The Life & Adventures Of Robinson Crusoe Part-10

 

The Life & Adventures Of  Robinson Crusoe Part-10

ho had so often which had I continued, I had in all Probability been exceed

unjustly compar'd it with the Life which I then led, in I was in some Degree settled in my Measures for carrying Ship that took me up at Sea, went back; for the Ship re on the Plantation, before my kind Friend the Captain of the mained there in providing his Loading, and preparing for his Voyage, near three Months, when telling him what little Stock I had left behind me in London, he gave me this he always called me, if you will give me Letters, and a friendly and sincere Advice, Seignior Inglese says he, for so Procuration here in Form to me, with Orders to the Person who has your Money in London, to send your Effects Lisbon, to such Persons as I shall direct, and in such Goods as are proper for this Country, I will bring you the Produce of them, God willing, at my Return; but since human Affairs are all subject to Changes and Disasters, I would have you give Orders but for One Hundred Pounds Sterl. which you say is Half your Stock, and let the Hazard be run for the first; so that if it come safe, you may order the rest the same Way; and if it miscarry, you may have the other Half to have Recourse to for your Supply.

This was so wholesom Advice, and look'd so friendly, that I could not but be convinc'd it was the best Course I could take; so I accordingly prepared Letters to the Gentle- woman with whom I had left my Money, and a Procuration to the Portuguese Captain, as he desired.

I wrote the English Captain's Widow a full Account of all my Adventures, my Slavery, Escape, and how I had met with the Portugal Captain at Sea, the Humanity of his Behaviour, and in what Condition I was now in, with all other necessary Directions for my Supply; and when this honest Captain came to Lisbon, he found means by some of the English Merchants there, to send over not the Order only, but a full Account of my Story to a Merchant at London, who represented it effectually to her; whereupon, she not the Portugal Captain a very handsom Present for his only delivered the Money, but out of her own Pocket sent The Merchant in London vesting this Hundred Pounds in English Goods, such as the Captain had writ for, sent them directly to him at Lisbon, and he brought them all safe to me to the Brasils, among which, without my Direc- tion (for I was too young in my Business to think of them) he had taken Care to have all Sorts of Tools, Iron-Work, and Utensils necessary for my Plantation, and which were of great Use to me. 

When this Cargo arrived, I thought my Fortunes made, for I was surprised with the Joy of it; and my good Steward the Captain had laid out the Five Pounds which my Friend had sent him for a Present for himself, to purchase, and bring me over a Servant under Bond for six Years Service, and would not accept of any Consideration, except a little Tobacco, which I would have him accept, being of my own Produce.

Neither was this all; but my Goods being all English Manufactures, such as Cloath, Stuffs, Bays, and things particularly valuable and desirable in the Country, I found means to sell them to a very great Advantage; so that I might say, I had more than four times the Value of my first Cargo, and was now infinitely beyond my poor Neighbour, I mean in the Advancement of my Plantation; for the first me a Negro Slave, and an European thing I did, I bought Servant also; I mean another besides that which the Captain brought me from Lisbon.

But as abus'd Prosperity is oftentimes made the very Means of our greatest Adversity, so was it with me. I went on the next Year with great Success in my Plantation: I raised fifty great Rolls of Tobacco on my own Ground, more bours; and these fifty Rolls being each of above a 100 Wt. than I had disposed of for Necessaries among my Neigh- were well cur'd and laid by against the Return of the Fleet from Lisbon: and now increasing in Business and in Wealth,