sentences expressed several things that rested upon me, which one of the interpreters gave the people pretty readily; after which the meeting ended in supplication, and I had cause humbly to acknowledge the loving-kindness of the Lord toward us; and believed that a door remained open for the faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, to labour amongst these people.

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 so we 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; which those who usually come to meeting did; and from a secret draught in my mind, I went amongst some who did not use to go to meeting, and took my leave of them also: the Moravian and his Indian interpreter, appeared respectful to us at parting. This town stands on the bank of Susquehanna, and consists, I believe, of about forty houses, mostly compact together; some about thirty feet long, and eighteen wide; some larger, some less; mostly built of split plank, one end set in the ground, and the other pinned to a plate, on which lay rafters covered with bark. I understand a great flood last winter overflowed the chief part of the ground where the town stands, and some were now about moving their houses to higher ground.

We expected only two Indians to be our company; but when we were ready to go, we found many of them were going to Bethlehem with skins and furs, who chose to go in company with us; so they loaded two canoes, which they desired us to go in, telling us, the waters were so raised with the rains, that the horses should be taken by persons who were better acquainted with the fording

places: so we 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, a little below a stream called Tunkhannock we lodged there, and some of the young men going out a little before dusk with their guns, brought in a deer.

On the 22d day, through diligence we reached Wyoming before night, and understood the Indians were mostly gone from this place: here we went up a small creek into the woods with our canoes, and pitching our tent, carried out our baggage; and before dark our horses came to us.

On the 23d day in the morning, the horses were loaded, and we prepared our baggage and set forward, being in all fourteen; and with diligent travelling were favoured to get nearly half way to Fort Allen. The land on this road from Wyoming to our frontier being mostly poor, and good grass scarce, they chose a piece of low ground to lodge on, as the best for grassing; and I having sweat much in travelling, and being weary, slept sound. I per ceived in the night that I had taken cold, of which I was favoured to get better soon.

On the 24th day we passed Fort Allen, and lodged near it in the woods,

We forded the westerly branch of the Delaware three times, and thereby had a shorter way, and missed going over the top of the Blue mountains, called the Second Ridge. In the second time fording, where the river cuts through the mountain, the waters being rapid and pretty deep, and my companion's mare being a tall tractable animal, he sundry times drove her through the river, and they loaded her with the burthens of some small horses,

which they thought not sufficient to come through with their loads.

The troubles westward, and the difficulty for Indians to pass through our frontier, I apprehend was one reason why so many came; expecting that our being in company, would prevent the frontier inhabitants from being surprised.

On the 25th day we reached Bethlehem, taking care on the way 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 English being killed by Indians westward.

Amongst our company were some who 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 friendly toward them, and making them suitable returns for the services they did us, they became more free and sociable.

On the 26th day and first of the week, 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 with us affectionately. We got to Richland, and had a very comfortable meeting amongst our friends: 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, where I found my family middling well; and they and my friends all along appeared glad to see me return from a journey which they apprehended dangerous. My mind while I was out, had been so employed in striving for a perfect resignation, and I had so often been confirmed in a belief, that what

ever the Lord might be pleased to allot for me, 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 intends for me. 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 mountains, swamps and rough stones, make it a difficult road to travel; and the more so, for that rattlesnakes abound there, of which we killed four. People who have never been in such places, have but an imperfect idea of them; but I was not only taught patience, but also made thankful to God, who thus led me 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.

CHAPTER IX.

His religious conversation with a company met to see the tricks of a juggler-John Smith's advice; proceedings of a committee at the Yearly Meeting in 1764-Contemplations on the nature of true wisdom, occasioned by hearing of the cruelty of the Indians to their captives-Visits the families of Friends at Mount Holly, Mansfield and Burlington, in 1764, and the meetings on the sea coast from Cape May toward Squan in 1765-visit to the lower counties on Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland in 1766, in company with John Sleeper; some account of Joseph Nichols and his followers; and observations on the different state of the first settlers in Pennsylvania who depended on their own labour, and those of the Southern provinces who kept negroes-visit to the northern

parts of New Jersey the same year, and the western parts of Maryland and Pennsylvania in 1767, and afterwards other parts of Pennsylvania and the families of Friends at Mount Holly; and again several parts of Maryland in 1768— further considerations on keeping slaves; his concern for having formerly, as an executor, been party to the sale of one; and what he did in consequence of it-thoughts on Friends exercising offices in civil government.

THE latter part of the summer 1763, there came a man to Mount Holly, who had before published by a printed advertisement, that at a certain public house he would show many wonderful operations, which he therein enumerated.

This man at the time appointed, did, by slight of hand, sundry things, which to those gathered, appeared strange,

I heard of it next day, and understanding that the show was to be continued, and the people to meet about sun-set, 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 inclination to spend a part of the evening there; with which he signified that he was content. Then sitting down by the door, I spoke to the people as they came together, concerning this show; and more coming and sitting down with us, the seats at the door were mostly filled; and I had conversation with them in the fear of the Lord, and laboured to convince them that thus assembling to see those tricks or slights of hand, and bestowing their money to support men who in that capacity were of no use in the world, was contrary to the nature of the Christian religion.

There was one of the company who, for a time, endeavoured by arguments to show the reasonableness of their proceedings; but after considering some texts of