sympathy with them was raised in me; and my heart being enlarged in the love of Christ, I thought that the affectionate care of a good man for his only brother in affliction, does not exceed what I then felt for that people. I came to this place through much trouble; and though, through the mercies of God, I believed that if I died in the journey, it would be well with me; yet the thoughts of falling into the hands of Indian warriors, were in times of weakness, afflicting to me; and being of a tender constitution of body, the thoughts of captivity among them were also grievous; supposing that as they were strong and hardy, they might demand service of me beyond what I could well bear. But the Lord alone was my keeper; and I believed, that if I went into captivity, it would be for some good end.. Thus, from time to time, my mind was centred in resignation, in which I always found quietness. And this day, though I had the same dangerous wilderness between me and home, I was inwardly joyful that the Lord had strengthened me to come on this visit, and had manifested a fatherly care over me in my poor lowly condition; when, in mine own eyes, I appeared inferior to many among the Indians.

When the last mentioned meeting was ended, it being night, Papunehang went to bed; and hearing him speak with an harmonious voice I suppose for a minute or two, I asked the interpreter, who told me, that he was expressing his thankfulness to God for the favours he had received that day; and prayed, that He would continue to favour him with the same, which he had experienced in that meeting. Though Papunehang had before agreed to receive the Moravian, and join with them, he still appeared kind and loving to us.

I was at two meetings on the 20th, and silent in them. The following morning, in meeting, my heart was enlarged in pure love among them, and in short plain sentences, I expressed

several things that rested upon me, which one of the interpreters gave the people pretty readily. The meeting ended in supplication, and I had cause humbly to acknowledge the loving-kindness of the Lord towards us; and then I believed that a door remained open for the faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, to labour among these people. And now, feeling my mind at liberty to return, I took my leave of them in general, at the conclusion of what I said in meeting; and we then prepared to go homeward. But some of their most active men told us, that when we were ready to move, the people would choose to come and shake hands with us; those who usually came to meeting did so; and from a secret draught in my mind, I went among some who did not usually go to meeting, and took my leave of them also. The Moravian and his Indian interpreter appeared respectful to us at parting. This town, Wehaloosing, stands on the bank of the Susquehannah, and consists, I believe, of about forty houses, mostly compact together; some about thirty feet long, and eighteen wide, some bigger some less. They are built mostly of split plank, one end being set in the ground, and the other pinned to a plate, on which rafters are laid, and then covered with bark. I understand a great flood last winter overflowed the greater part of the ground where the town stands; and some were now about moving their houses to higher ground.

but

We expected only two Indians to be of our company, when we were ready to go, we found many of them were going to Bethlehem with skins and furs, and chose to go in company with us. So they loaded two canoes in which they desired us to go, telling us, that the waters were so raised with the rains, that the horses should be taken by such as were better acquainted with the fording places. We therefore, with several Indians, went in the canoes, and others went on horses, there being seven besides ours. We met

with the horsemen once on the way by appointment, and at ight we lodged a little below a branch called Tankhannah, nd some of the young men going out a little before dusk with heir guns, brought in a deer.

Through diligence, we reached Wioming before night, the 22nd, and understood that the Indians were mostly gone from his place. We went up a small creek into the woods with ›ur canoes, and pitching our tent, carried out our baggage; and before dark our horses came to us. Next morning the horses being loaded, and our baggage prepared, we set forward being in all fourteen; and with diligent travelling, were favoured to get near half way to Fort Allen. The land on this road from Wioming to our frontier being mostly poor, and good grass being scarce, the Indians chose a piece of low ground to lodge on, as the best for grazing. I had sweat much in travelling, and being weary, slept soundly. In the night I' perceived that I had taken cold, of which I was favoured soon to get better.

24th of 6th mo. This day we passed Fort Allen, and lodged near it in the woods. We forded the westerly branch of the Delaware three times, which was a shorter way, than going over the top of the blue mountains, called the Second Ridge. in the second time of fording where the river cuts through the mountain, the waters being rapid and pretty deep, my companion's mare being a tall tractable animal, was sundry times driven back through the river, being laden with the burdens. of some small horses, which were thought unable to come through with their loads. The troubles westward, and the difficulty for Indians to pass through our frontier, was, I apprehend, one reason why so many came, expecting that our being in company, would prevent the outside inhabitants being surprised.

We reached Bethlehem on the 25th, taking care to keep foremost, and to acquaint people, on and near the road, who

these Indians were. This we found very needful; for the frontier inhabitants were often alarmed at the report of the English being killed by Indians westward. Among our company were some whom I did not remember to have seen at meeting; and some of these at first were very reserved; but we being several days together, and behaving in a friendly manner towards them, and making them suitable returns for the services they did us, they became more free and sociable.

26th of 6th mo. Having carefully endeavoured to settle all affairs with the Indians relative to our journey, we took leave of them, and I thought they generally parted from us affectionately. We went forward to Richland, and had a very comfortable meeting among our friends, it being the 1st day of the week. Here I parted with my kind friend and companion Benjamin Parvin; and accompanied by my friend Samuel Foulk, we rode to John Cadwallader's, from whence I reached" home the next day, and found my family tolerably well. They and my friends appeared glad to see me return from a journey which they apprehended would be dangerous; but my mind, while I was out, had been so employed in striving for perfect resignation, and had so often been confirmed in a belief, that whatever the Lord might be pleased to allot for me, it would work for good, that I was careful lest I should admit any degree of selfishness in being glad overmuch, and laboured to improve by those trials in such a manner as my gracious Father and Protector designed. Between the English settlements and Wehaloosing, we had only a narrow path, which in many places is much grown up with bushes, and interrupted by abundance of trees lying across it; these, together with the mountain swamps, and rough stones, make it a difficult road to travel; and the more so because rattlesnakes abound here, of which we killed four. People who have never been in such places, have but an imperfect idea of them; and I was

not only taught patience, but also made thankful to God, who thus led about and instructed me, that I might have a quick and lively feeling of the afflictions of my fellow-creatures, whose situation in life is difficult.

CHAP. IX.

1763.-1769.

Religious conversation with a company met to see the tricks of a juggler.-Account of John Smith's advice, and of the proceedings of a Committee, at the yearly-meeting in 1764—Contemplations on the nature of true wisdom.-Visit to the families of friends at MountHolly, Mansfield, and Burlington, and to the meetings on the sea coast from Cape May towards Squan.-Some account of Joseph Nichols and his followers.—On the different state of the first settlers in Pennsylvania who depended on their own labour, compared with those of the southern provinces who kept negroes.-Visit to the Northern parts of New-Jersey, and the western parts of Maryland and Pennsylvania, also to the families of friends at Mount-holly and several parts of Maryland. Further considerations on keeping slaves; and his concern for having been a party to the sale of one.-Thoughts on friends exercising offices in civil government.

The latter part of the summer, 1763, there came a man to Mount Holly, who had previously published a printed advertisement, that at a certain public house, he would show many wonderful operations, which were therein enumerated. At the appointed time he did, by sleight of hand, perform sundry things which appeared strange to the spectators. Understanding that the show was to be repeated the next night, and that the people were to meet about sunset, I felt an exercise on that account. So I went to the public-house in the evening, and told the man of the house that I had an inclina

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