posed to, whilst it occasioned a chill of dread all over me, it awakened afresh in my mind such feelings of gratitude, as caused songs of praise secretly to arise to that Almighty Power, who had thus in mercy watched over us, and preserved us from all harm. When the men had cut a passage for us over the river Vistula, which is a considerable width, a boat was in readiness to receive us and our luggage. I felt a little tried on getting into the boat, from the large sheets of ice floating round us; I esteemed it a favour when we reached land again; yet on being informed, that before we could be accommodated with a carriage to go forward, we had a branch of this river still to cross, and its surface like that which we had left, a fresh trial presented itself to my mind; we however made our way through the ice better than I at first expected we should do, from the immense quantity that had floated down and collected like small hillocks. We were truly glad when we reached Dirschaw, feeling ourselves in need of refreshment. On entering our fresh carriage, it promised more ease than we found in that we had left, and which we had reason to believe would have been the case, had not the roads been much cut up during the thaw, and a severe frost now again set in, by which means the roads were rendered so rough, that my shoulders and elbows were full of pain, and my sufferings were hard to bear: the like was the case with my dear companion, so much so, that we could not have endured it many hours longer. We reached Konitz on Seventh-day morning; here we concluded to rest awhile to recruit our strength, and get a little eased of the soreness upon our bones and flesh, for we felt much bruised. Expecting we should have to cross the river Oder on the ice, we felt solicitous to ascertain the state of it, and learned from the post-master it was considered safe to pass over; but a short time might render it impassable from the floating down of the ice, and then we might be detained at the ferry-house for two weeks or more; and should a thaw take place, the roads for awhile would be impassable without great risk of our lives: weary and sore as we were, yet this put a spur to our exertions; we therefore engaged a waggon, had it well littered with straw, which accommodated us and our luggage, and we proceeded on our journey again. On Second-day, taking provision with us, we travelled about sixtyfive English miles before night. At the post-house we were informed, that from the route which we had taken we should escape the ferry, and pass over a bridge lately erected over the river Oder. Third-day, we reached Fredericksburg to lodge, having travelled about sixty-five English miles this day; to effect which, we were obliged frequently to leave the post-road and travel on the farmers' grounds. Fourth-day morning, we left Fredericksburg; during the afternoon we arrived at the bridge which took us safe over the Oder, thankful we had taken this route. The river being broken up, the ice was floated down in such large masses, as would have rendered our passing by the ferry dangerous, if not detained us there. This day we entered on the Chaussée, a new road on the plan of our mackadamized roads in England, which gave us a cheering hope of our being likely to reach Berlin the following day; this we were favoured to accomplish by travelling one stage in an open waggon, by which means I caught a severe cold. So anxious were we to get forward, that we took the earliest opportunity, after obtaining information respecting the best route for us to take, to hire a carriage to Minden: matters being thus concluded on, I made a call on my dear friend the magistrate F—, the Count V, and most of those I had made an acquaintance with, when here before this unexpected opportunity of our once more seeing each other, appeared to be mutually gratifying. In the evening a person of the name of Lindly, formerly a Catholic priest, but who had embraced the Protestant religion, called on us; he had spent some time in Petersburgh, and was cotemporary with the person I met with at Altona, who had been banished from Petersburgh on account of his religious principles: he manifested much anxiety for information respecting those he had left behind in Petersburgh, who were united to him and his companion in religious sentiments, of which he said there were not a few; but as silence was to me the word of command, and I had felt so much the necessity, when in Petersburgh, of avoiding too free intercourse with those I was a stranger to, I was not prepared to converse on this subject. We also received a visit from the magistrate F-, who informed me he had recently received a visit from the pastor of the prison at Spandau, (which prison, I visited when here before,) by whom he was assured, that a great improvement had taken place in the conduct of the prisoners, since that visit was paid to them; that both the men and women had become much more orderly in their conduct, and their behaviour at their place of worship was now very becoming. This account felt like marrow to my very bones, and awaked secret cries to the Lord my God, that the praise and the glory might all be given to him, and to him alone. I was not able to enjoy an exchange of sentiment when I called on the Count V-, his amiable countess being from home, who was conversant in the English language, but with which he was unacquainted. I made him a second call, with an interpreter, but the count was from home; in consequence of which he addressed me by letter, which I think right to give a place in these memoirs, as it may afford the reader some idea of the purity of his mind; and the blessing it may prove to the kingdom of Prussia, that her next sovereign in succession, has such a pious aide-de-camp, as the count, so near his person. The letter Englished is as follows: "My dear and honoured friend, "I have been very sorry that we missed one another, and your hasty departure deprives me of the hope of our meeting again: in the meantime, receive my sincere thanks for the valuable book you sent me, and for the undeserved kindness which you have shown me. I forwarded the other copy to his royal highness the crown-prince; he is greatly obliged to you for his present. Your kind fellow-traveller has also thought of us, and sent my wife and children a supply of small and large books, which they find quite a treasure. I am really quite ashamed of your kindness: my wife, who has been some months from home, intends to send you her written acknowledgment. : "Thus you have heaped upon us, who feel poor, the blessing of love and what shall we do? we pray the Lord of mercy and of all life, that he will bless you both with his richest blessings, that he will give unto us all, the communion of the Spirit, and the love of the Father, and his fear. "With sincere and cordial love, 66 I am, my dear friend's faithful and "Berlin, 2d March, 1825." Sixth-day, we left Berlin, and reached Brandenburg