38 AUTHENTIC HISTOEY 



timely delivered by their fears. A few incredulous men preserved their 

 presence of mind, and laboured to restore order to the affrighted city. 

 The falsehood of the report was ascertained before night, and its authors 

 were compelled to seek in absence their own safety from the vengeance 

 of the people. 



"This experiment on the principles of the Quakers was wholly unsuc- 

 cessful ; the greater part attending their religious meeting, as was their 

 custom on that day of the week, persisted in their religious exercises, 

 amid the general tumult, instead of flying to arms as the Governor had 

 anticipated. Four members only repaired with weapons to the rendez- 

 vous. The conduct of Secretary Logan on this occasion, as represented 

 by the Assembly, was extraordinary and indefensible. A Quaker of 

 high moral character, learned and enlightened, he submitted to play a 

 puerile and subordinate part in this shameful farce. Under pretence of 

 observing the enemy, he went upon the river, and communicated with 

 the Governor by concerted signals, and staying a sloop whose arrival 

 would have exposed the falsehood, he displayed from her masts simu- 

 lated French colours." 



This action, which made Evans odious to the people of Philadelphia, 

 occurred almost simultaneously with an unwise and unlawful measure, 

 which greatly offended the merchants of the province. He had author- 

 ized the Assembly at Newcastle to erect a fort near the town, where it 

 could be of little use to the safety of the two provinces. For the main- 

 tenance of this fort, inward bound ships, not owned by residents, were 

 obliged to deliver there half a pound of powder for each ton measure- 

 ment. The provincialists remonstrated against this abuse in vain. At 

 length Eichard Hill, William Fishbourne, and Samuel Preston, three 

 spirited Quakers, resolved to remove the nuisance by a method different 

 from any that had yet been attempted. Hill and his companions, on 

 board the Philadelphia, a vessel belonging to the former, dropped down 

 the river and anchored above the fort. Fishbourne (some say Isaac 

 Norris) and Preston went ashore and informed French, the commander, 

 that their vessel Avas regularly cleared, demanding to pass uninter- 

 ruptedly. This being refused, Hill Avho had been bred to the sea, stood 

 to the helm and passed the fort with no other injury than a shot through 

 the mainsail. French pursued in an armed boat, was taken alone on 

 board, while his boat, cut from the vessel, fell astern, and was led pris- 

 oner to the cabin. Governor Evans, apprized of the matter, followed 

 their vessel by land to Newcastle, and after she had passed the fort, pur- 

 sued her in a boat to Salem, where he boarded her in great anger and 

 behaved with great intemperance. Lord Cornbury, Governor of New- 

 Jersey, who claimed to be Vice-Admiral of the Delaware, being then at 

 Salem, the prisoners were taken before him, and having, together with 



