Name was William Porter. He was ninety-two Years 1698. of Age, and had then a Daughter two Years old *. We had feveral Meetings there amongft Friends and others, many being well satisfied concerning the Truth, and spoke well of it.

And after we had had feveral good and open Meetings in Virginia, we found ourselves clear of America, and in order for our Paffage, we agreed with our Friend F. Johnson, on board the Elizabeth and Mary, to carry us for England.

On the 11th of the firft Month 1698-9, we were accompanied on board by feveral Friends, who abode 1698-9. with us all Night; and the next Day, being the first Day of the Week, we had a little comfortable Meeting, and then parted in much Love, having the Evidence of the Power of the Almighty with us. We waited for a fair Wind until the 20th of the aforefaid Month, and left the Capes of Virginia that Day, and at Night we got our Ship into a failing Pofture; and I was glad in my Spirit, that I was fetting my Face towards my native Land; and more glad that I was returning with Peace in my Bofom. Oh! the Power and Prefence of him who faid, Go teach all Nations, was sweet to my Soul at that Time, and now in fome Measure I enjoy'd the Fruits of my having laboured in that Ability God had given me. Glory to God, thro' Chrift, who is worthy for ever! The Prefence of God was with us on the great Ocean, and we were ftrengthened through his Goodnefs wonderfully. We

C

had

Some Years after I faw him, and he was weeding Indian Corn with a Hoe. He was then about 106 Years of Age, and had upwards of feventy Children, Grand-Children, and Great-GrandChildren. We were divers Friends of us to fee him, and he preached to us a fhort, but very affecting Sermon, which was (as near as I remember) Verbatim thus," Friends, you are come to see me "in the Love of God. God is Love, and those that dwell in "God, dwell in Love. I thank God, I feel his Divine Life "every Day and every Night." He lived to fee his above mentioned Daughter married, and died, aged 107 Years.

At Sear

1699. had feveral good Meetings on board our Ship, and. were opened (in the Love of God) to the poor Seamen very largely.

Af Seas

When we launched forth into the Deep, we were feveral Ships in Company; but we had been but a little Time at Sea, before we loft Sight of them all. Several Ships paffed by us about a Week after we fail'd; and about this Time we faw a very large Whale, who lifted himself part out of the Water with his Mouth open, which looked like the Entrance of a large Cave: We likewise faw feveral other large Sea Fish, fuch as Grampuffes, Sharks, &c. All which fhew forth the wondrous Works of the Great Creator of all Things. Elizabeth Webb and Elizabeth Lloyd went over with us in this Veffel, both virtuous Women. About two Weeks the Winds were moftly fair for us, in which Time we got finely on our Way; but for above a Week afterwards the Winds were mostly contrary, and the Ship had a great Motion, which caused fome of us to be Sea-fick, efpecially Elizabeth Lloyd + (who was but weakly,) One Night our Sailors thought that an Enemy or Pyrate was near us, who fired two Guns, and fo paffed by us; but it being Night, we could not certainly know what fhe was. I rather judged it might be fome Ship in Diftrefs, for we faw one of the Ships that Evening that came out with us, and the next Morning we could fee none at all, and there was hardly any Wind that Night, fo I feared that our Companion had fprung a Leak and founder'd; and when I told our Mafter my Opinion, he faid, he feared the fame likewife. Now for two Weeks Time, or thereabouts, we beat about the Sea, and made little Pro

grefs.

+ She was the Daughter of Thomas Lloyd, late Deputy-Governor of Pensylvania. She lived and died a virtuous Woman; and, I think, generally beloved by all who were acquainted with her. When he died fhe was the wife of Daniel Zachary, a Merchant at Bofton, New-England, well known, and much beloved there, for his Piety and Virtue.

grefs. Howbeit we had feveral good Meetings, where- 1741. in we gave Glory to God our Saviour; and for ever let it afcend, faith my Soul, to him over all! After At Sea. contrary Winds, about two Weeks, the Wind fprung up Wefterly, and was fair for feveral Days; in which Time we got finely on our Way again, and left the Western Islands about two Days Sail behind us; and then the Wind was contrary again. Contrary Winds are commonly tedious at Sea (but especially to those that know not where to ftay their Minds) but we being feveral Friends of us on board that were Paffengers, had oftentimes good Meetings feveral Times a Week; and if any of our Ship's Company came to Meeting, they always were fober, and fometimes tender; and truly, God's Love was extended towards them. And when it was not our Meeting Days, we spent not our Time idly, but for the moft Part in Reading the holy Scriptures, and Writing, &c. in which we were at fundry Seafons greatly refreshed, ftrengthened, and comforted. O my Soul! glorify God thy Maker, and Chrift thy Saviour for ever, in the Sense of his Goodnefs and Mercy, both by Sea and Land, by Night and by Day! After we had been almost feven Weeks at Sea, we thought that we were near the Land, but we founded several Days, and found no Bottom, altho' we let out Abundance of Line, I think above 300 Yards.

