tees, being always delivered in
goods; viz. tobacco in roll, and sugar in chests, besides rum, molasses,
&c. which is the consequence of a sugar-work; and I found by this
account, that every year the income considerably increased: but, as
above, the disbursement being large, the sum at first was small:
however, the old man let me see, that he was debtor to me four hundred
and seventy moidores of gold, besides sixty chests of sugar, and fifteen
double rolls of tobacco, which were lost in his ship, he having been
shipwrecked coming home to Lisbon, about eleven years after my leaving
the place.

The good man then began to complain of his misfortunes, and how he had
been obliged to make use of my money to recover his losses, and buy him
a share in a new ship; "however, my old friend," says he, "you shall
not want a supply in your necessity; and as soon as my son returns, you
shall be fully satisfied."

Upon this he pulls out an old pouch, and gives me two hundred Portugal
moidores in gold; and giving me the writings of his title to the ship
which his son was gone to the Brasils in, of which he was a quarter part
owner, and his son another, he puts them both in my hands for security
of the rest.

I was too much moved with the honesty and kindness of the poor man, to
be able to bear this; and remembering what he had done for me, how he
had taken me up at sea, and how generously he had used me on all
occasions, and particularly how sincere a friend he was now to me, I
could hardly refrain weeping at what he said to me: therefore, first I
asked him if his circumstances admitted him to spare so much money at
that time, and if it would not straiten him? He told me he could not say
but it might straiten him a little; but, however, it was my money, and I
might want it more than he.

Every thing the good man said was full of affection, and I could hardly
refrain from tears while he spake. In short, I took one hundred of the
moidores, and called 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 then, 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.

W