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"Ben Franklin"
Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography: Page 18
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reader, who in the most interesting parts finds himself, as it were, brought
into the company and present at the discourse. De Foe in his Cruso, his Moll
Flanders, Religious Courtship, Family Instructor, and other pieces, has imitated
it with success; and Richardson has done the same, in his Pamela, etc.
When we drew near the island, we found it was at a place where there could be no
landing, there being a great surff on the stony beach. So we dropt anchor, and
swung round towards the shore. Some people came down to the water edge and
hallow'd to us, as we did to them; but the wind was so high, and the surff so
loud, that we could not hear so as to understand each other. There were canoes
on the shore, and we made signs, and hallow'd that they should fetch us; but
they either did not understand us, or thought it impracticable, so they went
away, and night coming on, we had no remedy but to wait till the wind should
abate; and, in the meantime, the boatman and I concluded to sleep, if we could;
and so crowded into the scuttle, with the Dutchman, who was still wet, and the
spray beating over the head of our boat, leak'd thro' to us, so that we were
soon almost as wet as he. In this manner we lay all night, with very little
rest; but, the wind abating the next day, we made a shift to reach Amboy before
night, having been thirty hours on the water, without victuals, or any drink but
a bottle of filthy rum, and the water we sail'd on being salt.
In the evening I found myself very feverish, and went in to bed; but, having
read somewhere that cold water drank plentifully was good for a fever, I
follow'd the prescription, sweat plentiful most of the night, my fever left me,
and in the morning, crossing the ferry, I proceeded on my journey on foot,
having fifty miles to Burlington, where I was told I should find boats that
would carry me the rest of the way to Philadelphia.
It rained very hard all the day; I was thoroughly soak'd, and by noon a good
deal tired; so I stopt at a poor inn, where I staid all night, beginning now to
wish that I had never left home. I cut so miserable a figure, too, that I found,
by the questions ask'd me, I was suspected to be some runaway servant, and in
danger of being taken up on that suspicion. However, I proceeded the next day,
and got in the evening to an inn, within eight or ten miles of Burlington, kept
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