Accordingly, he got hands, and finished the sloop in a very few days, for
she was already framed; and I gave the master of her such instructions
that he could not miss the place; nor did he, as I had an account from my
partner afterwards. I got him soon loaded with the small cargo I sent
them; and one of our seamen, that had been on shore with me there,
offered to go with the sloop and settle there, upon my letter to the
governor Spaniard to allot him a sufficient quantity of land for a
plantation, and on my giving him some clothes and tools for his planting
work, which he said he understood, having been an old planter at
Maryland, and a buccaneer into the bargain. I encouraged the fellow by
granting all he desired; and, as an addition, I gave him the savage whom
we had taken prisoner of war to be his slave, and ordered the governor
Spaniard to give him his share of everything he wanted with the rest.
When we came to fit this man out, my old partner told me there was a
certain very honest fellow, a Brazil planter of his acquaintance, who had
fallen into the displeasure of the Church. "I know not what the matter
is with him," says he, "but, on my conscience, I think he is a heretic in
his heart, and he has been obliged to conceal himself for fear of the
Inquisition." He then told me that he would be very glad of such an
opportunity to make his escape, with his wife and two daughters; and if I
would let them go to my island, and allot them a plantation, he would
give them a small stock to begin with--for the officers of the
Inquisition had seized all his effects and estate, and he had nothing
left but a little household stuff and two slaves; "and," adds he, "though
I hate his principles, yet I would not have him fall into their hands,
for he will be assuredly burned alive if he does." I granted this
presently, and joined my Englishman with them; and we concealed the man,
and his wife and daughters, on board our ship, till the sloop put out to
go to sea; and then having put all their goods on board some time before,
we put them on board the sloop after she was got out of the bay. Our
seaman was mightily pleased with this new partner; and their stocks,
indeed, were much alike, rich in tools, in preparations, and a farm--but
nothing to begin with, except as above: however, they carried over with
them what was worth all the rest, some materials for planting
sugar-canes, with some plants of canes, which he, I mean the Brazil
planter, understood very well.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account