fessedly proved unequal to the object. A Society formed under the name of "The Thames Union Bible Society," undertook this task as its exclusive department; and the result of its labours, while it has completely established the practicability of the design, as well as its beneficial tendency, has at the same time demonstrated the necessity of ampler means, and increased exertions, in order to meet the pressing exigencies of the case.

"Of this fact the conductors of that meritorious institution were so fully persuaded, that several months ago they resolved to call together some known friends of their under taking, with a view to lay before them the destitute condition of the objects of their benevolence, and to obtain their counsel as to the best means of more effectually discharging the obligations of the community towards them;-of pay. ing its sacred debt of gratitude and justice to these intrepid assertors of their country's freedom, these in valuable instruments of its commercial greatness.

"After many meetings, and much anxious deliberation, it was the opinion of the gentlemen who were thus convened, that measures should forthwith be taken to establish in London an Auxiliary Bible Society for the supply of British merchant ships with the holy Scriptures; and that this Society, while more immediately occupied in supplying the wants of the seamen belonging to the port of London, should also endeavour to procure the formation of similar institutions in every out-port of the empire.

"The simple mention of such a plan seems to be all the recommendation which it requires; and so obvious, and even so imperative, seems to be the obligation which it involves, that it may well excite some surprise that, in an age fertile beyond all former example in schemes for relieving the spiritual no less than the bodily wants of our fellow-creatures, the strong and

binding claims of our mercantile seamen should hitherto have so feebly arrested the regard of Christians.

"The city of London, in particular, has a most sacred obligation to fulfil towards this neglected class of her population. She is deservedly considered as the metropolis of the Christian world; and it would be a lamentable dereliction of the duty which that exalted station imposes upon her, if, after having been honoured as the instrument of spreading the light of Revelation to the banks of so many distant rivers, she should coldly turn away from the thousands, and tens of thousands, of British seamen who navigate her own. The very palace of Greenwich, that splendid testimony of national gratitude to the decayed sailor, which adorns its banks, would appear, to the reflecting mind, but as the monument of a stinted charity, if, in providing for the worldly wants of the individuals who have been disabled in their service, Englishmen should forget the eternal interests of the multitudes who are still toiling for their benefit. By a slight exertion of benevolence, every ship that quits the port of London may possess in the Bible a pledge, at least, of our Christian solicitude for the souls of those on board. Nor would this be all for as she is beyond comparison the largest emporium of commerce in the world, so by meaus of the proposed institution, she would be furnished with opportunities peculiar to herself for the universal diffusion of holy truth and heavenly consolation.

"How different might have been the scenes which have afflicted humanity, in various regions of the earth, if our seamen in times that are past-instead of propagating vice and misery, or extending the hand of ravage throughout the range of their discoveries, and thus blighting as with the breath of a pestilence the happiness of many a

smiling land--had exhibited, to the view of the confiding natives, the purity and the justice, the kindness and forbearance of the Gospel of peace!

"Upon an average, about five thousand vessels, of different descriptions, sail from the port of London every year. These measure upwards of one million of tons, and appear to be navigated by about sixty-five thousand men. But as some vessels make two or more voyages in the year, the seamen going anuually from the port of London may be estimated at about forty-five thousand. It would be, perhaps, an unwarrantable calculation to suppose that one-tenth part of this number are possessed of the word of God, without which it can hardly be supposed that they should be acquainted with the doctrines and duties of our holy religion. But even on this estimate, not fewer than forty thousand of our seamen would still remain in a state of lamentable destitution of the means of religious knowledge, and consequently in a state of afflicting ignorance. The number of seamen, however, who sail from the port of London do not constitute a third of the mercantile navy of Great Britain. The object of the proposed institution, therefore, is to provide Bibles for at least about 120,000 British seamen, now destitute of them.

