6

HINTS of OCCURRENCES , &c.

moft effectual remedy againft that corruption, which defeats ’the nobleft efforts of patriotifm, and reduces the beft mo-delled conflitutions to a level with the worfh

Having accomplifhed every purpofe of our vifit to Baffil, we engaged the landlord of the Three Kings, who by theway was very civil, obliging, and reafonable in his charges to aflift us in procuring a conveyance down the river toStrafburg. He foon brought a waterman, but not without apprifing us, that he would probably afk double the pricehe would take; and that his proper fare was about twenty {hillings: for which I at length agreed with him, all expencesbeing included in that fum. The diftance from Baffil to Strafburg is feventy-two Englifh miles. I omitted impru-dently to examine the boat, on which the waterman bellowed great commendations ; alfuring us it was very commo-dious, and we could not fail of having a comfortable palfage. At fix in the morning of the third of July, we fent ourbaggage and provifions on board, and foon following, made our firft embarkation on the Rhine. My hopes of apleafant or convenient palfage vaniffied at fight of the boat; and on entering it I was convinced, that the dangerwould be at leall equal to the inconvenience. It was built in the manner of a canoe, flat bottomed, narrow, long, andfo fhallow, as not to admit of a feat. It vibrated fo violently, that I with difficulty kept on my legs, expe&ing everymoment to be tumbled overboard. Being very ferioully alarmed, I eagerly defired to be fet immediately on ffiore,determining to proceed by fome better conveyance: but the waterman being as much alarmed as myfelf, though froma different caufe, pulhed off without any regard to my threats or intreaties. Finding it impoffible to regain the ffiorewithout a ftruggle with the boatman, which would infallibly have overfet us; we made a virtue of neceffity, and featedourfelves peaceably in the bottom of the boat. The current in this part of the river was fo rapid, that with the af-fillance only of a paddle, which the boatman ufed as a rudder, we made from eight to nine miles an hour.

We had not proceeded many leagues before I was feized by a violent cramp, occafioned by the inconvenience ofthe poflure to which my fituation confined me; for not being yet freed from my apprehenfions, I fat motionlefs, leftby inclining too much towards either fide, I ffiould deftroy that exa6t balance of the boat, on which, in my imagina-tion, our fafety entirely depended. To add to our difcomfort, we were overtaken by a violent ftorm of rain, accom-panied by thunder and lightening. The boatman covered us with a fort of tilt, but it was fo miferably thin, that in afew minutes the water came over us as through a fteve. We now made the ffiore, in hopes of being fheltered by a groveof trees in view: but finding our fituation after a ffiort time rather worfe than better, and having no means of purfuingour journey by land, we returned to the boat, in order to make the beft of our way, as in either cafe we were equallyincommoded by the ftorm. In about half an hour it ceafed raining, and the fun at the fame time burfting out withgreat power, we were foon relieved from the inconvenience of wet cloaths: but thinking a little inward comfort wouldput us in ftill better plight, we drew out our provifions. An evil genius certainly attended us in the adventures of

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