had not heard the glad tidings of salvation for a considerable time. For it is a lamentable fact that there are very great numbers of sailors engaged in the East and West India trades, also the South Sea and Southern Pacific Ocean trades, who, from voyage to voyage, are never found within the walls of the sanctuary of God, but who, from their arrival in the port of London to their again leaving it, are held captives in the strong-holds of sin and iniquity, by crimps, Jews, public-house keepers, and others of base principles with whom they associate, as their deluded prey. It is therefore a matter of incalculable importance to embrace opportunities of addressing those men when on board their ships, before they leave Gravesend. After distributing tracts and magazines to the ship's crew and officers of the William Hutt, which were most thankfully received, I found the four o'clock steamer was just about to leave Gravesend, and was happy to save my passage on board of her to London. I arrived at my dwelling at half-past six, P.M.; and at seven P.M. preached at the Sailors' Chapel, to a goodly number of my brother sailors and others. I trust the labours of this day have not been in vain; it has been a high day to my own soul. The attention paid by sailors this day to the word spoken, has caused me much to rejoice; believing, as I do, that God the Spirit will cause his own word to be effectual to the pulling down the strong-holds of sin and Satan in their hearts, and to their salvation by Jesus Christ. May the Lord bless these weak efforts to advance his glory. Amen.

N.B. I have received a letter from the mate of the Aid-de-Camp, dated the Downs, 25th August. He writes, "I am happy to say our ship's company give me much satisfaction; for since you left us at Gravesend I have not heard an oath on board the ship. There are two

Missionaries going out with us, but hitherto they have not engaged in public service, nor have we had prayer amongst the ship's company: I hope it will not be long so." I supplied a loan library, containing about thirty-five volumes, to each of these ships, with a large collection of religious tracts, previously to their leaving the docks.

Note. It cannot be that the Missionaries are indifferent to religion on board ship among sailors, as this would be a practical denial of their character and principles; but even our devoted Missionaries have need to be stirred up to regard sailors, who have been grievously neglected, and

this has been an object with the British and Foreign Sailors' Society, securing the co-operation of the Directors of all the Missionary Institutions.

NOTES OF A BETHEL CAPTAIN.

CAPTAIN PRYNN, the Thames Missionary, writes to the Editor, "The following are a few extracts of a letter received from a pious captain who is labouring in his Master's cause for the good of souls, wherever he goes and can find opportunity :

July 13, 1836.

'Dear Brother in Christ, -It is with great pleasure I take my pen to converse with one whom I sincerely love. I have in the first place to thank you for the Report, and the other books that you sent to me; and that they may be made a blessing is my earnest prayer. You wish to know how things go on with me, and how my soul prospers: I am happy to say all goes on well within; and at Appledore, I rejoice to say, the Lord is certainly blessing his cause. There is a new chapel nearly built (this chapel having been finished, was dedicated to God, Aug. 18th, see Pilot for October, p. 346), and I look forward with pleasure to the day when this place shall be filled with sailors, God-fearing sailors. Many of my dear brother sailors come to me with their cares and woes, to unbosom their mind; and we bow ourselves at the throne of grace, as the only place where consolation can be found. The books you kindly lent me are on loan on board of American ships; we want more for this purpose, but we have no funds to obtain them; we must depend on your Society.

'I have been away all this winter, have visited Cambeltown, where the Lord is abundantly blessing his word. At Glasgow, I am sorry to say, little seems to be doing. On my hoisting the Bethel flag there, the police wanted to prevent my holding divine service, nevertheless, a great many attended, both on board ship and on the quay. I asked the officer of police why they wished to prevent a sailor from speaking to his brother sailors on the things of eternity? They said, they were so wicked it was no use to speak to them. The results of this meeting will be known when the Lord shall number up his jewels. At Greenock the cause appears in a prosperous state. I held some

delightful meetings there, on which occasions my soul was much refreshed. At Belfast I saw the agents of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society, with whom I spent many happy hours. At Newport it was looking as if the fields were already ripe for the harvest; and also at Villanelly. I hoisted the Bethel Flag, and held many refreshing meetings; at many other places where I have been during the winter, the Lord is also at work; who shall let or hinder his great work? It rejoices me much to hear you are well, and I trust rendered very useful in doing good. Adieu, dear brother,

Your's in Christ Jesus,

J. D.'"

MONTHLY MEETING OF THE AGENTS,
Oct. 14, 1836,

AT THE SOCIETY'S OFFICE,

2, Jeffreys' Square, St. Mary Axe, London.

