money, we enlarged our number of servants, built us a very
good house, and cured every year a great deal of land. The
second year I wrote to my old governess, giving her part with
us of the joy of our success, and order her how to lay out the
money I had left with her, which was #250 as above, and to
send it to us in goods, which she performed with her usual
kindness and fidelity, and this arrived safe to us.
Here we had a supply of all sorts of clothes, as well for my
husband as for myself; and I took especial care to buy for
him all those things that I knew he delighted to have; as two
good long wigs, two silver-hilted swords, three or four fine
fowling-pieces, a find saddle with holsters and pistols very
handsome, with a scarlet cloak; and, in a word, everything I
could think of to oblige him, and to make him appear, as he
really was, a very fine gentleman. I ordered a good quantity
of such household stuff as we yet wanted, with linen of all
sorts for us both. As for myself, I wanted very little of clothes
or linen, being very well furnished before. The rest of my
cargo consisted in iron-work of all sorts, harness for horses,
tools, clothes for servants, and woollen cloth, stuffs, serges,
stockings, shoes, hats, and the like, such as servants wear;
and whole pieces also to make up for servants, all by direction
of the Quaker; and all this cargo arrived safe, and in good
condition, with three woman-servants, lusty wenches, which
my old governess had picked for me, suitable enough to the
place, and to the work we had for them to do; one of which
happened to come double, having been got with child by one
of the seamen in the ship, as she owned afterwards, before
the ship got so far as Gravesend; so she brought us a stout
boy, about seven months after her landing.
My husband, you may suppose, was a little surprised at the
arriving of all this cargo from England; and talking with me
after he saw the account of this particular, ‘My dear,’ says he,
‘what is the meaning of all this? I fear you will run us too
deep in debt: when shall we be able to make return for it all?’
I smiled, and told him that is was all paid for; and then I told
him, that what our circumstances might expose us to, I had
not taken my whole stock with me, that I had reserved so
much in my friend’s hands, which now we were come over
safe, and was settled in a way to live, I had sent for, as he
might see.
He was amazed, and stood a while telling upon his fingers,
but said nothing. At last he began thus: ‘Hold, let’s see,’ says
he, telling upon his fingers still, and first on his thumb; ‘there’s
#246 in money at first, then two gold watches, diamond rings,
and plate,’ says he, upon the forefinger. Then upon the next
finger, ‘Here’s a plantation on York River, #100 a year, then
#150 in money, then a sloop load of horses, cows, hogs, and
stores’; and so on to the thumb again. ‘And now,’ says he, ‘a
cargo cost #250 in England, and worth here twice the money.’
‘Well,’ says I, ‘what do you make of all that?’ ‘Make of it?’
says he; ‘why, who says I was deceived when I married a wife
in Lancashire? I think I have married a fortune, and a very
good fortune too,’ says he.
In a word, we were now in very considerable circumstances,
and every year increasing; for our new plantation grew upon
our hands insensibly, and in eight years which we lived upon
it, we brought it to such pitch, that the produce was at least
#300 sterling a year; I mean, worth so much in England.
After I had been a year at home again, I went over the bay to
see my son, and to receive another year’s income of my
plantation; and I was surprised to hear, just at my landing there,