also the present want of funds, which we trust the Christian public will very soon supply by liberal donations. The Rev. P. N. Strong, and the Rev. J. M. Matthews addressed the meeting, after which a collection was taken up, and the meeting was closed with singing the hymn, "Salvation, O! the joyful sound," &c. For the Christian Herald. YOUTH'S MISSIONARY SOCIETY. Fourth Annual Report, 1821. YOUR Managers approach their duty, of presenting their fourth annual Report, with a trembling step; and, though their prospects are not as animating as they could have wished, yet they cannot but express their gratitude to Him who, when on earth, took little children in his arms and blessed them, that our youthful association is still preserved, and permitted to aid in advancing his cause, and propagating the divine truth, throughout the world. Nor do they regret the task, although they may regret their inability to present a more cheering account;-because in doing this, they are enabled to present you with a comparative view of the past and present state of the Society; and thereby hoping to excite each one to perseverance, to more diligence, and to greater exertions. The meetings of the Society have in a great measure been suspended, during the year, principally from the following causes: Your President being out of the city, no meeting was called until the 30th April; and, it having been signified that your vote of thanks, for the use of this room,* would not be considered as a sufficient compensation, and as your funds were in a declining state, it was not deemed expedient to incur the usual expense for that purpose. In addition to these reasons, experience has taught us not to expect a full meeting in the summer months. It having been thought adviseable to make an extraordinary effort, for the purpose of adding new members, so as, in some degree, to supply the places of those who are passing away, or forgetting their connexion with the Society; your case was brought before some of the churches, and a meeting of the Society noticed to be held on the afternoon of the 15th of last month. This effort produced six new members, but not a quorum for a meeting; so that this is but your second meeting this year. Your efforts, being merely subsidiary, can be estimated only by the amount of funds which you contribute towards the support of the parent institution. The state of your treasury is as follows: Receipts for monthly dues, Initiation fees, In donations from members, From a Lady, by the President, $29 67 1 1950 155 *Lecture Room of the Brick Church. $42 17 which your treasurer will pay over to the treasurer of the New-York Evangelical Missionary Society. That you may not feel disposed to despond, because your managers cannot give a more animating account, they will now show by a retrospect of the past, that you have no cause to be discouraged, although your hopes may not have been realized. The first year of our existence as a Society, the names of one hundred and forty members were enrolled on our books, whose initiation fees alone, must have amounted to $17 50. The Society paid into the treasury of the parent society that year, The second year, The third, Your records show a collection taken up at the First annual meeting, of The second, The third, $67 92 42 09 $16 00 1 31 1 75 During the first year of our organization, seven meetings were held, at each of which we were favoured with the presence, the addresses, the advice, and the exhortations of several officers, managers, and members of the parent institution. The second year, two regular meetings only were held, at one of which we were encouraged by the presence of the parent society. At our last annual meeting, we also had the pleasure of being addressed by several of their members. By a reference to the minutes of your Board of Managers, it appears, that immediately after the formation of this Society, a correspondence was opened with the parent society, and a communication received from their Board, expressive of their approbation of our efforts, and informing us of the nomination of Mr. T- W- to the presidency of this Society for that year. Since that time, nearly four years have elapsed, without the receipt of a single communication from them. The Managers here beg leave to remark that, although your records speak of the acts of a president, both in the meetings of the Society, and in those of the Board of Managers, yet they show nothing by which it can be ascertained who he is, or how he got the place. Such neglect is not to be attributed to the want of due diligence on the part of any officer to whom this Society has intrusted the management of its concerns. Your managers have been led to this review, in consequence of some fears having been entertained, that the Society would shortly cease to exist, and with a view to show that there is no immediate cause for such an alarm, and to show also, that it now stands much more firm than it did the second year of its formation. It was then, that the first impulse ceased to operate. It was then, that the fumes of novelty had lost their stimulating qualities. It was then, that you were abandoned by those to whose exertions you are chiefly indebted