English Extracts. LAUNCH OF THE MISSIONARY SHIP, "THE JOHN WESLEY."

New Zealander, Volume 2, Issue 92, 6 March 1847, Page 4

English Extracts. LAUNCH OF THE MISSIONARY SHIP, "THE JOHN WESLEY."

[Fiom the London Watchman, September 30, 18J6.] Tins occurrence, so interesting to tlic friends of Missions generally, and to the supporters of the Wcsleyan Jvlissionaiy Society especially, took place at West (Jowes, on Wednesday last, the 23id instant. Although the wenther was very unpromising during the preceding night, the number of friends attracted by the occasion was very considerable ; and, in the course of the moi ning, the sun shone out with great brilliancy, and gave full efl'ect to the animating scene. The Rev. John Scott and Thomas Farmer, Esq., (the General Tiesisurer* of the Society) t>nd the Rev. Dr. Bunting, Rev. J. Uecchatn, Rev. Dr. Alder, and Rev. Elijah Hoole, (the General Secretaries), were all picsent, together with several members of the Missionary Committee, and many ladies and gentlemen from the metropolis, and from various parts of the country. The following outline will afford an idea of the manner in which the proceedings were carried forward, imd of the feelings that prevailed during their progress.

THE PRELIMINARY SERVICE IN THE CHAPEL. This was conducted by the Ilev. William Atherton, the President of the Conference. At the commencement, the congregation united in singing the 492 d Hymn of the Wesleyun Collection, beginning, " What shall we offer our good Lord, Pooi nothing!!! lor His boundless grace? Fain would \vu His groat name record, And woithily set forth His niaisu." The President then read the 132(1 I'salm, and a portion of the 11th chaptci of Paul's. Second EpUtle to the Corinthians, beginning at the 21st veise. At the desire of the President, Dr. John B. Bennett, of London, engaged in prayer. Part of the Hymn, No 491, '• Lo! God is here ! let us adore!" was sung. The President then called on Dr. Olin, of America, to pray ; hut the state of that esteemed and beloved Ministers health was, we regret to say, such, as to prevent him taking part in tlic public hervice. Mr. Atherton himself, under these circumstance.-), continued tliedevotiou.il exercises. The President then delivered a brief, but very appropriate and effective, address. lie observed, that tlic occasion which had brought the assembly together was equally new and interesting. 01 the first ship of which we have any recoid, Jehovah was the Architect, and o.ir lather Noah thd Shipwright. The design of the construction of that vessel was to save the human species. The ship now about to be launched was erected by an able builder, and it was designed te be an instrument of salvation to mankind. The care of Providence was extended to the Ark in ancient times, and the care ol Providence may be confidently looked for in the case of the John WcUctj. Without that care and blessing there co.ild be no success ; but if we rightly unite our faitji and our prayers, there can be no doubt of prosperity. He went on to remark that, we rejoiced on the present occasion ; and yet it became us to rejoice with trembling. The element on which our ship was about to venture is a precarious element. If there are calms there are sometimes also storms; seasons in which " neither sun nor stars appear.*' It was so with a vessel which had for part of its cargo the chief of the Apostles, who was called to pass through many perils by water, as well as in other ways, liut God preserved him and those were with him. Moreover, it is to be borne in mind that storms have sometimes been the means ot communicating moral blessings. What should we say of the storm that drove Dr. Coke to Antigua ? In that storm was the germ of the conversion of 100,000 souls, hi that storm was the seed of negro civilization and emancipation ; for, however other influences may have tended to secure the freedom of the slave, it is undeniable that missionaiy operations mainly contributed to produce the happy result. It could not have been "an ill wind" that blew so much good. In conclusion, the Reverend President commended the vessel, together with its crew, and the Missionaiies who may from time to time embark on board ot it, to the earnest prayers of the congregation. The fervent effectual prayer of a righteous man would avail much. God would heat such a prayer in Heaven, and would answer on earth, for His Son's sake. Part of the 493 rd Hymn, beginning at " Thou hast our bonds in sunder broke, Took all our load of guilt away," &c. was s'mg. The Piesident then called on the Rev. Dr. Bunting, w! o olfcred up a prayer of extraordinary power, during which a remarkable, and nevcr-to-be-lorgotten inlluence rested on the assembly. God was indeed present. The benediction was then pronounced by the Piesident, and s>o that portion of the proceedings terminated.

