he remained so till he was drowned a little time after.  As we sailed southward we came to many uninhabited islands, which were overgrown with fine large cocoa nuts.  As I was very much in want of provisions, I brought a boat load of them on board, which lasted me and others for several weeks, and afforded us many a delicious repast in our scarcity.  One day, before this, I could not help observing the providential hand of God, that ever supplies all our wants, though in the ways and manner we know not.  I had been a whole day without food, and made signals for boats to come off, but in vain.  I therefore earnestly prayed to God for relief in my need; and at the close of the evening I went off the deck.  Just as I laid down I heard a noise on the deck; and, not knowing what it meant, I went directly on the the deck again, when what should I see but a fine large fish about seven or eight pounds, which had jumped aboard!  I took it, and admired, with thanks, the good hand of God; and, what I considered as not less extraordinary, the captain, who was very avaricious, did not attempt to take it from me, there being only him and I on board; for the rest were all gone ashore trading.  Sometimes the people did not come off for some days:  this used to fret the captain, and then he would vent his fury on me by beating me, or making me feel in other cruel ways.  One day especially, in his wild, wicked, and mad career, after striking me several times with different things, and once across my mouth, even with a red burning stick out of the fire, he got a barrel of gunpowder on the deck, and swore that he would blow up the vessel.  I was then at my wit’s end, and earnestly prayed to God to direct me.  The head was out of the barrel; and the captain took a lighted stick out of the fire to blow himself and me up, because there was a vessel then in sight coming in, which he supposed was a Spaniard, and he was afraid of falling into their hands.  Seeing this I got an axe, unnoticed by him, and placed myself between him and the powder, having resolved in myself as soon as he attempted to put the fire in the barrel to chop him down that instant.  I was more than an hour in this situation; during which he struck me often, still keeping the fire in his hand for this wicked purpose.  I really should have thought myself justifiable in any other part of the world if I had killed him, and prayed to God, who gave me a mind which rested solely on himself.  I prayed for resignation, that his will might be done; and the following two portions of his holy word, which occurred to my mind, buoyed up my hope, and kept me from taking the life of this wicked man.  ’He hath determined the times before appointed, and set bounds to our habitations,’ Acts xvii. 26.  And, ’Who is there amongst you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God,’ Isaiah 1. 10.  And thus by the grace of God I was enabled to do.  I found him a present help in the time of need, and the captain’s fury began to subside as the night approached:  but I found,