Morning Star

The Whole Crew Converted.—The following fact says the Sailor's Magazine' for August, was communicated by a respected brother who has been laboring among seamen in the port of New York :

The William Hannington, Captain Bell, master, left Newcastle-upon-Tyne, about the first of April last with a crew of fourteen men, laden with coal for the United States.— A lady belonging to the Baptist chapel in Newcastle, feeling a deep interest in seamen, put into the hands of the captain, a few days before leaving port, a package of tracts and magazines, for the crew. "I took them," said the captain, "and, according to her wishes, distributed among the hands,' until the whole had gone the rounds among them, In a very few days, after leaving sight of the Highlands of Scotland, the second mate, a well-bred and intelligent young Scotchman, came to me and said, 'Sir, I hardly know what is the matter with our men ; but your tracts have produced a feeling among them that I have never seen before. If you have any doubt on the subject, go look into the forecastle and see for yourself." I stepped down, and sure enough every man was reading with an engagedness as though his very life and soul were in it. On returning to the cabin the mate continued, Sir, they wish the Bible read to them, and to-morrow, (meaning the Sabbath,) they wish to obtain permission to hold a religious service among themselves in the forecastle." I can have no objection to that, I am sure, I remarked, but who will lead them, mate, seeing none of us make any professions that way ? I shall make my best endeavors,' was the reply, 'and I suppose others will do the same.' Very well, I said, there is a prospect now of fine weather, make all snug, I will take the helm, and let every one that wishes, attend the service. The arrangements were made-the Sabbath came -a meeting among themselves was held, morning and afternoon. A privilege for a prayer-meeting was again asked for in the evening. I objected-' But,' said the mate, 'you had no objection all day, why object now?' My objection is, I replied, that you do not hold the meeting in the forecastle, but in the cabin, where I may have a spice of a privilege with you myself, since I have accommodated you all day, by standing at the helm. Accordingly, in the evening, every man came down into the cabin. I took the Bible, and read a chapter, and called upon the mate to pray, In a moment all were upon their knees. The mate proceeded a little way, but soon choked up with tears, and broke down. 'The cook then undertook it, and he soon swamped in the same way. I then said to one of the apprentice boys, Billy, can't you pray for us ? The little fellow began, and made an excellent, sweet little prayer, and seemed to get along the best of any of us.— 'The fact is," said the captain, " we were all overwhelmed with a sense of our sins, and as there was not one of us that had made any profession of a religious experience, we made rather lame work of it at first; but I do hope, that God in his mercy, has heard our poor petitions, and converted every man on board.' As to myself," said the captain, "it is my intention, if it please God, to connect myself with his people, and with the church, of which my praying wife is a member ; and I suppose it is the probable intention of others to do the same."