Gloucestershire is famous for containing the source of the river Thames, which takes its rise from a copious spring, called Thames Head, two miles S.W. of Cirencester. About a mile below its source is its first corn-mill called Kemble Mill. Here it may properly be said to form a constant current, which though not more than nine feet wide in summer, yet in winter becomes such a torrent as to overflow the meadows for many miles round; passing Somerford, Cricklade, Kemsford, Inglesham, and Lechlade, it widens considerably and receives the Lech, the Coln, the Church, and the Isis, and it becomes navigable for vessels of ninety tons burthen, about 138 miles from London.

At Ensham, in its course to Oxford, is the first stone bridge over the Thames: at Oxford it is joined by the Charwell, and proceeding to Abingdon and Dorchester it receives the Tame, continuing its course by Wallingford, Reading, Henley, Marlow, Maidenhead, Windsor, Eton, Egham, Staines, Laleham, Chertsey, Weybridge, Shepperton, Walton, Sunbury, Moulsey, Hampton, Ditton, Kingston, Teddington, Twickenham, Richmond, Isleworth, Brentford, Kew, Mortlake, Barnes, Chiswick, Hammersmith, Putney, Fulham, Wandsworth, Battersea, Chelsea, and Lambeth. Then on the north bank of the river are the cities of Westminster and London, and on the opposite side the borough of Southwark, forming together the vast metropolis of Great Britain, extending to Limehouse on the north, and to Deptford on the south. The tide flows about twenty miles above London, and above 120 from the extreme coast of Kent; hence the Thames at Deptford, at high water, is capable of admitting the largest ships of war. From Deptford the Thames proceeds to Greenwich, Woolwich, Erith, Greenhithe, Gray's Thurrock, Gravesend, Sheerness, and Leigh into the ocean; but receiving in its course several considerable streams, especially the Lea, the Roding, the Darent, and the noble Medway.

Trade has been greatly facilitated on the Thames, by means of a canal uniting that with the river Severn. A canal was made, by virtue of an act of

parliament in 1730, from the Severn to Wall Bridge, near Stroud. A new canal now ascends by Stroud, through the vale of Chalford, to the height of 343 feet, by means of twenty-eight locks, and thence to the entrance of a tunnel near Sapperton, a distance of nearly eight miles. The canal is forty-two feet in width at top, and thirty at the bottom. The tunnel, which is dug under ground two miles and three furlongs is nearly fifteen feet in width, and can navigate barges of seventy tons. The canal descending hence 134 feet, by fourteen locks, joins the Thames at Lechdale, a distance of above twenty miles. The distance is thirty miles from the Severn at Froomlade to Inglesham where it joins the Thames.

Sir John Denham's poem of "Cowper's Hill," contains, in a few lines, the best description of this renowned river; though the trade and commercial importance of the Thames have increased, probably tenfold, since the death of Sir John in 1688. Most of the magnificent bridges, and all the prodigious docks at London have been built since that period, beside the invention of steam-vessels, about 200 of which are constantly skimming over the bosom of the Thames, and by its amazing facilities of transit, bringing the inhabitants of London within a day's sail of several parts of France.

66

Thames, the most loved of all the ocean's sons
By his old sire, to his embraces runs ;
Hasting to pay his tribute to the sea,
Like mortal life to meet eternity.

Nor are his blessings to his banks confined,
But free and common as the sea or wind;
Where he, to boast or to disperse his stores,
Full of the tribute of his grateful shores,
Visits the world, and in his flying towers
Brings home to us, and makes both Indies ours;
So that to us no thing, no place is strange,
While his fair bosom is the world's exchange.
O could I flow like thee, and make thy stream
My great example, as it is my theme!
Though deep, yet clear; though gentle, yet not
dull;

Strong without rage, without o'erflowing full." 371

"WHAT HAVE I TO DO WITH SAILORS?"

John. Father, I want you to tell me all about sailors.

Father. My dear little boy, I cannot do that; they are such a numerous body: there are more than 30,000 seamen belonging to the king's ships, above 50,000 who are fishermen of different classes around our coasts, and nearly 200,000 sailors in the merchant-service of Great Britain, trading with their vessels for our benefit to all countries on the globe. Besides, their constant dangers on the ocean, and their frequent shipwrecks at sea, supply so many subjects of consideration, that I am not able to inform you every thing about any one department of the affairs of sailors.

