Your

PROVINCIAL AUXILIARIES

have continued at their work, if possible, with increased zeal, and, through the blessing of God, with considerable success. As the statistics of the labour accomplished by each during the past year are given in a table at page 24 of this Report, a brief notice in passing will be here sufficient. At

CHATHAM,

the missionary, whose appointment was recorded in the last Annual Report as a new and important feature in the operations of this Auxiliary, has continued his labours, visiting the ships in the harbour, and the homes of the large resident population of seamen and watermen on shore. This extensive sphere for the exertion of Christian benevolence is thus happily occupied by a permanent agent, whilst he enjoys the co-operation and assistance of those kind friends who have so long afforded their gratuitous services in connexion with the Bethel. The Directors have peculiar pleasure in reporting the progress of arrangements towards the establishment of a mission on the

COAST OF CORNWALL.

For several years, considerable pecuniary assistance has been received from the warm-hearted friends of seamen throughout this distant county, whilst comparatively little has been done for the benefit of their own seafaring population; but last year, when Mr. Fieldwick visited the county as your representative, finding a disposition in some of the larger ports to commence active operations, he availed himself of the opportunity thus providentially afforded him, and organised a plan which opens a field of extensive usefulness. The south coast of the county, from the harbour of Fowey to the port of Penzance (including also St. Ives, on the north-west coast), has been divided into two districts, of which the head-quarters of the one is Falmouth, and of the other, Penzance; and by the aid of a local Committee in each of these important ports, in conjunction with the Parent Society, a missionary will be supported, to

labour on the whole of this district of coast, abounding, as it does, with peculiar opportunities for usefulness, not only amongst the seamen of large outward and homeward-bound vessels availing themselves of shelter, or awaiting orders, but also amongst the resident population of the many romantic harbours and small fishing villages with which it is studded. A missionary will enter upon this sphere of labour in the course of a week or two.

The Committee at

DEVONPORT

have been for some time desirous of securing the services of an agent. Hitherto, their operations have consisted in maintaining Bethels for seamen on shore, and in distributing tracts on board ship; but, as the cause here has recently assumed a more encouraging appearance, it is confidently hoped that their next report will convey the intelligence that an agency has been established.

The Bethel Union at

GUERNSEY

has recently associated itself with this Society, though, for some time, it has been in the habit of sending an annual remittance to the Parent Society, as a token of its fraternity in sympathy and aim. It is one of the oldest associations of the kind in existence, and for many years has had its Bethel Room on St. Peter's Quay. On the occasion of the visit of your deputation, last summer, he was much encouraged by the cordial welcome he received, and the general interest manifested in the sailors' cause. A delightful instance of the assistance the church of Christ, in pursuing her missionary enterprise, may receive, from the zeal and devotedness of pious seamen, was mentioned by one of the ministers on the island. He stated that a pious captain, a member of his own church, in the habit of trading to the coasts of central America, was desirous of doing something to dispel the gloom of Popish superstition, which he found so prevalent there. With this view he made application to the British and Foreign Bible Society, and obtained the munificent grant of Bibles and Testaments of the

value of forty pounds. These he took out and circulated, and, on his return, presented himself at the Society's offices, and paid for them all. He has since distributed on these coasts no fewer than 300 Bibles and 5,000 Testaments; the whole of which he has bought of the Society in the same way. In addition to this, he has brought over several Spanish American noble youths, who are now receiving a Protestant education in the island. Thus beautifully is the promise to Judah and Israel fulfilled in the case of British seamen :- "And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing." The usual operations at

HAVERFORDWEST

have been continued; in which your valuable missionary, Capt. Lewis, has frequently afforded the local Committee the benefit of his assistance. His labours at

MILFORD

have been crowned with many instances of the Divine approbation. Of this, some brief extracts may afford sufficient illustration. Capt. Lewis says:

"I was accosted, a few days ago, by a seaman in the street, with 'Sir, do you recollect giving me the tract, Jerry Creed?' I told him I had distributed so many, that it was impossible for me to recollect those I gave to different individuals, but I hoped it was made useful. He then told me, as Jerry had seen his character in reading another tract, so he had seen his own in reading that of Jerry, and he hoped that God would in mercy make him what he had been pleased to make Jerry Creed. I mention this instance out of many, to show what a powerful auxiliary we have in tract distribution."

