IN my last communication I endeavoured to discuss the question of Schools for Sailors in its general bearings: I now proceed to give a special application of it with regard to a district with which I am familiar—I mean the sea-coast of Wales, from the Severn right round to the Dee.

All along the Welsh coast are numerous small ports and maritime towns and villages, independent of the larger ones, Cardiff, Swansea, Milford, Aberystwyth, Carnarvon, Bangor, &c.; and in each of them, as well as in the larger ports just round them, is always to be found a population of sailors, old and young, with their families. In the summer, most of the able-bodied men and boys are afloat, engaged on board the small coasting-vessels which carry slates, lead and copper ores, coal, lime, timber, &c.; but during the winter months, from the end of November to the beginning of TVTarch, or thereabouts, they are all ashore—out of employment. I have taken pains during a series of years to ascertain what is the actual number of individuals so situated; but I have not succeeded in obtaining anything more satisfactory than an approximate guess. It appears that this number is not less than 1,000, and it is believed that it rises at times to 1,200 or 1,300. I do not comprehend in this the ever-fluctuating maritime populations of such places as Cardiff or Swansea : I confine my statement to the number of bond fide Welsh men and boys employed in the coasting trade, and ashore during the three dead winter months. Some of them live close by the sea-board, others, with their families, a few miles up the country; but they never go far from the ocean; and they retain all their peculiar habits and customs during the short interval of rest from their common occupation.

Now, the following points have been clearly proved concerning them, and they can be verified by application to the county or parochial authorities all along the coast, (1). That no public provision is made for the training and improving, or educating these men and boys anywhere in Wales.

All the education they get is from private, * Continued from page 131 of the July Number of this Journal.

unaided sources alone—often under circumstances of considerable bodily labour and discouragement.

(2). That they are as a class a wellconducted set of men—all circumstances considered—and that they are almost all not only anxious to procure instruction, but willing to pay well for it.

(3). That there are few really competent teachers of navigation practising on their own account along the coast. Application has been made to several public bodies for aid and encouragement in setting up good teachers—such as to the Admiralty—to the Committee of Council on Education— to the Members of Parliament for Wales— all, with the same result—a disclaimer of liability, or a recommendation to forward application elsewhere.

I take up these points as I have arranged them. The only persons who are at all likely to give education and training to the sailors are the parochial schoolmasters along the coast; and navigation classes have been in existence for some years, at such places as Barmouth, &c., with notable success; but, as a general rule, the schoolmasters do not know navigation practically—they are not likely to know it; and their teaching is, therefore, on a limited scale. It is always afforded with great good-will on their part, and gratefully accepted by the men. The general rate of pay is three guineas for the course; which commonly extends over two winters, sometimes over three. In one town, Carnarvon, where the number of men is considerable, the only teachers of navigation was a woman (Mrs.

Edwards, widow of a skipper) and her daughter; who have jointly been engaged in this way for more than twenty years.

Their labours have been highly successful; and the number of men who have passed, through their means, as mates and captains, is comparatively large. The mother has been failing in health for the laot two years; and application has been made to the Government on her behalf for a small pension, but without success.

The truth is, that, with regard to the providing of instruction for sailors, the Government and the country proceed upon the principle of neglect.

To prove that the men are anxious for instruction, I need only appeal to the experience of all schoolmasters living along the coast, or even within reach of it. They are always applied to every winter; and they seldom have any serious difficulty in procuring payment. The men conduct themselves well in school—as well as they can ; work hard, and give as little trouble as they know how. It has been my lot for many years past to find men and boys sitting in the same schoolroom with girls and young women—frequenting them day after day; and I have hardly ever heard of their behaving towards the females in any manner that could call for reprehension.

They were given to tobacco, poor fellows; but they seldom trouble the schoolmaster with more than this; and a word generally suffices to get the " quid " stuffed into the pocket again.

Schoolmasters are trained for parochial, not for maritime schools; and we must not be disappointed at finding them ill-suited to the office of practical teachers of navigation.

They can of course prepare the lads up to the time of their first being apprenticed ; but it would be much better for the men that some specially - qualified teachers should be sent down to the Welsh ports for three months every year. Men would have more confidence in them if they knew that they had been passed by some public maritime board; about fifty teachers might be required, and they would find sufficient employment during the period of their being detached on this special duty. There would be a sum of about 201. payable to each teacher by the sailors alone during the three months; and this pay should be raised to 301. or 401.

per month, by Government—not through the medium, however, of any body of landsmen in London, talking of " able-bodied seamen being ashore 200 nights in the year," &c.

This apathy, if not ignorance, of the Government and the Legislature, should be broken in upon by some public remembrancer ; and as the members of Parliament for Wales do not seem likely to do it, I know of no better method to get the subject discussed and pushed forward than by recommending it to the advocacy of the Journal of the National Life-boat Institution, which is generally perused with interest by every one.

THE CHAPLAIN OF THE ROYAL WELSH YACHT CLUB..