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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/15399-0.txt b/15399-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f4854c8 --- /dev/null +++ b/15399-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,7661 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 15399 *** + + + + +THE + +INTERESTING NARRATIVE + +OF + +THE LIFE + +OF + +OLAUDAH EQUIANO, + +OR + +GUSTAVUS VASSA, + +THE AFRICAN. + +_WRITTEN BY HIMSELF._ + + + _Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be + afraid, for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my + song; he also is become my salvation. + And in that shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his + name, declare his doings among the people. Isaiah xii. 2, 4._ + + + +LONDON: + +Printed for and sold by the Author, No. 10, Union-Street, +Middlesex Hospital + + +Sold also by Mr. Johnson, St. Paul's Church-Yard; Mr. + Murray, Fleet-Street; Messrs. Robson and Clark, Bond-Street; + Mr. Davis, opposite Gray's Inn, Holborn; Messrs. Shepperson + and Reynolds, and Mr. Jackson, Oxford Street; Mr. + Lackington, Chiswell-Street; Mr. Mathews, Strand; Mr. + Murray, Prince's-Street, Soho; Mess. Taylor and Co. South + Arch, Royal Exchange; Mr. Button, Newington-Causeway; Mr. + Parsons, Paternoster-Row; and may be had of all the + Booksellers in Town and Country. + +[Entered at Stationer's Hall.] + + + + +[Illustration: Olaudah Equiano or GUSTAVUS VASSA, _the African_] + + + + +To the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons of the +Parliament of Great Britain. + + +_My Lords and Gentlemen_, + +Permit me, with the greatest deference and respect, to lay at your +feet the following genuine Narrative; the chief design of which is to +excite in your august assemblies a sense of compassion for the +miseries which the Slave-Trade has entailed on my unfortunate +countrymen. By the horrors of that trade was I first torn away from +all the tender connexions that were naturally dear to my heart; but +these, through the mysterious ways of Providence, I ought to regard as +infinitely more than compensated by the introduction I have thence +obtained to the knowledge of the Christian religion, and of a nation +which, by its liberal sentiments, its humanity, the glorious freedom +of its government, and its proficiency in arts and sciences, has +exalted the dignity of human nature. + +I am sensible I ought to entreat your pardon for addressing to you a +work so wholly devoid of literary merit; but, as the production of an +unlettered African, who is actuated by the hope of becoming an +instrument towards the relief of his suffering countrymen, I trust +that _such a man_, pleading in _such a cause_, will be acquitted of +boldness and presumption. + +May the God of heaven inspire your hearts with peculiar benevolence on +that important day when the question of Abolition is to be discussed, +when thousands, in consequence of your Determination, are to look for +Happiness or Misery! + + I am, + My Lords and Gentlemen, + Your most obedient, + And devoted humble Servant, + Olaudah Equiano, + or + Gustavus Vassa. + + Union-Street, Mary-le-bone, + March 24, 1789. + + + + +LIST of SUBSCRIBERS. + + + His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. + His Royal Highness the Duke of York. + + + A + + The Right Hon. the Earl of Ailesbury + Admiral Affleck + Mr. William Abington, 2 copies + Mr. John Abraham + James Adair, Esq. + Reverend Mr. Aldridge + Mr. John Almon + Mrs. Arnot + Mr. Joseph Armitage + Mr. Joseph Ashpinshaw + Mr. Samuel Atkins + Mr. John Atwood + Mr. Thomas Atwood + Mr. Ashwell + J.C. Ashworth, Esq. + + + B + + His Grace the Duke of Bedford + Her Grace the Duchess of Buccleugh + The Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Bangor + The Right Hon. Lord Belgrave + The Rev. Doctor Baker + Mrs. Baker + Matthew Baillie, M.D. + Mrs. Baillie + Miss Baillie + Miss J. Baillie + David Barclay, Esq. + Mr. Robert Barrett + Mr. William Barrett + Mr. John Barnes + Mr. John Basnett + Mr. Bateman + Mrs. Baynes, 2 copies + Mr. Thomas Bellamy + Mr. J. Benjafield + Mr. William Bennett + Mr. Bensley + Mr. Samuel Benson + Mrs. Benton + Reverend Mr. Bentley + Mr. Thomas Bently + Sir John Berney, Bart. + Alexander Blair, Esq. + James Bocock, Esq. + Mrs. Bond + Miss Bond + Mrs. Borckhardt + Mrs. E. Bouverie + ---- Brand, Esq. + Mr. Martin Brander + F.J. Brown, Esq. M.P. 2 copies + W. Buttall, Esq. + Mr. Buxton + Mr. R.L.B. + Mr. Thomas Burton, 6 copies + Mr. W. Button + + + C + + The Right Hon. Lord Cathcart + The Right Hon. H.S. Conway + Lady Almiria Carpenter + James Carr, Esq. + Charles Carter, Esq. + Mr. James Chalmers + Captain John Clarkson, of the Royal Navy + The Rev. Mr. Thomas Clarkson, 2 copies + Mr. R. Clay + Mr. William Clout + Mr. George Club + Mr. John Cobb + Miss Calwell + Mr. Thomas Cooper + Richard Cosway, Esq. + Mr. James Coxe + Mr. J.C. + Mr. Croucher + Mr. Cruickshanks + Ottobah Cugoano, or John Stewart + + + D + + The Right Hon. the Earl of Dartmouth + The Right Hon. the Earl of Derby + Sir William Dolben, Bart. + The Reverend C.E. De Coetlogon + John Delamain, Esq. + Mrs. Delamain + Mr. Davis + Mr. William Denton + Mr. T. Dickie + Mr. William Dickson + Mr. Charles Duly, 2 copies + Andrew Drummond, Esq. + Mr. George Durant + + + E + + The Right Hon. the Earl of Essex + The Right Hon. the Countess of Essex + Sir Gilbert Elliot, Bart. 2 copies + Lady Ann Erskine + G. Noel Edwards, Esq. M.P. 2 copies + Mr. Durs Egg + Mr. Ebenezer Evans + The Reverend Mr. John Eyre + Mr. William Eyre + + + F + + Mr. George Fallowdown + Mr. John Fell + F.W. Foster, Esq. + The Reverend Mr. Foster + Mr. J. Frith + W. Fuller, Esq. + + + G + + The Right Hon. the Earl of Gainsborough + The Right Hon. the Earl of Grosvenor + The Right Hon. Viscount Gallway + The Right Hon. Viscountess Gallway + ---- Gardner, Esq. + Mrs. Garrick + Mr. John Gates + Mr. Samuel Gear + Sir Philip Gibbes, Bart. 6 copies + Miss Gibbes + Mr. Edward Gilbert + Mr. Jonathan Gillett + W.P. Gilliess, Esq. + Mrs. Gordon + Mr. Grange + Mr. William Grant + Mr. John Grant + Mr. R. Greening + S. Griffiths + John Grove, Esq. + Mrs. Guerin + Reverend Mr. Gwinep + + + H + + The Right Hon. the Earl of Hopetoun + The Right Hon. Lord Hawke + Right Hon. Dowager Countess of Huntingdon + Thomas Hall, Esq. + Mr. Haley + Hugh Josiah Hansard, Esq. + Mr. Moses Hart + Mrs. Hawkins + Mr. Haysom + Mr. Hearne + Mr. William Hepburn + Mr. J. Hibbert + Mr. Jacob Higman + Sir Richard Hill, Bart. + Reverend Rowland Hill + Miss Hill + Captain John Hills, Royal Navy + Edmund Hill, Esq. + The Reverend Mr. Edward Hoare + William Hodges, Esq. + Reverend Mr. John Holmes, 3 copies + Mr. Martin Hopkins + Mr. Thomas Howell + Mr. R. Huntley + Mr. J. Hunt + Mr. Philip Hurlock, jun. + Mr. Hutson + + + J + + Mr. T.W.J. Esq. + Mr. James Jackson + Mr. John Jackson + Reverend Mr. James + Mrs. Anne Jennings + Mr. Johnson + Mrs. Johnson + Mr. William Jones + Thomas Irving, Esq. 2 copies + Mr. William Justins + + + K + + The Right Hon. Lord Kinnaird + William Kendall, Esq. + Mr. William Ketland + Mr. Edward King + Mr. Thomas Kingston + Reverend Dr. Kippis + Mr. William Kitchener + Mr. John Knight + + + L + + The Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of London + Mr. John Laisne + Mr. Lackington, 6 copies + Mr. John Lamb + Bennet Langton, Esq. + Mr. S. Lee + Mr. Walter Lewis + Mr. J. Lewis + Mr. J. Lindsey + Mr. T. Litchfield + Edward Loveden Loveden, Esq. M.P. + Charles Lloyd, Esq. + Mr. William Lloyd + Mr. J.B. Lucas + Mr. James Luken + Henry Lyte, Esq. + Mrs. Lyon + + + M + + His Grace the Duke of Marlborough + His Grace the Duke of Montague + The Right Hon. Lord Mulgrave + Sir Herbert Mackworth, Bart. + Sir Charles Middleton, Bart. + Lady Middleton + Mr. Thomas Macklane + Mr. George Markett + James Martin, Esq. M.P. + Master Martin, Hayes-Grove, Kent + Mr. William Massey + Mr. Joseph Massingham + John McIntosh, Esq. + Paul Le Mesurier, Esq. M.P. + Mr. James Mewburn + Mr. N. Middleton, + T. Mitchell, Esq. + Mrs. Montague, 2 copies + Miss Hannah More + Mr. George Morrison + Thomas Morris, Esq. + Miss Morris + Morris Morgann, Esq. + + + N + + His Grace the Duke of Northumberland + Captain Nurse + + + O + + Edward Ogle, Esq. + James Ogle, Esq. + Robert Oliver, Esq. + + + P + + Mr. D. Parker, + Mr. W. Parker, + Mr. Richard Packer, jun. + Mr. Parsons, 6 copies + Mr. James Pearse + Mr. J. Pearson + J. Penn, Esq. + George Peters, Esq. + Mr. W. Phillips, + J. Philips, Esq. + Mrs. Pickard + Mr. Charles Pilgrim + The Hon. George Pitt, M.P. + Mr. Thomas Pooley + Patrick Power, Esq. + Mr. Michael Power + Joseph Pratt, Esq. + + + Q + + Robert Quarme, Esq. + + + R + + The Right Hon. Lord Rawdon + The Right Hon. Lord Rivers, 2 copies + Lieutenant General Rainsford + Reverend James Ramsay, 3 copies + Mr. S. Remnant, jun. + Mr. William Richards, 2 copies + Mr. J.C. Robarts + Mr. James Roberts + Dr. Robinson + Mr. Robinson + Mr. C. Robinson + George Rose, Esq. M.P. + Mr. W. Ross + Mr. William Rouse + Mr. Walter Row + + + S + + His Grace the Duke of St. Albans + Her Grace the Duchess of St. Albans + The Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of St. David's + The Right Hon. Earl Stanhope, 3 copies + The Right Hon. the Earl of Scarbrough + William, the Son of Ignatius Sancho + Mrs. Mary Ann Sandiford + Mr. William Sawyer + Mr. Thomas Seddon + W. Seward, Esq. + Reverend Mr. Thomas Scott + Granville Sharp, Esq. 2 copies + Captain Sidney Smith, of the Royal Navy + Colonel Simcoe + Mr. John Simco + General Smith + John Smith, Esq. + Mr. George Smith + Mr. William Smith + Reverend Mr. Southgate + Mr. William Starkey + Thomas Steel, Esq. M.P. + Mr. Staples Steare + Mr. Joseph Stewardson + Mr. Henry Stone, jun. 2 copies + John Symmons, Esq. + + + T + + Henry Thornton, Esq. M.P. + Mr. Alexander Thomson, M.D. + Reverend John Till + Mr. Samuel Townly + Mr. Daniel Trinder + Reverend Mr. C. La Trobe + Clement Tudway, Esq. + Mrs. Twisden + + + U + + Mr. M. Underwood + + + V + + Mr. John Vaughan + Mrs. Vendt + + + W + + The Right Hon. Earl of Warnick + The Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Worcester + The Hon. William Windham, Esq. M.P. + Mr. C.B. Wadstrom + Mr. George Walne + Reverend Mr. Ward + Mr. S. Warren + Mr. J. Waugh + Josiah Wedgwood, Esq. + Reverend Mr. John Wesley + Mr. J. Wheble + Samuel Whitbread, Esq. M.P. + Reverend Thomas Wigzell + Mr. W. Wilson + Reverend Mr. Wills + Mr. Thomas Wimsett + Mr. William Winchester + John Wollaston, Esq. + Mr. Charles Wood + Mr. Joseph Woods + Mr. John Wood + J. Wright, Esq. + + + Y + + Mr. Thomas Young + Mr. Samuel Yockney + + + + +CONTENTS + + + CHAP. I. + + The author's account of his country, their manners and + customs, &c. + + + CHAP. II. + + The author's birth and parentage--His being kidnapped + with his sister--Horrors of a slave ship + + + CHAP. III. + + The author is carried to Virginia--Arrives in England--His + wonder at a fall of snow + + + CHAP. IV. + + A particular account of the celebrated engagement + between Admiral Boscawen and Monsieur Le Clue + + + CHAP. V. + + Various interesting instances of oppression, cruelty, and + extortion + + + CHAP. VI. + + Favourable change in the author's situation--He + commences merchant with threepence + + + CHAP. VII. + + The author's disgust at the West Indies--Forms + schemes to obtain his freedom + + + CHAP. VIII. + + Three remarkable dreams--The author is shipwrecked + on the Bahama-bank + + + CHAP. IX. + + The author arrives at Martinico--Meets with new + difficulties, and sails for England + + + CHAP. X. + + Some account of the manner of the author's conversion to + the faith of Jesus Christ + + + CHAP. XI. + + Picking up eleven miserable men at sea in returning to + England + + CHAP. XII. + + Different transactions of the author's life--Petition to the + Queen--Conclusion + + + + +THE LIFE, &c. + + + + +CHAPTER I. + + _The author's account of his country, and their manners and + customs--Administration of justice--Embrenche--Marriage + ceremony, and public entertainments--Mode of + living--Dress--Manufactures + Buildings--Commerce--Agriculture--War and + religion--Superstition of the natives--Funeral ceremonies of + the priests or magicians--Curious mode of discovering + poison--Some hints concerning the origin of the author's + countrymen, with the opinions of different writers on that + subject._ + + +I believe it is difficult for those who publish their own memoirs to +escape the imputation of vanity; nor is this the only disadvantage +under which they labour: it is also their misfortune, that what is +uncommon is rarely, if ever, believed, and what is obvious we are apt +to turn from with disgust, and to charge the writer with impertinence. +People generally think those memoirs only worthy to be read or +remembered which abound in great or striking events, those, in short, +which in a high degree excite either admiration or pity: all others +they consign to contempt and oblivion. It is therefore, I confess, not +a little hazardous in a private and obscure individual, and a stranger +too, thus to solicit the indulgent attention of the public; especially +when I own I offer here the history of neither a saint, a hero, nor a +tyrant. I believe there are few events in my life, which have not +happened to many: it is true the incidents of it are numerous; and, +did I consider myself an European, I might say my sufferings were +great: but when I compare my lot with that of most of my countrymen, I +regard myself as a _particular favourite of Heaven_, and acknowledge +the mercies of Providence in every occurrence of my life. If then the +following narrative does not appear sufficiently interesting to engage +general attention, let my motive be some excuse for its publication. I +am not so foolishly vain as to expect from it either immortality or +literary reputation. If it affords any satisfaction to my numerous +friends, at whose request it has been written, or in the smallest +degree promotes the interests of humanity, the ends for which it was +undertaken will be fully attained, and every wish of my heart +gratified. Let it therefore be remembered, that, in wishing to avoid +censure, I do not aspire to praise. + +That part of Africa, known by the name of Guinea, to which the trade +for slaves is carried on, extends along the coast above 3400 miles, +from the Senegal to Angola, and includes a variety of kingdoms. Of +these the most considerable is the kingdom of Benen, both as to extent +and wealth, the richness and cultivation of the soil, the power of its +king, and the number and warlike disposition of the inhabitants. It is +situated nearly under the line, and extends along the coast about 170 +miles, but runs back into the interior part of Africa to a distance +hitherto I believe unexplored by any traveller; and seems only +terminated at length by the empire of Abyssinia, near 1500 miles from +its beginning. This kingdom is divided into many provinces or +districts: in one of the most remote and fertile of which, called +Eboe, I was born, in the year 1745, in a charming fruitful vale, named +Essaka. The distance of this province from the capital of Benin and +the sea coast must be very considerable; for I had never heard of +white men or Europeans, nor of the sea: and our subjection to the king +of Benin was little more than nominal; for every transaction of the +government, as far as my slender observation extended, was conducted +by the chiefs or elders of the place. The manners and government of a +people who have little commerce with other countries are generally +very simple; and the history of what passes in one family or village +may serve as a specimen of a nation. My father was one of those elders +or chiefs I have spoken of, and was styled Embrenche; a term, as I +remember, importing the highest distinction, and signifying in our +language a _mark_ of grandeur. This mark is conferred on the person +entitled to it, by cutting the skin across at the top of the forehead, +and drawing it down to the eye-brows; and while it is in this +situation applying a warm hand, and rubbing it until it shrinks up +into a thick _weal_ across the lower part of the forehead. Most of the +judges and senators were thus marked; my father had long born it: I +had seen it conferred on one of my brothers, and I was also +_destined_ to receive it by my parents. Those Embrence, or chief men, +decided disputes and punished crimes; for which purpose they always +assembled together. The proceedings were generally short; and in most +cases the law of retaliation prevailed. I remember a man was brought +before my father, and the other judges, for kidnapping a boy; and, +although he was the son of a chief or senator, he was condemned to +make recompense by a man or woman slave. Adultery, however, was +sometimes punished with slavery or death; a punishment which I believe +is inflicted on it throughout most of the nations of Africa[A]: so +sacred among them is the honour of the marriage bed, and so jealous +are they of the fidelity of their wives. Of this I recollect an +instance:--a woman was convicted before the judges of adultery, and +delivered over, as the custom was, to her husband to be punished. +Accordingly he determined to put her to death: but it being found, +just before her execution, that she had an infant at her breast; and +no woman being prevailed on to perform the part of a nurse, she was +spared on account of the child. The men, however, do not preserve the +same constancy to their wives, which they expect from them; for they +indulge in a plurality, though seldom in more than two. Their mode of +marriage is thus:--both parties are usually betrothed when young by +their parents, (though I have known the males to betroth themselves). +On this occasion a feast is prepared, and the bride and bridegroom +stand up in the midst of all their friends, who are assembled for the +purpose, while he declares she is thenceforth to be looked upon as his +wife, and that no other person is to pay any addresses to her. This is +also immediately proclaimed in the vicinity, on which the bride +retires from the assembly. Some time after she is brought home to her +husband, and then another feast is made, to which the relations of +both parties are invited: her parents then deliver her to the +bridegroom, accompanied with a number of blessings, and at the same +time they tie round her waist a cotton string of the thickness of a +goose-quill, which none but married women are permitted to wear: she +is now considered as completely his wife; and at this time the dowry +is given to the new married pair, which generally consists of portions +of land, slaves, and cattle, household goods, and implements of +husbandry. These are offered by the friends of both parties; besides +which the parents of the bridegroom present gifts to those of the +bride, whose property she is looked upon before marriage; but after it +she is esteemed the sole property of her husband. The ceremony being +now ended the festival begins, which is celebrated with bonefires, and +loud acclamations of joy, accompanied with music and dancing. + +We are almost a nation of dancers, musicians, and poets. Thus every +great event, such as a triumphant return from battle, or other cause +of public rejoicing is celebrated in public dances, which are +accompanied with songs and music suited to the occasion. The assembly +is separated into four divisions, which dance either apart or in +succession, and each with a character peculiar to itself. The first +division contains the married men, who in their dances frequently +exhibit feats of arms, and the representation of a battle. To these +succeed the married women, who dance in the second division. The young +men occupy the third; and the maidens the fourth. Each represents some +interesting scene of real life, such as a great achievement, domestic +employment, a pathetic story, or some rural sport; and as the subject +is generally founded on some recent event, it is therefore ever new. +This gives our dances a spirit and variety which I have scarcely seen +elsewhere[B]. We have many musical instruments, particularly drums of +different kinds, a piece of music which resembles a guitar, and +another much like a stickado. These last are chiefly used by betrothed +virgins, who play on them on all grand festivals. + +As our manners are simple, our luxuries are few. The dress of both +sexes is nearly the same. It generally consists of a long piece of +callico, or muslin, wrapped loosely round the body, somewhat in the +form of a highland plaid. This is usually dyed blue, which is our +favourite colour. It is extracted from a berry, and is brighter and +richer than any I have seen in Europe. Besides this, our women of +distinction wear golden ornaments; which they dispose with some +profusion on their arms and legs. When our women are not employed with +the men in tillage, their usual occupation is spinning and weaving +cotton, which they afterwards dye, and make it into garments. They +also manufacture earthen vessels, of which we have many kinds. Among +the rest tobacco pipes, made after the same fashion, and used in the +same manner, as those in Turkey[C]. + +Our manner of living is entirely plain; for as yet the natives are +unacquainted with those refinements in cookery which debauch the +taste: bullocks, goats, and poultry, supply the greatest part of their +food. These constitute likewise the principal wealth of the country, +and the chief articles of its commerce. The flesh is usually stewed in +a pan; to make it savoury we sometimes use also pepper, and other +spices, and we have salt made of wood ashes. Our vegetables are mostly +plantains, eadas, yams, beans, and Indian corn. The head of the family +usually eats alone; his wives and slaves have also their separate +tables. Before we taste food we always wash our hands: indeed our +cleanliness on all occasions is extreme; but on this it is an +indispensable ceremony. After washing, libation is made, by pouring +out a small portion of the food, in a certain place, for the spirits +of departed relations, which the natives suppose to preside over their +conduct, and guard them from evil. They are totally unacquainted with +strong or spirituous liquours; and their principal beverage is palm +wine. This is gotten from a tree of that name by tapping it at the +top, and fastening a large gourd to it; and sometimes one tree will +yield three or four gallons in a night. When just drawn it is of a +most delicious sweetness; but in a few days it acquires a tartish and +more spirituous flavour: though I never saw any one intoxicated by it. +The same tree also produces nuts and oil. Our principal luxury is in +perfumes; one sort of these is an odoriferous wood of delicious +fragrance: the other a kind of earth; a small portion of which thrown +into the fire diffuses a most powerful odour[D]. We beat this wood +into powder, and mix it with palm oil; with which both men and women +perfume themselves. + +In our buildings we study convenience rather than ornament. Each +master of a family has a large square piece of ground, surrounded with +a moat or fence, or enclosed with a wall made of red earth tempered; +which, when dry, is as hard as brick. Within this are his houses to +accommodate his family and slaves; which, if numerous, frequently +present the appearance of a village. In the middle stands the +principal building, appropriated to the sole use of the master, and +consisting of two apartments; in one of which he sits in the day with +his family, the other is left apart for the reception of his friends. +He has besides these a distinct apartment in which he sleeps, together +with his male children. On each side are the apartments of his wives, +who have also their separate day and night houses. The habitations of +the slaves and their families are distributed throughout the rest of +the enclosure. These houses never exceed one story in height: they are +always built of wood, or stakes driven into the ground, crossed with +wattles, and neatly plastered within, and without. The roof is +thatched with reeds. Our day-houses are left open at the sides; but +those in which we sleep are always covered, and plastered in the +inside, with a composition mixed with cow-dung, to keep off the +different insects, which annoy us during the night. The walls and +floors also of these are generally covered with mats. Our beds consist +of a platform, raised three or four feet from the ground, on which are +laid skins, and different parts of a spungy tree called plaintain. Our +covering is calico or muslin, the same as our dress. The usual seats +are a few logs of wood; but we have benches, which are generally +perfumed, to accommodate strangers: these compose the greater part of +our household furniture. Houses so constructed and furnished require +but little skill to erect them. Every man is a sufficient architect +for the purpose. The whole neighbourhood afford their unanimous +assistance in building them and in return receive, and expect no other +recompense than a feast. + +As we live in a country where nature is prodigal of her favours, our +wants are few and easily supplied; of course we have few manufactures. +They consist for the most part of calicoes, earthern ware, ornaments, +and instruments of war and husbandry. But these make no part of our +commerce, the principal articles of which, as I have observed, are +provisions. In such a state money is of little use; however we have +some small pieces of coin, if I may call them such. They are made +something like an anchor; but I do not remember either their value or +denomination. We have also markets, at which I have been frequently +with my mother. These are sometimes visited by stout mahogany-coloured +men from the south west of us: we call them Oye-Eboe, which term +signifies red men living at a distance. They generally bring us +fire-arms, gunpowder, hats, beads, and dried fish. The last we +esteemed a great rarity, as our waters were only brooks and springs. +These articles they barter with us for odoriferous woods and earth, +and our salt of wood ashes. They always carry slaves through our land; +but the strictest account is exacted of their manner of procuring them +before they are suffered to pass. Sometimes indeed we sold slaves to +them, but they were only prisoners of war, or such among us as had +been convicted of kidnapping, or adultery, and some other crimes, +which we esteemed heinous. This practice of kidnapping induces me to +think, that, notwithstanding all our strictness, their principal +business among us was to trepan our people. I remember too they +carried great sacks along with them, which not long after I had an +opportunity of fatally seeing applied to that infamous purpose. + +Our land is uncommonly rich and fruitful, and produces all kinds of +vegetables in great abundance. We have plenty of Indian corn, and vast +quantities of cotton and tobacco. Our pine apples grow without +culture; they are about the size of the largest sugar-loaf, and finely +flavoured. We have also spices of different kinds, particularly +pepper; and a variety of delicious fruits which I have never seen in +Europe; together with gums of various kinds, and honey in abundance. +All our industry is exerted to improve those blessings of nature. +Agriculture is our chief employment; and every one, even the children +and women, are engaged in it. Thus we are all habituated to labour +from our earliest years. Every one contributes something to the common +stock; and as we are unacquainted with idleness, we have no beggars. +The benefits of such a mode of living are obvious. The West India +planters prefer the slaves of Benin or Eboe to those of any other part +of Guinea, for their hardiness, intelligence, integrity, and zeal. +Those benefits are felt by us in the general healthiness of the +people, and in their vigour and activity; I might have added too in +their comeliness. Deformity is indeed unknown amongst us, I mean that +of shape. Numbers of the natives of Eboe now in London might be +brought in support of this assertion: for, in regard to complexion, +ideas of beauty are wholly relative. I remember while in Africa to +have seen three negro children, who were tawny, and another quite +white, who were universally regarded by myself, and the natives in +general, as far as related to their complexions, as deformed. Our +women too were in my eyes at least uncommonly graceful, alert, and +modest to a degree of bashfulness; nor do I remember to have ever +heard of an instance of incontinence amongst them before marriage. +They are also remarkably cheerful. Indeed cheerfulness and affability +are two of the leading characteristics of our nation. + +Our tillage is exercised in a large plain or common, some hours walk +from our dwellings, and all the neighbours resort thither in a body. +They use no beasts of husbandry; and their only instruments are hoes, +axes, shovels, and beaks, or pointed iron to dig with. Sometimes we +are visited by locusts, which come in large clouds, so as to darken +the air, and destroy our harvest. This however happens rarely, but +when it does, a famine is produced by it. I remember an instance or +two wherein this happened. This common is often the theatre of war; +and therefore when our people go out to till their land, they not only +go in a body, but generally take their arms with them for fear of a +surprise; and when they apprehend an invasion they guard the avenues +to their dwellings, by driving sticks into the ground, which are so +sharp at one end as to pierce the foot, and are generally dipt in +poison. From what I can recollect of these battles, they appear to +have been irruptions of one little state or district on the other, to +obtain prisoners or booty. Perhaps they were incited to this by those +traders who brought the European goods I mentioned amongst us. Such a +mode of obtaining slaves in Africa is common; and I believe more are +procured this way, and by kidnapping, than any other[E]. When a trader +wants slaves, he applies to a chief for them, and tempts him with his +wares. It is not extraordinary, if on this occasion he yields to the +temptation with as little firmness, and accepts the price of his +fellow creatures liberty with as little reluctance as the enlightened +merchant. Accordingly he falls on his neighbours, and a desperate +battle ensues. If he prevails and takes prisoners, he gratifies his +avarice by selling them; but, if his party be vanquished, and he falls +into the hands of the enemy, he is put to death: for, as he has been +known to foment their quarrels, it is thought dangerous to let him +survive, and no ransom can save him, though all other prisoners may be +redeemed. We have fire-arms, bows and arrows, broad two-edged swords +and javelins: we have shields also which cover a man from head to +foot. All are taught the use of these weapons; even our women are +warriors, and march boldly out to fight along with the men. Our whole +district is a kind of militia: on a certain signal given, such as the +firing of a gun at night, they all rise in arms and rush upon their +enemy. It is perhaps something remarkable, that when our people march +to the field a red flag or banner is borne before them. I was once a +witness to a battle in our common. We had been all at work in it one +day as usual, when our people were suddenly attacked. I climbed a tree +at some distance, from which I beheld the fight. There were many women +as well as men on both sides; among others my mother was there, and +armed with a broad sword. After fighting for a considerable time with +great fury, and after many had been killed our people obtained the +victory, and took their enemy's Chief prisoner. He was carried off in +great triumph, and, though he offered a large ransom for his life, he +was put to death. A virgin of note among our enemies had been slain in +the battle, and her arm was exposed in our market-place, where our +trophies were always exhibited. The spoils were divided according to +the merit of the warriors. Those prisoners which were not sold or +redeemed we kept as slaves: but how different was their condition from +that of the slaves in the West Indies! With us they do no more work +than other members of the community, even their masters; their food, +clothing and lodging were nearly the same as theirs, (except that they +were not permitted to eat with those who were free-born); and there +was scarce any other difference between them, than a superior degree +of importance which the head of a family possesses in our state, and +that authority which, as such, he exercises over every part of his +household. Some of these slaves have even slaves under them as their +own property, and for their own use. + +As to religion, the natives believe that there is one Creator of all +things, and that he lives in the sun, and is girted round with a belt +that he may never eat or drink; but, according to some, he smokes a +pipe, which is our own favourite luxury. They believe he governs +events, especially our deaths or captivity; but, as for the doctrine +of eternity, I do not remember to have ever heard of it: some however +believe in the transmigration of souls in a certain degree. Those +spirits, which are not transmigrated, such as our dear friends or +relations, they believe always attend them, and guard them from the +bad spirits or their foes. For this reason they always before eating, +as I have observed, put some small portion of the meat, and pour some +of their drink, on the ground for them; and they often make oblations +of the blood of beasts or fowls at their graves. I was very fond of my +mother, and almost constantly with her. When she went to make these +oblations at her mother's tomb, which was a kind of small solitary +thatched house, I sometimes attended her. There she made her +libations, and spent most of the night in cries and lamentations. I +have been often extremely terrified on these occasions. The loneliness +of the place, the darkness of the night, and the ceremony of libation, +naturally awful and gloomy, were heightened by my mother's +lamentations; and these, concuring with the cries of doleful birds, by +which these places were frequented, gave an inexpressible terror to +the scene. + +We compute the year from the day on which the sun crosses the line, +and on its setting that evening there is a general shout throughout +the land; at least I can speak from my own knowledge throughout our +vicinity. The people at the same time make a great noise with rattles, +not unlike the basket rattles used by children here, though much +larger, and hold up their hands to heaven for a blessing. It is then +the greatest offerings are made; and those children whom our wise men +foretel will be fortunate are then presented to different people. I +remember many used to come to see me, and I was carried about to +others for that purpose. They have many offerings, particularly at +full moons; generally two at harvest before the fruits are taken out +of the ground: and when any young animals are killed, sometimes they +offer up part of them as a sacrifice. These offerings, when made by +one of the heads of a family, serve for the whole. I remember we often +had them at my father's and my uncle's, and their families have been +present. Some of our offerings are eaten with bitter herbs. We had a +saying among us to any one of a cross temper, 'That if they were to be +eaten, they should be eaten with bitter herbs.' + +We practised circumcision like the Jews, and made offerings and feasts +on that occasion in the same manner as they did. Like them also, our +children were named from some event, some circumstance, or fancied +foreboding at the time of their birth. I was named _Olaudah_, which, +in our language, signifies vicissitude or fortune also, one favoured, +and having a loud voice and well spoken. I remember we never polluted +the name of the object of our adoration; on the contrary, it was +always mentioned with the greatest reverence; and we were totally +unacquainted with swearing, and all those terms of abuse and reproach +which find their way so readily and copiously into the languages of +more civilized people. The only expressions of that kind I remember +were 'May you rot, or may you swell, or may a beast take you.' + +I have before remarked that the natives of this part of Africa are +extremely cleanly. This necessary habit of decency was with us a part +of religion, and therefore we had many purifications and washings; +indeed almost as many, and used on the same occasions, if my +recollection does not fail me, as the Jews. Those that touched the +dead at any time were obliged to wash and purify themselves before +they could enter a dwelling-house. Every woman too, at certain times, +was forbidden to come into a dwelling-house, or touch any person, or +any thing we ate. I was so fond of my mother I could not keep from +her, or avoid touching her at some of those periods, in consequence of +which I was obliged to be kept out with her, in a little house made +for that purpose, till offering was made, and then we were purified. + +Though we had no places of public worship, we had priests and +magicians, or wise men. I do not remember whether they had different +offices, or whether they were united in the same persons, but they +were held in great reverence by the people. They calculated our time, +and foretold events, as their name imported, for we called them +Ah-affoe-way-cah, which signifies calculators or yearly men, our year +being called Ah-affoe. They wore their beards, and when they died they +were succeeded by their sons. Most of their implements and things of +value were interred along with them. Pipes and tobacco were also put +into the grave with the corpse, which was always perfumed and +ornamented, and animals were offered in sacrifice to them. None +accompanied their funerals but those of the same profession or tribe. +These buried them after sunset, and always returned from the grave by +a different way from that which they went. + +These magicians were also our doctors or physicians. They practised +bleeding by cupping; and were very successful in healing wounds and +expelling poisons. They had likewise some extraordinary method of +discovering jealousy, theft, and poisoning; the success of which no +doubt they derived from their unbounded influence over the credulity +and superstition of the people. I do not remember what those methods +were, except that as to poisoning: I recollect an instance or two, +which I hope it will not be deemed impertinent here to insert, as it +may serve as a kind of specimen of the rest, and is still used by the +negroes in the West Indies. A virgin had been poisoned, but it was not +known by whom: the doctors ordered the corpse to be taken up by some +persons, and carried to the grave. As soon as the bearers had raised +it on their shoulders, they seemed seized with some[F] sudden +impulse, and ran to and fro unable to stop themselves. At last, after +having passed through a number of thorns and prickly bushes unhurt, +the corpse fell from them close to a house, and defaced it in the +fall; and, the owner being taken up, he immediately confessed the +poisoning[G]. + +The natives are extremely cautious about poison. When they buy any +eatable the seller kisses it all round before the buyer, to shew him +it is not poisoned; and the same is done when any meat or drink is +presented, particularly to a stranger. We have serpents of different +kinds, some of which are esteemed ominous when they appear in our +houses, and these we never molest. I remember two of those ominous +snakes, each of which was as thick as the calf of a man's leg, and in +colour resembling a dolphin in the water, crept at different times +into my mother's night-house, where I always lay with her, and coiled +themselves into folds, and each time they crowed like a cock. I was +desired by some of our wise men to touch these, that I might be +interested in the good omens, which I did, for they were quite +harmless, and would tamely suffer themselves to be handled; and then +they were put into a large open earthen pan, and set on one side of +the highway. Some of our snakes, however, were poisonous: one of them +crossed the road one day when I was standing on it, and passed between +my feet without offering to touch me, to the great surprise of many +who saw it; and these incidents were accounted by the wise men, and +therefore by my mother and the rest of the people, as remarkable omens +in my favour. + +Such is the imperfect sketch my memory has furnished me with of the +manners and customs of a people among whom I first drew my breath. And +here I cannot forbear suggesting what has long struck me very +forcibly, namely, the strong analogy which even by this sketch, +imperfect as it is, appears to prevail in the manners and customs of +my countrymen and those of the Jews, before they reached the Land of +Promise, and particularly the patriarchs while they were yet in that +pastoral state which is described in Genesis--an analogy, which alone +would induce me to think that the one people had sprung from the +other. Indeed this is the opinion of Dr. Gill, who, in his commentary +on Genesis, very ably deduces the pedigree of the Africans from Afer +and Afra, the descendants of Abraham by Keturah his wife and concubine +(for both these titles are applied to her). It is also conformable to +the sentiments of Dr. John Clarke, formerly Dean of Sarum, in his +Truth of the Christian Religion: both these authors concur in +ascribing to us this original. The reasonings of these gentlemen are +still further confirmed by the scripture chronology; and if any +further corroboration were required, this resemblance in so many +respects is a strong evidence in support of the opinion. Like the +Israelites in their primitive state, our government was conducted by +our chiefs or judges, our wise men and elders; and the head of a +family with us enjoyed a similar authority over his household with +that which is ascribed to Abraham and the other patriarchs. The law of +retaliation obtained almost universally with us as with them: and even +their religion appeared to have shed upon us a ray of its glory, +though broken and spent in its passage, or eclipsed by the cloud with +which time, tradition, and ignorance might have enveloped it; for we +had our circumcision (a rule I believe peculiar to that people:) we +had also our sacrifices and burnt-offerings, our washings and +purifications, on the same occasions as they had. + +As to the difference of colour between the Eboan Africans and the +modern Jews, I shall not presume to account for it. It is a subject +which has engaged the pens of men of both genius and learning, and is +far above my strength. The most able and Reverend Mr. T. Clarkson, +however, in his much admired Essay on the Slavery and Commerce of the +Human Species, has ascertained the cause, in a manner that at once +solves every objection on that account, and, on my mind at least, has +produced the fullest conviction. I shall therefore refer to that +performance for the theory[H], contenting myself with extracting a +fact as related by Dr. Mitchel[I]. "The Spaniards, who have inhabited +America, under the torrid zone, for any time, are become as dark +coloured as our native Indians of Virginia; of which _I myself have +been a witness_." There is also another instance[J] of a Portuguese +settlement at Mitomba, a river in Sierra Leona; where the inhabitants +are bred from a mixture of the first Portuguese discoverers with the +natives, and are now become in their complexion, and in the woolly +quality of their hair, _perfect negroes_, retaining however a +smattering of the Portuguese language. + +These instances, and a great many more which might be adduced, while +they shew how the complexions of the same persons vary in different +climates, it is hoped may tend also to remove the prejudice that some +conceive against the natives of Africa on account of their colour. +Surely the minds of the Spaniards did not change with their +complexions! Are there not causes enough to which the apparent +inferiority of an African may be ascribed, without limiting the +goodness of God, and supposing he forbore to stamp understanding on +certainly his own image, because "carved in ebony." Might it not +naturally be ascribed to their situation? When they come among +Europeans, they are ignorant of their language, religion, manners, and +customs. Are any pains taken to teach them these? Are they treated as +men? Does not slavery itself depress the mind, and extinguish all its +fire and every noble sentiment? But, above all, what advantages do not +a refined people possess over those who are rude and uncultivated. Let +the polished and haughty European recollect that his ancestors were +once, like the Africans, uncivilized, and even barbarous. Did Nature +make _them_ inferior to their sons? and should _they too_ have been +made slaves? Every rational mind answers, No. Let such reflections as +these melt the pride of their superiority into sympathy for the wants +and miseries of their sable brethren, and compel them to acknowledge, +that understanding is not confined to feature or colour. If, when they +look round the world, they feel exultation, let it be tempered with +benevolence to others, and gratitude to God, "who hath made of one +blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth[K]; +and whose wisdom is not our wisdom, neither are our ways his ways." + +FOOTNOTES: + +[Footnote A: See Benezet's "Account of Guinea" throughout.] + +[Footnote B: When I was in Smyrna I have frequently seen the Greeks +dance after this manner.] + +[Footnote C: The bowl is earthen, curiously figured, to which a long +reed is fixed as a tube. This tube is sometimes so long as to be born +by one, and frequently out of grandeur by two boys.] + +[Footnote D: When I was in Smyrna I saw the same kind of earth, and +brought some of it with me to England; it resembles musk in strength, +but is more delicious in scent, and is not unlike the smell of a +rose.] + +[Footnote E: See Benezet's Account of Africa throughout.] + +[Footnote F: See also Leut. Matthew's Voyage, p. 123.] + +[Footnote G: An instance of this kind happened at Montserrat in the +West Indies in the year 1763. I then belonged to the Charming Sally, +Capt. Doran.--The chief mate, Mr. Mansfield, and some of the crew +being one day on shore, were present at the burying of a poisoned +negro girl. Though they had often heard of the circumstance of the +running in such cases, and had even seen it, they imagined it to be a +trick of the corpse-bearers. The mate therefore desired two of the +sailors to take up the coffin, and carry it to the grave. The sailors, +who were all of the same opinion, readily obeyed; but they had +scarcely raised it to their shoulders, before they began to run +furiously about, quite unable to direct themselves, till, at last, +without intention, they came to the hut of him who had poisoned the +girl. The coffin then immediately fell from their shoulders against +the hut, and damaged part of the wall. The owner of the hut was taken +into custody on this, and confessed the poisoning.--I give this story +as it was related by the mate and crew on their return to the ship. +The credit which is due to it I leave with the reader.] + +[Footnote H: Page 178 to 216.] + +[Footnote I: Philos. Trans. Nº 476, Sect. 4, cited by Mr. Clarkson, p. +205.] + +[Footnote J: Same page.] + +[Footnote K: Acts, c. xvii. v. 26.] + + + + +CHAP. II. + + _The author's birth and parentage--His being kidnapped with + his sister--Their separation--Surprise at meeting again--Are + finally separated--Account of the different places and + incidents the author met with till his arrival on the + coast--The effect the sight of a slave ship had on him--He + sails for the West Indies--Horrors of a slave ship--Arrives + at Barbadoes, where the cargo is sold and dispersed._ + + +I hope the reader will not think I have trespassed on his +patience in introducing myself to him with some account of the manners +and customs of my country. They had been implanted in me with great +care, and made an impression on my mind, which time could not erase, +and which all the adversity and variety of fortune I have since +experienced served only to rivet and record; for, whether the love of +one's country be real or imaginary, or a lesson of reason, or an +instinct of nature, I still look back with pleasure on the first +scenes of my life, though that pleasure has been for the most part +mingled with sorrow. + +I have already acquainted the reader with the time and place of my +birth. My father, besides many slaves, had a numerous family, of which +seven lived to grow up, including myself and a sister, who was the +only daughter. As I was the youngest of the sons, I became, of course, +the greatest favourite with my mother, and was always with her; and +she used to take particular pains to form my mind. I was trained up +from my earliest years in the art of war; my daily exercise was +shooting and throwing javelins; and my mother adorned me with emblems, +after the manner of our greatest warriors. In this way I grew up till +I was turned the age of eleven, when an end was put to my happiness in +the following manner:--Generally when the grown people in the +neighbourhood were gone far in the fields to labour, the children +assembled together in some of the neighbours' premises to play; and +commonly some of us used to get up a tree to look out for any +assailant, or kidnapper, that might come upon us; for they sometimes +took those opportunities of our parents' absence to attack and carry +off as many as they could seize. One day, as I was watching at the top +of a tree in our yard, I saw one of those people come into the yard of +our next neighbour but one, to kidnap, there being many stout young +people in it. Immediately on this I gave the alarm of the rogue, and +he was surrounded by the stoutest of them, who entangled him with +cords, so that he could not escape till some of the grown people came +and secured him. But alas! ere long it was my fate to be thus +attacked, and to be carried off, when none of the grown people were +nigh. One day, when all our people were gone out to their works as +usual, and only I and my dear sister were left to mind the house, two +men and a woman got over our walls, and in a moment seized us both, +and, without giving us time to cry out, or make resistance, they +stopped our mouths, and ran off with us into the nearest wood. Here +they tied our hands, and continued to carry us as far as they could, +till night came on, when we reached a small house, where the robbers +halted for refreshment, and spent the night. We were then unbound, but +were unable to take any food; and, being quite overpowered by fatigue +and grief, our only relief was some sleep, which allayed our +misfortune for a short time. The next morning we left the house, and +continued travelling all the day. For a long time we had kept the +woods, but at last we came into a road which I believed I knew. I had +now some hopes of being delivered; for we had advanced but a little +way before I discovered some people at a distance, on which I began to +cry out for their assistance: but my cries had no other effect than to +make them tie me faster and stop my mouth, and then they put me into a +large sack. They also stopped my sister's mouth, and tied her hands; +and in this manner we proceeded till we were out of the sight of these +people. When we went to rest the following night they offered us some +victuals; but we refused it; and the only comfort we had was in being +in one another's arms all that night, and bathing each other with our +tears. But alas! we were soon deprived of even the small comfort of +weeping together. The next day proved a day of greater sorrow than I +had yet experienced; for my sister and I were then separated, while we +lay clasped in each other's arms. It was in vain that we besought them +not to part us; she was torn from me, and immediately carried away, +while I was left in a state of distraction not to be described. I +cried and grieved continually; and for several days I did not eat any +thing but what they forced into my mouth. At length, after many days +travelling, during which I had often changed masters, I got into the +hands of a chieftain, in a very pleasant country. This man had two +wives and some children, and they all used me extremely well, and did +all they could to comfort me; particularly the first wife, who was +something like my mother. Although I was a great many days journey +from my father's house, yet these people spoke exactly the same +language with us. This first master of mine, as I may call him, was a +smith, and my principal employment was working his bellows, which were +the same kind as I had seen in my vicinity. They were in some respects +not unlike the stoves here in gentlemen's kitchens; and were covered +over with leather; and in the middle of that leather a stick was +fixed, and a person stood up, and worked it, in the same manner as is +done to pump water out of a cask with a hand pump. I believe it was +gold he worked, for it was of a lovely bright yellow colour, and was +worn by the women on their wrists and ancles. I was there I suppose +about a month, and they at last used to trust me some little distance +from the house. This liberty I used in embracing every opportunity to +inquire the way to my own home: and I also sometimes, for the same +purpose, went with the maidens, in the cool of the evenings, to bring +pitchers of water from the springs for the use of the house. I had +also remarked where the sun rose in the morning, and set in the +evening, as I had travelled along; and I had observed that my father's +house was towards the rising of the sun. I therefore determined to +seize the first opportunity of making my escape, and to shape my +course for that quarter; for I was quite oppressed and weighed down by +grief after my mother and friends; and my love of liberty, ever great, +was strengthened by the mortifying circumstance of not daring to eat +with the free-born children, although I was mostly their companion. +While I was projecting my escape, one day an unlucky event happened, +which quite disconcerted my plan, and put an end to my hopes. I used +to be sometimes employed in assisting an elderly woman slave to cook +and take care of the poultry; and one morning, while I was feeding +some chickens, I happened to toss a small pebble at one of them, +which hit it on the middle and directly killed it. The old slave, +having soon after missed the chicken, inquired after it; and on my +relating the accident (for I told her the truth, because my mother +would never suffer me to tell a lie) she flew into a violent passion, +threatened that I should suffer for it; and, my master being out, she +immediately went and told her mistress what I had done. This alarmed +me very much, and I expected an instant flogging, which to me was +uncommonly dreadful; for I had seldom been beaten at home. I therefore +resolved to fly; and accordingly I ran into a thicket that was hard +by, and hid myself in the bushes. Soon afterwards my mistress and the +slave returned, and, not seeing me, they searched all the house, but +not finding me, and I not making answer when they called to me, they +thought I had run away, and the whole neighbourhood was raised in the +pursuit of me. In that part of the country (as in ours) the houses and +villages were skirted with woods, or shrubberies, and the bushes were +so thick that a man could readily conceal himself in them, so as to +elude the strictest search. The neighbours continued the whole day +looking for me, and several times many of them came within a few yards +of the place where I lay hid. I then gave myself up for lost entirely, +and expected every moment, when I heard a rustling among the trees, to +be found out, and punished by my master: but they never discovered me, +though they were often so near that I even heard their conjectures as +they were looking about for me; and I now learned from them, that any +attempt to return home would be hopeless. Most of them supposed I had +fled towards home; but the distance was so great, and the way so +intricate, that they thought I could never reach it, and that I should +be lost in the woods. When I heard this I was seized with a violent +panic, and abandoned myself to despair. Night too began to approach, +and aggravated all my fears. I had before entertained hopes of getting +home, and I had determined when it should be dark to make the attempt; +but I was now convinced it was fruitless, and I began to consider +that, if possibly I could escape all other animals, I could not those +of the human kind; and that, not knowing the way, I must perish in the +woods. Thus was I like the hunted deer: + + --"Ev'ry leaf and ev'ry whisp'ring breath + Convey'd a foe, and ev'ry foe a death." + +I heard frequent rustlings among the leaves; and being pretty sure +they were snakes I expected every instant to be stung by them. This +increased my anguish, and the horror of my situation became now quite +insupportable. I at length quitted the thicket, very faint and hungry, +for I had not eaten or drank any thing all the day; and crept to my +master's kitchen, from whence I set out at first, and which was an +open shed, and laid myself down in the ashes with an anxious wish for +death to relieve me from all my pains. I was scarcely awake in the +morning when the old woman slave, who was the first up, came to light +the fire, and saw me in the fire place. She was very much surprised to +see me, and could scarcely believe her own eyes. She now promised to +intercede for me, and went for her master, who soon after came, and, +having slightly reprimanded me, ordered me to be taken care of, and +not to be ill-treated. + +Soon after this my master's only daughter, and child by his first +wife, sickened and died, which affected him so much that for some time +he was almost frantic, and really would have killed himself, had he +not been watched and prevented. However, in a small time afterwards he +recovered, and I was again sold. I was now carried to the left of the +sun's rising, through many different countries, and a number of large +woods. The people I was sold to used to carry me very often, when I +was tired, either on their shoulders or on their backs. I saw many +convenient well-built sheds along the roads, at proper distances, to +accommodate the merchants and travellers, who lay in those buildings +along with their wives, who often accompany them; and they always go +well armed. + +From the time I left my own nation I always found somebody that +understood me till I came to the sea coast. The languages of different +nations did not totally differ, nor were they so copious as those of +the Europeans, particularly the English. They were therefore easily +learned; and, while I was journeying thus through Africa, I acquired +two or three different tongues. In this manner I had been travelling +for a considerable time, when one evening, to my great surprise, whom +should I see brought to the house where I was but my dear sister! As +soon as she saw me she gave a loud shriek, and ran into my arms--I was +quite overpowered: neither of us could speak; but, for a considerable +time, clung to each other in mutual embraces, unable to do any thing +but weep. Our meeting affected all who saw us; and indeed I must +acknowledge, in honour of those sable destroyers of human rights, that +I never met with any ill treatment, or saw any offered to their +slaves, except tying them, when necessary, to keep them from running +away. When these people knew we were brother and sister they indulged +us together; and the man, to whom I supposed we belonged, lay with us, +he in the middle, while she and I held one another by the hands across +his breast all night; and thus for a while we forgot our misfortunes +in the joy of being together: but even this small comfort was soon to +have an end; for scarcely had the fatal morning appeared, when she was +again torn from me for ever! I was now more miserable, if possible, +than before. The small relief which her presence gave me from pain was +gone, and the wretchedness of my situation was redoubled by my anxiety +after her fate, and my apprehensions lest her sufferings should be +greater than mine, when I could not be with her to alleviate them. +Yes, thou dear partner of all my childish sports! thou sharer of my +joys and sorrows! happy should I have ever esteemed myself to +encounter every misery for you, and to procure your freedom by the +sacrifice of my own. Though you were early forced from my arms, your +image has been always rivetted in my heart, from which neither _time +nor fortune_ have been able to remove it; so that, while the thoughts +of your sufferings have damped my prosperity, they have mingled with +adversity and increased its bitterness. To that Heaven which protects +the weak from the strong, I commit the care of your innocence and +virtues, if they have not already received their full reward, and if +your youth and delicacy have not long since fallen victims to the +violence of the African trader, the pestilential stench of a Guinea +ship, the seasoning in the European colonies, or the lash and lust of +a brutal and unrelenting overseer. + +I did not long remain after my sister. I was again sold, and carried +through a number of places, till, after travelling a considerable +time, I came to a town called Tinmah, in the most beautiful country I +have yet seen in Africa. It was extremely rich, and there were many +rivulets which flowed through it, and supplied a large pond in the +centre of the town, where the people washed. Here I first saw and +tasted cocoa-nuts, which I thought superior to any nuts I had ever +tasted before; and the trees, which were loaded, were also +interspersed amongst the houses, which had commodious shades +adjoining, and were in the same manner as ours, the insides being +neatly plastered and whitewashed. Here I also saw and tasted for the +first time sugar-cane. Their money consisted of little white shells, +the size of the finger nail. I was sold here for one hundred and +seventy-two of them by a merchant who lived and brought me there. I +had been about two or three days at his house, when a wealthy widow, a +neighbour of his, came there one evening, and brought with her an only +son, a young gentleman about my own age and size. Here they saw me; +and, having taken a fancy to me, I was bought of the merchant, and +went home with them. Her house and premises were situated close to one +of those rivulets I have mentioned, and were the finest I ever saw in +Africa: they were very extensive, and she had a number of slaves to +attend her. The next day I was washed and perfumed, and when meal-time +came I was led into the presence of my mistress, and ate and drank +before her with her son. This filled me with astonishment; and I could +scarce help expressing my surprise that the young gentleman should +suffer me, who was bound, to eat with him who was free; and not only +so, but that he would not at any time either eat or drink till I had +taken first, because I was the eldest, which was agreeable to our +custom. Indeed every thing here, and all their treatment of me, made +me forget that I was a slave. The language of these people resembled +ours so nearly, that we understood each other perfectly. They had also +the very same customs as we. There were likewise slaves daily to +attend us, while my young master and I with other boys sported with +our darts and bows and arrows, as I had been used to do at home. In +this resemblance to my former happy state I passed about two months; +and I now began to think I was to be adopted into the family, and was +beginning to be reconciled to my situation, and to forget by degrees +my misfortunes, when all at once the delusion vanished; for, without +the least previous knowledge, one morning early, while my dear master +and companion was still asleep, I was wakened out of my reverie to +fresh sorrow, and hurried away even amongst the uncircumcised. + +Thus, at the very moment I dreamed of the greatest happiness, I found +myself most miserable; and it seemed as if fortune wished to give me +this taste of joy, only to render the reverse more poignant. The +change I now experienced was as painful as it was sudden and +unexpected. It was a change indeed from a state of bliss to a scene +which is inexpressible by me, as it discovered to me an element I had +never before beheld, and till then had no idea of, and wherein such +instances of hardship and cruelty continually occurred as I can never +reflect on but with horror. + +All the nations and people I had hitherto passed through resembled our +own in their manners, customs, and language: but I came at length to a +country, the inhabitants of which differed from us in all those +particulars. I was very much struck with this difference, especially +when I came among a people who did not circumcise, and ate without +washing their hands. They cooked also in iron pots, and had European +cutlasses and cross bows, which were unknown to us, and fought with +their fists amongst themselves. Their women were not so modest as +ours, for they ate, and drank, and slept, with their men. But, above +all, I was amazed to see no sacrifices or offerings among them. In +some of those places the people ornamented themselves with scars, and +likewise filed their teeth very sharp. They wanted sometimes to +ornament me in the same manner, but I would not suffer them; hoping +that I might some time be among a people who did not thus disfigure +themselves, as I thought they did. At last I came to the banks of a +large river, which was covered with canoes, in which the people +appeared to live with their household utensils and provisions of all +kinds. I was beyond measure astonished at this, as I had never before +seen any water larger than a pond or a rivulet: and my surprise was +mingled with no small fear when I was put into one of these canoes, +and we began to paddle and move along the river. We continued going on +thus till night; and when we came to land, and made fires on the +banks, each family by themselves, some dragged their canoes on shore, +others stayed and cooked in theirs, and laid in them all night. Those +on the land had mats, of which they made tents, some in the shape of +little houses: in these we slept; and after the morning meal we +embarked again and proceeded as before. I was often very much +astonished to see some of the women, as well as the men, jump into the +water, dive to the bottom, come up again, and swim about. Thus I +continued to travel, sometimes by land, sometimes by water, through +different countries and various nations, till, at the end of six or +seven months after I had been kidnapped, I arrived at the sea coast. +It would be tedious and uninteresting to relate all the incidents +which befell me during this journey, and which I have not yet +forgotten; of the various hands I passed through, and the manners and +customs of all the different people among whom I lived: I shall +therefore only observe, that in all the places where I was the soil +was exceedingly rich; the pomkins, eadas, plantains, yams, &c. &c. +were in great abundance, and of incredible size. There were also vast +quantities of different gums, though not used for any purpose; and +every where a great deal of tobacco. The cotton even grew quite wild; +and there was plenty of redwood. I saw no mechanics whatever in all +the way, except such as I have mentioned. The chief employment in all +these countries was agriculture, and both the males and females, as +with us, were brought up to it, and trained in the arts of war. + +The first object which saluted my eyes when I arrived on the coast was +the sea, and a slave ship, which was then riding at anchor, and +waiting for its cargo. These filled me with astonishment, which was +soon converted into terror when I was carried on board. I was +immediately handled and tossed up to see if I were sound by some of +the crew; and I was now persuaded that I had gotten into a world of +bad spirits, and that they were going to kill me. Their complexions +too differing so much from ours, their long hair, and the language +they spoke, (which was very different from any I had ever heard) +united to confirm me in this belief. Indeed such were the horrors of +my views and fears at the moment, that, if ten thousand worlds had +been my own, I would have freely parted with them all to have +exchanged my condition with that of the meanest slave in my own +country. When I looked round the ship too and saw a large furnace or +copper boiling, and a multitude of black people of every description +chained together, every one of their countenances expressing dejection +and sorrow, I no longer doubted of my fate; and, quite overpowered +with horror and anguish, I fell motionless on the deck and fainted. +When I recovered a little I found some black people about me, who I +believed were some of those who brought me on board, and had been +receiving their pay; they talked to me in order to cheer me, but all +in vain. I asked them if we were not to be eaten by those white men +with horrible looks, red faces, and loose hair. They told me I was +not; and one of the crew brought me a small portion of spirituous +liquor in a wine glass; but, being afraid of him, I would not take it +out of his hand. One of the blacks therefore took it from him and gave +it to me, and I took a little down my palate, which, instead of +reviving me, as they thought it would, threw me into the greatest +consternation at the strange feeling it produced, having never tasted +any such liquor before. Soon after this the blacks who brought me on +board went off, and left me abandoned to despair. I now saw myself +deprived of all chance of returning to my native country, or even the +least glimpse of hope of gaining the shore, which I now considered as +friendly; and I even wished for my former slavery in preference to my +present situation, which was filled with horrors of every kind, still +heightened by my ignorance of what I was to undergo. I was not long +suffered to indulge my grief; I was soon put down under the decks, and +there I received such a salutation in my nostrils as I had never +experienced in my life: so that, with the loathsomeness of the stench, +and crying together, I became so sick and low that I was not able to +eat, nor had I the least desire to taste any thing. I now wished for +the last friend, death, to relieve me; but soon, to my grief, two of +the white men offered me eatables; and, on my refusing to eat, one of +them held me fast by the hands, and laid me across I think the +windlass, and tied my feet, while the other flogged me severely. I had +never experienced any thing of this kind before; and although, not +being used to the water, I naturally feared that element the first +time I saw it, yet nevertheless, could I have got over the nettings, +I would have jumped over the side, but I could not; and, besides, the +crew used to watch us very closely who were not chained down to the +decks, lest we should leap into the water: and I have seen some of +these poor African prisoners most severely cut for attempting to do +so, and hourly whipped for not eating. This indeed was often the case +with myself. In a little time after, amongst the poor chained men, I +found some of my own nation, which in a small degree gave ease to my +mind. I inquired of these what was to be done with us; they gave me to +understand we were to be carried to these white people's country to +work for them. I then was a little revived, and thought, if it were no +worse than working, my situation was not so desperate: but still I +feared I should be put to death, the white people looked and acted, as +I thought, in so savage a manner; for I had never seen among any +people such instances of brutal cruelty; and this not only shewn +towards us blacks, but also to some of the whites themselves. One +white man in particular I saw, when we were permitted to be on deck, +flogged so unmercifully with a large rope near the foremast, that he +died in consequence of it; and they tossed him over the side as they +would have done a brute. This made me fear these people the more; and +I expected nothing less than to be treated in the same manner. I could +not help expressing my fears and apprehensions to some of my +countrymen: I asked them if these people had no country, but lived in +this hollow place (the ship): they told me they did not, but came from +a distant one. 'Then,' said I, 'how comes it in all our country we +never heard of them?' They told me because they lived so very far off. +I then asked where were their women? had they any like themselves? I +was told they had: 'and why,' said I, 'do we not see them?' they +answered, because they were left behind. I asked how the vessel could +go? they told me they could not tell; but that there were cloths put +upon the masts by the help of the ropes I saw, and then the vessel +went on; and the white men had some spell or magic they put in the +water when they liked in order to stop the vessel. I was exceedingly +amazed at this account, and really thought they were spirits. I +therefore wished much to be from amongst them, for I expected they +would sacrifice me: but my wishes were vain; for we were so quartered +that it was impossible for any of us to make our escape. While we +stayed on the coast I was mostly on deck; and one day, to my great +astonishment, I saw one of these vessels coming in with the sails up. +As soon as the whites saw it, they gave a great shout, at which we +were amazed; and the more so as the vessel appeared larger by +approaching nearer. At last she came to an anchor in my sight, and +when the anchor was let go I and my countrymen who saw it were lost in +astonishment to observe the vessel stop; and were not convinced it was +done by magic. Soon after this the other ship got her boats out, and +they came on board of us, and the people of both ships seemed very +glad to see each other. Several of the strangers also shook hands with +us black people, and made motions with their hands, signifying I +suppose we were to go to their country; but we did not understand +them. At last, when the ship we were in had got in all her cargo, they +made ready with many fearful noises, and we were all put under deck, +so that we could not see how they managed the vessel. But this +disappointment was the least of my sorrow. The stench of the hold +while we were on the coast was so intolerably loathsome, that it was +dangerous to remain there for any time, and some of us had been +permitted to stay on the deck for the fresh air; but now that the +whole ship's cargo were confined together, it became absolutely +pestilential. The closeness of the place, and the heat of the climate, +added to the number in the ship, which was so crowded that each had +scarcely room to turn himself, almost suffocated us. This produced +copious perspirations, so that the air soon became unfit for +respiration, from a variety of loathsome smells, and brought on a +sickness among the slaves, of which many died, thus falling victims to +the improvident avarice, as I may call it, of their purchasers. This +wretched situation was again aggravated by the galling of the chains, +now become insupportable; and the filth of the necessary tubs, into +which the children often fell, and were almost suffocated. The shrieks +of the women, and the groans of the dying, rendered the whole a scene +of horror almost inconceivable. Happily perhaps for myself I was soon +reduced so low here that it was thought necessary to keep me almost +always on deck; and from my extreme youth I was not put in fetters. In +this situation I expected every hour to share the fate of my +companions, some of whom were almost daily brought upon deck at the +point of death, which I began to hope would soon put an end to my +miseries. Often did I think many of the inhabitants of the deep much +more happy than myself. I envied them the freedom they enjoyed, and as +often wished I could change my condition for theirs. Every +circumstance I met with served only to render my state more painful, +and heighten my apprehensions, and my opinion of the cruelty of the +whites. One day they had taken a number of fishes; and when they had +killed and satisfied themselves with as many as they thought fit, to +our astonishment who were on the deck, rather than give any of them to +us to eat as we expected, they tossed the remaining fish into the sea +again, although we begged and prayed for some as well as we could, but +in vain; and some of my countrymen, being pressed by hunger, took an +opportunity, when they thought no one saw them, of trying to get a +little privately; but they were discovered, and the attempt procured +them some very severe floggings. One day, when we had a smooth sea and +moderate wind, two of my wearied countrymen who were chained together +(I was near them at the time), preferring death to such a life of +misery, somehow made through the nettings and jumped into the sea: +immediately another quite dejected fellow, who, on account of his +illness, was suffered to be out of irons, also followed their example; +and I believe many more would very soon have done the same if they had +not been prevented by the ship's crew, who were instantly alarmed. +Those of us that were the most active were in a moment put down under +the deck, and there was such a noise and confusion amongst the people +of the ship as I never heard before, to stop her, and get the boat out +to go after the slaves. However two of the wretches were drowned, but +they got the other, and afterwards flogged him unmercifully for thus +attempting to prefer death to slavery. In this manner we continued to +undergo more hardships than I can now relate, hardships which are +inseparable from this accursed trade. Many a time we were near +suffocation from the want of fresh air, which we were often without +for whole days together. This, and the stench of the necessary tubs, +carried off many. During our passage I first saw flying fishes, which +surprised me very much: they used frequently to fly across the ship, +and many of them fell on the deck. I also now first saw the use of the +quadrant; I had often with astonishment seen the mariners make +observations with it, and I could not think what it meant. They at +last took notice of my surprise; and one of them, willing to increase +it, as well as to gratify my curiosity, made me one day look through +it. The clouds appeared to me to be land, which disappeared as they +passed along. This heightened my wonder; and I was now more persuaded +than ever that I was in another world, and that every thing about me +was magic. At last we came in sight of the island of Barbadoes, at +which the whites on board gave a great shout, and made many signs of +joy to us. We did not know what to think of this; but as the vessel +drew nearer we plainly saw the harbour, and other ships of different +kinds and sizes; and we soon anchored amongst them off Bridge Town. +Many merchants and planters now came on board, though it was in the +evening. They put us in separate parcels, and examined us attentively. +They also made us jump, and pointed to the land, signifying we were to +go there. We thought by this we should be eaten by these ugly men, as +they appeared to us; and, when soon after we were all put down under +the deck again, there was much dread and trembling among us, and +nothing but bitter cries to be heard all the night from these +apprehensions, insomuch that at last the white people got some old +slaves from the land to pacify us. They told us we were not to be +eaten, but to work, and were soon to go on land, where we should see +many of our country people. This report eased us much; and sure +enough, soon after we were landed, there came to us Africans of all +languages. We were conducted immediately to the merchant's yard, where +we were all pent up together like so many sheep in a fold, without +regard to sex or age. As every object was new to me every thing I saw +filled me with surprise. What struck me first was that the houses were +built with stories, and in every other respect different from those in +Africa: but I was still more astonished on seeing people on horseback. +I did not know what this could mean; and indeed I thought these people +were full of nothing but magical arts. While I was in this +astonishment one of my fellow prisoners spoke to a countryman of his +about the horses, who said they were the same kind they had in their +country. I understood them, though they were from a distant part of +Africa, and I thought it odd I had not seen any horses there; but +afterwards, when I came to converse with different Africans, I found +they had many horses amongst them, and much larger than those I then +saw. We were not many days in the merchant's custody before we were +sold after their usual manner, which is this:--On a signal given,(as +the beat of a drum) the buyers rush at once into the yard where the +slaves are confined, and make choice of that parcel they like best. +The noise and clamour with which this is attended, and the eagerness +visible in the countenances of the buyers, serve not a little to +increase the apprehensions of the terrified Africans, who may well be +supposed to consider them as the ministers of that destruction to +which they think themselves devoted. In this manner, without scruple, +are relations and friends separated, most of them never to see each +other again. I remember in the vessel in which I was brought over, in +the men's apartment, there were several brothers, who, in the sale, +were sold in different lots; and it was very moving on this occasion +to see and hear their cries at parting. O, ye nominal Christians! +might not an African ask you, learned you this from your God, who says +unto you, Do unto all men as you would men should do unto you? Is it +not enough that we are torn from our country and friends to toil for +your luxury and lust of gain? Must every tender feeling be likewise +sacrificed to your avarice? Are the dearest friends and relations, now +rendered more dear by their separation from their kindred, still to be +parted from each other, and thus prevented from cheering the gloom of +slavery with the small comfort of being together and mingling their +sufferings and sorrows? Why are parents to lose their children, +brothers their sisters, or husbands their wives? Surely this is a new +refinement in cruelty, which, while it has no advantage to atone for +it, thus aggravates distress, and adds fresh horrors even to the +wretchedness of slavery. + + + + +CHAP. III. + + _The author is carried to Virginia--His distress--Surprise + at seeing a picture and a watch--Is bought by Captain + Pascal, and sets out for England--His terror during the + voyage--Arrives in England--His wonder at a fall of snow--Is + sent to Guernsey, and in some time goes on board a ship of + war with his master--Some account of the expedition against + Louisbourg under the command of Admiral Boscawen, in 1758._ + + +I now totally lost the small remains of comfort I had enjoyed in +conversing with my countrymen; the women too, who used to wash and +take care of me, were all gone different ways, and I never saw one of +them afterwards. + +I stayed in this island for a few days; I believe it could not be +above a fortnight; when I and some few more slaves, that were not +saleable amongst the rest, from very much fretting, were shipped off +in a sloop for North America. On the passage we were better treated +than when we were coming from Africa, and we had plenty of rice and +fat pork. We were landed up a river a good way from the sea, about +Virginia county, where we saw few or none of our native Africans, and +not one soul who could talk to me. I was a few weeks weeding grass, +and gathering stones in a plantation; and at last all my companions +were distributed different ways, and only myself was left. I was now +exceedingly miserable, and thought myself worse off than any of the +rest of my companions; for they could talk to each other, but I had no +person to speak to that I could understand. In this state I was +constantly grieving and pining, and wishing for death rather than any +thing else. While I was in this plantation the gentleman, to whom I +suppose the estate belonged, being unwell, I was one day sent for to +his dwelling house to fan him; when I came into the room where he was +I was very much affrighted at some things I saw, and the more so as I +had seen a black woman slave as I came through the house, who was +cooking the dinner, and the poor creature was cruelly loaded with +various kinds of iron machines; she had one particularly on her head, +which locked her mouth so fast that she could scarcely speak; and +could not eat nor drink. I was much astonished and shocked at this +contrivance, which I afterwards learned was called the iron muzzle. +Soon after I had a fan put into my hand, to fan the gentleman while he +slept; and so I did indeed with great fear. While he was fast asleep I +indulged myself a great deal in looking about the room, which to me +appeared very fine and curious. The first object that engaged my +attention was a watch which hung on the chimney, and was going. I was +quite surprised at the noise it made, and was afraid it would tell the +gentleman any thing I might do amiss: and when I immediately after +observed a picture hanging in the room, which appeared constantly to +look at me, I was still more affrighted, having never seen such things +as these before. At one time I thought it was something relative to +magic; and not seeing it move I thought it might be some way the +whites had to keep their great men when they died, and offer them +libation as we used to do to our friendly spirits. In this state of +anxiety I remained till my master awoke, when I was dismissed out of +the room, to my no small satisfaction and relief; for I thought that +these people were all made up of wonders. In this place I was called +Jacob; but on board the African snow I was called Michael. I had been +some time in this miserable, forlorn, and much dejected state, without +having any one to talk to, which made my life a burden, when the kind +and unknown hand of the Creator (who in very deed leads the blind in a +way they know not) now began to appear, to my comfort; for one day the +captain of a merchant ship, called the Industrious Bee, came on some +business to my master's house. This gentleman, whose name was Michael +Henry Pascal, was a lieutenant in the royal navy, but now commanded +this trading ship, which was somewhere in the confines of the county +many miles off. While he was at my master's house it happened that he +saw me, and liked me so well that he made a purchase of me. I think I +have often heard him say he gave thirty or forty pounds sterling for +me; but I do not now remember which. However, he meant me for a +present to some of his friends in England: and I was sent accordingly +from the house of my then master, one Mr. Campbell, to the place where +the ship lay; I was conducted on horseback by an elderly black man, (a +mode of travelling which appeared very odd to me). When I arrived I +was carried on board a fine large ship, loaded with tobacco, &c. and +just ready to sail for England. I now thought my condition much +mended; I had sails to lie on, and plenty of good victuals to eat; and +every body on board used me very kindly, quite contrary to what I had +seen of any white people before; I therefore began to think that they +were not all of the same disposition. A few days after I was on board +we sailed for England. I was still at a loss to conjecture my destiny. +By this time, however, I could smatter a little imperfect English; and +I wanted to know as well as I could where we were going. Some of the +people of the ship used to tell me they were going to carry me back to +my own country, and this made me very happy. I was quite rejoiced at +the sound of going back; and thought if I should get home what wonders +I should have to tell. But I was reserved for another fate, and was +soon undeceived when we came within sight of the English coast. While +I was on board this ship, my captain and master named me _Gustavus +Vassa_. I at that time began to understand him a little, and refused to +be called so, and told him as well as I could that I would be called +Jacob; but he said I should not, and still called me Gustavus; and +when I refused to answer to my new name, which at first I did, it +gained me many a cuff; so at length I submitted, and was obliged to +bear the present name, by which I have been known ever since. The ship +had a very long passage; and on that account we had very short +allowance of provisions. Towards the last we had only one pound and a +half of bread per week, and about the same quantity of meat, and one +quart of water a-day. We spoke with only one vessel the whole time we +were at sea, and but once we caught a few fishes. In our extremities +the captain and people told me in jest they would kill and eat me; but +I thought them in earnest, and was depressed beyond measure, expecting +every moment to be my last. While I was in this situation one evening +they caught, with a good deal of trouble, a large shark, and got it on +board. This gladdened my poor heart exceedingly, as I thought it would +serve the people to eat instead of their eating me; but very soon, to +my astonishment, they cut off a small part of the tail, and tossed the +rest over the side. This renewed my consternation; and I did not know +what to think of these white people, though I very much feared they +would kill and eat me. There was on board the ship a young lad who had +never been at sea before, about four or five years older than myself: +his name was Richard Baker. He was a native of America, had received +an excellent education, and was of a most amiable temper. Soon after I +went on board he shewed me a great deal of partiality and attention, +and in return I grew extremely fond of him. We at length became +inseparable; and, for the space of two years, he was of very great use +to me, and was my constant companion and instructor. Although this +dear youth had many slaves of his own, yet he and I have gone through +many sufferings together on shipboard; and we have many nights lain in +each other's bosoms when we were in great distress. Thus such a +friendship was cemented between us as we cherished till his death, +which, to my very great sorrow, happened in the year 1759, when he was +up the Archipelago, on board his majesty's ship the Preston: an event +which I have never ceased to regret, as I lost at once a kind +interpreter, an agreeable companion, and a faithful friend; who, at +the age of fifteen, discovered a mind superior to prejudice; and who +was not ashamed to notice, to associate with, and to be the friend and +instructor of one who was ignorant, a stranger, of a different +complexion, and a slave! My master had lodged in his mother's house in +America: he respected him very much, and made him always eat with him +in the cabin. He used often to tell him jocularly that he would kill +me to eat. Sometimes he would say to me--the black people were not +good to eat, and would ask me if we did not eat people in my country. +I said, No: then he said he would kill Dick (as he always called him) +first, and afterwards me. Though this hearing relieved my mind a +little as to myself, I was alarmed for Dick and whenever he was called +I used to be very much afraid he was to be killed; and I would peep +and watch to see if they were going to kill him: nor was I free from +this consternation till we made the land. One night we lost a man +overboard; and the cries and noise were so great and confused, in +stopping the ship, that I, who did not know what was the matter, +began, as usual, to be very much afraid, and to think they were going +to make an offering with me, and perform some magic; which I still +believed they dealt in. As the waves were very high I thought the +Ruler of the seas was angry, and I expected to be offered up to +appease him. This filled my mind with agony, and I could not any more +that night close my eyes again to rest. However, when daylight +appeared I was a little eased in my mind; but still every time I was +called I used to think it was to be killed. Some time after this we +saw some very large fish, which I afterwards found were called +grampusses. They looked to me extremely terrible, and made their +appearance just at dusk; and were so near as to blow the water on the +ship's deck. I believed them to be the rulers of the sea; and, as the +white people did not make any offerings at any time, I thought they +were angry with them: and, at last, what confirmed my belief was, the +wind just then died away, and a calm ensued, and in consequence of it +the ship stopped going. I supposed that the fish had performed this, +and I hid myself in the fore part of the ship, through fear of being +offered up to appease them, every minute peeping and quaking: but my +good friend Dick came shortly towards me, and I took an opportunity to +ask him, as well as I could, what these fish were. Not being able to +talk much English, I could but just make him understand my question; +and not at all, when I asked him if any offerings were to be made to +them: however, he told me these fish would swallow any body; which +sufficiently alarmed me. Here he was called away by the captain, who +was leaning over the quarter-deck railing and looking at the fish; and +most of the people were busied in getting a barrel of pitch to light, +for them to play with. The captain now called me to him, having +learned some of my apprehensions from Dick; and having diverted +himself and others for some time with my fears, which appeared +ludicrous enough in my crying and trembling, he dismissed me. The +barrel of pitch was now lighted and put over the side into the water: +by this time it was just dark, and the fish went after it; and, to my +great joy, I saw them no more. + +However, all my alarms began to subside when we got sight of land; and +at last the ship arrived at Falmouth, after a passage of thirteen +weeks. Every heart on board seemed gladdened on our reaching the +shore, and none more than mine. The captain immediately went on shore, +and sent on board some fresh provisions, which we wanted very much: +we made good use of them, and our famine was soon turned into +feasting, almost without ending. It was about the beginning of the +spring 1757 when I arrived in England, and I was near twelve years of +age at that time. I was very much struck with the buildings and the +pavement of the streets in Falmouth; and, indeed, any object I saw +filled me with new surprise. One morning, when I got upon deck, I saw +it covered all over with the snow that fell over-night: as I had never +seen any thing of the kind before, I thought it was salt; so I +immediately ran down to the mate and desired him, as well as I could, +to come and see how somebody in the night had thrown salt all over the +deck. He, knowing what it was, desired me to bring some of it down to +him: accordingly I took up a handful of it, which I found very cold +indeed; and when I brought it to him he desired me to taste it. I did +so, and I was surprised beyond measure. I then asked him what it was; +he told me it was snow: but I could not in anywise understand him. He +asked me if we had no such thing in my country; and I told him, No. I +then asked him the use of it, and who made it; he told me a great man +in the heavens, called God: but here again I was to all intents and +purposes at a loss to understand him; and the more so, when a little +after I saw the air filled with it, in a heavy shower, which fell down +on the same day. After this I went to church; and having never been at +such a place before, I was again amazed at seeing and hearing the +service. I asked all I could about it; and they gave me to understand +it was worshipping God, who made us and all things. I was still at a +great loss, and soon got into an endless field of inquiries, as well +as I was able to speak and ask about things. However, my little friend +Dick used to be my best interpreter; for I could make free with him, +and he always instructed me with pleasure: and from what I could +understand by him of this God, and in seeing these white people did +not sell one another, as we did, I was much pleased; and in this I +thought they were much happier than we Africans. I was astonished at +the wisdom of the white people in all things I saw; but was amazed at +their not sacrificing, or making any offerings, and eating with +unwashed hands, and touching the dead. I likewise could not help +remarking the particular slenderness of their women, which I did not +at first like; and I thought they were not so modest and shamefaced as +the African women. + +I had often seen my master and Dick employed in reading; and I had a +great curiosity to talk to the books, as I thought they did; and so to +learn how all things had a beginning: for that purpose I have often +taken up a book, and have talked to it, and then put my ears to it, +when alone, in hopes it would answer me; and I have been very much +concerned when I found it remained silent. + +My master lodged at the house of a gentleman in Falmouth, who had a +fine little daughter about six or seven years of age, and she grew +prodigiously fond of me; insomuch that we used to eat together, and +had servants to wait on us. I was so much caressed by this family that +it often reminded me of the treatment I had received from my little +noble African master. After I had been here a few days, I was sent on +board of the ship; but the child cried so much after me that nothing +could pacify her till I was sent for again. It is ludicrous enough, +that I began to fear I should be betrothed to this young lady; and +when my master asked me if I would stay there with her behind him, as +he was going away with the ship, which had taken in the tobacco again, +I cried immediately, and said I would not leave her. At last, by +stealth, one night I was sent on board the ship again; and in a little +time we sailed for Guernsey, where she was in part owned by a +merchant, one Nicholas Doberry. As I was now amongst a people who had +not their faces scarred, like some of the African nations where I had +been, I was very glad I did not let them ornament me in that manner +when I was with them. When we arrived at Guernsey, my master placed me +to board and lodge with one of his mates, who had a wife and family +there; and some months afterwards he went to England, and left me in +care of this mate, together with my friend Dick: This mate had a +little daughter, aged about five or six years, with whom I used to be +much delighted. I had often observed that when her mother washed her +face it looked very rosy; but when she washed mine it did not look so: +I therefore tried oftentimes myself if I could not by washing make my +face of the same colour as my little play-mate (Mary), but it was all +in vain; and I now began to be mortified at the difference in our +complexions. This woman behaved to me with great kindness and +attention; and taught me every thing in the same manner as she did her +own child, and indeed in every respect treated me as such. I remained +here till the summer of the year 1757; when my master, being appointed +first lieutenant of his majesty's ship the Roebuck, sent for Dick and +me, and his old mate: on this we all left Guernsey, and set out for +England in a sloop bound for London. As we were coming up towards the +Nore, where the Roebuck lay, a man of war's boat came alongside to +press our people; on which each man ran to hide himself. I was very +much frightened at this, though I did not know what it meant, or what +to think or do. However I went and hid myself also under a hencoop. +Immediately afterwards the press-gang came on board with their swords +drawn, and searched all about, pulled the people out by force, and put +them into the boat. At last I was found out also: the man that found +me held me up by the heels while they all made their sport of me, I +roaring and crying out all the time most lustily: but at last the +mate, who was my conductor, seeing this, came to my assistance, and +did all he could to pacify me; but all to very little purpose, till I +had seen the boat go off. Soon afterwards we came to the Nore, where +the Roebuck lay; and, to our great joy, my master came on board to us, +and brought us to the ship. When I went on board this large ship, I +was amazed indeed to see the quantity of men and the guns. However my +surprise began to diminish as my knowledge increased; and I ceased to +feel those apprehensions and alarms which had taken such strong +possession of me when I first came among the Europeans, and for some +time after. I began now to pass to an opposite extreme; I was so far +from being afraid of any thing new which I saw, that, after I had been +some time in this ship, I even began to long for a battle. My griefs +too, which in young minds are not perpetual, were now wearing away; +and I soon enjoyed myself pretty well, and felt tolerably easy in my +present situation. There was a number of boys on board, which still +made it more agreeable; for we were always together, and a great part +of our time was spent in play. I remained in this ship a considerable +time, during which we made several cruises, and visited a variety of +places: among others we were twice in Holland, and brought over +several persons of distinction from it, whose names I do not now +remember. On the passage, one day, for the diversion of those +gentlemen, all the boys were called on the quarter-deck, and were +paired proportionably, and then made to fight; after which the +gentleman gave the combatants from five to nine shillings each. This +was the first time I ever fought with a white boy; and I never knew +what it was to have a bloody nose before. This made me fight most +desperately; I suppose considerably more than an hour: and at last, +both of us being weary, we were parted. I had a great deal of this +kind of sport afterwards, in which the captain and the ship's company +used very much to encourage me. Sometime afterwards the ship went to +Leith in Scotland, and from thence to the Orkneys, where I was +surprised in seeing scarcely any night: and from thence we sailed with +a great fleet, full of soldiers, for England. All this time we had +never come to an engagement, though we were frequently cruising off +the coast of France: during which we chased many vessels, and took in +all seventeen prizes. I had been learning many of the manoeuvres of +the ship during our cruise; and I was several times made to fire the +guns. One evening, off Havre de Grace, just as it was growing dark, we +were standing off shore, and met with a fine large French-built +frigate. We got all things immediately ready for fighting; and I now +expected I should be gratified in seeing an engagement, which I had so +long wished for in vain. But the very moment the word of command was +given to fire we heard those on board the other ship cry 'Haul down +the jib;' and in that instant she hoisted English colours. There was +instantly with us an amazing cry of--Avast! or stop firing; and I +think one or two guns had been let off, but happily they did no +mischief. We had hailed them several times; but they not hearing, we +received no answer, which was the cause of our firing. The boat was +then sent on board of her, and she proved to be the Ambuscade man of +war, to my no small disappointment. We returned to Portsmouth, without +having been in any action, just at the trial of Admiral Byng (whom I +saw several times during it): and my master having left the ship, and +gone to London for promotion, Dick and I were put on board the Savage +sloop of war, and we went in her to assist in bringing off the St. +George man of war, that had ran ashore somewhere on the coast. After +staying a few weeks on board the Savage, Dick and I were sent on shore +at Deal, where we remained some short time, till my master sent for us +to London, the place I had long desired exceedingly to see. We +therefore both with great pleasure got into a waggon, and came to +London, where we were received by a Mr. Guerin, a relation of my +master. This gentleman had two sisters, very amiable ladies, who took +much notice and great care of me. Though I had desired so much to see +London, when I arrived in it I was unfortunately unable to gratify my +curiosity; for I had at this time the chilblains to such a degree that +I could not stand for several months, and I was obliged to be sent to +St. George's Hospital. There I grew so ill, that the doctors wanted to +cut my left leg off at different times, apprehending a mortification; +but I always said I would rather die than suffer it; and happily (I +thank God) I recovered without the operation. After being there +several weeks, and just as I had recovered, the small-pox broke out on +me, so that I was again confined; and I thought myself now +particularly unfortunate. However I soon recovered again; and by this +time my master having been promoted to be first lieutenant of the +Preston man of war of fifty guns, then new at Deptford, Dick and I +were sent on board her, and soon after we went to Holland to bring +over the late Duke of ---- to England.--While I was in this ship an +incident happened, which, though trifling, I beg leave to relate, as I +could not help taking particular notice of it, and considering it then +as a judgment of God. One morning a young man was looking up to the +fore-top, and in a wicked tone, common on shipboard, d----d his eyes +about something. Just at the moment some small particles of dirt fell +into his left eye, and by the evening it was very much inflamed. The +next day it grew worse; and within six or seven days he lost it. From +this ship my master was appointed a lieutenant on board the Royal +George. When he was going he wished me to stay on board the Preston, +to learn the French horn; but the ship being ordered for Turkey I +could not think of leaving my master, to whom I was very warmly +attached; and I told him if he left me behind it would break my heart. +This prevailed on him to take me with him; but he left Dick on board +the Preston, whom I embraced at parting for the last time. The Royal +George was the largest ship I had ever seen; so that when I came on +board of her I was surprised at the number of people, men, women, and +children, of every denomination; and the largeness of the guns, many +of them also of brass, which I had never seen before. Here were also +shops or stalls of every kind of goods, and people crying their +different commodities about the ship as in a town. To me it appeared a +little world, into which I was again cast without a friend, for I had +no longer my dear companion Dick. We did not stay long here. My master +was not many weeks on board before he got an appointment to be sixth +lieutenant of the Namur, which was then at Spithead, fitting up for +Vice-admiral Boscawen, who was going with a large fleet on an +expedition against Louisburgh. The crew of the Royal George were +turned over to her, and the flag of that gallant admiral was hoisted +on board, the blue at the maintop-gallant mast head. There was a very +great fleet of men of war of every description assembled together for +this expedition, and I was in hopes soon to have an opportunity of +being gratified with a sea-fight. All things being now in readiness, +this mighty fleet (for there was also Admiral Cornish's fleet in +company, destined for the East Indies) at last weighed anchor, and +sailed. The two fleets continued in company for several days, and then +parted; Admiral Cornish, in the Lenox, having first saluted our +admiral in the Namur, which he returned. We then steered for America; +but, by contrary winds, we were driven to Teneriffe, where I was +struck with its noted peak. Its prodigious height, and its form, +resembling a sugar-loaf, filled me with wonder. We remained in sight +of this island some days, and then proceeded for America, which we +soon made, and got into a very commodious harbour called St. George, +in Halifax, where we had fish in great plenty, and all other fresh +provisions. We were here joined by different men of war and transport +ships with soldiers; after which, our fleet being increased to a +prodigious number of ships of all kinds, we sailed for Cape Breton in +Nova Scotia. We had the good and gallant General Wolfe on board our +ship, whose affability made him highly esteemed and beloved by all the +men. He often honoured me, as well as other boys, with marks of his +notice; and saved me once a flogging for fighting with a young +gentleman. We arrived at Cape Breton in the summer of 1758: and here +the soldiers were to be landed, in order to make an attack upon +Louisbourgh. My master had some part in superintending the landing; +and here I was in a small measure gratified in seeing an encounter +between our men and the enemy. The French were posted on the shore to +receive us, and disputed our landing for a long time; but at last they +were driven from their trenches, and a complete landing was effected. +Our troops pursued them as far as the town of Louisbourgh. In this +action many were killed on both sides. One thing remarkable I saw this +day:--A lieutenant of the Princess Amelia, who, as well as my master, +superintended the landing, was giving the word of command, and while +his mouth was open a musquet ball went through it, and passed out at +his cheek. I had that day in my hand the scalp of an indian king, who +was killed in the engagement: the scalp had been taken off by an +Highlander. I saw this king's ornaments too, which were very curious, +and made of feathers. + +Our land forces laid siege to the town of Louisbourgh, while the +French men of war were blocked up in the harbour by the fleet, the +batteries at the same time playing upon them from the land. This they +did with such effect, that one day I saw some of the ships set on fire +by the shells from the batteries, and I believe two or three of them +were quite burnt. At another time, about fifty boats belonging to the +English men of war, commanded by Captain George Balfour of the Ætna +fire-ship, and another junior captain, Laforey, attacked and boarded +the only two remaining French men of war in the harbour. They also set +fire to a seventy-gun ship, but a sixty-four, called the Bienfaisant, +they brought off. During my stay here I had often an opportunity of +being near Captain Balfour, who was pleased to notice me, and liked me +so much that he often asked my master to let him have me, but he would +not part with me; and no consideration could have induced me to leave +him. At last Louisbourgh was taken, and the English men of war came +into the harbour before it, to my very great joy; for I had now more +liberty of indulging myself, and I went often on shore. When the ships +were in the harbour we had the most beautiful procession on the water +I ever saw. All the admirals and captains of the men of war, full +dressed, and in their barges, well ornamented with pendants, came +alongside of the Namur. The vice-admiral then went on shore in his +barge, followed by the other officers in order of seniority, to take +possession, as I suppose, of the town and fort. Some time after this +the French governor and his lady, and other persons of note, came on +board our ship to dine. On this occasion our ships were dressed with +colours of all kinds, from the topgallant-mast head to the deck; and +this, with the firing of guns, formed a most grand and magnificent +spectacle. + +As soon as every thing here was settled Admiral Boscawen sailed with +part of the fleet for England, leaving some ships behind with +Rear-admirals Sir Charles Hardy and Durell. It was now winter; and one +evening, during our passage home, about dusk, when we were in the +channel, or near soundings, and were beginning to look for land, we +descried seven sail of large men of war, which stood off shore. +Several people on board of our ship said, as the two fleets were (in +forty minutes from the first sight) within hail of each other, that +they were English men of war; and some of our people even began to +name some of the ships. By this time both fleets began to mingle, and +our admiral ordered his flag to be hoisted. At that instant the other +fleet, which were French, hoisted their ensigns, and gave us a +broadside as they passed by. Nothing could create greater surprise and +confusion among us than this: the wind was high, the sea rough, and we +had our lower and middle deck guns housed in, so that not a single gun +on board was ready to be fired at any of the French ships. However, +the Royal William and the Somerset being our sternmost ships, became a +little prepared, and each gave the French ships a broadside as they +passed by. I afterwards heard this was a French squadron, commanded by +Mons. Conflans; and certainly had the Frenchmen known our condition, +and had a mind to fight us, they might have done us great mischief. +But we were not long before we were prepared for an engagement. +Immediately many things were tossed overboard; the ships were made +ready for fighting as soon as possible; and about ten at night we had +bent a new main sail, the old one being split. Being now in readiness +for fighting, we wore ship, and stood after the French fleet, who +were one or two ships in number more than we. However we gave them +chase, and continued pursuing them all night; and at daylight we saw +six of them, all large ships of the line, and an English East +Indiaman, a prize they had taken. We chased them all day till between +three and four o'clock in the evening, when we came up with, and +passed within a musquet shot of, one seventy-four gun ship, and the +Indiaman also, who now hoisted her colours, but immediately hauled +them down again. On this we made a signal for the other ships to take +possession of her; and, supposing the man of war would likewise +strike, we cheered, but she did not; though if we had fired into her, +from being so near, we must have taken her. To my utter surprise the +Somerset, who was the next ship astern of the Namur, made way +likewise; and, thinking they were sure of this French ship, they +cheered in the same manner, but still continued to follow us. The +French Commodore was about a gun-shot ahead of all, running from us +with all speed; and about four o'clock he carried his foretopmast +overboard. This caused another loud cheer with us; and a little after +the topmast came close by us; but, to our great surprise, instead of +coming up with her, we found she went as fast as ever, if not faster. +The sea grew now much smoother; and the wind lulling, the seventy-four +gun ship we had passed came again by us in the very same direction, +and so near, that we heard her people talk as she went by; yet not a +shot was fired on either side; and about five or six o'clock, just as +it grew dark, she joined her commodore. We chased all night; but the +next day they were out of sight, so that we saw no more of them; and +we only had the old Indiaman (called Carnarvon I think) for our +trouble. After this we stood in for the channel, and soon made the +land; and, about the close of the year 1758-9, we got safe to St. +Helen's. Here the Namur ran aground; and also another large ship +astern of us; but, by starting our water, and tossing many things +overboard to lighten her, we got the ships off without any damage. We +stayed for a short time at Spithead, and then went into Portsmouth +harbour to refit; from whence the admiral went to London; and my +master and I soon followed, with a press-gang, as we wanted some hands +to complete our complement. + + + + +CHAP. IV. + + _The author is baptized--Narrowly escapes drowning--Goes on + an expedition to the Mediterranean--Incidents he met with + there--Is witness to an engagement between some English and + French ships--A particular account of the celebrated + engagement between Admiral Boscawen and Mons. Le Clue, off + Cape Logas, in August 1759--Dreadful explosion of a French + ship--The author sails for England--His master appointed to + the command of a fire-ship--Meets a negro boy, from whom he + experiences much benevolence--Prepares for an expedition + against Belle-Isle--A remarkable story of a disaster which + befel his ship--Arrives at Belle-Isle--Operations of the + landing and siege--The author's danger and distress, with + his manner of extricating himself--- Surrender of + Belle-Isle--Transactions afterwards on the coast of + France--Remarkable instance of kidnapping--The author + returns to England--Hears a talk of peace, and expects his + freedom--His ship sails for Deptford to be paid off, and + when he arrives there he is suddenly seized by his master + and carried forcibly on board a West India ship and sold._ + + +It was now between two and three years since I first came to England, +a great part of which I had spent at sea; so that I became inured to +that service, and began to consider myself as happily situated; for my +master treated me always extremely well; and my attachment and +gratitude to him were very great. From the various scenes I had beheld +on shipboard, I soon grew a stranger to terror of every kind, and was, +in that respect at least, almost an Englishman. I have often reflected +with surprise that I never felt half the alarm at any of the numerous +dangers I have been in, that I was filled with at the first sight of +the Europeans, and at every act of theirs, even the most trifling, +when I first came among them, and for some time afterwards. That fear, +however, which was the effect of my ignorance, wore away as I began to +know them. I could now speak English tolerably well, and I perfectly +understood every thing that was said. I now not only felt myself +quite easy with these new countrymen, but relished their society and +manners. I no longer looked upon them as spirits, but as men superior +to us; and therefore I had the stronger desire to resemble them; to +imbibe their spirit, and imitate their manners; I therefore embraced +every occasion of improvement; and every new thing that I observed I +treasured up in my memory. I had long wished to be able to read and +write; and for this purpose I took every opportunity to gain +instruction, but had made as yet very little progress. However, when I +went to London with my master, I had soon an opportunity of improving +myself, which I gladly embraced. Shortly after my arrival, he sent me +to wait upon the Miss Guerins, who had treated me with much kindness +when I was there before; and they sent me to school. + +While I was attending these ladies their servants told me I could not +go to Heaven unless I was baptized. This made me very uneasy; for I +had now some faint idea of a future state: accordingly I communicated +my anxiety to the eldest Miss Guerin, with whom I was become a +favourite, and pressed her to have me baptized; when to my great joy +she told me I should. She had formerly asked my master to let me be +baptized, but he had refused; however she now insisted on it; and he +being under some obligation to her brother complied with her request; +so I was baptized in St. Margaret's church, Westminster, in February +1759, by my present name. The clergyman, at the same time, gave me a +book, called a Guide to the Indians, written by the Bishop of Sodor +and Man. On this occasion Miss Guerin did me the honour to stand as +godmother, and afterwards gave me a treat. I used to attend these +ladies about the town, in which service I was extremely happy; as I +had thus many opportunities of seeing London, which I desired of all +things. I was sometimes, however, with my master at his +rendezvous-house, which was at the foot of Westminster-bridge. Here I +used to enjoy myself in playing about the bridge stairs, and often in +the watermen's wherries, with other boys. On one of these occasions +there was another boy with me in a wherry, and we went out into the +current of the river: while we were there two more stout boys came to +us in another wherry, and, abusing us for taking the boat, desired me +to get into the other wherry-boat. Accordingly I went to get out of +the wherry I was in; but just as I had got one of my feet into the +other boat the boys shoved it off, so that I fell into the Thames; +and, not being able to swim, I should unavoidably have been drowned, +but for the assistance of some watermen who providentially came to my +relief. + +The Namur being again got ready for sea, my master, with his gang, was +ordered on board; and, to my no small grief, I was obliged to leave my +school-master, whom I liked very much, and always attended while I +stayed in London, to repair on board with my master. Nor did I leave +my kind patronesses, the Miss Guerins, without uneasiness and regret. +They often used to teach me to read, and took great pains to instruct +me in the principles of religion and the knowledge of God. I therefore +parted from those amiable ladies with reluctance; after receiving from +them many friendly cautions how to conduct myself, and some valuable +presents. + +When I came to Spithead, I found we were destined for the +Mediterranean, with a large fleet, which was now ready to put to sea. +We only waited for the arrival of the admiral, who soon came on board; +and about the beginning of the spring 1759, having weighed anchor, and +got under way, Sailed for the Mediterranean; and in eleven days, from +the Land's End, we got to Gibraltar. While we were here I used to be +often on shore, and got various fruits in great plenty, and very +cheap. + +I had frequently told several people, in my excursions on shore, the +story of my being kidnapped with my sister, and of our being +separated, as I have related before; and I had as often expressed my +anxiety for her fate, and my sorrow at having never met her again. One +day, when I was on shore, and mentioning these circumstances to some +persons, one of them told me he knew where my sister was, and, if I +would accompany him, he would bring me to her. Improbable as this +story was I believed it immediately, and agreed to go with him, while +my heart leaped for joy: and, indeed, he conducted me to a black young +woman, who was so like my sister, that, at first sight, I really +thought it was her: but I was quickly undeceived; and, on talking to +her, I found her to be of another nation. + +While we lay here the Preston came in from the Levant. As soon as she +arrived, my master told me I should now see my old companion, Dick, +who had gone in her when she sailed for Turkey. I was much rejoiced at +this news, and expected every minute to embrace him; and when the +captain came on board of our ship, which he did immediately after, I +ran to inquire after my friend; but, with inexpressible sorrow, I +learned from the boat's crew that the dear youth was dead! and that +they had brought his chest, and all his other things, to my master: +these he afterwards gave to me, and I regarded them as a memorial of +my friend, whom I loved, and grieved for, as a brother. + +While we were at Gibraltar, I saw a soldier hanging by his heels, at +one of the moles[L]: I thought this a strange sight, as I had seen a +man hanged in London by his neck. At another time I saw the master of +a frigate towed to shore on a grating, by several of the men of war's +boats, and discharged the fleet, which I understood was a mark of +disgrace for cowardice. On board the same ship there was also a sailor +hung up at the yard-arm. + +After lying at Gibraltar for some time, we sailed up the Mediterranean +a considerable way above the Gulf of Lyons; where we were one night +overtaken with a terrible gale of wind, much greater than any I had +ever yet experienced. The sea ran so high that, though all the guns +were well housed, there was great reason to fear their getting loose, +the ship rolled so much; and if they had it must have proved our +destruction. After we had cruised here for a short time, we came to +Barcelona, a Spanish sea-port, remarkable for its silk manufactures. +Here the ships were all to be watered; and my master, who spoke +different languages, and used often to interpret for the admiral, +superintended the watering of ours. For that purpose he and the +officers of the other ships, who were on the same service, had tents +pitched in the bay; and the Spanish soldiers were stationed along the +shore, I suppose to see that no depredations were committed by our +men. + +I used constantly to attend my master; and I was charmed with this +place. All the time we stayed it was like a fair with the natives, who +brought us fruits of all kinds, and sold them to us much cheaper than +I got them in England. They used also to bring wine down to us in hog +and sheep skins, which diverted me very much. The Spanish officers +here treated our officers with great politeness and attention; and +some of them, in particular, used to come often to my master's tent to +visit him; where they would sometimes divert themselves by mounting me +on the horses or mules, so that I could not fall, and setting them off +at full gallop; my imperfect skill in horsemanship all the while +affording them no small entertainment. After the ships were watered, +we returned to our old station of cruizing off Toulon, for the purpose +of intercepting a fleet of French men of war that lay there. One +Sunday, in our cruise, we came off a place where there were two small +French frigates lying in shore; and our admiral, thinking to take or +destroy them, sent two ships in after them--the Culloden and the +Conqueror. They soon came up to the Frenchmen; and I saw a smart fight +here, both by sea and land: for the frigates were covered by +batteries, and they played upon our ships most furiously, which they +as furiously returned, and for a long time a constant firing was kept +up on all sides at an amazing rate. At last one frigate sunk; but the +people escaped, though not without much difficulty: and a little after +some of the people left the other frigate also, which was a mere +wreck. However, our ships did not venture to bring her away, they were +so much annoyed from the batteries, which raked them both in going and +coming: their topmasts were shot away, and they were otherwise so much +shattered, that the admiral was obliged to send in many boats to tow +them back to the fleet. I afterwards sailed with a man who fought in +one of the French batteries during the engagement, and he told me our +ships had done considerable mischief that day on shore and in the +batteries. + +After this we sailed for Gibraltar, and arrived there about August +1759. Here we remained with all our sails unbent, while the fleet was +watering and doing other necessary things. While we were in this +situation, one day the admiral, with most of the principal officers, +and many people of all stations, being on shore, about seven o'clock +in the evening we were alarmed by signals from the frigates stationed +for that purpose; and in an instant there was a general cry that the +French fleet was out, and just passing through the streights. The +admiral immediately came on board with some other officers; and it is +impossible to describe the noise, hurry and confusion throughout the +whole fleet, in bending their sails and slipping their cables; many +people and ships' boats were left on shore in the bustle. We had two +captains on board of our ship who came away in the hurry and left +their ships to follow. We shewed lights from the gun-whale to the main +topmast-head; and all our lieutenants were employed amongst the fleet +to tell the ships not to wait for their captains, but to put the sails +to the yards, slip their cables and follow us; and in this confusion +of making ready for fighting we set out for sea in the dark after the +French fleet. Here I could have exclaimed with Ajax, + + "Oh Jove! O father! if it be thy will + That we must perish, we thy will obey, + But let us perish by the light of day." + +They had got the start of us so far that we were not able to come up +with them during the night; but at daylight we saw seven sail of the +line of battle some miles ahead. We immediately chased them till about +four o'clock in the evening, when our ships came up with them; and, +though we were about fifteen large ships, our gallant admiral only +fought them with his own division, which consisted of seven; so that +we were just ship for ship. We passed by the whole of the enemy's +fleet in order to come at their commander, Mons. La Clue, who was in +the Ocean, an eighty-four gun ship: as we passed they all fired on us; +and at one time three of them fired together, continuing to do so for +some time. Notwithstanding which our admiral would not suffer a gun to +be fired at any of them, to my astonishment; but made us lie on our +bellies on the deck till we came quite close to the Ocean, who was +ahead of them all; when we had orders to pour the whole three tiers +into her at once. + +The engagement now commenced with great fury on both sides: the Ocean +immediately returned our fire, and we continued engaged with each +other for some time; during which I was frequently stunned with the +thundering of the great guns, whose dreadful contents hurried many of +my companions into awful eternity. At last the French line was +entirely broken, and we obtained the victory, which was immediately +proclaimed with loud huzzas and acclamations. We took three prizes, La +Modeste, of sixty-four guns, and Le Temeraire and Centaur, of +seventy-four guns each. The rest of the French ships took to flight +with all the sail they could crowd. Our ship being very much damaged, +and quite disabled from pursuing the enemy, the admiral immediately +quitted her, and went in the broken and only boat we had left on board +the Newark, with which, and some other ships, he went after the +French. The Ocean, and another large French ship, called the +Redoubtable, endeavouring to escape, ran ashore at Cape Logas, on the +coast of Portugal; and the French admiral and some of the crew got +ashore; but we, finding it impossible to get the ships off, set fire +to them both. About midnight I saw the Ocean blow up, with a most +dreadful explosion. I never beheld a more awful scene. In less than a +minute the midnight for a certain space seemed turned into day by the +blaze, which was attended with a noise louder and more terrible than +thunder, that seemed to rend every element around us. + +My station during the engagement was on the middle-deck, where I was +quartered with another boy, to bring powder to the aftermost gun; and +here I was a witness of the dreadful fate of many of my companions, +who, in the twinkling of an eye, were dashed in pieces, and launched +into eternity. Happily I escaped unhurt, though the shot and splinters +flew thick about me during the whole fight. Towards the latter part of +it my master was wounded, and I saw him carried down to the surgeon; +but though I was much alarmed for him and wished to assist him I dared +not leave my post. At this station my gun-mate (a partner in bringing +powder for the same gun) and I ran a very great risk for more than +half an hour of blowing up the ship. For, when we had taken the +cartridges out of the boxes, the bottoms of many of them proving +rotten, the powder ran all about the deck, near the match tub: we +scarcely had water enough at the last to throw on it. We were also, +from our employment, very much exposed to the enemy's shots; for we +had to go through nearly the whole length of the ship to bring the +powder. I expected therefore every minute to be my last; especially +when I saw our men fall so thick about me; but, wishing to guard as +much against the dangers as possible, at first I thought it would be +safest not to go for the powder till the Frenchmen had fired their +broadside; and then, while they were charging, I could go and come +with my powder: but immediately afterwards I thought this caution was +fruitless; and, cheering myself with the reflection that there was a +time allotted for me to die as well as to be born, I instantly cast +off all fear or thought whatever of death, and went through the whole +of my duty with alacrity; pleasing myself with the hope, if I survived +the battle, of relating it and the dangers I had escaped to the dear +Miss Guerin, and others, when I should return to London. + +Our ship suffered very much in this engagement; for, besides the +number of our killed and wounded, she was almost torn to pieces, and +our rigging so much shattered, that our mizen-mast and main-yard, &c. +hung over the side of the ship; so that we were obliged to get many +carpenters, and others from some of the ships of the fleet, to assist +in setting us in some tolerable order; and, notwithstanding, it took +us some time before we were completely refitted; after which we left +Admiral Broderick to command, and we, with the prizes, steered for +England. On the passage, and as soon as my master was something +recovered of his wounds, the admiral appointed him captain of the Ætna +fire-ship, on which he and I left the Namur, and went on board of her +at sea. I liked this little ship very much. I now became the captain's +steward, in which situation I was very happy: for I was extremely well +treated by all on board; and I had leisure to improve myself in +reading and writing. The latter I had learned a little of before I +left the Namur, as there was a school on board. When we arrived at +Spithead the Ætna went into Portsmouth harbour to refit, which being +done, we returned to Spithead and joined a large fleet that was +thought to be intended against the Havannah; but about that time the +king died: whether that prevented the expedition I know not; but it +caused our ship to be stationed at Cowes, in the isle of Wight, till +the beginning of the year sixty-one. Here I spent my time very +pleasantly; I was much on shore all about this delightful island, and +found the inhabitants very civil. + +While I was here, I met with a trifling incident, which surprised me +agreeably. I was one day in a field belonging to a gentleman who had +a black boy about my own size; this boy having observed me from his +master's house, was transported at the sight of one of his own +countrymen, and ran to meet me with the utmost haste. I not knowing +what he was about turned a little out of his way at first, but to no +purpose: he soon came close to me and caught hold of me in his arms as +if I had been his brother, though we had never seen each other before. +After we had talked together for some time he took me to his master's +house, where I was treated very kindly. This benevolent boy and I were +very happy in frequently seeing each other till about the month of +March 1761, when our ship had orders to fit out again for another +expedition. When we got ready, we joined a very large fleet at +Spithead, commanded by Commodore Keppel, which was destined against +Belle-Isle, and with a number of transport ships with troops on board +to make a descent on the place. We sailed once more in quest of fame. +I longed to engage in new adventures and see fresh wonders. + +I had a mind on which every thing uncommon made its full impression, +and every event which I considered as marvellous. Every extraordinary +escape, or signal deliverance, either of myself or others, I looked +upon to be effected by the interposition of Providence. We had not +been above ten days at sea before an incident of this kind happened; +which, whatever credit it may obtain from the reader, made no small +impression on my mind. + +We had on board a gunner, whose name was John Mondle; a man of very +indifferent morals. This man's cabin was between the decks, exactly +over where I lay, abreast of the quarter-deck ladder. One night, the +20th of April, being terrified with a dream, he awoke in so great a +fright that he could not rest in his bed any longer, nor even remain +in his cabin; and he went upon deck about four o'clock in the morning +extremely agitated. He immediately told those on the deck of the +agonies of his mind, and the dream which occasioned it; in which he +said he had seen many things very awful, and had been warned by St. +Peter to repent, who told him time was short. This he said had greatly +alarmed him, and he was determined to alter his life. People generally +mock the fears of others when they are themselves in safety; and some +of his shipmates who heard him only laughed at him. However, he made +a vow that he never would drink strong liquors again; and he +immediately got a light, and gave away his sea-stores of liquor. After +which, his agitation still continuing, he began to read the +Scriptures, hoping to find some relief; and soon afterwards he laid +himself down again on his bed, and endeavoured to compose himself to +sleep, but to no purpose; his mind still continuing in a state of +agony. By this time it was exactly half after seven in the morning: I +was then under the half-deck at the great cabin door; and all at once +I heard the people in the waist cry out, most fearfully--'The Lord +have mercy upon us! We are all lost! The Lord have mercy upon us!' Mr. +Mondle hearing the cries, immediately ran out of his cabin; and we +were instantly struck by the Lynne, a forty-gun ship, Captain Clark, +which nearly ran us down. This ship had just put about, and was by the +wind, but had not got full headway, or we must all have perished; for +the wind was brisk. However, before Mr. Mondle had got four steps from +his cabin-door, she struck our ship with her cutwater right in the +middle of his bed and cabin, and ran it up to the combings of the +quarter-deck hatchway, and above three feet below water, and in a +minute there was not a bit of wood to be seen where Mr. Mondle's cabin +stood; and he was so near being killed that some of the splinters tore +his face. As Mr. Mondle must inevitably have perished from this +accident had he not been alarmed in the very extraordinary way I have +related, I could not help regarding this as an awful interposition of +Providence for his preservation. The two ships for some time swinged +alongside of each other; for ours being a fire-ship, our +grappling-irons caught the Lynne every way, and the yards and rigging +went at an astonishing rate. Our ship was in such a shocking condition +that we all thought she would instantly go down, and every one ran for +their lives, and got as well as they could on board the Lynne; but our +lieutenant being the aggressor, he never quitted the ship. However, +when we found she did not sink immediately, the captain came on board +again, and encouraged our people to return and try to save her. Many +on this came back, but some would not venture. Some of the ships in +the fleet, seeing our situation, immediately sent their boats to our +assistance; but it took us the whole day to save the ship with all +their help. And by using every possible means, particularly frapping +her together with many hawsers, and putting a great quantity of tallow +below water where she was damaged, she was kept together: but it was +well we did not meet with any gales of wind, or we must have gone to +pieces; for we were in such a crazy condition that we had ships to +attend us till we arrived at Belle-Isle, the place of our destination; +and then we had all things taken out of the ship, and she was properly +repaired. This escape of Mr. Mondle, which he, as well as myself, +always considered as a singular act of Providence, I believe had a +great influence on his life and conduct ever afterwards. + +Now that I am on this subject I beg leave to relate another instance +or two which strongly raised my belief of the particular interposition +of Heaven, and which might not otherwise have found a place here, from +their insignificance. I belonged for a few days in the year 1758 to +the Jason, of fifty-four guns, at Plymouth; and one night, when I was +on board, a woman, with a child at her breast, fell from the +upper-deck down into the hold, near the keel. Every one thought that +the mother and child must be both dashed to pieces; but, to our great +surprise, neither of them was hurt. I myself one day fell headlong +from the upper-deck of the Ætna down the after-hold, when the ballast +was out; and all who saw me fall cried out I was killed: but I +received not the least injury. And in the same ship a man fell from +the mast-head on the deck without being hurt. In these, and in many +more instances, I thought I could plainly trace the hand of God, +without whose permission a sparrow cannot fall. I began to raise my +fear from man to him alone, and to call daily on his holy name with +fear and reverence: and I trust he heard my supplications, and +graciously condescended to answer me according to his holy word, and +to implant the seeds of piety in me, even one of the meanest of his +creatures. + +When we had refitted our ship, and all things were in readiness for +attacking the place, the troops on board the transports were ordered +to disembark; and my master, as a junior captain, had a share in the +command of the landing. This was on the 8th of April. The French were +drawn up on the shore, and had made every disposition to oppose the +landing of our men, only a small part of them this day being able to +effect it; most of them, after fighting with great bravery, were cut +off; and General Crawford, with a number of others, were taken +prisoners. In this day's engagement we had also our lieutenant killed. + +On the 21st of April we renewed our efforts to land the men, while all +the men of war were stationed along the shore to cover it, and fired +at the French batteries and breastworks from early in the morning till +about four o'clock in the evening, when our soldiers effected a safe +landing. They immediately attacked the French; and, after a sharp +encounter, forced them from the batteries. Before the enemy retreated +they blew up several of them, lest they should fall into our hands. +Our men now proceeded to besiege the citadel, and my master was +ordered on shore to superintend the landing of all the materials +necessary for carrying on the siege; in which service I mostly +attended him. While I was there I went about to different parts of the +island; and one day, particularly, my curiosity almost cost me my +life. I wanted very much to see the mode of charging the mortars and +letting off the shells, and for that purpose I went to an English +battery that was but a very few yards from the walls of the citadel. +There, indeed, I had an opportunity of completely gratifying myself in +seeing the whole operation, and that not without running a very great +risk, both from the English shells that burst while I was there, but +likewise from those of the French. One of the largest of their shells +bursted within nine or ten yards of me: there was a single rock close +by, about the size of a butt; and I got instant shelter under it in +time to avoid the fury of the shell. Where it burst the earth was torn +in such a manner that two or three butts might easily have gone into +the hole it made, and it threw great quantities of stones and dirt to +a considerable distance. Three shot were also fired at me and another +boy who was along with me, one of them in particular seemed + + "Wing'd with red lightning and impetuous rage;" + +for with a most dreadful sound it hissed close by me, and struck a +rock at a little distance, which it shattered to pieces. When I saw +what perilous circumstances I was in, I attempted to return the +nearest way I could find, and thereby I got between the English and +the French centinels. An English serjeant, who commanded the outposts, +seeing me, and surprised how I came there, (which was by stealth along +the seashore), reprimanded me very severely for it, and instantly took +the centinel off his post into custody, for his negligence in +suffering me to pass the lines. While I was in this situation I +observed at a little distance a French horse, belonging to some +islanders, which I thought I would now mount, for the greater +expedition of getting off. Accordingly I took some cord which I had +about me, and making a kind of bridle of it, I put it round the +horse's head, and the tame beast very quietly suffered me to tie him +thus and mount him. As soon as I was on the horse's back I began to +kick and beat him, and try every means to make him go quick, but all +to very little purpose: I could not drive him out of a slow pace. +While I was creeping along, still within reach of the enemy's shot, I +met with a servant well mounted on an English horse. I immediately +stopped; and, crying, told him my case; and begged of him to help me, +and this he effectually did; for, having a fine large whip, he began +to lash my horse with it so severely, that he set off full speed with +me towards the sea, while I was quite unable to hold or manage him. In +this manner I went along till I came to a craggy precipice. I now +could not stop my horse; and my mind was filled with apprehensions of +my deplorable fate should he go down the precipice, which he appeared +fully disposed to do: I therefore thought I had better throw myself +off him at once, which I did immediately with a great deal of +dexterity, and fortunately escaped unhurt. As soon as I found myself +at liberty I made the best of my way for the ship, determined I would +not be so fool-hardy again in a hurry. + +We continued to besiege the citadel till June, when it surrendered. +During the siege I have counted above sixty shells and carcases in the +air at once. When this place was taken I went through the citadel, and +in the bomb-proofs under it, which were cut in the solid rock; and I +thought it a surprising place, both for strength and building: +notwithstanding which our shots and shells had made amazing +devastation, and ruinous heaps all around it. + +After the taking of this island our ships, with some others commanded +by Commodore Stanhope in the Swiftsure, went to Basse-road, where we +blocked up a French fleet. Our ships were there from June till +February following; and in that time I saw a great many scenes of war, +and stratagems on both sides to destroy each others fleet. Sometimes +we would attack the French with some ships of the line; at other times +with boats; and frequently we made prizes. Once or twice the French +attacked us by throwing shells with their bomb-vessels: and one day as +a French vessel was throwing shells at our ships she broke from her +springs, behind the isle of I de Re: the tide being complicated, she +came within a gun shot of the Nassau; but the Nassau could not bring a +gun to bear upon her, and thereby the Frenchman got off. We were twice +attacked by their fire-floats, which they chained together, and then +let them float down with the tide; but each time we sent boats with +graplings, and towed them safe out of the fleet. + +We had different commanders while we were at this place, Commodores +Stanhope, Dennis, Lord Howe, &c. From hence, before the Spanish war +began, our ship and the Wasp sloop were sent to St. Sebastian in +Spain, by Commodore Stanhope; and Commodore Dennis afterwards sent our +ship as a cartel to Bayonne in France[M], after which[N] we went in +February in 1762 to Belle-Isle, and there stayed till the summer, when +we left it, and returned to Portsmouth. + +After our ship was fitted out again for service, in September she went +to Guernsey, where I was very glad to see my old hostess, who was now +a widow, and my former little charming companion, her daughter. I +spent some time here very happily with them, till October, when we had +orders to repair to Portsmouth. We parted from each other with a great +deal of affection; and I promised to return soon, and see them again, +not knowing what all-powerful fate had determined for me. Our ship +having arrived at Portsmouth, we went into the harbour, and remained +there till the latter end of November, when we heard great talk about +peace; and, to our very great joy, in the beginning of December we had +orders to go up to London with our ship to be paid off. We received +this news with loud huzzas, and every other demonstration of gladness; +and nothing but mirth was to be seen throughout every part of the +ship. I too was not without my share of the general joy on this +occasion. I thought now of nothing but being freed, and working for +myself, and thereby getting money to enable me to get a good +education; for I always had a great desire to be able at least to read +and write; and while I was on shipboard I had endeavoured to improve +myself in both. While I was in the Ætna particularly, the captain's +clerk taught me to write, and gave me a smattering of arithmetic as +far as the rule of three. There was also one Daniel Queen, about forty +years of age, a man very well educated, who messed with me on board +this ship, and he likewise dressed and attended the captain. +Fortunately this man soon became very much attached to me, and took +very great pains to instruct me in many things. He taught me to shave +and dress hair a little, and also to read in the Bible, explaining +many passages to me, which I did not comprehend. I was wonderfully +surprised to see the laws and rules of my country written almost +exactly here; a circumstance which I believe tended to impress our +manners and customs more deeply on my memory. I used to tell him of +this resemblance; and many a time we have sat up the whole night +together at this employment. In short, he was like a father to me; and +some even used to call me after his name; they also styled me the +black Christian. Indeed I almost loved him with the affection of a +son. Many things I have denied myself that he might have them; and +when I used to play at marbles or any other game, and won a few +half-pence, or got any little money, which I sometimes did, for +shaving any one, I used to buy him a little sugar or tobacco, as far +as my stock of money would go. He used to say, that he and I never +should part; and that when our ship was paid off, as I was as free as +himself or any other man on board, he would instruct me in his +business, by which I might gain a good livelihood. This gave me new +life and spirits; and my heart burned within me, while I thought the +time long till I obtained my freedom. For though my master had not +promised it to me, yet, besides the assurances I had received that he +had no right to detain me, he always treated me with the greatest +kindness, and reposed in me an unbounded confidence; he even paid +attention to my morals; and would never suffer me to deceive him, or +tell lies, of which he used to tell me the consequences; and that if I +did so God would not love me; so that, from all this tenderness, I had +never once supposed, in all my dreams of freedom, that he would think +of detaining me any longer than I wished. + +In pursuance of our orders we sailed from Portsmouth for the Thames, +and arrived at Deptford the 10th of December, where we cast anchor +just as it was high water. The ship was up about half an hour, when my +master ordered the barge to be manned; and all in an instant, without +having before given me the least reason to suspect any thing of the +matter, he forced me into the barge; saying, I was going to leave him, +but he would take care I should not. I was so struck with the +unexpectedness of this proceeding, that for some time I did not make a +reply, only I made an offer to go for my books and chest of clothes, +but he swore I should not move out of his sight; and if I did he would +cut my throat, at the same time taking his hanger. I began, however, +to collect myself; and, plucking up courage, I told him I was free, +and he could not by law serve me so. But this only enraged him the +more; and he continued to swear, and said he would soon let me know +whether he would or not, and at that instant sprung himself into the +barge from the ship, to the astonishment and sorrow of all on board. +The tide, rather unluckily for me, had just turned downward, so that +we quickly fell down the river along with it, till we came among some +outward-bound West Indiamen; for he was resolved to put me on board +the first vessel he could get to receive me. The boat's crew, who +pulled against their will, became quite faint different times, and +would have gone ashore; but he would not let them. Some of them strove +then to cheer me, and told me he could not sell me, and that they +would stand by me, which revived me a little; and I still entertained +hopes; for as they pulled along he asked some vessels to receive me, +but they could not. But, just as we had got a little below Gravesend, +we came alongside of a ship which was going away the next tide for the +West Indies; her name was the Charming Sally, Captain James Doran; and +my master went on board and agreed with him for me; and in a little +time I was sent for into the cabin. When I came there Captain Doran +asked me if I knew him; I answered that I did not; 'Then,' said he +'you are now my slave.' I told him my master could not sell me to him, +nor to any one else. 