You may suppose, that having now lived almost four years in the Brazils, and beginning to thrive and prosper very well upon my plantation, I had not only learned the language, but had contracted acquaintance and friendship among my fellow-planters, as well as among the merchants at St. Salvador, which was our port; and that, in my discourses among them, I had frequently given them an account of my two voyages to the coast of Guinea: the manner of trading with the negroes there, and how easy it was to purchase upon the coast for trifles—such as beads, toys, knives, scissors, hatchets, bits of glass, and the like—not only gold-dust, Guinea grains, elephants’ teeth, &c., but negroes, for the service of the Brazils, in great numbers.
Beszéltem a hazai nyelvet, ismeretségben álltam néhány szomszéd ültetvényessel és a kereskedőkkel San Salvadorban, a legközelebbi kikötőhelyen. Gyakran elbeszélgettem velük két rendbeli utamról Guineába, hogy ott csekélységekért, amilyenek az üveggyöngy, a játékszer, kés, olló, balta, kis tükrök stb., nemcsak aranyport, elefántcsontot és hasonlót, hanem rabszolgának fogható szerecseneket is szerezhet az ember, nagy mennyiségben és számban.