nd who will say these things
are nothing but chance and what is called 'coincidence.'

Such an one was the pilot of the _Woodhouse_. As the land drew nearer,
a creek was seen to open out in it. The Friends were sure that their
vessel was meant to enter there, but again the pilot resisted. By this
time the Friends had learned to expect objections from him, and had
learned, too, that it was best not to argue with him, but to leave him
to find out for himself that their guidance was right. So they told
him to do as he chose, that 'both sides were safe, but going that way
would be more trouble to him.' When morning dawned 'he saw, after he
had laid by all the night, the thing fulfilled.'

Into the creek, therefore, in the bright morning sunlight the
_Woodhouse_ came gaily sailing; not knowing where she was, nor whither
the creek would lead. 'Now to lay before you the largeness of the
wisdom, will, and power of God, this creek led us in between the Dutch
Plantation and Long Island:'--the very place that some of the Friends
had felt that they ought to visit, but which it would have been most
difficult to reach had they landed in any other spot. Thus 'the Lord
God that moved them brought them to the place appointed, and led us
into our way according to the word which came unto Christopher Holder:
"You are in the road to Rhode Island." In that creek came a shallop to
guide us, taking us to be strangers, we making our way with our boat,
and they spoke English, and informed us, and guided us along. The
power of the Lord fell much upon us, and an irresistible word came
unto us, that the seed in America shall be as the sand of the sea; it
was published in the ears of the brethren, which caused tears to break
forth with fulness of joy; so that presently for these places some
prepared themselves, who were Robert Hodgson, Richard Doudney, Sarah
Gibbons, Mary Weatherhead, and Dorothy Waugh, who the next day were
put safely ashore into the Dutch plantation, called New Amsterdam.'

'New Amsterdam, on an unnamed creek in the Dutch Plantation,' sounds
an unfamiliar place to modern ears. Yet when that same Dutch
Plantation changed hands and became English territory its new masters
altered the name of its chief town. New Amsterdam was re-christened in
honour of the king's brother, James, Duke of York, and became known as
New York, the largest city of the future United States of America.

As to the unnamed 'creek' into which the _Woodhouse