'Why,' said he, 'did not your master buy you?' I +confessed he did. 'But I have served him,' said I, 'many years, and he +has taken all my wages and prize-money, for I only got one sixpence +during the war; besides this I have been baptized; and by the laws of +the land no man has a right to sell me:' And I added, that I had heard +a lawyer and others at different times tell my master so. They both +then said that those people who told me so were not my friends; but I +replied--it was very extraordinary that other people did not know the +law as well as they. Upon this Captain Doran said I talked too much +English; and if I did not behave myself well, and be quiet, he had a +method on board to make me. I was too well convinced of his power over +me to doubt what he said; and my former sufferings in the slave-ship +presenting themselves to my mind, the recollection of them made me +shudder. However, before I retired I told them that as I could not get +any right among men here I hoped I should hereafter in Heaven; and I +immediately left the cabin, filled with resentment and sorrow. The +only coat I had with me my master took away with him, and said if my +prize-money had been 10,000 £. he had a right to it all, and would have +taken it. I had about nine guineas, which, during my long sea-faring +life, I had scraped together from trifling perquisites and little +ventures; and I hid it that instant, lest my master should take that +from me likewise, still hoping that by some means or other I should +make my escape to the shore; and indeed some of my old shipmates told +me not to despair, for they would get me back again; and that, as soon +as they could get their pay, they would immediately come to Portsmouth +to me, where this ship was going: but, alas! all my hopes were +baffled, and the hour of my deliverance was yet far off. My master, +having soon concluded his bargain with the captain, came out of the +cabin, and he and his people got into the boat and put off; I followed +them with aching eyes as long as I could, and when they were out of +sight I threw myself on the deck, while my heart was ready to burst +with sorrow and anguish. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[Footnote L: He had drowned himself in endeavouring to desert.] + +[Footnote M: Among others whom we brought from Bayonne, two gentlemen, +who had been in the West Indies, where they sold slaves; and they +confessed they had made at one time a false bill of sale, and sold two +Portuguese white men among a lot of slaves.] + +[Footnote N: Some people have it, that sometimes shortly before +persons die their ward has been seen; that is, some spirit exactly in +their likeness, though they are themselves at other places at the same +time. One day while we were at Bayonne Mr. Mondle saw one of our men, +as he thought, in the gun-room; and a little after, coming on the +quarter-deck, he spoke of some circumstances of this man to some of +the officers. They told him that the man was then out of the ship, in +one of the boats with the Lieutenant: but Mr. Mondle would not believe +it, and we searched the ship, when he found the man was actually out +of her; and when the boat returned some time afterwards, we found the +man had been drowned at the very time Mr. Mondle thought he saw him.] + + + + +CHAP. V. + + _The author's reflections on his situation--Is deceived by a + promise of being delivered--His despair at sailing for the + West Indies--Arrives at Montserrat, where he is sold to Mr. + King--Various interesting instances of oppression, cruelty, + and extortion, which the author saw practised upon the + slaves in the West Indies during his captivity from the year + 1763 to 1766--Address on it to the planters._ + + +Thus, at the moment I expected all my toils to end, was I plunged, as +I supposed, in a new slavery; in comparison of which all my service +hitherto had been 'perfect freedom;' and whose horrors, always present +to my mind, now rushed on it with tenfold aggravation. I wept very +bitterly for some time: and began to think that I must have done +something to displease the Lord, that he thus punished me so severely. +This filled me with painful reflections on my past conduct; I +recollected that on the morning of our arrival at Deptford I had +rashly sworn that as soon as we reached London I would spend the day +in rambling and sport. My conscience smote me for this unguarded +expression: I felt that the Lord was able to disappoint me in all +things, and immediately considered my present situation as a judgment +of Heaven on account of my presumption in swearing: I therefore, with +contrition of heart, acknowledged my transgression to God, and poured +out my soul before him with unfeigned repentance, and with earnest +supplications I besought him not to abandon me in my distress, nor +cast me from his mercy for ever. In a little time my grief, spent with +its own violence, began to subside; and after the first confusion of +my thoughts was over I reflected with more calmness on my present +condition: I considered that trials and disappointments are sometimes +for our good, and I thought God might perhaps have permitted this in +order to teach me wisdom and resignation; for he had hitherto shadowed +me with the wings of his mercy, and by his invisible but powerful hand +brought me the way I knew not. These reflections gave me a little +comfort, and I rose at last from the deck with dejection and sorrow in +my countenance, yet mixed with some faint hope that the _Lord would +appear_ for my deliverance. + +Soon afterwards, as my new master was going ashore, he called me to +him, and told me to behave myself well, and do the business of the +ship the same as any of the rest of the boys, and that I should fare +the better for it; but I made him no answer. I was then asked if I +could swim, and I said, No. However I was made to go under the deck, +and was well watched. The next tide the ship got under way, and soon +after arrived at the Mother Bank, Portsmouth; where she waited a few +days for some of the West India convoy. While I was here I tried every +means I could devise amongst the people of the ship to get me a boat +from the shore, as there was none suffered to come alongside of the +ship; and their own, whenever it was used, was hoisted in again +immediately. A sailor on board took a guinea from me on pretence of +getting me a boat; and promised me, time after time, that it was +hourly to come off. When he had the watch upon deck I watched also; +and looked long enough, but all in vain; I could never see either the +boat or my guinea again. And what I thought was still the worst of +all, the fellow gave information, as I afterwards found, all the while +to the mates, of my intention to go off, if I could in any way do it; +but, rogue like, he never told them he had got a guinea from me to +procure my escape. However, after we had sailed, and his trick was +made known to the ship's crew, I had some satisfaction in seeing him +detested and despised by them all for his behaviour to me. I was still +in hopes that my old shipmates would not forget their promise to come +for me to Portsmouth: and, indeed, at last, but not till the day +before we sailed, some of them did come there, and sent me off some +oranges, and other tokens of their regard. They also sent me word they +would come off to me themselves the next day or the day after; and a +lady also, who lived in Gosport, wrote to me that she would come and +take me out of the ship at the same time. This lady had been once very +intimate with my former master: I used to sell and take care of a +great deal of property for her, in different ships; and in return she +always shewed great friendship for me, and used to tell my master that +she would take me away to live with her: but, unfortunately for me, a +disagreement soon afterwards took place between them; and she was +succeeded in my master's good graces by another lady, who appeared +sole mistress of the Ætna, and mostly lodged on board. I was not so +great a favourite with this lady as with the former; she had conceived +a pique against me on some occasion when she was on board, and she did +not fail to instigate my master to treat me in the manner he did[O]. + +However, the next morning, the 30th of December, the wind being brisk +and easterly, the Oeolus frigate, which was to escort the convoy, +made a signal for sailing. All the ships then got up their anchors; +and, before any of my friends had an opportunity to come off to my +relief, to my inexpressible anguish our ship had got under way. What +tumultuous emotions agitated my soul when the convoy got under sail, +and I a prisoner on board, now without hope! I kept my swimming eyes +upon the land in a state of unutterable grief; not knowing what to do, +and despairing how to help myself. While my mind was in this situation +the fleet sailed on, and in one day's time I lost sight of the +wished-for land. In the first expressions of my grief I reproached my +fate, and wished I had never been born. I was ready to curse the tide +that bore us, the gale that wafted my prison, and even the ship that +conducted us; and I called on death to relieve me from the horrors I +felt and dreaded, that I might be in that place + + "Where slaves are free, and men oppress no more. + Fool that I was, inur'd so long to pain, + To trust to hope, or dream of joy again. + + * * * * * + + Now dragg'd once more beyond the western main, + To groan beneath some dastard planter's chain; + Where my poor countrymen in bondage wait + The long enfranchisement of ling'ring fate: + Hard ling'ring fate! while, ere the dawn of day, + Rous'd by the lash they go their cheerless way; + And as their souls with shame and anguish burn, + Salute with groans unwelcome morn's return, + And, chiding ev'ry hour the slow-pac'd sun, + Pursue their toils till all his race is run. + No eye to mark their suff'rings with a tear; + No friend to comfort, and no hope to cheer: + Then, like the dull unpity'd brutes, repair + To stalls as wretched, and as coarse a fare; + Thank heaven one day of mis'ry was o'er, + Then sink to sleep, and wish to wake no more[P]." + +The turbulence of my emotions however naturally gave way to calmer +thoughts, and I soon perceived what fate had decreed no mortal on +earth could prevent. The convoy sailed on without any accident, with a +pleasant gale and smooth sea, for six weeks, till February, when one +morning the Oeolus ran down a brig, one of the convoy, and she +instantly went down and was ingulfed in the dark recesses of the +ocean. The convoy was immediately thrown into great confusion till it +was daylight; and the Oeolus was illumined with lights to prevent +any farther mischief. On the 13th of February 1763, from the +mast-head, we descried our destined island Montserrat; and soon after +I beheld those + + "Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace + And rest can rarely dwell. Hope never comes + That comes to all, but torture without end + Still urges." + +At the sight of this land of bondage, a fresh horror ran through all +my frame, and chilled me to the heart. My former slavery now rose in +dreadful review to my mind, and displayed nothing but misery, stripes, +and chains; and, in the first paroxysm of my grief, I called upon +God's thunder, and his avenging power, to direct the stroke of death +to me, rather than permit me to become a slave, and be sold from lord +to lord. + +In this state of my mind our ship came to an anchor, and soon after +discharged her cargo. I now knew what it was to work hard; I was made +to help to unload and load the ship. And, to comfort me in my distress +in that time, two of the sailors robbed me of all my money, and ran +away from the ship. I had been so long used to an European climate +that at first I felt the scorching West India sun very painful, while +the dashing surf would toss the boat and the people in it frequently +above high water mark. Sometimes our limbs were broken with this, or +even attended with instant death, and I was day by day mangled and +torn. + +About the middle of May, when the ship was got ready to sail for +England, I all the time believing that Fate's blackest clouds were +gathering over my head, and expecting their bursting would mix me with +the dead, Captain Doran sent for me ashore one morning, and I was told +by the messenger that my fate was then determined. With fluttering +steps and trembling heart I came to the captain, and found with him +one Mr. Robert King, a quaker, and the first merchant in the place. +The captain then told me my former master had sent me there to be +sold; but that he had desired him to get me the best master he could, +as he told him I was a very deserving boy, which Captain Doran said he +found to be true; and if he were to stay in the West Indies he would +be glad to keep me himself; but he could not venture to take me to +London, for he was very sure that when I came there I would leave him. +I at that instant burst out a crying, and begged much of him to take +me to England with him, but all to no purpose. He told me he had got +me the very best master in the whole island, with whom I should be as +happy as if I were in England, and for that reason he chose to let him +have me, though he could sell me to his own brother-in-law for a great +deal more money than what he got from this gentleman. Mr. King, my new +master, then made a reply, and said the reason he had bought me was on +account of my good character; and, as he had not the least doubt of my +good behaviour, I should be very well off with him. He also told me he +did not live in the West Indies, but at Philadelphia, where he was +going soon; and, as I understood something of the rules of +arithmetic, when we got there he would put me to school, and fit me +for a clerk. This conversation relieved my mind a little, and I left +those gentlemen considerably more at ease in myself than when I came +to them; and I was very grateful to Captain Doran, and even to my old +master, for the character they had given me; a character which I +afterwards found of infinite service to me. I went on board again, and +took leave of all my shipmates; and the next day the ship sailed. When +she weighed anchor I went to the waterside and looked at her with a +very wishful and aching heart, and followed her with my eyes and tears +until she was totally out of sight. I was so bowed down with grief +that I could not hold up my head for many months; and if my new master +had not been kind to me I believe I should have died under it at last. +And indeed I soon found that he fully deserved the good character +which Captain Doran had given me of him; for he possessed a most +amiable disposition and temper, and was very charitable and humane. If +any of his slaves behaved amiss he did not beat or use them ill, but +parted with them. This made them afraid of disobliging him; and as he +treated his slaves better than any other man on the island, so he was +better and more faithfully served by them in return. By his kind +treatment I did at last endeavour to compose myself; and with +fortitude, though moneyless, determined to face whatever fate had +decreed for me. Mr. King soon asked me what I could do; and at the +same time said he did not mean to treat me as a common slave. I told +him I knew something of seamanship, and could shave and dress hair +pretty well; and I could refine wines, which I had learned on +shipboard, where I had often done it; and that I could write, and +understood arithmetic tolerably well as far as the Rule of Three. He +then asked me if I knew any thing of gauging; and, on my answering +that I did not, he said one of his clerks should teach me to gauge. + +Mr. King dealt in all manner of merchandize, and kept from one to six +clerks. He loaded many vessels in a year; particularly to +Philadelphia, where he was born, and was connected with a great +mercantile house in that city. He had besides many vessels and +droggers, of different sizes, which used to go about the island; and +others to collect rum, sugar, and other goods. I understood pulling +and managing those boats very well; and this hard work, which was the +first that he set me to, in the sugar seasons used to be my constant +employment. I have rowed the boat, and slaved at the oars, from one +hour to sixteen in the twenty-four; during which I had fifteen pence +sterling per day to live on, though sometimes only ten pence. However +this was considerably more than was allowed to other slaves that used +to work with me, and belonged to other gentlemen on the island: those +poor souls had never more than nine pence per day, and seldom more +than six pence, from their masters or owners, though they earned them +three or four pisterines[Q]: for it is a common practice in the West +Indies for men to purchase slaves though they have not plantations +themselves, in order to let them out to planters and merchants at so +much a piece by the day, and they give what allowance they chuse out +of this produce of their daily work to their slaves for subsistence; +this allowance is often very scanty. My master often gave the owners +of these slaves two and a half of these pieces per day, and found the +poor fellows in victuals himself, because he thought their owners did +not feed them well enough according to the work they did. The slaves +used to like this very well; and, as they knew my master to be a man +of feeling, they were always glad to work for him in preference to any +other gentleman; some of whom, after they had been paid for these poor +people's labours, would not give them their allowance out of it. Many +times have I even seen these unfortunate wretches beaten for asking +for their pay; and often severely flogged by their owners if they did +not bring them their daily or weekly money exactly to the time; though +the poor creatures were obliged to wait on the gentlemen they had +worked for sometimes for more than half the day before they could get +their pay; and this generally on Sundays, when they wanted the time +for themselves. In particular, I knew a countryman of mine who once +did not bring the weekly money directly that it was earned; and though +he brought it the same day to his master, yet he was staked to the +ground for this pretended negligence, and was just going to receive a +hundred lashes, but for a gentleman who begged him off fifty. This +poor man was very industrious; and, by his frugality, had saved so +much money by working on shipboard, that he had got a white man to buy +him a boat, unknown to his master. Some time after he had this little +estate the governor wanted a boat to bring his sugar from different +parts of the island; and, knowing this to be a negro-man's boat, he +seized upon it for himself, and would not pay the owner a farthing. +The man on this went to his master, and complained to him of this act +of the governor; but the only satisfaction he received was to be +damned very heartily by his master, who asked him how dared any of his +negroes to have a boat. If the justly-merited ruin of the governor's +fortune could be any gratification to the poor man he had thus robbed, +he was not without consolation. Extortion and rapine are poor +providers; and some time after this the governor died in the King's +Bench in England, as I was told, in great poverty. The last war +favoured this poor negro-man, and he found some means to escape from +his Christian master: he came to England; where I saw him afterwards +several times. Such treatment as this often drives these miserable +wretches to despair, and they run away from their masters at the +hazard of their lives. Many of them, in this place, unable to get +their pay when they have earned it, and fearing to be flogged, as +usual, if they return home without it, run away where they can for +shelter, and a reward is often offered to bring them in dead or alive. +My master used sometimes, in these cases, to agree with their owners, +and to settle with them himself; and thereby he saved many of them a +flogging. + +Once, for a few days, I was let out to fit a vessel, and I had no +victuals allowed me by either party; at last I told my master of this +treatment, and he took me away from it. In many of the estates, on the +different islands where I used to be sent for rum or sugar, they would +not deliver it to me, or any other negro; he was therefore obliged to +send a white man along with me to those places; and then he used to +pay him from six to ten pisterines a day. From being thus employed, +during the time I served Mr. King, in going about the different +estates on the island, I had all the opportunity I could wish for to +see the dreadful usage of the poor men; usage that reconciled me to my +situation, and made me bless God for the hands into which I had +fallen. + +I had the good fortune to please my master in every department in +which he employed me; and there was scarcely any part of his business, +or household affairs, in which I was not occasionally engaged. I often +supplied the place of a clerk, in receiving and delivering cargoes to +the ships, in tending stores, and delivering goods: and, besides this, +I used to shave and dress my master when convenient, and take care of +his horse; and when it was necessary, which was very often, I worked +likewise on board of different vessels of his. By these means I became +very useful to my master; and saved him, as he used to acknowledge, +above a hundred pounds a year. Nor did he scruple to say I was of more +advantage to him than any of his clerks; though their usual wages in +the West Indies are from sixty to a hundred pounds current a year. + +I have sometimes heard it asserted that a negro cannot earn his master +the first cost; but nothing can be further from the truth. I suppose +nine tenths of the mechanics throughout the West Indies are negro +slaves; and I well know the coopers among them earn two dollars a day; +the carpenters the same, and oftentimes more; as also the masons, +smiths, and fishermen, &c. and I have known many slaves whose masters +would not take a thousand pounds current for them. But surely this +assertion refutes itself; for, if it be true, why do the planters and +merchants pay such a price for slaves? And, above all, why do those +who make this assertion exclaim the most loudly against the abolition +of the slave trade? So much are men blinded, and to such inconsistent +arguments are they driven by mistaken interest! I grant, indeed, that +slaves are some times, by half-feeding, half-clothing, over-working +and stripes, reduced so low, that they are turned out as unfit for +service, and left to perish in the woods, or expire on a dunghill. + +My master was several times offered by different gentlemen one hundred +guineas for me; but he always told them he would not sell me, to my +great joy: and I used to double my diligence and care for fear of +getting into the hands of those men who did not allow a valuable slave +the common support of life. Many of them even used to find fault with +my master for feeding his slaves so well as he did; although I often +went hungry, and an Englishman might think my fare very indifferent; +but he used to tell them he always would do it, because the slaves +thereby looked better and did more work. + +While I was thus employed by my master I was often a witness to +cruelties of every kind, which were exercised on my unhappy fellow +slaves. I used frequently to have different cargoes of new negroes in +my care for sale; and it was almost a constant practice with our +clerks, and other whites, to commit violent depredations on the +chastity of the female slaves; and these I was, though with +reluctance, obliged to submit to at all times, being unable to help +them. When we have had some of these slaves on board my master's +vessels to carry them to other islands, or to America, I have known +our mates to commit these acts most shamefully, to the disgrace, not +of Christians only, but of men. I have even known them gratify their +brutal passion with females not ten years old; and these abominations +some of them practised to such scandalous excess, that one of our +captains discharged the mate and others on that account. And yet in +Montserrat I have seen a negro man staked to the ground, and cut most +shockingly, and then his ears cut off bit by bit, because he had been +connected with a white woman who was a common prostitute: as if it +were no crime in the whites to rob an innocent African girl of her +virtue; but most heinous in a black man only to gratify a passion of +nature, where the temptation was offered by one of a different colour, +though the most abandoned woman of her species. Another negro man was +half hanged, and then burnt, for attempting to poison a cruel +overseer. Thus by repeated cruelties are the wretched first urged to +despair, and then murdered, because they still retain so much of human +nature about them as to wish to put an end to their misery, and +retaliate on their tyrants! These overseers are indeed for the most +part persons of the worst character of any denomination of men in the +West Indies. Unfortunately, many humane gentlemen, by not residing on +their estates, are obliged to leave the management of them in the +hands of these human butchers, who cut and mangle the slaves in a +shocking manner on the most trifling occasions, and altogether treat +them in every respect like brutes. They pay no regard to the situation +of pregnant women, nor the least attention to the lodging of the +field negroes. Their huts, which ought to be well covered, and the +place dry where they take their little repose, are often open sheds, +built in damp places; so that, when the poor creatures return tired +from the toils of the field, they contract many disorders, from being +exposed to the damp air in this uncomfortable state, while they are +heated, and their pores are open. This neglect certainly conspires +with many others to cause a decrease in the births as well as in the +lives of the grown negroes. I can quote many instances of gentlemen +who reside on their estates in the West Indies, and then the scene is +quite changed; the negroes are treated with lenity and proper care, by +which their lives are prolonged, and their masters are profited. To +the honour of humanity, I knew several gentlemen who managed their +estates in this manner; and they found that benevolence was their true +interest. And, among many I could mention in several of the islands, I +knew one in Montserrat[R] whose slaves looked remarkably well, and +never needed any fresh supplies of negroes; and there are many other +estates, especially in Barbadoes, which, from such judicious +treatment, need no fresh stock of negroes at any time. I have the +honour of knowing a most worthy and humane gentleman, who is a native +of Barbadoes, and has estates there[S]. This gentleman has written a +treatise on the usage of his own slaves. He allows them two hours for +refreshment at mid-day; and many other indulgencies and comforts, +particularly in their lying; and, besides this, he raises more +provisions on his estate than they can destroy; so that by these +attentions he saves the lives of his negroes, and keeps them healthy, +and as happy as the condition of slavery can admit. I myself, as shall +appear in the sequel, managed an estate, where, by those attentions, +the negroes were uncommonly cheerful and healthy, and did more work by +half than by the common mode of treatment they usually do. For want, +therefore, of such care and attention to the poor negroes, and +otherwise oppressed as they are, it is no wonder that the decrease +should require 20,000 new negroes annually to fill up the vacant +places of the dead. + +Even in Barbadoes, notwithstanding those humane exceptions which I +have mentioned, and others I am acquainted with, which justly make it +quoted as a place where slaves meet with the best treatment, and need +fewest recruits of any in the West Indies, yet this island requires +1000 negroes annually to keep up the original stock, which is only +80,000. So that the whole term of a negro's life may be said to be +there but sixteen years![T] And yet the climate here is in every +respect the same as that from which they are taken, except in being +more wholesome. Do the British colonies decrease in this manner? And +yet what a prodigious difference is there between an English and West +India climate? + +While I was in Montserrat I knew a negro man, named Emanuel Sankey, +who endeavoured to escape from his miserable bondage, by concealing +himself on board of a London ship: but fate did not favour the poor +oppressed man; for, being discovered when the vessel was under sail, +he was delivered up again to his master. This Christian master +immediately pinned the wretch down to the ground at each wrist and +ancle, and then took some sticks of sealing wax, and lighted them, and +droped it all over his back. There was another master who was noted +for cruelty; and I believe he had not a slave but what had been cut, +and had pieces fairly taken out of the flesh: and, after they had been +punished thus, he used to make them get into a long wooden box or case +he had for that purpose, in which he shut them up during pleasure. It +was just about the height and breadth of a man; and the poor wretches +had no room, when in the case, to move. + +It was very common in several of the islands, particularly in St. +Kitt's, for the slaves to be branded with the initial letters of their +master's name; and a load of heavy iron hooks hung about their necks. +Indeed on the most trifling occasions they were loaded with chains; +and often instruments of torture were added. The iron muzzle, +thumb-screws, &c. are so well known, as not to need a description, and +were sometimes applied for the slightest faults. I have seen a negro +beaten till some of his bones were broken, for even letting a pot boil +over. Is it surprising that usage like this should drive the poor +creatures to despair, and make them seek a refuge in death from those +evils which render their lives intolerable--while, + + "With shudd'ring horror pale, and eyes aghast, + They view their lamentable lot, and find + No rest!" + +This they frequently do. A negro-man on board a vessel of my master, +while I belonged to her, having been put in irons for some trifling +misdemeanor, and kept in that state for some days, being weary of +life, took an opportunity of jumping overboard into the sea; however, +he was picked up without being drowned. Another, whose life was also a +burden to him, resolved to starve himself to death, and refused to eat +any victuals; this procured him a severe flogging: and he also, on the +first occasion which offered, jumped overboard at Charles Town, but +was saved. + +Nor is there any greater regard shewn to the little property than +there is to the persons and lives of the negroes. I have already +related an instance or two of particular oppression out of many which +I have witnessed; but the following is frequent in all the islands. +The wretched field-slaves, after toiling all the day for an unfeeling +owner, who gives them but little victuals, steal sometimes a few +moments from rest or refreshment to gather some small portion of +grass, according as their time will admit. This they commonly tie up +in a parcel; (either a bit, worth six pence; or half a bit's-worth) +and bring it to town, or to the market, to sell. Nothing is more +common than for the white people on this occasion to take the grass +from them without paying for it; and not only so, but too often also, +to my knowledge, our clerks, and many others, at the same time have +committed acts of violence on the poor, wretched, and helpless +females; whom I have seen for hours stand crying to no purpose, and +get no redress or pay of any kind. Is not this one common and crying +sin enough to bring down God's judgment on the islands? He tells us +the oppressor and the oppressed are both in his hands; and if these +are not the poor, the broken-hearted, the blind, the captive, the +bruised, which our Saviour speaks of, who are they? One of these +depredators once, in St. Eustatia, came on board of our vessel, and +bought some fowls and pigs of me; and a whole day after his departure +with the things he returned again and wanted his money back: I refused +to give it; and, not seeing my captain on board, he began the common +pranks with me; and swore he would even break open my chest and take +my money. I therefore expected, as my captain was absent, that he +would be as good as his word: and he was just proceeding to strike me, +when fortunately a British seaman on board, whose heart had not been +debauched by a West India climate, interposed and prevented him. But +had the cruel man struck me I certainly should have defended myself at +the hazard of my life; for what is life to a man thus oppressed? He +went away, however, swearing; and threatened that whenever he caught +me on shore he would shoot me, and pay for me afterwards. + +The small account in which the life of a negro is held in the West +Indies is so universally known, that it might seem impertinent to +quote the following extract, if some people had not been hardy enough +of late to assert that negroes are on the same footing in that respect +as Europeans. By the 329th Act, page 125, of the Assembly of +Barbadoes, it is enacted 'That if any negro, or other slave, under +punishment by his master, or his order, for running away, or any other +crime or misdemeanor towards his said master, unfortunately shall +suffer in life or member, no person whatsoever shall be liable to a +fine; but if any man shall out of _wantonness, or only of +bloody-mindedness, or cruel intention, wilfully kill a negro, or other +slave, of his own, he shall pay into the public treasury fifteen +pounds sterling_.' And it is the same in most, if not all, of the West +India islands. Is not this one of the many acts of the islands which +call loudly for redress? And do not the assembly which enacted it +deserve the appellation of savages and brutes rather than of +Christians and men? It is an act at once unmerciful, unjust, and +unwise; which for cruelty would disgrace an assembly of those who are +called barbarians; and for its injustice and _insanity_ would shock +the morality and common sense of a Samaide or a Hottentot. + +Shocking as this and many more acts of the bloody West India code at +first view appear, how is the iniquity of it heightened when we +consider to whom it may be extended! Mr. James Tobin, a zealous +labourer in the vineyard of slavery, gives an account of a French +planter of his acquaintance, in the island of Martinico, who shewed +him many mulattoes working in the fields like beasts of burden; and he +told Mr. Tobin these were all the produce of his own loins! And I +myself have known similar instances. Pray, reader, are these sons and +daughters of the French planter less his children by being begotten on +a black woman? And what must be the virtue of those legislators, and +the feelings of those fathers, who estimate the lives of their sons, +however begotten, at no more than fifteen pounds; though they should +be murdered, as the act says, _out of wantonness and bloody-mindedness_! +But is not the slave trade entirely a war with the heart of man? And +surely that which is begun by breaking down the barriers of virtue +involves in its continuance destruction to every principle, and buries +all sentiments in ruin! + +I have often seen slaves, particularly those who were meagre, in +different islands, put into scales and weighed; and then sold from +three pence to six pence or nine pence a pound. My master, however, +whose humanity was shocked at this mode, used to sell such by the +lump. And at or after a sale it was not uncommon to see negroes taken +from their wives, wives taken from their husbands, and children from +their parents, and sent off to other islands, and wherever else their +merciless lords chose; and probably never more during life to see each +other! Oftentimes my heart has bled at these partings; when the +friends of the departed have been at the water side, and, with sighs +and tears, have kept their eyes fixed on the vessel till it went out +of sight. + +A poor Creole negro I knew well, who, after having been often thus +transported from island to island, at last resided in Montserrat. This +man used to tell me many melancholy tales of himself. Generally, after +he had done working for his master, he used to employ his few leisure +moments to go a fishing. When he had caught any fish, his master would +frequently take them from him without paying him; and at other times +some other white people would serve him in the same manner. One day he +said to me, very movingly, 'Sometimes when a white man take away my +fish I go to my maser, and he get me my right; and when my maser by +strength take away my fishes, what me must do? I can't go to any body +to be righted; then' said the poor man, looking up above 'I must look +up to God Mighty in the top for right.' This artless tale moved me +much, and I could not help feeling the just cause Moses had in +redressing his brother against the Egyptian. I exhorted the man to +look up still to the God on the top, since there was no redress below. +Though I little thought then that I myself should more than once +experience such imposition, and read the same exhortation hereafter, +in my own transactions in the islands; and that even this poor man and +I should some time after suffer together in the same manner, as shall +be related hereafter. + +Nor was such usage as this confined to particular places or +individuals; for, in all the different islands in which I have been +(and I have visited no less than fifteen) the treatment of the slaves +was nearly the same; so nearly indeed, that the history of an island, +or even a plantation, with a few such exceptions as I have mentioned, +might serve for a history of the whole. Such a tendency has the +slave-trade to debauch men's minds, and harden them to every feeling +of humanity! For I will not suppose that the dealers in slaves are +born worse than other men--No; it is the fatality of this mistaken +avarice, that it corrupts the milk of human kindness and turns it into +gall. And, had the pursuits of those men been different, they might +have been as generous, as tender-hearted and just, as they are +unfeeling, rapacious and cruel. Surely this traffic cannot be good, +which spreads like a pestilence, and taints what it touches! which +violates that first natural right of mankind, equality and +independency, and gives one man a dominion over his fellows which God +could never intend! For it raises the owner to a state as far above +man as it depresses the slave below it; and, with all the presumption +of human pride, sets a distinction between them, immeasurable in +extent, and endless in duration! Yet how mistaken is the avarice even +of the planters? Are slaves more useful by being thus humbled to the +condition of brutes, than they would be if suffered to enjoy the +privileges of men? The freedom which diffuses health and prosperity +throughout Britain answers you--No. When you make men slaves you +deprive them of half their virtue, you set them in your own conduct an +example of fraud, rapine, and cruelty, and compel them to live with +you in a state of war; and yet you complain that they are not honest +or faithful! You stupify them with stripes, and think it necessary to +keep them in a state of ignorance; and yet you assert that they are +incapable of learning; that their minds are such a barren soil or +moor, that culture would be lost on them; and that they come from a +climate, where nature, though prodigal of her bounties in a degree +unknown to yourselves, has left man alone scant and unfinished, and +incapable of enjoying the treasures she has poured out for him!--An +assertion at once impious and absurd. Why do you use those instruments +of torture? Are they fit to be applied by one rational being to +another? And are ye not struck with shame and mortification, to see +the partakers of your nature reduced so low? But, above all, are there +no dangers attending this mode of treatment? Are you not hourly in +dread of an insurrection? Nor would it be surprising: for when + + "--No peace is given + To us enslav'd, but custody severe; + And stripes and arbitrary punishment + Inflicted--What peace can we return? + But to our power, hostility and hate; + Untam'd reluctance, and revenge, though slow, + Yet ever plotting how the conqueror least + May reap his conquest, and may least rejoice + In doing what we most in suffering feel." + +But by changing your conduct, and treating your slaves as men, every +cause of fear would be banished. They would be faithful, honest, +intelligent and vigorous; and peace, prosperity, and happiness, would +attend you. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[Footnote O: Thus was I sacrificed to the envy and resentment of this +woman for knowing that the lady whom she had succeeded in my master's +good graces designed to take me into her service; which, had I once +got on shore, she would not have been able to prevent. She felt her +pride alarmed at the superiority of her rival in being attended by a +black servant: it was not less to prevent this than to be revenged on +me, that she caused the captain to treat me thus cruelly.] + +[Footnote P: "The Dying Negro," a poem originally published in 1773. +Perhaps it may not be deemed impertinent here to add, that this +elegant and pathetic little poem was occasioned, as appears by the +advertisement prefixed to it, by the following incident. "A black, +who, a few days before had ran away from his master, and got himself +christened, with intent to marry a white woman his fellow-servant, +being taken and sent on board a ship in the Thames, took an +opportunity of shooting himself through the head."] + +[Footnote Q: These pisterines are of the value of a shilling.] + +[Footnote R: Mr. Dubury, and many others, Montserrat.] + +[Footnote S: Sir Philip Gibbes, Baronet, Barbadoes.] + +[Footnote T: Benezet's Account of Guinea, p. 16.] + + + + +CHAP. VI. + + _Some account of Brimstone-Hill in Montserrat--Favourable + change in the author's situation--He commences merchant with + three pence--His various success in dealing in the different + islands, and America, and the impositions he meets with in + his transactions with Europeans--A curious imposition on + human nature--Danger of the surfs in the West + Indies--Remarkable instance of kidnapping a free + mulatto--The author is nearly murdered by Doctor Perkins in + Savannah._ + + +In the preceding chapter I have set before the reader a few of those +many instances of oppression, extortion, and cruelty, which I have +been a witness to in the West Indies: but, were I to enumerate them +all, the catalogue would be tedious and disgusting. The punishments of +the slaves on every trifling occasion are so frequent, and so well +known, together with the different instruments with which they are +tortured, that it cannot any longer afford novelty to recite them; and +they are too shocking to yield delight either to the writer or the +reader. I shall therefore hereafter only mention such as incidentally +befel myself in the course of my adventures. + +In the variety of departments in which I was employed by my master, I +had an opportunity of seeing many curious scenes in different islands; +but, above all, I was struck with a celebrated curiosity called +Brimstone-Hill, which is a high and steep mountain, some few miles +from the town of Plymouth in Montserrat. I had often heard of some +wonders that were to be seen on this hill, and I went once with some +white and black people to visit it. When we arrived at the top, I saw +under different cliffs great flakes of brimstone, occasioned by the +steams of various little ponds, which were then boiling naturally in +the earth. Some of these ponds were as white as milk, some quite blue, +and many others of different colours. I had taken some potatoes with +me, and I put them into different ponds, and in a few minutes they +were well boiled. I tasted some of them, but they were very +sulphurous; and the silver shoe buckles, and all the other things of +that metal we had among us, were, in a little time, turned as black +as lead. + +Some time in the year 1763 kind Providence seemed to appear rather +more favourable to me. One of my master's vessels, a Bermudas sloop, +about sixty tons, was commanded by one Captain Thomas Farmer, an +Englishman, a very alert and active man, who gained my master a great +deal of money by his good management in carrying passengers from one +island to another; but very often his sailors used to get drunk and +run away from the vessel, which hindered him in his business very +much. This man had taken a liking to me; and many different times +begged of my master to let me go a trip with him as a sailor; but he +would tell him he could not spare me, though the vessel sometimes +could not go for want of hands, for sailors were generally very scarce +in the island. However, at last, from necessity or force, my master +was prevailed on, though very reluctantly, to let me go with this +captain; but he gave great charge to him to take care that I did not +run away, for if I did he would make him pay for me. This being the +case, the captain had for some time a sharp eye upon me whenever the +vessel anchored; and as soon as she returned I was sent for on shore +again. Thus was I slaving as it were for life, sometimes at one thing, +and sometimes at another; so that the captain and I were nearly the +most useful men in my master's employment. I also became so useful to +the captain on shipboard, that many times, when he used to ask for me +to go with him, though it should be but for twenty-four hours, to some +of the islands near us, my master would answer he could not spare me, +at which the captain would swear, and would not go the trip; and tell +my master I was better to him on board than any three white men he +had; for they used to behave ill in many respects, particularly in +getting drunk; and then they frequently got the boat stove, so as to +hinder the vessel from coming back as soon as she might have done. +This my master knew very well; and at last, by the captain's constant +entreaties, after I had been several times with him, one day, to my +great joy, my master told me the captain would not let him rest, and +asked me whether I would go aboard as a sailor, or stay on shore and +mind the stores, for he could not bear any longer to be plagued in +this manner. I was very happy at this proposal, for I immediately +thought I might in time stand some chance by being on board to get a +little money, or possibly make my escape if I should be used ill: I +also expected to get better food, and in greater abundance; for I had +felt much hunger oftentimes, though my master treated his slaves, as I +have observed, uncommonly well. I therefore, without hesitation, +answered him, that I would go and be a sailor if he pleased. +Accordingly I was ordered on board directly. Nevertheless, between the +vessel and the shore, when she was in port, I had little or no rest, +as my master always wished to have me along with him. Indeed he was a +very pleasant gentleman, and but for my expectations on shipboard I +should not have thought of leaving him. But the captain liked me also +very much, and I was entirely his right-hand man. I did all I could to +deserve his favour, and in return I received better treatment from him +than any other I believe ever met with in the West Indies in my +situation. + +After I had been sailing for some time with this captain, at length I +endeavoured to try my luck and commence merchant. I had but a very +small capital to begin with; for one single half bit, which is equal +to three pence in England, made up my whole stock. However I trusted +to the Lord to be with me; and at one of our trips to St. Eustatia, a +Dutch island, I bought a glass tumbler with my half bit, and when I +came to Montserrat I sold it for a bit, or sixpence. Luckily we made +several successive trips to St. Eustatia (which was a general mart for +the West Indies, about twenty leagues from Montserrat); and in our +next, finding my tumbler so profitable, with this one bit I bought two +tumblers more; and when I came back I sold them for two bits, equal to +a shilling sterling. When we went again I bought with these two bits +four more of these glasses, which I sold for four bits on our return +to Montserrat; and in our next voyage to St. Eustatia I bought two +glasses with one bit, and with the other three I bought a jug of +Geneva, nearly about three pints in measure. When we came to +Montserrat I sold the gin for eight bits, and the tumblers for two, so +that my capital now amounted in all to a dollar, well husbanded and +acquired in the space of a month or six weeks, when I blessed the Lord +that I was so rich. As we sailed to different islands, I laid this +money out in various things occasionally, and it used to turn out to +very good account, especially when we went to Guadaloupe, Grenada, and +the rest of the French islands. Thus was I going all about the islands +upwards of four years, and ever trading as I went, during which I +experienced many instances of ill usage, and have seen many injuries +done to other negroes in our dealings with Europeans: and, amidst our +recreations, when we have been dancing and merry-making, they, without +cause, have molested and insulted us. Indeed I was more than once +obliged to look up to God on high, as I had advised the poor fisherman +some time before. And I had not been long trading for myself in the +manner I have related above, when I experienced the like trial in +company with him as follows: This man being used to the water, was +upon an emergency put on board of us by his master to work as another +hand, on a voyage to Santa Cruz; and at our sailing he had brought his +little all for a venture, which consisted of six bits' worth of limes +and oranges in a bag; I had also my whole stock, which was about +twelve bits' worth of the same kind of goods, separate in two bags; +for we had heard these fruits sold well in that island. When we came +there, in some little convenient time he and I went ashore with our +fruits to sell them; but we had scarcely landed when we were met by +two white men, who presently took our three bags from us. We could not +at first guess what they meant to do; and for some time we thought +they were jesting with us; but they too soon let us know otherwise, +for they took our ventures immediately to a house hard by, and +adjoining the fort, while we followed all the way begging of them to +give us our fruits, but in vain. They not only refused to return them, +but swore at us, and threatened if we did not immediately depart they +would flog us well. We told them these three bags were all we were +worth in the world, and that we brought them with us to sell when we +came from Montserrat, and shewed them the vessel. But this was rather +against us, as they now saw we were strangers as well as slaves. They +still therefore swore, and desired us to be gone, and even took sticks +to beat us; while we, seeing they meant what they said, went off in +the greatest confusion and despair. Thus, in the very minute of +gaining more by three times than I ever did by any venture in my life +before, was I deprived of every farthing I was worth. An +insupportable misfortune! but how to help ourselves we knew not. In +our consternation we went to the commanding officer of the fort and +told him how we had been served by some of his people; but we obtained +not the least redress: he answered our complaints only by a volley of +imprecations against us, and immediately took a horse-whip, in order +to chastise us, so that we were obliged to turn out much faster than +we came in. I now, in the agony of distress and indignation, wished +that the ire of God in his forked lightning might transfix these cruel +oppressors among the dead. Still however we persevered; went back +again to the house, and begged and besought them again and again for +our fruits, till at last some other people that were in the house +asked if we would be contented if they kept one bag and gave us the +other two. We, seeing no remedy whatever, consented to this; and they, +observing one bag to have both kinds of fruit in it, which belonged to +my companion, kept that; and the other two, which were mine, they gave +us back. As soon as I got them, I ran as fast as I could, and got the +first negro man I could to help me off; my companion, however, stayed +a little longer to plead; he told them the bag they had was his, and +likewise all that he was worth in the world; but this was of no avail, +and he was obliged to return without it. The poor old man, wringing +his hands, cried bitterly for his loss; and, indeed, he then did look +up to God on high, which so moved me with pity for him, that I gave +him nearly one third of my fruits. We then proceeded to the markets to +sell them; and Providence was more favourable to us than we could have +expected, for we sold our fruits uncommonly well; I got for mine about +thirty-seven bits. Such a surprising reverse of fortune in so short a +space of time seemed like a dream to me, and proved no small +encouragement for me to trust the Lord in any situation. My captain +afterwards frequently used to take my part, and get me my right, when +I have been plundered or used ill by these tender Christian +depredators; among whom I have shuddered to observe the unceasing +blasphemous execrations which are wantonly thrown out by persons of +all ages and conditions, not only without occasion, but even as if +they were indulgences and pleasure. + +At one of our trips to St. Kitt's I had eleven bits of my own; and my +friendly captain lent me five bits more, with which I bought a Bible. +I was very glad to get this book, which I scarcely could meet with any +where. I think there was none sold in Montserrat; and, much to my +grief, from being forced out of the Ætna in the manner I have related, +my Bible, and the Guide to the Indians, the two books I loved above +all others, were left behind. + +While I was in this place, St. Kitt's, a very curious imposition on +human nature took place:--A white man wanted to marry in the church a +free black woman that had land and slaves in Montserrat: but the +clergyman told him it was against the law of the place to marry a +white and a black in the church. The man then asked to be married on +the water, to which the parson consented, and the two lovers went in +one boat, and the parson and clerk in another, and thus the ceremony +was performed. After this the loving pair came on board our vessel, +and my captain treated them extremely well, and brought them safe to +Montserrat. + +The reader cannot but judge of the irksomeness of this situation to a +mind like mine, in being daily exposed to new hardships and +impositions, after having seen many better days, and having been as it +were in a state of freedom and plenty; added to which, every part of +the world I had hitherto been in seemed to me a paradise in comparison +of the West Indies. My mind was therefore hourly replete with +inventions and thoughts of being freed, and, if possible, by honest +and honourable means; for I always remembered the old adage; and I +trust it has ever been my ruling principle, that honesty is the best +policy; and likewise that other golden precept--to do unto all men as +I would they should do unto me. However, as I was from early years a +predestinarian, I thought whatever fate had determined must ever come +to pass; and therefore, if ever it were my lot to be freed nothing +could prevent me, although I should at present see no means or hope to +obtain my freedom; on the other hand, if it were my fate not to be +freed I never should be so, and all my endeavours for that purpose +would be fruitless. In the midst of these thoughts I therefore looked +up with prayers anxiously to God for my liberty; and at the same time +I used every honest means, and endeavoured all that was possible on +my part to obtain it. In process of time I became master of a few +pounds, and in a fair way of making more, which my friendly captain +knew very well; this occasioned him sometimes to take liberties with +me: but whenever he treated me waspishly I used plainly to tell him my +mind, and that I would die before I would be imposed on as other +negroes were, and that to me life had lost its relish when liberty was +gone. This I said although I foresaw my then well-being or future +hopes of freedom (humanly speaking) depended on this man. However, as +he could not bear the thoughts of my not sailing with him, he always +became mild on my threats. I therefore continued with him; and, from +my great attention to his orders and his business, I gained him +credit, and through his kindness to me I at last procured my liberty. +While I thus went on, filled with the thoughts of freedom, and +resisting oppression as well as I was able, my life hung daily in +suspense, particularly in the surfs I have formerly mentioned, as I +could not swim. These are extremely violent throughout the West +Indies, and I was ever exposed to their howling rage and devouring +fury in all the islands. I have seen them strike and toss a boat right +up an end, and maim several on board. Once in the Grenada islands, +when I and about eight others were pulling a large boat with two +puncheons of water in it, a surf struck us, and drove the boat and all +in it about half a stone's throw, among some trees, and above the high +water mark. We were obliged to get all the assistance we could from +the nearest estate to mend the boat, and launch it into the water +again. At Montserrat one night, in pressing hard to get off the shore +on board, the punt was overset with us four times; the first time I +was very near being drowned; however the jacket I had on kept me up +above water a little space of time, while I called on a man near me +who was a good swimmer, and told him I could not swim; he then made +haste to me, and, just as I was sinking, he caught hold of me, and +brought me to sounding, and then he went and brought the punt also. As +soon as we had turned the water out of her, lest we should be used ill +for being absent, we attempted again three times more, and as often +the horrid surfs served us as at first; but at last, the fifth time we +attempted, we gained our point, at the imminent hazard of our lives. +One day also, at Old Road in Montserrat, our captain, and three men +besides myself, were going in a large canoe in quest of rum and sugar, +when a single surf tossed the canoe an amazing distance from the +water, and some of us even a stone's throw from each other: most of us +were very much bruised; so that I and many more often said, and really +thought, that there was not such another place under the heavens as +this. I longed therefore much to leave it, and daily wished to see my +master's promise performed of going to Philadelphia. While we lay in +this place a very cruel thing happened on board of our sloop which +filled me with horror; though I found afterwards such practices were +frequent. There was a very clever and decent free young mulatto-man +who sailed a long time with us: he had a free woman for his wife, by +whom he had a child; and she was then living on shore, and all very +happy. Our captain and mate, and other people on board, and several +elsewhere, even the natives of Bermudas, all knew this young man from +a child that he was always free, and no one had ever claimed him as +their property: however, as might too often overcomes right in these +parts, it happened that a Bermudas captain, whose vessel lay there for +a few days in the road, came on board of us, and seeing the +mulatto-man, whose name was Joseph Clipson, he told him he was not +free, and that he had orders from his master to bring him to Bermudas. +The poor man could not believe the captain to be in earnest; but he +was very soon undeceived, his men laying violent hands on him: and +although he shewed a certificate of his being born free in St. Kitt's, +and most people on board knew that he served his time to boat +building, and always passed for a free man, yet he was taken forcibly +out of our vessel. He then asked to be carried ashore before the +secretary or magistrates, and these infernal invaders of human rights +promised him he should; but, instead of that, they carried him on +board of the other vessel: and the next day, without giving the poor +man any hearing on shore, or suffering him even to see his wife or +child, he was carried away, and probably doomed never more in this +world to see them again. Nor was this the only instance of this kind +of barbarity I was a witness to. I have since often seen in Jamaica +and other islands free men, whom I have known in America, thus +villainously trepanned and held in bondage. I have heard of two +similar practices even in Philadelphia: and were it not for the +benevolence of the quakers in that city many of the sable race, who +now breathe the air of liberty, would, I believe, be groaning indeed +under some planter's chains. These things opened my mind to a new +scene of horror to which I had been before a stranger. Hitherto I had +thought only slavery dreadful; but the state of a free negro appeared +to me now equally so at least, and in some respects even worse, for +they live in constant alarm for their liberty; and even this is but +nominal, for they are universally insulted and plundered without the +possibility of redress; for such is the equity of the West Indian +laws, that no free negro's evidence will be admitted in their courts +of justice. In this situation is it surprising that slaves, when +mildly treated, should prefer even the misery of slavery to such a +mockery of freedom? I was now completely disgusted with the West +Indies, and thought I never should be entirely free until I had left +them. + + "With thoughts like these my anxious boding mind + Recall'd those pleasing scenes I left behind; + Scenes where fair Liberty in bright array + Makes darkness bright, and e'en illumines day; + Where nor complexion, wealth, or station, can + Protect the wretch who makes a slave of man." + +I determined to make every exertion to obtain my freedom, and to +return to Old England. For this purpose I thought a knowledge of +navigation might be of use to me; for, though I did not intend to run +away unless I should be ill used, yet, in such a case, if I understood +navigation, I might attempt my escape in our sloop, which was one of +the swiftest sailing vessels in the West Indies, and I could be at no +loss for hands to join me: and if I should make this attempt, I had +intended to have gone for England; but this, as I said, was only to be +in the event of my meeting with any ill usage. I therefore employed +the mate of our vessel to teach me navigation, for which I agreed to +give him twenty-four dollars, and actually paid him part of the money +down; though when the captain, some time after, came to know that the +mate was to have such a sum for teaching me, he rebuked him, and said +it was a shame for him to take any money from me. However, my +progress in this useful art was much retarded by the constancy of our +work. Had I wished to run away I did not want opportunities, which +frequently presented themselves; and particularly at one time, soon +after this. When we were at the island of Gaurdeloupe there was a +large fleet of merchantmen bound for Old France; and, seamen then +being very scarce, they gave from fifteen to twenty pounds a man for +the run. Our mate, and all the white sailors, left our vessel on this +account, and went on board of the French ships. They would have had me +also to go with them, for they regarded me; and they swore to protect +me, if I would go: and, as the fleet was to sail the next day, I +really believe I could have got safe to Europe at that time. However, +as my master was kind, I would not attempt to leave him; and, +remembering the old maxim, that 'honesty is the best policy,' I +suffered them to go without me. Indeed my captain was much afraid of +my leaving him and the vessel at that time, as I had so fair an +opportunity: but, I thank God, this fidelity of mine turned out much +to my advantage hereafter, when I did not in the least think of it; +and made me so much in favour with the captain, that he used now and +then to teach me some parts of navigation himself: but some of our +passengers, and others, seeing this, found much fault with him for it, +saying it was a very dangerous thing to let a negro know navigation; +thus I was hindered again in my pursuits. About the latter end of the +year 1764 my master bought a larger sloop, called the Providence, +about seventy or eighty tons, of which my captain had the command. I +went with him into this vessel, and we took a load of new slaves for +Georgia and Charles Town. My master now left me entirely to the +captain, though he still wished for me to be with him; but I, who +always much wished to lose sight of the West Indies, was not a little +rejoiced at the thoughts of seeing any other country. Therefore, +relying on the goodness of my captain, I got ready all the little +venture I could; and, when the vessel was ready, we sailed, to my +great joy. When we got to our destined places, Georgia and Charles +Town, I expected I should have an opportunity of selling my little +property to advantage: but here, particularly in Charles Town, I met +with buyers, white men, who imposed on me as in other places. +Notwithstanding, I was resolved to have fortitude; thinking no lot or +trial is too hard when kind Heaven is the rewarder. We soon got loaded +again, and returned to Montserrat; and there, amongst the rest of the +islands, I sold my goods well; and in this manner I continued trading +during the year 1764; meeting with various scenes of imposition, as +usual. After this, my master fitted out his vessel for Philadelphia, +in the year 1765; and during the time we were loading her, and getting +ready for the voyage, I worked with redoubled alacrity, from the hope +of getting money enough by these voyages to buy my freedom in time, if +it should please God; and also to see the town of Philadelphia, which +I had heard a great deal about for some years past; besides which, I +had always longed to prove my master's promise the first day I came to +him. In the midst of these elevated ideas, and while I was about +getting my little merchandize in readiness, one Sunday my master sent +for me to his house. When I came there I found him and the captain +together; and, on my going in, I was struck with astonishment at his +telling me he heard that I meant to run away from him when I got to +Philadelphia: 'And therefore,' said he, 'I must sell you again: you +cost me a great deal of money, no less than forty pounds sterling; and +it will not do to lose so much. You are a valuable fellow,' continued +he; 'and I can get any day for you one hundred guineas, from many +gentlemen in this island.' And then he told me of Captain Doran's +brother-in-law, a severe master, who ever wanted to buy me to make me +his overseer. My captain also said he could get much more than a +hundred guineas for me in Carolina. This I knew to be a fact; for the +gentleman that wanted to buy me came off several times on board of us, +and spoke to me to live with him, and said he would use me well. When +I asked what work he would put me to he said, as I was a sailor, he +would make me a captain of one of his rice vessels. But I refused: and +fearing, at the same time, by a sudden turn I saw in the captain's +temper, he might mean to sell me, I told the gentleman I would not +live with him on any condition, and that I certainly would run away +with his vessel: but he said he did not fear that, as he would catch +me again; and then he told me how cruelly he would serve me if I +should do so. My captain, however, gave him to understand that I knew +something of navigation: so he thought better of it; and, to my great +joy, he went away. I now told my master I did not say I would run away +in Philadelphia; neither did I mean it, as he did not use me ill, nor +yet the captain: for if they did I certainly would have made some +attempts before now; but as I thought that if it were God's will I +ever should be freed it would be so, and, on the contrary, if it was +not his will it would not happen; so I hoped, if ever I were freed, +whilst I was used well, it should be by honest means; but, as I could +not help myself, he must do as he pleased; I could only hope and trust +to the God of Heaven; and at that instant my mind was big with +inventions and full of schemes to escape. I then appealed to the +captain whether he ever saw any sign of my making the least attempt to +run away; and asked him if I did not always come on board according to +the time for which he gave me liberty; and, more particularly, when +all our men left us at Gaurdeloupe and went on board of the French +fleet, and advised me to go with them, whether I might not, and that +he could not have got me again. To my no small surprise, and very +great joy, the captain confirmed every syllable that I had said: and +even more; for he said he had tried different times to see if I would +make any attempt of this kind, both at St. Eustatia and in America, +and he never found that I made the smallest; but, on the contrary, I +always came on board according to his orders; and he did really +believe, if I ever meant to run away, that, as I could never have had +a better opportunity, I would have done it the night the mate and all +the people left our vessel at Gaurdeloupe. The captain then informed +my master, who had been thus imposed on by our mate, though I did not +know who was my enemy, the reason the mate had for imposing this lie +upon him; which was, because I had acquainted the captain of the +provisions the mate had given away or taken out of the vessel. This +speech of the captain was like life to the dead to me, and instantly +my soul glorified God; and still more so on hearing my master +immediately say that I was a sensible fellow, and he never did intend +to use me as a common slave; and that but for the entreaties of the +captain, and his character of me, he would not have let me go from the +stores about as I had done; that also, in so doing, he thought by +carrying one little thing or other to different places to sell I might +make money. That he also intended to encourage me in this by crediting +me with half a puncheon of rum and half a hogshead of sugar at a time; +so that, from being careful, I might have money enough, in some time, +to purchase my freedom; and, when that was the case, I might depend +upon it he would let me have it for forty pounds sterling money, which +was only the same price he gave for me. This sound gladdened my poor +heart beyond measure; though indeed it was no more than the very idea +I had formed in my mind of my master long before, and I immediately +made him this reply: 'Sir, I always had that very thought of you, +indeed I had, and that made me so diligent in serving you.' He then +gave me a large piece of silver coin, such as I never had seen or had +before, and told me to get ready for the voyage, and he would credit +me with a tierce of sugar, and another of rum; he also said that he +had two amiable sisters in Philadelphia, from whom I might get some +necessary things. Upon this my noble captain desired me to go aboard; +and, knowing the African metal, he charged me not to say any thing of +this matter to any body; and he promised that the lying mate should +not go with him any more. This was a change indeed; in the same hour +to feel the most exquisite pain, and in the turn of a moment the +fullest joy. It caused in me such sensations as I was only able to +express in my looks; my heart was so overpowered with gratitude that I +could have kissed both of their feet. When I left the room I +immediately went, or rather flew, to the vessel, which being loaded, +my master, as good as his word, trusted me with a tierce of rum, and +another of sugar, when we sailed, and arrived safe at the elegant town +of Philadelphia. I soon sold my goods here pretty well; and in this +charming place I found every thing plentiful and cheap. + +While I was in this place a very extraordinary occurrence befell me. I +had been told one evening of a _wise_ woman, a Mrs. Davis, who +revealed secrets, foretold events, &c. I put little faith in this +story at first, as I could not conceive that any mortal could foresee +the future disposals of Providence, nor did I believe in any other +revelation than that of the Holy Scriptures; however, I was greatly +astonished at seeing this woman in a dream that night, though a +person I never before beheld in my life; this made such an impression +on me, that I could not get the idea the next day out of my mind, and +I then became as anxious to see her as I was before indifferent; +accordingly in the evening, after we left off working, I inquired +where she lived, and being directed to her, to my inexpressible +surprise, beheld the very woman in the very same dress she appeared to +me to wear in the vision. She immediately told me I had dreamed of her +the preceding night; related to me many things that had happened with +a correctness that astonished me; and finally told me I should not be +long a slave: this was the more agreeable news, as I believed it the +more readily from her having so faithfully related the past incidents +of my life. She said I should be twice in very great danger of my life +within eighteen months, which, if I escaped, I should afterwards go on +well; so, giving me her blessing, we parted. After staying here some +time till our vessel was loaded, and I had bought in my little +traffic, we sailed from this agreeable spot for Montserrat, once more +to encounter the raging surfs. + +We arrived safe at Montserrat, where we discharged our cargo; and soon +after that we took slaves on board for St. Eustatia, and from thence +to Georgia. I had always exerted myself and did double work, in order +to make our voyages as short as possible; and from thus over-working +myself while we were at Georgia I caught a fever and ague. I was very +ill for eleven days and near dying; eternity was now exceedingly +impressed on my mind, and I feared very much that awful event. I +prayed the Lord therefore to spare me; and I made a promise in my mind +to God, that I would be good if ever I should recover. At length, from +having an eminent doctor to attend me, I was restored again to health; +and soon after we got the vessel loaded, and set off for Montserrat. +During the passage, as I was perfectly restored, and had much business +of the vessel to mind, all my endeavours to keep up my integrity, and +perform my promise to God, began to fail; and, in spite of all I could +do, as we drew nearer and nearer to the islands, my resolutions more +and more declined, as if the very air of that country or climate +seemed fatal to piety. When we were safe arrived at Montserrat, and I +had got ashore, I forgot my former resolutions.--Alas! how prone is +the heart to leave that God it wishes to love! and how strongly do the +things of this world strike the senses and captivate the soul!--After +our vessel was discharged, we soon got her ready, and took in, as +usual, some of the poor oppressed natives of Africa, and other +negroes; we then set off again for Georgia and Charlestown. We arrived +at Georgia, and, having landed part of our cargo, proceeded to +Charlestown with the remainder. While we were there I saw the town +illuminated; the guns were fired, and bonfires and other +demonstrations of joy shewn, on account of the repeal of the stamp +act. Here I disposed of some goods on my own account; the white men +buying them with smooth promises and fair words, giving me however but +very indifferent payment. There was one gentleman particularly who +bought a puncheon of rum of me, which gave me a great deal of trouble; +and, although I used the interest of my friendly captain, I could not +obtain any thing for it; for, being a negro man, I could not oblige +him to pay me. This vexed me much, not knowing how to act; and I lost +some time in seeking after this Christian; and though, when the +Sabbath came (which the negroes usually make their holiday) I was much +inclined to go to public worship, I was obliged to hire some black men +to help to pull a boat across the water to God in quest of this +gentleman. When I found him, after much entreaty, both from myself and +my worthy captain, he at last paid me in dollars; some of them, +however, were copper, and of consequence of no value; but he took +advantage of my being a negro man, and obliged me to put up with those +or none, although I objected to them. Immediately after, as I was +trying to pass them in the market, amongst other white men, I was +abused for offering to pass bad coin; and, though I shewed them the +man I got them from, I was within one minute of being tied up and +flogged without either judge or jury; however, by the help of a good +pair of heels, I ran off, and so escaped the bastinadoes I should have +received. I got on board as fast as I could, but still continued in +fear of them until we sailed, which I thanked God we did not long +after; and I have never been amongst them since. + +We soon came to Georgia, where we were to complete our lading; and +here worse fate than ever attended me: for one Sunday night, as I was +with some negroes in their master's yard in the town of Savannah, it +happened that their master, one Doctor Perkins, who was a very severe +and cruel man, came in drunk; and, not liking to see any strange +negroes in his yard, he and a ruffian of a white man he had in his +service beset me in an instant, and both of them struck me with the +first weapons they could get hold of. I cried out as long as I could +for help and mercy; but, though I gave a good account of myself, and +he knew my captain, who lodged hard by him, it was to no purpose. They +beat and mangled me in a shameful manner, leaving me near dead. I lost +so much blood from the wounds I received, that I lay quite motionless, +and was so benumbed that I could not feel any thing for many hours. +Early in the morning they took me away to the jail. As I did not +return to the ship all night, my captain, not knowing where I was, and +being uneasy that I did not then make my appearance, he made inquiry +after me; and, having found where I was, immediately came to me. As +soon as the good man saw me so cut and mangled, he could not forbear +weeping; he soon got me out of jail to his lodgings, and immediately +sent for the best doctors in the place, who at first declared it as +their opinion that I could not recover. My captain on this went to all +the lawyers in the town for their advice, but they told him they could +do nothing for me as I was a negro. He then went to Doctor Perkins, +the hero who had vanquished me, and menaced him, swearing he would be +revenged of him, and challenged him to fight.--But cowardice is ever +the companion of cruelty--and the Doctor refused. However, by the +skilfulness of one Doctor Brady of that place, I began at last to +amend; but, although I was so sore and bad with the wounds I had all +over me that I could not rest in any posture, yet I was in more pain +on account of the captain's uneasiness about me than I otherwise +should have been. The worthy man nursed and watched me all the hours +of the night; and I was, through his attention and that of the doctor, +able to get out of bed in about sixteen or eighteen days. All this +time I was very much wanted on board, as I used frequently to go up +and down the river for rafts, and other parts of our cargo, and stow +them when the mate was sick or absent. In about four weeks I was able +to go on duty; and in a fortnight after, having got in all our +lading, our vessel set sail for Montserrat; and in less than three +weeks we arrived there safe towards the end of the year. This ended my +adventures in 1764; for I did not leave Montserrat again till the +beginning of the following year. + + +END OF THE FIRST VOLUME. + + + + + They ran the ship aground: and the fore part stuck fast, and + remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with + the violence of the waves. + Acts xxvii. 41. + + + Howbeit, we must be cast upon a certain island; + + Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it + shall be even as it was told me. + Acts xxvii. 26, 25. + + + Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received + a little thereof. + + In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep + falleth on men. + Job iv. 12, 13. + + + Lo, all these _things_ worketh God oftentimes with man, + + To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with + the light of the living. + Job xxxiii. 29, 30. + + + + +VOLUME II + + + + +CHAP. VII. + + _The author's disgust at the West Indies--Forms schemes to + obtain his freedom--Ludicrous disappointment he and his + Captain meet with in Georgia--At last, by several successful + voyages, he acquires a sum of money sufficient to purchase + it--Applies to his master, who accepts it, and grants his + manumission, to his great joy--He afterwards enters as a + freeman on board one of Mr. King's ships, and sails for + Georgia--Impositions on free negroes as usual--His venture + of turkies--Sails for Montserrat, and on his passage his + friend, the Captain, falls ill and dies._ + + +Every day now brought me nearer my freedom, and I was impatient till +we proceeded again to sea, that I might have an opportunity of getting +a sum large enough to purchase it. I was not long ungratified; for, in +the beginning of the year 1766, my master bought another sloop, named +the Nancy, the largest I had ever seen. She was partly laden, and was +to proceed to Philadelphia; our Captain had his choice of three, and I +was well pleased he chose this, which was the largest; for, from his +having a large vessel, I had more room, and could carry a larger +quantity of goods with me. Accordingly, when we had delivered our old +vessel, the Prudence, and completed the lading of the Nancy, having +made near three hundred per cent, by four barrels of pork I brought +from Charlestown, I laid in as large a cargo as I could, trusting to +God's providence to prosper my undertaking. With these views I sailed +for Philadelphia. On our passage, when we drew near the land, I was +for the first time surprised at the sight of some whales, having never +seen any such large sea monsters before; and as we sailed by the land +one morning I saw a puppy whale close by the vessel; it was about the +length of a wherry boat, and it followed us all the day till we got +within the Capes. We arrived safe and in good time at Philadelphia, +and I sold my goods there chiefly to the quakers. They always appeared +to be a very honest discreet sort of people, and never attempted to +impose on me; I therefore liked them, and ever after chose to deal +with them in preference to any others. One Sunday morning while I was +here, as I was going to church, I chanced to pass a meeting-house. The +doors being open, and the house full of people, it excited my +curiosity to go in. When I entered the house, to my great surprise, I +saw a very tall woman standing in the midst of them, speaking in an +audible voice something which I could not understand. Having never +seen anything of this kind before, I stood and stared about me for +some time, wondering at this odd scene. As soon as it was over I took +an opportunity to make inquiry about the place and people, when I was +informed they were called Quakers. I particularly asked what that +woman I saw in the midst of them had said, but none of them were +pleased to satisfy me; so I quitted them, and soon after, as I was +returning, I came to a church crowded with people; the church-yard was +full likewise, and a number of people were even mounted on ladders, +looking in at the windows. I thought this a strange sight, as I had +never seen churches, either in England or the West Indies, crowded in +this manner before. I therefore made bold to ask some people the +meaning of all this, and they told me the Rev. Mr. George Whitfield +was preaching. I had often heard of this gentleman, and had wished to +see and hear him; but I had never before had an opportunity. I now +therefore resolved to gratify myself with the sight, and I pressed in +amidst the multitude. When I got into the church I saw this pious man +exhorting the people with the greatest fervour and earnestness, and +sweating as much as I ever did while in slavery on Montserrat beach. I +was very much struck and impressed with this; I thought it strange I +had never seen divines exert themselves in this manner before, and I +was no longer at a loss to account for the thin congregations they +preached to. When we had discharged our cargo here, and were loaded +again, we left this fruitful land once more, and set sail for +Montserrat. My traffic had hitherto succeeded so well with me, that I +thought, by selling my goods when we arrived at Montserrat, I should +have enough to purchase my freedom. But, as soon as our vessel arrived +there, my master came on board, and gave orders for us to go to St. +Eustatia, and discharge our cargo there, and from thence proceed for +Georgia. I was much disappointed at this; but thinking, as usual, it +was of no use to encounter with the decrees of fate, I submitted +without repining, and we went to St. Eustatia. After we had discharged +our cargo there we took in a live cargo, as we call a cargo of slaves. +Here I sold my goods tolerably well; but, not being able to lay out +all my money in this small island to as much advantage as in many +other places, I laid out only part, and the remainder I brought away +with me neat. We sailed from hence for Georgia, and I was glad when we +got there, though I had not much reason to like the place from my last +adventure in Savannah; but I longed to get back to Montserrat and +procure my freedom, which I expected to be able to purchase when I +returned. As soon as we arrived here I waited on my careful doctor, +Mr. Brady, to whom I made the most grateful acknowledgments in my +power for his former kindness and attention during my illness. While +we were here an odd circumstance happened to the Captain and me, which +disappointed us both a good deal. A silversmith, whom we had brought +to this place some voyages before, agreed with the Captain to return +with us to the West Indies, and promised at the same time to give the +Captain a great deal of money, having pretended to take a liking to +him, and being, as we thought, very rich. But while we stayed to load +our vessel this man was taken ill in a house where he worked, and in a +week's time became very bad. The worse he grew the more he used to +speak of giving the Captain what he had promised him, so that he +expected something considerable from the death of this man, who had no +wife or child, and he attended him day and night. I used also to go +with the Captain, at his own desire, to attend him; especially when we +saw there was no appearance of his recovery: and, in order to +recompense me for my trouble, the Captain promised me ten pounds, when +he should get the man's property. I thought this would be of great +service to me, although I had nearly money enough to purchase my +freedom, if I should get safe this voyage to Montserrat. In this +expectation I laid out above eight pounds of my money for a suit of +superfine clothes to dance with at my freedom, which I hoped was then +at hand. We still continued to attend this man, and were with him even +on the last day he lived, till very late at night, when we went on +board. After we were got to bed, about one or two o'clock in the +morning, the Captain was sent for, and informed the man was dead. On +this he came to my bed, and, waking me, informed me of it, and desired +me to get up and procure a light, and immediately go to him. I told +him I was very sleepy, and wished he would take somebody else with +him; or else, as the man was dead, and could want no farther +attendance, to let all things remain as they were till the next +morning. 'No, no,' said he, 'we will have the money to-night, I cannot +wait till to-morrow; so let us go.' Accordingly I got up and struck a +light, and away we both went and saw the man as dead as we could wish. +The Captain said he would give him a grand burial, in gratitude for +the promised treasure; and desired that all the things belonging to +the deceased might be brought forth. Among others, there was a nest of +trunks of which he had kept the keys whilst the man was ill, and when +they were produced we opened them with no small eagerness and +expectation; and as there were a great number within one another, with +much impatience we took them one out of the other. At last, when we +came to the smallest, and had opened it, we saw it was full of papers, +which we supposed to be notes; at the sight of which our hearts leapt +for joy; and that instant the Captain, clapping his hands, cried out, +'Thank God, here it is.' But when we took up the trunk, and began to +examine the supposed treasure and long-looked-for bounty, (alas! alas! +how uncertain and deceitful are all human affairs!) what had we found! +While we thought we were embracing a substance we grasped an empty +nothing. The whole amount that was in the nest of trunks was only one +dollar and a half; and all that the man possessed would not pay for +his coffin. Our sudden and exquisite joy was now succeeded by a sudden +and exquisite pain; and my Captain and I exhibited, for some time, +most ridiculous figures--pictures of chagrin and disappointment! We +went away greatly mortified, and left the deceased to do as well as he +could for himself, as we had taken so good care of him when alive for +nothing. We set sail once more for Montserrat, and arrived there safe; +but much out of humour with our friend the silversmith. When we had +unladen the vessel, and I had sold my venture, finding myself master +of about forty-seven pounds, I consulted my true friend, the Captain, +how I should proceed in offering my master the money for my freedom. +He told me to come on a certain morning, when he and my master would +be at breakfast together. Accordingly, on that morning I went, and met +the Captain there, as he had appointed. When I went in I made my +obeisance to my master, and with my money in my hand, and many fears +in my heart, I prayed him to be as good as his offer to me, when he +was pleased to promise me my freedom as soon as I could purchase it. +This speech seemed to confound him; he began to recoil: and my heart +that instant sunk within me. 'What,' said he, 'give you your freedom? +Why, where did you get the money? Have you got forty pounds sterling?' +'Yes, sir,' I answered. 'How did you get it?' replied he. I told him, +very honestly. The Captain then said he knew I got the money very +honestly and with much industry, and that I was particularly careful. +On which my master replied, I got money much faster than he did; and +said he would not have made me the promise he did if he had thought I +should have got money so soon. 'Come, come,' said my worthy Captain, +clapping my master on the back, 'Come, Robert, (which was his name) I +think you must let him have his freedom; you have laid your money out +very well; you have received good interest for it all this time, and +here is now the principal at last. I know Gustavus has earned you more +than an hundred a-year, and he will still save you money, as he will +not leave you:--Come, Robert, take the money.' My master then said, he +would not be worse than his promise; and, taking the money, told me to +go to the Secretary at the Register Office, and get my manumission +drawn up. These words of my master were like a voice from heaven to +me: in an instant all my trepidation was turned into unutterable +bliss; and I most reverently bowed myself with gratitude, unable to +express my feelings, but by the overflowing of my eyes, while my true +and worthy friend, the Captain, congratulated us both with a peculiar +degree of heartfelt pleasure. As soon as the first transports of my +joy were over, and that I had expressed my thanks to these my worthy +friends in the best manner I was able, I rose with a heart full of +affection and reverence, and left the room, in order to obey my +master's joyful mandate of going to the Register Office. As I was +leaving the house I called to mind the words of the Psalmist, in the +126th Psalm, and like him, 'I glorified God in my heart, in whom I +trusted.' These words had been impressed on my mind from the very day +I was forced from Deptford to the present hour, and I now saw them, as +I thought, fulfilled and verified. My imagination was all rapture as I +flew to the Register Office, and, in this respect, like the apostle +Peter,[U] (whose deliverance from prison was so sudden and +extraordinary, that he thought he was in a vision) I could scarcely +believe I was awake. Heavens! who could do justice to my feelings at +this moment! Not conquering heroes themselves, in the midst of a +triumph--Not the tender mother who has just regained her long-lost +infant, and presses it to her heart--Not the weary hungry mariner, at +the sight of the desired friendly port--Not the lover, when he once +more embraces his beloved mistress, after she had been ravished from +his arms!--All within my breast was tumult, wildness, and delirium! My +feet scarcely touched the ground, for they were winged with joy, and, +like Elijah, as he rose to Heaven, they 'were with lightning sped as I +went on.' Every one I met I told of my happiness, and blazed about the +virtue of my amiable master and captain. + +When I got to the office and acquainted the Register with my errand he +congratulated me on the occasion, and told me he would draw up my +manumission for half price, which was a guinea. I thanked him for his +kindness; and, having received it and paid him, I hastened to my +master to get him to sign it, that I might be fully released. +Accordingly he signed the manumission that day, so that, before night, +I who had been a slave in the morning, trembling at the will of +another, was become my own master, and completely free. I thought this +was the happiest day I had ever experienced; and my joy was still +heightened by the blessings and prayers of the sable race, +particularly the aged, to whom my heart had ever been attached with +reverence. + + * * * * * + +As the form of my manumission has something peculiar in it, and +expresses the absolute power and dominion one man claims over his +fellow, I shall beg leave to present it before my readers at full +length: + + _Montserrat_.--To all men unto whom these presents shall + come: I Robert King, of the parish of St. Anthony in the + said island, merchant, send greeting: Know ye, that I the + aforesaid Robert King, for and in consideration of the sum + of seventy pounds current money of the said island, to me in + hand paid, and to the intent that a negro man-slave, named + Gustavus Vassa, shall and may become free, have manumitted, + emancipated, enfranchised, and set free, and by these + presents do manumit, emancipate, enfranchise, and set free, + the aforesaid negro man-slave, named Gustavus Vassa, for + ever, hereby giving, granting, and releasing unto him, the + said Gustavus Vassa, all right, title, dominion, + sovereignty, and property, which, as lord and master over + the aforesaid Gustavus Vassa, I had, or now I have, or by + any means whatsoever I may or can hereafter possibly have + over him the aforesaid negro, for ever. In witness whereof I + the abovesaid Robert King have unto these presents set my + hand and seal, this tenth day of July, in the year of our + Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty-six. + + Robert King. + + Signed, sealed, and delivered in the presence of Terrylegay, + Montserrat. + + Registered the within manumission at full length, this + eleventh day of July, 1766, in liber D. + + Terrylegay, Register. + + * * * * * + +In short, the fair as well as black people immediately styled me by a +new appellation, to me the most desirable in the world, which was +Freeman, and at the dances I gave my Georgia superfine blue clothes +made no indifferent appearance, as I thought. Some of the sable +females, who formerly stood aloof, now began to relax and appear less +coy; but my heart was still fixed on London, where I hoped to be ere +long. So that my worthy captain and his owner, my late master, +finding that the bent of my mind was towards London, said to me, 'We +hope you won't leave us, but that you will still be with the vessels.' +Here gratitude bowed me down; and none but the generous mind can judge +of my feelings, struggling between inclination and duty. However, +notwithstanding my wish to be in London, I obediently answered my +benefactors that I would go in the vessel, and not leave them; and +from that day I was entered on board as an able-bodied sailor, at +thirty-six shillings per month, besides what perquisites I could make. +My intention was to make a voyage or two, entirely to please these my +honoured patrons; but I determined that the year following, if it +pleased God, I would see Old England once more, and surprise my old +master, Capt. Pascal, who was hourly in my mind; for I still loved +him, notwithstanding his usage of me, and I pleased myself with +thinking of what he would say when he saw what the Lord had done for +me in so short a time, instead of being, as he might perhaps suppose, +under the cruel yoke of some planter. With these kind of reveries I +used often to entertain myself, and shorten the time till my return; +and now, being as in my original free African state, I embarked on +board the Nancy, after having got all things ready for our voyage. In +this state of serenity we sailed for St. Eustatia; and, having smooth +seas and calm weather, we soon arrived there: after taking our cargo +on board, we proceeded to Savannah in Georgia, in August, 1766. While +we were there, as usual, I used to go for the cargo up the rivers in +boats; and on this business I have been frequently beset by +alligators, which were very numerous on that coast, and I have shot +many of them when they have been near getting into our boats; which we +have with great difficulty sometimes prevented, and have been very +much frightened at them. I have seen a young one sold in Georgia alive +for six pence. During our stay at this place, one evening a slave +belonging to Mr. Read, a merchant of Savannah, came near our vessel, +and began to use me very ill. I entreated him, with all the patience I +was master of, to desist, as I knew there was little or no law for a +free negro here; but the fellow, instead of taking my advice, +persevered in his insults, and even struck me. At this I lost all +temper, and I fell on him and beat him soundly. The next morning his +master came to our vessel as we lay alongside the wharf, and desired +me to come ashore that he might have me flogged all round the town, +for beating his negro slave. I told him he had insulted me, and had +given the provocation, by first striking me. I had told my captain +also the whole affair that morning, and wished him to have gone along +with me to Mr. Read, to prevent bad consequences; but he said that it +did not signify, and if Mr. Read said any thing he would make matters +up, and had desired me to go to work, which I accordingly did. The +Captain being on board when Mr. Read came, he told him I was a free +man; and when Mr. Read applied to him to deliver me up, he said he +knew nothing of the matter. I was astonished and frightened at this, +and thought I had better keep where I was than go ashore and be +flogged round the town, without judge or jury. I therefore refused to +stir; and Mr. Read went away, swearing he would bring all the +constables in the town, for he would have me out of the vessel. When +he was gone, I thought his threat might prove too true to my sorrow; +and I was confirmed in this belief, as well by the many instances I +had seen of the treatment of free negroes, as from a fact that had +happened within my own knowledge here a short time before. There was a +free black man, a carpenter, that I knew, who, for asking a gentleman +that he worked for for the money he had earned, was put into gaol; and +afterwards this oppressed man was sent from Georgia, with false +accusations, of an intention to set the gentleman's house on fire, and +run away with his slaves. I was therefore much embarrassed, and very +apprehensive of a flogging at least. I dreaded, of all things, the +thoughts of being striped, as I never in my life had the marks of any +violence of that kind. At that instant a rage seized my soul, and for +a little I determined to resist the first man that should offer to lay +violent hands on me, or basely use me without a trial; for I would +sooner die like a free man, than suffer myself to be scourged by the +hands of ruffians, and my blood drawn like a slave. The captain and +others, more cautious, advised me to make haste and conceal myself; +for they said Mr. Read was a very spiteful man, and he would soon come +on board with constables and take me. At first I refused this counsel, +being determined to stand my ground; but at length, by the prevailing +entreaties of the captain and Mr. Dixon, with whom he lodged, I went +to Mr. Dixon's house, which was a little out of town, at a place +called Yea-ma-chra. I was but just gone when Mr. Read, with the +constables, came for me, and searched the vessel; but, not finding me +there, he swore he would have me dead or alive. I was secreted about +five days; however, the good character which my captain always gave me +as well as some other gentlemen who also knew me, procured me some +friends. At last some of them told my captain that he did not use me +well, in suffering me thus to be imposed upon, and said they would see +me redressed, and get me on board some other vessel. My captain, on +this, immediately went to Mr. Read, and told him, that ever since I +eloped from the vessel his work had been neglected, and he could not +go on with her loading, himself and mate not being well; and, as I had +managed things on board for them, my absence must retard his voyage, +and consequently hurt the owner; he therefore begged of him to forgive +me, as he said he never had any complaint of me before, for the many +years that I had been with him. After repeated entreaties, Mr. Read +said I might go to hell, and that he would not meddle with me; on +which my captain came immediately to me at his lodging, and, telling +me how pleasantly matters had gone on, he desired me to go on board. +Some of my other friends then asked him if he had got the constable's +warrant from them; the captain said, No. On this I was desired by them +to stay in the house; and they said they would get me on board of some +other vessel before the evening. When the captain heard this he became +almost distracted. He went immediately for the warrant, and, after +using every exertion in his power, he at last got it from my hunters; +but I had all the expenses to pay. After I had thanked all my friends +for their attention, I went on board again to my work, of which I had +always plenty. We were in haste to complete our lading, and were to +carry twenty head of cattle with us to the West Indies, where they are +a very profitable article. In order to encourage me in working, and to +make up for the time I had lost, my captain promised me the privilege +of carrying two bullocks of my own with me; and this made me work with +redoubled ardour. As soon as I had got the vessel loaded, in doing +which I was obliged to perform the duty of the mate as well as my own +work, and that the bullocks were near coming on board, I asked the +captain leave to bring my two, according to his promise; but, to my +great surprise, he told me there was no room for them. I then asked +him to permit me to take one; but he said he could not. I was a good +deal mortified at this usage, and told him I had no notion that he +intended thus to impose on me; nor could I think well of any man that +was so much worse than his word. On this we had some disagreement, and +I gave him to understand, that I intended to leave the vessel. At this +he appeared to be very much dejected; and our mate, who had been very +sickly, and whose duty had long devolved upon me, advised him to +persuade me to stay: in consequence of which he spoke very kindly to +me, making many fair promises, telling me that, as the mate was so +sickly, he could not do without me, and that, as the safety of the +vessel and cargo depended greatly upon me, he therefore hoped that I +would not be offended at what had passed between us, and swore he +would make up all matters when we arrived in the West Indies; so I +consented to slave on as before. Soon after this, as the bullocks were +coming on board, one of them ran at the captain, and butted him so +furiously in the breast, that he never recovered of the blow. In order +to make me some amends for his treatment about the bullocks, the +captain now pressed me very much to take some turkeys, and other +fowls, with me, and gave me liberty to take as many as I could find +room for; but I told him he knew very well I had never carried any +turkeys before, as I always thought they were such tender birds that +they were not fit to cross the seas. However, he continued to press me +to buy them for once; and, what was very surprising to me, the more I +was against it, the more he urged my taking them, insomuch that he +ensured me from all losses that might happen by them, and I was +prevailed on to take them; but I thought this very strange, as he had +never acted so with me before. This, and not being able to dispose of +my paper-money in any other way, induced me at length to take four +dozen. The turkeys, however, I was so dissatisfied about that I +determined to make no more voyages to this quarter, nor with this +captain; and was very apprehensive that my free voyage would be the +worst I had ever made. We set sail for Montserrat. The captain and +mate had been both complaining of sickness when we sailed, and as we +proceeded on our voyage they grew worse. This was about November, and +we had not been long at sea before we began to meet with strong +northerly gales and rough seas; and in about seven or eight days all +the bullocks were near being drowned, and four or five of them died. +Our vessel, which had not been tight at first, was much less so now; +and, though we were but nine in the whole, including five sailors and +myself, yet we were obliged to attend to the pumps every half or three +quarters of an hour. The captain and mate came on deck as often as +they were able, which was now but seldom; for they declined so fast, +that they were not well enough to make observations above four or five +times the whole voyage. The whole care of the vessel rested, +therefore, upon me, and I was obliged to direct her by my former +experience, not being able to work a traverse. The captain was now +very sorry he had not taught me navigation, and protested, if ever he +should get well again, he would not fail to do so; but in about +seventeen days his illness increased so much, that he was obliged to +keep his bed, continuing sensible, however, till the last, constantly +having the owner's interest at heart; for this just and benevolent man +ever appeared much concerned about the welfare of what he was +intrusted with. When this dear friend found the symptoms of death +approaching, he called me by my name; and, when I came to him, he +asked (with almost his last breath) if he had ever done me any harm? +'God forbid I should think so,' I replied, 'I should then be the most +ungrateful of wretches to the best of sorrow by his bedside, he +expired without saying another word; and the day following we +committed his body to the deep. Every man on board loved this man, and +regretted his death; but I was exceedingly affected at it, and I found +that I did not know, till he was gone, the strength of my regard for +him. Indeed I had every reason in the world to be attached to him; +for, besides that he was in general mild, affable, generous, faithful, +benevolent, and just, he was to me a friend and a father; and, had it +pleased Providence that he had died but five months before, I verily +believe I should not have obtained my freedom when I did; and it is +not improbable that I might not have been able to get it at any rate +afterwards. The captain being dead, the mate came on the deck, and +made such observations as he was able, but to no purpose. In the +course of a few days more, the few bullocks that remained were found +dead; but the turkies I had, though on the deck, and exposed to so +much wet and bad weather, did well, and I afterwards gained near three +hundred per cent, on the sale of them; so that in the event it proved +a happy circumstance for me that I had not bought the bullocks I +intended, for they must have perished with the rest; and I could not +help looking on this, otherwise trifling circumstance, as a particular +providence of God, and I was thankful accordingly. The care of the +vessel took up all my time, and engaged my attention entirely. As we +were now out of the variable winds, I thought I should not be much +puzzled to hit upon the islands. I was persuaded I steered right for +Antigua, which I wished to reach, as the nearest to us; and in the +course of nine or ten days we made this island, to our great joy; and +the next day after we came safe to Montserrat. Many were surprised +when they heard of my conducting the sloop into the port, and I now +obtained a new appellation, and was called Captain. This elated me not +a little, and it was quite flattering to my vanity to be thus styled +by as high a title as any free man in this place possessed. When the +death of the captain became known, he was much regretted by all who +knew him; for he was a man universally respected. At the same time the +sable captain lost no fame; for the success I had met with increased +the affection of my friends in no small measure. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[Footnote U: Acts, chap. xii. ver. 9.] + + + + +CHAP. VIII. + + _The author, to oblige Mr. King, once more embarks for + Georgia in one of his vessels--A new captain is + appointed--They sail, and steer a new course--Three + remarkable dreams--The vessel is shipwrecked on the Bahama + bank, but the crew are preserved, principally by means of + the author--He sets out from the island with the captain, in + a small boat, in quest of a ship--Their distress--Meet with + a wrecker--Sail for Providence--Are overtaken again by a + terrible storm, and are all near perishing--Arrive at New + Providence--The author, after some time, sails from thence + to Georgia--Meets with another storm, and is obliged to put + back and refit--Arrives at Georgia--Meets new + impositions--Two white men attempt to kidnap him--Officiates + as a parson at a funeral ceremony--Bids adieu to Georgia, + and sails for Martinico._ + + +As I had now, by the death of my captain, lost my great benefactor and +friend, I had little inducement to remain longer in the West Indies, +except my gratitude to Mr. King, which I thought I had pretty well +discharged in bringing back his vessel safe, and delivering his cargo +to his satisfaction. I began to think of leaving this part of the +world, of which I had been long tired, and returning to England, where +my heart had always been; but Mr. King still pressed me very much to +stay with his vessel; and he had done so much for me that I found +myself unable to refuse his requests, and consented to go another +voyage to Georgia, as the mate, from his ill state of health, was +quite useless in the vessel. Accordingly a new captain was appointed, +whose name was William Phillips, an old acquaintance of mine; and, +having refitted our vessel, and taken several slaves on board, we set +sail for St. Eustatia, where we stayed but a few days; and on the 30th +of January 1767 we steered for Georgia. Our new captain boasted +strangely of his skill in navigating and conducting a vessel; and in +consequence of this he steered a new course, several points more to +the westward than we ever did before; this appeared to me very +extraordinary. + +On the fourth of February, which was soon after we had got into our +new course, I dreamt the ship was wrecked amidst the surfs and rocks, +and that I was the means of saving every one on board; and on the +night following I dreamed the very same dream. These dreams however +made no impression on my mind; and the next evening, it being my watch +below, I was pumping the vessel a little after eight o'clock, just +before I went off the deck, as is the custom; and being weary with the +duty of the day, and tired at the pump, (for we made a good deal of +water) I began to express my impatience, and I uttered with an oath, +'Damn the vessel's bottom out.' But my conscience instantly smote me +for the expression. When I left the deck I went to bed, and had +scarcely fallen asleep when I dreamed the same dream again about the +ship that I had dreamt the two preceeding nights. At twelve o'clock +the watch was changed; and, as I had always the charge of the +captain's watch, I then went upon deck. At half after one in the +morning the man at the helm saw something under the lee-beam that the +sea washed against, and he immediately called to me that there was a +grampus, and desired me to look at it. Accordingly I stood up and +observed it for some time; but, when I saw the sea wash up against it +again and again, I said it was not a fish but a rock. Being soon +certain of this, I went down to the captain, and, with some confusion, +told him the danger we were in, and desired him to come upon deck +immediately. He said it was very well, and I went up again. As soon as +I was upon deck the wind, which had been pretty high, having abated a +little, the vessel began to be carried sideways towards the rock, by +means of the current. Still the captain did not appear. I therefore +went to him again, and told him the vessel was then near a large rock, +and desired he would come up with speed. He said he would, and I +returned to the deck. When I was upon the deck again I saw we were not +above a pistol shot from the rock, and I heard the noise of the +breakers all around us. I was exceedingly alarmed at this; and the +captain having not yet come on the deck I lost all patience; and, +growing quite enraged, I ran down to him again, and asked him why he +did not come up, and what he could mean by all this? 'The breakers,' +said I, 'are round us, and the vessel is almost on the rock.' With +that he came on the deck with me, and we tried to put the vessel +about, and get her out of the current, but all to no purpose, the +wind being very small. We then called all hands up immediately; and +after a little we got up one end of a cable, and fastened it to the +anchor. By this time the surf was foaming round us, and made a +dreadful noise on the breakers, and the very moment we let the anchor +go the vessel struck against the rocks. One swell now succeeded +another, as it were one wave calling on its fellow: the roaring of the +billows increased, and, with one single heave of the swells, the sloop +was pierced and transfixed among the rocks! In a moment a scene of +horror presented itself to my mind, such as I never had conceived or +experienced before. All my sins stared me in the face; and especially, +I thought that God had hurled his direful vengeance on my guilty head +for cursing the vessel on which my life depended. My spirits at this +forsook me, and I expected every moment to go to the bottom: I +determined if I should still be saved that I would never swear again. +And in the midst of my distress, while the dreadful surfs were dashing +with unremitting fury among the rocks, I remembered the Lord, though +fearful that I was undeserving of forgiveness, and I thought that as +he had often delivered he might yet deliver; and, calling to mind the +many mercies he had shewn me in times past, they gave me some small +hope that he might still help me. I then began to think how we might +be saved; and I believe no mind was ever like mine so replete with +inventions and confused with schemes, though how to escape death I +knew not. The captain immediately ordered the hatches to be nailed +down on the slaves in the hold, where there were above twenty, all of +whom must unavoidably have perished if he had been obeyed. When he +desired the man to nail down the hatches I thought that my sin was the +cause of this, and that God would charge me with these people's blood. +This thought rushed upon my mind that instant with such violence, that +it quite overpowered me, and I fainted. I recovered just as the people +were about to nail down the hatches; perceiving which, I desired them +to stop. The captain then said it must be done: I asked him why? He +said that every one would endeavour to get into the boat, which was +but small, and thereby we should be drowned; for it would not have +carried above ten at the most. I could no longer restrain my emotion, +and I told him he deserved drowning for not knowing how to navigate +the vessel; and I believe the people would have tossed him overboard +if I had given them the least hint of it. However the hatches were not +nailed down; and, as none of us could leave the vessel then on account +of the darkness, and as we knew not where to go, and were convinced +besides that the boat could not survive the surfs, we all said we +would remain on the dry part of the vessel, and trust to God till +daylight appeared, when we should know better what to do. + +I then advised to get the boat prepared against morning, and some of +us began to set about it; but some abandoned all care of the ship and +themselves, and fell to drinking. Our boat had a piece out of her +bottom near two feet long, and we had no materials to mend her; +however, necessity being the mother of invention, I took some pump +leather and nailed it to the broken part, and plastered it over with +tallow-grease. And, thus prepared, with the utmost anxiety of mind we +watched for daylight, and thought every minute an hour till it +appeared. At last it saluted our longing eyes, and kind Providence +accompanied its approach with what was no small comfort to us; for the +dreadful swell began to subside; and the next thing that we discovered +to raise our drooping spirits, was a small key or island, about five +or six miles off; but a barrier soon presented itself; for there was +not water enough for our boat to go over the reefs, and this threw us +again into a sad consternation; but there was no alternative, we were +therefore obliged to put but few in the boat at once; and, what is +still worse, all of us were frequently under the necessity of getting +out to drag and lift it over the reefs. This cost us much labour and +fatigue; and, what was yet more distressing, we could not avoid having +our legs cut and torn very much with the rocks. There were only four +people that would work with me at the oars; and they consisted of +three black men and a Dutch Creole sailor; and, though we went with +the boat five times that day, we had no others to assist us. But, had +we not worked in this manner, I really believe the people could not +have been saved; for not one of the white men did any thing to +preserve their lives; and indeed they soon got so drunk that they were +not able, but lay about the deck like swine, so that we were at last +obliged to lift them into the boat and carry them on shore by force. +This want of assistance made our labour intolerably severe; insomuch, +that, by putting on shore so often that day, the skin was entirely +stript off my hands. + +However, we continued all the day to toil and strain our exertions, +till we had brought all on board safe to the shore; so that out of +thirty-two people we lost not one. My dream now returned upon my mind +with all its force; it was fulfilled in every part; for our danger was +the same I had dreamt of: and I could not help looking on myself as +the principal instrument in effecting our deliverance; for, owing to +some of our people getting drunk, the rest of us were obliged to +double our exertions; and it was fortunate we did, for in a very +little time longer the patch of leather on the boat would have been +worn out, and she would have been no longer fit for service. Situated +as we were, who could think that men should be so careless of the +danger they were in? for, if the wind had but raised the swell as it +was when the vessel struck, we must have bid a final farewell to all +hopes of deliverance; and though, I warned the people who were +drinking and entreated them to embrace the moment of deliverance, +nevertheless they persisted, as if not possessed of the least spark of +reason. I could not help thinking, that, if any of these people had +been lost, God would charge me with their lives, which, perhaps, was +one cause of my labouring so hard for their preservation, and indeed +every one of them afterwards seemed so sensible of the service I had +rendered them; and while we were on the key I was a kind of chieftain +amongst them. I brought some limes, oranges, and lemons ashore; and, +finding it to be a good soil where we were, I planted several of them +as a token to any one that might be cast away hereafter. This key, as +we afterwards found, was one of the Bahama islands, which consist of a +cluster of large islands, with smaller ones or keys, as they are +called, interspersed among them. It was about a mile in circumference, +with a white sandy beach running in a regular order along it. On that +part of it where we first attempted to land there stood some very +large birds, called flamingoes: these, from the reflection of the sun, +appeared to us at a little distance as large as men; and, when they +walked backwards and forwards, we could not conceive what they were: +our captain swore they were cannibals. This created a great panic +among us; and we held a consultation how to act. The captain wanted to +go to a key that was within sight, but a great way off; but I was +against it, as in so doing we should not be able to save all the +people; 'And therefore,' said I, 'let us go on shore here, and perhaps +these cannibals may take to the water.' Accordingly we steered towards +them; and when we approached them, to our very great joy and no less +wonder, they walked off one after the other very deliberately; and at +last they took flight and relieved us entirely from our fears. About +the key there were turtles and several sorts of fish in such abundance +that we caught them without bait, which was a great relief to us after +the salt provisions on board. There was also a large rock on the +beach, about ten feet high, which was in the form of a punch-bowl at +the top; this we could not help thinking Providence had ordained to +supply us with rainwater; and it was something singular that, if we +did not take the water when it rained, in some little time after it +would turn as salt as sea-water. + +Our first care, after refreshment, was to make ourselves tents to +lodge in, which we did as well as we could with some sails we had +brought from the ship. We then began to think how we might get from +this place, which was quite uninhabited; and we determined to repair +our boat, which was very much shattered, and to put to sea in quest of +a ship or some inhabited island. It took us up however eleven days +before we could get the boat ready for sea in the manner we wanted it, +with a sail and other necessaries. When we had got all things prepared +the captain wanted me to stay on shore while he went to sea in quest +of a vessel to take all the people off the key; but this I refused; +and the captain and myself, with five more, set off in the boat +towards New Providence. We had no more than two musket load of +gunpowder with us if any thing should happen; and our stock of +provisions consisted of three gallons of rum, four of water, some salt +beef, some biscuit; and in this manner we proceeded to sea. + +On the second day of our voyage we came to an island called Obbico, +the largest of the Bahama islands. We were much in want of water; for +by this time our water was expended, and we were exceedingly fatigued +in pulling two days in the heat of the sun; and it being late in the +evening, we hauled the boat ashore to try for water and remain during +the night: when we came ashore we searched for water, but could find +none. When it was dark, we made a fire around us for fear of the wild +beasts, as the place was an entire thick wood, and we took it by turns +to watch. In this situation we found very little rest, and waited with +impatience for the morning. As soon as the light appeared we set off +again with our boat, in hopes of finding assistance during the day. We +were now much dejected and weakened by pulling the boat; for our sail +was of no use, and we were almost famished for want of fresh water to +drink. We had nothing left to eat but salt beef, and that we could not +use without water. In this situation we toiled all day in sight of the +island, which was very long; in the evening, seeing no relief, we made +ashore again, and fastened our boat. We then went to look for fresh +water, being quite faint for the want of it; and we dug and searched +about for some all the remainder of the evening, but could not find +one drop, so that our dejection at this period became excessive, and +our terror so great, that we expected nothing but death to deliver us. +We could not touch our beef, which was as salt as brine, without fresh +water; and we were in the greatest terror from the apprehension of +wild beasts. When unwelcome night came we acted as on the night +before; and the next morning we set off again from the island in hopes +of seeing some vessel. In this manner we toiled as well as we were +able till four o'clock, during which we passed several keys, but could +not meet with a ship; and, still famishing with thirst, went ashore on +one of those keys again in hopes of finding some water. Here we found +some leaves with a few drops of water in them, which we lapped with +much eagerness; we then dug in several places, but without success. As +we were digging holes in search of water there came forth some very +thick and black stuff; but none of us could touch it, except the poor +Dutch Creole, who drank above a quart of it as eagerly as if it had +been wine. We tried to catch fish, but could not; and we now began to +repine at our fate, and abandon ourselves to despair; when, in the +midst of our murmuring, the captain all at once cried out 'A sail! a +sail! a sail!' This gladdening sound was like a reprieve to a +convict, and we all instantly turned to look at it; but in a little +time some of us began to be afraid it was not a sail. However, at a +venture, we embarked and steered after it; and, in half an hour, to +our unspeakable joy, we plainly saw that it was a vessel. At this our +drooping spirits revived, and we made towards her with all the speed +imaginable. When we came near to her, we found she was a little sloop, +about the size of a Gravesend hoy, and quite full of people; a +circumstance which we could not make out the meaning of. Our captain, +who was a Welchman, swore that they were pirates, and would kill us. I +said, be that as it might, we must board her if we were to die for it; +and, if they should not receive us kindly, we must oppose them as well +as we could; for there was no alternative between their perishing and +ours. This counsel was immediately taken; and I really believe that +the captain, myself, and the Dutchman, would then have faced twenty +men. We had two cutlasses and a musquet, that I brought in the boat; +and, in this situation, we rowed alongside, and immediately boarded +her. I believe there were about forty hands on board; but how great +was our surprise, as soon as we got on board, to find that the major +part of them were in the same predicament as ourselves! + +They belonged to a whaling schooner that was wrecked two days before +us about nine miles to the north of our vessel. When she was wrecked +some of them had taken to their boats and had left some of their +people and property on a key, in the same manner as we had done; and +were going, like us, to New Providence in quest of a ship, when they +met with this little sloop, called a wrecker; their employment in +those seas being to look after wrecks. They were then going to take +the remainder of the people belonging to the schooner; for which the +wrecker was to have all things belonging to the vessel, and likewise +their people's help to get what they could out of her, and were then +to carry the crew to New Providence. + +We told the people of the wrecker the condition of our vessel, and we +made the same agreement with them as the schooner's people; and, on +their complying, we begged of them to go to our key directly, because +our people were in want of water. They agreed, therefore, to go along +with us first; and in two days we arrived at the key, to the +inexpressible joy of the people that we had left behind, as they had +been reduced to great extremities for want of water in our absence. +Luckily for us, the wrecker had now more people on board than she +could carry or victual for any moderate length of time; they therefore +hired the schooner's people to work on our wreck, and we left them our +boat, and embarked for New Providence. + +Nothing could have been more fortunate than our meeting with this +wrecker, for New Providence was at such a distance that we never could +have reached it in our boat. The island of Abbico was much longer than +we expected; and it was not till after sailing for three or four days +that we got safe to the farther end of it, towards New Providence. +When we arrived there we watered, and got a good many lobsters and +other shellfish; which proved a great relief to us, as our provisions +and water were almost exhausted. We then proceeded on our voyage; but +the day after we left the island, late in the evening, and whilst we +were yet amongst the Bahama keys, we were overtaken by a violent gale +of wind, so that we were obliged to cut away the mast. The vessel was +very near foundering; for she parted from her anchors, and struck +several times on the shoals. Here we expected every minute that she +would have gone to pieces, and each moment to be our last; so much so +that my old captain and sickly useless mate, and several others, +fainted; and death stared us in the face on every side. All the +swearers on board now began to call on the God of Heaven to assist +them: and, sure enough, beyond our comprehension he did assist us, and +in a miraculous manner delivered us! In the very height of our +extremity the wind lulled for a few minutes; and, although the swell +was high beyond expression, two men, who were expert swimmers, +attempted to go to the buoy of the anchor, which we still saw on the +water, at some distance, in a little punt that belonged to the +wrecker, which was not large enough to carry more than two. She filled +different times in their endeavours to get into her alongside of our +vessel; and they saw nothing but death before them, as well as we; but +they said they might as well die that way as any other. A coil of very +small rope, with a little buoy, was put in along with them; and, at +last, with great hazard, they got the punt clear from the vessel; and +these two intrepid water heroes paddled away for life towards the buoy +of the anchor. The eyes of us all were fixed on them all the time, +expecting every minute to be their last: and the prayers of all those +that remained in their senses were offered up to God, on their behalf, +for a speedy deliverance; and for our own, which depended on them; and +he heard and answered us! These two men at last reached the buoy; and, +having fastened the punt to it, they tied one end of their rope to the +small buoy that they had in the punt, and sent it adrift towards the +vessel. We on board observing this threw out boat-hooks and leads +fastened to lines, in order to catch the buoy: at last we caught it, +and fastened a hawser to the end of the small rope; we then gave them +a sign to pull, and they pulled the hawser to them, and fastened it to +the buoy: which being done we hauled for our lives; and, through the +mercy of God, we got again from the shoals into deep water, and the +punt got safe to the vessel. It is impossible for any to conceive our +heartfelt joy at this second deliverance from ruin, but those who have +suffered the same hardships. Those whose strength and senses were gone +came to themselves, and were now as elated as they were before +depressed. Two days after this the wind ceased, and the water became +smooth. The punt then went on shore, and we cut down some trees; and +having found our mast and mended it we brought it on board, and fixed +it up. As soon as we had done this we got up the anchor, and away we +went once more for New Providence, which in three days more we reached +safe, after having been above three weeks in a situation in which we +did not expect to escape with life. The inhabitants here were very +kind to us; and, when they learned our situation, shewed us a great +deal of hospitality and friendship. Soon after this every one of my +old fellow-sufferers that were free parted from us, and shaped their +course where their inclination led them. One merchant, who had a large +sloop, seeing our condition, and knowing we wanted to go to Georgia, +told four of us that his vessel was going there; and, if we would work +on board and load her, he would give us our passage free. As we could +not get any wages whatever, and found it very hard to get off the +place, we were obliged to consent to his proposal; and we went on +board and helped to load the sloop, though we had only our victuals +allowed us. When she was entirely loaded he told us she was going to +Jamaica first, where we must go if we went in her. This, however, I +refused; but my fellow-sufferers not having any money to help +themselves with, necessity obliged them to accept of the offer, and to +steer that course, though they did not like it. + +We stayed in New Providence about seventeen or eighteen days; during +which time I met with many friends, who gave me encouragement to stay +there with them: but I declined it; though, had not my heart been +fixed on England, I should have stayed, as I liked the place +extremely, and there were some free black people here who were very +happy, and we passed our time pleasantly together, with the melodious +sound of the catguts, under the lime and lemon trees. At length +Captain Phillips hired a sloop to carry him and some of the slaves +that he could not sell to Georgia; and I agreed to go with him in this +vessel, meaning now to take my farewell of that place. When the vessel +was ready we all embarked; and I took my leave of New Providence, not +without regret. We sailed about four o'clock in the morning, with a +fair wind, for Georgia; and about eleven o'clock the same morning a +short and sudden gale sprung up and blew away most of our sails; and, +as we were still amongst the keys, in a very few minutes it dashed the +sloop against the rocks. Luckily for us the water was deep; and the +sea was not so angry but that, after having for some time laboured +hard, and being many in number, we were saved through God's mercy; +and, by using our greatest exertions, we got the vessel off. The next +day we returned to Providence, where we soon got her again refitted. +Some of the people swore that we had spells set upon us by somebody in +Montserrat; and others that we had witches and wizzards amongst the +poor helpless slaves; and that we never should arrive safe at Georgia. +But these things did not deter me; I said, 'Let us again face the +winds and seas, and swear not, but trust to God, and he will deliver +us.' We therefore once more set sail; and, with hard labour, in seven +day's time arrived safe at Georgia. + +After our arrival we went up to the town of Savannah; and the same +evening I went to a friend's house to lodge, whose name was Mosa, a +black man. We were very happy at meeting each other; and after supper +we had a light till it was between nine and ten o'clock at night. +About that time the watch or patrol came by; and, discerning a light +in the house, they knocked at the door: we opened it; and they came in +and sat down, and drank some punch with us: they also begged some +limes of me, as they understood I had some, which I readily gave them. +A little after this they told me I must go to the watch-house with +them: this surprised me a good deal, after our kindness to them; and I +asked them, Why so? They said that all negroes who had light in their +houses after nine o'clock were to be taken into custody, and either +pay some dollars or be flogged. Some of those people knew that I was a +free man; but, as the man of the house was not free, and had his +master to protect him, they did not take the same liberty with him +they did with me. I told them that I was a free man, and just arrived +from Providence; that we were not making any noise, and that I was not +a stranger in that place, but was very well known there: 'Besides,' +said I, 'what will you do with me?'