e and honesty called for; as for
sending them any present, they were far above having any occasion for
it. Lastly, I wrote to my partner, acknowledging his industry in the
improving the plantation, and his integrity in increasing the stock of
the, works; giving him instructions for his future government of my
part, according to the powers I had left with my old patron, to whom I
desired him to send whatever became due to me, till he should hear from
me more particularly; assuring him that it was my intention not only to
come to him, but to settle myself there for the remainder of my life. To
this I added a very handsome present of some Italian silks for his wife
and two daughters, for such the captain's son informed me he had; with
two pieces of fine English broad-cloth, the best I could get in Lisbon,
five pieces of black baize, and some Flanders lace of a good value.

Having thus settled my affairs, sold my cargo, and turned all my effects
into good bills of exchange, my next difficulty was, which way to go to
England: I had been accustomed enough to the sea, and yet I had a
strange aversion to go to England by sea at that time; and though I
could give no reason for it, yet the difficulty increased upon me so
much, that though I had once shipped my baggage in order to go, yet I
altered my mind, and that not once, but two or three times.

It is true; I had been very unfortunate by sea, and this might be some
of the reasons; but let no man slight the strong impulses of his own
thoughts in cases of such moment: two of the ships which I had singled
out to go in, I mean more particularly singled out than any other,
having put my things on board one of them, and in the other to have
agreed with the captain; I say, two of these ships miscarried, viz. one
was taken by the Algerines, and the other was cast away on the Start,
near Torbay, and all the people drowned, except three; so that in either
of those vessels I had been made miserable.

Having been thus harassed in my thoughts, my old pilot, to whom I
communicated every thing, pressed me earnestly not to go by sea, but
either to go by land to the Groyne, and cross over the Bay of Biscay to
Rochelle, from whence it was but an easy and safe journey by land to
Paris, and so to Calais and Dover; or to go up to Madrid, and so all the
way by laud through France. In a word, I was so prepossessed against my
going by sea at all, except from Calas to Dover, that I resolved to
trav