72 Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists
A short ride on the morning of the 7th, brought us to Boston.
The steamer on which we had secured passage did not leave the dock
till Sabbath morning; but we were allowed to go on board with our
baggage Friday evening. As we commenced the Sabbath with prayer,
the Lord seemed very near, and his peace and blessing came into our
hearts. The day was one of rest and quiet.
The weather during the first part of the voyage was pleasant, and
we spent much of the time on deck; but the fourth day out was very
rough, and we felt best in our berths. The port-holes, which during
the first days of the voyage had been left open, admitting the fresh,
pure air of the ocean, were now kept closed for several days; but the
system of ventilation on this ship was excellent. There was a constant
circulation of cold, pure air, and I suffered much less from sea-sickness
than I had anticipated, and was enabled during the passage to write
over one hundred pages of important matter. The last part of the way
we had much fog, which caused the ship to run slow, and made the
voyage somewhat monotonous. One night we stopped entirely, as the
captain feared, from the sudden fall in the temperature, that we were
near icebergs.
I cannot speak too highly of the steamer Cephalonia, which was
our floating home for nearly eleven days. It is not one of the fastest, but
it is said to be one of the most comfortable, steamers on the Atlantic.
The captain and all the officials were kind and accommodating. The
cooking was sensible, the food palatable. The bread, both white and
graham, was excellent, and fruits, vegetables, and nuts were served
liberally; while those who preferred meat found it prepared in almost
every style.
The evening of the 18th we arrived in Liverpool, where we were
met by friends, and taken to the home of Bro. Drew. Here we united
with the brethren in a season of thanksgiving to God for his preserv-
ing care during the journey, and the next morning, accompanied by
Bro. Wilcox, we took the cars for Grimsby, which is at present the
headquarters of our mission work in England.
As we paused here and I looked back upon our long journey across
the continent of America and the broad waters of the Atlantic, it was
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with surprise and feelings of gratitude for the strength I had received. I
had traveled more than seven thousand miles, written over two hundred
pages, and spoken thirteen times; and I could truly say that my health