part8-第13章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



out　of　the　country　without　somehow　or　other　making　inquiry　

into　the　grand　affair　of　what　my　mother　had　one　for　me；　nor　

could　I　with　any　patience　bear　the　thought　of　going　away；　and　

not　make　myself　known　to　my　old　husband　（brother）；　or　to　my　

child；　his　son；　only　I　would　fain　have　had　this　done　without　

my　new　husband　having　any　knowledge　of　it；　or　they　having　

any　knowledge　of　him；　or　that　I　had　such　a　thing　as　a　husband。



I　cast　about　innumerable　ways　in　my　thoughts　how　this　might　

be　done。　　I　would　gladly　have　sent　my　husband　away　to

Caroline　with　all　our　goods；　and　have　come　after　myself；　but　

this　was　impracticable；　he　would　never　stir　without　me；　being　

himself　perfectly　unacquainted　with　the　country；　and　with　the　

methods　of　settling　there　or　anywhere　else。　　Then　I　thought　

wewould　both　go　first　with　part　of　our　goods；　and　that　when　

we　were　settled　I　should　come　back　to　Virginia　and　fetch　the　

remainder；　but　even　then　I　knew　he　would　never　part　with　me；

and　be　left　there　to　go　on　alone。　　The　case　was　plain；　he　was　

bread　a　gentleman；　and　by　consequence　was　not　only　

unacquainted；　but　indolent；　and　when　we　did　settle；　would　

much　rather　go　out　into　the　woods　with　his　gun；　which　they　

call　there　hunting；　and　which　is　the　ordinary　work　of　the　

Indians；　and　which　they　do　as　servants；　I　say；　he　would　rather　

do　that　than　attend　the　natural　business　of　his　plantation。



These　were　therefore　difficulties　insurmountable；　and　such　as　

I　knew　not　what　to　do　in。　　I　had　such　strong　impressions　on　

mymind　about　discovering　myself　to　my　brother；　formerly　

my　husband；　that　I　could　not　withstand　them；　and　the　rather；　

because　it　ran　constantly　in　my　thoughts；　that　if　I　did　not　do　

it　while　he　lived；　I　might　in　vain　endeavour　to　convince　my　

son　afterward　that　I　was　really　the　same　person；　and　that　I　was　

his　mother；　and　so　might　both　lose　the　assistance　and　comfort　

of　the　relation；　and　the　benefit　of　whatever　it　was　my　mother　

had　leftme；　and　yet；　on　the　other　hand；　I　could　never　think　it　

proper　to　discover　myself　to　them　in　the　circumstances　I　was　

in；　as　well　relating　to　the　having　a　husband　with　me　as　to　my　

being　brought　over　by　a　legal　transportation　as　a　criminal；　on　

both　which　accounts　it　was　absolutely　necessary　to　me　to　

remove　from　the　place　where　I　was；　and　come　again　to　him；　

as　from　another　place　and　in　another　figure。



Upon　those　considerations；　　I　went　on　with　telling　my　husband　

the　absolute　necessity　there　was　of　our　not　settling　in　Potomac　

River；　at　least　that　we　should　be　presently　made　public　there；　

whereas　if　we　went　to　any　other　place　in　the　world；　we　should　

come　in　with　as　much　reputation　as　any　family　that　came　to　

plant；　that；　as　it　was　always　agreeable　to　the　inhabitants　to　

have　families　come　among　them　to　plant；　who　brought　substance　

with　them；　either　to　purchase　plantations　or　begin　new　ones；　

so　we　should　be　sure　of　a　kind；　agreeable　reception；　and　that　

without　any　possibility　of　a　discovery　of　our　circumstances。



I　told　him　in　general；　too；　that　as　I　had　several　relations　in　the　

place　where　we　was；　and　that　I　durst　not　now　let　myself　be　

known　to　them；　because　they　would　soon　come　into　a　knowledge　

of　the　occasion　and　reason　of　my　coming　over；　which　would　be　

to　expose　myself　to　the　last　degree；　so　I　had　reason　to　believe　

that　my　mother；　who　dies　here；　had　left　me　something；　and　

perhaps　considerable；　which　it　might　be　very　well　worth　my　

while　to　inquire　after；　but　that　this　too　could　not　be　done　

without　exposing　us　publicly；　unless　we　went　from　hence；　and　

then；　wherever　we　settled；　I　might　come；　as　it　were；　to　visit　

and　to　see　my　brother　and　nephews；　make　myself　known　to　

them；　claim　and　inquire　after　what　was　my　due；　be　received　

with　respect；　and　at　the　same　time　have　justice　done　me　with　

cheerfulness　and　good　will；　whereas；　if　I　did　it　now；　I　could　

expect　nothing　but　with　trouble；　such　as　exacting　it　by　force；　