for the first organization of your institution-abandoned as it were by a revered parent. It was then, that you were left in infancy, to your own strength and to your own exertions; and your efforts have proved you worthy of so noble a cause a worthy offspring of so worthy a parentage. And may you not yet hope, once more to experience her fostering care? May you not yet hope that she will again return and extend to you her maternal hand, and nourish you as her future hope, that is to rise up and take a name among the many institutions, by whose instrumentality the face of the moral world is to be renovated? Yes, brethren, you may hope it; and, with the smiles of Heaven, you may attain a high place with others. Your greatest efforts are needed. The great work of benevolence is but begun. And now, in the language of the cheering paragraph in your last report, "Go on, brethren, remembering that you are labouring, not for the meat that perisheth, but for the good of immortal souls, that are groping in darkness, and perishing for lack of knowledge; and relying on a crucified Saviour for a blessing on your exertions: be not weary in well doing, slacken not your efforts, faint not, and the God of all grace will crown your efforts with abundant success." Respectfully submitted by the Managers. New-York, Nov. 12, 1821. W. ORVIN BOKEE, Secretary. CORRESPONDENCE. We have received an interesting letter from THOMAS THOMPSON, Esq. Treasurer of the (London) Home Missionary Society, in which he gives a brief account of the remarkable success which has attended the labours of that society during little more than two years. It was formed in August 1819, and now they "have sixteen indefatigable missionaries, who have introduced the Gospel into more than 100 villages, established Sunday Schools where 2000 children are instructed in the way of holiness, happiness, and never-ending felicity-and have distributed more than 100,000 Tracts." "It will afford me unfeigned gratification," says Mr. Thompson, "to correspond with you on those subjects which appear calculated to interest our Christian friends, on both sides the Atlantic, in further exertions in the cause of Christ. You will perceive, that with this end in view my friend, the Rev. I. COBBIN, the Editor of the Home Missionary Magazine, has copied from the Christian Herald,' the state of American cities, and that we are following it up with reference to London and others of our populous cities. We find those Essays very useful in stirring up our brethren to greater activity, and more persevering zeal. "I have written to the Committee of the City of New-York Mission Society, [The Female Missionary Society, we presume,] submitting to their consideration the advantages which would result from the formation of a Home Missionary Society for the United States on a liberal scale of operation." To such a society, when formed, Mr. Thompson has offered the liberal donation of fifty guineas, and he urges the measure with much earnestness and pious zeal. We have not room at present to notice the numerous and valuable books, Magazines, &c. which accompany this letter, nor to state some of the objections which would occur to the establishment of a Society in this country on the plan he mentions. Most ardently do we desire that our mutual labours in the same great cause, may result in mutual be nefit; and that every circumstance which will tend to unite the two countries more closely in the bonds of Christian love may be seized upon with avidity, and guarded with the most jealous care. Most of the Missionary Societies in the United States are engaged in "Home," or Domestic Missions, and whether they might be usefully united into one great institution, or become the Auxiliaries of an AMERICAN HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETY, on the plan of the American Bible Society, is a question, the discussion of which we must defer for the present. The Seaman's Magazine. They 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. They cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.-Psalms. REMARKABLE PRESERVATION OF FOUR SEAMEN ON BOARD THE SEA FOX. THE public are already acquainted with many circumstances relating to the loss of the ship Sea Fox. This ship sailed from New-York, on the 27th of October, bound to Port-au-Prince, with twenty persons on board, of whom eleven were passengers. She passed the Narrows in safety, and having dismissed her pilot about noon, proceeded on her voyage, the wind being S. W. and the sky overcast during the day and night. As evening approached, her commander, Capt. Wyer, took the usual precautions, by sending down the royal masts and royal rigging, and taking in top-gallant sails; he also remained himself on the watch till twelve at night, when he was succeeded by the mate, and retired to rest. The passengers were now in the cabin, and four of the seamen in the forecastle. All seemed secure, and the ship was moving prosperously towards her destined port, when she was suddenly struck, at twenty minutes past twelve o'clock, by a squall. The noise awaked the captain. He sprung upon deck, gave orders to let go the top-sail haulyards and call up all hands; but in attempting to