Робинзон Крузо

           Tocome,then,bythejustdegreestotheparticularsofthispartofmystory. Youmaysuppose,thathavingnowlivedalmostfouryearsintheBrazils,andbeginningtothriveandprosperverywelluponmyplantation,Ihadnotonlylearnedthelanguage,buthadcontractedacquaintanceandfriendshipamongmyfellow-planters,aswellasamongthemerchantsatSt.Salvador,whichwasourport, andthatinmydiscoursesamongthemIhadfrequentlygiventhemanaccountofmytwovoyagestothecoastofGuinea,themanneroftradingwiththenegroesthere,andhoweasyitwastopurchaseuponthecoastfortrifles—suchasbeads,toys,knives,scissors,hatchets,bitsofglass,andthelike—notonlygold-dust,Guineagrains,elephants’teeth,etc. butnegroes,fortheserviceoftheBrazilsingreatnumbers. 

           Theylistenedalwaysveryattentivelytomydiscoursesontheseheads,butespeciallytothatpartwhichrelatedtothebuyingnegroes; whichwasatrade,atthattime,notonlynotfarenteredinto,but,asfarasitwas,hadbeencarriedonbytheassiento,orpermission,oftheKingsofSpainandPortugal, andengrossedinthepublic,sothatfewnegroeswerebrought,andthoseexcessivedear. 

           Ithappened,beingincompanywithsomemerchantsandplantersofmyacquaintance,andtalkingofthosethingsveryearnestly, threeofthemcametonethenextmorning,andtoldmetheyhadbeenmusingverymuchuponwhatIhaddiscoursedwiththemof,thelastnight,andtheycametomakeasecretproposaltome. Andafterenjoiningmesecrecy,theytoldmethattheyhadamindtofitoutashiptogotoGuinea;thattheyhadallplantationsaswellasI,andwerestraitenedfornothingsomuchasservants;