John. But I am sure, father, that you know a great deal about sailors; and I want you to tell me as much as you know about them,

Father. All that I know I will gladly tell you: but what led you to make that request?

John. Because, father, you are a friend to the British and Foreign Sailors' Society; and Orlando, who went from our school to sea, returned from his first voyage a few days ago, and he says that his ship has brought home six hundred tons of tea, besides a great deal of silk, from China.

Father. Is that all that led you to inquire about sailors?

John. No, father; I often think of the old sailors that I have seen at Greenwich Hospital; and I want to know all about them.

Father. Orlando may be quite correct as to the cargo of tea in his ship; for some of our large Chinese ships bring home double that quantity of tea at a time. As to Greenwich Hospital, that great asylum receives at one time two thousand seven hundred and ten disabled seamen of the royal navy; and while it is one of the grandest buildings in the world, that magnificent refuge for old sailors is one of the noblest charities of England.

John. Those old seamen ought to be very happy, being so well supported in Greenwich Hospital.

Father. They are very comfortably provided for, and some of them are truly happy, because they are sincere Christians.

John. I should think, father, that every body would love sailors, because it is said they are always either working for us, or guarding us, at sea.

very

Father. However deserving of their country sailors may be, many who live far from the sea think little about them or their services. Many look upon them only as a worthless class of men, scarcely deserving notice; and a rich young lady once, on my requesting her to take a collecting card of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society, refused, asking, What have I to do with SAILORS?"

66

Miriam. Many ladies, I am sure, father, are friends of sailors, and of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society; and I would hope that the young lady to whom you refer did not intend any unkindness towards sailors; for I should be grieved to hear of any one, much more of a lady, using such language respecting that very useful class of men.

Father. That lady is a very kind-hearted young person, and I am willing to believe that her expression arose from inconsiderateness, and perhaps ignorance of the great obligations under which we are laid to sailors for their various services to the whole country. Many, however, are equally ignorant with that young lady, whom I cannot but love notwithstanding.

Miriam. I hope, father, you will never again hear such a question proposed by another young

lady about seamen; and that all who know the labours of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society to benefit seamen, will aid it in seeking to make them Christians.

Father. For my own part, I have felt a great regard for sailors ever since I was a little boy, living a hundred miles from the sea, when forty years ago I used to hear my father say, that sailors, by our wooden walls, were the defenders of England against the French.

John. "Wooden walls," father! how could they keep the French out of England.

Father. My dear boy, by wooden walls, my father meant the great ships of war, in which all those have served who are now the pensioners in Greenwich Hospital.

John. Those very great ships may indeed be called the wooden walls of England; for I remember seeing many of them when I went with you on an excursion to Sheerness.

Father. And I suppose you remember seeing the "Lord Howe," a very large vessel carrying 120

cannons.

John. O yes! I do father: you told me how many men are required for that great ship.

Father. The "Lord Howe" would require nearly 1000 men; and when you think on their number, their supply of provisions for six months, the amazing quantity of powder, balls, and various stores of timber, iron, canvas, rope, and other materials, besides the conveniences for carpenters, smiths, and other workmen, you may well be astonished at their magnitude.

Miriam. I also remember that great ship, father; and I have been wondering whether it is as large as Noah's ark.

Father. Your wonder then may cease: for Noah's ark was many times larger than the Lord Howe. Read this paragraph relating to the "first ship," from the "Sailor's Pocket Companion."

Miriam. "Noah's Ark was the first ship of which we have any account; and that preacher of righteousness,' and his sons, with their several wives, were the first sailors. The dimensions of the ark, as given by Moses, were 300 cubits in length, 50 cubits in breadth, and 30 cubits in height. Some learned men, who take the lowest computation, reckon the cubit at about 18 inches, by which the ark was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high; or nearly as long as St. Paul's Cathedral in London, and about half the size of that immense building. By this measurement, Dr. Hales shows that it would be of 42,413 tons burthen; and as a first rate man-of-war is about 2300 burthens, it would be as much as eighteen of the largest ships now in use; and might carry 20,000 men, with provisions for six months, besides the weight of 1800 cannons, and all requisite military stores."

