Inthemeantime，mygoverness，faithfultothelastmoment，
conveyedmylettertotheprisontomyhusband，andgotan
answertoit，andthenextdaycamedownherselftotheship，
bringingme，inthefirstplace，asea-bedastheycallit，and
allitsfurniture，suchaswasconvenient，butnottoletthe
peoplethinkitwasextraordinary。
Shebroughtwithhera
sea-chest——thatis，achest，suchasaremadeforseamen，with
alltheconveniencesinit，andfilledwitheverythingalmost
thatIcouldwant；andinoneofthecornersofthechest，where
therewasaprivatedrawer，wasmybankofmoney——thisisto
say，somuchofitasIhadresolvedtocarrywithme；forI
orderedapartofmystocktobeleftbehindme，tobesent
afterwardsinsuchgoodsasIshouldwantwhenIcameto
settle；formoneyinthatcountryisnotofmuchusewhereall
thingsarebroughtfortobacco，muchmoreisitagreatloss
tocarryitfromhence。
Butmycasewasparticular；itwasbynomeanspropertome
togothitherwithoutmoneyorgoods，andforapoorconvict，
thatwastobesoldassoonasIcameonshore，tocarrywith
meacargoofgoodswouldbetohavenoticetakenofit，and
perhapstohavethemseizedbythepublic；soItookpartofmy
stockwithmethus，andlefttheotherpartwithmygoverness。
Mygovernessbroughtmeagreatmanyotherthings，butit
wasnotproperformetolooktoowellprovidedintheship，
atleasttillIknewwhatkindofacaptainweshouldhave。
Whenshecameintotheship，Ithoughtshewouldhavedied
indeed；herheartsankatthesightofme，andatthethoughts
ofpartingwithmeinthatcondition，andshecriedsointolerably，
Icouldnotforalongtimehaveanytalkwithher。
Itookthattimetoreadmyfellow-prisoner’sletter，which，
however，greatlyperplexedme。
Hetoldmewasdetermined
togo，butfounditwouldbeimpossibleforhimtobedischarged
timeenoughforgoinginthesameship，andwhichwasmore
thanall，hebegantoquestionwhethertheywouldgivehim
leavetogoinwhatshiphepleased，thoughhedidvoluntarily
transporthimself；butthattheywouldseehimputonboard
suchashipastheyshoulddirect，andthathewouldbecharged
uponthecaptainasotherconvictprisonerswere；sothathe
begantobeindespairofseeingmetillhecametoVirginia，
whichmadehimalmostdesperate；seeingthat，ontheother
hand，ifIshouldnotbethere，ifanyaccidentoftheseaorof
mortalityshouldtakemeaway，heshouldbethemostundone
creaturethereintheworld。
Thiswasveryperplexing，andIknewnotwhatcoursetotake。
Itoldmygovernessthestoryoftheboatswain，andshewas
mightyeagerwithmetreatwithhim；butIhadnomindtoit，
tillIheardwhethermyhusband，orfellow-prisoner，soshe
calledhim，couldbeatlibertytogowithmeorno。
AtlastI
wasforcedtoletherintothewholematter，exceptonlythat
ofhisbeingmyhusband。
ItoldherIhadmadeapositive
bargainoragreementwithhimtogo，ifhecouldgettheliberty
ofgoinginthesameship，andthatIfoundhehadmoney。
ThenIreadalonglecturetoherofwhatIproposedtodo
whenwecamethere，howwecouldplant，settle，and，inshort，
growrichwithoutanymoreadventures；and，asagreatsecret，
Itoldherthatweweretomarryassoonashecameonboard。
Shesoonagreedcheerfullytomygoingwhensheheardthis，
andshemadeitherbusinessfromthattimetogethimoutof
theprisonintime，sothathemightgointhesameshipwith
me，whichatlastwasbroughttopass，thoughwithgreat
difficulty，andnotwithoutalltheformsofatransported
prisoner-convict，whichhereallywasnotyet，forhehadnot
beentried，andwhichwasagreatmortificationtohim。
As
ourfatewasnowdetermined，andwewerebothonboard，
actuallyboundtoVirginia，inthedespicablequalityof
transportedconvictsdestinedtobesoldforslaves，Iforfive
years，andheunderbondsandsecuritynottoreturntoEngland
anymore，aslongashelived，hewasverymuchdejectedand
castdown；themortificationofbeingbroughtonboard，ashe
was，likeaprisoner，piquedhimverymuch，sinceitwasfirst
toldhimheshouldtransporthimself，andsothathemightgo
asagentlemanatliberty。
Itistruehewasnotorderedtobe
soldwhenhecamethere，aswewere，andforthatreasonhe
wasobligedtopayforhispassagetothecaptain，whichwe
werenot；astotherest，hewasasmuchatalossasachild
whattodowithhimself，orwithwhathehad，butbydirections。
Ourfirstbusinesswastocompareourstock。
Hewasvery
honesttome，andtoldmehisstockwasprettygoodwhenhe
cameintotheprison，butthelivingthereashedidinafigure
likeagentleman，and，whichwastentimesasmuch，the
makingoffriends，andsolicitinghiscase，hadbeenvery
expensive；and，inaword，allhisstockthathehadleftwas
whichhehadabouthimallingold。
Igavehimanaccountofmystockasfaithfully，thatistosay，
ofwhatIhadtakentocarrywithme，forIwasresolved，
whatevershouldhappen，tokeepwhatIhadleftwithmy