In his last report, he writes:

"A short time before my departure for North Wales, a melancholy shipwreck occurred just outside our harbour,-one only, out of five, survived to tell the sad tale, and his preservation was miraculously effected by his throwing himself across an oar. Thus situated, he was dashed to and fro among the breakers till in a state of perfect exhaustion, when he was observed by parties on the shore, who went to his rescue. On his arrival here, and the signal interposition of God's mercy being set before him, he was greatly affected. He felt that he was indeed a special object of Divine care, as he had only a few months before, on his passage from America, been saved off a wreck, when he had seen eight of his shipmates sink to rise no more. I invited him to my house to have some pointed conversation with him. I found the first sad event had led him to pray, but that the crew of the last vessel

had endeavoured to laugh him out of it. Little did they think how soon their scoffs would end. His mind was deeply affected. On concluding prayer with him, he desired to continue supplication, and on rising from his knees, he seemed overwhelmed with joy and praise. Oh that his vows, made that night unto the Lord, may be sacredly performed. I have since heard from him, and have reason to believe that, hitherto, the Lord hath helped him. The Diana, from Cork, bound to India with troops, having put in by stress of weather, lay here for some time. I had frequent interviews with the crew and soldiers. Among the latter, I rejoice to say, there were some God-fearing men, whilst the whole company, during their stay, appeared to be well-disciplined and orderly. The captain of the ship and military officers afforded me every facility in communicating with them; and, through the kindness of the vicar and other religious friends in the town, I was enabled to furnish them with a good supply of books, in addition to our own tracts and magazines. It is to be hoped, that those poor fellows who are exposed to danger, and to death, not for their own personal wrongs, but at their country's bidding, will share a greater interest in the prayers and sympathies of the Christian church. A singular instance of preservation of life has just occurred in the mouth of the harbour. The Queen, of Teignmouth, in passing along the coast, struck upon the Crow Rock, and getting off was, to all appearance, in a sinking state. The boat was hoisted out, and everything made ready for leaving her, when a young man (recently converted to God) asked the captain if he should go down into the cabin and get some of his things up, to which the captain assented. Whilst the rest were at the pumps, on lifting the cabin scuttle, he found the water up to the deck. He immediately fell on his knees, and committed himself to the Lord, imagining that they would all soon be in eternity, feeling, as he said, no fear of death, because his sins were cancelled through the merits of his Redeemer. They again took fresh courage at the pumps, and by dint of perseverance, to their great surprise, they were enabled to bring her in; and on lodging the vessel on the beach, they discovered a large piece of rock in the hole in her bottom, which had prevented a greater influx of water than the pumps could keep under, and had thus proved the means of their preservation. While some of this crew were in perfect peace in the face of danger, others were in a state of inconceivable fright and alarm. Oh, that all our sailors had obtained the same blessed state of security, that in the hour of danger they might have nought to fear."

The unprecedented success which marked the earlier stages of your Auxiliary at

NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE

still attends it in its maturer operations. In the last Annual Report presented to you, a lengthened and interesting detail was given of the strong claims of this important port, and of the strenuous exertions of the local Committee to meet its necessities. The Bazaar, then proposed in aid of the fund for the erection of a Sailors' Home, was held in the month of June, and was the means of realising £300 towards their object. This special fund has since been increased; and it is hoped that, by

a second and similar effort this year, a still larger sum will be obtained. Capt. Brotchie, by the assistance of disinterested friends resident in the town, has been enabled very greatly to extend his missionary enterprise on the coast to the north of Cullercoats. With respect to the success of his labours, he says, in one of his reports :

"At Newcastle, we are still going on, having good congregations, and several sailors show reason to believe that they profit by the word. One old man came to me one night, after a meeting, and said, 'I want to give you something to help on the sailors' cause.' I said, we did not want anything from men in his condition, his earnings being small, and too little to keep himself in comfort; but he said, 'I must give a little-it is a duty and a delight-I have got much good at the Bethel. I am sure I can say the Lord has pardoned all my sins,' and he gave me five shillings. One day last week, speaking with a tide-waiter about his soul, he said, 'Sir, I shall have a long tug and a great struggle before I can make my peace with God.' 'And do you think, after all your struggles, you will be able to accomplish this work?' He hoped so. I then told him the fate of Hugh Brown, who, when he was asked if he had made his peace with God, said 'No;' and when the person expressed astonishment that he had not done so, Hugh said, 'No, Sir, but Jesus has made it.' This tale seemed at once to change the views of the officer, and to give the atoning work of Christ prominence in his mind, and I trust will lead him to Jesus."

And in another report :

"A sailor, from Gainsborough, came to our meetings on the quay. I was preaching from 'All we like sheep have gone astray, &c.' He became deeply convinced of sin, and continued to attend our meetings for a fortnight, while in port. He came one night, after the meeting, and told me that he had been very wicked. Once, three years ago, when in a boat with the captain and another sailor, the boat was upset, and his two companions were drowned, whilst he narrowly escaped; but that had no effect upon him, he went on in his sins, until he heard the sermon on 'the lost sheep.' He said he thought every word was spoken to him, and bursting into tears, he sobbed aloud in the street, and said, 'I think God has found me out now.' He has got books and tracts to sea with him, and has been led to know the only ground of a sinner's confidence in Christ, and to enjoy peace with God."

The Bethel Room at

RAMSGATE

has been closed for cleaning and repairs, but it is now re-opened; and your late agent having been removed from this station, his post is now occupied by Mr. Haslitt.

The port of

SHIELDS,

with its vast fleet of colliers and immense resident seafaring