eamen, and are wanted to work the ship. You were misled by this
silly young man, and therefore will return on board with us."

The three ships were at length in a condition for sea. The pirates'
ship was sent out first, navigated by some of the officers and crew of
the _Leopard_. The _Amity_ followed, the king's ship coming last, and
the wind being favourable, all three steered a course for Virginia; the
_Amity_ afterwards to continue her voyage to the Delaware.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

The good ship _Amity_ was sailing up the magnificent stream of the
Delaware. Her progress, however, was not without impediment, as huge
masses of ice came floating down, lately broken up by the warm sun of
the early spring.

"There's your future home, my friends," said the captain, pointing to
the left side of the coast; "but it will take us some time before we can
reach the spot where our friends have settled. On the right we have
West New Jersey, where, owing to Master William Penn, a new free colony
was settled some time ago; but that is but a small portion of the
territory compared with Pennsylvania. I went out as mate in the _Kent_,
commanded by Captain Gregory Marlow. We carried out the first settlers
and the commissioners. They were nearly all Quakers, and a very good
sort of people they were. I remember, just as we sailed from the
Thames, the king coming alongside, and nothing would satisfy him but
that he must come on board; whereupon he gave us his blessing. Whether
it was of much value or not, it is not for me to say; but whether or
not, we reached port in safety. Several other ships followed. The
commissioners bought land of the natives, and established friendly
relations with them; and if you were to go on shore there now, you would
find as prosperous a community as any in the world." The new settlers,
on hearing this account, looked with greater interest on the far distant
shores of the land to which the captain pointed. On either side tall
forests rose up,--a thick barrier to the country beyond.

"Ay, friends," continued the captain, "it is a fine land, but you will
have many a tall tree to cut down before you can grow wheat and barley
out of it; and for those who love work, there is work enough before
them, not only for them, but for their children, and children's children
after them, and no fear of the country being too thickly peopled."

At length, on a point of land an opening in the forest was seen, w