er storm came
on. It lasted for several hours, till after 10 o'clock; an uncommon
lightning; one hard clap after the other; heavy rain mixed at times
with a storm like a hurricane. The inhabitants can hardly remember
such a tempest, even when it struck into Trinity church twenty years
ago; they say it was but one very hard clap, and together did not last
so long by far. Upon the whole it was an awful scene. Three officers,
viz., one Captain, and two Lieuts., were killed in one of the Camps;
they were all Yorkers; and one soldier of the New English People was
likewise killed in a house in the square; several others were hurt,
and the mast of one of the row gallies mash'd to pieces.

_Thursday 22d_ and _Friday 23d._--The king's troops landed on Long
Island. The troops from here went over, one Battalion after the other,
and many kept on coming in; yet, upon the whole their number certainly
was not so great as it commonly was made. In the evening we had the
congregational meeting with the little company that was present. We
resolved to drop the Wednesday meeting for the present, and to begin
that on Tuesday and Friday at 6 o'clock.

_Monday 26th._--A good deal of firing was heard on Long Island, and
several skirmishes happened between the scouting parties, wherein the
Provincials sustained loss.

_Tuesday 27th_ was a Fast and Prayer-day in this Province; which had
been appointed by the Convention; but here in the city it was not and
could not be observed. On the one hand, there are but few inhabitants
in the town, and the soldiers were busily employed; on the other hand
there was much alarm in the city. Soon, in the morning, an alarm gun
was fired in expectation, that the ships were coming up; which however
proved not so; but on Long Island there was a smart engagement, in
which the Americans suffered greatly. Two generals, Sullivan and
Sterling, and many other officers and soldiers were taken prisoners.
All the troops now went over; those from King's Bridge came likewise,
and went over the next morning. As very few of our people came, we
kept only a little meeting in the forenoon, in which a short discourse
was kept on Jer. 48, 17 and 18; and concluded with a moving prayer,
kneeling. This (the result of the battle) was an agreeable
disappointment for all honest men; for what could such a fast signify,
when men want to pursue measures against the Word and Will of God, &c.

_Wednesday 28th._--The different parties on Lon