ping, when I met with a captain, and entered into conversation with him, about the best things. He observed "There are several of us, masters and our wives, in this tier, who feel concerned about our souls; we talk together, but unfortunately not one of us can pray with, or for the others." I was engaged that evening some distance from them, and had not afterwards another opportunity to join them before they went away. Our brother Benson had, however, been with them before this, and was, like myself, pleased with them. At the same chain, a few days before, I held a service, and had 38 persons in attendance, and a delightful meeting; we had several of our young converts there. The prospects of good in the Upper-pool surpasses all that has yet been witnessed. It is the Lord's doing, and is marvellous in our eyes. In reading these sketches we may well say "What hath God wrought?" for although the impressions left on some of these minds may be but as "the morning cloud," yet who can question but that the hand of God is here, since in the majority of the cases specified, the change is as decisive, as, at present, it appears to be great. In a former report we mentioned that one of our agents had been appointed to pursue some enquiries into the state of foreign seamen, and into the best means of gaining access to them, and of promoting their religious interests. That enquiry has been made and the following report, addressed to the committee, has been drawn up by him. It proves that much may be effected amongst them, even by one unacquainted with the continental languages—and what the Directors can accomplish for them they are prepared to attempt. I have according to your request, visited the foreign ships in the Commercial and East Country Docks, and distributed foreign tracts among the men who compose the crews of the vessels. In no one case have I found a difficulty in making these men understand the object of my visit to them, nor have any refused the tracts I have offered to them, but on the contrary they have accepted them with evident pleasure, and expressed, though in broken English-great thankfulness for them. I am sure they are read by the hardy foreigners; and hope they will not be read in vain. If it is your pleasure I should continue a regular system of visitation among these men, I have no doubt I shall be able, from time to time, to report some facts, which will encourage you to proceed in this work; and which will prove that your society is not only a blessing to British, but also to Foreign sailors. I may add that my visits to these Docks have brought me into contact with many of our own seamen, who have just come from a long voyage, or are about to take one; and that in supplying these men with English tracts, I have met with opportunities of endeavouring to benefit those who might otherwise have said "No one careth for our souls." Some weeks, I have devoted a day and a half to this work; but more time might be spent when these Docks are crowded, and especially if the Surry Canal Dock were united with them for this purpose. Our communications with friend respecting his appointment as a missionary to the lodging-houses, are still in progress; but as the appointment involves to himself serious important results, it is a matter on which he cannot hastily decide; it is therefore for the present in abeyance. Captains Prynn and Lowther are, however, labouring in that path of usefulness, and meet with many circumstances which convince them of its vast importance, and its probable beneficial and happy results. At the Sailors' Church the attendance continues encouraging. Instances have occurred in which great spiritual good has been received, and we doubt not that the great day will declare that many have there been born again. The following table will shew, perhaps in a clearer and more distinct manner than the form in which the information has been usually conveyed, the actual labour of our missionaries and agents during the month. Sailors in Tracts given. Services Vessels Lodging-houses attendance. Captain Prynn .. Services ashore. visited. visited Captain Lowther Boys' school, average attendance 80; Girls' school 78. AGENTS' REPORTS. Mr. MUSCUTT's REPORT. Piety among Sailors. The great and chief object of our society is to bring seamen under the power, and into the practice of real piety; and when, by the grace of God, this is effected, not only do the men themselves gain an immense benefit, but merchants and shipowners reap an advantage. Some may smile at such a statement as this, and call it extravagant folly; but smiles are not arguments, and assertions are not proofs that we are mistaken in our views of this subject. We can confirm our statements by the testimony of those whose evidence should be received as decisive. In the month of February last, I was in company with two captains in a cabin where I had conducted service; the theme of conversation was the Bethel meetings, and the influence of religion on our sailors. I said "I was sure religion would make bad men good, and good ones better;" and