voyage, being a mere child at the time, but I shall never forget what
happened when it was nearly ended. We had reached the American coast
when a hard gale of wind sprang up from the south-east, and about
midnight the ship struck on a sandbank off Cape May, near Delaware. To
the terror of all on board, it was soon almost full of water. The boat
was then hoisted out, and the captain and his fellow-villains, the crew,
got into it, leaving me and my deluded companions, as they supposed, to
perish. The cries, shrieks, and tears of a throng of children had no
effect on these merciless wretches.

But happily for us the wind abated, and the ship being on a sandbank,
which did not give way to let her deeper, we lay here till morning, when
the captain, unwilling to lose all his cargo, sent some of the crew in a
boat to the ship's side to bring us ashore. A sort of camp was made, and
here we stayed till we were taken in by a vessel bound to Philadelphia.

[Illustration: THE INDIAN THREATENS PETER WILLIAMSON]

At Philadelphia people soon came to buy us. We were sold for 16_l._
apiece. I never knew what became of my unhappy companions, but I was
sold for seven years to one of my countrymen, Hugh Wilson, who in his
youth had suffered the same fate as myself in being kidnapped from his
home.

Happy was my lot in falling into his power, for he was a humane, worthy
man. Having no children of his own, and pitying my sad condition, he
took great care of me till I was fit for business, and at twelve years
old set me about little things till I could manage harder work.
Meanwhile, seeing my fellow-servants often reading and writing, I felt a
strong desire to learn, and told my master that I should be glad to
serve a year longer than the bond obliged me if he would let me go to
school. To this he readily agreed, and I went every winter for five
years, also learning as much as I could from my fellow-servants.

With this good master I stayed till I was seventeen years old, when he
died, leaving me a sum of money, about 120_l._ sterling, his best horse,
and all his wearing apparel.

I now maintained myself by working about the country, for anyone who
would employ me, for nearly seven years, when I determined to settle
down. I applied to the daughter of a prosperous planter, and found my
suit was acceptable both to her and her father, so we married. My
father-in-law wishing to establish us comfortably, gave me a tract of
land which lay,