' '  For  nearly  nineteen  years  my  home  has  been  chi  the  deep,  and
I  am  not  ashamed  to  say,  I  have  alwa)^  loved  the  sailor.  I  may
be  wrong,  but  the  &ct  that  a  man  is  a  sailor  hides  many  faults
with  me.  You  will  readily  imagine,  therefore,  the  deep  interest
and  concern  I  feel  in  this  most  useful  and  much  abused  class  of
our  countrymen,  and  with  what  pleasure,  and  satisfaction,  and
gratitude  to  God,  I  hear  of  the  conversion  of  a  sailor.''

This  testimony  is  corroborated  and  enlarged  by  the  let-
ter of  Brother  Morris,  dated  December  26th,  1859,  which
I  here  give  entire.  My  only  regret  is  that  I  cannot  give
the  correspondence  of  tlie  brethren  more  fully.
"UNrrsD  States  Ship  St.  Louis,
*^  San  Juan  de  Nicaragua^  December  26th,  1859.
"  Dearly  Beloved Paslor — It  is  my  pleasant  duty  to  communicate
to  you  the  glorious  tidings  that  the  Lord  has  been  graciously
pleased  to  bless  us  with  a  revival.  The  Holy  Spirit  has  come  down
among  us  with  power,  and  I  think  I  can  confidently  say,  that  with
the  exception  of  some  decided  infidels  and  bigoted  Romanists,
there  are  but  few  individuals  on  board,  that  have  not  more  or  less
felt  its  influence  on  their  hearts.  The  call  of  the  Spirit,  however,
has  been  differently  received  by  different  persons,  for  while  some
have  yielded  to  his  admonitions,  repented  and  believed,  many  har-


414  FIFTY   YEARS  AMONG  SAILORS.