then I asked these two mas J ters “whether they thought religion did not make men better sailors, than others who had none?" One of them, who did not appear a decided christian himself, replied "that he had always found that the men who were the most blustering, braggadocio, and prophane, when on, shore, were the first to fail and tremble in a gale of wind, but that religious men stood firm and were the last to be discouraged or give up." In this the other captain concurred, and remarked, that "he had always found that religious seamen did their work the best." If then piety makes men more courageous than others, when at sea-if they are more attentive to ship duties, is it not of advantage to merchants and ship-owners that their vessels should be manned with such persons on whom reliance can be placed? Or supposing that piety did not make men better sailors than others, still if is of infinite importance that they should possess it, that through its influence they may be prepared for the dangers which attend them. They, like other men, have immortal souls to be saved or lost. With the grace of God in their hearts, they are ready for a blessed eternity, and have not, when the storm pours forth its fury around them-then, for the first time, to seek for God. I was impressed with this thought, by listening to the tale of the mate on board the Q- He had been wrecked on the Jutland coast, about five months ago; himself, the captain, and the carpenter, were saved by taking to the boat; the rest of the crew were so exhausted at the pumps, that they had no strenght to get into the boat, and they perished. The three who had taken to the boat, and trusted to the merciless seas, thought they should never reach the shore; from which they were distant about twenty miles :—a heavy sea was rolling-no prospect of help or safety appeared before them. In this perilous condition, the captain who was not a religious man, began to think of his soul, and said to the other two with him-"Its time we should be offering up a prayer, we shall soon be gone;" and addressing the mate and carpenter, said "O pray! pray!" They replied "We cannot, we do not know how to pray ;" and then the master in his way, and as well as he could, offered up prayer twice. Would it not have been an advantage to these men, and a comfort to them in their danger, if they had been men of prayer, and had known the power of piety? There are, thanks be to God, many pious captains on board our ships. And some of these good men are very anxious to have pious crews with them. A question was discussed one evening between the captain and myself, on board the Cwhether it were best to select a pious crew, or take an ungodly one, in the hope of doing them good. "I have," said Captain R, "been blamed by some Bethel men, for selecting pious men, but I always find it most for my own comfort to do so; and am determined to adopt this plan when I can." I admitted there might be some things said in favor of taking an ungodly crew with the hope of doing them good, but that I thought it was somewhat hazardous, and might prove a source of much uneasiness and vexation, and that, therefore, the safest plan would be to follow his own rule whenever he could Sailors' Tales." These are on some occasions amusing and interesting, affecting and instructive. I heard two of this description the other evening on board the C-t. One captain gave an account of his having been near drowning, when he was a boy; and said "he should never forget it." I give the substance of it:-It was 10 o'clock, and a dark night, when he had to go in the boat from the ship to the shore, to land the captain, his wife, and some other friends, who had been spending the evening on board; by some means he fell from the boat into the river, and sank in the water, but he retained his senses, and while under the water he thought of the last words which his mother had said to him; and now he thought he must diehe supposed he should soon come to the bottom of the river, were he should find plenty of mud,—and that then he would lay himself down and die comfortably on the mud; but he kept moving about, and soon came to the top of the water-he heard screams of the females in the boat-heard the master call out, "do you see him?" and the answer, "no!" It happened that he came up very near the boatcaught hold of it-raised his head above its side-the men called out "here he is, here he is"-and thus he was saved. One tale often brings up another. It was so at this time. Captain W- of the S-, narrated one event which happended to him when he was a lad, and in a foreign port. He fell from the ship's side into the sea-he could not swim, but he kept his eyes open, even when under the water, which was very clear and calm, he could see the ship-could see the stars when he was some distance from the water's surface; but he could see no one trying to save him,-thought they cared nothing about him, and considered it very hard that no one made the least effort to throw him a rope. A foreign sailor boy, who had seen him fall overboard, plunged