THough this following Relation , contains matter of very great Wonder and Amazement ; Nevertheless it comes to our hands , confirm'd by that sufficient Testimony , that we offer it to the Reader , as a Narrative of unquestioned Truth and Reputation .

By a Letter from Barbadoes , dated the 23 of July last , written by a Person of Worth and Credit in that Island , we have this strange and amazing Relation : That the Margaret from Bosten the 21 of December 1696. Bound to Barbadoes ; In their Passage , one of the Sailors at the Helm , did call unto the Master of the Vessel , and told him , that he could not steer no longer ; Then the Master asking the Reason , he replyed , that he was not well , and for that Cause quitted his Post . Upon this the Master went immediatly and took the Helm ; The said Sailor did likewise further declare , that there stood a Spirit by the Binnacle , that accused him of killing a Woman , a fault which the said Spirit had falsly accused him withal , for he never committed any such unmanly Crime in his Life ; The Spirit he said , likewise further told him , that all the Ships Company had contracted and signed an Agreement with the Devil , which was used as an Argument , for to entice him to do the same .

The next day after , the Fellow fell into most strange Deliriams , and talked of wonderfull Accidents that would certainly befall the Ship , the which were looked upon as nothing , thinking this proceeded from the wild Notions of his crazed Senses , the Chimera's of Frenzy . Particularly he said , That the Spirit had brought a Boat to fetch him away , with other rediculous idle Discourse of that Nature .

Upon the 17 of January , in the Latitude of 19 , about 9 at night , a small and white Cloud arose , without any Rain or extraordinary Wind , which presently falling upon the Ship , pressed her down with strange , and indeed supernatural weight and force , that the Hatches flew out , and the whole Ship was under Water , by which unhappy Accident , the Boy was washt off and drowned .

But here to begin the more miraculous part of my Narrative , the Ship continued 11 weeks under water , a thing that struck ( as may well be imagined ) an extraordinary amazing Consternation & Confusion through all the Mariners , from several strange sorts of Arguments of their Astonishment . First , That the Ship it should be so wholly immerged under the Water , & yet not to sink down right to the bottom . Secondly , That though they were apparently thus under Water , and yet the Ship was not wholly filled with Water , but that they had Air enough for to breath in , by which great Means they continued alive , and feeding all that while upon Raw Meat , and fresh fish , which came swiming over the Vessel , and several of which they eagerly caught and eat : Their Lodging was on Boards and Planks , the which were placed athwart the Rail , near the Taffrel , covered with a Sail. The Men were alwise wet , which in so long a time , made that impression upon them , that their Flesh on their Bodies was galled and raw .

But what was the most amazing and dismallest part of all , was , Six of the Ships Crew , upon the sinking of the Vessel under Water , were frighted with Infernal Spirits , and about twelve the very first Night , were carried away invisibly , leaving no more than four Persons alive behind them ; Which indeed gave some little and small Credit , to what the forementioned Sailor at the Helm , had declared in his Deliriums .

After this Eleven Weeks immurement in these wondrous watery Walls , for so I may justy call it . the Ship recovered her self again , and the first Land they could discover was the Island of Diffiado , which , with so few hands left , they could not fetch up , by reason of a strong Northern Current that bore against them , the next was Grand Terra , where they met with the same disappointment ; But on the fifth of April , they run themselves upon the shore upon Gaurdelopo , where the French treated them very kindly , not as Prisoners .

The Names of the three Seamen left alive , are , William Davis Master ( a Man very well known in London amongst the Barbadoe's Merchants ) William Cadner , and William Bywater .

Note only the Original Letter , and the whole Relation at large , is for to be seen at Mr. Loyds Coffee-house in Lombard-street , where likewise several Persons are to be heard of , and spoken withall upon the Royal Exchange , in Attestation of the whole Truth herein declared .

The Reverend Mr. Baxter in his Treatise of Spirits , sayes , That tho Hurricanes and Tempests have natural Causes , yet there is great Reason to think they are managed by Spirits . In Confirmation whereof , he hath related many Notable Instances of his own particular Deliverances , from the fury of most Boysterous Whirl-winds . Namely , when the Reapers in Evesham Vale were hurt , writhen , and one killed , Some Friendly Power ( for so he expresses it ) restrained the Course of Gravally Sand , rais'd by a Whirl-wind , as it met him in a Narrow Lane .