Hull Marine Bible Association. "Our sailors have been complained of by foreigners, as exhibiting a most lamentable specimen of the British character: and no wonder ; for they have been left too long, to wander in the darkness of ignorance, to riot in the excesses of vice, and to sport with their immortal interests on the very brink of an eternal world. If merchants have had cause to complain of the profligacy of seamen, surely they themselves are to blame: there is a Book that would have taught them, but that Book has never been given: they have denied them the means of instruction, then complained of their ignorance: they have kept the light of Heaven from their minds, then wondered at their superstition they have condemned their profligacy, yet never warned them of the great evil of sin, or pointed out the dreadful consequences of their crimes. Surely the language of the sacred moralist is of extensive, yea of universal application, Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it ;' for, to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.'" * : 3. A Marine Bible Association, on the plan of that at Whitby was established at Hull, in February 1817. The prudence, animation, and perseverance that have characterized this society, and the success which has attended their judicious measures, entitle it to particular commendation. Previously to its formation, the plan was laid before the principal Ship Owners, and communicated to a number of respectable Masters of Vessels; and, as it met with their approbation and concurrence, no time was lost in carrying the design into execution. The General Meeting was attended by 700 or 800 seafaring men, who conducted themseives with the greatest propriety, and listened with the most evident interest and feeling to the addresses which were made to them. Several Owners immediately subscribed on behalf of their respective ships, as did a considerable number of Masters, who likewise undertook to superintend the affairs of the society on board their vessels. Within six months after the establishment of this Association, 1133 Bibles and Testaments were consigned to various captains. for sale and the first Master from whom intelligence was received on the subject, reported, that he had disposed of his whole stock previously to his reaching the Orkney Islands, and within seven days of his leaving Hull; and that he was unable to afford to many of his crew the supply they desired. In their first Annual Report, the Committee state "In the course of the year, 720 Bibles, 207 Testaments, or, in the whole, nearly one thousand copies of the sacred writings, have been furnished to different vessels from the stock of this Association, and sold to the seamen. It is needless, after this statement, to say that the Masters have been found This Association has supplied many Fishermen on the coast with Bibles and Testaments, by sale and gratuitously: an example worthy of general imitation. Proceedings and results of the Hull Association. extremely ready to promote the objects of this institution: but it is grati fying to add, from the report of the Masters, that the seamen were generally well disposed to avail themselves of the opportunity of procuring copies of the Scriptures, and that in many instances they were observed, both singly and in groupes, making a proper use of them, at times of leisure. Several Masters of fishing-ships state, that they could have disposed of more copies than they took out; and one of them, who, owing to particular circumstances, had on board the stock designed for the unfortunate ship London,' sold the whole of them, as well as his own stock. It is to be observed, however, that as it was thought necessary to sell the books to the men at the reduced prices of the Bible Society, (which are much below the cost-prices,) a loss of nearly 601. has been sustained upon the books thus disposed of. To counterbalance this loss, as well as to defray incidental expenses, and thus to prevent the Association's becoming a burden, instead of an aid, to the Parent Society, two measures have been resorted to. - One is, that of soliciting subscriptions from the owners of the ships :-and the Committee are happy to state, that subscriptions of one guinea each have been put down for forty-three fishing ships, and of half-a-guinea each for twenty-six merchant vessels; and further subscriptions, they hope, will be obtained. The other measure, which is to be considered as a primary object in view, is the formation of Minor or Branch Associations on board the several vessels, under the superintendence of the Masters, for the reception of free subscriptions, of one penny a-week each, from such of the seamen as, being themselves furnished with Bibles, may be willing to contribute that sum during their respective voyages, for the pious and benevolent object of putting the sacred scriptures into the hands of those who may not otherwise have the means of obtaining them. This measure has hitherto been carried into effect on board only three vessels: but the Committee trust that the general establishment of such Branch Associations will furnish a leading feature in the next year's Report." The hope thus expressed has been in a good degree realised. At their second Annual Meeting in February 1819, the Committee were enabled to state I. That Bible Associations had been established on board III. That the cost-price of these 1581 copies was 336l. 17s. 10d.; and that this amount had not only been discharged, by means of the produce of the sales, and of free contributions and associations on board ships, but that a balance of 271. 