BRITISH AND FOREIGN SAILORS' SOCIETY.

313 There has been also a large number of Scotch and Irish, with some English and Welsh boats. Whilst visiting them one Sabbath morning, I came upon an old Scotchman reading on the deck, and as I drew near to him, I was glad to find it was his Bible he was so earnestly perusing. The first chapters of Isaiah were those which he had chosen for that morning. After saluting him, I said, "I am glad to see you so well engaged this morning," when he replied, "Aye, man, you may say that I am well employed." He then told me how much he respected the old Bible (for it was an old one), on account of its family associations, but still more, on account of what it revealed to him—the whole will of God regarding his salvation. In every respect he appeared to be a man who was no way "ashamed of the Gospel of Christ," but, both by precept and example, testified that he found it to be the " power of God unto salvation to all who believe."

R. BRADY.

DUBLIN BRANCH.-April 4th.-I was on 13 ships-4 Italians, 5 Norse, I French, 3 English-and at the Home. On a Norwegian ship I got the men together and read to them the Word of God. They ordered 3 Bibles. The Italians received me well; in all I met 30 of them, and in no case did they refuse a Gospel. At the Home I met a shipwrecked crew. In the afternoon had a Bibie-class. Two of the French sailors came and spent a profitable time on shore.

April 6th. This morning I was trying to get two poor sailors a passage to Glasgow. Found 40 shipwrecked men at the Home. Spent most of the day talking to them personally about their souls. I went down again at night, and had further conversation, and gave them sailors' text-books.

April 9th.-Twice to-day the French sailors came to Mr. Cummings for more books, and, as they said, for further instruction in the Bible. They asked many questions, and seemed to thoroughly understand that salvation was by faith. These were the most hopeful cases among the French that we have met with for some time.

May 27th.-This evening I got II of the German sailors from two ships to come on shore. A young gentleman from Trinity College read and prayed with them. We had a happy and profitable time, which I am sure the men will never forget.

June 26th. This evening we had a tea-meeting for the fishermen at Howth. About 100 came. Several earnest Gospel addresses were given. The men sang suitable hymns. The next morning I addressed 50 them, and about 120 at night, in the Mariners' Hall. I trust the Lord was in our midst.

July 3rd.-To-day I went to Howth, and was on board of about 50 boats. In the evening, Deputy-Surgeon General Gunn gave one of his famous lectures on Alcohol and its Effects on the Human System, illustrated by diagrams. At the close, he most feelingly exhorted a large number of fishermen, not only to become abtsainers, but to live to the glory of God.

July 17th.-Saturday night. We had a temperance meeting when the Very Rev. Dean Dickenson, of the Chapel Royal, lectured to about 80 of the men. On the next day, Sunday, the Dean again kindly took my meeting in the evening, and preached to about 150 sailors. We had a good after-meeting, and several of the men took part in the prayer.

I must here again this year mention how much I feel the kindness of many friends who have helped and cheered me in God's work among the sailors in Dublin, by supplying funds to the Sailors' Society. "Thanks be unto God for all His gifts, and for the unspeakable Gift!"

J. TIERNEY, Port Missionary.

DUBLIN AND KINGSTOWN (Welsh Seamen).—Our missionary, the Rev. J. R. Jones, writes:- -"As business is on the increase throughout the United kingdom, Ireland as its share of it. The number of Welsh vessels visiting the port of Dublin and Kingstown were few last year, compared with former years. But for the last four weeks they are increasing in number. Last Saturday I visited twenty-three vessels; most of the crew Welshmen; all received me kindly. After having a short conversation with them, on temperance chiefly, asking them to attend the Sailors' Welsh Chapel in the city; all promising cheerfully to attend. There were two Welsh vessels in the river, too far out for me to go on board; I therefore asked the sailors to do the work by trying to induce them to come to the Welsh chapel. After telling them a short anecdote or two of how men found Christ by working for Him, says one of them, the most rough and ready, "I'll get them to come, and watch me coming with all hands to chapel Sunday night." So Sunday night he came with all hands, and looking towards the pulpit as much as to say, Here I am according to my word. I find the sailors thus always willing to do all they can to help me in the work, giving me every information they can as to where the Welsh vessels are. It is here very dangerous among so many Roman Catholics to enter some of these vessels.

We had a very good congregation of sailors last Sunday; at the afternoon meeting there were forty-seven present, at night 109, all paying the greatest attention to every word. At Kingstown, the little Bethel there was more than half full the last three Sundays.

