The Sun.
London, England, 1825-10-21 00:00:00

FOR THE SUN.
—.op—.

ON TRACING THE NORTHERN LINE or THE

COAST OF NORTH AMERICA.
MR. EDITOR—The happiness and joy every
individual feels at the safe return of Captain
PARRY in the Hecla is the occasion of this com-
munication. If the observations here offered are
useful, it will afford the greatest pleasure to the
Author. When Captain LYON sailed alone for
Repulse Bay, where the Hecla and Filly (in
Captain PARRy's second voyage) were near
being lost in that frozen strait, it was not diffi-
cult to foresee that Captain LYON would fail in
the attempt. :•But, had Captain LYON sailed to
the southward and westward of Southampton
Island for Wager River, he would only have
met with ice .of one year's formation. If any
reliance can he placed on the Esquimaux chart
of Melville Peninsula, the distance from Wager
River across to the Arctic sea cannot be above
20 miles.' 'With boats of a similar construction
to those taken by Captain FRANKLIN, the north.
ern coast of America can be traced as far as
Cape Turnagain, and the party to return imme.
diately. It will be unnecessary to trace the
western coast of Melville Peninsula, after ascer-
taining that it tends to the north, and which will
sufficiently confirm the truth of the Esquimaux
chart. If two ships are sent to Wager River in
the spring of next year, victualled for two years,
and provided with a few horsei, the tracing the
Northern Line of the American Coast will with
ease be attained, when Captain FRANKLIN and
Dr. RICHARDSON have completed their journies,
of the success of which there cannot be a doubt.
Wager River abounds with salmon, and the
country is not high nor precipitous as the shores
of Repulse Bay. Deer, hares, and white grouse
will be found in abundance on the land that
bounds Wager River. If two ships are sent to
Wager River next spring, what use can it be to
send the undaunted and persevering Captain
PARRY on a fourth voyage ! What he has al-
ready achieved will immortalize his name ; and
.the House of Commons have the power to remu-
nerate him for his services.

A CORRESPONDENT.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN SEAMENS' FRIEND

SOCIETY.

