The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-10-09
THE PITCAIRN TN PORT.
Return of a Missionary Yes
sci From the Islands.
DEATH OF CAPTAIN MARSH.
The Work That the Seventh-Day Adventists
Have Done IN Far-0f Land
Another Tour.
DEATH OF CAPTAIN MARSH.

The missionary schooner Pitcairn, be-
longing to the Seventh-day AdyentIsts,
which left here about three years ago with
number of missionaries, returned yester-
day loaded with cOcoanuts and curios.
The schooner visited most Of the South
Seas islands aad much missionary work was
done
Some of the missionaries left the vessel
shortly after her arrival and paid brief
visit 10 Oakland.
The schooner was built and fitted out in
San Francisco by the foreign missionary
board Of the Seventh-day Adventists. whose
headquarters are in Battle Greek. Mich.
II sa modest vessel, 100 feet in length,
and took its name Pitcairn from the re-
mote island OF that name, which was the
chief haven 10 which the vessel was bound.
On October 20. nearly two years ago. she
set sail, and during her absence she cruised
among the islands, establishing missionary
posts at nearly all OF them.
Brief trips were made to Australia and
New Zealand. also to spread the gospel. AT
the island of Tahiti church was organized
with sixty members and 1t Is now growing
very rapidly.
On Pitcairn Island the work WAS also I'M
commonly successful. 1t is a small l0t OF
land In the big ocean and peopled mainly by
the descendants of the mutineOrs OF tile
Bounty. This island is tar out Of the path
of ocean vessels, and to reach 1t, among
shoals and coral reefs, is a hazardous un-
dertaking.
G. l. Tay of Oakland. one Of the mission
aries who accompanied the ship. was the
prime mover in carrying the Gospel 10 the
distant. secluded island. He had read its
history and became so mbued with the idea
of carrying the Gospel there that he de-
voted years to its accomplishment.
Without means it was hard to go. for
vessels seldom touch the place and IL taxes
many months to reach Ii.
Once lie succeeded, but was able to stay
only brief term. He started again, but
the effort TO reach the place was futile. lie
returned to Oakland with an increased de-
sire to stay and labor on the island, and his
chance came when the church to which he
belonged fitted out the Pitcairn.
lie saw his hopes accomplished and the
Island thriving under the Gospel he had
preached. But he never returned on the
ship. His bones lie buried on the island.
dis wife. who accompanied him, returned
alone on September /. and now resides at
Eleventh and Brush streets, Oakland.
Another one who was called home by the
Master he was serving was Captain Marsh,
whose band guided the vessel out of the
before the vessel set sail for San francisco,
and now lies buried in New Zealand. The
first mate, Mr.. Christensen, brought the
vessel home
Two of the leading missionaries who went
with the ship stayed behind. These were
l.. Ii. Gates and Ii. A. Reed. Both re-
NAMED with their families-Mr. Gates on
Pitcairn Island, aud Mr. Reed at Tahiti.
Fifteen persons besides the crew returned
on the ship. Among them were Elder d..
I. Curtis. who has been in Australia, ana
nj. Mccoy, native OF the island.
z OF the six missionaries who went out only
three returned.
The Pitcairn will sail again about Janu-
airy with a new set of missionaries Sc
lected by the board of foreign missions.
Two members of the board. ID. L. Jones
and 5. NJ. Haskell, are residents Of Oak
land, and, together with Il. b. Miller, they
also constitute a committee on Oceanlca
and will have prominent part In the Sc
lection OF the missionaries who are again to
go TO the islands.
The cruiser San Francisco left at 2 p NJ.
yesterday for San Diego.
The British ships Hawaiian Isles and Ben
Dawran are both long overdue and much
anxiety is manifested by the owners, who
have reinsured the ships.