_FOOTSTEPS AMONG SEAMEN._
During the whole of his business career, Mr. Balfour took the deepest
interest in seamen. His success in life was built largely upon the
services of sailors. For him it was impossible to receive a benefit,
without an effort to repay it. Seamen in his view were not mere
instruments for advancing the fortunes of shipowners and merchants; they
were men with human bodies, with reasonable minds, with immortal souls.
In all these respects they must be cared for. The improvement of the
condition of the sailor became a passion with him. There was nothing
about which he was more careful in reference to his own ships, than the
accommodations and comfort of the forecastle. When at one period of his
life he resided at Valparaiso, it was his delight to board his own and
other ships, and enter into free converse with the men about all their
interests, and especially about their spiritual welfare. Often might he
be seen in the forecastle reading the Bible to or with the men.
His love for sailors was hereditary. His mother before him took a very
deep interest in their welfare, and scanned their movements with a
discriminating eye. It is said that she minutely examined the shipping
lists, and could tell fairly the whereabouts of every sailor and his
ship, belonging to the Fifeshire district in which she dwelt.
One morning in March 1873, Mr. Thomas Matheson received a message from
Mr. Balfour that he wanted to see him. On repairing to the office, Mr.
Matheson found his friend bathed in tears, and evidently in the deepest
sorrow. One of the ships of the firm, the _Chacabuco_, while off the
Great Orme’s Head the previous night, had been run into by a coasting
steamer, and had gone down with all hands but three. His kind heart
pictured not only the struggles of the sinking sailors, but the sudden
sorrow of their darkened homes. “Oh, my poor men!” exclaimed the
heart-stricken merchant. To him the loss of property was of small
concern compared with the loss of human lives. Among the drowned was
Captain Ritchie, a thoroughly Christian man, who had been long in the
employ, and exercised an excellent influence over his crews. The
sympathetic nature of Mr. Balfour mourned over “his men” almost as if
each had been an intimate friend.
He sent for Mr. Legge, the manager of the Apprentices’ Home, and
commissioned him to go to Leamington, where dwelt the parents of one of
the lost apprentices, who was their only child, their all: he was to
break as gently as he could the tidings of unutterable woe. Selected
messengers were sent to others of the bereaved on the same sad errand.
Letters were written to the relatives of all the lost sailors who could
not be reached personally; and all that kindness and sympathy could do
was done, to alleviate the sorrows of the mourners.
As in all such disasters, there were special circumstances which gave
peculiar poignancy to grief. Among the five lost apprentices was one
fine lad from Scotland, who was bent on going to sea, his parents giving
a reluctant consent. Before the time of which we speak, an appointment
was secured for him on board of one of the ships of Messrs. Balfour,
Williamson, & Co. Something distasteful at the start displeased him, and
he left the ship at Cardiff. Cured of his liking for that vessel, he was
not cured of his strong bent for the sea, and entreated the firm to give
him another chance. A berth was found for him in the _Chacabuco_. The
vessel he forsook reached its haven in safety; the vessel he chose was
harboured in the bottom of the sea. Mr. Balfour testified the tenderest
sympathy for the sorrowing parents of this cherished boy. Doubtless the
trouble of his spirit, over his dead sailors and apprentices, stimulated
him to still greater efforts for the temporal and spiritual interests of
the living.
One of the most practical and effective efforts for the benefit of
sailors was the formation of the “Liverpool Committee of Inquiry into
the Condition of our Merchant Seamen.” Of this Committee, which
continued its labours for ten years, he was one of the chief projectors.
With his friends Mr. Christopher Bushell for chairman and Mr. John
Williamson for honorary secretary, this Committee rendered most valuable
aid in securing enlightened and beneficent legislation, in the interests
alike of the seaman and the shipowner; for it was impossible to improve
the condition of the former without conferring a benefit upon the
latter. The most patent fruit of the Committee’s labours was the passing
in 1880, largely through its efforts, of the “Merchant Seamen Payment of
Wages and Rating Act.” Everything could not be achieved in a single Act,
but a great step in advance was taken. The pernicious system of
advance-notes was abolished, lodging-houses for seamen were licensed and
superintended, the crimping system was effectually checked, arrest of
sailors without warrant was abolished. Unhappily some of the provisions
of the Act have proved effective only in part. The rating system was
excellent, but it has proved practically inoperative from the omission
in the Act to provide adequate machinery for putting it in force. The
abolition of advance-notes, too, is evaded by the use of a system of
bonuses, without which, shipowners complain that they cannot get men to
go to sea.
