never reveal the truth about these wretched voyages full of dangers and hardships.
Frequently many letters are entrusted in Pennsylvania and other English colonies to newlanders who return to the old country. When they get to Holland, they have these letters opened, or they open them themselves, and if any one has written the truth, his letter is either rewritten so as to suit the purpose of these harpies, or simply destroyed. While in Pennsylvania, I myself heard such men-thieves say that there were Jews enough in Holland, ready to furnish them for a small consideration counterfeits of any seal, and who could perfectly forge any handwriting. They can imitate all characters, marks and tokens so admirably that even he whose handwriting they have imitated must acknowledge it to be his own. By means of such practices they deceive even people who are not credulous, thus playing their nefarious tricks in a covert manner. They say to their confidants that this is the best way to induce the people to emigrate. I myself came very near being deceived.
Some great merchants in Holland attempted not to let me continue my journey home, but to induce me by stratagem or force to return to England and America. For they not only told me verbally in Rotterdam, but even tried to