--'That you shall see,' replied +they, 'but you must go to the watch-house with us.' Now whether they +meant to get money from me or not I was at a loss to know; but I +thought immediately of the oranges and limes at Santa Cruz: and seeing +that nothing would pacify them I went with them to the watch-house, +where I remained during the night. Early the the next morning these +imposing ruffians flogged a negro-man and woman that they had in the +watch-house, and then they told me that I must be flogged too. I asked +why? and if there was no law for free men? And told them if there was +I would have it put in force against them. But this only exasperated +them the more; and instantly they swore they would serve me as Doctor +Perkins had done; and they were going to lay violent hands on me; when +one of them, more humane than the rest, said that as I was a free man +they could not justify stripping me by law. I then immediately sent +for Doctor Brady, who was known to be an honest and worthy man; and on +his coming to my assistance they let me go. + +This was not the only disagreeable incident I met with while I was in +this place; for, one day, while I was a little way out of the town of +Savannah, I was beset by two white men, who meant to play their usual +tricks with me in the way of kidnapping. As soon as these men accosted +me, one of them said to the other, 'This is the very fellow we are +looking for that you lost:' and the other swore immediately that I was +the identical person. On this they made up to me, and were about to +handle me; but I told them to be still and keep off; for I had seen +those kind of tricks played upon other free blacks, and they must not +think to serve me so. At this they paused a little, and one said to +the other--it will not do; and the other answered that I talked too +good English. I replied, I believed I did; and I had also with me a +revengeful stick equal to the occasion; and my mind was likewise good. +Happily however it was not used; and, after we had talked together a +little in this manner, the rogues left me. I stayed in Savannah some +time, anxiously trying to get to Montserrat once more to see Mr. King, +my old master, and then to take a final farewell of the American +quarter of the globe. At last I met with a sloop called the Speedwell, +Captain John Bunton, which belonged to Grenada, and was bound to +Martinico, a French island, with a cargo of rice, and I shipped myself +on board of her. Before I left Georgia a black woman, who had a child +lying dead, being very tenacious of the church burial service, and not +able to get any white person to perform it, applied to me for that +purpose. I told her I was no parson; and besides, that the service +over the dead did not affect the soul. This however did not satisfy +her; she still urged me very hard: I therefore complied with her +earnest entreaties, and at last consented to act the parson for the +first time in my life. As she was much respected, there was a great +company both of white and black people at the grave. I then +accordingly assumed my new vocation, and performed the funeral +ceremony to the satisfaction of all present; after which I bade adieu +to Georgia, and sailed for Martinico. + + + + +CHAP. IX + + _The author arrives at Martinico--Meets with new + difficulties--Gets to Montserrat, where he takes leave of + his old master, and sails for England--Meets Capt. + Pascal--Learns the French horn--Hires himself with Doctor + Irving, where he learns to freshen sea water--Leaves the + doctor, and goes a voyage to Turkey and Portugal; and + afterwards goes a voyage to Grenada, and another to + Jamaica--Returns to the Doctor, and they embark together on + a voyage to the North Pole, with the Hon. Capt. Phipps--Some + account of that voyage, and the dangers the author was + in--He returns to England._ + + +I thus took a final leave of Georgia; for the treatment I had received +in it disgusted me very much against the place; and when I left it and +sailed for Martinico I determined never more to revisit it. My new +captain conducted his vessel safer than my former one; and, after an +agreeable voyage, we got safe to our intended port. While I was on +this island I went about a good deal, and found it very pleasant: in +particular I admired the town of St. Pierre, which is the principal +one in the island, and built more like an European town than any I had +seen in the West Indies. In general also, slaves were better treated, +had more holidays, and looked better than those in the English +islands. After we had done our business here, I wanted my discharge, +which was necessary; for it was then the month of May, and I wished +much to be at Montserrat to bid farewell to Mr. King, and all my other +friends there, in time to sail for Old England in the July fleet. But, +alas! I had put a great stumbling block in my own way, by which I was +near losing my passage that season to England. I had lent my captain +some money, which I now wanted to enable me to prosecute my +intentions. This I told him; but when I applied for it, though I urged +the necessity of my occasion, I met with so much shuffling from him, +that I began at last to be afraid of losing my money, as I could not +recover it by law: for I have already mentioned, that throughout the +West Indies no black man's testimony is admitted, on any occasion, +against any white person whatever, and therefore my own oath would +have been of no use. I was obliged, therefore, to remain with him +till he might be disposed to return it to me. Thus we sailed from +Martinico for the Grenades. I frequently pressing the captain for my +money to no purpose; and, to render my condition worse, when we got +there, the captain and his owners quarrelled; so that my situation +became daily more irksome: for besides that we on board had little or +no victuals allowed us, and I could not get my money nor wages, I +could then have gotten my passage free to Montserrat had I been able +to accept it. The worst of all was, that it was growing late in July, +and the ships in the islands must sail by the 26th of that month. At +last, however, with a great many entreaties, I got my money from the +captain, and took the first vessel I could meet with for St. Eustatia. +From thence I went in another to Basseterre in St. Kitts, where I +arrived on the 19th of July. On the 22d, having met with a vessel +bound to Montserrat, I wanted to go in her; but the captain and others +would not take me on board until I should advertise myself, and give +notice of my going off the island. I told them of my haste to be in +Montserrat, and that the time then would not admit of advertising, it +being late in the evening, and the captain about to sail; but he +insisted it was necessary, and otherwise he said he would not take me. +This reduced me to great perplexity; for if I should be compelled to +submit to this degrading necessity, which every black freeman is +under, of advertising himself like a slave, when he leaves an island, +and which I thought a gross imposition upon any freeman, I feared I +should miss that opportunity of going to Montserrat, and then I could +not get to England that year. The vessel was just going off, and no +time could be lost; I immediately therefore set about, with a heavy +heart, to try who I could get to befriend me in complying with the +demands of the captain. Luckily I found, in a few minutes, some +gentlemen of Montserrat whom I knew; and, having told them my +situation, I requested their friendly assistance in helping me off the +island. Some of them, on this, went with me to the captain, and +satisfied him of my freedom; and, to my very great joy, he desired me +to go on board. We then set sail, and the next day, the 23d, I arrived +at the wished-for place, after an absence of six months, in which I +had more than once experienced the delivering hand of Providence, +when all human means of escaping destruction seemed hopeless. I saw my +friends with a gladness of heart which was increased by my absence and +the dangers I had escaped, and I was received with great friendship by +them all, but particularly by Mr. King, to whom I related the fate of +his sloop, the Nancy, and the causes of her being wrecked. I now +learned with extreme sorrow, that his house was washed away during my +absence, by the bursting of a pond at the top of a mountain that was +opposite the town of Plymouth. It swept great part of the town away, +and Mr. King lost a great deal of property from the inundation, and +nearly his life. When I told him I intended to go to London that +season, and that I had come to visit him before my departure, the good +man expressed a great deal of affection for me, and sorrow that I +should leave him, and warmly advised me to stay there; insisting, as I +was much respected by all the gentlemen in the place, that I might do +very well, and in a short time have land and slaves of my own. I +thanked him for this instance of his friendship; but, as I wished very +much to be in London, I declined remaining any longer there, and +begged he would excuse me. I then requested he would be kind enough to +give me a certificate of my behaviour while in his service, which he +very readily complied with, and gave me the following: + + _Montserrat, January 26, 1767._ + + 'The bearer hereof, Gustavus Vassa, was my slave for upwards + of three years, during which he has always behaved himself + well, and discharged his duty with honesty and assiduity. + + Robert King. + + 'To all whom this may concern.' + +Having obtained this, I parted from my kind master, after many sincere +professions of gratitude and regard, and prepared for my departure for +London. I immediately agreed to go with one Capt. John Hamer, for +seven guineas, the passage to London, on board a ship called the +Andromache; and on the 24th and 25th I had free dances, as they are +called, with some of my countrymen, previous to my setting off; after +which I took leave of all my friends, and on the 26th I embarked for +London, exceedingly glad to see myself once more on board of a ship; +and still more so, in steering the course I had long wished for. With +a light heart I bade Montserrat farewell, and never had my feet on it +since; and with it I bade adieu to the sound of the cruel whip, and +all other dreadful instruments of torture; adieu to the offensive +sight of the violated chastity of the sable females, which has too +often accosted my eyes; adieu to oppressions (although to me less +severe than most of my countrymen); and adieu to the angry howling, +dashing surfs. I wished for a grateful and thankful heart to praise +the Lord God on high for all his mercies! + +We had a most prosperous voyage, and, at the end of seven weeks, +arrived at Cherry-Garden stairs. Thus were my longing eyes once more +gratified with a sight of London, after having been absent from it +above four years. I immediately received my wages, and I never had +earned seven guineas so quick in my life before; I had thirty-seven +guineas in all, when I got cleared of the ship. I now entered upon a +scene, quite new to me, but full of hope. In this situation my first +thoughts were to look out for some of my former friends, and amongst +the first of those were the Miss Guerins. As soon, therefore, as I had +regaled myself I went in quest of those kind ladies, whom I was very +impatient to see; and with some difficulty and perseverance, I found +them at May's-hill, Greenwich. They were most agreeably surprised to +see me, and I quite overjoyed at meeting with them. I told them my +history, at which they expressed great wonder, and freely acknowledged +it did their cousin, Capt. Pascal, no honour. He then visited there +frequently; and I met him four or five days after in Greenwich park. +When he saw me he appeared a good deal surprised, and asked me how I +came back? I answered, 'In a ship.' To which he replied dryly, 'I +suppose you did not walk back to London on the water.' As I saw, by +his manner, that he did not seem to be sorry for his behaviour to me, +and that I had not much reason to expect any favour from him, I told +him that he had used me very ill, after I had been such a faithful +servant to him for so many years; on which, without saying any more, +he turned about and went away. A few days after this I met Capt. +Pascal at Miss Guerin's house, and asked him for my prize-money. He +said there was none due to me; for, if my prize money had been +10,000 £. he had a right to it all. I told him I was informed +otherwise; on which he bade me defiance; and, in a bantering tone, +desired me to commence a lawsuit against him for it: 'There are +lawyers enough,' said he, 'that will take the cause in hand, and you +had better try it.' I told him then that I would try it, which enraged +him very much; however, out of regard to the ladies, I remained still, +and never made any farther demand of my right. Some time afterwards +these friendly ladies asked me what I meant to do with myself, and how +they could assist me. I thanked them, and said, if they pleased, I +would be their servant; but if not, as I had thirty-seven guineas, +which would support me for some time, I would be much obliged to them +to recommend me to some person who would teach me a business whereby I +might earn my living. They answered me very politely, that they were +sorry it did not suit them to take me as their servant, and asked me +what business I should like to learn? I said, hair-dressing. They then +promised to assist me in this; and soon after they recommended me to a +gentleman whom I had known before, one Capt. O'Hara, who treated me +with much kindness, and procured me a master, a hair-dresser, in +Coventry-court, Haymarket, with whom he placed me. I was with this man +from September till the February following. In that time we had a +neighbour in the same court who taught the French horn. He used to +blow it so well that I was charmed with it, and agreed with him to +teach me to blow it. Accordingly he took me in hand, and began to +instruct me, and I soon learned all the three parts. I took great +delight in blowing on this instrument, the evenings being long; and +besides that I was fond of it, I did not like to be idle, and it +filled up my vacant hours innocently. At this time also I agreed with +the Rev. Mr. Gregory, who lived in the same court, where he kept an +academy and an evening-school, to improve me in arithmetic. This he +did as far as barter and alligation; so that all the time I was there +I was entirely employed. In February 1768 I hired myself to Dr. +Charles Irving, in Pall-mall, so celebrated for his successful +experiments in making sea water fresh; and here I had plenty of +hair-dressing to improve my hand. This gentleman was an excellent +master; he was exceedingly kind and good tempered; and allowed me in +the evenings to attend my schools, which I esteemed a great blessing; +therefore I thanked God and him for it, and used all my diligence to +improve the opportunity. This diligence and attention recommended me +to the notice and care of my three preceptors, who on their parts +bestowed a great deal of pains in my instruction, and besides were all +very kind to me. My wages, however, which were by two thirds less than +I ever had in my life (for I had only 12l. per annum) I soon found +would not be sufficient to defray this extraordinary expense of +masters, and my own necessary expenses; my old thirty-seven guineas +had by this time worn all away to one. I thought it best, therefore, +to try the sea again in quest of more money, as I had been bred to it, +and had hitherto found the profession of it successful. I had also a +very great desire to see Turkey, and I now determined to gratify it. +Accordingly, in the month of May, 1768, I told the doctor my wish to +go to sea again, to which he made no opposition; and we parted on +friendly terms. The same day I went into the city in quest of a +master. I was extremely fortunate in my inquiry; for I soon heard of a +gentleman who had a ship going to Italy and Turkey, and he wanted a +man who could dress hair well. I was overjoyed at this, and went +immediately on board of his ship, as I had been directed, which I +found to be fitted up with great taste, and I already foreboded no +small pleasure in sailing in her. Not finding the gentleman on board, +I was directed to his lodgings, where I met with him the next day, and +gave him a specimen of my dressing. He liked it so well that he hired +me immediately, so that I was perfectly happy; for the ship, master, +and voyage, were entirely to my mind. The ship was called the Delawar, +and my master's name was John Jolly, a neat smart good humoured man, +just such an one as I wished to serve. We sailed from England in July +following, and our voyage was extremely pleasant. We went to Villa +Franca, Nice, and Leghorn; and in all these places I was charmed with +the richness and beauty of the countries, and struck with the elegant +buildings with which they abound. We had always in them plenty of +extraordinary good wines and rich fruits, which I was very fond of; +and I had frequent occasions of gratifying both my taste and +curiosity; for my captain always lodged on shore in those places, +which afforded me opportunities to see the country around. I also +learned navigation of the mate, which I was very fond of. When we left +Italy we had delightful sailing among the Archipelago islands, and +from thence to Smyrna in Turkey. This is a very ancient city; the +houses are built of stone, and most of them have graves adjoining to +them; so that they sometimes present the appearance of church-yards. +Provisions are very plentiful in this city, and good wine less than a +penny a pint. The grapes, pomegranates, and many other fruits, were +also the richest and largest I ever tasted. The natives are well +looking and strong made, and treated me always with great civility. In +general I believe they are fond of black people; and several of them +gave me pressing invitations to stay amongst them, although they keep +the franks, or Christians, separate, and do not suffer them to dwell +immediately amongst them. I was astonished in not seeing women in any +of their shops, and very rarely any in the streets; and whenever I did +they were covered with a veil from head to foot, so that I could not +see their faces, except when any of them out of curiosity uncovered +them to look at me, which they sometimes did. I was surprised to see +how the Greeks are, in some measure, kept under by the Turks, as the +negroes are in the West Indies by the white people. The less refined +Greeks, as I have already hinted, dance here in the same manner as we +do in my nation. On the whole, during our stay here, which was about +five months, I liked the place and the Turks extremely well. I could +not help observing one very remarkable circumstance there: the tails +of the sheep are flat, and so very large, that I have known the tail +even of a lamb to weigh from eleven to thirteen pounds. The fat of +them is very white and rich, and is excellent in puddings, for which +it is much used. Our ship being at length richly loaded with silk, and +other articles, we sailed for England. + +In May 1769, soon after our return from Turkey, our ship made a +delightful voyage to Oporto in Portugal, where we arrived at the time +of the carnival. On our arrival, there were sent on board to us +thirty-six articles to observe, with very heavy penalties if we should +break any of them; and none of us even dared to go on board any other +vessel or on shore till the Inquisition had sent on board and +searched for every thing illegal, especially bibles. Such as were +produced, and certain other things, were sent on shore till the ships +were going away; and any person in whose custody a bible was found +concealed was to be imprisoned and flogged, and sent into slavery for +ten years. I saw here many very magnificent sights, particularly the +garden of Eden, where many of the clergy and laity went in procession +in their several orders with the host, and sung Te Deum. I had a great +curiosity to go into some of their churches, but could not gain +admittance without using the necessary sprinkling of holy water at my +entrance. From curiosity, and a wish to be holy, I therefore complied +with this ceremony, but its virtues were lost on me, for I found +myself nothing the better for it. This place abounds with plenty of +all kinds of provisions. The town is well built and pretty, and +commands a fine prospect. Our ship having taken in a load of wine, and +other commodities, we sailed for London, and arrived in July +following. Our next voyage was to the Mediterranean. The ship was +again got ready, and we sailed in September for Genoa. This is one of +the finest cities I ever saw; some of the edifices were of beautiful +marble, and made a most noble appearance; and many had very curious +fountains before them. The churches were rich and magnificent, and +curiously adorned both in the inside and out. But all this grandeur +was in my eyes disgraced by the galley slaves, whose condition both +there and in other parts of Italy is truly piteous and wretched. After +we had stayed there some weeks, during which we bought many different +things which we wanted, and got them very cheap, we sailed to Naples, +a charming city, and remarkably clean. The bay is the most beautiful I +ever saw; the moles for shipping are excellent. I thought it +extraordinary to see grand operas acted here on Sunday nights, and +even attended by their majesties. I too, like these great ones, went +to those sights, and vainly served God in the day while I thus served +mammon effectually at night. While we remained here there happened an +eruption of mount Vesuvius, of which I had a perfect view. It was +extremely awful; and we were so near that the ashes from it used to be +thick on our deck. After we had transacted our business at Naples we +sailed with a fair wind once more for Smyrna, where we arrived in +December. A seraskier or officer took a liking to me here, and wanted +me to stay, and offered me two wives; however I refused the +temptation. The merchants here travel in caravans or large companies. +I have seen many caravans from India, with some hundreds of camels, +laden with different goods. The people of these caravans are quite +brown. Among other articles, they brought with them a great quantity +of locusts, which are a kind of pulse, sweet and pleasant to the +palate, and in shape resembling French beans, but longer. Each kind of +goods is sold in a street by itself, and I always found the Turks very +honest in their dealings. They let no Christians into their mosques or +churches, for which I was very sorry; as I was always fond of going to +see the different modes of worship of the people wherever I went. The +plague broke out while we were in Smyrna, and we stopped taking goods +into the ship till it was over. She was then richly laden, and we +sailed in about March 1770 for England. One day in our passage we met +with an accident which was near burning the ship. A black cook, in +melting some fat, overset the pan into the fire under the deck, which +immediately began to blaze, and the flame went up very high under the +foretop. With the fright the poor cook became almost white, and +altogether speechless. Happily however we got the fire out without +doing much mischief. After various delays in this passage, which was +tedious, we arrived in Standgate creek in July; and, at the latter end +of the year, some new event occurred, so that my noble captain, the +ship, and I all separated. + +In April 1771 I shipped myself as a steward with Capt. Wm. Robertson +of the ship Grenada Planter, once more to try my fortune in the West +Indies; and we sailed from London for Madeira, Barbadoes, and the +Grenades. When we were at this last place, having some goods to sell, +I met once more with my former kind of West India customers. A white +man, an islander, bought some goods of me to the amount of some +pounds, and made me many fair promises as usual, but without any +intention of paying me. He had likewise bought goods from some more of +our people, whom he intended to serve in the same manner; but he still +amused us with promises. However, when our ship was loaded, and near +sailing, this honest buyer discovered no intention or sign of paying +for any thing he had bought of us; but on the contrary, when I asked +him for my money he threatened me and another black man he had bought +goods of, so that we found we were like to get more blows than +payment. On this we went to complain to one Mr. M'Intosh, a justice of +the peace; we told his worship of the man's villainous tricks, and +begged that he would be kind enough to see us redressed: but being +negroes, although free, we could not get any remedy; and our ship +being then just upon the point of sailing, we knew not how to help +ourselves, though we thought it hard to lose our property in this +manner. Luckily for us however, this man was also indebted to three +white sailors, who could not get a farthing from him; they therefore +readily joined us, and we all went together in search of him. When we +found where he was, I took him out of a house and threatened him with +vengeance; on which, finding he was likely to be handled roughly, the +rogue offered each of us some small allowance, but nothing near our +demands. This exasperated us much more; and some were for cutting his +ears off; but he begged hard for mercy, which was at last granted him, +after we had entirely stripped him. We then let him go, for which he +thanked us, glad to get off so easily, and ran into the bushes, after +having wished us a good voyage. We then repaired on board, and shortly +after set sail for England. I cannot help remarking here a very narrow +escape we had from being blown up, owing to a piece of negligence of +mine. Just as our ship was under sail, I went down into the cabin to +do some business, and had a lighted candle in my hand, which, in my +hurry, without thinking, I held in a barrel of gunpowder. It remained +in the powder until it was near catching fire, when fortunately I +observed it and snatched it out in time, and providentially no harm +happened; but I was so overcome with terror that I immediately fainted +at this deliverance. + +In twenty-eight days time we arrived in England, and I got clear of +this ship. But, being still of a roving disposition, and desirous of +seeing as many different parts of the world as I could, I shipped +myself soon after, in the same year, as steward on board of a fine +large ship, called the Jamaica, Captain David Watt; and we sailed from +England in December 1771 for Nevis and Jamaica. I found Jamaica to be +a very fine large island, well peopled, and the most considerable of +the West India islands. There was a vast number of negroes here, whom +I found as usual exceedingly imposed upon by the white people, and the +slaves punished as in the other islands. There are negroes whose +business it is to flog slaves; they go about to different people for +employment, and the usual pay is from one to four bits. I saw many +cruel punishments inflicted on the slaves in the short time I stayed +here. In particular I was present when a poor fellow was tied up and +kept hanging by the wrists at some distance from the ground, and then +some half hundred weights were fixed to his ancles, in which posture +he was flogged most unmercifully. There were also, as I heard, two +different masters noted for cruelty on the island, who had staked up +two negroes naked, and in two hours the vermin stung them to death. I +heard a gentleman I well knew tell my captain that he passed sentence +on a negro man to be burnt alive for attempting to poison an overseer. +I pass over numerous other instances, in order to relieve the reader +by a milder scene of roguery. Before I had been long on the island, +one Mr. Smith at Port Morant bought goods of me to the amount of +twenty-five pounds sterling; but when I demanded payment from him, he +was going each time to beat me, and threatened that he would put me in +goal. One time he would say I was going to set his house on fire, at +another he would swear I was going to run away with his slaves. I was +astonished at this usage from a person who was in the situation of a +gentleman, but I had no alternative; I was therefore obliged to +submit. When I came to Kingston, I was surprised to see the number of +Africans who were assembled together on Sundays; particularly at a +large commodious place, called Spring Path. Here each different nation +of Africa meet and dance after the manner of their own country. They +still retain most of their native customs: they bury their dead, and +put victuals, pipes and tobacco, and other things, in the grave with +the corps, in the same manner as in Africa. Our ship having got her +loading we sailed for London, where we arrived in the August +following. On my return to London, I waited on my old and good master, +Dr. Irving, who made me an offer of his service again. Being now tired +of the sea I gladly accepted it. I was very happy in living with this +gentleman once more; during which time we were daily employed in +reducing old Neptune's dominions by purifying the briny element and +making it fresh. Thus I went on till May 1773, when I was roused by +the sound of fame, to seek new adventures, and to find, towards the +north pole, what our Creator never intended we should, a passage to +India. An expedition was now fitting out to explore a north-east +passage, conducted by the Honourable John Constantine Phipps, since +Lord Mulgrave, in his Majesty's sloop of war the Race Horse. My master +being anxious for the reputation of this adventure, we therefore +prepared every thing for our voyage, and I attended him on board the +Race Horse, the 24th day of May 1773. We proceeded to Sheerness, where +we were joined by his Majesty's sloop the Carcass, commanded by +Captain Lutwidge. On the 4th of June we sailed towards our destined +place, the pole; and on the 15th of the same month we were off +Shetland. On this day I had a great and unexpected deliverance from an +accident which was near blowing up the ship and destroying the crew, +which made me ever after during the voyage uncommonly cautious. The +ship was so filled that there was very little room on board for any +one, which placed me in a very aukward situation. I had resolved to +keep a journal of this singular and interesting voyage; and I had no +other place for this purpose but a little cabin, or the doctor's +store-room, where I slept. This little place was stuffed with all +manner of combustibles, particularly with tow and aquafortis, and many +other dangerous things. Unfortunately it happened in the evening as I +was writing my journal, that I had occasion to take the candle out of +the lanthorn, and a spark having touched a single thread of the tow, +all the rest caught the flame, and immediately the whole was in a +blaze. I saw nothing but present death before me, and expected to be +the first to perish in the flames. In a moment the alarm was spread, +and many people who were near ran to assist in putting out the fire. +All this time I was in the very midst of the flames; my shirt, and the +handkerchief on my neck, were burnt, and I was almost smothered with +the smoke. However, through God's mercy, as I was nearly giving up all +hopes, some people brought blankets and mattresses and threw them on +the flames, by which means in a short time the fire was put out. I was +severely reprimanded and menaced by such of the officers who knew it, +and strictly charged never more to go there with a light: and, indeed, +even my own fears made me give heed to this command for a little time; +but at last, not being able to write my journal in any other part of +the ship, I was tempted again to venture by stealth with a light in +the same cabin, though not without considerable fear and dread on my +mind. On the 20th of June we began to use Dr. Irving's apparatus for +making salt water fresh; I used to attend the distillery: I frequently +purified from twenty-six to forty gallons a day. The water thus +distilled was perfectly pure, well tasted, and free from salt; and was +used on various occasions on board the ship. On the 28th of June, +being in lat. 78, we made Greenland, where I was surprised to see the +sun did not set. The weather now became extremely cold; and as we +sailed between north and east, which was our course, we saw many very +high and curious mountains of ice; and also a great number of very +large whales, which used to come close to our ship, and blow the water +up to a very great height in the air. One morning we had vast +quantities of sea-horses about the ship, which neighed exactly like +any other horses. We fired some harpoon guns amongst them, in order to +take some, but we could not get any. The 30th, the captain of a +Greenland ship came on board, and told us of three ships that were +lost in the ice; however we still held on our course till July the +11th, when we were stopt by one compact impenetrable body of ice. We +ran along it from east to west above ten degrees; and on the 27th we +got as far north as 80, 37; and in 19 or 20 degrees east longitude +from London. On the 29th and 30th of July we saw one continued plain +of smooth unbroken ice, bounded only by the horizon; and we fastened +to a piece of ice that was eight yards eleven inches thick. We had +generally sunshine, and constant daylight; which gave cheerfulness and +novelty to the whole of this striking, grand, and uncommon scene; and, +to heighten it still more, the reflection of the sun from the ice gave +the clouds a most beautiful appearance. We killed many different +animals at this time, and among the rest nine bears. Though they had +nothing in their paunches but water yet they were all very fat. We +used to decoy them to the ship sometimes by burning feathers or skins. +I thought them coarse eating, but some of the ship's company relished +them very much. Some of our people once, in the boat, fired at and +wounded a sea-horse, which dived immediately; and, in a little time +after, brought up with it a number of others. They all joined in an +attack upon the boat, and were with difficulty prevented from staving +or oversetting her; but a boat from the Carcass having come to assist +ours, and joined it, they dispersed, after having wrested an oar from +one of the men. One of the ship's boats had before been attacked in +the same manner, but happily no harm was done. Though we wounded +several of these animals we never got but one. We remained hereabouts +until the 1st of August; when the two ships got completely fastened in +the ice, occasioned by the loose ice that set in from the sea. This +made our situation very dreadful and alarming; so that on the 7th day +we were in very great apprehension of having the ships squeezed to +pieces. The officers now held a council to know what was best for us +to do in order to save our lives; and it was determined that we should +endeavour to escape by dragging our boats along the ice towards the +sea; which, however, was farther off than any of us thought. This +determination filled us with extreme dejection, and confounded us with +despair; for we had very little prospect of escaping with life. +However, we sawed some of the ice about the ships to keep it from +hurting them; and thus kept them in a kind of pond. We then began to +drag the boats as well as we could towards the sea; but, after two or +three days labour, we made very little progress; so that some of our +hearts totally failed us, and I really began to give up myself for +lost, when I saw our surrounding calamities. While we were at this +hard labour I once fell into a pond we had made amongst some loose +ice, and was very near being drowned; but providentially some people +were near who gave me immediate assistance, and thereby I escaped +drowning. Our deplorable condition, which kept up the constant +apprehension of our perishing in the ice, brought me gradually to +think of eternity in such a manner as I never had done before. I had +the fears of death hourly upon me, and shuddered at the thoughts of +meeting the grim king of terrors in the _natural_ state I then was in, +and was exceedingly doubtful of a happy eternity if I should die in +it. I had no hopes of my life being prolonged for any time; for we +saw that our existence could not be long on the ice after leaving the +ships, which were now out of sight, and some miles from the boats. Our +appearance now became truly lamentable; pale dejection seized every +countenance; many, who had been before blasphemers, in this our +distress began to call on the good God of heaven for his help; and in +the time of our utter need he heard us, and against hope or human +probability delivered us! It was the eleventh day of the ships being +thus fastened, and the fourth of our drawing the boats in this manner, +that the wind changed to the E.N.E. The weather immediately became +mild, and the ice broke towards the sea, which was to the S.W. of us. +Many of us on this got on board again, and with all our might we hove +the ships into every open water we could find, and made all the sail +on them in our power; and now, having a prospect of success, we made +signals for the boats and the remainder of the people. This seemed to +us like a reprieve from death; and happy was the man who could first +get on board of any ship, or the first boat he could meet. We then +proceeded in this manner till we got into the open water again, which +we accomplished in about thirty hours, to our infinite joy and +gladness of heart. As soon as we were out of danger we came to anchor +and refitted; and on the 19th of August we sailed from this +uninhabited extremity of the world, where the inhospitable climate +affords neither food nor shelter, and not a tree or shrub of any kind +grows amongst its barren rocks; but all is one desolate and expanded +waste of ice, which even the constant beams of the sun for six months +in the year cannot penetrate or dissolve. The sun now being on the +decline the days shortened as we sailed to the southward; and, on the +28th, in latitude 73, it was dark by ten o'clock at night. September +the 10th, in latitude 58-59, we met a very severe gale of wind and +high seas, and shipped a great deal of water in the space of ten +hours. This made us work exceedingly hard at all our pumps a whole +day; and one sea, which struck the ship with more force than any thing +I ever met with of the kind before, laid her under water for some +time, so that we thought she would have gone down. Two boats were +washed from the booms, and the long-boat from the chucks: all other +moveable things on the deck were also washed away, among which were +many curious things of different kinds which we had brought from +Greenland; and we were obliged, in order to lighten the ship, to toss +some of our guns overboard. We saw a ship, at the same time, in very +great distress, and her masts were gone; but we were unable to assist +her. We now lost sight of the Carcass till the 26th, when we saw land +about Orfordness, off which place she joined us. From thence we sailed +for London, and on the 30th came up to Deptford. And thus ended our +Arctic voyage, to the no small joy of all on board, after having been +absent four months; in which time, at the imminent hazard of our +lives, we explored nearly as far towards the Pole as 81 degrees north, +and 20 degrees east longitude; being much farther, by all accounts, +than any navigator had ever ventured before; in which we fully proved +the impracticability of finding a passage that way to India. + + + + +CHAP. X. + + _The author leaves Doctor Irving and engages on board a + Turkey ship--Account of a black man's being kidnapped on + board and sent to the West Indies, and the author's + fruitless endeavours to procure his freedom--Some account of + the manner of the author's conversion to the faith of Jesus + Christ._ + + +Our voyage to the North Pole being ended, I returned to London with +Doctor Irving, with whom I continued for some time, during which I +began seriously to reflect on the dangers I had escaped, particularly +those of my last voyage, which made a lasting impression on my mind, +and, by the grace of God, proved afterwards a mercy to me; it caused +me to reflect deeply on my eternal state, and to seek the Lord with +full purpose of heart ere it was too late. I rejoiced greatly; and +heartily thanked the Lord for directing me to London, where I was +determined to work out my own salvation, and in so doing procure a +title to heaven, being the result of a mind blended by ignorance and +sin. + +In process of time I left my master, Doctor Irving, the purifier of +waters, and lodged in Coventry-court, Haymarket, where I was +continually oppressed and much concerned about the salvation of my +soul, and was determined (in my own strength) to be a first-rate +Christian. I used every means for this purpose; and, not being able to +find any person amongst my acquaintance that agreed with me in point +of religion, or, in scripture language, 'that would shew me any good;' +I was much dejected, and knew not where to seek relief; however, I +first frequented the neighbouring churches, St. James's, and others, +two or three times a day, for many weeks: still I came away +dissatisfied; something was wanting that I could not obtain, and I +really found more heartfelt relief in reading my bible at home than in +attending the church; and, being resolved to be saved, I pursued other +methods still. First I went among the quakers, where the word of God +was neither read or preached, so that I remained as much in the dark +as ever. I then searched into the Roman catholic principles, but was +not in the least satisfied. At length I had recourse to the Jews, +which availed me nothing, for the fear of eternity daily harassed my +mind, and I knew not where to seek shelter from the wrath to come. +However this was my conclusion, at all events, to read the four +evangelists, and whatever sect or party I found adhering thereto such +I would join. Thus I went on heavily without any guide to direct me +the way that leadeth to eternal life. I asked different people +questions about the manner of going to heaven, and was told different +ways. Here I was much staggered, and could not find any at that time +more righteous than myself, or indeed so much inclined to devotion. I +thought we should not all be saved (this is agreeable to the holy +scriptures), nor would all be damned. I found none among the circle of +my acquaintance that kept wholly the ten commandments. So righteous +was I in my own eyes, that I was convinced I excelled many of them in +that point, by keeping eight out of ten; and finding those who in +general termed themselves Christians not so honest or so good in their +morals as the Turks, I really thought the Turks were in a safer way of +salvation than my neighbours: so that between hopes and fears I went +on, and the chief comforts I enjoyed were in the musical French horn, +which I then practised, and also dressing of hair. Such was my +situation some months, experiencing the dishonesty of many people +here. I determined at last to set out for Turkey, and there to end my +days. It was now early in the spring 1774. I sought for a master, and +found a captain John Hughes, commander of a ship called Anglicania, +fitting out in the river Thames, and bound to Smyrna in Turkey. I +shipped myself with him as a steward; at the same time I recommended +to him a very clever black man, John Annis, as a cook. This man was on +board the ship near two months doing his duty: he had formerly lived +many years with Mr. William Kirkpatrick, a gentleman of the island of +St. Kitts, from whom he parted by consent, though he afterwards tried +many schemes to inveigle the poor man. He had applied to many captains +who traded to St. Kitts to trepan him; and when all their attempts and +schemes of kidnapping proved abortive, Mr. Kirkpatrick came to our +ship at Union Stairs on Easter Monday, April the fourth, with two +wherry boats and six men, having learned that the man was on board; +and tied, and forcibly took him away from the ship, in the presence +of the crew and the chief mate, who had detained him after he had +notice to come away. I believe that this was a combined piece of +business: but, at any rate, it certainly reflected great disgrace on +the mate and captain also, who, although they had desired the +oppressed man to stay on board, yet he did not in the least assist to +recover him, or pay me a farthing of his wages, which was about five +pounds. I proved the only friend he had, who attempted to regain him +his liberty if possible, having known the want of liberty myself. I +sent as soon as I could to Gravesend, and got knowledge of the ship in +which he was; but unluckily she had sailed the first tide after he was +put on board. My intention was then immediately to apprehend Mr. +Kirkpatrick, who was about setting off for Scotland; and, having +obtained a _habeas corpus_ for him, and got a tipstaff to go with me +to St. Paul's church-yard, where he lived, he, suspecting something of +this kind, set a watch to look out. My being known to them occasioned +me to use the following deception: I whitened my face, that they might +not know me, and this had its desired effect. He did not go out of his +house that night, and next morning I contrived a well plotted +stratagem notwithstanding he had a gentleman in his house to personate +him. My direction to the tipstaff, who got admittance into the house, +was to conduct him to a judge, according to the writ. When he came +there, his plea was, that he had not the body in custody, on which he +was admitted to bail. I proceeded immediately to that philanthropist, +Granville Sharp, Esq. who received me with the utmost kindness, and +gave me every instruction that was needful on the occasion. I left him +in full hope that I should gain the unhappy man his liberty, with the +warmest sense of gratitude towards Mr. Sharp for his kindness; but, +alas! my attorney proved unfaithful; he took my money, lost me many +months employ, and did not do the least good in the cause: and when +the poor man arrived at St. Kitts, he was, according to custom, staked +to the ground with four pins through a cord, two on his wrists, and +two on his ancles, was cut and flogged most unmercifully, and +afterwards loaded cruelly with irons about his neck. I had two very +moving letters from him, while he was in this situation; and also was +told of it by some very respectable families now in London, who saw +him in St. Kitts, in the same state in which he remained till kind +death released him out of the hands of his tyrants. During this +disagreeable business I was under strong convictions of sin, and +thought that my state was worse than any man's; my mind was +unaccountably disturbed; I often wished for death, though at the same +time convinced I was altogether unprepared for that awful summons. +Suffering much by villains in the late cause, and being much concerned +about the state of my soul, these things (but particularly the latter) +brought me very low; so that I became a burden to myself, and viewed +all things around me as emptiness and vanity, which could give no +satisfaction to a troubled conscience. I was again determined to go to +Turkey, and resolved, at that time, never more to return to England. I +engaged as steward on board a Turkeyman (the Wester Hall, Capt. +Linna); but was prevented by means of my late captain, Mr. Hughes, and +others. All this appeared to be against me, and the only comfort I +then experienced was, in reading the holy scriptures, where I saw that +'there is no new thing under the sun,' Eccles. i. 9; and what was +appointed for me I must submit to. Thus I continued to travel in much +heaviness, and frequently murmured against the Almighty, particularly +in his providential dealings; and, awful to think! I began to +blaspheme, and wished often to be any thing but a human being. In +these severe conflicts the Lord answered me by awful 'visions of the +night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed,' +Job xxxiii. 15. He was pleased, in much mercy, to give me to see, and +in some measure to understand, the great and awful scene of the +judgment-day, that 'no unclean person, no unholy thing, can enter into +the kingdom of God,' Eph. v. 5. I would then, if it had been possible, +have changed my nature with the meanest worm on the earth; and was +ready to say to the mountains and rocks 'fall on me,' Rev. vi. 16; but +all in vain. I then requested the divine Creator that he would grant +me a small space of time to repent of my follies and vile iniquities, +which I felt were grievous. The Lord, in his manifold mercies, was +pleased to grant my request, and being yet in a state of time, the +sense of God's mercies was so great on my mind when I awoke, that my +strength entirely failed me for many minutes, and I was exceedingly +weak. This was the first spiritual mercy I ever was sensible of, and +being on praying ground, as soon as I recovered a little strength, and +got out of bed and dressed myself, I invoked Heaven from my inmost +soul, and fervently begged that God would never again permit me to +blaspheme his most holy name. The Lord, who is long-suffering, and +full of compassion to such poor rebels as we are, condescended to hear +and answer. I felt that I was altogether unholy, and saw clearly what +a bad use I had made of the faculties I was endowed with; they were +given me to glorify God with; I thought, therefore, I had better want +them here, and enter into life eternal, than abuse them and be cast +into hell fire. I prayed to be directed, if there were any holier than +those with whom I was acquainted, that the Lord would point them out +to me. I appealed to the Searcher of hearts, whether I did not wish to +love him more, and serve him better. Notwithstanding all this, the +reader may easily discern, if he is a believer, that I was still in +nature's darkness. At length I hated the house in which I lodged, +because God's most holy name was blasphemed in it; then I saw the word +of God verified, viz. 'Before they call, I will answer; and while they +are yet speaking, I will hear.' + +I had a great desire to read the bible the whole day at home; but not +having a convenient place for retirement, I left the house in the day, +rather than stay amongst the wicked ones; and that day as I was +walking, it pleased God to direct me to a house where there was an old +sea-faring man, who experienced much of the love of God shed abroad in +his heart. He began to discourse with me; and, as I desired to love +the Lord, his conversation rejoiced me greatly; and indeed I had never +heard before the love of Christ to believers set forth in such a +manner, and in so clear a point of view. Here I had more questions to +put to the man than his time would permit him to answer; and in that +memorable hour there came in a dissenting minister; he joined our +discourse, and asked me some few questions; among others, where I +heard the gospel preached. I knew not what he meant by hearing the +gospel; I told him I had read the gospel: and he asked where I went to +church, or whether I went at all or not. To which I replied, 'I +attended St. James's, St. Martin's, and St. Ann's, Soho;'--'So,' said +he, 'you are a churchman.' I answered, I was. He then invited me to a +love-feast at his chapel that evening. I accepted the offer, and +thanked him; and soon after he went away, I had some further discourse +with the old Christian, added to some profitable reading, which made +me exceedingly happy. When I left him he reminded me of coming to the +feast; I assured him I would be there. Thus we parted, and I weighed +over the heavenly conversation that had passed between these two men, +which cheered my then heavy and drooping spirit more than any thing I +had met with for many months. However, I thought the time long in +going to my supposed banquet. I also wished much for the company of +these friendly men; their company pleased me much; and I thought the +gentlemen very kind, in asking me, a stranger, to a feast; but how +singular did it appear to me, to have it in a chapel! When the +wished-for hour came I went, and happily the old man was there, who +kindly seated me, as he belonged to the place. I was much astonished +to see the place filled with people, and no signs of eating and +drinking. There were many ministers in the company. At last they began +by giving out hymns, and between the singing the minister engaged in +prayer; in short, I knew not what to make of this sight, having never +seen any thing of the kind in my life before now. Some of the guests +began to speak their experience, agreeable to what I read in the +Scriptures; much was said by every speaker of the providence of God, +and his unspeakable mercies, to each of them. This I knew in a great +measure, and could most heartily join them. But when they spoke of a +future state, they seemed to be altogether certain of their calling +and election of God; and that no one could ever separate them from the +love of Christ, or pluck them out of his hands. This filled me with +utter consternation, intermingled with admiration. I was so amazed as +not to know what to think of the company; my heart was attracted and +my affections were enlarged. I wished to be as happy as them, and was +persuaded in my mind that they were different from the world 'that +lieth in wickedness,' 1 John v. 19. Their language and singing, &c. +did well harmonize; I was entirely overcome, and wished to live and +die thus. Lastly, some persons in the place produced some neat baskets +full of buns, which they distributed about; and each person +communicated with his neighbour, and sipped water out of different +mugs, which they handed about to all who were present. This kind of +Christian fellowship I had never seen, nor ever thought of seeing on +earth; it fully reminded me of what I had read in the holy scriptures, +of the primitive Christians, who loved each other and broke bread. In +partaking of it, even from house to house, this entertainment (which +lasted about four hours) ended in singing and prayer. It was the first +soul feast I ever was present at. This last twenty-four hours produced +me things, spiritual and temporal, sleeping and waking, judgment and +mercy, that I could not but admire the goodness of God, in directing +the blind, blasphemous sinner in the path that he knew not of, even +among the just; and instead of judgment he has shewed mercy, and will +hear and answer the prayers and supplications of every returning +prodigal: + + O! to grace how great a debtor + Daily I'm constrain'd to be! + +After this I was resolved to win Heaven if possible; and if I perished +I thought it should be at the feet of Jesus, in praying to him for +salvation. After having been an eye-witness to some of the happiness +which attended those who feared God, I knew not how, with any +propriety, to return to my lodgings, where the name of God was +continually profaned, at which I felt the greatest horror. I paused in +my mind for some time, not knowing what to do; whether to hire a bed +elsewhere, or go home again. At last, fearing an evil report might +arise, I went home, with a farewell to card-playing and vain jesting, +&c. I saw that time was very short, eternity long, and very near, and +I viewed those persons alone blessed who were found ready at midnight +call, or when the Judge of all, both quick and dead, cometh. + +The next day I took courage, and went to Holborn, to see my new and +worthy acquaintance, the old man, Mr. C----; he, with his wife, a +gracious woman, were at work at silk weaving; they seemed mutually +happy, and both quite glad to see me, and I more so to see them. I sat +down, and we conversed much about soul matters, &c. Their discourse +was amazingly delightful, edifying, and pleasant. I knew not at last +how to leave this agreeable pair, till time summoned me away. As I +was going they lent me a little book, entitled "The Conversion of an +Indian." It was in questions and answers. The poor man came over the +sea to London, to inquire after the Christian's God, who, (through +rich mercy) he found, and had not his journey in vain. The above book +was of great use to me, and at that time was a means of strengthening +my faith; however, in parting, they both invited me to call on them +when I pleased. This delighted me, and I took care to make all the +improvement from it I could; and so far I thanked God for such company +and desires. I prayed that the many evils I felt within might be done +away, and that I might be weaned from my former carnal acquaintances. +This was quickly heard and answered, and I was soon connected with +those whom the scripture calls the excellent of the earth. I heard the +gospel preached, and the thoughts of my heart and actions were laid +open by the preachers, and the way of salvation by Christ alone was +evidently set forth. Thus I went on happily for near two months; and I +once heard, during this period, a reverend gentleman speak of a man +who had departed this life in full assurance of his going to glory. I +was much astonished at the assertion; and did very deliberately +inquire how he could get at this knowledge. I was answered fully, +agreeable to what I read in the oracles of truth; and was told also, +that if I did not experience the new birth, and the pardon of my sins, +through the blood of Christ, before I died, I could not enter the +kingdom of heaven. I knew not what to think of this report, as I +thought I kept eight commandments out of ten; then my worthy +interpreter told me I did not do it, nor could I; and he added, that +no man ever did or could keep the commandments, without offending in +one point. I thought this sounded very strange, and puzzled me much +for many weeks; for I thought it a hard saying. I then asked my +friend, Mr. L----d, who was a clerk in a chapel, why the commandments +of God were given, if we could not be saved by them? To which he +replied, 'The law is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ,' who alone +could and did keep the commandments, and fulfilled all their +requirements for his elect people, even those to whom he had given a +living faith, and the sins of those chosen vessels _were already_ +atoned for and forgiven them whilst living; and if I did not +experience the same before my exit, the Lord would say at that great +day to me 'Go ye cursed,' &c. &c. for God would appear faithful in his +judgments to the wicked, as he would be faithful in shewing mercy to +those who were ordained to it before the world was; therefore Christ +Jesus seemed to be all in all to that man's soul. I was much wounded +at this discourse, and brought into such a dilemma as I never +expected. I asked him, if _he_ was to die that moment, whether he was +sure to enter the kingdom of God? and added, 'Do you _know_ that your +sins are forgiven you?' He answered in the affirmative. Then +confusion, anger, and discontent seized me, and I staggered much at +this sort of doctrine; it brought me to a stand, not knowing which to +believe, whether salvation by works or by faith only in Christ. I +requested him to tell me how I might know when my sins were forgiven +me. He assured me he could not, and that none but God alone could do +this. I told him it was very mysterious; but he said it was really +matter of fact, and quoted many portions of scripture immediately to +the point, to which I could make no reply. He then desired me to pray +to God to shew me these things. I answered, that I prayed to God every +day. He said, 'I perceive you are a churchman.' I answered I was. He +then entreated me to beg of God to shew me what I was, and the true +state of my soul. I thought the prayer very short and odd; so we +parted for that time. I weighed all these things well over, and could +not help thinking how it was possible for a man to know that his sins +were forgiven him in this life. I wished that God would reveal this +self same thing unto me. In a short time after this I went to +Westminster chapel; the Rev. Mr. P---- preached, from Lam. iii. 39. It +was a wonderful sermon; he clearly shewed that a living man had no +cause to complain for the punishment of his sins; he evidently +justified the Lord in all his dealings with the sons of men; he also +shewed the justice of God in the eternal punishment of the wicked and +impenitent. The discourse seemed to me like a two-edged sword cutting +all ways; it afforded me much joy, intermingled with many fears, about +my soul; and when it was ended, he gave it out that he intended, the +ensuing week, to examine all those who meant to attend the Lord's +table. Now I thought much of my good works, and at the same time was +doubtful of my being a proper object to receive the sacrament; I was +full of meditation till the day of examining. However, I went to the +chapel, and, though much distressed, I addressed the reverend +gentleman, thinking, if I was not right, he would endeavour to +convince me of it. When I conversed with him, the first thing he asked +me was, what I knew of Christ? I told him I believed in him, and had +been baptized in his name. 'Then,' said he, 'when were you brought to +the knowledge of God? and how were you convinced of sin?' I knew not +what he meant by these questions; I told him I kept eight commandments +out of ten; but that I sometimes swore on board ship, and sometimes +when on shore, and broke the sabbath. He then asked me if I could +read? I answered, 'Yes.'--'Then,' said he, 'do you not read in the +bible, he that offends in one point is guilty of all?' I said, 'Yes.' +Then he assured me, that one sin unatoned for was as sufficient to +damn a soul as one leak was to sink a ship. Here I was struck with +awe; for the minister exhorted me much, and reminded me of the +shortness of time, and the length of eternity, and that no +unregenerate soul, or any thing unclean, could enter the kingdom of +Heaven. He did not admit me as a communicant; but recommended me to +read the scriptures, and hear the word preached, not to neglect +fervent prayer to God, who has promised to hear the supplications of +those who seek him in godly sincerity; so I took my leave of him, with +many thanks, and resolved to follow his advice, so far as the Lord +would condescend to enable me. During this time I was out of employ, +nor was I likely to get a situation suitable for me, which obliged me +to go once more to sea. I engaged as steward of a ship called the +Hope, Capt. Richard Strange, bound from London to Cadiz in Spain. In a +short time after I was on board I heard the name of God much +blasphemed, and I feared greatly, lest I should catch the horrible +infection. I thought if I sinned again, after having life and death +set evidently before me, I should certainly go to hell. My mind was +uncommonly chagrined, and I murmured much at God's providential +dealings with me, and was discontented with the commandments, that I +could not be saved by what I had done; I hated all things, and wished +I had never been born; confusion seized me, and I wished to be +annihilated. One day I was standing on the very edge of the stern of +the ship, thinking to drown myself; but this scripture was instantly +impressed on my mind--'that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in +him,' 1 John iii. 15. Then I paused, and thought myself the unhappiest +man living. Again I was convinced that the Lord was better to me than +I deserved, and I was better off in the world than many. After this I +began to fear death; I fretted, mourned, and prayed, till I became a +burden to others, but more so to myself. At length I concluded to beg +my bread on shore rather than go again to sea amongst a people who +feared not God, and I entreated the captain three different times to +discharge me; he would not, but each time gave me greater and greater +encouragement to continue with him, and all on board shewed me very +great civility: notwithstanding all this I was unwilling to embark +again. At last some of my religious friends advised me, by saying it +was my lawful calling, consequently it was my duty to obey, and that +God was not confined to place, &c. &c. particularly Mr. G.S. the +governor of Tothil-fields Bridewell, who pitied my case, and read the +eleventh chapter of the Hebrews to me, with exhortations. He prayed +for me, and I believed that he prevailed on my behalf, as my burden +was then greatly removed, and I found a heartfelt resignation to the +will of God. The good man gave me a pocket Bible and Allen's Alarm to +the unconverted. We parted, and the next day I went on board again. We +sailed for Spain, and I found favour with the captain. It was the +fourth of the month of September when we sailed from London; we had a +delightful voyage to Cadiz, where we arrived the twenty-third of the +same month. The place is strong, commands a fine prospect, and is very +rich. The Spanish galloons frequent that port, and some arrived whilst +we were there. I had many opportunities of reading the scriptures. I +wrestled hard with God in fervent prayer, who had declared in his word +that he would hear the groanings and deep sighs of the poor in spirit. +I found this verified to my utter astonishment and comfort in the +following manner: + +On the morning of the 6th of October, (I pray you to attend) or all +that day, I thought that I should either see or hear something +supernatural. I had a secret impulse on my mind of something that was +to take place, which drove me continually for that time to a throne of +grace. It pleased God to enable me to wrestle with him, as Jacob did: +I prayed that if sudden death were to happen, and I perished, it might +be at Christ's feet. + +In the evening of the same day, as I was reading and meditating on the +fourth chapter of the Acts, twelfth verse, under the solemn +apprehensions of eternity, and reflecting on my past actions, I began +to think I had lived a moral life, and that I had a proper ground to +believe I had an interest in the divine favour; but still meditating +on the subject, not knowing whether salvation was to be had partly for +our own good deeds, or solely as the sovereign gift of God; in this +deep consternation the Lord was pleased to break in upon my soul with +his bright beams of heavenly light; and in an instant as it were, +removing the veil, and letting light into a dark place, I saw clearly +with the eye of faith the crucified Saviour bleeding on the cross on +mount Calvary: the scriptures became an unsealed book, I saw myself a +condemned criminal under the law, which came with its full force to my +conscience, and when 'the commandment came sin revived, and I died,' I +saw the Lord Jesus Christ in his humiliation, loaded and bearing my +reproach, sin, and shame. I then clearly perceived that by the deeds +of the law no flesh living could be justified. I was then convinced +that by the first Adam sin came, and by the second Adam (the Lord +Jesus Christ) all that are saved must be made alive. It was given me +at that time to know what it was to be born again, John iii. 5. I saw +the eighth chapter to the Romans, and the doctrines of God's decrees, +verified agreeable to his eternal, everlasting, and unchangeable +purposes. The word of God was sweet to my taste, yea sweeter than +honey and the honeycomb. Christ was revealed to my soul as the +chiefest among ten thousand. These heavenly moments were really as +life to the dead, and what John calls an earnest of the Spirit[V]. +This was indeed unspeakable, and I firmly believe undeniable by many. +Now every leading providential circumstance that happened to me, from +the day I was taken from my parents to that hour, was then in my view, +as if it had but just then occurred. I was sensible of the invisible +hand of God, which guided and protected me when in truth I knew it +not: still the Lord pursued me although I slighted and disregarded it; +this mercy melted me down. When I considered my poor wretched state I +wept, seeing what a great debtor I was to sovereign free grace. Now +the Ethiopian was willing to be saved by Jesus Christ, the sinner's +only surety, and also to rely on none other person or thing for +salvation. Self was obnoxious, and good works he had none, for it is +God that worketh in us both to will and to do. The amazing things of +that hour can never be told--it was joy in the Holy Ghost! I felt an +astonishing change; the burden of sin, the gaping jaws of hell, and +the fears of death, that weighed me down before, now lost their +horror; indeed I thought death would now be the best earthly friend I +ever had. Such were my grief and joy as I believe are seldom +experienced. I was bathed in tears, and said, What am I that God +should thus look on me the vilest of sinners? I felt a deep concern +for my mother and friends, which occasioned me to pray with fresh +ardour; and, in the abyss of thought, I viewed the unconverted people +of the world in a very awful state, being without God and without +hope. + +It pleased God to pour out on me the Spirit of prayer and the grace of +supplication, so that in loud acclamations I was enabled to praise and +glorify his most holy name. When I got out of the cabin, and told some +of the people what the Lord had done for me, alas, who could +understand me or believe my report!--None but to whom the arm of the +Lord was revealed. I became a barbarian to them in talking of the love +of Christ: his name was to me as ointment poured forth; indeed it was +sweet to my soul, but to them a rock of offence. I thought my case +singular, and every hour a day until I came to London, for I much +longed to be with some to whom I could tell of the wonders of God's +love towards me, and join in prayer to him whom my soul loved and +thirsted after. I had uncommon commotions within, such as few can tell +aught about. Now the bible was my only companion and comfort; I prized +it much, with many thanks to God that I could read it for myself, and +was not left to be tossed about or led by man's devices and notions. +The worth of a soul cannot be told.--May the Lord give the reader an +understanding in this. Whenever I looked in the bible I saw things +new, and many texts were immediately applied to me with great comfort, +for I knew that to me was the word of salvation sent. Sure I was that +the Spirit which indited the word opened my heart to receive the truth +of it as it is in Jesus--that the same Spirit enabled me to act faith +upon the promises that were so precious to me, and enabled me to +believe to the salvation of my soul. By free grace I was persuaded +that I had a part in the first resurrection, and was 'enlightened with +the light of the living,' Job xxxiii. 30. I wished for a man of God +with whom I might converse: my soul was like the chariots of Aminidab, +Canticles vi. 12. These, among others, were the precious promises that +were so powerfully applied to me: 'All things whatsoever ye shall ask +in prayer, believing, ye shall receive,' Mat. xxi. 22. 'Peace I leave +with you, my peace I give unto you,' John xiv. 27. I saw the blessed +Redeemer to be the fountain of life, and the well of salvation. I +experienced him all in all; he had brought me by a way that I knew +not, and he had made crooked paths straight. Then in his name I set up +my Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto he hath helped me: and could say to the +sinners about me, Behold what a Saviour I have! Thus I was, by the +teaching of that all-glorious Deity, the great One in Three, and Three +in One, confirmed in the truths of the bible, those oracles of +everlasting truth, on which every soul living must stand or fall +eternally, agreeable to Acts iv. 12. 'Neither is there salvation in +any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men +whereby we must be saved, but only Christ Jesus.' May God give the +reader a right understanding in these facts! To him that believeth all +things are possible, but to them that are unbelieving nothing is pure, +Titus i. 15. During this period we remained at Cadiz until our ship +got laden. We sailed about the fourth of November; and, having a good +passage, we arrived in London the month following, to my comfort, with +heartfelt gratitude to God for his rich and unspeakable mercies. On my +return I had but one text which puzzled me, or that the devil +endeavoured to buffet me with, viz. Rom. xi. 6. and, as I had heard of +the Reverend Mr. Romaine, and his great knowledge in the scriptures, I +wished much to hear him preach. One day I went to Blackfriars church, +and, to my great satisfaction and surprise, he preached from that very +text. He very clearly shewed the difference between human works and +free election, which is according to God's sovereign will and +pleasure. These glad tidings set me entirely at liberty, and I went +out of the church rejoicing, seeing my spots were those of God's +children. I went to Westminster Chapel, and saw some of my old +friends, who were glad when they perceived the wonderful change that +the Lord had wrought in me, particularly Mr. G---- S----, my worthy +acquaintance, who was a man of a choice spirit, and had great zeal for +the Lord's service. I enjoyed his correspondence till he died in the +year 1784. I was again examined at that same chapel, and was received +into church fellowship amongst them: I rejoiced in spirit, making +melody in my heart to the God of all my mercies. Now my whole wish was +to be dissolved, and to be with Christ--but, alas! I must wait mine +appointed time. + + * * * * * + +MISCELLANEOUS VERSES, + +or + + Reflections on the State of my mind during my first + Convictions; of the Necessity of believing the Truth, and + experiencing the inestimable Benefits of Christianity. + + + Well may I say my life has been + One scene of sorrow and of pain; + From early days I griefs have known, + And as I grew my griefs have grown: + + Dangers were always in my path; + And fear of wrath, and sometimes death; + While pale dejection in me reign'd + I often wept, by grief constrain'd. + + When taken from my native land, + By an unjust and cruel band, + How did uncommon dread prevail! + My sighs no more I could conceal. + + 'To ease my mind I often strove, + And tried my trouble to remove: + I sung, and utter'd sighs between-- + Assay'd to stifle guilt with sin. + + 'But O! not all that I could do + Would stop the current of my woe; + Conviction still my vileness shew'd; + How great my guilt--how lost from God! + + 'Prevented, that I could not die, + Nor might to one kind refuge fly; + An orphan state I had to mourn,-- + Forsook by all, and left forlorn.' + + Those who beheld my downcast mien + Could not guess at my woes unseen: + They by appearance could not know + The troubles that I waded through. + + 'Lust, anger, blasphemy, and pride, + With legions of such ills beside, + Troubled my thoughts,' while doubts and fears + Clouded and darken'd most my years. + + 'Sighs now no more would be confin'd-- + They breath'd the trouble of my mind: + I wish'd for death, but check'd the word, + And often pray'd unto the Lord.' + + Unhappy, more than some on earth, + I thought the place that gave me birth-- + Strange thoughts oppress'd--while I replied + "Why not in Ethiopia died?" + + And why thus spared, nigh to hell?-- + God only knew--I could not tell! + 'A tott'ring fence, a bowing wall + thought myself ere since the fall.' + + 'Oft times I mused, nigh despair, + While birds melodious fill'd the air: + Thrice happy songsters, ever free, + How bless'd were they compar'd to me!' + + Thus all things added to my pain, + While grief compell'd me to complain; + When sable clouds began to rise + My mind grew darker than the skies. + + The English nation call'd to leave, + How did my breast with sorrows heave! + I long'd for rest--cried "Help me, Lord! + Some mitigation, Lord, afford!" + + Yet on, dejected, still I went-- + Heart-throbbing woes within were pent; + Nor land, nor sea, could comfort give, + Nothing my anxious mind relieve. + + Weary with travail, yet unknown + To all but God and self alone, + Numerous months for peace I strove, + And numerous foes I had to prove. + + Inur'd to dangers, griefs, and woes, + Train'd up 'midst perils, deaths, and foes, + I said "Must it thus ever be?-- + No quiet is permitted me." + + Hard hap, and more than heavy lot! + I pray'd to God "Forget me not-- + What thou ordain'st willing I'll bear; + But O! deliver from despair!" + + Strivings and wrestlings seem'd in vain; + Nothing I did could ease my pain: + Then gave I up my works and will, + Confess'd and own'd my doom was hell! + + Like some poor pris'ner at the bar, + Conscious of guilt, of sin and fear, + Arraign'd, and self-condemned, I stood-- + 'Lost in the world, and in my blood!' + + Yet here, 'midst blackest clouds confin'd, + A beam from Christ, the day-star, shin'd; + Surely, thought I, if Jesus please, + He can at once sign my release. + + I, ignorant of his righteousness, + Set up my labours in its place; + 'Forgot for why his blood was shed, + And pray'd and fasted in its stead.' + + He dy'd for sinners--I am one! + Might not his blood for me atone? + Tho' I am nothing else but sin, + Yet surely he can make me clean! + + Thus light came in, and I believ'd; + Myself forgot, and help receiv'd! + My Saviour then I know I found, + For, eas'd from guilt, no more I groan'd. + + O, happy hour, in which I ceas'd + To mourn, for then I found a rest! + My soul and Christ were now as one-- + Thy light, O Jesus, in me shone! + + Bless'd be thy name, for now I know + I and my works can nothing do; + "The Lord alone can ransom man-- + For this the spotless Lamb was slain!" + + When sacrifices, works, and pray'r, + Prov'd vain, and ineffectual were, + "Lo, then I come!" the Saviour cry'd, + And, bleeding, bow'd his head and dy'd! + + He dy'd for all who ever saw + No help in them, nor by the law:-- + I this have seen; and gladly own + "Salvation is by Christ alone[W]!" + +FOOTNOTES: + +[Footnote V: John xvi. 13, 14. &c.] + +[Footnote W: Acts iv. 12.] + + + + +CHAP. XI. + + _The author embarks on board a ship bound for Cadiz--Is near + being shipwrecked--Goes to Malaga--Remarkable fine cathedral + there--The author disputes with a popish priest--Picking up + eleven miserable men at sea in returning to England--Engages + again with Doctor Irving to accompany him to Jamaica and the + Mosquito Shore--Meets with an Indian prince on board--The + author attempts to instruct him in the truths of the + Gospel--Frustrated by the bad example of some in the + ship--They arrive on the Mosquito Shore with some slaves + they purchased at Jamaica, and begin to cultivate a + plantation--Some account of the manners and customs of the + Mosquito Indians--Successful device of the author's to quell + a riot among them--Curious entertainment given by them to + Doctor Irving and the author, who leaves the shore and goes + for Jamaica--Is barbarously treated by a man with whom he + engaged for his passage--Escapes and goes to the Mosquito + admiral, who treats him kindly--He gets another vessel and + goes on board--Instances of bad treatment--Meets Doctor + Irving--Gets to Jamaica--Is cheated by his captain--Leaves + the Doctor and goes for England._ + + +When our ship was got ready for sea again, I was entreated by the +captain to go in her once more; but, as I felt myself now as happy as +I could wish to be in this life, I for some time refused; however, the +advice of my friends at last prevailed; and, in full resignation to +the will of God, I again embarked for Cadiz in March 1775. We had a +very good passage, without any material accident, until we arrived off +the Bay of Cadiz; when one Sunday, just as we were going into the +harbour, the ship struck against a rock and knocked off a garboard +plank, which is the next to the keel. In an instant all hands were in +the greatest confusion, and began with loud cries to call on God to +have mercy on them. Although I could not swim, and saw no way of +escaping death, I felt no dread in my then situation, having no desire +to live. I even rejoiced in spirit, thinking this death would be +sudden glory. But the fulness of time was not yet come. The people +near to me were much astonished in seeing me thus calm and resigned; +but I told them of the peace of God, which through sovereign grace I +enjoyed, and these words were that instant in my mind: + + "Christ is my pilot wise, my compass is his word; + My soul each storm defies, while I have such a Lord. + I trust his faithfulness and power, + To save me in the trying hour. + Though rocks and quicksands deep through all my passage lie, + Yet Christ shall safely keep and guide me with his eye. + How can I sink with such a prop, + That bears the world and all things up?" + +At this time there were many large Spanish flukers or passage-vessels +full of people crossing the channel; who seeing our condition, a +number of them came alongside of us. As many hands as could be +employed began to work; some at our three pumps, and the rest +unloading the ship as fast as possible. There being only a single rock +called the Porpus on which we struck, we soon got off it, and +providentially it was then high water, we therefore run the ship +ashore at the nearest place to keep her from sinking. After many +tides, with a great deal of care and industry, we got her repaired +again. When we had dispatched our business at Cadiz, we went to +Gibraltar, and from thence to Malaga, a very pleasant and rich city, +where there is one of the finest cathedrals I had ever seen. It had +been above fifty years in building, as I heard, though it was not then +quite finished; great part of the inside, however, was completed and +highly decorated with the richest marble columns and many superb +paintings; it was lighted occasionally by an amazing number of wax +tapers of different sizes, some of which were as thick as a man's +thigh; these, however, were only used on some of their grand +festivals. + +I was very much shocked at the custom of bull-baiting, and other +diversions which prevailed here on Sunday evenings, to the great +scandal of Christianity and morals. I used to express my abhorrence of +it to a priest whom I met with. I had frequent contests about religion +with the reverend father, in which he took great pains to make a +proselyte of me to his church; and I no less to convert him to mine. +On these occasions I used to produce my Bible, and shew him in what +points his church erred. He then said he had been in England, and that +every person there read the Bible, which was very wrong; but I +answered him that Christ desired us to search the Scriptures. In his +zeal for my conversion, he solicited me to go to one of the +universities in Spain, and declared that I should have my education +free; and told me, if I got myself made a priest, I might in time +become even pope; and that Pope Benedict was a black man. As I was +ever desirous of learning, I paused for some time upon this +temptation; and thought by being crafty I might catch some with guile; +but I began to think that it would be only hypocrisy in me to embrace +his offer, as I could not in conscience conform to the opinions of his +church. I was therefore enabled to regard the word of God, which says, +'Come out from amongst them,' and refused Father Vincent's offer. So +we parted without conviction on either side. + +Having taken at this place some fine wines, fruits, and money, we +proceeded to Cadiz, where we took about two tons more of money, &c. +and then sailed for England in the month of June. When we were about +the north latitude 42, we had contrary wind for several days, and the +ship did not make in that time above six or seven miles straight +course. This made the captain exceeding fretful and peevish: and I was +very sorry to hear God's most holy name often blasphemed by him. One +day, as he was in that impious mood, a young gentleman on board, who +was a passenger, reproached him, and said he acted wrong; for we ought +to be thankful to God for all things, as we were not in want of any +thing on board; and though the wind was contrary for us, yet it was +fair for some others, who, perhaps, stood in more need of it than we. +I immediately seconded this young gentleman with some boldness, and +said we had not the least cause to murmur, for that the Lord was +better to us than we deserved, and that he had done all things well. I +expected that the captain would be very angry with me for speaking, +but he replied not a word. However, before that time on the following +day, being the 21st of June, much to our great joy and astonishment, +we saw the providential hand of our benign Creator, whose ways with +his blind creatures are past finding out. The preceding night I +dreamed that I saw a boat immediately off the starboard main shrouds; +and exactly at half past one o'clock, the following day at noon, while +I was below, just as we had dined in the cabin, the man at the helm +cried out, A boat! which brought my dream that instant into my mind. I +was the first man that jumped on the deck; and, looking from the +shrouds onward, according to my dream, I descried a little boat at +some distance; but, as the waves were high, it was as much as we could +do sometimes to discern her; we however stopped the ship's way, and +the boat, which was extremely small, came alongside with eleven +miserable men, whom we took on board immediately. To all human +appearance, these people must have perished in the course of one hour +or less, the boat being small, it barely contained them. When we took +them up they were half drowned, and had no victuals, compass, water, +or any other necessary whatsoever, and had only one bit of an oar to +steer with, and that right before the wind; so that they were obliged +to trust entirely to the mercy of the waves. As soon as we got them +all on board, they bowed themselves on their knees, and, with hands +and voices lifted up to heaven, thanked God for their deliverance; and +I trust that my prayers were not wanting amongst them at the same +time. This mercy of the Lord quite melted me, and I recollected his +words, which I saw thus verified in the 107th Psalm 'O give thanks +unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever. Hungry +and thirsty, their souls fainted in them. They cried unto Lord in +their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. And he +led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of +habitation. O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for +his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the +longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. + +'Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death: + +'Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out +of their distresses. They that go down to the sea in ships; that do +business in great waters: these see the works of the Lord, and his +wonders in the deep. Whoso is wise and will observe these things, even +they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord.' + +The poor distressed captain said, 'that the Lord is good; for, seeing +that I am not fit to die, he therefore gave me a space of time to +repent.' I was very glad to hear this expression, and took an +opportunity when convenient of talking to him on the providence of +God. They told us they were Portuguese, and were in a brig loaded with +corn, which shifted that morning at five o'clock, owing to which the +vessel sunk that instant with two of the crew; and how these eleven +got into the boat (which was lashed to the deck) not one of them could +tell. We provided them with every necessary, and brought them all safe +to London: and I hope the Lord gave them repentance unto life eternal. + +I was happy once more amongst my friends and brethren, till November, +when my old friend, the celebrated Doctor Irving, bought a remarkable +fine sloop, about 150 tons. He had a mind for a new adventure in +cultivating a plantation at Jamaica and the Musquito Shore; asked me +to go with him, and said that he would trust me with his estate in +preference to any one. By the advice, therefore, of my friends, I +accepted of the offer, knowing that the harvest was fully ripe in +those parts, and hoped to be the instrument, under God, of bringing +some poor sinner to my well beloved master, Jesus Christ. Before I +embarked, I found with the Doctor four Musquito Indians, who were +chiefs in their own country, and were brought here by some English +traders for some selfish ends. One of them was the Musquito king's +son; a youth of about eighteen years of age; and whilst he was here he +was baptized by the name of George. They were going back at the +government's expense, after having been in England about twelve +months, during which they learned to speak pretty good English. When I +came to talk to them about eight days before we sailed, I was very +much mortified in finding that they had not frequented any churches +since they were here, to be baptized, nor was any attention paid to +their morals. I was very sorry for this mock Christianity, and had +just an opportunity to take some of them once to church before we +sailed. We embarked in the month of November 1775, on board of the +sloop Morning Star, Captain David Miller, and sailed for Jamaica. In +our passage, I took all the pains that I could to instruct the Indian +prince in the doctrines of Christianity, of which he was entirely +ignorant; and, to my great joy, he was quite attentive, and received +with gladness the truths that the Lord enabled me to set forth to him. +I taught him in the compass of eleven days all the letters, and he +could put even two or three of them together and spell them. I had +Fox's Martyrology with cuts, and he used to be very fond of looking +into it, and would ask many questions about the papal cruelties he saw +depicted there, which I explained to him. I made such progress with +this youth, especially in religion, that when I used to go to bed at +different hours of the night, if he was in his bed, he would get up on +purpose to go to prayer with me, without any other clothes than his +shirt; and before he would eat any of his meals amongst the gentlemen +in the cabin, he would first come to me to pray, as he called it. I +was well pleased at this, and took great delight in him, and used much +supplication to God for his conversion. I was in full hope of seeing +daily every appearance of that change which I could wish; not knowing +the devices of satan, who had many of his emissaries to sow his tares +as fast as I sowed the good seed, and pull down as fast as I built up. +Thus we went on nearly four fifths of our passage, when satan at last +got the upper hand. Some of his messengers, seeing this poor heathen +much advanced in piety, began to ask him whether I had converted him +to Christianity, laughed, and made their jest at him, for which I +rebuked them as much as I could; but this treatment caused the prince +to halt between two opinions. Some of the true sons of Belial, who did +not believe that there was any hereafter, told him never to fear the +devil, for there was none existing; and if ever he came to the prince, +they desired he might be sent to them. Thus they teazed the poor +innocent youth, so that he would not learn his book any more! He would +not drink nor carouse with these ungodly actors, nor would he be with +me, even at prayers. This grieved me very much. I endeavoured to +persuade him as well as I could, but he would not come; and entreated +him very much to tell me his reasons for acting thus. At last he asked +me, 'How comes it that all the white men on board who can read and +write, and observe the sun, and know all things, yet swear, lie, and +get drunk, only excepting yourself?' I answered him, the reason was, +that they did not fear God; and that if any one of them died so they +could not go to, or be happy with God. He replied, that if these +persons went to hell he would go to hell too. I was sorry to hear +this; and, as he sometimes had the toothach, and also some other +persons in the ship at the same time, I asked him if their toothach +made his easy: he said, No. Then I told him if he and these people +went to hell together, their pains would not make his any lighter. +This answer had great weight with him: it depressed his spirits much; +and he became ever after, during the passage, fond of being alone. +When we were in the latitude of Martinico, and near making the land, +one morning we had a brisk gale of wind, and, carrying too much sail, +the main-mast went over the side. Many people were then all about the +deck, and the yards, masts, and rigging, came tumbling all about us, +yet there was not one of us in the least hurt, although some were +within a hair's breadth of being killed: and, particularly, I saw two +men then, by the providential hand of God, most miraculously preserved +from being smashed to pieces. On the fifth of January we made Antigua +and Montserrat, and ran along the rest of the islands: and on the +fourteenth we arrived at Jamaica. One Sunday while we were there I +took the Musquito Prince George to church, where he saw the sacrament +administered. When we came out we saw all kinds of people, almost from +the church door for the space of half a mile down to the waterside, +buying and selling all kinds of commodities: and these acts afforded +me great matter of exhortation to this youth, who was much astonished. +Our vessel being ready to sail for the Musquito shore, I went with the +Doctor on board a Guinea-man, to purchase some slaves to carry with +us, and cultivate a plantation; and I chose them all my own +countrymen. On the twelfth of February we sailed from Jamaica, and on +the eighteenth arrived at the Musquito shore, at a place called +Dupeupy. All our Indian guests now, after I had admonished them and a +few cases of liquor given them by the Doctor, took an affectionate +leave of us, and went ashore, where they were met by the Musquito +king, and we never saw one of them afterwards. We then sailed to the +southward of the shore, to a place called Cape Gracias a Dios, where +there was a large lagoon or lake, which received the emptying of two +or three very fine large rivers, and abounded much in fish and land +tortoise. Some of the native Indians came on board of us here; and we +used them well, and told them we were come to dwell amongst them, +which they seemed pleased at. So the Doctor and I, with some others, +went with them ashore; and they took us to different places to view +the land, in order to choose a place to make a plantation of. We fixed +on a spot near a river's bank, in a rich soil; and, having got our +necessaries out of the sloop, we began to clear away the woods, and +plant different kinds of vegetables, which had a quick growth. While +we were employed in this manner, our vessel went northward to Black +River to trade. While she was there, a Spanish guarda costa met with +and took her. This proved very hurtful, and a great embarrassment to +us. However, we went on with the culture of the land. We used to make +fires every night all around us, to keep off wild beasts, which, as +soon as it was dark, set up a most hideous roaring. Our habitation +being far up in the woods, we frequently saw different kinds of +animals; but none of them ever hurt us, except poisonous snakes, the +bite of which the Doctor used to cure by giving to the patient, as +soon as possible, about half a tumbler of strong rum, with a good deal +of Cayenne pepper in it. In this manner he cured two natives and one +of his own slaves. The Indians were exceedingly fond of the Doctor, +and they had good reason for it; for I believe they never had such an +useful man amongst them. They came from all quarters to our dwelling; +and some _woolwow_, or flat-headed Indians, who lived fifty or sixty +miles above our river, and this side of the South Sea, brought us a +good deal of silver in exchange for our goods. The principal articles +we could get from our neighbouring Indians, were turtle oil, and +shells, little silk grass, and some provisions; but they would not +work at any thing for us, except fishing; and a few times they +assisted to cut some trees down, in order to build us houses; which +they did exactly like the Africans, by the joint labour of men, women, +and children. I do not recollect any of them to have had more than two +wives. These always accompanied their husbands when they came to our +dwelling; and then they generally carried whatever they brought to us, +and always squatted down behind their husbands. Whenever we gave them +any thing to eat, the men and their wives ate it separate. I never +saw the least sign of incontinence amongst them. The women are +ornamented with beads, and fond of painting themselves; the men also +paint, even to excess, both their faces and shirts: their favourite +colour is red. The women generally cultivate the ground, and the men +are all fishermen and canoe makers. Upon the whole, I never met any +nation that were so simple in their manners as these people, or had so +little ornament in their houses. Neither had they, as I ever could +learn, one word expressive of an oath. The worst word I ever heard +amongst them when they were quarreling, was one that they had got from +the English, which was, 'you rascal.' I never saw any mode of worship +among them; but in this they were not worse than their European +brethren or neighbours: for I am sorry to say that there was not one +white person in our dwelling, nor any where else that I saw in +different places I was at on the shore, that was better or more pious +than those unenlightened Indians; but they either worked or slept on +Sundays: and, to my sorrow, working was too much Sunday's employment +with ourselves; so much so, that in some length of time we really did +not know one day from another. This mode of living laid the foundation +of my decamping at last. The natives are well made and warlike; and +they particularly boast of having never been conquered by the +Spaniards. They are great drinkers of strong liquors when they can get +them. We used to distil rum from pine apples, which were very +plentiful here; and then we could not get them away from our place. +Yet they seemed to be singular, in point of honesty, above any other +nation I was ever amongst. The country being hot, we lived under an +open shed, where we had all kinds of goods, without a door or a lock +to any one article; yet we slept in safety, and never lost any thing, +or were disturbed. This surprised us a good deal; and the Doctor, +myself, and others, used to say, if we were to lie in that manner in +Europe we should have our throats cut the first night. The Indian +governor goes once in a certain time all about the province or +district, and has a number of men with him as attendants and +assistants. He settles all the differences among the people, like the +judge here, and is treated with very great respect. He took care to +give us timely notice before he came to our habitation, by sending his +stick as a token, for rum, sugar, and gunpowder, which we did not +refuse sending; and at the same time we made the utmost preparation to +receive his honour and his train. When he came with his tribe, and all +our neighbouring chieftains, we expected to find him a grave reverend +judge, solid and sagacious; but instead of that, before he and his +gang came in sight, we heard them very clamorous; and they even had +plundered some of our good neighbouring Indians, having intoxicated +themselves with our liquor. When they arrived we did not know what to +make of our new guests, and would gladly have dispensed with the +honour of their company. However, having no alternative, we feasted +them plentifully all the day till the evening; when the governor, +getting quite drunk, grew very unruly, and struck one of our most +friendly chiefs, who was our nearest neighbour, and also took his +gold-laced hat from him. At this a great commotion taken place; and +the Doctor interfered to make peace, as we could all understand one +another, but to no purpose; and at last they became so outrageous that +the Doctor, fearing he might get into trouble, left the house, and +made the best of his way to the nearest wood, leaving me to do as well +as I could among them. I was so enraged with the Governor, that I +could have wished to have seen him tied fast to a tree and flogged for +his behaviour; but I had not people enough to cope with his party. I +therefore thought of a stratagem to appease the riot. Recollecting a +passage I had read in the life of Columbus, when he was amongst the +Indians in Mexico or Peru, where, on some occasion, he frightened +them, by telling them of certain events in the heavens, I had recourse +to the same expedient; and it succeeded beyond my most sanguine +expectations. When I had formed my determination, I went in the midst +of them; and, taking hold of the Governor, I pointed up to the +heavens. I menaced him and the rest: I told them God lived there, and +that he was angry with them, and they must not quarrel so; that they +were all brothers, and if they did not leave off, and go away quietly, +I would take the book (pointing to the Bible), read, and _tell_ God to +make them dead. This was something like magic. The clamour immediately +ceased, and I gave them some rum and a few other things; after which +they went away peaceably; and the Governor afterwards gave our +neighbour, who was called Captain Plasmyah, his hat again. When the +Doctor returned, he was exceedingly glad at my success in thus getting +rid of our troublesome guests. The Musquito people within our +vicinity, out of respect to the Doctor, myself and his people, made +entertainments of the grand kind, called in their tongue _tourrie_ or +_dryckbot_. The English of this expression is, a feast of drinking +about, of which it seems a corruption of language. The drink consisted +of pine apples roasted, and casades chewed or beaten in mortars; +which, after lying some time, ferments, and becomes so strong as to +intoxicate, when drank in any quantity. We had timely notice given to +us of the entertainment. A white family, within five miles of us, told +us how the drink was made, and I and two others went before the time +to the village, where the mirth was appointed to be held; and there we +saw the whole art of making the drink, and also the kind of animals +that were to be eaten there. I cannot say the sight of either the +drink or the meat were enticing to me. They had some thousands of pine +apples roasting, which they squeezed, dirt and all, into a canoe they +had there for the purpose. The casade drink was in beef barrels and +other vessels, and looked exactly like hog-wash. Men, women, and +children, were thus employed in roasting the pine apples, and +squeezing them with their hands. For food they had many land torpins +or tortoises, some dried turtle, and three large alligators alive, and +tied fast to the trees. I asked the people what they were going to do +with these alligators; and I was told they were to be eaten. I was +much surprised at this, and went home, not a little disgusted at the +preparations. When the day of the feast was come, we took some rum +with us, and went to the appointed place, where we found a great +assemblage of these people, who received us very kindly. The mirth had +begun before we came; and they were dancing with music: and the +musical instruments were nearly the same as those of any other sable +people; but, as I thought, much less melodious than any other nation I +ever knew. They had many curious gestures in dancing, and a variety of +motions and postures of their bodies, which to me were in no wise +attracting. The males danced by themselves, and the females also by +themselves, as with us. The Doctor shewed his people the example, by +immediately joining the women's party, though not by their choice. On +perceiving the women disgusted, he joined the males. At night there +were great illuminations, by setting fire to many pine trees, while +the dryckbot went round merrily by calabashes or gourds: but the +liquor might more justly be called eating than drinking. One Owden, +the oldest father in the vicinity, was dressed in a strange and +terrifying form. Around his body were skins adorned with different +kinds of feathers, and he had on his head a very large and high +head-piece, in the form of a grenadier's cap, with prickles like a +porcupine; and he made a certain noise which resembled the cry of an +alligator. Our people skipped amongst them out of complaisance, though +some could not drink of their tourrie; but our rum met with customers +enough, and was soon gone. The alligators were killed and some of them +roasted. Their manner of roasting is by digging a hole in the earth, +and filling it with wood, which they burn to coal, and then they lay +sticks across, on which they set the meat. I had a raw piece of the +alligator in my hand: it was very rich: I thought it looked like fresh +salmon, and it had a most fragrant smell, but I could not eat any of +it. This merry-making at last ended without the least discord in any +person in the company, although it was made up of different nations +and complexions. The rainy season came on here about the latter end of +May, which continued till August very heavily; so that the rivers were +overflowed, and our provisions then in the ground were washed away. I +thought this was in some measure a judgment upon us for working on +Sundays, and it hurt my mind very much. I often wished to leave this +place and sail for Europe; for our mode of procedure and living in +this heathenish form was very irksome to me. The word of God saith, +'What does it avail a man if he gain the whole world, and lose his own +soul?' This was much and heavily impressed on my mind; and, though I +did not know how to speak to the Doctor for my discharge, it was +disagreeable for me to stay any longer. But about the middle of June I +took courage enough to ask him for it. He was very unwilling at first +to grant my request; but I gave him so many reasons for it, that at +last he consented to my going, and gave me the following certificate +of my behaviour: + + 'The bearer, Gustavus Vassa, has served me several years + with strict honesty, sobriety, and fidelity. I can, + therefore, with justice recommend him for these + qualifications; and indeed in every respect I consider him + as an excellent servant. I do hereby certify that he always + behaved well, and that he is perfectly trust-worthy. + + 'CHARLES IRVING.' + + _Musquito Shore, June 15, 1776._ + +Though I was much attached to the doctor, I was happy when he +consented. I got every thing ready for my departure, and hired some +Indians, with a large canoe, to carry me off. All my poor countrymen, +the slaves, when they heard of my leaving them, were very sorry, as I +had always treated them with care and affection, and did every thing I +could to comfort the poor creatures, and render their condition easy. +Having taken leave of my old friends and companions, on the 18th of +June, accompanied by the doctor, I left that spot of the world, and +went southward above twenty miles along the river. There I found a +sloop, the captain of which told me he was going to Jamaica. Having +agreed for my passage with him and one of the owners, who was also on +board, named Hughes, the doctor and I parted, not without shedding +tears on both sides. The vessel then sailed along the river till +night, when she stopped in a lagoon within the same river. During the +night a schooner belonging to the same owners came in, and, as she was +in want of hands, Hughes, the owner of the sloop, asked me to go in +the schooner as a sailor, and said he would give me wages. I thanked +him; but I said I wanted to go to Jamaica. He then immediately changed +his tone, and swore, and abused me very much, and asked how I came to +be freed. I told him, and said that I came into that vicinity with Dr. +Irving, whom he had seen that day. This account was of no use; he +still swore exceedingly at me, and cursed the master for a fool that +sold me my freedom, and the doctor for another in letting me go from +him. Then he desired me to go in the schooner, or else I should not go +out of the sloop as a freeman. I said this was very hard, and begged +to be put on shore again; but he swore that I should not. I said I had +been twice amongst the Turks, yet had never seen any such usage with +them, and much less could I have expected any thing of this kind +amongst Christians. This incensed him exceedingly; and, with a volley +of oaths and imprecations, he replied, 'Christians! Damn you, you are +one of St. Paul's men; but by G----, except you have St. Paul's or St. +Peter's faith, and walk upon the water to the shore, you shall not go +out of the vessel;' which I now found was going amongst the Spaniards +towards Carthagena, where he swore he would sell me. I simply asked +him what right he had to sell me? but, without another word, he made +some of his people tie ropes round each of my ancles, and also to each +wrist, and another rope round my body, and hoisted me up without +letting my feet touch or rest upon any thing. Thus I hung, without any +crime committed, and without judge or jury; merely because I was a +free man, and could not by the law get any redress from a white person +in those parts of the world. I was in great pain from my situation, +and cried and begged very hard for some mercy; but all in vain. My +tyrant, in a great rage, brought a musquet out of the cabin, and +loaded it before me and the crew, and swore that he would shoot me if +I cried any more. I had now no alternative; I therefore remained +silent, seeing not one white man on board who said a word on my +behalf. I hung in that manner from between ten and eleven o'clock at +night till about one in the morning; when, finding my cruel abuser +fast asleep, I begged some of his slaves to slack the rope that was +round my body, that my feet might rest on something. This they did at +the risk of being cruelly used by their master, who beat some of them +severely at first for not tying me when he commanded them. Whilst I +remained in this condition, till between five and six o'clock next +morning, I trust I prayed to God to forgive this blasphemer, who cared +not what he did, but when he got up out of his sleep in the morning +was of the very same temper and disposition as when he left me at +night. When they got up the anchor, and the vessel was getting under +way, I once more cried and begged to be released; and now, being +fortunately in the way of their hoisting the sails, they released me. +When I was let down, I spoke to one Mr. Cox, a carpenter, whom I knew +on board, on the impropriety of this conduct. He also knew the doctor, +and the good opinion he ever had of me. This man then went to the +captain, and told him not to carry me away in that manner; that I was +the doctor's steward, who regarded me very highly, and would resent +this usage when he should come to know it. On which he desired a young +man to put me ashore in a small canoe I brought with me. This sound +gladdened my heart, and I got hastily into the canoe and set off, +whilst my tyrant was down in the cabin; but he soon spied me out, when +I was not above thirty or forty yards from the vessel, and, running +upon the deck with a loaded musket in his hand, he presented it at me, +and swore heavily and dreadfully, that he would shoot me that instant, +if I did not come back on board. As I knew the wretch would have done +as he said, without hesitation, I put back to the vessel again; but, +as the good Lord would have it, just as I was alongside he was abusing +the captain for letting me go from the vessel; which the captain +returned, and both of them soon got into a very great heat. The young +man that was with me now got out of the canoe; the vessel was sailing +on fast with a smooth sea: and I then thought it was neck or nothing, +so at that instant I set off again, for my life, in the canoe, towards +the shore; and fortunately the confusion was so great amongst them on +board, that I got out of the reach of the musquet shot unnoticed, +while the vessel sailed on with a fair wind a different way; so that +they could not overtake me without tacking: but even before that could +be done I should have been on shore, which I soon reached, with many +thanks to God for this unexpected deliverance. I then went and told +the other owner, who lived near that shore (with whom I had agreed for +my passage) of the usage I had met with. He was very much astonished, +and appeared very sorry for it. After treating me with kindness, he +gave me some refreshment, and three heads of roasted Indian corn, for +a voyage of about eighteen miles south, to look for another vessel. He +then directed me to an Indian chief of a district, who was also the +Musquito admiral, and had once been at our dwelling; after which I set +off with the canoe across a large lagoon alone (for I could not get +any one to assist me), though I was much jaded, and had pains in my +bowels, by means of the rope I had hung by the night before. I was +therefore at different times unable to manage the canoe, for the +paddling was very laborious. However, a little before dark I got to my +destined place, where some of the Indians knew me, and received me +kindly. I asked for the admiral; and they conducted me to his +dwelling. He was glad to see me, and refreshed me with such things as +the place afforded; and I had a hammock to sleep in. They acted +towards me more like Christians than those whites I was amongst the +last night, though they had been baptized. I told the admiral I wanted +to go to the next port to get a vessel to carry me to Jamaica; and +requested him to send the canoe back which I then had, for which I was +to pay him. He agreed with me, and sent five able Indians with a large +canoe to carry my things to my intended place, about fifty miles; and +we set off the next morning. When we got out of the lagoon and went +along shore, the sea was so high that the canoe was oftentimes very +near being filled with water. We were obliged to go ashore and drag +across different necks of land; we were also two nights in the swamps, +which swarmed with musquito flies, and they proved troublesome to us. +This tiresome journey of land and water ended, however, on the third +day, to my great joy; and I got on board of a sloop commanded by one +Captain Jenning. She was then partly loaded, and he told me he was +expecting daily to sail for Jamaica; and having agreed with me to work +my passage, I went to work accordingly. I was not many days on board +before we sailed; but to my sorrow and disappointment, though used to +such tricks, we went to the southward along the Musquito shore, +instead of steering for Jamaica. I was compelled to assist in cutting +a great deal of mahogany wood on the shore as we coasted along it, and +load the vessel with it, before she sailed. This fretted me much; but, +as I did not know how to help myself among these deceivers, I thought +patience was the only remedy I had left, and even that was forced. +There was much hard work and little victuals on board, except by good +luck we happened to catch turtles. On this coast there was also a +particular kind of fish called manatee, which is most excellent +eating, and the flesh is more like beef than fish; the scales are as +large as a shilling, and the skin thicker than I ever saw that of any +other fish. Within the brackish waters along shore there were likewise +vast numbers of alligators, which made the fish scarce. I was on board +this sloop sixteen days, during which, in our coasting, we came to +another place, where there was a smaller sloop called the Indian +Queen, commanded by one John Baker. He also was an Englishman, and had +been a long time along the shore trading for turtle shells and silver, +and had got a good quantity of each on board. He wanted some hands +very much; and, understanding I was a free man, and wanted to go to +Jamaica, he told me if he could get one or two, that he would sail +immediately for that island: he also pretended to me some marks of +attention and respect, and promised to give me forty-five shillings +sterling a month if I would go with him. I thought this much better +than cutting wood for nothing. I therefore told the other captain that +I wanted to go to Jamaica in the other vessel; but he would not listen +to me: and, seeing me resolved to go in a day or two, he got the +vessel to sail, intending to carry me away against my will. This +treatment mortified me extremely. I immediately, according to an +agreement I had made with the captain of the Indian Queen, called for +her boat, which was lying near us, and it came alongside; and, by the +means of a north-pole shipmate which I met with in the sloop I was in, +I got my things into the boat, and went on board of the Indian Queen, +July the 10th. A few days after I was there, we got all things ready +and sailed: but again, to my great mortification, this vessel still +went to the south, nearly as far as Carthagena, trading along the +coast, instead of going to Jamaica, as the captain had promised me: +and, what was worst of all, he was a very cruel and bloody-minded man, +and was a horrid blasphemer. Among others he had a white pilot, one +Stoker, whom he beat often as severely as he did some negroes he had +on board. One night in particular, after he had beaten this man most +cruelly, he put him into the boat, and made two negroes row him to a +desolate key, or small island; and he loaded two pistols, and swore +bitterly that he would shoot the negroes if they brought Stoker on +board again. There was not the least doubt but that he would do as he +said, and the two poor fellows were obliged to obey the cruel mandate; +but, when the captain was asleep, the two negroes took a blanket and +carried it to the unfortunate Stoker, which I believe was the means of +saving his life from the annoyance of insects. A great deal of +entreaty was used with the captain the next day, before he would +consent to let Stoker come on board; and when the poor man was brought +on board he was very ill, from his situation during the night, and he +remained so till he was drowned a little time after. As we sailed +southward we came to many uninhabited islands, which were overgrown +with fine large cocoa nuts. As I was very much in want of provisions, +I brought a boat load of them on board, which lasted me and others for +several weeks, and afforded us many a delicious repast in our +scarcity. One day, before this, I could not help observing the +providential hand of God, that ever supplies all our wants, though in +the ways and manner we know not. I had been a whole day without food, +and made signals for boats to come off, but in vain. I therefore +earnestly prayed to God for relief in my need; and at the close of the +evening I went off the deck. Just as I laid down I heard a noise on +the deck; and, not knowing what it meant, I went directly on the the +deck again, when what should I see but a fine large fish about seven +or eight pounds, which had jumped aboard! I took it, and admired, with +thanks, the good hand of God; and, what I considered as not less +extraordinary, the captain, who was very avaricious, did not attempt +to take it from me, there being only him and I on board; for the rest +were all gone ashore trading. Sometimes the people did not come off +for some days: this used to fret the captain, and then he would vent +his fury on me by beating me, or making me feel in other cruel ways. +One day especially, in his wild, wicked, and mad career, after +striking me several times with different things, and once across my +mouth, even with a red burning stick out of the fire, he got a barrel +of gunpowder on the deck, and swore that he would blow up the vessel. +I was then at my wit's end, and earnestly prayed to God to direct me. +The head was out of the barrel; and the captain took a lighted stick +out of the fire to blow himself and me up, because there was a vessel +then in sight coming in, which he supposed was a Spaniard, and he was +afraid of falling into their hands. Seeing this I got an axe, +unnoticed by him, and placed myself between him and the powder, having +resolved in myself as soon as he attempted to put the fire in the +barrel to chop him down that instant. I was more than an hour in this +situation; during which he struck me often, still keeping the fire in +his hand for this wicked purpose. I really should have thought myself +justifiable in any other part of the world if I had killed him, and +prayed to God, who gave me a mind which rested solely on himself. I +prayed for resignation, that his will might be done; and the following +two portions of his holy word, which occurred to my mind, buoyed up my +hope, and kept me from taking the life of this wicked man. 'He hath +determined the times before appointed, and set bounds to our +habitations,' Acts xvii. 26. And, 'Who is there amongst you that +feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh +in darkness and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, +and stay upon his God,' Isaiah 1. 10. And thus by the grace of God I +was enabled to do. I found him a present help in the time of need, and +the captain's fury began to subside as the night approached: but I +found, + + "That he who cannot stem his anger's tide + Doth a wild horse without a bridle ride." + +The next morning we discovered that the vessel which had caused such a +fury in the captain was an English sloop. They soon came to an anchor +where we were, and, to my no small surprise, I learned that Doctor +Irving was on board of her on his way from the Musquito shore to +Jamaica. I was for going immediately to see this old master and +friend, but the captain would not suffer me to leave the vessel. I +then informed the doctor, by letter, how I was treated, and begged +that he would take me out of the sloop: but he informed me that it was +not in his power, as he was a passenger himself; but he sent me some +rum and sugar for my own use. I now learned that after I had left the +estate which I managed for this gentleman on the Musquito shore, +during which the slaves were well fed and comfortable, a white +overseer had supplied my place: this man, through inhumanity and +ill-judged avarice, beat and cut the poor slaves most unmercifully; +and the consequence was, that every one got into a large Puriogua +canoe, and endeavoured to escape; but not knowing where to go, or how +to manage the canoe, they were all drowned; in consequence of which +the doctor's plantation was left uncultivated, and he was now +returning to Jamaica to purchase more slaves and stock it again. On +the 14th of October the Indian Queen arrived at Kingston in Jamaica. +When we were unloaded I demanded my wages, which amounted to eight +pounds and five shillings sterling; but Captain Baker refused to give +me one farthing, although it was the hardest-earned money I ever +worked for in my life. I found out Doctor Irving upon this, and +acquainted him of the captain's knavery. He did all he could to help +me to get my money; and we went to every magistrate in Kingston (and +there were nine), but they all refused to do any thing for me, and +said my oath could not be admitted against a white man. Nor was this +all; for Baker threatened that he would beat me severely if he could +catch me for attempting to demand my money; and this he would have +done, but that I got, by means of Dr. Irving, under the protection of +Captain Douglas of the Squirrel man of war. I thought this exceedingly +hard usage; though indeed I found it to be too much the practice there +to pay free men for their labour in this manner. One day I went with a +free negroe taylor, named Joe Diamond, to one Mr. Cochran, who was +indebted to him some trifling sum; and the man, not being able to get +his money, began to murmur. The other immediately took a horse-whip to +pay him with it; but, by the help of a good pair of heels, the taylor +got off. Such oppressions as these made me seek for a vessel to get +off the island as fast as I could; and by the mercy of God I found a +ship in November bound for England, when I embarked with a convoy, +after having taken a last farewell of Doctor Irving. When I left +Jamaica he was employed in refining sugars; and some months after my +arrival in England I learned, with much sorrow, that this my amiable +friend was dead, owing to his having eaten some poisoned fish. We had +many very heavy gales of wind in our passage; in the course of which +no material incident occurred, except that an American privateer, +falling in with the fleet, was captured and set fire to by his +Majesty's ship the Squirrel. On January the seventh, 1777, we arrived +at Plymouth. I was happy once more to tread upon English ground; and, +after passing some little time at Plymouth and Exeter among some pious +friends, whom I was happy to see, I went to London with a heart +replete with thanks to God for all past mercies. + + + + +CHAP. XII. + + _Different transactions of the author's life till the + present time--His application to the late Bishop of London + to be appointed a missionary to Africa--Some account of his + share in the conduct of the late expedition to Sierra + Leona--Petition to the Queen--Conclusion._ + + +Such were the various scenes which I was a witness to, and the fortune +I experienced until the year 1777. Since that period my life has been +more uniform, and the incidents of it fewer, than in any other equal +number of years preceding; I therefore hasten to the conclusion of a +narrative, which I fear the reader may think already sufficiently +tedious. + +I had suffered so many impositions in my commercial transactions in +different parts of the world, that I became heartily disgusted with +the sea-faring life, and I was determined not to return to it, at +least for some time. I therefore once more engaged in service shortly +after my return, and continued for the most part in this situation +until 1784. + +Soon after my arrival in London, I saw a remarkable circumstance +relative to African complexion, which I thought so extraordinary, that +I beg leave just to mention it: A white negro woman, that I had +formerly seen in London and other parts, had married a white man, by +whom she had three boys, and they were every one mulattoes, and yet +they had fine light hair. In 1779 I served Governor Macnamara, who had +been a considerable time on the coast of Africa. In the time of my +service, I used to ask frequently other servants to join me in family +prayers; but this only excited their mockery. However, the Governor, +understanding that I was of a religious turn, wished to know of what +religion I was; I told him I was a protestant of the church of +England, agreeable to the thirty-nine articles of that church, and +that whomsoever I found to preach according to that doctrine, those I +would hear. A few days after this, we had some more discourse on the +same subject: the Governor spoke to me on it again, and said that he +would, if I chose, as he thought I might be of service in converting +my countrymen to the Gospel faith, get me sent out as a missionary to +Africa. I at first refused going, and told him how I had been served +on a like occasion by some white people the last voyage I went to +Jamaica, when I attempted (if it were the will of God) to be the means +of converting the Indian prince; and I said I supposed they would +serve me worse than Alexander the coppersmith did St. Paul, if I +should attempt to go amongst them in Africa. He told me not to fear, +for he would apply to the Bishop of London to get me ordained. On +these terms I consented to the Governor's proposal to go to Africa, in +hope of doing good if possible amongst my countrymen; so, in order to +have me sent out properly, we immediately wrote the following letters +to the late Bishop of London: + + _To the Right Reverend Father in God_, + ROBERT, _Lord Bishop of London_: + The MEMORIAL of Gustavus Vassa + + Sheweth, + + That your memorialist is a native of Africa, and has a + knowledge of the manners and customs of the inhabitants of + that country. + + That your memorialist has resided in different parts of + Europe for twenty-two years last past, and embraced the + Christian faith in the year 1759. + + That your memorialist is desirous of returning to Africa as + a missionary, if encouraged by your Lordship, in hopes of + being able to prevail upon his countrymen to become + Christians; and your memorialist is the more induced to + undertake the same, from the success that has attended the + like undertakings when encouraged by the Portuguese through + their different settlements on the coast of Africa, and also + by the Dutch: both governments encouraging the blacks, who, + by their education are qualified to undertake the same, and + are found more proper than European clergymen, unacquainted + with the language and customs of the country. + + Your memorialist's only motive for soliciting the office of + a missionary is, that he may be a means, under God, of + reforming his countrymen and persuading them to embrace the + Christian religion. Therefore your memorialist humbly prays + your Lordship's encouragement and support in the + undertaking. + + GUSTAVUS VASSA. + + At Mr. Guthrie's, taylor, + No. 17, Hedge-lane. + + + My Lord, + + I have resided near seven years on the coast of Africa, for + most part of the time as commanding officer. From the + knowledge I have of the country and its inhabitants, I am + inclined to think that the within plan will be attended with + great success, if countenanced by your Lordship. I beg leave + further to represent to your Lordship, that the like + attempts, when encouraged by other governments, have met + with uncommon success; and at this very time I know a very + respectable character a black priest at Cape Coast Castle. I + know the within named Gustavus Vassa, and believe him a + moral good man. + + I have the honour to be, + My Lord, + Your Lordship's + Humble and obedient servant, + MATT. MACNAMARA. + + Grove, 11th March 1779. + +This letter was also accompanied by the following from Doctor Wallace, +who had resided in Africa for many years, and whose sentiments on the +subject of an African mission were the same with Governor Macnamara's. + + _March 13, 1779_. + + My Lord, + + I have resided near five years on Senegambia on the coast of + Africa, and have had the honour of filling very considerable + employments in that province. I do approve of the within + plan, and think the undertaking very laudable and proper, + and that it deserves your Lordship's protection and + encouragement, in which case it must be attended with the + intended success. + + I am, + My Lord, + Your Lordship's + Humble and obedient servant, + THOMAS WALLACE. + +With these letters, I waited on the Bishop by the Governor's desire, +and presented them to his Lordship. He received me with much +condescension and politeness; but, from some certain scruples of +delicacy, declined to ordain me. + +My sole motive for thus dwelling on this transaction, or inserting +these papers, is the opinion which gentlemen of sense and education, +who are acquainted with Africa, entertain of the probability of +converting the inhabitants of it to the faith of Jesus Christ, if the +attempt were countenanced by the legislature. + +Shortly after this I left the Governor, and served a nobleman in the +Devonshire militia, with whom I was encamped at Coxheath for some +time; but the operations there were too minute and uninteresting to +make a detail of. + +In the year 1783 I visited eight counties in Wales, from motives of +curiosity. While I was in that part of the country I was led to go +down into a coal-pit in Shropshire, but my curiosity nearly cost me my +life; for while I was in the pit the coals fell in, and buried one +poor man, who was not far from me: upon this I got out as fast as I +could, thinking the surface of the earth the safest part of it. + +In the spring 1784 I thought of visiting old ocean again. In +consequence of this I embarked as steward on board a fine new ship +called the London, commanded by Martin Hopkin, and sailed for +New-York. I admired this city very much; it is large and well-built, +and abounds with provisions of all kinds. While we lay here a +circumstance happened which I thought extremely singular:--One day a +malefactor was to be executed on a gallows; but with a condition that +if any woman, having nothing on but her shift, married the man under +the gallows, his life was to be saved. This extraordinary privilege +was claimed; a woman presented herself; and the marriage ceremony was +performed. Our ship having got laden we returned to London in January +1785. When she was ready again for another voyage, the captain being +an agreeable man, I sailed with him from hence in the spring, March +1785, for Philadelphia. On the fifth of April we took our departure +from the Land's-end, with a pleasant gale; and about nine o'clock that +night the moon shone bright, and the sea was smooth, while our ship +was going free by the wind, at the rate of about four or five miles an +hour. At this time another ship was going nearly as fast as we on the +opposite point, meeting us right in the teeth, yet none on board +observed either ship until we struck each other forcibly head and +head, to the astonishment and consternation of both crews. She did us +much damage, but I believe we did her more; for when we passed by each +other, which we did very quickly, they called to us to bring to, and +hoist out our boat, but we had enough to do to mind ourselves; and in +about eight minutes we saw no more of her. We refitted as well as we +could the next day, and proceeded on our voyage, and in May arrived at +Philadelphia. I was very glad to see this favourite old town once +more; and my pleasure was much increased in seeing the worthy quakers +freeing and easing the burthens of many of my oppressed African +brethren. It rejoiced my heart when one of these friendly people took +me to see a free-school they had erected for every denomination of +black people, whose minds are cultivated here and forwarded to virtue; +and thus they are made useful members of the community. Does not the +success of this practice say loudly to the planters in the language of +scripture--"Go ye and do likewise?" + +In October 1785 I was accompanied by some of the Africans, and +presented this address of thanks to the gentlemen called Friends or +Quakers, in Gracechurch-Court Lombard-Street: + + Gentlemen, + + By reading your book, entitled a Caution to Great Britain + and her Colonies, concerning the Calamitous State of the + enslaved Negroes: We the poor, oppressed, needy, and + much-degraded negroes, desire to approach you with this + address of thanks, with our inmost love and warmest + acknowledgment; and with the deepest sense of your + benevolence, unwearied labour, and kind interposition, + towards breaking the yoke of slavery, and to administer a + little comfort and ease to thousands and tens of thousands + of very grievously afflicted, and too heavy burthened + negroes. + + Gentlemen, could you, by perseverance, at last be enabled, + under God, to lighten in any degree the heavy burthen of the + afflicted, no doubt it would, in some measure, be the + possible means, under God, of saving the souls of many of + the oppressors; and, if so, sure we are that the God, whose + eyes are ever upon all his creatures, and always rewards + every true act of virtue, and regards the prayers of the + oppressed, will give to you and yours those blessings which + it is not in our power to express or conceive, but which we, + as a part of those captived, oppressed, and afflicted + people, most earnestly wish and pray for. + +These gentlemen received us very kindly, with a promise to exert +themselves on behalf of the oppressed Africans, and we parted. + +While in town I chanced once to be invited to a quaker's wedding. The +simple and yet expressive mode used at their solemnizations is worthy +of note. The following is the true form of it: + +After the company have met they have seasonable exhortations by +several of the members; the bride and bridegroom stand up, and, taking +each other by the hand in a solemn manner, the man audily declares to +this purpose: + +"Friends, in the fear of the Lord, and in the presence of this +assembly, whom I desire to be my witnesses, I take this my friend, +M.N. to be my wife; promising, through divine assistance, to be unto +her a loving and faithful husband till death separate us:" and the +woman makes the like declaration. Then the two first sign their names +to the record, and as many more witnesses as have a mind. I had the +honour to subscribe mine to a register in Gracechurch-Court, +Lombard-Street. + +We returned to London in August; and our ship not going immediately to +sea, I shipped as a steward in an American ship called the Harmony, +Captain John Willet, and left London in March 1786, bound to +Philadelphia. Eleven days after sailing we carried our foremast away. +We had a nine weeks passage, which caused our trip not to succeed +well, the market for our goods proving bad; and, to make it worse, my +commander began to play me the like tricks as others too often +practise on free negroes in the West Indies. But I thank God I found +many friends here, who in some measure prevented him. On my return to +London in August I was very agreeably surprised to find that the +benevolence of government had adopted the plan of some philanthropic +individuals to send the Africans from hence to their native quarter; +and that some vessels were then engaged to carry them to Sierra Leone; +an act which redounded to the honour of all concerned in its +promotion, and filled me with prayers and much rejoicing. There was +then in the city a select committee of gentlemen for the black poor, +to some of whom I had the honour of being known; and, as soon as they +heard of my arrival they sent for me to the committee. When I came +there they informed me of the intention of government; and as they +seemed to think me qualified to superintend part of the undertaking, +they asked me to go with the black poor to Africa. I pointed out to +them many objections to my going; and particularly I expressed some +difficulties on the account of the slave dealers, as I would certainly +oppose their traffic in the human species by every means in my power. +However these objections were over-ruled by the gentlemen of the +committee, who prevailed on me to go, and recommended me to the +honourable Commissioners of his Majesty's Navy as a proper person to +act as commissary for government in the intended expedition; and they +accordingly appointed me in November 1786 to that office, and gave me +sufficient power to act for the government in the capacity of +commissary, having received my warrant and the following order. + + _By the principal Officers and Commissioners of + his Majesty's Navy_. + + Whereas you were directed, by our warrant of the 4th of last + month, to receive into your charge from Mr. Irving the + surplus provisions remaining of what was provided for the + voyage, as well as the provisions for the support of the + black poor, after the landing at Sierra Leone, with the + cloathing, tools, and all other articles provided at + government's expense; and as the provisions were laid in at + the rate of two months for the voyage, and for four months + after the landing, but the number embarked being so much + less than was expected, whereby there may be a considerable + surplus of provisions, cloathing, &c. These are, in addition + to former orders, to direct and require you to appropriate + or dispose of such surplus to the best advantage you can for + the benefit of government, keeping and rendering to us a + faithful account of what you do herein. And for your + guidance in preventing any white persons going, who are not + intended to have the indulgences of being carried thither, + we send you herewith a list of those recommended by the + Committee for the black poor as proper persons to be + permitted to embark, and acquaint you that you are not to + suffer any others to go who do not produce a certificate + from the committee for the black poor, of their having their + permission for it. For which this shall be your warrant. + Dated at the Navy Office, January 16, 1787. + + J. HINSLOW, + GEO. MARSH, + W. PALMER. + + To Mr. Gustavus Vassa, + Commissary of Provisions and + Stores for the Black Poor + going to Sierra Leone. + +I proceeded immediately to the execution of my duty on board the +vessels destined for the voyage, where I continued till the March +following. + +During my continuance in the employment of government, I was struck +with the flagrant abuses committed by the agent, and endeavoured to +remedy them, but without effect. One instance, among many which I +could produce, may serve as a specimen. Government had ordered to be +provided all necessaries (slops, as they are called, included) for 750 +persons; however, not being able to muster more than 426, I was +ordered to send the superfluous slops, &c. to the king's stores at +Portsmouth; but, when I demanded them for that purpose from the agent, +it appeared they had never been bought, though paid for by government. +But that was not all, government were not the only objects of +peculation; these poor people suffered infinitely more; their +accommodations were most wretched; many of them wanted beds, and many +more cloathing and other necessaries. For the truth of this, and much +more, I do not seek credit from my own assertion. I appeal to the +testimony of Capt. Thompson, of the Nautilus, who convoyed us, to whom +I applied in February 1787 for a remedy, when I had remonstrated to +the agent in vain, and even brought him to be a witness of the +injustice and oppression I complained of. I appeal also to a letter +written by these wretched people, so early as the beginning of the +preceding January, and published in the Morning Herald of the 4th of +that month, signed by twenty of their chiefs. + +I could not silently suffer government to be thus cheated, and my +countrymen plundered and oppressed, and even left destitute of the +necessaries for almost their existence. I therefore informed the +Commissioners of the Navy of the agent's proceeding; but my dismission +was soon after procured, by means of a gentleman in the city, whom the +agent, conscious of his peculation, had deceived by letter, and whom, +moreover, empowered the same agent to receive on board, at the +government expense, a number of persons as passengers, contrary to the +orders I received. By this I suffered a considerable loss in my +property: however, the commissioners were satisfied with my conduct, +and wrote to Capt. Thompson, expressing their approbation of it. + +Thus provided, they proceeded on their voyage; and at last, worn out +by treatment, perhaps not the most mild, and wasted by sickness, +brought on by want of medicine, cloaths, bedding, &c. they reached +Sierra Leone just at the commencement of the rains. At that season of +the year it is impossible to cultivate the lands; their provisions +therefore were exhausted before they could derive any benefit from +agriculture; and it is not surprising that many, especially the +lascars, whose constitutions are very tender, and who had been cooped +up in ships from October to June, and accommodated in the manner I +have mentioned, should be so wasted by their confinement as not long +to survive it. + +Thus ended my part of the long-talked-of expedition to Sierra Leone; +an expedition which, however unfortunate in the event, was humane and +politic in its design, nor was its failure owing to government: every +thing was done on their part; but there was evidently sufficient +mismanagement attending the conduct and execution of it to defeat its +success. + +I should not have been so ample in my account of this transaction, had +not the share I bore in it been made the subject of partial +animadversion, and even my dismission from my employment thought +worthy of being made by some a matter of public triumph[X]. The +motives which might influence any person to descend to a petty contest +with an obscure African, and to seek gratification by his depression, +perhaps it is not proper here to inquire into or relate, even if its +detection were necessary to my vindication; but I thank Heaven it is +not. I wish to stand by my own integrity, and not to shelter myself +under the impropriety of another; and I trust the behaviour of the +Commissioners of the Navy to me entitle me to make this assertion; for +after I had been dismissed, March 24, I drew up a memorial thus: + + + _To the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of + his Majesty's Treasury: + The Memorial and Petition of_ Gustavus Vassa _a black Man, + late Commissary to the black Poor going to_ Africa. + + HUMBLY SHEWETH, + + That your Lordships' memorialist was, by the Honourable the + Commissioners of his Majesty's Navy, on the 4th of December + last, appointed to the above employment by warrant from that + board; + + That he accordingly proceeded to the execution of his duty + on board of the Vernon, being one of the ships appointed to + proceed to Africa with the above poor; + + That your memorialist, to his great grief and astonishment, + received a letter of dismission from the Honourable + Commissioners of the Navy, by your Lordships' orders; + + That, conscious of having acted with the most perfect + fidelity and the greatest assiduity in discharging the trust + reposed in him, he is altogether at a loss to conceive the + reasons of your Lordships' having altered the favourable + opinion you were pleased to conceive of him, sensible that + your Lordships would not proceed to so severe a measure + without some apparent good cause; he therefore has every + reason to believe that his conduct has been grossly + misrepresented to your Lordships; and he is the more + confirmed in his opinion, because, by opposing measures of + others concerned in the same expedition, which tended to + defeat your Lordships' humane intentions, and to put the + government to a very considerable additional expense, he + created a number of enemies, whose misrepresentations, he + has too much reason to believe, laid the foundation of his + dismission. Unsupported by friends, and unaided by the + advantages of a liberal education, he can only hope for + redress from the justice of his cause, in addition to the + mortification of having been removed from his employment, + and the advantage which he reasonably might have expected to + have derived therefrom. He has had the misfortune to have + sunk a considerable part of his little property in fitting + himself out, and in other expenses arising out of his + situation, an account of which he here annexes. Your + memorialist will not trouble your Lordships with a + vindication of any part of his conduct, because he knows not + of what crimes he is accused; he, however, earnestly + entreats that you will be pleased to direct an inquiry into + his behaviour during the time he acted in the public + service; and, if it be found that his dismission arose from + false representations, he is confident that in your + Lordships' justice he shall find redress. + + Your petitioner therefore humbly prays that your Lordships + will take his case into consideration, and that you will be + pleased to order payment of the above referred-to account, + amounting to 32l. 4s. and also the wages intended, which is + most humbly submitted. + + _London, May 12, 1787._ + +The above petition was delivered into the hands of their Lordships, +who were kind enough, in the space of some few months afterwards, +without hearing, to order me 50l. sterling--that is, 18l. wages for +the time (upwards of four months) I acted a faithful part in their +service. Certainly the sum is more than a free negro would have had in +the western colonies!!! + + * * * * * + +March the 21st, 1788, I had the honour of presenting the Queen with a +petition on behalf of my African brethren, which was received most +graciously by her Majesty[Y]: + + _To the_ QUEEN's _most Excellent Majesty_. + + Madam, + + Your Majesty's well known benevolence and humanity emboldens + me to approach your royal presence, trusting that the + obscurity of my situation will not prevent your Majesty from + attending to the sufferings for which I plead. + + Yet I do not solicit your royal pity for my own distress; my + sufferings, although numerous, are in a measure forgotten. I + supplicate your Majesty's compassion for millions of my + African countrymen, who groan under the lash of tyranny in + the West Indies. + + The oppression and cruelty exercised to the unhappy negroes + there, have at length reached the British legislature, and + they are now deliberating on its redress; even several + persons of property in slaves in the West Indies, have + petitioned parliament against its continuance, sensible that + it is as impolitic as it is unjust--and what is inhuman must + ever be unwise. + + Your Majesty's reign has been hitherto distinguished by + private acts of benevolence and bounty; surely the more + extended the misery is, the greater claim it has to your + Majesty's compassion, and the greater must be your Majesty's + pleasure in administering to its relief. + + I presume, therefore, gracious Queen, to implore your + interposition with your royal consort, in favour of the + wretched Africans; that, by your Majesty's benevolent + influence, a period may now be put to their misery; and that + they may be raised from the condition of brutes, to which + they are at present degraded, to the rights and situation of + freemen, and admitted to partake of the blessings of your + Majesty's happy government; so shall your Majesty enjoy the + heartfelt pleasure of procuring happiness to millions, and + be rewarded in the grateful prayers of themselves, and of + their posterity. + + And may the all-bountiful Creator shower on your Majesty, + and the Royal Family, every blessing that this world can + afford, and every fulness of joy which divine revelation has + promised us in the next. + + I am your Majesty's most dutiful and devoted servant to + command, + + Gustavus Vassa, + The Oppressed Ethiopean. + + No. 53, Baldwin's Gardens. + + * * * * * + +The negro consolidated act, made by the assembly of Jamaica last year, +and the new act of amendment now in agitation there, contain a proof +of the existence of those charges that have been made against the +planters relative to the treatment of their slaves. + +I hope to have the satisfaction of seeing the renovation of liberty +and justice resting on the British government, to vindicate the honour +of our common nature. These are concerns which do not perhaps belong +to any particular office: but, to speak more seriously to every man of +sentiment, actions like these are the just and sure foundation of +future fame; a reversion, though remote, is coveted by some noble +minds as a substantial good. It is upon these grounds that I hope and +expect the attention of gentlemen in power. These are designs +consonant to the elevation of their rank, and the dignity of their +stations: they are ends suitable to the nature of a free and generous +government; and, connected with views of empire and dominion, suited +to the benevolence and solid merit of the legislature. It is a pursuit +of substantial greatness.--May the time come--at least the speculation +to me is pleasing--when the sable people shall gratefully commemorate +the auspicious æra of extensive freedom. Then shall those persons[Z] +particularly be named with praise and honour, who generously proposed +and stood forth in the cause of humanity, liberty, and good policy; +and brought to the ear of the legislature designs worthy of royal +patronage and adoption. May Heaven make the British senators the +dispersers of light, liberty, and science, to the uttermost parts of +the earth: then will be glory to God on the highest, on earth peace, +and goodwill to men:--Glory, honour, peace, &c. to every soul of man +that worketh good, to the Britons first, (because to them the Gospel +is preached) and also to the nations. 'Those that honour their Maker +have mercy on the poor.' 'It is righteousness exalteth a nation; but +sin is a reproach to any people; destruction shall be to the workers +of iniquity, and the wicked shall fall by their own wickedness.' May +the blessings of the Lord be upon the heads of all those who +commiserated the cases of the oppressed negroes, and the fear of God +prolong their days; and may their expectations be filled with +gladness! 'The liberal devise liberal things, and by liberal things +shall stand,' Isaiah xxxii. 8. They can say with pious Job, 'Did not I +weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the +poor?' Job xxx. 25. + +As the inhuman traffic of slavery is to be taken into the +consideration of the British legislature, I doubt not, if a system of +commerce was established in Africa, the demand for manufactures would +most rapidly augment, as the native inhabitants will insensibly adopt +the British fashions, manners, customs, &c. In proportion to the +civilization, so will be the consumption of British manufactures. + +The wear and tear of a continent, nearly twice as large as Europe, and +rich in vegetable and mineral productions, is much easier conceived +than calculated. + +A case in point.--It cost the Aborigines of Britain little or nothing +in clothing, &c. The difference between their forefathers and the +present generation, in point of consumption, is literally infinite. +The supposition is most obvious. It will be equally immense in +Africa--The same cause, viz. civilization, will ever have the same +effect. + +It is trading upon safe grounds. A commercial intercourse with Africa +opens an inexhaustible source of wealth to the manufacturing interests +of Great Britain, and to all which the slave trade is an objection. + +If I am not misinformed, the manufacturing interest is equal, if not +superior, to the landed interest, as to the value, for reasons which +will soon appear. The abolition of slavery, so diabolical, will give a +most rapid extension of manufactures, which is totally and +diametrically opposite to what some interested people assert. + +The manufacturers of this country must and will, in the nature and +reason of things, have a full and constant employ by supplying the +African markets. + +Population, the bowels and surface of Africa, abound in valuable and +useful returns; the hidden treasures of centuries will be brought to +light and into circulation. Industry, enterprize, and mining, will +have their full scope, proportionably as they civilize. In a word, it +lays open an endless field of commerce to the British manufactures and +merchant adventurer. The manufacturing interest and the general +interests are synonymous. The abolition of slavery would be in reality +an universal good. + +Tortures, murder, and every other imaginable barbarity and iniquity, +are practised upon the poor slaves with impunity. I hope the slave +trade will be abolished. I pray it may be an event at hand. The great +body of manufacturers, uniting in the cause, will considerably +facilitate and expedite it; and, as I have already stated, it is most +substantially their interest and advantage, and as such the nation's +at large, (except those persons concerned in the manufacturing +neck-yokes, collars, chains, hand-cuffs, leg-bolts, drags, +thumb-screws, iron muzzles, and coffins; cats, scourges, and other +instruments of torture used in the slave trade). In a short time one +sentiment alone will prevail, from motives of interest as well as +justice and humanity. Europe contains one hundred and twenty millions +of inhabitants. Query--How many millions doth Africa contain? +Supposing the Africans, collectively and individually, to expend 5l. a +head in raiment and furniture yearly when civilized, &c. an immensity +beyond the reach of imagination! + +This I conceive to be a theory founded upon facts, and therefore an +infallible one. If the blacks were permitted to remain in their own +country, they would double themselves every fifteen years. In +proportion to such increase will be the demand for manufactures. +Cotton and indigo grow spontaneously in most parts of Africa; a +consideration this of no small consequence to the manufacturing towns +of Great Britain. It opens a most immense, glorious, and happy +prospect--the clothing, &c. of a continent ten thousand miles in +circumference, and immensely rich in productions of every denomination +in return for manufactures. + +I have only therefore to request the reader's indulgence and conclude. +I am far from the vanity of thinking there is any merit in this +narrative: I hope censure will be suspended, when it is considered +that it was written by one who was as unwilling as unable to adorn the +plainness of truth by the colouring of imagination. My life and +fortune have been extremely chequered, and my adventures various. Even +those I have related are considerably abridged. If any incident in +this little work should appear uninteresting and trifling to most +readers, I can only say, as my excuse for mentioning it, that almost +every event of my life made an impression on my mind and influenced my +conduct. I early accustomed myself to look for the hand of God in the +minutest occurrence, and to learn from it a lesson of morality and +religion; and in this light every circumstance I have related was to +me of importance. After all, what makes any event important, unless by +its observation we become better and wiser, and learn 'to do justly, +to love mercy, and to walk humbly before God?' To those who are +possessed of this spirit, there is scarcely any book or incident so +trifling that does not afford some profit, while to others the +experience of ages seems of no use; and even to pour out to them the +treasures of wisdom is throwing the jewels of instruction away. