ADVENTUBES AND MISF0ETUNE8 OF A C0BNI8HMAN. 279 



the second day afterwards I was at home at Amsterdam. This 

 was in the beginning of May. I had purchased in London on 

 credit during my stay there about two thousand pounds worth of 

 goods, which were all shipped to my address speedily afterwards 

 and arrived safe." 



" I had an excellent house in Amsterdam, situated in the centre 

 of the city and most admirably calculated for business, and where 

 1 should, beyond doubt, have made a fortune in a few years if the 

 cursed French had not come and ruined me as well as thousands of 

 others. I made quick payments for the goods above mentioned, 

 and had about eight thousand pounds more forwarded to me from 

 different parts of England in less than six months afterwards ; but 

 by this time apprehensions began to be entertained, both in England 

 and Holland, that the enemy would, in the course of the winter, 

 get possession of the United Provinces (which turned out to be but 

 too true). The consequence was the English merchants would no 

 longer give any credit, and others as well as myself were obliged to 

 spin out the sale of our goods on hand as well as we could in order 

 to keep the doors open. I kept, however, remitting everything I 

 could, and by the month of January had reduced my debts very 

 I0W5 and I had not then left above five or six hundred pounds 

 worth of goods in the house." 



" On the 1 6th of the above month, news arrived that the enemy 

 were at Dordrecht and also at Utrecht (close at our doors). I 

 immediately, in conjunction with others, shipped every thing 

 moveable except common necessaries on board a Dutch Schuyt, 

 and ordered the Captain to proceed to the Texel forthwith and 

 wait there for orders, as we who were concerned in the cargo 

 wished first to see how the enemy would act on their arrival and 

 whether it would be safe to retain our property or not. On the 

 J 9th, in the morning, about 60 French horse galloped into the city 

 and drew up on the Dam before the Stadthouse, no resistance 

 being made, and immediately despatched an express overland to the 

 Texal to lay an embargo on every ship there." 



" Thus our goods were all stopped and ourselves completely 

 outwitted, and in a fortnight afterwards they were all brought back 

 to Amsterdam, and being British manufacture, were sold (after 

 condemnation) for a song, to our entire loss." 



