MISSIONARY WORK ON SHIPBOARD.
By M. L. H.
Thinking that the readers of the Review will be much interested to learn what has been accomplished in this department of the work, we give a few extracts from reports received within a few weeks. The following is from the Secretary of the California Tract Society:— “We now have two missionaries, one of whom gives his entire time to this work; the other, who has just commenced, will give a considerable portion of his to the same. They have both been sea-faring men, and on this account understand how to approach sailors and manage the business better than any one not acquainted with their customs and manners of living. The following is a summary of the labor performed since April, 1878, by the brother first mentioned:— “No. of vessels visited, 224; No. of visits made, 371; Signs distributed, 6,214; other periodicals, 742; pages of publications distributed, 83,353.” “Others have engaged in the same work, but have made no separate report of it.” “On four occasions we have had preaching on board ships. Through the kindness of the superintendents of the Pacific Mail, also the Occidental and Oriental Steamship Companies, we have permission to put our publications on board their steamers, which sail to Australia, Japan, China, Central America, Vancouver Island, etc. Vessels supplied with reading matter sail from here to the United Kingdom, the Continent, the Eastern States, etc. We have also supplied twenty-four light-houses on the Pacific coast, and obtained over one thousand addresses to be used in the missionary work.” The following is from a report of this kind of labor performed in England:— “Our ship-work commenced on the last of January; but we did not do much before the first of March, owing to not having papers, etc. Up to the present time (Nov. 10) the work we have done is as follows: No. of ships visited, 158; periodicals distributed, 2,469; pages of tracts, 6,618.” “Of these vessels sixty-five went to the different ports on the coast of England, thirteen to the West Indies, ten to Central and South America, leaving publications at Lisbon in Portugal, and other important points on the way; ten went to North America, ten through the Mediterranean Sea, Suez Canal, and Red Sea, to Bombay, Calcutta and the East Indies, etc. Seven have taken packages to Scotland, and six to different points in Denmark, upon which we placed Danish reading matter; six took packages for the Madeira Islands and the Cape of Good Hope; four sailed to different points in Russia; five to Italy with Italian tracts; three to France; five to Norway; three to Rotterdam and different ports in Holland; three to different points on the Baltic Sea; one to Finland; one to Ireland; one to Sweden; two to Eastern Africa; and two were making a tour around the world. One of these belonging to Nova Scotia, had been in the port of San Francisco, California, where the crew had conversed with the ship-missionaries, and received copies of The Signs of the Times. Upon seeing this paper here, they hailed it as an old friend, and gladly took a fresh supply.” “A gentleman in Gibraltar has become deeply interested in the Signs, and carefully distributes them to English readers at that point. A marine in the British Navy on the Red Sea has read the Signs and indorses the doctrines it advocates. He takes delight in reading the paper to groups of sailors on shipboard. He writes that many prefer to remain on the ships and hear him read rather than go on shore for dissipation. This man is deeply interested in our mission here, and proposes to contribute something for its support. On one of the vessels to Scotland the steward became so interested in reading the Signs that, on his return, he hailed Bro. Ings on the docks, and requested another supply of papers. He said his friends in Scotland made him promise to bring them ‘some of those wonderful papers,’ and he has made arrangements to take a supply each trip (once in two weeks), and place them in the hands of those desirous of reading them. On one of the vessels to Africa, we placed nearly a cubic-foot of papers and tracts, in the hands of a gentleman, a native African, who came to America to fight in the late war on the side of the North, and who was on his way home. He will distribute them in the city of Zanzibar.” “In some cases we have placed publications on the same ships several times. Those who take charge of their distribution, usually the stewards of the vessel, say they are received with thankfulness, and read with eager interest. When the Peninsular and Oriental (East India and African boats) and the West India boats come into this port, they pass into the hands of ship-keepers until they sail again. Three of these ship-keepers have already become deeply interested, and render us great assistance in securing a proper distribution of packages prepared for the ships.” To a more limited extent, the same work is carried on in Portland, Me., and New Bedford and Boston, Mass. Every vessel of any note visiting New Bedford is supplied with reading matter. All engaged in this work bear the same testimony respecting the eagerness with which publications are sought by the sailors. From these partial reports it will be seen that reading matter is finding its way to all parts of the world by this means. For the sake of brevity, we have omitted most of the ports visited by these vessels, and named in reports received; also reports from Maine and Massachusetts.