Catholicism is. After such a conversation, at least 60 attended my preaching at the Sailors' Church-were very attentive, and accepted of tracts, and would willingly receive Bibles and New Testaments if I could have given them without price. On another occasion, when visiting one of their lodginghouses, I found a number in a large room, and entered into conversation with them. A young man said that he was a Roman Catholic, but he thought there were some things not right about their clergy, and that there had been many bad Popes, &c. He also said a great deal about the sufferings of the people in Germany, and about the kings and princes, who would not yield to the people, or acknowledge their sovereignty. I found that he had learned a lesson, and I could therefore easily confound him. Meanwhile the room had become crowded, and I then preached to them Jesus Christ, the sin-offering, the High Priest, and the King of Glory. If I ever witnessed the word enter with power into the hearers, I saw it here. I never beheld such manlike, earnest countenances as some of them, whilst other young men, and old and young women, were sobbing and weeping. I concluded with blessing and commending them to the Lord. "Thank you! thank you!" sounded from all sides, when I left. On another occasion, when I had an auditory of some twenty young men and women, I invited them to come and receive tracts, and likewise purchase Bibles, if any of them should be in want of them. One among those who came said, "I should very much like to have a New Testament, for I have lost all my things, and saved nothing but what I have on my body." "Have you, then, suffered shipwreck?" I asked. "Yes," he said, "and am the only one saved of 160 passengers." He then told me the whole dreadful story of the loss of the Floridian emigrant ship. I was truly astonished to see him, and exhorted him, in the name of that mighty God who had saved him, to live to Him as a witness of His mercy to spare and to save, and I then gave him a German New Testament. I saw him several times afterwards, when visiting the lodging-houses. The last time he told me some story about a misunderstanding that had arisen with his Consul, but that it was now settled, and he was going to America.

Besides my general rounds, I have also visited the Egyptian steam frigate, and some other ships in the East India Docks. I did not find my Turkish friends, and those I saw seemed not inclined to have any communion with me. On the Dreadnought I have continued my visits, and endeavoured to teach, exhort, and admonish, as circumstances would admit. Several foreigners have died; to others, on leaving, I have given New Testaments, in hope that they were desirous of making good use of them.

My visits on board have been 338, and 43 to lodging-houses; I have had 7 services, and 167 hearers; sold 9 Bibles, 50 New Testaments, and 33 parts of Scripture; and have distributed 3,007 tracts.

PROVINCIAL OPERATIONS.

NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE.

REPORT OF CAPTAIN D. BROTCHIE.

During the last two months our Bethel has been generally crowded on the Sabbath days, so that we are sometimes at a loss for room. The attention

has been as delightful as the attendance, and I have reason to believe that many of them have been less or more benefited. During the week-night meetings the attendance has been treble the number that it was formerly. We had special services every night for a whole week, when the attendance was good, and kept up to the end, and a gracious sense of the Divine presence was felt each night. During the meetings I read and expounded a few verses of Scripture each evening, and four or six persons prayed. I think this was calculated to benefit seamen, who seldom hear the word of God; and it tends to prevent their faith from standing in the wisdom of men, and to establish them in the truth of God. My visits have been regular and acceptable among the ships, and the tracts, I find, are generally read and preserved. During one of my visits, last week, I met with a captain, who is a Socinian,-the first I have seen, holding these errors. We had a long conversation together, he being an old acquaintance. He invited me down into the cabin, where I spent an hour with him. I asked him how it was possible for him, on his principles, to have peace with God? His answer was, that if he did anything wrong during the day, he could not rest at night until he went to his knees and confessed, and prayed to God for mercy. After a while engaged in this way, his mind became more calm, and he concluded he was forgiven, and he went to bed and slept soundly. "But,” I said, “you have no Divine warrant for believing that you are forgiven, and your peace is false; it has arisen from the idea that you have done God a service by your praying. You think you have done a good work, so good that it overbalances your bad actions; and thus you take peace to yourself, while the whole Bible is against you; for forgiveness and salvation is 'not of works, lest any man should boast,' and without the shedding of blood is no remission;' and further, Cursed is every one that continueth not in everything that is written in the book of the law, to do them;' so that, unless you come to the blood of Jesus, there is no mercy for you.' But all my arguments seemed only to remind me of the poet's saying, "A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still." Yet what was said may yet reach his conscience.

In visiting the sick I have been much encouraged; some have been brought to enjoy peace with God. I went one day to see a shipmaster's family, the captain's father-in-law being in an afflicted state. After conversing with him, I asked the captain's wife if she enjoyed peace with God. She said, "No;" and that it gave her much uneasiness to think that she was in this unsafe state. I inquired why she was not reconciled to God. She said, "I think it is here I have not power to believe." "Well, then," said I, "listen to me. Two days ago, when I was here, you could not believe that your husband was at Salonica." "No," she answered. "But you can believe it to-day?" "Yes," she said. "And what has given you power to believe it to-day?" "Oh," she replied, "I got a letter from my husband this morning." 'Well, then, that letter gave you power to believe that he had reached his port in safety. Has not God sent you a letter? and in that letter, the Gospel, has He not stated that Jesus has answered for all your sins by dying for them? and does not God say, 'I am well pleased for His righteousness' sake?' So that you are free to believe His love to you at once. Faith,' says St. Paul, 'comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."" The woman wept for joy, exclaiming, "I see it now. Oh, how clear! Oh, how simple! I believe he loves me, and for Christ's sake forgives." I have seen her several times since, and she is rejoicing in the truth as it is in Jesus.

Our Sabbath-school improves, and we have as many children as we can manage at present.

