Indeed，thecaptainhadassuranceenoughofourresolutions
togo，forthathavingmadesuchprovisiontosettlethere，it
didnotseemrationalthatwewouldchoosetoremainhereat
theexpenseandperiloflife，forsuchitmusthavebeenifwe
hadbeentakenagain。
Inaword，wewentallonshorewith
thecaptain，andsuppedtogetherinGravesend，wherewewere
verymerry，stayedallnight，layatthehousewherewesupped，
andcameallveryhonestlyonboardagainwithhiminthe
morning。
Hereweboughttendozenbottlesofgoodbeer，some
wine，somefowls，andsuchthingsaswethoughtmightbe
acceptableonboard。
Mygovernesswaswithusallthiswhile，andwentwithus
roundintotheDowns，asdidalsothecaptain’swife，with
whomshewentback。
Iwasneversosorrowfulatparting
withmyownmotherasIwasatpartingwithher，andInever
sawhermore。
Wehadafaireasterlywindsprungupthethird
dayafterwecametotheDowns，andwesailedfromthence
the10thofApril。
Nordidwetouchanymoreatanyplace，
till，beingdrivenonthecoastofIrelandbyaveryhardgale
ofwind，theshipcametoananchorinalittlebay，nearthe
mouthofariver，whosenameIremembernot，buttheysaid
therivercamedownfromLimerick，andthatitwasthelargest
riverinIreland。
Here，beingdetainedbybadweatherforsometime，thecaptain，
whocontinuedthesamekind，good-humouredmanasat
first，tookustwoonshorewithhimagain。
Heiditnowin
kindnesstomyhusbandindeed，whoboretheseaveryill，and
wasverysick，especiallywhenitblewsohard。
Herewe
boughtinagainastoreoffreshprovisions，especiallybeef，
pork，mutton，andfowls，andthecaptainstayedtopickleup
fiveorsixbarrelsofbeeftolengthenouttheship’sstore。
We
wereherenotabovefivedays，whentheweatherturningmild，
andafairwind，wesetsailagain，andintwo-and-fortydays
camesafetothecoastofVirginia。
Whenwedrewneartotheshore，thecaptaincalledmetohim，
andtoldmethathefoundbymydiscourseIhadsomerelations
intheplace，andthatIhadbeentherebefore，andsohesupposed
Iunderstoodthecustomintheirdisposingtheconvictprisoners
whentheyarrived。
ItoldhimIdidnot，andthatastowhat
relationsIhadintheplace，hemightbesureIwouldmake
myselfknowntononeofthemwhileIwasinthecircumstances
ofaprisoner，andthatastotherest，weleftourselvesentirely
tohimtoassistus，ashewaspleasedtopromiseushewould
do。
HetoldmeImustgetsomebodyintheplacetocomeand
buyusasservants，andwhomustanswerforustothegovernor
ofthecountry，ifhedemandedus。
Itoldhimweshoulddoas
sheshoulddirect；sohebroughtaplantertotreatwithhim，as
itwere，forthepurchaseofthesetwoservants，myhusband
andme，andtherewewereformallysoldtohim，andwent
ashorewithhim。
Thecaptainwentwithus，andcarriedusto
acertainhouse，whetheritwastobecalledatavernornotI
knownot，butwehadabowlofpunchtheremadeofrum，etc。，
andwereverymerry。
Aftersometimetheplantergaveusa
certificateofdischarge，andanacknowledgmentofhaving
servedhimfaithfully，andwewerefreefromhimthenext
morning，togowitherwewould。
Forthispieceofservicethecaptaindemandedofussix
thousandweightoftabacco，whichhesaidhewasaccountable
fortohisfreighter，andwhichweimmediatelyboughtforhim，
andmadehimapresentoftwentyguineasbesides，withwhich
hewasabundantlysatisfied。
Itisnotpropertoenterhereintotheparticularsofwhatpart
ofthecolonyofVirginiawesettledin，fordiversreasons；it
maysufficetomentionthatwewentintothegreatriver
Potomac，theshipbeingboundthither；andthereweintended
tohavesettledfirst，thoughafterwardswealteredourminds。
ThefirstthingIdidofmomentafterhavinggottenallour
goodsonshore，andplacedtheminastorehouse，orwarehouse，
which，withalodging，wehiredatthesmallplaceorvillage
wherewelanded——Isay，thefirstthingwastoinquireaftermy
mother，andaftermybrother(thatfatalpersonwhomImarried
asahusband，asIhaverelatedatlarge)。
Alittleinquiry
furnishedmewithinformationthatMrs——，thatis，mymother，
wasdead；thatmybrother(orhusband)wasalive，whichI
confessIwasnotverygladtohear；butwhichwasworse，I
foundhewasremovedfromtheplantationwherehelived
formerly，andwhereIlivedwithhim，andlivedwithoneof
hissonsinaplantationjustbytheplacewherewelanded，
andwherewehadhiredawarehouse。
Iwasalittlesurprisedatfirst，butasIventuredtosatisfy