John. Why, father, I never thought so much about the size of Noah's Ark before; nor did I ever think of Noah being the first sailor!

Father. Very likely, my dear boy; many besides you are very careless readers of the Bible.

Miriam. But, father, I thought the cubit was a Hebrew measure of about twenty-two inches.

Father. You thought correctly; of which you will learn from the next paragraph in the "Sailors' Companion."

Miriam. "But the Hebrew cubit is generally allowed to have been equal to nearly 22 inches, which would show the length of the ark about 550 English feet, its breadth 91 feet, and its height 55 feet. Upon this scale, Dr. Arbuthnot has computed the ark to have been 81,062 tons, burthen;

and as the largest East India merchant ships are reckoned at about 1300 tons burthen, the ark of Noah must have had capacity equal to more than sixty of those surprising vessels."

John. Noah's ark, father, must have been a great deal larger than I ever thought; for I could not think how he could find room for so many creatures as he took with him into the ark for safety.

Father. Many grown up readers of the Bible are thoughtless, as well as you; and this is criminal: but though you are only a little boy, you should be thoughtful, inquisitive, and prayerful, in reading the Word of God. As to how Noah "could find room for all the creatures," read the other marked passage in the "Sailors' Pocket Companion."

John. "Bishop Wilkins computes all the carnivorous animals equivalent, as to the bulk of their bodies, and their requirement for food, to 27 wolves, and all the rest to 280 oxen. For the former he allows 1825 sheep; and for the latter, 109,300 cubits of hay; all of which might be contained in two of the stories, and much room to spare. As to the thir story, no one can doubt that it would be sufficient for the fowls, with Noah and his family. Besides the places requisite for the beasts and birds, and their provisions, there was room, therefore, sufficient for Noah's utensils, instruments of husbandry, and seeds for the ground after the deluge; for which purposes he might spare room in the third story for thirty-six cabins; besides a kitchen, a hall, four chambers, and a space of forty-eight cubits in length for the convenience of exercise in walking."

Miriam. I feel quite astonished, father, at this description of Noah's ark, that first ship; and I should very much like to see the apartments and accommodations of one of our great ships of war.

Father. I once had the gratification of seeing at Portsmouth, the "VICTORY," a very large ship of 110 guns, on board of which admiral lord Nelson was killed; and I was quite astonished at its vast apartments, conveniences, and stores, for about 850 sailors.

John. I wish I had been with you to see it, father; but how many ships, do you think there are belonging to England?

Father. There were registered vessels belonging to the British empire, on the 31st of December, 1833, no less than 24,385, and their burthen was 2,634,577 tons. Miriam. I could not have thought there were so many ships, father; they must require a great number of sailors: how many do you suppose?

Father. Great Britain, you know, my dear Miriam, is the greatest commercial country in the world; and being so favoured by Divine Providence, you need not wonder at our immensity of shipping, exceeding, perhaps, the whole of all other nations in the world. Those registered vessels had no less belonging to them than 164,000 sailors.

Miriam. Are the ships and sailors belonging to the king included in the numbers which you have given? Father. No, my dear; those numbers relate only to merchant vessels. The royal navy, at the same period, contained

14 vessels carrying each 120 cannons

5

In which number were included 20 government steam-vessels. Many of those vessels of war are not in actual service; but there are at this time employed about 30,000 seamen in the royal navy.

Miriam. I am quite astonished, father, at the greatness of the royal navy; and now I do not wonder at our ships being called the "WOODEN WALLS OF ENGLAND !"

John. But, father, how many steam-vessels are there belonging to our country?

Father. My dear boy there are new ones constantly being built; so that I cannot tell the number exactly; but in 1829, there were 342, whose burthen was 31,356 tons: England had 241, Scotland 75, and 26 belonged to Ireland.

John. I shall never forget, father, going with you and Miriam to Ramsgate in a steam-ship, and seeing the wide and wonderful sea. I think a steam-ship a very beautiful and a very ingenious thing: but many that live in the country have never seen such a vessel, or any other large ship.

Father. A steam-ship certainly affords a striking illustration of human ingenuity; and it is surprising to think of one of them carrying 1000 passengers at sea, for a day together without stopping, as swiftly as a horse can gallop. You may keep this little engraving of a steam-vessel to carry to your cousins in the country.

