part8-第8章
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In the meantime; my governess; faithful to the last moment;
conveyed my letter to the prison to my husband; and got an
answer to it; and the next day came down herself to the ship;
bringing me; in the first place; a sea…bed as they call it; and
all its furniture; such as was convenient; but not to let the
people think it was extraordinary。 She brought with her a
sea…chestthat is; a chest; such as are made for seamen; with
all the conveniences in it; and filled with everything almost
that I could want; and in one of the corners of the chest; where
there was a private drawer; was my bank of moneythis is to
say; so much of it as I had resolved to carry with me; for I
ordered a part of my stock to be left behind me; to be sent
afterwards in such goods as I should want when I came to
settle; for money in that country is not of much use where all
things are brought for tobacco; much more is it a great loss
to carry it from hence。
But my case was particular; it was by no means proper to me
to go thither without money or goods; and for a poor convict;
that was to be sold as soon as I came on shore; to carry with
me a cargo of goods would be to have notice taken of it; and
perhaps to have them seized by the public; so I took part of my
stock with me thus; and left the other part with my governess。
My governess brought me a great many other things; but it
was not proper for me to look too well provided in the ship;
at least till I knew what kind of a captain we should have。
When she came into the ship; I thought she would have died
indeed; her heart sank at the sight of me; and at the thoughts
of parting with me in that condition; and she cried so intolerably;
I could not for a long time have any talk with her。
I took that time to read my fellow…prisoner's letter; which;
however; greatly perplexed me。 He told me was determined
to go; but found it would be impossible for him to be discharged
time enough for going in the same ship; and which was more
than all; he began to question whether they would give him
leave to go in what ship he pleased; though he did voluntarily
transport himself; but that they would see him put on board
such a ship as they should direct; and that he would be charged
upon the captain as other convict prisoners were; so that he
began to be in despair of seeing me till he came to Virginia;
which made him almost desperate; seeing that; on the other
hand; if I should not be there; if any accident of the sea or of
mortality should take me away; he should be the most undone
creature there in the world。
This was very perplexing; and I knew not what course to take。
I told my governess the story of the boatswain; and she was
mighty eager with me treat with him; but I had no mind to it;
till I heard whether my husband; or fellow…prisoner; so she
called him; could be at liberty to go with me or no。 At last I
was forced to let her into the whole matter; except only that
of his being my husband。 I told her I had made a positive
bargain or agreement with him to go; if he could get the liberty
of going in the same ship; and that I found he had money。
Then I read a long lecture to her of what I proposed to do
when we came there; how we could plant; settle; and; in short;
grow rich without any more adventures; and; as a great secret;
I told her that we were to marry as soon as he came on board。
She soon agreed cheerfully to my going when she heard this;
and she made it her business from that time to get him out of
the prison in time; so that he might go in the same ship with
me; which at last was brought to pass; though with great
difficulty; and not without all the forms of a transported
prisoner…convict; which he really was not yet; for he had not
been tried; and which was a great mortification to him。 As
our fate was now determined; and we were both on board;
actually bound to Virginia; in the despicable quality of
transported convicts destined to be sold for slaves; I for five
years; and he under bonds and security not to return to England
any more; as long as he lived; he was very much dejected and
cast down; the mortification of being brought on board; as he
was; like a prisoner; piqued him very much; since it was first
told him he should transport himself; and so that he might go
as a gentleman at liberty。 It is true he was not ordered to be
sold when he came there; as we were; and for that reason he
was obliged to pay for his passage to the captain; which we
were not; as to the rest; he was as much at a loss as a child
what to do with himself; or with what he had; but by directions。
Our first business was to compare our stock。 He was very
honest to me; and told me his stock was pretty good when he
came into the prison; but the living there as he did in a figure
like a gentleman; and; which was ten times as much; the
making of friends; and soliciting his case; had been very
expensive; and; in a word; all his stock that he had left was
#108; which he had about him all in gold。
I gave him an account of my stock as faithfully; that is to say;
of what I had taken to carry with me; for I was resolved;
whatever should happen; to keep what I had left with my
governess in reserve; that in case I should die; what I had with
me was enough to give him; and that which was left in my
governess's hands would be her own; which she had well
deserved of me indeed。
My stock which I had with me was #246 some odd shillings;
so that we had #354 between us; but a worse gotten estate was
scarce ever put together to being the world with。
Our greatest misfortune as to our stock was that it was all in
money; which every one knows is an unprofitable cargo to be
carried to the plantations。 I believe his was really all he had
left in the world; as he told me it was; but I; who had between
#700 and #800 in bank when this disaster befell me; and who
had one of the faithfullest friends in the world to manage it
for me; considering she was a woman of manner of religious
principles; had still #300 left in her hand; which I reserved as
above; besides; some very valuable things; as particularly two
gold watches; some small pieces of plate; and some ringsall
stolen goods。 The plate; rings; and watches were put in my
chest with the money; and with this fortune; and in the
sixty…first year of my age; I launched out into a new world;
as I may call it; in the condition (as to what appeared) only
of a poor; naked convict; ordered to be transported in respite
from the gallows。 My clothes were poor and mean; but not
ragged or dirty; and none knew in the whole ship that I had
anything of value about me。
However; as I had a great many very good clothes and linen
in abundance; which I had ordered to be packed up in two
great boxes; I had them shipped on board; not as my goods;
but as consigned to my real name in Virginia; and had the
bills of loading signed by a captain in my pocket; and in these
boxes was my plate and watches; and everything of value
except my money; which I kept by itself in a private drawer
in my chest; which could not be found; or opened; if found;
with splitting the chest to pieces。
In this condition I lay for three weeks in the ship; not knowing
whether I should have my husband with me or no; and therefore
not resolving how or in what manner to receive the honest
boatswain's proposal; which indeed he thought a little strange
at first。
At the end of this time; behold my husband came on board。
He looked with a dejected; angry countenance; his great heart
was swelled with rage and disdain; to be dragged along with
three keepers of Newgate; and put on board like a convict;
when he had not so much as been brought to a trial。 He made
loud complaints of it by his friends; for it seems he had som