been converted by his own ministry; one having been a notorious swearer, and the other debased by continual drunkenness."

Your

WELSH AGENT

has continued his labours amongst his countrymen with much success, of which you may accept the following as testimonies. He says:

After

"At one meeting I observed a sailor on board the B-, of N—, much agitated by the discourse from Prov. i. 24-26. After distributing tracts, some stayed behind for private conversation. I asked this sailor whether he was a member of the Church of Christ anywhere; he said, 'No; but I am, by God's help, determined to cast myself to-night at the feet of Jesus, and amongst his people.' At the conclusion of this interesting service, we all united in commending this new convert to the grace of God, as he was about to sail that week. On another occasion, on board the B - where I preached from Luke xix. 42, I observed three young sailors under deep impression, and the tears rolling down their cheeks. service they stopped for further conversation. One said, 'Oh! I am a great sinner; I have sinned against the light of gospel knowledge. I have been brought up under the careful instruction of a pious parent, and Sunday-school teachers; and you have reminded me to-night of the many urgent prayers of my father and mother, and my teachers, for my salvation. As you observed, that "the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous man availeth much," I am encouraged to hope that the impressions I now feel will never be erased from my mind.' The others were so deeply affected by his expressions that they could not give utterings to their feelings, but expressed their hope that I would not forget them when before the throne of grace."

The labours of your

FOREIGN MISSIONARY

in London have been continued, with some brief intermission, through the failure of his health, in the several departments of his sphere. The foreign vessels entering the Port of London receive the benefit of his visits, and, in discharging this part of his duty, he circulates large numbers of foreign Scriptures and religious tracts. This is the more important, as it is peculiarly gratifying to find that most of these foreigners are able to read well. He preaches weekly, in one of the languages of northern Europe, both in the Infant School, at Blackwall, and also in the Sailors' Church, Wellclose Square. He has continued the regular visitation of the Dreadnought hospital-ship, for the purpose of conveying religious instruction and consolation to

its sick and dying foreign inmates. These labours are frequently of a deeply interesting character, as the following extracts from his reports will show :

"I have had some very cheering instances there. Thus, a young Dutchman, who had been there a long time, and was always very desirous to hear, and diligently searched the Scriptures, uttered great joy and thankfulness. A German, whom I found ready to leave the hospital, came and thanked me, telling me that he blessed God for having come on board the Dreadnought, for he had there been brought to know himself as a poor sinner, and to hate his old ways. A young Swede, who expected to be able to leave in a few days, when I saw him last, was all thankfulness, meekness, and joy in Christ Jesus. I gave each a parting exhortation, and the two last each a New Testament in his native tongue."

And again

"One German seems to have had the truth impressed on him, and also two Danes, two Norwegians, and one Swede, who have been very attentive; and in the good hope of furnishing them with something they had now begun to value, I gave each of them a New Testament. One German, who has been long ill, and for more than a fortnight unconscious of anything, has now recovered, and seems to have very serious impressions of the truth; praising God for his mercy, in again raising him to life. I have had much conversation with him; he told me he lived at Blackwall; and on telling him of my preaching there, he said, 'Well; you shall certainly have me for one of your hearers.' There are also two Frenchmen, who are seriously impressed, and diligently attend to what I say to them, acknowledging themselves poor sinners, and looking to Jesus Christ for salvation. Thus, then, I am encouraged in the good hope that my labour is not in vain, but is blessed to the salvation of souls."

As evidences of the need for the labours of such an agent, and as conveying sad proofs of the too widely-spread and awful scepticism of the Continent, take the following. He says,

"I visited a vessel which had been held up to me as having service on board every Lord's day. I found the two mates, and addressed them; but it was in vain for me to say anything; they said they had service on board, and were much better edified by hearing a good sermon read, than by going to a church, where they might hear some foolish nonsense from a pulpit.' 'My reason tells me,' was the preface to everything they said. I called again, and found the captain on board. I presented him with a circular about the appointed time of service. 'We have church on board,' was his abrupt answer, turning, and walking away. Going into the cabin of another vessel, I found the captain and another of the same nation, to whom I communicated the object of my visit. They had many objections to the contents of the Bible, and at last the captain of the vessel told me he was a 'Deist,' although he adhered to the Lutheran Church. You are quizzing me, I suppose,' he said. 'I can sympathise with you,' I answered, for I know what it is to be without God and without hope in the world.'-' Oh, I know all about it,' he said; 'we have a man of learning and understanding who has shown us that the Bible is but a fabrication of priests;' and, running up on the deck, he swore that a Deist he was, and that as a Deist he would live and die."

Since the alteration in your agency in London, consideralyb more attention has been devoted to the visitation of seamen at their

LODGING-HOUSES;

and, indeed, one missionary is employed daily in this part of your operations. It is found to be a most interesting and extensive sphere, and one demanding constant and diligent care, as it is here that we chiefly come in contact with our foreign-going seamen, with whom it is difficult to meet, for religious conversation, under other circumstances. Your missionaries are cordially welcomed to some of these houses by the keepers; from others, they are as obstinately excluded; but persevering kindness frequently prevails where every other means would prove futile. Large numbers of Bibles, magazines, and tracts have been circulated at these houses, and, not unfrequently, a poor sailor is found lying upon a sick-bed, who gladly welcomes your messengers of gospel tidings. A missionary writes:

"I was much affected, on the 30th of August, when in company with my brother Lowther, and seeking out houses that we had not visited before, we met with a woman who told us she had a sailor lodging with her, who was very ill; we asked if we might be allowed to see him, and were readily admitted. We found him very ill; we spoke to him about his soul, and about Jesus, and salvation; he seemed conversant with his Bible, and all the while the big tears rolled down his cheek. He spoke very affectionately of his poor old mother, and the religious instruction she had given him. We knelt down and prayed with him, and for him, and he then called earnestly upon God. When we were leaving him, he prayed that our visit might be made a blessing to his soul. It was an affecting season; he begged we would call again, which we promised him we would do, and left him, trusting that God may sanctify our visit to his spiritual and eternal good."

