county, in a fine spot of ground, one hundred and fifty miles in length,
and twenty in breadth. Here he changed his religion, and turned
Presbyterian, most of the inhabitants being of that denomination: he
travelled quite through the island, and then crossed over a ferry into
Block-island, from whence there are great quantities of timber
transported to the town of Boston.

Soon after, crossing another ferry, he came into New York, which is a
very fine city. There are now about one thousand one hundred houses, and
near seven thousand inhabitants in it. The houses are well built, the
meanest of them is said to be worth one hundred pounds, which cannot be
said of any city in England. The great church here was built in the year
1695, and is a very handsome edifice. Here are also a Dutch church, a
French church, and a Lutheran church. The inhabitants of the Dutch
extraction make a very considerable part of the town; but, most of them
speaking English, one may suppose they went pretty much to the great
church, especially all those that are and hope to be in offices. Here he
was surprised at the sight of a great number of gibbets, with blacks
hanging upon them; but, upon inquiring, he found the negroes had not long
before entered into a conspiracy for burning the whole city; however, the
plot being timely discovered, great numbers were executed and hung up to
terrify others. His first care here was to inquire the names,
circumstances, families, and countries, of the principal inhabitants of
the city; amongst the rest he inquired out Captain Lush, who was formerly
of Carmouth, by Lime, in Dorsetshire, to whom he had recommendatory
letters from Mr. Matthews, of East Jersey. He was received very
hospitably by Captain Lush, who likewise gave him two shirts, and
informed him, there was no ship ready to sail for England there, but that
he would find one at New London. Having found there was one Mr. Lucas,
formerly of Taunton, in Somersetshire, in New York, and judging he was
brother to Mr. Lucas, of Brampton, in Devon, whom he knew very well, he
went boldly to his house, which was in the fish-shambles, and knocking at
the door, it was opened to him by a negro; he enquired if Mr. Lucas was
at home; and, before the negro could give him an answer, out came Mr.
Lucas with a little boy, and demanded what he wanted: he replied he was
an Englishman, born in Devonshire, who had the misfortune to be cast away
in a ship behind Long