184 CIRCULATING LIBRARIES AFLOAT. part of the great mission field. The directors, however, would refer their friends to the Sailors' Magazine, Chart and Compass, which gives every month short interesting accounts from nearly every part of the globe. From January, 1879, to April, 1882, no less than 82,000 copies have been published. Over 2,100 copies of our Sailors' Hymn-Book have been sold. Several mission stations have adopted it. The directors hope that all will do so as soon as is convenient, and would like to see a few copies on board every English speaking ship. Next to the Bible, perhaps, no better service could be rendered to the sailor than to put into his hands this excellent hymn-book. SHIP VISITS AND TRACT DISTRIBUTION. ORTY-SIX THOUSAND AND NINETY visits have been Y-SIX paid to the ships in the different ports. The distribution of healthy and religious literature is also very great. No less than 308,251 copies were put in circulation. The directors are indebted to the Religious Tract Society; Crystal Palace Bible Stand; The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge; T. B. Smithies, Esq.; J. B. Mead, Esq.; and to the Society for supplying Scriptures to Foreign Seamen, as also to those friends who have sent up from all parts of the country many boxes of good readable matter. The demand is constantly increasing because the crew of a ship is very different to the family of a house. A ship is constantly changing her crews. At the close of the voyage the forecastle is swept of both sailors and his belongings. The new crew will almost sure to be destitute of mental provision for the voyage and will need to be supplied. CIRCULATING LIBRARIES AFLOAT. There are more educated men afloat to-day than ever before. Young gentlemen from our best families are only too glad to push into our Merchant Navy as opening to them a most honourable profession. Everything has changed since the time when an officer used to creep about with an old quadrant and his dead reckoning. Even Jack to-day is quite a literary character compared to his ancestors of the old school. On shore a man who reads, often stores his mind with nothing but the daily papers. Exciting telegrams of imaginary plots, political squabbles, or social scandal catch his eye and ear. But at sea, the sailor is happily away from the catch-penny influence and many of life's artificialities and surrounded by God's own educating realities. His opportunities therefore for thoughtful reading are many. To-day Royal Princes, and those who have the time and means, voyage round the world in order that their minds may be enlarged, stored, and strengthened. The sailor has many of these advantages, which are now being appreciated by others, and that he benefits by his education on the sea, his contact with many peoples and climes, is often seen in his sterling virtues and well rounded character. Well nigh every town has its local library, so should every miniature town afloat. From the head quarters of the Society in London there were issued during the year 258 Libraies, of which 157 were in boxes. Libraries issued before the year began and not yet returned 274, of which 169 were in boxes. Total Libraries out this year 532, on board of 531 ships. Books in these 532 Libraries 8,873, Tracts 18,032, Periodicals 17,388. Libraries issued since 1865, 2,629. Tract Bags issued since 1875, 550. There were received from officers and crews in this department during the year, £65 5s. 2d. Our Swansea Branch had afloat last year 150 boxes, and received for the same £134 3s. 9d.; out of this small number, 13 boxes were lost by wreck, so that the committee lost not only their 13 boxes but £13, which they would have received if they had returned. DURING the year the Society's Bethel Flag has been sent out to Barrow, Cardiff, Goole, Falmouth, Genoa, Athens, two to Ardrossan, seven to Yarmouth, and eight to Lowestoft, for the fishing smacks to use in the North seas for their religious services. Since the record has been kept in 1860 421 have been sent out. In addition to this the Burgee of the Bethel Union Register has been supplied to 860 captains. These flags are symbols of Divine worship, loyalty to God on the sea, and making the vessel what every vessel should be, "God's House." The directors are pleased to welcome once more their esteemed President and Treasurer, the Marquis of Cholmondeley, and Thomson Hankey, Esq. The former has entered into the Society's work with the greatest sympathy, and, indeed, so has the latter, who has held the post of Treasurer for thirty-one years. The directors also tender a warm welcome to their brother director, John T. Arundel, Esq., who has had a prolonged visit to the Islands of the Pacific Ocean, and who, since his return, has visited the Society's chief stations in Europe. The past winter will be remembered by many as being mild and warm, yet its