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[Footnote X: See the Public Advertiser, July 14, 1787.] + +[Footnote Y: At the request of some of my most particular friends, I +take the liberty of inserting it here.] + +[Footnote Z: Grenville Sharp, Esq; the Reverend Thomas Clarkson; the +Reverend James Ramsay; our approved friends, men of virtue, are an +honour to their country, ornamental to human nature, happy in +themselves, and benefactors to mankind!] + + +THE END. + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 15399 *** diff --git a/15399-h/15399-h.htm b/15399-h/15399-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a9a4f95 --- /dev/null +++ b/15399-h/15399-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,7848 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=utf-8" /> + <title> + The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, The African | Project Gutenberg + </title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + + .linenum {position: absolute; top: auto; left: 4%;} /* poetry number */ + .blockquot{margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 10%;} + + p.citation { /* author citation at end of blockquote or poem */ + text-align: right; + } + p.quotdate { /* date of a letter aligned right */ + text-align: right; + } + + .pagenum {position: absolute; left: 92%; font-size: smaller; text-align: right;} /* page numbers */ + .sidenote {width: 20%; padding-bottom: .5em; padding-top: .5em; + padding-left: .5em; padding-right: .5em; margin-left: 1em; + float: right; clear: right; margin-top: 1em; + font-size: smaller; background: #eeeeee; border: dashed 1px;} + + .bb {border-bottom: solid 2px;} + .bl {border-left: solid 2px;} + .bt {border-top: solid 2px;} + .br {border-right: solid 2px;} + .bbox {border: solid 2px;} + + .center {text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + .u {text-decoration: underline;} + + .caption {font-weight: bold;} + + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + + .figleft {float: left; clear: left; margin-left: 0; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: + 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 0; text-align: center;} + + .figright {float: right; clear: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; + margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0; padding: 0; text-align: center;} + + .footnotes {border: dashed 1px;} + .footnote {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-size: 0.9em;} + .footnote .label {position: absolute; right: 84%; text-align: right;} + .fnanchor {vertical-align: super; font-size: .8em; text-decoration: none;} + + .poem {margin-left:10%; margin-right:10%; text-align: left;} + .poem br {display: none;} + .poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} + .poem span {display: block; margin: 0; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + .poem span.i2 {display: block; margin-left: 2em;} + .poem span.i4 {display: block; margin-left: 4em;} + +/* The tocright class is used to right-align page numbers in a TOC + * (not to be confused with linenum, used for poetry line#s). + */ + ul.TOC { /* styling the Table of Contents */ + list-style-type: none; /* a list with no symbol */ + position: relative; /* makes a "container" for span.tocright */ + margin-right: 10%; /* pulls the page#s in a skosh */ + } + ul.TOCSub { /* sub-entries in the TOC */ + list-style-type: none; + position: relative; /* makes a "container" for span.tocright */ + margin-right: 10%; /* pulls these page#s in even more*/ + } + span.tocright { /* use absolute positioning to move page# right */ + position: absolute; right: 10%; + } + + + --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> + </head> +<body> +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 15399 ***</div> + +<h3>THE</h3> + +<h2>INTERESTING NARRATIVE</h2> + +<h4>OF</h4> + +<h1>THE LIFE</h1> + +<h4>OF</h4> + +<h1>OLAUDAH EQUIANO,</h1> + +<h4>OR</h4> + +<h2>GUSTAVUS VASSA,</h2> + +<h4>THE AFRICAN.</h4> + +<h3><i>WRITTEN BY HIMSELF.</i><br /><br /><br /></h3> + + + +<p class="center"> +<i>Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be<br /> +afraid, for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my<br /> +song; he also is become my salvation.<br /> +And in that shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his<br /> +name, declare his doings among the people. Isaiah xii. 2, 4.</i><br /><br /><br /><br /> +</p> + + +<p class="center"> +LONDON:<br /> +Printed for and sold by the Author, No. 10, Union-Street,<br /> +Middlesex Hospital</p> + + +<div class="blockquot"> +<p><small>Sold also by Mr. Johnson, St. Paul's Church-Yard; Mr. + Murray, Fleet-Street; Messrs. Robson and Clark, Bond-Street; + Mr. Davis, opposite Gray's Inn, Holborn; Messrs. Shepperson + and Reynolds, and Mr. Jackson, Oxford Street; Mr. + Lackington, Chiswell-Street; Mr. Mathews, Strand; Mr. + Murray, Prince's-Street, Soho; Mess. Taylor and Co. South + Arch, Royal Exchange; Mr. Button, Newington-Causeway; Mr. + Parsons, Paternoster-Row; and may be had of all the + Booksellers in Town and Country.</small></p></div> + +<p class="center">[Entered at Stationer's Hall.]</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 455px;"> +<img src="images/001.png" alt="Olaudah_Equiano_or_GUSTAVUS_VASSA_the_African" title="Olaudah Equiano or GUSTAVUS VASSA the African" /> +</div> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<div class="blockquot"><p class="smcap"><big>To the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and<br /> +the Commons of the Parliament<br /> +of Great Britain.</big></p> + + +<p><i>My Lords and Gentlemen</i>,</p> + +<p>Permit me, with the greatest deference and respect, to lay at your +feet the following genuine Narrative; the chief design of which is to +excite in your august assemblies a sense of compassion for the +miseries which the Slave-Trade has entailed on my unfortunate +countrymen. By the horrors of that trade was I first torn away from +all the tender connexions that were naturally dear to my heart; but +these, through the mysterious ways of Providence, I ought to regard as +infinitely more than compensated by the introduction I have thence +obtained to the knowledge of the Christian religion, and of a nation +which, by its liberal sentiments, its humanity, the glorious freedom +of its government, and its proficiency in arts and sciences, has +exalted the dignity of human nature.</p> + +<p>I am sensible I ought to entreat your pardon for addressing to you a +work so wholly devoid of literary merit; but, as the production of an +unlettered African, who is actuated by the hope of becoming an +instrument towards the relief of his suffering countrymen, I trust +that <i>such a man</i>, pleading in <i>such a cause</i>, will be acquitted of +boldness and presumption.</p> + +<p>May the God of heaven inspire your hearts with peculiar benevolence on +that important day when the question of Abolition is to be discussed, +when thousands, in consequence of your Determination, are to look for +Happiness or Misery!</p> + +<p class="citation"> +I am, <br /> +<span class="smcap">My Lords and Gentlemen,</span> <br /> +Your most obedient, <br /> +And devoted humble servant, <br /> +<span class="smcap">Olaudah Equiano,</span><br /> +<span class="smcap">or</span> <br /> +<span class="smcap">Gustavus Vassa.</span><br /> +<br /> +</p> + +<p>Union-Street, Mary-le-bone,<br /> +March 24, 1789.<br /> +</p> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<h4 class ="smcap">LIST of SUBSCRIBERS.</h4> + + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">His Royal Highness the Duke of York.</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">A</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. the Earl of Ailesbury</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Admiral Affleck</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Abington, 2 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Abraham</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">James Adair, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend Mr. Aldridge</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Almon</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Arnot</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Joseph Armitage</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Joseph Ashpinshaw</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Samuel Atkins</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Atwood</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Thomas Atwood</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Ashwell</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">J.C. Ashworth, Esq.</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">B</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">His Grace the Duke of Bedford</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Her Grace the Duchess of Buccleugh</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Bangor</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. Lord Belgrave</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Rev. Doctor Baker</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Baker</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Matthew Baillie, M.D.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Baillie</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Miss Baillie</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Miss J. Baillie</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">David Barclay, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Robert Barrett</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Barrett</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Barnes</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Basnett</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Bateman</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Baynes, 2 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Thomas Bellamy</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. J. Benjafield</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Bennett</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Bensley</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Samuel Benson</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Benton</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend Mr. Bentley</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Thomas Bently</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Sir John Berney, Bart.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Alexander Blair, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">James Bocock, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Bond</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Miss Bond</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Borckhardt</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. E. Bouverie</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">—— Brand, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Martin Brander</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">F.J. Brown, Esq. M.P. 2 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">W. Buttall, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Buxton</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. R.L.B.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Thomas Burton, 6 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. W. Button</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">C</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. Lord Cathcart</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. H.S. Conway</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Lady Almiria Carpenter</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">James Carr, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Charles Carter, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. James Chalmers</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Captain John Clarkson, of the Royal Navy</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Rev. Mr. Thomas Clarkson, 2 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. R. Clay</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Clout</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. George Club</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Cobb</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Miss Calwell</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Thomas Cooper</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Richard Cosway, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. James Coxe</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. J.C.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Croucher</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Cruickshanks</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Ottobah Cugoano, or John Stewart</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">D</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. the Earl of Dartmouth</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. the Earl of Derby</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Sir William Dolben, Bart.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Reverend C.E. De Coetlogon</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">John Delamain, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Delamain</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Davis</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Denton</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. T. Dickie</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Dickson</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Charles Duly, 2 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Andrew Drummond, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. George Durant</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">E</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. the Earl of Essex</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. the Countess of Essex</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Sir Gilbert Elliot, Bart. 2 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Lady Ann Erskine</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">G. Noel Edwards, Esq. M.P. 2 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Durs Egg</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Ebenezer Evans</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Reverend Mr. John Eyre</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Eyre</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">F</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. George Fallowdown</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Fell</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">F.W. Foster, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Reverend Mr. Foster</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. J. Frith</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">W. Fuller, Esq.</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">G</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. the Earl of Gainsborough</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. the Earl of Grosvenor</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. Viscount Gallway</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. Viscountess Gallway</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">—— Gardner, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Garrick</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Gates</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Samuel Gear</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Sir Philip Gibbes, Bart. 6 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Miss Gibbes</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Edward Gilbert</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Jonathan Gillett</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">W.P. Gilliess, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Gordon</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Grange</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Grant</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Grant</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. R. Greening</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">S. Griffiths</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">John Grove, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Guerin</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend Mr. Gwinep</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">H</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. the Earl of Hopetoun</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. Lord Hawke</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Right Hon. Dowager Countess of Huntingdon</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Thomas Hall, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Haley</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Hugh Josiah Hansard, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Moses Hart</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Hawkins</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Haysom</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Hearne</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Hepburn</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. J. Hibbert</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Jacob Higman</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Sir Richard Hill, Bart.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend Rowland Hill</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Miss Hill</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Captain John Hills, Royal Navy</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Edmund Hill, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Reverend Mr. Edward Hoare</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">William Hodges, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend Mr. John Holmes, 3 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Martin Hopkins</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Thomas Howell</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. R. Huntley</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. J. Hunt</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Philip Hurlock, jun.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Hutson</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">J</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. T.W.J. Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. James Jackson</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Jackson</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend Mr. James</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Anne Jennings</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Johnson</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Johnson</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Jones</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Thomas Irving, Esq. 2 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Justins</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">K</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. Lord Kinnaird</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">William Kendall, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Ketland</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Edward King</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Thomas Kingston</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend Dr. Kippis</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Kitchener</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Knight</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">L</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of London</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Laisne</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Lackington, 6 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Lamb</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Bennet Langton, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. S. Lee</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Walter Lewis</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. J. Lewis</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. J. Lindsey</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. T. Litchfield</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Edward Loveden Loveden, Esq. M.P.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Charles Lloyd, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Lloyd</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. J.B. Lucas</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. James Luken</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Henry Lyte, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Lyon</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">M</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">His Grace the Duke of Marlborough</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">His Grace the Duke of Montague</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. Lord Mulgrave</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Sir Herbert Mackworth, Bart.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Sir Charles Middleton, Bart.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Lady Middleton</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Thomas Macklane</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. George Markett</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">James Martin, Esq. M.P.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Master Martin, Hayes-Grove, Kent</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Massey</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Joseph Massingham</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">John McIntosh, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Paul Le Mesurier, Esq. M.P.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. James Mewburn</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. N. Middleton,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">T. Mitchell, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Montague, 2 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Miss Hannah More</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. George Morrison</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Thomas Morris, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Miss Morris</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Morris Morgann, Esq.</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">N</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">His Grace the Duke of Northumberland</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Captain Nurse</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">O</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Edward Ogle, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">James Ogle, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Robert Oliver, Esq.</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">P</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. D. Parker,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. W. Parker,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Richard Packer, jun.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Parsons, 6 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. James Pearse</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. J. Pearson</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">J. Penn, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">George Peters, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. W. Phillips,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">J. Philips, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Pickard</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Charles Pilgrim</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Hon. George Pitt, M.P.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Thomas Pooley</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Patrick Power, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Michael Power</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Joseph Pratt, Esq.</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Q</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Robert Quarme, Esq.</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">R</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. Lord Rawdon</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. Lord Rivers, 2 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Lieutenant General Rainsford</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend James Ramsay, 3 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. S. Remnant, jun.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Richards, 2 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. J.C. Robarts</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. James Roberts</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Dr. Robinson</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Robinson</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. C. Robinson</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">George Rose, Esq. M.P.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. W. Ross</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Rouse</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Walter Row</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">S</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">His Grace the Duke of St. Albans</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Her Grace the Duchess of St. Albans</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of St. David's</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. Earl Stanhope, 3 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. the Earl of Scarbrough</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">William, the Son of Ignatius Sancho</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Mary Ann Sandiford</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Sawyer</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Thomas Seddon</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">W. Seward, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend Mr. Thomas Scott</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Granville Sharp, Esq. 2 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Captain Sidney Smith, of the Royal Navy</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Colonel Simcoe</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Simco</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">General Smith</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">John Smith, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. George Smith</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Smith</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend Mr. Southgate</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Starkey</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Thomas Steel, Esq. M.P.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Staples Steare</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Joseph Stewardson</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Henry Stone, jun. 2 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">John Symmons, Esq.</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">T</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Henry Thornton, Esq. M.P.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Alexander Thomson, M.D.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend John Till</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Samuel Townly</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Daniel Trinder</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend Mr. C. La Trobe</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Clement Tudway, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Twisden</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">U</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. M. Underwood</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">V</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Vaughan</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Vendt</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">W</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. Earl of Warnick</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Worcester</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Hon. William Windham, Esq. M.P.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. C.B. Wadstrom</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. George Walne</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend Mr. Ward</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. S. Warren</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. J. Waugh</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Josiah Wedgwood, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend Mr. John Wesley</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. J. Wheble</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Samuel Whitbread, Esq. M.P.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend Thomas Wigzell</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. W. Wilson</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend Mr. Wills</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Thomas Wimsett</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Winchester</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">John Wollaston, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Charles Wood</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Joseph Woods</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Wood</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">J. Wright, Esq.</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Y</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Thomas Young</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Samuel Yockney</span><br /><br /> +</p> + + + + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>CONTENTS</h2> + +<ul class="TOC"> +<li style='list-style-type: none'><span class="tocright">Page</span><br /></li> +<li style='list-style-type: none'><a href="#CHAPTER_I">CHAP. I.</a><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'>The author's account of his country, their manners and<br /> + customs, &c. <span class="tocright">49</span><br /><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'><a href="#CHAP_II">CHAP. II.</a><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'>The author's birth and parentage—His being kidnapped<br /> + with his sister—Horrors of a slave ship <span class="tocright">65</span><br /><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'><a href="#CHAP_III">CHAP. III.</a><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'>The author is carried to Virginia—Arrives in England—His<br /> + wonder at a fall of snow <span class="tocright">80</span><br /><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'><a href="#CHAP_IV">CHAP. IV.</a><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'>A particular account of the celebrated engagement<br /> + between Admiral Boscawen and Monsieur Le Clue <span class="tocright">94</span><br /><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'><a href="#CHAP_V">CHAP. V.</a><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'>Various interesting instances of oppression, cruelty, and<br /> + extortion <span class="tocright">112</span><br /><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'><a href="#CHAP_VI">CHAP. VI.</a><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'>Favourable change in the author's situation—He<br /> + commences merchant with threepence <span class="tocright">129</span><br /><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'><a href="#VOLUME_II">VOLUME II</a><br /><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'><a href="#CHAP_VII">CHAP. VII.</a><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'>The author's disgust at the West Indies—Forms<br /> + schemes to obtain his freedom <span class="tocright">147</span><br /><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'><a href="#CHAP_VIII">CHAP. VIII.</a><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'>Three remarkable dreams—The author is shipwrecked<br /> + on the Bahama-bank <span class="tocright">160</span><br /><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'><a href="#CHAP_IX">CHAP. IX</a><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'>The author arrives at Martinico—Meets with new<br /> + difficulties, and sails for England <span class="tocright">173</span><br /><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'><a href="#CHAP_X">CHAP. X.</a><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'>Some account of the manner of the author's conversion to<br /> + the faith of Jesus Christ <span class="tocright">189</span><br /><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'><a href="#CHAP_XI">CHAP. XI.</a><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'>Picking up eleven miserable men at sea in returning to<br /> + England <span class="tocright">207</span><br /><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'><a href="#CHAP_XII">CHAP. XII.</a><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'>Different transactions of the author's life—Petition to the<br /> + Queen—Conclusion <span class="tocright">227</span><br /><br /></li> +</ul> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="THE_LIFE_c" id="THE_LIFE_c" />THE LIFE, &c.</h2> +<hr style="width: 33%;" /> + + + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I" />CHAPTER I.</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>The author's account of his country, and their manners and + customs—Administration of justice—Embrenche—Marriage + ceremony, and public entertainments—Mode of + living—Dress—Manufactures + Buildings—Commerce—Agriculture—War and + religion—Superstition of the natives—Funeral ceremonies of + the priests or magicians—Curious mode of discovering + poison—Some hints concerning the origin of the author's + countrymen, with the opinions of different writers on that + subject.</i></p></div> + + +<p>I believe it is difficult for those who publish their own memoirs to +escape the imputation of vanity; nor is this the only disadvantage +under which they labour: it is also their misfortune, that what is +uncommon is rarely, if ever, believed, and what is obvious we are apt +to turn from with disgust, and to charge the writer with impertinence. +People generally think those memoirs only worthy to be read or +remembered which abound in great or striking events, those, in short, +which in a high degree excite either admiration or pity: all others +they consign to contempt and oblivion. It is therefore, I confess, not +a little hazardous in a private and obscure individual, and a stranger +too, thus to solicit the indulgent attention of the public; especially +when I own I offer here the history of neither a saint, a hero, nor a +tyrant. I believe there are few events in my life, which have not +happened to many: it is true the incidents of it are numerous; and, +did I consider myself an European, I might say my sufferings were +great: but when I compare my lot with that of most of my countrymen, I +regard myself as a <i>particular favourite of Heaven</i>, and acknowledge +the mercies of Providence in every occurrence of my life. If then the +following narrative does not appear sufficiently interesting to engage +general attention, let my motive be some excuse for its publication. I +am not so foolishly vain as to expect from it either immortality or +literary reputation. If it affords any satisfaction to my numerous +friends, at whose request it has been written, or in the smallest +degree promotes the interests of humanity, the ends for which it was +undertaken will be fully attained, and every wish of my heart +gratified. Let it therefore be remembered, that, in wishing to avoid +censure, I do not aspire to praise.</p> + +<p>That part of Africa, known by the name of Guinea, to which the trade +for slaves is carried on, extends along the coast above 3400 miles, +from the Senegal to Angola, and includes a variety of kingdoms. Of +these the most considerable is the kingdom of Benen, both as to extent +and wealth, the richness and cultivation of the soil, the power of its +king, and the number and warlike disposition of the inhabitants. It is +situated nearly under the line, and extends along the coast about 170 +miles, but runs back into the interior part of Africa to a distance +hitherto I believe unexplored by any traveller; and seems only +terminated at length by the empire of Abyssinia, near 1500 miles from +its beginning. This kingdom is divided into many provinces or +districts: in one of the most remote and fertile of which, called +Eboe, I was born, in the year 1745, in a charming fruitful vale, named +Essaka. The distance of this province from the capital of Benin and +the sea coast must be very considerable; for I had never heard of +white men or Europeans, nor of the sea: and our subjection to the king +of Benin was little more than nominal; for every transaction of the +government, as far as my slender observation extended, was conducted +by the chiefs or elders of the place. The manners and government of a +people who have little commerce with other countries are generally +very simple; and the history of what passes in one family or village +may serve as a specimen of a nation. My father was one of those elders +or chiefs I have spoken of, and was styled Embrenche; a term, as I +remember, importing the highest distinction, and signifying in our +language a <i>mark</i> of grandeur. This mark is conferred on the person +entitled to it, by cutting the skin across at the top of the forehead, +and drawing it down to the eye-brows; and while it is in this +situation applying a warm hand, and rubbing it until it shrinks up +into a thick <i>weal</i> across the lower part of the forehead. Most of the +judges and senators were thus marked; my father had long born it: I +had seen it conferred on one of my brothers, and I was also +<i>destined</i> to receive it by my parents. Those Embrence, or chief men, +decided disputes and punished crimes; for which purpose they always +assembled together. The proceedings were generally short; and in most +cases the law of retaliation prevailed. I remember a man was brought +before my father, and the other judges, for kidnapping a boy; and, +although he was the son of a chief or senator, he was condemned to +make recompense by a man or woman slave. Adultery, however, was +sometimes punished with slavery or death; a punishment which I believe +is inflicted on it throughout most of the nations of Africa<a name="FNanchor_A_1" id="FNanchor_A_1" /><a href="#Footnote_A_1" class="fnanchor">[A]</a>: so +sacred among them is the honour of the marriage bed, and so jealous +are they of the fidelity of their wives. Of this I recollect an +instance:—a woman was convicted before the judges of adultery, and +delivered over, as the custom was, to her husband to be punished. +Accordingly he determined to put her to death: but it being found, +just before her execution, that she had an infant at her breast; and +no woman being prevailed on to perform the part of a nurse, she was +spared on account of the child. The men, however, do not preserve the +same constancy to their wives, which they expect from them; for they +indulge in a plurality, though seldom in more than two. Their mode of +marriage is thus:—both parties are usually betrothed when young by +their parents, (though I have known the males to betroth themselves). +On this occasion a feast is prepared, and the bride and bridegroom +stand up in the midst of all their friends, who are assembled for the +purpose, while he declares she is thenceforth to be looked upon as his +wife, and that no other person is to pay any addresses to her. This is +also immediately proclaimed in the vicinity, on which the bride +retires from the assembly. Some time after she is brought home to her +husband, and then another feast is made, to which the relations of +both parties are invited: her parents then deliver her to the +bridegroom, accompanied with a number of blessings, and at the same +time they tie round her waist a cotton string of the thickness of a +goose-quill, which none but married women are permitted to wear: she +is now considered as completely his wife; and at this time the dowry +is given to the new married pair, which generally consists of portions +of land, slaves, and cattle, household goods, and implements of +husbandry. These are offered by the friends of both parties; besides +which the parents of the bridegroom present gifts to those of the +bride, whose property she is looked upon before marriage; but after it +she is esteemed the sole property of her husband. The ceremony being +now ended the festival begins, which is celebrated with bonefires, and +loud acclamations of joy, accompanied with music and dancing.</p> + +<p>We are almost a nation of dancers, musicians, and poets. Thus every +great event, such as a triumphant return from battle, or other cause +of public rejoicing is celebrated in public dances, which are +accompanied with songs and music suited to the occasion. The assembly +is separated into four divisions, which dance either apart or in +succession, and each with a character peculiar to itself. The first +division contains the married men, who in their dances frequently +exhibit feats of arms, and the representation of a battle. To these +succeed the married women, who dance in the second division. The young +men occupy the third; and the maidens the fourth. Each represents some +interesting scene of real life, such as a great achievement, domestic +employment, a pathetic story, or some rural sport; and as the subject +is generally founded on some recent event, it is therefore ever new. +This gives our dances a spirit and variety which I have scarcely seen +elsewhere<a name="FNanchor_B_2" id="FNanchor_B_2" /><a href="#Footnote_B_2" class="fnanchor">[B]</a>. We have many musical instruments, particularly drums of +different kinds, a piece of music which resembles a guitar, and +another much like a stickado. These last are chiefly used by betrothed +virgins, who play on them on all grand festivals.</p> + +<p>As our manners are simple, our luxuries are few. The dress of both +sexes is nearly the same. It generally consists of a long piece of +callico, or muslin, wrapped loosely round the body, somewhat in the +form of a highland plaid. This is usually dyed blue, which is our +favourite colour. It is extracted from a berry, and is brighter and +richer than any I have seen in Europe. Besides this, our women of +distinction wear golden ornaments; which they dispose with some +profusion on their arms and legs. When our women are not employed with +the men in tillage, their usual occupation is spinning and weaving +cotton, which they afterwards dye, and make it into garments. They +also manufacture earthen vessels, of which we have many kinds. Among +the rest tobacco pipes, made after the same fashion, and used in the +same manner, as those in Turkey<a name="FNanchor_C_3" id="FNanchor_C_3" /><a href="#Footnote_C_3" class="fnanchor">[C]</a>.</p> + +<p>Our manner of living is entirely plain; for as yet the natives are +unacquainted with those refinements in cookery which debauch the +taste: bullocks, goats, and poultry, supply the greatest part of their +food. These constitute likewise the principal wealth of the country, +and the chief articles of its commerce. The flesh is usually stewed in +a pan; to make it savoury we sometimes use also pepper, and other +spices, and we have salt made of wood ashes. Our vegetables are mostly +plantains, eadas, yams, beans, and Indian corn. The head of the family +usually eats alone; his wives and slaves have also their separate +tables. Before we taste food we always wash our hands: indeed our +cleanliness on all occasions is extreme; but on this it is an +indispensable ceremony. After washing, libation is made, by pouring +out a small portion of the food, in a certain place, for the spirits +of departed relations, which the natives suppose to preside over their +conduct, and guard them from evil. They are totally unacquainted with +strong or spirituous liquours; and their principal beverage is palm +wine. This is gotten from a tree of that name by tapping it at the +top, and fastening a large gourd to it; and sometimes one tree will +yield three or four gallons in a night. When just drawn it is of a +most delicious sweetness; but in a few days it acquires a tartish and +more spirituous flavour: though I never saw any one intoxicated by it. +The same tree also produces nuts and oil. Our principal luxury is in +perfumes; one sort of these is an odoriferous wood of delicious +fragrance: the other a kind of earth; a small portion of which thrown +into the fire diffuses a most powerful odour<a name="FNanchor_D_4" id="FNanchor_D_4" /><a href="#Footnote_D_4" class="fnanchor">[D]</a>. We beat this wood +into powder, and mix it with palm oil; with which both men and women +perfume themselves.</p> + +<p>In our buildings we study convenience rather than ornament. Each +master of a family has a large square piece of ground, surrounded with +a moat or fence, or enclosed with a wall made of red earth tempered; +which, when dry, is as hard as brick. Within this are his houses to +accommodate his family and slaves; which, if numerous, frequently +present the appearance of a village. In the middle stands the +principal building, appropriated to the sole use of the master, and +consisting of two apartments; in one of which he sits in the day with +his family, the other is left apart for the reception of his friends. +He has besides these a distinct apartment in which he sleeps, together +with his male children. On each side are the apartments of his wives, +who have also their separate day and night houses. The habitations of +the slaves and their families are distributed throughout the rest of +the enclosure. These houses never exceed one story in height: they are +always built of wood, or stakes driven into the ground, crossed with +wattles, and neatly plastered within, and without. The roof is +thatched with reeds. Our day-houses are left open at the sides; but +those in which we sleep are always covered, and plastered in the +inside, with a composition mixed with cow-dung, to keep off the +different insects, which annoy us during the night. The walls and +floors also of these are generally covered with mats. Our beds consist +of a platform, raised three or four feet from the ground, on which are +laid skins, and different parts of a spungy tree called plaintain. Our +covering is calico or muslin, the same as our dress. The usual seats +are a few logs of wood; but we have benches, which are generally +perfumed, to accommodate strangers: these compose the greater part of +our household furniture. Houses so constructed and furnished require +but little skill to erect them. Every man is a sufficient architect +for the purpose. The whole neighbourhood afford their unanimous +assistance in building them and in return receive, and expect no other +recompense than a feast.</p> + +<p>As we live in a country where nature is prodigal of her favours, our +wants are few and easily supplied; of course we have few manufactures. +They consist for the most part of calicoes, earthern ware, ornaments, +and instruments of war and husbandry. But these make no part of our +commerce, the principal articles of which, as I have observed, are +provisions. In such a state money is of little use; however we have +some small pieces of coin, if I may call them such. They are made +something like an anchor; but I do not remember either their value or +denomination. We have also markets, at which I have been frequently +with my mother. These are sometimes visited by stout mahogany-coloured +men from the south west of us: we call them Oye-Eboe, which term +signifies red men living at a distance. They generally bring us +fire-arms, gunpowder, hats, beads, and dried fish. The last we +esteemed a great rarity, as our waters were only brooks and springs. +These articles they barter with us for odoriferous woods and earth, +and our salt of wood ashes. They always carry slaves through our land; +but the strictest account is exacted of their manner of procuring them +before they are suffered to pass. Sometimes indeed we sold slaves to +them, but they were only prisoners of war, or such among us as had +been convicted of kidnapping, or adultery, and some other crimes, +which we esteemed heinous. This practice of kidnapping induces me to +think, that, notwithstanding all our strictness, their principal +business among us was to trepan our people. I remember too they +carried great sacks along with them, which not long after I had an +opportunity of fatally seeing applied to that infamous purpose.</p> + +<p>Our land is uncommonly rich and fruitful, and produces all kinds of +vegetables in great abundance. We have plenty of Indian corn, and vast +quantities of cotton and tobacco. Our pine apples grow without +culture; they are about the size of the largest sugar-loaf, and finely +flavoured. We have also spices of different kinds, particularly +pepper; and a variety of delicious fruits which I have never seen in +Europe; together with gums of various kinds, and honey in abundance. +All our industry is exerted to improve those blessings of nature. +Agriculture is our chief employment; and every one, even the children +and women, are engaged in it. Thus we are all habituated to labour +from our earliest years. Every one contributes something to the common +stock; and as we are unacquainted with idleness, we have no beggars. +The benefits of such a mode of living are obvious. The West India +planters prefer the slaves of Benin or Eboe to those of any other part +of Guinea, for their hardiness, intelligence, integrity, and zeal. +Those benefits are felt by us in the general healthiness of the +people, and in their vigour and activity; I might have added too in +their comeliness. Deformity is indeed unknown amongst us, I mean that +of shape. Numbers of the natives of Eboe now in London might be +brought in support of this assertion: for, in regard to complexion, +ideas of beauty are wholly relative. I remember while in Africa to +have seen three negro children, who were tawny, and another quite +white, who were universally regarded by myself, and the natives in +general, as far as related to their complexions, as deformed. Our +women too were in my eyes at least uncommonly graceful, alert, and +modest to a degree of bashfulness; nor do I remember to have ever +heard of an instance of incontinence amongst them before marriage. +They are also remarkably cheerful. Indeed cheerfulness and affability +are two of the leading characteristics of our nation.</p> + +<p>Our tillage is exercised in a large plain or common, some hours walk +from our dwellings, and all the neighbours resort thither in a body. +They use no beasts of husbandry; and their only instruments are hoes, +axes, shovels, and beaks, or pointed iron to dig with. Sometimes we +are visited by locusts, which come in large clouds, so as to darken +the air, and destroy our harvest. This however happens rarely, but +when it does, a famine is produced by it. I remember an instance or +two wherein this happened. This common is often the theatre of war; +and therefore when our people go out to till their land, they not only +go in a body, but generally take their arms with them for fear of a +surprise; and when they apprehend an invasion they guard the avenues +to their dwellings, by driving sticks into the ground, which are so +sharp at one end as to pierce the foot, and are generally dipt in +poison. From what I can recollect of these battles, they appear to +have been irruptions of one little state or district on the other, to +obtain prisoners or booty. Perhaps they were incited to this by those +traders who brought the European goods I mentioned amongst us. Such a +mode of obtaining slaves in Africa is common; and I believe more are +procured this way, and by kidnapping, than any other<a name="FNanchor_E_5" id="FNanchor_E_5" /><a href="#Footnote_E_5" class="fnanchor">[E]</a>. When a trader +wants slaves, he applies to a chief for them, and tempts him with his +wares. It is not extraordinary, if on this occasion he yields to the +temptation with as little firmness, and accepts the price of his +fellow creatures liberty with as little reluctance as the enlightened +merchant. Accordingly he falls on his neighbours, and a desperate +battle ensues. If he prevails and takes prisoners, he gratifies his +avarice by selling them; but, if his party be vanquished, and he falls +into the hands of the enemy, he is put to death: for, as he has been +known to foment their quarrels, it is thought dangerous to let him +survive, and no ransom can save him, though all other prisoners may be +redeemed. We have fire-arms, bows and arrows, broad two-edged swords +and javelins: we have shields also which cover a man from head to +foot. All are taught the use of these weapons; even our women are +warriors, and march boldly out to fight along with the men. Our whole +district is a kind of militia: on a certain signal given, such as the +firing of a gun at night, they all rise in arms and rush upon their +enemy. It is perhaps something remarkable, that when our people march +to the field a red flag or banner is borne before them. I was once a +witness to a battle in our common. We had been all at work in it one +day as usual, when our people were suddenly attacked. I climbed a tree +at some distance, from which I beheld the fight. There were many women +as well as men on both sides; among others my mother was there, and +armed with a broad sword. After fighting for a considerable time with +great fury, and after many had been killed our people obtained the +victory, and took their enemy's Chief prisoner. He was carried off in +great triumph, and, though he offered a large ransom for his life, he +was put to death. A virgin of note among our enemies had been slain in +the battle, and her arm was exposed in our market-place, where our +trophies were always exhibited. The spoils were divided according to +the merit of the warriors. Those prisoners which were not sold or +redeemed we kept as slaves: but how different was their condition from +that of the slaves in the West Indies! With us they do no more work +than other members of the community, even their masters; their food, +clothing and lodging were nearly the same as theirs, (except that they +were not permitted to eat with those who were free-born); and there +was scarce any other difference between them, than a superior degree +of importance which the head of a family possesses in our state, and +that authority which, as such, he exercises over every part of his +household. Some of these slaves have even slaves under them as their +own property, and for their own use.</p> + +<p>As to religion, the natives believe that there is one Creator of all +things, and that he lives in the sun, and is girted round with a belt +that he may never eat or drink; but, according to some, he smokes a +pipe, which is our own favourite luxury. They believe he governs +events, especially our deaths or captivity; but, as for the doctrine +of eternity, I do not remember to have ever heard of it: some however +believe in the transmigration of souls in a certain degree. Those +spirits, which are not transmigrated, such as our dear friends or +relations, they believe always attend them, and guard them from the +bad spirits or their foes. For this reason they always before eating, +as I have observed, put some small portion of the meat, and pour some +of their drink, on the ground for them; and they often make oblations +of the blood of beasts or fowls at their graves. I was very fond of my +mother, and almost constantly with her. When she went to make these +oblations at her mother's tomb, which was a kind of small solitary +thatched house, I sometimes attended her. There she made her +libations, and spent most of the night in cries and lamentations. I +have been often extremely terrified on these occasions. The loneliness +of the place, the darkness of the night, and the ceremony of libation, +naturally awful and gloomy, were heightened by my mother's +lamentations; and these, concuring with the cries of doleful birds, by +which these places were frequented, gave an inexpressible terror to +the scene.</p> + +<p>We compute the year from the day on which the sun crosses the line, +and on its setting that evening there is a general shout throughout +the land; at least I can speak from my own knowledge throughout our +vicinity. The people at the same time make a great noise with rattles, +not unlike the basket rattles used by children here, though much +larger, and hold up their hands to heaven for a blessing. It is then +the greatest offerings are made; and those children whom our wise men +foretel will be fortunate are then presented to different people. I +remember many used to come to see me, and I was carried about to +others for that purpose. They have many offerings, particularly at +full moons; generally two at harvest before the fruits are taken out +of the ground: and when any young animals are killed, sometimes they +offer up part of them as a sacrifice. These offerings, when made by +one of the heads of a family, serve for the whole. I remember we often +had them at my father's and my uncle's, and their families have been +present. Some of our offerings are eaten with bitter herbs. We had a +saying among us to any one of a cross temper, 'That if they were to be +eaten, they should be eaten with bitter herbs.'</p> + +<p>We practised circumcision like the Jews, and made offerings and feasts +on that occasion in the same manner as they did. Like them also, our +children were named from some event, some circumstance, or fancied +foreboding at the time of their birth. I was named <i>Olaudah</i>, which, +in our language, signifies vicissitude or fortune also, one favoured, +and having a loud voice and well spoken. I remember we never polluted +the name of the object of our adoration; on the contrary, it was +always mentioned with the greatest reverence; and we were totally +unacquainted with swearing, and all those terms of abuse and reproach +which find their way so readily and copiously into the languages of +more civilized people. The only expressions of that kind I remember +were 'May you rot, or may you swell, or may a beast take you.'</p> + +<p>I have before remarked that the natives of this part of Africa are +extremely cleanly. This necessary habit of decency was with us a part +of religion, and therefore we had many purifications and washings; +indeed almost as many, and used on the same occasions, if my +recollection does not fail me, as the Jews. Those that touched the +dead at any time were obliged to wash and purify themselves before +they could enter a dwelling-house. Every woman too, at certain times, +was forbidden to come into a dwelling-house, or touch any person, or +any thing we ate. I was so fond of my mother I could not keep from +her, or avoid touching her at some of those periods, in consequence of +which I was obliged to be kept out with her, in a little house made +for that purpose, till offering was made, and then we were purified.</p> + +<p>Though we had no places of public worship, we had priests and +magicians, or wise men. I do not remember whether they had different +offices, or whether they were united in the same persons, but they +were held in great reverence by the people. They calculated our time, +and foretold events, as their name imported, for we called them +Ah-affoe-way-cah, which signifies calculators or yearly men, our year +being called Ah-affoe. They wore their beards, and when they died they +were succeeded by their sons. Most of their implements and things of +value were interred along with them. Pipes and tobacco were also put +into the grave with the corpse, which was always perfumed and +ornamented, and animals were offered in sacrifice to them. None +accompanied their funerals but those of the same profession or tribe. +These buried them after sunset, and always returned from the grave by +a different way from that which they went.</p> + +<p>These magicians were also our doctors or physicians. They practised +bleeding by cupping; and were very successful in healing wounds and +expelling poisons. They had likewise some extraordinary method of +discovering jealousy, theft, and poisoning; the success of which no +doubt they derived from their unbounded influence over the credulity +and superstition of the people. I do not remember what those methods +were, except that as to poisoning: I recollect an instance or two, +which I hope it will not be deemed impertinent here to insert, as it +may serve as a kind of specimen of the rest, and is still used by the +negroes in the West Indies. A virgin had been poisoned, but it was not +known by whom: the doctors ordered the corpse to be taken up by some +persons, and carried to the grave. As soon as the bearers had raised +it on their shoulders, they seemed seized with some<a name="FNanchor_F_6" id="FNanchor_F_6" /><a href="#Footnote_F_6" class="fnanchor">[F]</a> sudden +impulse, and ran to and fro unable to stop themselves. At last, after +having passed through a number of thorns and prickly bushes unhurt, +the corpse fell from them close to a house, and defaced it in the +fall; and, the owner being taken up, he immediately confessed the +poisoning<a name="FNanchor_G_7" id="FNanchor_G_7" /><a href="#Footnote_G_7" class="fnanchor">[G]</a>.</p> + +<p>The natives are extremely cautious about poison. When they buy any +eatable the seller kisses it all round before the buyer, to shew him +it is not poisoned; and the same is done when any meat or drink is +presented, particularly to a stranger. We have serpents of different +kinds, some of which are esteemed ominous when they appear in our +houses, and these we never molest. I remember two of those ominous +snakes, each of which was as thick as the calf of a man's leg, and in +colour resembling a dolphin in the water, crept at different times +into my mother's night-house, where I always lay with her, and coiled +themselves into folds, and each time they crowed like a cock. I was +desired by some of our wise men to touch these, that I might be +interested in the good omens, which I did, for they were quite +harmless, and would tamely suffer themselves to be handled; and then +they were put into a large open earthen pan, and set on one side of +the highway. Some of our snakes, however, were poisonous: one of them +crossed the road one day when I was standing on it, and passed between +my feet without offering to touch me, to the great surprise of many +who saw it; and these incidents were accounted by the wise men, and +therefore by my mother and the rest of the people, as remarkable omens +in my favour.</p> + +<p>Such is the imperfect sketch my memory has furnished me with of the +manners and customs of a people among whom I first drew my breath. And +here I cannot forbear suggesting what has long struck me very +forcibly, namely, the strong analogy which even by this sketch, +imperfect as it is, appears to prevail in the manners and customs of +my countrymen and those of the Jews, before they reached the Land of +Promise, and particularly the patriarchs while they were yet in that +pastoral state which is described in Genesis—an analogy, which alone +would induce me to think that the one people had sprung from the +other. Indeed this is the opinion of Dr. Gill, who, in his commentary +on Genesis, very ably deduces the pedigree of the Africans from Afer +and Afra, the descendants of Abraham by Keturah his wife and concubine +(for both these titles are applied to her). It is also conformable to +the sentiments of Dr. John Clarke, formerly Dean of Sarum, in his +Truth of the Christian Religion: both these authors concur in +ascribing to us this original. The reasonings of these gentlemen are +still further confirmed by the scripture chronology; and if any +further corroboration were required, this resemblance in so many +respects is a strong evidence in support of the opinion. Like the +Israelites in their primitive state, our government was conducted by +our chiefs or judges, our wise men and elders; and the head of a +family with us enjoyed a similar authority over his household with +that which is ascribed to Abraham and the other patriarchs. The law of +retaliation obtained almost universally with us as with them: and even +their religion appeared to have shed upon us a ray of its glory, +though broken and spent in its passage, or eclipsed by the cloud with +which time, tradition, and ignorance might have enveloped it; for we +had our circumcision (a rule I believe peculiar to that people:) we +had also our sacrifices and burnt-offerings, our washings and +purifications, on the same occasions as they had.</p> + +<p>As to the difference of colour between the Eboan Africans and the +modern Jews, I shall not presume to account for it. It is a subject +which has engaged the pens of men of both genius and learning, and is +far above my strength. The most able and Reverend Mr. T. Clarkson, +however, in his much admired Essay on the Slavery and Commerce of the +Human Species, has ascertained the cause, in a manner that at once +solves every objection on that account, and, on my mind at least, has +produced the fullest conviction. I shall therefore refer to that +performance for the theory<a name="FNanchor_H_8" id="FNanchor_H_8" /><a href="#Footnote_H_8" class="fnanchor">[H]</a>, contenting myself with extracting a +fact as related by Dr. Mitchel<a name="FNanchor_I_9" id="FNanchor_I_9" /><a href="#Footnote_I_9" class="fnanchor">[I]</a>. "The Spaniards, who have inhabited +America, under the torrid zone, for any time, are become as dark +coloured as our native Indians of Virginia; of which <i>I myself have +been a witness</i>." There is also another instance<a name="FNanchor_J_10" id="FNanchor_J_10" /><a href="#Footnote_J_10" class="fnanchor">[J]</a> of a Portuguese +settlement at Mitomba, a river in Sierra Leona; where the inhabitants +are bred from a mixture of the first Portuguese discoverers with the +natives, and are now become in their complexion, and in the woolly +quality of their hair, <i>perfect negroes</i>, retaining however a +smattering of the Portuguese language.</p> + +<p>These instances, and a great many more which might be adduced, while +they shew how the complexions of the same persons vary in different +climates, it is hoped may tend also to remove the prejudice that some +conceive against the natives of Africa on account of their colour. +Surely the minds of the Spaniards did not change with their +complexions! Are there not causes enough to which the apparent +inferiority of an African may be ascribed, without limiting the +goodness of God, and supposing he forbore to stamp understanding on +certainly his own image, because "carved in ebony." Might it not +naturally be ascribed to their situation? When they come among +Europeans, they are ignorant of their language, religion, manners, and +customs. Are any pains taken to teach them these? Are they treated as +men? Does not slavery itself depress the mind, and extinguish all its +fire and every noble sentiment? But, above all, what advantages do not +a refined people possess over those who are rude and uncultivated. Let +the polished and haughty European recollect that his ancestors were +once, like the Africans, uncivilized, and even barbarous. Did Nature +make <i>them</i> inferior to their sons? and should <i>they too</i> have been +made slaves? Every rational mind answers, No. Let such reflections as +these melt the pride of their superiority into sympathy for the wants +and miseries of their sable brethren, and compel them to acknowledge, +that understanding is not confined to feature or colour. If, when they +look round the world, they feel exultation, let it be tempered with +benevolence to others, and gratitude to God, "who hath made of one +blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth<a name="FNanchor_K_11" id="FNanchor_K_11" /><a href="#Footnote_K_11" class="fnanchor">[K]</a>; +and whose wisdom is not our wisdom, neither are our ways his ways."</p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_A_1" id="Footnote_A_1" /><a href="#FNanchor_A_1"><span class="label">[A]</span></a> See Benezet's "Account of Guinea" throughout.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_B_2" id="Footnote_B_2" /><a href="#FNanchor_B_2"><span class="label">[B]</span></a> When I was in Smyrna I have frequently seen the Greeks +dance after this manner.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_C_3" id="Footnote_C_3" /><a href="#FNanchor_C_3"><span class="label">[C]</span></a> The bowl is earthen, curiously figured, to which a long +reed is fixed as a tube. This tube is sometimes so long as to be born +by one, and frequently out of grandeur by two boys.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_D_4" id="Footnote_D_4" /><a href="#FNanchor_D_4"><span class="label">[D]</span></a> When I was in Smyrna I saw the same kind of earth, and +brought some of it with me to England; it resembles musk in strength, +but is more delicious in scent, and is not unlike the smell of a +rose.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_E_5" id="Footnote_E_5" /><a href="#FNanchor_E_5"><span class="label">[E]</span></a> See Benezet's Account of Africa throughout.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_F_6" id="Footnote_F_6" /><a href="#FNanchor_F_6"><span class="label">[F]</span></a> See also Leut. Matthew's Voyage, p. 123.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_G_7" id="Footnote_G_7" /><a href="#FNanchor_G_7"><span class="label">[G]</span></a> An instance of this kind happened at Montserrat in the +West Indies in the year 1763. I then belonged to the Charming Sally, +Capt. Doran.—The chief mate, Mr. Mansfield, and some of the crew +being one day on shore, were present at the burying of a poisoned +negro girl. Though they had often heard of the circumstance of the +running in such cases, and had even seen it, they imagined it to be a +trick of the corpse-bearers. The mate therefore desired two of the +sailors to take up the coffin, and carry it to the grave. The sailors, +who were all of the same opinion, readily obeyed; but they had +scarcely raised it to their shoulders, before they began to run +furiously about, quite unable to direct themselves, till, at last, +without intention, they came to the hut of him who had poisoned the +girl. The coffin then immediately fell from their shoulders against +the hut, and damaged part of the wall. The owner of the hut was taken +into custody on this, and confessed the poisoning.—I give this story +as it was related by the mate and crew on their return to the ship. +The credit which is due to it I leave with the reader.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_H_8" id="Footnote_H_8" /><a href="#FNanchor_H_8"><span class="label">[H]</span></a> Page 178 to 216.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_I_9" id="Footnote_I_9" /><a href="#FNanchor_I_9"><span class="label">[I]</span></a> Philos. Trans. Nº 476, Sect. 4, cited by Mr. Clarkson, p. +205.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_J_10" id="Footnote_J_10" /><a href="#FNanchor_J_10"><span class="label">[J]</span></a> Same page.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_K_11" id="Footnote_K_11" /><a href="#FNanchor_K_11"><span class="label">[K]</span></a> Acts, c. xvii. v. 26.</p></div> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAP_II" id="CHAP_II" />CHAP. II.</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>The author's birth and parentage—His being kidnapped with + his sister—Their separation—Surprise at meeting again—Are + finally separated—Account of the different places and + incidents the author met with till his arrival on the + coast—The effect the sight of a slave ship had on him—He + sails for the West Indies—Horrors of a slave ship—Arrives + at Barbadoes, where the cargo is sold and dispersed.</i></p></div> + + +<p>I hope the reader will not think I have trespassed on his patience +in introducing myself to him with some account of the manners and +customs of my country. They had been implanted in me with great care, +and made an impression on my mind, which time could not erase, and +which all the adversity and variety of fortune I have since +experienced served only to rivet and record; for, whether the love of +one's country be real or imaginary, or a lesson of reason, or an +instinct of nature, I still look back with pleasure on the first +scenes of my life, though that pleasure has been for the most part +mingled with sorrow.</p> + +<p>I have already acquainted the reader with the time and place of my +birth. My father, besides many slaves, had a numerous family, of which +seven lived to grow up, including myself and a sister, who was the +only daughter. As I was the youngest of the sons, I became, of course, +the greatest favourite with my mother, and was always with her; and +she used to take particular pains to form my mind. I was trained up +from my earliest years in the art of war; my daily exercise was +shooting and throwing javelins; and my mother adorned me with emblems, +after the manner of our greatest warriors. In this way I grew up till +I was turned the age of eleven, when an end was put to my happiness in +the following manner:—Generally when the grown people in the +neighbourhood were gone far in the fields to labour, the children +assembled together in some of the neighbours' premises to play; and +commonly some of us used to get up a tree to look out for any +assailant, or kidnapper, that might come upon us; for they sometimes +took those opportunities of our parents' absence to attack and carry +off as many as they could seize. One day, as I was watching at the top +of a tree in our yard, I saw one of those people come into the yard of +our next neighbour but one, to kidnap, there being many stout young +people in it. Immediately on this I gave the alarm of the rogue, and +he was surrounded by the stoutest of them, who entangled him with +cords, so that he could not escape till some of the grown people came +and secured him. But alas! ere long it was my fate to be thus +attacked, and to be carried off, when none of the grown people were +nigh. One day, when all our people were gone out to their works as +usual, and only I and my dear sister were left to mind the house, two +men and a woman got over our walls, and in a moment seized us both, +and, without giving us time to cry out, or make resistance, they +stopped our mouths, and ran off with us into the nearest wood. Here +they tied our hands, and continued to carry us as far as they could, +till night came on, when we reached a small house, where the robbers +halted for refreshment, and spent the night. We were then unbound, but +were unable to take any food; and, being quite overpowered by fatigue +and grief, our only relief was some sleep, which allayed our +misfortune for a short time. The next morning we left the house, and +continued travelling all the day. For a long time we had kept the +woods, but at last we came into a road which I believed I knew. I had +now some hopes of being delivered; for we had advanced but a little +way before I discovered some people at a distance, on which I began to +cry out for their assistance: but my cries had no other effect than to +make them tie me faster and stop my mouth, and then they put me into a +large sack. They also stopped my sister's mouth, and tied her hands; +and in this manner we proceeded till we were out of the sight of these +people. When we went to rest the following night they offered us some +victuals; but we refused it; and the only comfort we had was in being +in one another's arms all that night, and bathing each other with our +tears. But alas! we were soon deprived of even the small comfort of +weeping together. The next day proved a day of greater sorrow than I +had yet experienced; for my sister and I were then separated, while we +lay clasped in each other's arms. It was in vain that we besought them +not to part us; she was torn from me, and immediately carried away, +while I was left in a state of distraction not to be described. I +cried and grieved continually; and for several days I did not eat any +thing but what they forced into my mouth. At length, after many days +travelling, during which I had often changed masters, I got into the +hands of a chieftain, in a very pleasant country. This man had two +wives and some children, and they all used me extremely well, and did +all they could to comfort me; particularly the first wife, who was +something like my mother. Although I was a great many days journey +from my father's house, yet these people spoke exactly the same +language with us. This first master of mine, as I may call him, was a +smith, and my principal employment was working his bellows, which were +the same kind as I had seen in my vicinity. They were in some respects +not unlike the stoves here in gentlemen's kitchens; and were covered +over with leather; and in the middle of that leather a stick was +fixed, and a person stood up, and worked it, in the same manner as is +done to pump water out of a cask with a hand pump. I believe it was +gold he worked, for it was of a lovely bright yellow colour, and was +worn by the women on their wrists and ancles. I was there I suppose +about a month, and they at last used to trust me some little distance +from the house. This liberty I used in embracing every opportunity to +inquire the way to my own home: and I also sometimes, for the same +purpose, went with the maidens, in the cool of the evenings, to bring +pitchers of water from the springs for the use of the house. I had +also remarked where the sun rose in the morning, and set in the +evening, as I had travelled along; and I had observed that my father's +house was towards the rising of the sun. I therefore determined to +seize the first opportunity of making my escape, and to shape my +course for that quarter; for I was quite oppressed and weighed down by +grief after my mother and friends; and my love of liberty, ever great, +was strengthened by the mortifying circumstance of not daring to eat +with the free-born children, although I was mostly their companion. +While I was projecting my escape, one day an unlucky event happened, +which quite disconcerted my plan, and put an end to my hopes. I used +to be sometimes employed in assisting an elderly woman slave to cook +and take care of the poultry; and one morning, while I was feeding +some chickens, I happened to toss a small pebble at one of them, +which hit it on the middle and directly killed it. The old slave, +having soon after missed the chicken, inquired after it; and on my +relating the accident (for I told her the truth, because my mother +would never suffer me to tell a lie) she flew into a violent passion, +threatened that I should suffer for it; and, my master being out, she +immediately went and told her mistress what I had done. This alarmed +me very much, and I expected an instant flogging, which to me was +uncommonly dreadful; for I had seldom been beaten at home. I therefore +resolved to fly; and accordingly I ran into a thicket that was hard +by, and hid myself in the bushes. Soon afterwards my mistress and the +slave returned, and, not seeing me, they searched all the house, but +not finding me, and I not making answer when they called to me, they +thought I had run away, and the whole neighbourhood was raised in the +pursuit of me. In that part of the country (as in ours) the houses and +villages were skirted with woods, or shrubberies, and the bushes were +so thick that a man could readily conceal himself in them, so as to +elude the strictest search. The neighbours continued the whole day +looking for me, and several times many of them came within a few yards +of the place where I lay hid. I then gave myself up for lost entirely, +and expected every moment, when I heard a rustling among the trees, to +be found out, and punished by my master: but they never discovered me, +though they were often so near that I even heard their conjectures as +they were looking about for me; and I now learned from them, that any +attempt to return home would be hopeless. Most of them supposed I had +fled towards home; but the distance was so great, and the way so +intricate, that they thought I could never reach it, and that I should +be lost in the woods. When I heard this I was seized with a violent +panic, and abandoned myself to despair. Night too began to approach, +and aggravated all my fears. I had before entertained hopes of getting +home, and I had determined when it should be dark to make the attempt; +but I was now convinced it was fruitless, and I began to consider +that, if possibly I could escape all other animals, I could not those +of the human kind; and that, not knowing the way, I must perish in the +woods. Thus was I like the hunted deer:</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>—"Ev'ry leaf and ev'ry whisp'ring breath<br /></span> +<span>Convey'd a foe, and ev'ry foe a death."<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>I heard frequent rustlings among the leaves; and being pretty sure +they were snakes I expected every instant to be stung by them. This +increased my anguish, and the horror of my situation became now quite +insupportable. I at length quitted the thicket, very faint and hungry, +for I had not eaten or drank any thing all the day; and crept to my +master's kitchen, from whence I set out at first, and which was an +open shed, and laid myself down in the ashes with an anxious wish for +death to relieve me from all my pains. I was scarcely awake in the +morning when the old woman slave, who was the first up, came to light +the fire, and saw me in the fire place. She was very much surprised to +see me, and could scarcely believe her own eyes. She now promised to +intercede for me, and went for her master, who soon after came, and, +having slightly reprimanded me, ordered me to be taken care of, and +not to be ill-treated.</p> + +<p>Soon after this my master's only daughter, and child by his first +wife, sickened and died, which affected him so much that for some time +he was almost frantic, and really would have killed himself, had he +not been watched and prevented. However, in a small time afterwards he +recovered, and I was again sold. I was now carried to the left of the +sun's rising, through many different countries, and a number of large +woods. The people I was sold to used to carry me very often, when I +was tired, either on their shoulders or on their backs. I saw many +convenient well-built sheds along the roads, at proper distances, to +accommodate the merchants and travellers, who lay in those buildings +along with their wives, who often accompany them; and they always go +well armed.</p> + +<p>From the time I left my own nation I always found somebody that +understood me till I came to the sea coast. The languages of different +nations did not totally differ, nor were they so copious as those of +the Europeans, particularly the English. They were therefore easily +learned; and, while I was journeying thus through Africa, I acquired +two or three different tongues. In this manner I had been travelling +for a considerable time, when one evening, to my great surprise, whom +should I see brought to the house where I was but my dear sister! As +soon as she saw me she gave a loud shriek, and ran into my arms—I was +quite overpowered: neither of us could speak; but, for a considerable +time, clung to each other in mutual embraces, unable to do any thing +but weep. Our meeting affected all who saw us; and indeed I must +acknowledge, in honour of those sable destroyers of human rights, that +I never met with any ill treatment, or saw any offered to their +slaves, except tying them, when necessary, to keep them from running +away. When these people knew we were brother and sister they indulged +us together; and the man, to whom I supposed we belonged, lay with us, +he in the middle, while she and I held one another by the hands across +his breast all night; and thus for a while we forgot our misfortunes +in the joy of being together: but even this small comfort was soon to +have an end; for scarcely had the fatal morning appeared, when she was +again torn from me for ever! I was now more miserable, if possible, +than before. The small relief which her presence gave me from pain was +gone, and the wretchedness of my situation was redoubled by my anxiety +after her fate, and my apprehensions lest her sufferings should be +greater than mine, when I could not be with her to alleviate them. +Yes, thou dear partner of all my childish sports! thou sharer of my +joys and sorrows! happy should I have ever esteemed myself to +encounter every misery for you, and to procure your freedom by the +sacrifice of my own. Though you were early forced from my arms, your +image has been always rivetted in my heart, from which neither <i>time +nor fortune</i> have been able to remove it; so that, while the thoughts +of your sufferings have damped my prosperity, they have mingled with +adversity and increased its bitterness. To that Heaven which protects +the weak from the strong, I commit the care of your innocence and +virtues, if they have not already received their full reward, and if +your youth and delicacy have not long since fallen victims to the +violence of the African trader, the pestilential stench of a Guinea +ship, the seasoning in the European colonies, or the lash and lust of +a brutal and unrelenting overseer.</p> + +<p>I did not long remain after my sister. I was again sold, and carried +through a number of places, till, after travelling a considerable +time, I came to a town called Tinmah, in the most beautiful country I +have yet seen in Africa. It was extremely rich, and there were many +rivulets which flowed through it, and supplied a large pond in the +centre of the town, where the people washed. Here I first saw and +tasted cocoa-nuts, which I thought superior to any nuts I had ever +tasted before; and the trees, which were loaded, were also +interspersed amongst the houses, which had commodious shades +adjoining, and were in the same manner as ours, the insides being +neatly plastered and whitewashed. Here I also saw and tasted for the +first time sugar-cane. Their money consisted of little white shells, +the size of the finger nail. I was sold here for one hundred and +seventy-two of them by a merchant who lived and brought me there. I +had been about two or three days at his house, when a wealthy widow, a +neighbour of his, came there one evening, and brought with her an only +son, a young gentleman about my own age and size. Here they saw me; +and, having taken a fancy to me, I was bought of the merchant, and +went home with them. Her house and premises were situated close to one +of those rivulets I have mentioned, and were the finest I ever saw in +Africa: they were very extensive, and she had a number of slaves to +attend her. The next day I was washed and perfumed, and when meal-time +came I was led into the presence of my mistress, and ate and drank +before her with her son. This filled me with astonishment; and I could +scarce help expressing my surprise that the young gentleman should +suffer me, who was bound, to eat with him who was free; and not only +so, but that he would not at any time either eat or drink till I had +taken first, because I was the eldest, which was agreeable to our +custom. Indeed every thing here, and all their treatment of me, made +me forget that I was a slave. The language of these people resembled +ours so nearly, that we understood each other perfectly. They had also +the very same customs as we. There were likewise slaves daily to +attend us, while my young master and I with other boys sported with +our darts and bows and arrows, as I had been used to do at home. In +this resemblance to my former happy state I passed about two months; +and I now began to think I was to be adopted into the family, and was +beginning to be reconciled to my situation, and to forget by degrees +my misfortunes, when all at once the delusion vanished; for, without +the least previous knowledge, one morning early, while my dear master +and companion was still asleep, I was wakened out of my reverie to +fresh sorrow, and hurried away even amongst the uncircumcised.</p> + +<p>Thus, at the very moment I dreamed of the greatest happiness, I found +myself most miserable; and it seemed as if fortune wished to give me +this taste of joy, only to render the reverse more poignant. The +change I now experienced was as painful as it was sudden and +unexpected. It was a change indeed from a state of bliss to a scene +which is inexpressible by me, as it discovered to me an element I had +never before beheld, and till then had no idea of, and wherein such +instances of hardship and cruelty continually occurred as I can never +reflect on but with horror.</p> + +<p>All the nations and people I had hitherto passed through resembled our +own in their manners, customs, and language: but I came at length to a +country, the inhabitants of which differed from us in all those +particulars. I was very much struck with this difference, especially +when I came among a people who did not circumcise, and ate without +washing their hands. They cooked also in iron pots, and had European +cutlasses and cross bows, which were unknown to us, and fought with +their fists amongst themselves. Their women were not so modest as +ours, for they ate, and drank, and slept, with their men. But, above +all, I was amazed to see no sacrifices or offerings among them. In +some of those places the people ornamented themselves with scars, and +likewise filed their teeth very sharp. They wanted sometimes to +ornament me in the same manner, but I would not suffer them; hoping +that I might some time be among a people who did not thus disfigure +themselves, as I thought they did. At last I came to the banks of a +large river, which was covered with canoes, in which the people +appeared to live with their household utensils and provisions of all +kinds. I was beyond measure astonished at this, as I had never before +seen any water larger than a pond or a rivulet: and my surprise was +mingled with no small fear when I was put into one of these canoes, +and we began to paddle and move along the river. We continued going on +thus till night; and when we came to land, and made fires on the +banks, each family by themselves, some dragged their canoes on shore, +others stayed and cooked in theirs, and laid in them all night. Those +on the land had mats, of which they made tents, some in the shape of +little houses: in these we slept; and after the morning meal we +embarked again and proceeded as before. I was often very much +astonished to see some of the women, as well as the men, jump into the +water, dive to the bottom, come up again, and swim about. Thus I +continued to travel, sometimes by land, sometimes by water, through +different countries and various nations, till, at the end of six or +seven months after I had been kidnapped, I arrived at the sea coast. +It would be tedious and uninteresting to relate all the incidents +which befell me during this journey, and which I have not yet +forgotten; of the various hands I passed through, and the manners and +customs of all the different people among whom I lived: I shall +therefore only observe, that in all the places where I was the soil +was exceedingly rich; the pomkins, eadas, plantains, yams, &c. &c. +were in great abundance, and of incredible size. There were also vast +quantities of different gums, though not used for any purpose; and +every where a great deal of tobacco. The cotton even grew quite wild; +and there was plenty of redwood. I saw no mechanics whatever in all +the way, except such as I have mentioned. The chief employment in all +these countries was agriculture, and both the males and females, as +with us, were brought up to it, and trained in the arts of war.</p> + +<p>The first object which saluted my eyes when I arrived on the coast was +the sea, and a slave ship, which was then riding at anchor, and +waiting for its cargo. These filled me with astonishment, which was +soon converted into terror when I was carried on board. I was +immediately handled and tossed up to see if I were sound by some of +the crew; and I was now persuaded that I had gotten into a world of +bad spirits, and that they were going to kill me. Their complexions +too differing so much from ours, their long hair, and the language +they spoke, (which was very different from any I had ever heard) +united to confirm me in this belief. Indeed such were the horrors of +my views and fears at the moment, that, if ten thousand worlds had +been my own, I would have freely parted with them all to have +exchanged my condition with that of the meanest slave in my own +country. When I looked round the ship too and saw a large furnace or +copper boiling, and a multitude of black people of every description +chained together, every one of their countenances expressing dejection +and sorrow, I no longer doubted of my fate; and, quite overpowered +with horror and anguish, I fell motionless on the deck and fainted. +When I recovered a little I found some black people about me, who I +believed were some of those who brought me on board, and had been +receiving their pay; they talked to me in order to cheer me, but all +in vain. I asked them if we were not to be eaten by those white men +with horrible looks, red faces, and loose hair. They told me I was +not; and one of the crew brought me a small portion of spirituous +liquor in a wine glass; but, being afraid of him, I would not take it +out of his hand. One of the blacks therefore took it from him and gave +it to me, and I took a little down my palate, which, instead of +reviving me, as they thought it would, threw me into the greatest +consternation at the strange feeling it produced, having never tasted +any such liquor before. Soon after this the blacks who brought me on +board went off, and left me abandoned to despair. I now saw myself +deprived of all chance of returning to my native country, or even the +least glimpse of hope of gaining the shore, which I now considered as +friendly; and I even wished for my former slavery in preference to my +present situation, which was filled with horrors of every kind, still +heightened by my ignorance of what I was to undergo. I was not long +suffered to indulge my grief; I was soon put down under the decks, and +there I received such a salutation in my nostrils as I had never +experienced in my life: so that, with the loathsomeness of the stench, +and crying together, I became so sick and low that I was not able to +eat, nor had I the least desire to taste any thing. I now wished for +the last friend, death, to relieve me; but soon, to my grief, two of +the white men offered me eatables; and, on my refusing to eat, one of +them held me fast by the hands, and laid me across I think the +windlass, and tied my feet, while the other flogged me severely. I had +never experienced any thing of this kind before; and although, not +being used to the water, I naturally feared that element the first +time I saw it, yet nevertheless, could I have got over the nettings, +I would have jumped over the side, but I could not; and, besides, the +crew used to watch us very closely who were not chained down to the +decks, lest we should leap into the water: and I have seen some of +these poor African prisoners most severely cut for attempting to do +so, and hourly whipped for not eating. This indeed was often the case +with myself. In a little time after, amongst the poor chained men, I +found some of my own nation, which in a small degree gave ease to my +mind. I inquired of these what was to be done with us; they gave me to +understand we were to be carried to these white people's country to +work for them. I then was a little revived, and thought, if it were no +worse than working, my situation was not so desperate: but still I +feared I should be put to death, the white people looked and acted, as +I thought, in so savage a manner; for I had never seen among any +people such instances of brutal cruelty; and this not only shewn +towards us blacks, but also to some of the whites themselves. One +white man in particular I saw, when we were permitted to be on deck, +flogged so unmercifully with a large rope near the foremast, that he +died in consequence of it; and they tossed him over the side as they +would have done a brute. This made me fear these people the more; and +I expected nothing less than to be treated in the same manner. I could +not help expressing my fears and apprehensions to some of my +countrymen: I asked them if these people had no country, but lived in +this hollow place (the ship): they told me they did not, but came from +a distant one. 'Then,' said I, 'how comes it in all our country we +never heard of them?' They told me because they lived so very far off. +I then asked where were their women? had they any like themselves? I +was told they had: 'and why,' said I, 'do we not see them?' they +answered, because they were left behind. I asked how the vessel could +go? they told me they could not tell; but that there were cloths put +upon the masts by the help of the ropes I saw, and then the vessel +went on; and the white men had some spell or magic they put in the +water when they liked in order to stop the vessel. I was exceedingly +amazed at this account, and really thought they were spirits. I +therefore wished much to be from amongst them, for I expected they +would sacrifice me: but my wishes were vain; for we were so quartered +that it was impossible for any of us to make our escape. While we +stayed on the coast I was mostly on deck; and one day, to my great +astonishment, I saw one of these vessels coming in with the sails up. +As soon as the whites saw it, they gave a great shout, at which we +were amazed; and the more so as the vessel appeared larger by +approaching nearer. At last she came to an anchor in my sight, and +when the anchor was let go I and my countrymen who saw it were lost in +astonishment to observe the vessel stop; and were not convinced it was +done by magic. Soon after this the other ship got her boats out, and +they came on board of us, and the people of both ships seemed very +glad to see each other. Several of the strangers also shook hands with +us black people, and made motions with their hands, signifying I +suppose we were to go to their country; but we did not understand +them. At last, when the ship we were in had got in all her cargo, they +made ready with many fearful noises, and we were all put under deck, +so that we could not see how they managed the vessel. But this +disappointment was the least of my sorrow. The stench of the hold +while we were on the coast was so intolerably loathsome, that it was +dangerous to remain there for any time, and some of us had been +permitted to stay on the deck for the fresh air; but now that the +whole ship's cargo were confined together, it became absolutely +pestilential. The closeness of the place, and the heat of the climate, +added to the number in the ship, which was so crowded that each had +scarcely room to turn himself, almost suffocated us. This produced +copious perspirations, so that the air soon became unfit for +respiration, from a variety of loathsome smells, and brought on a +sickness among the slaves, of which many died, thus falling victims to +the improvident avarice, as I may call it, of their purchasers. This +wretched situation was again aggravated by the galling of the chains, +now become insupportable; and the filth of the necessary tubs, into +which the children often fell, and were almost suffocated. The shrieks +of the women, and the groans of the dying, rendered the whole a scene +of horror almost inconceivable. Happily perhaps for myself I was soon +reduced so low here that it was thought necessary to keep me almost +always on deck; and from my extreme youth I was not put in fetters. In +this situation I expected every hour to share the fate of my +companions, some of whom were almost daily brought upon deck at the +point of death, which I began to hope would soon put an end to my +miseries. Often did I think many of the inhabitants of the deep much +more happy than myself. I envied them the freedom they enjoyed, and as +often wished I could change my condition for theirs. Every +circumstance I met with served only to render my state more painful, +and heighten my apprehensions, and my opinion of the cruelty of the +whites. One day they had taken a number of fishes; and when they had +killed and satisfied themselves with as many as they thought fit, to +our astonishment who were on the deck, rather than give any of them to +us to eat as we expected, they tossed the remaining fish into the sea +again, although we begged and prayed for some as well as we could, but +in vain; and some of my countrymen, being pressed by hunger, took an +opportunity, when they thought no one saw them, of trying to get a +little privately; but they were discovered, and the attempt procured +them some very severe floggings. One day, when we had a smooth sea and +moderate wind, two of my wearied countrymen who were chained together +(I was near them at the time), preferring death to such a life of +misery, somehow made through the nettings and jumped into the sea: +immediately another quite dejected fellow, who, on account of his +illness, was suffered to be out of irons, also followed their example; +and I believe many more would very soon have done the same if they had +not been prevented by the ship's crew, who were instantly alarmed. +Those of us that were the most active were in a moment put down under +the deck, and there was such a noise and confusion amongst the people +of the ship as I never heard before, to stop her, and get the boat out +to go after the slaves. However two of the wretches were drowned, but +they got the other, and afterwards flogged him unmercifully for thus +attempting to prefer death to slavery. In this manner we continued to +undergo more hardships than I can now relate, hardships which are +inseparable from this accursed trade. Many a time we were near +suffocation from the want of fresh air, which we were often without +for whole days together. This, and the stench of the necessary tubs, +carried off many. During our passage I first saw flying fishes, which +surprised me very much: they used frequently to fly across the ship, +and many of them fell on the deck. I also now first saw the use of the +quadrant; I had often with astonishment seen the mariners make +observations with it, and I could not think what it meant. They at +last took notice of my surprise; and one of them, willing to increase +it, as well as to gratify my curiosity, made me one day look through +it. The clouds appeared to me to be land, which disappeared as they +passed along. This heightened my wonder; and I was now more persuaded +than ever that I was in another world, and that every thing about me +was magic. At last we came in sight of the island of Barbadoes, at +which the whites on board gave a great shout, and made many signs of +joy to us. We did not know what to think of this; but as the vessel +drew nearer we plainly saw the harbour, and other ships of different +kinds and sizes; and we soon anchored amongst them off Bridge Town. +Many merchants and planters now came on board, though it was in the +evening. They put us in separate parcels, and examined us attentively. +They also made us jump, and pointed to the land, signifying we were to +go there. We thought by this we should be eaten by these ugly men, as +they appeared to us; and, when soon after we were all put down under +the deck again, there was much dread and trembling among us, and +nothing but bitter cries to be heard all the night from these +apprehensions, insomuch that at last the white people got some old +slaves from the land to pacify us. They told us we were not to be +eaten, but to work, and were soon to go on land, where we should see +many of our country people. This report eased us much; and sure +enough, soon after we were landed, there came to us Africans of all +languages. We were conducted immediately to the merchant's yard, where +we were all pent up together like so many sheep in a fold, without +regard to sex or age. As every object was new to me every thing I saw +filled me with surprise. What struck me first was that the houses were +built with stories, and in every other respect different from those in +Africa: but I was still more astonished on seeing people on horseback. +I did not know what this could mean; and indeed I thought these people +were full of nothing but magical arts. While I was in this +astonishment one of my fellow prisoners spoke to a countryman of his +about the horses, who said they were the same kind they had in their +country. I understood them, though they were from a distant part of +Africa, and I thought it odd I had not seen any horses there; but +afterwards, when I came to converse with different Africans, I found +they had many horses amongst them, and much larger than those I then +saw. We were not many days in the merchant's custody before we were +sold after their usual manner, which is this:—On a signal given,(as +the beat of a drum) the buyers rush at once into the yard where the +slaves are confined, and make choice of that parcel they like best. +The noise and clamour with which this is attended, and the eagerness +visible in the countenances of the buyers, serve not a little to +increase the apprehensions of the terrified Africans, who may well be +supposed to consider them as the ministers of that destruction to +which they think themselves devoted. In this manner, without scruple, +are relations and friends separated, most of them never to see each +other again. I remember in the vessel in which I was brought over, in +the men's apartment, there were several brothers, who, in the sale, +were sold in different lots; and it was very moving on this occasion +to see and hear their cries at parting. O, ye nominal Christians! +might not an African ask you, learned you this from your God, who says +unto you, Do unto all men as you would men should do unto you? Is it +not enough that we are torn from our country and friends to toil for +your luxury and lust of gain? Must every tender feeling be likewise +sacrificed to your avarice? Are the dearest friends and relations, now +rendered more dear by their separation from their kindred, still to be +parted from each other, and thus prevented from cheering the gloom of +slavery with the small comfort of being together and mingling their +sufferings and sorrows? Why are parents to lose their children, +brothers their sisters, or husbands their wives? Surely this is a new +refinement in cruelty, which, while it has no advantage to atone for +it, thus aggravates distress, and adds fresh horrors even to the +wretchedness of slavery.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAP_III" id="CHAP_III" />CHAP. III.</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>The author is carried to Virginia—His distress—Surprise + at seeing a picture and a watch—Is bought by Captain + Pascal, and sets out for England—His terror during the + voyage—Arrives in England—His wonder at a fall of snow—Is + sent to Guernsey, and in some time goes on board a ship of + war with his master—Some account of the expedition against + Louisbourg under the command of Admiral Boscawen, in 1758.</i></p></div> + + +<p>I now totally lost the small remains of comfort I had enjoyed in +conversing with my countrymen; the women too, who used to wash and +take care of me, were all gone different ways, and I never saw one of +them afterwards.</p> + +<p>I stayed in this island for a few days; I believe it could not be +above a fortnight; when I and some few more slaves, that were not +saleable amongst the rest, from very much fretting, were shipped off +in a sloop for North America. On the passage we were better treated +than when we were coming from Africa, and we had plenty of rice and +fat pork. We were landed up a river a good way from the sea, about +Virginia county, where we saw few or none of our native Africans, and +not one soul who could talk to me. I was a few weeks weeding grass, +and gathering stones in a plantation; and at last all my companions +were distributed different ways, and only myself was left. I was now +exceedingly miserable, and thought myself worse off than any of the +rest of my companions; for they could talk to each other, but I had no +person to speak to that I could understand. In this state I was +constantly grieving and pining, and wishing for death rather than any +thing else. While I was in this plantation the gentleman, to whom I +suppose the estate belonged, being unwell, I was one day sent for to +his dwelling house to fan him; when I came into the room where he was +I was very much affrighted at some things I saw, and the more so as I +had seen a black woman slave as I came through the house, who was +cooking the dinner, and the poor creature was cruelly loaded with +various kinds of iron machines; she had one particularly on her head, +which locked her mouth so fast that she could scarcely speak; and +could not eat nor drink. I was much astonished and shocked at this +contrivance, which I afterwards learned was called the iron muzzle. +Soon after I had a fan put into my hand, to fan the gentleman while he +slept; and so I did indeed with great fear. While he was fast asleep I +indulged myself a great deal in looking about the room, which to me +appeared very fine and curious. The first object that engaged my +attention was a watch which hung on the chimney, and was going. I was +quite surprised at the noise it made, and was afraid it would tell the +gentleman any thing I might do amiss: and when I immediately after +observed a picture hanging in the room, which appeared constantly to +look at me, I was still more affrighted, having never seen such things +as these before. At one time I thought it was something relative to +magic; and not seeing it move I thought it might be some way the +whites had to keep their great men when they died, and offer them +libation as we used to do to our friendly spirits. In this state of +anxiety I remained till my master awoke, when I was dismissed out of +the room, to my no small satisfaction and relief; for I thought that +these people were all made up of wonders. In this place I was called +Jacob; but on board the African snow I was called Michael. I had been +some time in this miserable, forlorn, and much dejected state, without +having any one to talk to, which made my life a burden, when the kind +and unknown hand of the Creator (who in very deed leads the blind in a +way they know not) now began to appear, to my comfort; for one day the +captain of a merchant ship, called the Industrious Bee, came on some +business to my master's house. This gentleman, whose name was Michael +Henry Pascal, was a lieutenant in the royal navy, but now commanded +this trading ship, which was somewhere in the confines of the county +many miles off. While he was at my master's house it happened that he +saw me, and liked me so well that he made a purchase of me. I think I +have often heard him say he gave thirty or forty pounds sterling for +me; but I do not now remember which. However, he meant me for a +present to some of his friends in England: and I was sent accordingly +from the house of my then master, one Mr. Campbell, to the place where +the ship lay; I was conducted on horseback by an elderly black man, (a +mode of travelling which appeared very odd to me). When I arrived I +was carried on board a fine large ship, loaded with tobacco, &c. and +just ready to sail for England. I now thought my condition much +mended; I had sails to lie on, and plenty of good victuals to eat; and +every body on board used me very kindly, quite contrary to what I had +seen of any white people before; I therefore began to think that they +were not all of the same disposition. A few days after I was on board +we sailed for England. I was still at a loss to conjecture my destiny. +By this time, however, I could smatter a little imperfect English; and +I wanted to know as well as I could where we were going. Some of the +people of the ship used to tell me they were going to carry me back to +my own country, and this made me very happy. I was quite rejoiced at +the sound of going back; and thought if I should get home what wonders +I should have to tell. But I was reserved for another fate, and was +soon undeceived when we came within sight of the English coast. While +I was on board this ship, my captain and master named me <i>Gustavus +Vassa</i>. I at that time began to understand him a little, and refused to +be called so, and told him as well as I could that I would be called +Jacob; but he said I should not, and still called me Gustavus; and +when I refused to answer to my new name, which at first I did, it +gained me many a cuff; so at length I submitted, and was obliged to +bear the present name, by which I have been known ever since. The ship +had a very long passage; and on that account we had very short +allowance of provisions. Towards the last we had only one pound and a +half of bread per week, and about the same quantity of meat, and one +quart of water a-day. We spoke with only one vessel the whole time we +were at sea, and but once we caught a few fishes. In our extremities +the captain and people told me in jest they would kill and eat me; but +I thought them in earnest, and was depressed beyond measure, expecting +every moment to be my last. While I was in this situation one evening +they caught, with a good deal of trouble, a large shark, and got it on +board. This gladdened my poor heart exceedingly, as I thought it would +serve the people to eat instead of their eating me; but very soon, to +my astonishment, they cut off a small part of the tail, and tossed the +rest over the side. This renewed my consternation; and I did not know +what to think of these white people, though I very much feared they +would kill and eat me. There was on board the ship a young lad who had +never been at sea before, about four or five years older than myself: +his name was Richard Baker. He was a native of America, had received +an excellent education, and was of a most amiable temper. Soon after I +went on board he shewed me a great deal of partiality and attention, +and in return I grew extremely fond of him. We at length became +inseparable; and, for the space of two years, he was of very great use +to me, and was my constant companion and instructor. Although this +dear youth had many slaves of his own, yet he and I have gone through +many sufferings together on shipboard; and we have many nights lain in +each other's bosoms when we were in great distress. Thus such a +friendship was cemented between us as we cherished till his death, +which, to my very great sorrow, happened in the year 1759, when he was +up the Archipelago, on board his majesty's ship the Preston: an event +which I have never ceased to regret, as I lost at once a kind +interpreter, an agreeable companion, and a faithful friend; who, at +the age of fifteen, discovered a mind superior to prejudice; and who +was not ashamed to notice, to associate with, and to be the friend and +instructor of one who was ignorant, a stranger, of a different +complexion, and a slave! My master had lodged in his mother's house in +America: he respected him very much, and made him always eat with him +in the cabin. He used often to tell him jocularly that he would kill +me to eat. Sometimes he would say to me—the black people were not +good to eat, and would ask me if we did not eat people in my country. +I said, No: then he said he would kill Dick (as he always called him) +first, and afterwards me. Though this hearing relieved my mind a +little as to myself, I was alarmed for Dick and whenever he was called +I used to be very much afraid he was to be killed; and I would peep +and watch to see if they were going to kill him: nor was I free from +this consternation till we made the land. One night we lost a man +overboard; and the cries and noise were so great and confused, in +stopping the ship, that I, who did not know what was the matter, +began, as usual, to be very much afraid, and to think they were going +to make an offering with me, and perform some magic; which I still +believed they dealt in. As the waves were very high I thought the +Ruler of the seas was angry, and I expected to be offered up to +appease him. This filled my mind with agony, and I could not any more +that night close my eyes again to rest. However, when daylight +appeared I was a little eased in my mind; but still every time I was +called I used to think it was to be killed. Some time after this we +saw some very large fish, which I afterwards found were called +grampusses. They looked to me extremely terrible, and made their +appearance just at dusk; and were so near as to blow the water on the +ship's deck. I believed them to be the rulers of the sea; and, as the +white people did not make any offerings at any time, I thought they +were angry with them: and, at last, what confirmed my belief was, the +wind just then died away, and a calm ensued, and in consequence of it +the ship stopped going. I supposed that the fish had performed this, +and I hid myself in the fore part of the ship, through fear of being +offered up to appease them, every minute peeping and quaking: but my +good friend Dick came shortly towards me, and I took an opportunity to +ask him, as well as I could, what these fish were. Not being able to +talk much English, I could but just make him understand my question; +and not at all, when I asked him if any offerings were to be made to +them: however, he told me these fish would swallow any body; which +sufficiently alarmed me. Here he was called away by the captain, who +was leaning over the quarter-deck railing and looking at the fish; and +most of the people were busied in getting a barrel of pitch to light, +for them to play with. The captain now called me to him, having +learned some of my apprehensions from Dick; and having diverted +himself and others for some time with my fears, which appeared +ludicrous enough in my crying and trembling, he dismissed me. The +barrel of pitch was now lighted and put over the side into the water: +by this time it was just dark, and the fish went after it; and, to my +great joy, I saw them no more.</p> + +<p>However, all my alarms began to subside when we got sight of land; and +at last the ship arrived at Falmouth, after a passage of thirteen +weeks. Every heart on board seemed gladdened on our reaching the +shore, and none more than mine. The captain immediately went on shore, +and sent on board some fresh provisions, which we wanted very much: +we made good use of them, and our famine was soon turned into +feasting, almost without ending. It was about the beginning of the +spring 1757 when I arrived in England, and I was near twelve years of +age at that time. I was very much struck with the buildings and the +pavement of the streets in Falmouth; and, indeed, any object I saw +filled me with new surprise. One morning, when I got upon deck, I saw +it covered all over with the snow that fell over-night: as I had never +seen any thing of the kind before, I thought it was salt; so I +immediately ran down to the mate and desired him, as well as I could, +to come and see how somebody in the night had thrown salt all over the +deck. He, knowing what it was, desired me to bring some of it down to +him: accordingly I took up a handful of it, which I found very cold +indeed; and when I brought it to him he desired me to taste it. I did +so, and I was surprised beyond measure. I then asked him what it was; +he told me it was snow: but I could not in anywise understand him. He +asked me if we had no such thing in my country; and I told him, No. I +then asked him the use of it, and who made it; he told me a great man +in the heavens, called God: but here again I was to all intents and +purposes at a loss to understand him; and the more so, when a little +after I saw the air filled with it, in a heavy shower, which fell down +on the same day. After this I went to church; and having never been at +such a place before, I was again amazed at seeing and hearing the +service. I asked all I could about it; and they gave me to understand +it was worshipping God, who made us and all things. I was still at a +great loss, and soon got into an endless field of inquiries, as well +as I was able to speak and ask about things. However, my little friend +Dick used to be my best interpreter; for I could make free with him, +and he always instructed me with pleasure: and from what I could +understand by him of this God, and in seeing these white people did +not sell one another, as we did, I was much pleased; and in this I +thought they were much happier than we Africans. I was astonished at +the wisdom of the white people in all things I saw; but was amazed at +their not sacrificing, or making any offerings, and eating with +unwashed hands, and touching the dead. I likewise could not help +remarking the particular slenderness of their women, which I did not +at first like; and I thought they were not so modest and shamefaced as +the African women.</p> + +<p>I had often seen my master and Dick employed in reading; and I had a +great curiosity to talk to the books, as I thought they did; and so to +learn how all things had a beginning: for that purpose I have often +taken up a book, and have talked to it, and then put my ears to it, +when alone, in hopes it would answer me; and I have been very much +concerned when I found it remained silent.</p> + +<p>My master lodged at the house of a gentleman in Falmouth, who had a +fine little daughter about six or seven years of age, and she grew +prodigiously fond of me; insomuch that we used to eat together, and +had servants to wait on us. I was so much caressed by this family that +it often reminded me of the treatment I had received from my little +noble African master. After I had been here a few days, I was sent on +board of the ship; but the child cried so much after me that nothing +could pacify her till I was sent for again. It is ludicrous enough, +that I began to fear I should be betrothed to this young lady; and +when my master asked me if I would stay there with her behind him, as +he was going away with the ship, which had taken in the tobacco again, +I cried immediately, and said I would not leave her. At last, by +stealth, one night I was sent on board the ship again; and in a little +time we sailed for Guernsey, where she was in part owned by a +merchant, one Nicholas Doberry. As I was now amongst a people who had +not their faces scarred, like some of the African nations where I had +been, I was very glad I did not let them ornament me in that manner +when I was with them. When we arrived at Guernsey, my master placed me +to board and lodge with one of his mates, who had a wife and family +there; and some months afterwards he went to England, and left me in +care of this mate, together with my friend Dick: This mate had a +little daughter, aged about five or six years, with whom I used to be +much delighted. I had often observed that when her mother washed her +face it looked very rosy; but when she washed mine it did not look so: +I therefore tried oftentimes myself if I could not by washing make my +face of the same colour as my little play-mate (Mary), but it was all +in vain; and I now began to be mortified at the difference in our +complexions. This woman behaved to me with great kindness and +attention; and taught me every thing in the same manner as she did her +own child, and indeed in every respect treated me as such. I remained +here till the summer of the year 1757; when my master, being appointed +first lieutenant of his majesty's ship the Roebuck, sent for Dick and +me, and his old mate: on this we all left Guernsey, and set out for +England in a sloop bound for London. As we were coming up towards the +Nore, where the Roebuck lay, a man of war's boat came alongside to +press our people; on which each man ran to hide himself. I was very +much frightened at this, though I did not know what it meant, or what +to think or do. However I went and hid myself also under a hencoop. +Immediately afterwards the press-gang came on board with their swords +drawn, and searched all about, pulled the people out by force, and put +them into the boat. At last I was found out also: the man that found +me held me up by the heels while they all made their sport of me, I +roaring and crying out all the time most lustily: but at last the +mate, who was my conductor, seeing this, came to my assistance, and +did all he could to pacify me; but all to very little purpose, till I +had seen the boat go off. Soon afterwards we came to the Nore, where +the Roebuck lay; and, to our great joy, my master came on board to us, +and brought us to the ship. When I went on board this large ship, I +was amazed indeed to see the quantity of men and the guns. However my +surprise began to diminish as my knowledge increased; and I ceased to +feel those apprehensions and alarms which had taken such strong +possession of me when I first came among the Europeans, and for some +time after. I began now to pass to an opposite extreme; I was so far +from being afraid of any thing new which I saw, that, after I had been +some time in this ship, I even began to long for a battle. My griefs +too, which in young minds are not perpetual, were now wearing away; +and I soon enjoyed myself pretty well, and felt tolerably easy in my +present situation. There was a number of boys on board, which still +made it more agreeable; for we were always together, and a great part +of our time was spent in play. I remained in this ship a considerable +time, during which we made several cruises, and visited a variety of +places: among others we were twice in Holland, and brought over +several persons of distinction from it, whose names I do not now +remember. On the passage, one day, for the diversion of those +gentlemen, all the boys were called on the quarter-deck, and were +paired proportionably, and then made to fight; after which the +gentleman gave the combatants from five to nine shillings each. This +was the first time I ever fought with a white boy; and I never knew +what it was to have a bloody nose before. This made me fight most +desperately; I suppose considerably more than an hour: and at last, +both of us being weary, we were parted. I had a great deal of this +kind of sport afterwards, in which the captain and the ship's company +used very much to encourage me. Sometime afterwards the ship went to +Leith in Scotland, and from thence to the Orkneys, where I was +surprised in seeing scarcely any night: and from thence we sailed with +a great fleet, full of soldiers, for England. All this time we had +never come to an engagement, though we were frequently cruising off +the coast of France: during which we chased many vessels, and took in +all seventeen prizes. I had been learning many of the manoeuvres of +the ship during our cruise; and I was several times made to fire the +guns. One evening, off Havre de Grace, just as it was growing dark, we +were standing off shore, and met with a fine large French-built +frigate. We got all things immediately ready for fighting; and I now +expected I should be gratified in seeing an engagement, which I had so +long wished for in vain. But the very moment the word of command was +given to fire we heard those on board the other ship cry 'Haul down +the jib;' and in that instant she hoisted English colours. There was +instantly with us an amazing cry of—Avast! or stop firing; and I +think one or two guns had been let off, but happily they did no +mischief. We had hailed them several times; but they not hearing, we +received no answer, which was the cause of our firing. The boat was +then sent on board of her, and she proved to be the Ambuscade man of +war, to my no small disappointment. We returned to Portsmouth, without +having been in any action, just at the trial of Admiral Byng (whom I +saw several times during it): and my master having left the ship, and +gone to London for promotion, Dick and I were put on board the Savage +sloop of war, and we went in her to assist in bringing off the St. +George man of war, that had ran ashore somewhere on the coast. After +staying a few weeks on board the Savage, Dick and I were sent on shore +at Deal, where we remained some short time, till my master sent for us +to London, the place I had long desired exceedingly to see. We +therefore both with great pleasure got into a waggon, and came to +London, where we were received by a Mr. Guerin, a relation of my +master. This gentleman had two sisters, very amiable ladies, who took +much notice and great care of me. Though I had desired so much to see +London, when I arrived in it I was unfortunately unable to gratify my +curiosity; for I had at this time the chilblains to such a degree that +I could not stand for several months, and I was obliged to be sent to +St. George's Hospital. There I grew so ill, that the doctors wanted to +cut my left leg off at different times, apprehending a mortification; +but I always said I would rather die than suffer it; and happily (I +thank God) I recovered without the operation. After being there +several weeks, and just as I had recovered, the small-pox broke out on +me, so that I was again confined; and I thought myself now +particularly unfortunate. However I soon recovered again; and by this +time my master having been promoted to be first lieutenant of the +Preston man of war of fifty guns, then new at Deptford, Dick and I +were sent on board her, and soon after we went to Holland to bring +over the late Duke of —— to England.—While I was in this ship an +incident happened, which, though trifling, I beg leave to relate, as I +could not help taking particular notice of it, and considering it then +as a judgment of God. One morning a young man was looking up to the +fore-top, and in a wicked tone, common on shipboard, d——d his eyes +about something. Just at the moment some small particles of dirt fell +into his left eye, and by the evening it was very much inflamed. The +next day it grew worse; and within six or seven days he lost it. From +this ship my master was appointed a lieutenant on board the Royal +George. When he was going he wished me to stay on board the Preston, +to learn the French horn; but the ship being ordered for Turkey I +could not think of leaving my master, to whom I was very warmly +attached; and I told him if he left me behind it would break my heart. +This prevailed on him to take me with him; but he left Dick on board +the Preston, whom I embraced at parting for the last time. The Royal +George was the largest ship I had ever seen; so that when I came on +board of her I was surprised at the number of people, men, women, and +children, of every denomination; and the largeness of the guns, many +of them also of brass, which I had never seen before. Here were also +shops or stalls of every kind of goods, and people crying their +different commodities about the ship as in a town. To me it appeared a +little world, into which I was again cast without a friend, for I had +no longer my dear companion Dick. We did not stay long here. My master +was not many weeks on board before he got an appointment to be sixth +lieutenant of the Namur, which was then at Spithead, fitting up for +Vice-admiral Boscawen, who was going with a large fleet on an +expedition against Louisburgh. The crew of the Royal George were +turned over to her, and the flag of that gallant admiral was hoisted +on board, the blue at the maintop-gallant mast head. There was a very +great fleet of men of war of every description assembled together for +this expedition, and I was in hopes soon to have an opportunity of +being gratified with a sea-fight. All things being now in readiness, +this mighty fleet (for there was also Admiral Cornish's fleet in +company, destined for the East Indies) at last weighed anchor, and +sailed. The two fleets continued in company for several days, and then +parted; Admiral Cornish, in the Lenox, having first saluted our +admiral in the Namur, which he returned. We then steered for America; +but, by contrary winds, we were driven to Teneriffe, where I was +struck with its noted peak. Its prodigious height, and its form, +resembling a sugar-loaf, filled me with wonder. We remained in sight +of this island some days, and then proceeded for America, which we +soon made, and got into a very commodious harbour called St. George, +in Halifax, where we had fish in great plenty, and all other fresh +provisions. We were here joined by different men of war and transport +ships with soldiers; after which, our fleet being increased to a +prodigious number of ships of all kinds, we sailed for Cape Breton in +Nova Scotia. We had the good and gallant General Wolfe on board our +ship, whose affability made him highly esteemed and beloved by all the +men. He often honoured me, as well as other boys, with marks of his +notice; and saved me once a flogging for fighting with a young +gentleman. We arrived at Cape Breton in the summer of 1758: and here +the soldiers were to be landed, in order to make an attack upon +Louisbourgh. My master had some part in superintending the landing; +and here I was in a small measure gratified in seeing an encounter +between our men and the enemy. The French were posted on the shore to +receive us, and disputed our landing for a long time; but at last they +were driven from their trenches, and a complete landing was effected. +Our troops pursued them as far as the town of Louisbourgh. In this +action many were killed on both sides. One thing remarkable I saw this +day:—A lieutenant of the Princess Amelia, who, as well as my master, +superintended the landing, was giving the word of command, and while +his mouth was open a musquet ball went through it, and passed out at +his cheek. I had that day in my hand the scalp of an indian king, who +was killed in the engagement: the scalp had been taken off by an +Highlander. I saw this king's ornaments too, which were very curious, +and made of feathers.</p> + +<p>Our land forces laid siege to the town of Louisbourgh, while the +French men of war were blocked up in the harbour by the fleet, the +batteries at the same time playing upon them from the land. This they +did with such effect, that one day I saw some of the ships set on fire +by the shells from the batteries, and I believe two or three of them +were quite burnt. At another time, about fifty boats belonging to the +English men of war, commanded by Captain George Balfour of the Ætna +fire-ship, and another junior captain, Laforey, attacked and boarded +the only two remaining French men of war in the harbour. They also set +fire to a seventy-gun ship, but a sixty-four, called the Bienfaisant, +they brought off. During my stay here I had often an opportunity of +being near Captain Balfour, who was pleased to notice me, and liked me +so much that he often asked my master to let him have me, but he would +not part with me; and no consideration could have induced me to leave +him. At last Louisbourgh was taken, and the English men of war came +into the harbour before it, to my very great joy; for I had now more +liberty of indulging myself, and I went often on shore. When the ships +were in the harbour we had the most beautiful procession on the water +I ever saw. All the admirals and captains of the men of war, full +dressed, and in their barges, well ornamented with pendants, came +alongside of the Namur. The vice-admiral then went on shore in his +barge, followed by the other officers in order of seniority, to take +possession, as I suppose, of the town and fort. Some time after this +the French governor and his lady, and other persons of note, came on +board our ship to dine. On this occasion our ships were dressed with +colours of all kinds, from the topgallant-mast head to the deck; and +this, with the firing of guns, formed a most grand and magnificent +spectacle.</p> + +<p>As soon as every thing here was settled Admiral Boscawen sailed with +part of the fleet for England, leaving some ships behind with +Rear-admirals Sir Charles Hardy and Durell. It was now winter; and one +evening, during our passage home, about dusk, when we were in the +channel, or near soundings, and were beginning to look for land, we +descried seven sail of large men of war, which stood off shore. +Several people on board of our ship said, as the two fleets were (in +forty minutes from the first sight) within hail of each other, that +they were English men of war; and some of our people even began to +name some of the ships. By this time both fleets began to mingle, and +our admiral ordered his flag to be hoisted. At that instant the other +fleet, which were French, hoisted their ensigns, and gave us a +broadside as they passed by. Nothing could create greater surprise and +confusion among us than this: the wind was high, the sea rough, and we +had our lower and middle deck guns housed in, so that not a single gun +on board was ready to be fired at any of the French ships. However, +the Royal William and the Somerset being our sternmost ships, became a +little prepared, and each gave the French ships a broadside as they +passed by. I afterwards heard this was a French squadron, commanded by +Mons. Conflans; and certainly had the Frenchmen known our condition, +and had a mind to fight us, they might have done us great mischief. +But we were not long before we were prepared for an engagement. +Immediately many things were tossed overboard; the ships were made +ready for fighting as soon as possible; and about ten at night we had +bent a new main sail, the old one being split. Being now in readiness +for fighting, we wore ship, and stood after the French fleet, who +were one or two ships in number more than we. However we gave them +chase, and continued pursuing them all night; and at daylight we saw +six of them, all large ships of the line, and an English East +Indiaman, a prize they had taken. We chased them all day till between +three and four o'clock in the evening, when we came up with, and +passed within a musquet shot of, one seventy-four gun ship, and the +Indiaman also, who now hoisted her colours, but immediately hauled +them down again. On this we made a signal for the other ships to take +possession of her; and, supposing the man of war would likewise +strike, we cheered, but she did not; though if we had fired into her, +from being so near, we must have taken her. To my utter surprise the +Somerset, who was the next ship astern of the Namur, made way +likewise; and, thinking they were sure of this French ship, they +cheered in the same manner, but still continued to follow us. The +French Commodore was about a gun-shot ahead of all, running from us +with all speed; and about four o'clock he carried his foretopmast +overboard. This caused another loud cheer with us; and a little after +the topmast came close by us; but, to our great surprise, instead of +coming up with her, we found she went as fast as ever, if not faster. +The sea grew now much smoother; and the wind lulling, the seventy-four +gun ship we had passed came again by us in the very same direction, +and so near, that we heard her people talk as she went by; yet not a +shot was fired on either side; and about five or six o'clock, just as +it grew dark, she joined her commodore. We chased all night; but the +next day they were out of sight, so that we saw no more of them; and +we only had the old Indiaman (called Carnarvon I think) for our +trouble. After this we stood in for the channel, and soon made the +land; and, about the close of the year 1758-9, we got safe to St. +Helen's. Here the Namur ran aground; and also another large ship +astern of us; but, by starting our water, and tossing many things +overboard to lighten her, we got the ships off without any damage. We +stayed for a short time at Spithead, and then went into Portsmouth +harbour to refit; from whence the admiral went to London; and my +master and I soon followed, with a press-gang, as we wanted some hands +to complete our complement.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAP_IV" id="CHAP_IV" />CHAP. IV.</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>The author is baptized—Narrowly escapes drowning—Goes on + an expedition to the Mediterranean—Incidents he met with + there—Is witness to an engagement between some English and + French ships—A particular account of the celebrated + engagement between Admiral Boscawen and Mons. Le Clue, off + Cape Logas, in August 1759—Dreadful explosion of a French + ship—The author sails for England—His master appointed to + the command of a fire-ship—Meets a negro boy, from whom he + experiences much benevolence—Prepares for an expedition + against Belle-Isle—A remarkable story of a disaster which + befel his ship—Arrives at Belle-Isle—Operations of the + landing and siege—The author's danger and distress, with + his manner of extricating himself—- Surrender of + Belle-Isle—Transactions afterwards on the coast of + France—Remarkable instance of kidnapping—The author + returns to England—Hears a talk of peace, and expects his + freedom—His ship sails for Deptford to be paid off, and + when he arrives there he is suddenly seized by his master + and carried forcibly on board a West India ship and sold.</i></p></div> + + +<p>It was now between two and three years since I first came to England, +a great part of which I had spent at sea; so that I became inured to +that service, and began to consider myself as happily situated; for my +master treated me always extremely well; and my attachment and +gratitude to him were very great. From the various scenes I had beheld +on shipboard, I soon grew a stranger to terror of every kind, and was, +in that respect at least, almost an Englishman. I have often reflected +with surprise that I never felt half the alarm at any of the numerous +dangers I have been in, that I was filled with at the first sight of +the Europeans, and at every act of theirs, even the most trifling, +when I first came among them, and for some time afterwards. That fear, +however, which was the effect of my ignorance, wore away as I began to +know them. I could now speak English tolerably well, and I perfectly +understood every thing that was said. I now not only felt myself +quite easy with these new countrymen, but relished their society and +manners. I no longer looked upon them as spirits, but as men superior +to us; and therefore I had the stronger desire to resemble them; to +imbibe their spirit, and imitate their manners; I therefore embraced +every occasion of improvement; and every new thing that I observed I +treasured up in my memory. I had long wished to be able to read and +write; and for this purpose I took every opportunity to gain +instruction, but had made as yet very little progress. However, when I +went to London with my master, I had soon an opportunity of improving +myself, which I gladly embraced. Shortly after my arrival, he sent me +to wait upon the Miss Guerins, who had treated me with much kindness +when I was there before; and they sent me to school.</p> + +<p>While I was attending these ladies their servants told me I could not +go to Heaven unless I was baptized. This made me very uneasy; for I +had now some faint idea of a future state: accordingly I communicated +my anxiety to the eldest Miss Guerin, with whom I was become a +favourite, and pressed her to have me baptized; when to my great joy +she told me I should. She had formerly asked my master to let me be +baptized, but he had refused; however she now insisted on it; and he +being under some obligation to her brother complied with her request; +so I was baptized in St. Margaret's church, Westminster, in February +1759, by my present name. The clergyman, at the same time, gave me a +book, called a Guide to the Indians, written by the Bishop of Sodor +and Man. On this occasion Miss Guerin did me the honour to stand as +godmother, and afterwards gave me a treat. I used to attend these +ladies about the town, in which service I was extremely happy; as I +had thus many opportunities of seeing London, which I desired of all +things. I was sometimes, however, with my master at his +rendezvous-house, which was at the foot of Westminster-bridge. Here I +used to enjoy myself in playing about the bridge stairs, and often in +the watermen's wherries, with other boys. On one of these occasions +there was another boy with me in a wherry, and we went out into the +current of the river: while we were there two more stout boys came to +us in another wherry, and, abusing us for taking the boat, desired me +to get into the other wherry-boat. Accordingly I went to get out of +the wherry I was in; but just as I had got one of my feet into the +other boat the boys shoved it off, so that I fell into the Thames; +and, not being able to swim, I should unavoidably have been drowned, +but for the assistance of some watermen who providentially came to my +relief.</p> + +<p>The Namur being again got ready for sea, my master, with his gang, was +ordered on board; and, to my no small grief, I was obliged to leave my +school-master, whom I liked very much, and always attended while I +stayed in London, to repair on board with my master. Nor did I leave +my kind patronesses, the Miss Guerins, without uneasiness and regret. +They often used to teach me to read, and took great pains to instruct +me in the principles of religion and the knowledge of God. I therefore +parted from those amiable ladies with reluctance; after receiving from +them many friendly cautions how to conduct myself, and some valuable +presents.</p> + +<p>When I came to Spithead, I found we were destined for the +Mediterranean, with a large fleet, which was now ready to put to sea. +We only waited for the arrival of the admiral, who soon came on board; +and about the beginning of the spring 1759, having weighed anchor, and +got under way, Sailed for the Mediterranean; and in eleven days, from +the Land's End, we got to Gibraltar. While we were here I used to be +often on shore, and got various fruits in great plenty, and very +cheap.</p> + +<p>I had frequently told several people, in my excursions on shore, the +story of my being kidnapped with my sister, and of our being +separated, as I have related before; and I had as often expressed my +anxiety for her fate, and my sorrow at having never met her again. One +day, when I was on shore, and mentioning these circumstances to some +persons, one of them told me he knew where my sister was, and, if I +would accompany him, he would bring me to her. Improbable as this +story was I believed it immediately, and agreed to go with him, while +my heart leaped for joy: and, indeed, he conducted me to a black young +woman, who was so like my sister, that, at first sight, I really +thought it was her: but I was quickly undeceived; and, on talking to +her, I found her to be of another nation.</p> + +<p>While we lay here the Preston came in from the Levant. As soon as she +arrived, my master told me I should now see my old companion, Dick, +who had gone in her when she sailed for Turkey. I was much rejoiced at +this news, and expected every minute to embrace him; and when the +captain came on board of our ship, which he did immediately after, I +ran to inquire after my friend; but, with inexpressible sorrow, I +learned from the boat's crew that the dear youth was dead! and that +they had brought his chest, and all his other things, to my master: +these he afterwards gave to me, and I regarded them as a memorial of +my friend, whom I loved, and grieved for, as a brother.