When we consider the puissant force of Nature and, what mighty influence it has many times over the temper of the mind, it will be no such great wonder to think, that my powerful reason should be overcome by a much stronger inclination. My late acquired kingdom ran continually in my thoughts all the day, and I dreamed of it in the night: nay, I made it the continual subject of my talk, even to impertinence, when I was awake. I had such vapours in my head, that I actually supposed myself at my castle; that I not only perceived Friday's father the old Spaniard, and the wicked sailors, but that I talked and discoursed with them about their manner of living; that I heard the things related to me, which I found afterwards to be true; & that I executed my judgments with the greatest severity upon the offenders. And, indeed, this anticipating all the pleasing joys of my life, scarcely afforded me one pleasant hour: my dear and tender wife could not but take notice of it, which drew those affectionate speeches from her: My dear, said she, I am really persuaded that some secret impulse from Heaven occasions in you a determination to see the island again; nor am I less sensible, but your being engaged to me and these dear children is the only hinderance of your departure. I know my dear, if I were in the grave, you would not long continue at home; prevent not your happiness on my account, whose only comfort centres in you. All that I can object is, that such an hazardous undertaking is no way consistent with a person of your years; but if you are resolved to go, added she, weeping, only permit me to bear you company, and that is all that I desire.
Such endearing tenderness, graced with the most innocent and yet most powerful charms, brought me insensibly into my right understanding; and when I considered all the transactions of my life, and particularly my new engagement, that I had now one child already born, and my wife big of another; and that I had no occasion to seek for more riches, who already was blessed with sufficiency, with much struggling I altered my resolutions at last, resolving to apply myself to some business or other, which might put a period to such wandering inclinations. Hereupon I bought a little farm in the county of Bedford, with a resolution to move thither; upon this there was a pretty convenient house surrounded with land, very capable of improvement, which suited my temper, as to planting, managing, and cultivating. Nor was I long before I entered upon my new settlement, having bought ploughs, harrows, carts, waggons, horses, cows, and sheep; so that I now led the life of a country gentleman, and as happy in my retirement as the greatest monarch in the world. And what made me think my happiness the greater was, that I was in the middle state of life, which my father had so often recommended, much resembling the felicity of a rural retirement, which is elegantly described by the poet in these lines:
Free from all vices, free from care,
Age has no pain, and youth no snare.
But, in the midst of this my happiness, I was suddenly plunged in the greatest sorrow that I could possibly endure; for when I least expected it, my dear and tender wife was forced to submit to the irresistable power of Death, leaving this transitory life for a better. It is impossible for me to express the beauties of her mind, or the loveliness of her person; neither can I too much lament her loss, which my latest breath shall record; her influence was greater over me, than the powers of my own reason, the importunities of friends, the instructions of a father, or the melting tears of a tender and disconsolate mother; in a word, she was the spirit of all my affairs, and the centre of my enterprizes. But now, since the cruel hand of Death had closed my dearest's eyes, I seemed in my thoughts a stranger to the world; my privy counsellor being gone, I was like a ship without a pilot, that could only run before the wind. And when I looked around me in this busy world, one party labouring for bread, and the other squandering away their estates; this put me in mind how I had lived in my little kingdom, where both reason and religion dictated to me, that there was something that certainly was the reason and end of life, which was far superior to what could be hoped for on this side the grave. My country delights were now as insiped and dull, as music and science to those who have neither taste nor ingenuity. In short, resolving to leave off house-keeping, I left my farm, and in a few months returned to London.
But neither could that great city, so famous for its variety of entertainment, afford me any agreeable delight; a state of idleness I found to be the very dregs of life, and most hurtful to body and soul. It was now the beginning of the year 1684, at which time my nephew (who as I before observed had been brought up to the sea, and advanced to be captain of a ship) was returned from a short voyage to Bilboz, the first he had made in that station. He comes to me one morning, telling me that some merchants of his acquaintance had proposed to him to go a voyage for them to the East Indies and China in the manner of private traders; and now uncle, said he, if you'll accompany me thither, I'll engage to land you upon your old island, to visit the state of your little kingdom.
Just before he came in, my thoughts were fixed to get a patent for its possession, and then to fill it with inhabitants. After I had paused a while, and looked stedfastly on him. What devil or spirit, said I, sent you with this unlucky errand? He started at first; but recovering himself, when he perceived I was not offended; Sir, replied he, what I have proposed cannot I hope, be styled unlucky, since certainly you must be desirous to see your little territory, where you reigned with more content, than any of your brother kings in the universe. Nephew, said I, if you will leave me there, and call for me as you came back, I care not if I give my consent: but he answered, that the merchants would not allow their vessel loaden with an infinite value, to return there again, which was a month's sail out of the way; besides, Sir said he, if I should miscarry, was your request granted, why then you would be locked up as before. This indeed carried a great deal of reason in it; but we found out a remedy, and that was to carry a framed sloop on board, ready to be set up in the island, by the assistance of some carpenters, which we should carry with us, that might be fitted in a few days to go to sea. I was not long in forming my resolution, which overswayed my good friend the widow's persuasions, and the natural affection I bore to my young children. I made my will, and settled my estate in such manner, that I was perfectly sure my poor infants would have justice done them. The good widow not only undertook to make provision, for my voyage, but also took the charge of my domestic affairs, and to provide for my children's education; and indeed no mother could take more care, or understood that office better; for which I lived to reward and return her my hearty thanks.