J. R. JONES.

WATERFORD.-The sailors continue to receive me very kindly, and the tracts and other publications with thankfulness. The following is a summary of my work during the past year :-Meetings held, 26. Visits to shipping, 491. Gospels distributed, 29. Tracts distributed, 3,486. Copies of Chart and Compass, 24. I am trying to increase the sale of Chart and Compass. I do earnestly hope that I may succeed, so that the Gospel as set forth therein so powerfully and yet so simply may by that means be brought to bear upon the hardy toilers on the sea. Our very energetic local secretary, B. Bennett continues to supply me with a good many tracts for distribution among the men. As you requested a "short account," I trust the foregoing will be satisfactory. I could say a great deal more, but am prevented by your request. W. BROWN. THE COAST OF IRELAND.-PORTSTEWART was visited in July, 1880, and several good meetings held for the fishermen in the open air on the quay. Attendance large, with, I trust, some blessed results. My tracts and small books were well received. Portrush was visited also, and an effort made to reach the sailors and fishermen.

DERRY.-I spent a week in this fine port in October. I was well received by all the sailors and friends on shore. I visited a number of ships, and held several small meetings on board and on shore; attendance very good, and a great desire manifested for more missionary effort and ship visitation.

SLIGO.--West Coast was visited by your representative in July, and a warm reception given to him, and several fresh friends made for the Society. The people of the West are very kind-hearted; the meeting was held in the Independent Church, and it was a good meeting, and a liberal collection. May the Lord prosper His own work in the far West coast.

KILLYLEAGH was visited in June. Several good meetings held. Warrenpoint and Rosstrevor in July; Newry and Dundalk in October.

NEWRY is well looked after by Miss Thompson and my dear friend, Mr. David Brady, who for many years has visited the ships regularly, and his work of love has been greatly blessed to the sailors; many of them know him, and highly

GIFTS OF LOOKING GLASSES.

315

respect him. I assisted in the Sailors' Home at some meetings, when I was there. I cannot speak too highly of this beautiful home, so clean and nice, and well conducted. I only wish that every port in the three kingdoms had such a lovely spot for Jack when he comes on shore.

SOUTH COAST.-In October I visited nearly all the large ports in the South— Limerick, Cork, Queenstown, Waterford, New Ross, and Wexford. I have done what I could to reach the sailors in those ports, and assisted, as best I could, our agents, who are faithfully holding the fort in the South of Ireland.

W. LYONS, Missionary Evangelist and Travelling Representative.

GIFTS OF LOOKING GLASSES; OR, WHAT WILL YOU GIVE TO THE SAILORS' BAZAAR.

BRING your offerings, said Moses to the people, after he had received his orders from the Lord to put up the Tabernacle. "Whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, let him bring an offering of the Lord: gold, and silver, and brass." How gladly the people responded to this invitation to do something in God's service. They brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold, and presented them unto the Lord. In the history of the Church there have been always some persons more devoted to the ordinances of His house, and more willing to give their gold and silver, and labour, than others.

So enthusiastic were the ladies in this good work that Moses found one day many of them standing at the door of the Tabernacle with looking glasses in their hands, which they gave to him to make the brass lavers for the priests to wash in. Probably these women were poor and could not do great things; but they did something, and proved that they could deny themselves for His sake who had done such great things for them. We do not ask the ladies for their looking glasses, for English ladies have the credit of loving their mirrors too much, which we think rather hard upon them, as gentlemen love them quite as much. An amusing story was told by one of the Palestine explorers in the Sunday-school Union Lecture Hall. He said the most comical sight he saw there was a poor woman, sitting on a bridge, holding a piece of a looking-glass in her hand. had lost her nose, and was gazing with intense delight in the glass at herself. We earnestly ask our lady friends to look over their houses and see if there are not a few things they can spare for poor Jack. We will not refuse anything; but accept all with thanks. Any kind of fancy work, ornaments, clothes for babies, or for adults, flowers, fruit, books, fossils, pictures, jewellery, dolls, desks, paper, &c., &c. May the same spirit that animated the children of Israel stir up the friends of our sailors to do something, and do it soon, for the bazaar on the 25th. J. T. C.

