Page:Surprising life and sufferings of Peter Williamson.pdf/4

 get, near three weeks, when we were taken in by a vessel bound to Philadelphia lying at this Island. Very little of the cargo was saved undamaged, and the vessel entirely lost.

When we arrived at Philadelphia; the captain had soon people enough who came to buy us. He sold us at about 16l per head. What became of my unhappy companions I never knew; it was my lot to be sold to one of my countrymen, whose name was Hugh Wilson, for the term of seven years, who had in his youth undergone the same fate as myself: having been kidnapped from St. Johnstoun in Scotland.

Happy was my lot in falling into my country-man's power, as he was a humane, honest man. Having no children of his own, and commisserating my unhappy condition, he took great care of me until I was fit for business; and from the 12th year of my age, kept me about little trifles till my 14th year, when I was more fit for harder work. During such my idle state, seeing my fellow servants often reading and writing, it incited in me an inclination to learn, which I intimated to my master, telling him I should be very willing to serve a year longer than I was bound, if he would indulge me in going to school; this he readily agreed to, saying that winter would be the best time. It being then summer, I waited with impatience for the other season; but to make some progress in my design, I got a trimer and learned as much from my fellow-servants as I could. At school, which I attended four winters, I made a tolerable proficiency and have ever since been improving myself a leisure hours. When I was