5s. 7d. had been presented to the Treasurer of the Hull Auxiliary Society, for the general object of the Parent Institution.-And, IV. That the amount of incidental expenses was only 41. 12s. 2d. • The London perished, with all hands, in a storm among mountains of ice. Judicious measures adopted by the Committee. At this Annual Meeting, the following important RESOLUTIONS were unanimously adopted : 1. That it be particularly recommended to the Committee for the ensuing year, to wait upon such Ship Owners as have not subscribed for their respective vessels, to solicit their subscriptions; and to endeavour to extend the benefits of the institution to the vessels employed in the General Merchant Service, as well as to all the ships engaged in the Whale Fisheries. 2. That the Masters of vessels be particularly requested to form, and undertake the management of Associations on board their respective ships, according to the simple plan pointed out to them by the Bible Society. 3. That Mr. Curtis Bailey, Mr. John Collender, Mr. William Priest, and Mr. Christopher Reed, having kindly offered their services, be requested, with the aid of such other gentlemen as they can associate with them, to visit all vessels about to leave the port, to see that, if possible, none may sail without at least one copy of the Scriptures on board; and to induce each sailor, where it may be practicable, to furnish himself with a copy. It appears by the Annual Report of this Association for 1820, that the total number of copies of the holy scriptures distributed within three years was 2047; and that after paying the full cost-price of the whole number, they had been enabled to appropriate 457. 18s. 5d. as a free contribution to the funds of the British and Foreign Bible Society. The Committee conclude their Report by observing, "That they have ample reason to be assured that the institution had been productive of good. Through its means more than two thousand copies of the Scriptures have been put into the hands of our seamen. They have purchased them; and in very many instances, there is reason to believe, make a good use of them. Nor are the opportunities of usefulness exhausted: they may easily be increased and extended: as it is hoped will appear, when measures, already resolved upon, shall be more completely carried into execution." 4. A similar institution was established at Aberdeen in February 1818; of the success of which the following extracts exhibit a gratifying evidence. In their first Report, presented only eight months after the formation of the Society, it is stated, that "the Committee have purchased at the depository of the Auxiliary Society 216 Bibles and 60 Testaments, which have been partly sold to mariners on board Greenland and trading vessels, at the standard reduced prices; and partly entrusted to ship-masters, to be sold in like manner to their respective crews. The amount of subscriptions and sales received by the Treasurer is upwards of 954; which, after deducting the sum paid for Bibles, leaves a balance of 30%.—which sum has been remitted, in terms of the Regulations, to the Treasurer of the Aberdeen Auxiliary Society." In a letter recently received from one of the secretaries of this Association, he observes : "We have already circulated upwards of 900 copies of the holy scriptures. We entrust to the respective captains such a number as we think Aberdeen Marine Bible Association.-Bishop-Wearmouth Auxiliary. they may dispose of during their voyage, varying from six to twenty-four to each captain. In general they are disposed of; and many captains report that they could have sold thrice the number :-this was the case with all the Greenland captains last year. Associations are frequently formed on board during the voyage, and from three to six pounds collected in aid of the institution. Bibles are offered to every vessel leaving this port; and in several cases which have come under our notice, the effects have been highly beneficial. Seamen are uniformly disposed to purchase Bibles, if their captains wish them to do so. In the ships connected with this port, both captains and seamen are gradually becoming more attached to the object, inasmuch as we have an increasing demand for the holy scriptures." 