In spite of such drawbacks, however, a valuable gain has been achieved,
especially through the indirect effects of the Committee’s action.
Public attention has been called to the subject; shipowners and others
have been put on the track of inquiry as to the evils that require
remedy, and the best methods of ameliorating the condition of seamen.
Soon after the passing of the Act, a marked improvement was observable
in the forecastles and in the dietary of the men; plans were put in
operation for the transmission of seamen’s wages to their homes, thus
enabling them to leave port promptly on arrival, and so to escape from
many dangerous influences by which they were formerly surrounded. Thrift
and sobriety have palpably grown under these and other beneficial
influences; and, as might have been anticipated, there has been
improvement likewise in the physique of the men. Such changes have
proved advantageous to shipowners, underwriters, and all connected with
our mercantile marine.
In 1876 Mr. Balfour and Mr. John Williamson, as representatives of the
Committee, read papers on the subject of our seamen, before the Social
Science Congress, held in Liverpool, which gave a further impulse to the
cause; and a resolution was passed calling on the Council of the
Association to “memorialise Government to take into consideration the
question of the condition of our seamen, and their deterioration, in its
national and professional aspects.” This recommendation was acted upon,
and had an important bearing upon the legislation which by and by
followed.
When the Act of 1880 had passed the Legislature, the work of the
Committee of Inquiry was concluded, and the same year a meeting was
summoned to dissolve the Committee. In a speech made at that meeting Mr.
Balfour said: “The condition of our seamen in 1870, and the condition of
our seamen now, is one that demands the attention, not only of
shipowners, but of the general community, and of our Government. Lord
Sandon will bear me out, and there are a number of representatives of
our leading insurance companies here who also will bear me out, in
saying that the main cause of the loss of property and of life at sea is
not the overloading of ships, as Mr. Plimsoll has so earnestly pointed
out, is not the deficiency of hulls or defective rigging, but mainly
arises from defective seamanship. We cannot be too thankful for the
steps which were taken to establish the ‘Conway’ training-ship, and to
obtain a system of examination for our merchant captains and officers,
previous to their being appointed to ships. But the further subject of
the efficiency of seamen to discharge their duties is one that, till the
preparation of this Bill, now happily an Act of the Legislature, had not
been dealt with.”
At the same meeting, Mr. John Williamson, the able and indefatigable
secretary, owing, in great measure, to whose labours the work of the
Committee was carried to a successful issue, thus referred to a period
of great difficulty and discouragement in the course of their
operations: “It is only right to state that but for Mr. Balfour at this
time, the Committee, disheartened, were almost disposed to cease further
efforts.”
This circumstance is characteristic of Mr. Balfour. When once convinced
that a cause was right, it was almost an impossibility to discourage
him. No difficulty could daunt or deter him. He would say, “It _must_
be done, and God will see us through.” His hope in such a case was
inextinguishable, and was based on the conviction that God was on the
side of truth and justice. Means flowed in, opposition was overcome, and
success was attained. One such man engaged in a noble enterprise will
spread the contagion of his faith and hope to those who are ready to
faint, and will suffice, in emergency, to save a cause from shipwreck.
“All things are possible to him that believeth.”
The inspiring words, of a writer already quoted, were strikingly
exemplified in the invincible hope of this man. “As Christians, we are
not left, as other men, to quicken our impulses by noble abstractions or
splendid guesses. As Christians, we are not constrained, as other men,
to acquiesce in the presence of unconquerable suffering. As Christians,
we are not condemned, as other men, to gaze with stern resignation upon
the spectacle of lost good. If the Word became flesh, the brotherhood of
man is a reality for us. If the Son of God was crucified, the fall, and
with it the redemption, are realities for us. If the Son of Man rose
again from the dead, the eternal significance of our short space of
labour is a reality for us.”[E]
There were features in the condition of seamen which early arrested Mr.