storms have seldom been more disastrous to shipping and to life. There are names of steamers, ships, and boats, which could not be mentioned in some towns and circles without recalling now, and while life shall last, the most sad and painful recollections. S.S. "Calliope," with its one solitary survivor, S.S. "Clan Macduff," foundering in the Irish Channel, and though thirty-one lives were saved, twenty others perished. The S.S. "Teuton" suddenly sank, drawing into her vortex the chief part of her living freight of 272 human souls. The fine iron ship "Shahpore," with a crew of thirty-three men, was never heard of after the tug left her at the Mersey. The loss of the S.S. "Tararrna," with over 120 lives, which occurred on the New Zealand coast, was of a very painful nature. The 186 "PERIL OF WATERS, WINDS, AND ROCKS." loss of the "Nonantum," with the almost unparalled sufferings of the crew, all of whom succumbed save George Kidger, in whom the Queen was graciously interested, is one of the most terrible on record. The loss of the S.S. "Cyprian" will long be remembered, because its brave Captain Strachan gave his life-belt to a poor stowaway boy. The captain never returned to his young wife and family, but the stowaway was saved. The ship "Culzian" no sooner parted from her tug and she was driven on the rugged rocks of Jura, and all on board were drowned. The S.S. "Corsica," with a crew of twenty-six hands, was wrecked on the coast of Portugal. The five who escaped safe to land were interviewed by the King, who happened to be near, and His Majesty gave them £3 each, and treated the helpless fellows with great hospitality. There is not only wreck from getting on rock and sand, or foundering at sea, which are bad enough, but there is in this day of steam, what is, perhaps, even more dreadful, the sudden midnight cry of collision. Such was the disastrous collision on Saturday night off Cape Finisterre between the Royal Mail Steamer "Douro" and the "Yrurac Bat. Both quickly sank, with many of the brave officers and men. Thank God nearly all the passengers were saved. Strange to say the "Douro's" two sister ships, the "Rhone" and "Boyne," were both also wrecked. Another confirmation of the statement that few ships die natural deaths! The "Barque Heleneslea" had made the long voyage from San Francisco in safety, and was run into while entering Cork Harbour. In three minutes she sank, before a boat could even be lowered! The magnificent steamer "Anchoria" ran full speed into a ship in mid Atlantic, and the agonizing cry was heard, "We are sinking, help! help!" but in the darkness no soul was saved, though they sought till the morning light. Then there are those sad open boat experiences, from which those of the S.S. "Koning Der Nederlander" were providentially delivered, though they were hundreds of miles from land. But the most harrowing accounts came from those who had to abandon the S.S. "Bath City," where the horrors of shipwreck are intensified by cold, exposure, starvation, and lingering death. Shakespeare makes Shylock say to Bassanio when trying to raise a mortgage on Antonio's ships, "But ships are but boards, sailors but men; there be land-rats and water-rats, land-thieves and waterthieves; I mean pirates; and then, there is the peril of waters, winds, and rocks." But he might have added fire. The Times, which gives every day a short description of what is taking place on the ocean, said :-"It might have been thought that the storms and gales of the last few weeks had exhausted the varieties and almost the possibilities of maritime disaster. Yet the ghastly narrative, which we print elsewhere, of the burning of the steamer "Solway," in the Irish Channel, is a fresh illustration of the way in which the possibilities of nature exceed the imaginations of men." Such was also the burning of the steamer "Toyonkuni-Maru," with its shocking loss of sixty-four lives. So that the past year proves that the sea has its perils, as the year 1825, when the "Kent," East Indiaman was burnt, from which wreck over 550 souls were saved by a gallant director of this Society, Captain Cook. This shipwreck was made famous because there was one on board to write on the great lessons to be learnt, General Sir Duncan Macgregor, whose son is present to take part in our meeting to-day. The names of overdue, missing, and other wrecked ships for the past year cannot be given; they were posted at Lloyds, and are posted in thousands of human hearts. In 1881 there were no less than 2,039 actual shipwrecks, with estimated value of property lost £280,000,000, while there was a reported loss of 4,134 lives. it was stated by a good authority that "the storms of October and November will long be remembered as the most violent and protracted that have been met with in the British Isles for many years past; the reports which have reached Lloyd's of the disasters