I remember, perfectly well, when I had five Grand Parents alive, 4 on my Fathers side, & one, on my Mothers--viz. my Great G’d Father & g’d Mother Cobb--my Grand Father & g’d Mother Cobb, & my G’d Mother Freeman, my Mothers Mother, I cannot trace my ancestry beyond my Great g’d Father Cobb--there were three, of his family, which I perfecty remember--viz. Jonathan, Eleazer, & Benjamin--the female part, I have no knowledge of--my G’d Fathers family consisted of 10 children, 6 sons, & 4 daughters, viz Elijah, Scottow, Isaac, John, Seth, Elkanah, Mary, Sally, Hannah, Betsey--my Grandmother Freemans name was Mary, she was Sister to Rev^{d.} Nath^{l.} Stone the first ordained Minister in this Town, then Harwich--she married Barnabus Freeman, of eastham, he was a sea Captain, & died at about 40 years of age--my mother, was their only child, & was only 12 years old when her Father died--at 17 she marreid my Father, Scottow Cobb, their family consisted of 6 children, viz. Huldah, Barna, Elijah, Reliance, Judith, & Sally--three, have already paid the debt of nature; & the united ages of the three alive, is 224 years. My Father persued a seafaring life for subsistance; was Master of a Brig, & died on his passage from Cadiz to Quebec, in the 33^{d} year of his age--leaving my Mother with 6 infant children, the oldest but 10 years of age, and the youngest, born after Father left home, the last time,--For the support of this helpless flock; was a small cape cod farm, a small house & barn, and one cow--I have heard my Mother say, that she never received 100$ for my Fathers effects-- Under such circomstances; it was not posible to keep the family together--to support & educate them, with the means in her power, was out of the question--some of us, must leave the perternal dwelling & seek subsistance among strangers--my Bro^{r.}, being the Elder, was tried first, but wou’d not stay, & came home crying--I was then, in my 6^{th} year, & altho” too young to earn my living, a place was offered me, & I left my dear mother for that subsistance among strangers which she could not procure for me. I continued from my Mother, except at times visiting her, untill in my 13^{th.} year, when by an imprudent attempt, to lift beyond my strength, I broke a vessell in my stomack, which entirely disenabled me; and I was sent home to my Mother, incapable of labour of any kind. I remained with her; under the care of a skilfull Docter, about a year, when he advised me, to be sent to sea, as the best method to regain my health. [Sidenote: Seeks a Voyage]