a boat-hook into the sea near him, he grasped hold of it and was soon on deck. "I have often thought of this event," said this good man, "and have often thought of death, and though I am not much concerned as to where I shall die, yet I confess I should like to die at home, rather than at sea, and have my body laid in the grave, than at the bottom of the deep. Sailors are not all communicative and conversational men. It was on a beautiful evening last month, when I took a boat to go to the P——, where I had to preach. Half a moon shone above us-the stars glittered-the water on which we rode was smooth-all was still around us. We had, however, to seek the P. No evening signal appeared for worship-but the dove with her olive branch, was still flying at the mast's head. There was some difficulty in getting on board, but with the attentive aid of my waterman, I soon boarded her. A lad was the first living being I met. "Is the captain below?" I asked. "No! mate is." was the reply. I went into the cabin-there sat the mate all alone; except a domestic animal which lay stretched before a comfortable fire. I addressed the man with the usual salutations; he coolly returned it, but moved not from his seat -I took mine-he did not even turn his head to look at me. I began to talk-he was shy. I tried to get him into conversation-yes or no, was all he said. I talked about N. C-, from which I found he came; of ships, of weather, &c. &c. but it was all to no purpose, he would not converse with me. All the men were on shore-three lads came to the service, which lasted about one hour. I was glad to leave this ship, and this unusually reserved man. Ah! we do not always find a cordial reception-warm hearts-cheerful faces-crowded cabins, and happy services on board the ships we go to preach the glad tidings of the gospel of Jesus. But why should we complain of this, or be discouraged, since our Lord himself was not by all welcomed as the friend of sinners. CAPTAIN PRYNN's REPORT. In the prosecution of my labours-va--even the forgiveness of sins through the ried as those labours are, and increasingly riches of his grace. As an illustration of important as they appear-I am greatly this pleasing fact, it may be recorded to encouraged to go forward on the ground the glory of God, that very recently many that God is prospering his own work, and converts have been made from amongst thereby the sound of salvation is echoing our sailors; some of whom have for years from shore to shore, and many of our bro- ranked amongst the stout hearted. At ther sailors have lately reached the trade our Bethel meetings on board ships, (which winds that blow fair for glory; they have have been on several occasions numeroushappily weighed anchor from the bays of ly attended,) as well as at our prayer delusive joy and sensual gratification, and meetings, and other services at the Sailavailing themselves of the land breeze, ors' Church, an awakening power has they have got safe out to sea, notwith-been experienced ;-the penitential tear standing the counter currents which set has been seen to flow-the smitten constrongly down to leeward on this coast, trite heart has uttered the cry for mercy and by which many a gallant ship has and pardon, and it is to be hoped not in been wrecked on these dangerous shores. vain; and it is not a little remarkable Yes! this is the day of gracious visitation that this gracious work has chiefly taken to many a poor wandering sailor who has place and manifested itself on the hearts been led to take refuge in the wounds of of captains of vessels, and so great is the a bleeding Savour-many have been found change in these men, that it is continually closing in with the overtures of mercy said of many-"behold he prayeth;" we -receiving the invitations of the gospel, are, therefore, encouraged at the great and by faith in a crucified Redeemer, they good that is now, by the grace of God, have been enabled to take up their cross. manifest; and trust the influence of those The well-known telegraph signal always thus brought to a knowledge of the truth, hoisted by the Commander-in-chief of the will tend much to extend the cause of christian fleet, whilst sailing in those high Christ amongst those with whom they are latitudes, is "looking unto Jesus;" and called to associate. At several of our by this course they are sailing over the Bethel meetings, 25-30-35, more and tumultuous ocean of life, in hopes, ere long, sailors, captains, and others, have met of entering the haven of rest, where all together. 8, 10, and sometimes 12 perthe believers cast anchor who sailed with sons have engaged in prayer at the serthe Saviour below. vice; and those seasons, have been seaThanks be to God, the means that are sons of refreshing; many have found it now in operation for the ingathering of good to be there, for their God was in sailors are abundantly blessed, and very the midst to bless. many can say to their souls, that there Not only has this gracious work come is redemption through the blood of Christ under our own eye, and we have in vari |