She

THE AUTHOR OF THE GOSPEL COMPASS. "WHO or what is He, the author of the Gospel Compass? It would be interesting to know if he is a sailor, or what." The reply to this query in Chart and Compass is, that our good friend referred to is not exactly a sailor; but he hopes sailors wont think anything less of the Compasses for that. He is the son of a sailor who for many years wore Her Majesty's blue uniform, afloat and ashore; and was born within fifty or sixty yards of the ripple from Neptune's bath in the bleak North Sea. His greatest exploit in the sea was on one occasion to leap off a pier into the “ briny," and save a poor fellow who, in a few minutes more, would have been fast in Davy Jones's locker; " but he hopes to meet many a brave sailor "up aloft" who has been saved through the instrumentality of the Gospel Compass. There, if the same curiosity still lingers, he will be pleased to "spin a long yarn" about his past history, not the least interesting part of which will be the marvel that the Great Admiral had pity on him when he was lost, and with His own hand pulled him safely ashore!

Sixteen thousand Gospel Compassss have already been published.

Our Floating Libraries.

DURING July and August forty-six Libraries were issued-thirty-one in boxes. These contained 803 bound books, 1,700 tracts, and 1, 650 periodicals.

VESSELS' NAME. DESCRIPTION OF VESSEL. CAPTAIN.

Mornington

Melba

Shannon

Pericles

Emma Ernest

Gill

Eden

Davis

Barranca

Jones

Alvington

Creole s.s.

Harding
Liddell

The ship collections have amounted to £9 125. Tract, books, and cash have also been received from the following:-Mrs. Goode; Messrs. Mills and Knight; The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company; Mr. Smith, of Stratford; Mrs. Welby; the Treasurer; and the Parent Society.

Sejt. 12th, 1881.

W. B. ČUSTARD, Agent of the Library Committee,
British and Foreign Sailors' Society.

NAPLES HARBOUR MISSION.

MISSIONARY'S REPORT FROM 1ST JANUARY TO 31ST MARCH.

THE usual term of a ship's commission has expired in this month of March; for it was on that month that the mission for seamen was inaugurated in this port; I am therefore constrained to take a review of the past three years, believing that the friends who assisted in the harbour so efficiently will be pleased to know that their willing services are duly acknowledged. For more than two years I had to struggle alone, making from forty to fifty visits on a Sunday, and conversing with every man, from the captain to the mess-room boy, consepuently it was with difficulty I could lead the singing and give a discourse. Now the Lord has favoured me with helpers who go in our small boats and gather the sailors from the ships to the Bethel on Sunday evenings. During the three years, by the mercy of God, I have only been absent twice on Sunday, and that through the serious illness of a dear child. The Rev. Mr. Gray supplied these evenings.

Up to August, 1880, I had much difficulty with boatmen, being often at their mercy in stormy weather, and when they were otherwise busy in the harbour. The desire to have boats connected with the Bethel was realised through the kind activity of Miss Guy, who also helped the singing, in encouraging others to attend, and in aiding Miss McMurray to preside at the harmonium. The harmonium is the gift of sailors and other friends who attended the Bethel. To interest the sailors, and to counteract the evil influences of the shore, I had been anxious also to secure a good magic lantern. Mr. Davie, who attends the Bethel services, entered earnestly into this scheme, and, assisted by other friends, a double lantern with several sets of slides have been secured. To all these useful helps Mr. Gray, the Superintendent of the mission, gave his hearty approval, when it appeared that the schemes did not interfere with the regular mission funds. A friend at the British Consulate has influenced the captains of ships to subscribe liberally to the funds of the mission. The machinery of the mission seems in good working order, and only needs the Divine blessing to give power to the efforts put forth.

During January the services in the Bethel on Sunday mornings were well attended by men from sailing vessels. It is difficult to get men from steamers on Sunday morning. A larger number of friends attend the Bethel on Sunday evenings from the shore than formerly. On several occasions upwards of forty

persons from the different denominations were present: a proof that the work has been carried on in a catholic spirit.

The United States steamer " Wyoming" was in port for six weeks; at the captain's request a service was held on board in the afternoon, but this did not interfere with the usual services held in the Bethel. On the 24th of January we were favoured with a visit from Mr. McLarty, of the s.s. "A- " whe on former occasions gave much sympathy; and Mr. Dewer, of the Sailors' Home, Glasgow; both of whom expressed themselves as being pleased with the progress of the mission, and testified to the beneficial influence among their Mediterranean ships.

One evening in this month a boy, nephew to good Captain Jones, of the "Amanda," asked to sign the temperance pledge-he had been a member of the Band of Hope, and wished to re-enlist in the temperance army. February 6th, had the pleasure to accompany two young men to the communion of the Lord's Supper-both are children of the mission. 16th, held a meeting in the forecastle of the "Macedonia," all hands attended willingly; several persons from the cabin came to the Bible-class in our house. Some of the friends who assist at the Bethel also attend this meeting on the Tuesday evening. March 16th, two cap.