Inthemeantime,mygoverness,faithfultothelastmoment,
conveyedmylettertotheprisontomyhusband,andgotan
answertoit,andthenextdaycamedownherselftotheship,
bringingme,inthefirstplace,asea-bedastheycallit,and
allitsfurniture,suchaswasconvenient,butnottoletthe
peoplethinkitwasextraordinary。
Shebroughtwithhera
sea-chest——thatis,achest,suchasaremadeforseamen,with
alltheconveniencesinit,andfilledwitheverythingalmost
thatIcouldwant;andinoneofthecornersofthechest,where
therewasaprivatedrawer,wasmybankofmoney——thisisto
say,somuchofitasIhadresolvedtocarrywithme;forI
orderedapartofmystocktobeleftbehindme,tobesent
afterwardsinsuchgoodsasIshouldwantwhenIcameto
settle;formoneyinthatcountryisnotofmuchusewhereall
thingsarebroughtfortobacco,muchmoreisitagreatloss
tocarryitfromhence。
Butmycasewasparticular;itwasbynomeanspropertome
togothitherwithoutmoneyorgoods,andforapoorconvict,
thatwastobesoldassoonasIcameonshore,tocarrywith
meacargoofgoodswouldbetohavenoticetakenofit,and
perhapstohavethemseizedbythepublic;soItookpartofmy
stockwithmethus,andlefttheotherpartwithmygoverness。
Mygovernessbroughtmeagreatmanyotherthings,butit
wasnotproperformetolooktoowellprovidedintheship,
atleasttillIknewwhatkindofacaptainweshouldhave。
Whenshecameintotheship,Ithoughtshewouldhavedied
indeed;herheartsankatthesightofme,andatthethoughts
ofpartingwithmeinthatcondition,andshecriedsointolerably,
Icouldnotforalongtimehaveanytalkwithher。
Itookthattimetoreadmyfellow-prisoner’sletter,which,
however,greatlyperplexedme。
Hetoldmewasdetermined
togo,butfounditwouldbeimpossibleforhimtobedischarged
timeenoughforgoinginthesameship,andwhichwasmore
thanall,hebegantoquestionwhethertheywouldgivehim
leavetogoinwhatshiphepleased,thoughhedidvoluntarily
transporthimself;butthattheywouldseehimputonboard
suchashipastheyshoulddirect,andthathewouldbecharged
uponthecaptainasotherconvictprisonerswere;sothathe
begantobeindespairofseeingmetillhecametoVirginia,
whichmadehimalmostdesperate;seeingthat,ontheother
hand,ifIshouldnotbethere,ifanyaccidentoftheseaorof
mortalityshouldtakemeaway,heshouldbethemostundone
creaturethereintheworld。
Thiswasveryperplexing,andIknewnotwhatcoursetotake。
Itoldmygovernessthestoryoftheboatswain,andshewas
mightyeagerwithmetreatwithhim;butIhadnomindtoit,
tillIheardwhethermyhusband,orfellow-prisoner,soshe
calledhim,couldbeatlibertytogowithmeorno。
AtlastI
wasforcedtoletherintothewholematter,exceptonlythat
ofhisbeingmyhusband。
ItoldherIhadmadeapositive
bargainoragreementwithhimtogo,ifhecouldgettheliberty
ofgoinginthesameship,andthatIfoundhehadmoney。
ThenIreadalonglecturetoherofwhatIproposedtodo
whenwecamethere,howwecouldplant,settle,and,inshort,
growrichwithoutanymoreadventures;and,asagreatsecret,
Itoldherthatweweretomarryassoonashecameonboard。
Shesoonagreedcheerfullytomygoingwhensheheardthis,
andshemadeitherbusinessfromthattimetogethimoutof
theprisonintime,sothathemightgointhesameshipwith
me,whichatlastwasbroughttopass,thoughwithgreat
difficulty,andnotwithoutalltheformsofatransported
prisoner-convict,whichhereallywasnotyet,forhehadnot
beentried,andwhichwasagreatmortificationtohim。
As
ourfatewasnowdetermined,andwewerebothonboard,
actuallyboundtoVirginia,inthedespicablequalityof
transportedconvictsdestinedtobesoldforslaves,Iforfive
years,andheunderbondsandsecuritynottoreturntoEngland
anymore,aslongashelived,hewasverymuchdejectedand
castdown;themortificationofbeingbroughtonboard,ashe
was,likeaprisoner,piquedhimverymuch,sinceitwasfirst
toldhimheshouldtransporthimself,andsothathemightgo
asagentlemanatliberty。
Itistruehewasnotorderedtobe
soldwhenhecamethere,aswewere,andforthatreasonhe
wasobligedtopayforhispassagetothecaptain,whichwe
werenot;astotherest,hewasasmuchatalossasachild
whattodowithhimself,orwithwhathehad,butbydirections。
Ourfirstbusinesswastocompareourstock。
Hewasvery
honesttome,andtoldmehisstockwasprettygoodwhenhe
cameintotheprison,butthelivingthereashedidinafigure
likeagentleman,and,whichwastentimesasmuch,the
makingoffriends,andsolicitinghiscase,hadbeenvery
expensive;and,inaword,allhisstockthathehadleftwas
whichhehadabouthimallingold。
Igavehimanaccountofmystockasfaithfully,thatistosay,
ofwhatIhadtakentocarrywithme,forIwasresolved,
whatevershouldhappen,tokeepwhatIhadleftwithmy
