ld him, that next to the providence of
Heaven, which disposed all things, it was owing to him; and that it now
lay on me to reward him, which I would do a hundredfold: so I first
returned to him the hundred moidores I had received of him; then I sent
for a notary, and caused him to draw up a general release or discharge
from the four hundred and seventy moidores, which he had acknowledged he
owed me, in the fullest and firmest manner possible. After which I
caused a procuration to be drawn, empowering him to be my receiver of
the annual profits of my plantation, and appointing my partner to
account with him, and make the returns by the usual fleets to him in my
name; and a clause in the end, being a grant of one hundred moidores a
year to him during his life, out of the effects, and fifty moidores a
year to his son after him, for his life: and thus I requited my old man.

I was now to consider which way to steer my course next, and what to do
with the estate that Providence had thus put into my hands; and, indeed,
I had more care upon my head now than I had in my silent state of life
in the island, where I wanted nothing but what I had, and had nothing
but what I wanted; whereas I had now a great charge upon me, and my
business was how to secure it. I had never a cave now to hide my money
in, or a place where it might lie without lock or key, till it grew
mouldy and tarnished before any body would meddle with it: on the
contrary, I knew not where to put it, or whom to trust with it. My old
patron, the captain, indeed, was honest, and that was the only refuge I
had. In the next place, my interest in the Brazils seemed to summon me
thither; but now I could not tell how to think of going thither till I
had settled my affairs, and left my effects in some safe hands behind
me. At first I thought of my old friend the widow, who I knew was
honest, and would be just to me; but then she was in years, and but
poor, and, for aught. I knew, might be in debt; so that, in a word, I
had no way but to go back to England myself, and take my effects
with me.

It was some months, however, before I resolved upon this; and therefore,
as I had rewarded the old captain fully, and to his satisfaction, who
had been my former benefactor, so I began to think of my poor widow,
whose husband had been my first benefactor, and she, while it was in her
power, my faithful steward and instructor. So the first thing I did, I
got a merchant in Lisbon to