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The Thanks of the Committee are presented to Mr. G. Welch for three and a half years of Evangelical and Tract Magazines; and to Mr. Thomas Wontner, for sundry Pamphlets.

C. WOOD, PRINTER, POPPIN'S COURT, FLEET STREET.

OR

SAILORS' MAGAZINE.

NEW SERIES.

FOR JUNE, 1837.

ANNIVERSARY OF THE BRITISH AND FOREIGN SAILORS' SOCIETY.

DIVINE PROVIDENCE favoured the Society in a manifest degree during the past year, and in a remarkable manner at this last Anniversary. On Wednesday, May 3, the General Meeting, which was numerously attended, was held at the City of London Tavern, when the noble President, Lord Mountsandford, took the chair, supported by Admiral Sir James Hillyar, Kt. and Admiral W. Young, besides a large number of ministers of different denominations, merchants, shipowners, captains, and seamen. delightful spirit pervaded the meeting, and the collection with donations amounted to about 651.

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On Thursday evening, May 11, Rev. J. E. Good, of Gosport, preached for the Society at Spa Fields Chapel ; and on Lord's day evening, May 14, Rev. John Thorpe, late of Huddersfield, preached for the Society at the City Road Chapel. (Wesleyan.) The sermons were worthy of the reputation of the preachers, and rendered great service to the Society.

ABSTRACT OF THE REPORT FOR 1836-1837. YOUR Committee have great pleasure in giving a brief abstract of the Report of their proceedings during the past year. They enjoy this satisfaction, as its details will happily illustrate the all-wise providence and the abundant grace of God. They will commence, as on former occasions, with the

PORT OF LONDON.-This emporium of the world em

VOL. IV.

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ploys about 4,000 ships in its exports and imports, and receives annually not less than 15,000 cargoes. On an average there are 2,000 ships in the River Thames and its docks, with 3,000 barges and other small craft in lading and unlading them. Belonging to those ships there are about 20,000 sailors, besides others out of employ. About 2,300 small boats also are used for passengers, in navigating which there are estimated 8,000 watermen of various classes, besides 4,000 labourers employed in loading and unloading the ships, and 1,200 revenue officers. Such are part of the statistics of the port of London, the centre of the operations of your Society.

Preaching the Gospel, as the divine ordinance for evangelizing the world, is the chief means employed by your Committee. Having proved the efficiency of a Thames Missionary, they have engaged a second, to devote his whole time among sailors in the port of London, and made arrangements to supply another chapel near the river.

Desirous of awakening the Christian public to aid them in prosecuting their labours, your Committee have obtained an 66 Essay on the Condition and Claims of Sailors," from the most popular writer of the day; and they have confidence that incalculable benefits will result to the maritime community from the publication of" BRITANNIA,' by the Rev. John Harris.

SAILORS' CHAPEL, SHADWELL. Divine service has been regularly held at this chapel during the past year, where the blessing of God has evidently attended the ministry of the Gospel. Ministers of different denominations, in the absence of Rev. J. Chapman, have supplied the pulpit; and all have borne testimony to the serious 、attention of sailors in hearing their word, leading them to Christ for life and salvation. Rev. J. Chapman, as Travelling Secretary, being frequently on journeys for the Society, the Chapel-Record is kept by Captain Prynn; and from that journal it appears, that during the past year 206 sermons were preached at the Sailors' Chapel, besides 48 addresses given, and 163 prayer-meetings held; and that the number of persons attending those services amounted to 22,300, besides children; of which number almost 10,000 were sailors. Evidences of the most pleasing kind might be abundantly produced to show the power of the Gospel on the minds of sailors, but these may be sought for in the pages of the PILOT, OR SAILORS' MAGA

ZINE.

