Page:An English Garner Ingatherings from Our History and Literature (Volume 1 1877).pdf/394

 Being come into my old quarters, by pretending that this man was sent down from the magistrate to see that my debts and demands might be duly paid and discharged, I chanced to recover some of them; and the rest I gave over for lost: for I never more looked after them. And so I began the world anew; and, by the blessing of God, was again pretty well recruited, before I left this town.

In the time of my residence here [at Lagoondenia], I chanced to hear of a small piece of land that was to be sold; about which I made very diligent inquiry: for although I was sore a weary of living in this town, yet I could not get out of it; not having other new quarters appointed me, unless I could provide a place for myself to remove to; which now God had put into my hand. As for the King's command I dreaded it not much, having found by observation that the King's orders wore away by time, and that the neglect of them comes at last to be unregarded. However I was resolved to put it to the hazard, come what would.

Although I had been now some seven or eight years in this land, and by this time came to know pretty well the customs and constitutions of the nation, yet I would not trust my own knowledge; but to prevent the worst, I went to the Governor of that same country where the land lay, to desire his advice, whether or not I might lawfully buy that small piece of land. He inquired "whose, and what land it was?" I informed him "that it had been formerly dedicated to a priest, and he at his death had left it to his grandson; who for want, was forced to sell it." Understanding this, the Governor approved of the business, and encouraged me to buy it; saying "that such kind of lands only, were lawful here to be bought and sold, and that this was not in the least litigious."

Having gotten both his consent and advice, I went on cheerfully with my purchase. The place also liked [pleased] me wondrously well: it being a point of land, standing into a cornfield; so that cornfields were on three sides of it, and just before my door, a little corn ground belonging thereto and very well watered. In the ground besides eight cocoa-nut trees, there were all sorts of fruit trees that the country afforded. But it had been so long desolate that it was all overgrown with bushes, and had no sign of a house therein.