The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1880-11-30 00:00:00

MISSIONS TO SEAMEN SOCIETY.

On Sunday last sermons were preached at St. John's
Church in behalf of the funds of this society—in the
morning by the Rev. J. Stephenson. in the farthermost by
the Rev. H. Randall, and in the evening by the Rev. G.
Turnball. one of the society's chaplains. On Monday
evening a public meeting was bold in the Guildhall, but
the wee exceedingly small. Mr. G. Eliot pre.
gigs& being supported by the Rev. J. Bartlett. the
society's superintendent chaplain (the deoutstioe), Rev.
J. Stephenson, Rev. H. Randall, Rev, C. B. Ratcliffe, and
Rev. G. Ternball.
After the nmetiap had been opened with singing and
PalTri:rbarrastgel satmemd the pleasure it afforded hint to
welcome the Wives of the society at Weymouth,
and was rare Mall gathering was not at all indicative
of the interest which the townspeople tiok in it. It
ought, he said, to bee real *mune to them to welcome
the society amongst them, not only because they lived in
a mercantile port and ought to have a great interest in the
welfare of sellers, but because they were geographically
situated in the centre of the seaboard of this diocese, and
hdoe it was this place had been selected as one of the
heed-quarters of the work of the society. He explained
this had arisen in consequence of the action which bad
been taken by the synod of this diocese. Hitherto the
society bad only placed a Scripture reader at Portl.ind,
but tate Salisbury Synod thought there was dope for •
chaplain, and one accordingly had been plead there,
whose duty it was to minister to the seamen of the mar
motile marine in the roadited and harbour. The Chair
man expressed the great pleaeure it afforded him to find
the Church of England had taken up the work, and,
amidst a great many Wogs which were exceedingly
depressing, to flod she bad now put forth her power, form,
and energy, to reclaim sailors.
The Rio. G. Tuivieutr. spoke al the labours amongst
the sounes, who came in and mat of Portland roadstead,
sod of the services which beheld on several ships, sating
sailor, were always moat willing to be t)ld the sitn..4
truth, aid ha had raison to believe much good would
result from the efforta which had been put forth to place
the glad tidings of the Gaud before the seamen of the
mercantile marine. Hs did not tedium there was any
work which would repay a Christian minister butter as to
eternal malty than lehooring amongst esawen,u they were
so impressible, and so readv to believe in ..1.11118 as their
suhatitote and satisfaction for all their

--Th; Rev. J. Bunggrr said, although the meeting was
not very large, it was loyal to the nue., sad the people of 1
Weymouth hod shown their iniere4 in this society by
sending them £7O last year. Wm n they ref', illected the,
t rom the whole county of Dortet,they had contributed .C 257
he thought they would see Weymouth het not dope so
badly, but still he wished to provoke the people here by
mentioning another place, nothing like so large or
rich. Poole, which bad sent £72. For some years the
society had been at work, both at Pottland and Poole,
with a Scripture reader, but sow greater importance had
been shown to Weymouth and Portland by substituting a
chaplain, and he thirefora hoped increased support
would be given the society. In order t 3 show the need for
each • work as this society was carrying out, ho said,
by recent returns, the merchant navy of the British
Empire consisted of 38116 whip., with • tonnage of
8,329,421 tons, and manned by 350.159 unman. Not one
of these shipi carried a chap' to. not in more than 1 per
cent, was there on board any of these who united in worship
on the Lord's Dty or any other. This fleet of ships was
worth about £100,000,000 of money, and their velue of thrir
cargoer, £422,001.1.00). amide. the.. there were forrigo
vessels, the crews of which spoke 12 different nguages.
Those foreigners were willing to allow the society's agents
to speak to them, received tracts, and of fen purchased the
Word of God and Book of Common Prayer. To show
how seamen prised the Word of God, he said that last
emir their chaplain at Queenstown *old 1465 Ithl, a, 413
New Testaments, awl 22S coifs,e of the B tok oi Gnomon
Prayer; in all auriontine Lu £l4l ID.. 101.. whilst 091
portion. of God's Word were given away. An impotent
work was carried on by this society mooned etnigrattre
1 last year at Plymouth, no less than 13.000 being visited by
I their chaplain.. Another el.i of p. mos benefittpd was
those living in isulat et lighthouses and on braid lichtehips.
where most interesting services were held. The great
object of this society was to reach the sestnen of this and
other nations, and 13 provide for them, as far as poutible,
the Christian advantages which were afforded by the
church onshore, and in order to carry out this work, its
chaplains sod readers w. re placed in those p hit inns w.iere
sailors could best he reached, and there were the dirks at
home, and the roadsteads at home and foreign psri,. 0 Ve
work in rho docks, Bjstl and Cardiff was 1110Ik impor-
tant, as in the latt,r. front 00,000 to 801100 ream.-n pusori
through every year. At that place there was • church.
skip In the docks as also • readioproom, and at the, port
a chaplain and two scripture readers were at work.
At Bristol. through the kindness of their honorary seer,.
tery, he had built • church and institute for the um of
seamen at a cost of £1,500. and a great work was Ivies
carried on there. Bristol was • port where homeward.
bound men were discharged, and was one of the worst for
men being robbed by crimps. The rendsteed work in the
Downs was most important,.. was also that at Falmouth,
Plymouth, and Qtmenstown. When these roads were fall
el ships, then their chaplains and readers went out to
them in their yachts and boats, and services were held,
which if not undertaken by this society would never base
been held at aIL The work at some of their tonnes
stations was most important, amongst these twine men-
tioned the two French ports of Dunquirke and Havre.
The /society had started operations at Singapore and Japan,
and hoped to girdle the whole of the world, as there was
no work which was likely to produce greater results for
good than the one carried out through it; agency, and he
was sure its operations only needed to be better known to
have more supt.
The Rev. J. &winnowq briefly addriosed the muslin/.
attar which the Rev. C. B. Ratcliffe proposed a vote of
thenks toChafrman Eliot for presiding, which wee seconded
by the Rev. O. TtntrusuLL, and the proinedings terminated
by a collection being made.