Seaman's Magazine, He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. Psalms. THE DISTRESSED MARINER. To the Editor of the Seaman's Magazine. SIR, I have been favoured with the perusal of the Log-book of the British ship Crisis of London, Capt. W. Mead. The following account of her voyage from Sheilds, a small seaport in England, near Newcastle on the river Tyne, to New-York, during the past winter, cannot be read by either seamen or landmen without a deep sense of the overruling providence of God. Capt. Mead sailed from Sheilds 4th December, 1822. While on the coasts of England and Scotland, they had to encounter many severe gales, which carried away spars, rigging, chanwales, and bulwarks, and caused the ship to leak. Wind and weather continued unpleasant nearly all the time to the 24th of January; the wind then came out at S. E. pleasant weather. All hands were then engaged in making sail, shaking out reefs, setting top gallantsails, &c. At 7 A. M. there came on a tremendous squall, with thunder and lightning, and hailmixed with rain. They immediately took in all the light sails, and handed the mizzen topsail; hauled up the mainsail and foresail; clewed down the main and foretop sails, hauled up all the geer and close reefed them. Immediately after, a violent hurricane came on, blowing from every point of the compass. They then attempted to hand the mainsail; before they got it furled, a whirlwind came on and carried all before it, taking away one third of the larboard main yard arm, and precipitated all the men on deck. William Newsted was nearly killed, having received five wounds on the head, the scull laid bare. Robert Smith was much disabled by bruises. The fore and main topsail yards, mainsail, main and fore topmast staysails, were all carried away. The ship was now completely a wreck, and unmanageable; the sea breaking over her in every direction, and carried away nearly all the rails and bulwarks. On the 25th, a gale came on from N. W. and they expected every moment the ship would founder. Anxiety and fatigue had now reduced the crew to a state of debility. While they were placed in this melancholy situation, the Lord had pity and compassion upon them, and caused the wind and sea to abate in their violence for a short time, which gave the crew an opportunity to refresh themselves with food; and dress the wounds of Newsted, Smith, and the second mate. The mizzen topsail was the only sail left for the safety of the ship, which was set close reefed. As the gale now came on again and increased to a great degree, they saw the mizzen topsail unsafe, and handed it; and put some canvas in the mizzen rigging, to keep the ship too as the only resource. We must pause for a moment, and take a view of a ship on the trackless ocean in this distressed situation. Hull, spars, sails, rigging, and boats all completely wrecked, and every moment exposed to greater disasters. What would have been our anxiety, if our eyes had seen these dear mariners in this distress? and out of our power to deliver them? We should have agonized at the throne of grace, and poured out our hearts to Almighty God, and watered our prayers with our tears until the Lord had delivered them from their perilous situation. We give God all the glory, for putting it into the hearts of any who traverse the ocean, to offer up prayers to Almighty God, when they are in trouble. The captain and crew of the ship Crisis were within a hair's breadth of eternity. They mounted up to heaven, they went down again into the depths; their souls were melted because of trouble, and they were at their wit's end. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distresses. We presume, few log-books, would furnish extracts like the following. "The sea running mountains high, which caused the ship to labour to such a degree, there was no hopes she would keep us from a watery grave; under these circumstances in which the Lord had placed us, all those that were able and could be spared, met in the cabin, to return thanks to Almighty God, for the preservation of the ship and our lives during the hurricane. As the oldest seaman on board can affirm, that he never saw either hurricane or gale of wind, to equal the one we have had. Therefore, it is the mercy of Divine Providence we are saved; and to him we return our thanks." The wind and weather had so abated, it enabled them to replace spars, sails, and rigging; which brought the ship into a safer situation. On the 4th February, there came on a violent gale from the N. W. and increased to such a degree, they could not suffer a rag of sail to be set. They lashed some canvas in the mizzen rigging, to keep the ship's head to sea as much as possible. At 3 P. M. she shipped a sea, which carried away four more stanchions, two timber heads, split, toused, and carried away a quantity of planksheath,, started a ringbolt, broke