The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-01-31 00:00:00

OUR SHIPS AND SHIPPING.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES.

Sir,—lf lam not ahead of my reckoning, it is
time that I or some one began to sail in your
company ; your cruise is to my taste,- so I tell-you.-
I like your notions of sea matters in some things,
and there is plenty of sea room for you. Fair wind
and light nights to you. If I cannot always sail in
your wake, depend on my never intentionally cross-
ing your bows. I only want to be allowed to lend a
willing hand on any .subject calculated to benefit
sailors. lam afraid lam rather plain, and per.
haps prejudiced; but though no chicken in years,
I will do as my old aunt— always before I went
to church—used to advise me to do : " Never mind
the chaff, Harry," she would say, " that 'll all blow
away of itself ; but look after the wheat." And
a precious young "rogue in grain" she made.me,
by all account. However, here I am, sir, your
humble servant ; and I mean to be a faithful one
to the Cause you advocate, too.
Now, Mr. Editor, I have read all your papers
on shipping lately ; and was about to give you a
tidy yarn about Life Boats, but in the news of this
day, a regular white squall took me right in the
teeth !—Fir-e-e-e-o-o ! Away went all my spars,
kites, and sky gear; —Life Boats, indeed ! Why,
I think it time now, to try and effect a rescue I

little thought of this morning
,On a coast, when a ship makes signals of distress,
all run to the beach ; and while some look on;
others shove off to render assistance. But there
is not a spectator present who does not find relief
to his feelings in some exclamation; and says,
" Poor fellows I" others say, " Hope they may all
be saved !"—" Wish I was a sailor, and could help
them 1"—" Hold on good Life Boat!"—" Hurr t !
pull away, my hearties !" &c., &c. But here we
have one of the very noblest institutions in the
whole world to-day, with Ensign in her shrouds
—not exactly Union dOwnwards, but evidently in
distress. An institution not inferior, in public
benefit, even to the Liverpool " Akbar,'' as de-
scribed in this day's paper.
These-late gales, Sir, have seriously damaged
the funds of the Royal Benevolent Shipwrecked
Mariner's Society; for, as you know, they have been
called on to pay £2OOO in relieving 530 shipwrecked
men, and 401 widows and orphans, besides 360
mariners who had lost their clothes! And all this
in the last two months ! Now, Ido say that we
have no time yet to talk about prevention of acci
dents at sea—we must first look to those who are
actually crying out to us. Let us first put this
really benevolent society upon suck footing as to
enable them to carry on their good work, and then,
while they-are working usefully, we shall not be
called upon every week or so, in every winter, to
assist individual cases—why, as a mere mercantile
" spec," it would be a saving to us, (were we sordid
enough to entertain the thought) and, depend upon
it, our contributions would be better applied than
they can be at present. The Liverpool merchants
and shipowners (and I am only a very little
one in all respects) we, I say, are a liberal
class, take us fairly. We fight with each other ov r
freight and prices, but (in spite of Mr. Roebuck,
M.P.), take us as a body, and the courtesies
of life and the truthfulness of human nature per-
vade us, and Liverpool sends immense subscriptions
into society at large. We have now a fine oppor-
tunity of proving our humanity. Let us see if we
can relieve this really well conducted society from
pressure—in relieving it how many aching hearts
shall we not comfort ! But how is it to be done ?
Now, if your correspondent, Mr. Saxby, be the
man I, from a short but pleasant interview, take
him to be, and moreover as 'the Depository
appears to be a kind of growing nautical focus of
shipping matters in Liverpool, perhaps he would
endeavour to aid the question, especially as he
must know the value of the society referred to.
But it would be wrong for him to expect us to
come forward merely because we are shipowners Has
not every man, woman,' and child an interest in
ships and commerce ? What, for instance, will
our neighbours at Manchester do for poor ship
wrecked sailors ? They at Manchester bother us
about our town dues, but here is a case in which
we all pull the same stroke, and row in the same
boat. Here, at least, we can all pull together.
Men ard brethren of Manchester come and help
us ! Help us in a work of mercy ! Our purses
will never feel the lighter for having fed the hungry,
clothed the naked, and relieved the fatherless and
widow ! Whatever we may give—be it even
shillings or " coppers"—every farthing will buy
food and raiment for the destitute ; and I cannot
help thinking that our own " daily bread" will taste
the sweeter from the sharing of even a minute
portion of it with the widows and orphans of those
who bring wealth to our docks, and " tread out the
corn for us." I have no spirits today to speak of
my visit to that depository. My heart is full!
Perhaps the very tear in my eye reminds me.
however, of one thing at which I was disappointed
at the depository. I could there see nothing of a
good ship's pump. Ala, well ! excuse me, sir.
May I ask were you ever shipwrecked yourself ?
If Mr. Saxby could spare time. I ask him to second
the hearty suggestion of (and he shall, in due time,
receive the subscription of),—Yours, &c., .
January 28, 1857. OLD HARRY.