waiting to-day,
except that we spoke to several persons of the way of the Lord, and
particularly to the sister of Ephraim, Miss Margaret, who received
with some favor what was said to her, and also to Ephraim and his
wife, who we hope will bring forth the seed the Lord has sown in them,
in His own time.

_29th, Wednesday._ We were still waiting, although Ephraim had sent
for his brother; but we obtained tidings that he had gone to Maryland,
and was coming back home immediately, as he had gone to visit his
father who lives at the entrance into Maryland and was sick.

_30th, Thursday._ The weather had been cold and windy, but had now
cleared up; so that some of the servants of Kasparus came, who
confirmed the account that their master had gone to Maryland, but they
were expecting him home. Whereupon Mons. Moll, who had to go to one of
his plantations lying on the road leading to Kasparus's house,
requested us to accompany him, so that the servants of Kasparus on
their return home would find us at his place and take us on to the
house of Kasparus. We accordingly started, Mr. Moll riding on
horseback and we following him on foot, carrying our travelling sacks,
but sometimes exchanging with him, and thus also riding a part of the
way. This plantation of his is situated about fifteen miles from the
Sandhook. It was about ten o'clock in the morning when we took leave
of our friends and left. We passed through a tolerably good country,
but the soil was a little sandy, and it was three o'clock in the
afternoon when we reached the plantation. There were no persons there
except some servants and negroes, the commander being a Parisian. The
dwellings were very badly appointed, especially for such a man as
Mons. Moll. There was no place to retire to, nor a chair to sit on, or
a bed to sleep on. For their usual food the servants have nothing but
maize bread to eat, and water to drink, which sometimes is not very
good and scarcely enough for life, yet they are compelled to work
hard. They are brought from England in great numbers into Maryland,
Virginia and the Menades and sold each one according to his condition,
for a certain term of years, four, five, six, seven or more. And thus
they are by hundreds of thousands compelled to spend their lives here
and in Virginia and elsewhere in planting that vile tobacco, which all
vanishes into smoke, and is for the most part miserably abused.[224]
It is the chief article of trade in the coun