I could fill the vessel as I stood
on board), the first thing that appeared was my sixth chest. Youwarkee
spied it first, and cried, pointing thereto, "O Peter, what we have long
wished for, and almost despaired of, is come at last! let us meet and
welcome it." I was pleased with the gaiety of her fancy. I did as she
desired; we got it into the boat, after merrily saluting it, and so
returned home. It took us up several days time in searching, sorting,
and disposing our cargo, and drying the chests; for the goods themselves
were so far from being wetted or spoiled, that even those in the last
chest, which had lain so long in the water, had not taken the least
moisture.
Youwarkee was quite alert at the success of her packing, but left me
to ring her praises, which I did not fail of doing more than once at
unpacking each chest, and could see her eyes glow with delight to see
she had so pleased me.
She had been so curious as to examine almost everything in the ship; and
as well of things I had described, and she did know, as of what she did
not, brought me something for a sample; but, above all, had not forgot
the blue stuff, for the moment she had seen that she destined it to the
use of herself and children.
CHAPTER XXIII.
The religion of the author's family.
Youwarkee and I having fixed ourselves, by degrees, into a settled rota
of action, began to live like Christians, having so great a quantity of
most sorts of necessaries about us. But I say we lived like Christians
on another account, for you must not think, after what I have said
before, that I and my family lived like heathens; no, I will assure
you, they by degrees knew all I knew, and that, with a little artificial
improvement, and a well-regulated disposition, I hoped, and did not
doubt, would carry them all to heaven. I would many a time have given
all my interest in the ship's cargo for a Bible; and a hundred times
grieved that I was not master of a pocket one, which I might have
carried everywhere about me. I never imagined there was one aboard, and
if there were, and You-warkee should find it, I supposed it would be in
Portuguese, which I knew little of, so it would be of small service to
me if I had it.
Since I am on the topic of religion, it may not be amiss, once for all,
to give you a small sketch of my religious proceedings after coming into
my new dominions. I have already told you that from my first stop at the
rock I had pray
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