receiving　it　with　curses　and　reluctance；　and　with　all　kinds　of　

affronts；　which　he　would　not　perhaps　bear　to　see；　that　in　case　

of　being　obliged　to　legal　proofs　of　being　really　her　daughter；　

I　might　be　at　loss；　be　obliged　to　have　recourse　to　England；　and　

it　may　be　to　fail　at　last；　and　so　lose　it；　whatever　it　might　be。　　

With　these　arguments；　and　having　thus　acquainted　my　husband　

with　the　whole　secret　so　far　as　was　needful　of　him；　we　resolved　

to　go　and　seek　a　settlement　in　some　other　colony；　and　at　first　

thoughts；　Caroline　was　the　place　we　pitched　upon。



In　order　to　this　we　began　to　make　inquiry　for　vessels　going　to　

Carolina；　and　in　a　very　little　while　got　information；　that　on　the　

other　side　the　bay；　as　they　call　it；　namely；　in　Maryland；　there　

was　a　ship　which　came　from　Carolina；　laden　with　rice　and　

other　goods；　and　was　going　back　again　thither；　and　from　

thence　to　Jamaica；　with　provisions。　　On　this　news　we　hired　a　

sloop　to　take　in　our　goods；　and　taking；　as　it　were；　a　final　

farewell　of　Potomac　River；　we　went　with　all　our　cargo　over　

to　Maryland。



This　was　a　long　and　unpleasant　voyage；　and　my　spouse　said　

it　was　worse　to　him　than　all　the　voyage　from　England；　because　

the　weather　was　but　indifferent；　the　water　rough；　and　the　

vessel　small　and　inconvenient。　　In　the　next　place；　we　were　full　

a　hundred　miles　up　Potomac　River；　in　a　part　which　they　call　

Westmoreland　County；　and　as　that　river　is　by　far　the　greatest　

in　Virginia；　and　I　have　heard　say　it　is　the　greatest　river　in　the　

world　that　falls　into　another　river；　and　not　directly　into　the　sea；　

so　we　had　base　weather　in　it；　and　were　frequently　in　great　

danger；　for　though　we　were　in　the　middle；　we　could　not　see　

land　on　either　side　for　many　leagues　together。　　Then　we　had　

the　great　river　or　bay　of　Chesapeake　to　cross；　which　is　where　

the　river　Potomac　falls　intoit；　near　thirty　miles　broad；　and　we　

entered　more　great　vast　waters　whose　names　I　know　not；　so　

that　our　voyage　was　full　two　hundred　miles；　in　a　poor；　sorry　

sloop；　with　all　our　treasure；　and　if　any　accident　had　happened　

to　us；　we　might　at　last　have　been　very　miserable；　supposing　

we　had　lost　our　goods　and　saved　our　lives　only；　and　had　then　

been　left　naked　and　destitute；　and　in　a　wild；　strange　place　not　

having　one　friend　or　acquaintance　in　all　that　part　of　the　world。　　

The　very　thought　of　it　gives　me　some　horror；　even　since　the　

danger　is　past。



Well；　we　came　to　the　place　in　five　days'　sailing；　I　think　they　

call　it　Philip's　Point；　and　behold；　when　we　came　thither；　the　

ship　bound　to　Carolina　was　loaded　and　gone　away　but　three　

days　before。　　This　was　a　disappointment；；　but；　however；　I；　

that　was　to　be　discouraged　with　nothing；　told　my　husband　

that　since　we　could　not　get　passage　to　Caroline；　and　that　the　

country　we　was　in　was　very　fertile　and　good；　we　would；　if　he　

liked　of　it；　see　if　we　could　find　out　anything　for　our　tune　where　

we　was；　and　that　if　he　liked　things　we　would　settle　here。



We　immediately　went　on　shore；　but　found　no　conveniences　

just　at　that　place；　either　for　our　being　on　shore　or　preserving　

our　goods　on　shore；　but　was　directed　by　a　very　honest　Quaker；　

whom　we　found　there；　to　go　to　a　place　about　sixty　miles　east；　

that　is　to　say；　nearer　the　mouth　of　the　bay；　where　he　said　he　

lived；　and　where　we　should　be　accommodated；　either　to　plant；　

or　to　wait　for　any　other　place　to　plant　in　that　might　be　more　

convenient；　and　he　invited　us　with　so　much　kindness　and　

simply　honesty；　that　we　agreed　to　go；　and　the　Quaker　himself　

went　with　us。



Here　we　bought　us　two　servants；　viz。　an　English　woman…servant　

just　come　on　shore　from　a　ship　of　Liverpool；　and　a　Negro　

man…servant；　things　absolutely　necessary　for　all　people　that　

pretended　to　settle　in　that　country。　　This　honest　Quaker　was　

very　helpful　to　us；　and　when　we　came　to　the　place　that　he　

proposed　to　us；　found　us　out　a　convenient　storehouse　for　our　

goods；　and　lodging　for　ourselves　and　our　servants；　a