After having thus travelled some days, as it were in the dark, we arrived at Friedrichen Siel, near Carolinen Siel, in which neighborhood, on the border of the North Sea, lie Friedrichgroden, New Augustengroden, and New Friedrichgroden.  It is a tract of land gained from the sea of about ten or twelve hundred acres, banked round in three divisions, and made arable, on which are built about twenty farmhouses, which form almost a new world.  This land is the property of the government; a small sum is paid on entering, and a yearly ground-rent, and then it is the property of the purchaser for ever.

As soon as we stepped on the banks of one of these grodens, and I set my eye on one of these retired abodes, I felt no longer at a loss where we should go or what we should do.  It opened suddenly on my mind as clear as the sun at noon-day, that we must remain here a day or two and visit these new settlers in their dwellings.  Accordingly we drove to the inn at Carolinen Siel.  On asking for a map of the surrounding country, one was put into oar hands containing a plan of the places which had suffered so severely by the floods in the spring of 1825; which rendered those people much more interesting to us.

After dinner we commenced our visit, and called on a young man and his sister who live on one of the farms, and have about seventy acres of land.  They received us with a hearty welcome, and entered into friendly conversation.  The house was one of the first on New Augustengroden, built in 1816, [swept] down by the water in 1825, and rebuilt the same year.  He was an intelligent young man, and answered many inquiries which we made.

Finding the distance might be too great to walk, next morning we procured horses, and started about seven o’clock, taking from our small stock of books one for each family.  We commenced intercourse with them by first interesting ourselves about their families and domestic concerns, not unmindful of every suitable opportunity to turn the conversation on the subject of religion, which is too much neglected by most of them.  They are of the Lutheran profession; but the church being at some distance, they do not regularly attend.  Most of them have as many as six children, and some eight, with fine countenances.  We felt deeply interested, particularly for the mothers, some of whom are tender-spirited, amiable women, and wept much in the opportunities we had with them.  Their late afflictions have made on some a deep impression, and it was a time when, I trust, such a visit might be of advantage.  In the floods, several had their houses swept away; and one lost thirty-six head of cattle, and had to drag his children out of the water naked, and take refuge on the tops of the houses.  But the most touching case was that of a man who lost his wife and five children, his father, mother, and servants.  They were sent away in a waggon, as a means of escape; but the waggon was swept away by