Miriam. But steam-ships, I believe, father, cannot be used for long voyages, as to America or China. Father. No, my dear, they cannot be built so conveniently for traversing the wide ocean; nor can long voyages: though captain Johnson, a few years a sufficiency of necessary fuel be carried for very ago, sailed from London to India in a steam-ship; and it is hoped, that with some recent improvements, steam-vessels may cross the Atlantic ocean to America.

Miriam. I think, father, nothing can be more admirable than a fine large sailing-vessel: it seems so well formed for its intended use, in visiting the ship must be regarded by every one who knows its most distant regions of the world. A large merchant design and use, as very beautiful, and indeed truly wonderful.

3

12

9

62

7

15

62

20 365

Total 574

110

108

84

78

62

52

50

46

42

from 36 to 2 cannons.

John. But, father, you said that many of the ships are wrecked, and many of the sailors drowned! Father. I did, John; and you will probably wonder when I tell you the number of shipwrecks, and the lamentable losses of life by those calamities.

John. I wish you would then tell me all about the shipwrecks, father.

Father. My dear boy, that is impossible: but something relating to them, I can inform you. I remember being greatly surprised by hearing a captain of the royal navy declare, at a public meeting, that about 450 ships are wrecked every year on the coast of Great Britain; but I have since learned that from Lloyd's shipping lists, it has been ascertained, that from the year 1793 to 1829, the average number of vessels wrecked was 557 annually in 1829 there were upwards of 800 wrecked; and it is believed they have rather increased since that period.

Miriam. Well, father, I am quite astonished at hearing of such a number of shipwrecks: but I hope there is not a great proportion of the sailors drowned in those shipwrecks.

Father. The proportion of shipwrecked sailors who are drowned, perhaps cannot be accurately ascertained: some have estimated it at one in ten, and others at one in twenty: in some cases none are lost; but in others not one sailor escapes a watery grave. Supposing 800 shipwrecks in a year, and every vessel to contain ten men, one of ten lost would make 800 seamen drowned every year: but supposing one in twenty lost, then the number drowned in shipwrecks would be 400 sailors in a year. Probably it would be nearest to correctness to reckon 600 sailors drowned every year! However, at Sunderland, a few years ago, when the cholera prevailed, it was calculated that of every twenty-seven sailors of that port, only sixteen died by disease and old age, and the other eleven died by drowning at sea!

John. I wish you would tell me about some of the shipwrecks, father.

Father. My dear boy, some of them are almost too affecting to describe. Several shipwrecks of a very melancholy character have been recorded within the last two years. The report made to Lord Aylmer, by the chief superintendent of the emigrant department of Quebec, gives a list of seventeen ships lost in 1834, and 731 persons! Among these the brig James, from Limerick, lost 250 persons: the bark, Astrea, lost all, 271 persons; and a brig from the west of England with 180 passengers, lost 173. The George the Third, a convict ship, had on board 308 persons; sixteen died at sea, 160 were saved, 132 were drowned, April 1835. Another convict ship, the Neva, had on board 241 persons, and 226 of them were lost; all, except six prisoners and nine of the crew! I cannot multiply instances: but on referring to the Nautical Magazine for May, I find a list of seventy-seven wrecks, of which the sailors of fifteen ships were all, or nearly all lost: the crews of two others were all lost but one of each ship, and of another only two were saved! May is not the month to record the greatest number of shipwrecks. I give this month because it refers to the present time.

John. I suppose, father, the sufferings of the sailors when they are wrecked must be very great.

Father. They are, John: in most cases the sufferings of survivors exceed the power of description. You may well imagine their agonizing anxiety in the prospect of danger-their excessive fatigues in watching and working to escape a watery grave— their pains through cold, hunger, stormy-rains, and mountain-waves by which many are swept into the raging ocean-and while endeavouring to reach the distant land in crowded boats, toiling without food and sleep,perhaps days and nights, many dying from exhaustion and some raving mad though fever and drinking sea water. But no language can fully represent the sufferings of sailors in shipwrecks.

Miriam. But, father, can no method be de

vised, for the security of sailors at sea against shipwrecks.

