I could not for a long time have any talk
with her.

I took that time to read my fellow-prisoner's letter, which, however,
greatly perplexed me. He told me was determined to go, but found it
would be impossible for him to be discharged time enough for going in
the same ship, and which was more than all, he began to question
whether they would give him leave to go in what ship he pleased, though
he did voluntarily transport himself; but that they would see him put
on board such a ship as they should direct, and that he would be
charged upon the captain as other convict prisoners were; so that he
began to be in despair of seeing me till he came to Virginia, which
made him almost desperate; seeing that, on the other hand, if I should
not be there, if any accident of the sea or of mortality should take me
away, he should be the most undone creature there in the world.

This was very perplexing, and I knew not what course to take. I told
my governess the story of the boatswain, and she was mighty eager with
me treat with him; but I had no mind to it, till I heard whether my
husband, or fellow-prisoner, so she called him, could be at liberty to
go with me or no. At last I was forced to let her into the whole
matter, except only that of his being my husband. I told her I had
made a positive bargain or agreement with him to go, if he could get
the liberty of going in the same ship, and that I found he had money.

Then I read a long lecture to her of what I proposed to do when we came
there, how we could plant, settle, and, in short, grow rich without any
more adventures; and, as a great secret, I told her that we were to
marry as soon as he came on board.

She soon agreed cheerfully to my going when she heard this, and she
made it her business from that time to get him out of the prison in
time, so that he might go in the same ship with me, which at last was
brought to pass, though with great difficulty, and not without all the
forms of a transported prisoner-convict, which he really was not yet,
for he had not been tried, and which was a great mortification to him.
As our fate was now determined, and we were both on board, actually
bound to Virginia, in the despicable quality of transported convicts
destined to be sold for slaves, I for five years, and he under bonds
and security not to return to England any more, as long as he lived, he
was very much dejected and cast down; the mortification of being
brought on board,