Moravian Lives

mander Plaisin, who out of Love to my Husband, procured a 
Passport for me from Petersburg, that so I might safely come thither.
And though the Roads were very unsafe, & much was heard of robbing
& murdering, I nevertheless ventured it on our Savior, to whose
Care & Protection I had quite anew surrendered myself; and it did 
not come into my Mind that any Evil could happen unto me. And
my Eyes flow with Tears of Gratitude & Abasement, when i consider
how evidently our Savior has cared for me, & what Wonders of
Grace & Mercy he has shewn unto me. Just when I was going to
set out on my Journey & had called upon to accompany me , it was
ordered so, that a Libonian Captain Durnstern had to travel the
same Way; he took me gladly into his Company & we set out
Jan. 21st. 1761 from Casan. My taking Leave of Br. Helterhof
who of the three captive Brn alone was left, is known to our
Savior, & not to be expressed in Words. The Captain shewed in
expressible Love & Faithfulness to me & my Child, & more than
once ventured his Life for our sakes particularly Jan. 29th. when it
had the Appearance as if we should find our Graves in the River
Wolga; for the Ice begun to sink, & to get Holes, & some of the
first Sleds fell already in the Water. We could not think of turning
or evading it, for on one Side was already upon Water above the Ice
& on the other was a very steep high Shore. In this Distress came the
Captain through the Water to us, broke off Branches from the Bushes
which grew along the Shore, & covered the Holes with them, & himself
led our Horses over them. And thus with the Help of God, we were de
livered out of this Distress, in which we had been from Noon till towards

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Midnight. The Captain cared for me & my Child throughout the whole
Journey like a Father, did not only pay all Expences, but let always one
of his Servants stay with us, & when distressing Circumstances occurred 
he himself with some others hastened to our Assistance. He everywhere
gave us out to be his Relations, & took Care of our Things in the best
Manner. I brought my Child very sick of the small Pox to Mascovia; but
as the Captain would take me with him as far as Novograd. I set out 
with my Child sick as it was, & our Savior prevented all ill Consequences.
But in Novograd where our Road parted, the Captain was very un,
easy about me, particularly as he had heard of his Servants, that
my Drivers had evil Designs against me, as soon as we should
be alone. But in this Perplexity, we met quite unexpectedly, & to
our Joy, as russian Lieutenant of the Guard Milkanoth, who was
a good Friend of the Captain, & also knew Br. Koehler in Petersburg
very well, who was also travelling thither. I took Leave of my Bene,
factor with a thankful Heart, and he delivered me to the Lieutenant
as his Relation, & begged him to pay strict Attention to our Things
& Drivers, & not suffer them to stay behind with me, saying: All you
do unto her I shall look upon as done unto myself. The Lieutenant
executed also his Commission in the best Manner, and our Savr. brought us
safe & well to Petersburg Febr. 24th. 1761. O how glad & thankful was I
to be again among Brn. and Srs. But I met again with Difficulties on
account of my farther Journey, everybody representing it to me 
as impossible to get a Passport. But according to my Custom I re,
comended also this Affair to my dear Lord, & begged him to take it in
Hand himself & execute it. And this he did also to my great Joy &
Abasement, for he directed Matters so, that I got a Passport under