130 SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST YEAR BOOK.
not otherwise have been obtained, and influential and wealthy
people contributed to its support. During the first three months -
of the publication of the paper, about four hundred paying sub-
scribers were obtained. In addition to these, many thousand cop-
iesofthepaperweresold. Meanwhile the work was continued by
way of Bible readings and other public labors, to the extent of
the ability of the small force, with encouraging results. April
10, 1886, the first Seventh-day Adventist church in Australia
was organized at Melbourne, consisting of about twenty persons.
The membership has since been increased to about one hundred.
At Ballarat, which next to Melbourne is the most important
city in that province (Victoria), meetings were held, and a floar-
ishing church raised up and organized. In other localities there
are also worthy converts. The good brethren there took hold .
of the work in earnest, and contributed liberally of their means
to sustain the cause, and also to carry on and enlarge the pub-
lishing interests. The office of the Bible Echo (which is a rented
building and shown herewith) has been equipped with the nec-
essary fixtures and material for carrying on the printing and
publishing work, which is proving quite successful.
Eld. Haskell also extended his work into New Zealand, where
success attended the effort to such an extent that there are now
upwards of fifty most worthy believers, and the cause is still on-
ward. The results of the Australian mission were stated by
Eld. Haskell, after he returned to America, in the following
words :—
“Qur party left San Francisco for Australia, May 10, 1885.
I reached San [Francisco on my return, April 18, 1886. The ox-
penses of our party to Australia, and my expenses while there,
amounted to about $2,000. The cost of our printing material,
presses, and engine, was $4,222. The expense of the tent meet-
‘Ing during the season was between $400 and $450. This was
met by donations from the new brethren in Australia. The first
three numbers of the Bible Ecko cost $350. Our receipts for the
same were $160, and the donations to the publishing work, $291.
Our book sales amounted to over $700. Besides this, four hun-
dred copies of ‘Great Controversy, Vol. IV.,’ have been sold in
New Zealand, and nearly one thousand copies of ‘Thoughts on
Daniel and the Revelation,” in Australia. More than a thousand
copies have been ordered. Six hundred copies of the Bible Echo
are sent to Auckland, and three hundred copies to other parts of
New Zealand. There are more than one hundred and twenty-
five Sabbath-keepers in Australia, and from forty to fifty in New
Zealand, Of those who have embraced the truth in Australia,
three have given themselves to the work of God. In New Zea-
land, one has given himself entirely to the work, and one has
come to America to fit himself for greater usefulness.”
Such ‘was the remarkably encouraging statement that Eld.