Father. Human power and skill are insufficient to contrive any effectual means of security to sailors upon the mighty ocean. Sometimes, however, much blame attaches to the owner or inspectors of ships, in sending or allowing vessels which are not in a state of good repair, but unfit for sea; and in other cases shipwrecks are occasioned through negligence or the unskilfulness of captains, officers, or seamen: but in many instances, all human power is utterly in vain, and these calamities must be resolved into the righteous and sovereign will of Almighty God.

Miriam. I should think, father, that many things might be done round the coasts, if not to prevent shipwrecks, yet to give assistance to ships that are in danger and distress.

Father. My dear Miriam, there are seamen on many parts of our coasts, whose business is to look for and relieve ships in distress; and there is a valuable society in London, called the "Royal National Institution for the preservation of life from shipwreck."

Miriam. I should be glad to hear some account of the useful labours and successes of the shipwreck society.

Father. That necessary institution was established twelve years since, in 1824; it has been the means of much good; though its operations may be denominated humane rather than religious-regarding the temporal rather than the spiritual welfare of sailors. Perhaps the best representation of this institution in a few words may be found in the closing paragraph of its last report; read it, John:

John. "The result of the operations of the committee may be thus concisely stated:

"They have voted fifty gold medallions,' and 200 'silver medals' of the Institution, as honorary distinctions of merit; and have paid more than 40007. as pecuniary rewards to upwards of 3400 persons, who have been instrumental in saving the lives of above 3500 shipwrecked mariners, and have also expended a sum of 3800l. for life-boats and other approved apparatus, which they have placed on various parts of the coast of the United Kingdom."

John. That must be a good and useful institution, indeed, father; but what is a "life-boat"?

Father. The life-boat is a recent invention by Mr. Wouldhase; and the first having ever been built in 1789, at South Shields, by Mr. Greathead. This boat will not sink, it having a sufficient quantity of cork attached to it to secure its buoyancy when filled with water; and it is said to be incapable of being overset, by the peculiarity of its construction. Mr. Greathead was richly rewarded for this useful invention.

John. But do life-boats never overset, father?

Father. It is a very rare case for a life-boat to be overset, even in the worst of weather: but such a dreadful event occurred in the gales of last winter. Lloyd's shipping lists of February 19, 1836, contain the following lamentable record. Scarbro', February, 17. Last night it blew tremendously from W.S.W. to W.N.W. The Janet and Agnes, Clerk, from London to Alloa, was totally wrecked near this port this morning. Crew saved. The life-boat, in attempting to reach the vessel, upset, and ten out of fourteen of the crew were drowned."

John. That was indeed, father, a truly dreadful case but have I not heard you say, that sailors who go to sea to catch whales are exposed to many dangers, and that many of them are drowned?

Father. Probably you have; for whale fishing is a very dangerous occupation. Last winter, eleven whale ships were detained by the ice in Davies'

Straits, having on board about 600 men and boys; and though nine of the ships with the crews of the other two got away from that dreadful state of confinement, about half of the sailors died through hunger, cold, and disease. Some of the whalers who go to fish in the South Seas suffer greatly in their occupation. Read these extracts which I made from the journal of an American chaplain to sailors in that part of the world.

John. 66 Honolalo, Sandwich Island, May 14, 1834. William Osborne, aged twenty-two, seaman, ship Daniel Webster, Sag Harbour: back bone broken by a whale. Died a few weeks after landing at this place. July, John Miller, of Boston, boat steerer, ship Corsica, of London, while cutting in a whale he was seized in the thigh by a shark, and died three days afterwards. Rufus Trip, of Tiverton, R. T. third officer Corinthian, of Bristol, killed by a whale."

Father. You learn from those short extracts a little concerning the dangers of sailors in whale-fishing. John. I should like to know all about how the whales kill the sailors, father.

Father. As I have not been a whale fisher, I cannot fully gratify your boyish inquisitiveness, John: but, I learn that sometimes a whale will dash a boat to pieces with a stroke of it enormous tail; and at other times toss it out of the water, with the six or eight sailors who may be in it; so that in either case the seamen seldom all escape with life, and oftentimes several are killed. I cannot state the various occasions of death in this dangerous employment, but refer you to books which describe the business of whale fishing.

Miriam. But how do you account for it, father, that sailors, so exposed to danger, are regardless of religion?

