Now that I am on this subject I beg leave to relate another instance or two which strongly raised my belief of the particular interposition of Heaven, and which might not otherwise have found a place here, from their insignificance.  I belonged for a few days in the year 1758 to the Jason, of fifty-four guns, at Plymouth; and one night, when I was on board, a woman, with a child at her breast, fell from the upper-deck down into the hold, near the keel.  Every one thought that the mother and child must be both dashed to pieces; but, to our great surprise, neither of them was hurt.  I myself one day fell headlong from the upper-deck of the AEtna down the after-hold, when the ballast was out; and all who saw me fall cried out I was killed:  but I received not the least injury.  And in the same ship a man fell from the mast-head on the deck without being hurt.  In these, and in many more instances, I thought I could plainly trace the hand of God, without whose permission a sparrow cannot fall.  I began to raise my fear from man to him alone, and to call daily on his holy name with fear and reverence:  and I trust he heard my supplications, and graciously condescended to answer me according to his holy word, and to implant the seeds of piety in me, even one of the meanest of his creatures.

When we had refitted our ship, and all things were in readiness for attacking the place, the troops on board the transports were ordered to disembark; and my master, as a junior captain, had a share in the command of the landing.  This was on the 8th of April.  The French were drawn up on the shore, and had made every disposition to oppose the landing of our men, only a small part of them this day being able to effect it; most of them, after fighting with great bravery, were cut off; and General Crawford, with a number of others, were taken prisoners.  In this day’s engagement we had also our lieutenant killed.

On the 21st of April we renewed our efforts to land the men, while all the men of war were stationed along the shore to cover it, and fired at the French batteries and breastworks from early in the morning till about four o’clock in the evening, when our soldiers effected a safe landing.  They immediately attacked the French; and, after a sharp encounter, forced them from the batteries.  Before the enemy retreated they blew up several of them, lest they should fall into our hands.  Our men now proceeded to besiege the citadel, and my master was ordered on shore to superintend the landing of all the materials necessary for carrying on the siege; in which service I mostly attended him.  While I was there I went about to different parts of the island; and one day, particularly, my curiosity almost cost me my life.  I wanted very much to see the mode of charging the mortars and letting off the shells, and for that purpose I went to an English battery that was but a very few yards from the walls of the citadel.  There, indeed, I had an opportunity of completely gratifying myself