t
thirty-five pounds currency, desired I would receive it for him, and
keep it till I had his directions what to remit it in. Accordingly, he
gave me an order. This afterwards occasion'd me a good deal of
uneasiness.

At Newport we took in a number of passengers for New York, among
which were two young women, companions, and a grave, sensible,
matronlike Quaker woman, with her attendants. I had shown an obliging
readiness to do her some little services, which impress'd her I
suppose with a degree of good will toward me; therefore, when she saw
a daily growing familiarity between me and the two young women, which
they appear'd to encourage, she took me aside, and said, "Young man, I
am concern'd for thee, as thou hast no friend with thee, and seems not
to know much of the world, or of the snares youth is expos'd to;
depend upon it, those are very bad women; I can see it in all their
actions; and if thee art not upon thy guard, they will draw thee into
some danger; they are strangers to thee, and I advise thee, in a
friendly concern for thy welfare, to have no acquaintance with them."
As I seem'd at first not to think so ill of them as she did, she
mentioned some things she had observ'd and heard that had escap'd my
notice, but now convinc'd me she was right. I thank'd her for her kind
advice, and promis'd to follow it. When we arriv'd at New York, they
told me where they liv'd, and invited me to come and see them; but I
avoided it, and it was well I did; for the next day the captain miss'd
a silver spoon and some other things, that had been taken out of his
cabin, and, knowing that these were a couple of strumpets, he got a
warrant to search their lodgings, found the stolen goods, and had the
thieves punish'd. So, tho' we had escap'd a sunken rock, which we
scrap'd upon in the passage, I thought this escape of rather more
importance to me.

At New York I found my friend Collins, who had arriv'd there some time
before me. We had been intimate from children, and had read the same
books together; but he had the advantage of more time for reading and
studying, and a wonderful genius for mathematical learning, in which
he far outstript me. While I liv'd in Boston, most of my hours of
leisure for conversation were spent with him, and he continu'd a sober
as well as an industrious lad; was much respected for his learning by
several of the clergy and other gentlemen, and seemed to promise
making a good figure in life. But, du