Now to sum up all, and draw to a conclusion, we will account, that for the repairing dilapidations, and decayes in the houseing, and all Utensills belonging thereunto,

l.s.d.
We will allow yearly to issue out of the Profits, that arise upon the Plantation5000000
As also for the moderate decayes of our Negres, Horses, and Cattle, notwithstanding all our Recruits by breeding all those kinds5000000
For forraign provisions of victualls for our servants and some of our slaves, we will allow yearly1000000
For wages to our principall Overseer yearly500000
By the Abstract of the charge of Cloathing the five subordinate Overseers yearly.270500
By the Abstract of Clothing, the remaining 14 men-servants yearly581600
By the Abstract of Cloathing four women-servants that attend in the house190400
By the Abstract of the remaining six women-servants, that do the common work abroad in the fields.210600
The charge of thirty Rug Gowns for these thirty servants371000
By the abstract of the cloathing of fifty men-Negres150000
By the abstract for the cloathing of fifty women-Negres200000
Sum totall of the expences is13490100
Sum totall of the yearly profits of the Plantation88660000
So the clear profit of this Plantation of 500 acres of land amounts to yearly75161900

A large Revenue for so small a sum as 14000 l. to purchase, where the Seller does not receive two years value by 1000 l. and upwards; and yet gives daies of payment.

I have been believed in all, or the most part, of my former descriptions and computations, concerning this Iland, and the waies to attain the profits that are there to be gathered; but when I come to this point, no man gives me credit, the businesse seeming impossible, that any understanding man, that is owner of a Plantation of this value, should sell it for so inconsiderable a sum: and I do not at all blame the incredulity of these persons; for, if experience had not taught me the contrary, I should undoubtedly be of their perswasion. But lest I should, by an over-weening opinion, hope, that my experience (which is only to my selfe) should mislead any man besides his reason, which every knowing man ought to be guided and governed by, I will without strayning or forcing a reason, deliver a plain and naked truth, in as plain language, as is fitting such a subject, which I doubt not but will perswade much in the businesse.

’Tis a known truth there, that no man has attained to such a fortune as this, upon a small beginning, that has not met with many rubs and obstacles in his way, and sometimes fallings back, let his pains and industry be what it will: I call those fallings back, when either by fire, which often happens there; or death of Cattle, which is as frequent as the other; or by losses at Sea, which sometimes will happen, of which I can bring lively instances: If either of these misfortunes fall, it stands in an equall ballance, whether ever that man recover, upon whom these misfortunes fall: But, if two of these happen together, or one in the neck of another, there is great odds to be laid, that he never shall be able to redeem himselfe, from an inevitable ruine; For, if fire happen, his stock is consumed, and sometimes his house; if his Cattle die, the work stands still, and with either of these, his credit falls; so as if he be not well friended, he never can entertain a hope to rise again.

These toyls of body and minde, and these misfortunes together, will depresse and wear out the best spirits in the world, and will cause them to think, what a happie thing it is, to spend the remainder of their lives in rest and quiet in their own Countries. And I do believe, there are few of them, whose mindes are not over-ballanc’d with avarice and lucre, that would not be glad to sell good penni-worths, to settle themselves quietly in England. Besides the casualties which I have named, there is yet one of neerer Concern then all the rest, and that is, their own healths, than which, nothing is more to be valued; for, sicknesses are there more grievous, and mortality greater by far, than in England, and these diseases many times contagious: And if a rich man, either by his own ill diet or distemper, or by infection, fall into such a sicknesse, he will finde there a plentifull want of such remedies, as are to be found in England. Other reasons, and strong ones, they have, that induce them to hanker after their own Country, and those are, to enjoy the company of their old friends, and to raise up families to themselves, with a Sum which they have acquired by their toyle and industry, and often hazards of their lives, whose beginnings were slight and inconsiderable; and what can be a greater comfort, both to themselves, and their friends, then such an enjoyment. But I speak not this to discourage any man, that has a mind to improve his Estate, by adventuring upon such a Purchase; for, though the Planter, by long and tedious pain and industry, have worn out his life, in the acquist of his fortune; yet, the Buyer, by his purchase, is so well and happily seated, as he need endure no such hardships, but may go on in the managing his businesse, with much ease, and some pleasure; and in a dosen years, return back with a very plentifull fortune, and may carry with him from England, better remedies for his health, then they, who for a long time had neither means to provide, nor mony to purchase it; for, though some Simples grow there, that are more proper for the bodies of the Natives, than any we can bring from forraigne parts, and no doubt would be so for our bodies too, if wee knew the true use of them; yet wanting that knowledge, we are faine to make use of our own.

But when able and skilfull Physitians shall come, whose knowledge can make the right experiment and use of the vertues of those simples that grow there, they will no doubt finde them more efficatious, and prevalent to their healths, then those they bring from forraine parts. For certainely every Climate produces Simples more proper to cure the diseases that are bred there, than those that are transported from any other part of the world: such care the great Physitian to mankind takes for our convenience.

Somewhat I have said of the diseases that raigne in Generall in this Iland, but have falne on no particular, though I have felt the power and Tyranny of it upon mine own body, as much as any man that has past through it to death, though it pleased the mercifull God to raise me up againe: for I have it to shew under the hand of Colonell Thomas Modiford in whose house I lay sick, that he saw me dead without any appearance of life, three several times, not as in sounding but dying fits, and yet recover’d at last.

To tell the tedious particulars of my sicknesse, and the severall drenches our Ignorant Quacksalvers there gave me, will prove but a troublesome relation, and therefore I am willing to decline it: Only this much, that it began with a Fever, and as it is the custome of that disease there to cause Bindings, Costivenesse, and consequently Gripings, and Tortions in the Bowels, so it far’d with me, that for a fortnight together had not the least evacuation by Seige, which put me to such Torment as in all that time I have not slept; and want of that, wore me out to such a weaknesse, as I was not then in a condition to take any remedy at all. This excessive heat within begat a new torment within me, the Stone; which stopt my passage so as in foureteen dayes together no drop of water came from me; But contrary to my expectation, God Almighty sent me a Remedie for that, and such a one as all the whole world cannot afford the like: for in ten hours after I tooke it, I found my selfe not onely eas’d, but perfectly cur’d of that Torment, at least for the present, for it not only broke, but brought away all the Stones and gravell that stopt my passage, so that my water came as freely from me as ever, and carried before it such quantities of broken stones and gravell, as in my whole life I have not seen the like. About three weeks or a month after this, I became in the same distresse and felt the like Torment, whereupon I took the same medicine; which gave me the same help. Now if it did thus to a body so worne out as mine, where Nature was so decay’d as it could operate little to the cure; what will this medicine doe, when it meets with such Organs as can contribute mainly to assist it? But I give the reader but a sooty relation of my Maladies, and indeed very unfit for his eares, yet when I shal prescribe the remedy, which may happen to concerne him, I may hope to make him amends: for truly my touching upon the disease, was but to usher in the cure, which shall follow close after, and ’tis briefly thus. Take the Pisle of a green Turtle, which lives in the Sea, dry it with a moderate heat, pound it in a Morter to powder, and take of this as much as wil lye upon a shilling, in Beere or the like, Ale or White wine, and in a very short time it will doe the cure. If this secret had bin known in Europe but a dosen years since, no doubt we had bin well stor’d with it by this time, for ’tis to be had both at the Charibby and Lucayicke Ilands, where these fishes abound.