</p> + +<p>While we were at Gibraltar, I saw a soldier hanging by his heels, at +one of the moles<a name="FNanchor_L_12" id="FNanchor_L_12" /><a href="#Footnote_L_12" class="fnanchor">[L]</a>: I thought this a strange sight, as I had seen a +man hanged in London by his neck. At another time I saw the master of +a frigate towed to shore on a grating, by several of the men of war's +boats, and discharged the fleet, which I understood was a mark of +disgrace for cowardice. On board the same ship there was also a sailor +hung up at the yard-arm.</p> + +<p>After lying at Gibraltar for some time, we sailed up the Mediterranean +a considerable way above the Gulf of Lyons; where we were one night +overtaken with a terrible gale of wind, much greater than any I had +ever yet experienced. The sea ran so high that, though all the guns +were well housed, there was great reason to fear their getting loose, +the ship rolled so much; and if they had it must have proved our +destruction. After we had cruised here for a short time, we came to +Barcelona, a Spanish sea-port, remarkable for its silk manufactures. +Here the ships were all to be watered; and my master, who spoke +different languages, and used often to interpret for the admiral, +superintended the watering of ours. For that purpose he and the +officers of the other ships, who were on the same service, had tents +pitched in the bay; and the Spanish soldiers were stationed along the +shore, I suppose to see that no depredations were committed by our +men.</p> + +<p>I used constantly to attend my master; and I was charmed with this +place. All the time we stayed it was like a fair with the natives, who +brought us fruits of all kinds, and sold them to us much cheaper than +I got them in England. They used also to bring wine down to us in hog +and sheep skins, which diverted me very much. The Spanish officers +here treated our officers with great politeness and attention; and +some of them, in particular, used to come often to my master's tent to +visit him; where they would sometimes divert themselves by mounting me +on the horses or mules, so that I could not fall, and setting them off +at full gallop; my imperfect skill in horsemanship all the while +affording them no small entertainment. After the ships were watered, +we returned to our old station of cruizing off Toulon, for the purpose +of intercepting a fleet of French men of war that lay there. One +Sunday, in our cruise, we came off a place where there were two small +French frigates lying in shore; and our admiral, thinking to take or +destroy them, sent two ships in after them—the Culloden and the +Conqueror. They soon came up to the Frenchmen; and I saw a smart fight +here, both by sea and land: for the frigates were covered by +batteries, and they played upon our ships most furiously, which they +as furiously returned, and for a long time a constant firing was kept +up on all sides at an amazing rate. At last one frigate sunk; but the +people escaped, though not without much difficulty: and a little after +some of the people left the other frigate also, which was a mere +wreck. However, our ships did not venture to bring her away, they were +so much annoyed from the batteries, which raked them both in going and +coming: their topmasts were shot away, and they were otherwise so much +shattered, that the admiral was obliged to send in many boats to tow +them back to the fleet. I afterwards sailed with a man who fought in +one of the French batteries during the engagement, and he told me our +ships had done considerable mischief that day on shore and in the +batteries.</p> + +<p>After this we sailed for Gibraltar, and arrived there about August +1759. Here we remained with all our sails unbent, while the fleet was +watering and doing other necessary things. While we were in this +situation, one day the admiral, with most of the principal officers, +and many people of all stations, being on shore, about seven o'clock +in the evening we were alarmed by signals from the frigates stationed +for that purpose; and in an instant there was a general cry that the +French fleet was out, and just passing through the streights. The +admiral immediately came on board with some other officers; and it is +impossible to describe the noise, hurry and confusion throughout the +whole fleet, in bending their sails and slipping their cables; many +people and ships' boats were left on shore in the bustle. We had two +captains on board of our ship who came away in the hurry and left +their ships to follow. We shewed lights from the gun-whale to the main +topmast-head; and all our lieutenants were employed amongst the fleet +to tell the ships not to wait for their captains, but to put the sails +to the yards, slip their cables and follow us; and in this confusion +of making ready for fighting we set out for sea in the dark after the +French fleet. Here I could have exclaimed with Ajax,</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>"Oh Jove! O father! if it be thy will<br /></span> +<span>That we must perish, we thy will obey,<br /></span> +<span>But let us perish by the light of day."<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>They had got the start of us so far that we were not able to come up +with them during the night; but at daylight we saw seven sail of the +line of battle some miles ahead. We immediately chased them till about +four o'clock in the evening, when our ships came up with them; and, +though we were about fifteen large ships, our gallant admiral only +fought them with his own division, which consisted of seven; so that +we were just ship for ship. We passed by the whole of the enemy's +fleet in order to come at their commander, Mons. La Clue, who was in +the Ocean, an eighty-four gun ship: as we passed they all fired on us; +and at one time three of them fired together, continuing to do so for +some time. Notwithstanding which our admiral would not suffer a gun to +be fired at any of them, to my astonishment; but made us lie on our +bellies on the deck till we came quite close to the Ocean, who was +ahead of them all; when we had orders to pour the whole three tiers +into her at once.</p> + +<p>The engagement now commenced with great fury on both sides: the Ocean +immediately returned our fire, and we continued engaged with each +other for some time; during which I was frequently stunned with the +thundering of the great guns, whose dreadful contents hurried many of +my companions into awful eternity. At last the French line was +entirely broken, and we obtained the victory, which was immediately +proclaimed with loud huzzas and acclamations. We took three prizes, La +Modeste, of sixty-four guns, and Le Temeraire and Centaur, of +seventy-four guns each. The rest of the French ships took to flight +with all the sail they could crowd. Our ship being very much damaged, +and quite disabled from pursuing the enemy, the admiral immediately +quitted her, and went in the broken and only boat we had left on board +the Newark, with which, and some other ships, he went after the +French. The Ocean, and another large French ship, called the +Redoubtable, endeavouring to escape, ran ashore at Cape Logas, on the +coast of Portugal; and the French admiral and some of the crew got +ashore; but we, finding it impossible to get the ships off, set fire +to them both. About midnight I saw the Ocean blow up, with a most +dreadful explosion. I never beheld a more awful scene. In less than a +minute the midnight for a certain space seemed turned into day by the +blaze, which was attended with a noise louder and more terrible than +thunder, that seemed to rend every element around us.</p> + +<p>My station during the engagement was on the middle-deck, where I was +quartered with another boy, to bring powder to the aftermost gun; and +here I was a witness of the dreadful fate of many of my companions, +who, in the twinkling of an eye, were dashed in pieces, and launched +into eternity. Happily I escaped unhurt, though the shot and splinters +flew thick about me during the whole fight. Towards the latter part of +it my master was wounded, and I saw him carried down to the surgeon; +but though I was much alarmed for him and wished to assist him I dared +not leave my post. At this station my gun-mate (a partner in bringing +powder for the same gun) and I ran a very great risk for more than +half an hour of blowing up the ship. For, when we had taken the +cartridges out of the boxes, the bottoms of many of them proving +rotten, the powder ran all about the deck, near the match tub: we +scarcely had water enough at the last to throw on it. We were also, +from our employment, very much exposed to the enemy's shots; for we +had to go through nearly the whole length of the ship to bring the +powder. I expected therefore every minute to be my last; especially +when I saw our men fall so thick about me; but, wishing to guard as +much against the dangers as possible, at first I thought it would be +safest not to go for the powder till the Frenchmen had fired their +broadside; and then, while they were charging, I could go and come +with my powder: but immediately afterwards I thought this caution was +fruitless; and, cheering myself with the reflection that there was a +time allotted for me to die as well as to be born, I instantly cast +off all fear or thought whatever of death, and went through the whole +of my duty with alacrity; pleasing myself with the hope, if I survived +the battle, of relating it and the dangers I had escaped to the dear +Miss Guerin, and others, when I should return to London.</p> + +<p>Our ship suffered very much in this engagement; for, besides the +number of our killed and wounded, she was almost torn to pieces, and +our rigging so much shattered, that our mizen-mast and main-yard, &c. +hung over the side of the ship; so that we were obliged to get many +carpenters, and others from some of the ships of the fleet, to assist +in setting us in some tolerable order; and, notwithstanding, it took +us some time before we were completely refitted; after which we left +Admiral Broderick to command, and we, with the prizes, steered for +England. On the passage, and as soon as my master was something +recovered of his wounds, the admiral appointed him captain of the Ætna +fire-ship, on which he and I left the Namur, and went on board of her +at sea. I liked this little ship very much. I now became the captain's +steward, in which situation I was very happy: for I was extremely well +treated by all on board; and I had leisure to improve myself in +reading and writing. The latter I had learned a little of before I +left the Namur, as there was a school on board. When we arrived at +Spithead the Ætna went into Portsmouth harbour to refit, which being +done, we returned to Spithead and joined a large fleet that was +thought to be intended against the Havannah; but about that time the +king died: whether that prevented the expedition I know not; but it +caused our ship to be stationed at Cowes, in the isle of Wight, till +the beginning of the year sixty-one. Here I spent my time very +pleasantly; I was much on shore all about this delightful island, and +found the inhabitants very civil.</p> + +<p>While I was here, I met with a trifling incident, which surprised me +agreeably. I was one day in a field belonging to a gentleman who had +a black boy about my own size; this boy having observed me from his +master's house, was transported at the sight of one of his own +countrymen, and ran to meet me with the utmost haste. I not knowing +what he was about turned a little out of his way at first, but to no +purpose: he soon came close to me and caught hold of me in his arms as +if I had been his brother, though we had never seen each other before. +After we had talked together for some time he took me to his master's +house, where I was treated very kindly. This benevolent boy and I were +very happy in frequently seeing each other till about the month of +March 1761, when our ship had orders to fit out again for another +expedition. When we got ready, we joined a very large fleet at +Spithead, commanded by Commodore Keppel, which was destined against +Belle-Isle, and with a number of transport ships with troops on board +to make a descent on the place. We sailed once more in quest of fame. +I longed to engage in new adventures and see fresh wonders.</p> + +<p>I had a mind on which every thing uncommon made its full impression, +and every event which I considered as marvellous. Every extraordinary +escape, or signal deliverance, either of myself or others, I looked +upon to be effected by the interposition of Providence. We had not +been above ten days at sea before an incident of this kind happened; +which, whatever credit it may obtain from the reader, made no small +impression on my mind.</p> + +<p>We had on board a gunner, whose name was John Mondle; a man of very +indifferent morals. This man's cabin was between the decks, exactly +over where I lay, abreast of the quarter-deck ladder. One night, the +20th of April, being terrified with a dream, he awoke in so great a +fright that he could not rest in his bed any longer, nor even remain +in his cabin; and he went upon deck about four o'clock in the morning +extremely agitated. He immediately told those on the deck of the +agonies of his mind, and the dream which occasioned it; in which he +said he had seen many things very awful, and had been warned by St. +Peter to repent, who told him time was short. This he said had greatly +alarmed him, and he was determined to alter his life. People generally +mock the fears of others when they are themselves in safety; and some +of his shipmates who heard him only laughed at him. However, he made +a vow that he never would drink strong liquors again; and he +immediately got a light, and gave away his sea-stores of liquor. After +which, his agitation still continuing, he began to read the +Scriptures, hoping to find some relief; and soon afterwards he laid +himself down again on his bed, and endeavoured to compose himself to +sleep, but to no purpose; his mind still continuing in a state of +agony. By this time it was exactly half after seven in the morning: I +was then under the half-deck at the great cabin door; and all at once +I heard the people in the waist cry out, most fearfully—'The Lord +have mercy upon us! We are all lost! The Lord have mercy upon us!' Mr. +Mondle hearing the cries, immediately ran out of his cabin; and we +were instantly struck by the Lynne, a forty-gun ship, Captain Clark, +which nearly ran us down. This ship had just put about, and was by the +wind, but had not got full headway, or we must all have perished; for +the wind was brisk. However, before Mr. Mondle had got four steps from +his cabin-door, she struck our ship with her cutwater right in the +middle of his bed and cabin, and ran it up to the combings of the +quarter-deck hatchway, and above three feet below water, and in a +minute there was not a bit of wood to be seen where Mr. Mondle's cabin +stood; and he was so near being killed that some of the splinters tore +his face. As Mr. Mondle must inevitably have perished from this +accident had he not been alarmed in the very extraordinary way I have +related, I could not help regarding this as an awful interposition of +Providence for his preservation. The two ships for some time swinged +alongside of each other; for ours being a fire-ship, our +grappling-irons caught the Lynne every way, and the yards and rigging +went at an astonishing rate. Our ship was in such a shocking condition +that we all thought she would instantly go down, and every one ran for +their lives, and got as well as they could on board the Lynne; but our +lieutenant being the aggressor, he never quitted the ship. However, +when we found she did not sink immediately, the captain came on board +again, and encouraged our people to return and try to save her. Many +on this came back, but some would not venture. Some of the ships in +the fleet, seeing our situation, immediately sent their boats to our +assistance; but it took us the whole day to save the ship with all +their help. And by using every possible means, particularly frapping +her together with many hawsers, and putting a great quantity of tallow +below water where she was damaged, she was kept together: but it was +well we did not meet with any gales of wind, or we must have gone to +pieces; for we were in such a crazy condition that we had ships to +attend us till we arrived at Belle-Isle, the place of our destination; +and then we had all things taken out of the ship, and she was properly +repaired. This escape of Mr. Mondle, which he, as well as myself, +always considered as a singular act of Providence, I believe had a +great influence on his life and conduct ever afterwards.</p> + +<p>Now that I am on this subject I beg leave to relate another instance +or two which strongly raised my belief of the particular interposition +of Heaven, and which might not otherwise have found a place here, from +their insignificance. I belonged for a few days in the year 1758 to +the Jason, of fifty-four guns, at Plymouth; and one night, when I was +on board, a woman, with a child at her breast, fell from the +upper-deck down into the hold, near the keel. Every one thought that +the mother and child must be both dashed to pieces; but, to our great +surprise, neither of them was hurt. I myself one day fell headlong +from the upper-deck of the Ætna down the after-hold, when the ballast +was out; and all who saw me fall cried out I was killed: but I +received not the least injury. And in the same ship a man fell from +the mast-head on the deck without being hurt. In these, and in many +more instances, I thought I could plainly trace the hand of God, +without whose permission a sparrow cannot fall. I began to raise my +fear from man to him alone, and to call daily on his holy name with +fear and reverence: and I trust he heard my supplications, and +graciously condescended to answer me according to his holy word, and +to implant the seeds of piety in me, even one of the meanest of his +creatures.</p> + +<p>When we had refitted our ship, and all things were in readiness for +attacking the place, the troops on board the transports were ordered +to disembark; and my master, as a junior captain, had a share in the +command of the landing. This was on the 8th of April. The French were +drawn up on the shore, and had made every disposition to oppose the +landing of our men, only a small part of them this day being able to +effect it; most of them, after fighting with great bravery, were cut +off; and General Crawford, with a number of others, were taken +prisoners. In this day's engagement we had also our lieutenant killed.</p> + +<p>On the 21st of April we renewed our efforts to land the men, while all +the men of war were stationed along the shore to cover it, and fired +at the French batteries and breastworks from early in the morning till +about four o'clock in the evening, when our soldiers effected a safe +landing. They immediately attacked the French; and, after a sharp +encounter, forced them from the batteries. Before the enemy retreated +they blew up several of them, lest they should fall into our hands. +Our men now proceeded to besiege the citadel, and my master was +ordered on shore to superintend the landing of all the materials +necessary for carrying on the siege; in which service I mostly +attended him. While I was there I went about to different parts of the +island; and one day, particularly, my curiosity almost cost me my +life. I wanted very much to see the mode of charging the mortars and +letting off the shells, and for that purpose I went to an English +battery that was but a very few yards from the walls of the citadel. +There, indeed, I had an opportunity of completely gratifying myself in +seeing the whole operation, and that not without running a very great +risk, both from the English shells that burst while I was there, but +likewise from those of the French. One of the largest of their shells +bursted within nine or ten yards of me: there was a single rock close +by, about the size of a butt; and I got instant shelter under it in +time to avoid the fury of the shell. Where it burst the earth was torn +in such a manner that two or three butts might easily have gone into +the hole it made, and it threw great quantities of stones and dirt to +a considerable distance. Three shot were also fired at me and another +boy who was along with me, one of them in particular seemed</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>"Wing'd with red lightning and impetuous rage;"<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>for with a most dreadful sound it hissed close by me, and struck a +rock at a little distance, which it shattered to pieces. When I saw +what perilous circumstances I was in, I attempted to return the +nearest way I could find, and thereby I got between the English and +the French centinels. An English serjeant, who commanded the outposts, +seeing me, and surprised how I came there, (which was by stealth along +the seashore), reprimanded me very severely for it, and instantly took +the centinel off his post into custody, for his negligence in +suffering me to pass the lines. While I was in this situation I +observed at a little distance a French horse, belonging to some +islanders, which I thought I would now mount, for the greater +expedition of getting off. Accordingly I took some cord which I had +about me, and making a kind of bridle of it, I put it round the +horse's head, and the tame beast very quietly suffered me to tie him +thus and mount him. As soon as I was on the horse's back I began to +kick and beat him, and try every means to make him go quick, but all +to very little purpose: I could not drive him out of a slow pace. +While I was creeping along, still within reach of the enemy's shot, I +met with a servant well mounted on an English horse. I immediately +stopped; and, crying, told him my case; and begged of him to help me, +and this he effectually did; for, having a fine large whip, he began +to lash my horse with it so severely, that he set off full speed with +me towards the sea, while I was quite unable to hold or manage him. In +this manner I went along till I came to a craggy precipice. I now +could not stop my horse; and my mind was filled with apprehensions of +my deplorable fate should he go down the precipice, which he appeared +fully disposed to do: I therefore thought I had better throw myself +off him at once, which I did immediately with a great deal of +dexterity, and fortunately escaped unhurt. As soon as I found myself +at liberty I made the best of my way for the ship, determined I would +not be so fool-hardy again in a hurry.</p> + +<p>We continued to besiege the citadel till June, when it surrendered. +During the siege I have counted above sixty shells and carcases in the +air at once. When this place was taken I went through the citadel, and +in the bomb-proofs under it, which were cut in the solid rock; and I +thought it a surprising place, both for strength and building: +notwithstanding which our shots and shells had made amazing +devastation, and ruinous heaps all around it.</p> + +<p>After the taking of this island our ships, with some others commanded +by Commodore Stanhope in the Swiftsure, went to Basse-road, where we +blocked up a French fleet. Our ships were there from June till +February following; and in that time I saw a great many scenes of war, +and stratagems on both sides to destroy each others fleet. Sometimes +we would attack the French with some ships of the line; at other times +with boats; and frequently we made prizes. Once or twice the French +attacked us by throwing shells with their bomb-vessels: and one day as +a French vessel was throwing shells at our ships she broke from her +springs, behind the isle of I de Re: the tide being complicated, she +came within a gun shot of the Nassau; but the Nassau could not bring a +gun to bear upon her, and thereby the Frenchman got off. We were twice +attacked by their fire-floats, which they chained together, and then +let them float down with the tide; but each time we sent boats with +graplings, and towed them safe out of the fleet.</p> + +<p>We had different commanders while we were at this place, Commodores +Stanhope, Dennis, Lord Howe, &c. From hence, before the Spanish war +began, our ship and the Wasp sloop were sent to St. Sebastian in +Spain, by Commodore Stanhope; and Commodore Dennis afterwards sent our +ship as a cartel to Bayonne in France<a name="FNanchor_M_13" id="FNanchor_M_13" /><a href="#Footnote_M_13" class="fnanchor">[M]</a>, after which<a name="FNanchor_N_14" id="FNanchor_N_14" /><a href="#Footnote_N_14" class="fnanchor">[N]</a> we went in +February in 1762 to Belle-Isle, and there stayed till the summer, when +we left it, and returned to Portsmouth.</p> + +<p>After our ship was fitted out again for service, in September she went +to Guernsey, where I was very glad to see my old hostess, who was now +a widow, and my former little charming companion, her daughter. I +spent some time here very happily with them, till October, when we had +orders to repair to Portsmouth. We parted from each other with a great +deal of affection; and I promised to return soon, and see them again, +not knowing what all-powerful fate had determined for me. Our ship +having arrived at Portsmouth, we went into the harbour, and remained +there till the latter end of November, when we heard great talk about +peace; and, to our very great joy, in the beginning of December we had +orders to go up to London with our ship to be paid off. We received +this news with loud huzzas, and every other demonstration of gladness; +and nothing but mirth was to be seen throughout every part of the +ship. I too was not without my share of the general joy on this +occasion. I thought now of nothing but being freed, and working for +myself, and thereby getting money to enable me to get a good +education; for I always had a great desire to be able at least to read +and write; and while I was on shipboard I had endeavoured to improve +myself in both. While I was in the Ætna particularly, the captain's +clerk taught me to write, and gave me a smattering of arithmetic as +far as the rule of three. There was also one Daniel Queen, about forty +years of age, a man very well educated, who messed with me on board +this ship, and he likewise dressed and attended the captain. +Fortunately this man soon became very much attached to me, and took +very great pains to instruct me in many things. He taught me to shave +and dress hair a little, and also to read in the Bible, explaining +many passages to me, which I did not comprehend. I was wonderfully +surprised to see the laws and rules of my country written almost +exactly here; a circumstance which I believe tended to impress our +manners and customs more deeply on my memory. I used to tell him of +this resemblance; and many a time we have sat up the whole night +together at this employment. In short, he was like a father to me; and +some even used to call me after his name; they also styled me the +black Christian. Indeed I almost loved him with the affection of a +son. Many things I have denied myself that he might have them; and +when I used to play at marbles or any other game, and won a few +half-pence, or got any little money, which I sometimes did, for +shaving any one, I used to buy him a little sugar or tobacco, as far +as my stock of money would go. He used to say, that he and I never +should part; and that when our ship was paid off, as I was as free as +himself or any other man on board, he would instruct me in his +business, by which I might gain a good livelihood. This gave me new +life and spirits; and my heart burned within me, while I thought the +time long till I obtained my freedom. For though my master had not +promised it to me, yet, besides the assurances I had received that he +had no right to detain me, he always treated me with the greatest +kindness, and reposed in me an unbounded confidence; he even paid +attention to my morals; and would never suffer me to deceive him, or +tell lies, of which he used to tell me the consequences; and that if I +did so God would not love me; so that, from all this tenderness, I had +never once supposed, in all my dreams of freedom, that he would think +of detaining me any longer than I wished.</p> + +<p>In pursuance of our orders we sailed from Portsmouth for the Thames, +and arrived at Deptford the 10th of December, where we cast anchor +just as it was high water. The ship was up about half an hour, when my +master ordered the barge to be manned; and all in an instant, without +having before given me the least reason to suspect any thing of the +matter, he forced me into the barge; saying, I was going to leave him, +but he would take care I should not. I was so struck with the +unexpectedness of this proceeding, that for some time I did not make a +reply, only I made an offer to go for my books and chest of clothes, +but he swore I should not move out of his sight; and if I did he would +cut my throat, at the same time taking his hanger. I began, however, +to collect myself; and, plucking up courage, I told him I was free, +and he could not by law serve me so. But this only enraged him the +more; and he continued to swear, and said he would soon let me know +whether he would or not, and at that instant sprung himself into the +barge from the ship, to the astonishment and sorrow of all on board. +The tide, rather unluckily for me, had just turned downward, so that +we quickly fell down the river along with it, till we came among some +outward-bound West Indiamen; for he was resolved to put me on board +the first vessel he could get to receive me. The boat's crew, who +pulled against their will, became quite faint different times, and +would have gone ashore; but he would not let them. Some of them strove +then to cheer me, and told me he could not sell me, and that they +would stand by me, which revived me a little; and I still entertained +hopes; for as they pulled along he asked some vessels to receive me, +but they could not. But, just as we had got a little below Gravesend, +we came alongside of a ship which was going away the next tide for the +West Indies; her name was the Charming Sally, Captain James Doran; and +my master went on board and agreed with him for me; and in a little +time I was sent for into the cabin. When I came there Captain Doran +asked me if I knew him; I answered that I did not; 'Then,' said he +'you are now my slave.' I told him my master could not sell me to him, +nor to any one else. 'Why,' said he, 'did not your master buy you?' I +confessed he did. 'But I have served him,' said I, 'many years, and he +has taken all my wages and prize-money, for I only got one sixpence +during the war; besides this I have been baptized; and by the laws of +the land no man has a right to sell me:' And I added, that I had heard +a lawyer and others at different times tell my master so. They both +then said that those people who told me so were not my friends; but I +replied—it was very extraordinary that other people did not know the +law as well as they. Upon this Captain Doran said I talked too much +English; and if I did not behave myself well, and be quiet, he had a +method on board to make me. I was too well convinced of his power over +me to doubt what he said; and my former sufferings in the slave-ship +presenting themselves to my mind, the recollection of them made me +shudder. However, before I retired I told them that as I could not get +any right among men here I hoped I should hereafter in Heaven; and I +immediately left the cabin, filled with resentment and sorrow. The +only coat I had with me my master took away with him, and said if my +prize-money had been 10,000 £. he had a right to it all, and would have +taken it. I had about nine guineas, which, during my long sea-faring +life, I had scraped together from trifling perquisites and little +ventures; and I hid it that instant, lest my master should take that +from me likewise, still hoping that by some means or other I should +make my escape to the shore; and indeed some of my old shipmates told +me not to despair, for they would get me back again; and that, as soon +as they could get their pay, they would immediately come to Portsmouth +to me, where this ship was going: but, alas! all my hopes were +baffled, and the hour of my deliverance was yet far off. My master, +having soon concluded his bargain with the captain, came out of the +cabin, and he and his people got into the boat and put off; I followed +them with aching eyes as long as I could, and when they were out of +sight I threw myself on the deck, while my heart was ready to burst +with sorrow and anguish.</p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_L_12" id="Footnote_L_12" /><a href="#FNanchor_L_12"><span class="label">[L]</span></a> He had drowned himself in endeavouring to desert.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_M_13" id="Footnote_M_13" /><a href="#FNanchor_M_13"><span class="label">[M]</span></a> Among others whom we brought from Bayonne, two gentlemen, +who had been in the West Indies, where they sold slaves; and they +confessed they had made at one time a false bill of sale, and sold two +Portuguese white men among a lot of slaves.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_N_14" id="Footnote_N_14" /><a href="#FNanchor_N_14"><span class="label">[N]</span></a> Some people have it, that sometimes shortly before +persons die their ward has been seen; that is, some spirit exactly in +their likeness, though they are themselves at other places at the same +time. One day while we were at Bayonne Mr. Mondle saw one of our men, +as he thought, in the gun-room; and a little after, coming on the +quarter-deck, he spoke of some circumstances of this man to some of +the officers. They told him that the man was then out of the ship, in +one of the boats with the Lieutenant: but Mr. Mondle would not believe +it, and we searched the ship, when he found the man was actually out +of her; and when the boat returned some time afterwards, we found the +man had been drowned at the very time Mr. Mondle thought he saw him.</p></div> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAP_V" id="CHAP_V" />CHAP. V.</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>The author's reflections on his situation—Is deceived by a + promise of being delivered—His despair at sailing for the + West Indies—Arrives at Montserrat, where he is sold to Mr. + King—Various interesting instances of oppression, cruelty, + and extortion, which the author saw practised upon the + slaves in the West Indies during his captivity from the year + 1763 to 1766—Address on it to the planters.</i></p></div> + + +<p>Thus, at the moment I expected all my toils to end, was I plunged, as +I supposed, in a new slavery; in comparison of which all my service +hitherto had been 'perfect freedom;' and whose horrors, always present +to my mind, now rushed on it with tenfold aggravation. I wept very +bitterly for some time: and began to think that I must have done +something to displease the Lord, that he thus punished me so severely. +This filled me with painful reflections on my past conduct; I +recollected that on the morning of our arrival at Deptford I had +rashly sworn that as soon as we reached London I would spend the day +in rambling and sport. My conscience smote me for this unguarded +expression: I felt that the Lord was able to disappoint me in all +things, and immediately considered my present situation as a judgment +of Heaven on account of my presumption in swearing: I therefore, with +contrition of heart, acknowledged my transgression to God, and poured +out my soul before him with unfeigned repentance, and with earnest +supplications I besought him not to abandon me in my distress, nor +cast me from his mercy for ever. In a little time my grief, spent with +its own violence, began to subside; and after the first confusion of +my thoughts was over I reflected with more calmness on my present +condition: I considered that trials and disappointments are sometimes +for our good, and I thought God might perhaps have permitted this in +order to teach me wisdom and resignation; for he had hitherto shadowed +me with the wings of his mercy, and by his invisible but powerful hand +brought me the way I knew not. These reflections gave me a little +comfort, and I rose at last from the deck with dejection and sorrow in +my countenance, yet mixed with some faint hope that the <i>Lord would +appear</i> for my deliverance.</p> + +<p>Soon afterwards, as my new master was going ashore, he called me to +him, and told me to behave myself well, and do the business of the +ship the same as any of the rest of the boys, and that I should fare +the better for it; but I made him no answer. I was then asked if I +could swim, and I said, No. However I was made to go under the deck, +and was well watched. The next tide the ship got under way, and soon +after arrived at the Mother Bank, Portsmouth; where she waited a few +days for some of the West India convoy. While I was here I tried every +means I could devise amongst the people of the ship to get me a boat +from the shore, as there was none suffered to come alongside of the +ship; and their own, whenever it was used, was hoisted in again +immediately. A sailor on board took a guinea from me on pretence of +getting me a boat; and promised me, time after time, that it was +hourly to come off. When he had the watch upon deck I watched also; +and looked long enough, but all in vain; I could never see either the +boat or my guinea again. And what I thought was still the worst of +all, the fellow gave information, as I afterwards found, all the while +to the mates, of my intention to go off, if I could in any way do it; +but, rogue like, he never told them he had got a guinea from me to +procure my escape. However, after we had sailed, and his trick was +made known to the ship's crew, I had some satisfaction in seeing him +detested and despised by them all for his behaviour to me. I was still +in hopes that my old shipmates would not forget their promise to come +for me to Portsmouth: and, indeed, at last, but not till the day +before we sailed, some of them did come there, and sent me off some +oranges, and other tokens of their regard. They also sent me word they +would come off to me themselves the next day or the day after; and a +lady also, who lived in Gosport, wrote to me that she would come and +take me out of the ship at the same time. This lady had been once very +intimate with my former master: I used to sell and take care of a +great deal of property for her, in different ships; and in return she +always shewed great friendship for me, and used to tell my master that +she would take me away to live with her: but, unfortunately for me, a +disagreement soon afterwards took place between them; and she was +succeeded in my master's good graces by another lady, who appeared +sole mistress of the Ætna, and mostly lodged on board. I was not so +great a favourite with this lady as with the former; she had conceived +a pique against me on some occasion when she was on board, and she did +not fail to instigate my master to treat me in the manner he did<a name="FNanchor_O_15" id="FNanchor_O_15" /><a href="#Footnote_O_15" class="fnanchor">[O]</a>.</p> + +<p>However, the next morning, the 30th of December, the wind being brisk +and easterly, the Oeolus frigate, which was to escort the convoy, +made a signal for sailing. All the ships then got up their anchors; +and, before any of my friends had an opportunity to come off to my +relief, to my inexpressible anguish our ship had got under way. What +tumultuous emotions agitated my soul when the convoy got under sail, +and I a prisoner on board, now without hope! I kept my swimming eyes +upon the land in a state of unutterable grief; not knowing what to do, +and despairing how to help myself. While my mind was in this situation +the fleet sailed on, and in one day's time I lost sight of the +wished-for land. In the first expressions of my grief I reproached my +fate, and wished I had never been born. I was ready to curse the tide +that bore us, the gale that wafted my prison, and even the ship that +conducted us; and I called on death to relieve me from the horrors I +felt and dreaded, that I might be in that place</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>"Where slaves are free, and men oppress no more.<br /></span> +<span>Fool that I was, inur'd so long to pain,<br /></span> +<span>To trust to hope, or dream of joy again.<br /></span> +<span>* * * * * * * * * *<br /></span> +<span>Now dragg'd once more beyond the western main,<br /></span> +<span>To groan beneath some dastard planter's chain;<br /></span> +<span>Where my poor countrymen in bondage wait<br /></span> +<span>The long enfranchisement of ling'ring fate:<br /></span> +<span>Hard ling'ring fate! while, ere the dawn of day,<br /></span> +<span>Rous'd by the lash they go their cheerless way;<br /></span> +<span>And as their souls with shame and anguish burn,<br /></span> +<span>Salute with groans unwelcome morn's return,<br /></span> +<span>And, chiding ev'ry hour the slow-pac'd sun,<br /></span> +<span>Pursue their toils till all his race is run.<br /></span> +<span>No eye to mark their suff'rings with a tear;<br /></span> +<span>No friend to comfort, and no hope to cheer:<br /></span> +<span>Then, like the dull unpity'd brutes, repair<br /></span> +<span>To stalls as wretched, and as coarse a fare;<br /></span> +<span>Thank heaven one day of mis'ry was o'er,<br /></span> +<span>Then sink to sleep, and wish to wake no more<a name="FNanchor_P_16" id="FNanchor_P_16" /><a href="#Footnote_P_16" class="fnanchor">[P]</a>."<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>The turbulence of my emotions however naturally gave way to calmer +thoughts, and I soon perceived what fate had decreed no mortal on +earth could prevent. The convoy sailed on without any accident, with a +pleasant gale and smooth sea, for six weeks, till February, when one +morning the Oeolus ran down a brig, one of the convoy, and she +instantly went down and was ingulfed in the dark recesses of the +ocean. The convoy was immediately thrown into great confusion till it +was daylight; and the Oeolus was illumined with lights to prevent +any farther mischief. On the 13th of February 1763, from the +mast-head, we descried our destined island Montserrat; and soon after +I beheld those</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>"Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace<br /></span> +<span>And rest can rarely dwell. Hope never comes<br /></span> +<span>That comes to all, but torture without end<br /></span> +<span>Still urges."<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>At the sight of this land of bondage, a fresh horror ran through all +my frame, and chilled me to the heart. My former slavery now rose in +dreadful review to my mind, and displayed nothing but misery, stripes, +and chains; and, in the first paroxysm of my grief, I called upon +God's thunder, and his avenging power, to direct the stroke of death +to me, rather than permit me to become a slave, and be sold from lord +to lord.</p> + +<p>In this state of my mind our ship came to an anchor, and soon after +discharged her cargo. I now knew what it was to work hard; I was made +to help to unload and load the ship. And, to comfort me in my distress +in that time, two of the sailors robbed me of all my money, and ran +away from the ship. I had been so long used to an European climate +that at first I felt the scorching West India sun very painful, while +the dashing surf would toss the boat and the people in it frequently +above high water mark. Sometimes our limbs were broken with this, or +even attended with instant death, and I was day by day mangled and +torn.</p> + +<p>About the middle of May, when the ship was got ready to sail for +England, I all the time believing that Fate's blackest clouds were +gathering over my head, and expecting their bursting would mix me with +the dead, Captain Doran sent for me ashore one morning, and I was told +by the messenger that my fate was then determined. With fluttering +steps and trembling heart I came to the captain, and found with him +one Mr. Robert King, a quaker, and the first merchant in the place. +The captain then told me my former master had sent me there to be +sold; but that he had desired him to get me the best master he could, +as he told him I was a very deserving boy, which Captain Doran said he +found to be true; and if he were to stay in the West Indies he would +be glad to keep me himself; but he could not venture to take me to +London, for he was very sure that when I came there I would leave him. +I at that instant burst out a crying, and begged much of him to take +me to England with him, but all to no purpose. He told me he had got +me the very best master in the whole island, with whom I should be as +happy as if I were in England, and for that reason he chose to let him +have me, though he could sell me to his own brother-in-law for a great +deal more money than what he got from this gentleman. Mr. King, my new +master, then made a reply, and said the reason he had bought me was on +account of my good character; and, as he had not the least doubt of my +good behaviour, I should be very well off with him. He also told me he +did not live in the West Indies, but at Philadelphia, where he was +going soon; and, as I understood something of the rules of +arithmetic, when we got there he would put me to school, and fit me +for a clerk. This conversation relieved my mind a little, and I left +those gentlemen considerably more at ease in myself than when I came +to them; and I was very grateful to Captain Doran, and even to my old +master, for the character they had given me; a character which I +afterwards found of infinite service to me. I went on board again, and +took leave of all my shipmates; and the next day the ship sailed. When +she weighed anchor I went to the waterside and looked at her with a +very wishful and aching heart, and followed her with my eyes and tears +until she was totally out of sight. I was so bowed down with grief +that I could not hold up my head for many months; and if my new master +had not been kind to me I believe I should have died under it at last. +And indeed I soon found that he fully deserved the good character +which Captain Doran had given me of him; for he possessed a most +amiable disposition and temper, and was very charitable and humane. If +any of his slaves behaved amiss he did not beat or use them ill, but +parted with them. This made them afraid of disobliging him; and as he +treated his slaves better than any other man on the island, so he was +better and more faithfully served by them in return. By his kind +treatment I did at last endeavour to compose myself; and with +fortitude, though moneyless, determined to face whatever fate had +decreed for me. Mr. King soon asked me what I could do; and at the +same time said he did not mean to treat me as a common slave. I told +him I knew something of seamanship, and could shave and dress hair +pretty well; and I could refine wines, which I had learned on +shipboard, where I had often done it; and that I could write, and +understood arithmetic tolerably well as far as the Rule of Three. He +then asked me if I knew any thing of gauging; and, on my answering +that I did not, he said one of his clerks should teach me to gauge.</p> + +<p>Mr. King dealt in all manner of merchandize, and kept from one to six +clerks. He loaded many vessels in a year; particularly to +Philadelphia, where he was born, and was connected with a great +mercantile house in that city. He had besides many vessels and +droggers, of different sizes, which used to go about the island; and +others to collect rum, sugar, and other goods. I understood pulling +and managing those boats very well; and this hard work, which was the +first that he set me to, in the sugar seasons used to be my constant +employment. I have rowed the boat, and slaved at the oars, from one +hour to sixteen in the twenty-four; during which I had fifteen pence +sterling per day to live on, though sometimes only ten pence. However +this was considerably more than was allowed to other slaves that used +to work with me, and belonged to other gentlemen on the island: those +poor souls had never more than nine pence per day, and seldom more +than six pence, from their masters or owners, though they earned them +three or four pisterines<a name="FNanchor_Q_17" id="FNanchor_Q_17" /><a href="#Footnote_Q_17" class="fnanchor">[Q]</a>: for it is a common practice in the West +Indies for men to purchase slaves though they have not plantations +themselves, in order to let them out to planters and merchants at so +much a piece by the day, and they give what allowance they chuse out +of this produce of their daily work to their slaves for subsistence; +this allowance is often very scanty. My master often gave the owners +of these slaves two and a half of these pieces per day, and found the +poor fellows in victuals himself, because he thought their owners did +not feed them well enough according to the work they did. The slaves +used to like this very well; and, as they knew my master to be a man +of feeling, they were always glad to work for him in preference to any +other gentleman; some of whom, after they had been paid for these poor +people's labours, would not give them their allowance out of it. Many +times have I even seen these unfortunate wretches beaten for asking +for their pay; and often severely flogged by their owners if they did +not bring them their daily or weekly money exactly to the time; though +the poor creatures were obliged to wait on the gentlemen they had +worked for sometimes for more than half the day before they could get +their pay; and this generally on Sundays, when they wanted the time +for themselves. In particular, I knew a countryman of mine who once +did not bring the weekly money directly that it was earned; and though +he brought it the same day to his master, yet he was staked to the +ground for this pretended negligence, and was just going to receive a +hundred lashes, but for a gentleman who begged him off fifty. This +poor man was very industrious; and, by his frugality, had saved so +much money by working on shipboard, that he had got a white man to buy +him a boat, unknown to his master. Some time after he had this little +estate the governor wanted a boat to bring his sugar from different +parts of the island; and, knowing this to be a negro-man's boat, he +seized upon it for himself, and would not pay the owner a farthing. +The man on this went to his master, and complained to him of this act +of the governor; but the only satisfaction he received was to be +damned very heartily by his master, who asked him how dared any of his +negroes to have a boat. If the justly-merited ruin of the governor's +fortune could be any gratification to the poor man he had thus robbed, +he was not without consolation. Extortion and rapine are poor +providers; and some time after this the governor died in the King's +Bench in England, as I was told, in great poverty. The last war +favoured this poor negro-man, and he found some means to escape from +his Christian master: he came to England; where I saw him afterwards +several times. Such treatment as this often drives these miserable +wretches to despair, and they run away from their masters at the +hazard of their lives. Many of them, in this place, unable to get +their pay when they have earned it, and fearing to be flogged, as +usual, if they return home without it, run away where they can for +shelter, and a reward is often offered to bring them in dead or alive. +My master used sometimes, in these cases, to agree with their owners, +and to settle with them himself; and thereby he saved many of them a +flogging.</p> + +<p>Once, for a few days, I was let out to fit a vessel, and I had no +victuals allowed me by either party; at last I told my master of this +treatment, and he took me away from it. In many of the estates, on the +different islands where I used to be sent for rum or sugar, they would +not deliver it to me, or any other negro; he was therefore obliged to +send a white man along with me to those places; and then he used to +pay him from six to ten pisterines a day. From being thus employed, +during the time I served Mr. King, in going about the different +estates on the island, I had all the opportunity I could wish for to +see the dreadful usage of the poor men; usage that reconciled me to my +situation, and made me bless God for the hands into which I had +fallen.</p> + +<p>I had the good fortune to please my master in every department in +which he employed me; and there was scarcely any part of his business, +or household affairs, in which I was not occasionally engaged. I often +supplied the place of a clerk, in receiving and delivering cargoes to +the ships, in tending stores, and delivering goods: and, besides this, +I used to shave and dress my master when convenient, and take care of +his horse; and when it was necessary, which was very often, I worked +likewise on board of different vessels of his. By these means I became +very useful to my master; and saved him, as he used to acknowledge, +above a hundred pounds a year. Nor did he scruple to say I was of more +advantage to him than any of his clerks; though their usual wages in +the West Indies are from sixty to a hundred pounds current a year.</p> + +<p>I have sometimes heard it asserted that a negro cannot earn his master +the first cost; but nothing can be further from the truth. I suppose +nine tenths of the mechanics throughout the West Indies are negro +slaves; and I well know the coopers among them earn two dollars a day; +the carpenters the same, and oftentimes more; as also the masons, +smiths, and fishermen, &c. and I have known many slaves whose masters +would not take a thousand pounds current for them. But surely this +assertion refutes itself; for, if it be true, why do the planters and +merchants pay such a price for slaves? And, above all, why do those +who make this assertion exclaim the most loudly against the abolition +of the slave trade? So much are men blinded, and to such inconsistent +arguments are they driven by mistaken interest! I grant, indeed, that +slaves are some times, by half-feeding, half-clothing, over-working +and stripes, reduced so low, that they are turned out as unfit for +service, and left to perish in the woods, or expire on a dunghill.</p> + +<p>My master was several times offered by different gentlemen one hundred +guineas for me; but he always told them he would not sell me, to my +great joy: and I used to double my diligence and care for fear of +getting into the hands of those men who did not allow a valuable slave +the common support of life. Many of them even used to find fault with +my master for feeding his slaves so well as he did; although I often +went hungry, and an Englishman might think my fare very indifferent; +but he used to tell them he always would do it, because the slaves +thereby looked better and did more work.</p> + +<p>While I was thus employed by my master I was often a witness to +cruelties of every kind, which were exercised on my unhappy fellow +slaves. I used frequently to have different cargoes of new negroes in +my care for sale; and it was almost a constant practice with our +clerks, and other whites, to commit violent depredations on the +chastity of the female slaves; and these I was, though with +reluctance, obliged to submit to at all times, being unable to help +them. When we have had some of these slaves on board my master's +vessels to carry them to other islands, or to America, I have known +our mates to commit these acts most shamefully, to the disgrace, not +of Christians only, but of men. I have even known them gratify their +brutal passion with females not ten years old; and these abominations +some of them practised to such scandalous excess, that one of our +captains discharged the mate and others on that account. And yet in +Montserrat I have seen a negro man staked to the ground, and cut most +shockingly, and then his ears cut off bit by bit, because he had been +connected with a white woman who was a common prostitute: as if it +were no crime in the whites to rob an innocent African girl of her +virtue; but most heinous in a black man only to gratify a passion of +nature, where the temptation was offered by one of a different colour, +though the most abandoned woman of her species. Another negro man was +half hanged, and then burnt, for attempting to poison a cruel +overseer. Thus by repeated cruelties are the wretched first urged to +despair, and then murdered, because they still retain so much of human +nature about them as to wish to put an end to their misery, and +retaliate on their tyrants! These overseers are indeed for the most +part persons of the worst character of any denomination of men in the +West Indies. Unfortunately, many humane gentlemen, by not residing on +their estates, are obliged to leave the management of them in the +hands of these human butchers, who cut and mangle the slaves in a +shocking manner on the most trifling occasions, and altogether treat +them in every respect like brutes. They pay no regard to the situation +of pregnant women, nor the least attention to the lodging of the +field negroes. Their huts, which ought to be well covered, and the +place dry where they take their little repose, are often open sheds, +built in damp places; so that, when the poor creatures return tired +from the toils of the field, they contract many disorders, from being +exposed to the damp air in this uncomfortable state, while they are +heated, and their pores are open. This neglect certainly conspires +with many others to cause a decrease in the births as well as in the +lives of the grown negroes. I can quote many instances of gentlemen +who reside on their estates in the West Indies, and then the scene is +quite changed; the negroes are treated with lenity and proper care, by +which their lives are prolonged, and their masters are profited. To +the honour of humanity, I knew several gentlemen who managed their +estates in this manner; and they found that benevolence was their true +interest. And, among many I could mention in several of the islands, I +knew one in Montserrat<a name="FNanchor_R_18" id="FNanchor_R_18" /><a href="#Footnote_R_18" class="fnanchor">[R]</a> whose slaves looked remarkably well, and +never needed any fresh supplies of negroes; and there are many other +estates, especially in Barbadoes, which, from such judicious +treatment, need no fresh stock of negroes at any time. I have the +honour of knowing a most worthy and humane gentleman, who is a native +of Barbadoes, and has estates there<a name="FNanchor_S_19" id="FNanchor_S_19" /><a href="#Footnote_S_19" class="fnanchor">[S]</a>. This gentleman has written a +treatise on the usage of his own slaves. He allows them two hours for +refreshment at mid-day; and many other indulgencies and comforts, +particularly in their lying; and, besides this, he raises more +provisions on his estate than they can destroy; so that by these +attentions he saves the lives of his negroes, and keeps them healthy, +and as happy as the condition of slavery can admit. I myself, as shall +appear in the sequel, managed an estate, where, by those attentions, +the negroes were uncommonly cheerful and healthy, and did more work by +half than by the common mode of treatment they usually do. For want, +therefore, of such care and attention to the poor negroes, and +otherwise oppressed as they are, it is no wonder that the decrease +should require 20,000 new negroes annually to fill up the vacant +places of the dead.</p> + +<p>Even in Barbadoes, notwithstanding those humane exceptions which I +have mentioned, and others I am acquainted with, which justly make it +quoted as a place where slaves meet with the best treatment, and need +fewest recruits of any in the West Indies, yet this island requires +1000 negroes annually to keep up the original stock, which is only +80,000. So that the whole term of a negro's life may be said to be +there but sixteen years!<a name="FNanchor_T_20" id="FNanchor_T_20" /><a href="#Footnote_T_20" class="fnanchor">[T]</a> And yet the climate here is in every +respect the same as that from which they are taken, except in being +more wholesome. Do the British colonies decrease in this manner? And +yet what a prodigious difference is there between an English and West +India climate?</p> + +<p>While I was in Montserrat I knew a negro man, named Emanuel Sankey, +who endeavoured to escape from his miserable bondage, by concealing +himself on board of a London ship: but fate did not favour the poor +oppressed man; for, being discovered when the vessel was under sail, +he was delivered up again to his master. This Christian master +immediately pinned the wretch down to the ground at each wrist and +ancle, and then took some sticks of sealing wax, and lighted them, and +droped it all over his back. There was another master who was noted +for cruelty; and I believe he had not a slave but what had been cut, +and had pieces fairly taken out of the flesh: and, after they had been +punished thus, he used to make them get into a long wooden box or case +he had for that purpose, in which he shut them up during pleasure. It +was just about the height and breadth of a man; and the poor wretches +had no room, when in the case, to move.</p> + +<p>It was very common in several of the islands, particularly in St. +Kitt's, for the slaves to be branded with the initial letters of their +master's name; and a load of heavy iron hooks hung about their necks. +Indeed on the most trifling occasions they were loaded with chains; +and often instruments of torture were added. The iron muzzle, +thumb-screws, &c. are so well known, as not to need a description, and +were sometimes applied for the slightest faults. I have seen a negro +beaten till some of his bones were broken, for even letting a pot boil +over. Is it surprising that usage like this should drive the poor +creatures to despair, and make them seek a refuge in death from those +evils which render their lives intolerable—while,</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>"With shudd'ring horror pale, and eyes aghast,<br /></span> +<span>They view their lamentable lot, and find<br /></span> +<span>No rest!"<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>This they frequently do. A negro-man on board a vessel of my master, +while I belonged to her, having been put in irons for some trifling +misdemeanor, and kept in that state for some days, being weary of +life, took an opportunity of jumping overboard into the sea; however, +he was picked up without being drowned. Another, whose life was also a +burden to him, resolved to starve himself to death, and refused to eat +any victuals; this procured him a severe flogging: and he also, on the +first occasion which offered, jumped overboard at Charles Town, but +was saved.</p> + +<p>Nor is there any greater regard shewn to the little property than +there is to the persons and lives of the negroes. I have already +related an instance or two of particular oppression out of many which +I have witnessed; but the following is frequent in all the islands. +The wretched field-slaves, after toiling all the day for an unfeeling +owner, who gives them but little victuals, steal sometimes a few +moments from rest or refreshment to gather some small portion of +grass, according as their time will admit. This they commonly tie up +in a parcel; (either a bit, worth six pence; or half a bit's-worth) +and bring it to town, or to the market, to sell. Nothing is more +common than for the white people on this occasion to take the grass +from them without paying for it; and not only so, but too often also, +to my knowledge, our clerks, and many others, at the same time have +committed acts of violence on the poor, wretched, and helpless +females; whom I have seen for hours stand crying to no purpose, and +get no redress or pay of any kind. Is not this one common and crying +sin enough to bring down God's judgment on the islands? He tells us +the oppressor and the oppressed are both in his hands; and if these +are not the poor, the broken-hearted, the blind, the captive, the +bruised, which our Saviour speaks of, who are they? One of these +depredators once, in St. Eustatia, came on board of our vessel, and +bought some fowls and pigs of me; and a whole day after his departure +with the things he returned again and wanted his money back: I refused +to give it; and, not seeing my captain on board, he began the common +pranks with me; and swore he would even break open my chest and take +my money. I therefore expected, as my captain was absent, that he +would be as good as his word: and he was just proceeding to strike me, +when fortunately a British seaman on board, whose heart had not been +debauched by a West India climate, interposed and prevented him. But +had the cruel man struck me I certainly should have defended myself at +the hazard of my life; for what is life to a man thus oppressed? He +went away, however, swearing; and threatened that whenever he caught +me on shore he would shoot me, and pay for me afterwards.</p> + +<p>The small account in which the life of a negro is held in the West +Indies is so universally known, that it might seem impertinent to +quote the following extract, if some people had not been hardy enough +of late to assert that negroes are on the same footing in that respect +as Europeans. By the 329th Act, page 125, of the Assembly of +Barbadoes, it is enacted 'That if any negro, or other slave, under +punishment by his master, or his order, for running away, or any other +crime or misdemeanor towards his said master, unfortunately shall +suffer in life or member, no person whatsoever shall be liable to a +fine; but if any man shall out of <i>wantonness, or only of +bloody-mindedness, or cruel intention, wilfully kill a negro, or other +slave, of his own, he shall pay into the public treasury fifteen +pounds sterling</i>.' And it is the same in most, if not all, of the West +India islands. Is not this one of the many acts of the islands which +call loudly for redress? And do not the assembly which enacted it +deserve the appellation of savages and brutes rather than of +Christians and men? It is an act at once unmerciful, unjust, and +unwise; which for cruelty would disgrace an assembly of those who are +called barbarians; and for its injustice and <i>insanity</i> would shock +the morality and common sense of a Samaide or a Hottentot.</p> + +<p>Shocking as this and many more acts of the bloody West India code at +first view appear, how is the iniquity of it heightened when we +consider to whom it may be extended! Mr. James Tobin, a zealous +labourer in the vineyard of slavery, gives an account of a French +planter of his acquaintance, in the island of Martinico, who shewed +him many mulattoes working in the fields like beasts of burden; and he +told Mr. Tobin these were all the produce of his own loins! And I +myself have known similar instances. Pray, reader, are these sons and +daughters of the French planter less his children by being begotten on +a black woman? And what must be the virtue of those legislators, and +the feelings of those fathers, who estimate the lives of their sons, +however begotten, at no more than fifteen pounds; though they should +be murdered, as the act says, <i>out of wantonness and bloody-mindedness</i>! +But is not the slave trade entirely a war with the heart of man? And +surely that which is begun by breaking down the barriers of virtue +involves in its continuance destruction to every principle, and buries +all sentiments in ruin!</p> + +<p>I have often seen slaves, particularly those who were meagre, in +different islands, put into scales and weighed; and then sold from +three pence to six pence or nine pence a pound. My master, however, +whose humanity was shocked at this mode, used to sell such by the +lump. And at or after a sale it was not uncommon to see negroes taken +from their wives, wives taken from their husbands, and children from +their parents, and sent off to other islands, and wherever else their +merciless lords chose; and probably never more during life to see each +other! Oftentimes my heart has bled at these partings; when the +friends of the departed have been at the water side, and, with sighs +and tears, have kept their eyes fixed on the vessel till it went out +of sight.</p> + +<p>A poor Creole negro I knew well, who, after having been often thus +transported from island to island, at last resided in Montserrat. This +man used to tell me many melancholy tales of himself. Generally, after +he had done working for his master, he used to employ his few leisure +moments to go a fishing. When he had caught any fish, his master would +frequently take them from him without paying him; and at other times +some other white people would serve him in the same manner. One day he +said to me, very movingly, 'Sometimes when a white man take away my +fish I go to my maser, and he get me my right; and when my maser by +strength take away my fishes, what me must do? I can't go to any body +to be righted; then' said the poor man, looking up above 'I must look +up to God Mighty in the top for right.' This artless tale moved me +much, and I could not help feeling the just cause Moses had in +redressing his brother against the Egyptian. I exhorted the man to +look up still to the God on the top, since there was no redress below. +Though I little thought then that I myself should more than once +experience such imposition, and read the same exhortation hereafter, +in my own transactions in the islands; and that even this poor man and +I should some time after suffer together in the same manner, as shall +be related hereafter.</p> + +<p>Nor was such usage as this confined to particular places or +individuals; for, in all the different islands in which I have been +(and I have visited no less than fifteen) the treatment of the slaves +was nearly the same; so nearly indeed, that the history of an island, +or even a plantation, with a few such exceptions as I have mentioned, +might serve for a history of the whole. Such a tendency has the +slave-trade to debauch men's minds, and harden them to every feeling +of humanity! For I will not suppose that the dealers in slaves are +born worse than other men—No; it is the fatality of this mistaken +avarice, that it corrupts the milk of human kindness and turns it into +gall. And, had the pursuits of those men been different, they might +have been as generous, as tender-hearted and just, as they are +unfeeling, rapacious and cruel. Surely this traffic cannot be good, +which spreads like a pestilence, and taints what it touches! which +violates that first natural right of mankind, equality and +independency, and gives one man a dominion over his fellows which God +could never intend! For it raises the owner to a state as far above +man as it depresses the slave below it; and, with all the presumption +of human pride, sets a distinction between them, immeasurable in +extent, and endless in duration! Yet how mistaken is the avarice even +of the planters? Are slaves more useful by being thus humbled to the +condition of brutes, than they would be if suffered to enjoy the +privileges of men? The freedom which diffuses health and prosperity +throughout Britain answers you—No. When you make men slaves you +deprive them of half their virtue, you set them in your own conduct an +example of fraud, rapine, and cruelty, and compel them to live with +you in a state of war; and yet you complain that they are not honest +or faithful! You stupify them with stripes, and think it necessary to +keep them in a state of ignorance; and yet you assert that they are +incapable of learning; that their minds are such a barren soil or +moor, that culture would be lost on them; and that they come from a +climate, where nature, though prodigal of her bounties in a degree +unknown to yourselves, has left man alone scant and unfinished, and +incapable of enjoying the treasures she has poured out for him!—An +assertion at once impious and absurd. Why do you use those instruments +of torture? Are they fit to be applied by one rational being to +another? And are ye not struck with shame and mortification, to see +the partakers of your nature reduced so low? But, above all, are there +no dangers attending this mode of treatment? Are you not hourly in +dread of an insurrection? Nor would it be surprising: for when</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>"—No peace is given<br /></span> +<span>To us enslav'd, but custody severe;<br /></span> +<span>And stripes and arbitrary punishment<br /></span> +<span>Inflicted—What peace can we return?<br /></span> +<span>But to our power, hostility and hate;<br /></span> +<span>Untam'd reluctance, and revenge, though slow,<br /></span> +<span>Yet ever plotting how the conqueror least<br /></span> +<span>May reap his conquest, and may least rejoice<br /></span> +<span>In doing what we most in suffering feel."<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>But by changing your conduct, and treating your slaves as men, every +cause of fear would be banished. They would be faithful, honest, +intelligent and vigorous; and peace, prosperity, and happiness, would +attend you.</p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_O_15" id="Footnote_O_15" /><a href="#FNanchor_O_15"><span class="label">[O]</span></a> Thus was I sacrificed to the envy and resentment of this +woman for knowing that the lady whom she had succeeded in my master's +good graces designed to take me into her service; which, had I once +got on shore, she would not have been able to prevent. She felt her +pride alarmed at the superiority of her rival in being attended by a +black servant: it was not less to prevent this than to be revenged on +me, that she caused the captain to treat me thus cruelly.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_P_16" id="Footnote_P_16" /><a href="#FNanchor_P_16"><span class="label">[P]</span></a> "The Dying Negro," a poem originally published in 1773. +Perhaps it may not be deemed impertinent here to add, that this +elegant and pathetic little poem was occasioned, as appears by the +advertisement prefixed to it, by the following incident. "A black, +who, a few days before had ran away from his master, and got himself +christened, with intent to marry a white woman his fellow-servant, +being taken and sent on board a ship in the Thames, took an +opportunity of shooting himself through the head."</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_Q_17" id="Footnote_Q_17" /><a href="#FNanchor_Q_17"><span class="label">[Q]</span></a> These pisterines are of the value of a shilling.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_R_18" id="Footnote_R_18" /><a href="#FNanchor_R_18"><span class="label">[R]</span></a> Mr. Dubury, and many others, Montserrat.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_S_19" id="Footnote_S_19" /><a href="#FNanchor_S_19"><span class="label">[S]</span></a> Sir Philip Gibbes, Baronet, Barbadoes.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_T_20" id="Footnote_T_20" /><a href="#FNanchor_T_20"><span class="label">[T]</span></a> Benezet's Account of Guinea, p. 16.</p></div> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAP_VI" id="CHAP_VI" />CHAP. VI.</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>Some account of Brimstone-Hill in Montserrat—Favourable + change in the author's situation—He commences merchant with + three pence—His various success in dealing in the different + islands, and America, and the impositions he meets with in + his transactions with Europeans—A curious imposition on + human nature—Danger of the surfs in the West + Indies—Remarkable instance of kidnapping a free + mulatto—The author is nearly murdered by Doctor Perkins in + Savannah.</i></p></div> + + +<p>In the preceding chapter I have set before the reader a few of those +many instances of oppression, extortion, and cruelty, which I have +been a witness to in the West Indies: but, were I to enumerate them +all, the catalogue would be tedious and disgusting. The punishments of +the slaves on every trifling occasion are so frequent, and so well +known, together with the different instruments with which they are +tortured, that it cannot any longer afford novelty to recite them; and +they are too shocking to yield delight either to the writer or the +reader. I shall therefore hereafter only mention such as incidentally +befel myself in the course of my adventures.</p> + +<p>In the variety of departments in which I was employed by my master, I +had an opportunity of seeing many curious scenes in different islands; +but, above all, I was struck with a celebrated curiosity called +Brimstone-Hill, which is a high and steep mountain, some few miles +from the town of Plymouth in Montserrat. I had often heard of some +wonders that were to be seen on this hill, and I went once with some +white and black people to visit it. When we arrived at the top, I saw +under different cliffs great flakes of brimstone, occasioned by the +steams of various little ponds, which were then boiling naturally in +the earth. Some of these ponds were as white as milk, some quite blue, +and many others of different colours. I had taken some potatoes with +me, and I put them into different ponds, and in a few minutes they +were well boiled. I tasted some of them, but they were very +sulphurous; and the silver shoe buckles, and all the other things of +that metal we had among us, were, in a little time, turned as black +as lead.</p> + +<p>Some time in the year 1763 kind Providence seemed to appear rather +more favourable to me. One of my master's vessels, a Bermudas sloop, +about sixty tons, was commanded by one Captain Thomas Farmer, an +Englishman, a very alert and active man, who gained my master a great +deal of money by his good management in carrying passengers from one +island to another; but very often his sailors used to get drunk and +run away from the vessel, which hindered him in his business very +much. This man had taken a liking to me; and many different times +begged of my master to let me go a trip with him as a sailor; but he +would tell him he could not spare me, though the vessel sometimes +could not go for want of hands, for sailors were generally very scarce +in the island. However, at last, from necessity or force, my master +was prevailed on, though very reluctantly, to let me go with this +captain; but he gave great charge to him to take care that I did not +run away, for if I did he would make him pay for me. This being the +case, the captain had for some time a sharp eye upon me whenever the +vessel anchored; and as soon as she returned I was sent for on shore +again. Thus was I slaving as it were for life, sometimes at one thing, +and sometimes at another; so that the captain and I were nearly the +most useful men in my master's employment. I also became so useful to +the captain on shipboard, that many times, when he used to ask for me +to go with him, though it should be but for twenty-four hours, to some +of the islands near us, my master would answer he could not spare me, +at which the captain would swear, and would not go the trip; and tell +my master I was better to him on board than any three white men he +had; for they used to behave ill in many respects, particularly in +getting drunk; and then they frequently got the boat stove, so as to +hinder the vessel from coming back as soon as she might have done. +This my master knew very well; and at last, by the captain's constant +entreaties, after I had been several times with him, one day, to my +great joy, my master told me the captain would not let him rest, and +asked me whether I would go aboard as a sailor, or stay on shore and +mind the stores, for he could not bear any longer to be plagued in +this manner. I was very happy at this proposal, for I immediately +thought I might in time stand some chance by being on board to get a +little money, or possibly make my escape if I should be used ill: I +also expected to get better food, and in greater abundance; for I had +felt much hunger oftentimes, though my master treated his slaves, as I +have observed, uncommonly well. I therefore, without hesitation, +answered him, that I would go and be a sailor if he pleased. +Accordingly I was ordered on board directly. Nevertheless, between the +vessel and the shore, when she was in port, I had little or no rest, +as my master always wished to have me along with him. Indeed he was a +very pleasant gentleman, and but for my expectations on shipboard I +should not have thought of leaving him. But the captain liked me also +very much, and I was entirely his right-hand man. I did all I could to +deserve his favour, and in return I received better treatment from him +than any other I believe ever met with in the West Indies in my +situation.</p> + +<p>After I had been sailing for some time with this captain, at length I +endeavoured to try my luck and commence merchant. I had but a very +small capital to begin with; for one single half bit, which is equal +to three pence in England, made up my whole stock. However I trusted +to the Lord to be with me; and at one of our trips to St. Eustatia, a +Dutch island, I bought a glass tumbler with my half bit, and when I +came to Montserrat I sold it for a bit, or sixpence. Luckily we made +several successive trips to St. Eustatia (which was a general mart for +the West Indies, about twenty leagues from Montserrat); and in our +next, finding my tumbler so profitable, with this one bit I bought two +tumblers more; and when I came back I sold them for two bits, equal to +a shilling sterling. When we went again I bought with these two bits +four more of these glasses, which I sold for four bits on our return +to Montserrat; and in our next voyage to St. Eustatia I bought two +glasses with one bit, and with the other three I bought a jug of +Geneva, nearly about three pints in measure. When we came to +Montserrat I sold the gin for eight bits, and the tumblers for two, so +that my capital now amounted in all to a dollar, well husbanded and +acquired in the space of a month or six weeks, when I blessed the Lord +that I was so rich. As we sailed to different islands, I laid this +money out in various things occasionally, and it used to turn out to +very good account, especially when we went to Guadaloupe, Grenada, and +the rest of the French islands. Thus was I going all about the islands +upwards of four years, and ever trading as I went, during which I +experienced many instances of ill usage, and have seen many injuries +done to other negroes in our dealings with Europeans: and, amidst our +recreations, when we have been dancing and merry-making, they, without +cause, have molested and insulted us. Indeed I was more than once +obliged to look up to God on high, as I had advised the poor fisherman +some time before. And I had not been long trading for myself in the +manner I have related above, when I experienced the like trial in +company with him as follows: This man being used to the water, was +upon an emergency put on board of us by his master to work as another +hand, on a voyage to Santa Cruz; and at our sailing he had brought his +little all for a venture, which consisted of six bits' worth of limes +and oranges in a bag; I had also my whole stock, which was about +twelve bits' worth of the same kind of goods, separate in two bags; +for we had heard these fruits sold well in that island. When we came +there, in some little convenient time he and I went ashore with our +fruits to sell them; but we had scarcely landed when we were met by +two white men, who presently took our three bags from us. We could not +at first guess what they meant to do; and for some time we thought +they were jesting with us; but they too soon let us know otherwise, +for they took our ventures immediately to a house hard by, and +adjoining the fort, while we followed all the way begging of them to +give us our fruits, but in vain. They not only refused to return them, +but swore at us, and threatened if we did not immediately depart they +would flog us well. We told them these three bags were all we were +worth in the world, and that we brought them with us to sell when we +came from Montserrat, and shewed them the vessel. But this was rather +against us, as they now saw we were strangers as well as slaves. They +still therefore swore, and desired us to be gone, and even took sticks +to beat us; while we, seeing they meant what they said, went off in +the greatest confusion and despair. Thus, in the very minute of +gaining more by three times than I ever did by any venture in my life +before, was I deprived of every farthing I was worth. An +insupportable misfortune! but how to help ourselves we knew not. In +our consternation we went to the commanding officer of the fort and +told him how we had been served by some of his people; but we obtained +not the least redress: he answered our complaints only by a volley of +imprecations against us, and immediately took a horse-whip, in order +to chastise us, so that we were obliged to turn out much faster than +we came in. I now, in the agony of distress and indignation, wished +that the ire of God in his forked lightning might transfix these cruel +oppressors among the dead. Still however we persevered; went back +again to the house, and begged and besought them again and again for +our fruits, till at last some other people that were in the house +asked if we would be contented if they kept one bag and gave us the +other two. We, seeing no remedy whatever, consented to this; and they, +observing one bag to have both kinds of fruit in it, which belonged to +my companion, kept that; and the other two, which were mine, they gave +us back. As soon as I got them, I ran as fast as I could, and got the +first negro man I could to help me off; my companion, however, stayed +a little longer to plead; he told them the bag they had was his, and +likewise all that he was worth in the world; but this was of no avail, +and he was obliged to return without it. The poor old man, wringing +his hands, cried bitterly for his loss; and, indeed, he then did look +up to God on high, which so moved me with pity for him, that I gave +him nearly one third of my fruits. We then proceeded to the markets to +sell them; and Providence was more favourable to us than we could have +expected, for we sold our fruits uncommonly well; I got for mine about +thirty-seven bits. Such a surprising reverse of fortune in so short a +space of time seemed like a dream to me, and proved no small +encouragement for me to trust the Lord in any situation. My captain +afterwards frequently used to take my part, and get me my right, when +I have been plundered or used ill by these tender Christian +depredators; among whom I have shuddered to observe the unceasing +blasphemous execrations which are wantonly thrown out by persons of +all ages and conditions, not only without occasion, but even as if +they were indulgences and pleasure.</p> + +<p>At one of our trips to St. Kitt's I had eleven bits of my own; and my +friendly captain lent me five bits more, with which I bought a Bible. +I was very glad to get this book, which I scarcely could meet with any +where. I think there was none sold in Montserrat; and, much to my +grief, from being forced out of the Ætna in the manner I have related, +my Bible, and the Guide to the Indians, the two books I loved above +all others, were left behind.</p> + +<p>While I was in this place, St. Kitt's, a very curious imposition on +human nature took place:—A white man wanted to marry in the church a +free black woman that had land and slaves in Montserrat: but the +clergyman told him it was against the law of the place to marry a +white and a black in the church. The man then asked to be married on +the water, to which the parson consented, and the two lovers went in +one boat, and the parson and clerk in another, and thus the ceremony +was performed. After this the loving pair came on board our vessel, +and my captain treated them extremely well, and brought them safe to +Montserrat.</p> + +<p>The reader cannot but judge of the irksomeness of this situation to a +mind like mine, in being daily exposed to new hardships and +impositions, after having seen many better days, and having been as it +were in a state of freedom and plenty; added to which, every part of +the world I had hitherto been in seemed to me a paradise in comparison +of the West Indies. My mind was therefore hourly replete with +inventions and thoughts of being freed, and, if possible, by honest +and honourable means; for I always remembered the old adage; and I +trust it has ever been my ruling principle, that honesty is the best +policy; and likewise that other golden precept—to do unto all men as +I would they should do unto me. However, as I was from early years a +predestinarian, I thought whatever fate had determined must ever come +to pass; and therefore, if ever it were my lot to be freed nothing +could prevent me, although I should at present see no means or hope to +obtain my freedom; on the other hand, if it were my fate not to be +freed I never should be so, and all my endeavours for that purpose +would be fruitless. In the midst of these thoughts I therefore looked +up with prayers anxiously to God for my liberty; and at the same time +I used every honest means, and endeavoured all that was possible on +my part to obtain it. In process of time I became master of a few +pounds, and in a fair way of making more, which my friendly captain +knew very well; this occasioned him sometimes to take liberties with +me: but whenever he treated me waspishly I used plainly to tell him my +mind, and that I would die before I would be imposed on as other +negroes were, and that to me life had lost its relish when liberty was +gone. This I said although I foresaw my then well-being or future +hopes of freedom (humanly speaking) depended on this man. However, as +he could not bear the thoughts of my not sailing with him, he always +became mild on my threats. I therefore continued with him; and, from +my great attention to his orders and his business, I gained him +credit, and through his kindness to me I at last procured my liberty. +While I thus went on, filled with the thoughts of freedom, and +resisting oppression as well as I was able, my life hung daily in +suspense, particularly in the surfs I have formerly mentioned, as I +could not swim. These are extremely violent throughout the West +Indies, and I was ever exposed to their howling rage and devouring +fury in all the islands. I have seen them strike and toss a boat right +up an end, and maim several on board. Once in the Grenada islands, +when I and about eight others were pulling a large boat with two +puncheons of water in it, a surf struck us, and drove the boat and all +in it about half a stone's throw, among some trees, and above the high +water mark. We were obliged to get all the assistance we could from +the nearest estate to mend the boat, and launch it into the water +again. At Montserrat one night, in pressing hard to get off the shore +on board, the punt was overset with us four times; the first time I +was very near being drowned; however the jacket I had on kept me up +above water a little space of time, while I called on a man near me +who was a good swimmer, and told him I could not swim; he then made +haste to me, and, just as I was sinking, he caught hold of me, and +brought me to sounding, and then he went and brought the punt also. As +soon as we had turned the water out of her, lest we should be used ill +for being absent, we attempted again three times more, and as often +the horrid surfs served us as at first; but at last, the fifth time we +attempted, we gained our point, at the imminent hazard of our lives. +One day also, at Old Road in Montserrat, our captain, and three men +besides myself, were going in a large canoe in quest of rum and sugar, +when a single surf tossed the canoe an amazing distance from the +water, and some of us even a stone's throw from each other: most of us +were very much bruised; so that I and many more often said, and really +thought, that there was not such another place under the heavens as +this. I longed therefore much to leave it, and daily wished to see my +master's promise performed of going to Philadelphia. While we lay in +this place a very cruel thing happened on board of our sloop which +filled me with horror; though I found afterwards such practices were +frequent. There was a very clever and decent free young mulatto-man +who sailed a long time with us: he had a free woman for his wife, by +whom he had a child; and she was then living on shore, and all very +happy. Our captain and mate, and other people on board, and several +elsewhere, even the natives of Bermudas, all knew this young man from +a child that he was always free, and no one had ever claimed him as +their property: however, as might too often overcomes right in these +parts, it happened that a Bermudas captain, whose vessel lay there for +a few days in the road, came on board of us, and seeing the +mulatto-man, whose name was Joseph Clipson, he told him he was not +free, and that he had orders from his master to bring him to Bermudas. +The poor man could not believe the captain to be in earnest; but he +was very soon undeceived, his men laying violent hands on him: and +although he shewed a certificate of his being born free in St. Kitt's, +and most people on board knew that he served his time to boat +building, and always passed for a free man, yet he was taken forcibly +out of our vessel. He then asked to be carried ashore before the +secretary or magistrates, and these infernal invaders of human rights +promised him he should; but, instead of that, they carried him on +board of the other vessel: and the next day, without giving the poor +man any hearing on shore, or suffering him even to see his wife or +child, he was carried away, and probably doomed never more in this +world to see them again. Nor was this the only instance of this kind +of barbarity I was a witness to. I have since often seen in Jamaica +and other islands free men, whom I have known in America, thus +villainously trepanned and held in bondage. I have heard of two +similar practices even in Philadelphia: and were it not for the +benevolence of the quakers in that city many of the sable race, who +now breathe the air of liberty, would, I believe, be groaning indeed +under some planter's chains. These things opened my mind to a new +scene of horror to which I had been before a stranger. Hitherto I had +thought only slavery dreadful; but the state of a free negro appeared +to me now equally so at least, and in some respects even worse, for +they live in constant alarm for their liberty; and even this is but +nominal, for they are universally insulted and plundered without the +possibility of redress; for such is the equity of the West Indian +laws, that no free negro's evidence will be admitted in their courts +of justice. In this situation is it surprising that slaves, when +mildly treated, should prefer even the misery of slavery to such a +mockery of freedom? I was now completely disgusted with the West +Indies, and thought I never should be entirely free until I had left +them.</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>"With thoughts like these my anxious boding mind<br /></span> +<span>Recall'd those pleasing scenes I left behind;<br /></span> +<span>Scenes where fair Liberty in bright array<br /></span> +<span>Makes darkness bright, and e'en illumines day;<br /></span> +<span>Where nor complexion, wealth, or station, can<br /></span> +<span>Protect the wretch who makes a slave of man."<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>I determined to make every exertion to obtain my freedom, and to +return to Old England. For this purpose I thought a knowledge of +navigation might be of use to me; for, though I did not intend to run +away unless I should be ill used, yet, in such a case, if I understood +navigation, I might attempt my escape in our sloop, which was one of +the swiftest sailing vessels in the West Indies, and I could be at no +loss for hands to join me: and if I should make this attempt, I had +intended to have gone for England; but this, as I said, was only to be +in the event of my meeting with any ill usage. I therefore employed +the mate of our vessel to teach me navigation, for which I agreed to +give him twenty-four dollars, and actually paid him part of the money +down; though when the captain, some time after, came to know that the +mate was to have such a sum for teaching me, he rebuked him, and said +it was a shame for him to take any money from me. However, my +progress in this useful art was much retarded by the constancy of our +work. Had I wished to run away I did not want opportunities, which +frequently presented themselves; and particularly at one time, soon +after this. When we were at the island of Gaurdeloupe there was a +large fleet of merchantmen bound for Old France; and, seamen then +being very scarce, they gave from fifteen to twenty pounds a man for +the run. Our mate, and all the white sailors, left our vessel on this +account, and went on board of the French ships. They would have had me +also to go with them, for they regarded me; and they swore to protect +me, if I would go: and, as the fleet was to sail the next day, I +really believe I could have got safe to Europe at that time. However, +as my master was kind, I would not attempt to leave him; and, +remembering the old maxim, that 'honesty is the best policy,' I +suffered them to go without me. Indeed my captain was much afraid of +my leaving him and the vessel at that time, as I had so fair an +opportunity: but, I thank God, this fidelity of mine turned out much +to my advantage hereafter, when I did not in the least think of it; +and made me so much in favour with the captain, that he used now and +then to teach me some parts of navigation himself: but some of our +passengers, and others, seeing this, found much fault with him for it, +saying it was a very dangerous thing to let a negro know navigation; +thus I was hindered again in my pursuits. About the latter end of the +year 1764 my master bought a larger sloop, called the Providence, +about seventy or eighty tons, of which my captain had the command. I +went with him into this vessel, and we took a load of new slaves for +Georgia and Charles Town. My master now left me entirely to the +captain, though he still wished for me to be with him; but I, who +always much wished to lose sight of the West Indies, was not a little +rejoiced at the thoughts of seeing any other country. Therefore, +relying on the goodness of my captain, I got ready all the little +venture I could; and, when the vessel was ready, we sailed, to my +great joy. When we got to our destined places, Georgia and Charles +Town, I expected I should have an opportunity of selling my little +property to advantage: but here, particularly in Charles Town, I met +with buyers, white men, who imposed on me as in other places. +Notwithstanding, I was resolved to have fortitude; thinking no lot or +trial is too hard when kind Heaven is the rewarder. We soon got loaded +again, and returned to Montserrat; and there, amongst the rest of the +islands, I sold my goods well; and in this manner I continued trading +during the year 1764; meeting with various scenes of imposition, as +usual. After this, my master fitted out his vessel for Philadelphia, +in the year 1765; and during the time we were loading her, and getting +ready for the voyage, I worked with redoubled alacrity, from the hope +of getting money enough by these voyages to buy my freedom in time, if +it should please God; and also to see the town of Philadelphia, which +I had heard a great deal about for some years past; besides which, I +had always longed to prove my master's promise the first day I came to +him. In the midst of these elevated ideas, and while I was about +getting my little merchandize in readiness, one Sunday my master sent +for me to his house. When I came there I found him and the captain +together; and, on my going in, I was struck with astonishment at his +telling me he heard that I meant to run away from him when I got to +Philadelphia: 'And therefore,' said he, 'I must sell you again: you +cost me a great deal of money, no less than forty pounds sterling; and +it will not do to lose so much. You are a valuable fellow,' continued +he; 'and I can get any day for you one hundred guineas, from many +gentlemen in this island.' And then he told me of Captain Doran's +brother-in-law, a severe master, who ever wanted to buy me to make me +his overseer. My captain also said he could get much more than a +hundred guineas for me in Carolina. This I knew to be a fact; for the +gentleman that wanted to buy me came off several times on board of us, +and spoke to me to live with him, and said he would use me well. When +I asked what work he would put me to he said, as I was a sailor, he +would make me a captain of one of his rice vessels. But I refused: and +fearing, at the same time, by a sudden turn I saw in the captain's +temper, he might mean to sell me, I told the gentleman I would not +live with him on any condition, and that I certainly would run away +with his vessel: but he said he did not fear that, as he would catch +me again; and then he told me how cruelly he would serve me if I +should do so. My captain, however, gave him to understand that I knew +something of navigation: so he thought better of it; and, to my great +joy, he went away. I now told my master I did not say I would run away +in Philadelphia; neither did I mean it, as he did not use me ill, nor +yet the captain: for if they did I certainly would have made some +attempts before now; but as I thought that if it were God's will I +ever should be freed it would be so, and, on the contrary, if it was +not his will it would not happen; so I hoped, if ever I were freed, +whilst I was used well, it should be by honest means; but, as I could +not help myself, he must do as he pleased; I could only hope and trust +to the God of Heaven; and at that instant my mind was big with +inventions and full of schemes to escape. I then appealed to the +captain whether he ever saw any sign of my making the least attempt to +run away; and asked him if I did not always come on board according to +the time for which he gave me liberty; and, more particularly, when +all our men left us at Gaurdeloupe and went on board of the French +fleet, and advised me to go with them, whether I might not, and that +he could not have got me again. To my no small surprise, and very +great joy, the captain confirmed every syllable that I had said: and +even more; for he said he had tried different times to see if I would +make any attempt of this kind, both at St. Eustatia and in America, +and he never found that I made the smallest; but, on the contrary, I +always came on board according to his orders; and he did really +believe, if I ever meant to run away, that, as I could never have had +a better opportunity, I would have done it the night the mate and all +the people left our vessel at Gaurdeloupe. The captain then informed +my master, who had been thus imposed on by our mate, though I did not +know who was my enemy, the reason the mate had for imposing this lie +upon him; which was, because I had acquainted the captain of the +provisions the mate had given away or taken out of the vessel. This +speech of the captain was like life to the dead to me, and instantly +my soul glorified God; and still more so on hearing my master +immediately say that I was a sensible fellow, and he never did intend +to use me as a common slave; and that but for the entreaties of the +captain, and his character of me, he would not have let me go from the +stores about as I had done; that also, in so doing, he thought by +carrying one little thing or other to different places to sell I might +make money. That he also intended to encourage me in this by crediting +me with half a puncheon of rum and half a hogshead of sugar at a time; +so that, from being careful, I might have money enough, in some time, +to purchase my freedom; and, when that was the case, I might depend +upon it he would let me have it for forty pounds sterling money, which +was only the same price he gave for me. This sound gladdened my poor +heart beyond measure; though indeed it was no more than the very idea +I had formed in my mind of my master long before, and I immediately +made him this reply: 'Sir, I always had that very thought of you, +indeed I had, and that made me so diligent in serving you.' He then +gave me a large piece of silver coin, such as I never had seen or had +before, and told me to get ready for the voyage, and he would credit +me with a tierce of sugar, and another of rum; he also said that he +had two amiable sisters in Philadelphia, from whom I might get some +necessary things. Upon this my noble captain desired me to go aboard; +and, knowing the African metal, he charged me not to say any thing of +this matter to any body; and he promised that the lying mate should +not go with him any more. This was a change indeed; in the same hour +to feel the most exquisite pain, and in the turn of a moment the +fullest joy. It caused in me such sensations as I was only able to +express in my looks; my heart was so overpowered with gratitude that I +could have kissed both of their feet. When I left the room I +immediately went, or rather flew, to the vessel, which being loaded, +my master, as good as his word, trusted me with a tierce of rum, and +another of sugar, when we sailed, and arrived safe at the elegant town +of Philadelphia. I soon sold my goods here pretty well; and in this +charming place I found every thing plentiful and cheap.</p> + +<p>While I was in this place a very extraordinary occurrence befell me. I +had been told one evening of a <i>wise</i> woman, a Mrs. Davis, who +revealed secrets, foretold events, &c. I put little faith in this +story at first, as I could not conceive that any mortal could foresee +the future disposals of Providence, nor did I believe in any other +revelation than that of the Holy Scriptures; however, I was greatly +astonished at seeing this woman in a dream that night, though a +person I never before beheld in my life; this made such an impression +on me, that I could not get the idea the next day out of my mind, and +I then became as anxious to see her as I was before indifferent; +accordingly in the evening, after we left off working, I inquired +where she lived, and being directed to her, to my inexpressible +surprise, beheld the very woman in the very same dress she appeared to +me to wear in the vision. She immediately told me I had dreamed of her +the preceding night; related to me many things that had happened with +a correctness that astonished me; and finally told me I should not be +long a slave: this was the more agreeable news, as I believed it the +more readily from her having so faithfully related the past incidents +of my life. She said I should be twice in very great danger of my life +within eighteen months, which, if I escaped, I should afterwards go on +well; so, giving me her blessing, we parted. After staying here some +time till our vessel was loaded, and I had bought in my little +traffic, we sailed from this agreeable spot for Montserrat, once more +to encounter the raging surfs.</p> + +<p>We arrived safe at Montserrat, where we discharged our cargo; and soon +after that we took slaves on board for St. Eustatia, and from thence +to Georgia. I had always exerted myself and did double work, in order +to make our voyages as short as possible; and from thus over-working +myself while we were at Georgia I caught a fever and ague. I was very +ill for eleven days and near dying; eternity was now exceedingly +impressed on my mind, and I feared very much that awful event. I +prayed the Lord therefore to spare me; and I made a promise in my mind +to God, that I would be good if ever I should recover. At length, from +having an eminent doctor to attend me, I was restored again to health; +and soon after we got the vessel loaded, and set off for Montserrat. +During the passage, as I was perfectly restored, and had much business +of the vessel to mind, all my endeavours to keep up my integrity, and +perform my promise to God, began to fail; and, in spite of all I could +do, as we drew nearer and nearer to the islands, my resolutions more +and more declined, as if the very air of that country or climate +seemed fatal to piety. When we were safe arrived at Montserrat, and I +had got ashore, I forgot my former resolutions.—Alas! how prone is +the heart to leave that God it wishes to love! and how strongly do the +things of this world strike the senses and captivate the soul!—After +our vessel was discharged, we soon got her ready, and took in, as +usual, some of the poor oppressed natives of Africa, and other +negroes; we then set off again for Georgia and Charlestown. We arrived +at Georgia, and, having landed part of our cargo, proceeded to +Charlestown with the remainder. While we were there I saw the town +illuminated; the guns were fired, and bonfires and other +demonstrations of joy shewn, on account of the repeal of the stamp +act. Here I disposed of some goods on my own account; the white men +buying them with smooth promises and fair words, giving me however but +very indifferent payment. There was one gentleman particularly who +bought a puncheon of rum of me, which gave me a great deal of trouble; +and, although I used the interest of my friendly captain, I could not +obtain any thing for it; for, being a negro man, I could not oblige +him to pay me. This vexed me much, not knowing how to act; and I lost +some time in seeking after this Christian; and though, when the +Sabbath came (which the negroes usually make their holiday) I was much +inclined to go to public worship, I was obliged to hire some black men +to help to pull a boat across the water to God in quest of this +gentleman. When I found him, after much entreaty, both from myself and +my worthy captain, he at last paid me in dollars; some of them, +however, were copper, and of consequence of no value; but he took +advantage of my being a negro man, and obliged me to put up with those +or none, although I objected to them. Immediately after, as I was +trying to pass them in the market, amongst other white men, I was +abused for offering to pass bad coin; and, though I shewed them the +man I got them from, I was within one minute of being tied up and +flogged without either judge or jury; however, by the help of a good +pair of heels, I ran off, and so escaped the bastinadoes I should have +received. I got on board as fast as I could, but still continued in +fear of them until we sailed, which I thanked God we did not long +after; and I have never been amongst them since.</p> + +<p>We soon came to Georgia, where we were to complete our lading; and +here worse fate than ever attended me: for one Sunday night, as I was +with some negroes in their master's yard in the town of Savannah, it +happened that their master, one Doctor Perkins, who was a very severe +and cruel man, came in drunk; and, not liking to see any strange +negroes in his yard, he and a ruffian of a white man he had in his +service beset me in an instant, and both of them struck me with the +first weapons they could get hold of. I cried out as long as I could +for help and mercy; but, though I gave a good account of myself, and +he knew my captain, who lodged hard by him, it was to no purpose. They +beat and mangled me in a shameful manner, leaving me near dead. I lost +so much blood from the wounds I received, that I lay quite motionless, +and was so benumbed that I could not feel any thing for many hours. +Early in the morning they took me away to the jail. As I did not +return to the ship all night, my captain, not knowing where I was, and +being uneasy that I did not then make my appearance, he made inquiry +after me; and, having found where I was, immediately came to me. As +soon as the good man saw me so cut and mangled, he could not forbear +weeping; he soon got me out of jail to his lodgings, and immediately +sent for the best doctors in the place, who at first declared it as +their opinion that I could not recover. My captain on this went to all +the lawyers in the town for their advice, but they told him they could +do nothing for me as I was a negro. He then went to Doctor Perkins, +the hero who had vanquished me, and menaced him, swearing he would be +revenged of him, and challenged him to fight.—But cowardice is ever +the companion of cruelty—and the Doctor refused. However, by the +skilfulness of one Doctor Brady of that place, I began at last to +amend; but, although I was so sore and bad with the wounds I had all +over me that I could not rest in any posture, yet I was in more pain +on account of the captain's uneasiness about me than I otherwise +should have been. The worthy man nursed and watched me all the hours +of the night; and I was, through his attention and that of the doctor, +able to get out of bed in about sixteen or eighteen days. All this +time I was very much wanted on board, as I used frequently to go up +and down the river for rafts, and other parts of our cargo, and stow +them when the mate was sick or absent. In about four weeks I was able +to go on duty; and in a fortnight after, having got in all our +lading, our vessel set sail for Montserrat; and in less than three +weeks we arrived there safe towards the end of the year. This ended my +adventures in 1764; for I did not leave Montserrat again till the +beginning of the following year.</p> + + +<h5>END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.</h5> + +<hr style="width: 95%;" /> + + +<div class="blockquot"><p>They ran the ship aground: and the fore part stuck fast, and + remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with + the violence of the waves.</p> +<p class="citation"><span class ="smcap">Acts</span> xxvii. 41.<br /><br /><br /></p> +</div> + + +<div class="blockquot"><p>Howbeit, we must be cast upon a certain island;</p> + +<p> Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it + shall be even as it was told me.</p> +<p class="citation"><span class ="smcap">Acts</span> xxvii. 26, 25.<br /><br /><br /></p> +</div> + + +<div class="blockquot"><p>Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received + a little thereof.</p> + +<p> In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep + falleth on men.</p> +<p class="citation"><span class ="smcap">Job</span> iv. 12, 13.<br /><br /><br /> +</p> +</div> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>Lo, all these <i>things</i> worketh God oftentimes with man,</p> + +<p> To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with + the light of the living.</p> +<p class="citation"><span class ="smcap">Job</span> xxxiii. 29, 30.<br /><br /><br /> +</p> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h4><a name="VOLUME_II" id="VOLUME_II" />VOLUME II</h4> + + + +<hr style="width: 33%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAP_VII" id="CHAP_VII" />CHAP. VII.</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>The author's disgust at the West Indies—Forms schemes to + obtain his freedom—Ludicrous disappointment he and his + Captain meet with in Georgia—At last, by several successful + voyages, he acquires a sum of money sufficient to purchase + it—Applies to his master, who accepts it, and grants his + manumission, to his great joy—He afterwards enters as a + freeman on board one of Mr. King's ships, and sails for + Georgia—Impositions on free negroes as usual—His venture + of turkies—Sails for Montserrat, and on his passage his + friend, the Captain, falls ill and dies.</i></p></div> + + +<p>Every day now brought me nearer my freedom, and I was impatient till +we proceeded again to sea, that I might have an opportunity of getting +a sum large enough to purchase it. I was not long ungratified; for, in +the beginning of the year 1766, my master bought another sloop, named +the Nancy, the largest I had ever seen. She was partly laden, and was +to proceed to Philadelphia; our Captain had his choice of three, and I +was well pleased he chose this, which was the largest; for, from his +having a large vessel, I had more room, and could carry a larger +quantity of goods with me. Accordingly, when we had delivered our old +vessel, the Prudence, and completed the lading of the Nancy, having +made near three hundred per cent, by four barrels of pork I brought +from Charlestown, I laid in as large a cargo as I could, trusting to +God's providence to prosper my undertaking. With these views I sailed +for Philadelphia. On our passage, when we drew near the land, I was +for the first time surprised at the sight of some whales, having never +seen any such large sea monsters before; and as we sailed by the land +one morning I saw a puppy whale close by the vessel; it was about the +length of a wherry boat, and it followed us all the day till we got +within the Capes. We arrived safe and in good time at Philadelphia, +and I sold my goods there chiefly to the quakers. They always appeared +to be a very honest discreet sort of people, and never attempted to +impose on me; I therefore liked them, and ever after chose to deal +with them in preference to any others. One Sunday morning while I was +here, as I was going to church, I chanced to pass a meeting-house. The +doors being open, and the house full of people, it excited my +curiosity to go in. When I entered the house, to my great surprise, I +saw a very tall woman standing in the midst of them, speaking in an +audible voice something which I could not understand. Having never +seen anything of this kind before, I stood and stared about me for +some time, wondering at this odd scene. As soon as it was over I took +an opportunity to make inquiry about the place and people, when I was +informed they were called Quakers. I particularly asked what that +woman I saw in the midst of them had said, but none of them were +pleased to satisfy me; so I quitted them, and soon after, as I was +returning, I came to a church crowded with people; the church-yard was +full likewise, and a number of people were even mounted on ladders, +looking in at the windows. I thought this a strange sight, as I had +never seen churches, either in England or the West Indies, crowded in +this manner before. I therefore made bold to ask some people the +meaning of all this, and they told me the Rev. Mr. George Whitfield +was preaching. I had often heard of this gentleman, and had wished to +see and hear him; but I had never before had an opportunity. I now +therefore resolved to gratify myself with the sight, and I pressed in +amidst the multitude. When I got into the church I saw this pious man +exhorting the people with the greatest fervour and earnestness, and +sweating as much as I ever did while in slavery on Montserrat beach. I +was very much struck and impressed with this; I thought it strange I +had never seen divines exert themselves in this manner before, and I +was no longer at a loss to account for the thin congregations they +preached to. When we had discharged our cargo here, and were loaded +again, we left this fruitful land once more, and set sail for +Montserrat. My traffic had hitherto succeeded so well with me, that I +thought, by selling my goods when we arrived at Montserrat, I should +have enough to purchase my freedom. But, as soon as our vessel arrived +there, my master came on board, and gave orders for us to go to St. +Eustatia, and discharge our cargo there, and from thence proceed for +Georgia. I was much disappointed at this; but thinking, as usual, it +was of no use to encounter with the decrees of fate, I submitted +without repining, and we went to St. Eustatia. After we had discharged +our cargo there we took in a live cargo, as we call a cargo of slaves. +Here I sold my goods tolerably well; but, not being able to lay out +all my money in this small island to as much advantage as in many +other places, I laid out only part, and the remainder I brought away +with me neat. We sailed from hence for Georgia, and I was glad when we +got there, though I had not much reason to like the place from my last +adventure in Savannah; but I longed to get back to Montserrat and +procure my freedom, which I expected to be able to purchase when I +returned. As soon as we arrived here I waited on my careful doctor, +Mr. Brady, to whom I made the most grateful acknowledgments in my +power for his former kindness and attention during my illness. While +we were here an odd circumstance happened to the Captain and me, which +disappointed us both a good deal. A silversmith, whom we had brought +to this place some voyages before, agreed with the Captain to return +with us to the West Indies, and promised at the same time to give the +Captain a great deal of money, having pretended to take a liking to +him, and being, as we thought, very rich. But while we stayed to load +our vessel this man was taken ill in a house where he worked, and in a +week's time became very bad. The worse he grew the more he used to +speak of giving the Captain what he had promised him, so that he +expected something considerable from the death of this man, who had no +wife or child, and he attended him day and night. I used also to go +with the Captain, at his own desire, to attend him; especially when we +saw there was no appearance of his recovery: and, in order to +recompense me for my trouble, the Captain promised me ten pounds, when +he should get the man's property. I thought this would be of great +service to me, although I had nearly money enough to purchase my +freedom, if I should get safe this voyage to Montserrat. In this +expectation I laid out above eight pounds of my money for a suit of +superfine clothes to dance with at my freedom, which I hoped was then +at hand. We still continued to attend this man, and were with him even +on the last day he lived, till very late at night, when we went on +board. After we were got to bed, about one or two o'clock in the +morning, the Captain was sent for, and informed the man was dead. On +this he came to my bed, and, waking me, informed me of it, and desired +me to get up and procure a light, and immediately go to him. I told +him I was very sleepy, and wished he would take somebody else with +him; or else, as the man was dead, and could want no farther +attendance, to let all things remain as they were till the next +morning. 'No, no,' said he, 'we will have the money to-night, I cannot +wait till to-morrow; so let us go.' Accordingly I got up and struck a +light, and away we both went and saw the man as dead as we could wish. +The Captain said he would give him a grand burial, in gratitude for +the promised treasure; and desired that all the things belonging to +the deceased might be brought forth. Among others, there was a nest of +trunks of which he had kept the keys whilst the man was ill, and when +they were produced we opened them with no small eagerness and +expectation; and as there were a great number within one another, with +much impatience we took them one out of the other. At last, when we +came to the smallest, and had opened it, we saw it was full of papers, +which we supposed to be notes; at the sight of which our hearts leapt +for joy; and that instant the Captain, clapping his hands, cried out, +'Thank God, here it is.' But when we took up the trunk, and began to +examine the supposed treasure and long-looked-for bounty, (alas! alas! +how uncertain and deceitful are all human affairs!) what had we found! +While we thought we were embracing a substance we grasped an empty +nothing. The whole amount that was in the nest of trunks was only one +dollar and a half; and all that the man possessed would not pay for +his coffin. Our sudden and exquisite joy was now succeeded by a sudden +and exquisite pain; and my Captain and I exhibited, for some time, +most ridiculous figures—pictures of chagrin and disappointment! We +went away greatly mortified, and left the deceased to do as well as he +could for himself, as we had taken so good care of him when alive for +nothing. We set sail once more for Montserrat, and arrived there safe; +but much out of humour with our friend the silversmith. When we had +unladen the vessel, and I had sold my venture, finding myself master +of about forty-seven pounds, I consulted my true friend, the Captain, +how I should proceed in offering my master the money for my freedom. +He told me to come on a certain morning, when he and my master would +be at breakfast together. Accordingly, on that morning I went, and met +the Captain there, as he had appointed. When I went in I made my +obeisance to my master, and with my money in my hand, and many fears +in my heart, I prayed him to be as good as his offer to me, when he +was pleased to promise me my freedom as soon as I could purchase it. +This speech seemed to confound him; he began to recoil: and my heart +that instant sunk within me. 'What,' said he, 'give you your freedom? +Why, where did you get the money? Have you got forty pounds sterling?' +'Yes, sir,' I answered. 'How did you get it?' replied he. I told him, +very honestly. The Captain then said he knew I got the money very +honestly and with much industry, and that I was particularly careful. +On which my master replied, I got money much faster than he did; and +said he would not have made me the promise he did if he had thought I +should have got money so soon. 'Come, come,' said my worthy Captain, +clapping my master on the back, 'Come, Robert, (which was his name) I +think you must let him have his freedom; you have laid your money out +very well; you have received good interest for it all this time, and +here is now the principal at last. I know Gustavus has earned you more +than an hundred a-year, and he will still save you money, as he will +not leave you:—Come, Robert, take the money.' My master then said, he +would not be worse than his promise; and, taking the money, told me to +go to the Secretary at the Register Office, and get my manumission +drawn up. These words of my master were like a voice from heaven to +me: in an instant all my trepidation was turned into unutterable +bliss; and I most reverently bowed myself with gratitude, unable to +express my feelings, but by the overflowing of my eyes, while my true +and worthy friend, the Captain, congratulated us both with a peculiar +degree of heartfelt pleasure. As soon as the first transports of my +joy were over, and that I had expressed my thanks to these my worthy +friends in the best manner I was able, I rose with a heart full of +affection and reverence, and left the room, in order to obey my +master's joyful mandate of going to the Register Office. As I was +leaving the house I called to mind the words of the Psalmist, in the +126th Psalm, and like him, 'I glorified God in my heart, in whom I +trusted.' These words had been impressed on my mind from the very day +I was forced from Deptford to the present hour, and I now saw them, as +I thought, fulfilled and verified. My imagination was all rapture as I +flew to the Register Office, and, in this respect, like the apostle +Peter,<a name="FNanchor_U_21" id="FNanchor_U_21" /><a href="#Footnote_U_21" class="fnanchor">[U]</a> (whose deliverance from prison was so sudden and +extraordinary, that he thought he was in a vision) I could scarcely +believe I was awake. Heavens! who could do justice to my feelings at +this moment! Not conquering heroes themselves, in the midst of a +triumph—Not the tender mother who has just regained her long-lost +infant, and presses it to her heart—Not the weary hungry mariner, at +the sight of the desired friendly port—Not the lover, when he once +more embraces his beloved mistress, after she had been ravished from +his arms!—All within my breast was tumult, wildness, and delirium! My +feet scarcely touched the ground, for they were winged with joy, and, +like Elijah, as he rose to Heaven, they 'were with lightning sped as I +went on.' Every one I met I told of my happiness, and blazed about the +virtue of my amiable master and captain.</p> + +<p>When I got to the office and acquainted the Register with my errand he +congratulated me on the occasion, and told me he would draw up my +manumission for half price, which was a guinea. I thanked him for his +kindness; and, having received it and paid him, I hastened to my +master to get him to sign it, that I might be fully released. +Accordingly he signed the manumission that day, so that, before night, +I who had been a slave in the morning, trembling at the will of +another, was become my own master, and completely free. I thought this +was the happiest day I had ever experienced; and my joy was still +heightened by the blessings and prayers of the sable race, +particularly the aged, to whom my heart had ever been attached with +reverence.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>As the form of my manumission has something peculiar in it, and +expresses the absolute power and dominion one man claims over his +fellow, I shall beg leave to present it before my readers at full +length:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>Montserrat</i>.—To all men unto whom these presents shall + come: I Robert King, of the parish of St. Anthony in the + said island, merchant, send greeting: Know ye, that I the + aforesaid Robert King, for and in consideration of the sum + of seventy pounds current money of the said island, to me in + hand paid, and to the intent that a negro man-slave, named + Gustavus Vassa, shall and may become free, have manumitted, + emancipated, enfranchised, and set free, and by these + presents do manumit, emancipate, enfranchise, and set free, + the aforesaid negro man-slave, named Gustavus Vassa, for + ever, hereby giving, granting, and releasing unto him, the + said Gustavus Vassa, all right, title, dominion, + sovereignty, and property, which, as lord and master over + the aforesaid Gustavus Vassa, I had, or now I have, or by + any means whatsoever I may or can hereafter possibly have + over him the aforesaid negro, for ever. In witness whereof I + the abovesaid Robert King have unto these presents set my + hand and seal, this tenth day of July, in the year of our + Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty-six.</p> + +<p class="citation"><span class="smcap">Robert King</span>.<br /> +</p> + +<p>Signed, sealed, and delivered in the presence of Terrylegay, + Montserrat.</p> + +<p> Registered the within manumission at full length, this + eleventh day of July, 1766, in liber D.</p> + +<p class="citation"><span class="smcap">Terrylegay</span>, Register.<br /> +</p> +</div> +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>In short, the fair as well as black people immediately styled me by a +new appellation, to me the most desirable in the world, which was +Freeman, and at the dances I gave my Georgia superfine blue clothes +made no indifferent appearance, as I thought. Some of the sable +females, who formerly stood aloof, now began to relax and appear less +coy; but my heart was still fixed on London, where I hoped to be ere +long. So that my worthy captain and his owner, my late master, +finding that the bent of my mind was towards London, said to me, 'We +hope you won't leave us, but that you will still be with the vessels.' +Here gratitude bowed me down; and none but the generous mind can judge +of my feelings, struggling between inclination and duty. However, +notwithstanding my wish to be in London, I obediently answered my +benefactors that I would go in the vessel, and not leave them; and +from that day I was entered on board as an able-bodied sailor, at +thirty-six shillings per month, besides what perquisites I could make. +My intention was to make a voyage or two, entirely to please these my +honoured patrons; but I determined that the year following, if it +pleased God, I would see Old England once more, and surprise my old +master, Capt. Pascal, who was hourly in my mind; for I still loved +him, notwithstanding his usage of me, and I pleased myself with +thinking of what he would say when he saw what the Lord had done for +me in so short a time, instead of being, as he might perhaps suppose, +under the cruel yoke of some planter. With these kind of reveries I +used often to entertain myself, and shorten the time till my return; +and now, being as in my original free African state, I embarked on +board the Nancy, after having got all things ready for our voyage. In +this state of serenity we sailed for St. Eustatia; and, having smooth +seas and calm weather, we soon arrived there: after taking our cargo +on board, we proceeded to Savannah in Georgia, in August, 1766. While +we were there, as usual, I used to go for the cargo up the rivers in +boats; and on this business I have been frequently beset by +alligators, which were very numerous on that coast, and I have shot +many of them when they have been near getting into our boats; which we +have with great difficulty sometimes prevented, and have been very +much frightened at them. I have seen a young one sold in Georgia alive +for six pence. During our stay at this place, one evening a slave +belonging to Mr. Read, a merchant of Savannah, came near our vessel, +and began to use me very ill. I entreated him, with all the patience I +was master of, to desist, as I knew there was little or no law for a +free negro here; but the fellow, instead of taking my advice, +persevered in his insults, and even struck me. At this I lost all +temper, and I fell on him and beat him soundly. The next morning his +master came to our vessel as we lay alongside the wharf, and desired +me to come ashore that he might have me flogged all round the town, +for beating his negro slave. I told him he had insulted me, and had +given the provocation, by first striking me. I had told my captain +also the whole affair that morning, and wished him to have gone along +with me to Mr. Read, to prevent bad consequences; but he said that it +did not signify, and if Mr. Read said any thing he would make matters +up, and had desired me to go to work, which I accordingly did. The +Captain being on board when Mr. Read came, he told him I was a free +man; and when Mr. Read applied to him to deliver me up, he said he +knew nothing of the matter. I was astonished and frightened at this, +and thought I had better keep where I was than go ashore and be +flogged round the town, without judge or jury. I therefore refused to +stir; and Mr. Read went away, swearing he would bring all the +constables in the town, for he would have me out of the vessel. When +he was gone, I thought his threat might prove too true to my sorrow; +and I was confirmed in this belief, as well by the many instances I +had seen of the treatment of free negroes, as from a fact that had +happened within my own knowledge here a short time before. There was a +free black man, a carpenter, that I knew, who, for asking a gentleman +that he worked for for the money he had earned, was put into gaol; and +afterwards this oppressed man was sent from Georgia, with false +accusations, of an intention to set the gentleman's house on fire, and +run away with his slaves. I was therefore much embarrassed, and very +apprehensive of a flogging at least. I dreaded, of all things, the +thoughts of being striped, as I never in my life had the marks of any +violence of that kind. At that instant a rage seized my soul, and for +a little I determined to resist the first man that should offer to lay +violent hands on me, or basely use me without a trial; for I would +sooner die like a free man, than suffer myself to be scourged by the +hands of ruffians, and my blood drawn like a slave. The captain and +others, more cautious, advised me to make haste and conceal myself; +for they said Mr. Read was a very spiteful man, and he would soon come +on board with constables and take me. At first I refused this counsel, +being determined to stand my ground; but at length, by the prevailing +entreaties of the captain and Mr. Dixon, with whom he lodged, I went +to Mr. Dixon's house, which was a little out of town, at a place +called Yea-ma-chra. I was but just gone when Mr. Read, with the +constables, came for me, and searched the vessel; but, not finding me +there, he swore he would have me dead or alive. I was secreted about +five days; however, the good character which my captain always gave me +as well as some other gentlemen who also knew me, procured me some +friends. At last some of them told my captain that he did not use me +well, in suffering me thus to be imposed upon, and said they would see +me redressed, and get me on board some other vessel. My captain, on +this, immediately went to Mr. Read, and told him, that ever since I +eloped from the vessel his work had been neglected, and he could not +go on with her loading, himself and mate not being well; and, as I had +managed things on board for them, my absence must retard his voyage, +and consequently hurt the owner; he therefore begged of him to forgive +me, as he said he never had any complaint of me before, for the many +years that I had been with him. After repeated entreaties, Mr. Read +said I might go to hell, and that he would not meddle with me; on +which my captain came immediately to me at his lodging, and, telling +me how pleasantly matters had gone on, he desired me to go on board. +Some of my other friends then asked him if he had got the constable's +warrant from them; the captain said, No. On this I was desired by them +to stay in the house; and they said they would get me on board of some +other vessel before the evening. When the captain heard this he became +almost distracted. He went immediately for the warrant, and, after +using every exertion in his power, he at last got it from my hunters; +but I had all the expenses to pay. After I had thanked all my friends +for their attention, I went on board again to my work, of which I had +always plenty. We were in haste to complete our lading, and were to +carry twenty head of cattle with us to the West Indies, where they are +a very profitable article. In order to encourage me in working, and to +make up for the time I had lost, my captain promised me the privilege +of carrying two bullocks of my own with me; and this made me work with +redoubled ardour. As soon as I had got the vessel loaded, in doing +which I was obliged to perform the duty of the mate as well as my own +work, and that the bullocks were near coming on board, I asked the +captain leave to bring my two, according to his promise; but, to my +great surprise, he told me there was no room for them. I then asked +him to permit me to take one; but he said he could not. I was a good +deal mortified at this usage, and told him I had no notion that he +intended thus to impose on me; nor could I think well of any man that +was so much worse than his word. On this we had some disagreement, and +I gave him to understand, that I intended to leave the vessel. At this +he appeared to be very much dejected; and our mate, who had been very +sickly, and whose duty had long devolved upon me, advised him to +persuade me to stay: in consequence of which he spoke very kindly to +me, making many fair promises, telling me that, as the mate was so +sickly, he could not do without me, and that, as the safety of the +vessel and cargo depended greatly upon me, he therefore hoped that I +would not be offended at what had passed between us, and swore he +would make up all matters when we arrived in the West Indies; so I +consented to slave on as before. Soon after this, as the bullocks were +coming on board, one of them ran at the captain, and butted him so +furiously in the breast, that he never recovered of the blow. In order +to make me some amends for his treatment about the bullocks, the +captain now pressed me very much to take some turkeys, and other +fowls, with me, and gave me liberty to take as many as I could find +room for; but I told him he knew very well I had never carried any +turkeys before, as I always thought they were such tender birds that +they were not fit to cross the seas. However, he continued to press me +to buy them for once; and, what was very surprising to me, the more I +was against it, the more he urged my taking them, insomuch that he +ensured me from all losses that might happen by them, and I was +prevailed on to take them; but I thought this very strange, as he had +never acted so with me before. This, and not being able to dispose of +my paper-money in any other way, induced me at length to take four +dozen. The turkeys, however, I was so dissatisfied about that I +determined to make no more voyages to this quarter, nor with this +captain; and was very apprehensive that my free voyage would be the +worst I had ever made. We set sail for Montserrat. The captain and +mate had been both complaining of sickness when we sailed, and as we +proceeded on our voyage they grew worse. This was about November, and +we had not been long at sea before we began to meet with strong +northerly gales and rough seas; and in about seven or eight days all +the bullocks were near being drowned, and four or five of them died. +Our vessel, which had not been tight at first, was much less so now; +and, though we were but nine in the whole, including five sailors and +myself, yet we were obliged to attend to the pumps every half or three +quarters of an hour. The captain and mate came on deck as often as +they were able, which was now but seldom; for they declined so fast, +that they were not well enough to make observations above four or five +times the whole voyage. The whole care of the vessel rested, +therefore, upon me, and I was obliged to direct her by my former +experience, not being able to work a traverse. The captain was now +very sorry he had not taught me navigation, and protested, if ever he +should get well again, he would not fail to do so; but in about +seventeen days his illness increased so much, that he was obliged to +keep his bed, continuing sensible, however, till the last, constantly +having the owner's interest at heart; for this just and benevolent man +ever appeared much concerned about the welfare of what he was +intrusted with. When this dear friend found the symptoms of death +approaching, he called me by my name; and, when I came to him, he +asked (with almost his last breath) if he had ever done me any harm? +'God forbid I should think so,' I replied, 'I should then be the most +ungrateful of wretches to the best of sorrow by his bedside, he +expired without saying another word; and the day following we +committed his body to the deep. Every man on board loved this man, and +regretted his death; but I was exceedingly affected at it, and I found +that I did not know, till he was gone, the strength of my regard for +him. Indeed I had every reason in the world to be attached to him; +for, besides that he was in general mild, affable, generous, faithful, +benevolent, and just, he was to me a friend and a father; and, had it +pleased Providence that he had died but five months before, I verily +believe I should not have obtained my freedom when I did; and it is +not improbable that I might not have been able to get it at any rate +afterwards. The captain being dead, the mate came on the deck, and +made such observations as he was able, but to no purpose. In the +course of a few days more, the few bullocks that remained were found +dead; but the turkies I had, though on the deck, and exposed to so +much wet and bad weather, did well, and I afterwards gained near three +hundred per cent, on the sale of them; so that in the event it proved +a happy circumstance for me that I had not bought the bullocks I +intended, for they must have perished with the rest; and I could not +help looking on this, otherwise trifling circumstance, as a particular +providence of God, and I was thankful accordingly. The care of the +vessel took up all my time, and engaged my attention entirely. As we +were now out of the variable winds, I thought I should not be much +puzzled to hit upon the islands. I was persuaded I steered right for +Antigua, which I wished to reach, as the nearest to us; and in the +course of nine or ten days we made this island, to our great joy; and +the next day after we came safe to Montserrat. Many were surprised +when they heard of my conducting the sloop into the port, and I now +obtained a new appellation, and was called Captain. This elated me not +a little, and it was quite flattering to my vanity to be thus styled +by as high a title as any free man in this place possessed. When the +death of the captain became known, he was much regretted by all who +knew him; for he was a man universally respected. At the same time the +sable captain lost no fame; for the success I had met with increased +the affection of my friends in no small measure.</p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_U_21" id="Footnote_U_21" /><a href="#FNanchor_U_21"><span class="label">[U]</span></a> Acts, chap. xii. ver. 9.</p></div> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAP_VIII" id="CHAP_VIII" />CHAP. VIII.</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>The author, to oblige Mr. King, once more embarks for + Georgia in one of his vessels—A new captain is + appointed—They sail, and steer a new course—Three + remarkable dreams—The vessel is shipwrecked on the Bahama + bank, but the crew are preserved, principally by means of + the author—He sets out from the island with the captain, in + a small boat, in quest of a ship—Their distress—Meet with + a wrecker—Sail for Providence—Are overtaken again by a + terrible storm, and are all near perishing—Arrive at New + Providence—The author, after some time, sails from thence + to Georgia—Meets with another storm, and is obliged to put + back and refit—Arrives at Georgia—Meets new + impositions—Two white men attempt to kidnap him—Officiates + as a parson at a funeral ceremony—Bids adieu to Georgia, + and sails for Martinico.</i></p></div> + + +<p>As I had now, by the death of my captain, lost my great benefactor and +friend, I had little inducement to remain longer in the West Indies, +except my gratitude to Mr. King, which I thought I had pretty well +discharged in bringing back his vessel safe, and delivering his cargo +to his satisfaction. I began to think of leaving this part of the +world, of which I had been long tired, and returning to England, where +my heart had always been; but Mr. King still pressed me very much to +stay with his vessel; and he had done so much for me that I found +myself unable to refuse his requests, and consented to go another +voyage to Georgia, as the mate, from his ill state of health, was +quite useless in the vessel. Accordingly a new captain was appointed, +whose name was William Phillips, an old acquaintance of mine; and, +having refitted our vessel, and taken several slaves on board, we set +sail for St. Eustatia, where we stayed but a few days; and on the 30th +of January 1767 we steered for Georgia. Our new captain boasted +strangely of his skill in navigating and conducting a vessel; and in +consequence of this he steered a new course, several points more to +the westward than we ever did before; this appeared to me very +extraordinary.</p> + +<p>On the fourth of February, which was soon after we had got into our +new course, I dreamt the ship was wrecked amidst the surfs and rocks, +and that I was the means of saving every one on board; and on the +night following I dreamed the very same dream. These dreams however +made no impression on my mind; and the next evening, it being my watch +below, I was pumping the vessel a little after eight o'clock, just +before I went off the deck, as is the custom; and being weary with the +duty of the day, and tired at the pump, (for we made a good deal of +water) I began to express my impatience, and I uttered with an oath, +'Damn the vessel's bottom out.' But my conscience instantly smote me +for the expression. When I left the deck I went to bed, and had +scarcely fallen asleep when I dreamed the same dream again about the +ship that I had dreamt the two preceeding nights. At twelve o'clock +the watch was changed; and, as I had always the charge of the +captain's watch, I then went upon deck. At half after one in the +morning the man at the helm saw something under the lee-beam that the +sea washed against, and he immediately called to me that there was a +grampus, and desired me to look at it. Accordingly I stood up and +observed it for some time; but, when I saw the sea wash up against it +again and again, I said it was not a fish but a rock. Being soon +certain of this, I went down to the captain, and, with some confusion, +told him the danger we were in, and desired him to come upon deck +immediately. He said it was very well, and I went up again. As soon as +I was upon deck the wind, which had been pretty high, having abated a +little, the vessel began to be carried sideways towards the rock, by +means of the current. Still the captain did not appear. I therefore +went to him again, and told him the vessel was then near a large rock, +and desired he would come up with speed. He said he would, and I +returned to the deck. When I was upon the deck again I saw we were not +above a pistol shot from the rock, and I heard the noise of the +breakers all around us. I was exceedingly alarmed at this; and the +captain having not yet come on the deck I lost all patience; and, +growing quite enraged, I ran down to him again, and asked him why he +did not come up, and what he could mean by all this? 