But, perhaps, the most striking feature in your operations, this year, is the astonishing increase in the sale of copies of THE WORD OF GOD, as well in the Welsh and foreign, as in the English language. Being supplied with them by the Bible Societies at reduced prices, your missionaries, both in London and the provinces, have given more than ordinary attention to this branch of their work, and their success, as will appear from the appended statistics, has been proportionately encouraging.

The Directors have much pleasure in repeating their grateful

acknowledgments to the Religious Tract Society for their repeated grants of volumes for

LOAN LIBRARIES AND RELIGIOUS TRACTS,

to the amount of £93. Also, to many kind friends, for frequent parcels of old magazines and pamphlets; and particularly to their much-esteemed friend, Capt. C. Allen, R.N., for his valuable services in adapting the same for circulation. Libraries have been furnished to ships sailing to Aden, the Baltic, Bombay, Cape of Good Hope, California, Canada, Gibraltar, Hobart Town, Launceston, Mauritius, Newfoundland, Port Adelaide, Sydney, the South Seas, and other parts. That seamen have frequent opportunities for reading is well known, and that some of them avail themselves of it, for the purposes of self-improvement and soul-culture, the following incident, given by one of your missionaries, will clearly exhibit :

"A captain, recently arrived from South America, called on me to thank me for the loan library with which he had been furnished, and for the benefits he hoped some of his crew had received from it. Several of the sailors from this vessel called on me also, telling me, the tracts had been received and read with much thankfulness. A sailor, also, from another ship, came to my house saying, 'I have just returned home from a long and dangerous voyage. We have encountered many storms, and have been very nearly lost, but we have been most miraculously preserved, and being again brought to our port in safety, I have two sovereigns to give you for the British and Foreign Sailors' Society.' I said, 'Can you afford to give so much, you may be some time out of employ?' Looking at me with some degree of earnestness, he replied, I leave all my affairs in the hands of the Lord— he will provide all I need.' I have also seen the captain with whom this man sailed for the last twelve months; he states him to be a man of prayer. In the storm and tempest he was calm and steadfast to his duty; if the ship was on her beam-ends, and waves dashing over her, George was at his post. His Morning Portion and his Bible were his chief companions, when the weather and circumstances would admit. This sailor, when paid his wages, bought many valuable books, such as James's Anxious Inquirer,'' Doddridge's Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul,' 'Alleine's Alarm,' 'Baxter's Saint's Rest,' 'Pilgrim's Progress,' 'Call to the Unconverted,' &c., and gave them to his shipmates. Thus carrying out the principles of his profession."

The former location of

THE SOCIETY'S DAY SCHOOLS

being exceedingly inconvenient, the Directors were very glad

to avail themselves of the opportunity of securing more eligible premises near the London Docks, recently erected, at a large cost, by the congregation at the Weigh-House Chapel, for the accommodation of their branch Sunday school, and as an occasional preaching station. The following are the encouraging reports of the schoolmaster and governess. Mr. E. Davey writes:

"The Boys' School connected with your Society has greatly increased. When I first took charge of it, there were about forty boys in attendance; there are now seventy-five. Of these, twenty can read pretty well, and most of the others can read easy lessons; thirty-six are in various stages of arithmetic, from numeration to mensuration of surfaces; twenty write in copy books-the remainder on slates. The course of instruction consists of reading, spelling, writing, slate and mental arithmetic, geography, history, drawing, English grammar and composition; in addition to which, the elder boys have daily lessons on scientific subjects. Nearly all the children attend Sunday schools."

Miss E. Hempsted reports that

"Since the removal of your schools to Darby-street, 144 children have been admitted; and, although many were compelled to leave, on account of the distance from their homes, yet the average attendance has already reached sixty. The children are instructed in reading, writing, spelling, history, geography, grammar, mental and slate arithmetic, and they also receive simultaneous lessons on useful subjects in nature, manufactures, &c. A collective scripture lesson is given daily to the whole school, from which some practical truth is deduced; and a portion of the word of God is also committed to memory. Independently of these subjects, a knowledge of needle-work, cutting out and repairing clothes, and the general duties of servants, is also imparted."

Your

SUNDAY SCHOOLS,

badly accommodated in the vestry of the Sailors' Church, have received some important additions, both in teachers and children; the average attendance throughout the year having been 9 teachers, 40 boys, and 36 girls.

In closing this detailed account of the labours of the Society in the Port of London, the Directors would thankfully record their obligation to the EAST LONDON AUXILIARY, for its fraternal sympathy with the Parent Society, and valued co-operation in its various efforts; but especially in the regular conduct of ship visitation, and Bethel meetings, in the Regent's Canal Basin, Commercial-road.