24_th._—­We told Pastor M. that it would be agreeable if he and any others of his friends who wished to take leave of us would come to the hotel.  At seven o’clock, instead of a few as we expected, there came about thirty.  The ladies seated themselves quite sociably, and took out their work, but were evidently prepared to lay it aside in the hope of having another religious sitting.  But as we believed there were those present who had come from too great a desire to hear words, we were on the guard not to satisfy this excited inclination; and the evening was spent in agreeable conversation.  Before we separated, however, we thought it well to read our Yearly Meeting’s Epistle, which was acceptable to all.  Pastor M. especially was pleased with the part about church-discipline, and said he considered it of real advantage that the epistle had been read in that company, as there were several young women present who might receive benefit from it.

Feeling attracted towards the inhabitants of Muehlheim on the Ruhr, the Friends again turned out of the direct road and crossing the Rhine a little beyond Duisburg, arrived in the evening at Muehlheim.  They found a company of Separatists in the neighborhood of the town, some of whom they visited; and the next day they passed over the Ruhr, and, with the assistance of a school-master, convened a meeting for worship.  At the time appointed nearly three hundred persons assembled, mostly of the poorer class.  They were seated in a large school-room, the men on one side and the women on the other, waiting in silence.  They had a good meeting, and at the conclusion the auditory expressed their unwillingness to part, and their desire that those who had ministered to them should visit them again.

On the 27th, after calling upon some descendants of Gerhard Tersteegen, our Friends proceeded through Duesseldorf to Cologne.  They were disappointed of finding in the neighborhood of this city, that company of religious people on whose account they had felt much interested, and of whom they had heard that “they held principles like the Quakers, and were as obstinate in them as they are.”  They did no more here than call upon a few serious persons in the city, and then went forwards to Neuwied, hoping there to hear of them.

At Neuwied, besides becoming acquainted with the Moravian preachers and others, they were called upon by some of the Inspirirten, who invited them to their meetings.  They attended one of these; but, being dissatisfied with the manner of the service, and not finding relief for their spiritual exercise, though the opportunity of speaking was offered without reserve, they in turn invited the company to meet with them the next morning after the manner of Friends.  The meeting was held to mutual satisfaction, and one of the leading men amongst the Inspirirten expressed the hope that it would be blessed to them; for he was, he said, sensible of the want of less activity and more of silent waiting in their religious assemblies.