FRANCE. 247 



fercncc, yet their prefence in our parties en- 

 livened the fcene, and gave us a frefh tafte 

 of pleafure ; in the midft of which, I re- 

 ceived the news that the merchant at St. 

 Maloes, who had received cafli for bills in 

 order for remittance, was broke, by cap- 

 tures which the Englim had made. Thus 

 was 1 hurled, alrnoft headlong again, into 

 ruin, and a thoufand times curfed the mo- 

 ment I fold my plantation. I was now re- 

 duced to the iingle 5,000!. for which I had 

 fecurity in Martinique. We immediately 

 left Paris, and going to St. Maloes, the 

 only place where I could negociate that fe- 

 curity, we lived there very retired and 

 unknown, at a very fmall expence, until, 

 with much trouble, the bufinefs was con- 

 cluded, and we received cam for our de- 

 mand. It was here my wife learned that a 

 relation of her father's had died, and left 

 him a fmall eftate in Auvergne ; upon which 

 fhe put in her claim to it, and, with much 

 lefs trouble than we expected, procured it. 

 Not yet knowing in what manner we mould 

 fettle, living upon the principal of our for- 

 tune, and viewing every fecurity with the 

 jealous eye, we determined to fet out for 

 R 4 Auvergne, 



