Page:Life and astonishing adventures of Peter Williamson (1).pdf/7

7 at leisure hours. With this good master continued till I was seventeen years old, when  died; and, as a reward for my faithful service,  left me £200 currency, which was then about 150 sterling, his best horse, saddle, and all his caring apparel.

Being now my own master, having money in pocket, and all other necessaries, I employed  in jobbing about the country, working for  one that would employ me, for near seven, when, thinking I had money sufficient to  some better way of life, I resolved to settle, but thought one step necessary thereto was  be married; for which purpose I applied to  daughter of a substantial planter, and found  suit was not unacceptable to her or her father,  that matters were soon concluded upon, and  married. My father-in-law, in order to establish us in the world in an easy, if not affluent manner, made me a deed of gift of a tract of land, lay, unhappily for me, as it has since proved,  the frontiers of the province of Pennsylvania,  the forks of Delaware, in Berks County,  about 200 acres; 30 of which were well cleared, and fit for immediate use, whereon was a good house and barn. The place pleasing me well, I settled on it, though it cost me the major part of my money in buying stock, household furniture, and implements for out-door work;