When at Philadelphia I was favor’d with your affectionate letter I dared not trust myself to acknowledge it: the voyage I was then so soon to take, and which was to seperate me so long a time from my indulgent parents and other partial friends was a circumstance that engross’d my thoughts more than I chose to confess, and I was aware that to write either to papa or you would be the ready way to reveal a secret I wished to conceal even from myself.

How wise and tender in my dr. papa & mamma to recommend their children to the care of that Being whose power is unlimitted and whose goodness & mercy are equal to His power. Nor has the prayers of my kind parents been disregarded: that Providence which they implor’d has kindly preserved us through uncommon dangers. May we never by our ingratitude forfeit its further protection!

We embarked at Chester on the 20th: of Octbr:, but did not lose sight of land ’till the 26th:, when we launch’d out to sea with a brisk gale. The very first evening we were all seized with that most disagreeable sickness peculiar to our situation; my brother, Peter,1 and myself soon recovered but my dr. Mr. Jay suffered exceedingly at least five weeks & was surprisingly reduced; I imagine his health would have been much sooner restored had not our passage been so very unpleasant.

About 4 o’Clock in the morning of the 7th. of November we were alarmed by an unusual noise upon deck, & what particularly surpris’d me, was the lamentations of persons in distress: I call’d upon the Captn to inform me the cause of this confusion that I imagined to prevail; but my brother desir’d me to remain perfectly composed, for that he had been upon deck but an half ^an hour^ before & left every thing in perfect security.

Perfect security! Vain words! don’t you think so mamma? And so indeed they prov’d. For in that small space of time we had been depriv’d of nothing less than our bow-sprit, Fore-mast, main-mast, & missen-mast; so that we were in an awkward situation rendered still more so by a pretty high south-east wind & a very rough sea that prevail’d then: however our misfortunes were only began, the loss ^injury receiv’d^ by our rudder, the next morning, served to compleat them as we were ready to conclude: The groans that distress’d me were uttered by two men who had suffered from the fall of the masts, one of them was much bruised, the other had his arm and hand broke: the former recovered, but the latter, poor fellow! surviv’d not many days the amputation of his arm. Will it not be painful to my dear mamma to image to herself the situation of her children at that time? Her children did I say? Rather let my benevolent mamma imagine the dangerous situation of more than 300 souls tossed about in the midst of the ocean, in a vessel dismasted & under no command, at a season too that threatned approaching inclemency of weather. And would you for a moment suppose me capable of regretting that I had for a time bid adieu to my native land in order to accompany my beloved friend? Would you have dispaired of ever again embracing yr. affectionate children? Or would you have again recommended ^them^ to Him who appointed to the waters their bounds, Who saith unto the wave thus far shalt thou go. And to the winds, peace, be still? Mamma’s known piety and fortitude sufficiently suggest the answer to the two latter queries: and to the former it becomes me to reply. I do, and assure you; that in no period of our distress, though ever so alarming did I once repine, but incited by his amiable example, I gave fear to the winds & chearfully resign’d myself to the dispensations of the Almighty.