Balfour’s attention. Of these, the want of continuous service is one of
the most prejudicial. It lies very near the root of the disadvantages of
their occupation. It has a most important bearing on the improvidence,
recklessness, and dissipation which too largely characterise them as a
class. We may invite them into “Sailors’ Homes;” we may shelter them in
“Strangers’ Rests;” we may appeal to them by seamen’s missionaries; but
all this and much more will not make up for the want of that salutary
bond, which ought to bind the employed to the employer. When shipowners
are benevolent men, this bond, if it could be maintained, would be
productive of the best results. It may be doubted whether much will ever
be done, fundamentally to improve the condition of our sailors, unless
this end be secured. When it is remembered that we have to deal with the
interests of some two hundred thousand British seamen, and with all who
depend upon them, it will be seen that a question of this kind is of
far-reaching concern.
Mr. Balfour felt it to be so, and the subject caused him and his partner
in business much thought and care. His servants, male and female, and
his employés of various kinds on shore, were on a very different
footing from the sailors through whom he was, to some extent, laying the
foundations of his fortunes. On the former it was possible to keep a
kindly and interested eye, and to attempt at least to exert a healthful
moral influence, from day to day and from year to year. His instinct for
doing good to all about him, and especially to those who were closely
connected with him in business or otherwise, was inextinguishable. Was
the seaman to be left outside the wholesome influences which were
available for the landsman? The frequent termination of all relation
between shipowners and seamen at the close of a voyage, the brief and
fugitive character of the connection, placed almost insuperable barriers
in the way. He made an effort to overcome these obstacles. His firm for
a time paid the travelling expenses of their seamen, when they reached
port, to and from their homes, if these were not in Liverpool; they paid
them also a modified rate of wages between voyages. But these conditions
proving too onerous, the generous plan had to be abandoned.
Another method suggested itself. Could the sailors in their employ be
housed in a respectable and comfortable home, provided, on a moderate
payment, by the firm; and could they thus be kept together and made to
feel the kindly influence of their employers? It was not found
practicable to carry this scheme into effect; and besides, the Liverpool
Sailors’ Home was doing an excellent work in the same direction, for the
seamen of the port in general.
One substantial result, however, grew out of these thoughts and plans. A
Home was founded in Duke Street, for apprentices and junior officers.
This Home, though intended in the first instance for the young sailors
in their own employ, was not limited to these. A large outlay was
involved in the founding of this Home, but there was ample reward in the
good accomplished. The youths were thus saved from the risks and
temptations of such lodgings as many of them might have obtained; they
were surrounded by the kindly and Christian influences of the family who
were at the head of the Home; their evenings were made pleasant and
lively by congenial society, by music, games, &c.
Numerous letters to Mr. Legge, the manager of the Apprentices’ Home from
all parts of the world, bear testimony to the gratitude of the
apprentices, for the provision thus made for them. In not a few cases,
the letters tell of spiritual blessing received in the Home; and the
friends of some, who have lost their lives in their perilous calling,
have had their sorrow brightened with thanksgiving when they have seen,
through the medium of the correspondence kept up with the Home, that
their lost ones had been found ere the end came. When the sea gives up
the dead which are in it, there will be precious testimony that this
Home was not reared in vain.
A glance at the letters referred to gives touching evidence of the
hallowed way in which the Home is linked with the hopes and fears, the
joys and sorrows, of the boys who have been there, and their parents and
friends. A few brief extracts, taken from letters written in 1875, may
be given.
“DOUGLAS, ISLE OF MAN, _January 26, 1875_.
“Our worst fears respecting my dear brother Willie have unhappily
been realised. A kind letter from the second mate shuts out all
hope. He says that the vessel was out of sight five minutes after
she struck, and that dear Willie was in one of the boats, which
time did not permit them to unfasten. He was swallowed up by the
suction of the sinking ship. I can write no further on this awful
subject: it is too dreadful. God give us grace to bear it with
Christian resignation, and may He bless you for your lovingkindness
to our dear lost sailor.”
“---- VICARAGE, _May 21, 1875_.
“I beg to thank you sincerely for your kindness to my son Basil
when under your care. He was very much pleased with your letter to
him, received yesterday, and so, I must add, were his father and I.
You are indeed a kind friend to young sailors far away from their
parents. I thank you also for the nice little books you so kindly
forwarded to him. I mean to put them in his chest when he starts on
his next voyage--when and where, we do not know yet. May it be his
fortune to meet with such good friends as you have proved, in times
of need.”
