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I　pressed　this　home　to　him　with　so　many　arguments；　and　

answered　all　his　own　passionate　objections　so　effectually　that　

he　embraced　me；　and　told　me　I　treated　him　with　such　sincerity　

and　affection　as　overcame　him；　that　he　would　take　my　advice；　

and　would　strive　to　submit　to　his　fate　in　hope　of　having　the　

comfort　of　my　assistance；　and　of　so　faithful　a　counsellor　and　

such　a　companion　in　his　misery。　　But　still　he　put　me　in　mind　

of　what　I　had　mentioned　before；　namely；　that　there　might　be　

some　way　to　get　off　before　he　went；　and　that　it　might　be　

possible　to　avoid　going　at　all；　which　he　said　would　be　much　

better。　　I　told　him　he　should　see；　and　be　fully　satisfied；　that　I　

would　do　my　utmost　in　that　part　too；　and　if　it　did　not　succeed；　

yet　that　I　would　make　good　the　rest。



We　parted　after　this　long　conference　with　such　testimonies　of　

kindness　and　affection　as　I　thought　were　equal；　if　not　superior；　

to　that　at　our　parting　at　Dunstable；　and　now　I　saw　more　plainly　

than　before；　the　reason　why　he　declined　coming　at　that　time　

any　farther　with　me　toward　London　than　Dunstable；　and　why；　

when　we　parted　there；　he　told　me　it　was　not　convenient　for　

him　to　come　part　of　the　way　to　London　to　bring　me　going；　as　

he　would　otherwise　have　done。　　I　have　observed　that　the　

account　of　his　life　would　have　made　a　much　more　pleasing　

history　than　this　of　mine；　and；　indeed；　nothing　in　it　was　more　

strange　than　this　part；　viz。　that　he　carried　on　that　desperate　

trade　full　five…and…twenty　years　and　had　never　been　taken；　

the　success　he　had　met　with　had　been　so　very　uncommon；　and　

such　that　sometimes　he　had　lived　handsomely；　and　retired　in　

place　for　a　year　or　two　at　a　time；　keeping　himself　and　a　

man…servant　to　wait　on　him；　and　had　often　sat　in　the　

coffee…houses　and　heard　the　very　people　whom　he　had　robbed　

give　accounts　of　their　being　robbed；　and　of　the　place　and　

circumstances；　so　that　he　could　easily　remember　that　it　was　

the　same。



In　this　manner；　it　seems；　he　lived　near　Liverpool　at　the　time　

he　unluckily　married　me　for　a　fortune。　　Had　I　been　the　fortune　

he　expected；　I　verily　believe；　as　he　said；　that　he　would　have　

taken　up　and　lived　honestly　all　his　days。



He　had　with　the　rest　of　his　misfortunes　the　good　luck　not　to　

be　actually　upon　the　spot　when　the　robbery　was　done　which　

he　was　committed　for；　and　so　none　of　the　persons　robbed　

could　swear　to　him；　or　had　anything　to　charge　upon　him。　　But　

it　seems　as　he　was　taken　with　the　gang；　one　hard…mouthed　

countryman　swore　home　to　him；　and　they　were　like　to　have　

others　come　in　according　to　the　publication　they　had　made；　

so　that　they　expected　more　evidence　against　him；　and　for　that　

reason　he　was　kept　in　hold。



However；　the　offer　which　was　made　to　him　of　admitting　him　to　

transportation　was　made；　as　I　understood；　upon　the　intercession　

of　some　great　person　who　pressed　him　hard　to　accept　of　it　before　

a　trial；　and　indeed；　as　he　knew　there　were　several　that　might　

come　in　against　him；　I　thought　his　friend　was　in　the　right；　and　

I　lay　at　him　night　and　day　to　delay　it　no　longer。



At　last；　with　much　difficulty；　he　gave　his　consent；　and　as　he　

was　not　therefore　admitted　to　transportation　in　court；　and　on　

his　petition；　as　I　was；　so　he　found　himself　under　a　difficulty　

to　avoid　embarking　himself　as　I　had　said　he　might　have　done；　

his　great　friend；　who　was　his　intercessor　for　the　favour　of　that　

grant；　having　given　security　for　him　that　he　should　transport　

himself；　and　not　return　within　the　term。



This　hardship　broke　all　my　measures；　for　the　steps　I　took　

afterwards　for　my　own　deliverance　were　hereby　rendered　

wholly　ineffectual；　unless　I　would　abandon　him；　and　leave　

him　to　go　to　America　by　himself；　than　which　he　protested　he　

would　much　rather　venture；　although　he　were　certain　to　go　

directly　to　the　gallows。



I　must　now　return　to　my　case。　　The　time　of　my　being　transported　

according　to　my　sentence　was　near　at　hand；　my　governess；　who　

continued　my　fast　friend；　had　tried　to　obtain　a　pardon；　but　it　

could　not　be　done　unless　with　an　expense　too　heavy　for　my　

purse；　considering　that　to　be　left　naked　and　empty；　unless　I　had　

resolved　to　return　to　my　old　trade　again；　had　been　worse　than　

my　transportation；　because　there　I　knew　I　could　live；　here　I　

could　not。　　The　good　minister　stood　very　hard　on　another　

account　to　prevent　my　being　transported　also；　but　he　was　

