Itoldhimheshouldsee，andbefullysatisfied，thatI
woulddomyutmostinthatparttoo，andifitdidnotsucceed，
yetthatIwouldmakegoodtherest。
Wepartedafterthislongconferencewithsuchtestimoniesof
kindnessandaffectionasIthoughtwereequal，ifnotsuperior，
tothatatourpartingatDunstable；andnowIsawmoreplainly
thanbefore，thereasonwhyhedeclinedcomingatthattime
anyfartherwithmetowardLondonthanDunstable，andwhy，
whenwepartedthere，hetoldmeitwasnotconvenientfor
himtocomepartofthewaytoLondontobringmegoing，as
hewouldotherwisehavedone。
Ihaveobservedthatthe
accountofhislifewouldhavemadeamuchmorepleasing
historythanthisofmine；and，indeed，nothinginitwasmore
strangethanthispart，viz。thathecarriedonthatdesperate
tradefullfive-and-twentyyearsandhadneverbeentaken，
thesuccesshehadmetwithhadbeensoveryuncommon，and
suchthatsometimeshehadlivedhandsomely，andretiredin
placeforayearortwoatatime，keepinghimselfanda
man-servanttowaitonhim，andhadoftensatinthe
coffee-housesandheardtheverypeoplewhomhehadrobbed
giveaccountsoftheirbeingrobbed，andoftheplaceand
circumstances，sothathecouldeasilyrememberthatitwas
thesame。
Inthismanner，itseems，helivednearLiverpoolatthetime
heunluckilymarriedmeforafortune。
HadIbeenthefortune
heexpected，Iverilybelieve，ashesaid，thathewouldhave
takenupandlivedhonestlyallhisdays。
Hehadwiththerestofhismisfortunesthegoodlucknotto
beactuallyuponthespotwhentherobberywasdonewhich
hewascommittedfor，andsononeofthepersonsrobbed
couldsweartohim，orhadanythingtochargeuponhim。
But
itseemsashewastakenwiththegang，onehard-mouthed
countrymansworehometohim，andtheywereliketohave
otherscomeinaccordingtothepublicationtheyhadmade；
sothattheyexpectedmoreevidenceagainsthim，andforthat
reasonhewaskeptinhold。
However，theofferwhichwasmadetohimofadmittinghimto
transportationwasmade，asIunderstood，upontheintercession
ofsomegreatpersonwhopressedhimhardtoacceptofitbefore
atrial；andindeed，asheknewtherewereseveralthatmight
comeinagainsthim，Ithoughthisfriendwasintheright，and
Ilayathimnightanddaytodelayitnolonger。
Atlast，withmuchdifficulty，hegavehisconsent；andashe
wasnotthereforeadmittedtotransportationincourt，andon
hispetition，asIwas，sohefoundhimselfunderadifficulty
toavoidembarkinghimselfasIhadsaidhemighthavedone；
hisgreatfriend，whowashisintercessorforthefavourofthat
grant，havinggivensecurityforhimthatheshouldtransport
himself，andnotreturnwithintheterm。
Thishardshipbrokeallmymeasures，forthestepsItook
afterwardsformyowndeliverancewereherebyrendered
whollyineffectual，unlessIwouldabandonhim，andleave
himtogotoAmericabyhimself；thanwhichheprotestedhe
wouldmuchratherventure，althoughhewerecertaintogo
directlytothegallows。
Imustnowreturntomycase。
Thetimeofmybeingtransported
accordingtomysentencewasnearathand；mygoverness，who
continuedmyfastfriend，hadtriedtoobtainapardon，butit
couldnotbedoneunlesswithanexpensetooheavyformy
purse，consideringthattobeleftnakedandempty，unlessIhad
resolvedtoreturntomyoldtradeagain，hadbeenworsethan
mytransportation，becausethereIknewIcouldlive，hereI
couldnot。
Thegoodministerstoodveryhardonanother
accounttopreventmybeingtransportedalso；buthewas
answered，thatindeedmylifehadbeengivenmeathisfirst
solicitations，andthereforeheoughttoasknomore。Hewas
sensiblygrievedatmygoing，because，ashesaid，hefearedI
shouldlosethegoodimpressionswhichaprospectofdeath
hadatfirstmadeonme，andwhichweresinceincreasedby
hisinstructions；andthepiousgentlemanwasexceedingly
concernedaboutmeonthataccount。
Ontheotherhand，IreallywasnotsosolicitousaboutitasI
wasbefore，butIindustriouslyconcealedmyreasonsforit
fromtheminister，andtothelasthedidnotknowbutthatI
wentwiththeutmostreluctanceandaffliction。
ItwasinthemonthofFebruarythatIwas，withsevenother
convicts，astheycalledus，deliveredtoamerchantthattraded
toVirginia，onboardaship，riding，astheycalledit，in
DeptfordReach。
Theofficeroftheprisondelivereduson
board，andthemasterofthevesselgaveadischargeforus。
Wewereforthatnightclappedunderhatches，andkeptso
closethatIthoughtIshouldhavebeensuffocatedforwant
ofair；andthenextmorningtheshipweighed，andfelldown
therivertoaplacetheycallBugby’sHole，whichwasdone，
astheytoldus，bytheagreementofthemerchant，thatall
