She queried whether it could be possible they were both dead; and asked me many questions over and over again., at length made some petulent reply and this very much distressed me; I could hardly forgive myself in a long time. The poor woman made several attempts to withdraw, but it seemed as if she could not leave me.

As the spring advanced I began to amend, but very slowly.

The war being now ended, there were more seamen than the merchants had occasion to employ; and of course seamen's wages were very low. For a while I turned my attention to fishing; my strength was not sufficiently restored to attempt to take hold on farming; and indeed there were but few farmers able to hire.

I had proposed to doctor Cutter, to do some work for him, as I had no other way of paying his bill. I went to work for the doctor; he had some gardening and some farming to do. I continued seven or eight months in his service; he paid me my wages, and would never take any thing for doctoring me.

In the spring of 1785 I went a voyage to the West Indies, on board the sloop Randolph, commanded by Capt. Samuel Gardiner, the vessel was owned by his brother, William Gardiner, Esq. We had a very long passage of more than sixty days. We discharged our cargo at Trinidad. On our return we touched at Barbadoes and at St. Eustatia, to purchase provisions, for our passage out was so much longer than usual, that we had exhausted our provisions. It being very high, the captain put to sea from Eustatia with a scanty supply, and before we got in we came to very short allowance.

In coming on the coast in November, we had several heavy storms, and being rather weak handed we were much exposed, and in several instances I narrowly escaped being hove overboard. This sloop was about one hundred tons and was very unhandy to work; there were but four hands before the mast. We arrived at Portsmouth some time in November, having been more than two weeks upon very short allowance.

I purposed not to go to sea again that winter, but to allow myself some little pastime in visiting my friends.

L2

Soon after my return, I made a visit to Newington, (which adjoined Portsmouth) to spend a little time with my uncle Furber, who married my father's sister. He was an independent farmer, a very humorous man, was pleased with my company, and was highly entertained in hearing me tell over my adventures, &c. His only son Jethro, was about my age, his eldest daughter Phebe, had recently married a Mr. Woodman Coleman, of Dover. Mary was about to accompany me on a visit to Mr. Coleman's and invited Mrs. Hannah Nutter to accompany us. We walked to Fox point, which is a half mile above the celebrated Piscataqua bridge, (this bridge, however, was not built until same years after) with a design to procure a canoe: I obtained one about twelve feet long and we set off. The river being more than a half a mile across at the place just below where the Exeter river forms a junction with Durham river. We had got one third of the way over, when I discovered a heavy snow squall coming down the Durham river, and a small schooner coming down in it, scudding under the head of her foresail. I saw but little chance for us, I did not apprise the girls of our danger, but I paddled with all my strength so as to get in the wake or range of Goat Island, which lay near the middle of the river, over which, the aforesaid bridge now lies. We were a quarter of a mile above this island when the squall struck us. I was careful to put away in season, and was very glad to find, that, by my exertions, I had brought the island dead to leeward.

After I had put away for the island, I never lifted my paddle out of the water; but with the utmost caution steered my little ship until she had struck. We had shipped considerable water, and had the distance been greater we must have sunk. The weather was pleasant when we set off from the shore, nor was there any appearance of a squall.

The ground was now covered with snow, and we were all wet and cold: but there happened to be one small house upon the island, and we were kindly received, and having warmed ourselves, the weather became pleasant, we pursued our voyage and had a pleasant time.

We very narrowly escaped with our lives: those whe

saw us from the shore had no hope of us, and the schooner that passed us, could have afforded us no relief. I am filled with astonishment, when I consider how many dangers the Lord has brought me through.

I spent a considerable part of this winter with my cousin, Jethro Furber, in company with Mr. John Coleman, studying navigation, and the art of surveying..

In the spring, I shipped on board the ship Lydia, commanded by my old friend, Capt. R. S. Tibbits, bound to North Carolina, then to Lisbon. Mr. G. Horn was first mate, and Mr. John Brear second mate. We went to Wilmington, North Carolina, and took on board a cargo of planks, staves, pitch, tar, and turpentine. In Wilmington, I was quite unwell for a time, but on going to sea, I recovered.

Nothing uncommon occurred, until we made the land on the coast of Portugal. We stood along the coast under easy sail, it being towards night, we did not wish to approach very near the land. The weather was very pleasant and the wind light.

The Algerines at this time were committing depredations on our commerce. It was but little before this, that Capt. O'Brien had been taken, who, with his crew, were in slavery among them a number of years. We were in some fear of them, and kept a bright look out. I had gone below at twelve o'clock and turned in, but was not yet asleep. I thought I heard the distant sound of a human voice; the captain was on deck, and busy in talking. I heard the sound again, and began to feel alarmed, and was turning out, but discovered that they heard the sound on deck and were listening, and looking out. The sound neared us fast; all hands were immediately on deck; there was now no question but the sound was from an Algerine galley, which was by this time within fifty yards of us. She hailed in several different languages, and Capt. Tibbits having the helm, (there being a plenty of work for every one else,) gave them indirect answers. Never were

people more alarmed than we were now. Never did a crew make sail quicker: we set our top-gallant sails, hauled our wind a little, and got out our studding sails &c. and by this time our pursuer was within twenty yards of

us.

She feigned herself in distress, and designed there by to decoy us. She had laid under the land without having any sail set, and by that ineans could not be discovered by us before night; while at the same time she could very plainly discover us, and having discovered how we were standing, shaped her course to run athwart our fore foot, (as the sailor would say;) but she being to leeward, was obliged to depend upon her oars. She had designed, no doubt, to have boarded us, but when she saw that we were likely to shoot by her, endeavored to decoy us.

She did not show a rag of sail until she had complete→ ly gained our wake, and then began a chase with a full press of sail. But our ship being an excellent sailor, we soon began to leave her. And thus, by the mercy of God, we escaped capture and slavery. She chased us but a very little while, and finding she was no match for us in sailing, gave up the chase, took in her sails, and we soon lost sight of her. The next day we got inte Lisbon, and reported the circumstances of this chase. There immediately went out a government brig in pursuit of her, but I did not understand that she ever found her.

We had now got to Lisbon, the capital of a kingdom, where there are many interesting things to be seen. Had I the ingenuity of Carter, and possessed his powers of description, I could write a few pleasant pages in a description of Lisbon: but this I must leave to abler hands, and barely notice a few particulars, which to myself were somewhat interesting. I had heard of the destruction in Lisbon by earthquakes. Our ship lay near a large castle surrounded by water. It was said to have been sunken; and in our boat we frequently passed over those places which were said to have been sunken. With peculiar solemnity, I noticed some places on shore, where there were evidently the tokens of that calamity.

The market square excited my curiosity. It was astonishing to see the vast quantity of fruit: hundreds of waggon loads were piled here and there: grapes of different kinds, were abundant; as well as figs, oranges, and lemons.

I have seen companies of hundreds of females