STEAM MISSION YACHT “ IOLE."

19

It is a cause of great thankfulness to God to see young men coming forward ere the aged depart. And such is the excellent secretary, Mr. John Taylor. We hope he will consecrate his life to this sailors' society. The missionary, Captain John Mouatt, who did a good work in Antwerp, has laboured faithfully in Sunderland for twelve years. We should like to see some rich friend present the mission with a mission-house, combining sailors' readingroom and rest.

The Newcastle branch was well represented by its treasurer, Mr. Alexander, and its missionaries, Harrison and Jordan.

STEAM MISSION YACHT "IOLE" A FTER a voyage to the west she crossed the Channel,

where she is now on her mission of mercy. Mrs. P Moorhouse writes from St. Sampsons, Guernsey :

Dear Mr. Matthews,- I enclose with thanks receipt for cheque just received. We received from Falmouth your nice assortment of tracts, with Chart and Compass, for which we warmly thank you. We have received such a welcome from St. Sampsons. The men lined the quay. All to-day we have had troops of manly visitors, and many a kindling eye and expressions of wonder and gratitude.

“This is doing something for poor sailors."

“No doubt of a welcome here. We never feel at home in churches and chapels, but this seems to belong to us."

“I say, lads, here's a sight to be remembered.” , “Isn't she just a beauty.”

We are looking for a great blessing here, as the men are so thoroughly roused. Our band have been working nobly while we were away. I have a very interesting little incident which I will send to you in a few days, trusting you may feel inclined to honour it with a corner in Chart and Compass. Yours truly in Christ Jesus,

ELLEN MOORHOUSE. Captain Moorhouse reports :-A month having elapsed I give you a short resumé of work accomplished :Miles under steam, 250; days boats worked, 25; ships personally visited, 90; services held, 35; average present, 100 men, connected with sea at each service, exclusive of women. We are invited to Brixham for January, the latter end. Please tell Chart and Compass our proposed route is now, Jersey, Cherbourg, Granville, Caen, and right up coast to St. Malo, or Hayre, thence across to Shoreham, Southampton, Yarmouth, Poole, Weymouth, Brixham, Falmouth. Of course, wind, weather, and cholera in French ports will modify

20

GATHERINGS OF FISHERMEN AT YARMOUTH.

a little, but if friends of Bethel Union will look out, and Christian captains help we shall be enabled to carry out a good portion of the programme laid down. We stay here ten days and I trust will receive our French tracts by then. The Sailors' Rest is in a fair way of being carried out to-morrow.

Mr. John Cory sends us the following, with the remark “there is room for work and plenty to be done. There are 136,000 fishermen in France. The coast fisheries find employment for only 53,000 of this great force, so that 83,000 French fishermen make their livelihood out of foreign waters. The value of fish captured in 1883 was £4,289,076, of which more than three millions were drawn from outside their own waters. About four fishermen out of every thousand are drowned during the year."

WONDERFUL GATHERINGS OF FISHERMEN AT

YARMOUTH.
EV. DEAR SIR,-It again becomes my duty to inform you

that our Scotch fishing is finished for this year. Sabbath
last, 23rd inst., was our last on the fish wharf, and the

ninth Sabbath we had service there. We were very highly favoured and honoured this year by the deputies which the Free Church of Scotland sent us. We had two. The first, the Rev. Thomes Grant, of Tain, a very eminent and eloquent minister of that church, who remained with us four Sabbaths. Mr. and Mrs. Grant reached this on Friday, September 26th. The Scotch boats had been arriving daily all the week, and ultimately numbered, including a few from Yorkshire, 280 boats with seven men each, making 1,960 men.

On Saturday evening, September 27th, Mr. Grant gave his first address to the fishermen in the Mariners' Chapel, which they Alled. Many, if not most of them knew Mr. Grant, and as a natural consequence loved him very much. He preached every Sabbath morning and evening in the Brunswick Chapel to flowing and admiring congregations, and superintended as well as addressed our fish-wharf congregation—three or four addresses were each Sabbath delivered there.

The Rev. Dr. Adam, of Glasgow (convener of the Home Mission), spent a week here, and gave an address on the fishwharf. The Rev. Alex. Millar, of Buckie, also gave an address on the fishwharf, and I believe all were much pleased with the large, orderly, and attentive congregations which stood there for at least one hour and a half each Sabbath.

On Saturday evening, October 18th, we had a tea in the

GATHERINGS OF FISHERMEN AT YARMOUTH.