to lodge. Seventh-day, we reached Magdeburg early in the evening, where we took up our abode for the night. Next day we proceeded on our journey in hopes of reaching Brunswick to lodge, expecting we should find a continuation of the Chaussée, as we had been led to understand would be the case; but after leaving Magdeburg, to our great disappointment, we came on some road as bad as any we had yet met with, which continued the whole of this day's journey: we repeatedly expected to be overturned; and after twelve hours' hard travelling, at times fearing our horses would not hold out, we advanced no more than thirty miles on our way. We had furnished ourselves with provision, or we must have suffered on that account; as the only house we came to during the day, was not able to furnish us with clean, comfortable necessaries of life: next day we reached Brunswick to dinner, and Payne to lodge. My kind companion, Daniel Wheeler, and myself, felt ourselves so much exhausted by these two days' journey, and so desirous of getting to bed, that we omitted our usual precaution of airing our sheets, and coverlet ourselves, these we suppose were damp, which occasioned our taking a heavy cold. Next morning we proceeded towards Hildesheim ; but our poor horses were so oppressed in consequence of the bad road, that we concluded, on reaching the end of our first stage, to excuse the man from proceeding further with us, and to travel extra post to Elze this has been a large populous town, but in the eleventh month last, nearly the whole of it was reduced to ashes, whereby numerous sufferers lost their all; the most deplorable picture of distress which I ever beheld presented itself as we travelled through the ruins, exciting in my mind great sympathy for those who were the objects of it. At Elze we engaged our places in the diligence for Minden, which place we reached about five o'clock next morning on our arrival here, rest to our fatigued bodies would have been truly acceptable; but it appeared best that we should engage our places in the diligence, which was to set off at nine in the morning for Emmerick, a frontier-town in Prussia; this only allowed time to clean ourselves, take refreshment, and make a short call on some of the Friends. Here we were informed that we should again travel on the Chaussée, but in this we were greatly disappointed, for from the badness of the road, our heavy lumbering waggon, the great weight of luggage, and long stops which our drivers made on the road, we did not average more than two and a half English miles an hour, which to me proved an exercise of patience; but I was favoured, through the continuation of that Divine mercy that yet followed me, sensibly to feel the need there was for me, to endeavour quietly to submit to these disappointments; otherwise there would be a danger of my being robbed, and spoiled of those feelings of gratitude that had been awakened in me, for the favours vouchsafed during this wearisome and perilous journey, which I had, through Divine help, thus far been enabled to accomplish. We reached Munster, where we were detained ten hours, which afforded us an opportunity of resting our weary bodies on a bed. We had been assured that we should have the same carriage the whole of the way to Emmerick, but this did not prove to be the case; this circumstance caused us some difficulty, in seeing our luggage was all again rightly packed. We had a more roomy carriage: but notwithstanding which we felt so sore and bruised, that we were obliged to take four places for three of us, the young Englishman having previously left us; had we not adopted this plan, I believe we could not have gone forward this day. Sixth-day morning, we proceeded on our journey; our road became still worse, and I was fully satisfied of the truth of the report of some of our friends in Petersburgh, if the winter had happened to have been quite broken up, and succeeded by those falls of rain that frequently take place at this season of the year, the roads would have been so deep in mud as to render them for a time impassable; so that every way, great as our trials of pa tience have been, and much as our bodies have suffered, we have great cause to be thankful, that we have been so cared for, and watched over by that Almighty Power, who regards the very sparrows; and that we have been thus far brought safe on our way. About two o'clock on Seventh-day morning, we reached Bocholt, where we again changed our carriage, and were detained two hours in a cold, comfortless kitchen: the sight of our new carriage was discouraging, it was smaller, and only a basket-waggon; the curtains of which were so worn, we were but very little screened by them from the cold damp night-air. We reached Emmerick about eight o'clock in the morning, and I took a fresh cold, my throat became very sore, and the roof of my mouth was so much swelled, that I found it difficult to converse. From Emmerick, we took our places to Arnheim, a frontier town of Holland, which place we arrived at in the evening; we then secured places in the diligence for Amsterdam, where we arrived safely the following day. I made a few visits to some of my friends there as the packet from Rotterdam for England would not sail before First-day, we agreed with a coach-master to take us to Helvoetsluys, and on Third-day morning we proceeded on our Having reached Marsland Sluice, which was only about half-way there, our driver would not convey us any further; we were therefore obliged to take a boat across the sluice, and when we reached the shore on the other side, to take a carriage to the Brill, where we had to cross and take a carriage forward. These trials were all abundantly compensated, by knowing I was now making progress near to my native land, to enjoy the privilege of being understood in my own language. The wind being fair for England, promised us a quick passage: we reached Helvoetsluys before dark, where we learned the packet for Harwich was to sail next morning at nine o'clock. Fourth-day, 16th of 3d mo. 1825, we went on board the packet, and set sail with a fair wind. From the peaceful retrospect I was enabled to take of my visit to Petersburgh, all the deprivations, perils, and dangers I have had to pass through, seemed to sink into nothing. The wind continuing fair, about ten at night we could discern the lights on the English coast; and had it not been for the danger of the sand-banks, we might have made a landing by four o'clock the next morning; but which we did not effect until eight o'clock, having had a passage of twentythree hours. After the examination of our luggage, taking refreshment, and trimming ourselves, we took coach for London, which we were favoured to reach safely in the evening. I proceeded to Tottenham, and on Seventh-day to my own home at Hertford. Second-day, I attended the quarterly meeting held at Hertford, and gave in to the meeting a short report of my visit to the Conti |