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to the Society, and Lieutenant Fabian, R. N., to execute that mission.

Captain Moorsom, R. N., kindly engaged to preside at a public meeting in the splendid Town Hall, and several of the most influential ministers of different denominations also promised to render their assistance on the occasion. Preparations, by advertising, &c., having been made, to hold the meeting on Monday evening, June 20, it being postponed from the 13th to oblige the Committee of the Church Missionary Society, who had fixed upon Tuesday evening, the 14th, for their meeting in the same place, Captain Moorsom was unexpectedly called to Liverpool: but however this was a subject of regret, his place and services were supplied by Richard Cadbury, Esq., a member of the Society of Friends.

Captain Moorsom's benevolent and generous spirit will be evident from his letter to the chairman, given to Mr. Timpson, before setting out on his journey, on Saturday.

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Highfield, June 18. 66 SIR,-I very much regret that being obliged to be at Liverpool on business on Monday next, will prevent my attending the meeting for the sailors on that evening.

"I enclose two sovereigns, one to show that I am not indifferent to the cause, and the other as a fine for neglect of duty in not taking the chair as I had engaged to do. "I am, yours truly,

"C. R. MoORSOM.

"To the Chairman of the Sailors' Meeting,

at the Town Hall, Birmingham."

Lieutenant Fabian did not appear at the meeting, as it had been announced; and no one was able to assign the reason, as no communication had been received from him. But this disappointment arose from his being summoned home from Leicester, when about to set out for the meeting at Birmingham, by the alarming illness of his son, thus leaving not sufficient time to send an apology for his absence. Regretting as many did the absence of so able and estimable an advocate as Lieutenant Fabian, the very numerous assembly, at least three thousand persons, some supposed nearly five thousand, were delighted to hear the case of sailors laid before them by the speeches of the several gentlemen, who moved and seconded the following resolutions :

Town Hall, Birmingham, June 20, 1836.

RICHARD CADBURY, ESQ., IN THE CHAIR.

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Moved by the Rev. T. Timpson, seconded by the Rev. T. East.

I. That this Meeting, deeply sensible that the prosperity, greatness, and even existence of Great Britain, as a commercial nation, depends essentially on our maritime population, acknowledges that all classes of the community, and the inhabitants of Birmingham especially, as a principal seat of manufactures, are under the greatest obligations to Merchant Seamen.

Moved by the Rev. T. Swan, seconded by the Rev. J. A. James.

11. That this Meeting, contemplating the vast body of British Merchant Seamen, amounting in the aggregate, including fishermen, to the estimated number of at least 250,000 persons, separated by their occupation from the ordinary means of Christian instruction, and exposed to peculiar dangers and debasing temptations, engages henceforth to aid in the promotion of their evangelization.

Moved by the Rev. Mr. Bean, of Weymouth, seconded by Lieutenant Colonel Moxon.

III. That this Meeting rejoices in the success of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society, promoting by its various agencies the moral and religious improvement of seamen, and approving of its Catholic Christian principles, pledges itself to co-operate with that useful Institution.

Moved by John Green, Esq., seconded by the Rev. J. Richards.

IV. That the best thanks of this Meeting be presented to Richard Cadbury, Esq., for his kindness in presiding on the present occasion.

The collection at the Meeting, including the donations, amounted to about 471. Rev. T. Moseley, Rector of St. Martin's, and the Rev. Mr. Marsh, Minister of St. Thomas's Church, expressed themselves friendly to the Society, but were unable to attend the Meeting.

CAPTAIN PRYNN'S RECOLLECTIONS OF RAMSGATE IN MARCH AND APRIL LAST.

CAPTAIN PRYNN's report of his labours at Ramsgate during the detention of the shipping in that commodious harbour, was necessarily limited to a short space in the PILOT for May. The following record of incidents during that visit of the Thames Missionary to the sailors will be read with pleasure.

"While at Ramsgate preaching to the sailors in April, as I walked to lodgings, a man came and said, 'Sir, will you let me take your bag?' I refused, and he said, 'Do let me; I do not wish to take any thing for it. I well recollect you when you were last here; and I shall have reason to bless God I ever saw you.' On this I gave the man my bag, at which he seemed rejoiced, and every day while at Ramsgate this man came to me to know what he I could do for me. And when I came away, waited for a considerable time to carry my luggage to the steamer, which he did with much pleasure.

