I met with many enemies, and much persecution, among the sailors; one of them was particularly unkind to me, and studied ways to vex and teaze me.—­I can’t help mentioning one circumstance that hurt me more than all the rest, which was, that he snatched a book out of my hand that I was very fond of, and used frequently to amuse myself with, and threw it into the sea.—­But what is remarkable he was the first that was killed in our engagement.—­I don’t pretend to say that this happen’d because he was not my friend:  but I thought ’twas a very awful Providence to see how the enemies of the LORD are cut off.

Our Captain was a cruel hard-hearted man.  I was excessively sorry for the prisoners we took in general; but the pitiable case of one young Gentleman grieved me to the heart.—­He appear’d very amiable; was strikingly handsome.  Our Captain took four thousand pounds from him; but that did not satisfy him, as he imagin’d he was possess’d of more, and had somewhere conceal’d it, so that the Captain threatened him with death, at which he appear’d in the deepest distress, and took the buckles out of his shoes, and untied his hair, which was very fine, and long; and in which several very valuable rings were fasten’d.  He came into the Cabbin to me, and in the most obliging terms imaginable ask’d for something to eat and drink; which when I gave him, he was so thankful and pretty in his manner that my heart bled for him; and I heartily wish’d that I could have spoken in any language in which the ship’s crew would not have understood me; that I might have let him know his danger; for I heard the Captain say he was resolv’d upon his death; and he put his barbarous design into execution, for he took him on shore with one of the sailors, and there they shot him.

This circumstance affected me exceedingly, I could not put him out of my mind a long while.—­When we return’d to New-York the Captain divided the prize-money among us, that we had taken.  When I was call’d upon to receive my part, I waited upon Mr. ——­, (the Gentleman that paid my debt and was the occasion of my going abroad) to know if he chose to go with me to receive my money or if I should bring him what I owed.—­He chose to go with me; and when the Captain laid my money on the table (’twas an hundred and thirty-five pounds) I desir’d Mr. ——­ to take what I was indebted to him; and he swept it all into his handkerchief, and would never be prevail’d on to give a farthing of money, nor any thing at all beside.—­And he likewise secur’d a hogshead of sugar which was my due from the same ship.  The Captain was very angry with him for this piece of cruelty to me, as was every other person that heard it.—­But I have reason to believe (as he was one of the Principal Merchants in the city) that he transacted business for him and on that account did not chuse to quarrel with him.