PREFACE.

If ever the story of any private man's adventures in the world were
worth making public, and were acceptable when published, the Editor of
this account thinks this will be so.

The wonders of this man's life exceed all that (he thinks) is to be
found extant; the life of one man being scarce capable of a
greater variety.

The story is told with modesty, with seriousness, and with a religious
application of events to the uses to which wise men always apply them,
viz. to the instruction of others by this example, and to justify and
honour the wisdom of Providence in all the variety of our circumstances,
let them happen how they will.

The editor believes this narrative to be a just history of fact; neither
is their any appearance of fiction in it: and though he is well aware
there are many, who on account of the very singular preservations the
author met with, will give it the name of romance; yet in which ever of
these lights it shall be viewed, he imagines, that the improvement of
it, as well as the diversion, as to the instruction of the reader, will
be the same; and as such, he thinks, without farther compliment to the
world, he does them a great service in the publication.