[Footnote 4:  Life of Wesley, Vol.  I. p. 107.]

On the 26th of July, 1736, he set out for Charlestown, to take passage to England; and, on the 16th of August, went on board the London Galley.  But the passengers and sailors soon found that the Captain, while on shore, had neglected every thing to which he ought to have attended.  The vessel was too leaky to bear the voyage; and the Captain drinking nothing scarcely but gin, had never troubled his head about taking in water; so that they were soon reduced to short allowance, which, in that sultry clime and season of the year, was a distressing predicament.  Meeting, too, with violent squalls of wind, they were driven off their course.  The leak became alarming, and their troubles increased so fast upon them, that they were obliged to steer for Boston in New England; where they arrived, with much difficulty and danger, on the 2d of September.

Wesley was soon known at Boston; and met a hospitable reception among the Ministers, both of the town and neighborhood.  In a letter to his brother, he thus describes the attentions that were paid to him.  “I am wearied with this hospitable people; they so teaze me with their civilities.  They do not suffer me to be alone.  The clergy, who come from the country on a visit, drag me with them when they return[1].  I am constrained to take a view of this New England, more pleasant even than the Old.  And, compared with the region in which I last resided, I cannot help exclaiming, O happy country that breeds neither flies, nor crocodiles, nor prevaricators!"[2]

[Footnote 1:  Referring to the weekly assembling of the Clergy from the neighboring towns to attend the Thursday Lecture.]

[Footnote 2:  Having found that letters to his brother were intercepted and read, before they were delivered, he wrote sometimes in Latin, and even passages in Greek.  This, dated Boston, October 5th, 1736, was in Latin, and I give the extract here, of which the text is a translation.  “Tsedet me populi hujuser, ita me urbanitate sua divexant et persequuntur.  Non patientur me esse solum.  E rure veninnt Clerici; me revertentes in rare trahant.  Cogor henc Anglicum contemplari, etiam antiqua amoeniorem; et nequeo non exclamare, O fortinata regio, nec muscas aleus, nec crocodilos, nec delatores!” [When Mr. C. Wesley was at Frederica, the sand-flies were one night so exceedingly troublesome, that he was obliged to rise at one o’clock, and smoke them out of his hut.  He tells us that the whole town was employed in the same way.  By crocodile he means the species called alligator.  When at Savannah, he and Mr. Delamotte used to bathe in the river between four and five o’clock in the morning, before the alligators were stirring, but they heard them snoring all round them.  One morning Mr. Delamotte was in great danger; an alligator rose just behind him, and pursued him to the land, whither he escaped with difficulty.]]