AGENT OF THE SOCIETY FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

In the PILOT for May, it was intimated that the Committee had appointed Mr. J. Barclay, one of the Society's preachers in the Port of London, as their agent in the new and rising Colony of South Australia, whither he is about to emigrate; but previous to his departure, it is proposed by the church, under the pastoral care of the Rev. Dr. Bennet, of which Mr. B. is a member, that a special service be held to commend their brother to God, and to the word of his grace; with such service it is deemed advisable to connect a public recognition of Mr. B. as a foreign agent of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society. Arrangements have been made accordingly; and we are happy to announce that the service will take place in Silver Street Chapel, on Friday evening, June 9, at seven o'clock; the order being as follows :—

Reading the Scriptures and prayer, Rev. T. Timpson; Introductory Address on the Condition and Claims of Seamen, Rev. Dr. Cox; Dedicatory Prayer, Rev. J. Young, A.M.; Pastoral Address, Rev. Dr. Bennet; Counsels, Rev. F. Townley; Concluding Prayer, Rev. R. Ferguson. The attendance of all the friends of seamen is respectfully requested. May the special presence and blessing of God be enjoyed on the occasion.

Our readers will learn from an advertisement on the Cover. that the Anniversary Meeting of the MARITIME PENITENT FEMALE REFUGE is fixed for the 21st of June. This Institution has a powerful claim on every friend of humanity, and we trust that the appeal of the Committee for increased pecuniary aid will meet with a ready and generous response.

C, WOOD, PRINTER, POPPIN'S COURT, FLEET STREET.

OR

SAILORS' MAGAZINE.

NEW SERIES.

FOR JULY, 1837.

BARGEMEN AND BOATMEN ON BRITISH
RIVERS AND CANALS.

BRITISH COMMERCE, in all its unparalleled magnitude, and in its various branches, requires not only 250,000 seamen, but it employs a large number of labourers in its inland navigation, under the several denominations of bargemen, lightermen, flatmen, and boatmen. These, it must be acknowledged, are highly important to the prosperity of Great Britain.

Accurately to declare the numbers of these several classes is not possible, even with those who possess the best means of information: still it is believed, that they fall little short, if they do not exceed 50,000 persons. But the nature of their employment, and the present regulations of "the carrying trade," upon the navigable rivers and canals in England, tend seriously to demoralize that large body of useful men, cutting them off in a great degree from the benefit of the public ordinances of religion; and thus leaving them deplorably ignorant of the imperishable blessings of Christianity.

Bargemen and boatmen have begun, however, to share in the generous sympathies of Christians; and various successful efforts have been made to bring them under the sound of the Gospel. Bethel flags of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society are hoisted, not only on the banks of the Thames, to invite them to the worship of God, but at North Shields, Leeds, and Birmingham; and not a few boatmen, bargemen, and keelmen, on our canals and. rivers, as well as seamen occupied on the mighty ocean, have been savingly instructed in the doctrines of the Gos

VOL. IV.

P

pel, and led to rejoice in the consolations of Christ, adorning the doctrine of God our Saviour.

Worthy efforts to evangelize these classes have been made by the Liverpool Seamen's Friend Society, and by a band of devoted servants of Christ, at that great rendezvous of boatmen on the Paddington canal, near London. Their benevolent labours too, have, in many instances, been crowned with the blessing of God: but still there is a great work to be performed among these neglected men ; and we appeal to the ministers of the Gospel of all denominations, to enter upon this field of labour, either personally, or by means of well qualified and specially appointed agents. Christian Instruction Societies, City Mission Societies, Pastoral Aid Societies, and Clerical Aid Societies, should by all means include this class of men in their benevolent regards; especially as they are more exposed to temptation than many others, and less favoured with opportunities of hearing the Gospel.

The Committee of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society will cheerfully aid, as far as their resources will allow, the friends of boatmen and bargemen, in promoting their efforts in this department of labour: but their first object is to excite pious clergymen and ministers of all denominations of Christians, to direct their attention to this subject, that measures may be taken to carry forward the most efficient plans for the evangelization of these useful classes of our countrymen. With a view to enforce the preceding remarks, we beg to call the attention of our readers to the following article, being the SUBSTANCE OF A LECTURE delivered at the GUILDHALL, WORCESTER, on Monday, November 7, 1836, by the Rev. John Davies, A. M., Rector of St. Clement's, in that city, on the state of Religion and Morals among that class of his Majesty's subjects who gain their subsistence by working upon our RIVERS AND CANALS; and on the duty of exertion to promote their spiritual welfare.

RELIGION AND MORALS AMONG BRITISH

BOATMEN AND BARGEMEN.

Rev. Mr. Davies states, that he has been for more than twenty years rector of a parish on the banks of the Severn, and not far distant from the Worcester and

Birmingham Canal, and that he speaks from long and painful observation of the case of those working upon the river and canal." We hail so influential a labourer in this department of labour, and have great pleasure in giving his testimony in this case.

"Connected with the commerce of this country," says this respectable clergyman, "and not a little instrumental in promoting its extension, is that large class of our fellow subjects, who may be ranked under the name of watermen, a body of men the most degraded perhaps in the British dominions, and concerning the bulk of whom it may be truly said, that although they are in a spiritual sense surrounded by light, yet they are in fact, lying in darkness and in the shadow of death.'

"To the awful condition of this too long neglected portion of the British nation, permit me inost respectfully, but most earnestly to solicit the attention, not only of those who are connected with trade and commerce, but of all who mourn over the degradation of their fellow-men, and would rejoice in promoting their welfare and happiness. May the Divine blessing be vouchsafed to this feeble and unworthy effort to excite public attention to the state of religion and morals among the watermen of England, and make it the means of calling forth some exertion at least on their behalf, from the more privileged classes of society.

66 Although the number of men employed on the rivers and canals of this kingdom cannot perhaps be exactly ascertained, yet they evidently amount to many thousands: there is also a considerable body of other labourers engaged in the lading and unlading of vessels, and some of these persons have large families, so that their example and influence, good or bad, among the working classes of society, must be extensive. It will not, unhappily, require much proof to convince the public that the watermen are a very demoralized class; for if persons wish to stamp any individual with an opprobrious epithet as designating a drunken, swearing, profligate character, the term Bargeman' is used as conveying that which is expressive of every thing that is offensive and disgusting. But allow me to ask, how comes this to pass? What is there in the occupation of a bargeman, or waterman of any description, considered in itself, which should demoralize him? What is there in steering a helm, or plying an oar, or handling rope, which should morally sink a man beneath his