University of Virginia Library

Hampton, Oct. ye 24th, 1678.

I took leave of my good friends at Agamenticus, or
York, as it is now called, on the Morning after the last
date in my Journal, going in a Boat with my Uncle to
Piscataqua and Strawberry Bank. It was a cloudie
Day, and I was chilled through before we got to the
mouth of the River; but as the high Wind was much

in our favor, we were enabled to make the Voyage in
a shorter time than is common. We stopped a little
at the house of a Mr. Cutts, a man of some Note in
these parts; but he being from home, and one of the
children sick with a Quinsie, we went up the River to
Strawberry Bank, where we tarried over night. The
Woman who entertained us had lost her Husband in
the Warre, and having to see to the ordering of
matters out of Doors in this busie season of Harvest,
it was no marvel that she did neglect those within. I
made a comfortable supper of baked Pumpkin and
Milk, and for lodgings I had a straw Bed on the Floor,
in the dark Loft, which was piled well nigh full with
Corne ears, Pumpkins, and Beanes, besides a great
deal of old household trumperie, Wool, and Flax, and
the Skins of Animals. Although tired of my Journey,
it was some little time before I could get asleep; and
it soe fell out, that after the Folks of the house were
all abed, and still, it being, as I judge, nigh midnight,
I chanced to touch with my foot a Pumpkin lying near
the Bedd, which set it a rolling down the Stairs,
bumping hard on every Stair as it went. Thereupon
I heard a great stir below, the Woman and her three
Daughters crying out that the house was haunted.
Presentlie she called to me from the foot of the
Stairs, and asked me if I did hear any thing. I laughed
soe at all this, that it was some time before I could
speak; when I told her I did hear a thumping on the
Stairs. “Did it seem to go up, or down?” inquired
she, anxiouslie; and on my telling her that the Sound
went downward, she set up a sad Crie, and they all
came fleeing into the Corn-loft, the Girls bouncing
upon my Bedd, and hiding under the Blanket, and the
old Woman praying and groaning, and saying that she
did believe it was the Spirit of her poor Husband.
By this time my Uncle, who was lying on the Settle in
the Room below, hearing the Noise, got up, and
stumbling over the Pumpkin, called to know what was
the matter. Thereupon the Woman bade him flee
up Stairs, for there was a Ghost in the Kitchen.
“Pshaw!” said my Uncle, “is that all? I thought to
be sure the Indians had come.” As soon as I could
speak for laughing, I told the poor Creature what it
was that so frightened her; at which she was greatlie
vexed; and after she went to Bedd again, I could
hear her scolding me for playing Tricks upon honest
people.

We were up betimes in the morning, which was
bright and pleasant. Uncle soon found a friend of his,
a Mr. Weare, who, with his Wife, was to goe to his
home, at Hampton, that day, and who did kindlie
engage to see me thus far on my way. At about 8

of the clock got upon our horses, the Woman riding
on a Pillion behind her Husband. Our way was for
some miles through the Woods, getting at times a view
of the Sea, and passing some good, thriving Plantations.
The Woods in this Countrie are by no means
like those of England, where the ancient trees are
kept clear of Bushes and undergrowth, and the Sward
beneath them is shaven clean and close; whereas here
they be much tangled with Vines, and the dead Boughs
and Logs which have fallen, from their great age, or
which the Storms do beat off, or the winter Snows and
Ices doe break down. Here, also, through the thick
matting of dead leaves, all manner of Shrubs and
Bushes, some of them verie sweet and faire in their
flowering, and others greatlie prized for their healing
Virtues, doe grow up plenteouslie. In the season of
them, manie wholesome Fruits abound in the woods,
such as blue and black Berries. We passed many
Trees, well loaded with Walnuts and Oylnuts, seeming
all alive, as it were, with Squirrels, striped, red, and
grey, the last having a large, spreading Tayle, which
Mr. Weare told me they doe use as a Sail, to catch the
wind, that it may blow them over Rivers and Creeks,
on pieces of Bark, in some sort like that wonderful
shell fish which transformeth itself into a Boat, and
saileth on the Waves of the Sea. We also found
Grapes, both white and purple, hanging down in
Clusters from the Trees, over which the Vines did run,
nigh upon as large as those which the Jews of old
plucked at Eschol. The Aire was sweet and soft, and
there was a clear but not a hot sun, and the chirping
of Squirrels and the noise of Birds, and the sound
of the Waves breaking on the Beach a little distance
off, and the leaves, at every breath of the
Wind in the tree tops, whirling and fluttering down
about me, like so manie yellow and scarlet-colored
Birds, made the Ride wonderfullie pleasant and
entertaining.