Yesterday evening the Sixth Anniversary of this valuable In-
stitution was held at the City of London Tavern, 13ishopsgate.
street.
At six o'clock, the Right Hon. Lord GAMBIER was unani-
mously called to the Chair. The Noble Lord briefly adverted
to the many advantages attending such an Institution, and ex-
pressed a hope that it would continue its course of usefulness
and prosperity.
The Secretary, Mr. PHILLIPS, here proceeded to read a very
satisfactory and detailed statement of the proceedings of the In-
stitution in the various parts of the kingdom ; and on the whole
it presented a very flattering picture; and one which must prove
exceedingly grateful to the friends of moral improvement of so
valuable a portion of the community, as the seamen of Great
Britain. Branch Institutions have been extended to several
inland towns who have sent handsome donations to the parent
Institution in London. Several i•eligious tracts were distribut.
ed amongst the sailors of France, Holland, Sweden, Denwark,
&c. The Report regretted that so little progress was made in
Russia ; but hoped that .the light of the true religion would
:loon dispel their darkness. At Malta, the Bethel flag was
hoisted, and in several parts of the Mediterranean. In Africa
the Gospel was preached to sailors, and the same took place at
Calcutta. Pious efforts were not wanted in China, and even
at the Sandwich Islands the sacred sounds of religion were to
be heard, coming from pious and serious Missionaries a, well
as Captains. In North America. there were many useful
Bethel Institutions, and in the South American. Republics
efforts were making to extend the blessings of such pious
.labours.
The Report was received with great applause.
Captain Ar.Lxx read the report of toe finances, which,
though not in the most flourishing circumstances, still affbrded
hopes that the Institution would continue to receive the counte-
nance of the public.
Rev. Mr. GURNEY congratulated the meeting on the pro-
gress of so extraordinary an institution—an institution whose
.name, use, anti benefits, were known and appreciated over the
whole world. They were not to measure the value of this So-
ciety by its income and expenditure, which were but trivial,
but by the blessing which it spread wherever it was known._
The most delightful intelligence had been conveyed to the
meeting in the report which they had just heard ; and be all
due praise given to that Providence who had set his favour upon
their efforts. They were all now called upon, as Christians
faithful to their God, to continue their efforts anti stimulate
•others to follow up the work of benevolence.-(Applause.)
Rev. Mr. BUTLER (New Zealand) thanked the Almighty
for all the civil and religious immunities which they enjoyed as
British subjects. He never rose with greater pleasure than on
the present occasion, where so many persons were assembled to-
gether in unity and love to improve the moral condition of so
valuable a class of men as British seamen.—(Applause.)—llls
vessel might be a dull sailer, but a sounder bark never dared
the ocean. They were armed with the word of God, and, if
God were with them, who could be against them ? He had not
Went to treat this subject as it deserved, but the love of God
still constrained him to come forward with his mite of assistance.
He must here say that the seamen were ever ready to receive in-
struction ; whether he preached "to them on board ship or on
shore, they always conducted themselves in the most becoming
manner. Their example had the best effect on foreign seamen,
and, he trusted in God, it would continue to do so. He la-
mented the number of seamen wrecked annually on our shores,
without, perhaps, having any knowledge of God, or of the
saving atonement of Jesus Christ. Such a consideration was
awful indeed. Seamen had immortal souls as well as others
—and why
.should they not he made partakers of the com-
mon salvation ? Many people said that the heroic courage
of our sailors suffered by the introduction of genuine
religion, but his experience enabled him to deny it. True re-
ligion Inspired. confidence—true religion had nothing to fear,
and if it took away a savage courage, it was the only tower of
strength in which any man could rely. Our Saviour took first
care of sailorsL-Peter and Andrew, and James and John, were
sailors, fishers of men, whereas we have made them the last—
and in this the world might be said to be turned upside down.
Our Saviour was always fond of fishing, and in one haul caught
three thousand fishes.—(Applause.)—He would only now ad-
vert to one more topic,. and would ask what could be done
without sailors ? They contributed to the greatness and glory
of this &eat country, and should not be forgotten nor abet:-
donee!. He was glad to hear that chapels were to be erected in
the River Thames, which bore upon it every day not less than
five and twenty thousand souls, and he trusted to the blessings
of God to promote the building of others to his
.own glory.—
Fle trusted they would never cease ih•their exertions until the
Bethel flag was found to float in every quarter of the world.—
(Applause.)
Rev. Mr. SMITH (Penzance) here read an extract of a let-
ter, from which it appeared that 280 persons were wrecked in
the Northern Coast of England in the course of the last year,
and in the North of Europe about 3,000 persons. The know-
ledge of such melancholy facts slould induce this meeting to
preserve religious instruction for seamen and their families.—
He did not believe that any Briton could oppose a society like
this ; or that, in doing so, he could have the feelings of a man
or the religion of as Christian.—( Applause.)
The Rev. Mr. MARKS drew a feeling picture of the horrors
of shipwreck, which he had known while for many years in the
Navy. He felt convinced that the divine impress was stamped
in a most pre-eminent manner on the Bethel Union. He was
sorry to find something like an apathy on the part of a portion
of the public relative to this Institution. He did not of course
allude to the present company, whom he believed to have been
brought together by generous hearts and kind feelings. Be re-
gretted that there should be. any scepticism as to the neces-
sity of promoting the moral welfare of the British seamen.
Every one knew what oaths and impurities were used in the
sea service: and it could only be a mercy from God, that
those who blasphemed were not made instant victims to the
wrath of the Most High. If it were admitted that blas-
phemy and impurity were evils, then they were bound to
find- a remedy for, such evils. He begged leave to refer them
to that little Blue Jacket, The Sailor:' Magazine, which
would disclose events to them, about which there now seem-
ed to be some doubt. Much bad Amex done, but much still

