CHAP. IV.

Wherein the Captain acquaints his fair Subfcribers with his Intent to leave the Ifland; and their generous Behaviour thereupon. His Friend Stardall difcovers a Secret to him; to which the Captain makes him a very fatisfactory Reply.

IT is very probable that many People who

may perufe this Journal, might expect, and perhaps defire to find it better frought with Amours and Love-Intrigues; but when they fhall please to confider that the two chiefeft Views, which employ'd my whole Time and Intention while I was upon this Ifland, was my amaffing a little Fortune, for the fake of my Angelica, and how to gain my native Country therewith; they will, I believe, readily grant, that the more I had given Way to fuch Employment as I have juft mention'd, the less I muft have fucceeded in what I moft defired.: not, but that I had my Leifure Hours of Dalliance, too; and could, perhaps, furnish forth fome pleasant Adventures which I there shared of, as worthy the Prefs as many that have lately had that Honour beftow'd upon them. How

ever,

ever, my Views, at prefent, are a little more contracted; for fhould I enter a Strain of that Sort, I fhould not have Room for half the more usefull Matter which I have yet to treat of: and as I do imagine that most of my Readers may be fomewhat impatient of being now brought fomething nearer home, I fhall only atthis Time, flightly touch on one remarkable Accident that I met with on that Coast, and then perhaps lead the Reader into a new Track.

I had now fullfill'd the three Years upon the Ifland, for which the aforefaid generous Ladies had fo nobly engaged for my princely Support; and which Engagement they had as faithfully fullfill'd, when I waited on them every one, feparately, in Form, beginning with my firft Subfcribers and fo on, according to their Rank, to return them my moft fincere Thanks for the many Inftances of their Generofity and Goodnefs, which I had receiv'd from them and intimating to them, that I had a moft earneft Defire to see my native Country once again, I not only recommended to their good Consideration the beft Means for my fo doing, but alfo demanded their abfolute Decree for the Difpofal of my Plate, Furniture, &c. which they had before been pleased to bestow upon me: For as I was a Foreigner, and an abfolute Stranger, who had entirely fubfifted on their unparallel'd Bounty, I

thought,

thought, it no less than my most incumbent Duty (as I intended with the first Oportunity. to leave the Island) to take their Inftructions. for the difpofal of thofe Things, which were of fuch a Nature, as not to fuit with a Conveniency of Exportation, or rather Carriage; efpe-: cially, as they had at first bestow'd them upon me, I thought, I could not offer them a greater Slight, or Affront, for their Benevolence towards me, than by difpofing of these Goods without their Confent and Approbation. And, alfo, because I did not know, but that they would fooner chufe to have them return'd, than. that they should be difpofed of by public-Sale., But herein they likewife maintain'd a true Greatness of Mind, equal to their general Actions; for they reprov'd me for my Motion, in fuch a Manner as almoft ftifled me with Con-, fufion and by which, I now found that I hazarded no blame by difpofing them to the beft. Advantage. This was a Point that gave me great Satisfaction in its being now fettled; because, whenever it fhould fo happen, that I fhould find an Opportnnity to execute my De-, parture, I fhould then know, what to do on that Head; without Fear, or Lofs of Time. And here, thefe worthy Ladies, fhew'd themfelves Perfons of Understanding equal to their. Generofity and Beauty; For, at the fame Time, although

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although they would readily have renew'd their Subscription, for any Term I could have wish'd for; yet, they confider'd my Defire as fo natural and reasonable in me, that they seem'd ra ther to join with my Wish, than to blame me for encouraging of it. And as a further Proof of their continued Friendfhip, they promised me to use their utmost Interest and Endeavours with the Miniftry for fuch Affiftance as I might judge moft needfull to facilitate my Undertaking, whenever I should think proper. Which fresh Instance of their unmerited Goodness towards me, fill'd me with a more gratefull Senfe of their Humanity and Bounty, than all they had done for me before.

As I never tranfacted any Thing of the leaft Confequence without either acquainting, or confulting with my Friend Stardall about it; fo, in this Respect, I had alfo taken his Opinion along with me. The Noife of my foon leaving the Ifland, was publicly blazed about as a Matter of great Wonder, fince no one could affign the least Likelihood of it, by the strange History of my coming thither. Indeed I often wifh'd for an English Quadrant there, that I might have made fome obfervatory Experiments; but I knew fo little of the Art of Navigation, I am not certain it would have been of any great Service to me. However, difficult as it was,

as

my whole Soul was fo bent on the Undertaking, that no Confideration was fufficient in the least to abate my fixt Refolution. But this Report of my Going was the Occafion of an Accident, which gave me the most inexpreffible Pain I ever in my Life felt. My Friend Stardall had a Daughter named Junetta, who was at this Time about fixteen Years of Age: fhe was his only Child, very beautifull, well-made, and of a fweet Difpofition. This amiable young Creature had always been fond of me from my firft Coming to her Father's Houfe; and as I look'd upon him as my Preserver and only Patron, it is no great Wonder that I should be more than commonly civil to his only Child: fo that, if I was frequently making her little Prefents, and more than ordinarily fond and in-dulgent to her, my Readers may eafily imagine, that it was more out of a tender and unfeigned Regard to the lovely Daughter of my most dear Friend and Benefactor; than any other View or Design. However, Nature was here a little too cruelly gratefull in her; for the no fooner came to understand that I was bent to leave the Inland as foon as I conveniently could, but she began to wax melancholy. A heavy Sadnefs took Place about her Heart: and the blooming Roses on her Cheeks began to fade way. This affecting Change, her Father firft

took