Still was I confused, and now worried Amaral had mistook me for some other acquaintance, and then he told me that before taking the Christian name of Zachary, after Zachariah, his adopted son had been called Xury, the boy he had bought from me and whom he had come to love as much as any father loves their son. As Xury had learnt more and better English, he had told his father of the almustazeb, and of the awful things he saw on our voyage along the coast of Africk, and sometimes the boy would wake screaming and in tears with fright.
This shamed me, for I had not given much thought to Xury over the years, tho' without him I would still be a prisoner of Sallee, or dead, and I had no words to express my sadness that he had been haunted by the beast for so many years.
At this, tho', my man Friday stepped forward, for he had been there at my side all along, and spoke sharply to my defense. "Master is good man," said he. "The best mans. The beast keep him alive on island and protect him and save many lifes." Even cloathed now in the good fashions of Europe, Friday was most intimidating, and still wore his great wooden sword.
His loud words did start Amaral for a moment, but the old captain shook them off and assured us he did not seek to lay blame or to expose secrets. He was a happy man who loved his son, and wish'd only to repay an old friend for bringing them together. While he knew of my hidden nature, he could not see evil in that which had brought a son to him, nor could he find any but love in his heart for me because of it.
Every thing the good man said was full of affection, and I could hardly refrain from tears while he spoke. I took one hundred of the moidores and return'd him the rest, and told him if ever I had possession of the plantation, I would return the other to him also. As to the bill of sale of his part in his son's ship, I would not take it by any means. If I wanted the money, I found he was honest enough to pay me. If I came to receive what he gave me reason to expect, I would never have a penny more from him. I also swore to write a letter to his son Zachary, who had been Xury, and beg the grown man's forgiveness for the fears of his childhood.
When this was pass'd, Amaral asked me if he should put me into a method to make my claim to my plantation? I told him I thought to go over to it myself. He said I might do so if I pleased. If I did not, there were ways enough to secure my right and to appropriate the profits to my use. As there were ships in the river of Lisbon just ready to go away to Brasil, he made me enter my name in a public register, with his affidavit affirming upon oath that I was alive, and I was the same person who took up the land for the planting of said plantation at first.
Never was any thing more honourable than the proceedings upon this procuration. In less than seven months I received a large packet from the survivors of my trustees, in which were the following particular letters and papers enclosed.
First, There was the account-current of the produce of my farm or plantation, from the year when their fathers had balanced with Captain Amaral, being for six years. The balance appeared to be 1,174 moidores in my favour.
Secondly, There was the account of four years more before the government claimed the administration, as being the effects of a person not to be found, which they called civil death. The balance of this amounted to 19,446 crusadoes, being about 3,241 moidores.
Thirdly, There was the prior of Augustine's account, who had received the profits for above fourteen years. Not being able to account for what was disposed of by the hospital, declared he had 872 moidores not distributed, which he acknowledged to my account.
There was a letter of my partner's, congratulating me upon my being alive, giving me an account how the estate was improved, and inviting me very passionately to come over and take possession of my own. It concluded with a hearty tender of his friendship and that of his family. Also he sent me, as a present, seven fine leopards' skins, five chests of sweetmeats, and a hundred pieces of gold uncoin'd, not quite so large as moidores. By the same fleet, my two merchant-trustees shipped me 1,200 chests of sugar, 800 rolls of tobacco, and the rest of the whole account in gold.
I was now master, all on a sudden, of above five thousand pounds sterling in money, and had an estate, as I might well call it, in the Brasils, of above a thousand pounds a year, as sure as an estate of lands in England. In a word, I was in a condition which I scarce knew how to understand, or how to compose myself for the enjoyment of it.