Tuesday, November 30, 1875

Nov. 30th. Wrote letters to Brothers W. St. Ledger, John Moss, and J. Bedall, Saints in different settlements. I had to call from Brother Busby. I spent the P.M. at President Nichols.

Monday, November 29, 1875

Nov. 29th. I received a letter from President Welling. He says, "All well. Elsworth restored without Priesthood. No hall rented yet. Distributing tracts and looking for the best. All looks dark yet." Rain, rain, rain! I wrote him a four-page letter.

Sunday, November 28, 1875

Sunday, Nov. 28th. In the morning I distributed tracts. At 3:00 P.M. there was a testimony meeting with a good spirit. Only three strangers were present. After the testimonies, I preached to them. At 7:00 P.M. it was windy an dusty. There were 23 strangers at the meeting. There was good attention, but I preached a rambling discourse and was not satisfied with it. Two strangers received tracts.

Saturday, November 27, 1875

Nov. 27th. In the forenoon I walked to Glebe Point and in the afternoon to Moor Park, three miles, to witness a military parade, artillery and infantry.

Friday, November 26, 1875

Nov. 26th. I prepared tracts for distributing, did some visiting and advertised for the Sunday meetings as follows: "Latter-day Saints meet every Sunday at 3:00 P.M. and 7:00 P.M. Australian Hall, Dixon Street and Mill Street. No Collections. All invited."

Thursday, November 25, 1875

Nov. 25th. Brother Peg and I had a long visit and Gospel talk with Brother Speight. He is an old in the field.

Wednesday, November 24, 1875

Nov. 24th. Accompanied by Brothers Peg and Speight, I took a train to Ashley, five miles. We had a meeting and a visit with Brother Armstrong and family.

Tuesday, November 23, 1875

Nov. 23rd. I had a good visit with the Nichols and Speight families. Wrote to President Welling in reply to his received yesterday.

Monday, November 22, 1875

Nov. 22nd. I received letters from President Welling with summary of news from home, also inclosing one from James Loynd with good news from home. The "Deseret News" gives the funeral of Geo. A. Smith. His was a very bright record.

BAD WATER IN SYDNEY

I am not very well. The Sydney water, pumped from a pond and brought four or five miles in pipes, is not good and gives me diarrhea. I have a weak back, some fever, and my lungs are weak and sore.

Sunday, November 21, 1875

Sunday, Nov. 21st. With a prayerful, though heavy heart I joined the 3:00 P.M. Sacrament Meeting. About 20 strangers were present of whom five rough-looking men in every day clothes and shirt sleeves rolled to the elbow took the front seat. Testimonies were made first in order. Brothers Speight, Platt, Peg, and Sister Peg each bore a strong testimony. Brother Speight mentioned my coming all the way from Utah with out purse and script to preach the Gospel. One of he five asked, "How are his expenses met?" He replied, "I will answer when through talking. I never reply to an interruption."

I followed with a half hour talk on the Gospel, during which a younger one of the five began interrupting and urging the others to speak up. I told him we had hired the hall and were entitled to the protection of the law and must not be interrupted. They could listen or retire. I proceeded and soon they began interrupting again and were asked to leave the room. The latter interrupter said, with an oath, he would go and two others followed. Pausing at the door, he said, with more profanity: "You are all a set of G.D. hypocrites, and as for you, " shaking his fist at me, "I will take care that your G.D. back is broken, sir." With a wave of my hand I said, "Pass on out," and they did. I felt a chill as if ice-cold water had been poured over me. I rallied, and with the remark that it was not uncommon for our Elders to be thus interrupted while offering the Gospel of Salvation to the people, I continued my discourse without further interruption.

At the 7:00 P.M. meeting after opening exercises and introduction by President Nichols, I addressed the audience. I took my text from Daniel 2:37 to 49. There was good attention. Mr. Ellis, former Branch President, now a Josephite, and Bennet, wife and son, formerly of our Church, were present. After the meeting, there was some conversation and distribution of tracts. Among the number was an old ship captain who would sail in the morning, who wanted conversation and reading matter, and got both. I returned to my room feeling that the ICE WAS BROKEN and that MY BACK WAS NOT. Brother Peg complimented me by saying he had listened many times to my subject but had never heard it so well handled before. And I thanked the Lord.

Saturday, November 20, 1875

Nov. 20th. I have been reading and studying and praying very earnestly and in tears while pleading with the Lord for strength to stand before the people in His name and not yield or be overcome by all these opposing influences that I have to meet. It seemed all day and all night that the opposing spirits almost spoke to me saying: "You cannot succeed against those conditions." As night is advancing, I am wetting my pillow instead of sleeping.

Friday, November 19, 1875

Nov. 19th. Closed letters and mailed - 36 pages in all - for the steamer that takes the San Francisco mail.

Thursday, November 18, 1875

Nov. 18th. Completed letters. Wrote to Job Welling. Arranged to insert the following in the "Herald" and the "News": "Latter-day Saints, Elder Jacob Miller, recently from Salt Lake City Utah, will preach the Gospel in the Australian Hall at 3:00 P.M. and 7:00 P.M. Sunday the 21st."

