CHAPTER V

CHAPTER V.

1672-1673.—-George Fox embarks for Maryland, where he arrives after a seven weeks’ voyage, and having experienced some remarkable deliverances—attends a General Meeting for Maryland, which held four days—several meetings for discipline established—has meetings with the Indian kings—travels towards New England—attends the half-year’s meeting on Long Island, which continued four days—has a meeting with some opposers—visits Rhode Island, where the Yearly Meeting for New England is held, which continued six days—attends a marriage there, and has a meeting with some Ranters—also one with some Indians on Shelter Island—one of his companions thrown from his horse and lays apparently dead, but soon recovers in an unexpected manner—they reach Maryland after nine days’ travel overland between three and four hundred miles—visits a judge who is ill, but recovers—attends the General Meeting for Maryland, which held five days—sails for Virginia, and arrives in three days, a distance of 200 miles—thence proceeds towards Carolina—visits the Indians, and shows them that God made but one woman for one man—returns to Virginia—sails for Maryland—endures great extremes of heat and cold within a very short period—speaks to a woman who had been many years in trouble, and entreats the Lord for her, and she is thereupon restored—attends the General Meeting for Maryland, to the edification and comfort of Friends—sails for England, and arrives safe, after a six weeks’ passage.

We went on board on the 8th of 1st Month, 1671-2; and having contrary winds, were a full week sailing forwards and backwards, before we could get out of sight of Jamaica. A difficult voyage this proved, and dangerous, especially in passing through the Gulf of Florida, where we met with many trials by winds and storms. But the great God, who is Lord of the sea and land, and who rideth upon the wings of the wind, did by his power preserve us through many and great dangers, when by extreme stress of weather our vessel was many times likely to be upset, and much of her tackling broken. And indeed we were sensible that the Lord was a God at hand, and that his ear was open to the supplications of his people. For when the winds were so strong and boisterous, and the storms and tempests so great, that the sailors knew not what to do, but let the ship go which way she would; then did we pray unto the Lord, who graciously heard us, calmed the winds and the seas, gave us seasonable weather, and made us to rejoice in his salvation; blessed and praised be the holy name of the Lord, whose power hath dominion over all, whom the winds and the seas obey!

We were between six and seven weeks in this passage from Jamaica to Maryland. Some days before we came to land, after we had entered the bay of Patuxent River, a great storm arose, which cast a boat upon us for shelter, in which were several people of account in the world. We took them in; but the boat was lost, with five hundred pounds’ worth of goods in it, as they said. They continued on board us several days, not having any means to get off; and we had a very good meeting with them in the ship. But provisions grew short, for they brought none in with them; and ours, by reason of the length of our voyage, were well nigh spent when they came to us; so that with their living with us too, we had now little or none left. Whereupon George Pattison took a boat, and ventured his life to get to shore; the hazard was so great, that all but Friends concluded he would be cast away. Yet it pleased the Lord to bring him safe to land; and in a short time after, the Friends of the place came to fetch us to land also, in a seasonable time, for our provisions were quite spent.

We partook also of another great deliverance in this voyage, through the good providence of the Lord, which we came to understand afterwards. For when we were determined to come from Jamaica, we had our choice of two vessels, that were both bound for the same coast. One of these was a frigate, the other a yacht. The master of the frigate, we thought, asked unreasonably for our passage; which made us agree with the master of the yacht, who offered to carry us ten shillings a-piece cheaper than the other. We went on board the yacht, and the frigate came out together with us, intending to be consorts during the voyage; and for several days we sailed together; but what with calms and contrary winds, we were in a while separated. After that, the frigate, losing her way, fell among the Spaniards; by whom she was taken and plundered, and the master and mate were made prisoners; afterwards, being retaken by the English, she was sent home to her owners in Virginia. Which when we came to understand, we saw and admired the providence of God, who preserved us out of our enemies’ hands; and he that was covetous fell among the covetous.

Here we found John Burnyeat[26] intending shortly to sail for England; but on our arrival he altered his purpose, and joined us in the Lord’s service. He had appointed a general meeting for all the Friends in the province of Maryland, that he might see them together, and take his leave of them, before he departed out of the country; and it was so ordered by the good providence of God, that we landed just in time to reach that meeting; by which means we had a very seasonable opportunity of taking the Friends of the province together. A very large meeting this was, and held four days; to which, besides Friends, came many other people, many of whom were of considerable quality in the world’s account; for there were amongst them five or six justices of the peace, a speaker of their parliament or assembly, one of the council, and divers others of note; who seemed well satisfied with the meeting.

