particularly; assuring him, that it was my intention, not only to come
to him, but to settle myself there for the remainder of my life. To this
I added a very handsome present of some Italian silks for his wife and
two daughters, for such the captain's son informed me he had; with two
pieces of fine English broad-cloth, the best I could get in Lisbon, five
pieces of black bays, and some Flanders lace of a good value.

Having thus settled my affairs, sold my cargo, and turned all my effects
into good bills of exchange, my next difficulty was, which way to go to
England. I had been accustomed enough to the sea, and yet I had a
strange aversion to go to England by sea at that time; and though I
could give no reason for it, yet the difficulty increased upon me so
much, that though I had once shipped my baggage in order to go, yet I
altered my mind, and that not once, but two or three times.

It is true, I had been very unfortunate by sea, and this might be one of
the reasons. But let no man slight the strong impulses of his own
thoughts in cases of such moment. Two of the ships which I had singled
out to go in, I mean more particularly singled out than any other, that
is to say, so as in one of them to put my things on board, and in the
other to have agreed with the captain; I say, two of these ships
miscarried, viz. one was taken by the Algerines, and the other was cast
away on the Start, near Torbay, and all the people drowned except three;
so that in either of those vessels I had been made miserable, and in
which most, it was hard to say.

Having been thus harassed in my thoughts, my old pilot, to whom I
communicated every thing, pressed me earnestly not to go to sea; but
either to go by land to the Groyne, and cross over the Bay of Biscay to
Rochelle, from whence it was but an easy and safe journey by land to