let go the spanker-sheet, he lost his hold and was precipitated into the waves; and before either of his orders could be executed, the ship was struck down on her beam-end. So unexpected and sudden was the catastrophe, that only three passengers had time to escape from the cabin, and not one of the seamen from the forecastle. Capt. Wyer succeeded in regaining the ship; but finding her upon her beam-ends, and apparently full of water, he, with the remaining seamen and passengers, cleared the boat, in which they all embarked, and kept under the lee of the wreck until daylight. We shall not attempt to describe his emotions and those of his companions, during these hours of painful reflection and of peril. It was no common disaster over which they were called to mourn, nor common hazard to which they were now exposed. As daylight however approached, they providentially discovered a ship to the southward, which proved to be the Iris, captain Smith, of New-York, by whom they were observed and taken up. Captain Smith turned his course to the wreck, but perceiving, on coming near, that the sea made a complete breach over it, he concluded it would be fruitless to attempt saving any thing. Captain ̧ Wyer with his companions were soon put on board a schooner from Philadelphia, which landed them at Taupaulin Cove, the second day after their disaster. The account which was immediately published of the loss of the Sea Fox, excited, in New-York, very uncommon interest, and not a little anxiety. It was suggested by some, that a part of the passengers in the ship might possibly be alive; and large sums were offered for the bodies VOL. VIII. 60 of those on board, whether dead or alive. Two pilot boats were imme diately despatched in search of the wreck; but they returned into port without having so much as discovered it; and all hopes were relinquished of again hearing from those left on board. But there is nothing too hard for God to effect; and to his good providence must we ascribe it, that any were, in the mean time, saved from perishing. into It has been already noted, that there were four seamen in the forecastle of the Sea Fox when she capsized. They had been but a short time below when the disaster occurred. Aware of their situation, they flew to the scuttle, and made a desperate attempt to remove the booby hatch, but in vain; the sea was against it, and the water pouring in on every side within a few minutes, it became necessary to use the greatest exertions to keep from drowning. They were enveloped in perfect darkness, sometimes under water with no space of air to breathe in, and nothing before them but the prospect of immediate death. After a few struggles, their minds were filled with indescribable horror. In this situation they all cried unto God for help. He heard their supplication, and directed them to the bulk-head of the forecastle, where they found two of the planks loose enough to be removed, and the cargo so much shifted to the leeward, as to leave a space sufficient for them to pass the hold. After being here for some time in total darkness, one of them having a knife, they cut a hole through the deck, which admitted a few rays of light, but not enough to discover any thing which they could obtain to eat. They then gave themselves to incessant and united prayer to God, until they became extremely weak through want of food and sleep. Providentially, the hatch was about this time removed from the small hatchway, which enabled them to descry a barrel of flour and a keg of lard within their reach. To these they got access, and in some measure satisfied their hunger. They had now been struggling for two days and nights without food or rest, in almost total darkness, and at no time with more than two feet of air above the water. They continued still to agonize in prayer, but on the third day, nature seemed near being exhausted; it was believed to be impossible for them to remain there much longer alive. Before resigning themselves into the arms of death, they agreed to unite in one more prayer to Almighty God for some relief. They did so, and while thus engaged, one of them says to his companions, "the Lord has heard our supplications, and will take us out of this place. Continue in prayer." While thus engaged, they actually heard the voices of persons on board; upon this, they ran a stick through the hole which had been cut, and exerting all their remaining strength to make a noise, succeeded in attracting the notice of those who had boarded the wreck. Axes were immediately brought, and by cutting a hole in the deck, these four men were rescued from death, after being confined in the most fearful situation, from about one o'clock on Saturday night, till five P. M. of the following Tuesday. The individuals to whom they were immediately indebted for this deliverance, were a part of the crew of the ship John and Adam, captain Knight, bound to Philadelphia. By captain Knight, and afterwards by the citizens of Philadelphia, they were treated with much kindness and hospitality. The citizens of New-York also made a valuable donation to captain Knight and his crew, for the humanity which they exhibited. But the pious mind will perceive, that a re |