Page:Life and astonishing adventures of Peter Williamson (1).pdf/4

4 amusements with my fellow-sufferers in the steerage, being never suffered to go upon deck the vessel lay in the harbour.

In about a month's time the ship set sail America. I cannot forget that, when we on the coast we were destined for, a hard gale wind sprung up from the S. E. and, to the captain's great surprise (he not thinking he was  land, although having been 11 weeks on the, about twelve o’clock at night, the  struck on a sand hank off Cape May, near  Capes of Delaware, and, to the great terror  affright of the ship’s company, in a short  was almost full of water. The boat was  hoisted out, into which the captain and his  villians, the erewcrew [sic], got with some  leaving me and my deluded companions to  as they then naturally concluded inevitable  to be our fate. Often, in my distresses  miseries since, have I wished that such had  the consequence, when in a state of  But Providence thought proper to reserve  for future trials of its goodness. Thus  and deserted, without the least prospect of  but threatened every moment with death,  these villians leave us. The eriescries [sic], the and tears of a parcel of infants, had no effect  or caused the least remorse in the breasts of the merciless wretches. Scarce can I say to