第99章

After some passionate Expressions of the old Acquaintance，I enquir'd，you may be sure，after my Plantation and my Partner：The old Man told me he had not been in the Brasils for about nine Years；but that he could assure me，that when he came away，my Partner was living，but the Trustees，who I had join'd with him to take Cognizance of my Part，were both dead；that however，he believ'd that I would have a very good Account of the Improvement of the Plantation；for that upon the general Belief of my being cast away，and drown'd，my Trustees had given in the Account of the Produce of my Part of the Plantation，to the Procurator Fiscal，who had appropriated it，in Case I never came to claim it；one Third to the King，and two Thirds to the Monastery of St. Augustine，to be expended for the Benefit of the Poor，and for the Conversion of the Indians to the Catholick Faith；but that if I appear'd，or any one for me，to claim the Inheritance，it should be restor'd；only that the Improvement，or Annual Production，being distributed to charitable Uses，could not be restor'd；but he assur'd me，that the Steward of the King's Revenue （from Lands） and the Proviedore，or Steward of the Monastery，had taken great Care all along，that the Incumbent，that is to say my Partner，gave every Year a faithful Account of the Produce，of which they receiv'd duly my Moiety.

I ask'd him if he knew to what height of Improvement he had brought the Plantation？ And，Whether he thought it might be worth looking after？ Or，Whether on my going thither，I should meet with no Obstruction to my Possessing my just Right in the Moiety？

He told me，he could not tell exactly，to what Degree the Plantation was improv'd；but this he knew，that my Partner was grown exceeding Rich upon the enjoying but one half of it；and that to the best of his Remembrance，he had heard，that the King's Third of my Part，which was it seems granted away to some other Monastery，or Religious House，amounted to above two hundred Moidores a Year；that as to my being restor'd to a quiet Possession of it，there was no question to be made of that，my Partner being alive to witness my Title，and my Name being also enrolled in the Register of the Country；also he told me，That the Survivors of my two Trustees，were very fair honest People，and very Wealthy；and he believ'd I would not only have their Assistance for putting me in Possession，but would find a very considerable Sum of Money in their Hands，for my Account；being the Produce of the Farm while their Fathers held the Trust，and before it was given up as above，which as he remember'd，was for about twelve Years.

I shew'd my self a little concern'd，and uneasy at this Account，and enquir'd of the old Captain，How it came to pass，that the Trustees should thus dispose my Effects，when he knew that I had made my Will，and had made him，the Portuguese Captain，my universal Heir，& c.

He told me，that was true；but that as there was no Proof of my being dead，he could not act as Executor，until some certain Account should come of my Death，and that besides，he was not willing to intermeddle with a thing so remote；that it was true he had registred my Will，and put in his Claim；and could he have given any Account of my being dead or alive，he would have acted by Procuration，and taken Possession of the Ingenio，so they call'd the Sugar-House，and had' given his Son，who was now at the Brasils，Order to do it.

But，says the old Man，I have one Piece of News to tell you，which perhaps may not be so acceptable to you as the rest，and that is，That believing you were lost，and all the World believing so also，your Partner and Trustees did offer to accompt to me in your Name，for six or eight of the first Years of Profits，which I receiv'd；but there being at that time，says he，great Disbursements for encreasing the Works，building an Ingenio，and buying Slaves，it did not amount to near so much as afterwards it produced：However，says she old Man，I shall give you a true Account of what I have received in all，and how I have disposed of it.

After a few Days farther Conference with this ancient Friend，he brought me an Account of the six first Years Income of my Plantation，sign'd by my Partner and the Merchants Trustees，being always deliver'd in Goods，viz. Tobacco in Roll，and Sugar in Chests，besides Rum，Molossus，& c. which is the Consequence of a Sugar Work；and I found by this Account，that every Year the Income considerably encreased；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 470 Moidores of Gold，besides 60 Chests of Sugar，and 15 double Rolls of Tobacco which were lost in his Ship；he having been Ship-wreck'd coming Home to Lisbon about 11 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 satisfy'd.

Upon this，he pulls out an old Pouch，and gives me 160 Portugal Moidores in Gold；and giving me the Writing 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 into my Hands for Security of the rest.

I was too much mov'd 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.