to Norf/vAmerica. ipp 



they would bring Mifchief upon themfelves, and 

 be look'd upon at Court as Seditious Perfons , 

 and Difturbers of the publick Peace ; fince by 

 a deteftable principle of Politicks, an inferior 

 Perfbn is always judg'd to be in the wrong , 

 whatever reafon he may have on his fide. Indeed t 

 would gladly have avoided this fatal neceffity of 

 throwing up my Places, which feem'd infenfihly to 

 lead me to fome great Fortune ; but at laft the con- 

 finement in the Baftik> made fuch a deep impreffion 

 upon my Mind, after I had ferioufly reflected upon 

 the troublefom Circumftances of my Affairs, that 

 I made no fcruple to embark in a little Veffel, 

 which was the only one, and the laft that was to 

 go to France. The Propofal I made to the Captain 

 of prefenting him with a iooo Crowns, was fo 

 well received, that he engaged to land me upon the 

 Coaftof Portugal for that Sum, upon condition that 

 I fliould keep the Secret. The beft of the matter 

 was, that my Enemy had ufed the precaution of 

 writing to the Governors of Belle Ifle, of the Ifle of 

 Re, and of Rochelle, to feize me as foon as I ftiould 

 land. He reckoned, and not without reaion indeed, 

 that this Veflel would put into one of thefe three 

 Ports : But three hundred Piftoles, dexteroufly con- 

 veyed to the hands of fome People that are not much 

 accuftom'd to finger Gold, have a wonderful effetf: ; 

 for that very Sum, which indeed I was loth to part 

 with, fav'd me my Liberty, and perhaps my Life. 



Purfuant to this Refolution, I imbarqu'd the 14th 

 of the laft Month, notwithftanding the rifque that 

 one runs by failing in the Winter time, through 

 fuch a Sea as lies between Newfound-Land and France, 

 9 Tis needlefs to inform you, that I left at Plactntia a 

 great deal of Houfliold Furniture, which I could 

 neither fell nor carry off, 'Twill be more edifyv 

 ing for you to hear the Journal of our Voyage. We 

 incqunter'd three terrible Storms in oijr Paflfage , 



Q 4 without 



