oved, never to
return.

Chapter VI. Disintegration.

Spangenberg's Visit.

After Spangenberg had decided not to comply with the request contained
in the letter from Savannah, but to stay and prosecute the work among
the Schwenkfelders, where a door seemed to be opening, he became
conscious of a feeling of uneasiness, an impression that he was needed
in Georgia. This was increased by news of the expected Spanish outbreak,
for so general was the alarm that all the war-ships in the northern
harbors were ordered to Carolina, and the selling of supplies to the
Spaniards was absolutely prohibited.

At this point George Neisser and Benjamin Ingham came, bringing word of
the pressure on the Moravians, their decision to leave Georgia as soon
as it could be arranged, and their request that Spangenberg should go
to England with Ingham to see the Trustees, and secure their consent. Of
this plan Spangenberg did not approve, for he thought the war would ruin
everything, or else the danger would be over, before he could make the
long journey to England, and return. Ingham professed himself ready
to carry letters to the Trustees, and do his best to influence them
to grant the Moravian requests, so Spangenberg decided to entrust that
errand to him, and himself go at once to Georgia, to see whether he
could not help matters there.

John Eckstein, a resident of Germantown, a middle-aged man who was
in entire sympathy with Spangenberg's plans for religious work in
Pennsylvania, resolved to accompany him on his trip to Georgia. They
sailed from Philadelphia on the 22nd of May, 1737, and had a long and
very trying voyage. The Captain and crew were evil men, given to cursing
and swearing, and more than once they threatened to murder the two
passengers, whom they called sorcerers, and accused of bringing the
continuous head winds and frequent storms upon them. Seventy-seven long
days the voyage lasted; twice they sailed southward past Cape Hatteras,
and twice were they driven back to north and east, taking weeks to
recover the distance lost; and the Captain finally discovered that not
only were the elements against him, but his helmsman was slyly hindering
their progress all he could, for some malicious purpose of his own.

To the mental strain of the long journey was added physical discomfort,
for firewood gave out, so that no cooking could be done, and for a month
the crew lived on hard tack, dried cherries soaked in water