THE LAUNCH. This took place about half-past one o'clock, in the presence of the congregation which hud previously assembled in tlie Chapel, and of very many who crowded to witness the spectacle, both on the beach, and in boats on the water. The vessel was named in the manner which conventional usage has now established on such occasions. The name was given by Mrs. Fanner, who inanilestly entered with much earnestness and ardour into ihe spirit of the occasion. When Mrs. Fanner said, — " The John Wesley >— Success to Her,"— and the leautiful vessel glided smoothly and gracefully upon the waters, the scene was one of peculiar and most lively interest, possessing what many felt to be a moral dignity and loveliness altogether distinct from, and superior to, any thing connected with the ordinary launching of a ship. While sonic gladly shouted, not a lew fervently prayed. i( May God grant success," was heaul in various places, followed up by heaity and repeated "Amens." The object for which the vessel had bei-n constructed, and the results in time and eternity which, by the Divine blessing, may be expected to issue iroui her employment in the work of mercy in the Southern Pacific, evidently pressed many mi mil. and hearts with a lorcc which subdued all merely animal excitement, and rendered the occasion pie-einineutly a devotional one. After some time occupied iv mutual congratulations and felicitations, the in ilutude dispci sed. At three o'clock, about sixty ladies and gentlemen assembled to lunch at the Vine llotel, on the invitation of John hying, Esq., to whose zeal, energy, and liberality the Society is so largely indebted, particularly in the mutter ot the conveyance of its agents to foreign parts. In the coutse of the afternoon, addresses, of inoie or less length, were delivered by the President, Dr. Bunting, Mr. Farmer, Mr. Irving, Mr. White, Mr. John White, Mr. Robert White, and Dr. Olin, of America. Dr. Olin observed, that nothing had struck him more foicibly in viewing Bi it. sli Methodism thnu the devotion ot the people to the Missionary cause. There was in America only a comparatively slight zeal iv this great work, and his country needed the counsels and prujci'b of Christians, but he believed that a better day was dawning. He had himself lelt great comfoit in the intercourse he hud for a few weeks enjoyed with his English brethren ; and he solicited an interest in their prayers during the voyage on which he was just about to enter Between nve and six o'clock, the friends separated, having had a very happy season of Christian social communication. Tea had been provided for the children of the Sabbath School and a number of the pooler members of the Society, who thus wete made sharers in the hallowed festivity of the occasion. Later in the evening, a large congregation assembled in the Ghapel, under the supposition that some public service would be held. Arrangements had not been made for thatpuipoae; but

in compliance with what seemed to be the expectation and wish of so many, a plan for holding a meeting was extemporized. The Rev. John Bissell, (one of the Ministers stationed on the Newport Circuit), conducted devotional exercises ; after which, the Rev. Jncob Stanley and Dr. J.B. Bennett addressed the congregation on the subjects of Sunday School instruction, Missionary effort, and the mutually beneficial action and reaction of these two great branches of religious instrumentality With this service, the deeply interesting proceedings of the day terminated. Amongst the hrst fruits of those ofFei in^s which we have no doubt will be poured into the John Wesley, by the libciality of the friends of Missions, we may mention the gilt of the beautifully-executed figure-head of Mr. Wesley, by the kindness of Mrs. Hyde, of Birmingham ; the gift, by Mr. John Chubb, of St. Paul's Churchyard, of an iron Safe, secured by one of the patent locks of his celebrated house,— the value of the donation being thirteen guineas ; and the gift, by Capt. Stephens, (Commander of the Southampton and Isle of Wight Koyal Mail Steam Packet Medina) t of a " Portable Lile Hall," which was forwarded with a let ter, of which we subjoin a. copy :— " Cowes, September 23, 1810. " Ci;NTr.KMEN,~At the request of the Inventor, I forward to your c.ire the accompanying Portable Life Ball, that you may cause the same to be put on board the brig " John Wesley," for the use of that ship. "In buing the medium of presenting this Life Hall, permit me to hope that the intentions of the Inventor are again recognised in the cause of humanity ; and that thii mite may be considered ns somewhat co-operating in the object for which that vessel has been constructed with this difference, liowcvci. that the one is for the i>icburwitiun ol lile, ami the other tow. mis the sah.ition ol the soul. " That Providence may further the object of the latter, and .spare the use of the former, arc the fervent hope of Captain Stephens, and " Gentlemen, your very obedient servant, " John It. Smith, Agent for the Life Ball. " Messrs. Thomas and John White, Cowcs."