answered；　that　indeed　my　life　had　been　given　me　at　his　first　

solicitations；　and　therefore　he　ought　to　ask　no　more。　He　was　

sensibly　grieved　at　my　going；　because；　as　he　said；　he　feared　I　

should　lose　the　good　impressions　which　a　prospect　of　death　

had　at　first　made　on　me；　and　which　were　since　increased　by　

his　instructions；　and　the　pious　gentleman　was　exceedingly　

concerned　about　me　on　that　account。



On　the　other　hand；　I　really　was　not　so　solicitous　about　it　as　I　

was　before；　but　I　industriously　concealed　my　reasons　for　it　

from　the　minister；　and　to　the　last　he　did　not　know　but　that　I　

went　with　the　utmost　reluctance　and　affliction。



It　was　in　the　month　of　February　that　I　was；　with　seven　other　

convicts；　as　they　called　us；　delivered　to　a　merchant　that　traded　

to　Virginia；　on　board　a　ship；　riding；　as　they　called　it；　in　

Deptford　Reach。　　The　officer　of　the　prison　delivered　us　on　

board；　and　the　master　of　the　vessel　gave　a　discharge　for　us。



We　were　for　that　night　clapped　under　hatches；　and　kept　so　

close　that　I　thought　I　should　have　been　suffocated　for　want　

of　air；　and　the　next　morning　the　ship　weighed；　and　fell　down　

the　river　to　a　place　they　call　Bugby's　Hole；　which　was　done；　

as　they　told　us；　by　the　agreement　of　the　merchant；　that　all　

opportunity　of　escape　should　be　taken　from　us。　　However；　

when　the　ship　came　thither　and　cast　anchor；　we　were　allowed　

more　liberty；　and　particularly　were　permitted　to　come　up　on　

the　deck；　but　not　up　on　the　quarter…deck；　that　being　kept　

particularly　for　the　captain　and　for　passengers。



When　by　the　noise　of　the　men　over　my　head；　and　the　motion　

of　the　ship；　I　perceived　that　they　were　under　sail；　I　was　at　first　

greatly　surprised；　fearing　we　should　go　away　directly；　and　that　

our　friends　would　not　be　admitted　to　see　us　any　more；　but　I　

was　easy　soon　after；　when　I　found　they　had　come　to　an　anchor　

again；　and　soon　after　that　we　had　notice　given　by　some　of　the　

men　where　we　were；　that　the　next　morning　we　should　have　

the　liberty　to　come　up　on　deck；　and　to　have　our　friends　come　

and　see　us　if　we　had　any。



All　that　night　I　lay　upon　the　hard　boards　of　the　deck；　as　the　

passengers　did；　but　we　had　afterwards　the　liberty　of　little　

cabins　for　such　of　us　as　had　any　bedding　to　lay　in　them；　and　

room　to　stow　any　box　or　trunk　for　clothes　and　linen；　if　we　

had　it　（which　might　well　be　put　in）；　for　some　of　them　had　

neither　shirt　nor　shift　or　a　rag　of　linen　or　woollen；　but　what　

was　on　their　backs；　or　a　farthing　of　money　to　help　themselves；　

and　yet　I　did　not　find　but　they　fared　well　enough　in　the　ship；　

especially　the　women；　who　got　money　from　the　seamen　for　

washing　their　clothes；　sufficient　to　　purchase　any　common　

things　that　they　wanted。



When　the　next　morning　we　had　the　liberty　to　come　up　on　the　

deck；　I　asked　one　of　the　officers　of　the　ship；　whether　I　might　

not　have　the　liberty　to　send　a　letter　on　shore；　to　let　my　friends　

know　where　the　ship　lay；　and　to　get　some　necessary　things　

sent　to　me。　　This　was；　it　seems；　the　boatswain；　a　very　civil；　

courteous　sort　of　man；　who　told　me　I　should　have　that；　or　any　

other　liberty　that　I　desired；　that　he　could　allow　me　with　safety。　

　I　told　him　I　desired　no　other；　and　he　answered　that　the　ship's　

boat　would　go　up　to　London　the　next　tide；　and　he　would　order　

my　letter　to　be　carried。




Accordingly；　when　the　boat　went　off；　the　boatswain　came　to　

me　and　told　me　the　boat　was　going　off；　and　that　he　went　in　it　

himself；　and　asked　me　if　my　letter　was　ready　he　would　take　

care　of　it。　　I　had　prepared　myself；　you　may　be　sure；　pen；　ink；　

and　paper　beforehand；　and　I　had　gotten　a　letter　ready　directed　

to　my　governess；　and　enclosed　another　for　my　fellow…prisoner；　

which；　however；　I　did　not　let　her　know　was　my　husband；　not　

to　the　last。　　In　that　to　my　governess；　I　let　her　know　where　the　

ship　lay；　and　pressed　her　earnestly　to　send　me　what　things　I　

knew　she　had　got　ready　for　me　for　my　voyage。



When　I　gave　the　boatswain　the　letter；　I　gave　him　a　shilling　

with　it；　which　I　told　him　was　for　the　charge　of　a　messenger　

or　porter；　which　I　entreated　him　to　send　with　the　letter　as　

soon　as　he　came　on　shore；　that　if　possible　I　might　have　an　

answer　brought　back　by　the　same　hand；　that　I　might　know　

what　was　become　of　my　things；　'for　sir；'　says　I；　'if　the　ship　

should　go　away　before　I　have　them　on　board；　I　am　undone。'



I　took　care；　when　I　gave　him　the　shilling；　to　let　him　see　that　

I　had　a　little　better　furniture　about　me　than　the　ordinary