opportunityofescapeshouldbetakenfromus。
However，
whentheshipcamethitherandcastanchor，wewereallowed
moreliberty，andparticularlywerepermittedtocomeupon
thedeck，butnotuponthequarter-deck，thatbeingkept
particularlyforthecaptainandforpassengers。
Whenbythenoiseofthemenovermyhead，andthemotion
oftheship，Iperceivedthattheywereundersail，Iwasatfirst
greatlysurprised，fearingweshouldgoawaydirectly，andthat
ourfriendswouldnotbeadmittedtoseeusanymore；butI
waseasysoonafter，whenIfoundtheyhadcometoananchor
again，andsoonafterthatwehadnoticegivenbysomeofthe
menwherewewere，thatthenextmorningweshouldhave
thelibertytocomeupondeck，andtohaveourfriendscome
andseeusifwehadany。
AllthatnightIlayuponthehardboardsofthedeck，asthe
passengersdid，butwehadafterwardsthelibertyoflittle
cabinsforsuchofusashadanybeddingtolayinthem，and
roomtostowanyboxortrunkforclothesandlinen，ifwe
hadit(whichmightwellbeputin)，forsomeofthemhad
neithershirtnorshiftoraragoflinenorwoollen，butwhat
wasontheirbacks，orafarthingofmoneytohelpthemselves；
andyetIdidnotfindbuttheyfaredwellenoughintheship，
especiallythewomen，whogotmoneyfromtheseamenfor
washingtheirclothes，sufficientto
purchaseanycommon
thingsthattheywanted。
Whenthenextmorningwehadthelibertytocomeuponthe
deck，Iaskedoneoftheofficersoftheship，whetherImight
nothavethelibertytosendaletteronshore，toletmyfriends
knowwheretheshiplay，andtogetsomenecessarythings
senttome。
Thiswas，itseems，theboatswain，averycivil，
courteoussortofman，whotoldmeIshouldhavethat，orany
otherlibertythatIdesired，thathecouldallowmewithsafety。
ItoldhimIdesirednoother；andheansweredthattheship’s
boatwouldgouptoLondonthenexttide，andhewouldorder
mylettertobecarried。
Accordingly，whentheboatwentoff，theboatswaincameto
meandtoldmetheboatwasgoingoff，andthathewentinit
himself，andaskedmeifmyletterwasreadyhewouldtake
careofit。
Ihadpreparedmyself，youmaybesure，pen，ink，
andpaperbeforehand，andIhadgottenaletterreadydirected
tomygoverness，andenclosedanotherformyfellow-prisoner，
which，however，Ididnotletherknowwasmyhusband，not
tothelast。
Inthattomygoverness，Iletherknowwherethe
shiplay，andpressedherearnestlytosendmewhatthingsI
knewshehadgotreadyformeformyvoyage。
WhenIgavetheboatswaintheletter，Igavehimashilling
withit，whichItoldhimwasforthechargeofamessenger
orporter，whichIentreatedhimtosendwiththeletteras
soonashecameonshore，thatifpossibleImighthavean
answerbroughtbackbythesamehand，thatImightknow
whatwasbecomeofmythings；’forsir，’saysI，’iftheship
shouldgoawaybeforeIhavethemonboard，Iamundone。’
Itookcare，whenIgavehimtheshilling，tolethimseethat
Ihadalittlebetterfurnitureaboutmethantheordinary
prisoners，forhesawthatIhadapurse，andinitaprettydeal
ofmoney；andIfoundthattheverysightofitimmediately
furnishedmewithverydifferenttreatmentfromwhatIshould
otherwisehavemetwithintheship；forthoughhewasvery
courteousindeedbefore，inakindofnaturalcompassionto
me，asawomanindistress，yethewasmorethanordinarily
soafterwards，andprocuredmetobebettertreatedintheship
than，Isay，Imightotherwisehavebeen；asshallappearin
itsplace。
Heveryhonestlyhadmyletterdeliveredtomygoverness’s
ownhands，andbroughtmebackananswerfromherinwriting；
andwhenhegavemetheanswer，gavemetheshillingagain。
’There，’sayshe，’there’syourshillingagaintoo，forIdelivered
thelettermyself。’
Icouldnottellwhattosay，Iwassosurprised
atthething；butaftersomepause，Isaid，’Sir，youaretookind；
ithadbeenbutreasonablethatyouhadpaidyourselfcoach-hire，
then。’
’No，no，’sayshe，’Iamoverpaid。
Whatisthegentlewoman？
Yoursister。’
’No，sir，’saysI，’sheisnorelationtome，butsheisadear
friend，andallthefriendsIhaveintheworld。’
’Well，’says
he，’therearefewsuchfriendsintheworld。
Why，shecried
afteryoulikeachild，’
’Ay，’saysIagain，’shewouldgivea
hundredpounds，Ibelieve，todelivermefromthisdreadful
conditionIamin。’
’Wouldsheso？’sayshe。
’ForhalfthemoneyIbelieveIcould
putyouinawayhowtodeliveryourself。’
Butthishespoke
softly，thatnobodycouldhear。
’Alas！sir，’saidI，’butthenthatmustbesuchadeliverance
as，ifIshouldbetakenagain，wouldcostmemylife。’
’Nay，’
saidhe，’ifyouwereonceoutoftheship，youmustlookto
yourselfafterwards；thatIcansaynothingto。’
Sowedropped
thediscourseforthattime。
