Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

in age, with as care-worn a countenance as I ever remember to have seen, spinning at this early hour in the morning, by the light of a split stick placed in a piece of iron against the wall; every thing about her person and house bespoke the greatest possible indigence, but much innocence was imprinted on her countenance after standing awhile and looking on her, as she also did on us, I was inclined to put into her hands a piece of money equal to eight-pence; which having done, she seemed as if she hardly could believe the truth of what she saw she was in possession of, viewing it with surprise, and such a smile of gratitude as I have not often beheld: my companions doing the like, I expect she became richer than she had been for a great length of time. Unable by words to express her gratitude, she endeavoured to manifest it by attempting to kiss our hands and our clothes. We felt not a little gratified, that by so small a donation we had thus added to her present comfort; the scene altogether, to me, proved a fresh excitement to number my blessings, which appeared multiplied indeed, when compared with the state of this poor aged woman.

We proceeded on our journey, and after a day and night hard travel, on Fifth-day morning, the 16th of 2nd month, we reached the frontiers of the Russian territories.

118

CHAPTER XXIX.

AFTER our luggage had undergone an examination and our passports were signed, we proceeded to Nemenerzat, in Prussia. Here we took a fresh carriage for Memel, where we arrived in the afternoon. I felt truly thankful to be once more in a land of more liberty. The rivers and roads beginning to break up, we feared detention; on which account we thought of securing our places in the diligence to Berlin, which was to set off the next morning from Memel; but as we understood we should have, by this conveyance, to travel eleven days and nights before we reached Berlin, and but little opportunity allowed to rest, much worn down by hard travelling as we were, and the poor accommodations various ways we had met with, we relinquished this plan, having several offers of conveyances to Konigsberg; but if we accepted of these offers, we must travel the strand-road, which we had made up our minds not to do, on account of some alarming accidents that had recently occurred from the quicksands.

Fifth-day, having procured pretty comfortable quarters, our party were refreshed by a good night's rest; we concluded to proceed next morning to Konigsberg, about one hundred and seventy-four English miles, and contracted with a man for that

purpose.

Sixth-day morning, we pursued our journey; our carriage measured in length seven yards, and two yards across, in which were seats slung; but so uneasy were they, that we were glad to seat ourselves on our luggage, and at times to lie down on the straw at the bottom of the carriage; the top was covered with canvas, and a hole left on one side for us to enter; but so small, that we were obliged to creep in head-first; the difficulty to me was such, that I was obliged to have help in getting in. About seven in the evening we reached our quarters for the night, having travelled about fifty-two English miles. After taking refreshment, we retired to bed, but the night's rest of some of our company was greatly interrupted by the howling of the wolves in the neighbouring woods, and the fleas with which our beds abounded.

Seventh-day morning, we proceeded on our way. After we had

travelled about five English miles, our driver made a halt, telling us he must go and see if the ice on the river, which we had to pass, would bear us. He returned, telling us, a carriage had lately attempted to pass, but the ice gave way and let it into the river. Ast our driver resolved to venture, we quitted the waggon to go over on foot. My dear friend, Daniel Wheeler, had a very narrow escape from the loss of his life; for had he not been warned at the moment, he was about to step upon a piece of ice which would have let him into the river; but we were all favoured to make a safe landing. I now comforted myself, in hopes the bitterness of our journey in this respect was over. This being the most dangerous time of the year for travelling, as the rivers are breaking up, I was led at times to consider how far I had overstayed the right time at Petersburgh; but as I felt fully satisfied this had not been the case, I endeavoured to seek after a continuance of Divine support, that I might be the better prepared to meet such further trials of this sort as yet might await us. We soon came to another large tract of water, which we had to cross, and whence men were plying with sledges to take passengers over, one of which we engaged, and reached land. After we had travelled some distance, I observed on the road many carriages and persons collected together; on our reaching the spot, we found we were come to a branch of the river Memel, not having crossed it on our leaving the town; the ice had become dirty, and put on a rotten appearance, whereby these people thus collected were afraid to venture over the river, which is supposed to be at least half a mile across. The man at the ferry-house appeared anxious to have us for his guests, but we felt no ways inclined to gratify him with our company; as far as we were able to observe, we had not yet seen a more uncomfortable place, and his countenance to me was more forbidding than his house. We inquired of our driver how he meant to proceed. He informed us of his intention to take his horses from his waggon, and attempt to get his waggon over. The man who had brought us safe over the latter water, had followed us with his sledge, and offered to take charge of us again. As my friend Daniel Wheeler felt his mind easy to venture across, which was my case, we sat down in the sledge, in full confidence that we should be landed safely at Tilsit, on the other side. On our landing, the sledge returned and brought over our two young companions; our waggon and horses soon followed us; after which the company we found at the ferryhouse ventured over one after another. We made a halt at Tilsit, and took our dinner, after which we proceeded on our journey; our driver left the post-road, to take what he called a nearer way to Konigsberg. We lodged at a small house of entertainment by the road-side; but from the closeness of our bed-room, the abundance of fleas, and the noise of the wolves in

