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