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NARRATIVE OF AN 



CHAP. V/e now ferioufly ]>repared for vidlory or death, on 

 , board the v/ooden walls of the Colony, which confifted 

 of half a dozen crazy old fugar barges, fuch as are ufed 

 by the colliers in the Thames, being only roofed over 

 with boards, which gave them the appearance of fo many 

 coffins ; and how well they deferved this name, I am 

 afraid will too foon appear by the number of men they 

 buried. 



On the firft of July were difpatched for the river Come- . 

 wina, one captain, two fubalterns, one ferjeant, two corpo- 

 rals, and eighteen men. Of this captain, I cannot help 

 mentioning a very fingular circumftance — the firft day 

 we landed in this colony, having entered the lodging on 

 which he was billetted, his landlady declared fhe fliould. 

 ever pride herfelf in fliewing all the civility in her power 

 to either marines or naval officers, as flie owed her life to 

 one of them, who had fome years before picked her up 

 in an open boat with feveral others, after they had been 

 tofled about lixteen days without either compafs, fail, or 

 provilions, a little fea-bifcuit and water excepted, on the 

 Atlantic ocean. To avoid circumlocution, this very gen- 

 tleman, whofe name was Tulling Van Older Barnevelt, 

 proved to be the individual officer who had faved her 

 from the jaws of death, as he at that time belonged to 

 the navy, being a lieutenant of a Dutch man of war. 



This fame day we alfo difpatched another barge with 

 two fubalterns, one ferjeant, one corporal, and fourteen 



men, 



