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French probably discovered them also, and made all the sail they could, expecting to make prizes of them. Accordingly they sent a periauger before them, full of men, with design to pour in their small arms on them, and take them, as their manner was, supposing they were unarmed vessels and only bound upon trade. Captain Paine's gunner urged to fire on them. The Captain denied, alleging it more advisable to let the enemy come nearer under their command. But the ner still urging it, being certain (as he said) he should rake fore and aft, thus with much importunity at length the Captain gave him liberty. He fired on them, but the bullet went wide of them, and I saw it skip on the surface of the water several times, and finally lodged in a bank, as they were not very far distant from the shore. This brought them to a stand, and to row off as fast as they could and wait until their vessels came up. When they came, they bore down on the English, and there ensued a very hot sea-fight for several hours, though under the land, the great barque foremost, pouring in a broadside with small arms. Ours bravely answered them in the same manner, with their huzzas and shouting. Then followed the larger sloop, the captain whereof was a very violent, resolute fellow. He took a glass of wine to drink, and wished it might be his damnation if he did not board them immediately. But as he was drinking, a bullet struck him in his neck, with which he instantly fell down dead, as the prisoners (before spoken of) afterward reported. However, the large sloop proceeded, as the foremost vessel had done, and the lesser sloop likewise. Thus they passed by in course, and then tacked and brought their other broadside to bear. In this manner they continued the fight until the night came on and prevented their farther conflict. Our men as valiantly paid them back in their own coin, and bravely repulsed them, and killed several of them. The Captain, before spoken of, with one or more were after driven on the shore. In this action the continued fire was so sharp and violent, that the echo in the woods made a noise as though the limbs of the trees were rent and tore off from their bodies (as I have observed); yet they killed but one man, an Indian fellow of the English party, and wounded six white men, who after recovered. They overshot our men, so that many of their bullets, both great and small, were picked up on the adjacent shore.

Our men expected a second encounter in the morning, and their ammunition being much spent, sent in the night for the island's stock, as the French lay off at anchor but a small distance from them all the night. But having found the engagement too hot for them, they hoisted their sails and stood off to sea; and one reason might be this (as was reported) that their Commodore understood by some means that it was Captain Paine he had encountered, said, "He would as soon choose to fight with the devil as with him." Such was their dialect. Now this Captain Paine, and Peckar the French Commodore, had sailed together a privateering, Paine captain, and Peckar his lieutenant, in some former wars. The French standing off to sea, Captain Paine and Captain Godfrey, and their soldiers, with the valor and spirit of true Englishmen, pursued them, but the privateers being choice sailers, were too light of foot for them. The French, finding that they hauled on the vessel before spoken of, loaded with wines and brandy, which was not so good a sailer as the others, and fearing the English would make a prey of her, fired a great shot through her bottom, so that when our men came to her she was sunk under water in her fore part, the stern only buoyed up by a long-boat fastened to it; and as she was standing right up and down in the water, they could not get any thing out of her. They no sooner cut the painter, but she instantly sunk to the bottom. They brought the boat with them in their return, which was the only prize and trophy of their victory; only as the enemy were vanquished, and that they had so courageously chased them off the New-England coast. When Peckar heard that Trimming was killed, he greatly lamented, and said, he had rather have lost thirty of his men.

Before the year was expired, some of the same company, with others, landed in the night and surprised the people in their beds, and proceeded in like manner as before, plundering houses, stripping the people of their clothing, killing creatures and making great waste and spoil; but killed no person. I suppose I was the greatest sufferer of any under their hands at this time; for before I had dressed myself, one of their company rushed into the chamber where I lodged. After some free and seemingly familiar questions he asked me, which I answered with like freedom; but being alone, without any of his company, not knowing what dan

ger might befall him (as I after apprehended)-on a sudden, and with a different air, he says to me, "Go down, you dog." To which I replied, "Presently; as soon as I have put on my stockings and shoes." At which, with the muzzle of his gun he gave such a violent thrust at the pit of my stomach, that it threw me backward on the bed, as I was sitting on the bed side, so that it was some time before I could recover my breath. As soon as I could, I gathered them up. He drew his cutlass and beat me, smiting with all his power, to the head of the stairs, and it was a very large chamber. He followed me down the stairs, and then bound my hands behind me with a sharp small line, which soon made my hands swell and become painful. How I managed after with my stockings and shoes I have now forgot. However, after this I met with no abuse from them the whole time of their stay on the island.

The first time the island was taken, of which I have given a narrative before, I took the first opportunity to make my escape, and some others did the like; and though we camped in a small piece of upland in a great swamp, yet every leaf that stirred with the wind, made me with surprise conclude the French were come upon us. This made me determine with myself, that if ever it were my lot in providence to be taken by them again, I would continue in and see the worst of my bondage, until it pleased God to send me deliverance. This resolution I held, though I had a fair opportunity to make an escape, and notwithstanding the ill treatment I met with at first, as before is related.

