And indeed wonderful was his kindness towards me; for he not only procured the money I had drawn for upon my captain’s widow, but sent me over a servant with a cargo proportionable to my condition.  He also sent me over tools of all sorts, iron-work, and utensils necessary for my plantation, which proved to be of the greatest use to me in my business.

Wealth now accumulating on me, and uncommon success crowning my prosperous labours, I might have rested happy in that middle state of life my father had so often recommended, yet nothing would content me, such was my evil genius, but I must leave this happy station, for a foolish ambition in rising; and thus, once more, I cast myself into the greatest gulph of misery that ever poor creature fell into.  Having lived four years in Brazil, I had net only learned the language, but contracted acquaintance with the most eminent planters, and even the merchants of St. Salvadore; to whom, once, by way of discourse, having given account of my two voyages to the coast of Guinea and the manner of trading there for mere trifles, by which we furnish our plantations with Negroes, they gave such attention to what I said, that three of them came one morning to me, and told me they had a secret proposal to make.  After enjoining me to secrecy (it being an infringement on the powers of the Kings of Portugal and Spain) they told me they had a mind to fit out a ship to go to Guinea, in order to stock the plantation with Negroes, which as they could not be publicly sold, they would divide among them:  and if I would go their supercargo in the ship, to manage the trading part, I should have ah equal share of the Negroes, without providing any stock.  The thing indeed was fair enough, had I been in another condition.  But I, born to be my own destroyer, could not resist the proposal, but accepted the offer upon condition of their looking after my plantation.  So making a formal will, I bequeathed my effects to my good friend the captain, as my universal heir; but obliged him to dispose of my effects as directed, one half of the produce to himself, and the other to be shipped to England.

The ship being fitted out, and all things ready, we set sail the first of September, 1659, being the same day eight-years I left my father and, mother in Yorkshire.  We sailed northward upon the coast, in order to gain Africa, till we made Cape Augustine; from whence going farther into the ocean, out of sight of land, we steered as though we were bound for the isle Fernand de Norenba, leaving the islands on the east; and then it was that we met with a terrible tempest, which continued for twelve days successively, so that the wind carried us wheresoever they pleased.  In this perplexity one of our men died, and one man and a boy were washed overboard.  When the weather cleared up a little, we found ourselves eleven degrees north latitude, upon the coast of Guinea.  Upon this the captain gave reasons for returning; which I opposed, counselling him to stand away for Barbadoes, which as I supposed, might be attained in fifteen days.  So altering our course, we sailed north-west and by west, in order to reach the Leeward Islands; but a second storm succeeding, drove us to the westward; so that we were justly afraid of falling into the hands of cruel savages, or the paws of devouring beasts of prey.