governessinreserve；thatincaseIshoulddie，whatIhadwith
mewasenoughtogivehim，andthatwhichwasleftinmy
governess’shandswouldbeherown，whichshehadwell
deservedofmeindeed。
MystockwhichIhadwithmewas#246someoddshillings；
sothatwehad#354betweenus，butaworsegottenestatewas
scarceeverputtogethertobeingtheworldwith。
Ourgreatestmisfortuneastoourstockwasthatitwasallin
money，whicheveryoneknowsisanunprofitablecargotobe
carriedtotheplantations。
Ibelievehiswasreallyallhehad
leftintheworld，ashetoldmeitwas；butI，whohadbetween
andinbankwhenthisdisasterbefellme，andwho
hadoneofthefaithfullestfriendsintheworldtomanageit
forme，consideringshewasawomanofmannerofreligious
principles，hadstill#300leftinherhand，whichIreservedas
above；besides，someveryvaluablethings，asparticularlytwo
goldwatches，somesmallpiecesofplate，andsomerings——all
stolengoods。
Theplate，rings，andwatcheswereputinmy
chestwiththemoney，andwiththisfortune，andinthe
sixty-firstyearofmyage，Ilaunchedoutintoanewworld，
asImaycallit，intheconditionastowhatappearedonly
ofapoor，nakedconvict，orderedtobetransportedinrespite
fromthegallows。
Myclotheswerepoorandmean，butnot
raggedordirty，andnoneknewinthewholeshipthatIhad
anythingofvalueaboutme。
However，asIhadagreatmanyverygoodclothesandlinen
inabundance，whichIhadorderedtobepackedupintwo
greatboxes，Ihadthemshippedonboard，notasmygoods，
butasconsignedtomyrealnameinVirginia；andhadthe
billsofloadingsignedbyacaptaininmypocket；andinthese
boxeswasmyplateandwatches，andeverythingofvalue
exceptmymoney，whichIkeptbyitselfinaprivatedrawer
inmychest，whichcouldnotbefound，oropened，iffound，
withsplittingthechesttopieces。
InthisconditionIlayforthreeweeksintheship，notknowing
whetherIshouldhavemyhusbandwithmeorno，andtherefore
notresolvinghoworinwhatmannertoreceivethehonest
boatswain’sproposal，whichindeedhethoughtalittlestrange
atfirst。
Attheendofthistime，beholdmyhusbandcameonboard。
Helookedwithadejected，angrycountenance，hisgreatheart
wasswelledwithrageanddisdain；tobedraggedalongwith
threekeepersofNewgate，andputonboardlikeaconvict，
whenhehadnotsomuchasbeenbroughttoatrial。
Hemade
loudcomplaintsofitbyhisfriends，foritseemshehadsome
interest；buthisfriendsgotsomecheckintheirapplication，
andweretoldhehadhadfavourenough，andthattheyhad
receivedsuchanaccountofhim，sincethelastgrantofhis
transportation，thatheoughttothinkhimselfverywelltreated
thathewasnotprosecutedanew。
Thisanswerquietedhimat
once，forheknewtoomuchwhatmighthavehappened，and
whathehadroomtoexpect；andnowhesawthegoodnessof
theadvicetohim，whichprevailedwithhimtoacceptofthe
offerofavoluntarytransportation。
Andafterthishischagrin
atthesehell-hounds，ashecalledthem，wasalittleover，he
lookedalittlecomposed，begantobecheerful，andasIwas
tellinghimhowgladIwastohavehimoncemoreoutoftheir
hands，hetookmeinhisarms，andacknowledgedwithgreat
tendernessthatIhadgivenhimthebestadvicepossible。
’My
dear，’sayshe，’thouhastwicesavedmylife；fromhenceforward
itshallbeallemployedforyou，andI’llalwaystakeyouradvice。’
Theshipbegannowtofill；severalpassengerscameonboard，
whowereembarkedonnocriminalaccount，andthesehad
accommodationsassignedtheminthegreatcabin，andother
partsoftheship，whereaswe，asconvicts，werethrustdown
below，Iknownotwhere。
Butwhenmyhusbandcameon
board，Ispoketotheboatswain，whohadsoearlygivenme
hintsofhisfriendshipincarryingmyletter。
Itoldhimhehad
befriendedmeinmanythings，andIhadnotmadeanysuitable
returntohim，andwiththatIputaguineaintohishand。
Itold
himthatmyhusbandwasnowcomeonboard；thatthough
wewerebothunderthepresentmisfortune，yetwehadbeen
personsofadifferentcharacterfromthewretchedcrewthat
wecamewith，anddesiredtoknowofhim，whetherthecaptain
mightnotbemovedtoadmitustosomeconveniencesinthe
ship，forwhichwewouldmakehimwhatsatisfactionhe
pleased，andthatwewouldgratifyhimforhispainsinprocuring
thisforus。
Hetooktheguinea，asIcouldsee，withgreat
satisfaction，andassuredmeofhisassistance。
Thenhetoldushedidnotdoubtbutthatthecaptain，whowas
oneofthebest-humouredgentlemenintheworld，wouldbe
easilybroughttoaccommodateusaswellaswecoulddesire，
and，tomakemeeasy，toldmehewouldgoupthenexttide
onpurposetospeaktothecaptainaboutit。
Thenextmorning，
happeningtosleepalittlelongerthanordinary，whenIgotup，
andbegantolookabroad，Isawtheboatswainamongthemen
inhisordinarybusiness。
Iwasalittlemelancholyatseeing