The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-03-29

ana compared With the DOOk VI nOI-
mon by Mr.. Z. L. Rice, Mr.. James H.
Fairchild, President Of the Oberlin
College Library, Ohio, and by others,
and by them declared without similar
ity in name, incident, purpose or fact
with the Book of Mormon Mr.. L. l..
Rice declared to Brother Farr and
myself that he believed it to be the
only romance of the kind ever written
by Mr.. Spaulding; and said he,
somehow feel that this is a fact"
From his remarks we inferred that it
was his belief that the reason it was
not published by Mr.. Spaulding him
self was because it was not worth pub
fishing. For" said he. sit is only a
very simple story, and very poor one
at that
Taking his statement as the unre-
served judgment of an old editor and
a newspaper man, who has not only
carefully read it and compared it with
the Book of Mormon, but with his own
hand copied about two-thirds of it, his
opinion must be accepted as of great
weight; and it corresponds with the
alleged message sent by Mr.. Patterson
with the manuscript, when it is said
he returned it to Spaulding, declining
to publish it, and said, Polish it up,
finish it, and you win make money out
of it, 1t no doubt needed, and stin
needs, a great deal of polish
On the first instant (May LIST. 1855,
Brother Farr and 1 called again on
Mr. Rice, when he allowed US to ex-
anime the Manuscript Found" We
read the preface and two chapters of
the manuscript, which we found what
would call rather a far-fetched story
about the discovery of some twenty
eight sheets of parchment in an 'arti-
fetal cave" about "eight feet deep"
situated in a mound on the west side
of the Conneaut River" With this
parchment, which was plainly writ
ten upon with Roman letters in the
Latin language was a roll of parch-
ment containing the biography of the
writer"
The first two chapters which. we read
purport to be translation of this
biography, which sets forth that the
writer's name was Fabias that he was
born in Rome, and received his edu-
cation under the tuition of a very
learned master, at the time that Con-
stantine entered Rome, and was firm
ly seated as Emperor to whom Fabias
was introduced and was appointed by
him as one of his secretaries.
Soon after this, Fabias was sent by
sage to a certain general in England"
On the voyage the heavens gathered
blackness. obscuring the sun and stars.
and a terrific storm arose which con-
tinued undated for five days, when it
lYrI1 cd Ir1f h. orlyf lod
They were lost at sea. They began to
pray with great lamentations" etc,
when a voice came telling them not to
be afraid, and they would be taken to
a safe harbor" For five days more
they were swiftly driven before the
wind and found themselves in the
mouth of very large river up which
they sailed for many days." when
they came to a village and cast anchor.
The natives were alarmed, held a coun-
ell, and finally extended towards them
the hand of friendship. made a great
feast for them, sold them a large tract
of land for fifty pieces of scarlet cali
co and fifty knives and established
with them a covenant of perpetual
peace.
Not daring to venture the dangers
and uncertainties OF the unknown deep
over which they had been so mysteri-
ously driven, they concluded 1t better
to remain than attempt to return to
Rome, etc, etc. The ships company
consisted OF twenty souls, seven Of
whom were young women who had en-
barked at Rome to visit their relatives
in England. Luian or Lucian was the
name of the captain of the vessel, and
Trojenous was the name of the first
mate: one of the sailors is called Droll
Tom another Critic. There were three
ladies of rank among the women. On
motion of one of the sailors the women
chose their husbands; Lucian. Fabias
and Trojenous were of course selected
by the three ladies of rank, but six
poor fellows had to go without wives,
or marry the natives. etc.
This is about the thread Of the story
so far as we have read.
Among those who had written to Mr.. J
Rice for the manuscript were Eber D.