Wednesday, November 17, 1875

Nov. 17th. I am writing letters as the mail will leave for San Francisco Friday, the 19th.

At 2:00 P.M. I received the following telegram:

"Melbourne, 12 noon, November, 17, 1875

Job Welling to Jacob Miller, c/o James Peg.
Report to President Young and write my family fullest particulars. All well. Missed Mail."

Tuesday, November 16, 1875

Nov. 16th. I spent the morning visiting with Brother Speight and the afternoon with Brother Busby.

Monday, November 15, 1875

Nov. 15th. I visited Mr. Bennet, his wife and son. They had belonged to the Church. His wife has the spirit of the work and the son speaks favorably. I believe he thinks the work is true. I went to see the hall last used by our people. It will seat 300 or 400 people. We can get it for six shillings per week for two meetings. I met Mr. Wolfe, a voyager on the "Great Britain". He still claims to feel favorable to us, is going to Melbourne and I gave him Brother Welling's address. I spent the evening with Brothers Nichols and Platt.

Sunday, November 14, 1875

Sunday Nov. 14th. Meeting at 3:00 P.M. at my residence. We partook of the Sacrament and heard the testimonies of all the Saints present over sixteen years old. I talked 45 minutes, of our religion and the building up of God's Kingdom. We are to be led as children and learn lesson by lesson; that thus the work will progress. After the meeting we held a counsel and decided to rent a hall for meetings, advertise and encourage attendance.

Note: I got the addresses of Saints in different outlying places and wrote them, asking them to report - one as far as Port Adelade. Later some reported; others did not.

Saturday, November 13, 1875

Nov. 13th.

I am to have an upper half story room at Brother Peg's as an office and bedroom and make this my headquarters, and have been overhauling and fitting it up. I called on Mr. Ellis, formerly President of this branch, now a Josephite and president of that faction. I had a letter of introduction and letters from some of their friends in Utah. I find him a confirmed Jospehite, yet he claims no prejudice and bids me welcome to his house and hospitality, which, of course, I cannot accept with his present feelings. I consider it of little use to attempt reconverting such. He said Mr. Claude Rogers, their missionary, told his followers to treat the Mormon Elders well and open their doors to them. "The Mormon Elders are sincere and have a very hard mission before them." (This, of course, is with the hope of capturing the Elders.)

Friday, November 12, 1875

Nov. 12th.

I spent the day reading, writing, studying, visiting and praying God for Wisdom.

Thursday, November 11, 1875

Nov. 11th, 1875.

I went with Sister Peg to visit Brother Speight and family. He is just recovering from erysipelas. We anointed and administered to him. He is quite talkative, an aged man who has labored in the ministry in England.

Wednesday, November 10, 1875

ENEMIES IN SYDNEY

Nov. 10th. I wrote to President Welling, informing him so far as I can of the situation here and sending an inventory of tracts and books, and clippings of the Stenhouse Lectures and of the excitement they caused. Editor Stockwhip says: "Until we heard Mrs. Stenhouse's interesting lecture on Mormon marriages, we thought we had a fairly adequate conception of human folly and fanaticism, but that lady, by her graphic discription of Mormon life and doctrine, has shown us that below the lowest depth that our plummet had sounded, there lies in Utah an almost fathomless of pit of mental and moral degredation. If but one hundreth part of what she describes as daily occurrences at Utah were facts, the public of this colony owe a large debt of gratitude to this eloquent and courageous lady. Every statement made by Mrs. Stenhouse has the genuine ring of truthfulness. She concluded by saying she found Mormonism as preached abroad, was a very different and very harmless thing as compared with Mormonism as practiced in Utah. She wished to forewarn and forearm the public of Australia against the preachings and machinations of the Mormon Elders that were sent from Utah to make converts in these colonies, and who we believe have actually arrived in our midst".

Tuesday, November 9, 1875

Nov. 9th. I went early for my baggage. I called on Brother Nichols, President of the Sydney Branch. He is English with an Irish wife. I witnessed a procession of Protestants in honor of Prince Albert's birth and the laying of the corner stone of the Protestant Hall. All the Protestants here join against Catholics and they all join against Mormons.

The Bishop of Sydney gave the address. Most pointed among his sayings: "The Bible and the Bible only is the religion of the Protestants; our rule of faith is the Word of God; the Bible is the sole rule of faith; the testimony of scripture is the rock upon which the Church is built; it is founded upon apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone; any other foundation than this is faulty. However fair in appearance or lofty in superstructure, if not resting on this one foundation, it is doomed destruction. Of it as of Babylon, it will one day be said: It is fallen, it is fallen".

After listening I returned to Brother Peg's, took inventory of tracts, found over 2,000, besides several books of Church works.

Note: New South Wales was a penal colony from 1788 to 1840, during which time 60,700 were transported, of which 8,700 were females, most of whom I am informed, remained and a large percent are of their posterity.