Your whole family love Mr. Jay, but you are not acquainted with half his worth, nor indeed are any of his friends, for his modesty is equal to his merit. It is the property of a diamond (I’ve been told) to appear most brilliant in the dark; and surely a good man never shines to greater advantage then in the gloomy hour of adversity; in sceenes of that kind I have lately beheld with pleasure, and even admiration, the firmness & serenity of mind that evidently shone out in the countenance of our invaluable friend. May he long, very long, be preserved a blessing to his connections and a useful as well as disinterested friend to his Country—pardon me! mamma, if I appear too prolix in the praises of the person we so highly love & esteem—am I not writing to a partial mother? And is it not a consolation to her, that the guardian of her children is worthy of her confidence? Besides, I’ve the pleasure to hope that none but friendly eyes will peruse this scrawl, & I therefore indulge myself as though I were actually conversing with my dr. family friends: I hope every letter I receive from them will be equally free from restraint. After our misfortunes on the 7th. & 8th. of November (the memorable aera from which we now date all events relative to ourselves) a council of the officers was held to consider where it was most expedient to bend our course & it was unanimously concluded by them that it wou’d be impossible to reach Europe at this season, with a ship in the condition that ours was. They were likewise united in opinion that the southern direction was the only one that offered a prospect of safety, & of the Islands, Martinico was the most eligible, for its commodious harbour & the probability of being supplied with materials to refit: accordingly the first fair wind that offered (which was not ’till near three weeks from the above mentioned Aera) was embraced in pursuance of the advice given by the officers: and after having passed thro’ very blustering, squally latitudes, we are now in smooth seas, having the advantage of trade-winds which blow directly for the Island; nor are we, if the calculations made are just, more than 220 miles distant from the destin’d port. Thus while our american friends are amusing themselves by a chearful fire-side, are we sitting under an awning, comforting ourselves with the expectation of being soon refreshed by some fine southern fruits. I expect in a few days to write to papa & the girls from Martinico, and if what I hear of crabs, fresh fish, & Oysters be true, I’ll make papa’s mouth water, & make him wish to forego the pleasure of pruning trees, speechifying Assemblies, & what not for the greater pleasure of messing with us. And now let me recollect—is there nothing that has occurred in the space of seven weeks worth mamma’s attention? Why let me see—there’s the celebration of Mrs. Gerard’s birth-day. When we first came on board, Monsieur Gerard among other subjects mentioned that he hoped for the pleasure of our company at his house the 7th. of Decbr:, as it was customary for his Lady to entertain her friends upon the aniversary of her birth day. The accidents I’ve already related account for our not arriving in France. Mr. Jay therefore surprised our Friend by inviting all the officers of the ship & gentlemen who were passengers to breakfast and spend the day with us, mentioning in the cards the occasion. Early in the morning we were amused by a small band of musick, & the discharge of a number of cannon, which led Mr. Gerard to enquire the reason that gave rise to the apparent joy; and when the gentlemen waited upon him to congratulate him ^upon^ the occasion, he received them very politely, & waited upon them into the Dining-room (alias Cabbin) where a very genteel breakfast was prepared. The vessel rolls so intollerably, & Mr. C—l & the Coll. who ^are^ playing drafts at the same table leave me no chance of writing legibly, so that I must lay aside my pen ’till some quieter opportunity offers.— Thank fortune the gentlemen have thought fit to walk out & leave ^me^ at leisure to proceed with my narrative, and as to waiting for an easy motion of the ship, I believe it will be needless, for I begin to be of the Carpinter’s ^opinion^ that she would hardly lay still again were she put upon the stocks.—

So much by way of digression—and now I think we’ll return to the gentlemen in the Cabbin, & as they have had quite time enough to finish their breakfast, I’ll conduct them up stairs, where the whole deck is covered with an awning for their reception— There they continued to amuse themselves with chess, cards, & drafts; musick still heightning their pleasure, ’till 4 o’Clock, when they were invited to (what in our situation might be call’d) an elegant dinner: after which a number of pertinent toasts were drank, to each of which was a discharge of three cannon. I then withdrew, and the gentlemen had coffee, tea and cakes sent them, & then concluded the evening with dancing. That day happened to be a merry one to the sailors likewise, for crossing the tropick they insisted upon an ancient custom of shaving & ducking every person that had not crossed it before excepting only those who paid their fine. I could ^not for^bear smiling at Peter’s fate, who had been diverting himself with observing the operation perform’d on many of them, ’till they exclaim’d at the injustice of exempting him, & insisted upon his being tar’d at least, which by the by was their method of shaving. Peter sobbing, declared that had not his new coat been spoilt, he would ^not^ have regretted so much the difficulty of getting rid of the tar. Apropos of Peter, his behaviour throughout this voyage has charm’d me; I thought I could trace his grand-father’s firmess in the equanimity of the child. May the resemblance be increas’d & perpetuated in every disposition & action of his life. Writing of one child but reminds me of the other; how I long to see the dr: little varlet!2 I could ask a thousand questions about him, but to what purpose? When should I be answered? There was a diffidence in the dear child’s disposition when I left him that I hope does not continue to distress him; do, my dear mamma, guard well his tender mind against such impressions, you know that honour & firmness are the parents of many virtues; how many inconveniencies, & even vices are young people frequently led into thro’ a false shame; teach him therefore betimes to say no as well as yes. But to whom am I dictating? Pardon me mamma, I forbear. And may God Almighty bless you & your instruction’s. God bless my child!