thwest, so that
our skipper had little disposition to weigh anchor and get under sail,
especially with the horses on board, although we would have willingly
proceeded. It was, therefore, determined that the horses should go by
land with the servant and brother of Ephraim, and the Quakers resolved
to do the same. The rest of the company went on board the boat, and
after taking in a large reef, we got under sail, with a head wind, but
ebb tide. It blew hard and squally, and we had to look out well, with
sheets in hand. We made good progress, and came to Smokers Hoeck,
which is about half way of Kil achter Kol. We came to anchor here,
because the next reach was directly against the wind, and it blew too
hard to tack. We all stepped ashore here, and went on foot to an
English village called Wout Brigg,[189] where we should find the
horses. Smoker's Hoeck is the easterly point of the kill, which runs
up to Wout Brigg, and we would have sailed up this creek, but it was
ebb tide. We passed over reasonably fair and good land, and observed
particularly fine salt meadows on the creek, on which there was built
a good grist mill,[190] and over which we had to cross. We arrived
about noon or one o'clock, at this English village. Ephraim, not
wishing to go with his family to the ordinary tavern, went to another
house or tavern, where he had been many times before, and where the
people were under some obligations to him. But he could not lodge
there now; and we were, therefore, compelled to go to the common
tavern, which was full of persons, sitting drinking, and where nothing
was to be obtained except that vile rum. Nevertheless, we had to pass
the day there, waiting for the boat and the baggage; but these did not
come up to-day, in consequence of the hard wind. We had, therefore, to
lie down here upon the ground all together, on a little hay, as we
had done last night.
[Footnote 189: Woodbridge, N.J., founded in 1665.]
[Footnote 190: The mill of Jonathan Dunham, whose house was standing
till 1871.]
_16th, Thursday._ The weather moderated and it cleared up, but we had
to wait till about noon, before the goods arrived from the boat, which
the skipper had to bring up in a canoe, because the boat could not
come. We obtained here another horse, making five horses we had, and
another servant of Ephraim. We then dined, and politely took our leave
of Madam van B.[191], the mother of Ephraim's wife, and of her two
sisters, who had com
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