University of Virginia Library

24. The Dangers of the Way
BY MADAM SARAH KNIGHT (1704)

MONDAY, October 2nd, 1704.

About three o'clock afternoon I began my journey from Boston to New Haven, being about two hundred miles.[105] When we had ridden about an hour, we came into a thick swamp, which by reason of a great fog, very much startled me, for it was now very dark.

In about an hour, or something more, after we left the swamp, we came to Billing's tavern, where I was to lodge. My guide dismounted and very complaisantly helped me down, and showed the door, signing to me with his hand to go in; which I gladly did.

But I had not gone many steps into the room ere I was interrogated by a young lady (I understood after. wards she was the elder daughter of the family). These were her words.

"Law for me what in the world brings you here at this time a' night ? I never see a woman on the road so dreadful late in all the days of my versall life.[106] Who are you? Where are you going? I'm scared out of my wits." With much more of the same kind.

I told her she treated me very rudely, and I did not think it my duty to answer her unmannerly questions. But to get rid of them I told her I came there to have the mail carrier's company with me tomorrow on my journey. I begged the Miss to show me where I must lodge.

She conducted me to a parlor in a little back lean to, which was almost filled with the bedstead. It was so high that I was forced to climb on a chair to get up to the wretched bed that lay on it. Having

stretched my tired limbs on it, and laid my head on a sad colored pillow, I began to think on the transactions of the past day.

TUESDAY, October 3rd. About eight in the morning I, with the mail carrier, proceeded forward with out anything remarkable. And about two in the afternoon, we arrived at the carrier's second stage, where the western postman met him with letters.

Here, having called for something to eat, the woman brought a twisted thing like a cable, but a little whiter, which proved to be a loaf of bread. Laying it on the table she tugged for life to bring it into a capacity to spread. Having with great pains accomplished this, she served also a dish of pork and cabbage. I suppose this was the remains of dinner.

The sauce was of a deep purple, as I thought, because it was boiled in her dye pot. The bread was of Indian meal and everything on the table service in keeping. As I was hungry, I got a little down. But my stomach was soon cloyed.

About three in the afternoon I went on with my third guide, who rode very hard. We came to a river which they generally ride through. But I dared not venture. So the mail carrier got a lad and canoe to carry me to the other side, and he rode through and led my horse. The canoe was very small and shallow, so that when we were in it seemed ready to take in water, which greatly terrified me.

This caused me to be very circumspect, sitting with my hands fast on each side, my eyes steady. I did not dare so much as to lodge my tongue a hair's breadth more on one side of my mouth than on the other. I dared not so much as to think of Lot's wife, for a wry thought would have overset our wherry.[107]

But I was soon put out of this pain by feeling the canoe on shore, and I as soon almost saluted the land with my feet.

Rewarding my canoeman, again I mounted and we made the best of our way forward. The road here was very even and the day pleasant, near the sunset. The carrier now told me we had nearly fourteen miles to ride to the next stopping place, where we were to lodge.

I asked him about the rest of the road, forseeing that we must travel in the night. He told me there was a bad river which we were to ride through with a current so very fierce that a horse could hardly stem it; he said it was narrow, and we should soon be over.

I cannot express the concern of mind caused by this account. No thoughts but those of the dangerous river could entertain my imagination. They tormented me with blackest ideas of my approaching fate. Sometimes I saw myself drowning, other times drowned, and at the best like a holy sister just come out of a spiritual bath in dripping garments.

Now was the glorious sun, with his swift courses, arrived at the end of his day's journey, leaving poor me with the rest of this part of the lower world in darkness, with which we were soon surrounded. The only glimmering we now had was from the spangled skies of which imperfect reflections rendered every object formidable.

Each lifeless tree trunk with its shattered limbs, appeared an armed enemy, and every little stump like a ravenous devourer. Nor could I so much as see my guide, when at any distance which added to the terror.

Thus absolutely lost in thought, and dying with the very fear of drowning, I came up with the post man, whom I did not see till I was beside his horse He told me that he was stopping for me; and we rode on very deliberately a few paces when we entered a thicket of trees and shrubs.

I perceived by the horse's gait that we were on the descent of a hill. As we came nearer the bottom it was totally dark, from the trees that surrounded it. But I knew by the going of the horse, we had entered the water, and my guide told me that this was the hazardous river of which he had been talking.

Riding up close to my side he bid me not to fear for we should be over immediately. I now rallied all the courage I was mistress of. I knew I must either venture the fate of drowning or be left like the children in the wood.

So, as the postman bade me. I gave reins to my nag, and sitting as steady as just before in the canoe, in a few minutes got safe to the other side, which was the Narragansett country.