In my conversation with some great merchants, I perceived that there was something moved at Court that tended to the prejudice of New England; and they observed, we very much wanted an Agent to appear on our behalf, and that Mr. Jeremiah Dummer, a courtier, and one intimate with the excellent ministry then at the helm, was as proper a person as we could get, being our own countryman, of admirable capacity, and diligent application. I immediately despatched letters to the Governor, Speaker of the House, and some other persons of figure and influence, laid what I had heard before them, and recommended Mr. Dummer to them; upon which he was presently appointed their Agent, and diverted what was threatening to us. Two years after, in the latter end of Queen Anne's reign, under her bad ministry, the Court seemed to be fixed upon taking away the New England charter, when Mr. Agent Dummer appeared, and wrote a pamphlet, showing that the New England charter was not an act of grace from the throne, but a contract between the king and our fathers; that we had fulfilled our part of the contract, and therefore it would be the highest injustice to deprive ust of what we had bought at the expense of so much blood and treasure which put a stop to the proceedings against us. That piece was reprinted in the time of the struggle about the stamp act; and I counted myself happy in being, in some small degree, instrumental in thus serving my native country.

Nothing could be more obsequious and cringing, even to meanness, than a great number of candidates for the ministry, from Scotland and Ireland, were to the standing ministry to put them into places. I have had several of them paying their court to me, sometimes two or three in a morning before I was out of bed, importuning me to open the way, to direct and recommend them to settlements in New England. But I let them know, that I looked upon myself a stranger to their education and manners, and therefore I could not honestly comply with their desires; and forasmuch as we had a college which furnished both the churches and the magistry with able men, it would be highly injurious to my Alma Mater, for me to endeavor to supply the churches from abroad, seeing we needed them not.

When I was about to return home, I was earnestly courted by several considerable merchants, and some West India gentlemen, of my acquaintance, to go into trade; and they

offered to send by me what goods I pleased. One of them went so far, as to engage sending a thousand a year sterling from London, and all the rum and molasses from his large plantation in Antigua; and obliged me to take the name of his overseer, and his orders upon him. But I thanked them for their generous offer, and told them I wholly devoted myself to the service of God in the work of the ministry, and, God assisting me, no worldly considerations should take me

off from it.

At length I took passage in the Buckingham Frigate, a ship of about 250 tons, Ephraim Breed, commander, which sailed to Portsmouth, to be under the convoy of Commodore Littleton, who was to take care of the fleet bound to the West Indies. The latter end of July, I travelled in the stage. flying coach, which reached Portsmouth in one day; where I stayed with three New England passengers about a month, waiting for the convoy. While I was here, I was acquainted with several families of good fashion, which treated me with peculiar respects and goodness. Here I preached to the dissenting church one part of a Lord's day, to good acceptance. There happened to be an army, under Lord Shannon, lying at Cowes, bound to New England, and thence to Čanada. We four New England passengers had a great inclination to see it. We ferried over to Ryde on Saturday, and travelled to Newport, on the Isle of Wight, where we visited Carisbrook castle, an ancient and decayed pile, intending on Monday morning to go to Cowes. Lord's day evening, as we discoursed of our voyage to New England, our landlord overheard us, and said to us, "Gentlemen, I wish you are not disappointed; I heard the signal guns for sailing fired very early this morning, and the wind was fair, but small." It put us, as well it might, into a great surprise; but it was too late in the night then to think of going to Ryde, seven miles distant; we therefore went to bed, rose on Monday before the sun, set away for Ryde. There we found the fleet had come to sail the morning before; but, in going round St. Helen's Point, the tide was too strong for the wind, and they were forced to come to anchor. What should we do now? Our clothes and effects were all on board ship, the wind fair and strong, the fleet under sail, and no boat to carry us to them. Within a quarter of an hour the ferry-boat from Portsmouth landed at Ryde; but the wind was high, and the sea

foaming. I begged of my companions not to lisp a word of our being bound out with the fleet, and content themselves to submit to my measures, or we should never get on board our ship. They promised they would. I then went up to the ferryman, as he landed, and said, "Ferryman, you have had a hard passage of it. I see your company are wet, and I suppose you will not care to go off again presently." “No, master," said he, "the wind and sea are turbulent; I must stay till it abates a little." We then mixed ourselves with other company, and talked of a passage to Portsmouth. The ferryman soon learned there were four of us men, bound over to Portsmouth, as he thought; which was a great fare with him. I called for bread and cheese and a mug of ale, for our breakfast, and sat down, seemingly very easy. Anon, the ferryman came to us, and said, "Masters, if you are bound over, the wind seems to be somewhat abated; I think we may go." I said to him, "Don't be in too great a hurry; we shall be ready presently." He came a second time; we then rose and followed him into the boat. After we had got a little way from shore, I said to my companions, "There is an honest, worthy gentleman, bound off in that fleet; I should be very glad to take leave of him; perhaps we may never see him again." "I should be glad to see him," said my companions, one and all. I understood a small boat, and was determined to take the helm myself, if fair means would not prevail with him to carry us to the ship; and I think, in such necessitous circumstances, I should have done nothing but what was right. But I said, "Well, ferryman, what shall I give you to take a run to that hindmost ship, that we may shake hands with an honest gentleman ?" O! master," said he, "the wind is high and scant, the sea so rough, and the distance so great, I cannot possibly go thither." "Come," said I, "I'll give you half a crown for it." "Indeed, I cannot," said he. Well," said I, "I'll give you a crown," which I knew was as much as he ordinarily got in two or three days. He paused, and said, "Well, masters, to oblige you, I will try what I can do; but you must not detain me." We told him we would not hinder him one quarter of an hour. So he steered for our ship, which lay by for us; the fleet being mostly round the Point. As soon as we got on board, we gave him the crown, handed him a few biscuit and a bottle of rum, and then told him we would detain him no

