not to forget him. I must also say
this of the captain, that he was well known in London, and in all
Boston, as a pious, good, and discreet man; but I was astonished when
I saw and heard the following circumstance. A poor servant, who had
served his time out in New England, came to him in Boston and asked if
he could go over with him; he would do his best in working like any
other sailor for his passage, as he well understood shipwork. The
captain told him he might go with him. When we were at sea, this
person was sick several days, and when he recovered did as well as he
could, but, it is true, he did not do all that an experienced sailor
could have done. When we arrived in the North Sea the captain made a
memorandum by which this poor fellow promised to pay half the passage
money, that is, thirty guilders, when he arrived in London. He called
him, and read it to him, and told him, because he could not work like
a good sailor, he must sign that writing, and if he did not do so, he
would sell him again when he reached London, which he assured him
would be done. The man began to complain and cry, saying he had not so
promised, but he would work like any other, and do as well as he
could. But notwithstanding his crying and objecting he had to sign the
paper, or be sold. In this appeared the piety and sense of justice of
our captain, though perhaps the other was not entirely without blame,
though he had had blows enough. It seems he had some friends in London
who paid the amount.

I must here mention another word about Boston, which is, that I have
never been in a place where more was said about witchcraft and
witches. From time to time persons had been put in prison, and
executed; and a woman was in prison and condemned to die, when we left
there.[462] Very strange things were told of her, but I will not
repeat them here.

[Footnote 462: On May 20, 1680, Elizabeth Morse, wife of William
Morse, of Newbury, was indicted and tried in Boston, for practising
witchcraft upon her own husband. She was convicted and sentenced to be
hanged; and was in prison at Boston, at the time our journalist was
there, awaiting her execution. It is, undoubtedly, her case to which
he refers. She was, however, released in 1681.]

_22d, Sunday._ I went into the Dutch church, where a young man who was
a Cocceian preached.[463] In the afternoon we went to the French
church, and in going there passed by a large gate, through which many
people we