amongst them: however, the Almighty was pleased fo to favour us, that we were not without hope, that the teftimony given us to bear affected fome minds, and, in the general, commanded their affent.

We had two felect meetings for Friends, and paid a religious vifit to most of their families; in which fervice we were owned by the power of Truth, though in fome places we were very closely exercised; infomuch, that one man abfented himself from meeting, not liking any longer to fit under our doctrine; but we found we had rather cause to rejoice than to be uneafy, in being inftrumental of feparating him from the Society (if fo it fhould prove), his conduct being a fcandal to his profeffion, though he pretended to join it by convince

ment.

We took a little turn to the fouth of Charleftown, and had meetings at James's Ifland, John's Ifland, and Stones. The first was the most fatisfactory.

At Stones, we had a close exercising time in the family of a young man, whofe father had formerly made profeffion of Truth; but he was quite gone from Friends, and I fear was tinctured with libertine principles; but he entertained us freely, and did not seem to take offence at what we had to deliver. I heard he died foon after. We had alfo a fatisfactory opportunity with a family not profefling with us, in Charlestown, but whofe ancestors by the father's fide were Friends.

It seemed as though the Almighty had fent us peculiarly to feek the loft fheep of the houfe of Ifrael: that his merciful vifitation may be accepted by them, is the fincere defire of my foul.

I was engaged to return to James's Ifland, but, my companion having no concern to accompany me, I went alone, and had a much larger meeting than when there before: and I hope it was well that I went back, as, through Divine favour, many gofpel truths were opened to the people, in a degree of life and authority.

My friend John Witter, of the Island, fent with me over the Sound a negro man, who was to attend me to my lodgings. He was well-dreffed, and looked well-fed. I entered a little into converfation with him respecting his fituation as a slave. He appeared easy in it, and said that he had a good master, but that many negroes were treated no better than dogs. Indeed we could not but lament over thofe poor people, as we paffed through the colonies. Divers of our friends were then in poffeffion of fome negroes, either by inheritance or purchase; and the negroes who had them for mafters rejoiced in their lot. But about this time concern arofe amongst Friends, to abolish flavekeeping in our Society; which concern has fince prevailed in the American Colonies; and many friends have given up large poffeffions in negroes, but employed many of them as hired fervants after they had given them their liberty.

We

We left Charlestown the 26th of the Eleventh month, accompanied by James Verree, a young man, a friend, refiding there; and went towards a fmall fettlement of Friends on the Wateree River, which is on the north fide of the Province. They were lately come over from Ireland.

In our way we had meetings in the families of Ifaac Perinoes, and John Lloyd where we lodged, who were neither of them of our Society, but they readily gave us an opportunity with them, and Truth favoured us.

Several difficulties attended us in this journey. We had appointed a friend to meet us with horses, about a hundred and twenty miles from Charlef town; and being fet to a time, we durft not ftay to discharge our minds of that duty of love, which feemed to point towards the people, as we went along. Secondly, we had poor accommodation, especially as to lodging; fome of the houses being fo open to the air, that I could attribute our prefervation from great indifpofition, to nothing short of the mediate interpofition of Providence; but as the people behaved very civilly toward us, and we enjoyed fome liberty of spirit among them, it was rendered the more easy. When we came to the place where we had appointed to be met, we found neither the friend nor the horfes; and those which we brought from Charlestown, being borrowed, and the friend who came with us

being earnest to return, we discharged him from any further care of us, fent the horfes back with him, and concluded to stay at the house of the before-mentioned John Lloyd; who was a fubstantial planter, and very freely gave us an invitation thereto, till our friends from the Wateree, could meet us with horfes; unto whom we had an opportunity of fending an account of the strait we were in, by a neighbour of theirs, whom we met at the house of this planter, and who was then going home.

However, kind Providence foon opened a way for our release. A poor friend who lived between this place and the Wateree, and was going to Charlestown with goods for the market, ftopped at John Lloyd's; and, feeing the circumftances we were in, left his load in John Lloyd's warehouse, and returned back with us to his own houfe; where we got a very poor lodging, but received it thankfully, as the best he could provide us with; and the next day he accompanied us to the Wateree, through a wilderness country, wherein it was dangerous for women to travel, by reason of the fwamps and deep creeks, which are difficult and very frightful to pafs: but we were mercifully preferved from hurt.

We croffed one creek upon the trunk of a tree laid from bank to bank, and the water was fo deep, that if the trunk had broken, we had probably been drowned. When we got on the other

fide

fide we saw it was decayed; and when our friends. came over it with our faddles upon their backs, we obferved it bend with their weight. Our horses were driven through a part of the creek where the water was fhallower, yet perhaps there it was out of their depths. Providentially, before we croffed this creek, we were met by our friend Robert Millhouse had it not been fo, I know not how the poor friend would have got us over.

Robert Millhouse had brought horfes for us, and gladly took us to his houfe with him. My companion's former acquaintance with him in Ireland, rendered their meeting very agreeable. We found his not meeting us according to appointment, was occafioned by our letters not reaching him timely; which had we known, our fpirits might have been more at liberty to have attended the before mentioned pointings of love towards the people; but inafmuch as we had not wilfully omitted our duty, Divine mercy was extended, and our minds foon became eafy on that account.

We came to the Wateree River the 1st of the Twelfth month, and staid there till the 12th; in which time we attended Friends' meetings as they came in course, both on the First, and other days of the week, and paid a religious vifit to every family of Friends in the fettlement; in which fervice we were evidently owned by our Mafter; or at leaft my companion was fo, who had moft of the fervice in this place. The ftate of the friends. fettled

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