longer. He broke out, as in great anguish,

catched ?"

"What! am I

We replied, "Yes, and we are well escaped; so fare you well." Had he known our circumstances, we should have come off well at the price of a guinea a man; so biting are these sharpers.

We came to sail, soon got up with the fleet, and put in at Torbay. I landed at Brixham, a poor small fish-town. The second day came to sail, and put in at Plymouth on Saturday, and on the next day set sail upon our voyage, August 27. Took our departure from Scilly, Aug. 31, 1710. Sept. 5, parted with the convoy, and the fleet separated on their different courses for their several ports, and we soon found ourselves a lone ship. Our ship was either ill built, or ill loaded, was so crank that she could not hold up her sides to a smart gale; we were often necessitated to settle our mainyard to Portland, and once to strike our topmasts; so that we had a very long passage. Sept. 7, we saw a tall ship standing after us, which we took for a French man-of-war; but night coming on, we altered our course and lost her; a happy escape, through a kind Providence. Sept. 23. Very hard north-west wind, and a mountainous sea, which put us to difficulties. Sept. 28. By bad steering, or a strong current, or both, we fell so much southward of our course, as to make the islands of Corvo and Flores. Oct. 14. Hoisted out our boat, it being calm; tried the current, found it set between three and four knots to the south, something westward; and took two tortoises, about sixty weight apiece. Oct. 20. Fell in with a large fleet, about four o'clock in the morning, saw their top and poop lights, which stood away north-east. We kept our course, and lost them by daylight.

Oct. 28 and 29. Many fowls, of different sorts, came about us, and some lodged on our rigging. The water was of a light green color, and we concluded we were on the banks, in lat. 43° 11', long. 62° 11'. We hoisted out our boat, and sounded with 160 fathoms, but found no bottom. Oct. 30, sounded again, but had no bottom. Nov. 6, about four o'clock P. M., we got sounding in about 35 fathoms; brought up hake's teeth and some shells. The captain being confined with the gout, came not upon deck, but being told the depth, and showed the bottom, he, with the two mates, and a captain passenger, concluded we were in the South Channel; and it being a fair wind, the captain ordered such a course to be

steered, saying, "We shall be a-breast with the table land of Cape Cod by morning, and have the whole day before us to run up the bay for Boston." Observing the talk of the several officers, I confess I was greatly concerned in mind, lest we should be running among the shoals of Nantucket; but I said nothing to them, trusting in God, and not man, to preserve us. Before we had stood our course three hours, a strong north-west wind clapped all the sails a-back in a moment. We lay by for three or four days, kept the lead going every watch, found little or no alteration in the depth of water, and not much in the bottom brought up. Nov. 11th, in the morning watch, they brought up white sand; upon which they all agreed we were upon the back of Martha's Vineyard. I then asked them where they thought we were when we set our course, upon our first getting soundings. They answered me, we were certainly running upon Nantucket shoals, and had we continued that course two hours longer we should unavoidably have perished among them. I then observed to them, what abundant cause we had of thankfulness to a gracious God, who, in mercy to us, caused the wind so suddenly to blow in our teeth, and stop our way, though, doubtless, we some of us thought it against us. Let this great deliverance which a good God has given us never be forgotten by us.

The wind being favorable, we stood for the Vineyard, and in about two hours raised it, and got to anchor that day, it being Saturday, by one o'clock. Some of the passengers crossed the ferry that afternoon, and set out for Boston; another passenger and myself chose to stay the Sabbath over at the Vineyard. Tuesday morning we went over the ferry, and put away on horseback for Boston. We travelled but leisurely. As we drew towards Boston, we understood Thursday was a day of public Thanksgiving; we stopped at Braintree, and attended the public service there; and I arrived at my good father's house, after candle-lighting that evening, just before they were going to sit down to supper. And a joyful Thanksgiving it was, both to my parents and myself;-to my parents and brethren, who had been in great distress about me; all the vessels, that came out with us, had arrived, the last of them above a week before us; though the passengers who set out from the Vineyard, arrived at Boston Nov. 14, and informed my parents I was well at the Vinc