In the course of the year, Church fitted out
a vessel for a whaling voyage, and being in want of hands to man her,
he induced my son to go, with the promise of giving him, on his
return, a pair of silver buckles, besides his wages. As soon as I
heard of his going to sea, I immediately set out to go and prevent it
if possible. But on my arrival at Church's, to my great grief, I
could only see the vessel my son was on almost out of sight going to
sea. My son died of the scurvy on this voyage, and Church has never
yet paid me the least of his wages. In my son, besides the loss of
his life, I lost equal to seventy-five pounds.
My other son being but a youth, still lived with me. About this time
I chartered a sloop of about thirty tons burthen, and hired men to
assist me in navigating her. I employed her mostly in the wood trade
to Rhode-Island, and made clear of all expenses above one hundred
dollars with her in better than one year. I had then become something
forehanded, and being in my forty-fourth year, I purchased my wife
Meg, and thereby prevented having another child to buy, as she was
then pregnant. I gave forty pounds for her.
During my residence at Long-Island, I raised one year with another,
ten cart loads of water-melons, and lost a great many every year
besides by the thievishness of the sailors.
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