A curious substitute for flogging in the army is mentioned by Mr. Maxwell, in the Military Miscellany :— " We are informed," it is stated, "by Sir Charles Napier, that blistering was successfully tried as a substitute lor flogging, in two corps, and he & •lot aware that this mode of pun'shnieut was adopted in any other regiment. The commanding officer of one of the regiments in question, then stationed in Guernsey, where liquor is cheap, determined to put a stop to drunkenness on duty, by an appeal to the honorable feelings of the soldiers, and at the same time to make drunkenness as unpleasant as possible but without the lash. He gave out an order to say that he would not flog, but trust to the soldier's selllespcct for keeping sober on duty. Next day a man was drunk and confined. The colonel, accompanied by the surgeon, went to the guard-house, and felt the drunkard's pulse. He was declared to be in a fever. Nothing could be more true. JJe was therefore put into a blanket, and four soldiers bore him through the barracks . IJ is comrades all laughed at the care taken of him. On reaching the hospital, he was put to bed and blistered between the shoulders, fed on bread and water for a week, and then discharged cured. He was then hi ought on the parade, when the commanding officer congratulated him on his recovery from fever, and sent him to rejoin his company, where he was laughed at and jeered by his comiades during the space of a week. Many others underwent the same treatment ; but the joke, though very amusing to the sober soldiers, soon began to be none to the drunkards. There was considerable pain and uneasiness— some bread, plenty of water, but no piuing comrades — no commiseration— no mercy. — The experiment was completely successful. Not a mail in the regiment was flogged in Guernsey lrom the time the men were treated with bliscrs ; and after a fortnight there was no such thing as a man drunk for guaid or parade. Now this regiment had been in an infamous htate." Tuial of Captain Goildon. -— A Court Martial was held at Portsmouth, on Wednesday, on boaid her Majesty's ship Victory, for the trial of Captain the Hon. Johu Gordon, of her Majesty's ship America, on charges instituted by the Lords Commissioneis of the Admiralty, for leaving the South American station in that ship without permission, and contrary to the orders ot the Coinmander-iu-Chief, Uear-Ad-mirul Sir G. Seymour, and also with bring ng home a quantity of specie, which was intended if of small amount, to have been shipped for England in the Salamander steamer ; and if of large amount, in her Majesty's ship Daphne. — The court was composed of Admiral] Sir Charles Ogle, Bart., Comman Jcr-in-Chief of her Majesty's ships and vessels at Portsmouth president; Rear Admiral Hyde Parker, C. B. ; Cajit. John Pasco, her Majesty's ship Victory, Captain H. D. Chads, C. Hi, her Majesty ,s ship Excellent ; Cnj-t. Sir E. Home, Bart., C. 8., her Majesty's ship NorthSlat', Captain John Robb, Majesty's steain-slii,! Gladiator. Mr. G. L. Greetham was Judge Advocate on this occasion. Captain Gordon was assisted in his defence by Mr. Hoskins, solicitor.— The court commenced their proceedings by the Judge Advocate reading the warrant of the Lords Commissioners ol the Admiralty, directing the president to assemble the court, and a voluminous quantity of papers enclosed in it, being the orders lor the America to proceed to South America to join Rear-Admiral Sir G. Seymour ; the various orders of that officer to proceed on certain important services, and report his proceedings on all occasions ; the lctleis of Captain Gordon in compliance therewith ; a journal containing extracts from the America's log, showing the varions places she had visited ; the letter from Captain Gordon, announcing his retu.n to Sphhcud, and his ttnotivc for doing so ; with the Admiralty reply there o, highly censuring his conduct oif the occasion ; Captain Gordon's endeavours satisfactorily to juatify it; and finally, their lordship's determination to try him by a court martial for disobedience of orders.-— On the conclusion of this documentary evidence the court was closed, and on its being re-opeued the president annouueed to Captain Gordon that the time had arrived fur his explanation and defence. Mr Uoskius then read a very good address, by which he endeavoured to satisfy the court that pecuniary motives did not induce Captain Gordon to take charge ol the treasure, for lie had since directed his agents to pay the freight money over to Captain Onslow, ot the Daphne, or Captain Hammond, of the Salamander, or any other officer who might be entitled to it bybringing it to England, had not the America done so. Captain Gordon produced a nninbcr of letters from consuls aud merchants at the various ports representing the state of aJKiiib between the Mexicans aud the Brazilian Government, the large sums of money to be scut, the risk of its safety, aud the great insurance which would be exacted if it went in a small vessel. The defence concluded by asking for an acquilal of Captain Gordon ot blame on the occasion, aud to impute his conduct to an en or in judgement. To show that he had not acted solely on his own single opinion he called as witnesses the first Lieutenant of the America, Mi. J. D. Agasstz, Mr. C. T Tucker, the master j Dr. G. Burn, the surgeon : who stated that Captain Gordon had consulted them on the point, and that they coincided in the propriety of bringing the treasure to England in the America, as at each station which had been visited the usual naval force was present, and the America might be

considered as a supernumerary ship. The court was again cleared to deliberate and draw up the sentence. On the public being re-admitted, the Deputy Judge Advocate read the sentence, which stated that the court were of opinion the charges of neglect of duly nnd disobedience of orders by Captain the Honorable John Gordon, oilier Mejesty's ship America, had been fully proved, „ml sentenced him to be severely repriujai.ded, and he was thereupon reprimanded accordingly. The President tlicn declared the court to be dissolved, and all persons soon left ihe Victory. The circumstances attending this court martial having occasioned considerable interest among naval men, thu Victory was crowded with ladies and gentlemen anxious to witness the trial, which occupied five hours.— London Watchman, Sep. 2.