“PONTYPOOL, _June 10, 1875_.
“Now that we have again parted with our dear boy, I wish to thank
you, and so does my husband, for the many acts of kindness rendered
to him by you during his stay, as well as to Frank when he was at
home. We beg to assure you that we deeply and gratefully appreciate
your kind attention.”
“FISHGUARD, _October 26, 1875_.
“I saw in the Gazette that _La Escocessa_ was off Holyhead on
Saturday. I should feel extremely obliged if you would kindly let
me know if she has got up to Liverpool safely. We are very anxious,
as last night was such a stormy night. I always feel so thankful
when the boys arrive in Liverpool after a voyage, as I know they
are well cared for when they are with you.”
“TWEEDMOUTH, _December 3, 1875_.
“I hope you will excuse the liberty of Norman’s sister writing to
you. I am going to ask a favour of you, which would be too much to
ask of a stranger; but one who loved my brother can be no stranger
to me. I opened your letter for papa this morning, but my parents
have not seen it; I feel afraid to let them see it, kind and
sympathising as it is. Their hopes have been raised this week, and
I cannot, oh! I cannot bear to witness their fearful grief when
hope is gone.... We were all so bound up in our precious Norman,
and feel it almost too hard to give him up. We know, indeed, _if_
he is gone, it is for some wise reason. The favour I would beg is
this: will you, dear sir, who I know have prayed for our darling,
tell me if you think he was brought into Christ’s fold ere he left
you? He wrote a letter just before sailing, which now we prize
beyond everything. He said he ‘hoped God would spare us all to meet
again, and that we should see a great change for the better in
him.’ Dear boy, he had been thinking of little faults at home,
which we could not think faults. I know one of God’s people will
comfort one who is writing in deep sorrow, and longing for comfort
on this point. It will comfort my parents, should they be forced to
give up the hope we all yet cling to. I fear it will bring my
father to the grave.
“_P.S._--If you have heard bad tidings of the ship, please tell me;
it is better than doubt.”
It would be difficult to estimate the value to young sailors such as
“Norman” of the pervading Christian influence of such a home as “Balfour
House.” It would be difficult to fathom the preciousness, to anxious or
bereaved parents and relations, of the tidings and the sympathy which
come back to them from such a home, in cases like that just cited. Were
all our sailor-boys to be environed thus with loving Christian influence
before they sail and after they return from sea, what untold benefits
might be secured for themselves, for their families, and for the
mercantile marine!
Instances are not wanting of spiritual good done in connection with the
Apprentices’ Home. A young sailor named Harold met, at San Francisco,
with a Christian youth, whose acquaintance he made at the Home. The
ships of the two young men lay side by side at San Francisco, and the
two friends spent five consecutive evenings in attending the meetings
of Messrs. Moody and Sankey, then being held there, and with the most
salutary effect. Soon after this, young Harold was killed by a fall from
the mast, and his companion was able to tell his friend’s parents of the
faith he had in his Redeemer when they parted. The mourning father
writes to Mr. Legge: “I earnestly prayed that our dear boy might be kept
from the evil all around him: this I could pray for without reservation;
and he has been kept, but not in our way.” The tidings regarding this
young sailor gave Mr. Balfour much joy, and all such incidents deepened
his sense of the value of the Apprentices’ Home.
Of course such efforts for the good of others, as were involved in the
founding of the Apprentices’ Home, cannot be made without reflex benefit
to those who make them. The officers and men of the firm have been of
excellent quality. It may be doubted if any shipowners in Liverpool or
elsewhere have been better served than Messrs. Balfour, Williamson, &
Co.
It could not be foreseen, when the Apprentices’ Home was founded, that
the capricious, or at least incalculable changes in trade should, within
a short time, render it of little value to the firm which carried the
plan into execution. But it so happens that the requirements of
business have taken the ships of the firm to the Continent, to London,
to the Tyne, to the Bristol Channel, and elsewhere, while seldom guiding
them to Liverpool; so that for the last two years none of them have come
into this port. But happily the advantages which, during recent years
they have failed to reap for their own young men, have fallen to the lot
of others.