After the public meetings were over, the men’s and women’s meetings began; wherein I opened to Friends the service thereof to their great satisfaction. After this we went to a place called the Cliffs, where another general meeting was appointed. We went some part of the way by land, the rest by water; and a storm arising, our boat was run on ground, in danger to be beaten to pieces; and the water came in upon us. I perspired much, having come very hot out of a meeting before, and was now wet with the water beside; yet having faith in the divine power, I was preserved from taking hurt; blessed be the Lord. To this meeting also many people came, and received the truth with reverence. We had also a men’s meeting and a women’s meeting, at which most of the backsliders came in again; and several of those meetings were established for taking care of the affairs of the church.

After these two general meetings, we parted company, dividing ourselves unto several coasts, for the service of truth. James Lancaster and John Cartwright went by sea for New England; William Edmundson and three other Friends sailed for Virginia, where things were much out of order; John Burnyeat, Robert Widders, George Pattison, and I, with several Friends of the province, went over by boat to the eastern shore, and had a meeting there on the First-day; where many people received the truth with gladness, and Friends were greatly refreshed. A very large and heavenly meeting it was; and several persons of quality in that country were at it, two of whom were justices of the peace.

It was upon me from the Lord, to send to the Indian emperor and his kings to come to that meeting. The emperor came and was at it; but his kings, lying further off, could not reach in time; yet they came after with their cockarooses. I had in the evening two good opportunities with them; they heard the word of the Lord willingly, and confessed to it. What I spoke to them, I desired them to speak to their people; and let them know, that “God was raising up his tabernacle of witness in their wilderness country, and was setting up his standard and glorious ensign of righteousness.” They carried themselves very courteously and lovingly, and inquired “where the next meeting would be, and they would come to it;” yet they said, “they had had a great debate with their council about their coming, before they came now.”

Next day we began our journey by land to New England; a tedious journey through the woods and wilderness, over bogs and great rivers. We took horse at the head of Tredhaven Creek, and travelled through the woods, till we came a little above the head of Miles (now “St.” Michael’s) River; by which we passed, and rode to the head of Wye River, and so to the head of Chester River; where, making a fire, we took up our lodging in the woods. Next morning we travelled through the woods till we came to Sassafras River, which we went over in canoes (or Indian boats,) causing our horses to swim by. Then we rode to Bohemia River; where in like manner swimming our horses, we ourselves went over in canoes. We rested a little while at a plantation by the way, but not long, for we had thirty miles to ride that afternoon, if we would reach a town; which we were desirous to do, and therefore rode hard for it. I with some others, whose horses were strong, got to the town that night, exceedingly tired, and wet to the skin; but George Pattison and Robert Widders being weaker-horsed, were obliged to lie in the woods that night also. The town we went to was a Dutch town, called Newcastle, whither Robert Widders and George Pattison came to us next morning. We departed thence and got over the River Delaware, not without great danger of some of our lives.

When we were over, we were troubled to procure guides; who were hard to get and very chargeable. Then had we that wilderness country to pass through, since called West Jersey, not then inhabited by English; so that we have travelled a whole day together, without seeing man or woman, house or dwelling-place. Sometimes we lay in the woods by a fire, and sometimes in the Indians’ wigwams or houses. We came one night to an Indian town, and lay at the king’s house, who was a very worthy man. Both he and his wife received us very lovingly, and his attendants (such as they were) were very respectful to us. They laid us mats to lie on; but provision was very short with them, having caught but little that day.[27] At another Indian town where we stayed, the king came to us, and he could speak some English. I spoke to him much, and also to his people, and they were very loving to us.

At length we came to Middletown, an English plantation in East Jersey, where there were some Friends, but we could not stay to have a meeting there at that time, being earnestly pressed in our spirits, to get to the half-year’s meeting of Friends at Oyster-Bay in Long Island, which was very near at hand. We went with a Friend, Richard Hartshorn, (brother to Hugh Hartshorn, the upholsterer, in London,) who received us gladly at his house, where we refreshed ourselves, and then he carried us and our horses in his own boat over a great water, which occupied most part of the day getting over, and set us upon Long Island. We got that evening to Friends at Gravesend, with whom we tarried that night, and next day got to Flushing, and the day following reached Oyster-Bay; several Friends of Gravesend and Flushing accompanying us.

The half-year’s meeting began next day, which was the first day of the week, and lasted four days. The first and second days we had public meetings for worship, to which people of all sorts came; on the third day were the men’s and women’s meetings, wherein the affairs of the church were taken care of. Here we met with some bad spirits, who had run out from truth into prejudice, contention, and opposition to the order of truth, and to Friends therein. These had been very troublesome to Friends in their meetings there and thereabouts formerly, and likely would have been so now; but I would not suffer the service of our men’s and women’s meetings to be interrupted and hindered by their cavils. I let them know, that “if they had anything to object against the order of the truth which we were in, we would give them a meeting another day on purpose.” And indeed I laboured the more, and travelled the harder to get to this meeting, where it was expected many of these contentious people would be; because I understood they had reflected much upon me, when I was far from them.