About this Time our Doctor dreamed a Dream, which was to this Effect, himself relating it to me: He faid, "He dreamed that he went on Shore at a great and fpacious Town, the Buildings whereof "were high, and the Streets broad; and as he went up the Street he faw a large Sign, on which was writ"ten in great golden Letters SHAME. At the Door "of the Houfe (to which the Sign belonged) ftood "a Woman with a Can in her Hand, who faid unto "him, Doctor, will you drink? He reply'd, with "all my Heart, I have not drank any Thing but

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Water

A Sea.

1699. "Water a great while (our Wine and Cyder being all " spent, having had a long Paffage) and he drank a "hearty Draught, which he said, made him merry, "fo went up the Street reeling to and fro, when a "grim Fellow coming behind him, clapp'd him on "the Shoulder, and told him, That be arrested him in

the Name of the Governor of the Place. He ask"ed him for what, and said, What have I done? He "answered, for ftealing the Woman's Can; the Can " he had indeed, and fo he was had before the Gover"nor, which was a mighty Black Dog, the biggest "and grimeft that ever he faw in his Life; and Wit"nefs was brought in against him by an old Companion "of his, and he was found guilty, and his Sentence "was to go to Prifon, and there to lay for ever."

He told me this Dream fo punctually, and with fuch an Emphasis, that it affected me with ferious Sadness, and caused my Heart to move within me (for to me the Dream feemed true, and the Interpretation fure) I then told him he was an ingenious Man, and might clearly fee the Interpretation of that Dream, which exactly answered to his State and Condition, which I thus interpreted to him: "This great and fpacious Place, wherein the Buildings were high, and the Streets broad, is thy great and high Profeffion: The Sign, on which was wrote Shame, which thou faweft, and the Woman at the Door, with the Can in her Hand, truly reprefents that great, crying and fhameful Sin of Drunkennefs, which thou knows to be thy great Weakness, which the Wo་ man with the Can did truly represent to thee: The "grim Fellow which arrefted thee in the Devil's "Territories is Death, who will affuredly arreft all "Mortals: The Governor which thou faweft, re"prefenting a great black Dog, is certainly the Devil, who after his Servants have ferved him to the "full, will torment them eternally in Hell." So he got up, as it were in haste, and said, God forbid! It is

nothing

nothing but a Dream. But I told him it was a very 1699. fignificant One, and a Warning to him from the Almighty, who sometimes speaks to Men in Dreams.

Channel

In feven Weeks after we left Sight of the Land of English America, we faw the Scilly Inlands, and next Day we faw the Land of England, which was a comfortable Sight to us; in that God Almighty had preferved us hitherto, and that we were fo far got on our Way: We drove about the Channel's Mouth for several Days for want of Wind; after which, for two Days the Wind came up, and we got as far up the Channel as Lime-bay, and then an Eafterly Wind blew fresh for several Days, and we turned to Windward, but rather loft than got on our Way, which was tiresome and tedious to fome of us.

Now about this Time (being fome Days after the Doctor's Dream) a grievous Accident happened to us. We meeting with a Dutch Veffel in Lime-bay a little above the Start, hailed her, and the us. They faid they came from Lisbon, and were bound for Holland. She was loaded with Wine, Brandy, Fruit, and fuch like Commodities; and we having little, but Water to drink (by reafon our Paffage was longer than we expected) therefore we fent our Boat on board, in order to buy us a little Wine to drink with our Water. Our Doctor, and a Merchant that was a Paffenger, and one Sailor, went on board, where they staid fo long until some of them were overcome with Wine, altho' they were defired to beware thereof; fo that when they came back, a Rope being handed to them, they (being filled with Wine unto Excefs) were not capable of ufing it dexterously, infomuch that they overlet the Boat, and fhe turned Bottom upwards, having the Doctor under her. The Merchant caught hold of a Rope called the Main Sheet, whereby his Life was faved. The Sailor not getting fo much Drink, as the other two, got nimbly on the Bottom of the Boat, and floated on the Water till fuch Time as our other