Father. Irreligion among sailors may be accounted for on the general principle of the natural depravity of mankind. But those who go to sea are not generally such as have had religious advantages: those who aspire to this arduous service are the sons of fishermen and seamen, bred up on the coast in sight of the roaring ocean-many orphan boys, who are destitute of friends, outcasts of society, or youths of the most daring spirits, who are less than others satisfied with the quiet comfort of home, and less inclined to yield to domestic restraints; many of whom are sent to sea in the hope of their being reclaimed from vicious habits.

Miriam. But are not sailors likely to be made thoughtful and religious by their dangers at sea?

Father. Divine inspiration says, "Those that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; these see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep." Psalm cvii. 23, 24.

But

sailors, being separated almost wholly from Christian ordinances, have little of the gospel to call their attention to the subject of religion. And when they have returned from long voyages, having much money to receive as wages, and few of them mothers, sisters, or wives, to welcome them at comfortable homes, they are obliged to lodge at boarding houses, kept mostly by persons of bad character, and therefore they are enticed to drunkenness and other practices of wickedness, while they are robbed of their hard-earned money and plunged into deep distress and misery.

Miriam. Sailors being so exposed to constant dangers and death, should be, I think, above every other class of men, religious.

Father. My dear Miriam, considering their exposedness to dangers and death, seamen ought certainly to be religious, that they might be habitually prepared to enter the kingdom of heaven. Sailors

are, however, in general, among the most thoughtless on the subject of religion; and the temptations by which they are surrounded, when on shore, lead them into practices which rather strengthen their habits of ungodliness.

Miriam. How very shameful and wicked it must be to impose upon sailors: I cannot but pity them, especially those that have no parents or relations in sea-ports to receive them; they must indeed be in danger of bad company.

Father. That old sailor, E--, the Greenwich pensioner, whom you have seen come to our house, told me, that in a few years, during the war, he spent more than 1000l. prize money besides his wages: but he could not tell how his money was squandered, losing it in bad company on shore.

Miriam. But do you think, father, that sailors are imposed upon now?

Father. Sailors are still imposed upon, though since the peace of Europe, they have had but little prize money but their condition is truly deplorable in large sea-ports, especially in the ports of Bristol, Liverpool, and London. Read that paragraph, John, from Mr. Moore's "Evidence before the committee of the House of Commons, on drunkenness," only two years ago, in 1834:

John. "Mr. Moore.-For more than three years I was connected with a society established for the improvement both of the morals and the temporal condition of sailors, and in that capacity I had an opportunity of seeing not only a great deal of sailors, but also of their places of resort, at the east end of London. I have visited for that purpose, most of the public houses in that part of the metropolis, and I suppose there are not less than twenty of those houses, where, at the back of the gin-shops, there are what are called 'long rooms;' those long rooms will contain from 100 to 300 persons; and every evening almost, all those rooms are full of sailors and girls of the town, and a class of men, principally Jews, called Crimps and it is really awful and distressing to see the demoralization, not only of the sailors, but of the other individuals who frequent those disgraceful places. Some of these houses, I am sorry to say, are kept open at all hours during the night. I have been into those 'long rooms' at ten and eleven o'clock at night; and the whole company, perhaps 200 or 300 persons, have been drinking and dancing, till the poor fellows are in a most dreadful state. It is a very common practice for the girls to get various articles, such as laudanum and other drugs, put into the liquor of the sailors, who thus become completely intoxicated: they are then easily prevailed upon to accompany them to their lodgings; and they soon sink into a state of total stupefaction: they are then robbed of every penny they possess, and very often of their new clothes; and, when they awake, an old jacket and an old pair of trowsers are all the articles left to them. I have known instances of men being thus robbed of 301., 401., or 507. on those occasions."

Miriam. How truly shocking, father, is the condition of sailors, who are without friends, in the port of London. Surely the good Christians in London do not know of all this wickedness and misery; and I hope sailors are better off in other sea-ports.

Father. It is happy for sailors, that their condition is not quite so bad in the less frequented ports around our coast: but in most places the same evils exist, though on a smaller scale.

Miriam. What then is the character of our sailors in foreign ports P

Father. There are many most honourable exceptions, not only among the officers, but among seamen; but generally speaking, the unholy habits of