myselfthathecouldnotknowme，Iwasnotonlyperfectly
easy，buthadagreatmindtoseehim，ifitwaspossibletoso
dowithouthisseeingme。
InordertothatIfoundoutby
inquirytheplantationwherehelived，andwithawomanof
thatplacewhomIgottohelpme，likewhatwecallachairwoman，
IrambledabouttowardstheplaceasifIhadonlyamindto
seethecountryandlookaboutme。
AtlastIcamesonearthat
Isawthedwellinghouse。
Iaskedthewomanwhoseplantation
thatwas；shesaiditbelongedtosuchaman，andlookingout
alittletoourrighthands，’there，’saysshe，isthegentleman
thatownstheplantation，andhisfatherwithhim。’
’Whatare
theirChristiannames？’saidI。
’Iknownot，’saysshe，’what
theoldgentleman’snameis，buttheson’snameisHumphrey；
andIbelieve，’saysshe，’thefather’sissotoo。’
Youmay
guess，ifyoucan，whataconfusedmixtureofjoyandfight
possessedmythoughtsuponthisoccasion，forIimmediately
knewthatthiswasnobodyelsebutmyownson，bythatfather
sheshowedme，whowasmyownbrother。
Ihadnomask，
butIruffledmyhoodsoaboutmyface，thatIdependedupon
itthatafterabovetwentyyears’absence，andwithalnot
expectinganythingofmeinthatpartoftheworld，hewould
notbeabletoknowanythingofme。
ButIneednothaveused
allthatcaution，fortheoldgentlemanwasgrowndim-sighted
bysomedistemperwhichhadfallenuponhiseyes，andcould
butjustseewellenoughtowalkabout，andnotrunagainsta
treeorintoaditch。
Thewomanthatwaswithmehadtoldme
thatbyamereaccident，knowingnothingofwhatimportance
itwastome。
Astheydrewneartous，Isaid，’Doesheknow
you，Mrs。Owen？’(sotheycalledthewoman)。
’Yes，’said
she，’ifhehearsmespeak，hewillknowme；buthecan’tsee
wellenoughtoknowmeoranybodyelse’；andsoshetoldme
thestoryofhissight，asIhaverelated。
Thismademesecure，
andsoIthrewopenmyhoodsagain，andletthempassbyme。
Itwasawretchedthingforamotherthustoseeherownson，
ahandsome，comelyyounggentlemaninflourishing
circumstances，anddurstnotmakeherselfknowntohim，and
durstnottakeanynoticeofhim。
Letanymotherofchildren
thatreadsthisconsiderit，andbutthinkwithwhatanguishof
mindIrestrainedmyself；whatyearningsofsoulIhadinme
toembracehim，andweepoverhim；andhowIthoughtallmy
entrailsturnedwithinme，thatmyverybowelsmoved，andI
knewnotwhattodo，asInowknownothowtoexpressthose
agonies！
WhenhewentfrommeIstoodgazingandtrembling，
andlookingafterhimaslongasIcouldseehim；thensitting
downtorestme，butturnedfromher，andlyingonmyface，
wept，andkissedthegroundthathehadsethisfooton。
Icouldnotconcealmydisordersomuchfromthewomanbut
thatsheperceivedit，andthoughtIwasnotwell，whichIwas
obligedtopretendwastrue；uponwhichshepressedmetorise，
thegroundbeingdampanddangerous，whichIdidaccordingly，
andwalkedaway。
AsIwasgoingbackagain，andstilltalkingofthisgentleman
andhisson，anewoccasionofmelancholyoffereditselfthus。
Thewomanbegan，asifshewouldtellmeastorytodivertme:
’Theregoes，’saysshe，’averyoddtaleamongtheneighbours
wherethisgentlemanformerlylive。’
’Whatwasthat？’said
I。
’Why，’saysshe，’thatoldgentlemangoingtoEngland，
whenhewasayoungman，fellinlovewithayoungladythere，
oneofthefinestwomenthateverwasseen，andmarriedher，
andbroughtheroverhithertohismotherwhowasthenliving。
Heliverhereseveralyearswithher，’continuedshe，’andhad
severalchildrenbyher，ofwhichtheyounggentlemanthatwas
withhimnowwasone；butaftersometime，theoldgentlewoman，
hismother，talkingtoherofsomethingrelatingtoherselfwhen
shewasinEngland，andofhercircumstancesinEngland，
whichwerebadenough，thedaughter-in-lawbegantobevery
muchsurprisedanduneasy；and，inshort，examiningfurther
intothings，itappearedpastallcontradictionthattheold
gentlewomanwasherownmother，andthatconsequentlythat
sonwashiswife’sownbrother，whichstruckthewholefamily
withhorror，andputthemintosuchconfusionthatithadalmost
ruinedthemall。
Theyoungwomanwouldnotlivewithhim；
theson，herbrotherandhusband，foratimewentdistracted；
andatlasttheyoungwomanwentawayforEngland，andhas
neverbeenhearsofsince。’
ItiseasytobelievethatIwasstrangelyaffectedwiththisstory，
but’tisimpossibletodescribethenatureofmydisturbance。
