Accidents > Life and most surprising adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, mariner, who lived eight and twenty years in an uninhabited island on the coast of America, near the mouth of the great river Oroonoque

ROBINSON CRUSOE. 167
it was nine years fince he had been at Brafd, where
my partner was then living, but my truftees were
both dead ; that it was his belief I ihould have a
good account of the product of my plantation ; that
the imagination of my being loft, had obliged my
truftees to give an eftimate of my fhare to the pro¬
curator fifcal, who, in cafe of my not returning, had
given one third to the King, and the reft to the
monaftery of St AuguJUne but if I put my in claim, or
any one for me, it would be returned, except the year¬
ly product, which was given to the poor. I then de-
fired him to tell me, what improvement he thought
had been made of my plantation; and whether he ima¬
gined it was worth my while to look after it ? He an-
fwered, he did not know how much it was improved,
but this he was certain of, that my partner was grown
vaftly rich upon bis half of it; and that he had been
informed, that the King had 200 moidores per annum
for his third part. He added, that the furvivors of
my truftees were perfons of an ingenuous character ;
that my partner could wiinefs my title, my name being
regiftered in the country, by which means indifputably
I fliould recover confiderable fums of money. But,
anfwered I, how could my truftees difpofe of my ef¬
fects, when I made you only my heir ? This, he faid,
was true, but there being no affidavit made of my
death, he could not act as an executor. However, he
had ordered his fon (then at Brafil) to aft by pro¬
curation upon my account, and he had taken pofleffion
of my fugar-houfe, having accounted himfelf for eight
years with my partner and truftees for the profits, of
which he would give me a very good account.
And indeed this he performed very faithfully in a
few days, making himfelf indebted to me 470 moi¬
dores of gold, over and above what had been loft at
fea, after I had left the place. And then he recounted
tomewhatmisfortuneshe had gonethro’, whichforced
my money out of his hands, to buy part in a new Ihip :
But (fays ht)you [hall not ivant} take this, and when ?ny