an adjoining wood, some of us had but little sleep during the night. If by taking the route we had, the route was shortened, our road was not mended by it; for our horses were so covered with mud from head to foot, that it was not an easy matter to ascertain the colour which nature had given them. On our arrival at Konigsberg, we engaged our places in the diligence to Konitz. Third-day, feeling desirous of ascertaining the state of the river which we had next to pass over, I bent my course this morning towards it; but I found the road so deep in mud, I was obliged to abandon my intention in this respect. During my short ramble, I was led to take a solemn and awakening retrospect of my visit to Petersburgh, which produced in my soul the acknowledgment, that it was through Divine mercy and Divine interference only, that way had been made for me to obtain that full relief from the long trial and exercise of mind which I had endured, whenever Russia came before me whilst in my native land; and earnest cries were raised to the Lord my God, that he would be pleased to continue still to make use of such ways and means as to Him should seem best, to effect that profound humility, abasement, and nothingness of self, so essential to my future preservation in that way, which will be most pleasing to

him.

Fourth-day, having yet, as we are informed, three rivers to cross, and being unable to come at the true state of any one of them, the prospect of our proceeding would be trying, but from the merciful assurance I am favoured with, that notwithstanding the difficulties I may yet have to contend with, I shall have a safe convoy to my own home, if faith and patience are but in a becoming manner steadily maintained. At our first starting, we had a good road and comfortable space in our carriage: but when we arrived at the end of our first stage, two persons were added to our number, which, with the bad road we had again to contend with, rendered our sufferings great; our wheels sunk into such deep mud-holes, that we were near being turned over in them; and the only person in our company who could understand us, was so sound asleep, that it was with difficulty we awoke him to make him order the driver to open the carriage-doors and let us out; we felt thankful when the door was open, and we had obtained our liberty the weather was dry over our heads, but we suffered much from the piercing cold; so that every way, great as our difficulties may be, we shall see cause for thankfulness they were not worse, as they might have been: as we were a considerable distance from any help, such was the immense weight of our carriage that had it turned over, all our efforts put together would not have been sufficient to have set it up again.

Fifth-day, 24th of 2d mo. this day about noon we reached Marienburg; our patience was again put to the test, by being detained

waiting for the letter-bag, and from other causes, until six o'clock in the evening; this detention was the more trying, as the probability was, it would occasion our having to cross two frozen rivers in the night, and that very dark; and we were informed that the road which we had to travel was bad; for we had been obliged to leave the great road on account of the waters being much out. When we came to the river Nogart, there being but little ice floating, we passed over without much difficulty in a barge built for the purpose; but on our landing, the sample of the road we had to travel presented a discouraging appearance; and our conductor told us we should not be able to make more than one mile in an hour, and we must have an additional waggon to take our luggage. The face of the country appeared so generally under water, that we were at times obliged to bend our course east, west, north, and south, through large pools of water; and, when able to keep the high-road, it was barely wide enough to take our waggon; sometimes on each side of it there was a very deep precipice, at the bottom of which was water in this dangerous situation we travelled until one o'clock in the morning; yet, trying as it was, we had much to be thankful for, as the night proved clear and star-light, and the moon gave some light, which it scarcely had done since we had been on our journey. We had another river to pass to come at the lodging-place, which our conductor had been aiming at; but on our reaching the banks of it, we were informed it would not be safe for us to attempt to cross until day-light; we were therefore taken to a house for the entertainment of travellers; on inquiring for beds, none could be procured, and the floor of the only room in which we could be accommodated, was merely covered over with pea-stalks. On entering this room where we had to take up our lodging for the night, dirty-looking, miserable men and women put their heads out of the pea-straw to gaze on us; others were drinking, smoking, and making a noise: clean straw was brought in for us, upon which I could gladly have laid down my weary bones, but for fear of damp, and the vermin I might collect from my next neighbour, as they were lying pretty thickly about the floor, except where others were sitting drinking and smoking: we concluded to keep on our fur-coats, and, by the help of a table to lay our heads upon, to try to get some sleep. Towards morning, we enjoyed some quiet: and at day-light a pretty general sallying out took place of men and women: some of the men proceeded to prepare the way through the ice for our departure. I rejoiced to see the peep of day, and was glad to turn out of our filthy apartment, and get away from the fumes of the spirits and tobacco, to breathe the fresh air; but when we came to take a view by day-light of the road which we had travelled to reach this miserable abode, and the danger we had been ex

« VorigeDoorgaan »