'The breakers,' +said I, 'are round us, and the vessel is almost on the rock.' With +that he came on the deck with me, and we tried to put the vessel +about, and get her out of the current, but all to no purpose, the +wind being very small. We then called all hands up immediately; and +after a little we got up one end of a cable, and fastened it to the +anchor. By this time the surf was foaming round us, and made a +dreadful noise on the breakers, and the very moment we let the anchor +go the vessel struck against the rocks. One swell now succeeded +another, as it were one wave calling on its fellow: the roaring of the +billows increased, and, with one single heave of the swells, the sloop +was pierced and transfixed among the rocks! In a moment a scene of +horror presented itself to my mind, such as I never had conceived or +experienced before. All my sins stared me in the face; and especially, +I thought that God had hurled his direful vengeance on my guilty head +for cursing the vessel on which my life depended. My spirits at this +forsook me, and I expected every moment to go to the bottom: I +determined if I should still be saved that I would never swear again. +And in the midst of my distress, while the dreadful surfs were dashing +with unremitting fury among the rocks, I remembered the Lord, though +fearful that I was undeserving of forgiveness, and I thought that as +he had often delivered he might yet deliver; and, calling to mind the +many mercies he had shewn me in times past, they gave me some small +hope that he might still help me. I then began to think how we might +be saved; and I believe no mind was ever like mine so replete with +inventions and confused with schemes, though how to escape death I +knew not. The captain immediately ordered the hatches to be nailed +down on the slaves in the hold, where there were above twenty, all of +whom must unavoidably have perished if he had been obeyed. When he +desired the man to nail down the hatches I thought that my sin was the +cause of this, and that God would charge me with these people's blood. +This thought rushed upon my mind that instant with such violence, that +it quite overpowered me, and I fainted. I recovered just as the people +were about to nail down the hatches; perceiving which, I desired them +to stop. The captain then said it must be done: I asked him why? He +said that every one would endeavour to get into the boat, which was +but small, and thereby we should be drowned; for it would not have +carried above ten at the most. I could no longer restrain my emotion, +and I told him he deserved drowning for not knowing how to navigate +the vessel; and I believe the people would have tossed him overboard +if I had given them the least hint of it. However the hatches were not +nailed down; and, as none of us could leave the vessel then on account +of the darkness, and as we knew not where to go, and were convinced +besides that the boat could not survive the surfs, we all said we +would remain on the dry part of the vessel, and trust to God till +daylight appeared, when we should know better what to do.</p> + +<p>I then advised to get the boat prepared against morning, and some of +us began to set about it; but some abandoned all care of the ship and +themselves, and fell to drinking. Our boat had a piece out of her +bottom near two feet long, and we had no materials to mend her; +however, necessity being the mother of invention, I took some pump +leather and nailed it to the broken part, and plastered it over with +tallow-grease. And, thus prepared, with the utmost anxiety of mind we +watched for daylight, and thought every minute an hour till it +appeared. At last it saluted our longing eyes, and kind Providence +accompanied its approach with what was no small comfort to us; for the +dreadful swell began to subside; and the next thing that we discovered +to raise our drooping spirits, was a small key or island, about five +or six miles off; but a barrier soon presented itself; for there was +not water enough for our boat to go over the reefs, and this threw us +again into a sad consternation; but there was no alternative, we were +therefore obliged to put but few in the boat at once; and, what is +still worse, all of us were frequently under the necessity of getting +out to drag and lift it over the reefs. This cost us much labour and +fatigue; and, what was yet more distressing, we could not avoid having +our legs cut and torn very much with the rocks. There were only four +people that would work with me at the oars; and they consisted of +three black men and a Dutch Creole sailor; and, though we went with +the boat five times that day, we had no others to assist us. But, had +we not worked in this manner, I really believe the people could not +have been saved; for not one of the white men did any thing to +preserve their lives; and indeed they soon got so drunk that they were +not able, but lay about the deck like swine, so that we were at last +obliged to lift them into the boat and carry them on shore by force. +This want of assistance made our labour intolerably severe; insomuch, +that, by putting on shore so often that day, the skin was entirely +stript off my hands.</p> + +<p>However, we continued all the day to toil and strain our exertions, +till we had brought all on board safe to the shore; so that out of +thirty-two people we lost not one. My dream now returned upon my mind +with all its force; it was fulfilled in every part; for our danger was +the same I had dreamt of: and I could not help looking on myself as +the principal instrument in effecting our deliverance; for, owing to +some of our people getting drunk, the rest of us were obliged to +double our exertions; and it was fortunate we did, for in a very +little time longer the patch of leather on the boat would have been +worn out, and she would have been no longer fit for service. Situated +as we were, who could think that men should be so careless of the +danger they were in? for, if the wind had but raised the swell as it +was when the vessel struck, we must have bid a final farewell to all +hopes of deliverance; and though, I warned the people who were +drinking and entreated them to embrace the moment of deliverance, +nevertheless they persisted, as if not possessed of the least spark of +reason. I could not help thinking, that, if any of these people had +been lost, God would charge me with their lives, which, perhaps, was +one cause of my labouring so hard for their preservation, and indeed +every one of them afterwards seemed so sensible of the service I had +rendered them; and while we were on the key I was a kind of chieftain +amongst them. I brought some limes, oranges, and lemons ashore; and, +finding it to be a good soil where we were, I planted several of them +as a token to any one that might be cast away hereafter. This key, as +we afterwards found, was one of the Bahama islands, which consist of a +cluster of large islands, with smaller ones or keys, as they are +called, interspersed among them. It was about a mile in circumference, +with a white sandy beach running in a regular order along it. On that +part of it where we first attempted to land there stood some very +large birds, called flamingoes: these, from the reflection of the sun, +appeared to us at a little distance as large as men; and, when they +walked backwards and forwards, we could not conceive what they were: +our captain swore they were cannibals. This created a great panic +among us; and we held a consultation how to act. The captain wanted to +go to a key that was within sight, but a great way off; but I was +against it, as in so doing we should not be able to save all the +people; 'And therefore,' said I, 'let us go on shore here, and perhaps +these cannibals may take to the water.' Accordingly we steered towards +them; and when we approached them, to our very great joy and no less +wonder, they walked off one after the other very deliberately; and at +last they took flight and relieved us entirely from our fears. About +the key there were turtles and several sorts of fish in such abundance +that we caught them without bait, which was a great relief to us after +the salt provisions on board. There was also a large rock on the +beach, about ten feet high, which was in the form of a punch-bowl at +the top; this we could not help thinking Providence had ordained to +supply us with rainwater; and it was something singular that, if we +did not take the water when it rained, in some little time after it +would turn as salt as sea-water.</p> + +<p>Our first care, after refreshment, was to make ourselves tents to +lodge in, which we did as well as we could with some sails we had +brought from the ship. We then began to think how we might get from +this place, which was quite uninhabited; and we determined to repair +our boat, which was very much shattered, and to put to sea in quest of +a ship or some inhabited island. It took us up however eleven days +before we could get the boat ready for sea in the manner we wanted it, +with a sail and other necessaries. When we had got all things prepared +the captain wanted me to stay on shore while he went to sea in quest +of a vessel to take all the people off the key; but this I refused; +and the captain and myself, with five more, set off in the boat +towards New Providence. We had no more than two musket load of +gunpowder with us if any thing should happen; and our stock of +provisions consisted of three gallons of rum, four of water, some salt +beef, some biscuit; and in this manner we proceeded to sea.</p> + +<p>On the second day of our voyage we came to an island called Obbico, +the largest of the Bahama islands. We were much in want of water; for +by this time our water was expended, and we were exceedingly fatigued +in pulling two days in the heat of the sun; and it being late in the +evening, we hauled the boat ashore to try for water and remain during +the night: when we came ashore we searched for water, but could find +none. When it was dark, we made a fire around us for fear of the wild +beasts, as the place was an entire thick wood, and we took it by turns +to watch. In this situation we found very little rest, and waited with +impatience for the morning. As soon as the light appeared we set off +again with our boat, in hopes of finding assistance during the day. We +were now much dejected and weakened by pulling the boat; for our sail +was of no use, and we were almost famished for want of fresh water to +drink. We had nothing left to eat but salt beef, and that we could not +use without water. In this situation we toiled all day in sight of the +island, which was very long; in the evening, seeing no relief, we made +ashore again, and fastened our boat. We then went to look for fresh +water, being quite faint for the want of it; and we dug and searched +about for some all the remainder of the evening, but could not find +one drop, so that our dejection at this period became excessive, and +our terror so great, that we expected nothing but death to deliver us. +We could not touch our beef, which was as salt as brine, without fresh +water; and we were in the greatest terror from the apprehension of +wild beasts. When unwelcome night came we acted as on the night +before; and the next morning we set off again from the island in hopes +of seeing some vessel. In this manner we toiled as well as we were +able till four o'clock, during which we passed several keys, but could +not meet with a ship; and, still famishing with thirst, went ashore on +one of those keys again in hopes of finding some water. Here we found +some leaves with a few drops of water in them, which we lapped with +much eagerness; we then dug in several places, but without success. As +we were digging holes in search of water there came forth some very +thick and black stuff; but none of us could touch it, except the poor +Dutch Creole, who drank above a quart of it as eagerly as if it had +been wine. We tried to catch fish, but could not; and we now began to +repine at our fate, and abandon ourselves to despair; when, in the +midst of our murmuring, the captain all at once cried out 'A sail! a +sail! a sail!' This gladdening sound was like a reprieve to a +convict, and we all instantly turned to look at it; but in a little +time some of us began to be afraid it was not a sail. However, at a +venture, we embarked and steered after it; and, in half an hour, to +our unspeakable joy, we plainly saw that it was a vessel. At this our +drooping spirits revived, and we made towards her with all the speed +imaginable. When we came near to her, we found she was a little sloop, +about the size of a Gravesend hoy, and quite full of people; a +circumstance which we could not make out the meaning of. Our captain, +who was a Welchman, swore that they were pirates, and would kill us. I +said, be that as it might, we must board her if we were to die for it; +and, if they should not receive us kindly, we must oppose them as well +as we could; for there was no alternative between their perishing and +ours. This counsel was immediately taken; and I really believe that +the captain, myself, and the Dutchman, would then have faced twenty +men. We had two cutlasses and a musquet, that I brought in the boat; +and, in this situation, we rowed alongside, and immediately boarded +her. I believe there were about forty hands on board; but how great +was our surprise, as soon as we got on board, to find that the major +part of them were in the same predicament as ourselves!</p> + +<p>They belonged to a whaling schooner that was wrecked two days before +us about nine miles to the north of our vessel. When she was wrecked +some of them had taken to their boats and had left some of their +people and property on a key, in the same manner as we had done; and +were going, like us, to New Providence in quest of a ship, when they +met with this little sloop, called a wrecker; their employment in +those seas being to look after wrecks. They were then going to take +the remainder of the people belonging to the schooner; for which the +wrecker was to have all things belonging to the vessel, and likewise +their people's help to get what they could out of her, and were then +to carry the crew to New Providence.</p> + +<p>We told the people of the wrecker the condition of our vessel, and we +made the same agreement with them as the schooner's people; and, on +their complying, we begged of them to go to our key directly, because +our people were in want of water. They agreed, therefore, to go along +with us first; and in two days we arrived at the key, to the +inexpressible joy of the people that we had left behind, as they had +been reduced to great extremities for want of water in our absence. +Luckily for us, the wrecker had now more people on board than she +could carry or victual for any moderate length of time; they therefore +hired the schooner's people to work on our wreck, and we left them our +boat, and embarked for New Providence.</p> + +<p>Nothing could have been more fortunate than our meeting with this +wrecker, for New Providence was at such a distance that we never could +have reached it in our boat. The island of Abbico was much longer than +we expected; and it was not till after sailing for three or four days +that we got safe to the farther end of it, towards New Providence. +When we arrived there we watered, and got a good many lobsters and +other shellfish; which proved a great relief to us, as our provisions +and water were almost exhausted. We then proceeded on our voyage; but +the day after we left the island, late in the evening, and whilst we +were yet amongst the Bahama keys, we were overtaken by a violent gale +of wind, so that we were obliged to cut away the mast. The vessel was +very near foundering; for she parted from her anchors, and struck +several times on the shoals. Here we expected every minute that she +would have gone to pieces, and each moment to be our last; so much so +that my old captain and sickly useless mate, and several others, +fainted; and death stared us in the face on every side. All the +swearers on board now began to call on the God of Heaven to assist +them: and, sure enough, beyond our comprehension he did assist us, and +in a miraculous manner delivered us! In the very height of our +extremity the wind lulled for a few minutes; and, although the swell +was high beyond expression, two men, who were expert swimmers, +attempted to go to the buoy of the anchor, which we still saw on the +water, at some distance, in a little punt that belonged to the +wrecker, which was not large enough to carry more than two. She filled +different times in their endeavours to get into her alongside of our +vessel; and they saw nothing but death before them, as well as we; but +they said they might as well die that way as any other. A coil of very +small rope, with a little buoy, was put in along with them; and, at +last, with great hazard, they got the punt clear from the vessel; and +these two intrepid water heroes paddled away for life towards the buoy +of the anchor. The eyes of us all were fixed on them all the time, +expecting every minute to be their last: and the prayers of all those +that remained in their senses were offered up to God, on their behalf, +for a speedy deliverance; and for our own, which depended on them; and +he heard and answered us! These two men at last reached the buoy; and, +having fastened the punt to it, they tied one end of their rope to the +small buoy that they had in the punt, and sent it adrift towards the +vessel. We on board observing this threw out boat-hooks and leads +fastened to lines, in order to catch the buoy: at last we caught it, +and fastened a hawser to the end of the small rope; we then gave them +a sign to pull, and they pulled the hawser to them, and fastened it to +the buoy: which being done we hauled for our lives; and, through the +mercy of God, we got again from the shoals into deep water, and the +punt got safe to the vessel. It is impossible for any to conceive our +heartfelt joy at this second deliverance from ruin, but those who have +suffered the same hardships. Those whose strength and senses were gone +came to themselves, and were now as elated as they were before +depressed. Two days after this the wind ceased, and the water became +smooth. The punt then went on shore, and we cut down some trees; and +having found our mast and mended it we brought it on board, and fixed +it up. As soon as we had done this we got up the anchor, and away we +went once more for New Providence, which in three days more we reached +safe, after having been above three weeks in a situation in which we +did not expect to escape with life. The inhabitants here were very +kind to us; and, when they learned our situation, shewed us a great +deal of hospitality and friendship. Soon after this every one of my +old fellow-sufferers that were free parted from us, and shaped their +course where their inclination led them. One merchant, who had a large +sloop, seeing our condition, and knowing we wanted to go to Georgia, +told four of us that his vessel was going there; and, if we would work +on board and load her, he would give us our passage free. As we could +not get any wages whatever, and found it very hard to get off the +place, we were obliged to consent to his proposal; and we went on +board and helped to load the sloop, though we had only our victuals +allowed us. When she was entirely loaded he told us she was going to +Jamaica first, where we must go if we went in her. This, however, I +refused; but my fellow-sufferers not having any money to help +themselves with, necessity obliged them to accept of the offer, and to +steer that course, though they did not like it.</p> + +<p>We stayed in New Providence about seventeen or eighteen days; during +which time I met with many friends, who gave me encouragement to stay +there with them: but I declined it; though, had not my heart been +fixed on England, I should have stayed, as I liked the place +extremely, and there were some free black people here who were very +happy, and we passed our time pleasantly together, with the melodious +sound of the catguts, under the lime and lemon trees. At length +Captain Phillips hired a sloop to carry him and some of the slaves +that he could not sell to Georgia; and I agreed to go with him in this +vessel, meaning now to take my farewell of that place. When the vessel +was ready we all embarked; and I took my leave of New Providence, not +without regret. We sailed about four o'clock in the morning, with a +fair wind, for Georgia; and about eleven o'clock the same morning a +short and sudden gale sprung up and blew away most of our sails; and, +as we were still amongst the keys, in a very few minutes it dashed the +sloop against the rocks. Luckily for us the water was deep; and the +sea was not so angry but that, after having for some time laboured +hard, and being many in number, we were saved through God's mercy; +and, by using our greatest exertions, we got the vessel off. The next +day we returned to Providence, where we soon got her again refitted. +Some of the people swore that we had spells set upon us by somebody in +Montserrat; and others that we had witches and wizzards amongst the +poor helpless slaves; and that we never should arrive safe at Georgia. +But these things did not deter me; I said, 'Let us again face the +winds and seas, and swear not, but trust to God, and he will deliver +us.' We therefore once more set sail; and, with hard labour, in seven +day's time arrived safe at Georgia.</p> + +<p>After our arrival we went up to the town of Savannah; and the same +evening I went to a friend's house to lodge, whose name was Mosa, a +black man. We were very happy at meeting each other; and after supper +we had a light till it was between nine and ten o'clock at night. +About that time the watch or patrol came by; and, discerning a light +in the house, they knocked at the door: we opened it; and they came in +and sat down, and drank some punch with us: they also begged some +limes of me, as they understood I had some, which I readily gave them. +A little after this they told me I must go to the watch-house with +them: this surprised me a good deal, after our kindness to them; and I +asked them, Why so? They said that all negroes who had light in their +houses after nine o'clock were to be taken into custody, and either +pay some dollars or be flogged. Some of those people knew that I was a +free man; but, as the man of the house was not free, and had his +master to protect him, they did not take the same liberty with him +they did with me. I told them that I was a free man, and just arrived +from Providence; that we were not making any noise, and that I was not +a stranger in that place, but was very well known there: 'Besides,' +said I, 'what will you do with me?'—'That you shall see,' replied +they, 'but you must go to the watch-house with us.' Now whether they +meant to get money from me or not I was at a loss to know; but I +thought immediately of the oranges and limes at Santa Cruz: and seeing +that nothing would pacify them I went with them to the watch-house, +where I remained during the night. Early the the next morning these +imposing ruffians flogged a negro-man and woman that they had in the +watch-house, and then they told me that I must be flogged too. I asked +why? and if there was no law for free men? And told them if there was +I would have it put in force against them. But this only exasperated +them the more; and instantly they swore they would serve me as Doctor +Perkins had done; and they were going to lay violent hands on me; when +one of them, more humane than the rest, said that as I was a free man +they could not justify stripping me by law. I then immediately sent +for Doctor Brady, who was known to be an honest and worthy man; and on +his coming to my assistance they let me go.</p> + +<p>This was not the only disagreeable incident I met with while I was in +this place; for, one day, while I was a little way out of the town of +Savannah, I was beset by two white men, who meant to play their usual +tricks with me in the way of kidnapping. As soon as these men accosted +me, one of them said to the other, 'This is the very fellow we are +looking for that you lost:' and the other swore immediately that I was +the identical person. On this they made up to me, and were about to +handle me; but I told them to be still and keep off; for I had seen +those kind of tricks played upon other free blacks, and they must not +think to serve me so. At this they paused a little, and one said to +the other—it will not do; and the other answered that I talked too +good English. I replied, I believed I did; and I had also with me a +revengeful stick equal to the occasion; and my mind was likewise good. +Happily however it was not used; and, after we had talked together a +little in this manner, the rogues left me. I stayed in Savannah some +time, anxiously trying to get to Montserrat once more to see Mr. King, +my old master, and then to take a final farewell of the American +quarter of the globe. At last I met with a sloop called the Speedwell, +Captain John Bunton, which belonged to Grenada, and was bound to +Martinico, a French island, with a cargo of rice, and I shipped myself +on board of her. Before I left Georgia a black woman, who had a child +lying dead, being very tenacious of the church burial service, and not +able to get any white person to perform it, applied to me for that +purpose. I told her I was no parson; and besides, that the service +over the dead did not affect the soul. This however did not satisfy +her; she still urged me very hard: I therefore complied with her +earnest entreaties, and at last consented to act the parson for the +first time in my life. As she was much respected, there was a great +company both of white and black people at the grave. I then +accordingly assumed my new vocation, and performed the funeral +ceremony to the satisfaction of all present; after which I bade adieu +to Georgia, and sailed for Martinico.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAP_IX" id="CHAP_IX" />CHAP. IX</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>The author arrives at Martinico—Meets with new + difficulties—Gets to Montserrat, where he takes leave of + his old master, and sails for England—Meets Capt. + Pascal—Learns the French horn—Hires himself with Doctor + Irving, where he learns to freshen sea water—Leaves the + doctor, and goes a voyage to Turkey and Portugal; and + afterwards goes a voyage to Grenada, and another to + Jamaica—Returns to the Doctor, and they embark together on + a voyage to the North Pole, with the Hon. Capt. Phipps—Some + account of that voyage, and the dangers the author was + in—He returns to England.</i></p></div> + + +<p>I thus took a final leave of Georgia; for the treatment I had received +in it disgusted me very much against the place; and when I left it and +sailed for Martinico I determined never more to revisit it. My new +captain conducted his vessel safer than my former one; and, after an +agreeable voyage, we got safe to our intended port. While I was on +this island I went about a good deal, and found it very pleasant: in +particular I admired the town of St. Pierre, which is the principal +one in the island, and built more like an European town than any I had +seen in the West Indies. In general also, slaves were better treated, +had more holidays, and looked better than those in the English +islands. After we had done our business here, I wanted my discharge, +which was necessary; for it was then the month of May, and I wished +much to be at Montserrat to bid farewell to Mr. King, and all my other +friends there, in time to sail for Old England in the July fleet. But, +alas! I had put a great stumbling block in my own way, by which I was +near losing my passage that season to England. I had lent my captain +some money, which I now wanted to enable me to prosecute my +intentions. This I told him; but when I applied for it, though I urged +the necessity of my occasion, I met with so much shuffling from him, +that I began at last to be afraid of losing my money, as I could not +recover it by law: for I have already mentioned, that throughout the +West Indies no black man's testimony is admitted, on any occasion, +against any white person whatever, and therefore my own oath would +have been of no use. I was obliged, therefore, to remain with him +till he might be disposed to return it to me. Thus we sailed from +Martinico for the Grenades. I frequently pressing the captain for my +money to no purpose; and, to render my condition worse, when we got +there, the captain and his owners quarrelled; so that my situation +became daily more irksome: for besides that we on board had little or +no victuals allowed us, and I could not get my money nor wages, I +could then have gotten my passage free to Montserrat had I been able +to accept it. The worst of all was, that it was growing late in July, +and the ships in the islands must sail by the 26th of that month. At +last, however, with a great many entreaties, I got my money from the +captain, and took the first vessel I could meet with for St. Eustatia. +From thence I went in another to Basseterre in St. Kitts, where I +arrived on the 19th of July. On the 22d, having met with a vessel +bound to Montserrat, I wanted to go in her; but the captain and others +would not take me on board until I should advertise myself, and give +notice of my going off the island. I told them of my haste to be in +Montserrat, and that the time then would not admit of advertising, it +being late in the evening, and the captain about to sail; but he +insisted it was necessary, and otherwise he said he would not take me. +This reduced me to great perplexity; for if I should be compelled to +submit to this degrading necessity, which every black freeman is +under, of advertising himself like a slave, when he leaves an island, +and which I thought a gross imposition upon any freeman, I feared I +should miss that opportunity of going to Montserrat, and then I could +not get to England that year. The vessel was just going off, and no +time could be lost; I immediately therefore set about, with a heavy +heart, to try who I could get to befriend me in complying with the +demands of the captain. Luckily I found, in a few minutes, some +gentlemen of Montserrat whom I knew; and, having told them my +situation, I requested their friendly assistance in helping me off the +island. Some of them, on this, went with me to the captain, and +satisfied him of my freedom; and, to my very great joy, he desired me +to go on board. We then set sail, and the next day, the 23d, I arrived +at the wished-for place, after an absence of six months, in which I +had more than once experienced the delivering hand of Providence, +when all human means of escaping destruction seemed hopeless. I saw my +friends with a gladness of heart which was increased by my absence and +the dangers I had escaped, and I was received with great friendship by +them all, but particularly by Mr. King, to whom I related the fate of +his sloop, the Nancy, and the causes of her being wrecked. I now +learned with extreme sorrow, that his house was washed away during my +absence, by the bursting of a pond at the top of a mountain that was +opposite the town of Plymouth. It swept great part of the town away, +and Mr. King lost a great deal of property from the inundation, and +nearly his life. When I told him I intended to go to London that +season, and that I had come to visit him before my departure, the good +man expressed a great deal of affection for me, and sorrow that I +should leave him, and warmly advised me to stay there; insisting, as I +was much respected by all the gentlemen in the place, that I might do +very well, and in a short time have land and slaves of my own. I +thanked him for this instance of his friendship; but, as I wished very +much to be in London, I declined remaining any longer there, and +begged he would excuse me. I then requested he would be kind enough to +give me a certificate of my behaviour while in his service, which he +very readily complied with, and gave me the following:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p class="quotdate"><i>Montserrat, January 26, 1767.</i><br /> +</p> + +<p>'The bearer hereof, Gustavus Vassa, was my slave for upwards + of three years, during which he has always behaved himself + well, and discharged his duty with honesty and assiduity.</p> + +<p class="citation"><span class ="smcap">Robert King.</span><br /> +<br /> +</p> +<p>'To all whom this may concern.'<br /> +</p> +</div> + +<p>Having obtained this, I parted from my kind master, after many sincere +professions of gratitude and regard, and prepared for my departure for +London. I immediately agreed to go with one Capt. John Hamer, for +seven guineas, the passage to London, on board a ship called the +Andromache; and on the 24th and 25th I had free dances, as they are +called, with some of my countrymen, previous to my setting off; after +which I took leave of all my friends, and on the 26th I embarked for +London, exceedingly glad to see myself once more on board of a ship; +and still more so, in steering the course I had long wished for. With +a light heart I bade Montserrat farewell, and never had my feet on it +since; and with it I bade adieu to the sound of the cruel whip, and +all other dreadful instruments of torture; adieu to the offensive +sight of the violated chastity of the sable females, which has too +often accosted my eyes; adieu to oppressions (although to me less +severe than most of my countrymen); and adieu to the angry howling, +dashing surfs. I wished for a grateful and thankful heart to praise +the Lord God on high for all his mercies!</p> + +<p>We had a most prosperous voyage, and, at the end of seven weeks, +arrived at Cherry-Garden stairs. Thus were my longing eyes once more +gratified with a sight of London, after having been absent from it +above four years. I immediately received my wages, and I never had +earned seven guineas so quick in my life before; I had thirty-seven +guineas in all, when I got cleared of the ship. I now entered upon a +scene, quite new to me, but full of hope. In this situation my first +thoughts were to look out for some of my former friends, and amongst +the first of those were the Miss Guerins. As soon, therefore, as I had +regaled myself I went in quest of those kind ladies, whom I was very +impatient to see; and with some difficulty and perseverance, I found +them at May's-hill, Greenwich. They were most agreeably surprised to +see me, and I quite overjoyed at meeting with them. I told them my +history, at which they expressed great wonder, and freely acknowledged +it did their cousin, Capt. Pascal, no honour. He then visited there +frequently; and I met him four or five days after in Greenwich park. +When he saw me he appeared a good deal surprised, and asked me how I +came back? I answered, 'In a ship.' To which he replied dryly, 'I +suppose you did not walk back to London on the water.' As I saw, by +his manner, that he did not seem to be sorry for his behaviour to me, +and that I had not much reason to expect any favour from him, I told +him that he had used me very ill, after I had been such a faithful +servant to him for so many years; on which, without saying any more, +he turned about and went away. A few days after this I met Capt. +Pascal at Miss Guerin's house, and asked him for my prize-money. He +said there was none due to me; for, if my prize money had been +10,000 £. he had a right to it all. I told him I was informed +otherwise; on which he bade me defiance; and, in a bantering tone, +desired me to commence a lawsuit against him for it: 'There are +lawyers enough,' said he, 'that will take the cause in hand, and you +had better try it.' I told him then that I would try it, which enraged +him very much; however, out of regard to the ladies, I remained still, +and never made any farther demand of my right. Some time afterwards +these friendly ladies asked me what I meant to do with myself, and how +they could assist me. I thanked them, and said, if they pleased, I +would be their servant; but if not, as I had thirty-seven guineas, +which would support me for some time, I would be much obliged to them +to recommend me to some person who would teach me a business whereby I +might earn my living. They answered me very politely, that they were +sorry it did not suit them to take me as their servant, and asked me +what business I should like to learn? I said, hair-dressing. They then +promised to assist me in this; and soon after they recommended me to a +gentleman whom I had known before, one Capt. O'Hara, who treated me +with much kindness, and procured me a master, a hair-dresser, in +Coventry-court, Haymarket, with whom he placed me. I was with this man +from September till the February following. In that time we had a +neighbour in the same court who taught the French horn. He used to +blow it so well that I was charmed with it, and agreed with him to +teach me to blow it. Accordingly he took me in hand, and began to +instruct me, and I soon learned all the three parts. I took great +delight in blowing on this instrument, the evenings being long; and +besides that I was fond of it, I did not like to be idle, and it +filled up my vacant hours innocently. At this time also I agreed with +the Rev. Mr. Gregory, who lived in the same court, where he kept an +academy and an evening-school, to improve me in arithmetic. This he +did as far as barter and alligation; so that all the time I was there +I was entirely employed. In February 1768 I hired myself to Dr. +Charles Irving, in Pall-mall, so celebrated for his successful +experiments in making sea water fresh; and here I had plenty of +hair-dressing to improve my hand. This gentleman was an excellent +master; he was exceedingly kind and good tempered; and allowed me in +the evenings to attend my schools, which I esteemed a great blessing; +therefore I thanked God and him for it, and used all my diligence to +improve the opportunity. This diligence and attention recommended me +to the notice and care of my three preceptors, who on their parts +bestowed a great deal of pains in my instruction, and besides were all +very kind to me. My wages, however, which were by two thirds less than +I ever had in my life (for I had only 12l. per annum) I soon found +would not be sufficient to defray this extraordinary expense of +masters, and my own necessary expenses; my old thirty-seven guineas +had by this time worn all away to one. I thought it best, therefore, +to try the sea again in quest of more money, as I had been bred to it, +and had hitherto found the profession of it successful. I had also a +very great desire to see Turkey, and I now determined to gratify it. +Accordingly, in the month of May, 1768, I told the doctor my wish to +go to sea again, to which he made no opposition; and we parted on +friendly terms. The same day I went into the city in quest of a +master. I was extremely fortunate in my inquiry; for I soon heard of a +gentleman who had a ship going to Italy and Turkey, and he wanted a +man who could dress hair well. I was overjoyed at this, and went +immediately on board of his ship, as I had been directed, which I +found to be fitted up with great taste, and I already foreboded no +small pleasure in sailing in her. Not finding the gentleman on board, +I was directed to his lodgings, where I met with him the next day, and +gave him a specimen of my dressing. He liked it so well that he hired +me immediately, so that I was perfectly happy; for the ship, master, +and voyage, were entirely to my mind. The ship was called the Delawar, +and my master's name was John Jolly, a neat smart good humoured man, +just such an one as I wished to serve. We sailed from England in July +following, and our voyage was extremely pleasant. We went to Villa +Franca, Nice, and Leghorn; and in all these places I was charmed with +the richness and beauty of the countries, and struck with the elegant +buildings with which they abound. We had always in them plenty of +extraordinary good wines and rich fruits, which I was very fond of; +and I had frequent occasions of gratifying both my taste and +curiosity; for my captain always lodged on shore in those places, +which afforded me opportunities to see the country around. I also +learned navigation of the mate, which I was very fond of. When we left +Italy we had delightful sailing among the Archipelago islands, and +from thence to Smyrna in Turkey. This is a very ancient city; the +houses are built of stone, and most of them have graves adjoining to +them; so that they sometimes present the appearance of church-yards. +Provisions are very plentiful in this city, and good wine less than a +penny a pint. The grapes, pomegranates, and many other fruits, were +also the richest and largest I ever tasted. The natives are well +looking and strong made, and treated me always with great civility. In +general I believe they are fond of black people; and several of them +gave me pressing invitations to stay amongst them, although they keep +the franks, or Christians, separate, and do not suffer them to dwell +immediately amongst them. I was astonished in not seeing women in any +of their shops, and very rarely any in the streets; and whenever I did +they were covered with a veil from head to foot, so that I could not +see their faces, except when any of them out of curiosity uncovered +them to look at me, which they sometimes did. I was surprised to see +how the Greeks are, in some measure, kept under by the Turks, as the +negroes are in the West Indies by the white people. The less refined +Greeks, as I have already hinted, dance here in the same manner as we +do in my nation. On the whole, during our stay here, which was about +five months, I liked the place and the Turks extremely well. I could +not help observing one very remarkable circumstance there: the tails +of the sheep are flat, and so very large, that I have known the tail +even of a lamb to weigh from eleven to thirteen pounds. The fat of +them is very white and rich, and is excellent in puddings, for which +it is much used. Our ship being at length richly loaded with silk, and +other articles, we sailed for England.</p> + +<p>In May 1769, soon after our return from Turkey, our ship made a +delightful voyage to Oporto in Portugal, where we arrived at the time +of the carnival. On our arrival, there were sent on board to us +thirty-six articles to observe, with very heavy penalties if we should +break any of them; and none of us even dared to go on board any other +vessel or on shore till the Inquisition had sent on board and +searched for every thing illegal, especially bibles. Such as were +produced, and certain other things, were sent on shore till the ships +were going away; and any person in whose custody a bible was found +concealed was to be imprisoned and flogged, and sent into slavery for +ten years. I saw here many very magnificent sights, particularly the +garden of Eden, where many of the clergy and laity went in procession +in their several orders with the host, and sung Te Deum. I had a great +curiosity to go into some of their churches, but could not gain +admittance without using the necessary sprinkling of holy water at my +entrance. From curiosity, and a wish to be holy, I therefore complied +with this ceremony, but its virtues were lost on me, for I found +myself nothing the better for it. This place abounds with plenty of +all kinds of provisions. The town is well built and pretty, and +commands a fine prospect. Our ship having taken in a load of wine, and +other commodities, we sailed for London, and arrived in July +following. Our next voyage was to the Mediterranean. The ship was +again got ready, and we sailed in September for Genoa. This is one of +the finest cities I ever saw; some of the edifices were of beautiful +marble, and made a most noble appearance; and many had very curious +fountains before them. The churches were rich and magnificent, and +curiously adorned both in the inside and out. But all this grandeur +was in my eyes disgraced by the galley slaves, whose condition both +there and in other parts of Italy is truly piteous and wretched. After +we had stayed there some weeks, during which we bought many different +things which we wanted, and got them very cheap, we sailed to Naples, +a charming city, and remarkably clean. The bay is the most beautiful I +ever saw; the moles for shipping are excellent. I thought it +extraordinary to see grand operas acted here on Sunday nights, and +even attended by their majesties. I too, like these great ones, went +to those sights, and vainly served God in the day while I thus served +mammon effectually at night. While we remained here there happened an +eruption of mount Vesuvius, of which I had a perfect view. It was +extremely awful; and we were so near that the ashes from it used to be +thick on our deck. After we had transacted our business at Naples we +sailed with a fair wind once more for Smyrna, where we arrived in +December. A seraskier or officer took a liking to me here, and wanted +me to stay, and offered me two wives; however I refused the +temptation. The merchants here travel in caravans or large companies. +I have seen many caravans from India, with some hundreds of camels, +laden with different goods. The people of these caravans are quite +brown. Among other articles, they brought with them a great quantity +of locusts, which are a kind of pulse, sweet and pleasant to the +palate, and in shape resembling French beans, but longer. Each kind of +goods is sold in a street by itself, and I always found the Turks very +honest in their dealings. They let no Christians into their mosques or +churches, for which I was very sorry; as I was always fond of going to +see the different modes of worship of the people wherever I went. The +plague broke out while we were in Smyrna, and we stopped taking goods +into the ship till it was over. She was then richly laden, and we +sailed in about March 1770 for England. One day in our passage we met +with an accident which was near burning the ship. A black cook, in +melting some fat, overset the pan into the fire under the deck, which +immediately began to blaze, and the flame went up very high under the +foretop. With the fright the poor cook became almost white, and +altogether speechless. Happily however we got the fire out without +doing much mischief. After various delays in this passage, which was +tedious, we arrived in Standgate creek in July; and, at the latter end +of the year, some new event occurred, so that my noble captain, the +ship, and I all separated.</p> + +<p>In April 1771 I shipped myself as a steward with Capt. Wm. Robertson +of the ship Grenada Planter, once more to try my fortune in the West +Indies; and we sailed from London for Madeira, Barbadoes, and the +Grenades. When we were at this last place, having some goods to sell, +I met once more with my former kind of West India customers. A white +man, an islander, bought some goods of me to the amount of some +pounds, and made me many fair promises as usual, but without any +intention of paying me. He had likewise bought goods from some more of +our people, whom he intended to serve in the same manner; but he still +amused us with promises. However, when our ship was loaded, and near +sailing, this honest buyer discovered no intention or sign of paying +for any thing he had bought of us; but on the contrary, when I asked +him for my money he threatened me and another black man he had bought +goods of, so that we found we were like to get more blows than +payment. On this we went to complain to one Mr. M'Intosh, a justice of +the peace; we told his worship of the man's villainous tricks, and +begged that he would be kind enough to see us redressed: but being +negroes, although free, we could not get any remedy; and our ship +being then just upon the point of sailing, we knew not how to help +ourselves, though we thought it hard to lose our property in this +manner. Luckily for us however, this man was also indebted to three +white sailors, who could not get a farthing from him; they therefore +readily joined us, and we all went together in search of him. When we +found where he was, I took him out of a house and threatened him with +vengeance; on which, finding he was likely to be handled roughly, the +rogue offered each of us some small allowance, but nothing near our +demands. This exasperated us much more; and some were for cutting his +ears off; but he begged hard for mercy, which was at last granted him, +after we had entirely stripped him. We then let him go, for which he +thanked us, glad to get off so easily, and ran into the bushes, after +having wished us a good voyage. We then repaired on board, and shortly +after set sail for England. I cannot help remarking here a very narrow +escape we had from being blown up, owing to a piece of negligence of +mine. Just as our ship was under sail, I went down into the cabin to +do some business, and had a lighted candle in my hand, which, in my +hurry, without thinking, I held in a barrel of gunpowder. It remained +in the powder until it was near catching fire, when fortunately I +observed it and snatched it out in time, and providentially no harm +happened; but I was so overcome with terror that I immediately fainted +at this deliverance.</p> + +<p>In twenty-eight days time we arrived in England, and I got clear of +this ship. But, being still of a roving disposition, and desirous of +seeing as many different parts of the world as I could, I shipped +myself soon after, in the same year, as steward on board of a fine +large ship, called the Jamaica, Captain David Watt; and we sailed from +England in December 1771 for Nevis and Jamaica. I found Jamaica to be +a very fine large island, well peopled, and the most considerable of +the West India islands. There was a vast number of negroes here, whom +I found as usual exceedingly imposed upon by the white people, and the +slaves punished as in the other islands. There are negroes whose +business it is to flog slaves; they go about to different people for +employment, and the usual pay is from one to four bits. I saw many +cruel punishments inflicted on the slaves in the short time I stayed +here. In particular I was present when a poor fellow was tied up and +kept hanging by the wrists at some distance from the ground, and then +some half hundred weights were fixed to his ancles, in which posture +he was flogged most unmercifully. There were also, as I heard, two +different masters noted for cruelty on the island, who had staked up +two negroes naked, and in two hours the vermin stung them to death. I +heard a gentleman I well knew tell my captain that he passed sentence +on a negro man to be burnt alive for attempting to poison an overseer. +I pass over numerous other instances, in order to relieve the reader +by a milder scene of roguery. Before I had been long on the island, +one Mr. Smith at Port Morant bought goods of me to the amount of +twenty-five pounds sterling; but when I demanded payment from him, he +was going each time to beat me, and threatened that he would put me in +goal. One time he would say I was going to set his house on fire, at +another he would swear I was going to run away with his slaves. I was +astonished at this usage from a person who was in the situation of a +gentleman, but I had no alternative; I was therefore obliged to +submit. When I came to Kingston, I was surprised to see the number of +Africans who were assembled together on Sundays; particularly at a +large commodious place, called Spring Path. Here each different nation +of Africa meet and dance after the manner of their own country. They +still retain most of their native customs: they bury their dead, and +put victuals, pipes and tobacco, and other things, in the grave with +the corps, in the same manner as in Africa. Our ship having got her +loading we sailed for London, where we arrived in the August +following. On my return to London, I waited on my old and good master, +Dr. Irving, who made me an offer of his service again. Being now tired +of the sea I gladly accepted it. I was very happy in living with this +gentleman once more; during which time we were daily employed in +reducing old Neptune's dominions by purifying the briny element and +making it fresh. Thus I went on till May 1773, when I was roused by +the sound of fame, to seek new adventures, and to find, towards the +north pole, what our Creator never intended we should, a passage to +India. An expedition was now fitting out to explore a north-east +passage, conducted by the Honourable John Constantine Phipps, since +Lord Mulgrave, in his Majesty's sloop of war the Race Horse. My master +being anxious for the reputation of this adventure, we therefore +prepared every thing for our voyage, and I attended him on board the +Race Horse, the 24th day of May 1773. We proceeded to Sheerness, where +we were joined by his Majesty's sloop the Carcass, commanded by +Captain Lutwidge. On the 4th of June we sailed towards our destined +place, the pole; and on the 15th of the same month we were off +Shetland. On this day I had a great and unexpected deliverance from an +accident which was near blowing up the ship and destroying the crew, +which made me ever after during the voyage uncommonly cautious. The +ship was so filled that there was very little room on board for any +one, which placed me in a very aukward situation. I had resolved to +keep a journal of this singular and interesting voyage; and I had no +other place for this purpose but a little cabin, or the doctor's +store-room, where I slept. This little place was stuffed with all +manner of combustibles, particularly with tow and aquafortis, and many +other dangerous things. Unfortunately it happened in the evening as I +was writing my journal, that I had occasion to take the candle out of +the lanthorn, and a spark having touched a single thread of the tow, +all the rest caught the flame, and immediately the whole was in a +blaze. I saw nothing but present death before me, and expected to be +the first to perish in the flames. In a moment the alarm was spread, +and many people who were near ran to assist in putting out the fire. +All this time I was in the very midst of the flames; my shirt, and the +handkerchief on my neck, were burnt, and I was almost smothered with +the smoke. However, through God's mercy, as I was nearly giving up all +hopes, some people brought blankets and mattresses and threw them on +the flames, by which means in a short time the fire was put out. I was +severely reprimanded and menaced by such of the officers who knew it, +and strictly charged never more to go there with a light: and, indeed, +even my own fears made me give heed to this command for a little time; +but at last, not being able to write my journal in any other part of +the ship, I was tempted again to venture by stealth with a light in +the same cabin, though not without considerable fear and dread on my +mind. On the 20th of June we began to use Dr. Irving's apparatus for +making salt water fresh; I used to attend the distillery: I frequently +purified from twenty-six to forty gallons a day. The water thus +distilled was perfectly pure, well tasted, and free from salt; and was +used on various occasions on board the ship. On the 28th of June, +being in lat. 78, we made Greenland, where I was surprised to see the +sun did not set. The weather now became extremely cold; and as we +sailed between north and east, which was our course, we saw many very +high and curious mountains of ice; and also a great number of very +large whales, which used to come close to our ship, and blow the water +up to a very great height in the air. One morning we had vast +quantities of sea-horses about the ship, which neighed exactly like +any other horses. We fired some harpoon guns amongst them, in order to +take some, but we could not get any. The 30th, the captain of a +Greenland ship came on board, and told us of three ships that were +lost in the ice; however we still held on our course till July the +11th, when we were stopt by one compact impenetrable body of ice. We +ran along it from east to west above ten degrees; and on the 27th we +got as far north as 80, 37; and in 19 or 20 degrees east longitude +from London. On the 29th and 30th of July we saw one continued plain +of smooth unbroken ice, bounded only by the horizon; and we fastened +to a piece of ice that was eight yards eleven inches thick. We had +generally sunshine, and constant daylight; which gave cheerfulness and +novelty to the whole of this striking, grand, and uncommon scene; and, +to heighten it still more, the reflection of the sun from the ice gave +the clouds a most beautiful appearance. We killed many different +animals at this time, and among the rest nine bears. Though they had +nothing in their paunches but water yet they were all very fat. We +used to decoy them to the ship sometimes by burning feathers or skins. +I thought them coarse eating, but some of the ship's company relished +them very much. Some of our people once, in the boat, fired at and +wounded a sea-horse, which dived immediately; and, in a little time +after, brought up with it a number of others. They all joined in an +attack upon the boat, and were with difficulty prevented from staving +or oversetting her; but a boat from the Carcass having come to assist +ours, and joined it, they dispersed, after having wrested an oar from +one of the men. One of the ship's boats had before been attacked in +the same manner, but happily no harm was done. Though we wounded +several of these animals we never got but one. We remained hereabouts +until the 1st of August; when the two ships got completely fastened in +the ice, occasioned by the loose ice that set in from the sea. This +made our situation very dreadful and alarming; so that on the 7th day +we were in very great apprehension of having the ships squeezed to +pieces. The officers now held a council to know what was best for us +to do in order to save our lives; and it was determined that we should +endeavour to escape by dragging our boats along the ice towards the +sea; which, however, was farther off than any of us thought. This +determination filled us with extreme dejection, and confounded us with +despair; for we had very little prospect of escaping with life. +However, we sawed some of the ice about the ships to keep it from +hurting them; and thus kept them in a kind of pond. We then began to +drag the boats as well as we could towards the sea; but, after two or +three days labour, we made very little progress; so that some of our +hearts totally failed us, and I really began to give up myself for +lost, when I saw our surrounding calamities. While we were at this +hard labour I once fell into a pond we had made amongst some loose +ice, and was very near being drowned; but providentially some people +were near who gave me immediate assistance, and thereby I escaped +drowning. Our deplorable condition, which kept up the constant +apprehension of our perishing in the ice, brought me gradually to +think of eternity in such a manner as I never had done before. I had +the fears of death hourly upon me, and shuddered at the thoughts of +meeting the grim king of terrors in the <i>natural</i> state I then was in, +and was exceedingly doubtful of a happy eternity if I should die in +it. I had no hopes of my life being prolonged for any time; for we +saw that our existence could not be long on the ice after leaving the +ships, which were now out of sight, and some miles from the boats. Our +appearance now became truly lamentable; pale dejection seized every +countenance; many, who had been before blasphemers, in this our +distress began to call on the good God of heaven for his help; and in +the time of our utter need he heard us, and against hope or human +probability delivered us! It was the eleventh day of the ships being +thus fastened, and the fourth of our drawing the boats in this manner, +that the wind changed to the E.N.E. The weather immediately became +mild, and the ice broke towards the sea, which was to the S.W. of us. +Many of us on this got on board again, and with all our might we hove +the ships into every open water we could find, and made all the sail +on them in our power; and now, having a prospect of success, we made +signals for the boats and the remainder of the people. This seemed to +us like a reprieve from death; and happy was the man who could first +get on board of any ship, or the first boat he could meet. We then +proceeded in this manner till we got into the open water again, which +we accomplished in about thirty hours, to our infinite joy and +gladness of heart. As soon as we were out of danger we came to anchor +and refitted; and on the 19th of August we sailed from this +uninhabited extremity of the world, where the inhospitable climate +affords neither food nor shelter, and not a tree or shrub of any kind +grows amongst its barren rocks; but all is one desolate and expanded +waste of ice, which even the constant beams of the sun for six months +in the year cannot penetrate or dissolve. The sun now being on the +decline the days shortened as we sailed to the southward; and, on the +28th, in latitude 73, it was dark by ten o'clock at night. September +the 10th, in latitude 58-59, we met a very severe gale of wind and +high seas, and shipped a great deal of water in the space of ten +hours. This made us work exceedingly hard at all our pumps a whole +day; and one sea, which struck the ship with more force than any thing +I ever met with of the kind before, laid her under water for some +time, so that we thought she would have gone down. Two boats were +washed from the booms, and the long-boat from the chucks: all other +moveable things on the deck were also washed away, among which were +many curious things of different kinds which we had brought from +Greenland; and we were obliged, in order to lighten the ship, to toss +some of our guns overboard. We saw a ship, at the same time, in very +great distress, and her masts were gone; but we were unable to assist +her. We now lost sight of the Carcass till the 26th, when we saw land +about Orfordness, off which place she joined us. From thence we sailed +for London, and on the 30th came up to Deptford. And thus ended our +Arctic voyage, to the no small joy of all on board, after having been +absent four months; in which time, at the imminent hazard of our +lives, we explored nearly as far towards the Pole as 81 degrees north, +and 20 degrees east longitude; being much farther, by all accounts, +than any navigator had ever ventured before; in which we fully proved +the impracticability of finding a passage that way to India.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAP_X" id="CHAP_X" />CHAP. X.</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>The author leaves Doctor Irving and engages on board a + Turkey ship—Account of a black man's being kidnapped on + board and sent to the West Indies, and the author's + fruitless endeavours to procure his freedom—Some account of + the manner of the author's conversion to the faith of Jesus + Christ.</i></p></div> + + +<p>Our voyage to the North Pole being ended, I returned to London with +Doctor Irving, with whom I continued for some time, during which I +began seriously to reflect on the dangers I had escaped, particularly +those of my last voyage, which made a lasting impression on my mind, +and, by the grace of God, proved afterwards a mercy to me; it caused +me to reflect deeply on my eternal state, and to seek the Lord with +full purpose of heart ere it was too late. I rejoiced greatly; and +heartily thanked the Lord for directing me to London, where I was +determined to work out my own salvation, and in so doing procure a +title to heaven, being the result of a mind blended by ignorance and +sin.</p> + +<p>In process of time I left my master, Doctor Irving, the purifier of +waters, and lodged in Coventry-court, Haymarket, where I was +continually oppressed and much concerned about the salvation of my +soul, and was determined (in my own strength) to be a first-rate +Christian. I used every means for this purpose; and, not being able to +find any person amongst my acquaintance that agreed with me in point +of religion, or, in scripture language, 'that would shew me any good;' +I was much dejected, and knew not where to seek relief; however, I +first frequented the neighbouring churches, St. James's, and others, +two or three times a day, for many weeks: still I came away +dissatisfied; something was wanting that I could not obtain, and I +really found more heartfelt relief in reading my bible at home than in +attending the church; and, being resolved to be saved, I pursued other +methods still. First I went among the quakers, where the word of God +was neither read or preached, so that I remained as much in the dark +as ever. I then searched into the Roman catholic principles, but was +not in the least satisfied. At length I had recourse to the Jews, +which availed me nothing, for the fear of eternity daily harassed my +mind, and I knew not where to seek shelter from the wrath to come. +However this was my conclusion, at all events, to read the four +evangelists, and whatever sect or party I found adhering thereto such +I would join. Thus I went on heavily without any guide to direct me +the way that leadeth to eternal life. I asked different people +questions about the manner of going to heaven, and was told different +ways. Here I was much staggered, and could not find any at that time +more righteous than myself, or indeed so much inclined to devotion. I +thought we should not all be saved (this is agreeable to the holy +scriptures), nor would all be damned. I found none among the circle of +my acquaintance that kept wholly the ten commandments. So righteous +was I in my own eyes, that I was convinced I excelled many of them in +that point, by keeping eight out of ten; and finding those who in +general termed themselves Christians not so honest or so good in their +morals as the Turks, I really thought the Turks were in a safer way of +salvation than my neighbours: so that between hopes and fears I went +on, and the chief comforts I enjoyed were in the musical French horn, +which I then practised, and also dressing of hair. Such was my +situation some months, experiencing the dishonesty of many people +here. I determined at last to set out for Turkey, and there to end my +days. It was now early in the spring 1774. I sought for a master, and +found a captain John Hughes, commander of a ship called Anglicania, +fitting out in the river Thames, and bound to Smyrna in Turkey. I +shipped myself with him as a steward; at the same time I recommended +to him a very clever black man, John Annis, as a cook. This man was on +board the ship near two months doing his duty: he had formerly lived +many years with Mr. William Kirkpatrick, a gentleman of the island of +St. Kitts, from whom he parted by consent, though he afterwards tried +many schemes to inveigle the poor man. He had applied to many captains +who traded to St. Kitts to trepan him; and when all their attempts and +schemes of kidnapping proved abortive, Mr. Kirkpatrick came to our +ship at Union Stairs on Easter Monday, April the fourth, with two +wherry boats and six men, having learned that the man was on board; +and tied, and forcibly took him away from the ship, in the presence +of the crew and the chief mate, who had detained him after he had +notice to come away. I believe that this was a combined piece of +business: but, at any rate, it certainly reflected great disgrace on +the mate and captain also, who, although they had desired the +oppressed man to stay on board, yet he did not in the least assist to +recover him, or pay me a farthing of his wages, which was about five +pounds. I proved the only friend he had, who attempted to regain him +his liberty if possible, having known the want of liberty myself. I +sent as soon as I could to Gravesend, and got knowledge of the ship in +which he was; but unluckily she had sailed the first tide after he was +put on board. My intention was then immediately to apprehend Mr. +Kirkpatrick, who was about setting off for Scotland; and, having +obtained a <i>habeas corpus</i> for him, and got a tipstaff to go with me +to St. Paul's church-yard, where he lived, he, suspecting something of +this kind, set a watch to look out. My being known to them occasioned +me to use the following deception: I whitened my face, that they might +not know me, and this had its desired effect. He did not go out of his +house that night, and next morning I contrived a well plotted +stratagem notwithstanding he had a gentleman in his house to personate +him. My direction to the tipstaff, who got admittance into the house, +was to conduct him to a judge, according to the writ. When he came +there, his plea was, that he had not the body in custody, on which he +was admitted to bail. I proceeded immediately to that philanthropist, +Granville Sharp, Esq. who received me with the utmost kindness, and +gave me every instruction that was needful on the occasion. I left him +in full hope that I should gain the unhappy man his liberty, with the +warmest sense of gratitude towards Mr. Sharp for his kindness; but, +alas! my attorney proved unfaithful; he took my money, lost me many +months employ, and did not do the least good in the cause: and when +the poor man arrived at St. Kitts, he was, according to custom, staked +to the ground with four pins through a cord, two on his wrists, and +two on his ancles, was cut and flogged most unmercifully, and +afterwards loaded cruelly with irons about his neck. I had two very +moving letters from him, while he was in this situation; and also was +told of it by some very respectable families now in London, who saw +him in St. Kitts, in the same state in which he remained till kind +death released him out of the hands of his tyrants. During this +disagreeable business I was under strong convictions of sin, and +thought that my state was worse than any man's; my mind was +unaccountably disturbed; I often wished for death, though at the same +time convinced I was altogether unprepared for that awful summons. +Suffering much by villains in the late cause, and being much concerned +about the state of my soul, these things (but particularly the latter) +brought me very low; so that I became a burden to myself, and viewed +all things around me as emptiness and vanity, which could give no +satisfaction to a troubled conscience. I was again determined to go to +Turkey, and resolved, at that time, never more to return to England. I +engaged as steward on board a Turkeyman (the Wester Hall, Capt. +Linna); but was prevented by means of my late captain, Mr. Hughes, and +others. All this appeared to be against me, and the only comfort I +then experienced was, in reading the holy scriptures, where I saw that +'there is no new thing under the sun,' Eccles. i. 9; and what was +appointed for me I must submit to. Thus I continued to travel in much +heaviness, and frequently murmured against the Almighty, particularly +in his providential dealings; and, awful to think! I began to +blaspheme, and wished often to be any thing but a human being. In +these severe conflicts the Lord answered me by awful 'visions of the +night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed,' +Job xxxiii. 15. He was pleased, in much mercy, to give me to see, and +in some measure to understand, the great and awful scene of the +judgment-day, that 'no unclean person, no unholy thing, can enter into +the kingdom of God,' Eph. v. 5. I would then, if it had been possible, +have changed my nature with the meanest worm on the earth; and was +ready to say to the mountains and rocks 'fall on me,' Rev. vi. 16; but +all in vain. I then requested the divine Creator that he would grant +me a small space of time to repent of my follies and vile iniquities, +which I felt were grievous. The Lord, in his manifold mercies, was +pleased to grant my request, and being yet in a state of time, the +sense of God's mercies was so great on my mind when I awoke, that my +strength entirely failed me for many minutes, and I was exceedingly +weak. This was the first spiritual mercy I ever was sensible of, and +being on praying ground, as soon as I recovered a little strength, and +got out of bed and dressed myself, I invoked Heaven from my inmost +soul, and fervently begged that God would never again permit me to +blaspheme his most holy name. The Lord, who is long-suffering, and +full of compassion to such poor rebels as we are, condescended to hear +and answer. I felt that I was altogether unholy, and saw clearly what +a bad use I had made of the faculties I was endowed with; they were +given me to glorify God with; I thought, therefore, I had better want +them here, and enter into life eternal, than abuse them and be cast +into hell fire. I prayed to be directed, if there were any holier than +those with whom I was acquainted, that the Lord would point them out +to me. I appealed to the Searcher of hearts, whether I did not wish to +love him more, and serve him better. Notwithstanding all this, the +reader may easily discern, if he is a believer, that I was still in +nature's darkness. At length I hated the house in which I lodged, +because God's most holy name was blasphemed in it; then I saw the word +of God verified, viz. 'Before they call, I will answer; and while they +are yet speaking, I will hear.'</p> + +<p>I had a great desire to read the bible the whole day at home; but not +having a convenient place for retirement, I left the house in the day, +rather than stay amongst the wicked ones; and that day as I was +walking, it pleased God to direct me to a house where there was an old +sea-faring man, who experienced much of the love of God shed abroad in +his heart. He began to discourse with me; and, as I desired to love +the Lord, his conversation rejoiced me greatly; and indeed I had never +heard before the love of Christ to believers set forth in such a +manner, and in so clear a point of view. Here I had more questions to +put to the man than his time would permit him to answer; and in that +memorable hour there came in a dissenting minister; he joined our +discourse, and asked me some few questions; among others, where I +heard the gospel preached. I knew not what he meant by hearing the +gospel; I told him I had read the gospel: and he asked where I went to +church, or whether I went at all or not. To which I replied, 'I +attended St. James's, St. Martin's, and St. Ann's, Soho;'—'So,' said +he, 'you are a churchman.' I answered, I was. He then invited me to a +love-feast at his chapel that evening. I accepted the offer, and +thanked him; and soon after he went away, I had some further discourse +with the old Christian, added to some profitable reading, which made +me exceedingly happy. When I left him he reminded me of coming to the +feast; I assured him I would be there. Thus we parted, and I weighed +over the heavenly conversation that had passed between these two men, +which cheered my then heavy and drooping spirit more than any thing I +had met with for many months. However, I thought the time long in +going to my supposed banquet. I also wished much for the company of +these friendly men; their company pleased me much; and I thought the +gentlemen very kind, in asking me, a stranger, to a feast; but how +singular did it appear to me, to have it in a chapel! When the +wished-for hour came I went, and happily the old man was there, who +kindly seated me, as he belonged to the place. I was much astonished +to see the place filled with people, and no signs of eating and +drinking. There were many ministers in the company. At last they began +by giving out hymns, and between the singing the minister engaged in +prayer; in short, I knew not what to make of this sight, having never +seen any thing of the kind in my life before now. Some of the guests +began to speak their experience, agreeable to what I read in the +Scriptures; much was said by every speaker of the providence of God, +and his unspeakable mercies, to each of them. This I knew in a great +measure, and could most heartily join them. But when they spoke of a +future state, they seemed to be altogether certain of their calling +and election of God; and that no one could ever separate them from the +love of Christ, or pluck them out of his hands. This filled me with +utter consternation, intermingled with admiration. I was so amazed as +not to know what to think of the company; my heart was attracted and +my affections were enlarged. I wished to be as happy as them, and was +persuaded in my mind that they were different from the world 'that +lieth in wickedness,' 1 John v. 19. Their language and singing, &c. +did well harmonize; I was entirely overcome, and wished to live and +die thus. Lastly, some persons in the place produced some neat baskets +full of buns, which they distributed about; and each person +communicated with his neighbour, and sipped water out of different +mugs, which they handed about to all who were present. This kind of +Christian fellowship I had never seen, nor ever thought of seeing on +earth; it fully reminded me of what I had read in the holy scriptures, +of the primitive Christians, who loved each other and broke bread. In +partaking of it, even from house to house, this entertainment (which +lasted about four hours) ended in singing and prayer. It was the first +soul feast I ever was present at. This last twenty-four hours produced +me things, spiritual and temporal, sleeping and waking, judgment and +mercy, that I could not but admire the goodness of God, in directing +the blind, blasphemous sinner in the path that he knew not of, even +among the just; and instead of judgment he has shewed mercy, and will +hear and answer the prayers and supplications of every returning +prodigal:</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>O! to grace how great a debtor<br /></span> +<span>Daily I'm constrain'd to be!<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>After this I was resolved to win Heaven if possible; and if I perished +I thought it should be at the feet of Jesus, in praying to him for +salvation. After having been an eye-witness to some of the happiness +which attended those who feared God, I knew not how, with any +propriety, to return to my lodgings, where the name of God was +continually profaned, at which I felt the greatest horror. I paused in +my mind for some time, not knowing what to do; whether to hire a bed +elsewhere, or go home again. At last, fearing an evil report might +arise, I went home, with a farewell to card-playing and vain jesting, +&c. I saw that time was very short, eternity long, and very near, and +I viewed those persons alone blessed who were found ready at midnight +call, or when the Judge of all, both quick and dead, cometh.</p> + +<p>The next day I took courage, and went to Holborn, to see my new and +worthy acquaintance, the old man, Mr. C——; he, with his wife, a +gracious woman, were at work at silk weaving; they seemed mutually +happy, and both quite glad to see me, and I more so to see them. I sat +down, and we conversed much about soul matters, &c. Their discourse +was amazingly delightful, edifying, and pleasant. I knew not at last +how to leave this agreeable pair, till time summoned me away. As I +was going they lent me a little book, entitled "The Conversion of an +Indian." It was in questions and answers. The poor man came over the +sea to London, to inquire after the Christian's God, who, (through +rich mercy) he found, and had not his journey in vain. The above book +was of great use to me, and at that time was a means of strengthening +my faith; however, in parting, they both invited me to call on them +when I pleased. This delighted me, and I took care to make all the +improvement from it I could; and so far I thanked God for such company +and desires. I prayed that the many evils I felt within might be done +away, and that I might be weaned from my former carnal acquaintances. +This was quickly heard and answered, and I was soon connected with +those whom the scripture calls the excellent of the earth. I heard the +gospel preached, and the thoughts of my heart and actions were laid +open by the preachers, and the way of salvation by Christ alone was +evidently set forth. Thus I went on happily for near two months; and I +once heard, during this period, a reverend gentleman speak of a man +who had departed this life in full assurance of his going to glory. I +was much astonished at the assertion; and did very deliberately +inquire how he could get at this knowledge. I was answered fully, +agreeable to what I read in the oracles of truth; and was told also, +that if I did not experience the new birth, and the pardon of my sins, +through the blood of Christ, before I died, I could not enter the +kingdom of heaven. I knew not what to think of this report, as I +thought I kept eight commandments out of ten; then my worthy +interpreter told me I did not do it, nor could I; and he added, that +no man ever did or could keep the commandments, without offending in +one point. I thought this sounded very strange, and puzzled me much +for many weeks; for I thought it a hard saying. I then asked my +friend, Mr. L——d, who was a clerk in a chapel, why the commandments +of God were given, if we could not be saved by them? To which he +replied, 'The law is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ,' who alone +could and did keep the commandments, and fulfilled all their +requirements for his elect people, even those to whom he had given a +living faith, and the sins of those chosen vessels <i>were already</i> +atoned for and forgiven them whilst living; and if I did not +experience the same before my exit, the Lord would say at that great +day to me 'Go ye cursed,' &c. &c. for God would appear faithful in his +judgments to the wicked, as he would be faithful in shewing mercy to +those who were ordained to it before the world was; therefore Christ +Jesus seemed to be all in all to that man's soul. I was much wounded +at this discourse, and brought into such a dilemma as I never +expected. I asked him, if <i>he</i> was to die that moment, whether he was +sure to enter the kingdom of God? and added, 'Do you <i>know</i> that your +sins are forgiven you?' He answered in the affirmative. Then +confusion, anger, and discontent seized me, and I staggered much at +this sort of doctrine; it brought me to a stand, not knowing which to +believe, whether salvation by works or by faith only in Christ. I +requested him to tell me how I might know when my sins were forgiven +me. He assured me he could not, and that none but God alone could do +this. I told him it was very mysterious; but he said it was really +matter of fact, and quoted many portions of scripture immediately to +the point, to which I could make no reply. He then desired me to pray +to God to shew me these things. I answered, that I prayed to God every +day. He said, 'I perceive you are a churchman.' I answered I was. He +then entreated me to beg of God to shew me what I was, and the true +state of my soul. I thought the prayer very short and odd; so we +parted for that time. I weighed all these things well over, and could +not help thinking how it was possible for a man to know that his sins +were forgiven him in this life. I wished that God would reveal this +self same thing unto me. In a short time after this I went to +Westminster chapel; the Rev. Mr. P—— preached, from Lam. iii. 39. It +was a wonderful sermon; he clearly shewed that a living man had no +cause to complain for the punishment of his sins; he evidently +justified the Lord in all his dealings with the sons of men; he also +shewed the justice of God in the eternal punishment of the wicked and +impenitent. The discourse seemed to me like a two-edged sword cutting +all ways; it afforded me much joy, intermingled with many fears, about +my soul; and when it was ended, he gave it out that he intended, the +ensuing week, to examine all those who meant to attend the Lord's +table. Now I thought much of my good works, and at the same time was +doubtful of my being a proper object to receive the sacrament; I was +full of meditation till the day of examining. However, I went to the +chapel, and, though much distressed, I addressed the reverend +gentleman, thinking, if I was not right, he would endeavour to +convince me of it. When I conversed with him, the first thing he asked +me was, what I knew of Christ? I told him I believed in him, and had +been baptized in his name. 'Then,' said he, 'when were you brought to +the knowledge of God? and how were you convinced of sin?' I knew not +what he meant by these questions; I told him I kept eight commandments +out of ten; but that I sometimes swore on board ship, and sometimes +when on shore, and broke the sabbath. He then asked me if I could +read? I answered, 'Yes.'—'Then,' said he, 'do you not read in the +bible, he that offends in one point is guilty of all?' I said, 'Yes.' +Then he assured me, that one sin unatoned for was as sufficient to +damn a soul as one leak was to sink a ship. Here I was struck with +awe; for the minister exhorted me much, and reminded me of the +shortness of time, and the length of eternity, and that no +unregenerate soul, or any thing unclean, could enter the kingdom of +Heaven. He did not admit me as a communicant; but recommended me to +read the scriptures, and hear the word preached, not to neglect +fervent prayer to God, who has promised to hear the supplications of +those who seek him in godly sincerity; so I took my leave of him, with +many thanks, and resolved to follow his advice, so far as the Lord +would condescend to enable me. During this time I was out of employ, +nor was I likely to get a situation suitable for me, which obliged me +to go once more to sea. I engaged as steward of a ship called the +Hope, Capt. Richard Strange, bound from London to Cadiz in Spain. In a +short time after I was on board I heard the name of God much +blasphemed, and I feared greatly, lest I should catch the horrible +infection. I thought if I sinned again, after having life and death +set evidently before me, I should certainly go to hell. My mind was +uncommonly chagrined, and I murmured much at God's providential +dealings with me, and was discontented with the commandments, that I +could not be saved by what I had done; I hated all things, and wished +I had never been born; confusion seized me, and I wished to be +annihilated. One day I was standing on the very edge of the stern of +the ship, thinking to drown myself; but this scripture was instantly +impressed on my mind—'that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in +him,' 1 John iii. 15. Then I paused, and thought myself the unhappiest +man living. Again I was convinced that the Lord was better to me than +I deserved, and I was better off in the world than many. After this I +began to fear death; I fretted, mourned, and prayed, till I became a +burden to others, but more so to myself. At length I concluded to beg +my bread on shore rather than go again to sea amongst a people who +feared not God, and I entreated the captain three different times to +discharge me; he would not, but each time gave me greater and greater +encouragement to continue with him, and all on board shewed me very +great civility: notwithstanding all this I was unwilling to embark +again. At last some of my religious friends advised me, by saying it +was my lawful calling, consequently it was my duty to obey, and that +God was not confined to place, &c. &c. particularly Mr. G.S. the +governor of Tothil-fields Bridewell, who pitied my case, and read the +eleventh chapter of the Hebrews to me, with exhortations. He prayed +for me, and I believed that he prevailed on my behalf, as my burden +was then greatly removed, and I found a heartfelt resignation to the +will of God. The good man gave me a pocket Bible and Allen's Alarm to +the unconverted. We parted, and the next day I went on board again. We +sailed for Spain, and I found favour with the captain. It was the +fourth of the month of September when we sailed from London; we had a +delightful voyage to Cadiz, where we arrived the twenty-third of the +same month. The place is strong, commands a fine prospect, and is very +rich. The Spanish galloons frequent that port, and some arrived whilst +we were there. I had many opportunities of reading the scriptures. I +wrestled hard with God in fervent prayer, who had declared in his word +that he would hear the groanings and deep sighs of the poor in spirit. +I found this verified to my utter astonishment and comfort in the +following manner:</p> + +<p>On the morning of the 6th of October, (I pray you to attend) or all +that day, I thought that I should either see or hear something +supernatural. I had a secret impulse on my mind of something that was +to take place, which drove me continually for that time to a throne of +grace. It pleased God to enable me to wrestle with him, as Jacob did: +I prayed that if sudden death were to happen, and I perished, it might +be at Christ's feet.</p> + +<p>In the evening of the same day, as I was reading and meditating on the +fourth chapter of the Acts, twelfth verse, under the solemn +apprehensions of eternity, and reflecting on my past actions, I began +to think I had lived a moral life, and that I had a proper ground to +believe I had an interest in the divine favour; but still meditating +on the subject, not knowing whether salvation was to be had partly for +our own good deeds, or solely as the sovereign gift of God; in this +deep consternation the Lord was pleased to break in upon my soul with +his bright beams of heavenly light; and in an instant as it were, +removing the veil, and letting light into a dark place, I saw clearly +with the eye of faith the crucified Saviour bleeding on the cross on +mount Calvary: the scriptures became an unsealed book, I saw myself a +condemned criminal under the law, which came with its full force to my +conscience, and when 'the commandment came sin revived, and I died,' I +saw the Lord Jesus Christ in his humiliation, loaded and bearing my +reproach, sin, and shame. I then clearly perceived that by the deeds +of the law no flesh living could be justified. I was then convinced +that by the first Adam sin came, and by the second Adam (the Lord +Jesus Christ) all that are saved must be made alive. It was given me +at that time to know what it was to be born again, John iii. 5. I saw +the eighth chapter to the Romans, and the doctrines of God's decrees, +verified agreeable to his eternal, everlasting, and unchangeable +purposes. The word of God was sweet to my taste, yea sweeter than +honey and the honeycomb. Christ was revealed to my soul as the +chiefest among ten thousand. These heavenly moments were really as +life to the dead, and what John calls an earnest of the Spirit<a name="FNanchor_V_22" id="FNanchor_V_22" /><a href="#Footnote_V_22" class="fnanchor">[V]</a>. +This was indeed unspeakable, and I firmly believe undeniable by many. +Now every leading providential circumstance that happened to me, from +the day I was taken from my parents to that hour, was then in my view, +as if it had but just then occurred. I was sensible of the invisible +hand of God, which guided and protected me when in truth I knew it +not: still the Lord pursued me although I slighted and disregarded it; +this mercy melted me down. When I considered my poor wretched state I +wept, seeing what a great debtor I was to sovereign free grace. Now +the Ethiopian was willing to be saved by Jesus Christ, the sinner's +only surety, and also to rely on none other person or thing for +salvation. Self was obnoxious, and good works he had none, for it is +God that worketh in us both to will and to do. The amazing things of +that hour can never be told—it was joy in the Holy Ghost! I felt an +astonishing change; the burden of sin, the gaping jaws of hell, and +the fears of death, that weighed me down before, now lost their +horror; indeed I thought death would now be the best earthly friend I +ever had. Such were my grief and joy as I believe are seldom +experienced. I was bathed in tears, and said, What am I that God +should thus look on me the vilest of sinners? I felt a deep concern +for my mother and friends, which occasioned me to pray with fresh +ardour; and, in the abyss of thought, I viewed the unconverted people +of the world in a very awful state, being without God and without +hope.</p> + +<p>It pleased God to pour out on me the Spirit of prayer and the grace of +supplication, so that in loud acclamations I was enabled to praise and +glorify his most holy name. When I got out of the cabin, and told some +of the people what the Lord had done for me, alas, who could +understand me or believe my report!—None but to whom the arm of the +Lord was revealed. I became a barbarian to them in talking of the love +of Christ: his name was to me as ointment poured forth; indeed it was +sweet to my soul, but to them a rock of offence. I thought my case +singular, and every hour a day until I came to London, for I much +longed to be with some to whom I could tell of the wonders of God's +love towards me, and join in prayer to him whom my soul loved and +thirsted after. I had uncommon commotions within, such as few can tell +aught about. Now the bible was my only companion and comfort; I prized +it much, with many thanks to God that I could read it for myself, and +was not left to be tossed about or led by man's devices and notions. +The worth of a soul cannot be told.—May the Lord give the reader an +understanding in this. Whenever I looked in the bible I saw things +new, and many texts were immediately applied to me with great comfort, +for I knew that to me was the word of salvation sent. Sure I was that +the Spirit which indited the word opened my heart to receive the truth +of it as it is in Jesus—that the same Spirit enabled me to act faith +upon the promises that were so precious to me, and enabled me to +believe to the salvation of my soul. By free grace I was persuaded +that I had a part in the first resurrection, and was 'enlightened with +the light of the living,' Job xxxiii. 30. I wished for a man of God +with whom I might converse: my soul was like the chariots of Aminidab, +Canticles vi. 12. These, among others, were the precious promises that +were so powerfully applied to me: 'All things whatsoever ye shall ask +in prayer, believing, ye shall receive,' Mat. xxi. 22. 'Peace I leave +with you, my peace I give unto you,' John xiv. 27. I saw the blessed +Redeemer to be the fountain of life, and the well of salvation. I +experienced him all in all; he had brought me by a way that I knew +not, and he had made crooked paths straight. Then in his name I set up +my Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto he hath helped me: and could say to the +sinners about me, Behold what a Saviour I have! Thus I was, by the +teaching of that all-glorious Deity, the great One in Three, and Three +in One, confirmed in the truths of the bible, those oracles of +everlasting truth, on which every soul living must stand or fall +eternally, agreeable to Acts iv. 12. 'Neither is there salvation in +any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men +whereby we must be saved, but only Christ Jesus.' May God give the +reader a right understanding in these facts! To him that believeth all +things are possible, but to them that are unbelieving nothing is pure, +Titus i. 15. During this period we remained at Cadiz until our ship +got laden. We sailed about the fourth of November; and, having a good +passage, we arrived in London the month following, to my comfort, with +heartfelt gratitude to God for his rich and unspeakable mercies. On my +return I had but one text which puzzled me, or that the devil +endeavoured to buffet me with, viz. Rom. xi. 6. and, as I had heard of +the Reverend Mr. Romaine, and his great knowledge in the scriptures, I +wished much to hear him preach. One day I went to Blackfriars church, +and, to my great satisfaction and surprise, he preached from that very +text. He very clearly shewed the difference between human works and +free election, which is according to God's sovereign will and +pleasure. These glad tidings set me entirely at liberty, and I went +out of the church rejoicing, seeing my spots were those of God's +children. I went to Westminster Chapel, and saw some of my old +friends, who were glad when they perceived the wonderful change that +the Lord had wrought in me, particularly Mr. G—— S——, my worthy +acquaintance, who was a man of a choice spirit, and had great zeal for +the Lord's service. I enjoyed his correspondence till he died in the +year 1784. I was again examined at that same chapel, and was received +into church fellowship amongst them: I rejoiced in spirit, making +melody in my heart to the God of all my mercies. Now my whole wish was +to be dissolved, and to be with Christ—but, alas! I must wait mine +appointed time.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<h4>MISCELLANEOUS VERSES,<br /></h4> + +<h4 class ="smcap">or</h4> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>Reflections on the State of my mind during my first + Convictions; of the Necessity of believing the Truth, and + experiencing the inestimable Benefits of Christianity.</p></div> + + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>Well may I say my life has been<br /></span> +<span>One scene of sorrow and of pain;<br /></span> +<span>From early days I griefs have known,<br /></span> +<span>And as I grew my griefs have grown:<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>Dangers were always in my path;<br /></span> +<span>And fear of wrath, and sometimes death;<br /></span> +<span>While pale dejection in me reign'd<br /></span> +<span>I often wept, by grief constrain'd.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>When taken from my native land,<br /></span> +<span>By an unjust and cruel band,<br /></span> +<span>How did uncommon dread prevail!<br /></span> +<span>My sighs no more I could conceal.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>'To ease my mind I often strove,<br /></span> +<span>And tried my trouble to remove:<br /></span> +<span>I sung, and utter'd sighs between—<br /></span> +<span>Assay'd to stifle guilt with sin.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>'But O! not all that I could do<br /></span> +<span>Would stop the current of my woe;<br /></span> +<span>Conviction still my vileness shew'd;<br /></span> +<span>How great my guilt—how lost from God!<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>'Prevented, that I could not die,<br /></span> +<span>Nor might to one kind refuge fly;<br /></span> +<span>An orphan state I had to mourn,—<br /></span> +<span>Forsook by all, and left forlorn.'<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>Those who beheld my downcast mien<br /></span> +<span>Could not guess at my woes unseen:<br /></span> +<span>They by appearance could not know<br /></span> +<span>The troubles that I waded through.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>'Lust, anger, blasphemy, and pride,<br /></span> +<span>With legions of such ills beside,<br /></span> +<span>Troubled my thoughts,' while doubts and fears<br /></span> +<span>Clouded and darken'd most my years.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>'Sighs now no more would be confin'd—<br /></span> +<span>They breath'd the trouble of my mind:<br /></span> +<span>I wish'd for death, but check'd the word,<br /></span> +<span>And often pray'd unto the Lord.'<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>Unhappy, more than some on earth,<br /></span> +<span>I thought the place that gave me birth—<br /></span> +<span>Strange thoughts oppress'd—while I replied<br /></span> +<span>"Why not in Ethiopia died?"<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>And why thus spared, nigh to hell?—<br /></span> +<span>God only knew—I could not tell!<br /></span> +<span>'A tott'ring fence, a bowing wall<br /></span> +<span>thought myself ere since the fall.'<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>'Oft times I mused, nigh despair,<br /></span> +<span>While birds melodious fill'd the air:<br /></span> +<span>Thrice happy songsters, ever free,<br /></span> +<span>How bless'd were they compar'd to me!'<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>Thus all things added to my pain,<br /></span> +<span>While grief compell'd me to complain;<br /></span> +<span>When sable clouds began to rise<br /></span> +<span>My mind grew darker than the skies.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>The English nation call'd to leave,<br /></span> +<span>How did my breast with sorrows heave!<br /></span> +<span>I long'd for rest—cried "Help me, Lord!<br /></span> +<span>Some mitigation, Lord, afford!"<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>Yet on, dejected, still I went—<br /></span> +<span>Heart-throbbing woes within were pent;<br /></span> +<span>Nor land, nor sea, could comfort give,<br /></span> +<span>Nothing my anxious mind relieve.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>Weary with travail, yet unknown<br /></span> +<span>To all but God and self alone,<br /></span> +<span>Numerous months for peace I strove,<br /></span> +<span>And numerous foes I had to prove.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>Inur'd to dangers, griefs, and woes,<br /></span> +<span>Train'd up 'midst perils, deaths, and foes,<br /></span> +<span>I said "Must it thus ever be?—<br /></span> +<span>No quiet is permitted me."<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>Hard hap, and more than heavy lot!<br /></span> +<span>I pray'd to God "Forget me not—<br /></span> +<span>What thou ordain'st willing I'll bear;<br /></span> +<span>But O! deliver from despair!"<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>Strivings and wrestlings seem'd in vain;<br /></span> +<span>Nothing I did could ease my pain:<br /></span> +<span>Then gave I up my works and will,<br /></span> +<span>Confess'd and own'd my doom was hell!<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>Like some poor pris'ner at the bar,<br /></span> +<span>Conscious of guilt, of sin and fear,<br /></span> +<span>Arraign'd, and self-condemned, I stood—<br /></span> +<span>'Lost in the world, and in my blood!'<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>Yet here, 'midst blackest clouds confin'd,<br /></span> +<span>A beam from Christ, the day-star, shin'd;<br /></span> +<span>Surely, thought I, if Jesus please,<br /></span> +<span>He can at once sign my release.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>I, ignorant of his righteousness,<br /></span> +<span>Set up my labours in its place;<br /></span> +<span>'Forgot for why his blood was shed,<br /></span> +<span>And pray'd and fasted in its stead.'<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>He dy'd for sinners—I am one!<br /></span> +<span>Might not his blood for me atone?<br /></span> +<span>Tho' I am nothing else but sin,<br /></span> +<span>Yet surely he can make me clean!<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>Thus light came in, and I believ'd;<br /></span> +<span>Myself forgot, and help receiv'd!<br /></span> +<span>My Saviour then I know I found,<br /></span> +<span>For, eas'd from guilt, no more I groan'd.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>O, happy hour, in which I ceas'd<br /></span> +<span>To mourn, for then I found a rest!<br /></span> +<span>My soul and Christ were now as one—<br /></span> +<span>Thy light, O Jesus, in me shone!<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>Bless'd be thy name, for now I know<br /></span> +<span>I and my works can nothing do;<br /></span> +<span>"The Lord alone can ransom man—<br /></span> +<span>For this the spotless Lamb was slain!"<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>When sacrifices, works, and pray'r,<br /></span> +<span>Prov'd vain, and ineffectual were,<br /></span> +<span>"Lo, then I come!" the Saviour cry'd,<br /></span> +<span>And, bleeding, bow'd his head and dy'd!<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>He dy'd for all who ever saw<br /></span> +<span>No help in them, nor by the law:—<br /></span> +<span>I this have seen; and gladly own<br /></span> +<span>"Salvation is by Christ alone<a name="FNanchor_W_23" id="FNanchor_W_23" /><a href="#Footnote_W_23" class="fnanchor">[W]</a>!"<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_V_22" id="Footnote_V_22" /><a href="#FNanchor_V_22"><span class="label">[V]</span></a> John xvi. 13, 14. &c.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_W_23" id="Footnote_W_23" /><a href="#FNanchor_W_23"><span class="label">[W]</span></a> Acts iv. 12.</p></div> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAP_XI" id="CHAP_XI" />CHAP. XI.</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>The author embarks on board a ship bound for Cadiz—Is near + being shipwrecked—Goes to Malaga—Remarkable fine cathedral + there—The author disputes with a popish priest—Picking up + eleven miserable men at sea in returning to England—Engages + again with Doctor Irving to accompany him to Jamaica and the + Mosquito Shore—Meets with an Indian prince on board—The + author attempts to instruct him in the truths of the + Gospel—Frustrated by the bad example of some in the + ship—They arrive on the Mosquito Shore with some slaves + they purchased at Jamaica, and begin to cultivate a + plantation—Some account of the manners and customs of the + Mosquito Indians—Successful device of the author's to quell + a riot among them—Curious entertainment given by them to + Doctor Irving and the author, who leaves the shore and goes + for Jamaica—Is barbarously treated by a man with whom he + engaged for his passage—Escapes and goes to the Mosquito + admiral, who treats him kindly—He gets another vessel and + goes on board—Instances of bad treatment—Meets Doctor + Irving—Gets to Jamaica—Is cheated by his captain—Leaves + the Doctor and goes for England.</i></p></div> + + +<p>When our ship was got ready for sea again, I was entreated by the +captain to go in her once more; but, as I felt myself now as happy as +I could wish to be in this life, I for some time refused; however, the +advice of my friends at last prevailed; and, in full resignation to +the will of God, I again embarked for Cadiz in March 1775. We had a +very good passage, without any material accident, until we arrived off +the Bay of Cadiz; when one Sunday, just as we were going into the +harbour, the ship struck against a rock and knocked off a garboard +plank, which is the next to the keel. In an instant all hands were in +the greatest confusion, and began with loud cries to call on God to +have mercy on them. Although I could not swim, and saw no way of +escaping death, I felt no dread in my then situation, having no desire +to live. I even rejoiced in spirit, thinking this death would be +sudden glory. But the fulness of time was not yet come. The people +near to me were much astonished in seeing me thus calm and resigned; +but I told them of the peace of God, which through sovereign grace I +enjoyed, and these words were that instant in my mind:</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>"Christ is my pilot wise, my compass is his word;<br /></span> +<span>My soul each storm defies, while I have such a Lord.<br /></span> +<span class="i2">I trust his faithfulness and power,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">To save me in the trying hour.<br /></span> +<span>Though rocks and quicksands deep through all my passage lie,<br /></span> +<span>Yet Christ shall safely keep and guide me with his eye.<br /></span> +<span class="i2">How can I sink with such a prop,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">That bears the world and all things up?"<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>At this time there were many large Spanish flukers or passage-vessels +full of people crossing the channel; who seeing our condition, a +number of them came alongside of us. As many hands as could be +employed began to work; some at our three pumps, and the rest +unloading the ship as fast as possible. There being only a single rock +called the Porpus on which we struck, we soon got off it, and +providentially it was then high water, we therefore run the ship +ashore at the nearest place to keep her from sinking. After many +tides, with a great deal of care and industry, we got her repaired +again. When we had dispatched our business at Cadiz, we went to +Gibraltar, and from thence to Malaga, a very pleasant and rich city, +where there is one of the finest cathedrals I had ever seen. It had +been above fifty years in building, as I heard, though it was not then +quite finished; great part of the inside, however, was completed and +highly decorated with the richest marble columns and many superb +paintings; it was lighted occasionally by an amazing number of wax +tapers of different sizes, some of which were as thick as a man's +thigh; these, however, were only used on some of their grand +festivals.</p> + +<p>I was very much shocked at the custom of bull-baiting, and other +diversions which prevailed here on Sunday evenings, to the great +scandal of Christianity and morals. I used to express my abhorrence of +it to a priest whom I met with. I had frequent contests about religion +with the reverend father, in which he took great pains to make a +proselyte of me to his church; and I no less to convert him to mine. +On these occasions I used to produce my Bible, and shew him in what +points his church erred. He then said he had been in England, and that +every person there read the Bible, which was very wrong; but I +answered him that Christ desired us to search the Scriptures. In his +zeal for my conversion, he solicited me to go to one of the +universities in Spain, and declared that I should have my education +free; and told me, if I got myself made a priest, I might in time +become even pope; and that Pope Benedict was a black man. As I was +ever desirous of learning, I paused for some time upon this +temptation; and thought by being crafty I might catch some with guile; +but I began to think that it would be only hypocrisy in me to embrace +his offer, as I could not in conscience conform to the opinions of his +church. I was therefore enabled to regard the word of God, which says, +'Come out from amongst them,' and refused Father Vincent's offer. So +we parted without conviction on either side.</p> + +<p>Having taken at this place some fine wines, fruits, and money, we +proceeded to Cadiz, where we took about two tons more of money, &c. +and then sailed for England in the month of June. When we were about +the north latitude 42, we had contrary wind for several days, and the +ship did not make in that time above six or seven miles straight +course. This made the captain exceeding fretful and peevish: and I was +very sorry to hear God's most holy name often blasphemed by him. One +day, as he was in that impious mood, a young gentleman on board, who +was a passenger, reproached him, and said he acted wrong; for we ought +to be thankful to God for all things, as we were not in want of any +thing on board; and though the wind was contrary for us, yet it was +fair for some others, who, perhaps, stood in more need of it than we. +I immediately seconded this young gentleman with some boldness, and +said we had not the least cause to murmur, for that the Lord was +better to us than we deserved, and that he had done all things well. I +expected that the captain would be very angry with me for speaking, +but he replied not a word. However, before that time on the following +day, being the 21st of June, much to our great joy and astonishment, +we saw the providential hand of our benign Creator, whose ways with +his blind creatures are past finding out. The preceding night I +dreamed that I saw a boat immediately off the starboard main shrouds; +and exactly at half past one o'clock, the following day at noon, while +I was below, just as we had dined in the cabin, the man at the helm +cried out, A boat! which brought my dream that instant into my mind. I +was the first man that jumped on the deck; and, looking from the +shrouds onward, according to my dream, I descried a little boat at +some distance; but, as the waves were high, it was as much as we could +do sometimes to discern her; we however stopped the ship's way, and +the boat, which was extremely small, came alongside with eleven +miserable men, whom we took on board immediately. To all human +appearance, these people must have perished in the course of one hour +or less, the boat being small, it barely contained them. When we took +them up they were half drowned, and had no victuals, compass, water, +or any other necessary whatsoever, and had only one bit of an oar to +steer with, and that right before the wind; so that they were obliged +to trust entirely to the mercy of the waves. As soon as we got them +all on board, they bowed themselves on their knees, and, with hands +and voices lifted up to heaven, thanked God for their deliverance; and +I trust that my prayers were not wanting amongst them at the same +time. This mercy of the Lord quite melted me, and I recollected his +words, which I saw thus verified in the 107th Psalm 'O give thanks +unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever. Hungry +and thirsty, their souls fainted in them. They cried unto Lord in +their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. And he +led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of +habitation. O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for +his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the +longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.</p> + +<p>'Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death:</p> + +<p>'Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out +of their distresses. They that go down to the sea in ships; that do +business in great waters: these see the works of the Lord, and his +wonders in the deep. Whoso is wise and will observe these things, even +they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord.'</p> + +<p>The poor distressed captain said, 'that the Lord is good; for, seeing +that I am not fit to die, he therefore gave me a space of time to +repent.' I was very glad to hear this expression, and took an +opportunity when convenient of talking to him on the providence of +God. They told us they were Portuguese, and were in a brig loaded with +corn, which shifted that morning at five o'clock, owing to which the +vessel sunk that instant with two of the crew; and how these eleven +got into the boat (which was lashed to the deck) not one of them could +tell. We provided them with every necessary, and brought them all safe +to London: and I hope the Lord gave them repentance unto life eternal.</p> + +<p>I was happy once more amongst my friends and brethren, till November, +when my old friend, the celebrated Doctor Irving, bought a remarkable +fine sloop, about 150 tons. He had a mind for a new adventure in +cultivating a plantation at Jamaica and the Musquito Shore; asked me +to go with him, and said that he would trust me with his estate in +preference to any one. By the advice, therefore, of my friends, I +accepted of the offer, knowing that the harvest was fully ripe in +those parts, and hoped to be the instrument, under God, of bringing +some poor sinner to my well beloved master, Jesus Christ. Before I +embarked, I found with the Doctor four Musquito Indians, who were +chiefs in their own country, and were brought here by some English +traders for some selfish ends. One of them was the Musquito king's +son; a youth of about eighteen years of age; and whilst he was here he +was baptized by the name of George. They were going back at the +government's expense, after having been in England about twelve +months, during which they learned to speak pretty good English. When I +came to talk to them about eight days before we sailed, I was very +much mortified in finding that they had not frequented any churches +since they were here, to be baptized, nor was any attention paid to +their morals. I was very sorry for this mock Christianity, and had +just an opportunity to take some of them once to church before we +sailed. We embarked in the month of November 1775, on board of the +sloop Morning Star, Captain David Miller, and sailed for Jamaica. In +our passage, I took all the pains that I could to instruct the Indian +prince in the doctrines of Christianity, of which he was entirely +ignorant; and, to my great joy, he was quite attentive, and received +with gladness the truths that the Lord enabled me to set forth to him. +I taught him in the compass of eleven days all the letters, and he +could put even two or three of them together and spell them. I had +Fox's Martyrology with cuts, and he used to be very fond of looking +into it, and would ask many questions about the papal cruelties he saw +depicted there, which I explained to him. I made such progress with +this youth, especially in religion, that when I used to go to bed at +different hours of the night, if he was in his bed, he would get up on +purpose to go to prayer with me, without any other clothes than his +shirt; and before he would eat any of his meals amongst the gentlemen +in the cabin, he would first come to me to pray, as he called it. I +was well pleased at this, and took great delight in him, and used much +supplication to God for his conversion. I was in full hope of seeing +daily every appearance of that change which I could wish; not knowing +the devices of satan, who had many of his emissaries to sow his tares +as fast as I sowed the good seed, and pull down as fast as I built up. +Thus we went on nearly four fifths of our passage, when satan at last +got the upper hand. Some of his messengers, seeing this poor heathen +much advanced in piety, began to ask him whether I had converted him +to Christianity, laughed, and made their jest at him, for which I +rebuked them as much as I could; but this treatment caused the prince +to halt between two opinions. Some of the true sons of Belial, who did +not believe that there was any hereafter, told him never to fear the +devil, for there was none existing; and if ever he came to the prince, +they desired he might be sent to them. Thus they teazed the poor +innocent youth, so that he would not learn his book any more! He would +not drink nor carouse with these ungodly actors, nor would he be with +me, even at prayers. This grieved me very much. I endeavoured to +persuade him as well as I could, but he would not come; and entreated +him very much to tell me his reasons for acting thus. At last he asked +me, 'How comes it that all the white men on board who can read and +write, and observe the sun, and know all things, yet swear, lie, and +get drunk, only excepting yourself?' I answered him, the reason was, +that they did not fear God; and that if any one of them died so they +could not go to, or be happy with God. He replied, that if these +persons went to hell he would go to hell too. I was sorry to hear +this; and, as he sometimes had the toothach, and also some other +persons in the ship at the same time, I asked him if their toothach +made his easy: he said, No. Then I told him if he and these people +went to hell together, their pains would not make his any lighter. +This answer had great weight with him: it depressed his spirits much; +and he became ever after, during the passage, fond of being alone. +When we were in the latitude of Martinico, and near making the land, +one morning we had a brisk gale of wind, and, carrying too much sail, +the main-mast went over the side. Many people were then all about the +deck, and the yards, masts, and rigging, came tumbling all about us, +yet there was not one of us in the least hurt, although some were +within a hair's breadth of being killed: and, particularly, I saw two +men then, by the providential hand of God, most miraculously preserved +from being smashed to pieces. On the fifth of January we made Antigua +and Montserrat, and ran along the rest of the islands: and on the +fourteenth we arrived at Jamaica. One Sunday while we were there I +took the Musquito Prince George to church, where he saw the sacrament +administered. When we came out we saw all kinds of people, almost from +the church door for the space of half a mile down to the waterside, +buying and selling all kinds of commodities: and these acts afforded +me great matter of exhortation to this youth, who was much astonished. +Our vessel being ready to sail for the Musquito shore, I went with the +Doctor on board a Guinea-man, to purchase some slaves to carry with +us, and cultivate a plantation; and I chose them all my own +countrymen. On the twelfth of February we sailed from Jamaica, and on +the eighteenth arrived at the Musquito shore, at a place called +Dupeupy. All our Indian guests now, after I had admonished them and a +few cases of liquor given them by the Doctor, took an affectionate +leave of us, and went ashore, where they were met by the Musquito +king, and we never saw one of them afterwards. We then sailed to the +southward of the shore, to a place called Cape Gracias a Dios, where +there was a large lagoon or lake, which received the emptying of two +or three very fine large rivers, and abounded much in fish and land +tortoise. Some of the native Indians came on board of us here; and we +used them well, and told them we were come to dwell amongst them, +which they seemed pleased at. So the Doctor and I, with some others, +went with them ashore; and they took us to different places to view +the land, in order to choose a place to make a plantation of. We fixed +on a spot near a river's bank, in a rich soil; and, having got our +necessaries out of the sloop, we began to clear away the woods, and +plant different kinds of vegetables, which had a quick growth. While +we were employed in this manner, our vessel went northward to Black +River to trade. While she was there, a Spanish guarda costa met with +and took her. This proved very hurtful, and a great embarrassment to +us. However, we went on with the culture of the land. We used to make +fires every night all around us, to keep off wild beasts, which, as +soon as it was dark, set up a most hideous roaring. Our habitation +being far up in the woods, we frequently saw different kinds of +animals; but none of them ever hurt us, except poisonous snakes, the +bite of which the Doctor used to cure by giving to the patient, as +soon as possible, about half a tumbler of strong rum, with a good deal +of Cayenne pepper in it. In this manner he cured two natives and one +of his own slaves. The Indians were exceedingly fond of the Doctor, +and they had good reason for it; for I believe they never had such an +useful man amongst them. They came from all quarters to our dwelling; +and some <i>woolwow</i>, or flat-headed Indians, who lived fifty or sixty +miles above our river, and this side of the South Sea, brought us a +good deal of silver in exchange for our goods. The principal articles +we could get from our neighbouring Indians, were turtle oil, and +shells, little silk grass, and some provisions; but they would not +work at any thing for us, except fishing; and a few times they +assisted to cut some trees down, in order to build us houses; which +they did exactly like the Africans, by the joint labour of men, women, +and children. I do not recollect any of them to have had more than two +wives. These always accompanied their husbands when they came to our +dwelling; and then they generally carried whatever they brought to us, +and always squatted down behind their husbands. Whenever we gave them +any thing to eat, the men and their wives ate it separate. I never +saw the least sign of incontinence amongst them. The women are +ornamented with beads, and fond of painting themselves; the men also +paint, even to excess, both their faces and shirts: their favourite +colour is red. The women generally cultivate the ground, and the men +are all fishermen and canoe makers. Upon the whole, I never met any +nation that were so simple in their manners as these people, or had so +little ornament in their houses. Neither had they, as I ever could +learn, one word expressive of an oath. The worst word I ever heard +amongst them when they were quarreling, was one that they had got from +the English, which was, 'you rascal.' I never saw any mode of worship +among them; but in this they were not worse than their European +brethren or neighbours: for I am sorry to say that there was not one +white person in our dwelling, nor any where else that I saw in +different places I was at on the shore, that was better or more pious +than those unenlightened Indians; but they either worked or slept on +Sundays: and, to my sorrow, working was too much Sunday's employment +with ourselves; so much so, that in some length of time we really did +not know one day from another. This mode of living laid the foundation +of my decamping at last. The natives are well made and warlike; and +they particularly boast of having never been conquered by the +Spaniards. They are great drinkers of strong liquors when they can get +them. We used to distil rum from pine apples, which were very +plentiful here; and then we could not get them away from our place. +Yet they seemed to be singular, in point of honesty, above any other +nation I was ever amongst. The country being hot, we lived under an +open shed, where we had all kinds of goods, without a door or a lock +to any one article; yet we slept in safety, and never lost any thing, +or were disturbed. This surprised us a good deal; and the Doctor, +myself, and others, used to say, if we were to lie in that manner in +Europe we should have our throats cut the first night. The Indian +governor goes once in a certain time all about the province or +district, and has a number of men with him as attendants and +assistants. He settles all the differences among the people, like the +judge here, and is treated with very great respect. He took care to +give us timely notice before he came to our habitation, by sending his +stick as a token, for rum, sugar, and gunpowder, which we did not +refuse sending; and at the same time we made the utmost preparation to +receive his honour and his train. When he came with his tribe, and all +our neighbouring chieftains, we expected to find him a grave reverend +judge, solid and sagacious; but instead of that, before he and his +gang came in sight, we heard them very clamorous; and they even had +plundered some of our good neighbouring Indians, having intoxicated +themselves with our liquor. When they arrived we did not know what to +make of our new guests, and would gladly have dispensed with the +honour of their company. However, having no alternative, we feasted +them plentifully all the day till the evening; when the governor, +getting quite drunk, grew very unruly, and struck one of our most +friendly chiefs, who was our nearest neighbour, and also took his +gold-laced hat from him. At this a great commotion taken place; and +the Doctor interfered to make peace, as we could all understand one +another, but to no purpose; and at last they became so outrageous that +the Doctor, fearing he might get into trouble, left the house, and +made the best of his way to the nearest wood, leaving me to do as well +as I could among them. I was so enraged with the Governor, that I +could have wished to have seen him tied fast to a tree and flogged for +his behaviour; but I had not people enough to cope with his party. I +therefore thought of a stratagem to appease the riot. Recollecting a +passage I had read in the life of Columbus, when he was amongst the +Indians in Mexico or Peru, where, on some occasion, he frightened +them, by telling them of certain events in the heavens, I had recourse +to the same expedient; and it succeeded beyond my most sanguine +expectations. When I had formed my determination, I went in the midst +of them; and, taking hold of the Governor, I pointed up to the +heavens. I menaced him and the rest: I told them God lived there, and +that he was angry with them, and they must not quarrel so; that they +were all brothers, and if they did not leave off, and go away quietly, +I would take the book (pointing to the Bible), read, and <i>tell</i> God to +make them dead. This was something like magic. The clamour immediately +ceased, and I gave them some rum and a few other things; after which +they went away peaceably; and the Governor afterwards gave our +neighbour, who was called Captain Plasmyah, his hat again. When the +Doctor returned, he was exceedingly glad at my success in thus getting +rid of our troublesome guests. The Musquito people within our +vicinity, out of respect to the Doctor, myself and his people, made +entertainments of the grand kind, called in their tongue <i>tourrie</i> or +<i>dryckbot</i>. The English of this expression is, a feast of drinking +about, of which it seems a corruption of language. The drink consisted +of pine apples roasted, and casades chewed or beaten in mortars; +which, after lying some time, ferments, and becomes so strong as to +intoxicate, when drank in any quantity. We had timely notice given to +us of the entertainment. A white family, within five miles of us, told +us how the drink was made, and I and two others went before the time +to the village, where the mirth was appointed to be held; and there we +saw the whole art of making the drink, and also the kind of animals +that were to be eaten there. I cannot say the sight of either the +drink or the meat were enticing to me. They had some thousands of pine +apples roasting, which they squeezed, dirt and all, into a canoe they +had there for the purpose. The casade drink was in beef barrels and +other vessels, and looked exactly like hog-wash. Men, women, and +children, were thus employed in roasting the pine apples, and +squeezing them with their hands. For food they had many land torpins +or tortoises, some dried turtle, and three large alligators alive, and +tied fast to the trees. I asked the people what they were going to do +with these alligators; and I was told they were to be eaten. I was +much surprised at this, and went home, not a little disgusted at the +preparations. When the day of the feast was come, we took some rum +with us, and went to the appointed place, where we found a great +assemblage of these people, who received us very kindly. The mirth had +begun before we came; and they were dancing with music: and the +musical instruments were nearly the same as those of any other sable +people; but, as I thought, much less melodious than any other nation I +ever knew. They had many curious gestures in dancing, and a variety of +motions and postures of their bodies, which to me were in no wise +attracting. The males danced by themselves, and the females also by +themselves, as with us. The Doctor shewed his people the example, by +immediately joining the women's party, though not by their choice. On +perceiving the women disgusted, he joined the males. At night there +were great illuminations, by setting fire to many pine trees, while +the dryckbot went round merrily by calabashes or gourds: but the +liquor might more justly be called eating than drinking. One Owden, +the oldest father in the vicinity, was dressed in a strange and +terrifying form. Around his body were skins adorned with different +kinds of feathers, and he had on his head a very large and high +head-piece, in the form of a grenadier's cap, with prickles like a +porcupine; and he made a certain noise which resembled the cry of an +alligator. Our people skipped amongst them out of complaisance, though +some could not drink of their tourrie; but our rum met with customers +enough, and was soon gone. The alligators were killed and some of them +roasted. Their manner of roasting is by digging a hole in the earth, +and filling it with wood, which they burn to coal, and then they lay +sticks across, on which they set the meat. I had a raw piece of the +alligator in my hand: it was very rich: I thought it looked like fresh +salmon, and it had a most fragrant smell, but I could not eat any of +it. This merry-making at last ended without the least discord in any +person in the company, although it was made up of different nations +and complexions. The rainy season came on here about the latter end of +May, which continued till August very heavily; so that the rivers were +overflowed, and our provisions then in the ground were washed away. I +thought this was in some measure a judgment upon us for working on +Sundays, and it hurt my mind very much. I often wished to leave this +place and sail for Europe; for our mode of procedure and living in +this heathenish form was very irksome to me. The word of God saith, +'What does it avail a man if he gain the whole world, and lose his own +soul?' This was much and heavily impressed on my mind; and, though I +did not know how to speak to the Doctor for my discharge, it was +disagreeable for me to stay any longer. But about the middle of June I +took courage enough to ask him for it. He was very unwilling at first +to grant my request; but I gave him so many reasons for it, that at +last he consented to my going, and gave me the following certificate +of my behaviour:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>'The bearer, Gustavus Vassa, has served me several years + with strict honesty, sobriety, and fidelity. I can, + therefore, with justice recommend him for these + qualifications; and indeed in every respect I consider him + as an excellent servant. I do hereby certify that he always + behaved well, and that he is perfectly trust-worthy.</p> + +<p class="citation"><span class="smcap">'Charles Irving.'</span> +</p> +<p><i>Musquito Shore, June 15, 1776.</i><br /> +</p> +</div> + +<p>Though I was much attached to the doctor, I was happy when he +consented. I got every thing ready for my departure, and hired some +Indians, with a large canoe, to carry me off. All my poor countrymen, +the slaves, when they heard of my leaving them, were very sorry, as I +had always treated them with care and affection, and did every thing I +could to comfort the poor creatures, and render their condition easy. +Having taken leave of my old friends and companions, on the 18th of +June, accompanied by the doctor, I left that spot of the world, and +went southward above twenty miles along the river. There I found a +sloop, the captain of which told me he was going to Jamaica. Having +agreed for my passage with him and one of the owners, who was also on +board, named Hughes, the doctor and I parted, not without shedding +tears on both sides. The vessel then sailed along the river till +night, when she stopped in a lagoon within the same river. During the +night a schooner belonging to the same owners came in, and, as she was +in want of hands, Hughes, the owner of the sloop, asked me to go in +the schooner as a sailor, and said he would give me wages. I thanked +him; but I said I wanted to go to Jamaica. He then immediately changed +his tone, and swore, and abused me very much, and asked how I came to +be freed. I told him, and said that I came into that vicinity with Dr. +Irving, whom he had seen that day. This account was of no use; he +still swore exceedingly at me, and cursed the master for a fool that +sold me my freedom, and the doctor for another in letting me go from +him. Then he desired me to go in the schooner, or else I should not go +out of the sloop as a freeman. I said this was very hard, and begged +to be put on shore again; but he swore that I should not. I said I had +been twice amongst the Turks, yet had never seen any such usage with +them, and much less could I have expected any thing of this kind +amongst Christians. This incensed him exceedingly; and, with a volley +of oaths and imprecations, he replied, 'Christians! Damn you, you are +one of St. Paul's men; but by G——, except you have St. Paul's or St. +Peter's faith, and walk upon the water to the shore, you shall not go +out of the vessel;' which I now found was going amongst the Spaniards +towards Carthagena, where he swore he would sell me. I simply asked +him what right he had to sell me? but, without another word, he made +some of his people tie ropes round each of my ancles, and also to each +wrist, and another rope round my body, and hoisted me up without +letting my feet touch or rest upon any thing. Thus I hung, without any +crime committed, and without judge or jury; merely because I was a +free man, and could not by the law get any redress from a white person +in those parts of the world. I was in great pain from my situation, +and cried and begged very hard for some mercy; but all in vain. My +tyrant, in a great rage, brought a musquet out of the cabin, and +loaded it before me and the crew, and swore that he would shoot me if +I cried any more. I had now no alternative; I therefore remained +silent, seeing not one white man on board who said a word on my +behalf. I hung in that manner from between ten and eleven o'clock at +night till about one in the morning; when, finding my cruel abuser +fast asleep, I begged some of his slaves to slack the rope that was +round my body, that my feet might rest on something. This they did at +the risk of being cruelly used by their master, who beat some of them +severely at first for not tying me when he commanded them. Whilst I +remained in this condition, till between five and six o'clock next +morning, I trust I prayed to God to forgive this blasphemer, who cared +not what he did, but when he got up out of his sleep in the morning +was of the very same temper and disposition as when he left me at +night. When they got up the anchor, and the vessel was getting under +way, I once more cried and begged to be released; and now, being +fortunately in the way of their hoisting the sails, they released me. +When I was let down, I spoke to one Mr. Cox, a carpenter, whom I knew +on board, on the impropriety of this conduct. He also knew the doctor, +and the good opinion he ever had of me. This man then went to the +captain, and told him not to carry me away in that manner; that I was +the doctor's steward, who regarded me very highly, and would resent +this usage when he should come to know it. On which he desired a young +man to put me ashore in a small canoe I brought with me. This sound +gladdened my heart, and I got hastily into the canoe and set off, +whilst my tyrant was down in the cabin; but he soon spied me out, when +I was not above thirty or forty yards from the vessel, and, running +upon the deck with a loaded musket in his hand, he presented it at me, +and swore heavily and dreadfully, that he would shoot me that instant, +if I did not come back on board. As I knew the wretch would have done +as he said, without hesitation, I put back to the vessel again; but, +as the good Lord would have it, just as I was alongside he was abusing +the captain for letting me go from the vessel; which the captain +returned, and both of them soon got into a very great heat. The young +man that was with me now got out of the canoe; the vessel was sailing +on fast with a smooth sea: and I then thought it was neck or nothing, +so at that instant I set off again, for my life, in the canoe, towards +the shore; and fortunately the confusion was so great amongst them on +board, that I got out of the reach of the musquet shot unnoticed, +while the vessel sailed on with a fair wind a different way; so that +they could not overtake me without tacking: but even before that could +be done I should have been on shore, which I soon reached, with many +thanks to God for this unexpected deliverance. I then went and told +the other owner, who lived near that shore (with whom I had agreed for +my passage) of the usage I had met with. He was very much astonished, +and appeared very sorry for it. After treating me with kindness, he +gave me some refreshment, and three heads of roasted Indian corn, for +a voyage of about eighteen miles south, to look for another vessel. He +then directed me to an Indian chief of a district, who was also the +Musquito admiral, and had once been at our dwelling; after which I set +off with the canoe across a large lagoon alone (for I could not get +any one to assist me), though I was much jaded, and had pains in my +bowels, by means of the rope I had hung by the night before. I was +therefore at different times unable to manage the canoe, for the +paddling was very laborious. However, a little before dark I got to my +destined place, where some of the Indians knew me, and received me +kindly. I asked for the admiral; and they conducted me to his +dwelling. He was glad to see me, and refreshed me with such things as +the place afforded; and I had a hammock to sleep in. They acted +towards me more like Christians than those whites I was amongst the +last night, though they had been baptized. I told the admiral I wanted +to go to the next port to get a vessel to carry me to Jamaica; and +requested him to send the canoe back which I then had, for which I was +to pay him. He agreed with me, and sent five able Indians with a large +canoe to carry my things to my intended place, about fifty miles; and +we set off the next morning. When we got out of the lagoon and went +along shore, the sea was so high that the canoe was oftentimes very +near being filled with water. We were obliged to go ashore and drag +across different necks of land; we were also two nights in the swamps, +which swarmed with musquito flies, and they proved troublesome to us. +This tiresome journey of land and water ended, however, on the third +day, to my great joy; and I got on board of a sloop commanded by one +Captain Jenning. She was then partly loaded, and he told me he was +expecting daily to sail for Jamaica; and having agreed with me to work +my passage, I went to work accordingly. I was not many days on board +before we sailed; but to my sorrow and disappointment, though used to +such tricks, we went to the southward along the Musquito shore, +instead of steering for Jamaica. I was compelled to assist in cutting +a great deal of mahogany wood on the shore as we coasted along it, and +load the vessel with it, before she sailed. This fretted me much; but, +as I did not know how to help myself among these deceivers, I thought +patience was the only remedy I had left, and even that was forced. +There was much hard work and little victuals on board, except by good +luck we happened to catch turtles. On this coast there was also a +particular kind of fish called manatee, which is most excellent +eating, and the flesh is more like beef than fish; the scales are as +large as a shilling, and the skin thicker than I ever saw that of any +other fish. Within the brackish waters along shore there were likewise +vast numbers of alligators, which made the fish scarce. I was on board +this sloop sixteen days, during which, in our coasting, we came to +another place, where there was a smaller sloop called the Indian +Queen, commanded by one John Baker. He also was an Englishman, and had +been a long time along the shore trading for turtle shells and silver, +and had got a good quantity of each on board. He wanted some hands +very much; and, understanding I was a free man, and wanted to go to +Jamaica, he told me if he could get one or two, that he would sail +immediately for that island: he also pretended to me some marks of +attention and respect, and promised to give me forty-five shillings +sterling a month if I would go with him. I thought this much better +than cutting wood for nothing. I therefore told the other captain that +I wanted to go to Jamaica in the other vessel; but he would not listen +to me: and, seeing me resolved to go in a day or two, he got the +vessel to sail, intending to carry me away against my will. This +treatment mortified me extremely. I immediately, according to an +agreement I had made with the captain of the Indian Queen, called for +her boat, which was lying near us, and it came alongside; and, by the +means of a north-pole shipmate which I met with in the sloop I was in, +I got my things into the boat, and went on board of the Indian Queen, +July the 10th. A few days after I was there, we got all things ready +and sailed: but again, to my great mortification, this vessel still +went to the south, nearly as far as Carthagena, trading along the +coast, instead of going to Jamaica, as the captain had promised me: +and, what was worst of all, he was a very cruel and bloody-minded man, +and was a horrid blasphemer. Among others he had a white pilot, one +Stoker, whom he beat often as severely as he did some negroes he had +on board. One night in particular, after he had beaten this man most +cruelly, he put him into the boat, and made two negroes row him to a +desolate key, or small island; and he loaded two pistols, and swore +bitterly that he would shoot the negroes if they brought Stoker on +board again. There was not the least doubt but that he would do as he +said, and the two poor fellows were obliged to obey the cruel mandate; +but, when the captain was asleep, the two negroes took a blanket and +carried it to the unfortunate Stoker, which I believe was the means of +saving his life from the annoyance of insects. A great deal of +entreaty was used with the captain the next day, before he would +consent to let Stoker come on board; and when the poor man was brought +on board he was very ill, from his situation during the night, and he +remained so till he was drowned a little time after. As we sailed +southward we came to many uninhabited islands, which were overgrown +with fine large cocoa nuts. As I was very much in want of provisions, +I brought a boat load of them on board, which lasted me and others for +several weeks, and afforded us many a delicious repast in our +scarcity. One day, before this, I could not help observing the +providential hand of God, that ever supplies all our wants, though in +the ways and manner we know not. I had been a whole day without food, +and made signals for boats to come off, but in vain. I therefore +earnestly prayed to God for relief in my need; and at the close of the +evening I went off the deck. Just as I laid down I heard a noise on +the deck; and, not knowing what it meant, I went directly on the the +deck again, when what should I see but a fine large fish about seven +or eight pounds, which had jumped aboard! I took it, and admired, with +thanks, the good hand of God; and, what I considered as not less +extraordinary, the captain, who was very avaricious, did not attempt +to take it from me, there being only him and I on board; for the rest +were all gone ashore trading. Sometimes the people did not come off +for some days: this used to fret the captain, and then he would vent +his fury on me by beating me, or making me feel in other cruel ways. +One day especially, in his wild, wicked, and mad career, after +striking me several times with different things, and once across my +mouth, even with a red burning stick out of the fire, he got a barrel +of gunpowder on the deck, and swore that he would blow up the vessel. +I was then at my wit's end, and earnestly prayed to God to direct me. +The head was out of the barrel; and the captain took a lighted stick +out of the fire to blow himself and me up, because there was a vessel +then in sight coming in, which he supposed was a Spaniard, and he was +afraid of falling into their hands. Seeing this I got an axe, +unnoticed by him, and placed myself between him and the powder, having +resolved in myself as soon as he attempted to put the fire in the +barrel to chop him down that instant. I was more than an hour in this +situation; during which he struck me often, still keeping the fire in +his hand for this wicked purpose. I really should have thought myself +justifiable in any other part of the world if I had killed him, and +prayed to God, who gave me a mind which rested solely on himself. I +prayed for resignation, that his will might be done; and the following +two portions of his holy word, which occurred to my mind, buoyed up my +hope, and kept me from taking the life of this wicked man. 'He hath +determined the times before appointed, and set bounds to our +habitations,' Acts xvii. 26. And, 'Who is there amongst you that +feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh +in darkness and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, +and stay upon his God,' Isaiah 1. 10. And thus by the grace of God I +was enabled to do. I found him a present help in the time of need, and +the captain's fury began to subside as the night approached: but I +found,</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>"That he who cannot stem his anger's tide<br /></span> +<span>Doth a wild horse without a bridle ride."