They had Sails, Oars, and a Compass, and were preparing to make the best of their way back to New-found Land, the Wind blowing pretty fair, for it blew an easie Gale at S. E. by E. They had as much Provifions and Water, as with fparing it fo as to be next door to ftarving, might fupport them about Twelve Days, in which, if they had no bad Weather, and no contrary Winds, the Captain faid, he hop'd he might get the Banks of New-found Land, and might perhaps take fome Fish to sustain them 'till they might go on Shore. But there were fo many Chances against them in all thefe Cafes; fuch as, Storms to overfet and foun der them, Rains and Cold to benumb and perish their Limbs, contrary Winds to keep them out and starve them, that it must have been next to miraculous if they had escap'd.

In the midst of their Confultations, every one being hopeless and ready to despair, the Captain with Tears in his Eyes told me, they were on a fudden furpriz'd with the Joy of hearing a Gun fire, and after that four more, these were the five Guns which I caufed to be fired at firft feeing the Light: This reviv'd their Hearts, and gave them the Notice, which, as above, I defir'd it should, (viz.) that there was a Ship at hand for their Help.

It was upon the hearing thefe Guns, that they took down their Mafts and Sails, the Sound com→ ing from the Windward they refolv'd to lye by 'till Morning Some Time after this, hearing no more Guns, they fired three Muskets, one a confide rable While after another, but thefe, the Wind being contrary, we never heard.

Some Time after that again they were still more agreeably furpriz'd with feeing our Lights, and hearing the Guns, which, as I have faid, I caus'd to be fir'd all the reft of the Night; this fet them to work with their Oars to keep their Boats ahead, at least, that we might the focner come up with them; and at laft to their inexpreffible Joy, they found we faw them.

It is impoffible for me to express the several Gestures, the ftrange Extafies, the Variety of Postures which thefe poor deliver'dPeople run into to express the Joy of their Souls at fo unexpected a Deliverance; Grief and Fear are easily defcribed; Sighs, Tears, Groans, and a very few Motions of the Head and Hands make up the Sum of its Variety: But an Excess of Joy, a Surprize of Joy has a Thoufand Extravagancies in it; there were fome in Tears, fome raging, and tearing themselves, as if they had been in the greateft Agonies of Sorrow, fome ftark-raving and down-right lunatick, fome ran about the Ship ftamping with their Feet, others wringing their Hands; fome were dancing, fome finging, fome laughing, more crying; many quite dumb, not able to fpeak a Word; others fick and vomiting, several fwooning, and ready to faint; and a few were Croffing themfelves, and giving God Thanks.

I would not wrong them neither, there might be many that were thankful afterward, but the Paffion was too ftrong for them at firit, and they were not able to mafter it, they were thrown into Extafics and a Kind of Frenzy, and it was but a very few that were compos'd and ferious in their Joy.

Per

Perhaps the Cafe may have fome Addition to it from the particular Circumftance of that Nation they belong'd to, I mean the French, whofe Temper is allow'd to be more volatile, more paffionate, and more sprightly, and their Spirits more fluid than in other Nations. I am not Philofopher enough to determine the Caufe, but nothing I had ever feen before came up to it: The Extafies poor Friday, my trufty Savage, was in when he found his Father in the Boat, came the nearest to it, and the Surprize of the Master and his two Companions, who I deliver'd from the Villains that fet them on Shore in the Island, came a little Way towards it, but nothing was to compare to this, either that I faw in Friday, or any where else in my Life.

It is further obfervable, that thefe Extravagancies did not fhew themselves in that different Manner I have mention'd in different Perfons only: But all the Variety would appear in a fhort Succeffion of Moments in one and the fame Perfon. A Man that we faw this Minute dumb, and as it were stupid and confounded, fhould the next Minute be dancing and hallowing like an Antick; and the next Moment be tearing his Hair, or pulling his Cloaths to Pieces, and ftamping them under his Feet, like a mad Man; a few Moments after that, we fhould have him all in Tears, then sick, then fwooning, and had not immediate Help been had, would, in a few Moments more have been dead; and thus it was not with one or two, or ten or twenty, but with the greatest Part of them; and if I remember right, our Surgeon was oblig'd to let above thirty of them Blood.

There were two Priests among them, one an old Man, and the other a young Man; and that which was ftrangest was, that the oldeft Man was the worft. As foon as he fet his Foot on board our Ship, and faw himfelf fafe, he dropt down ftone-dead, not the leaft Sign of Life could be perceiv'd in him; our Surgeon immediately apply'd proper Remedies to recover him, and was the only Man in the Ship that believ'd he was not dead; at length he opened a Vein in his Arm, having first chaff'd and rubb'd the Part fo as to warm it as much as poffible: Upon this the Blood which only dropp'd at firft, flow'd fomething freely; in three Minutes after, the Man open'd his Eyes, and about a quarter of an Hour after that he fpoke, grew better, and quite well; after the Bloodw as stopp'd he walk'd about, told us he was perfectly well, took a Dram of Cordial which the Surgeon gave him, and was what we call'd Come to himself; about a quarter of an Hour' after they came running into the Cabbin to the Surgeon who was bleeding a French Woman that had fainted, and told him the Prieft was gone ftark-mad; it feems he had begun to revolve the Change of his Circumstance, and again this put him into an Extafy of Joy, his Spirits whirl'd about fafter than the Veffels could convey them, the Blood grew hot and feaverifh, and the Man was as fit for Bedlam as any Creature that ever was in it; the Surgeon would not bleed him again in that Condition, but gave him fomething to dofe and put him to fleep, which after fome Time operated upon him, and he wak'd the next Morning perfectly compos'd, and well.

The

The younger Prieft behav'd with great Command of his Paffions, and was really an Example of a serious well-govern'd Mind; at his firft coming on board the Ship, he threw himfeif flat on his Face, proftrating himself in Thankfulness for his Deliverance, in which I unhappily and unfeafonably disturb'd him, really thinking he had been in a Swoon; but, he fpake calmly, thank'd me, told me he was giving God Thanks for his Deliverance, and begg'd me to leave him a few Moments, and that next to his Maker he would give me Thanks alfo.

I was heartily forry that I difturb'd him, and not only left him, but kept others from interrupting him alfo; he continued in that Poiture about three Minutes, or little more, after I left him, then came to me, as he had faid he would, and with a great deal of Serioufnéfs and Affection, but with Tears in his Eyes, thank'd me that had, under God, given him and fo many miferable Creatures their Lives: I told him, I had nò Room to move him to thank God for it, rather than me, but I added, that it was nothing but what Reafon and Humanity dictated to all Men, and that we had as much Reafon as he to give Thanks to God who had blefs'd us fo far as to make us the Inftruments of his Mercy to fo many of his Creatures.

After this the young Priest apply'd himself to his Country-Folks; laboured to, compofe them; perfwaded, entreated, argued, reafon'd with them, and did his utmost to keep them within the Exercife of their Reason, and with fome he had Succefs, tho' others were for a Time out of all Government of themselves.

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