to serve my necessity for clothing; and rather than want clothes for my back, I must pinch a little out of my belly; and so both go share and share alike.
And so at length, thanks be to GOD, I obtained, though with much ado, to get two measures of rice per diem for myself, and one for my boy; also cocoa nuts, pumpkins, herbs, limes, and such like enough; besides pepper and salt; and sometimes hens, eggs, or flesh: rice being the main thing they stand upon, for of other things they refuse not to give what they have.
Now having settled all business about my allowance, my next concern was to look after a house more convenient; for my present one was too small to dress my victuals in and sleep in too. Thereabouts was a garden of cocoa-nut trees belonging to the King, and a pleasant situation. This place I made choice of to build me a house in: and discovering my desire to the people; they consented, and came and built it for me. But before it was finished, their occasions called them away; but my boy and I made an end of it, and whitened [whitewashed] the walls with lime, according to my own country's fashion. But in doing this, I committed a capital offence: for none may white [wash] their houses with lime, that being peculiar to the royal houses and temples: but, being a stranger, nothing was made of it, because I did it in ignorance. Had it been a native that had so done, it is most probable that it would have cost him his head, or at the least a great fine.
Being settled in my new house, I began to keep hogs and hens; which, by GOD's blessing, throve very well with me, and were a great help unto me. I had also a great benefit by living in this garden. For all the cocoa nuts that fell down, they gave me; which afforded me oil to burn in the lamp, and also to fry my meat in: which oil being new, is but little inferior to this country's butter. Now I learned to knit caps, which skill I quickly attained unto; and, by GOD's blessing upon the same, I obtained great help and relief thereby.
In this manner we all lived: seeing but very little sign that we might build upon, to look for liberty. The chief of our hopes of it was that in process of time, when we were
