The first thing I did，was to recompense my original Benefactor，my good old Captain，who had been first charitable to me in my Distress，kind to me in my Beginning，and honest to me at the End：I shew'd him all that was sent me，I told him，that next to the Providence of Heaven，which disposes all things，it was Owing to him；and that it now lay on me to reward him，which I would do a hundred fold：So I first return'd to him the hundred Moidores I had receiv'd of him，then I sent for a Notary，and caused him to draw up a general Release or Discharge for the 470 Moidores，which he had acknowledg'd he ow'd me in the fullest and firmest Manner possible；after which，I caused a Procuration to be drawn，impowering him to be my Receiver of the annual Profits of my Plantation，and appointing my Partner to accompt to him，and make the Returns by the usual Fleets to him in my Name；and a Clause in the End，being a Grant of 100 Moidores a Year to him，during his Life，out of the Effects，and 50 Moidores a Year to his Son after him，for his Life：And thus I requited my old Man.
I was now to consider which Way to steer my Course next，and what to do with the Estate that Providence had thus put into my Hands；and indeed I had more Care upon my Head now，than I had in my silent State of Life in the Island，where I wanted nothing but what I had，and had nothing but what I wanted：Whereas I had now a great Charge upon me，and my Business was how to secure it. I had ne'er a Cave now to hide my Money in，or a Place where it might lye without Lock or Key，'till it grew mouldy and tarnish'd before any Body would meddle with it：On the contrary，I knew not where to put it，or who to trust with it. My old Patron，the Captain，indeed was honest，and that was the only Refuge I had.
In the next Place，my Interest in the Brasils seem'd to summon me thither，but now I could not tell，how to think of going thither，'till I had settled my Affairs，and left my Effects in some safe Hands behind me. At first I thought of my old Friend the Widow，who I knew was honest，and would be just to me；but then she was in Years，and but poor，and for ought I knew，might be in Debt；so that in a Word，I had no Way but to go back to England my self，and take my Effects with me.
It was some Months however before I resolved upon this；and therefore，as I had rewarded the old Captain fully，and to his Satisfaction，who had been my former Benefactor，so I began to think of my poor Widow，whose Husband had been my first Benefactor，and she，while it was in her Power，my faithful Steward and Instructor. So the first thing I did，I got a Merchant in Lisbon to write to his Correspondent in London，not only to pay a Bill，but to go find her out，and carry her in Money，an hundred Pounds from me，and to talk with her，and comfort her in her Poverty，by telling her she should，if I liv'd，have a further Supply：At the same time I sent my two Sisters in the Country，each of them an Hundred Pounds，they being，though not in Want，yet not in very good Circumstances；one having been marry'd，and left a Widow；and the other having a Husband not so kind to her as he should be.
But among all my Relations，or Acquaintances，I could not yet pitch upon one，to whom I durst commit the Gross of my Stock，that I might go away to the Brasils，and leave things safe behind me；and this greatly perplex'd me.
I had once a Mind to have gone to the Brasils，and have settled my self there；for I was，as it were，naturaliz'd to the Place；but I had some little Scruple in my Mind about Religion，which insensibly drew me back，of which I shall say more presently. However，it was not Religion that kept me rom going there for the present；and as I had made no Scruple of being openly of the Religion of the Country，all the while I was among them，so neither did I yet；only that now and then having of late thought more of it，（than formerly） when I began to think of living and dying among them，I began to regret my having profess'd my self a Papist，and thought it might not be the best Religion to die with.
But，as I have said，this was not the main thing that kept me from going to the Brasils，but that really I did not know with whom to leave my Effects behind me；so I resolv'd at last to go to England with it，where，if I arrived，I concluded I should make some Acquaintance，or find some Relations that would be faithful to me；and according I prepar'd to go for England with all my Wealth.
In order to prepare things for my going Home，I first，the Brasil Fleet being just going away，resolved to give Answers suitable to the just and faithful Account of things I had from thence；and first to the Prior of St. Augustine I wrote a Letter full of Thanks for their just Dealings，and the Offer of the 872 Moidores，which was indisposed of，which I desir'd might be given 500 to the Monastery，and 372 to the Poor，as the Prior should direct，desiring the good Padres Prayers for me，and the like.
I wrote next a Letter of Thanks to my two Trustees，with all the Acknowledgment that so much Justice and Honesty call'd for；as for sending them any Present，they were far above having any Occasion of it.
ly，I wrote to my Partner，acknowledging his Industry in the Improving the Plantation，and his Integrity in encreasing the Stock of the Works，giving him Instructions for his future Government of my Part，according to the Powers I had left with my old Patron，to whom I desir'd him to send whatever became due to me，'till he should hear me more particularly；assuring him that it was my Intention，not only to come to him，but to settle my self there for the Remainder of my Life：To this I added a very handsom Present of some Italian Silks for his Wife，and two Daughters，for such the Captain's Son inform'd me he had；with two Pieces of fine English broad Cloath，the best I could get in Lisbon，five Pieces of black Bays，and some Flanders Lace of a good Value.
