is through two of the hands; they are very dull and stupid, and when he sends them to do one thing they go and do something else; this makes him angry, but he is not so bad now as he was. As the tunes in Sankey's book are better known by sailors, I have bought some for our use. In reading I let each one read a verse; this, I find, keeps their eye on what is being read, or they losə their verse. May our Heavenly Father bless the reading of His Holy Word, so that others may be brought to the light. Dear friend, I need not ask, as I know you will not forget us when you are at the throne of mercy; but ask that our meetings may be crowned with success, through and for Jesus's sake and God's glory!

Lat. 22:41 S., Long. 39:05 E.

THE SEA.

November 7th, 1880.

Written for CHART AND COMPASS by Miss F. B. Wilson.

I love to stand by the lone sea shore,
And hear from afar the breakers roar;
To watch the foam on the waters blue,
And list to the scream of the wild curlew.
It speaks to me of the days gone by,
Where together we played in infancy;
And floated our barks on the ebbing tide,
To be borne away o'er the ocean wide.
We floated together a few short years,
Then parted at last amid sobs and tears;
Parted we knew to meet ahead,

When the rolling sea gives up her dead.

It speaks to me of that land above,
Where all is joy and peace and love;

Where praise is sung by the white-robed band,
And where Jesus sits at God's right hand.

Where the rolling sea is for ever calm,

Where borne on the air is a healing balm;
Where glories forever anew unfold,

'Mid the pearly gates and the streets of gold.

Prestwick Aryshire.

NAMES OF SHIPS.

I NEVER did read, nor can learn from any, that Queen Elizabeth had any ship Royal, which in the name thereof carried the memorial of any particular conquest she got either by land or water. Yet was she as victorious as any prince in her age, and (which is mainly material) her conquests were mostly achieved against foreign enemies.

The ships of her navy had only honest and wholesome names, the "Endeavour," the "Bonaventure," the "Return," the "Unity," etc.

Some of our modern ships carry a very great burden in their names; I mean the memorial of some fatal fights in the civil wars in our own nation (or wars with other nations now friendly), and the conquerors ought to take much joy, as the conquered must take grief in the remembrance thereof.

I am utterly against the re-baptising of Christians, but I am for the re-dipping of ships, that not only some inoffensive, but ingratiating names may be put upon them, the " Unity," the " Reconciliation," the "Agreement," the "Concord," and healing titles (I speak more like a bookman than a seaman) and others to that purpose. THOMAS FULLER.

Our Temperance Banner.

[Under this head Legislators, Judges, Physicians, Editors, Poets, and Ministers of the Gospel will speak. Ashore, intemperance is the greatest evil; but afloat the evil is intensified a thousand-fold.

[We gladly quote from Miss Weston's first class letter to our blue-jackets.—ED.] IN our newspapers lately my heart has been stirred and warmed by reading some of the deeds of daring of our

GALLANT SAILORS;

and I am sure it will be well for us in every way to speak about them in our Monthly Letter, and to let God speak to us through them. Captain William Selten, of the "Pleiades," gallantly risked his life in Wellington Harbour, New Zealand. A boat was coming off to his vessel with water, and one passenger in her under sail, when about forty yards from the vessel she capsized. In a moment Captain Selten grasped a life line and jumped overboard to rescue the helpless passenger who otherwise must certainly have been drowned; he secured the line around him and he was hauled safely on deck. If we travel from New Zealand to Portsmouth, we find the same self-sacrificing spirit. On board the Prince of Wales' yacht, the "Osborne," there is a cry of distress: a man is overboard, drowning in the dark waters. In a moment Lieutenant C. E. F. C. Graham has dashed over to save him, and he finds the reward of his bravery far more in the gratitude of the man than even in the silver medal which the Prince of Wales presents him from the Royal Humane Society.

Again at sea, in Lat. 23°14' N., and Long. 117°41' E., an ordinary seamen of

H.M.S. "ENCOUNTER"

jumps or falls overboard from the bow port, the vessel steaming at seven knots an hour. As the terrible cry "A man overboard" sounded through the ship, Lieutenant C. H. Bayly who was in the ward room immediately rushed on deck, and jumped from the embrasure port to the rescue. After swimming some time, he succeeded in reaching Garwood who was insensible, and almost drowned. He supported him at fearful peril-for the reefs close by abounded with sharks-until, on the arrival of the boat, both were saved: thank God for such annals. But we turn with sorrow to the history of another officer who actually laid down his life in his attempt to save another. Lieutenant W. P. L. Heyland was serving on board H.M.S. "Minotaur," the Flag ship of the Channel Squadron. While crosing from Queenstown to Vigo the squadron encountered terrific weather, and in consequence of the excessive pitching, orders were given to take in the

jib-booms; while assisting in this a seaman was washed overboard.

