ghtful things that may never happen. And we scarce slept one
night without dreaming of halters, yard-arms, or gibbets, of fighting,
being taken, and being killed; nay, so violent were our apprehensions,
that we would bruise our hands and heads against the sides of the
cabin, as though actually engaged. The story of the Dutch cruelty at
Amboyns, often came into our thoughts when awake; and, for my part, I
thought my condition very hard; that after so many difficulties and such
signal deliverances, I should be hanged in my old age, though innocent
of any crime that deserved such punishment; but then religion would seem
to represent to me, as though the voice of it had said; 'consider, O
man! what sins you have been formerly guilty of; which now thou art
called to an account for, to expiate with thy blood! And as to thy
innocence, what art thou more innocent than thy blessed Redeemer, Jesus
Christ, who suffered for thy offences, and to whose providence you ought
to submit, let what will happen?' After this, natural courage would
inspire me to resist to the last drop of blood, and sooner die than
suffer myself to be taken by boorish, rascally Dutchmen, who had arts to
torment beyond death itself.

But now, thank kind Heaven, being ashore; our old pilot procured us a
lodging and a warehouse for our goods; it was a little hut with a large
warehouse joining to it, all built with canes, and pallisadoed round
with large ones, to keep out pilfering thieves, which are very numerous
in that country. The magistrates allowed us a little guard during the
night, and we employed a centinel with a kind of halbert for three pence
a day. The fair, or mart, we found, had been over for some time;
however, there remained in the river four junks and two Japan ships, the
merchants of the latter being on shore. In the first place, our old
pilot brought us acquainted with the missionary Roman priests, who were
converting the people to Christianity: two of them were reserved, rigid,
and austere, applying themselves to the work they came about with great
earnestness, but the third, who was a Frenchman, called Father Simon,
was of a freer conversation, not seemingly so serious and grave, yet no
worse Christian than the other two, one of whom was a Portuguese, and
the other a Genoese. Father Simon, it seems, was appointed to go to
Pekin, the royal seat of the Emperor of the Chinese; and he only waited
for another priest, who was ordered from Macao to