Monday, November 8, 1875

Nov 8th. Still coasting. We reached Sydney Heads at 7:00 P.M. and the wharf at 8:00 P.M. This fine harbor is narrow and about five miles long. At 9:00 P.M. I took a cab to James Peg's, three and a half miles. He and his wife were expecting two of us. I was soon made at home. When I knocked, Sister Peg cried, "Come in, Brother Miller, I know you." Brother Peg is an English pensioner, who is over 76 and is laying up means to migrate to Utah. I was shown several clippings from papers about Madam Stenhouse's lectures against the Mormons. She is false and insinuating, and, doubtless, her lecture is prepared by other than her own pen.

Sunday, November 7, 1875

Sunday, Nov. 7th. Seasick again, I don't believe I was designed for the sea. Passing close by the coast, we will pass between Australia and Tasmania. We see low hills by the shore, higher in the distance, with a background of mountains. There is considerable timber. This vessel is 30 by 240 feet.

Friday, November 5, 1875

Nov. 5th. I procured a ticket to Sydney; visited the library; read in the Manual of Ancient History; visited the Industrial Museum, which has many nice representations of the industries of the country, specimens of different kinds of timber, mostly hard. I visited a picture gallery with many nice pictures. I was much impressed with a "Brigand Scene". A nobleman with his Lady have been captured and held for ransom; the chief has the ransom, holding it and pen for signature; the nobleman has thrown down his gauntlet for a challenge and pointing to it, while his lady holds to his left arm. Some of the brigands are preparing supper, some are holding the captives, two riding horses and searching the saddlebags. It all is very impressive. Also visited the National Museum and saw many nice specimen skeletons and stuffed animals and birds; a skeleton of a whale 80 feet long, over 10 feet deep, and the head over 18 feet long. What a monster!

Thrusday Novemeber, 4, 1875

ASSIGNMENT TO SYDNEY

Nov. 4th. I went six miles with President Welling to Brunswick, to distribute tracts. Passing through the large, nice Royal Park, from the hills, one is led to say, "Oh how beautiful!" President Welling thinks Sydney is the worst mission field, is much more aristocractic, has more Josephites, more apostates than Saints, Bechamp's scandals, and Mrs. Stenhouse's lectures, etc., - but says I am best able to meet them.

Wednesday, November 3, 1875

Nov. 3rd. Toothache kept me awake. I gathered and exchanged tracts.

Tuesday, November 2, 1875

Nov. 2nd. We went to Melbourne, visited the public library and called on Bechamp. We find that Brother Steed can go direct to New Zealand from here. I go by steamer to Sydney on Saturday Nov. 6th and Brother Steed to New Zealand on Thursday Nov. 11th. We paid for and ordered our suits delivered. Had toothache very bad. Walked about fifteen miles.

Monday, November 1, 1875

Nov. 1st, 1875. A stormy day was spent visiting with Brother Witheral and writing.

Sunday, October 31, 1875

Sunday, Oct. 31st. Heavy wind and rain continue at 3:00 P.M. so we cannot have our advertised meeting on the Common, but we have Sacrament Meeting with the Saints at Brother Kent's. Brothers Welling, Steed and I each spoke. We were followed by Brothers Carlton, Witheral and Kant and Sisters Kant and Witheral. At a Council Meeting at 4:30 President Welling gave much good instruction, supported by Brother Steed and myself. At the 6:30 P.M. meeting, at the request of President Welling, I preached a Gospel sermon. Mr. Barrat and wife were present.

Friday, October 29, 1875

Oct. 29th. We stayed at the house and did counseling on the future course of the mission and did reading and conversing. Next day we advertised and posted a notice for a meeting on the Common and went to Melbourne where we tried on our suits.

We visited the Botanic Gardens east of Melbourne and saw many native and foreign trees and flowers, very nicely and expensively arranged. We witnessed boat racing on the Yarrow River. Then we viewed the artillery practice, maneuvering and firing. We walked about twenty miles and were back about dusk. At 11:00 P.M. Brother Witheral and wife from Geelong arrived and we visited until 1:00 A.M. They are faithful, intelligent Saints. Sister Witheral has traveled considerably in the U.S. and is well informed.

Saturday, November 6, 1875

Nov. 6th. I packed up, prepared for departure, and bade farewell to the Kants, who have kindly cared for and fed us and washed our clothes. I left under my pillow, my endorsed photo, a sovereign, (a British gold coin worth 20 shillings or one pound,) and a note of appreciation. Arriving at Melbourne, I learned that the vessel will not start until 5:00 P.M. instead of 2:00 P.M. We went to Sandridge Wharf at the mouth of the Yarrow, where vessels too large to be towed up to Melbourne, load and unload. The wharf extends several hundred feet into the bay. Several railroad tracks extend the length of it to receive and bring in the loading. At 5:00 P.M. on board the "City of Adelade", I bade good-bye to Welling and Steed and am off alone for Sydney. A strong wind all day and I am seasick once more.