Life buoys and lines were thrown out, and Lieutenant Heyland jumped off the poop with a line and reached the man. He passed him the end, and they were both being hauled in, when Lieutenant Heyland was struck by the ship's stern: he fell back stunned, and sank, never to rise again. How well we can understand the sadness and mourning on board the ship; how heartily we can admire that love which came up to the love of which our Saviour spoke, when He said "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." There is a stir being made through the Navy and elsewhere to raise a sum of money as a memorial to this brave young officer; and the intention is that, if possible, a lifeboat shall be purchased for the work of saving life, the very work in which he risked and lost his life.

I seem to hear that terrible cry of

"A MAN OVERBOARD!

every day of my life, even though I am ashore ;-the drink is sweeping away millions from the life buoy, life boat, and life line, the Saviour of sinners: they laugh, they joke, they cry bitterly, or they quarrel and fight, when the drink is in them, and they never think that its waves are sweeping them into a lake of fire. A seaman I know has just died without God, and so without hope. The drink has been the devil's tool with him: sober he was quiet and well conducted, a good husband and father, but by means of drink he was kept from Christ and salvation, and now he is in eternity. In every drunkard's song that I hear, the terrible cry seems to sound through it of "A man overboard!" We want men, women, and children, to follow our brave seamen and officers, and to dash in to rescue the perishing; don't stop or give up until they are out of the water, and in the lifeboat. "If any man is in Christ he is a "new creature:" he cannot be a Christian and a drunkard, a Christian and a swearer; if he is in Christ, and Christ in him, he is just what the Bible says, neither more nor less,

A NEW CREATURE, OR CREATION.

Now this is what God wants. If religion makes a man a worse seaman, depend upon it there is something wrong in the man-Christ's religion makes a man love God and his neighbour; makes him lead a pure, a noble, life,—to keep all the laws: for "love is the fulfilling of the law;" to fear God and honour the Queen. I cannot forbear telling you another noble story of a gallant sailor, and this time the scene lies in the Mozambique. Among the ships whose arduous duty is to look out for slave dhows, to chase and take them, and to give liberty to the poor slaves, is H.M.S. "Wild Swan." One day the look-out espied a slave dhow and chase was given: in vain the piratical craft cracked on canvass: the man-ofwar was too swift and well handled for her to escape, and presently the dhow was safe alongside. Then came the business of transferring the slaves from the dhow to the "Wild Swan," and while this was going on, a little African boy slipped from the ship's side and fell into the water. In one moment the

SHARKS GATHERED ROUND

impatient for their prey, and one of them darted on the poor lad, and with one snap bit off his leg at the knee. As the blood tinged the water, a seaman (I believe a coloured man) sprang overboard armed only with a sheath knife, and attacked the sharks so violently, holding the boy meanwhile, that he succeeded in getting him into the boat, and escaping unhurt himself. His shipmates were loud in their praise of his bravery, and I hear that the full report has been forwarded by Commander Dacres, and that the Lords of the Admiralty will recommend him for the highest honour. This true-hearted blue-jacket did not risk his life for a messmate, or even a shipmate, but for a little negro boy whom he had never seen

FLOATING LIBRARIES.

93

before. Yes, brother, and there is something more wonderful than this,-that when we were yet SINNERS and rebels, Christ died for us, He tasted death for every man. These brave officers and men did all possible to save life, but they could not have done those gallant deeds if the drowning men had been determined to die. No. No; and God can save no man against his will. Salvation is conditional: "Repent ye and believe the Gospel," and "Whosoever will." The man that is lost for ever is lost simply because he is a soul suicide. "Thou hast destroyed thyself."

Once again, before we pass away from these glorious God-like details of personal bravery, let us rejoice that women stand in the ranks. Grace Darling is a name that no seaman will ever forget; we seem to see her with her fair, young face as, she nobly buffeted the waves to save human life. Mary Wheatland, the Grace Darling of Sussex, saved thirteen lives at various times, and simply said that "she had but done her duty," and other women at different times have had strength and power to do the same. No man will grudge them this privilege: to man and woman God gives the loving heart and the strength or skill to save the perishing; and to man and woman, when really filled with the Holy Spirit, God gives the love which makes them blessings to the bodies and souls of their fellow men.

What shall we say to these records of true courage? We will thank God for them, and we will ask that every brave man and woman may be brave enough to acknowledge themselves to be lost sinners;—will give themselves up to Jesus to be saved by his blood shed for them, and His life within them, that they may find what a glorious salvation Christ's is from Hell to Heaven; what a thorough salvation, that He is able to keep us not only one day, but all our lives, from all sin or rebellion against Himself; that having Him in our hearts is glory begun below. Let us each see that we have Christ, and that we can, by deeds of kindness, bravery, and love, show that we are His, never forgetting His watchword,—“Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” Believe me, your sincere Christian friend, AGNES E. WESTON.

Floating Libraries.

During November, December and January, seventy-two Libraries were issued— forty-two in boxes. There were in these Libraries 1,135 bound books, 2,784 tracts and 2,136 periodicals.

Two Libraries also were sent to Mr. Scrutton's home for Sea Apprentices.

The Ship Collections has been very small, amounting only to £9 10s. 10.