rally bought ſuch Things as they ſent him for; but was very careful.
I ask’d him then, how it came to paſs, that thoſe People who had ſo ſhut themſelves up in the Ships, had not laid in ſufficient Stores of all things neceſſary? He ſaid ſome of them had, but on the other Hand, ſome did not come on board till they were frighted into it, and till it was too dangerous for them to go to the proper People, to lay in Quantities of Things, and that he waited on two Ships which he ſhewed me, that had lay’d in little or nothing but Biſcuit Bread, and Ship-Beer; and that he had bought every Thing elſe almoſt for them. I ask’d him, if there was any more Ships that had ſeparated themſelves, as thoſe had done. He told me yes, all the way up from the Point, right againſt Greenwich, to within the Shore of Lime houſe and Redriff, all the Ships that could have Room, rid two and two in the middle of the Stream; and that ſome of them had ſeveral Families on Board, I ask’d him, if the Diſtemper had not reached them? He ſaid he believ’d it had not, except two or three Ships, whoſe People had not been ſo watchful, to keep the Seamen from going on Shore as others had been; and he ſaid it was a very fine Sight to ſee how the Ships lay up the Pool.
When he ſaid he was going over to Greenwich, as ſoon as the Tide began to come in. I ask’d if he would let me go with him, and bring me back, for that, I had a great mind to ſee how the Ships were ranged as he had told me? He told me if I would aſſure him on the Word of a Chriſtian, and of an honeſt Man, that I had not the Diſtemper, he would: I aſſur’d him, that I had not, that it had pleaſed God to preſerve me, That I liv’d in White-Chapel, but was too Impatient of being ſo long within Doors, and that I had ventured out ſo far for the Refreſhment of a little Air; but that none in my Houſe had ſo much as been touch’t with it.
