Mission to the Sandwich Islands.--Elders called home.--Walter M. Gibson.--Goes to the Sandwich Islands.--His perfidy.--Lorenzo, with other Elders, sent to investigate.--Take Stage.--Arrive at a mining town.--Incident.--New driver.--Favorable impressions.--Sings melodiously.--Swears blasphemously.--Drives furiously.--Perilous predicament.--Other perils.--Arrive at San Francisco.--At Brother Eveleth's.--Take steamer.--Arrive near the landing at Lahaina.--Boat upset.--Lorenzo and the Captain drowned.--Both restored to life.--Rejoicing and thanksgiving. In 1857, when the United States army was on the march towards Utah, the Latter-day Saint Elders abroad on missions were called home, and the mission on the Sandwich Islands was, for about two years, left in charge of a native Elder. During this time, Walter M. Gibson, a man of deep scheming policy, came to Utah--professed to adopt the faith of the Latter-day Saints, was baptized, took a short mission to the Eastern States, and when he returned started immediately for the Sandwich Islands, and there palmed himself on the unsuspecting natives as a superior personage, authorized by and superior to President Brigham Young, and claimed the presidency over all the Pacific isles. He re-organized the Church in accordance with his own schemes, ordained twelve Apostles, and charged them one hundred and fifty dollars each for the office conferred, and High Priests and Elders in proportion. With means thus obtained he purchased one-half of the island of Lanai, where he gathered the Saints and all for his own aggrandizement. Fearing they might be deceived, some eight of the Elders wrote to brethren in Utah who had labored many years among them. They stated some of the facts concerning Mr. Gibson's course, and asked advice. This communication was translated and submitted to President Young. The First Presidency decided that Apostles Ezra T. Benson and Lorenzo Snow should visit the islands, and that Elders Joseph F. Smith, Alma Smith and William W. Cluff should accompany them. From Lorenzo's journal: "We took stage at Salt Lake City, about the 1st of March, 1864, for San Francisco, California. Some interesting incidents occurred during our overland trip to California, that seemed to us at the time rather interesting or, at least, a little exciting. It is true, so far as the tremendous jolting was concerned, we had decidedly the advantage of Horace Greeley in his ludicrous lone stage-ride over the same road, inasmuch as five of us could maintain a better balance than a lone man. At any rate, on the roughest portions of the route, we partially succeeded in keeping our heads clear from the top of the stage, which, as per report, he failed in doing.