The Convict Ship and England's Exiles

trines of Christianity; and must take care, that not only those who are especially entrusted with their religious instruction, but all who are connected with their management, from the governor down to the humblest warder, be truly spiritual and consistent Christians, fitted by their temper and general demeanour to commend the gospel of Christ to all around them.

We are quite willing to concede to all human systems of prison discipline the importance to which experience may have proved them to be entitled; but the attempt to reform our criminals by any means short of those which God himself hath pro vided and ordained to that end, as set forth in the Scriptures, involves not only ignorant presumption, but practical infidelity.

To all who are entrusted with the education or government of human beings, in any rank or condition of life, at sea or on shore; in the army, navy, or in civil life; in schools or private families, the narrative contained in this volume may afford matter of interest, stirring them up to fervent prayer and unwearied exertion in the work of scriptural instruction and Christian discipline, seeing that their labour shall not be in vain in the Lord while the boundless riches of the grace of God in Christ Jesus, here displayed towards degraded criminals, may encourage sinners of every class to delay not, but hasten their flight to the one and only Refuge for the guilty, the defenceless, and the lost.

The "Convict Ship," and " England's Exiles," being out of print, and a second edition called for, the two works have been condensed and thrown into one volume, chiefly for the convenience of those who may wish to trace effects to their causes, and principles working out their appropriate results. Additional communications from prisoners have been introduced, and, along with some other new matter in the Appendix, a letter is inserted, from one of the prisoners by the Earl Grey, which continues his history through the trying period of "probation."

The shortness of my stay in England, which was a time also of domestic affliction, must be offered as an apology for any imperfections in the arrangement of the volume; and it must now pass through the press, during my seventh voyage with prisoners destined for Norfolk Island.

The preparation of it in its present form, having led me to a review and comparison of my six voyages, it is worthy of remark, that I find the amount of reformation amongst the convicts, strikingly to correspond with the degree of diligence and zeal with which the gospel, in its divine simplicity, was brought to bear, from the hour of embarkation, upon their understandings, consciences, and hearts. During the first voyage, there was less Christian instruction than during those which followed, and much less apparent improvement was effected; on one occasion I was induced to yield to the judgment of the officer

of the guard, and master of the ship, and sanctioned the infliction of corporal punishment upon three convicts, which how clearly soever deserved, I have ever regarded as unwise and impolitic, and as casting a stigma upon the management of my first charge. As experience grew, and practical Christianity was from the beginning relied upon, punishments of any kind became less and less called for; and during the sixth voyage, in the Theresa, in which 156 out of 220 prisoners gave evidence of turning to the Lord through the belief of the gospel, not only were no lashes inflicted, but not an iron was used, nor a convict placed under a sentry.

To the honour of the blessed Saviour, who "hath done such great things for us," is this small and feeble work humbly and devoutly dedicated. May he forgive all that is man's, and abundantly bless all that is HIS OWN; and to the FATHER, the SON, and the HOLY GHOST, the one only true GoD, be ascribed all glory, and honour, thanksgiving, dominion, and praise, now and evermore, world without end. Amen.

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