<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>The next morning we discovered that the vessel which had caused such a +fury in the captain was an English sloop. They soon came to an anchor +where we were, and, to my no small surprise, I learned that Doctor +Irving was on board of her on his way from the Musquito shore to +Jamaica. I was for going immediately to see this old master and +friend, but the captain would not suffer me to leave the vessel. I +then informed the doctor, by letter, how I was treated, and begged +that he would take me out of the sloop: but he informed me that it was +not in his power, as he was a passenger himself; but he sent me some +rum and sugar for my own use. I now learned that after I had left the +estate which I managed for this gentleman on the Musquito shore, +during which the slaves were well fed and comfortable, a white +overseer had supplied my place: this man, through inhumanity and +ill-judged avarice, beat and cut the poor slaves most unmercifully; +and the consequence was, that every one got into a large Puriogua +canoe, and endeavoured to escape; but not knowing where to go, or how +to manage the canoe, they were all drowned; in consequence of which +the doctor's plantation was left uncultivated, and he was now +returning to Jamaica to purchase more slaves and stock it again. On +the 14th of October the Indian Queen arrived at Kingston in Jamaica. +When we were unloaded I demanded my wages, which amounted to eight +pounds and five shillings sterling; but Captain Baker refused to give +me one farthing, although it was the hardest-earned money I ever +worked for in my life. I found out Doctor Irving upon this, and +acquainted him of the captain's knavery. He did all he could to help +me to get my money; and we went to every magistrate in Kingston (and +there were nine), but they all refused to do any thing for me, and +said my oath could not be admitted against a white man. Nor was this +all; for Baker threatened that he would beat me severely if he could +catch me for attempting to demand my money; and this he would have +done, but that I got, by means of Dr. Irving, under the protection of +Captain Douglas of the Squirrel man of war. I thought this exceedingly +hard usage; though indeed I found it to be too much the practice there +to pay free men for their labour in this manner. One day I went with a +free negroe taylor, named Joe Diamond, to one Mr. Cochran, who was +indebted to him some trifling sum; and the man, not being able to get +his money, began to murmur. The other immediately took a horse-whip to +pay him with it; but, by the help of a good pair of heels, the taylor +got off. Such oppressions as these made me seek for a vessel to get +off the island as fast as I could; and by the mercy of God I found a +ship in November bound for England, when I embarked with a convoy, +after having taken a last farewell of Doctor Irving. When I left +Jamaica he was employed in refining sugars; and some months after my +arrival in England I learned, with much sorrow, that this my amiable +friend was dead, owing to his having eaten some poisoned fish. We had +many very heavy gales of wind in our passage; in the course of which +no material incident occurred, except that an American privateer, +falling in with the fleet, was captured and set fire to by his +Majesty's ship the Squirrel. On January the seventh, 1777, we arrived +at Plymouth. I was happy once more to tread upon English ground; and, +after passing some little time at Plymouth and Exeter among some pious +friends, whom I was happy to see, I went to London with a heart +replete with thanks to God for all past mercies.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAP_XII" id="CHAP_XII" />CHAP. XII.</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>Different transactions of the author's life till the + present time—His application to the late Bishop of London + to be appointed a missionary to Africa—Some account of his + share in the conduct of the late expedition to Sierra + Leona—Petition to the Queen—Conclusion.</i></p></div> + + +<p>Such were the various scenes which I was a witness to, and the fortune +I experienced until the year 1777. Since that period my life has been +more uniform, and the incidents of it fewer, than in any other equal +number of years preceding; I therefore hasten to the conclusion of a +narrative, which I fear the reader may think already sufficiently +tedious.</p> + +<p>I had suffered so many impositions in my commercial transactions in +different parts of the world, that I became heartily disgusted with +the sea-faring life, and I was determined not to return to it, at +least for some time. I therefore once more engaged in service shortly +after my return, and continued for the most part in this situation +until 1784.</p> + +<p>Soon after my arrival in London, I saw a remarkable circumstance +relative to African complexion, which I thought so extraordinary, that +I beg leave just to mention it: A white negro woman, that I had +formerly seen in London and other parts, had married a white man, by +whom she had three boys, and they were every one mulattoes, and yet +they had fine light hair. In 1779 I served Governor Macnamara, who had +been a considerable time on the coast of Africa. In the time of my +service, I used to ask frequently other servants to join me in family +prayers; but this only excited their mockery. However, the Governor, +understanding that I was of a religious turn, wished to know of what +religion I was; I told him I was a protestant of the church of +England, agreeable to the thirty-nine articles of that church, and +that whomsoever I found to preach according to that doctrine, those I +would hear. A few days after this, we had some more discourse on the +same subject: the Governor spoke to me on it again, and said that he +would, if I chose, as he thought I might be of service in converting +my countrymen to the Gospel faith, get me sent out as a missionary to +Africa. I at first refused going, and told him how I had been served +on a like occasion by some white people the last voyage I went to +Jamaica, when I attempted (if it were the will of God) to be the means +of converting the Indian prince; and I said I supposed they would +serve me worse than Alexander the coppersmith did St. Paul, if I +should attempt to go amongst them in Africa. He told me not to fear, +for he would apply to the Bishop of London to get me ordained. On +these terms I consented to the Governor's proposal to go to Africa, in +hope of doing good if possible amongst my countrymen; so, in order to +have me sent out properly, we immediately wrote the following letters +to the late Bishop of London:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p> +<i>To the Right Reverend Father in God</i>,<br /> + ROBERT, <i>Lord Bishop of London</i>:<br /> + The MEMORIAL of <span class ="smcap">Gustavus Vassa</span><br /> +<br /></p> +<p><span class ="smcap">Sheweth,</span> +</p> + +<p>That your memorialist is a native of Africa, and has a + knowledge of the manners and customs of the inhabitants of + that country.</p> + +<p> That your memorialist has resided in different parts of + Europe for twenty-two years last past, and embraced the + Christian faith in the year 1759.</p> + +<p> That your memorialist is desirous of returning to Africa as + a missionary, if encouraged by your Lordship, in hopes of + being able to prevail upon his countrymen to become + Christians; and your memorialist is the more induced to + undertake the same, from the success that has attended the + like undertakings when encouraged by the Portuguese through + their different settlements on the coast of Africa, and also + by the Dutch: both governments encouraging the blacks, who, + by their education are qualified to undertake the same, and + are found more proper than European clergymen, unacquainted + with the language and customs of the country.</p> + +<p> Your memorialist's only motive for soliciting the office of + a missionary is, that he may be a means, under God, of + reforming his countrymen and persuading them to embrace the + Christian religion. Therefore your memorialist humbly prays + your Lordship's encouragement and support in the + undertaking.</p> + +<p class="citation">GUSTAVUS VASSA.<br /> +<br /> +</p> +</div> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>At Mr. Guthrie's, taylor,<br /> + No. 17, Hedge-lane.<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span class="smcap">My Lord,</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>I have resided near seven years on the coast of Africa, for + most part of the time as commanding officer. From the + knowledge I have of the country and its inhabitants, I am + inclined to think that the within plan will be attended with + great success, if countenanced by your Lordship. I beg leave + further to represent to your Lordship, that the like + attempts, when encouraged by other governments, have met + with uncommon success; and at this very time I know a very + respectable character a black priest at Cape Coast Castle. I + know the within named Gustavus Vassa, and believe him a + moral good man.</p> + +<p class="citation"> +I have the honour to be, <br /> +My Lord, <br /> +Your Lordship's <br /> +Humble and obedient servant, <br /> +MATT. MACNAMARA.<br /> +<br /> +</p> + +<p>Grove, 11th March 1779.<br /> +</p> +</div> + +<p>This letter was also accompanied by the following from Doctor Wallace, +who had resided in Africa for many years, and whose sentiments on the +subject of an African mission were the same with Governor Macnamara's.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> +<p class="quotdate"><i>March 13, 1779</i>.<br /> +<br /></p> + +<p><span class="smcap">My Lord,</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>I have resided near five years on Senegambia on the coast of + Africa, and have had the honour of filling very considerable + employments in that province. I do approve of the within + plan, and think the undertaking very laudable and proper, + and that it deserves your Lordship's protection and + encouragement, in which case it must be attended with the + intended success.</p> + +<p class="citation">I am, <br /> +My Lord, <br /> +Your Lordship's <br /> +Humble and obedient servant, <br /> +THOMAS WALLACE.<br /> +</p> +</div> + +<p>With these letters, I waited on the Bishop by the Governor's desire, +and presented them to his Lordship. He received me with much +condescension and politeness; but, from some certain scruples of +delicacy, declined to ordain me.</p> + +<p>My sole motive for thus dwelling on this transaction, or inserting +these papers, is the opinion which gentlemen of sense and education, +who are acquainted with Africa, entertain of the probability of +converting the inhabitants of it to the faith of Jesus Christ, if the +attempt were countenanced by the legislature.</p> + +<p>Shortly after this I left the Governor, and served a nobleman in the +Devonshire militia, with whom I was encamped at Coxheath for some +time; but the operations there were too minute and uninteresting to +make a detail of.</p> + +<p>In the year 1783 I visited eight counties in Wales, from motives of +curiosity. While I was in that part of the country I was led to go +down into a coal-pit in Shropshire, but my curiosity nearly cost me my +life; for while I was in the pit the coals fell in, and buried one +poor man, who was not far from me: upon this I got out as fast as I +could, thinking the surface of the earth the safest part of it.</p> + +<p>In the spring 1784 I thought of visiting old ocean again. In +consequence of this I embarked as steward on board a fine new ship +called the London, commanded by Martin Hopkin, and sailed for +New-York. I admired this city very much; it is large and well-built, +and abounds with provisions of all kinds. While we lay here a +circumstance happened which I thought extremely singular:—One day a +malefactor was to be executed on a gallows; but with a condition that +if any woman, having nothing on but her shift, married the man under +the gallows, his life was to be saved. This extraordinary privilege +was claimed; a woman presented herself; and the marriage ceremony was +performed. Our ship having got laden we returned to London in January +1785. When she was ready again for another voyage, the captain being +an agreeable man, I sailed with him from hence in the spring, March +1785, for Philadelphia. On the fifth of April we took our departure +from the Land's-end, with a pleasant gale; and about nine o'clock that +night the moon shone bright, and the sea was smooth, while our ship +was going free by the wind, at the rate of about four or five miles an +hour. At this time another ship was going nearly as fast as we on the +opposite point, meeting us right in the teeth, yet none on board +observed either ship until we struck each other forcibly head and +head, to the astonishment and consternation of both crews. She did us +much damage, but I believe we did her more; for when we passed by each +other, which we did very quickly, they called to us to bring to, and +hoist out our boat, but we had enough to do to mind ourselves; and in +about eight minutes we saw no more of her. We refitted as well as we +could the next day, and proceeded on our voyage, and in May arrived at +Philadelphia. I was very glad to see this favourite old town once +more; and my pleasure was much increased in seeing the worthy quakers +freeing and easing the burthens of many of my oppressed African +brethren. It rejoiced my heart when one of these friendly people took +me to see a free-school they had erected for every denomination of +black people, whose minds are cultivated here and forwarded to virtue; +and thus they are made useful members of the community. Does not the +success of this practice say loudly to the planters in the language of +scripture—"Go ye and do likewise?"</p> + +<p>In October 1785 I was accompanied by some of the Africans, and +presented this address of thanks to the gentlemen called Friends or +Quakers, in Gracechurch-Court Lombard-Street:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> +<p> +<span class="smcap">Gentlemen,</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>By reading your book, entitled a Caution to Great Britain + and her Colonies, concerning the Calamitous State of the + enslaved Negroes: We the poor, oppressed, needy, and + much-degraded negroes, desire to approach you with this + address of thanks, with our inmost love and warmest + acknowledgment; and with the deepest sense of your + benevolence, unwearied labour, and kind interposition, + towards breaking the yoke of slavery, and to administer a + little comfort and ease to thousands and tens of thousands + of very grievously afflicted, and too heavy burthened + negroes.</p> + +<p> Gentlemen, could you, by perseverance, at last be enabled, + under God, to lighten in any degree the heavy burthen of the + afflicted, no doubt it would, in some measure, be the + possible means, under God, of saving the souls of many of + the oppressors; and, if so, sure we are that the God, whose + eyes are ever upon all his creatures, and always rewards + every true act of virtue, and regards the prayers of the + oppressed, will give to you and yours those blessings which + it is not in our power to express or conceive, but which we, + as a part of those captived, oppressed, and afflicted + people, most earnestly wish and pray for.</p></div> + +<p>These gentlemen received us very kindly, with a promise to exert +themselves on behalf of the oppressed Africans, and we parted.</p> + +<p>While in town I chanced once to be invited to a quaker's wedding. The +simple and yet expressive mode used at their solemnizations is worthy +of note. The following is the true form of it:</p> + +<p>After the company have met they have seasonable exhortations by +several of the members; the bride and bridegroom stand up, and, taking +each other by the hand in a solemn manner, the man audily declares to +this purpose:</p> + +<p>"Friends, in the fear of the Lord, and in the presence of this +assembly, whom I desire to be my witnesses, I take this my friend, +M.N. to be my wife; promising, through divine assistance, to be unto +her a loving and faithful husband till death separate us:" and the +woman makes the like declaration. Then the two first sign their names +to the record, and as many more witnesses as have a mind. I had the +honour to subscribe mine to a register in Gracechurch-Court, +Lombard-Street.</p> + +<p>We returned to London in August; and our ship not going immediately to +sea, I shipped as a steward in an American ship called the Harmony, +Captain John Willet, and left London in March 1786, bound to +Philadelphia. Eleven days after sailing we carried our foremast away. +We had a nine weeks passage, which caused our trip not to succeed +well, the market for our goods proving bad; and, to make it worse, my +commander began to play me the like tricks as others too often +practise on free negroes in the West Indies. But I thank God I found +many friends here, who in some measure prevented him. On my return to +London in August I was very agreeably surprised to find that the +benevolence of government had adopted the plan of some philanthropic +individuals to send the Africans from hence to their native quarter; +and that some vessels were then engaged to carry them to Sierra Leone; +an act which redounded to the honour of all concerned in its +promotion, and filled me with prayers and much rejoicing. There was +then in the city a select committee of gentlemen for the black poor, +to some of whom I had the honour of being known; and, as soon as they +heard of my arrival they sent for me to the committee. When I came +there they informed me of the intention of government; and as they +seemed to think me qualified to superintend part of the undertaking, +they asked me to go with the black poor to Africa. I pointed out to +them many objections to my going; and particularly I expressed some +difficulties on the account of the slave dealers, as I would certainly +oppose their traffic in the human species by every means in my power. +However these objections were over-ruled by the gentlemen of the +committee, who prevailed on me to go, and recommended me to the +honourable Commissioners of his Majesty's Navy as a proper person to +act as commissary for government in the intended expedition; and they +accordingly appointed me in November 1786 to that office, and gave me +sufficient power to act for the government in the capacity of +commissary, having received my warrant and the following order.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> +<p> +<i>By the principal Officers and Commissioners of<br /> + his Majesty's Navy</i>.<br /> +</p> + +<p>Whereas you were directed, by our warrant of the 4th of last + month, to receive into your charge from Mr. Irving the + surplus provisions remaining of what was provided for the + voyage, as well as the provisions for the support of the + black poor, after the landing at Sierra Leone, with the + cloathing, tools, and all other articles provided at + government's expense; and as the provisions were laid in at + the rate of two months for the voyage, and for four months + after the landing, but the number embarked being so much + less than was expected, whereby there may be a considerable + surplus of provisions, cloathing, &c. These are, in addition + to former orders, to direct and require you to appropriate + or dispose of such surplus to the best advantage you can for + the benefit of government, keeping and rendering to us a + faithful account of what you do herein. And for your + guidance in preventing any white persons going, who are not + intended to have the indulgences of being carried thither, + we send you herewith a list of those recommended by the + Committee for the black poor as proper persons to be + permitted to embark, and acquaint you that you are not to + suffer any others to go who do not produce a certificate + from the committee for the black poor, of their having their + permission for it. For which this shall be your warrant. + Dated at the Navy Office, January 16, 1787.</p> + +<p class="citation"> +J. HINSLOW, <br /> +GEO. MARSH,<br /> +W. PALMER. <br /> +<br /></p> + +<p>To Mr. Gustavus Vassa,<br /> + Commissary of Provisions and<br /> + Stores for the Black Poor<br /> + going to Sierra Leone.<br /> +</p> +</div> + +<p>I proceeded immediately to the execution of my duty on board the +vessels destined for the voyage, where I continued till the March +following.</p> + +<p>During my continuance in the employment of government, I was struck +with the flagrant abuses committed by the agent, and endeavoured to +remedy them, but without effect. One instance, among many which I +could produce, may serve as a specimen. Government had ordered to be +provided all necessaries (slops, as they are called, included) for 750 +persons; however, not being able to muster more than 426, I was +ordered to send the superfluous slops, &c. to the king's stores at +Portsmouth; but, when I demanded them for that purpose from the agent, +it appeared they had never been bought, though paid for by government. +But that was not all, government were not the only objects of +peculation; these poor people suffered infinitely more; their +accommodations were most wretched; many of them wanted beds, and many +more cloathing and other necessaries. For the truth of this, and much +more, I do not seek credit from my own assertion. I appeal to the +testimony of Capt. Thompson, of the Nautilus, who convoyed us, to whom +I applied in February 1787 for a remedy, when I had remonstrated to +the agent in vain, and even brought him to be a witness of the +injustice and oppression I complained of. I appeal also to a letter +written by these wretched people, so early as the beginning of the +preceding January, and published in the Morning Herald of the 4th of +that month, signed by twenty of their chiefs.</p> + +<p>I could not silently suffer government to be thus cheated, and my +countrymen plundered and oppressed, and even left destitute of the +necessaries for almost their existence. I therefore informed the +Commissioners of the Navy of the agent's proceeding; but my dismission +was soon after procured, by means of a gentleman in the city, whom the +agent, conscious of his peculation, had deceived by letter, and whom, +moreover, empowered the same agent to receive on board, at the +government expense, a number of persons as passengers, contrary to the +orders I received. By this I suffered a considerable loss in my +property: however, the commissioners were satisfied with my conduct, +and wrote to Capt. Thompson, expressing their approbation of it.</p> + +<p>Thus provided, they proceeded on their voyage; and at last, worn out +by treatment, perhaps not the most mild, and wasted by sickness, +brought on by want of medicine, cloaths, bedding, &c. they reached +Sierra Leone just at the commencement of the rains. At that season of +the year it is impossible to cultivate the lands; their provisions +therefore were exhausted before they could derive any benefit from +agriculture; and it is not surprising that many, especially the +lascars, whose constitutions are very tender, and who had been cooped +up in ships from October to June, and accommodated in the manner I +have mentioned, should be so wasted by their confinement as not long +to survive it.</p> + +<p>Thus ended my part of the long-talked-of expedition to Sierra Leone; +an expedition which, however unfortunate in the event, was humane and +politic in its design, nor was its failure owing to government: every +thing was done on their part; but there was evidently sufficient +mismanagement attending the conduct and execution of it to defeat its +success.</p> + +<p>I should not have been so ample in my account of this transaction, had +not the share I bore in it been made the subject of partial +animadversion, and even my dismission from my employment thought +worthy of being made by some a matter of public triumph<a name="FNanchor_X_24" id="FNanchor_X_24" /><a href="#Footnote_X_24" class="fnanchor">[X]</a>. The +motives which might influence any person to descend to a petty contest +with an obscure African, and to seek gratification by his depression, +perhaps it is not proper here to inquire into or relate, even if its +detection were necessary to my vindication; but I thank Heaven it is +not. I wish to stand by my own integrity, and not to shelter myself +under the impropriety of another; and I trust the behaviour of the +Commissioners of the Navy to me entitle me to make this assertion; for +after I had been dismissed, March 24, I drew up a memorial thus:</p> + + +<div class="blockquot"> +<p> +<i>To the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of<br /> + his Majesty's Treasury:<br /> +The Memorial and Petition of</i> <span class ="smcap">Gustavus Vassa</span> <i>a black Man,</i><br /> + <i>late Commissary to the black Poor going to</i> <span class ="smcap">Africa</span>.<br /> +<br /> +<span class="smcap">humbly sheweth,</span><br /> +</p> + +<p><span class="smcap">That</span> your Lordships' memorialist was, by the Honourable the + Commissioners of his Majesty's Navy, on the 4th of December + last, appointed to the above employment by warrant from that + board;</p> + +<p> That he accordingly proceeded to the execution of his duty + on board of the Vernon, being one of the ships appointed to + proceed to Africa with the above poor;</p> + +<p> That your memorialist, to his great grief and astonishment, + received a letter of dismission from the Honourable + Commissioners of the Navy, by your Lordships' orders;</p> + +<p> That, conscious of having acted with the most perfect + fidelity and the greatest assiduity in discharging the trust + reposed in him, he is altogether at a loss to conceive the + reasons of your Lordships' having altered the favourable + opinion you were pleased to conceive of him, sensible that + your Lordships would not proceed to so severe a measure + without some apparent good cause; he therefore has every + reason to believe that his conduct has been grossly + misrepresented to your Lordships; and he is the more + confirmed in his opinion, because, by opposing measures of + others concerned in the same expedition, which tended to + defeat your Lordships' humane intentions, and to put the + government to a very considerable additional expense, he + created a number of enemies, whose misrepresentations, he + has too much reason to believe, laid the foundation of his + dismission. Unsupported by friends, and unaided by the + advantages of a liberal education, he can only hope for + redress from the justice of his cause, in addition to the + mortification of having been removed from his employment, + and the advantage which he reasonably might have expected to + have derived therefrom. He has had the misfortune to have + sunk a considerable part of his little property in fitting + himself out, and in other expenses arising out of his + situation, an account of which he here annexes. Your + memorialist will not trouble your Lordships with a + vindication of any part of his conduct, because he knows not + of what crimes he is accused; he, however, earnestly + entreats that you will be pleased to direct an inquiry into + his behaviour during the time he acted in the public + service; and, if it be found that his dismission arose from + false representations, he is confident that in your + Lordships' justice he shall find redress.</p> + +<p> Your petitioner therefore humbly prays that your Lordships + will take his case into consideration, and that you will be + pleased to order payment of the above referred-to account, + amounting to 32l. 4s. and also the wages intended, which is + most humbly submitted.</p> + +<p> +<i> London, May 12, 1787.</i><br /> +</p> +</div> + +<p>The above petition was delivered into the hands of their Lordships, +who were kind enough, in the space of some few months afterwards, +without hearing, to order me 50l. sterling—that is, 18l. wages for +the time (upwards of four months) I acted a faithful part in their +service. Certainly the sum is more than a free negro would have had in +the western colonies!!!</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>March the 21st, 1788, I had the honour of presenting the Queen with a +petition on behalf of my African brethren, which was received most +graciously by her Majesty<a name="FNanchor_Y_25" id="FNanchor_Y_25" /><a href="#Footnote_Y_25" class="fnanchor">[Y]</a>:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>To the</i> QUEEN's <i>most Excellent Majesty</i></p>. + +<p class ="smcap">Madam,</p> + +<p> Your Majesty's well known benevolence and humanity emboldens + me to approach your royal presence, trusting that the + obscurity of my situation will not prevent your Majesty from + attending to the sufferings for which I plead.</p> + +<p> Yet I do not solicit your royal pity for my own distress; my + sufferings, although numerous, are in a measure forgotten. I + supplicate your Majesty's compassion for millions of my + African countrymen, who groan under the lash of tyranny in + the West Indies.</p> + +<p> The oppression and cruelty exercised to the unhappy negroes + there, have at length reached the British legislature, and + they are now deliberating on its redress; even several + persons of property in slaves in the West Indies, have + petitioned parliament against its continuance, sensible that + it is as impolitic as it is unjust—and what is inhuman must + ever be unwise.</p> + +<p> Your Majesty's reign has been hitherto distinguished by + private acts of benevolence and bounty; surely the more + extended the misery is, the greater claim it has to your + Majesty's compassion, and the greater must be your Majesty's + pleasure in administering to its relief.</p> + +<p> I presume, therefore, gracious Queen, to implore your + interposition with your royal consort, in favour of the + wretched Africans; that, by your Majesty's benevolent + influence, a period may now be put to their misery; and that + they may be raised from the condition of brutes, to which + they are at present degraded, to the rights and situation of + freemen, and admitted to partake of the blessings of your + Majesty's happy government; so shall your Majesty enjoy the + heartfelt pleasure of procuring happiness to millions, and + be rewarded in the grateful prayers of themselves, and of + their posterity.</p> + +<p> And may the all-bountiful Creator shower on your Majesty, + and the Royal Family, every blessing that this world can + afford, and every fulness of joy which divine revelation has + promised us in the next.</p> + +<p> I am your Majesty's most dutiful and devoted servant to + command,</p> + +<p class="citation"> +<span class="smcap">Gustavus Vassa</span>,<br /> +The Oppressed Ethiopean.<br /> +<br /></p> +<p> +No. 53, Baldwin's Gardens.<br /> +</p> +</div> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>The negro consolidated act, made by the assembly of Jamaica last year, +and the new act of amendment now in agitation there, contain a proof +of the existence of those charges that have been made against the +planters relative to the treatment of their slaves.</p> + +<p>I hope to have the satisfaction of seeing the renovation of liberty +and justice resting on the British government, to vindicate the honour +of our common nature. These are concerns which do not perhaps belong +to any particular office: but, to speak more seriously to every man of +sentiment, actions like these are the just and sure foundation of +future fame; a reversion, though remote, is coveted by some noble +minds as a substantial good. It is upon these grounds that I hope and +expect the attention of gentlemen in power. These are designs +consonant to the elevation of their rank, and the dignity of their +stations: they are ends suitable to the nature of a free and generous +government; and, connected with views of empire and dominion, suited +to the benevolence and solid merit of the legislature. It is a pursuit +of substantial greatness.—May the time come—at least the speculation +to me is pleasing—when the sable people shall gratefully commemorate +the auspicious æra of extensive freedom. Then shall those persons<a name="FNanchor_Z_26" id="FNanchor_Z_26" /><a href="#Footnote_Z_26" class="fnanchor">[Z]</a> +particularly be named with praise and honour, who generously proposed +and stood forth in the cause of humanity, liberty, and good policy; +and brought to the ear of the legislature designs worthy of royal +patronage and adoption. May Heaven make the British senators the +dispersers of light, liberty, and science, to the uttermost parts of +the earth: then will be glory to God on the highest, on earth peace, +and goodwill to men:—Glory, honour, peace, &c. to every soul of man +that worketh good, to the Britons first, (because to them the Gospel +is preached) and also to the nations. 'Those that honour their Maker +have mercy on the poor.' 'It is righteousness exalteth a nation; but +sin is a reproach to any people; destruction shall be to the workers +of iniquity, and the wicked shall fall by their own wickedness.' May +the blessings of the Lord be upon the heads of all those who +commiserated the cases of the oppressed negroes, and the fear of God +prolong their days; and may their expectations be filled with +gladness! 'The liberal devise liberal things, and by liberal things +shall stand,' Isaiah xxxii. 8. They can say with pious Job, 'Did not I +weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the +poor?' Job xxx. 25.</p> + +<p>As the inhuman traffic of slavery is to be taken into the +consideration of the British legislature, I doubt not, if a system of +commerce was established in Africa, the demand for manufactures would +most rapidly augment, as the native inhabitants will insensibly adopt +the British fashions, manners, customs, &c. In proportion to the +civilization, so will be the consumption of British manufactures.</p> + +<p>The wear and tear of a continent, nearly twice as large as Europe, and +rich in vegetable and mineral productions, is much easier conceived +than calculated.</p> + +<p>A case in point.—It cost the Aborigines of Britain little or nothing +in clothing, &c. The difference between their forefathers and the +present generation, in point of consumption, is literally infinite. +The supposition is most obvious. It will be equally immense in +Africa—The same cause, viz. civilization, will ever have the same +effect.</p> + +<p>It is trading upon safe grounds. A commercial intercourse with Africa +opens an inexhaustible source of wealth to the manufacturing interests +of Great Britain, and to all which the slave trade is an objection.</p> + +<p>If I am not misinformed, the manufacturing interest is equal, if not +superior, to the landed interest, as to the value, for reasons which +will soon appear. The abolition of slavery, so diabolical, will give a +most rapid extension of manufactures, which is totally and +diametrically opposite to what some interested people assert.</p> + +<p>The manufacturers of this country must and will, in the nature and +reason of things, have a full and constant employ by supplying the +African markets.</p> + +<p>Population, the bowels and surface of Africa, abound in valuable and +useful returns; the hidden treasures of centuries will be brought to +light and into circulation. Industry, enterprize, and mining, will +have their full scope, proportionably as they civilize. In a word, it +lays open an endless field of commerce to the British manufactures and +merchant adventurer. The manufacturing interest and the general +interests are synonymous. The abolition of slavery would be in reality +an universal good.</p> + +<p>Tortures, murder, and every other imaginable barbarity and iniquity, +are practised upon the poor slaves with impunity. I hope the slave +trade will be abolished. I pray it may be an event at hand. The great +body of manufacturers, uniting in the cause, will considerably +facilitate and expedite it; and, as I have already stated, it is most +substantially their interest and advantage, and as such the nation's +at large, (except those persons concerned in the manufacturing +neck-yokes, collars, chains, hand-cuffs, leg-bolts, drags, +thumb-screws, iron muzzles, and coffins; cats, scourges, and other +instruments of torture used in the slave trade). In a short time one +sentiment alone will prevail, from motives of interest as well as +justice and humanity. Europe contains one hundred and twenty millions +of inhabitants. Query—How many millions doth Africa contain? +Supposing the Africans, collectively and individually, to expend 5l. a +head in raiment and furniture yearly when civilized, &c. an immensity +beyond the reach of imagination!</p> + +<p>This I conceive to be a theory founded upon facts, and therefore an +infallible one. If the blacks were permitted to remain in their own +country, they would double themselves every fifteen years. In +proportion to such increase will be the demand for manufactures. +Cotton and indigo grow spontaneously in most parts of Africa; a +consideration this of no small consequence to the manufacturing towns +of Great Britain. It opens a most immense, glorious, and happy +prospect—the clothing, &c. of a continent ten thousand miles in +circumference, and immensely rich in productions of every denomination +in return for manufactures.</p> + +<p>I have only therefore to request the reader's indulgence and conclude. +I am far from the vanity of thinking there is any merit in this +narrative: I hope censure will be suspended, when it is considered +that it was written by one who was as unwilling as unable to adorn the +plainness of truth by the colouring of imagination. My life and +fortune have been extremely chequered, and my adventures various. Even +those I have related are considerably abridged. If any incident in +this little work should appear uninteresting and trifling to most +readers, I can only say, as my excuse for mentioning it, that almost +every event of my life made an impression on my mind and influenced my +conduct. I early accustomed myself to look for the hand of God in the +minutest occurrence, and to learn from it a lesson of morality and +religion; and in this light every circumstance I have related was to +me of importance. After all, what makes any event important, unless by +its observation we become better and wiser, and learn 'to do justly, +to love mercy, and to walk humbly before God?' To those who are +possessed of this spirit, there is scarcely any book or incident so +trifling that does not afford some profit, while to others the +experience of ages seems of no use; and even to pour out to them the +treasures of wisdom is throwing the jewels of instruction away.</p> + +<h5>THE END.</h5> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_X_24" id="Footnote_X_24" /><a href="#FNanchor_X_24"><span class="label">[X]</span></a> See the Public Advertiser, July 14, 1787.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_Y_25" id="Footnote_Y_25" /><a href="#FNanchor_Y_25"><span class="label">[Y]</span></a> At the request of some of my most particular friends, I +take the liberty of inserting it here.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_Z_26" id="Footnote_Z_26" /><a href="#FNanchor_Z_26"><span class="label">[Z]</span></a> Grenville Sharp, Esq; the Reverend Thomas Clarkson; the +Reverend James Ramsay; our approved friends, men of virtue, are an +honour to their country, ornamental to human nature, happy in +themselves, and benefactors to mankind!</p></div> + + + + + + +</div> + +<div>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 15399 ***</div> +</body> +</html> + diff --git a/15399-h/images/001.png b/15399-h/images/001.png Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..45fdce2 --- /dev/null +++ b/15399-h/images/001.png diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e38d70a --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #15399 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/15399) diff --git a/old/15399-8.txt b/old/15399-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..fe5cdd6 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/15399-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,8062 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Interesting Narrative of the Life of +Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African, by Olaudah Equiano + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African + Written By Himself + +Author: Olaudah Equiano + +Release Date: March 17, 2005 [EBook #15399] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE INTERESTING NARRATIVE OF *** + + + + +Produced by Suzanne Shell, Diane Monico and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team. + + + + + + + + + + +THE + +INTERESTING NARRATIVE + +OF + +THE LIFE + +OF + +OLAUDAH EQUIANO, + +OR + +GUSTAVUS VASSA, + +THE AFRICAN. + +_WRITTEN BY HIMSELF._ + + + _Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be + afraid, for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my + song; he also is become my salvation. + And in that shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his + name, declare his doings among the people. Isaiah xii. 2, 4._ + + + +LONDON: + +Printed for and sold by the Author, No. 10, Union-Street, +Middlesex Hospital + + +Sold also by Mr. Johnson, St. Paul's Church-Yard; Mr. + Murray, Fleet-Street; Messrs. Robson and Clark, Bond-Street; + Mr. Davis, opposite Gray's Inn, Holborn; Messrs. Shepperson + and Reynolds, and Mr. Jackson, Oxford Street; Mr. + Lackington, Chiswell-Street; Mr. Mathews, Strand; Mr. + Murray, Prince's-Street, Soho; Mess. Taylor and Co. South + Arch, Royal Exchange; Mr. Button, Newington-Causeway; Mr. + Parsons, Paternoster-Row; and may be had of all the + Booksellers in Town and Country. + +[Entered at Stationer's Hall.] + + + + +[Illustration: Olaudah Equiano or GUSTAVUS VASSA, _the African_] + + + + +To the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons of the +Parliament of Great Britain. + + +_My Lords and Gentlemen_, + +Permit me, with the greatest deference and respect, to lay at your +feet the following genuine Narrative; the chief design of which is to +excite in your august assemblies a sense of compassion for the +miseries which the Slave-Trade has entailed on my unfortunate +countrymen. By the horrors of that trade was I first torn away from +all the tender connexions that were naturally dear to my heart; but +these, through the mysterious ways of Providence, I ought to regard as +infinitely more than compensated by the introduction I have thence +obtained to the knowledge of the Christian religion, and of a nation +which, by its liberal sentiments, its humanity, the glorious freedom +of its government, and its proficiency in arts and sciences, has +exalted the dignity of human nature. + +I am sensible I ought to entreat your pardon for addressing to you a +work so wholly devoid of literary merit; but, as the production of an +unlettered African, who is actuated by the hope of becoming an +instrument towards the relief of his suffering countrymen, I trust +that _such a man_, pleading in _such a cause_, will be acquitted of +boldness and presumption. + +May the God of heaven inspire your hearts with peculiar benevolence on +that important day when the question of Abolition is to be discussed, +when thousands, in consequence of your Determination, are to look for +Happiness or Misery! + + I am, + My Lords and Gentlemen, + Your most obedient, + And devoted humble Servant, + Olaudah Equiano, + or + Gustavus Vassa. + + Union-Street, Mary-le-bone, + March 24, 1789. + + + + +LIST of SUBSCRIBERS. + + + His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. + His Royal Highness the Duke of York. + + + A + + The Right Hon. the Earl of Ailesbury + Admiral Affleck + Mr. William Abington, 2 copies + Mr. John Abraham + James Adair, Esq. + Reverend Mr. Aldridge + Mr. John Almon + Mrs. Arnot + Mr. Joseph Armitage + Mr. Joseph Ashpinshaw + Mr. Samuel Atkins + Mr. John Atwood + Mr. Thomas Atwood + Mr. Ashwell + J.C. Ashworth, Esq. + + + B + + His Grace the Duke of Bedford + Her Grace the Duchess of Buccleugh + The Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Bangor + The Right Hon. Lord Belgrave + The Rev. Doctor Baker + Mrs. Baker + Matthew Baillie, M.D. + Mrs. Baillie + Miss Baillie + Miss J. Baillie + David Barclay, Esq. + Mr. Robert Barrett + Mr. William Barrett + Mr. John Barnes + Mr. John Basnett + Mr. Bateman + Mrs. Baynes, 2 copies + Mr. Thomas Bellamy + Mr. J. Benjafield + Mr. William Bennett + Mr. Bensley + Mr. Samuel Benson + Mrs. Benton + Reverend Mr. Bentley + Mr. Thomas Bently + Sir John Berney, Bart. + Alexander Blair, Esq. + James Bocock, Esq. + Mrs. Bond + Miss Bond + Mrs. Borckhardt + Mrs. E. Bouverie + ---- Brand, Esq. + Mr. Martin Brander + F.J. Brown, Esq. M.P. 2 copies + W. Buttall, Esq. + Mr. Buxton + Mr. R.L.B. + Mr. Thomas Burton, 6 copies + Mr. W. Button + + + C + + The Right Hon. Lord Cathcart + The Right Hon. H.S. Conway + Lady Almiria Carpenter + James Carr, Esq. + Charles Carter, Esq. + Mr. James Chalmers + Captain John Clarkson, of the Royal Navy + The Rev. Mr. Thomas Clarkson, 2 copies + Mr. R. Clay + Mr. William Clout + Mr. George Club + Mr. John Cobb + Miss Calwell + Mr. Thomas Cooper + Richard Cosway, Esq. + Mr. James Coxe + Mr. J.C. + Mr. Croucher + Mr. Cruickshanks + Ottobah Cugoano, or John Stewart + + + D + + The Right Hon. the Earl of Dartmouth + The Right Hon. the Earl of Derby + Sir William Dolben, Bart. + The Reverend C.E. De Coetlogon + John Delamain, Esq. + Mrs. Delamain + Mr. Davis + Mr. William Denton + Mr. T. Dickie + Mr. William Dickson + Mr. Charles Duly, 2 copies + Andrew Drummond, Esq. + Mr. George Durant + + + E + + The Right Hon. the Earl of Essex + The Right Hon. the Countess of Essex + Sir Gilbert Elliot, Bart. 2 copies + Lady Ann Erskine + G. Noel Edwards, Esq. M.P. 2 copies + Mr. Durs Egg + Mr. Ebenezer Evans + The Reverend Mr. John Eyre + Mr. William Eyre + + + F + + Mr. George Fallowdown + Mr. John Fell + F.W. Foster, Esq. + The Reverend Mr. Foster + Mr. J. Frith + W. Fuller, Esq. + + + G + + The Right Hon. the Earl of Gainsborough + The Right Hon. the Earl of Grosvenor + The Right Hon. Viscount Gallway + The Right Hon. Viscountess Gallway + ---- Gardner, Esq. + Mrs. Garrick + Mr. John Gates + Mr. Samuel Gear + Sir Philip Gibbes, Bart. 6 copies + Miss Gibbes + Mr. Edward Gilbert + Mr. Jonathan Gillett + W.P. Gilliess, Esq. + Mrs. Gordon + Mr. Grange + Mr. William Grant + Mr. John Grant + Mr. R. Greening + S. Griffiths + John Grove, Esq. + Mrs. Guerin + Reverend Mr. Gwinep + + + H + + The Right Hon. the Earl of Hopetoun + The Right Hon. Lord Hawke + Right Hon. Dowager Countess of Huntingdon + Thomas Hall, Esq. + Mr. Haley + Hugh Josiah Hansard, Esq. + Mr. Moses Hart + Mrs. Hawkins + Mr. Haysom + Mr. Hearne + Mr. William Hepburn + Mr. J. Hibbert + Mr. Jacob Higman + Sir Richard Hill, Bart. + Reverend Rowland Hill + Miss Hill + Captain John Hills, Royal Navy + Edmund Hill, Esq. + The Reverend Mr. Edward Hoare + William Hodges, Esq. + Reverend Mr. John Holmes, 3 copies + Mr. Martin Hopkins + Mr. Thomas Howell + Mr. R. Huntley + Mr. J. Hunt + Mr. Philip Hurlock, jun. + Mr. Hutson + + + J + + Mr. T.W.J. Esq. + Mr. James Jackson + Mr. John Jackson + Reverend Mr. James + Mrs. Anne Jennings + Mr. Johnson + Mrs. Johnson + Mr. William Jones + Thomas Irving, Esq. 2 copies + Mr. William Justins + + + K + + The Right Hon. Lord Kinnaird + William Kendall, Esq. + Mr. William Ketland + Mr. Edward King + Mr. Thomas Kingston + Reverend Dr. Kippis + Mr. William Kitchener + Mr. John Knight + + + L + + The Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of London + Mr. John Laisne + Mr. Lackington, 6 copies + Mr. John Lamb + Bennet Langton, Esq. + Mr. S. Lee + Mr. Walter Lewis + Mr. J. Lewis + Mr. J. Lindsey + Mr. T. Litchfield + Edward Loveden Loveden, Esq. M.P. + Charles Lloyd, Esq. + Mr. William Lloyd + Mr. J.B. Lucas + Mr. James Luken + Henry Lyte, Esq. + Mrs. Lyon + + + M + + His Grace the Duke of Marlborough + His Grace the Duke of Montague + The Right Hon. Lord Mulgrave + Sir Herbert Mackworth, Bart. + Sir Charles Middleton, Bart. + Lady Middleton + Mr. Thomas Macklane + Mr. George Markett + James Martin, Esq. M.P. + Master Martin, Hayes-Grove, Kent + Mr. William Massey + Mr. Joseph Massingham + John McIntosh, Esq. + Paul Le Mesurier, Esq. M.P. + Mr. James Mewburn + Mr. N. Middleton, + T. Mitchell, Esq. + Mrs. Montague, 2 copies + Miss Hannah More + Mr. George Morrison + Thomas Morris, Esq. + Miss Morris + Morris Morgann, Esq. + + + N + + His Grace the Duke of Northumberland + Captain Nurse + + + O + + Edward Ogle, Esq. + James Ogle, Esq. + Robert Oliver, Esq. + + + P + + Mr. D. Parker, + Mr. W. Parker, + Mr. Richard Packer, jun. + Mr. Parsons, 6 copies + Mr. James Pearse + Mr. J. Pearson + J. Penn, Esq. + George Peters, Esq. + Mr. W. Phillips, + J. Philips, Esq. + Mrs. Pickard + Mr. Charles Pilgrim + The Hon. George Pitt, M.P. + Mr. Thomas Pooley + Patrick Power, Esq. + Mr. Michael Power + Joseph Pratt, Esq. + + + Q + + Robert Quarme, Esq. + + + R + + The Right Hon. Lord Rawdon + The Right Hon. Lord Rivers, 2 copies + Lieutenant General Rainsford + Reverend James Ramsay, 3 copies + Mr. S. Remnant, jun. + Mr. William Richards, 2 copies + Mr. J.C. Robarts + Mr. James Roberts + Dr. Robinson + Mr. Robinson + Mr. C. Robinson + George Rose, Esq. M.P. + Mr. W. Ross + Mr. William Rouse + Mr. Walter Row + + + S + + His Grace the Duke of St. Albans + Her Grace the Duchess of St. Albans + The Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of St. David's + The Right Hon. Earl Stanhope, 3 copies + The Right Hon. the Earl of Scarbrough + William, the Son of Ignatius Sancho + Mrs. Mary Ann Sandiford + Mr. William Sawyer + Mr. Thomas Seddon + W. Seward, Esq. + Reverend Mr. Thomas Scott + Granville Sharp, Esq. 2 copies + Captain Sidney Smith, of the Royal Navy + Colonel Simcoe + Mr. John Simco + General Smith + John Smith, Esq. + Mr. George Smith + Mr. William Smith + Reverend Mr. Southgate + Mr. William Starkey + Thomas Steel, Esq. M.P. + Mr. Staples Steare + Mr. Joseph Stewardson + Mr. Henry Stone, jun. 2 copies + John Symmons, Esq. + + + T + + Henry Thornton, Esq. M.P. + Mr. Alexander Thomson, M.D. + Reverend John Till + Mr. Samuel Townly + Mr. Daniel Trinder + Reverend Mr. C. La Trobe + Clement Tudway, Esq. + Mrs. Twisden + + + U + + Mr. M. Underwood + + + V + + Mr. John Vaughan + Mrs. Vendt + + + W + + The Right Hon. Earl of Warnick + The Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Worcester + The Hon. William Windham, Esq. M.P. + Mr. C.B. Wadstrom + Mr. George Walne + Reverend Mr. Ward + Mr. S. Warren + Mr. J. Waugh + Josiah Wedgwood, Esq. + Reverend Mr. John Wesley + Mr. J. Wheble + Samuel Whitbread, Esq. M.P. + Reverend Thomas Wigzell + Mr. W. Wilson + Reverend Mr. Wills + Mr. Thomas Wimsett + Mr. William Winchester + John Wollaston, Esq. + Mr. Charles Wood + Mr. Joseph Woods + Mr. John Wood + J. Wright, Esq. + + + Y + + Mr. Thomas Young + Mr. Samuel Yockney + + + + +CONTENTS + + + CHAP. I. + + The author's account of his country, their manners and + customs, &c. + + + CHAP. II. + + The author's birth and parentage--His being kidnapped + with his sister--Horrors of a slave ship + + + CHAP. III. + + The author is carried to Virginia--Arrives in England--His + wonder at a fall of snow + + + CHAP. IV. + + A particular account of the celebrated engagement + between Admiral Boscawen and Monsieur Le Clue + + + CHAP. V. + + Various interesting instances of oppression, cruelty, and + extortion + + + CHAP. VI. + + Favourable change in the author's situation--He + commences merchant with threepence + + + CHAP. VII. + + The author's disgust at the West Indies--Forms + schemes to obtain his freedom + + + CHAP. VIII. + + Three remarkable dreams--The author is shipwrecked + on the Bahama-bank + + + CHAP. IX. + + The author arrives at Martinico--Meets with new + difficulties, and sails for England + + + CHAP. X. + + Some account of the manner of the author's conversion to + the faith of Jesus Christ + + + CHAP. XI. + + Picking up eleven miserable men at sea in returning to + England + + CHAP. XII. + + Different transactions of the author's life--Petition to the + Queen--Conclusion + + + + +THE LIFE, &c. + + + + +CHAPTER I. + + _The author's account of his country, and their manners and + customs--Administration of justice--Embrenche--Marriage + ceremony, and public entertainments--Mode of + living--Dress--Manufactures + Buildings--Commerce--Agriculture--War and + religion--Superstition of the natives--Funeral ceremonies of + the priests or magicians--Curious mode of discovering + poison--Some hints concerning the origin of the author's + countrymen, with the opinions of different writers on that + subject._ + + +I believe it is difficult for those who publish their own memoirs to +escape the imputation of vanity; nor is this the only disadvantage +under which they labour: it is also their misfortune, that what is +uncommon is rarely, if ever, believed, and what is obvious we are apt +to turn from with disgust, and to charge the writer with impertinence. +People generally think those memoirs only worthy to be read or +remembered which abound in great or striking events, those, in short, +which in a high degree excite either admiration or pity: all others +they consign to contempt and oblivion. It is therefore, I confess, not +a little hazardous in a private and obscure individual, and a stranger +too, thus to solicit the indulgent attention of the public; especially +when I own I offer here the history of neither a saint, a hero, nor a +tyrant. I believe there are few events in my life, which have not +happened to many: it is true the incidents of it are numerous; and, +did I consider myself an European, I might say my sufferings were +great: but when I compare my lot with that of most of my countrymen, I +regard myself as a _particular favourite of Heaven_, and acknowledge +the mercies of Providence in every occurrence of my life. If then the +following narrative does not appear sufficiently interesting to engage +general attention, let my motive be some excuse for its publication. I +am not so foolishly vain as to expect from it either immortality or +literary reputation. If it affords any satisfaction to my numerous +friends, at whose request it has been written, or in the smallest +degree promotes the interests of humanity, the ends for which it was +undertaken will be fully attained, and every wish of my heart +gratified. Let it therefore be remembered, that, in wishing to avoid +censure, I do not aspire to praise. + +That part of Africa, known by the name of Guinea, to which the trade +for slaves is carried on, extends along the coast above 3400 miles, +from the Senegal to Angola, and includes a variety of kingdoms. Of +these the most considerable is the kingdom of Benen, both as to extent +and wealth, the richness and cultivation of the soil, the power of its +king, and the number and warlike disposition of the inhabitants. It is +situated nearly under the line, and extends along the coast about 170 +miles, but runs back into the interior part of Africa to a distance +hitherto I believe unexplored by any traveller; and seems only +terminated at length by the empire of Abyssinia, near 1500 miles from +its beginning. This kingdom is divided into many provinces or +districts: in one of the most remote and fertile of which, called +Eboe, I was born, in the year 1745, in a charming fruitful vale, named +Essaka. The distance of this province from the capital of Benin and +the sea coast must be very considerable; for I had never heard of +white men or Europeans, nor of the sea: and our subjection to the king +of Benin was little more than nominal; for every transaction of the +government, as far as my slender observation extended, was conducted +by the chiefs or elders of the place. The manners and government of a +people who have little commerce with other countries are generally +very simple; and the history of what passes in one family or village +may serve as a specimen of a nation. My father was one of those elders +or chiefs I have spoken of, and was styled Embrenche; a term, as I +remember, importing the highest distinction, and signifying in our +language a _mark_ of grandeur. This mark is conferred on the person +entitled to it, by cutting the skin across at the top of the forehead, +and drawing it down to the eye-brows; and while it is in this +situation applying a warm hand, and rubbing it until it shrinks up +into a thick _weal_ across the lower part of the forehead. Most of the +judges and senators were thus marked; my father had long born it: I +had seen it conferred on one of my brothers, and I was also +_destined_ to receive it by my parents. Those Embrence, or chief men, +decided disputes and punished crimes; for which purpose they always +assembled together. The proceedings were generally short; and in most +cases the law of retaliation prevailed. I remember a man was brought +before my father, and the other judges, for kidnapping a boy; and, +although he was the son of a chief or senator, he was condemned to +make recompense by a man or woman slave. Adultery, however, was +sometimes punished with slavery or death; a punishment which I believe +is inflicted on it throughout most of the nations of Africa[A]: so +sacred among them is the honour of the marriage bed, and so jealous +are they of the fidelity of their wives. Of this I recollect an +instance:--a woman was convicted before the judges of adultery, and +delivered over, as the custom was, to her husband to be punished. +Accordingly he determined to put her to death: but it being found, +just before her execution, that she had an infant at her breast; and +no woman being prevailed on to perform the part of a nurse, she was +spared on account of the child. The men, however, do not preserve the +same constancy to their wives, which they expect from them; for they +indulge in a plurality, though seldom in more than two. Their mode of +marriage is thus:--both parties are usually betrothed when young by +their parents, (though I have known the males to betroth themselves). +On this occasion a feast is prepared, and the bride and bridegroom +stand up in the midst of all their friends, who are assembled for the +purpose, while he declares she is thenceforth to be looked upon as his +wife, and that no other person is to pay any addresses to her. This is +also immediately proclaimed in the vicinity, on which the bride +retires from the assembly. Some time after she is brought home to her +husband, and then another feast is made, to which the relations of +both parties are invited: her parents then deliver her to the +bridegroom, accompanied with a number of blessings, and at the same +time they tie round her waist a cotton string of the thickness of a +goose-quill, which none but married women are permitted to wear: she +is now considered as completely his wife; and at this time the dowry +is given to the new married pair, which generally consists of portions +of land, slaves, and cattle, household goods, and implements of +husbandry. These are offered by the friends of both parties; besides +which the parents of the bridegroom present gifts to those of the +bride, whose property she is looked upon before marriage; but after it +she is esteemed the sole property of her husband. The ceremony being +now ended the festival begins, which is celebrated with bonefires, and +loud acclamations of joy, accompanied with music and dancing. + +We are almost a nation of dancers, musicians, and poets. Thus every +great event, such as a triumphant return from battle, or other cause +of public rejoicing is celebrated in public dances, which are +accompanied with songs and music suited to the occasion. The assembly +is separated into four divisions, which dance either apart or in +succession, and each with a character peculiar to itself. The first +division contains the married men, who in their dances frequently +exhibit feats of arms, and the representation of a battle. To these +succeed the married women, who dance in the second division. The young +men occupy the third; and the maidens the fourth. Each represents some +interesting scene of real life, such as a great achievement, domestic +employment, a pathetic story, or some rural sport; and as the subject +is generally founded on some recent event, it is therefore ever new. +This gives our dances a spirit and variety which I have scarcely seen +elsewhere[B]. We have many musical instruments, particularly drums of +different kinds, a piece of music which resembles a guitar, and +another much like a stickado. These last are chiefly used by betrothed +virgins, who play on them on all grand festivals. + +As our manners are simple, our luxuries are few. The dress of both +sexes is nearly the same. It generally consists of a long piece of +callico, or muslin, wrapped loosely round the body, somewhat in the +form of a highland plaid. This is usually dyed blue, which is our +favourite colour. It is extracted from a berry, and is brighter and +richer than any I have seen in Europe. Besides this, our women of +distinction wear golden ornaments; which they dispose with some +profusion on their arms and legs. When our women are not employed with +the men in tillage, their usual occupation is spinning and weaving +cotton, which they afterwards dye, and make it into garments. They +also manufacture earthen vessels, of which we have many kinds. Among +the rest tobacco pipes, made after the same fashion, and used in the +same manner, as those in Turkey[C]. + +Our manner of living is entirely plain; for as yet the natives are +unacquainted with those refinements in cookery which debauch the +taste: bullocks, goats, and poultry, supply the greatest part of their +food. These constitute likewise the principal wealth of the country, +and the chief articles of its commerce. The flesh is usually stewed in +a pan; to make it savoury we sometimes use also pepper, and other +spices, and we have salt made of wood ashes. Our vegetables are mostly +plantains, eadas, yams, beans, and Indian corn. The head of the family +usually eats alone; his wives and slaves have also their separate +tables. Before we taste food we always wash our hands: indeed our +cleanliness on all occasions is extreme; but on this it is an +indispensable ceremony. After washing, libation is made, by pouring +out a small portion of the food, in a certain place, for the spirits +of departed relations, which the natives suppose to preside over their +conduct, and guard them from evil. They are totally unacquainted with +strong or spirituous liquours; and their principal beverage is palm +wine. This is gotten from a tree of that name by tapping it at the +top, and fastening a large gourd to it; and sometimes one tree will +yield three or four gallons in a night. When just drawn it is of a +most delicious sweetness; but in a few days it acquires a tartish and +more spirituous flavour: though I never saw any one intoxicated by it. +The same tree also produces nuts and oil. Our principal luxury is in +perfumes; one sort of these is an odoriferous wood of delicious +fragrance: the other a kind of earth; a small portion of which thrown +into the fire diffuses a most powerful odour[D]. We beat this wood +into powder, and mix it with palm oil; with which both men and women +perfume themselves. + +In our buildings we study convenience rather than ornament. Each +master of a family has a large square piece of ground, surrounded with +a moat or fence, or enclosed with a wall made of red earth tempered; +which, when dry, is as hard as brick. Within this are his houses to +accommodate his family and slaves; which, if numerous, frequently +present the appearance of a village. In the middle stands the +principal building, appropriated to the sole use of the master, and +consisting of two apartments; in one of which he sits in the day with +his family, the other is left apart for the reception of his friends. +He has besides these a distinct apartment in which he sleeps, together +with his male children. On each side are the apartments of his wives, +who have also their separate day and night houses. The habitations of +the slaves and their families are distributed throughout the rest of +the enclosure. These houses never exceed one story in height: they are +always built of wood, or stakes driven into the ground, crossed with +wattles, and neatly plastered within, and without. The roof is +thatched with reeds. Our day-houses are left open at the sides; but +those in which we sleep are always covered, and plastered in the +inside, with a composition mixed with cow-dung, to keep off the +different insects, which annoy us during the night. The walls and +floors also of these are generally covered with mats. Our beds consist +of a platform, raised three or four feet from the ground, on which are +laid skins, and different parts of a spungy tree called plaintain. Our +covering is calico or muslin, the same as our dress. The usual seats +are a few logs of wood; but we have benches, which are generally +perfumed, to accommodate strangers: these compose the greater part of +our household furniture. Houses so constructed and furnished require +but little skill to erect them. Every man is a sufficient architect +for the purpose. The whole neighbourhood afford their unanimous +assistance in building them and in return receive, and expect no other +recompense than a feast. + +As we live in a country where nature is prodigal of her favours, our +wants are few and easily supplied; of course we have few manufactures. +They consist for the most part of calicoes, earthern ware, ornaments, +and instruments of war and husbandry. But these make no part of our +commerce, the principal articles of which, as I have observed, are +provisions. In such a state money is of little use; however we have +some small pieces of coin, if I may call them such. They are made +something like an anchor; but I do not remember either their value or +denomination. We have also markets, at which I have been frequently +with my mother. These are sometimes visited by stout mahogany-coloured +men from the south west of us: we call them Oye-Eboe, which term +signifies red men living at a distance. They generally bring us +fire-arms, gunpowder, hats, beads, and dried fish. The last we +esteemed a great rarity, as our waters were only brooks and springs. +These articles they barter with us for odoriferous woods and earth, +and our salt of wood ashes. They always carry slaves through our land; +but the strictest account is exacted of their manner of procuring them +before they are suffered to pass. Sometimes indeed we sold slaves to +them, but they were only prisoners of war, or such among us as had +been convicted of kidnapping, or adultery, and some other crimes, +which we esteemed heinous. This practice of kidnapping induces me to +think, that, notwithstanding all our strictness, their principal +business among us was to trepan our people. I remember too they +carried great sacks along with them, which not long after I had an +opportunity of fatally seeing applied to that infamous purpose. + +Our land is uncommonly rich and fruitful, and produces all kinds of +vegetables in great abundance. We have plenty of Indian corn, and vast +quantities of cotton and tobacco. Our pine apples grow without +culture; they are about the size of the largest sugar-loaf, and finely +flavoured. We have also spices of different kinds, particularly +pepper; and a variety of delicious fruits which I have never seen in +Europe; together with gums of various kinds, and honey in abundance. +All our industry is exerted to improve those blessings of nature. +Agriculture is our chief employment; and every one, even the children +and women, are engaged in it. Thus we are all habituated to labour +from our earliest years. Every one contributes something to the common +stock; and as we are unacquainted with idleness, we have no beggars. +The benefits of such a mode of living are obvious. The West India +planters prefer the slaves of Benin or Eboe to those of any other part +of Guinea, for their hardiness, intelligence, integrity, and zeal. +Those benefits are felt by us in the general healthiness of the +people, and in their vigour and activity; I might have added too in +their comeliness. Deformity is indeed unknown amongst us, I mean that +of shape. Numbers of the natives of Eboe now in London might be +brought in support of this assertion: for, in regard to complexion, +ideas of beauty are wholly relative. I remember while in Africa to +have seen three negro children, who were tawny, and another quite +white, who were universally regarded by myself, and the natives in +general, as far as related to their complexions, as deformed. Our +women too were in my eyes at least uncommonly graceful, alert, and +modest to a degree of bashfulness; nor do I remember to have ever +heard of an instance of incontinence amongst them before marriage. +They are also remarkably cheerful. Indeed cheerfulness and affability +are two of the leading characteristics of our nation. + +Our tillage is exercised in a large plain or common, some hours walk +from our dwellings, and all the neighbours resort thither in a body. +They use no beasts of husbandry; and their only instruments are hoes, +axes, shovels, and beaks, or pointed iron to dig with. Sometimes we +are visited by locusts, which come in large clouds, so as to darken +the air, and destroy our harvest. This however happens rarely, but +when it does, a famine is produced by it. I remember an instance or +two wherein this happened. This common is often the theatre of war; +and therefore when our people go out to till their land, they not only +go in a body, but generally take their arms with them for fear of a +surprise; and when they apprehend an invasion they guard the avenues +to their dwellings, by driving sticks into the ground, which are so +sharp at one end as to pierce the foot, and are generally dipt in +poison. From what I can recollect of these battles, they appear to +have been irruptions of one little state or district on the other, to +obtain prisoners or booty. Perhaps they were incited to this by those +traders who brought the European goods I mentioned amongst us. Such a +mode of obtaining slaves in Africa is common; and I believe more are +procured this way, and by kidnapping, than any other[E]. When a trader +wants slaves, he applies to a chief for them, and tempts him with his +wares. It is not extraordinary, if on this occasion he yields to the +temptation with as little firmness, and accepts the price of his +fellow creatures liberty with as little reluctance as the enlightened +merchant. Accordingly he falls on his neighbours, and a desperate +battle ensues. If he prevails and takes prisoners, he gratifies his +avarice by selling them; but, if his party be vanquished, and he falls +into the hands of the enemy, he is put to death: for, as he has been +known to foment their quarrels, it is thought dangerous to let him +survive, and no ransom can save him, though all other prisoners may be +redeemed. We have fire-arms, bows and arrows, broad two-edged swords +and javelins: we have shields also which cover a man from head to +foot. All are taught the use of these weapons; even our women are +warriors, and march boldly out to fight along with the men. Our whole +district is a kind of militia: on a certain signal given, such as the +firing of a gun at night, they all rise in arms and rush upon their +enemy. It is perhaps something remarkable, that when our people march +to the field a red flag or banner is borne before them. I was once a +witness to a battle in our common. We had been all at work in it one +day as usual, when our people were suddenly attacked. I climbed a tree +at some distance, from which I beheld the fight. There were many women +as well as men on both sides; among others my mother was there, and +armed with a broad sword. After fighting for a considerable time with +great fury, and after many had been killed our people obtained the +victory, and took their enemy's Chief prisoner. He was carried off in +great triumph, and, though he offered a large ransom for his life, he +was put to death. A virgin of note among our enemies had been slain in +the battle, and her arm was exposed in our market-place, where our +trophies were always exhibited. The spoils were divided according to +the merit of the warriors. Those prisoners which were not sold or +redeemed we kept as slaves: but how different was their condition from +that of the slaves in the West Indies! With us they do no more work +than other members of the community, even their masters; their food, +clothing and lodging were nearly the same as theirs, (except that they +were not permitted to eat with those who were free-born); and there +was scarce any other difference between them, than a superior degree +of importance which the head of a family possesses in our state, and +that authority which, as such, he exercises over every part of his +household. Some of these slaves have even slaves under them as their +own property, and for their own use. + +As to religion, the natives believe that there is one Creator of all +things, and that he lives in the sun, and is girted round with a belt +that he may never eat or drink; but, according to some, he smokes a +pipe, which is our own favourite luxury. They believe he governs +events, especially our deaths or captivity; but, as for the doctrine +of eternity, I do not remember to have ever heard of it: some however +believe in the transmigration of souls in a certain degree. Those +spirits, which are not transmigrated, such as our dear friends or +relations, they believe always attend them, and guard them from the +bad spirits or their foes. For this reason they always before eating, +as I have observed, put some small portion of the meat, and pour some +of their drink, on the ground for them; and they often make oblations +of the blood of beasts or fowls at their graves. I was very fond of my +mother, and almost constantly with her. When she went to make these +oblations at her mother's tomb, which was a kind of small solitary +thatched house, I sometimes attended her. There she made her +libations, and spent most of the night in cries and lamentations. I +have been often extremely terrified on these occasions. The loneliness +of the place, the darkness of the night, and the ceremony of libation, +naturally awful and gloomy, were heightened by my mother's +lamentations; and these, concuring with the cries of doleful birds, by +which these places were frequented, gave an inexpressible terror to +the scene. + +We compute the year from the day on which the sun crosses the line, +and on its setting that evening there is a general shout throughout +the land; at least I can speak from my own knowledge throughout our +vicinity. The people at the same time make a great noise with rattles, +not unlike the basket rattles used by children here, though much +larger, and hold up their hands to heaven for a blessing. It is then +the greatest offerings are made; and those children whom our wise men +foretel will be fortunate are then presented to different people. I +remember many used to come to see me, and I was carried about to +others for that purpose. They have many offerings, particularly at +full moons; generally two at harvest before the fruits are taken out +of the ground: and when any young animals are killed, sometimes they +offer up part of them as a sacrifice. These offerings, when made by +one of the heads of a family, serve for the whole. I remember we often +had them at my father's and my uncle's, and their families have been +present. Some of our offerings are eaten with bitter herbs. We had a +saying among us to any one of a cross temper, 'That if they were to be +eaten, they should be eaten with bitter herbs.' + +We practised circumcision like the Jews, and made offerings and feasts +on that occasion in the same manner as they did. Like them also, our +children were named from some event, some circumstance, or fancied +foreboding at the time of their birth. I was named _Olaudah_, which, +in our language, signifies vicissitude or fortune also, one favoured, +and having a loud voice and well spoken. I remember we never polluted +the name of the object of our adoration; on the contrary, it was +always mentioned with the greatest reverence; and we were totally +unacquainted with swearing, and all those terms of abuse and reproach +which find their way so readily and copiously into the languages of +more civilized people. The only expressions of that kind I remember +were 'May you rot, or may you swell, or may a beast take you.' + +I have before remarked that the natives of this part of Africa are +extremely cleanly. This necessary habit of decency was with us a part +of religion, and therefore we had many purifications and washings; +indeed almost as many, and used on the same occasions, if my +recollection does not fail me, as the Jews. Those that touched the +dead at any time were obliged to wash and purify themselves before +they could enter a dwelling-house. Every woman too, at certain times, +was forbidden to come into a dwelling-house, or touch any person, or +any thing we ate. I was so fond of my mother I could not keep from +her, or avoid touching her at some of those periods, in consequence of +which I was obliged to be kept out with her, in a little house made +for that purpose, till offering was made, and then we were purified. + +Though we had no places of public worship, we had priests and +magicians, or wise men. I do not remember whether they had different +offices, or whether they were united in the same persons, but they +were held in great reverence by the people. They calculated our time, +and foretold events, as their name imported, for we called them +Ah-affoe-way-cah, which signifies calculators or yearly men, our year +being called Ah-affoe. They wore their beards, and when they died they +were succeeded by their sons. Most of their implements and things of +value were interred along with them. Pipes and tobacco were also put +into the grave with the corpse, which was always perfumed and +ornamented, and animals were offered in sacrifice to them. None +accompanied their funerals but those of the same profession or tribe. +These buried them after sunset, and always returned from the grave by +a different way from that which they went. + +These magicians were also our doctors or physicians. They practised +bleeding by cupping; and were very successful in healing wounds and +expelling poisons. They had likewise some extraordinary method of +discovering jealousy, theft, and poisoning; the success of which no +doubt they derived from their unbounded influence over the credulity +and superstition of the people. I do not remember what those methods +were, except that as to poisoning: I recollect an instance or two, +which I hope it will not be deemed impertinent here to insert, as it +may serve as a kind of specimen of the rest, and is still used by the +negroes in the West Indies. A virgin had been poisoned, but it was not +known by whom: the doctors ordered the corpse to be taken up by some +persons, and carried to the grave. As soon as the bearers had raised +it on their shoulders, they seemed seized with some[F] sudden +impulse, and ran to and fro unable to stop themselves. At last, after +having passed through a number of thorns and prickly bushes unhurt, +the corpse fell from them close to a house, and defaced it in the +fall; and, the owner being taken up, he immediately confessed the +poisoning[G]. + +The natives are extremely cautious about poison. When they buy any +eatable the seller kisses it all round before the buyer, to shew him +it is not poisoned; and the same is done when any meat or drink is +presented, particularly to a stranger. We have serpents of different +kinds, some of which are esteemed ominous when they appear in our +houses, and these we never molest. I remember two of those ominous +snakes, each of which was as thick as the calf of a man's leg, and in +colour resembling a dolphin in the water, crept at different times +into my mother's night-house, where I always lay with her, and coiled +themselves into folds, and each time they crowed like a cock. I was +desired by some of our wise men to touch these, that I might be +interested in the good omens, which I did, for they were quite +harmless, and would tamely suffer themselves to be handled; and then +they were put into a large open earthen pan, and set on one side of +the highway. Some of our snakes, however, were poisonous: one of them +crossed the road one day when I was standing on it, and passed between +my feet without offering to touch me, to the great surprise of many +who saw it; and these incidents were accounted by the wise men, and +therefore by my mother and the rest of the people, as remarkable omens +in my favour. + +Such is the imperfect sketch my memory has furnished me with of the +manners and customs of a people among whom I first drew my breath. And +here I cannot forbear suggesting what has long struck me very +forcibly, namely, the strong analogy which even by this sketch, +imperfect as it is, appears to prevail in the manners and customs of +my countrymen and those of the Jews, before they reached the Land of +Promise, and particularly the patriarchs while they were yet in that +pastoral state which is described in Genesis--an analogy, which alone +would induce me to think that the one people had sprung from the +other. Indeed this is the opinion of Dr. Gill, who, in his commentary +on Genesis, very ably deduces the pedigree of the Africans from Afer +and Afra, the descendants of Abraham by Keturah his wife and concubine +(for both these titles are applied to her). It is also conformable to +the sentiments of Dr. John Clarke, formerly Dean of Sarum, in his +Truth of the Christian Religion: both these authors concur in +ascribing to us this original. The reasonings of these gentlemen are +still further confirmed by the scripture chronology; and if any +further corroboration were required, this resemblance in so many +respects is a strong evidence in support of the opinion. Like the +Israelites in their primitive state, our government was conducted by +our chiefs or judges, our wise men and elders; and the head of a +family with us enjoyed a similar authority over his household with +that which is ascribed to Abraham and the other patriarchs. The law of +retaliation obtained almost universally with us as with them: and even +their religion appeared to have shed upon us a ray of its glory, +though broken and spent in its passage, or eclipsed by the cloud with +which time, tradition, and ignorance might have enveloped it; for we +had our circumcision (a rule I believe peculiar to that people:) we +had also our sacrifices and burnt-offerings, our washings and +purifications, on the same occasions as they had. + +As to the difference of colour between the Eboan Africans and the +modern Jews, I shall not presume to account for it. It is a subject +which has engaged the pens of men of both genius and learning, and is +far above my strength. The most able and Reverend Mr. T. Clarkson, +however, in his much admired Essay on the Slavery and Commerce of the +Human Species, has ascertained the cause, in a manner that at once +solves every objection on that account, and, on my mind at least, has +produced the fullest conviction. I shall therefore refer to that +performance for the theory[H], contenting myself with extracting a +fact as related by Dr. Mitchel[I]. "The Spaniards, who have inhabited +America, under the torrid zone, for any time, are become as dark +coloured as our native Indians of Virginia; of which _I myself have +been a witness_." There is also another instance[J] of a Portuguese +settlement at Mitomba, a river in Sierra Leona; where the inhabitants +are bred from a mixture of the first Portuguese discoverers with the +natives, and are now become in their complexion, and in the woolly +quality of their hair, _perfect negroes_, retaining however a +smattering of the Portuguese language. + +These instances, and a great many more which might be adduced, while +they shew how the complexions of the same persons vary in different +climates, it is hoped may tend also to remove the prejudice that some +conceive against the natives of Africa on account of their colour. +Surely the minds of the Spaniards did not change with their +complexions! Are there not causes enough to which the apparent +inferiority of an African may be ascribed, without limiting the +goodness of God, and supposing he forbore to stamp understanding on +certainly his own image, because "carved in ebony." Might it not +naturally be ascribed to their situation? When they come among +Europeans, they are ignorant of their language, religion, manners, and +customs. Are any pains taken to teach them these? Are they treated as +men? Does not slavery itself depress the mind, and extinguish all its +fire and every noble sentiment? But, above all, what advantages do not +a refined people possess over those who are rude and uncultivated. Let +the polished and haughty European recollect that his ancestors were +once, like the Africans, uncivilized, and even barbarous. Did Nature +make _them_ inferior to their sons? and should _they too_ have been +made slaves? Every rational mind answers, No. Let such reflections as +these melt the pride of their superiority into sympathy for the wants +and miseries of their sable brethren, and compel them to acknowledge, +that understanding is not confined to feature or colour. If, when they +look round the world, they feel exultation, let it be tempered with +benevolence to others, and gratitude to God, "who hath made of one +blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth[K]; +and whose wisdom is not our wisdom, neither are our ways his ways." + +FOOTNOTES: + +[Footnote A: See Benezet's "Account of Guinea" throughout.] + +[Footnote B: When I was in Smyrna I have frequently seen the Greeks +dance after this manner.] + +[Footnote C: The bowl is earthen, curiously figured, to which a long +reed is fixed as a tube. This tube is sometimes so long as to be born +by one, and frequently out of grandeur by two boys.] + +[Footnote D: When I was in Smyrna I saw the same kind of earth, and +brought some of it with me to England; it resembles musk in strength, +but is more delicious in scent, and is not unlike the smell of a +rose.] + +[Footnote E: See Benezet's Account of Africa throughout.] + +[Footnote F: See also Leut. Matthew's Voyage, p. 123.] + +[Footnote G: An instance of this kind happened at Montserrat in the +West Indies in the year 1763. I then belonged to the Charming Sally, +Capt. Doran.--The chief mate, Mr. Mansfield, and some of the crew +being one day on shore, were present at the burying of a poisoned +negro girl. Though they had often heard of the circumstance of the +running in such cases, and had even seen it, they imagined it to be a +trick of the corpse-bearers. The mate therefore desired two of the +sailors to take up the coffin, and carry it to the grave. The sailors, +who were all of the same opinion, readily obeyed; but they had +scarcely raised it to their shoulders, before they began to run +furiously about, quite unable to direct themselves, till, at last, +without intention, they came to the hut of him who had poisoned the +girl. The coffin then immediately fell from their shoulders against +the hut, and damaged part of the wall. The owner of the hut was taken +into custody on this, and confessed the poisoning.--I give this story +as it was related by the mate and crew on their return to the ship. +The credit which is due to it I leave with the reader.] + +[Footnote H: Page 178 to 216.] + +[Footnote I: Philos. Trans. Nº 476, Sect. 4, cited by Mr. Clarkson, p. +205.] + +[Footnote J: Same page.] + +[Footnote K: Acts, c. xvii. v. 26.] + + + + +CHAP. II. + + _The author's birth and parentage--His being kidnapped with + his sister--Their separation--Surprise at meeting again--Are + finally separated--Account of the different places and + incidents the author met with till his arrival on the + coast--The effect the sight of a slave ship had on him--He + sails for the West Indies--Horrors of a slave ship--Arrives + at Barbadoes, where the cargo is sold and dispersed._ + + +I hope the reader will not think I have trespassed on his +patience in introducing myself to him with some account of the manners +and customs of my country. They had been implanted in me with great +care, and made an impression on my mind, which time could not erase, +and which all the adversity and variety of fortune I have since +experienced served only to rivet and record; for, whether the love of +one's country be real or imaginary, or a lesson of reason, or an +instinct of nature, I still look back with pleasure on the first +scenes of my life, though that pleasure has been for the most part +mingled with sorrow. + +I have already acquainted the reader with the time and place of my +birth. My father, besides many slaves, had a numerous family, of which +seven lived to grow up, including myself and a sister, who was the +only daughter. As I was the youngest of the sons, I became, of course, +the greatest favourite with my mother, and was always with her; and +she used to take particular pains to form my mind. I was trained up +from my earliest years in the art of war; my daily exercise was +shooting and throwing javelins; and my mother adorned me with emblems, +after the manner of our greatest warriors. In this way I grew up till +I was turned the age of eleven, when an end was put to my happiness in +the following manner:--Generally when the grown people in the +neighbourhood were gone far in the fields to labour, the children +assembled together in some of the neighbours' premises to play; and +commonly some of us used to get up a tree to look out for any +assailant, or kidnapper, that might come upon us; for they sometimes +took those opportunities of our parents' absence to attack and carry +off as many as they could seize. One day, as I was watching at the top +of a tree in our yard, I saw one of those people come into the yard of +our next neighbour but one, to kidnap, there being many stout young +people in it. Immediately on this I gave the alarm of the rogue, and +he was surrounded by the stoutest of them, who entangled him with +cords, so that he could not escape till some of the grown people came +and secured him. But alas! ere long it was my fate to be thus +attacked, and to be carried off, when none of the grown people were +nigh. One day, when all our people were gone out to their works as +usual, and only I and my dear sister were left to mind the house, two +men and a woman got over our walls, and in a moment seized us both, +and, without giving us time to cry out, or make resistance, they +stopped our mouths, and ran off with us into the nearest wood. Here +they tied our hands, and continued to carry us as far as they could, +till night came on, when we reached a small house, where the robbers +halted for refreshment, and spent the night. We were then unbound, but +were unable to take any food; and, being quite overpowered by fatigue +and grief, our only relief was some sleep, which allayed our +misfortune for a short time. The next morning we left the house, and +continued travelling all the day. For a long time we had kept the +woods, but at last we came into a road which I believed I knew. I had +now some hopes of being delivered; for we had advanced but a little +way before I discovered some people at a distance, on which I began to +cry out for their assistance: but my cries had no other effect than to +make them tie me faster and stop my mouth, and then they put me into a +large sack. They also stopped my sister's mouth, and tied her hands; +and in this manner we proceeded till we were out of the sight of these +people. When we went to rest the following night they offered us some +victuals; but we refused it; and the only comfort we had was in being +in one another's arms all that night, and bathing each other with our +tears. But alas! we were soon deprived of even the small comfort of +weeping together. The next day proved a day of greater sorrow than I +had yet experienced; for my sister and I were then separated, while we +lay clasped in each other's arms. It was in vain that we besought them +not to part us; she was torn from me, and immediately carried away, +while I was left in a state of distraction not to be described. I +cried and grieved continually; and for several days I did not eat any +thing but what they forced into my mouth. At length, after many days +travelling, during which I had often changed masters, I got into the +hands of a chieftain, in a very pleasant country. This man had two +wives and some children, and they all used me extremely well, and did +all they could to comfort me; particularly the first wife, who was +something like my mother. Although I was a great many days journey +from my father's house, yet these people spoke exactly the same +language with us. This first master of mine, as I may call him, was a +smith, and my principal employment was working his bellows, which were +the same kind as I had seen in my vicinity. They were in some respects +not unlike the stoves here in gentlemen's kitchens; and were covered +over with leather; and in the middle of that leather a stick was +fixed, and a person stood up, and worked it, in the same manner as is +done to pump water out of a cask with a hand pump. I believe it was +gold he worked, for it was of a lovely bright yellow colour, and was +worn by the women on their wrists and ancles. I was there I suppose +about a month, and they at last used to trust me some little distance +from the house. This liberty I used in embracing every opportunity to +inquire the way to my own home: and I also sometimes, for the same +purpose, went with the maidens, in the cool of the evenings, to bring +pitchers of water from the springs for the use of the house. I had +also remarked where the sun rose in the morning, and set in the +evening, as I had travelled along; and I had observed that my father's +house was towards the rising of the sun. I therefore determined to +seize the first opportunity of making my escape, and to shape my +course for that quarter; for I was quite oppressed and weighed down by +grief after my mother and friends; and my love of liberty, ever great, +was strengthened by the mortifying circumstance of not daring to eat +with the free-born children, although I was mostly their companion. +While I was projecting my escape, one day an unlucky event happened, +which quite disconcerted my plan, and put an end to my hopes. I used +to be sometimes employed in assisting an elderly woman slave to cook +and take care of the poultry; and one morning, while I was feeding +some chickens, I happened to toss a small pebble at one of them, +which hit it on the middle and directly killed it. The old slave, +having soon after missed the chicken, inquired after it; and on my +relating the accident (for I told her the truth, because my mother +would never suffer me to tell a lie) she flew into a violent passion, +threatened that I should suffer for it; and, my master being out, she +immediately went and told her mistress what I had done. This alarmed +me very much, and I expected an instant flogging, which to me was +uncommonly dreadful; for I had seldom been beaten at home. I therefore +resolved to fly; and accordingly I ran into a thicket that was hard +by, and hid myself in the bushes. Soon afterwards my mistress and the +slave returned, and, not seeing me, they searched all the house, but +not finding me, and I not making answer when they called to me, they +thought I had run away, and the whole neighbourhood was raised in the +pursuit of me. In that part of the country (as in ours) the houses and +villages were skirted with woods, or shrubberies, and the bushes were +so thick that a man could readily conceal himself in them, so as to +elude the strictest search. The neighbours continued the whole day +looking for me, and several times many of them came within a few yards +of the place where I lay hid. I then gave myself up for lost entirely, +and expected every moment, when I heard a rustling among the trees, to +be found out, and punished by my master: but they never discovered me, +though they were often so near that I even heard their conjectures as +they were looking about for me; and I now learned from them, that any +attempt to return home would be hopeless. Most of them supposed I had +fled towards home; but the distance was so great, and the way so +intricate, that they thought I could never reach it, and that I should +be lost in the woods. When I heard this I was seized with a violent +panic, and abandoned myself to despair. Night too began to approach, +and aggravated all my fears. I had before entertained hopes of getting +home, and I had determined when it should be dark to make the attempt; +but I was now convinced it was fruitless, and I began to consider +that, if possibly I could escape all other animals, I could not those +of the human kind; and that, not knowing the way, I must perish in the +woods. Thus was I like the hunted deer: + + --"Ev'ry leaf and ev'ry whisp'ring breath + Convey'd a foe, and ev'ry foe a death." + +I heard frequent rustlings among the leaves; and being pretty sure +they were snakes I expected every instant to be stung by them. This +increased my anguish, and the horror of my situation became now quite +insupportable. I at length quitted the thicket, very faint and hungry, +for I had not eaten or drank any thing all the day; and crept to my +master's kitchen, from whence I set out at first, and which was an +open shed, and laid myself down in the ashes with an anxious wish for +death to relieve me from all my pains. I was scarcely awake in the +morning when the old woman slave, who was the first up, came to light +the fire, and saw me in the fire place. She was very much surprised to +see me, and could scarcely believe her own eyes. She now promised to +intercede for me, and went for her master, who soon after came, and, +having slightly reprimanded me, ordered me to be taken care of, and +not to be ill-treated. + +Soon after this my master's only daughter, and child by his first +wife, sickened and died, which affected him so much that for some time +he was almost frantic, and really would have killed himself, had he +not been watched and prevented. However, in a small time afterwards he +recovered, and I was again sold. I was now carried to the left of the +sun's rising, through many different countries, and a number of large +woods. The people I was sold to used to carry me very often, when I +was tired, either on their shoulders or on their backs. I saw many +convenient well-built sheds along the roads, at proper distances, to +accommodate the merchants and travellers, who lay in those buildings +along with their wives, who often accompany them; and they always go +well armed. + +From the time I left my own nation I always found somebody that +understood me till I came to the sea coast. The languages of different +nations did not totally differ, nor were they so copious as those of +the Europeans, particularly the English. They were therefore easily +learned; and, while I was journeying thus through Africa, I acquired +two or three different tongues. In this manner I had been travelling +for a considerable time, when one evening, to my great surprise, whom +should I see brought to the house where I was but my dear sister! As +soon as she saw me she gave a loud shriek, and ran into my arms--I was +quite overpowered: neither of us could speak; but, for a considerable +time, clung to each other in mutual embraces, unable to do any thing +but weep. Our meeting affected all who saw us; and indeed I must +acknowledge, in honour of those sable destroyers of human rights, that +I never met with any ill treatment, or saw any offered to their +slaves, except tying them, when necessary, to keep them from running +away. When these people knew we were brother and sister they indulged +us together; and the man, to whom I supposed we belonged, lay with us, +he in the middle, while she and I held one another by the hands across +his breast all night; and thus for a while we forgot our misfortunes +in the joy of being together: but even this small comfort was soon to +have an end; for scarcely had the fatal morning appeared, when she was +again torn from me for ever! I was now more miserable, if possible, +than before. The small relief which her presence gave me from pain was +gone, and the wretchedness of my situation was redoubled by my anxiety +after her fate, and my apprehensions lest her sufferings should be +greater than mine, when I could not be with her to alleviate them. +Yes, thou dear partner of all my childish sports! thou sharer of my +joys and sorrows! happy should I have ever esteemed myself to +encounter every misery for you, and to procure your freedom by the +sacrifice of my own. Though you were early forced from my arms, your +image has been always rivetted in my heart, from which neither _time +nor fortune_ have been able to remove it; so that, while the thoughts +of your sufferings have damped my prosperity, they have mingled with +adversity and increased its bitterness. To that Heaven which protects +the weak from the strong, I commit the care of your innocence and +virtues, if they have not already received their full reward, and if +your youth and delicacy have not long since fallen victims to the +violence of the African trader, the pestilential stench of a Guinea +ship, the seasoning in the European colonies, or the lash and lust of +a brutal and unrelenting overseer. + +I did not long remain after my sister. I was again sold, and carried +through a number of places, till, after travelling a considerable +time, I came to a town called Tinmah, in the most beautiful country I +have yet seen in Africa. It was extremely rich, and there were many +rivulets which flowed through it, and supplied a large pond in the +centre of the town, where the people washed. Here I first saw and +tasted cocoa-nuts, which I thought superior to any nuts I had ever +tasted before; and the trees, which were loaded, were also +interspersed amongst the houses, which had commodious shades +adjoining, and were in the same manner as ours, the insides being +neatly plastered and whitewashed. Here I also saw and tasted for the +first time sugar-cane. Their money consisted of little white shells, +the size of the finger nail. I was sold here for one hundred and +seventy-two of them by a merchant who lived and brought me there. I +had been about two or three days at his house, when a wealthy widow, a +neighbour of his, came there one evening, and brought with her an only +son, a young gentleman about my own age and size. Here they saw me; +and, having taken a fancy to me, I was bought of the merchant, and +went home with them. Her house and premises were situated close to one +of those rivulets I have mentioned, and were the finest I ever saw in +Africa: they were very extensive, and she had a number of slaves to +attend her. The next day I was washed and perfumed, and when meal-time +came I was led into the presence of my mistress, and ate and drank +before her with her son. This filled me with astonishment; and I could +scarce help expressing my surprise that the young gentleman should +suffer me, who was bound, to eat with him who was free; and not only +so, but that he would not at any time either eat or drink till I had +taken first, because I was the eldest, which was agreeable to our +custom. Indeed every thing here, and all their treatment of me, made +me forget that I was a slave. The language of these people resembled +ours so nearly, that we understood each other perfectly. They had also +the very same customs as we. There were likewise slaves daily to +attend us, while my young master and I with other boys sported with +our darts and bows and arrows, as I had been used to do at home. In +this resemblance to my former happy state I passed about two months; +and I now began to think I was to be adopted into the family, and was +beginning to be reconciled to my situation, and to forget by degrees +my misfortunes, when all at once the delusion vanished; for, without +the least previous knowledge, one morning early, while my dear master +and companion was still asleep, I was wakened out of my reverie to +fresh sorrow, and hurried away even amongst the uncircumcised. + +Thus, at the very moment I dreamed of the greatest happiness, I found +myself most miserable; and it seemed as if fortune wished to give me +this taste of joy, only to render the reverse more poignant. The +change I now experienced was as painful as it was sudden and +unexpected. It was a change indeed from a state of bliss to a scene +which is inexpressible by me, as it discovered to me an element I had +never before beheld, and till then had no idea of, and wherein such +instances of hardship and cruelty continually occurred as I can never +reflect on but with horror. + +All the nations and people I had hitherto passed through resembled our +own in their manners, customs, and language: but I came at length to a +country, the inhabitants of which differed from us in all those +particulars. I was very much struck with this difference, especially +when I came among a people who did not circumcise, and ate without +washing their hands. They cooked also in iron pots, and had European +cutlasses and cross bows, which were unknown to us, and fought with +their fists amongst themselves. Their women were not so modest as +ours, for they ate, and drank, and slept, with their men. But, above +all, I was amazed to see no sacrifices or offerings among them. In +some of those places the people ornamented themselves with scars, and +likewise filed their teeth very sharp. They wanted sometimes to +ornament me in the same manner, but I would not suffer them; hoping +that I might some time be among a people who did not thus disfigure +themselves, as I thought they did. At last I came to the banks of a +large river, which was covered with canoes, in which the people +appeared to live with their household utensils and provisions of all +kinds. I was beyond measure astonished at this, as I had never before +seen any water larger than a pond or a rivulet: and my surprise was +mingled with no small fear when I was put into one of these canoes, +and we began to paddle and move along the river. We continued going on +thus till night; and when we came to land, and made fires on the +banks, each family by themselves, some dragged their canoes on shore, +others stayed and cooked in theirs, and laid in them all night. Those +on the land had mats, of which they made tents, some in the shape of +little houses: in these we slept; and after the morning meal we +embarked again and proceeded as before. I was often very much +astonished to see some of the women, as well as the men, jump into the +water, dive to the bottom, come up again, and swim about. Thus I +continued to travel, sometimes by land, sometimes by water, through +different countries and various nations, till, at the end of six or +seven months after I had been kidnapped, I arrived at the sea coast. +It would be tedious and uninteresting to relate all the incidents +which befell me during this journey, and which I have not yet +forgotten; of the various hands I passed through, and the manners and +customs of all the different people among whom I lived: I shall +therefore only observe, that in all the places where I was the soil +was exceedingly rich; the pomkins, eadas, plantains, yams, &c. &c. +were in great abundance, and of incredible size. There were also vast +quantities of different gums, though not used for any purpose; and +every where a great deal of tobacco. The cotton even grew quite wild; +and there was plenty of redwood. I saw no mechanics whatever in all +the way, except such as I have mentioned. The chief employment in all +these countries was agriculture, and both the males and females, as +with us, were brought up to it, and trained in the arts of war. + +The first object which saluted my eyes when I arrived on the coast was +the sea, and a slave ship, which was then riding at anchor, and +waiting for its cargo. These filled me with astonishment, which was +soon converted into terror when I was carried on board. I was +immediately handled and tossed up to see if I were sound by some of +the crew; and I was now persuaded that I had gotten into a world of +bad spirits, and that they were going to kill me. Their complexions +too differing so much from ours, their long hair, and the language +they spoke, (which was very different from any I had ever heard) +united to confirm me in this belief. Indeed such were the horrors of +my views and fears at the moment, that, if ten thousand worlds had +been my own, I would have freely parted with them all to have +exchanged my condition with that of the meanest slave in my own +country. When I looked round the ship too and saw a large furnace or +copper boiling, and a multitude of black people of every description +chained together, every one of their countenances expressing dejection +and sorrow, I no longer doubted of my fate; and, quite overpowered +with horror and anguish, I fell motionless on the deck and fainted. +When I recovered a little I found some black people about me, who I +believed were some of those who brought me on board, and had been +receiving their pay; they talked to me in order to cheer me, but all +in vain. I asked them if we were not to be eaten by those white men +with horrible looks, red faces, and loose hair. They told me I was +not; and one of the crew brought me a small portion of spirituous +liquor in a wine glass; but, being afraid of him, I would not take it +out of his hand. One of the blacks therefore took it from him and gave +it to me, and I took a little down my palate, which, instead of +reviving me, as they thought it would, threw me into the greatest +consternation at the strange feeling it produced, having never tasted +any such liquor before. Soon after this the blacks who brought me on +board went off, and left me abandoned to despair. I now saw myself +deprived of all chance of returning to my native country, or even the +least glimpse of hope of gaining the shore, which I now considered as +friendly; and I even wished for my former slavery in preference to my +present situation, which was filled with horrors of every kind, still +heightened by my ignorance of what I was to undergo. I was not long +suffered to indulge my grief; I was soon put down under the decks, and +there I received such a salutation in my nostrils as I had never +experienced in my life: so that, with the loathsomeness of the stench, +and crying together, I became so sick and low that I was not able to +eat, nor had I the least desire to taste any thing. I now wished for +the last friend, death, to relieve me; but soon, to my grief, two of +the white men offered me eatables; and, on my refusing to eat, one of +them held me fast by the hands, and laid me across I think the +windlass, and tied my feet, while the other flogged me severely. I had +never experienced any thing of this kind before; and although, not +being used to the water, I naturally feared that element the first +time I saw it, yet nevertheless, could I have got over the nettings, +I would have jumped over the side, but I could not; and, besides, the +crew used to watch us very closely who were not chained down to the +decks, lest we should leap into the water: and I have seen some of +these poor African prisoners most severely cut for attempting to do +so, and hourly whipped for not eating. This indeed was often the case +with myself. In a little time after, amongst the poor chained men, I +found some of my own nation, which in a small degree gave ease to my +mind. I inquired of these what was to be done with us; they gave me to +understand we were to be carried to these white people's country to +work for them. I then was a little revived, and thought, if it were no +worse than working, my situation was not so desperate: but still I +feared I should be put to death, the white people looked and acted, as +I thought, in so savage a manner; for I had never seen among any +people such instances of brutal cruelty; and this not only shewn +towards us blacks, but also to some of the whites themselves. One +white man in particular I saw, when we were permitted to be on deck, +flogged so unmercifully with a large rope near the foremast, that he +died in consequence of it; and they tossed him over the side as they +would have done a brute. This made me fear these people the more; and +I expected nothing less than to be treated in the same manner. I could +not help expressing my fears and apprehensions to some of my +countrymen: I asked them if these people had no country, but lived in +this hollow place (the ship): they told me they did not, but came from +a distant one. 'Then,' said I, 'how comes it in all our country we +never heard of them?' They told me because they lived so very far off. +I then asked where were their women? had they any like themselves? I +was told they had: 'and why,' said I,'do we not see them?' they +answered, because they were left behind. I asked how the vessel could +go? they told me they could not tell; but that there were cloths put +upon the masts by the help of the ropes I saw, and then the vessel +went on; and the white men had some spell or magic they put in the +water when they liked in order to stop the vessel. I was exceedingly +amazed at this account, and really thought they were spirits. I +therefore wished much to be from amongst them, for I expected they +would sacrifice me: but my wishes were vain; for we were so quartered +that it was impossible for any of us to make our escape. While we +stayed on the coast I was mostly on deck; and one day, to my great +astonishment, I saw one of these vessels coming in with the sails up. +As soon as the whites saw it, they gave a great shout, at which we +were amazed; and the more so as the vessel appeared larger by +approaching nearer. At last she came to an anchor in my sight, and +when the anchor was let go I and my countrymen who saw it were lost in +astonishment to observe the vessel stop; and were not convinced it was +done by magic. Soon after this the other ship got her boats out, and +they came on board of us, and the people of both ships seemed very +glad to see each other. Several of the strangers also shook hands with +us black people, and made motions with their hands, signifying I +suppose we were to go to their country; but we did not understand +them. At last, when the ship we were in had got in all her cargo, they +made ready with many fearful noises, and we were all put under deck, +so that we could not see how they managed the vessel. But this +disappointment was the least of my sorrow. The stench of the hold +while we were on the coast was so intolerably loathsome, that it was +dangerous to remain there for any time, and some of us had been +permitted to stay on the deck for the fresh air; but now that the +whole ship's cargo were confined together, it became absolutely +pestilential. The closeness of the place, and the heat of the climate, +added to the number in the ship, which was so crowded that each had +scarcely room to turn himself, almost suffocated us. This produced +copious perspirations, so that the air soon became unfit for +respiration, from a variety of loathsome smells, and brought on a +sickness among the slaves, of which many died, thus falling victims to +the improvident avarice, as I may call it, of their purchasers. This +wretched situation was again aggravated by the galling of the chains, +now become insupportable; and the filth of the necessary tubs, into +which the children often fell, and were almost suffocated. The shrieks +of the women, and the groans of the dying, rendered the whole a scene +of horror almost inconceivable. Happily perhaps for myself I was soon +reduced so low here that it was thought necessary to keep me almost +always on deck; and from my extreme youth I was not put in fetters. In +this situation I expected every hour to share the fate of my +companions, some of whom were almost daily brought upon deck at the +point of death, which I began to hope would soon put an end to my +miseries. Often did I think many of the inhabitants of the deep much +more happy than myself. I envied them the freedom they enjoyed, and as +often wished I could change my condition for theirs. Every +circumstance I met with served only to render my state more painful, +and heighten my apprehensions, and my opinion of the cruelty of the +whites. One day they had taken a number of fishes; and when they had +killed and satisfied themselves with as many as they thought fit, to +our astonishment who were on the deck, rather than give any of them to +us to eat as we expected, they tossed the remaining fish into the sea +again, although we begged and prayed for some as well as we could, but +in vain; and some of my countrymen, being pressed by hunger, took an +opportunity, when they thought no one saw them, of trying to get a +little privately; but they were discovered, and the attempt procured +them some very severe floggings. One day, when we had a smooth sea and +moderate wind, two of my wearied countrymen who were chained together +(I was near them at the time), preferring death to such a life of +misery, somehow made through the nettings and jumped into the sea: +immediately another quite dejected fellow, who, on account of his +illness, was suffered to be out of irons, also followed their example; +and I believe many more would very soon have done the same if they had +not been prevented by the ship's crew, who were instantly alarmed. +Those of us that were the most active were in a moment put down under +the deck, and there was such a noise and confusion amongst the people +of the ship as I never heard before, to stop her, and get the boat out +to go after the slaves. However two of the wretches were drowned, but +they got the other, and afterwards flogged him unmercifully for thus +attempting to prefer death to slavery. In this manner we continued to +undergo more hardships than I can now relate, hardships which are +inseparable from this accursed trade. Many a time we were near +suffocation from the want of fresh air, which we were often without +for whole days together. This, and the stench of the necessary tubs, +carried off many. During our passage I first saw flying fishes, which +surprised me very much: they used frequently to fly across the ship, +and many of them fell on the deck. I also now first saw the use of the +quadrant; I had often with astonishment seen the mariners make +observations with it, and I could not think what it meant. They at +last took notice of my surprise; and one of them, willing to increase +it, as well as to gratify my curiosity, made me one day look through +it. The clouds appeared to me to be land, which disappeared as they +passed along. This heightened my wonder; and I was now more persuaded +than ever that I was in another world, and that every thing about me +was magic. At last we came in sight of the island of Barbadoes, at +which the whites on board gave a great shout, and made many signs of +joy to us. We did not know what to think of this; but as the vessel +drew nearer we plainly saw the harbour, and other ships of different +kinds and sizes; and we soon anchored amongst them off Bridge Town. +Many merchants and planters now came on board, though it was in the +evening. They put us in separate parcels, and examined us attentively. +They also made us jump, and pointed to the land, signifying we were to +go there. We thought by this we should be eaten by these ugly men, as +they appeared to us; and, when soon after we were all put down under +the deck again, there was much dread and trembling among us, and +nothing but bitter cries to be heard all the night from these +apprehensions, insomuch that at last the white people got some old +slaves from the land to pacify us. They told us we were not to be +eaten, but to work, and were soon to go on land, where we should see +many of our country people. This report eased us much; and sure +enough, soon after we were landed, there came to us Africans of all +languages. We were conducted immediately to the merchant's yard, where +we were all pent up together like so many sheep in a fold, without +regard to sex or age. As every object was new to me every thing I saw +filled me with surprise. What struck me first was that the houses were +built with stories, and in every other respect different from those in +Africa: but I was still more astonished on seeing people on horseback. +I did not know what this could mean; and indeed I thought these people +were full of nothing but magical arts. While I was in this +astonishment one of my fellow prisoners spoke to a countryman of his +about the horses, who said they were the same kind they had in their +country. I understood them, though they were from a distant part of +Africa, and I thought it odd I had not seen any horses there; but +afterwards, when I came to converse with different Africans, I found +they had many horses amongst them, and much larger than those I then +saw. We were not many days in the merchant's custody before we were +sold after their usual manner, which is this:--On a signal given,(as +the beat of a drum) the buyers rush at once into the yard where the +slaves are confined, and make choice of that parcel they like best. +The noise and clamour with which this is attended, and the eagerness +visible in the countenances of the buyers, serve not a little to +increase the apprehensions of the terrified Africans, who may well be +supposed to consider them as the ministers of that destruction to +which they think themselves devoted. In this manner, without scruple, +are relations and friends separated, most of them never to see each +other again. I remember in the vessel in which I was brought over, in +the men's apartment, there were several brothers, who, in the sale, +were sold in different lots; and it was very moving on this occasion +to see and hear their cries at parting. O, ye nominal Christians! +might not an African ask you, learned you this from your God, who says +unto you, Do unto all men as you would men should do unto you? Is it +not enough that we are torn from our country and friends to toil for +your luxury and lust of gain? Must every tender feeling be likewise +sacrificed to your avarice? Are the dearest friends and relations, now +rendered more dear by their separation from their kindred, still to be +parted from each other, and thus prevented from cheering the gloom of +slavery with the small comfort of being together and mingling their +sufferings and sorrows? Why are parents to lose their children, +brothers their sisters, or husbands their wives? Surely this is a new +refinement in cruelty, which, while it has no advantage to atone for +it, thus aggravates distress, and adds fresh horrors even to the +wretchedness of slavery. + + + + +CHAP. III. + + _The author is carried to Virginia--His distress--Surprise + at seeing a picture and a watch--Is bought by Captain + Pascal, and sets out for England--His terror during the + voyage--Arrives in England--His wonder at a fall of snow--Is + sent to Guernsey, and in some time goes on board a ship of + war with his master--Some account of the expedition against + Louisbourg under the command of Admiral Boscawen, in 1758._ + + +I now totally lost the small remains of comfort I had enjoyed in +conversing with my countrymen; the women too, who used to wash and +take care of me, were all gone different ways, and I never saw one of +them afterwards. + +I stayed in this island for a few days; I believe it could not be +above a fortnight; when I and some few more slaves, that were not +saleable amongst the rest, from very much fretting, were shipped off +in a sloop for North America. On the passage we were better treated +than when we were coming from Africa, and we had plenty of rice and +fat pork. We were landed up a river a good way from the sea, about +Virginia county, where we saw few or none of our native Africans, and +not one soul who could talk to me. I was a few weeks weeding grass, +and gathering stones in a plantation; and at last all my companions +were distributed different ways, and only myself was left. I was now +exceedingly miserable, and thought myself worse off than any of the +rest of my companions; for they could talk to each other, but I had no +person to speak to that I could understand. In this state I was +constantly grieving and pining, and wishing for death rather than any +thing else. While I was in this plantation the gentleman, to whom I +suppose the estate belonged, being unwell, I was one day sent for to +his dwelling house to fan him; when I came into the room where he was +I was very much affrighted at some things I saw, and the more so as I +had seen a black woman slave as I came through the house, who was +cooking the dinner, and the poor creature was cruelly loaded with +various kinds of iron machines; she had one particularly on her head, +which locked her mouth so fast that she could scarcely speak; and +could not eat nor drink. I was much astonished and shocked at this +contrivance, which I afterwards learned was called the iron muzzle. +Soon after I had a fan put into my hand, to fan the gentleman while he +slept; and so I did indeed with great fear. While he was fast asleep I +indulged myself a great deal in looking about the room, which to me +appeared very fine and curious. The first object that engaged my +attention was a watch which hung on the chimney, and was going. I was +quite surprised at the noise it made, and was afraid it would tell the +gentleman any thing I might do amiss: and when I immediately after +observed a picture hanging in the room, which appeared constantly to +look at me, I was still more affrighted, having never seen such things +as these before. At one time I thought it was something relative to +magic; and not seeing it move I thought it might be some way the +whites had to keep their great men when they died, and offer them +libation as we used to do to our friendly spirits. In this state of +anxiety I remained till my master awoke, when I was dismissed out of +the room, to my no small satisfaction and relief; for I thought that +these people were all made up of wonders. In this place I was called +Jacob; but on board the African snow I was called Michael. I had been +some time in this miserable, forlorn, and much dejected state, without +having any one to talk to, which made my life a burden, when the kind +and unknown hand of the Creator (who in very deed leads the blind in a +way they know not) now began to appear, to my comfort; for one day the +captain of a merchant ship, called the Industrious Bee, came on some +business to my master's house. This gentleman, whose name was Michael +Henry Pascal, was a lieutenant in the royal navy, but now commanded +this trading ship, which was somewhere in the confines of the county +many miles off. While he was at my master's house it happened that he +saw me, and liked me so well that he made a purchase of me. I think I +have often heard him say he gave thirty or forty pounds sterling for +me; but I do not now remember which. However, he meant me for a +present to some of his friends in England: and I was sent accordingly +from the house of my then master, one Mr. Campbell, to the place where +the ship lay; I was conducted on horseback by an elderly black man, (a +mode of travelling which appeared very odd to me). When I arrived I +was carried on board a fine large ship, loaded with tobacco, &c. and +just ready to sail for England. I now thought my condition much +mended; I had sails to lie on, and plenty of good victuals to eat; and +every body on board used me very kindly, quite contrary to what I had +seen of any white people before; I therefore began to think that they +were not all of the same disposition. A few days after I was on board +we sailed for England. I was still at a loss to conjecture my destiny. +By this time, however, I could smatter a little imperfect English; and +I wanted to know as well as I could where we were going. Some of the +people of the ship used to tell me they were going to carry me back to +my own country, and this made me very happy. I was quite rejoiced at +the sound of going back; and thought if I should get home what wonders +I should have to tell. But I was reserved for another fate, and was +soon undeceived when we came within sight of the English coast. While +I was on board this ship, my captain and master named me _Gustavus +Vassa_. I at that time began to understand him a little, and refused to +be called so, and told him as well as I could that I would be called +Jacob; but he said I should not, and still called me Gustavus; and +when I refused to answer to my new name, which at first I did, it +gained me many a cuff; so at length I submitted, and was obliged to +bear the present name, by which I have been known ever since. The ship +had a very long passage; and on that account we had very short +allowance of provisions. Towards the last we had only one pound and a +half of bread per week, and about the same quantity of meat, and one +quart of water a-day. We spoke with only one vessel the whole time we +were at sea, and but once we caught a few fishes. In our extremities +the captain and people told me in jest they would kill and eat me; but +I thought them in earnest, and was depressed beyond measure, expecting +every moment to be my last. While I was in this situation one evening +they caught, with a good deal of trouble, a large shark, and got it on +board. This gladdened my poor heart exceedingly, as I thought it would +serve the people to eat instead of their eating me; but very soon, to +my astonishment, they cut off a small part of the tail, and tossed the +rest over the side. This renewed my consternation; and I did not know +what to think of these white people, though I very much feared they +would kill and eat me. There was on board the ship a young lad who had +never been at sea before, about four or five years older than myself: +his name was Richard Baker. He was a native of America, had received +an excellent education, and was of a most amiable temper. Soon after I +went on board he shewed me a great deal of partiality and attention, +and in return I grew extremely fond of him. We at length became +inseparable; and, for the space of two years, he was of very great use +to me, and was my constant companion and instructor. Although this +dear youth had many slaves of his own, yet he and I have gone through +many sufferings together on shipboard; and we have many nights lain in +each other's bosoms when we were in great distress. Thus such a +friendship was cemented between us as we cherished till his death, +which, to my very great sorrow, happened in the year 1759, when he was +up the Archipelago, on board his majesty's ship the Preston: an event +which I have never ceased to regret, as I lost at once a kind +interpreter, an agreeable companion, and a faithful friend; who, at +the age of fifteen, discovered a mind superior to prejudice; and who +was not ashamed to notice, to associate with, and to be the friend and +instructor of one who was ignorant, a stranger, of a different +complexion, and a slave! My master had lodged in his mother's house in +America: he respected him very much, and made him always eat with him +in the cabin. He used often to tell him jocularly that he would kill +me to eat. Sometimes he would say to me--the black people were not +good to eat, and would ask me if we did not eat people in my country. +I said, No: then he said he would kill Dick (as he always called him) +first, and afterwards me. Though this hearing relieved my mind a +little as to myself, I was alarmed for Dick and whenever he was called +I used to be very much afraid he was to be killed; and I would peep +and watch to see if they were going to kill him: nor was I free from +this consternation till we made the land. One night we lost a man +overboard; and the cries and noise were so great and confused, in +stopping the ship, that I, who did not know what was the matter, +began, as usual, to be very much afraid, and to think they were going +to make an offering with me, and perform some magic; which I still +believed they dealt in. As the waves were very high I thought the +Ruler of the seas was angry, and I expected to be offered up to +appease him. This filled my mind with agony, and I could not any more +that night close my eyes again to rest. However, when daylight +appeared I was a little eased in my mind; but still every time I was +called I used to think it was to be killed. Some time after this we +saw some very large fish, which I afterwards found were called +grampusses. They looked to me extremely terrible, and made their +appearance just at dusk; and were so near as to blow the water on the +ship's deck. I believed them to be the rulers of the sea; and, as the +white people did not make any offerings at any time, I thought they +were angry with them: and, at last, what confirmed my belief was, the +wind just then died away, and a calm ensued, and in consequence of it +the ship stopped going. I supposed that the fish had performed this, +and I hid myself in the fore part of the ship, through fear of being +offered up to appease them, every minute peeping and quaking: but my +good friend Dick came shortly towards me, and I took an opportunity to +ask him, as well as I could, what these fish were. Not being able to +talk much English, I could but just make him understand my question; +and not at all, when I asked him if any offerings were to be made to +them: however, he told me these fish would swallow any body; which +sufficiently alarmed me. Here he was called away by the captain, who +was leaning over the quarter-deck railing and looking at the fish; and +most of the people were busied in getting a barrel of pitch to light, +for them to play with. The captain now called me to him, having +learned some of my apprehensions from Dick; and having diverted +himself and others for some time with my fears, which appeared +ludicrous enough in my crying and trembling, he dismissed me. The +barrel of pitch was now lighted and put over the side into the water: +by this time it was just dark, and the fish went after it; and, to my +great joy, I saw them no more. + +However, all my alarms began to subside when we got sight of land; and +at last the ship arrived at Falmouth, after a passage of thirteen +weeks. Every heart on board seemed gladdened on our reaching the +shore, and none more than mine. The captain immediately went on shore, +and sent on board some fresh provisions, which we wanted very much: +we made good use of them, and our famine was soon turned into +feasting, almost without ending. It was about the beginning of the +spring 1757 when I arrived in England, and I was near twelve years of +age at that time. I was very much struck with the buildings and the +pavement of the streets in Falmouth; and, indeed, any object I saw +filled me with new surprise. One morning, when I got upon deck, I saw +it covered all over with the snow that fell over-night: as I had never +seen any thing of the kind before, I thought it was salt; so I +immediately ran down to the mate and desired him, as well as I could, +to come and see how somebody in the night had thrown salt all over the +deck. He, knowing what it was, desired me to bring some of it down to +him: accordingly I took up a handful of it, which I found very cold +indeed; and when I brought it to him he desired me to taste it. I did +so, and I was surprised beyond measure. I then asked him what it was; +he told me it was snow: but I could not in anywise understand him. He +asked me if we had no such thing in my country; and I told him, No. I +then asked him the use of it, and who made it; he told me a great man +in the heavens, called God: but here again I was to all intents and +purposes at a loss to understand him; and the more so, when a little +after I saw the air filled with it, in a heavy shower, which fell down +on the same day. After this I went to church; and having never been at +such a place before, I was again amazed at seeing and hearing the +service. I asked all I could about it; and they gave me to understand +it was worshipping God, who made us and all things. I was still at a +great loss, and soon got into an endless field of inquiries, as well +as I was able to speak and ask about things. However, my little friend +Dick used to be my best interpreter; for I could make free with him, +and he always instructed me with pleasure: and from what I could +understand by him of this God, and in seeing these white people did +not sell one another, as we did, I was much pleased; and in this I +thought they were much happier than we Africans. I was astonished at +the wisdom of the white people in all things I saw; but was amazed at +their not sacrificing, or making any offerings, and eating with +unwashed hands, and touching the dead. I likewise could not help +remarking the particular slenderness of their women, which I did not +at first like; and I thought they were not so modest and shamefaced as +the African women. + +I had often seen my master and Dick employed in reading; and I had a +great curiosity to talk to the books, as I thought they did; and so to +learn how all things had a beginning: for that purpose I have often +taken up a book, and have talked to it, and then put my ears to it, +when alone, in hopes it would answer me; and I have been very much +concerned when I found it remained silent. + +My master lodged at the house of a gentleman in Falmouth, who had a +fine little daughter about six or seven years of age, and she grew +prodigiously fond of me; insomuch that we used to eat together, and +had servants to wait on us. I was so much caressed by this family that +it often reminded me of the treatment I had received from my little +noble African master. After I had been here a few days, I was sent on +board of the ship; but the child cried so much after me that nothing +could pacify her till I was sent for again. It is ludicrous enough, +that I began to fear I should be betrothed to this young lady; and +when my master asked me if I would stay there with her behind him, as +he was going away with the ship, which had taken in the tobacco again, +I cried immediately, and said I would not leave her. At last, by +stealth, one night I was sent on board the ship again; and in a little +time we sailed for Guernsey, where she was in part owned by a +merchant, one Nicholas Doberry. As I was now amongst a people who had +not their faces scarred, like some of the African nations where I had +been, I was very glad I did not let them ornament me in that manner +when I was with them. When we arrived at Guernsey, my master placed me +to board and lodge with one of his mates, who had a wife and family +there; and some months afterwards he went to England, and left me in +care of this mate, together with my friend Dick: This mate had a +little daughter, aged about five or six years, with whom I used to be +much delighted. I had often observed that when her mother washed her +face it looked very rosy; but when she washed mine it did not look so: +I therefore tried oftentimes myself if I could not by washing make my +face of the same colour as my little play-mate (Mary), but it was all +in vain; and I now began to be mortified at the difference in our +complexions. This woman behaved to me with great kindness and +attention; and taught me every thing in the same manner as she did her +own child, and indeed in every respect treated me as such. I remained +here till the summer of the year 1757; when my master, being appointed +first lieutenant of his majesty's ship the Roebuck, sent for Dick and +me, and his old mate: on this we all left Guernsey, and set out for +England in a sloop bound for London. As we were coming up towards the +Nore, where the Roebuck lay, a man of war's boat came alongside to +press our people; on which each man ran to hide himself. I was very +much frightened at this, though I did not know what it meant, or what +to think or do. However I went and hid myself also under a hencoop. +Immediately afterwards the press-gang came on board with their swords +drawn, and searched all about, pulled the people out by force, and put +them into the boat. At last I was found out also: the man that found +me held me up by the heels while they all made their sport of me, I +roaring and crying out all the time most lustily: but at last the +mate, who was my conductor, seeing this, came to my assistance, and +did all he could to pacify me; but all to very little purpose, till I +had seen the boat go off. Soon afterwards we came to the Nore, where +the Roebuck lay; and, to our great joy, my master came on board to us, +and brought us to the ship. When I went on board this large ship, I +was amazed indeed to see the quantity of men and the guns. However my +surprise began to diminish as my knowledge increased; and I ceased to +feel those apprehensions and alarms which had taken such strong +possession of me when I first came among the Europeans, and for some +time after. I began now to pass to an opposite extreme; I was so far +from being afraid of any thing new which I saw, that, after I had been +some time in this ship, I even began to long for a battle. My griefs +too, which in young minds are not perpetual, were now wearing away; +and I soon enjoyed myself pretty well, and felt tolerably easy in my +present situation. There was a number of boys on board, which still +made it more agreeable; for we were always together, and a great part +of our time was spent in play. I remained in this ship a considerable +time, during which we made several cruises, and visited a variety of +places: among others we were twice in Holland, and brought over +several persons of distinction from it, whose names I do not now +remember. On the passage, one day, for the diversion of those +gentlemen, all the boys were called on the quarter-deck, and were +paired proportionably, and then made to fight; after which the +gentleman gave the combatants from five to nine shillings each. This +was the first time I ever fought with a white boy; and I never knew +what it was to have a bloody nose before. This made me fight most +desperately; I suppose considerably more than an hour: and at last, +both of us being weary, we were parted. I had a great deal of this +kind of sport afterwards, in which the captain and the ship's company +used very much to encourage me. Sometime afterwards the ship went to +Leith in Scotland, and from thence to the Orkneys, where I was +surprised in seeing scarcely any night: and from thence we sailed with +a great fleet, full of soldiers, for England. All this time we had +never come to an engagement, though we were frequently cruising off +the coast of France: during which we chased many vessels, and took in +all seventeen prizes. I had been learning many of the manoeuvres of +the ship during our cruise; and I was several times made to fire the +guns. One evening, off Havre de Grace, just as it was growing dark, we +were standing off shore, and met with a fine large French-built +frigate. We got all things immediately ready for fighting; and I now +expected I should be gratified in seeing an engagement, which I had so +long wished for in vain. But the very moment the word of command was +given to fire we heard those on board the other ship cry 'Haul down +the jib;' and in that instant she hoisted English colours. There was +instantly with us an amazing cry of--Avast! or stop firing; and I +think one or two guns had been let off, but happily they did no +mischief. We had hailed them several times; but they not hearing, we +received no answer, which was the cause of our firing. The boat was +then sent on board of her, and she proved to be the Ambuscade man of +war, to my no small disappointment. We returned to Portsmouth, without +having been in any action, just at the trial of Admiral Byng (whom I +saw several times during it): and my master having left the ship, and +gone to London for promotion, Dick and I were put on board the Savage +sloop of war, and we went in her to assist in bringing off the St. +George man of war, that had ran ashore somewhere on the coast. After +staying a few weeks on board the Savage, Dick and I were sent on shore +at Deal, where we remained some short time, till my master sent for us +to London, the place I had long desired exceedingly to see. We +therefore both with great pleasure got into a waggon, and came to +London, where we were received by a Mr. Guerin, a relation of my +master. This gentleman had two sisters, very amiable ladies, who took +much notice and great care of me. Though I had desired so much to see +London, when I arrived in it I was unfortunately unable to gratify my +curiosity; for I had at this time the chilblains to such a degree that +I could not stand for several months, and I was obliged to be sent to +St. George's Hospital. There I grew so ill, that the doctors wanted to +cut my left leg off at different times, apprehending a mortification; +but I always said I would rather die than suffer it; and happily (I +thank God) I recovered without the operation. After being there +several weeks, and just as I had recovered, the small-pox broke out on +me, so that I was again confined; and I thought myself now +particularly unfortunate. However I soon recovered again; and by this +time my master having been promoted to be first lieutenant of the +Preston man of war of fifty guns, then new at Deptford, Dick and I +were sent on board her, and soon after we went to Holland to bring +over the late Duke of ---- to England.