Mr. Weare, on the way, told me that there was
a great talk of the bewitching of Goodman Morse his
house at Newbury, and that the case of Caleb Powell
was still before the Court, he being vehementlie
suspected of the Mischief. I told him I thought the
said Caleb was a vaine, talking man, but nowise of a
Wizard. The thing most against him, Mr. Weare
said, was this: that he did deny at the first that the
house was troubled by Evil Spirits, and even went so
far as to doubt that such things could be at all. “Yet
manie wiser men than Caleb Powell doe deny the
same,” I said. “True,” answered he, “but, as good
Mr. Richardson, of Newbury, well saith, there have
never lacked Sadducees, who believe not in Angel or

Spirit.” I told the storie of the disturbance at Strawberry
Bank the Night before, and how so silly a thing
as a rolling Pumpkin did greatlie terrifie a whole
Household; and said I did not doubt this Newbury
trouble was something verie like it. Hereupon the
good Woman took the matter up, saying she had been
over to Newbury, and had seen with her own Eyes
and heard with her own Ears; and that she could say
of it as the Queen of Sheba did of Solomon's glory,
“The half had not been told her.” She then went on
to tell me of manie marvellous and trulie unaccountable
things, so that I must needs think there is an
invisible Hand at work there.

We reached Hampton about one hour before Noon;
and riding up the Road towards the Meeting-house, to
my great joy, Uncle Rawson, who had business with
the Commissioners then sitting, came out to meet me,
bidding me go on to Mr. Weare his house, whither he
would follow me when the Court did adjourn. He
came thither accordingly, to sup and lodge, bringing
with him Mr. Pike the elder, one of the Magistrates, a
grave, venerable man, the Father of mine old acquaintance,
Robert. Went in the evening, with Mistress
Weare and her maiden sister, to see a young girl in
the Neighborhood, said to be possessed, or bewitched;
but for mine own part, I did see nothing in her

behavior beyond that of a vicious and spoiled Child,
delighting in Mischief. Her grandmother, with whom
she lives, lays the blame on an ill-disposed Woman,
named Susy Martin, living in Salisbury. Mr. Pike,
who dwells near this Martin, saith she is no Witch,
although an arrant Scold, as was her mother before
her; and as for the Girl, he saith that a birch twig,
smartlie laid on, would cure her sooner than the hanging
of all the old Women in the Colonie. Mistress
Weare says this is not the first time the Evil Spirit hath
been at work in Hampton; for they did all remember
the case of Goody Marston's child, who was, from as
faire and promising an infant as one would wish to see,
changed into the Likeness of an Ape, to the great
Griefe and sore Shame of its Parents; and, moreover,
that when the child died, there was seen by more than
one person a little old Woman in a blue Cloak, and
Petticoat of the same color, following on after the
Mourners, and looking verie like old Eunice Cole,
who was then locked fast in Ipswich jail, twenty miles
off. Uncle Rawson says he has all the papers in his
possession touching the tryal of this Cole, and will let
me see them when we get back to Newbury. There
was much talk on this matter, which so disturbed my
Fancie, that I slept but poorly. This afternoon we go
over to Newbury, where indeed I doe greatlie long to
be once more.