"'Twill be enough to satisfy the merchants," said Hartog to me when he
had safely locked up this treasure on board the "Endraght", "but
nothing over, unless we can add to the collection by our own
exertions." But although we continued to open shells for several days
no great haul of pearls was made. The pearl shell we shipped, knowing
that it would fetch a good price at Amsterdam.
Hartog was so relieved at having secured something that would repay the
expenses of the voyage that he recovered his natural buoyancy of
spirits which had lately been oppressed by the prospect of returning
home empty-handed.
"'Tis wonderful, the power of money, Peter," he said to me one evening
when we were counting, in secret, the pearls which the king of the
island had given him; "we have come through some perils, as you know,
but I give you my word I was never so afraid of anything as of going
back without money's worth to satisfy the men who put their capital
into this voyage. It was that which broke the great heart of Columbus,
and I'd have become a pirate sooner than return empty-handed. The pious
rogues who sent us out, and who never miss their churchgoing, would not
have cared whence the money came so long as it filled their pouches.
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