We went now away with a fair wind for Brazil; and in about twelve days'
time we made land, in the latitude of five degrees south of the line,
being the north-easternmost land of all that part of America. We kept on
S. by E., in sight of the shore four days, when we made Cape St.
Augustine, and in three days came to an anchor off the bay of All Saints,
the old place of my deliverance, from whence came both my good and evil
fate. Never ship came to this port that had less business than I had,
and yet it was with great difficulty that we were admitted to hold the
least correspondence on shore: not my partner himself, who was alive, and
made a great figure among them, not my two merchant-trustees, not the
fame of my wonderful preservation in the island, could obtain me that
favour. My partner, however, remembering that I had given five hundred
moidores to the prior of the monastery of the Augustines, and two hundred
and seventy-two to the poor, went to the monastery, and obliged the prior
that then was to go to the governor, and get leave for me personally,
with the captain and one more, besides eight seamen, to come on shore,
and no more; and this upon condition, absolutely capitulated for, that we
should not offer to land any goods out of the ship, or to carry any
person away without licence. They were so strict with us as to landing
any goods, that it was with extreme difficulty that I got on shore three
bales of English goods, such as fine broadcloths, stuffs, and some linen,
which I had brought for a present to my partner.
He was a very generous, open-hearted man, although he began, like me,
with little at first. Though he knew not that I had the least design of
giving him anything, he sent me on board a present of fresh provisions,
wine, and sweetmeats, worth about thirty moidores, including some
tobacco, and three or four fine medals of gold: but I was even with him
in my present, which, as I have said, consisted of fine broadcloth,
English stuffs, lace, and fine holland; also, I delivered him about the
value of one hundred pounds sterling in the same goods, for other uses;
and I obliged him to set up the sloop, which I had brought with me from
England, as I have said, for the use of my colony, in order to send the
refreshments I intended to my plantation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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