The following is my list of operations for the last two months:-72 services held, 35 visits paid to sick, 2,091 visits to ships, 7,510 tracts distributed, 1 loan library sent out; 73 Bibles, and 21 Testaments distributed.

YARMOUTH.

REPORT OF MR. J. VALLINS.

f. In giving a short report of my labours during the past month, I cannot proceed without noticing, in the first place, a novel, but very interesting service under my Bethel flag, conducted by the rector of Yarmouth. The vessel was the Cosmopolite, a new bark, built here, and just manned, and about to sail for Singapore. Notice of this service had been spread throughout the town a week before. Awnings were spread over the quarter deck, forms provided, and a good gang way formed. Singers having been engaged, and every necessary preparation made, we calculated on having a large assemblage of persons present, to engage in the devotions, or to witness this novel scene; but the number of persons present, (amongst whom were some of the most respectable persons of this town,) and the order and interest manifested, very far exceeded our expectations. The vessel's decks were crammed, fore and aft, and even the long-boat was filled with attentive sailors. Some had even got into the rigging above the awning. About 500 persons were on board, and the quay was also thronged. One of the curates read the prayers, and Mr. Hills, the rector, preached a very suitable and impressive sermon from Revelations xviii. 17, 18, 19. We sang out of the Sailor's Hymn-book, of which we had a good supply, myself furnishing a dozen, and many persons being provided with their own. One of the owners, who takes a great interest in the spiritual welfare of sailors, appeared quite in his element, whilst making accommodation and assisting the ladies on board and ashore. All this is quite new in Yarmouth. May we not hope that the sailor's cause is taking a wider and firmer grasp of the public mind, and that an increased liberality will shortly place this matter beyond a doubt? May God's blessing rest upon every effort for the sailor's good, by whomsoever made.

During the past month, I have visited Greenhithe, where I preached in the Wesleyan Chapel. On my return to Yarmouth, I called at Harwich, to see my old friends there, and as most of the masters of vessels belonging to that port are known to me, and several were at home, I was requested, by the minister of the Independent chapel, to preach to the sailors on the following evening, (being Sunday,) in his chapel. I at once complied, and the announcement that the sailors' missionary from Yarmouth would preach, brought an overflowing congregation.

The number of services since my last is 24 on shore, and 3 afloat, attended by 390 seamen; visits to vessels, 600; to families, 90; to sick, 20; to the beachmen and fishermen, 6; English Bibles sold, 12; Testaments, 25: foreign Bibles 4; Testaments 10; tracts distributed, 300. May God prosper the work of our hands!

SIXTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT.

THAN" the men who go down to the sea in ships" there is certainly no class of the community, the peculiarity of whose character and circumstances of life has a stronger claim upon the sympathies and philanthropic efforts of the British nation. And when the vast influence at their command, for good or evil, upon the nations of the earth is duly weighed, it surely must be allowed that there is no sphere of labour more worthy the attention and prayerful culture of the Christian church, than that of striving to bring them under the enlightening and moralising power of evangelical truth.

With the growth of social principles and the general spread of civilisation throughout the world, the value and importance of these living zones of our common brotherhood, which seem to bind the population of the globe together, will be even more deeply felt and the more fully appreciated. Science with all the rapidity of its advance, and all the perfection of its development, will still leave the world dependent upon its seamen. The lightning may be constrained to convey our messages, but it will not carry our breadstuffs-steam may be compelled to direct the motion of the paddle-wheel, but it cannot be entrusted with the helm-a true philosophy and a Divine religion may enlighten and bless the shores of our island home, but, that other nations may feel their benigu influence, we must look to the bold men who brave the ocean to proclaim the one and to extend the other.

Deeply convinced, therefore, of the importance which must ever attach to the occupation of mariners, and of the hardships and perils to which they are necessarily liable in pursuing it,

and sensible, not the less, of the desirableness of bringing these world-wide wanderers under the influence of moral and religious principles, in order that they may impress them upon the people amongst whom they sojourn, the Directors of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society have remained another year at their post, wielding all available appliances in a cause which they deem second to none in the urgency of its claims, and worthy the very foremost place in the estimation and support of their countrymen.

They will at once proceed to detail the history of the cause entrusted to their charge during the past year.

They are happy in the outset to affirm, with unfeigned gratitude to Almighty God, that considerable progress has been made; for not only is there an increasing disposition to sympathise with the Parent Institution, in its varied labours, but there is evidently a growing desire, amongst Christians in the provincial ports, to labour in the cause themselves; and, in their own several localities, to become co-workers with you in the effort to evangelise their seamen. With this view, repeated applications have been made to the Directors for grants of tracts, libraries, Bethel colours, pecuniary aid, or the services of deputations to assist in strengthening these movements, which they have had pleasure in affording to the utmost extent of their resources. In this way help has been rendered to Barmouth, Cork, Dublin, Falmouth, Guernsey, Hayle, Ipswich, Jersey, Padstow, Penryn, Portland, and Port Madoc.

And though unable, in the present state of their resources, to undertake the responsibility of supporting agencies abroad, yet the Directors have been gratified, in answer to applications for aid, to grant a supply of tracts, libraries, and Bethel flags, to the care of Mr. Bilton, for use at Hobart Town; to the Rev. O. Zimmermann, at Marseilles; and to the Rev. T. Dove, Wesleyan missionary at Gibraltar, who is devoting much care and attention to the seamen of that port, and has recently established a floating chapel for their use. By means of your foreign missionary in London (Rev. C. von Bülow), the services of devoted Christians have been secured in behalf of seamen on the coasts of Portugal and Norway, to whom the Religious Tract Society has accorded its special assistance.