"And here let not the peculi arity of their situation, and of their manner of life, be forgotten. They are necessarily deprived of many advantages of instruction enjoyed by persons who live regularly on shore. Once at sea, a seaman bas no choice of associates: he is fixed to his shipmates, and thus for the most part secluded from any society but that of the profane and dissolute. The privilege of resorting with their families to the house of God, to listen to his word, and of uniting with the congregation of Christiau worshippers in the services of prayer aud praise, is in a

great measure unknown to them. The sun of the Sabbath generally arises to their view from beneath the same waste of waters with the light of a common day; and their thoughts and duties seem to merge in the single object of guiding their vessel through the deep. It has been calculated that one half, or two thirds, of a sailor's life is thus spent on the ocean: and that, of the remainder, one half is passed in foreign harbours, where no Christian instruction can in general be obtained. Under these unfavourable circumstances, it is scarcely to be expected, that during the fragment of his time which he passes in his own land, the means of instruction, even if offered to him, should be eagerly embraced. In point of fact, they are generally neglected; and for this neglect, those who are even slightly acquainted with the force of habit, and the common principles of our nature, will not find it difficult to account. The seaman remains, therefore, for the most part, as ignorant of the things which accompany salvation, as if the will of God had never been revealed to man- and even the hardships of a seafaring life, and the thousand perils peculiarly in cident to his profession, instead of awakening his mind to serious reflection, too often produce in him, from the want of Christian instruction, a contrary effect, and lead him to dedicate almost every moment of his time, while on shore, to the most sordid, and debasing, and ruinous indulgences.

"With respect to some of the disadvantages which have been enumerated, it is obvious that we cannot remove them: they belong of necessity to a seafaring life. But then these evils are not without the means of alleviation. Sailors often have at sea much time for reading. By the general diffusion of education, many of them are qualified thus to employ their time; and the disposition either to read

enmity to the diffusion of the Scriptures. However, we have the testimony of facts to prove, that, were the whole hierarchy to unite, their efforts could not totally arrest the progress of civilization and emancipation from popish delusions, which have been so considerably advanced by the labours of the Society. These have opened a new, and hitherto unthought-of, process for the pa. cification of this part of the Onited Kingdom; which, on trial, has proved, if allowed to proceed, capable of doing more for the attainment of the object than any plan hitherto devised.

"The accounts,” adds Mr. B——, "which I have received from different districts respecting the proficiency of the pupils in committing the Scriptures to memory, is most pleasing. Many have learned twenty or thirty chapters within this quarter; and one boy has learned, since the last inspection in May, no less than 100 chapters, and can repeat nearly the whole New Testament."

From D- B-, one of the Inspectors of the Society's Schools. "Priest M- of the parish of E-, who has been a great enemy to our schools, made application, a few days ago, for a school to be established in his parish. A Catholic in this neighbourhood lately paid me a visit, who procured an Irish Testament from the Society some time ago. He has made great proficiency in reading it, aud takes such delight in it that he carries it in his pocket, in order to read it to every person with whom he has any intercourse. He reads to the congregation, before and after mass, every Sabbath day; and, to his great surprise, Priest M-does not forbid him. The neighbours, also, frequently invite him to their houses to read the Testament to them.

"I have visited many. Roman Catholics in this neighbourhood, and am glad to acquaint you, that the prejudice heretofore entertain

ed is done away, by the recourse they and their children have to the word of God. About eight years back, there were not six people who could repeat one verse in the Bible from memory in all this neighbourhood; and numbers, I believe, never heard of, or knew there was a Bible in the world. Since our Society's Bibles and Testaments have been in circulation, their knowledge of Divine things has been daily increasing; and it is to be hoped that the growing-up children, attending our schools, will be a far more religious generation."

"I took a general inspection of 0- B's school at K--. He had a large number of aged men and growing-up boys, at his evening school, last winter. As they were this day engaged at their la bour, I could not examine them; but, on the Sabbath day, they assembled in the morning: most of them were married men; some of them with Irish Testaments, and others with spelling-books. It was gratifying to see old men so anxious to learn letters, as to frequent our schools. As they are in general Roman Catholics, I read and explained to them the Irish Testament: they were very silent-made no objection to what I said; and, when I asked them some questions as to the sinful state of man, and the consequence of it, and concerning Jesus Christ, the only Hope of sinners, some of them made very proper answers.

"I visited F's school, at R. He had eighty-eight pupils assembled, sixteen of whom read the second chapter of Ephesians, and gave pertinent explanations of it. I am glad to say, that both masters and pupils in general, in this country, are progressively advancing in the knowledge of the Scriptures: and I perceive, that, when the pupils are enlightened with this knowledge, the Masters of such are much affected with the necessity and importance of it. I greatly rejoiced to hear Mr. F