5. From the preceding details it will be evident, that no insuperable difficulties present themselves in the establishment of Marine Bible Societies. But there is one remarkable fact in reference to the three instances adduced, which merits distinct consideration. We have here a striking proof that these institutions are not only capable of attaining their immediate object, but of rendering no inconsiderable aid to the funds of the Parent Society. The aggregate number of copies distributed by the Whitby, Hull, and Aberdeen Associations is nearly four thousand:-for these they have paid the full amount at cost-prices, and, in addition, have remitted upwards of one hundred pounds for the general object. It will also be observed, that these Societies adopt the principle of distribution by sale; to which they have strictly adhered, except in those very few cases where extreme poverty justified the deviation from their established practice. It is indeed difficult to find any class of our labouring population by which the requisite sacrifice is more lightly felt than by seamen: the greatest difficulty is, to excite an interest in favour of the object; and this can be accomplished only by the personal attention of the individual members of the Committee, or by agents properly qualified for the important service. For awakening this interest, no means hitherto devised are so efficient as Bible Associations on board the respective ships; and to this part of the plan the constant care of every Marine Committee should be directed. 6. There is reason to believe that a few other Societies for supplying seamen with Bibles existed previous to the London Merchant-Seamen's Society; but it has been found impossible to obtain particulars of their proceedings. It would be unjust, however, in a work of this nature, to pass over in silence the exertions made by the Committee of the BISHOPWEARMOUTH &c. Auxiliary Society, in reference to the supply of seamen with the holy scriptures. The subject was brought under Exemplary conduct of Mr. J. J. Beard, of Bristol. their consideration at an early period; but, owing to local and distressing circumstances, it was not until the summer of 1817 that measures were adopted for giving effect to the benevolent design. A Sub-Committee having been appointed for the express purpose, the members commenced their labours on the 4th of June,-a day peculiarly appropriate, as being that of the birth of our late venerable and lamented sovereign; whose declaration, that " he hoped to live to see the day when every poor child in his dominions should be able to read his Bible," entails a legacy of practical duty on his surviving subjects. The mode of distribution adopted by this Committee is that of gratuitous supply; and certainly, if this be deemed expedient in any case, the plan pursued with respect to the Sunderland vessels is best calculated to qualify the attendant disadvantages. Boxes, judiciously contrived, with the word "BIBLE" painted in large letters on the front, and secured near the steerage of each vessel, are presented with the Bibles; and a label is affixed, declaratory of the grant, and specifying that "in case of the sale of the ship, the Bible and box shall remain as a fixture." This inscription, it is observed by the Committee," has been the means of preserving the Bible in one instance at least which came under notice." The ships supplied are frequently revisited; and the "reports of the SubCommittee contain the most satisfactory accounts of the esteem in which the Bibles formerly distributed are holden, and of the grateful feelings with which every successive distribution of Bibles is received." The total number of Bibles thus supplied to ships, from the 4th of June 1817 to the 21st of September 1819, is 220; at an expense to the Auxiliary Society of 84l. 1s. 8d. Whether this mode be calculated to awaken an interest in the minds of seamen, and to secure the co-operation of their employers, are questions which the Committee have now had sufficient experience to decide. And its failure with respect to the attainment of the latter object, as inferred from the language of their Annual Reports, may probably suggest to the benevolent individuals concerned, the wisdom of assimilating their plans to those of the Whitby and Hull Societies. This alteration appears the more desirable, when we consider the high and important object of exciting in the minds of seamen an interest in the welfare of the whole human race. Where no personal sacrifice is called for, the evidence of this interest is at best ambiguous. 7. Among the few individuals whose exertions have been conspicuous in this particular sphere of Christian duty, there is one who deserves more especial notice :-this individual is Mr. J. J. Beard, of Bristol. His duty, as a Collector of one of the Bible Associations of that city, having led him into the neighbourhood of the shipping, he was induced, by his ardent desire to effect all the good in his power, to make some inquiry relative to the state of the seamen: and finding they |