very much discommoded, without her society and assistance. But what have
I to say? The Lord himself has done this, against whom no one can oppose
himself. And why should I even wish to, knowing that all things must
work together for good to them that love God? I hope therefore to bear
my cross patiently, and by the grace and help of the Lord, not to let
the courage fail me which in my duties here I so especially need.

(1) Two daughters and a son, Jan, whom he had placed in the
house and custody of skipper Jan Jansen Brouwer.

The voyage was long, namely, from the 24th of January till the 7th of
April, when we first set foot upon land here. Of storm and tempest which
fell hard upon the good wife and children, though they bore it better
as regards sea-sickness and fear than I had expected, we had no lack,
particularly in the vicinity of the Bermudas and the rough coasts of
this country. Our fare in the ship was very poor and scanty, so that my
blessed wife and children, not eating with us in the cabin, on account
of the little room in it, had a worse lot than the sailors themselves;
and that by reason of a wicked cook who annoyed them in every way;
but especially by reason of the captain himself,(1) who, although
I frequently complained of it in the most courteous manner, did not
concern himself in the least about correcting the rascal; nor did he,
even when they were all sick, given them anything which could do them
any good, although there was enough in the ship: as he himself knew
very well where to find it in order, out of meal times, to fill his own
stomach. All the relief which he gave us, consisted merely in liberal
promises, with a drunken head; upon which nothing followed when he was
sober but a sour face; and he raged at the officers and kept himself
constantly to the wine, both at sea and especially here while lying
in the river; so that he daily walked the deck drunk and with an empty
head, seldom coming ashore to the Council and never to Divine service.
We bore all with silence on board the ship; but it grieves me, when
I think of it, on account of my wife; the more, because she was so
situated as she was--believing that she was with child--and the time so
short which she had yet to live. On my first voyage I roamed about with
him a great deal, even lodged in the same hut, but never knew that he
was such a brute and drunkard. But he was then under the direction
of Mr. Lam,(2) and now he had the chi