governessinreserve;thatincaseIshoulddie,whatIhadwith
mewasenoughtogivehim,andthatwhichwasleftinmy
governess’shandswouldbeherown,whichshehadwell
deservedofmeindeed。
MystockwhichIhadwithmewas#246someoddshillings;
sothatwehad#354betweenus,butaworsegottenestatewas
scarceeverputtogethertobeingtheworldwith。
Ourgreatestmisfortuneastoourstockwasthatitwasallin
money,whicheveryoneknowsisanunprofitablecargotobe
carriedtotheplantations。
Ibelievehiswasreallyallhehad
leftintheworld,ashetoldmeitwas;butI,whohadbetween
andinbankwhenthisdisasterbefellme,andwho
hadoneofthefaithfullestfriendsintheworldtomanageit
forme,consideringshewasawomanofmannerofreligious
principles,hadstill#300leftinherhand,whichIreservedas
above;besides,someveryvaluablethings,asparticularlytwo
goldwatches,somesmallpiecesofplate,andsomerings——all
stolengoods。
Theplate,rings,andwatcheswereputinmy
chestwiththemoney,andwiththisfortune,andinthe
sixty-firstyearofmyage,Ilaunchedoutintoanewworld,
asImaycallit,intheconditionastowhatappearedonly
ofapoor,nakedconvict,orderedtobetransportedinrespite
fromthegallows。
Myclotheswerepoorandmean,butnot
raggedordirty,andnoneknewinthewholeshipthatIhad
anythingofvalueaboutme。
However,asIhadagreatmanyverygoodclothesandlinen
inabundance,whichIhadorderedtobepackedupintwo
greatboxes,Ihadthemshippedonboard,notasmygoods,
butasconsignedtomyrealnameinVirginia;andhadthe
billsofloadingsignedbyacaptaininmypocket;andinthese
boxeswasmyplateandwatches,andeverythingofvalue
exceptmymoney,whichIkeptbyitselfinaprivatedrawer
inmychest,whichcouldnotbefound,oropened,iffound,
withsplittingthechesttopieces。
InthisconditionIlayforthreeweeksintheship,notknowing
whetherIshouldhavemyhusbandwithmeorno,andtherefore
notresolvinghoworinwhatmannertoreceivethehonest
boatswain’sproposal,whichindeedhethoughtalittlestrange
atfirst。
Attheendofthistime,beholdmyhusbandcameonboard。
Helookedwithadejected,angrycountenance,hisgreatheart
wasswelledwithrageanddisdain;tobedraggedalongwith
threekeepersofNewgate,andputonboardlikeaconvict,
whenhehadnotsomuchasbeenbroughttoatrial。
Hemade
loudcomplaintsofitbyhisfriends,foritseemshehadsome
interest;buthisfriendsgotsomecheckintheirapplication,
andweretoldhehadhadfavourenough,andthattheyhad
receivedsuchanaccountofhim,sincethelastgrantofhis
transportation,thatheoughttothinkhimselfverywelltreated
thathewasnotprosecutedanew。
Thisanswerquietedhimat
once,forheknewtoomuchwhatmighthavehappened,and
whathehadroomtoexpect;andnowhesawthegoodnessof
theadvicetohim,whichprevailedwithhimtoacceptofthe
offerofavoluntarytransportation。
Andafterthishischagrin
atthesehell-hounds,ashecalledthem,wasalittleover,he
lookedalittlecomposed,begantobecheerful,andasIwas
tellinghimhowgladIwastohavehimoncemoreoutoftheir
hands,hetookmeinhisarms,andacknowledgedwithgreat
tendernessthatIhadgivenhimthebestadvicepossible。
’My
dear,’sayshe,’thouhastwicesavedmylife;fromhenceforward
itshallbeallemployedforyou,andI’llalwaystakeyouradvice。’
Theshipbegannowtofill;severalpassengerscameonboard,
whowereembarkedonnocriminalaccount,andthesehad
accommodationsassignedtheminthegreatcabin,andother
partsoftheship,whereaswe,asconvicts,werethrustdown
below,Iknownotwhere。
Butwhenmyhusbandcameon
board,Ispoketotheboatswain,whohadsoearlygivenme
hintsofhisfriendshipincarryingmyletter。
Itoldhimhehad
befriendedmeinmanythings,andIhadnotmadeanysuitable
returntohim,andwiththatIputaguineaintohishand。
Itold
himthatmyhusbandwasnowcomeonboard;thatthough
wewerebothunderthepresentmisfortune,yetwehadbeen
personsofadifferentcharacterfromthewretchedcrewthat
wecamewith,anddesiredtoknowofhim,whetherthecaptain
mightnotbemovedtoadmitustosomeconveniencesinthe
ship,forwhichwewouldmakehimwhatsatisfactionhe
pleased,andthatwewouldgratifyhimforhispainsinprocuring
thisforus。
Hetooktheguinea,asIcouldsee,withgreat
satisfaction,andassuredmeofhisassistance。
Thenhetoldushedidnotdoubtbutthatthecaptain,whowas
oneofthebest-humouredgentlemenintheworld,wouldbe
easilybroughttoaccommodateusaswellaswecoulddesire,
and,tomakemeeasy,toldmehewouldgoupthenexttide
onpurposetospeaktothecaptainaboutit。
Thenextmorning,
happeningtosleepalittlelongerthanordinary,whenIgotup,
andbegantolookabroad,Isawtheboatswainamongthemen
inhisordinarybusiness。
Iwasalittlemelancholyatseeing
第65章