Mormons who had sailed from
Melbourne, Australia, 27 April 1855, aboard the Tarquinia.110 A number of
passengers from the Tarquinia paid Eldredge's and Graham's passage to San
Francisco aboard the Francis Palmer, which departed Honolulu 1 April 1856 and
arrived in San Francisco after a twenty-three day passage.111 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.23 John McCarthy, after
borrowing two small schooners from King Tapoa at Maupiti, found that Captain
Pond had already taken everyone from the island twelve hours previous and so
returned the schooners to Maupiti. McCarthy, never one to miss an
opportunity, turned his attentions to sharing his beliefs with those on
Maupiti. Before long he had baptized a Captain Delano, King Tapoa's
interpreter, and through Delano was able to preach to the natives. After a
stay of about three weeks at Maupiti, he sailed to the island of Raiatea
where he baptized a Mr. Shaw and Mrs. Showers, ordaining Shaw an elder before
he left. After spending two weeks at Raiatea, he continued on to Tahiti in a
French sloop and from there on to San Francisco, arriving 14 April 1856. John
McCarthy married Eliza Telford in 1858 and eventually settled in Smithfield,
Utah, where he had nine children. He returned to his homeland of Ireland as a
missionary in 1877. McCarthy, truly one of the great early Mormon figures in
Australia, died 25 August 1898 at Smithfield.112 John Devitry-Smith; BYU
Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.25 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.25 The Saints remaining at
Tahiti were kept by the Freemasons' lodge until 19 January 1856, when they
could no longer feed them. The party again solicited the help of the English
consul, who agreed to feed them until the end of February. In late February,
Charles Logie, his wife and child, along with Peter Penfold and family, and
orphans Maria Harris, Frank Humphries, and Eliza Humphries, all embarked for
San Francisco.113 After living for a time in San Bernardino, the Logie family
eventually settled in American Fork, Utah. The Penfold family also made it
safely to Utah. Maria Harris was probably reunited with her father, who left
Sydney aboard the Jenny Ford in May 1856 and later settled near Payson, Utah. John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.25 The Anderson family with
their seven children, the last of the shipwrecked company, sailed from Tahiti
5 May 1856 on the G. W. Kendall, arriving in San Francisco 27 June 1856 after
a tedious passage, nine months after leaving Sydney.114 Ironically, the
Andersons would never make it to Utah after fifteen years in Australia, which
Andrew referred to as "this my exile."115 Andrew Anderson, the
first recorded Mormon in New South Wales, joined the RLDS church on 2 August
1868 and was ordained a priest the following year at Washington, Alameda
County, California. He lived near Mission San Jose. He died 1 January 1891,
age eighty-one, while visiting his daughter at Petaluma.116 His wife
Elizabeth died 21 January 1894.117 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.25 Captain Benjamin Pond was
forcibly detained in Tahiti by the French government at the request of the British
consul, who felt Pond was still responsible for his passengers and was
obligated to find a way for them to continue on to California. After numerous
requests, Pond was eventually released and sailed for Panama and then on to
San Francisco.118 John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.25 All accounts of the
disaster speak highly of Captain Pond and the crew, whose determination,
courage, and quick thinking greatly reduced the loss of life. The account of
Esther Spangenberg is typical and a fitting conclusion to this remarkable
story: John
Devitry-Smith; BYU Studies Vol. 29, No. 2, pg.26 Next to God, our thanks
are due to Captain Pond, his officers and crew, for their noble exertions on
our behalf. They fearlessly risked their lives in endeavouring to do all in
their power to save the passengers. For one moment neither the Captain or his
officers ever lost their presence of mind. Had they done so, the loss of life
would have been great.119 |