Though the conditions have somewhat altered in the lapse of years, this
institution continues, under the admirable management of Mr. Legge, in
whom Mr. Balfour justly reposed the greatest confidence. It now bears
the name of “Balfour House,” and continues to provide great advantages
to the class for whom it was designed.
“Mr. Balfour,” says Mr. Legge, “had the interest of apprentices very
much at heart. He never paid us a visit without suggesting something
which he thought would promote the comfort and happiness of the boys. It
was characteristic of him to treat us, when he came to the Home, as if
he were under an obligation to us for receiving him. Though a bedroom
was always kept for his use, he invariably sent a messenger to inquire
of Mrs. Legge if it would be quite convenient for him to use it.”
Among the means employed for improving their sailors may be mentioned a
plan adopted by the firm. A system of bonuses, in addition to the
regular wages, was established. Notices were posted in the forecastle
intimating that where the character exhibited and the language employed
warranted it, a “very good” conduct certificate would be given by the
captain, carrying with it a reward at the end of the voyage. The system
worked well at first, but, from various causes, it has of late become
practically inoperative.
Instances were occurring all through his life of Mr. Balfour’s concern
about the personal welfare of sailors. In 1866 he went to Valparaiso in
the S.S. _Panama_. In his memorandum-book, in which brief records of the
voyage are contained, occurs the following:--“On board the _Panama_
there are thirty-two sailors, firemen, and stokers, of whom only three
possessed Bibles. One of them was a Roman Catholic. I distributed
amongst them twenty-eight copies of the Scriptures and four religious
books, as a memento of our voyage.” Then follows a careful list of all
the men, to which is appended a note of satisfaction that all of them
now owned copies of the Word of God.
At a later period, when on a voyage, he records his observations in the
forecastle, which to him was perhaps the most attractive part of a
vessel. “In the evening went with a friend to talk to the seamen in the
forecastle; tried to encourage them to look to God for help, and pressed
on them the need of self-help; counselled them to trust in the love of
God, who has given His own Son to die for us individually. All very
thankful for the little books we distributed. The men represented to us
very respectfully the crowded state of the forecastle. They pointed out
that the forecastle was not properly lined, and that the wet sometimes
came down from the roof and sides, so that they could not keep dry,
although they used all the sacks and canvas they could get. The
forecastle had only one ventilator opening from the roof, and in bad
weather, when it is closed, the air becomes so hot and bad that sleep is
impossible. In hot weather the air is stifling. The men further
represented the insecurity of the forecastle, which is the very foremost
part of the ship, and is not separated by a bulkhead, from the bow. If
the ship were to run into an iceberg, as the _Arizona_ did, the
consequences would be fatal. The men pointed out that there is only one
stair, and that a narrow one, by which seamen, stokers, firemen, and
others can get on deck, one at a time, and if an accident were to happen
and confusion to occur, there would probably be loss of life in
attempting to crush up to the deck. I am sure the builders have
committed a great oversight in neglecting to provide a proper and secure
forecastle for the ----. I have the greatest difficulty myself, with
regard to the building of ships in which our firm is interested, in
securing that reasonable provision be made for the seamen. I always go
to the forecastle of new ships, and take more care to inspect them, than
I do to see to the arrangements of the cabins, as captains are well
able, as a rule, to attend to the cabins.”
All this information, as the note-book tells us, was communicated by Mr.
Balfour to the chairman of the company concerned in a letter which
closed thus: “I hope you will pardon my drawing your attention to the
forecastle of the ----, as I am sure you would not be satisfied were you
to examine it. I am the more anxious to bring this matter before you, as
you are building new steamers, whose forecastle arrangements you can
readily control.”
Thus did Mr. Balfour’s almost instinctive care for the interests of
seamen find expression both as regards his own ships and the ships of
others. His concern for the interests of the “men” slumbered not. Nor
can it be doubted that it has communicated itself to others. If there is
any class of our countrymen whose personal safety, whose reasonable
comfort and welfare should specially be regarded by England, surely it
is the seamen upon whom her commerce and her safety so largely depend.