the boat's chocks, stove in one of the main hatches, and sent the long boat to leeward much injured; broke the cabin sky light, and carried away the wheel and tiller; and a quantity of water was lodged in the ship. They were now deprived of boats, as the yawl had previously been taken from the stern and lost. They found by the ship's labouring, her leaks had increased, which brought them into a more perilous situation, and caused much labour at the pumps. In addition to their calamities, for a considerable time before they arrived at New-York, their provisions and water had got so reduced they had to subsist on three gills of water, and one biscuit per day. On the 11th of March they arrived safe at New-York, although unknown to any one on board, several but-ends of the planks between the wale and water, were started off; and one in 1 particular, was so open, if it had been under water the ship would have sunk in 20 minutes. It would have been impossible for that ship to have arrived in port, if it had not been by the kind providence of God; and that we must believe was in answer to prayer. How can mariners read the above, and see the wonderful effects produced by prayer to God, in saving some of their seafaring brethren from a watery grave, and remain indifferent to the solemn truth of their dependence on him who only can deliver them out of all their dangers? by following the example of the captain and crew of the ship Crisis, in offering up their prayers to Almighty God? How can those who reside on shore, remain any longer unconcerned about the salvation of seamen, when they are daily reading and hearing about their perilous situation, and sudden precipitation into eternity unprepared to die, without prayers to God, who alone can deliver them from a watery grave and a wretched eternity? How can they expect that seamen will follow the example of the crew of the ship Crisis, unless they themselves feel interested in the Marine Bible Society and Society for promoting the Gospel among Seamen, and the Bethel Union and take an active part in promoting the important objects of these institutions? And offer up prayers to God continually, for his blessings to descend on all the feeble endeavours that are made for the benefit of seamen. Yours, &c. C. PRINCE. During the period above described, the captain of the Crisis penned the following REFLECTIONS. Ship Crisis, at Christmas time, in tremendous gales, in the Northern Regions-N. Lat. between 59 and 60 deg.-W. Long. 13 and 14 deg.-December 29th, 1822. ON THE SUN. FIVE days have elapsed since we left the Orkney Islands, where vegetation is scarcely seen, aud not a stately herb yields its branches to that glorious luminary.-Have we been so long tossed about in this tempestuous ocean?-Have we lost part of our sails, and our boat, by these raging elements, in which we partly trusted, too, for safety ?-Is this agitated ocean going over our heads?—Is this stately ship giving away* to those raging billows; and are we deprived of thee,-thou great conductor of our voyage ?-Yes, days have passed without our beholding thee! In these tremendous gales, dark clouds, and dense vapours veil thy face. Even in a clear day, and in thy meridian glory, a few degrees above the horizon is all thou deignest to give to these cold regions in this inclement season-scarcely suffering us to feel thy rays.-But are we also deprived of THEE?-thou Sun of righteousuess! No: thy beams shine from the Arctic to the Antarctic regions,-the torrid, the frigid, * The ship by violent straining had been caused to leak and the temperate zones are all alike to Thee-no clouds or vapours can intercept thy rays, which shine from pole to pole, and to earth's remotest bounds! May they shine more and more in all their meridian splendour, until all thy creatures are warmed and animated by thy genial, life-giving rays.-If clouds and darkness are before thee-if at times thy rays are hid by afflictions, troubles, disappointments, losses, and cares of this life, yet as the mariner looks forward, and expects a deliverance from the dangers that surround him, and watching an opportunity to spread his sails towards that luminary, where they expect to feel more of his rays, especially at this season-so mayest thou, Oh my soul, watch every opportunity, especially in the hour of adversity, to make all sail, and advance towards that great Luminary, who is alone capable of giving thee light, comfort, and evelasting peace. In all my ways thy hand I own, Oft hath the sea compassed my power, And given me back at thy command; NEW-YORK MARINE BIBLE SOCIETY. THE seventh annual meeting of this institution was held in the North Reformed Dutch church, on Monday evening, 28th April 1823. The chair was taken at half past 7 o'clock by JOHN WESTFIELD, Vice President, and the business of the meeting was commenced with prayer by the