amongst them. May the Lord continue to raise up many more such valuable labourers, and send them forth into his vineyard.

Tract distributing in the Port of London.

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In the course of my distribution of Tracts, many singular circumstances take place. Some little time since, coming alongside a vessel where several potato porters were engaged, I heard a man swearing to an alarming extent: a person standing by him, and seeing me ascending the vessel's side with tracts, said to him, Fait, you'll soon have to hold your pace, for there's a man coming wid tracts, so don't be swearing any more." The man immediately ceased swearing; and I addressed him on the awful consequences of swearing, &c., and left them tracts, which I trust had the desired effect. On another occasion, passing over some ships delivering tracts, some labouring men from the hold of a vessel asked for some tracts, which were granted to them; and a sailor who received a tract said, Sir, this is the very tract I wanted, for I am a dreadful swearer, and I really know not when I do swear." The tract was entitled, "Swear not at all." The man began to read it, and very soon I saw the tears run down his cheeks, whilst he called others round him, and read also to them. At another time a sailor, to whom I had given a few tracts, came and said, Sir, I have reason to believe the tracts you gave me have been abundantly blessed; for they were first made a blessing to me, and since that to three others." This is good news, and very encouraging to me to go forward. May the Lord bless those silent teachers, and make them productive of much good.

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Tracts distributing in the Mediterranean.

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Giving some tracts yesterday to a captain, who has recently arrived from the Mediterranean, he said, Sir, I thank you, but I have some tracts on board, which I received from the Hon. Captain Elphinstone, of His Majesty's ship Tyne, off Tarragona." This was not the only vessel supplied with tracts; but I was informed this worthy and truly honourable captain was in the habit of sending a quantity of tracts on board such English vessels as he met with from time to time. May he be amply rewarded for this labour of love!

WHITBY AUXILIARY SEAMEN'S FRIEND

SOCIETY.

WHITBY, contracted from Whitteby, the Norman word for White Town, so called from the colour of its houses, or its conspicuous situation, is a sea-port in the North Riding of Yorkshire. For several centuries Whitby was nothing more than a fishing-town; and the origin of its commercial consequence may be attributed to the discovery of alum mines in the latter part of the reign of Elizabeth.

Early in the seventeenth century these mines were worked, and two great branches of trade are now opened, one for supplying the alum works with coal, and the other for the export of alum to distant parts. Ship-building was introduced about 1630, and great improvements were made in the harbour, by removing rocks and other obstructions. In 1632 the town became of considerable maritime importance, when the stone piers began to constructed, chiefly through the influence of Sir Hugh Cholmeley, since which time they have been progressively increasing with the extension of commerce, and an effectual barrier has been interposed to protect the town from the fury of the German ocean.

The west pier is 1,860 feet long, terminating with a circular head; the east pier is 645 feet long, terminating likewise with a substantial circular head; there are also two inner piers to break the force of the waves in stormy weather-the Burgess pier, 315 feet long, and the Fish pier, 195 feet long. Over the Eske is a drawbridge, so constructed as to admit ships of 600 tons burden to pass into the inner harbour, which is capacious and secure, and adjoining which are spacious dock-yards and commodious dry docks. The depth of water in the harbour in common neap tides is about ten feet, and in spring tides from fifteen to sixteen feet, and sometimes more. The number of vessels belonging to the port of Whitby is about 260, being an aggregate burden of about 42,000 tons. The population of Whitby at the census in 1831 was 11,725.

Whitby church, dedicated to St. Mary, stands on the summit of a high cliff, and is approached by 190 stone steps. Roman Catholics, Presbyterians, Independents, Friends, Methodists, and Primitive Methodists, have chapels in Whitby.

Seamen could not, therefore, be forgotten by the Christians at Whitby, when pious zeal had awakened in London, Bristol, Liverpool, and other places in their favour, and in 1823 they established an Auxiliary Seamen's Friend Society and Bethel Union."

New vigour appears to have been put forth by its Committee, by means of correspondence and intercourse with the British and Foreign Sailors' Society; and the last Report, some copies of which have been received from respected secretaries, Rev. W. Blackburn and Rev. E. Young, A.M., contains some delightful statements.

The Thirteenth Annual Meeting of the Whitby Auxiliary Seamen's Friend Society and Bethel Union, was held in conjunction with the Twentieth Anniversary of the Whitby Marine Bible Association, at Brunswick Chapel, on Wednesday, January 27th, 1836.