"Another circumstance of a sailor whom I had seen in London, who came to me and said, 'Sir, I am glad to see you: I have often attended the Sailors' Chapel in London, and bless God I ever went there; for there I was arrested in my mad career.' Another, a captain, when I met him, said, 'I thank God you are sent here again. I was here when you came down from London last year, and two of my ship's crew received good at that time, from the word spoken; one by a sermon you preached on the pier, the other by a sermon preached at the Wesleyan Chapel: they continue to run well, and they are rejoiced to hear you are come again.'

"Two Spaniards whom I met there, whose vessel I had visited whilst in London, and procured copies of the Holy Scriptures for them, expressed much joy at my again distributing Spanish tracts to them. Some of the boatmen with whom I had formed an acquaintance, on a former occasion, rendered me great assistance in putting me on board ships, &c., to converse with sailors, and distribute tracts, and in giving publicity to my engagements day by day. Another most pleasing circumstance took place, which was a kind friend who had a Bethel Flag, lent it me every day whilst at Ramsgate, and went with me and assisted in leading the singing, &c. For these tokens of Christian kindness I felt much obliged."-B. PRynn.

CAPTAIN PRYNN'S RECOLLECTIONS OF

GRAVESEND IN MARCH 1836.

ENCOURAGED by my former visits to ships lying at Gravesend, about to proceed to distant regions of the world, on Thursday, March 24, I went on board the Aide-de-Camp, at five in the morning, having made previous arrangements with the captain to go down and give an address to the sailors previous to their leaving Gravesend. At nine the ship anchored at Gravesend, and after the sails were furled and the crew had breakfasted, the passengers, sailors, pilot, and Custom-house officers assembled on the quarter deck. After singing a hymn and engaging in prayer, an address was given from Isaiah xliii, ver. 2, "When thou passest through the waters," &c. ; every attention was paid by those present, and when the sailors left the quarter deck, they each thanked me. I have since received two letters from two of the crew, dated from the Downs, and they say that much of peace and order reigns among the ship's company since she left the river, and I trust this part of my labours is not in vain. 1 shall gladly avail myself of any opportunities that may offer where I may be allowed on board ships on their leaving Gravesend.

GUERNSEY BETHEL UNION AND SEAMEN'S FRIEND SOCIETY, AUXILIARY TO THE BRITISH AND FOREIGN SAILORS' SOCIETY. GUERNSEY BETHEL UNION continues its operations with considerable energy and success, as appears by the following extracts of a letter recently received from Mr. J. Guilbert, one of its Secretaries.

"Guernsey Seamen's Friend Society, under the patronage of Admiral Sir James de Saumarez, now Lord Saumarez, Auxiliary to the Port of London and Bethel Union Society in London.

“Mr. W. Angas visited us on the 5th of July, 1827, and after calling the attention of the Meeting to the low state of the Society, and tracing the cause of its decline chiefly to a want of organization, suggested the propriety of a Bethel Company, and a plan of proceeding for it, which on the motion of Mr. Gallienne, seconded by

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Mr. Cochrane, was adopted. Several rules were proposed and adopted at the same Meeting, and since the reorganization by Mr. Angas, this Society has continued to prosper.

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From the "Twelfth Annual Report of the Guernsey Bethel Union," &c., the following extracts are taken.

"The Bethel Loft, at the Sabbath-day services, has been numerously attended, and the week-day service is comparatively well observed.

"The number of religious tracts distributed to seamen, boatmen, and porters, from December 1834 to December 1835, is 2,653.

"Six ships' libraries have been issued during the past year, and six have been exchanged. The total number issued by the Society, since its formation, and placed on board the merchantmen of the island, is seventy-four.

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During the successive Sabbaths of the summer months, application was made to several captains for the use of their vessels for religious worship, all of whom readily acquiesced, and afforded the most prompt and efficient aid to the agents of the Society. The attendance of sailors has frequently been comparatively numerous, and on one occasion there were from sixty to seventy, who listened to the words of eternal life.

"The beneficial influence of the Society is not confined to those who come within the immediate sphere of its operations. Meetings for religious service are regularly held on board three or four of our island merchant vessels, two of the captains of which were first led to seek the salvation which is in Christ Jesus, through the means of this institution. And there are now several vessels sailing out of this port, on board of which the worship of God is statedly, if not daily observed."

GRATITUDE OF THE MOTHER OF A FATHERLESS SAILOR BOY FOR HIS EDUCATION IN THE DAY SCHOOLS.

66 TO THE GENTLEMEN OF THE COMMITTEE.

"SIR,-I feel that it is my incumbent duty to return my most grateful thanks for your abundant goodness and loving-kindness for the education that my son has received

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