for it. I
had no such need of money, nor was the sum so big that I had any
inclination to meddle with it or to get the money at the hazard it might
be attended with: so I seemed to go away, when the man who had opened
the door said he would take it up, but so that, if the right owner came
for it, he should be sure to have it. So he went in and fetched a pail
of water, and set it down hard by the purse, then went again and fetched
some gunpowder, and cast a good deal of powder upon the purse, and then
made a train from that which he had thrown loose upon the purse (the
train reached about two yards); after this he goes in a third time, and
fetches out a pair of tongs red hot, and which he had prepared, I
suppose, on purpose; and first setting fire to the train of powder, that
singed the purse, and also smoked the air sufficiently. But he was not
content with that, but he then takes up the purse with the tongs,
holding it so long till the tongs burnt through the purse, and then he
shook the money out into the pail of water: so he carried it in. The
money, as I remember, was about thirteen shillings, and some smooth
groats[168] and brass farthings.[169]

Much about the same time, I walked out into the fields towards Bow; for
I had a great mind to see how things were managed in the river and among
the ships; and, as I had some concern in shipping, I had a notion that
it had been one of the best ways of securing one's self from the
infection to have retired into a ship. And, musing how to satisfy my
curiosity in that point, I turned away over the fields, from Bow to
Bromley, and down to Blackwall, to the stairs that are there for
landing, or taking water.

Here I saw a poor man walking on the bank, or "sea wall" as they call
it, by himself. I walked awhile also about, seeing the houses all shut
up. At last I fell into some talk, at a distance, with this poor man.
First I asked how people did thereabouts. "Alas, sir!" says he, "almost
desolate, all dead or sick; here are very few families in this part, or
in that village," pointing at Poplar, "where half of them are not dead
already, and the rest sick." Then he, pointing to one house, "They are
all dead," said he, "and the house stands open: nobody dares go into it.
A poor thief," says he, "ventured in to steal something; but he paid
dear for his theft, for he was carried to the churchyard too, last
night." Then he pointed to several other houses. "There," says he, "they
ar