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 rings–all
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 some
interest; but his friends got some check in their application,
and were told he had had favour enough, and that they had
received such an account of him, since the last grant of his
transportation, that he ought to think himself very well treated
that he was not prosecuted anew. This answer quieted him at
once, for he knew too much what might have happened, and
what he had room to expect; and now he saw the goodness of
the advice to him, which prevailed with him to accept of the
offer of a voluntary transportation. And after this his chagrin
at these hell-hounds, as he called them, was a little over, he
looked a little composed, began to be cheerful, and as I was
telling him how glad I was to have him once more out of their
hands, he took me in his arms, and acknowledged with great
tenderness that I had given him the best advice possible. ‘My
dear,’ says he, ‘thou has twice saved my life; from henceforward
it shall be all employed for you, and I’ll always take your advice.’
The ship began now to fill; several passengers came on board,
who were embarked on no criminal account, and these had
accommodations assigned them in the great cabin, and other
parts of the ship, whereas we, as convicts, were thrust down
below, I know not where. But when my husband came on