The French came a third time while I was on the island, and came to anchor in the bay on Saturday, some time before night; and acquainted us who they were and what they intended, by hoisting up their white colors. None of the people appearing to oppose them, and having, at this time, my aged grand-parents, Mr. James Sands and his wife, before mentioned, to take the care of, with whom I then dwelt; knowing also, that if they landed they would make his house the chief seat of their rendezvous, as they had done twice before, and not knowing what insults or outrage they might commit on them, I advised to the leaving their house, and betaking themselves to the woods for shelter, till they might return under prospects of safety; which they consented to. Accordingly we took our flight into the woods, which were

at a considerable distance, where we encamped that night as well as the place and circumstances would allow, with some others, that for the like reasons fell into our company. The next morning, being Lord's day morning, I expressed my desire to go occultly and see the conduct of the French, and their proceedings. One of the company offered to go with me. We went together, and placed ourselves on the top of a hill, where were small bushes and a large swamp behind us, but in fair sight of the house I went from, viz. my grandfather's house. It seems the French had not landed till that morning, for we had not long been seated there before we saw them coming from the water-side in two files, which made a long train, with their colors flying, and, if I mistake not, their trumpet sounding. (I did not then think of counting their number.) Thus they came in triumph, and as absolute lords of the soil and all belonging thereto, as indeed they were for the time; but their reign was but short, as the sequel will prove. (My companion in this discovery was Mr. Thomas Mitchell, who then, and many years after, was an inhabitant on Block Island, alias New Shoreham.) In this manner they went to the house, and immediately set up their standard on a hill on the back side of it, and directly shot and killed three hogs fatted with whey in a sty, and then killed the geese, as there were many there. Having had but little sleep the night before, I proposed to Mr. Mitchell to keep a good look-out, and watch their motions, till I endeavored to sleep a little, and thus to proceed interchangeably; when I made the hard ground my lodging for the time, which was long. Upon my awaking, he lay down; and as he lay and slept, the French fired many guns at the house, and I heard several bullets whistling over my head. Suspecting they had made some discovery of us, I awakened him, telling him what I had observed; therefore that it was advisable to shift our quarters. Accordingly, as we were moving from the place, we espied a large ship about a league to leeward of the township, riding at anchor, (the fog at sea had been very thick till then), which happened to be Captain Dobbins, in the Nonesuch man-of-war, stationed in those seas, which we at first sight supposed. This ship appearing, put the Frenchmen into a great surprise, by their motions, by running up to their standard on the hill, then down again, and others

doing the like. The man-of-war still making all sail possible, there being but a small breeze of wind at southwest, and right ahead, according to the sailors' phrase, they soon left the house, and with all speed and seeming confusion hastened to their vessel. Upon this, we went boldly to the house, and found the floor covered with geese, with blood, and feathers; the quarters of the hogs they had killed hanging up in one and another part of the house,-a melancholy sight to behold. Their manner of dressing hogs after they had quartered them, was to singe off the hair over a flame; and their method to command the cattle was (as I saw when they took us before) to thrust their cutlasses in at their loins, and on a sudden the hind quarter would drop down, and as the poor creature strove to go forward, the blood would spout out of the hole, and fly up near or full out a yard in height. But to return,-the Frenchmen hastened on board, as they had taken many prisoners in their passage, and among others, one Captain Rodney, with his lady, a gentleman of a fine estate, coming from the West Indies, with all his substance, to settle in this country. They robbed him of all his wealth, insomuch, as in my hearing his wife related, that when they saw they were likely to be taken, she took a bag of money and hid it in the privatest part she had. However, they found it out, and took it from her. These prisoners they used the utmost dexterity to set on shore, and leave behind them; which they no sooner had done but they set sail to make their escape, the Nonesuch all this while pressing hard to windward. Soon after these privateers took to their heels, hoping to get out of the manof-war's reach, the fog thickened, and the wind rose and blew hard at southwest, so that we quickly lost sight of them both. The French kept close upon the wind, in hopes to weather a place called Noman's Land, lying southward of Martha's Vineyard; but the wind scanting on them, and blowing hard, they ran into a place (if I mistake not) called Buzzard's Bay, which emphatically proved so to them. There they were land-locked, and could not get out, although the French vessel was quickly out of sight by reason of the thick fog which continued. Yet as if the Nonesuch had tracked them by the print of their heels in the ocean, or had followed them in their wake, she came in upon them, Providence so ordering, and took them. When they saw,