Rev. J. Chapman offered prayer.

Brotherly love continues to prevail among the Agents of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society; and this heaven-born disposition, the fruit of the Holy Spirit, animates them in prosecuting their work with cordial co-operation. Success, to a cheering extent, is, therefore, the result of their labours under the Divine blessing; and this, though it cannot be always seen, is in part manifest from the journals of the Agents, of which the following are ex

tracts.

Blackwall and Poplar.-Rev. J. Upton writes, "I commence my report for this month, by stating that the enclosed 17. 1s. 6d. is for Pilots sold; and by expressing my earnest wish that my brethren in the ministry would, by recommending it from the pulpit and reading extracts at

prayer meetings, unite in this means of diffusing information respecting the sailors' cause.

I know not that any thing very remarkable has occurred in reference to the services held on board, but many things that are very interesting have occurred on shore. I observed last Lord's Day evening an uncommonly good attendance of sailors at my chapel; and after service, was informed that I was at liberty to hold a prayer meeting at a boarding house in High Street, on Tuesday evening. This is an object we have long most earnestly desired, as giving us access to seamen in the foreign trade. The service was held, and a short address given. Several men of colour were present; two of these, one a deacon of a Baptist church in Florida, engaged in prayer; one from America, and one from Tobago. There was also one from Jamaica, an attendant at the Baptist chapel at Kingston, and another who I think came from Sweden. To meet with such a company of pious sailors, and to hear their supplications, could not fail to be very interesting. One sailor applied for a Bible, and all present were promised tracts for their different ships when they leave. At the close they all united in singing the following hymn, brought by one of them from Jamaica.

If we the Saviour seek by prayer,

Our sins will be forgiven;

He'll guide us by his counsel here,
Then take us up to heaven.

Oh, that will be joyful, &c.

Our souls are in his mighty hand,
And he shall keep them still;
And you and I shall surely stand
With him on Zion's hill.

Oh, that will be joyful, &c.

The dead in Christ shall first arise,
Who humbly serv'd him here,

And mount with transport and surprise

To meet him in the air.

Oh, that will be joyful, &c.

Him eye to eye we then shall see,
Our face like his shall shine:
Oh! what a glorious company,
When saints and angels join.

Oh, that will be joyful, &c.

We then shall sing both loud and sweet,

With all the saints above,

And cast our crowns at Jesus' feet,

And sing redeeming love.

Oh, that will be joyful, &c.

When we left, I asked permission in future to hold a meeting at the house, whenever it happened there was no ship at Blackwall. To this the master of the house

consented.

I have just received a communication respecting the Regent's Canal Basin. There is full permission from the proper quarter to hold meetings there whenever we please. Indeed it is evidently desired that they should be held for the benefit of sailors.

It is desirable that some more Loan Libraries should be sent to Poplar, besides those named in Mr. Saxby's letter; one is just gone on board the Larkin, of Calcutta, the steward of which brought me a letter from a Missionary in India.

It will be seen by the following letter, that Mr. Saxby has held a service in another boarding-house. I feel much encouraged, this month particularly, in reference to the sailors in the foreign trade. Still it is a day of small things, but this the Lord despises not.

Mr. Saxby reports, The visitation of ships lying in the West India Docks continues as usual. The following outward bound ships have been supplied with tracts, &c., since my last report the Redman, Kingston, Pitscottee, Bromby, Industry, Lucretia, James Ray, David Witton, Black River Packet, Undaunted, Amity, St. Vincent, and Africa; three of these have also taken a Loan Library each with them.

The boarding houses have likewise been visited on Lord's-day mornings, and a larger number of seamen from foreign ports having lately arrived, I felt the importance of some extra effort being made for their good. 1 determined to visit them one evening in the week, and on last Monday evening I made an attempt at one of the most crowded houses in the neighbourhood; my expectations. however were not very sanguine as to the result, especially when I recollected the derision which was made on the previous morning, and the disposition manifested on the part of the sailors to turn religion into ridicule; but feeling something of that constraining love which influenced