That these men, by whose perilous exertions wealth and prosperity are
attained by many, should have anything less than justice, anything less
than kindly consideration, was a thought utterly distasteful to the
heart of Mr. Balfour. It was the desire of his soul to guard their
interests, for in the matter of self-protection they are feeble; to
shield them, for they are tempted; to elevate them, for they are
depressed. Our best shipowners sympathise in such aims; but if sympathy
were to pervade that class, and indeed all classes of citizens, and to
embody itself in practical and operative endeavour, how beneficent a
change might speedily be wrought in the condition of our British
sailors!
The banishing of grog as an article of daily use from our ships has now
become general, and has been of untold advantage to crews, passengers,
and shipowners. Messrs. Balfour, Williamson, & Co. very early discerned
the benefit of such a course and adopted it. This beneficent system is
now also, to a certain extent, adopted in the Royal Navy, an allowance
in lieu of strong drink being given to those who choose to avail
themselves of it. This contrasts favourably with the time when grog was
regularly served out to the men twice a day.
It need scarcely be said that Mr. Balfour took the deepest interest in
the Liverpool Sailors’ Home. This large and excellent institution has
for many years been under the careful and sympathetic superintendence of
Mr. Hanmer. The Home is capable of accommodating more than three hundred
men, and has rendered most valuable service to both sailors and
shipowners. The instincts of his heart drew Mr. Balfour very much to
that centre, and he was ready to do anything that lay in his power, for
the wellfare of its ever-changing inmates. The following brief statement
from the pen of Mr. Hanmer will indicate the nature of Mr. Balfour’s
relations with the institution:--
“It seems to me twenty-seven or twenty-eight years ago, since a tall
gentleman came into the service-room at the Sailors’ Home one Sunday
evening to worship. His devotion and earnestness drew my attention to
him, and at the close of the service he came at once to me and asked if
I was the secretary. Being answered in the affirmative, he introduced
himself as Mr. Balfour, and expressed himself as highly pleased with the
decorum and quiet attention of the seamen present. Then turning round
he spoke a few words, in a gracious and winning way, to a number of the
men. After walking up and down the great hall with me for a short time,
he invited me to call at his office, and so bade me good night.
“From that day to his death, he was one of the most frequent visitors to
the institution. I expected a visit every two or three weeks, and was
not often disappointed. When he had visitors at his office or residence,
he would often bring them with him. He became so familiar with the
place, that though, with his unfailing thoughtfulness and kindness, he
always asked for me on entering, and wished me, if possible, to
accompany him through the Home, yet I had nothing to tell him that he
did not know. On these occasions he _always_ spoke kind words to the
seamen, as they sat in the great hall and in the sitting-rooms. He and
his firm were among the first to subscribe handsomely whenever there was
need. He was a life-governor, though he did not see his way, owing to a
multitude of other engagements, to accede to the oft-repeated request
that he should become a member of committee.
“Many years ago, when it was proposed to form a Widows’ Emigration
Society, he entered warmly into the scheme, and became a liberal
supporter of it.
When a group of five or six widows and their families were ready to sail
for Canada, he asked for the use of a room in the Sailors’ Home, where a
farewell meeting might be held; and there, along with others, he
addressed the emigrants in wise and affectionate terms.
“My daughter used to visit some of the mission-rooms for seamen and
others, in which he was interested, to conduct the praise. She met with
many deserving cases which needed assistance, and he supplied her
liberally with the means, and urged her to apply to him whenever she
required help.”
It may be added, that when the Duke Street Home for Apprentices was in
contemplation, Mr. Balfour went to Mr. Hanmer to assure him that there
was no wish to do anything which could injuriously affect the Sailors’
Home, which, indeed, was too firmly established to be in any danger. He
consulted Mr. Hanmer as to methods and details.
The loss sustained by our sailors, owing to their being to a great
extent deprived of the opportunity of public worship, weighed heavily on
Mr. Balfour’s heart. It became one of his cherished aims, as far as
possible, to remove this disadvantage. Accordingly the paper, to which
we have already made reference, delivered by him in the Social Science
Congress in Liverpool in 1876, closed with the following words: “I
cannot conclude this paper without expressing the hope, that my
fellow-shipowners may join our firm, in requiring that religious worship
on Sundays shall take place on board all their ships. It is impossible
to overstate the injury and loss to seamen and boys, from their passing
six or eight or ten months of an East Indian or Australian voyage,
without being asked to join in the worship of Almighty God, or hearing
His Word read or explained. This duty of holding a religious service on
Sunday I trust may become, as stated a part of the discipline on board
of merchant ships, as it has become on board of ships of Her Majesty’s
Navy.”