to ships, during those storms, having probably been the most melancholy and numerous on record-the gales of these two months being literally terrific on various parts of the coasts of the United Kingdom, and in the Atlantic, blowing for days together with the force of hurricanes." But we must not pass over the fearful havoc made among our fishermen. Over 110,000 fishermen are constantly afloat. They catch in the year nearly 100,000,000 tons of fish. In all the discussions about fish markets and fish exhibitions, the perilous calling of the fisherman should not be forgotten. "He pursues a vocation from which the solemn shadow of death is never absent." At Ramsgate, where the "Smack Boys' Home" was opened by the energetic and excellent representative of this Society, Rev. J. E. Brenen, M.A., a large number of shipwrecked men were landed by brave fishermen. But that fatal gale of October 14th made in that one port thirteen widows and forty-two orphans, by the loss of men from six fishing smacks. On that never-to-be-forgotten morning forty-two boats, with 281 fishermen, left the little harbour of Eyemouth, Berwickshire, and before the sun went down twenty-three boats and 129 men were no more. From Burnmouth, close by, nine boats and fifty-one men put to sea, five of which, with twenty-four men, perished. Others also met a watery grave, so that before the next morning light there was on that strip of coast alone nearly 100 widows and over 300 orphan children to join the wailing moan of the sea. The National Bible Society of Scotland gave to these bereaved families 327 Memorial Bibles, which will no doubt be handed down to the next generation as sad memorials of a fearful gale. "Death as it visits the sick bed is nothing to death as it fights its hand to hand battle with the strong and vigorous mariner or fisherman." In the tragedy of those last moments is often gathered up and condensed the hopes and fears, the heroism and effort, as it were, of a life-time. First they try to save their labouring craft, and then their own life. In view of this fact, the work of this Society rises in all its solemn importance. The press look to see that our sailors die as heroes die, and chronicle their deeds. Our object is that they should rise even higher, and say with the chiefest of Apostles, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." It is humbly hoped and believed that in many thousands of instances even this has been reached during all the disasters of the sixty-four years which this Society has had an existence. 188 THE STRANGERS' HOME. The Prince of Wales, with that kindness of heart which endears him to so many, and which he has inherited from his mother said, at the opening of a fish exhibition, "Fish are all very well, and nets are all very well; but what we want is a National Society for improving the condition of the fishermen." But some eighteen and a half centuries ago a Sailors' Society was started on the banks of Galilee's Lake, of which such prominent fishermen as Peter, James, John, and Andrew were members. Their commission received from their ascending King ran thus:-"Ye shall receive power when the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be my witnesses unto the uttermost part of the earth." This Sailors' Society is not yet dissolved, nor its commission revoked. Who by the nature of their calling are so fitted to be Christ's witnesses to the uttermost parts as sailors? Providence as well as prophecy point to our mission. Perils may stand in the way, but orders must be obeyed. This meeting recognizes the tremendous responsibility resting upon every Christian of this maritime nation. From this world centre we appeal to-day for that help, both material and spiritual, which shall enable the British and Foreign Sailors' Society to imitate the Great Founder in calling this class to their high destiny, to the nations of the earth. The founders of this Society in 1818 looked out upon the sea and saw arising a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. They were not discouraged, they believed in the extension of that prophetic cloud. They have fallen asleep, they rest from their labours; but to-day we can truly say their works do follow them. That cloud may not yet cover the whole heavens, but it has, by a bountiful providence, graciously extended. The friends of seamen to-day should have increased faith and hope in that same God. His purposes, promises, and providences, too, all tell of showers of blessing. There have gone up, there will yet go up from thousands of sailors' hearts: For Asiatics, Africans, and South Sea Islanders, Limehouse. "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers."-HEB. Xiii. 1. Our countrymen's suff'rings of body and mind, With calls to relieve we are daily beset; If those who, surrounded by kindred and friends, But thanks to the thoughtful compassion of some |