there was a general murmur of agreement , and some anecdotes of trading agreements followed : it seemed to laurence the officers all were tradesmen also , in some measure , and the tradesmen all former officers , and many of them landed as well : they made no distinction amongst themselves , and perhaps could not have , if there were not men of business enough established in the colony to provide opportunities for investment , or their rough-and-tumble fortunes not yet sufficiently realized in coin to take advantage of them .