The beginning of January, 1694-5, my nephew being ready to sail, I and Friday went on board in the Downs on the 8th, having, besides that sloop already mentioned, a very considerable cargo for my new colony. First, I had some servants, whom I proposed to leave there, as they should appear willing; there were two carpenters, a smith, and a very ingenuous fellow who was Jack-of-all-trades; for he was not only a cooper by trade, but also he was dexterous at making wheels and hand-mills to grind corn, likewise a good turner, and a good pot-maker. I also carried a tailor, who consented to stay in my plantation, and proved a most necessary fellow in the island. As to my cargo, it consisted of a sufficient quantity of linen, and English stuffs for clothing the Spaniards that I expected to find there; as likewise gloves, hats, shoes, stockings; together with beds, bedding, and household stuff, especially kitchen utensils, with pots, kettles, pewter, brass, &c. also nails, tools of all sorts, staples, hooks, hinges, and all other things necessary; all which, I think, cost me about three hundred pounds. Nor was this all for I carried an hundred spare arms, muskets, & fusees, besides some pistols, a considerable quantity of several sorts of shot, two brass cannon, besides swords, cutlasses, and the iron part of some pikes and halberts. I made my nephew take with us two small quarter-deck guns, more than he had occasion for in his ship, to leave behind, if there was a necessity; so that we might build a fort there, and man it against all opposers whatsoever.
Well, we put out to sea; and though I can't say this voyage was so unprosperous as my others had been, yet contrary winds drove us so far northward, that we were obliged to put in at Galway in Ireland, where we lay wind-bound two and twenty days. Here indeed our provisions were very cheap, and we added to our ship's stores by taking several live hogs, two cows and calves, which I then resolved to put on shore in my island, if our necessities did not call for them. On the 5th of February we sailed from Ireland, with a very fair gale, which lasted for some days; and I think it was about the 20th of the same month late in the evening, when the mate informed us, that he saw a flash of fire, and heard a gun fired: and when he was speaking a boy came in and told us, that the boatswain had heard another. Upon which we all ran to the quarter-deck, from whence, in a few moments, we perceived a terrible fire at a distance. We had immediately recourse to our reckonings, in which, we were all of opinion, that there could be no land that way, it appearing to be at N.N.W. Hereupon we concluded that some ship had taken fire at sea, and that it could not be far off by the report of the guns which we had heard. We made up directly to it, and in half an hour's time the wind being fair, we could plainly perceive a great ship on fire in the middle of the sea. Touched with this unhappy disaster, and considering my former circumstances, when the Portuguese Captain took me up, I immediately ordered five guns to be fired that the poor creatures, not seeing us, it being dark, (though we could perceive their flame) might be sensible there was deliverance at hand, and consequently might endeavor to save themselves in their boat. Nor was it long before the ship blew up in the air and the fire was extinguished in the ocean. But supposing them all to be in their boats, we hung out our lanterns and kept firing till eight o'clock in the morning; when with our perspectives, we beheld two boats full of people making towards us tho' the tide was against them then spreading out our ancient; and hanging out a waft, as a signal for them to come on board, in half an hour's time; we came up to them, and took them all in, there being no less than sixty-four men, women, and children. It was a French merchant ship of three hundred tons; homeward bound from Quebec in the river of Canada. The master informed me how, by the negligence of the steersman, the steerage was set on fire: that, at his outcry for help, the fire was, as we thought totally extinguished; but, that some sparks getting between the timber, and within the ceiling, it proceeded into the hold, where there was no resisting it; & then they got into their boats, as creatures in the last extremity, with what provision they had, together with oars, sails, and a compass, intending to go back to Newfoundland, the wind blowing at S.E. and by E. though there were several chances against them as storms to overset and founder them, rains and colds to benumb and perish their limbs, and contrary winds to keep them back and starve them; But, said he, in this our great distress we heard the welcome report of your guns, when with unspeakable joy, taking down our masts and sails, we were resolved to lie by till morning; but perceiving your light, we set our oars at work, to keep our boat a head, the sooner to attain your ship, the happy instrument of our deliverance.
Indeed no one can express the joy of these poor creatures on this occasion: fear and grief are easily set forth; sighs and tears, with a few motions of the hands and head, are all the demonstrations of these passions; but an excess of joy, carries in it a thousand extravagancies; especially, I think, among the French, whose temper is allowed to be more volatile, passionate, sprightly, and gay, than that of other nations. Some were weeping, tearing themselves in the greatest agonies of sorrow, and running stark mad about the ship, while the rest were stamping with their feet, wringing their hands, singing, laughing, swooning away, vomiting, fainting, with a few returning hearty thanks to the Almighty; and crossing themselves. I think, if I am not mistaken, our surgeon was obliged to let thirty of them blood. But among the passengers, there were two priests, the one an old, and the other a young man; but what amazed me more was, that the oldest was in the worst plight; for no sooner did he perceive himself freed from danger, but he dropt down as it were without life, and to every one's appearance quite dead; but the surgeon chasing and rubbing his arm, opened a vein, which at first dropped, and then flowing more freely, the old man began to open his eyes; and in a quarter of an hour was well again. But soon remembering this happy change, the joy of which whirled his blood about faster than the vessels could convey it, he became so feverish, as made him more fit for bedlam than any other place. But the surgeon giving him a sleepy dose, he was perfectly composed the next morning.