Rev. Phil. Milledoler, D. D. and the annual report was then read by the Rev. John Truair, Corresponding Secretary. The meeting, which was highly respectable and numerous, was then addressed by Divie Bethune, Esq. the Rev. Alexander S. Fraser, pastor of the Presbyterian church at Westfield, N. J., the Rev. John Knox, associate pastor of the Reformed Dutch Church, and the Rev. Robert McCartee, pastor of the Orange-street Presbyterian church, in this city. A collection of sixty-five dollars was then taken up to aid in supplying destitute seamen with the Bible. Seventh Annual Report. IN presenting their Seventh Annual Report, the managers of the Marine Bible Society of New-York, would bring but two branches of thought before the society; the one a source of joy to them, and the other of sorrow. It is one source of joy to the managers, that they have lived to see another annual meeting of the society, to meet with friends of the institution, and report to them the things which, on the subject of their association, most materially affect their own minds. While many during the past year have gone to their long home, and have done with the joys and sorrows, the labours and vicissitudes of this world, we are all, still the living recipients of God's grace and mercy,—are still spared to do yet more in this good work, and are bound by still strongerfties, as an associate compact, to show to our fellow-men the praises and the goodness of the Lord. To the managers, it is also a source of joy, that, in the good provi dence of God, they find still labour enough to be performed by this society. The little which has been done, only opens to the view of a careful observer, the vast sea-field, which lies more or less unoccupied. It is ascertained, that but few of the seamen have Bibles; and many neither see, nor read one for months together. Whether they all would read the Bible if they had it, your managers do not know ;-but still they feel, that in order to stand approved in the judgment of the great day themselves, they are bound to do all in their power to put the Word of life into the hands of every mariner;-and they feel also, that this is a duty, to the performance of which, the society should direct its unceasing efforts, while it shall have an existence. That the society need not relax its efforts for the want of labour; that there is sea-field enough yet to be possessed; and that to accomplish this, the society may yet bend on an abundance of sail to its little barque, are facts which afford a kind of gladness to your managers.-And it is equally matter of gratulation to them, that something has actually been done in this good work. This society, limited as have been its means, has yet done something. Before the commencement of the year which has now closed, it had distributed since its formation, 3769 Bibles, and 209 Testaments; and during the year, which this day closes the seventh of the society's existence, it has distributed 216 Bibles and 16 Testaments; making in all 3985 Bibles, and 225 Testaments; which together make a total of 4210 copies of the blessed Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is able to make men wise unto salvation through faith in his name, which have been distributed by it.-But what this society has done towards supplying the destitute seamen with the Bible, is not all that has been done. The society must feel encouraged to go on with still more efficient zeal in its good work, from the reflection that it does not labour alone. The fact that there are now seventeen other Marine Bible Societies on this sea board, labouring with more or less engagedness in the same good work, should, the managers think, stimulate this society to no ordinary degree of exertion to fill, with honour to itself, and to the approbation of its Lord, the highly important station which it occupies. We say highly important station; and we may have occasion, in another part of this report, to compare its labours, and its situation with, at least one of its sister institutions. It is, finally, more than all matter of joy to your managers that this labour of kindness has not been in vain in the Lord. Some good has been done by it. Some souls have been turned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, by reading a Bible which you have put into their hands. Some have become reformed in their moral conduct, and are made better seamen, better fathers, better husbands, and better men in society, by means of the Bible, whose hearts may not yet be renewed by the grace of God. Some have most likely been benefited by the Bible, which has been givẹn them, whose case will not be known till the day when the sea shall give up the dead that are in it, and you all stand along with them to hear the effects of this world's labour, and the decisions of eternity. The expressions of joy and gratitude, which many scamen have VOL. IX 96 |