n the Brazils, they
accepted the offer, and remitted thirty-three thousand pieces-of-eight
to a correspondent of theirs at Lisbon, to pay for it.

In return, I signed the instrument of sale in the form which they sent
from Lisbon, and sent it to my old man, who sent me the bills of
exchange for 32,800 pieces-of-eight for the estate; reserving the
payment of 100 moidores a year to him (the old man) during his life, and
50 moidores afterwards to his son for his life, which I had promised
them; and which the plantation was to make good as a rent-charge. And
thus I have given the first part of a life of fortune and adventure, a
life of Providence's chequer-work, and of a variety which the world will
seldom be able to show the like of: beginning foolishly, but closing
much more happily than any part of it ever gave me leave so much as
to hope for.

Any one would think, that in this state of complicated good fortune, I
was past running any more hazards, and so indeed I had been, if other
circumstances had concurred: but I was inured to a wandering life, had
no family, nor many relations; nor, however rich, had I contracted much
acquaintance; and though I had sold my estate in the Brazils, yet I
could not keep that country out of my head, and had a great mind to be
upon the wing again; especially I could not resist the strong
inclination I had to see my island, and to know if the poor Spaniards
were in being there. My true friend, the widow, earnestly dissuaded me
from it, and so far prevailed with me, that, for almost seven years, she
prevented my running abroad; during which time I took my two nephews,
the children of one of my brothers, into my care: the eldest having
something of his own, I bred up as a gentleman, and gave him a
settlement of some addition to his estate, after my decease. The other I
put out to a captain of a ship: and after five years, finding him a
sensible, bold, enterprising young fellow, I put him into a good ship,
and sent him to sea: and this young fellow afterwards drew me in, as old
as I was, to farther adventures myself.

In the mean time, I in part settled myself here; for, first of all, I
married, and that not either to my disadvantage or dissatisfaction, and
had three children, two sons and one daughter; but my wife dying, and my
nephew coming home with good success from a voyage to Spain, my
inclination to go abroad, and his importunity, prevailed, and engaged
me to go in his ship as a pri