NEW SAILORS' CHAPEL.-Your Committee have altered and improved the Sailors' Chapel within the last few months; but this is only temporary: they design a building fully worthy of the Society, which they hope to accomplish as soon as they shall ascertain the most eligible situation in relation to the projected collier-docks. An addition to their chapel fund is proposed in the proceeds of a legacy of 5007. three per cents. from the late Mr. Joseph Watts.

SAILORS' LIBRARY.-Direct access to sailors, by preaching the Gospel, is practicable only when they are in port; but your Society's Library enables your Committee to follow them with Christian instruction to the utmost regions of the globe. Benevolent individuals and societies have so replenished your stock of books and tracts, that little short of 4,000 volumes bound, 20,000 pamphlets and magazines, and 100,000 temperance and religious tracts, the numbers reported last year, have been furnished in the year just ended, by your Agents, to provincial ports, loan ship libraries, and coasting sailors, diffusing among them the saving knowledge of Christ.

LOAN SHIP LIBRARIES. Fifty-seven libraries have, during the past year, been furnished on loan to vessels going to foreign ports of Europe, Asia, Africa, America, and Australia; and testimonies of the most encouraging character are given by captains of ships, on restoring them to the Thames Missionary, of the benefits resulting to sailors from reading your books. But to what an extent these books, in nearly three hundred ship-libraries now on loan, are made useful, in the rational amusement, the intellectual improvement, and the spiritual sanctification of their readers, can be known only to the omniscient eye of God.

FISHING SMACK LIBRARIES.-Barking, with its one hundred and thirty fishing-smacks, has been an object of solicitude with your Committee; and they rejoice that their fifty libraries furnished to the friends of sailors in that town, are the means of spiritual good to the fishermen, as reported by the Rev. Mr. Corney.

LOAN BOOKS TO SAILORS.-Besides the books in the ship libraries, amounting to upwards of 7,000 volumes on loan, furnished from the Sailors' Library in London, and several hundreds of volumes by your Society's provincial agents, upwards of 600 bound volumes of the choicest

religious works, besides pamphlets, have been lent from your library to sailors, chiefly in the coasting trade, during the past year.

NAVIGATION CLASS. - Gratuitous instruction in the science of navigation is offered one evening in the week at the Sailors' Chapel vestry, to as many seamen and apprentices as choose to avail themselves of the services of Captain Prynn.

SAILORS' DAY SCHOOLS.-These schools, under a resident master and mistress, continue to prosper, the Bible being made the basis of all the instruction imparted. There are now on the books 165 boys, and 96 girls: 136 boys and 114 girls have left the schools during the year, some with a considerable measure of that knowledge which leads to salvation by Jesus Christ. Since the commencement there have been about 1,000 children instructed in these schools, besides those now on the books.

SAILORS' CHAPEL SUNDAY SCHOOLS.-Difficuties necessarily exist in carrying on a Sunday school at a Sailors' Chapel, for want of regular teachers: they have existed in yours; but, through the zeal and exertions of your Thames Missionary, and the aid of neighbouring congregations, they have been sustained. The number on the books is 140; boys, 67; girls, 73.

MOTHER AND INFANTS' FRIEND SOCIETY.-This institution has been sustained during the past year, in which fifteen of the wives of seamen and rivermen have been furnished with bags of clothes for themselves and infants during the month of confinement. Mrs. Rutledge, the treasurer, has received the sum of 10l. 4s. 6d., and expended 97. 11s. 8‡d.

DORCAS SOCIETY.-Many seamen's children, some of them fatherless, and others orphans, have been supplied with garments during the past year; and cast-off clothes of the children of the wealthy would be gratefully accepted for this purpose, at the Society's office.

THAMES AGENCY.-Your Committee, reflecting on the statistics of the port of London, have endeavoured to meet the exigency, for which they have engaged the services of twelve preachers, constantly and systematically to carry to seamen the gospel of Jesus Christ. Besides the regular services of the Sabbath at the Sailors' Chapel, by the Rev. J. Chapman, the minister, and at the other chapels in connection with your Society, these Agents have held

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