21

Mariners' Chapel in honour of Mr. and Mrs. Grant who were to leave us on the following Tuesday. Over 130 sat down to an excellent tea, and twelve sisters, members of our congregation, wives of fishermen or sailors, presided at as many tables, and left nothing undone to make everyone at their table as comfortable as possible. Each of our dear sisters, at their own expense, decorated their tables with lovely flowers. After tea the

22

GATHERINGS OF FISHERMEN AT YARMOUTH.

chapel was quickly put in order, and as more fishermen came in every seat was filled. The Rev. Thomas Grant was called to the chair, and speeches were delivered by the chairman, Mr. David Duncan, Mr. John Dickson, the Rev. Alexander Millar, and your missionary. During the evening Mrs. Irvine, a sailors' wife, presided at the harmonium, and led the singing of a hymn from Sankey's “Songs and Solos " between each speech. The meeting was a good one, and all seemed pleased, and, I hope, profited.

I must not forget to say that Mr. Grant preached every Wednesday and Saturday evenings to large congregations in the Mariners' Chapel, and every Sabbath morning at 9.30 we had a prayer-meeting in the chapel for an hour.

Mr. Grant and I were much together as he never seemed to 'tire of visiting the fishermen at their boats, and indeed Mrs. Grant often accompanied him. I don't know that ever I spent a happier four weeks in my life than I did with Mr. Grant, and I am very sure I never can forget the kindness I received from him and Mrs. Grant. Perhaps I may be permitted to add that Mrs. Grant gave me a very nice book, a souvenir, she said, and kindly wrote my name in it, and Mr. Grant gave me a most cordial invitation to come to Tain next July, so as to be present at his sacrament. He is a bi-linguist, and preaches with equal facility in Gaelic and English, and in fact preaches in both languages every Sabbath. Mr. Grant has made a host of admiring friends here. On Tuesday, October 21st, I saw Mr. and Mrs. Grant in the train.

Our second Scotch deputy was the Rev. G. M. Smith, of Gloucester, who reached this on Friday, October 24th, and he remained with us two Sabbaths. Mr. Smith at once became popular, and for any minister to succeed Mr. Grant, and much less a young minister, is no trifle. Mr. Smith is a man of undoubted talents, has a powerful voice, sings well, has a powerful baritone voice, well cultivated, and he plays the harmonium, and on several occasions he delighted the fishermen by playing and singing for them in our chapel. He preached, as Mr. Grant did, every Sabbath morning and evening in the Brunswick Chapel to flowing and admiring congregations, and superintended, as well as spoke at' our fish-wharf services.

On Wednesday and Saturday evenings he preached in our chapel to large congregations. Mr. Smith, has already made many friends among the town people as well as among the fishermen, to whom he was previously entirely unknown.

On Wednesday, November 5th, he left for Gloucester. I saw him in the train. Mr. Smith and I were much together, for he is

MILFORD BRANCH OF THE B.F.S.S.

23

and the Sabbath, 23. instfishing, while

a most zealous earnest worker, and we saw eye to eye. I need hardly add that I like him much, and feel sure that if spared he is certain to be a very great and eminent minister.

A good many boats left the same week Mr. Smith did, but as others lingered I conducted the fishwharf services for three Sabbaths after Mr. Smith left, though every Sabbath we had less and less Scotchmen but an increased number of Englishmen. I was well supported in speakers by the fishermen, some of whom stood by me until the last. Besides, D. Tomkins, Esq., J.P., a gentleman who has always taken a deep interest in fishermen, came two Sabbaths and willingly and kindly consented to address them, and a superannuated Primitive Methodist, the Rev. W. Crown, came one Sabbath and gave an address. We had no want of speakers, and the congregation was large until the end. I closed the service last Sabbath, 23 inst.

But need I add that during all the fishing, while Mr. Grant and Mr. Smith were preaching in the Brunswick Chapel, I was at the same hours preaching in the Mariners' Chapel to very large and most attentive congregations. That much good was done during this fishing I have no doubt.

But besides the 280 Scotch boats, and thus nearly 2,000 men, we had over 900 English luggers and smacks, with not less than 10,000 men, not to mention the French luggers with from twenty to thirty men on each, the Government obliging them to take double crews, and I can honestly add I did my utmost both early and late to see and speak to as many of all these as I possibly could, and with much success. I gave the French fishermen nearly 200 French Testaments, and over 350 L'ouvrier Francais their joy was frantic—to say nothing of some 20,000 tracts and over 150 New Testaments, which I gave away to our own men during the past ten weeks.

Having had no holidays for the last two years, for reasons with which you are acquainted, I feel quite used up, yet deeply regret to add that I see no way to get two or three weeks' holidays even now.—Yours faithfully,

RICHARD GILPIN. Great Yarmouth, November 28th, 1884. Rev. E. W. Matthews.

MILFORD BRANCH OF THE B.F.S.S. DEAR MR. MATTHEWS,-The Charts and last order of the New Testaments are safe to hand and obliged. We are now face to face with the winter storms, and there are many vessels to be attended to. It is very encouraging to find that many of our seamen have a deep love for the Bible. Last Wednesday, I visited from sixty to seventy of our sailors in port, the word of God was gladly welcomed by them all. As I. boarded a Glasgow barque, “Captain Yates," bound to the