t, but
came to receive what he gave me reason to expect, I would never have a
penny more from him.

When this was past, the old man asked 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 myself. He said I might do so if I pleased; 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 Brazil, he made me enter my name in a
public 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 affixed, he directed me to send it, with a
letter of his writing, to a merchant of his acquaintance at the place;
and then proposed my staying with him till an account came of
the return.

Never was any thing more honourable than the proceedings upon this
procuration; for in less than seven months I received 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 enclosed.

First, There was the account-current of the produce of my farm or
plantation, from the year when their fathers had balanced with my old
Portugal captain, being for six years; the balance appeared to be one
thousand one hundred and seventy-four moidores in my favour.

Secondly, There was the account of four years more, while they kept the
effects in their hands, before the government claimed the
administration, as being the effects of a person not to be found, which
they called civil death; and the balance of this, the value of the
plantation increasing, amounted to nineteen thousand four hundred and
forty-six crusadoes, being about three thousand two hundred and
forty moidores.

Thirdly, There was the prior of Augustine's account, who had received
the profits for above fourteen years; but not being to account for what
was disposed of by the hospital, very honestly declared he had eight
hundred and seventy-two 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 improved, and what it produced a year; with a parti