From the Report the following extracts are taken :

"It is gratifying to notice, that the transactions of the Whitby Seamen's Friend Society, though not extensive, have been as interesting during the past year, as in any one that has preceded it."

Additions have been made to their Loan Ship Libraries, of which it is said :

"Of the Society's Libraries employed this season, nine have been returned, and others are expected shortly. Not one appears to have been lost; but some books belonging to one or two of them have, through various casualties, disappeared, and will fall to be replaced. It will be desirable also, to increase the number of boxes this season; as it is proposed to supply some of the traders of this port, instead of giving the libraries to large ships only."

Sermons are preached to seamen, specially invited, by the united zeal of ministers of different denominations at Whitby. And in relation to the Bethel Meetings, the Report states :—

"The Prayer meetings last season were well attended, and the attendance this season is equally good. It is very gratifying to notice, that here, as in other sea-ports, the number of praying seamen has much increased; so that the present aspect of our Bethel Meetings exhibits a striking contrast to what was witnessed in the first years of the Society's labours. At. that early period, it was difficult to find seamen who would engage in prayer; and some of the Committee were obliged to attend the meetings in rotation, lest there should be none present to conduct

the devotional services. But in this winter, at the very first prayer-meeting of the season, when comparatively few had returned, no less than five seamen took a part in leading the devotions of the evening. Hundreds of religious Tracts have been distributed, as in former years, at the Bethel meetings, and many more on board of ships in the harbour. Most of the Tracts were furnished by the Whitby Religious Tract Society."

MISSIONARIES, THE GENEROUS FRIENDS OF

SAILORS.

CAPTAIN MORGAN, the writer of the following letter, is a man of superior sense and elevated piety. On account of his reputation for capacity, piety, and humanity, he has been engaged by the Directors of the South Australian Company to command the Duke of York, which carries out S. Stephens, Esq., the Colonial manager, and the first body of emigrants, to the settlement.

"To Captain Prynn, Thames Missionary.

I

"Dear Brother, -In reading the PILOT for February, 1 see Missionaries, the generous Friends of Sailors,' have been calumniated. Having visited those islands in the South Seas for the last seven years, I have had an opportunity of seeing their labours owned and blessed of God among the people; they labour likewise among those that go down to the sea in ships. I never knew a missionary in one single instance to refuse to come on board of my ship to preach the everlasting Gospel when solicited, though sometimes under very trying circumstances. have likewise known them to be always anxious and solicitous to get ships. The chapels which the converted heathens have built have always been open for sailors, or other foreigners residing in those islands, both Sandwich and Society. A missionary has preached to us after the native service; and often have some of my crew and myself partaken of that bread and drank of that cup, showing forth our Lord's death till he come, and been refreshed, by their ministry, from the presence of the Lord, who is no respecter of persons, but looks at the heart. I have always seen them glad to see and to take pious.

sailors by the hand, and give them every advice their cases might require. If any difference have arisen between the natives and the crews, I have known them to be ready to make peace between contending parties at all times. Where I have had any difficulties to contend with, I have consulted them, and they, knowing the people among whom they labour, have often been the means of great good, both temporal and spiritual. Most of these men have left their native country, with all its civil and religious blesssings, when young. I will mention one I know personally, the Rev. Charles Barff, the gentleman, the scholar, the Christian, which is the top-stone,-all are found in him. He has a family of nine children, all being born since his leaving England. Oftentimes have I been at his table when he has only had to give his children a little rice for breakfast, and tea with a little treacle. It is not always so; but I know they are very limited in domestic comforts, though they do not look for great things, considering they have left all for Christ's sake; yet they expect of an Englishman, a Briton, the truth. They love their country and their countrymen; they know their privileges as a nation, and are like the children of Israel when in a strange land. But to return: I have seen this man of sterling piety, as regular as the sun in his course, in the morning teaching the children to spell and read, then attend to the sick, then to their building, planting, &c. I am persuaded you might send out a regiment of soldiers to each of our sea-ports, and when the people transgress they might put them in prison, and there they would lie, and get worse and lose their souls; but send two missionaries to each sea-port, east, west, north, south, with the everlasting Gospel in their hands, the love of God in their hearts; and in using the word God would work with it, and make it a blessing to the salvation of a multitude of souls, so as God would be glorified, and the heathen and sailors saved by Jesus Christ. If I forget a poor Missionary, may my right hand forget its cunning, and my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth! May the blessings of God attend you and yours in time and eternity: so prays your affectionate brother,

Greenwich, Feb. 1836.

ROBERT MORGAN,

VOL. III.