"Mr. Newton, the Baptist minister, now commenced a war against us, and sent to the South Island for a Mr. Douglass, a Methodist minister, with whom he had been at variance for years, to come over and help him put down 'Mormonism.' Mr. Douglass came over and they got together as many people as they could, and held a conference. He railed against Joseph, the Prophet, and the Book of Mormon, and taking that book in his hand, with outstretched arm, declared that he feared none of the judgments of God that would come upon him for rejecting it as the word of God. (I never heard what his sentiments upon this subject were at the end of his term of fourteen years' imprisonment in the Thomaston penitentiary, for an outrage upon his daughter. The judgment was given upon the testimony of his wife and daughter). "I was present and heard Mr. Douglass' speech upon this occasion, and took minutes of it. When he closed I arose and informed the people that I would meet them the next Sunday in the meeting-house and answer Mr. Douglass; and I wished him, as well as the people, to be present. I informed the people that Mr. Douglass had made many false statements against Joseph Smith and the Latter-day Saints, with whom he had no acquaintance; and he had misquoted much Scripture, all of which I would correct. "We continued to baptize the people on North Island until {79} we baptized every person who owned an interest in the Baptist meeting-house. I then followed Mr. Douglas home to South Island, and preached the gospel to the members of his church, and baptized nearly all of them. "The excitement became great on both islands, and on Sunday, the 17th of September, I met a large assembly from both islands, and took up the same subject that Mr. Douglass had dwelt upon in his remarks against the Book of Mormon and our principles. I spoke two and a half hours, and answered every objection against the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, or our principles. I had good attention, and the people seemed satisfied. At the close of the meeting Elder Hale administered the ordinance of baptism. "Mr. Newton, in order to save his cause, went to the mainland, brought over several ministers, and held a protracted meeting. They hoped by this to stop the work of God, but all to no avail; for all the people would attend our meetings and receive the word of God, and we continued to baptize. We visited the homes of most of the inhabitants. "Upon one occasion, while standing upon Mr. Carver's farm, on the east end of North Island, we counted fifty-five islands in that region, most of which were not inhabited. We also saw twenty ships under sail at the same time. We did not lack for food while upon the island, for if we did not wish to trouble our friends for a dinner, we had only to borrow a spade or a hoe and a kettle, and go to the beach and dig a peck of clams. These, when boiled, make a delicious meal, of which we often availed ourselves.