' remained to be done, and he implored the God of peace and
mercy to prosper the glorious work in which they were engag-
ed.—(Applause.)
The Rev. Mr. LLOYD observed, that as there was a set time
for every thing ordained by Providence, so the present appear.
ed to be the time at which favourable efforts were to be made
in favour of British seamen. The broad seal of Heaven was
. set upon this Institution, and it must and would prosper, al-
though to human appearance, its means were so St-11 and so
inadequate.
Rev. Mr. SMITH (Penzance) read an extract of a letter from
an aged sailor, who was now laid up in ordinary, but who en-
joyed a pension for his services, and who was a friend to the
religious improvement of seamen. He devoted his time when
a young man to the defence of his country, and lus age he was
devoting to the work of God, and the propagation of his sacred
name.
The Rev. Dr. Mon arsosr observed that so much had been
said in the course of the evening on the object of this Institu-
tion, that he would not enter further upon it. He bore testi-
mony to the incalculable blessings it conveyed, and he would
now proceed to say a few words with respect to the state of reli-
gion of the sailors trading to Canton. The deaths of sailors
there were about 200 annually, without the presence of any
Clergyman to soothe their last moments. There was one Be.
thel flag hoisted there, but that was by no means enough. He
had himself written for assistance to America, and to other
places, but as yet he had obtained no satisfactory answer. Per-
sonal service was absolutely necessary to preserve the seamen
in the paths of morality and religion. It so happened, how-
ever, that people only felt for their own immediate wants, and
forgot those of their fellow-creatures at a distance. But cha-
lrity should not be so exclusive; our thoughts should be enlarged
and elevated from earth to heaven, and we should thank the
Lord for all that he had wrought for them. The Most High
never refused his eTace to those who truly sought it, and he
would not deny his protection to an Institution so well de-
signed, so well conducted, and so successfully followed up.
Long did he trust that it would continue to spread its bles-
sings on every shore and every sea throughout the world._
(Applause.)
• The Rev. Mr. EVANSON said, that as a Clergyman of. ths
Estanushed Church, he now came forward to lend his support
to an Institution so truly beneficent as the Bethel Union.—( 1 p_
lause.)—He had every hope that it would be encouraged as it
deserved, and that British seamen, who were our main-stay in.
a naval and commercial point of view, should be no longer left
without the means of religious instruction.
Here the Rev. Mr. SMITH stated to the Meeting that he
had received 111. 10s., being a collection made by a young
man residing in Leman-street, Goodman's-fields.—(Loud ap-
plause.)
_

The Noble CHAIRMAN said, that he could not allow the
meeting to separate without expressing his cordial approbation
of the Bethel Union, and he prayed that every blessing would
continue to be poured upon its labours.
The Rev. 31r. HENDEnsoN observed, that the horrors of
ship-wreck had been feelingly touched upon this-evening; but
oh ! did the meeting know what it was to sink loder the bil-
lows of Divine wrath, they would not lose a moment in enabling
the seamen to avoid so dreadful a destiny. The sailor had an
immortal soul, and it should not be left to starve and perish
everlastingly. lie congratulated this meeting on the advan-
tages already conferred by this Society ; and it afforded him
some little consolation to think, that while he was in Russia
he was enabled to assist them in their pious labours.
Several Resolutions declaratory of the objects of the meeting
were proposed and unanimously carried.
The Rev. 31r. SMITH here observed, that several Chaplains
of ships who had forwarded the objects of the Bethel Union
were now present, and lie should like to hear 'them tell their
own story.
Captain SIMPSON then came forward, and, in a very modest
manner, stated what he had done in forwarding the prayermeet-
ings, anti referred to the Sailor's Magazine for details with which
he would not trouble the meeting.—(Applause.)
The Rev. Dr. BoortißOYD admitted that en impression had
gone abroad that sailors were so depraved that no preacher could
make any impression upon them, but after what he had heard
this evening, and after his own experience, he must altogether
protest against so unfounded an imputation. Though liviro, a
distance from the metropolis, he promised the meeting that he
would do all in his power to forward the blessed labours of the
Bethel Union.

A President and other Officers for the ensuing year were then
appointed.

Thanks were voted to the Noble Chairman and the other
Officers of thc. Incaution, who returned thanks, and the meet-
ing separated.
A handsome collection was made at the doors.