Wesley Corpus

Thur. 24.--A fire broke out in the house of Robert Hows, and in ap hour burned it to the ground: a collection was made for him the next day, and the generality of the people showed a surprising willingness to give a little out of their little for the relief of a necessity greater than their own. About this time Mr. Lacy, of Thunderbolt, called upon me; when ovserving him to be in a deep sadness, I asked what was the reason of it: and a terrible one indeed he gave, in the relation following :-- In 1733, David Jones, a saddler, a middle-aged man, who had for some time before lived at Nottingham, being at Bristol, met a person there, who, after giving him some account of Georgia, asked whether he would go thither ; adding, his trade (that of a saddler) was an exceeding good trade there, upon which he might live creditably and comfortably. He objected his want of money to pay his passage and buy some tools, which he should have need of. The gentleman (Capt. W.) told him, he would supply him with that, and hire him a shop when he came to Georgia, wherein he might follow his business, and so repay him as suited his convenience. Accordingly to Georgia they went ; where, soon after his arrival, his master (as he now styled himself) sold him to Mr. Lacy, who set him to work with the rest of his servants, in clearing land. He commonly appeared much more thoughtful than the rest, often stealing into the woods alone. He was now sent to do some work on an island, three or four miles from Mr. Lacy’s great plantation. Thence he desired the other servants to return without him, saying he would stay and kill a deer. This was on Saturday. On Monday they found him on the shore, with his gun by him and the forepart of his head shot to pieces. In his pocket was a paper book ; all the leaves thereof were fair, except one, on which ten or twelve verses were written; two of which were these :, (which I transcribed thence from his own hand writing :) Death could not a more sad retinue find ; Sickness and pain before, and darkness all behind!