Mr. Balfour’s eager desire for the spiritual welfare of our seamen
deepened as years rolled on. He held frequent conferences with a friend
who was concerned about the same object as to the best means of
awakening or deepening the interest of shipowners, captains, and others
in this great work. The result was that he resolved to convene a meeting
in St. George’s Hall, Liverpool. Arrangements were made for a
conversazione on a large and liberal scale, and some three thousand
invitations were issued. The meeting was thoroughly representative of
the great interests associated with shipping. Shipowners and merchants,
captains and officers, with a full complement of ladies, were gathered
for social intercourse.
After tea, addresses were delivered by the Bishop of Liverpool, Miss
Weston of Devonport, Captain Ward, the President of the Mercantile
Marine Service Association, Mr. Christopher Bushell, Mr. Edward
Lawrence, and others.
Towards the close of the meeting Mr. Balfour spoke to the following
resolution--“That this meeting of shipowners, shipmasters, and others
interested in the mercantile marine of Great Britain, respectfully
suggests to all who have influence on board ships, that they encourage
the practice of having divine service on their ships every Sunday, and
on other suitable occasions, during voyages at sea, and when in foreign
ports. It is also recommended that a Bethel flag be hoisted whenever
service is being held; and this meeting hopes that an invitation may be
given to other seamen by captains who fly the Bethel flag, and that the
holding of religious services may become general on all British ships.”
In supporting the resolution Mr. Balfour said--“What would be the effect
upon us, if we were kept for six or eight months without worshipping
God? We might be expected to get as hard as iron; and if these men
become so, who is to blame? I feel strongly that these things are too
much neglected. I was engaging a ship-master not long ago, and having
satisfied myself as to his professional capability, I asked, ‘Are you
accustomed to have worship on board your ships?’ He said ‘No.’ ‘Well,’ I
said, ‘it is a very extraordinary thing. Did you have family worship at
home, at your father’s house?’ The man was a Scotchman from
Aberdeenshire, and he answered ‘Yes.’ ‘And you have been all these years
the captain of a ship, and have not had worship on board?’ ‘No,’ he
replied, ‘I have not.’ ‘And how long have you been at sea, from
beginning to end?’ I inquired. He said, ‘I have been twelve years at
sea.’ And you have not held or attended service all that time?’ ‘No.’ I
told that man, ‘If you join this ship, service is to be conducted, as an
act of discipline, while you hold the command.’ What has been done in
the Royal Navy, in establishing worship on Sundays, can be done in the
mercantile navy, if shipowners and shipmasters would but take the matter
in hand. I shall altogether fail in my purpose if I do not impress upon
you the importance of service of some kind in your ships, the very first
Sunday it is practicable.”
The earnest pleading tones of Mr. Balfour as he advocated the spiritual
interests of the sailor are still remembered, and the interest of the
meeting deepened onward to the close. “Such a meeting,” says Mr. Grylls,
the secretary of the Mercantile Marine Service Association, “such a
meeting, embracing all classes and all shades of opinion, could have
been successfully convened only by a man of the large-hearted sympathies
of Mr. Balfour, who thus gathered round him some of the leading citizens
of Liverpool. Of the results of this and similar efforts it is not
possible to speak definitely, or to gauge the influences for good then
set in motion. But the direct effect upon the hearts of the many
hundreds present, and the distribution of a full report of the meeting
by thousands over land and sea, cannot fail to be far-reaching and
eternal.”
The spiritual refreshment of the sailor, through the Sunday service,
when far off upon the sea, is sometimes doubtless the result of the
stimulus given to effort in this direction, at the remarkable meeting
above referred to.
A book of “Services for Seamen,” including sermons by the late Rev.
Robert Philip, D.D., of Maberley Chapel, London, the well-known friend
of sailors, has been supplied. It contains suitable prayers for use on
shipboard, drawn up by well-known ministers of Liverpool and other
places. Mr. Balfour took much interest in the issue of this volume,
which has proved admirably adapted for its purpose, and which offers
welcome help to many a captain, who, without its aid, might have felt
embarrassed or remained silent.