MONEY BECOME AS DROSS. 247

besides this, when I came to the till in the chest, I found there
three great bags of pieces of eight, which held out about eleven
hundred pieces in all; and in one of them, wrapped up in a paper,
six doubloons of gold, and some small bars or wedges of gold; I
suppose they might all weigh near a pound.

The other chest I found had some clothes in it, but of little
value; but by the circumstances it must have belonged to the
gunner’s mate, though there was no powder in it but about two
pound of fine glazed powder in three small flasks, kept, I suppose,
for charging their fowling-pieces on occasion. Upon the whole, I
got very little by this voyage that was of any use to me: for as
to the money, I had no manner of occasion for it; it was to me as
the dirt under my feet; and I would have given it all for three or
four pair of English shoes and stockings, which were things I
greatly wanted, but had not had on my feet now for many years.
Thad, indeed, gotten two pair of shoes now, which I took off of the
feet of the two drowned men whom I saw in the wreck; and I found
two pair more in one of the chests, which were very welcome to
me; but they were not like our English shoes, either for ease or
service, being rather what we call pumps than shoes. I found in
this seaman’s chest about fifty pieces of eight in royals, but no
gold. Isuppose this belonged to a poorer man than the other,
which seemed to belong to some officer.

Well, however, I lugged this money home to my cave, and laid
it up, as Thad done that before which I brought from our own
ship ; but it was great pity, as I said, that the other part of this
ship had not come to my share—for I am satisfied I might have
loaded my canoe several times over with money, which, if I had
ever escaped to England, would have lain here safe enough till I
might have come again and fetched it.

Having now brought all my things on shore and secured them,
I went back to my boat, and rowed or paddled her along the shore
to her old harbour, where I laid her up, and made the best of my
way to my old habitation, where I found everything safe and quiet:
so I began to repose myself, live after my old fashion, and take
care of my family affairs; and for awhile I lived easy enough ;
only that I was more vigilant than I used to be, looked out oftener,