They told me they traded with small vessels to Norbon for metals, which they carried home, and wrought great part of it themselves, sending it to and dispersing it in several islands at a distance; and also sold the unwrought to several people who carried it they knew not whither in great ships. They said they kept abundance of hands at work in the trade. I asked if their artificers wrought it for their own profit, or their masters'. They told me for masters, themselves being all slaves.—"And are you all slaves?" says I.—They told me "Yes, all but one," pointing to him. I then ordered him to be secured and removed; and told them if they would procure some hands to settle at Norbon and Mount Alkoe, they should all be made free, have lands assigned them, and have other privileges, and I did not doubt in time would become the richest men in the country; for I understood by them they were acquainted with the use of money. I asked them what other commodities they brought to Norbon in exchange.
They said clothes for the people, both what they received in exchange from others who bought their iron, and some of a coarser sort of their own making. I found in my discourse I had with them, that out of my eleven men there were persons of four different occupations; so I promised those who would stay with me their freedoms, good houses, and other rewards: and sending three hands home with the vessel, and a full freight, according to the value of the cargo they brought, I ordered them to engage as many as they could of their countrymen of distinct trades, to come and settle with me; and to be sure, if they had any grain, corn, roots, plants, or seeds, usually eaten for food, to bring all they could get with them, and they should have good returns for them; and as to those good hands that settled here, they should be allowed all materials to work for their own profit the first year, and after that they should also work for themselves, allowing the king one-tenth of the clear profit. This took so far with them, that it was with the utmost difficulty I got any of them to carry the ship back, for fear they should not be able to return.
Before I parted from them, I assigned the eight who were left all proper conveniences, and recommended them to the king's protection; and I ordered the owner, then in custody, to be conducted to Mount Alkoe, and from thence to Brandleguarp; where, treating him kindly and giving him liberty, I made my proper use of him.
The king having lent me a convoy to conduct my prisoner, and given me a license for as many cattle of the sorts I chose as I pleased to drive to Georigetti's dominions, I made them drive a great number of sheep of the finest wool I ever saw, and very large also; a great number of creatures not unlike an ass for shape, but with two upright horns and short ears, which gave abundance of rich milk; and also some swine. All these were drove to, and distributed at my new colony, where I let them remain till I had provided a proper receptacle for them at Doorpt Swangeanti, near the woods; when I brought many over the Black Mountain, and distributed there, with directions how to manage them; and in about seven years' time we held a little beast-market near Brandle-guarp twice a year, where the spare cattle were brought up, and preserved in salt till the next market; for I had some years before made large salt-works near the sea at Mount Alkoe, which employed abundance of hands, and was now become a considerable trade.
We had iron, copper, and silver money, which went very current; and had butter and cheese from the farms near the woods, as plenty as we had the fruits before, great numbers of families having settled there; and there was scarce a family but was of some occupation or other.
By the accounts I received from the mines, from time to time, it was prodigious to hear what vast quantities of metals were prepared in one year now, by little above one-third of the hands that were usually employed in them before; for now the men's ambition was to leave a good week's work done at their return, for an example to those who were coming; and the overseers told me they would sing and work with the greatest delight imaginable, whilst they pleased themselves with telling one another how they intended to spend the next fourteen days.
