第100章

Every thing the good Man said was full of Affection，and I could hardly refrain from Tears while he spoke：In short，I took 100 of the Moidores，and call'd for a Pen and Ink to give him a Receipt for them；then I returned him the rest，and told him，If ever I had Possession of the Plantation，I would return the other to him also，as indeed I afterwards did；and that as to the Bill of Sale of his Part in his Son's Ship，I would not take it by any Means；but that if I wanted the Money，I found he was honest enough to pay me；and if I did not，but came to receive what he gave me reason to expect，I would never have a Penny more from him.

When this was pass'd，the old Man began to ask me，If he should put me into a Method to make my Claim to my Plantation？ I told him，I thought to go over to it my self：He said，I might do so if I pleas'd；but that if I did not，there were Ways enough to secure my Right，and immediately to appropriate the Profits to my Use；and as there were Ships in the River of Lisbon，just ready to go away to Brasil，he made me enter my Name in a Publick Register，with his Affidavit，affirming upon Oath that I was alive，and that I was the same Person who took up the Land for the Planting the said Plantation at first.

This being regularly attested by a Notary，and a Procuration affix'd，he directed me to send it with a Letter of his Writing，to a Merchant of his Acquaintance at the Place，and then propos'd my staying with him till an Account came of the Return.

Never any Thing was more honourable，than the Proceedings upon this Procuration；for in less than seven Months，I receiv'd a large Packet from the Survivors of my Trustees the Merchants，for whose Account I went to Sea，in which were the following particular Letters and Papers enclos'd.

First，There was the Account Current of the Produce of my Farms or Plantation，from the Year when their Fathers had ballanc'd with my old Portugal Captain，being for six Years；the Ballance appear'd to be 1174 Moidores in my Favour.

Secondly，There was the Account of four Years more while they kept the Effects in their Hands，before the Government claim'd the Administration，as being the Effects of a Person not to be found，which they call'd Civil

Death；and the Ballance of this，the Value of the Plantation encreasing，amounted to [38，892] Cruisadoes，which made 3241 Moidores.

Thirdly，There was the Prior of the Augustin's Account，who had receiv'd the Profits for above fourteen Years；but not being to account for what was dispos'd to the Hospital，very honestly declar'd he had 872 Moidores not distributed，which he acknowledged to my Account；as to the King's Part，that refunded nothing.

There was a Letter of my Partner's，congratulating me very affectionately upon my being alive，giving me an Account how the Estate was improv'd，and what it produced a Year，with a Particular of the Number of Squares or Acres that it contained；how planted，how many Slaves there were upon it，and making two and twenty Crosses for Blessings，told me he had said so many Ave Marias to thank the Blessed Virgin that I was alive；inviting me very passionately to come over and take Possession of my own；and in the mean time to give him Orders to whom he should deliver my Effects，if I did not come my self；concluding with a hearty Tender of his Friendship，and that of his Family，and sent me，as a Present，seven fine Leopard's Skins，which he had it seems received from Africa，by some other Ship which he had sent thither，and who it seems had made a better Voyage than I：He sent me also five Chests of excellent Sweet-meats，and an hundred Pieces of Gold uncoin'd，not quite so large as Moidores.

By the same Fleet，my two Merchant Trustees shipp'd me 1 200 Chests of Sugar，800 Rolls of Tobacco，and the rest of the whole Accompt in Gold.

I might well say，now indeed，That the latter End of Job was better than the Beginning. It is impossible to express pere the Flutterings of my very Heart，when I look'd over these Letters，and especially when I found all my Wealth about me；for as the Brasil Ships come all in Fleets，the same Ships which brought my Letters，brought my Goods；and the Effects were safe in the River before the Letters came to my Hand. In a Word，I turned pale，and grew sick；and had not the old Man run and fetch'd me a Cordial，I believe the sudden Surprize of Joy had overset Nature，and I had dy'd upon the Spot.

Nay after that，I continu'd very ill，and was so some Hours，'till a Physician being sent for，and something of the real Cause of my illness being known，he order'd me to be let Blood；after which，I had Relief，and grew well：But I verily believe，if it had not been eas'd by a Vent given in that Manner，to the Spirits，I should have dy'd.

I was now Master，all on a Sudden，of above 5000 l. Sterling in Money，and had an Estate，as I might well call it，in the Brasils，of above a thousand Pounds a Year，as sure as an Estate of Lands in England：And in a Word，I was in a Condition which I scarce knew how to understand，or how to compose my self，for the Enjoyment of it.