--While I was in this ship an +incident happened, which, though trifling, I beg leave to relate, as I +could not help taking particular notice of it, and considering it then +as a judgment of God. One morning a young man was looking up to the +fore-top, and in a wicked tone, common on shipboard, d----d his eyes +about something. Just at the moment some small particles of dirt fell +into his left eye, and by the evening it was very much inflamed. The +next day it grew worse; and within six or seven days he lost it. From +this ship my master was appointed a lieutenant on board the Royal +George. When he was going he wished me to stay on board the Preston, +to learn the French horn; but the ship being ordered for Turkey I +could not think of leaving my master, to whom I was very warmly +attached; and I told him if he left me behind it would break my heart. +This prevailed on him to take me with him; but he left Dick on board +the Preston, whom I embraced at parting for the last time. The Royal +George was the largest ship I had ever seen; so that when I came on +board of her I was surprised at the number of people, men, women, and +children, of every denomination; and the largeness of the guns, many +of them also of brass, which I had never seen before. Here were also +shops or stalls of every kind of goods, and people crying their +different commodities about the ship as in a town. To me it appeared a +little world, into which I was again cast without a friend, for I had +no longer my dear companion Dick. We did not stay long here. My master +was not many weeks on board before he got an appointment to be sixth +lieutenant of the Namur, which was then at Spithead, fitting up for +Vice-admiral Boscawen, who was going with a large fleet on an +expedition against Louisburgh. The crew of the Royal George were +turned over to her, and the flag of that gallant admiral was hoisted +on board, the blue at the maintop-gallant mast head. There was a very +great fleet of men of war of every description assembled together for +this expedition, and I was in hopes soon to have an opportunity of +being gratified with a sea-fight. All things being now in readiness, +this mighty fleet (for there was also Admiral Cornish's fleet in +company, destined for the East Indies) at last weighed anchor, and +sailed. The two fleets continued in company for several days, and then +parted; Admiral Cornish, in the Lenox, having first saluted our +admiral in the Namur, which he returned. We then steered for America; +but, by contrary winds, we were driven to Teneriffe, where I was +struck with its noted peak. Its prodigious height, and its form, +resembling a sugar-loaf, filled me with wonder. We remained in sight +of this island some days, and then proceeded for America, which we +soon made, and got into a very commodious harbour called St. George, +in Halifax, where we had fish in great plenty, and all other fresh +provisions. We were here joined by different men of war and transport +ships with soldiers; after which, our fleet being increased to a +prodigious number of ships of all kinds, we sailed for Cape Breton in +Nova Scotia. We had the good and gallant General Wolfe on board our +ship, whose affability made him highly esteemed and beloved by all the +men. He often honoured me, as well as other boys, with marks of his +notice; and saved me once a flogging for fighting with a young +gentleman. We arrived at Cape Breton in the summer of 1758: and here +the soldiers were to be landed, in order to make an attack upon +Louisbourgh. My master had some part in superintending the landing; +and here I was in a small measure gratified in seeing an encounter +between our men and the enemy. The French were posted on the shore to +receive us, and disputed our landing for a long time; but at last they +were driven from their trenches, and a complete landing was effected. +Our troops pursued them as far as the town of Louisbourgh. In this +action many were killed on both sides. One thing remarkable I saw this +day:--A lieutenant of the Princess Amelia, who, as well as my master, +superintended the landing, was giving the word of command, and while +his mouth was open a musquet ball went through it, and passed out at +his cheek. I had that day in my hand the scalp of an indian king, who +was killed in the engagement: the scalp had been taken off by an +Highlander. I saw this king's ornaments too, which were very curious, +and made of feathers. + +Our land forces laid siege to the town of Louisbourgh, while the +French men of war were blocked up in the harbour by the fleet, the +batteries at the same time playing upon them from the land. This they +did with such effect, that one day I saw some of the ships set on fire +by the shells from the batteries, and I believe two or three of them +were quite burnt. At another time, about fifty boats belonging to the +English men of war, commanded by Captain George Balfour of the Ætna +fire-ship, and another junior captain, Laforey, attacked and boarded +the only two remaining French men of war in the harbour. They also set +fire to a seventy-gun ship, but a sixty-four, called the Bienfaisant, +they brought off. During my stay here I had often an opportunity of +being near Captain Balfour, who was pleased to notice me, and liked me +so much that he often asked my master to let him have me, but he would +not part with me; and no consideration could have induced me to leave +him. At last Louisbourgh was taken, and the English men of war came +into the harbour before it, to my very great joy; for I had now more +liberty of indulging myself, and I went often on shore. When the ships +were in the harbour we had the most beautiful procession on the water +I ever saw. All the admirals and captains of the men of war, full +dressed, and in their barges, well ornamented with pendants, came +alongside of the Namur. The vice-admiral then went on shore in his +barge, followed by the other officers in order of seniority, to take +possession, as I suppose, of the town and fort. Some time after this +the French governor and his lady, and other persons of note, came on +board our ship to dine. On this occasion our ships were dressed with +colours of all kinds, from the topgallant-mast head to the deck; and +this, with the firing of guns, formed a most grand and magnificent +spectacle. + +As soon as every thing here was settled Admiral Boscawen sailed with +part of the fleet for England, leaving some ships behind with +Rear-admirals Sir Charles Hardy and Durell. It was now winter; and one +evening, during our passage home, about dusk, when we were in the +channel, or near soundings, and were beginning to look for land, we +descried seven sail of large men of war, which stood off shore. +Several people on board of our ship said, as the two fleets were (in +forty minutes from the first sight) within hail of each other, that +they were English men of war; and some of our people even began to +name some of the ships. By this time both fleets began to mingle, and +our admiral ordered his flag to be hoisted. At that instant the other +fleet, which were French, hoisted their ensigns, and gave us a +broadside as they passed by. Nothing could create greater surprise and +confusion among us than this: the wind was high, the sea rough, and we +had our lower and middle deck guns housed in, so that not a single gun +on board was ready to be fired at any of the French ships. However, +the Royal William and the Somerset being our sternmost ships, became a +little prepared, and each gave the French ships a broadside as they +passed by. I afterwards heard this was a French squadron, commanded by +Mons. Conflans; and certainly had the Frenchmen known our condition, +and had a mind to fight us, they might have done us great mischief. +But we were not long before we were prepared for an engagement. +Immediately many things were tossed overboard; the ships were made +ready for fighting as soon as possible; and about ten at night we had +bent a new main sail, the old one being split. Being now in readiness +for fighting, we wore ship, and stood after the French fleet, who +were one or two ships in number more than we. However we gave them +chase, and continued pursuing them all night; and at daylight we saw +six of them, all large ships of the line, and an English East +Indiaman, a prize they had taken. We chased them all day till between +three and four o'clock in the evening, when we came up with, and +passed within a musquet shot of, one seventy-four gun ship, and the +Indiaman also, who now hoisted her colours, but immediately hauled +them down again. On this we made a signal for the other ships to take +possession of her; and, supposing the man of war would likewise +strike, we cheered, but she did not; though if we had fired into her, +from being so near, we must have taken her. To my utter surprise the +Somerset, who was the next ship astern of the Namur, made way +likewise; and, thinking they were sure of this French ship, they +cheered in the same manner, but still continued to follow us. The +French Commodore was about a gun-shot ahead of all, running from us +with all speed; and about four o'clock he carried his foretopmast +overboard. This caused another loud cheer with us; and a little after +the topmast came close by us; but, to our great surprise, instead of +coming up with her, we found she went as fast as ever, if not faster. +The sea grew now much smoother; and the wind lulling, the seventy-four +gun ship we had passed came again by us in the very same direction, +and so near, that we heard her people talk as she went by; yet not a +shot was fired on either side; and about five or six o'clock, just as +it grew dark, she joined her commodore. We chased all night; but the +next day they were out of sight, so that we saw no more of them; and +we only had the old Indiaman (called Carnarvon I think) for our +trouble. After this we stood in for the channel, and soon made the +land; and, about the close of the year 1758-9, we got safe to St. +Helen's. Here the Namur ran aground; and also another large ship +astern of us; but, by starting our water, and tossing many things +overboard to lighten her, we got the ships off without any damage. We +stayed for a short time at Spithead, and then went into Portsmouth +harbour to refit; from whence the admiral went to London; and my +master and I soon followed, with a press-gang, as we wanted some hands +to complete our complement. + + + + +CHAP. IV. + + _The author is baptized--Narrowly escapes drowning--Goes on + an expedition to the Mediterranean--Incidents he met with + there--Is witness to an engagement between some English and + French ships--A particular account of the celebrated + engagement between Admiral Boscawen and Mons. Le Clue, off + Cape Logas, in August 1759--Dreadful explosion of a French + ship--The author sails for England--His master appointed to + the command of a fire-ship--Meets a negro boy, from whom he + experiences much benevolence--Prepares for an expedition + against Belle-Isle--A remarkable story of a disaster which + befel his ship--Arrives at Belle-Isle--Operations of the + landing and siege--The author's danger and distress, with + his manner of extricating himself--- Surrender of + Belle-Isle--Transactions afterwards on the coast of + France--Remarkable instance of kidnapping--The author + returns to England--Hears a talk of peace, and expects his + freedom--His ship sails for Deptford to be paid off, and + when he arrives there he is suddenly seized by his master + and carried forcibly on board a West India ship and sold._ + + +It was now between two and three years since I first came to England, +a great part of which I had spent at sea; so that I became inured to +that service, and began to consider myself as happily situated; for my +master treated me always extremely well; and my attachment and +gratitude to him were very great. From the various scenes I had beheld +on shipboard, I soon grew a stranger to terror of every kind, and was, +in that respect at least, almost an Englishman. I have often reflected +with surprise that I never felt half the alarm at any of the numerous +dangers I have been in, that I was filled with at the first sight of +the Europeans, and at every act of theirs, even the most trifling, +when I first came among them, and for some time afterwards. That fear, +however, which was the effect of my ignorance, wore away as I began to +know them. I could now speak English tolerably well, and I perfectly +understood every thing that was said. I now not only felt myself +quite easy with these new countrymen, but relished their society and +manners. I no longer looked upon them as spirits, but as men superior +to us; and therefore I had the stronger desire to resemble them; to +imbibe their spirit, and imitate their manners; I therefore embraced +every occasion of improvement; and every new thing that I observed I +treasured up in my memory. I had long wished to be able to read and +write; and for this purpose I took every opportunity to gain +instruction, but had made as yet very little progress. However, when I +went to London with my master, I had soon an opportunity of improving +myself, which I gladly embraced. Shortly after my arrival, he sent me +to wait upon the Miss Guerins, who had treated me with much kindness +when I was there before; and they sent me to school. + +While I was attending these ladies their servants told me I could not +go to Heaven unless I was baptized. This made me very uneasy; for I +had now some faint idea of a future state: accordingly I communicated +my anxiety to the eldest Miss Guerin, with whom I was become a +favourite, and pressed her to have me baptized; when to my great joy +she told me I should. She had formerly asked my master to let me be +baptized, but he had refused; however she now insisted on it; and he +being under some obligation to her brother complied with her request; +so I was baptized in St. Margaret's church, Westminster, in February +1759, by my present name. The clergyman, at the same time, gave me a +book, called a Guide to the Indians, written by the Bishop of Sodor +and Man. On this occasion Miss Guerin did me the honour to stand as +godmother, and afterwards gave me a treat. I used to attend these +ladies about the town, in which service I was extremely happy; as I +had thus many opportunities of seeing London, which I desired of all +things. I was sometimes, however, with my master at his +rendezvous-house, which was at the foot of Westminster-bridge. Here I +used to enjoy myself in playing about the bridge stairs, and often in +the watermen's wherries, with other boys. On one of these occasions +there was another boy with me in a wherry, and we went out into the +current of the river: while we were there two more stout boys came to +us in another wherry, and, abusing us for taking the boat, desired me +to get into the other wherry-boat. Accordingly I went to get out of +the wherry I was in; but just as I had got one of my feet into the +other boat the boys shoved it off, so that I fell into the Thames; +and, not being able to swim, I should unavoidably have been drowned, +but for the assistance of some watermen who providentially came to my +relief. + +The Namur being again got ready for sea, my master, with his gang, was +ordered on board; and, to my no small grief, I was obliged to leave my +school-master, whom I liked very much, and always attended while I +stayed in London, to repair on board with my master. Nor did I leave +my kind patronesses, the Miss Guerins, without uneasiness and regret. +They often used to teach me to read, and took great pains to instruct +me in the principles of religion and the knowledge of God. I therefore +parted from those amiable ladies with reluctance; after receiving from +them many friendly cautions how to conduct myself, and some valuable +presents. + +When I came to Spithead, I found we were destined for the +Mediterranean, with a large fleet, which was now ready to put to sea. +We only waited for the arrival of the admiral, who soon came on board; +and about the beginning of the spring 1759, having weighed anchor, and +got under way, Sailed for the Mediterranean; and in eleven days, from +the Land's End, we got to Gibraltar. While we were here I used to be +often on shore, and got various fruits in great plenty, and very +cheap. + +I had frequently told several people, in my excursions on shore, the +story of my being kidnapped with my sister, and of our being +separated, as I have related before; and I had as often expressed my +anxiety for her fate, and my sorrow at having never met her again. One +day, when I was on shore, and mentioning these circumstances to some +persons, one of them told me he knew where my sister was, and, if I +would accompany him, he would bring me to her. Improbable as this +story was I believed it immediately, and agreed to go with him, while +my heart leaped for joy: and, indeed, he conducted me to a black young +woman, who was so like my sister, that, at first sight, I really +thought it was her: but I was quickly undeceived; and, on talking to +her, I found her to be of another nation. + +While we lay here the Preston came in from the Levant. As soon as she +arrived, my master told me I should now see my old companion, Dick, +who had gone in her when she sailed for Turkey. I was much rejoiced at +this news, and expected every minute to embrace him; and when the +captain came on board of our ship, which he did immediately after, I +ran to inquire after my friend; but, with inexpressible sorrow, I +learned from the boat's crew that the dear youth was dead! and that +they had brought his chest, and all his other things, to my master: +these he afterwards gave to me, and I regarded them as a memorial of +my friend, whom I loved, and grieved for, as a brother. + +While we were at Gibraltar, I saw a soldier hanging by his heels, at +one of the moles[L]: I thought this a strange sight, as I had seen a +man hanged in London by his neck. At another time I saw the master of +a frigate towed to shore on a grating, by several of the men of war's +boats, and discharged the fleet, which I understood was a mark of +disgrace for cowardice. On board the same ship there was also a sailor +hung up at the yard-arm. + +After lying at Gibraltar for some time, we sailed up the Mediterranean +a considerable way above the Gulf of Lyons; where we were one night +overtaken with a terrible gale of wind, much greater than any I had +ever yet experienced. The sea ran so high that, though all the guns +were well housed, there was great reason to fear their getting loose, +the ship rolled so much; and if they had it must have proved our +destruction. After we had cruised here for a short time, we came to +Barcelona, a Spanish sea-port, remarkable for its silk manufactures. +Here the ships were all to be watered; and my master, who spoke +different languages, and used often to interpret for the admiral, +superintended the watering of ours. For that purpose he and the +officers of the other ships, who were on the same service, had tents +pitched in the bay; and the Spanish soldiers were stationed along the +shore, I suppose to see that no depredations were committed by our +men. + +I used constantly to attend my master; and I was charmed with this +place. All the time we stayed it was like a fair with the natives, who +brought us fruits of all kinds, and sold them to us much cheaper than +I got them in England. They used also to bring wine down to us in hog +and sheep skins, which diverted me very much. The Spanish officers +here treated our officers with great politeness and attention; and +some of them, in particular, used to come often to my master's tent to +visit him; where they would sometimes divert themselves by mounting me +on the horses or mules, so that I could not fall, and setting them off +at full gallop; my imperfect skill in horsemanship all the while +affording them no small entertainment. After the ships were watered, +we returned to our old station of cruizing off Toulon, for the purpose +of intercepting a fleet of French men of war that lay there. One +Sunday, in our cruise, we came off a place where there were two small +French frigates lying in shore; and our admiral, thinking to take or +destroy them, sent two ships in after them--the Culloden and the +Conqueror. They soon came up to the Frenchmen; and I saw a smart fight +here, both by sea and land: for the frigates were covered by +batteries, and they played upon our ships most furiously, which they +as furiously returned, and for a long time a constant firing was kept +up on all sides at an amazing rate. At last one frigate sunk; but the +people escaped, though not without much difficulty: and a little after +some of the people left the other frigate also, which was a mere +wreck. However, our ships did not venture to bring her away, they were +so much annoyed from the batteries, which raked them both in going and +coming: their topmasts were shot away, and they were otherwise so much +shattered, that the admiral was obliged to send in many boats to tow +them back to the fleet. I afterwards sailed with a man who fought in +one of the French batteries during the engagement, and he told me our +ships had done considerable mischief that day on shore and in the +batteries. + +After this we sailed for Gibraltar, and arrived there about August +1759. Here we remained with all our sails unbent, while the fleet was +watering and doing other necessary things. While we were in this +situation, one day the admiral, with most of the principal officers, +and many people of all stations, being on shore, about seven o'clock +in the evening we were alarmed by signals from the frigates stationed +for that purpose; and in an instant there was a general cry that the +French fleet was out, and just passing through the streights. The +admiral immediately came on board with some other officers; and it is +impossible to describe the noise, hurry and confusion throughout the +whole fleet, in bending their sails and slipping their cables; many +people and ships' boats were left on shore in the bustle. We had two +captains on board of our ship who came away in the hurry and left +their ships to follow. We shewed lights from the gun-whale to the main +topmast-head; and all our lieutenants were employed amongst the fleet +to tell the ships not to wait for their captains, but to put the sails +to the yards, slip their cables and follow us; and in this confusion +of making ready for fighting we set out for sea in the dark after the +French fleet. Here I could have exclaimed with Ajax, + + "Oh Jove! O father! if it be thy will + That we must perish, we thy will obey, + But let us perish by the light of day." + +They had got the start of us so far that we were not able to come up +with them during the night; but at daylight we saw seven sail of the +line of battle some miles ahead. We immediately chased them till about +four o'clock in the evening, when our ships came up with them; and, +though we were about fifteen large ships, our gallant admiral only +fought them with his own division, which consisted of seven; so that +we were just ship for ship. We passed by the whole of the enemy's +fleet in order to come at their commander, Mons. La Clue, who was in +the Ocean, an eighty-four gun ship: as we passed they all fired on us; +and at one time three of them fired together, continuing to do so for +some time. Notwithstanding which our admiral would not suffer a gun to +be fired at any of them, to my astonishment; but made us lie on our +bellies on the deck till we came quite close to the Ocean, who was +ahead of them all; when we had orders to pour the whole three tiers +into her at once. + +The engagement now commenced with great fury on both sides: the Ocean +immediately returned our fire, and we continued engaged with each +other for some time; during which I was frequently stunned with the +thundering of the great guns, whose dreadful contents hurried many of +my companions into awful eternity. At last the French line was +entirely broken, and we obtained the victory, which was immediately +proclaimed with loud huzzas and acclamations. We took three prizes, La +Modeste, of sixty-four guns, and Le Temeraire and Centaur, of +seventy-four guns each. The rest of the French ships took to flight +with all the sail they could crowd. Our ship being very much damaged, +and quite disabled from pursuing the enemy, the admiral immediately +quitted her, and went in the broken and only boat we had left on board +the Newark, with which, and some other ships, he went after the +French. The Ocean, and another large French ship, called the +Redoubtable, endeavouring to escape, ran ashore at Cape Logas, on the +coast of Portugal; and the French admiral and some of the crew got +ashore; but we, finding it impossible to get the ships off, set fire +to them both. About midnight I saw the Ocean blow up, with a most +dreadful explosion. I never beheld a more awful scene. In less than a +minute the midnight for a certain space seemed turned into day by the +blaze, which was attended with a noise louder and more terrible than +thunder, that seemed to rend every element around us. + +My station during the engagement was on the middle-deck, where I was +quartered with another boy, to bring powder to the aftermost gun; and +here I was a witness of the dreadful fate of many of my companions, +who, in the twinkling of an eye, were dashed in pieces, and launched +into eternity. Happily I escaped unhurt, though the shot and splinters +flew thick about me during the whole fight. Towards the latter part of +it my master was wounded, and I saw him carried down to the surgeon; +but though I was much alarmed for him and wished to assist him I dared +not leave my post. At this station my gun-mate (a partner in bringing +powder for the same gun) and I ran a very great risk for more than +half an hour of blowing up the ship. For, when we had taken the +cartridges out of the boxes, the bottoms of many of them proving +rotten, the powder ran all about the deck, near the match tub: we +scarcely had water enough at the last to throw on it. We were also, +from our employment, very much exposed to the enemy's shots; for we +had to go through nearly the whole length of the ship to bring the +powder. I expected therefore every minute to be my last; especially +when I saw our men fall so thick about me; but, wishing to guard as +much against the dangers as possible, at first I thought it would be +safest not to go for the powder till the Frenchmen had fired their +broadside; and then, while they were charging, I could go and come +with my powder: but immediately afterwards I thought this caution was +fruitless; and, cheering myself with the reflection that there was a +time allotted for me to die as well as to be born, I instantly cast +off all fear or thought whatever of death, and went through the whole +of my duty with alacrity; pleasing myself with the hope, if I survived +the battle, of relating it and the dangers I had escaped to the dear +Miss Guerin, and others, when I should return to London. + +Our ship suffered very much in this engagement; for, besides the +number of our killed and wounded, she was almost torn to pieces, and +our rigging so much shattered, that our mizen-mast and main-yard, &c. +hung over the side of the ship; so that we were obliged to get many +carpenters, and others from some of the ships of the fleet, to assist +in setting us in some tolerable order; and, notwithstanding, it took +us some time before we were completely refitted; after which we left +Admiral Broderick to command, and we, with the prizes, steered for +England. On the passage, and as soon as my master was something +recovered of his wounds, the admiral appointed him captain of the Ætna +fire-ship, on which he and I left the Namur, and went on board of her +at sea. I liked this little ship very much. I now became the captain's +steward, in which situation I was very happy: for I was extremely well +treated by all on board; and I had leisure to improve myself in +reading and writing. The latter I had learned a little of before I +left the Namur, as there was a school on board. When we arrived at +Spithead the Ætna went into Portsmouth harbour to refit, which being +done, we returned to Spithead and joined a large fleet that was +thought to be intended against the Havannah; but about that time the +king died: whether that prevented the expedition I know not; but it +caused our ship to be stationed at Cowes, in the isle of Wight, till +the beginning of the year sixty-one. Here I spent my time very +pleasantly; I was much on shore all about this delightful island, and +found the inhabitants very civil. + +While I was here, I met with a trifling incident, which surprised me +agreeably. I was one day in a field belonging to a gentleman who had +a black boy about my own size; this boy having observed me from his +master's house, was transported at the sight of one of his own +countrymen, and ran to meet me with the utmost haste. I not knowing +what he was about turned a little out of his way at first, but to no +purpose: he soon came close to me and caught hold of me in his arms as +if I had been his brother, though we had never seen each other before. +After we had talked together for some time he took me to his master's +house, where I was treated very kindly. This benevolent boy and I were +very happy in frequently seeing each other till about the month of +March 1761, when our ship had orders to fit out again for another +expedition. When we got ready, we joined a very large fleet at +Spithead, commanded by Commodore Keppel, which was destined against +Belle-Isle, and with a number of transport ships with troops on board +to make a descent on the place. We sailed once more in quest of fame. +I longed to engage in new adventures and see fresh wonders. + +I had a mind on which every thing uncommon made its full impression, +and every event which I considered as marvellous. Every extraordinary +escape, or signal deliverance, either of myself or others, I looked +upon to be effected by the interposition of Providence. We had not +been above ten days at sea before an incident of this kind happened; +which, whatever credit it may obtain from the reader, made no small +impression on my mind. + +We had on board a gunner, whose name was John Mondle; a man of very +indifferent morals. This man's cabin was between the decks, exactly +over where I lay, abreast of the quarter-deck ladder. One night, the +20th of April, being terrified with a dream, he awoke in so great a +fright that he could not rest in his bed any longer, nor even remain +in his cabin; and he went upon deck about four o'clock in the morning +extremely agitated. He immediately told those on the deck of the +agonies of his mind, and the dream which occasioned it; in which he +said he had seen many things very awful, and had been warned by St. +Peter to repent, who told him time was short. This he said had greatly +alarmed him, and he was determined to alter his life. People generally +mock the fears of others when they are themselves in safety; and some +of his shipmates who heard him only laughed at him. However, he made +a vow that he never would drink strong liquors again; and he +immediately got a light, and gave away his sea-stores of liquor. After +which, his agitation still continuing, he began to read the +Scriptures, hoping to find some relief; and soon afterwards he laid +himself down again on his bed, and endeavoured to compose himself to +sleep, but to no purpose; his mind still continuing in a state of +agony. By this time it was exactly half after seven in the morning: I +was then under the half-deck at the great cabin door; and all at once +I heard the people in the waist cry out, most fearfully--'The Lord +have mercy upon us! We are all lost! The Lord have mercy upon us!' Mr. +Mondle hearing the cries, immediately ran out of his cabin; and we +were instantly struck by the Lynne, a forty-gun ship, Captain Clark, +which nearly ran us down. This ship had just put about, and was by the +wind, but had not got full headway, or we must all have perished; for +the wind was brisk. However, before Mr. Mondle had got four steps from +his cabin-door, she struck our ship with her cutwater right in the +middle of his bed and cabin, and ran it up to the combings of the +quarter-deck hatchway, and above three feet below water, and in a +minute there was not a bit of wood to be seen where Mr. Mondle's cabin +stood; and he was so near being killed that some of the splinters tore +his face. As Mr. Mondle must inevitably have perished from this +accident had he not been alarmed in the very extraordinary way I have +related, I could not help regarding this as an awful interposition of +Providence for his preservation. The two ships for some time swinged +alongside of each other; for ours being a fire-ship, our +grappling-irons caught the Lynne every way, and the yards and rigging +went at an astonishing rate. Our ship was in such a shocking condition +that we all thought she would instantly go down, and every one ran for +their lives, and got as well as they could on board the Lynne; but our +lieutenant being the aggressor, he never quitted the ship. However, +when we found she did not sink immediately, the captain came on board +again, and encouraged our people to return and try to save her. Many +on this came back, but some would not venture. Some of the ships in +the fleet, seeing our situation, immediately sent their boats to our +assistance; but it took us the whole day to save the ship with all +their help. And by using every possible means, particularly frapping +her together with many hawsers, and putting a great quantity of tallow +below water where she was damaged, she was kept together: but it was +well we did not meet with any gales of wind, or we must have gone to +pieces; for we were in such a crazy condition that we had ships to +attend us till we arrived at Belle-Isle, the place of our destination; +and then we had all things taken out of the ship, and she was properly +repaired. This escape of Mr. Mondle, which he, as well as myself, +always considered as a singular act of Providence, I believe had a +great influence on his life and conduct ever afterwards. + +Now that I am on this subject I beg leave to relate another instance +or two which strongly raised my belief of the particular interposition +of Heaven, and which might not otherwise have found a place here, from +their insignificance. I belonged for a few days in the year 1758 to +the Jason, of fifty-four guns, at Plymouth; and one night, when I was +on board, a woman, with a child at her breast, fell from the +upper-deck down into the hold, near the keel. Every one thought that +the mother and child must be both dashed to pieces; but, to our great +surprise, neither of them was hurt. I myself one day fell headlong +from the upper-deck of the Ætna down the after-hold, when the ballast +was out; and all who saw me fall cried out I was killed: but I +received not the least injury. And in the same ship a man fell from +the mast-head on the deck without being hurt. In these, and in many +more instances, I thought I could plainly trace the hand of God, +without whose permission a sparrow cannot fall. I began to raise my +fear from man to him alone, and to call daily on his holy name with +fear and reverence: and I trust he heard my supplications, and +graciously condescended to answer me according to his holy word, and +to implant the seeds of piety in me, even one of the meanest of his +creatures. + +When we had refitted our ship, and all things were in readiness for +attacking the place, the troops on board the transports were ordered +to disembark; and my master, as a junior captain, had a share in the +command of the landing. This was on the 8th of April. The French were +drawn up on the shore, and had made every disposition to oppose the +landing of our men, only a small part of them this day being able to +effect it; most of them, after fighting with great bravery, were cut +off; and General Crawford, with a number of others, were taken +prisoners. In this day's engagement we had also our lieutenant killed. + +On the 21st of April we renewed our efforts to land the men, while all +the men of war were stationed along the shore to cover it, and fired +at the French batteries and breastworks from early in the morning till +about four o'clock in the evening, when our soldiers effected a safe +landing. They immediately attacked the French; and, after a sharp +encounter, forced them from the batteries. Before the enemy retreated +they blew up several of them, lest they should fall into our hands. +Our men now proceeded to besiege the citadel, and my master was +ordered on shore to superintend the landing of all the materials +necessary for carrying on the siege; in which service I mostly +attended him. While I was there I went about to different parts of the +island; and one day, particularly, my curiosity almost cost me my +life. I wanted very much to see the mode of charging the mortars and +letting off the shells, and for that purpose I went to an English +battery that was but a very few yards from the walls of the citadel. +There, indeed, I had an opportunity of completely gratifying myself in +seeing the whole operation, and that not without running a very great +risk, both from the English shells that burst while I was there, but +likewise from those of the French. One of the largest of their shells +bursted within nine or ten yards of me: there was a single rock close +by, about the size of a butt; and I got instant shelter under it in +time to avoid the fury of the shell. Where it burst the earth was torn +in such a manner that two or three butts might easily have gone into +the hole it made, and it threw great quantities of stones and dirt to +a considerable distance. Three shot were also fired at me and another +boy who was along with me, one of them in particular seemed + + "Wing'd with red lightning and impetuous rage;" + +for with a most dreadful sound it hissed close by me, and struck a +rock at a little distance, which it shattered to pieces. When I saw +what perilous circumstances I was in, I attempted to return the +nearest way I could find, and thereby I got between the English and +the French centinels. An English serjeant, who commanded the outposts, +seeing me, and surprised how I came there, (which was by stealth along +the seashore), reprimanded me very severely for it, and instantly took +the centinel off his post into custody, for his negligence in +suffering me to pass the lines. While I was in this situation I +observed at a little distance a French horse, belonging to some +islanders, which I thought I would now mount, for the greater +expedition of getting off. Accordingly I took some cord which I had +about me, and making a kind of bridle of it, I put it round the +horse's head, and the tame beast very quietly suffered me to tie him +thus and mount him. As soon as I was on the horse's back I began to +kick and beat him, and try every means to make him go quick, but all +to very little purpose: I could not drive him out of a slow pace. +While I was creeping along, still within reach of the enemy's shot, I +met with a servant well mounted on an English horse. I immediately +stopped; and, crying, told him my case; and begged of him to help me, +and this he effectually did; for, having a fine large whip, he began +to lash my horse with it so severely, that he set off full speed with +me towards the sea, while I was quite unable to hold or manage him. In +this manner I went along till I came to a craggy precipice. I now +could not stop my horse; and my mind was filled with apprehensions of +my deplorable fate should he go down the precipice, which he appeared +fully disposed to do: I therefore thought I had better throw myself +off him at once, which I did immediately with a great deal of +dexterity, and fortunately escaped unhurt. As soon as I found myself +at liberty I made the best of my way for the ship, determined I would +not be so fool-hardy again in a hurry. + +We continued to besiege the citadel till June, when it surrendered. +During the siege I have counted above sixty shells and carcases in the +air at once. When this place was taken I went through the citadel, and +in the bomb-proofs under it, which were cut in the solid rock; and I +thought it a surprising place, both for strength and building: +notwithstanding which our shots and shells had made amazing +devastation, and ruinous heaps all around it. + +After the taking of this island our ships, with some others commanded +by Commodore Stanhope in the Swiftsure, went to Basse-road, where we +blocked up a French fleet. Our ships were there from June till +February following; and in that time I saw a great many scenes of war, +and stratagems on both sides to destroy each others fleet. Sometimes +we would attack the French with some ships of the line; at other times +with boats; and frequently we made prizes. Once or twice the French +attacked us by throwing shells with their bomb-vessels: and one day as +a French vessel was throwing shells at our ships she broke from her +springs, behind the isle of I de Re: the tide being complicated, she +came within a gun shot of the Nassau; but the Nassau could not bring a +gun to bear upon her, and thereby the Frenchman got off. We were twice +attacked by their fire-floats, which they chained together, and then +let them float down with the tide; but each time we sent boats with +graplings, and towed them safe out of the fleet. + +We had different commanders while we were at this place, Commodores +Stanhope, Dennis, Lord Howe, &c. From hence, before the Spanish war +began, our ship and the Wasp sloop were sent to St. Sebastian in +Spain, by Commodore Stanhope; and Commodore Dennis afterwards sent our +ship as a cartel to Bayonne in France[M], after which[N] we went in +February in 1762 to Belle-Isle, and there stayed till the summer, when +we left it, and returned to Portsmouth. + +After our ship was fitted out again for service, in September she went +to Guernsey, where I was very glad to see my old hostess, who was now +a widow, and my former little charming companion, her daughter. I +spent some time here very happily with them, till October, when we had +orders to repair to Portsmouth. We parted from each other with a great +deal of affection; and I promised to return soon, and see them again, +not knowing what all-powerful fate had determined for me. Our ship +having arrived at Portsmouth, we went into the harbour, and remained +there till the latter end of November, when we heard great talk about +peace; and, to our very great joy, in the beginning of December we had +orders to go up to London with our ship to be paid off. We received +this news with loud huzzas, and every other demonstration of gladness; +and nothing but mirth was to be seen throughout every part of the +ship. I too was not without my share of the general joy on this +occasion. I thought now of nothing but being freed, and working for +myself, and thereby getting money to enable me to get a good +education; for I always had a great desire to be able at least to read +and write; and while I was on shipboard I had endeavoured to improve +myself in both. While I was in the Ætna particularly, the captain's +clerk taught me to write, and gave me a smattering of arithmetic as +far as the rule of three. There was also one Daniel Queen, about forty +years of age, a man very well educated, who messed with me on board +this ship, and he likewise dressed and attended the captain. +Fortunately this man soon became very much attached to me, and took +very great pains to instruct me in many things. He taught me to shave +and dress hair a little, and also to read in the Bible, explaining +many passages to me, which I did not comprehend. I was wonderfully +surprised to see the laws and rules of my country written almost +exactly here; a circumstance which I believe tended to impress our +manners and customs more deeply on my memory. I used to tell him of +this resemblance; and many a time we have sat up the whole night +together at this employment. In short, he was like a father to me; and +some even used to call me after his name; they also styled me the +black Christian. Indeed I almost loved him with the affection of a +son. Many things I have denied myself that he might have them; and +when I used to play at marbles or any other game, and won a few +half-pence, or got any little money, which I sometimes did, for +shaving any one, I used to buy him a little sugar or tobacco, as far +as my stock of money would go. He used to say, that he and I never +should part; and that when our ship was paid off, as I was as free as +himself or any other man on board, he would instruct me in his +business, by which I might gain a good livelihood. This gave me new +life and spirits; and my heart burned within me, while I thought the +time long till I obtained my freedom. For though my master had not +promised it to me, yet, besides the assurances I had received that he +had no right to detain me, he always treated me with the greatest +kindness, and reposed in me an unbounded confidence; he even paid +attention to my morals; and would never suffer me to deceive him, or +tell lies, of which he used to tell me the consequences; and that if I +did so God would not love me; so that, from all this tenderness, I had +never once supposed, in all my dreams of freedom, that he would think +of detaining me any longer than I wished. + +In pursuance of our orders we sailed from Portsmouth for the Thames, +and arrived at Deptford the 10th of December, where we cast anchor +just as it was high water. The ship was up about half an hour, when my +master ordered the barge to be manned; and all in an instant, without +having before given me the least reason to suspect any thing of the +matter, he forced me into the barge; saying, I was going to leave him, +but he would take care I should not. I was so struck with the +unexpectedness of this proceeding, that for some time I did not make a +reply, only I made an offer to go for my books and chest of clothes, +but he swore I should not move out of his sight; and if I did he would +cut my throat, at the same time taking his hanger. I began, however, +to collect myself; and, plucking up courage, I told him I was free, +and he could not by law serve me so. But this only enraged him the +more; and he continued to swear, and said he would soon let me know +whether he would or not, and at that instant sprung himself into the +barge from the ship, to the astonishment and sorrow of all on board. +The tide, rather unluckily for me, had just turned downward, so that +we quickly fell down the river along with it, till we came among some +outward-bound West Indiamen; for he was resolved to put me on board +the first vessel he could get to receive me. The boat's crew, who +pulled against their will, became quite faint different times, and +would have gone ashore; but he would not let them. Some of them strove +then to cheer me, and told me he could not sell me, and that they +would stand by me, which revived me a little; and I still entertained +hopes; for as they pulled along he asked some vessels to receive me, +but they could not. But, just as we had got a little below Gravesend, +we came alongside of a ship which was going away the next tide for the +West Indies; her name was the Charming Sally, Captain James Doran; and +my master went on board and agreed with him for me; and in a little +time I was sent for into the cabin. When I came there Captain Doran +asked me if I knew him; I answered that I did not; 'Then,' said he +'you are now my slave.' I told him my master could not sell me to him, +nor to any one else. 'Why,' said he,'did not your master buy you?' I +confessed he did. 'But I have served him,' said I,'many years, and he +has taken all my wages and prize-money, for I only got one sixpence +during the war; besides this I have been baptized; and by the laws of +the land no man has a right to sell me:' And I added, that I had heard +a lawyer and others at different times tell my master so. They both +then said that those people who told me so were not my friends; but I +replied--it was very extraordinary that other people did not know the +law as well as they. Upon this Captain Doran said I talked too much +English; and if I did not behave myself well, and be quiet, he had a +method on board to make me. I was too well convinced of his power over +me to doubt what he said; and my former sufferings in the slave-ship +presenting themselves to my mind, the recollection of them made me +shudder. However, before I retired I told them that as I could not get +any right among men here I hoped I should hereafter in Heaven; and I +immediately left the cabin, filled with resentment and sorrow. The +only coat I had with me my master took away with him, and said if my +prize-money had been 10,000 £. he had a right to it all, and would have +taken it. I had about nine guineas, which, during my long sea-faring +life, I had scraped together from trifling perquisites and little +ventures; and I hid it that instant, lest my master should take that +from me likewise, still hoping that by some means or other I should +make my escape to the shore; and indeed some of my old shipmates told +me not to despair, for they would get me back again; and that, as soon +as they could get their pay, they would immediately come to Portsmouth +to me, where this ship was going: but, alas! all my hopes were +baffled, and the hour of my deliverance was yet far off. My master, +having soon concluded his bargain with the captain, came out of the +cabin, and he and his people got into the boat and put off; I followed +them with aching eyes as long as I could, and when they were out of +sight I threw myself on the deck, while my heart was ready to burst +with sorrow and anguish. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[Footnote L: He had drowned himself in endeavouring to desert.] + +[Footnote M: Among others whom we brought from Bayonne, two gentlemen, +who had been in the West Indies, where they sold slaves; and they +confessed they had made at one time a false bill of sale, and sold two +Portuguese white men among a lot of slaves.] + +[Footnote N: Some people have it, that sometimes shortly before +persons die their ward has been seen; that is, some spirit exactly in +their likeness, though they are themselves at other places at the same +time. One day while we were at Bayonne Mr. Mondle saw one of our men, +as he thought, in the gun-room; and a little after, coming on the +quarter-deck, he spoke of some circumstances of this man to some of +the officers. They told him that the man was then out of the ship, in +one of the boats with the Lieutenant: but Mr. Mondle would not believe +it, and we searched the ship, when he found the man was actually out +of her; and when the boat returned some time afterwards, we found the +man had been drowned at the very time Mr. Mondle thought he saw him.] + + + + +CHAP. V. + + _The author's reflections on his situation--Is deceived by a + promise of being delivered--His despair at sailing for the + West Indies--Arrives at Montserrat, where he is sold to Mr. + King--Various interesting instances of oppression, cruelty, + and extortion, which the author saw practised upon the + slaves in the West Indies during his captivity from the year + 1763 to 1766--Address on it to the planters._ + + +Thus, at the moment I expected all my toils to end, was I plunged, as +I supposed, in a new slavery; in comparison of which all my service +hitherto had been 'perfect freedom;' and whose horrors, always present +to my mind, now rushed on it with tenfold aggravation. I wept very +bitterly for some time: and began to think that I must have done +something to displease the Lord, that he thus punished me so severely. +This filled me with painful reflections on my past conduct; I +recollected that on the morning of our arrival at Deptford I had +rashly sworn that as soon as we reached London I would spend the day +in rambling and sport. My conscience smote me for this unguarded +expression: I felt that the Lord was able to disappoint me in all +things, and immediately considered my present situation as a judgment +of Heaven on account of my presumption in swearing: I therefore, with +contrition of heart, acknowledged my transgression to God, and poured +out my soul before him with unfeigned repentance, and with earnest +supplications I besought him not to abandon me in my distress, nor +cast me from his mercy for ever. In a little time my grief, spent with +its own violence, began to subside; and after the first confusion of +my thoughts was over I reflected with more calmness on my present +condition: I considered that trials and disappointments are sometimes +for our good, and I thought God might perhaps have permitted this in +order to teach me wisdom and resignation; for he had hitherto shadowed +me with the wings of his mercy, and by his invisible but powerful hand +brought me the way I knew not. These reflections gave me a little +comfort, and I rose at last from the deck with dejection and sorrow in +my countenance, yet mixed with some faint hope that the _Lord would +appear_ for my deliverance. + +Soon afterwards, as my new master was going ashore, he called me to +him, and told me to behave myself well, and do the business of the +ship the same as any of the rest of the boys, and that I should fare +the better for it; but I made him no answer. I was then asked if I +could swim, and I said, No. However I was made to go under the deck, +and was well watched. The next tide the ship got under way, and soon +after arrived at the Mother Bank, Portsmouth; where she waited a few +days for some of the West India convoy. While I was here I tried every +means I could devise amongst the people of the ship to get me a boat +from the shore, as there was none suffered to come alongside of the +ship; and their own, whenever it was used, was hoisted in again +immediately. A sailor on board took a guinea from me on pretence of +getting me a boat; and promised me, time after time, that it was +hourly to come off. When he had the watch upon deck I watched also; +and looked long enough, but all in vain; I could never see either the +boat or my guinea again. And what I thought was still the worst of +all, the fellow gave information, as I afterwards found, all the while +to the mates, of my intention to go off, if I could in any way do it; +but, rogue like, he never told them he had got a guinea from me to +procure my escape. However, after we had sailed, and his trick was +made known to the ship's crew, I had some satisfaction in seeing him +detested and despised by them all for his behaviour to me. I was still +in hopes that my old shipmates would not forget their promise to come +for me to Portsmouth: and, indeed, at last, but not till the day +before we sailed, some of them did come there, and sent me off some +oranges, and other tokens of their regard. They also sent me word they +would come off to me themselves the next day or the day after; and a +lady also, who lived in Gosport, wrote to me that she would come and +take me out of the ship at the same time. This lady had been once very +intimate with my former master: I used to sell and take care of a +great deal of property for her, in different ships; and in return she +always shewed great friendship for me, and used to tell my master that +she would take me away to live with her: but, unfortunately for me, a +disagreement soon afterwards took place between them; and she was +succeeded in my master's good graces by another lady, who appeared +sole mistress of the Ætna, and mostly lodged on board. I was not so +great a favourite with this lady as with the former; she had conceived +a pique against me on some occasion when she was on board, and she did +not fail to instigate my master to treat me in the manner he did[O]. + +However, the next morning, the 30th of December, the wind being brisk +and easterly, the Oeolus frigate, which was to escort the convoy, +made a signal for sailing. All the ships then got up their anchors; +and, before any of my friends had an opportunity to come off to my +relief, to my inexpressible anguish our ship had got under way. What +tumultuous emotions agitated my soul when the convoy got under sail, +and I a prisoner on board, now without hope! I kept my swimming eyes +upon the land in a state of unutterable grief; not knowing what to do, +and despairing how to help myself. While my mind was in this situation +the fleet sailed on, and in one day's time I lost sight of the +wished-for land. In the first expressions of my grief I reproached my +fate, and wished I had never been born. I was ready to curse the tide +that bore us, the gale that wafted my prison, and even the ship that +conducted us; and I called on death to relieve me from the horrors I +felt and dreaded, that I might be in that place + + "Where slaves are free, and men oppress no more. + Fool that I was, inur'd so long to pain, + To trust to hope, or dream of joy again. + + * * * * * + + Now dragg'd once more beyond the western main, + To groan beneath some dastard planter's chain; + Where my poor countrymen in bondage wait + The long enfranchisement of ling'ring fate: + Hard ling'ring fate! while, ere the dawn of day, + Rous'd by the lash they go their cheerless way; + And as their souls with shame and anguish burn, + Salute with groans unwelcome morn's return, + And, chiding ev'ry hour the slow-pac'd sun, + Pursue their toils till all his race is run. + No eye to mark their suff'rings with a tear; + No friend to comfort, and no hope to cheer: + Then, like the dull unpity'd brutes, repair + To stalls as wretched, and as coarse a fare; + Thank heaven one day of mis'ry was o'er, + Then sink to sleep, and wish to wake no more[P]." + +The turbulence of my emotions however naturally gave way to calmer +thoughts, and I soon perceived what fate had decreed no mortal on +earth could prevent. The convoy sailed on without any accident, with a +pleasant gale and smooth sea, for six weeks, till February, when one +morning the Oeolus ran down a brig, one of the convoy, and she +instantly went down and was ingulfed in the dark recesses of the +ocean. The convoy was immediately thrown into great confusion till it +was daylight; and the Oeolus was illumined with lights to prevent +any farther mischief. On the 13th of February 1763, from the +mast-head, we descried our destined island Montserrat; and soon after +I beheld those + + "Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace + And rest can rarely dwell. Hope never comes + That comes to all, but torture without end + Still urges." + +At the sight of this land of bondage, a fresh horror ran through all +my frame, and chilled me to the heart. My former slavery now rose in +dreadful review to my mind, and displayed nothing but misery, stripes, +and chains; and, in the first paroxysm of my grief, I called upon +God's thunder, and his avenging power, to direct the stroke of death +to me, rather than permit me to become a slave, and be sold from lord +to lord. + +In this state of my mind our ship came to an anchor, and soon after +discharged her cargo. I now knew what it was to work hard; I was made +to help to unload and load the ship. And, to comfort me in my distress +in that time, two of the sailors robbed me of all my money, and ran +away from the ship. I had been so long used to an European climate +that at first I felt the scorching West India sun very painful, while +the dashing surf would toss the boat and the people in it frequently +above high water mark. Sometimes our limbs were broken with this, or +even attended with instant death, and I was day by day mangled and +torn. + +About the middle of May, when the ship was got ready to sail for +England, I all the time believing that Fate's blackest clouds were +gathering over my head, and expecting their bursting would mix me with +the dead, Captain Doran sent for me ashore one morning, and I was told +by the messenger that my fate was then determined. With fluttering +steps and trembling heart I came to the captain, and found with him +one Mr. Robert King, a quaker, and the first merchant in the place. +The captain then told me my former master had sent me there to be +sold; but that he had desired him to get me the best master he could, +as he told him I was a very deserving boy, which Captain Doran said he +found to be true; and if he were to stay in the West Indies he would +be glad to keep me himself; but he could not venture to take me to +London, for he was very sure that when I came there I would leave him. +I at that instant burst out a crying, and begged much of him to take +me to England with him, but all to no purpose. He told me he had got +me the very best master in the whole island, with whom I should be as +happy as if I were in England, and for that reason he chose to let him +have me, though he could sell me to his own brother-in-law for a great +deal more money than what he got from this gentleman. Mr. King, my new +master, then made a reply, and said the reason he had bought me was on +account of my good character; and, as he had not the least doubt of my +good behaviour, I should be very well off with him. He also told me he +did not live in the West Indies, but at Philadelphia, where he was +going soon; and, as I understood something of the rules of +arithmetic, when we got there he would put me to school, and fit me +for a clerk. This conversation relieved my mind a little, and I left +those gentlemen considerably more at ease in myself than when I came +to them; and I was very grateful to Captain Doran, and even to my old +master, for the character they had given me; a character which I +afterwards found of infinite service to me. I went on board again, and +took leave of all my shipmates; and the next day the ship sailed. When +she weighed anchor I went to the waterside and looked at her with a +very wishful and aching heart, and followed her with my eyes and tears +until she was totally out of sight. I was so bowed down with grief +that I could not hold up my head for many months; and if my new master +had not been kind to me I believe I should have died under it at last. +And indeed I soon found that he fully deserved the good character +which Captain Doran had given me of him; for he possessed a most +amiable disposition and temper, and was very charitable and humane. If +any of his slaves behaved amiss he did not beat or use them ill, but +parted with them. This made them afraid of disobliging him; and as he +treated his slaves better than any other man on the island, so he was +better and more faithfully served by them in return. By his kind +treatment I did at last endeavour to compose myself; and with +fortitude, though moneyless, determined to face whatever fate had +decreed for me. Mr. King soon asked me what I could do; and at the +same time said he did not mean to treat me as a common slave. I told +him I knew something of seamanship, and could shave and dress hair +pretty well; and I could refine wines, which I had learned on +shipboard, where I had often done it; and that I could write, and +understood arithmetic tolerably well as far as the Rule of Three. He +then asked me if I knew any thing of gauging; and, on my answering +that I did not, he said one of his clerks should teach me to gauge. + +Mr. King dealt in all manner of merchandize, and kept from one to six +clerks. He loaded many vessels in a year; particularly to +Philadelphia, where he was born, and was connected with a great +mercantile house in that city. He had besides many vessels and +droggers, of different sizes, which used to go about the island; and +others to collect rum, sugar, and other goods. I understood pulling +and managing those boats very well; and this hard work, which was the +first that he set me to, in the sugar seasons used to be my constant +employment. I have rowed the boat, and slaved at the oars, from one +hour to sixteen in the twenty-four; during which I had fifteen pence +sterling per day to live on, though sometimes only ten pence. However +this was considerably more than was allowed to other slaves that used +to work with me, and belonged to other gentlemen on the island: those +poor souls had never more than nine pence per day, and seldom more +than six pence, from their masters or owners, though they earned them +three or four pisterines[Q]: for it is a common practice in the West +Indies for men to purchase slaves though they have not plantations +themselves, in order to let them out to planters and merchants at so +much a piece by the day, and they give what allowance they chuse out +of this produce of their daily work to their slaves for subsistence; +this allowance is often very scanty. My master often gave the owners +of these slaves two and a half of these pieces per day, and found the +poor fellows in victuals himself, because he thought their owners did +not feed them well enough according to the work they did. The slaves +used to like this very well; and, as they knew my master to be a man +of feeling, they were always glad to work for him in preference to any +other gentleman; some of whom, after they had been paid for these poor +people's labours, would not give them their allowance out of it. Many +times have I even seen these unfortunate wretches beaten for asking +for their pay; and often severely flogged by their owners if they did +not bring them their daily or weekly money exactly to the time; though +the poor creatures were obliged to wait on the gentlemen they had +worked for sometimes for more than half the day before they could get +their pay; and this generally on Sundays, when they wanted the time +for themselves. In particular, I knew a countryman of mine who once +did not bring the weekly money directly that it was earned; and though +he brought it the same day to his master, yet he was staked to the +ground for this pretended negligence, and was just going to receive a +hundred lashes, but for a gentleman who begged him off fifty. This +poor man was very industrious; and, by his frugality, had saved so +much money by working on shipboard, that he had got a white man to buy +him a boat, unknown to his master. Some time after he had this little +estate the governor wanted a boat to bring his sugar from different +parts of the island; and, knowing this to be a negro-man's boat, he +seized upon it for himself, and would not pay the owner a farthing. +The man on this went to his master, and complained to him of this act +of the governor; but the only satisfaction he received was to be +damned very heartily by his master, who asked him how dared any of his +negroes to have a boat. If the justly-merited ruin of the governor's +fortune could be any gratification to the poor man he had thus robbed, +he was not without consolation. Extortion and rapine are poor +providers; and some time after this the governor died in the King's +Bench in England, as I was told, in great poverty. The last war +favoured this poor negro-man, and he found some means to escape from +his Christian master: he came to England; where I saw him afterwards +several times. Such treatment as this often drives these miserable +wretches to despair, and they run away from their masters at the +hazard of their lives. Many of them, in this place, unable to get +their pay when they have earned it, and fearing to be flogged, as +usual, if they return home without it, run away where they can for +shelter, and a reward is often offered to bring them in dead or alive. +My master used sometimes, in these cases, to agree with their owners, +and to settle with them himself; and thereby he saved many of them a +flogging. + +Once, for a few days, I was let out to fit a vessel, and I had no +victuals allowed me by either party; at last I told my master of this +treatment, and he took me away from it. In many of the estates, on the +different islands where I used to be sent for rum or sugar, they would +not deliver it to me, or any other negro; he was therefore obliged to +send a white man along with me to those places; and then he used to +pay him from six to ten pisterines a day. From being thus employed, +during the time I served Mr. King, in going about the different +estates on the island, I had all the opportunity I could wish for to +see the dreadful usage of the poor men; usage that reconciled me to my +situation, and made me bless God for the hands into which I had +fallen. + +I had the good fortune to please my master in every department in +which he employed me; and there was scarcely any part of his business, +or household affairs, in which I was not occasionally engaged. I often +supplied the place of a clerk, in receiving and delivering cargoes to +the ships, in tending stores, and delivering goods: and, besides this, +I used to shave and dress my master when convenient, and take care of +his horse; and when it was necessary, which was very often, I worked +likewise on board of different vessels of his. By these means I became +very useful to my master; and saved him, as he used to acknowledge, +above a hundred pounds a year. Nor did he scruple to say I was of more +advantage to him than any of his clerks; though their usual wages in +the West Indies are from sixty to a hundred pounds current a year. + +I have sometimes heard it asserted that a negro cannot earn his master +the first cost; but nothing can be further from the truth. I suppose +nine tenths of the mechanics throughout the West Indies are negro +slaves; and I well know the coopers among them earn two dollars a day; +the carpenters the same, and oftentimes more; as also the masons, +smiths, and fishermen, &c. and I have known many slaves whose masters +would not take a thousand pounds current for them. But surely this +assertion refutes itself; for, if it be true, why do the planters and +merchants pay such a price for slaves? And, above all, why do those +who make this assertion exclaim the most loudly against the abolition +of the slave trade? So much are men blinded, and to such inconsistent +arguments are they driven by mistaken interest! I grant, indeed, that +slaves are some times, by half-feeding, half-clothing, over-working +and stripes, reduced so low, that they are turned out as unfit for +service, and left to perish in the woods, or expire on a dunghill. + +My master was several times offered by different gentlemen one hundred +guineas for me; but he always told them he would not sell me, to my +great joy: and I used to double my diligence and care for fear of +getting into the hands of those men who did not allow a valuable slave +the common support of life. Many of them even used to find fault with +my master for feeding his slaves so well as he did; although I often +went hungry, and an Englishman might think my fare very indifferent; +but he used to tell them he always would do it, because the slaves +thereby looked better and did more work. + +While I was thus employed by my master I was often a witness to +cruelties of every kind, which were exercised on my unhappy fellow +slaves. I used frequently to have different cargoes of new negroes in +my care for sale; and it was almost a constant practice with our +clerks, and other whites, to commit violent depredations on the +chastity of the female slaves; and these I was, though with +reluctance, obliged to submit to at all times, being unable to help +them. When we have had some of these slaves on board my master's +vessels to carry them to other islands, or to America, I have known +our mates to commit these acts most shamefully, to the disgrace, not +of Christians only, but of men. I have even known them gratify their +brutal passion with females not ten years old; and these abominations +some of them practised to such scandalous excess, that one of our +captains discharged the mate and others on that account. And yet in +Montserrat I have seen a negro man staked to the ground, and cut most +shockingly, and then his ears cut off bit by bit, because he had been +connected with a white woman who was a common prostitute: as if it +were no crime in the whites to rob an innocent African girl of her +virtue; but most heinous in a black man only to gratify a passion of +nature, where the temptation was offered by one of a different colour, +though the most abandoned woman of her species. Another negro man was +half hanged, and then burnt, for attempting to poison a cruel +overseer. Thus by repeated cruelties are the wretched first urged to +despair, and then murdered, because they still retain so much of human +nature about them as to wish to put an end to their misery, and +retaliate on their tyrants! These overseers are indeed for the most +part persons of the worst character of any denomination of men in the +West Indies. Unfortunately, many humane gentlemen, by not residing on +their estates, are obliged to leave the management of them in the +hands of these human butchers, who cut and mangle the slaves in a +shocking manner on the most trifling occasions, and altogether treat +them in every respect like brutes. They pay no regard to the situation +of pregnant women, nor the least attention to the lodging of the +field negroes. Their huts, which ought to be well covered, and the +place dry where they take their little repose, are often open sheds, +built in damp places; so that, when the poor creatures return tired +from the toils of the field, they contract many disorders, from being +exposed to the damp air in this uncomfortable state, while they are +heated, and their pores are open. This neglect certainly conspires +with many others to cause a decrease in the births as well as in the +lives of the grown negroes. I can quote many instances of gentlemen +who reside on their estates in the West Indies, and then the scene is +quite changed; the negroes are treated with lenity and proper care, by +which their lives are prolonged, and their masters are profited. To +the honour of humanity, I knew several gentlemen who managed their +estates in this manner; and they found that benevolence was their true +interest. And, among many I could mention in several of the islands, I +knew one in Montserrat[R] whose slaves looked remarkably well, and +never needed any fresh supplies of negroes; and there are many other +estates, especially in Barbadoes, which, from such judicious +treatment, need no fresh stock of negroes at any time. I have the +honour of knowing a most worthy and humane gentleman, who is a native +of Barbadoes, and has estates there[S]. This gentleman has written a +treatise on the usage of his own slaves. He allows them two hours for +refreshment at mid-day; and many other indulgencies and comforts, +particularly in their lying; and, besides this, he raises more +provisions on his estate than they can destroy; so that by these +attentions he saves the lives of his negroes, and keeps them healthy, +and as happy as the condition of slavery can admit. I myself, as shall +appear in the sequel, managed an estate, where, by those attentions, +the negroes were uncommonly cheerful and healthy, and did more work by +half than by the common mode of treatment they usually do. For want, +therefore, of such care and attention to the poor negroes, and +otherwise oppressed as they are, it is no wonder that the decrease +should require 20,000 new negroes annually to fill up the vacant +places of the dead. + +Even in Barbadoes, notwithstanding those humane exceptions which I +have mentioned, and others I am acquainted with, which justly make it +quoted as a place where slaves meet with the best treatment, and need +fewest recruits of any in the West Indies, yet this island requires +1000 negroes annually to keep up the original stock, which is only +80,000. So that the whole term of a negro's life may be said to be +there but sixteen years![T] And yet the climate here is in every +respect the same as that from which they are taken, except in being +more wholesome. Do the British colonies decrease in this manner? And +yet what a prodigious difference is there between an English and West +India climate? + +While I was in Montserrat I knew a negro man, named Emanuel Sankey, +who endeavoured to escape from his miserable bondage, by concealing +himself on board of a London ship: but fate did not favour the poor +oppressed man; for, being discovered when the vessel was under sail, +he was delivered up again to his master. This Christian master +immediately pinned the wretch down to the ground at each wrist and +ancle, and then took some sticks of sealing wax, and lighted them, and +droped it all over his back. There was another master who was noted +for cruelty; and I believe he had not a slave but what had been cut, +and had pieces fairly taken out of the flesh: and, after they had been +punished thus, he used to make them get into a long wooden box or case +he had for that purpose, in which he shut them up during pleasure. It +was just about the height and breadth of a man; and the poor wretches +had no room, when in the case, to move. + +It was very common in several of the islands, particularly in St. +Kitt's, for the slaves to be branded with the initial letters of their +master's name; and a load of heavy iron hooks hung about their necks. +Indeed on the most trifling occasions they were loaded with chains; +and often instruments of torture were added. The iron muzzle, +thumb-screws, &c. are so well known, as not to need a description, and +were sometimes applied for the slightest faults. I have seen a negro +beaten till some of his bones were broken, for even letting a pot boil +over. Is it surprising that usage like this should drive the poor +creatures to despair, and make them seek a refuge in death from those +evils which render their lives intolerable--while, + + "With shudd'ring horror pale, and eyes aghast, + They view their lamentable lot, and find + No rest!" + +This they frequently do. A negro-man on board a vessel of my master, +while I belonged to her, having been put in irons for some trifling +misdemeanor, and kept in that state for some days, being weary of +life, took an opportunity of jumping overboard into the sea; however, +he was picked up without being drowned. Another, whose life was also a +burden to him, resolved to starve himself to death, and refused to eat +any victuals; this procured him a severe flogging: and he also, on the +first occasion which offered, jumped overboard at Charles Town, but +was saved. + +Nor is there any greater regard shewn to the little property than +there is to the persons and lives of the negroes. I have already +related an instance or two of particular oppression out of many which +I have witnessed; but the following is frequent in all the islands. +The wretched field-slaves, after toiling all the day for an unfeeling +owner, who gives them but little victuals, steal sometimes a few +moments from rest or refreshment to gather some small portion of +grass, according as their time will admit. This they commonly tie up +in a parcel; (either a bit, worth six pence; or half a bit's-worth) +and bring it to town, or to the market, to sell. Nothing is more +common than for the white people on this occasion to take the grass +from them without paying for it; and not only so, but too often also, +to my knowledge, our clerks, and many others, at the same time have +committed acts of violence on the poor, wretched, and helpless +females; whom I have seen for hours stand crying to no purpose, and +get no redress or pay of any kind. Is not this one common and crying +sin enough to bring down God's judgment on the islands? He tells us +the oppressor and the oppressed are both in his hands; and if these +are not the poor, the broken-hearted, the blind, the captive, the +bruised, which our Saviour speaks of, who are they? One of these +depredators once, in St. Eustatia, came on board of our vessel, and +bought some fowls and pigs of me; and a whole day after his departure +with the things he returned again and wanted his money back: I refused +to give it; and, not seeing my captain on board, he began the common +pranks with me; and swore he would even break open my chest and take +my money. I therefore expected, as my captain was absent, that he +would be as good as his word: and he was just proceeding to strike me, +when fortunately a British seaman on board, whose heart had not been +debauched by a West India climate, interposed and prevented him. But +had the cruel man struck me I certainly should have defended myself at +the hazard of my life; for what is life to a man thus oppressed? He +went away, however, swearing; and threatened that whenever he caught +me on shore he would shoot me, and pay for me afterwards. + +The small account in which the life of a negro is held in the West +Indies is so universally known, that it might seem impertinent to +quote the following extract, if some people had not been hardy enough +of late to assert that negroes are on the same footing in that respect +as Europeans. By the 329th Act, page 125, of the Assembly of +Barbadoes, it is enacted 'That if any negro, or other slave, under +punishment by his master, or his order, for running away, or any other +crime or misdemeanor towards his said master, unfortunately shall +suffer in life or member, no person whatsoever shall be liable to a +fine; but if any man shall out of _wantonness, or only of +bloody-mindedness, or cruel intention, wilfully kill a negro, or other +slave, of his own, he shall pay into the public treasury fifteen +pounds sterling_.' And it is the same in most, if not all, of the West +India islands. Is not this one of the many acts of the islands which +call loudly for redress? And do not the assembly which enacted it +deserve the appellation of savages and brutes rather than of +Christians and men? It is an act at once unmerciful, unjust, and +unwise; which for cruelty would disgrace an assembly of those who are +called barbarians; and for its injustice and _insanity_ would shock +the morality and common sense of a Samaide or a Hottentot. + +Shocking as this and many more acts of the bloody West India code at +first view appear, how is the iniquity of it heightened when we +consider to whom it may be extended! Mr. James Tobin, a zealous +labourer in the vineyard of slavery, gives an account of a French +planter of his acquaintance, in the island of Martinico, who shewed +him many mulattoes working in the fields like beasts of burden; and he +told Mr. Tobin these were all the produce of his own loins! And I +myself have known similar instances. Pray, reader, are these sons and +daughters of the French planter less his children by being begotten on +a black woman? And what must be the virtue of those legislators, and +the feelings of those fathers, who estimate the lives of their sons, +however begotten, at no more than fifteen pounds; though they should +be murdered, as the act says, _out of wantonness and bloody-mindedness_! +But is not the slave trade entirely a war with the heart of man? And +surely that which is begun by breaking down the barriers of virtue +involves in its continuance destruction to every principle, and buries +all sentiments in ruin! + +I have often seen slaves, particularly those who were meagre, in +different islands, put into scales and weighed; and then sold from +three pence to six pence or nine pence a pound. My master, however, +whose humanity was shocked at this mode, used to sell such by the +lump. And at or after a sale it was not uncommon to see negroes taken +from their wives, wives taken from their husbands, and children from +their parents, and sent off to other islands, and wherever else their +merciless lords chose; and probably never more during life to see each +other! Oftentimes my heart has bled at these partings; when the +friends of the departed have been at the water side, and, with sighs +and tears, have kept their eyes fixed on the vessel till it went out +of sight. + +A poor Creole negro I knew well, who, after having been often thus +transported from island to island, at last resided in Montserrat. This +man used to tell me many melancholy tales of himself. Generally, after +he had done working for his master, he used to employ his few leisure +moments to go a fishing. When he had caught any fish, his master would +frequently take them from him without paying him; and at other times +some other white people would serve him in the same manner. One day he +said to me, very movingly, 'Sometimes when a white man take away my +fish I go to my maser, and he get me my right; and when my maser by +strength take away my fishes, what me must do? I can't go to any body +to be righted; then' said the poor man, looking up above 'I must look +up to God Mighty in the top for right.' This artless tale moved me +much, and I could not help feeling the just cause Moses had in +redressing his brother against the Egyptian. I exhorted the man to +look up still to the God on the top, since there was no redress below. +Though I little thought then that I myself should more than once +experience such imposition, and read the same exhortation hereafter, +in my own transactions in the islands; and that even this poor man and +I should some time after suffer together in the same manner, as shall +be related hereafter. + +Nor was such usage as this confined to particular places or +individuals; for, in all the different islands in which I have been +(and I have visited no less than fifteen) the treatment of the slaves +was nearly the same; so nearly indeed, that the history of an island, +or even a plantation, with a few such exceptions as I have mentioned, +might serve for a history of the whole. Such a tendency has the +slave-trade to debauch men's minds, and harden them to every feeling +of humanity! For I will not suppose that the dealers in slaves are +born worse than other men--No; it is the fatality of this mistaken +avarice, that it corrupts the milk of human kindness and turns it into +gall. And, had the pursuits of those men been different, they might +have been as generous, as tender-hearted and just, as they are +unfeeling, rapacious and cruel. Surely this traffic cannot be good, +which spreads like a pestilence, and taints what it touches! which +violates that first natural right of mankind, equality and +independency, and gives one man a dominion over his fellows which God +could never intend! For it raises the owner to a state as far above +man as it depresses the slave below it; and, with all the presumption +of human pride, sets a distinction between them, immeasurable in +extent, and endless in duration! Yet how mistaken is the avarice even +of the planters? Are slaves more useful by being thus humbled to the +condition of brutes, than they would be if suffered to enjoy the +privileges of men? The freedom which diffuses health and prosperity +throughout Britain answers you--No. When you make men slaves you +deprive them of half their virtue, you set them in your own conduct an +example of fraud, rapine, and cruelty, and compel them to live with +you in a state of war; and yet you complain that they are not honest +or faithful! You stupify them with stripes, and think it necessary to +keep them in a state of ignorance; and yet you assert that they are +incapable of learning; that their minds are such a barren soil or +moor, that culture would be lost on them; and that they come from a +climate, where nature, though prodigal of her bounties in a degree +unknown to yourselves, has left man alone scant and unfinished, and +incapable of enjoying the treasures she has poured out for him!--An +assertion at once impious and absurd. Why do you use those instruments +of torture? Are they fit to be applied by one rational being to +another? And are ye not struck with shame and mortification, to see +the partakers of your nature reduced so low? But, above all, are there +no dangers attending this mode of treatment? Are you not hourly in +dread of an insurrection? Nor would it be surprising: for when + + "--No peace is given + To us enslav'd, but custody severe; + And stripes and arbitrary punishment + Inflicted--What peace can we return? + But to our power, hostility and hate; + Untam'd reluctance, and revenge, though slow, + Yet ever plotting how the conqueror least + May reap his conquest, and may least rejoice + In doing what we most in suffering feel." + +But by changing your conduct, and treating your slaves as men, every +cause of fear would be banished. They would be faithful, honest, +intelligent and vigorous; and peace, prosperity, and happiness, would +attend you. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[Footnote O: Thus was I sacrificed to the envy and resentment of this +woman for knowing that the lady whom she had succeeded in my master's +good graces designed to take me into her service; which, had I once +got on shore, she would not have been able to prevent. She felt her +pride alarmed at the superiority of her rival in being attended by a +black servant: it was not less to prevent this than to be revenged on +me, that she caused the captain to treat me thus cruelly.] + +[Footnote P: "The Dying Negro," a poem originally published in 1773. +Perhaps it may not be deemed impertinent here to add, that this +elegant and pathetic little poem was occasioned, as appears by the +advertisement prefixed to it, by the following incident. "A black, +who, a few days before had ran away from his master, and got himself +christened, with intent to marry a white woman his fellow-servant, +being taken and sent on board a ship in the Thames, took an +opportunity of shooting himself through the head."] + +[Footnote Q: These pisterines are of the value of a shilling.] + +[Footnote R: Mr. Dubury, and many others, Montserrat.] + +[Footnote S: Sir Philip Gibbes, Baronet, Barbadoes.] + +[Footnote T: Benezet's Account of Guinea, p. 16.] + + + + +CHAP. VI. + + _Some account of Brimstone-Hill in Montserrat--Favourable + change in the author's situation--He commences merchant with + three pence--His various success in dealing in the different + islands, and America, and the impositions he meets with in + his transactions with Europeans--A curious imposition on + human nature--Danger of the surfs in the West + Indies--Remarkable instance of kidnapping a free + mulatto--The author is nearly murdered by Doctor Perkins in + Savannah._ + + +In the preceding chapter I have set before the reader a few of those +many instances of oppression, extortion, and cruelty, which I have +been a witness to in the West Indies: but, were I to enumerate them +all, the catalogue would be tedious and disgusting. The punishments of +the slaves on every trifling occasion are so frequent, and so well +known, together with the different instruments with which they are +tortured, that it cannot any longer afford novelty to recite them; and +they are too shocking to yield delight either to the writer or the +reader. I shall therefore hereafter only mention such as incidentally +befel myself in the course of my adventures. + +In the variety of departments in which I was employed by my master, I +had an opportunity of seeing many curious scenes in different islands; +but, above all, I was struck with a celebrated curiosity called +Brimstone-Hill, which is a high and steep mountain, some few miles +from the town of Plymouth in Montserrat. I had often heard of some +wonders that were to be seen on this hill, and I went once with some +white and black people to visit it. When we arrived at the top, I saw +under different cliffs great flakes of brimstone, occasioned by the +steams of various little ponds, which were then boiling naturally in +the earth. Some of these ponds were as white as milk, some quite blue, +and many others of different colours. I had taken some potatoes with +me, and I put them into different ponds, and in a few minutes they +were well boiled. I tasted some of them, but they were very +sulphurous; and the silver shoe buckles, and all the other things of +that metal we had among us, were, in a little time, turned as black +as lead. + +Some time in the year 1763 kind Providence seemed to appear rather +more favourable to me. One of my master's vessels, a Bermudas sloop, +about sixty tons, was commanded by one Captain Thomas Farmer, an +Englishman, a very alert and active man, who gained my master a great +deal of money by his good management in carrying passengers from one +island to another; but very often his sailors used to get drunk and +run away from the vessel, which hindered him in his business very +much. This man had taken a liking to me; and many different times +begged of my master to let me go a trip with him as a sailor; but he +would tell him he could not spare me, though the vessel sometimes +could not go for want of hands, for sailors were generally very scarce +in the island. However, at last, from necessity or force, my master +was prevailed on, though very reluctantly, to let me go with this +captain; but he gave great charge to him to take care that I did not +run away, for if I did he would make him pay for me. This being the +case, the captain had for some time a sharp eye upon me whenever the +vessel anchored; and as soon as she returned I was sent for on shore +again. Thus was I slaving as it were for life, sometimes at one thing, +and sometimes at another; so that the captain and I were nearly the +most useful men in my master's employment. I also became so useful to +the captain on shipboard, that many times, when he used to ask for me +to go with him, though it should be but for twenty-four hours, to some +of the islands near us, my master would answer he could not spare me, +at which the captain would swear, and would not go the trip; and tell +my master I was better to him on board than any three white men he +had; for they used to behave ill in many respects, particularly in +getting drunk; and then they frequently got the boat stove, so as to +hinder the vessel from coming back as soon as she might have done. +This my master knew very well; and at last, by the captain's constant +entreaties, after I had been several times with him, one day, to my +great joy, my master told me the captain would not let him rest, and +asked me whether I would go aboard as a sailor, or stay on shore and +mind the stores, for he could not bear any longer to be plagued in +this manner. I was very happy at this proposal, for I immediately +thought I might in time stand some chance by being on board to get a +little money, or possibly make my escape if I should be used ill: I +also expected to get better food, and in greater abundance; for I had +felt much hunger oftentimes, though my master treated his slaves, as I +have observed, uncommonly well. I therefore, without hesitation, +answered him, that I would go and be a sailor if he pleased. +Accordingly I was ordered on board directly. Nevertheless, between the +vessel and the shore, when she was in port, I had little or no rest, +as my master always wished to have me along with him. Indeed he was a +very pleasant gentleman, and but for my expectations on shipboard I +should not have thought of leaving him. But the captain liked me also +very much, and I was entirely his right-hand man. I did all I could to +deserve his favour, and in return I received better treatment from him +than any other I believe ever met with in the West Indies in my +situation. + +After I had been sailing for some time with this captain, at length I +endeavoured to try my luck and commence merchant. I had but a very +small capital to begin with; for one single half bit, which is equal +to three pence in England, made up my whole stock. However I trusted +to the Lord to be with me; and at one of our trips to St. Eustatia, a +Dutch island, I bought a glass tumbler with my half bit, and when I +came to Montserrat I sold it for a bit, or sixpence. Luckily we made +several successive trips to St. Eustatia (which was a general mart for +the West Indies, about twenty leagues from Montserrat); and in our +next, finding my tumbler so profitable, with this one bit I bought two +tumblers more; and when I came back I sold them for two bits, equal to +a shilling sterling. When we went again I bought with these two bits +four more of these glasses, which I sold for four bits on our return +to Montserrat; and in our next voyage to St. Eustatia I bought two +glasses with one bit, and with the other three I bought a jug of +Geneva, nearly about three pints in measure. When we came to +Montserrat I sold the gin for eight bits, and the tumblers for two, so +that my capital now amounted in all to a dollar, well husbanded and +acquired in the space of a month or six weeks, when I blessed the Lord +that I was so rich. As we sailed to different islands, I laid this +money out in various things occasionally, and it used to turn out to +very good account, especially when we went to Guadaloupe, Grenada, and +the rest of the French islands. Thus was I going all about the islands +upwards of four years, and ever trading as I went, during which I +experienced many instances of ill usage, and have seen many injuries +done to other negroes in our dealings with Europeans: and, amidst our +recreations, when we have been dancing and merry-making, they, without +cause, have molested and insulted us. Indeed I was more than once +obliged to look up to God on high, as I had advised the poor fisherman +some time before. And I had not been long trading for myself in the +manner I have related above, when I experienced the like trial in +company with him as follows: This man being used to the water, was +upon an emergency put on board of us by his master to work as another +hand, on a voyage to Santa Cruz; and at our sailing he had brought his +little all for a venture, which consisted of six bits' worth of limes +and oranges in a bag; I had also my whole stock, which was about +twelve bits' worth of the same kind of goods, separate in two bags; +for we had heard these fruits sold well in that island. When we came +there, in some little convenient time he and I went ashore with our +fruits to sell them; but we had scarcely landed when we were met by +two white men, who presently took our three bags from us. We could not +at first guess what they meant to do; and for some time we thought +they were jesting with us; but they too soon let us know otherwise, +for they took our ventures immediately to a house hard by, and +adjoining the fort, while we followed all the way begging of them to +give us our fruits, but in vain. They not only refused to return them, +but swore at us, and threatened if we did not immediately depart they +would flog us well. We told them these three bags were all we were +worth in the world, and that we brought them with us to sell when we +came from Montserrat, and shewed them the vessel. But this was rather +against us, as they now saw we were strangers as well as slaves. They +still therefore swore, and desired us to be gone, and even took sticks +to beat us; while we, seeing they meant what they said, went off in +the greatest confusion and despair. Thus, in the very minute of +gaining more by three times than I ever did by any venture in my life +before, was I deprived of every farthing I was worth. An +insupportable misfortune! but how to help ourselves we knew not. In +our consternation we went to the commanding officer of the fort and +told him how we had been served by some of his people; but we obtained +not the least redress: he answered our complaints only by a volley of +imprecations against us, and immediately took a horse-whip, in order +to chastise us, so that we were obliged to turn out much faster than +we came in. I now, in the agony of distress and indignation, wished +that the ire of God in his forked lightning might transfix these cruel +oppressors among the dead. Still however we persevered; went back +again to the house, and begged and besought them again and again for +our fruits, till at last some other people that were in the house +asked if we would be contented if they kept one bag and gave us the +other two. We, seeing no remedy whatever, consented to this; and they, +observing one bag to have both kinds of fruit in it, which belonged to +my companion, kept that; and the other two, which were mine, they gave +us back. As soon as I got them, I ran as fast as I could, and got the +first negro man I could to help me off; my companion, however, stayed +a little longer to plead; he told them the bag they had was his, and +likewise all that he was worth in the world; but this was of no avail, +and he was obliged to return without it. The poor old man, wringing +his hands, cried bitterly for his loss; and, indeed, he then did look +up to God on high, which so moved me with pity for him, that I gave +him nearly one third of my fruits. We then proceeded to the markets to +sell them; and Providence was more favourable to us than we could have +expected, for we sold our fruits uncommonly well; I got for mine about +thirty-seven bits. Such a surprising reverse of fortune in so short a +space of time seemed like a dream to me, and proved no small +encouragement for me to trust the Lord in any situation. My captain +afterwards frequently used to take my part, and get me my right, when +I have been plundered or used ill by these tender Christian +depredators; among whom I have shuddered to observe the unceasing +blasphemous execrations which are wantonly thrown out by persons of +all ages and conditions, not only without occasion, but even as if +they were indulgences and pleasure. + +At one of our trips to St. Kitt's I had eleven bits of my own; and my +friendly captain lent me five bits more, with which I bought a Bible. +I was very glad to get this book, which I scarcely could meet with any +where. I think there was none sold in Montserrat; and, much to my +grief, from being forced out of the Ætna in the manner I have related, +my Bible, and the Guide to the Indians, the two books I loved above +all others, were left behind. + +While I was in this place, St. Kitt's, a very curious imposition on +human nature took place:--A white man wanted to marry in the church a +free black woman that had land and slaves in Montserrat: but the +clergyman told him it was against the law of the place to marry a +white and a black in the church. The man then asked to be married on +the water, to which the parson consented, and the two lovers went in +one boat, and the parson and clerk in another, and thus the ceremony +was performed. After this the loving pair came on board our vessel, +and my captain treated them extremely well, and brought them safe to +Montserrat. + +The reader cannot but judge of the irksomeness of this situation to a +mind like mine, in being daily exposed to new hardships and +impositions, after having seen many better days, and having been as it +were in a state of freedom and plenty; added to which, every part of +the world I had hitherto been in seemed to me a paradise in comparison +of the West Indies. My mind was therefore hourly replete with +inventions and thoughts of being freed, and, if possible, by honest +and honourable means; for I always remembered the old adage; and I +trust it has ever been my ruling principle, that honesty is the best +policy; and likewise that other golden precept--to do unto all men as +I would they should do unto me. However, as I was from early years a +predestinarian, I thought whatever fate had determined must ever come +to pass; and therefore, if ever it were my lot to be freed nothing +could prevent me, although I should at present see no means or hope to +obtain my freedom; on the other hand, if it were my fate not to be +freed I never should be so, and all my endeavours for that purpose +would be fruitless. In the midst of these thoughts I therefore looked +up with prayers anxiously to God for my liberty; and at the same time +I used every honest means, and endeavoured all that was possible on +my part to obtain it. In process of time I became master of a few +pounds, and in a fair way of making more, which my friendly captain +knew very well; this occasioned him sometimes to take liberties with +me: but whenever he treated me waspishly I used plainly to tell him my +mind, and that I would die before I would be imposed on as other +negroes were, and that to me life had lost its relish when liberty was +gone. This I said although I foresaw my then well-being or future +hopes of freedom (humanly speaking) depended on this man. However, as +he could not bear the thoughts of my not sailing with him, he always +became mild on my threats. I therefore continued with him; and, from +my great attention to his orders and his business, I gained him +credit, and through his kindness to me I at last procured my liberty. +While I thus went on, filled with the thoughts of freedom, and +resisting oppression as well as I was able, my life hung daily in +suspense, particularly in the surfs I have formerly mentioned, as I +could not swim. These are extremely violent throughout the West +Indies, and I was ever exposed to their howling rage and devouring +fury in all the islands. I have seen them strike and toss a boat right +up an end, and maim several on board. Once in the Grenada islands, +when I and about eight others were pulling a large boat with two +puncheons of water in it, a surf struck us, and drove the boat and all +in it about half a stone's throw, among some trees, and above the high +water mark. We were obliged to get all the assistance we could from +the nearest estate to mend the boat, and launch it into the water +again. At Montserrat one night, in pressing hard to get off the shore +on board, the punt was overset with us four times; the first time I +was very near being drowned; however the jacket I had on kept me up +above water a little space of time, while I called on a man near me +who was a good swimmer, and told him I could not swim; he then made +haste to me, and, just as I was sinking, he caught hold of me, and +brought me to sounding, and then he went and brought the punt also. As +soon as we had turned the water out of her, lest we should be used ill +for being absent, we attempted again three times more, and as often +the horrid surfs served us as at first; but at last, the fifth time we +attempted, we gained our point, at the imminent hazard of our lives. +One day also, at Old Road in Montserrat, our captain, and three men +besides myself, were going in a large canoe in quest of rum and sugar, +when a single surf tossed the canoe an amazing distance from the +water, and some of us even a stone's throw from each other: most of us +were very much bruised; so that I and many more often said, and really +thought, that there was not such another place under the heavens as +this. I longed therefore much to leave it, and daily wished to see my +master's promise performed of going to Philadelphia. While we lay in +this place a very cruel thing happened on board of our sloop which +filled me with horror; though I found afterwards such practices were +frequent. There was a very clever and decent free young mulatto-man +who sailed a long time with us: he had a free woman for his wife, by +whom he had a child; and she was then living on shore, and all very +happy. Our captain and mate, and other people on board, and several +elsewhere, even the natives of Bermudas, all knew this young man from +a child that he was always free, and no one had ever claimed him as +their property: however, as might too often overcomes right in these +parts, it happened that a Bermudas captain, whose vessel lay there for +a few days in the road, came on board of us, and seeing the +mulatto-man, whose name was Joseph Clipson, he told him he was not +free, and that he had orders from his master to bring him to Bermudas. +The poor man could not believe the captain to be in earnest; but he +was very soon undeceived, his men laying violent hands on him: and +although he shewed a certificate of his being born free in St. Kitt's, +and most people on board knew that he served his time to boat +building, and always passed for a free man, yet he was taken forcibly +out of our vessel. He then asked to be carried ashore before the +secretary or magistrates, and these infernal invaders of human rights +promised him he should; but, instead of that, they carried him on +board of the other vessel: and the next day, without giving the poor +man any hearing on shore, or suffering him even to see his wife or +child, he was carried away, and probably doomed never more in this +world to see them again. Nor was this the only instance of this kind +of barbarity I was a witness to. I have since often seen in Jamaica +and other islands free men, whom I have known in America, thus +villainously trepanned and held in bondage. I have heard of two +similar practices even in Philadelphia: and were it not for the +benevolence of the quakers in that city many of the sable race, who +now breathe the air of liberty, would, I believe, be groaning indeed +under some planter's chains. These things opened my mind to a new +scene of horror to which I had been before a stranger. Hitherto I had +thought only slavery dreadful; but the state of a free negro appeared +to me now equally so at least, and in some respects even worse, for +they live in constant alarm for their liberty; and even this is but +nominal, for they are universally insulted and plundered without the +possibility of redress; for such is the equity of the West Indian +laws, that no free negro's evidence will be admitted in their courts +of justice. In this situation is it surprising that slaves, when +mildly treated, should prefer even the misery of slavery to such a +mockery of freedom? I was now completely disgusted with the West +Indies, and thought I never should be entirely free until I had left +them. + + "With thoughts like these my anxious boding mind + Recall'd those pleasing scenes I left behind; + Scenes where fair Liberty in bright array + Makes darkness bright, and e'en illumines day; + Where nor complexion, wealth, or station, can + Protect the wretch who makes a slave of man." + +I determined to make every exertion to obtain my freedom, and to +return to Old England. For this purpose I thought a knowledge of +navigation might be of use to me; for, though I did not intend to run +away unless I should be ill used, yet, in such a case, if I understood +navigation, I might attempt my escape in our sloop, which was one of +the swiftest sailing vessels in the West Indies, and I could be at no +loss for hands to join me: and if I should make this attempt, I had +intended to have gone for England; but this, as I said, was only to be +in the event of my meeting with any ill usage. I therefore employed +the mate of our vessel to teach me navigation, for which I agreed to +give him twenty-four dollars, and actually paid him part of the money +down; though when the captain, some time after, came to know that the +mate was to have such a sum for teaching me, he rebuked him, and said +it was a shame for him to take any money from me. However, my +progress in this useful art was much retarded by the constancy of our +work. Had I wished to run away I did not want opportunities, which +frequently presented themselves; and particularly at one time, soon +after this. When we were at the island of Gaurdeloupe there was a +large fleet of merchantmen bound for Old France; and, seamen then +being very scarce, they gave from fifteen to twenty pounds a man for +the run. Our mate, and all the white sailors, left our vessel on this +account, and went on board of the French ships. They would have had me +also to go with them, for they regarded me; and they swore to protect +me, if I would go: and, as the fleet was to sail the next day, I +really believe I could have got safe to Europe at that time. However, +as my master was kind, I would not attempt to leave him; and, +remembering the old maxim, that 'honesty is the best policy,' I +suffered them to go without me. Indeed my captain was much afraid of +my leaving him and the vessel at that time, as I had so fair an +opportunity: but, I thank God, this fidelity of mine turned out much +to my advantage hereafter, when I did not in the least think of it; +and made me so much in favour with the captain, that he used now and +then to teach me some parts of navigation himself: but some of our +passengers, and others, seeing this, found much fault with him for it, +saying it was a very dangerous thing to let a negro know navigation; +thus I was hindered again in my pursuits. About the latter end of the +year 1764 my master bought a larger sloop, called the Providence, +about seventy or eighty tons, of which my captain had the command. I +went with him into this vessel, and we took a load of new slaves for +Georgia and Charles Town. My master now left me entirely to the +captain, though he still wished for me to be with him; but I, who +always much wished to lose sight of the West Indies, was not a little +rejoiced at the thoughts of seeing any other country. Therefore, +relying on the goodness of my captain, I got ready all the little +venture I could; and, when the vessel was ready, we sailed, to my +great joy. When we got to our destined places, Georgia and Charles +Town, I expected I should have an opportunity of selling my little +property to advantage: but here, particularly in Charles Town, I met +with buyers, white men, who imposed on me as in other places. +Notwithstanding, I was resolved to have fortitude; thinking no lot or +trial is too hard when kind Heaven is the rewarder. We soon got loaded +again, and returned to Montserrat; and there, amongst the rest of the +islands, I sold my goods well; and in this manner I continued trading +during the year 1764; meeting with various scenes of imposition, as +usual. After this, my master fitted out his vessel for Philadelphia, +in the year 1765; and during the time we were loading her, and getting +ready for the voyage, I worked with redoubled alacrity, from the hope +of getting money enough by these voyages to buy my freedom in time, if +it should please God; and also to see the town of Philadelphia, which +I had heard a great deal about for some years past; besides which, I +had always longed to prove my master's promise the first day I came to +him. In the midst of these elevated ideas, and while I was about +getting my little merchandize in readiness, one Sunday my master sent +for me to his house. When I came there I found him and the captain +together; and, on my going in, I was struck with astonishment at his +telling me he heard that I meant to run away from him when I got to +Philadelphia: 'And therefore,' said he, 'I must sell you again: you +cost me a great deal of money, no less than forty pounds sterling; and +it will not do to lose so much. You are a valuable fellow,' continued +he; 'and I can get any day for you one hundred guineas, from many +gentlemen in this island.' And then he told me of Captain Doran's +brother-in-law, a severe master, who ever wanted to buy me to make me +his overseer. My captain also said he could get much more than a +hundred guineas for me in Carolina. This I knew to be a fact; for the +gentleman that wanted to buy me came off several times on board of us, +and spoke to me to live with him, and said he would use me well. When +I asked what work he would put me to he said, as I was a sailor, he +would make me a captain of one of his rice vessels. But I refused: and +fearing, at the same time, by a sudden turn I saw in the captain's +temper, he might mean to sell me, I told the gentleman I would not +live with him on any condition, and that I certainly would run away +with his vessel: but he said he did not fear that, as he would catch +me again; and then he told me how cruelly he would serve me if I +should do so. My captain, however, gave him to understand that I knew +something of navigation: so he thought better of it; and, to my great +joy, he went away. I now told my master I did not say I would run away +in Philadelphia; neither did I mean it, as he did not use me ill, nor +yet the captain: for if they did I certainly would have made some +attempts before now; but as I thought that if it were God's will I +ever should be freed it would be so, and, on the contrary, if it was +not his will it would not happen; so I hoped, if ever I were freed, +whilst I was used well, it should be by honest means; but, as I could +not help myself, he must do as he pleased; I could only hope and trust +to the God of Heaven; and at that instant my mind was big with +inventions and full of schemes to escape. I then appealed to the +captain whether he ever saw any sign of my making the least attempt to +run away; and asked him if I did not always come on board according to +the time for which he gave me liberty; and, more particularly, when +all our men left us at Gaurdeloupe and went on board of the French +fleet, and advised me to go with them, whether I might not, and that +he could not have got me again. To my no small surprise, and very +great joy, the captain confirmed every syllable that I had said: and +even more; for he said he had tried different times to see if I would +make any attempt of this kind, both at St. Eustatia and in America, +and he never found that I made the smallest; but, on the contrary, I +always came on board according to his orders; and he did really +believe, if I ever meant to run away, that, as I could never have had +a better opportunity, I would have done it the night the mate and all +the people left our vessel at Gaurdeloupe. The captain then informed +my master, who had been thus imposed on by our mate, though I did not +know who was my enemy, the reason the mate had for imposing this lie +upon him; which was, because I had acquainted the captain of the +provisions the mate had given away or taken out of the vessel. This +speech of the captain was like life to the dead to me, and instantly +my soul glorified God; and still more so on hearing my master +immediately say that I was a sensible fellow, and he never did intend +to use me as a common slave; and that but for the entreaties of the +captain, and his character of me, he would not have let me go from the +stores about as I had done; that also, in so doing, he thought by +carrying one little thing or other to different places to sell I might +make money. That he also intended to encourage me in this by crediting +me with half a puncheon of rum and half a hogshead of sugar at a time; +so that, from being careful, I might have money enough, in some time, +to purchase my freedom; and, when that was the case, I might depend +upon it he would let me have it for forty pounds sterling money, which +was only the same price he gave for me. This sound gladdened my poor +heart beyond measure; though indeed it was no more than the very idea +I had formed in my mind of my master long before, and I immediately +made him this reply: 'Sir, I always had that very thought of you, +indeed I had, and that made me so diligent in serving you.' He then +gave me a large piece of silver coin, such as I never had seen or had +before, and told me to get ready for the voyage, and he would credit +me with a tierce of sugar, and another of rum; he also said that he +had two amiable sisters in Philadelphia, from whom I might get some +necessary things. Upon this my noble captain desired me to go aboard; +and, knowing the African metal, he charged me not to say any thing of +this matter to any body; and he promised that the lying mate should +not go with him any more. This was a change indeed; in the same hour +to feel the most exquisite pain, and in the turn of a moment the +fullest joy. It caused in me such sensations as I was only able to +express in my looks; my heart was so overpowered with gratitude that I +could have kissed both of their feet. When I left the room I +immediately went, or rather flew, to the vessel, which being loaded, +my master, as good as his word, trusted me with a tierce of rum, and +another of sugar, when we sailed, and arrived safe at the elegant town +of Philadelphia. I soon sold my goods here pretty well; and in this +charming place I found every thing plentiful and cheap. + +While I was in this place a very extraordinary occurrence befell me. I +had been told one evening of a _wise_ woman, a Mrs. Davis, who +revealed secrets, foretold events, &c. I put little faith in this +story at first, as I could not conceive that any mortal could foresee +the future disposals of Providence, nor did I believe in any other +revelation than that of the Holy Scriptures; however, I was greatly +astonished at seeing this woman in a dream that night, though a +person I never before beheld in my life; this made such an impression +on me, that I could not get the idea the next day out of my mind, and +I then became as anxious to see her as I was before indifferent; +accordingly in the evening, after we left off working, I inquired +where she lived, and being directed to her, to my inexpressible +surprise, beheld the very woman in the very same dress she appeared to +me to wear in the vision. She immediately told me I had dreamed of her +the preceding night; related to me many things that had happened with +a correctness that astonished me; and finally told me I should not be +long a slave: this was the more agreeable news, as I believed it the +more readily from her having so faithfully related the past incidents +of my life. She said I should be twice in very great danger of my life +within eighteen months, which, if I escaped, I should afterwards go on +well; so, giving me her blessing, we parted. After staying here some +time till our vessel was loaded, and I had bought in my little +traffic, we sailed from this agreeable spot for Montserrat, once more +to encounter the raging surfs. + +We arrived safe at Montserrat, where we discharged our cargo; and soon +after that we took slaves on board for St. Eustatia, and from thence +to Georgia. I had always exerted myself and did double work, in order +to make our voyages as short as possible; and from thus over-working +myself while we were at Georgia I caught a fever and ague. I was very +ill for eleven days and near dying; eternity was now exceedingly +impressed on my mind, and I feared very much that awful event. I +prayed the Lord therefore to spare me; and I made a promise in my mind +to God, that I would be good if ever I should recover. At length, from +having an eminent doctor to attend me, I was restored again to health; +and soon after we got the vessel loaded, and set off for Montserrat. +During the passage, as I was perfectly restored, and had much business +of the vessel to mind, all my endeavours to keep up my integrity, and +perform my promise to God, began to fail; and, in spite of all I could +do, as we drew nearer and nearer to the islands, my resolutions more +and more declined, as if the very air of that country or climate +seemed fatal to piety. When we were safe arrived at Montserrat, and I +had got ashore, I forgot my former resolutions.--Alas! how prone is +the heart to leave that God it wishes to love! and how strongly do the +things of this world strike the senses and captivate the soul!--After +our vessel was discharged, we soon got her ready, and took in, as +usual, some of the poor oppressed natives of Africa, and other +negroes; we then set off again for Georgia and Charlestown. We arrived +at Georgia, and, having landed part of our cargo, proceeded to +Charlestown with the remainder. While we were there I saw the town +illuminated; the guns were fired, and bonfires and other +demonstrations of joy shewn, on account of the repeal of the stamp +act. Here I disposed of some goods on my own account; the white men +buying them with smooth promises and fair words, giving me however but +very indifferent payment. There was one gentleman particularly who +bought a puncheon of rum of me, which gave me a great deal of trouble; +and, although I used the interest of my friendly captain, I could not +obtain any thing for it; for, being a negro man, I could not oblige +him to pay me. This vexed me much, not knowing how to act; and I lost +some time in seeking after this Christian; and though, when the +Sabbath came (which the negroes usually make their holiday) I was much +inclined to go to public worship, I was obliged to hire some black men +to help to pull a boat across the water to God in quest of this +gentleman. When I found him, after much entreaty, both from myself and +my worthy captain, he at last paid me in dollars; some of them, +however, were copper, and of consequence of no value; but he took +advantage of my being a negro man, and obliged me to put up with those +or none, although I objected to them. Immediately after, as I was +trying to pass them in the market, amongst other white men, I was +abused for offering to pass bad coin; and, though I shewed them the +man I got them from, I was within one minute of being tied up and +flogged without either judge or jury; however, by the help of a good +pair of heels, I ran off, and so escaped the bastinadoes I should have +received. I got on board as fast as I could, but still continued in +fear of them until we sailed, which I thanked God we did not long +after; and I have never been amongst them since. + +We soon came to Georgia, where we were to complete our lading; and +here worse fate than ever attended me: for one Sunday night, as I was +with some negroes in their master's yard in the town of Savannah, it +happened that their master, one Doctor Perkins, who was a very severe +and cruel man, came in drunk; and, not liking to see any strange +negroes in his yard, he and a ruffian of a white man he had in his +service beset me in an instant, and both of them struck me with the +first weapons they could get hold of. I cried out as long as I could +for help and mercy; but, though I gave a good account of myself, and +he knew my captain, who lodged hard by him, it was to no purpose. They +beat and mangled me in a shameful manner, leaving me near dead. I lost +so much blood from the wounds I received, that I lay quite motionless, +and was so benumbed that I could not feel any thing for many hours. +Early in the morning they took me away to the jail. As I did not +return to the ship all night, my captain, not knowing where I was, and +being uneasy that I did not then make my appearance, he made inquiry +after me; and, having found where I was, immediately came to me. As +soon as the good man saw me so cut and mangled, he could not forbear +weeping; he soon got me out of jail to his lodgings, and immediately +sent for the best doctors in the place, who at first declared it as +their opinion that I could not recover. My captain on this went to all +the lawyers in the town for their advice, but they told him they could +do nothing for me as I was a negro. He then went to Doctor Perkins, +the hero who had vanquished me, and menaced him, swearing he would be +revenged of him, and challenged him to fight.--But cowardice is ever +the companion of cruelty--and the Doctor refused. However, by the +skilfulness of one Doctor Brady of that place, I began at last to +amend; but, although I was so sore and bad with the wounds I had all +over me that I could not rest in any posture, yet I was in more pain +on account of the captain's uneasiness about me than I otherwise +should have been. The worthy man nursed and watched me all the hours +of the night; and I was, through his attention and that of the doctor, +able to get out of bed in about sixteen or eighteen days. All this +time I was very much wanted on board, as I used frequently to go up +and down the river for rafts, and other parts of our cargo, and stow +them when the mate was sick or absent. In about four weeks I was able +to go on duty; and in a fortnight after, having got in all our +lading, our vessel set sail for Montserrat; and in less than three +weeks we arrived there safe towards the end of the year. This ended my +adventures in 1764; for I did not leave Montserrat again till the +beginning of the following year. + + +END OF THE FIRST VOLUME. + + + + + They ran the ship aground: and the fore part stuck fast, and + remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with + the violence of the waves. + Acts xxvii. 41. + + + Howbeit, we must be cast upon a certain island; + + Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it + shall be even as it was told me. + Acts xxvii. 26, 25. + + + Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received + a little thereof. + + In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep + falleth on men. + Job iv. 12, 13. + + + Lo, all these _things_ worketh God oftentimes with man, + + To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with + the light of the living. + Job xxxiii. 29, 30. + + + + +VOLUME II + + + + +CHAP. VII. + + _The author's disgust at the West Indies--Forms schemes to + obtain his freedom--Ludicrous disappointment he and his + Captain meet with in Georgia--At last, by several successful + voyages, he acquires a sum of money sufficient to purchase + it--Applies to his master, who accepts it, and grants his + manumission, to his great joy--He afterwards enters as a + freeman on board one of Mr. King's ships, and sails for + Georgia--Impositions on free negroes as usual--His venture + of turkies--Sails for Montserrat, and on his passage his + friend, the Captain, falls ill and dies._ + + +Every day now brought me nearer my freedom, and I was impatient till +we proceeded again to sea, that I might have an opportunity of getting +a sum large enough to purchase it. I was not long ungratified; for, in +the beginning of the year 1766, my master bought another sloop, named +the Nancy, the largest I had ever seen. She was partly laden, and was +to proceed to Philadelphia; our Captain had his choice of three, and I +was well pleased he chose this, which was the largest; for, from his +having a large vessel, I had more room, and could carry a larger +quantity of goods with me. Accordingly, when we had delivered our old +vessel, the Prudence, and completed the lading of the Nancy, having +made near three hundred per cent, by four barrels of pork I brought +from Charlestown, I laid in as large a cargo as I could, trusting to +God's providence to prosper my undertaking. With these views I sailed +for Philadelphia. On our passage, when we drew near the land, I was +for the first time surprised at the sight of some whales, having never +seen any such large sea monsters before; and as we sailed by the land +one morning I saw a puppy whale close by the vessel; it was about the +length of a wherry boat, and it followed us all the day till we got +within the Capes. We arrived safe and in good time at Philadelphia, +and I sold my goods there chiefly to the quakers. They always appeared +to be a very honest discreet sort of people, and never attempted to +impose on me; I therefore liked them, and ever after chose to deal +with them in preference to any others. One Sunday morning while I was +here, as I was going to church, I chanced to pass a meeting-house. The +doors being open, and the house full of people, it excited my +curiosity to go in. When I entered the house, to my great surprise, I +saw a very tall woman standing in the midst of them, speaking in an +audible voice something which I could not understand. Having never +seen anything of this kind before, I stood and stared about me for +some time, wondering at this odd scene. As soon as it was over I took +an opportunity to make inquiry about the place and people, when I was +informed they were called Quakers. I particularly asked what that +woman I saw in the midst of them had said, but none of them were +pleased to satisfy me; so I quitted them, and soon after, as I was +returning, I came to a church crowded with people; the church-yard was +full likewise, and a number of people were even mounted on ladders, +looking in at the windows. I thought this a strange sight, as I had +never seen churches, either in England or the West Indies, crowded in +this manner before. I therefore made bold to ask some people the +meaning of all this, and they told me the Rev. Mr. George Whitfield +was preaching. I had often heard of this gentleman, and had wished to +see and hear him; but I had never before had an opportunity. I now +therefore resolved to gratify myself with the sight, and I pressed in +amidst the multitude. When I got into the church I saw this pious man +exhorting the people with the greatest fervour and earnestness, and +sweating as much as I ever did while in slavery on Montserrat beach. I +was very much struck and impressed with this; I thought it strange I +had never seen divines exert themselves in this manner before, and I +was no longer at a loss to account for the thin congregations they +preached to. When we had discharged our cargo here, and were loaded +again, we left this fruitful land once more, and set sail for +Montserrat. My traffic had hitherto succeeded so well with me, that I +thought, by selling my goods when we arrived at Montserrat, I should +have enough to purchase my freedom. But, as soon as our vessel arrived +there, my master came on board, and gave orders for us to go to St. +Eustatia, and discharge our cargo there, and from thence proceed for +Georgia. I was much disappointed at this; but thinking, as usual, it +was of no use to encounter with the decrees of fate, I submitted +without repining, and we went to St. Eustatia. After we had discharged +our cargo there we took in a live cargo, as we call a cargo of slaves. +Here I sold my goods tolerably well; but, not being able to lay out +all my money in this small island to as much advantage as in many +other places, I laid out only part, and the remainder I brought away +with me neat. We sailed from hence for Georgia, and I was glad when we +got there, though I had not much reason to like the place from my last +adventure in Savannah; but I longed to get back to Montserrat and +procure my freedom, which I expected to be able to purchase when I +returned. As soon as we arrived here I waited on my careful doctor, +Mr. Brady, to whom I made the most grateful acknowledgments in my +power for his former kindness and attention during my illness. While +we were here an odd circumstance happened to the Captain and me, which +disappointed us both a good deal. A silversmith, whom we had brought +to this place some voyages before, agreed with the Captain to return +with us to the West Indies, and promised at the same time to give the +Captain a great deal of money, having pretended to take a liking to +him, and being, as we thought, very rich. But while we stayed to load +our vessel this man was taken ill in a house where he worked, and in a +week's time became very bad. The worse he grew the more he used to +speak of giving the Captain what he had promised him, so that he +expected something considerable from the death of this man, who had no +wife or child, and he attended him day and night. I used also to go +with the Captain, at his own desire, to attend him; especially when we +saw there was no appearance of his recovery: and, in order to +recompense me for my trouble, the Captain promised me ten pounds, when +he should get the man's property. I thought this would be of great +service to me, although I had nearly money enough to purchase my +freedom, if I should get safe this voyage to Montserrat. In this +expectation I laid out above eight pounds of my money for a suit of +superfine clothes to dance with at my freedom, which I hoped was then +at hand. We still continued to attend this man, and were with him even +on the last day he lived, till very late at night, when we went on +board. After we were got to bed, about one or two o'clock in the +morning, the Captain was sent for, and informed the man was dead. On +this he came to my bed, and, waking me, informed me of it, and desired +me to get up and procure a light, and immediately go to him. I told +him I was very sleepy, and wished he would take somebody else with +him; or else, as the man was dead, and could want no farther +attendance, to let all things remain as they were till the next +morning. 'No, no,' said he, 'we will have the money to-night, I cannot +wait till to-morrow; so let us go.' Accordingly I got up and struck a +light, and away we both went and saw the man as dead as we could wish. +The Captain said he would give him a grand burial, in gratitude for +the promised treasure; and desired that all the things belonging to +the deceased might be brought forth. Among others, there was a nest of +trunks of which he had kept the keys whilst the man was ill, and when +they were produced we opened them with no small eagerness and +expectation; and as there were a great number within one another, with +much impatience we took them one out of the other. At last, when we +came to the smallest, and had opened it, we saw it was full of papers, +which we supposed to be notes; at the sight of which our hearts leapt +for joy; and that instant the Captain, clapping his hands, cried out, +'Thank God, here it is.' But when we took up the trunk, and began to +examine the supposed treasure and long-looked-for bounty, (alas! alas! +how uncertain and deceitful are all human affairs!) what had we found! +While we thought we were embracing a substance we grasped an empty +nothing. The whole amount that was in the nest of trunks was only one +dollar and a half; and all that the man possessed would not pay for +his coffin. Our sudden and exquisite joy was now succeeded by a sudden +and exquisite pain; and my Captain and I exhibited, for some time, +most ridiculous figures--pictures of chagrin and disappointment! We +went away greatly mortified, and left the deceased to do as well as he +could for himself, as we had taken so good care of him when alive for +nothing. We set sail once more for Montserrat, and arrived there safe; +but much out of humour with our friend the silversmith. When we had +unladen the vessel, and I had sold my venture, finding myself master +of about forty-seven pounds, I consulted my true friend, the Captain, +how I should proceed in offering my master the money for my freedom. +He told me to come on a certain morning, when he and my master would +be at breakfast together. Accordingly, on that morning I went, and met +the Captain there, as he had appointed. When I went in I made my +obeisance to my master, and with my money in my hand, and many fears +in my heart, I prayed him to be as good as his offer to me, when he +was pleased to promise me my freedom as soon as I could purchase it. +This speech seemed to confound him; he began to recoil: and my heart +that instant sunk within me. 'What,' said he, 'give you your freedom? +Why, where did you get the money? Have you got forty pounds sterling?' +'Yes, sir,' I answered. 'How did you get it?' replied he. I told him, +very honestly. The Captain then said he knew I got the money very +honestly and with much industry, and that I was particularly careful. +On which my master replied, I got money much faster than he did; and +said he would not have made me the promise he did if he had thought I +should have got money so soon. 'Come, come,' said my worthy Captain, +clapping my master on the back, 'Come, Robert, (which was his name) I +think you must let him have his freedom; you have laid your money out +very well; you have received good interest for it all this time, and +here is now the principal at last. I know Gustavus has earned you more +than an hundred a-year, and he will still save you money, as he will +not leave you:--Come, Robert, take the money.' My master then said, he +would not be worse than his promise; and, taking the money, told me to +go to the Secretary at the Register Office, and get my manumission +drawn up. These words of my master were like a voice from heaven to +me: in an instant all my trepidation was turned into unutterable +bliss; and I most reverently bowed myself with gratitude, unable to +express my feelings, but by the overflowing of my eyes, while my true +and worthy friend, the Captain, congratulated us both with a peculiar +degree of heartfelt pleasure. As soon as the first transports of my +joy were over, and that I had expressed my thanks to these my worthy +friends in the best manner I was able, I rose with a heart full of +affection and reverence, and left the room, in order to obey my +master's joyful mandate of going to the Register Office. As I was +leaving the house I called to mind the words of the Psalmist, in the +126th Psalm, and like him, 'I glorified God in my heart, in whom I +trusted.' These words had been impressed on my mind from the very day +I was forced from Deptford to the present hour, and I now saw them, as +I thought, fulfilled and verified. My imagination was all rapture as I +flew to the Register Office, and, in this respect, like the apostle +Peter,[U] (whose deliverance from prison was so sudden and +extraordinary, that he thought he was in a vision) I could scarcely +believe I was awake. Heavens! who could do justice to my feelings at +this moment! Not conquering heroes themselves, in the midst of a +triumph--Not the tender mother who has just regained her long-lost +infant, and presses it to her heart--Not the weary hungry mariner, at +the sight of the desired friendly port--Not the lover, when he once +more embraces his beloved mistress, after she had been ravished from +his arms!--All within my breast was tumult, wildness, and delirium! My +feet scarcely touched the ground, for they were winged with joy, and, +like Elijah, as he rose to Heaven, they 'were with lightning sped as I +went on.' Every one I met I told of my happiness, and blazed about the +virtue of my amiable master and captain. + +When I got to the office and acquainted the Register with my errand he +congratulated me on the occasion, and told me he would draw up my +manumission for half price, which was a guinea. I thanked him for his +kindness; and, having received it and paid him, I hastened to my +master to get him to sign it, that I might be fully released. +Accordingly he signed the manumission that day, so that, before night, +I who had been a slave in the morning, trembling at the will of +another, was become my own master, and completely free. I thought this +was the happiest day I had ever experienced; and my joy was still +heightened by the blessings and prayers of the sable race, +particularly the aged, to whom my heart had ever been attached with +reverence. + + * * * * * + +As the form of my manumission has something peculiar in it, and +expresses the absolute power and dominion one man claims over his +fellow, I shall beg leave to present it before my readers at full +length: + + _Montserrat_.--To all men unto whom these presents shall + come: I Robert King, of the parish of St. Anthony in the + said island, merchant, send greeting: Know ye, that I the + aforesaid Robert King, for and in consideration of the sum + of seventy pounds current money of the said island, to me in + hand paid, and to the intent that a negro man-slave, named + Gustavus Vassa, shall and may become free, have manumitted, + emancipated, enfranchised, and set free, and by these + presents do manumit, emancipate, enfranchise, and set free, + the aforesaid negro man-slave, named Gustavus Vassa, for + ever, hereby giving, granting, and releasing unto him, the + said Gustavus Vassa, all right, title, dominion, + sovereignty, and property, which, as lord and master over + the aforesaid Gustavus Vassa, I had, or now I have, or by + any means whatsoever I may or can hereafter possibly have + over him the aforesaid negro, for ever. In witness whereof I + the abovesaid Robert King have unto these presents set my + hand and seal, this tenth day of July, in the year of our + Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty-six. + + Robert King. + + Signed, sealed, and delivered in the presence of Terrylegay, + Montserrat. + + Registered the within manumission at full length, this + eleventh day of July, 1766, in liber D. + + Terrylegay, Register. + + * * * * * + +In short, the fair as well as black people immediately styled me by a +new appellation, to me the most desirable in the world, which was +Freeman, and at the dances I gave my Georgia superfine blue clothes +made no indifferent appearance, as I thought. Some of the sable +females, who formerly stood aloof, now began to relax and appear less +coy; but my heart was still fixed on London, where I hoped to be ere +long. So that my worthy captain and his owner, my late master, +finding that the bent of my mind was towards London, said to me, 'We +hope you won't leave us, but that you will still be with the vessels.' +Here gratitude bowed me down; and none but the generous mind can judge +of my feelings, struggling between inclination and duty. However, +notwithstanding my wish to be in London, I obediently answered my +benefactors that I would go in the vessel, and not leave them; and +from that day I was entered on board as an able-bodied sailor, at +thirty-six shillings per month, besides what perquisites I could make. +My intention was to make a voyage or two, entirely to please these my +honoured patrons; but I determined that the year following, if it +pleased God, I would see Old England once more, and surprise my old +master, Capt. Pascal, who was hourly in my mind; for I still loved +him, notwithstanding his usage of me, and I pleased myself with +thinking of what he would say when he saw what the Lord had done for +me in so short a time, instead of being, as he might perhaps suppose, +under the cruel yoke of some planter. With these kind of reveries I +used often to entertain myself, and shorten the time till my return; +and now, being as in my original free African state, I embarked on +board the Nancy, after having got all things ready for our voyage. In +this state of serenity we sailed for St. Eustatia; and, having smooth +seas and calm weather, we soon arrived there: after taking our cargo +on board, we proceeded to Savannah in Georgia, in August, 1766. While +we were there, as usual, I used to go for the cargo up the rivers in +boats; and on this business I have been frequently beset by +alligators, which were very numerous on that coast, and I have shot +many of them when they have been near getting into our boats; which we +have with great difficulty sometimes prevented, and have been very +much frightened at them. I have seen a young one sold in Georgia alive +for six pence. During our stay at this place, one evening a slave +belonging to Mr. Read, a merchant of Savannah, came near our vessel, +and began to use me very ill. I entreated him, with all the patience I +was master of, to desist, as I knew there was little or no law for a +free negro here; but the fellow, instead of taking my advice, +persevered in his insults, and even struck me. At this I lost all +temper, and I fell on him and beat him soundly. The next morning his +master came to our vessel as we lay alongside the wharf, and desired +me to come ashore that he might have me flogged all round the town, +for beating his negro slave. I told him he had insulted me, and had +given the provocation, by first striking me. I had told my captain +also the whole affair that morning, and wished him to have gone along +with me to Mr. Read, to prevent bad consequences; but he said that it +did not signify, and if Mr. Read said any thing he would make matters +up, and had desired me to go to work, which I accordingly did. The +Captain being on board when Mr. Read came, he told him I was a free +man; and when Mr. Read applied to him to deliver me up, he said he +knew nothing of the matter. I was astonished and frightened at this, +and thought I had better keep where I was than go ashore and be +flogged round the town, without judge or jury. I therefore refused to +stir; and Mr. Read went away, swearing he would bring all the +constables in the town, for he would have me out of the vessel. When +he was gone, I thought his threat might prove too true to my sorrow; +and I was confirmed in this belief, as well by the many instances I +had seen of the treatment of free negroes, as from a fact that had +happened within my own knowledge here a short time before. There was a +free black man, a carpenter, that I knew, who, for asking a gentleman +that he worked for for the money he had earned, was put into gaol; and +afterwards this oppressed man was sent from Georgia, with false +accusations, of an intention to set the gentleman's house on fire, and +run away with his slaves. I was therefore much embarrassed, and very +apprehensive of a flogging at least. I dreaded, of all things, the +thoughts of being striped, as I never in my life had the marks of any +violence of that kind. At that instant a rage seized my soul, and for +a little I determined to resist the first man that should offer to lay +violent hands on me, or basely use me without a trial; for I would +sooner die like a free man, than suffer myself to be scourged by the +hands of ruffians, and my blood drawn like a slave. The captain and +others, more cautious, advised me to make haste and conceal myself; +for they said Mr. Read was a very spiteful man, and he would soon come +on board with constables and take me. At first I refused this counsel, +being determined to stand my ground; but at length, by the prevailing +entreaties of the captain and Mr. Dixon, with whom he lodged, I went +to Mr. Dixon's house, which was a little out of town, at a place +called Yea-ma-chra. I was but just gone when Mr. Read, with the +constables, came for me, and searched the vessel; but, not finding me +there, he swore he would have me dead or alive. I was secreted about +five days; however, the good character which my captain always gave me +as well as some other gentlemen who also knew me, procured me some +friends. At last some of them told my captain that he did not use me +well, in suffering me thus to be imposed upon, and said they would see +me redressed, and get me on board some other vessel. My captain, on +this, immediately went to Mr. Read, and told him, that ever since I +eloped from the vessel his work had been neglected, and he could not +go on with her loading, himself and mate not being well; and, as I had +managed things on board for them, my absence must retard his voyage, +and consequently hurt the owner; he therefore begged of him to forgive +me, as he said he never had any complaint of me before, for the many +years that I had been with him. After repeated entreaties, Mr. Read +said I might go to hell, and that he would not meddle with me; on +which my captain came immediately to me at his lodging, and, telling +me how pleasantly matters had gone on, he desired me to go on board. +Some of my other friends then asked him if he had got the constable's +warrant from them; the captain said, No. On this I was desired by them +to stay in the house; and they said they would get me on board of some +other vessel before the evening. When the captain heard this he became +almost distracted. He went immediately for the warrant, and, after +using every exertion in his power, he at last got it from my hunters; +but I had all the expenses to pay. After I had thanked all my friends +for their attention, I went on board again to my work, of which I had +always plenty. We were in haste to complete our lading, and were to +carry twenty head of cattle with us to the West Indies, where they are +a very profitable article. In order to encourage me in working, and to +make up for the time I had lost, my captain promised me the privilege +of carrying two bullocks of my own with me; and this made me work with +redoubled ardour. As soon as I had got the vessel loaded, in doing +which I was obliged to perform the duty of the mate as well as my own +work, and that the bullocks were near coming on board, I asked the +captain leave to bring my two, according to his promise; but, to my +great surprise, he told me there was no room for them. I then asked +him to permit me to take one; but he said he could not. I was a good +deal mortified at this usage, and told him I had no notion that he +intended thus to impose on me; nor could I think well of any man that +was so much worse than his word. On this we had some disagreement, and +I gave him to understand, that I intended to leave the vessel. At this +he appeared to be very much dejected; and our mate, who had been very +sickly, and whose duty had long devolved upon me, advised him to +persuade me to stay: in consequence of which he spoke very kindly to +me, making many fair promises, telling me that, as the mate was so +sickly, he could not do without me, and that, as the safety of the +vessel and cargo depended greatly upon me, he therefore hoped that I +would not be offended at what had passed between us, and swore he +would make up all matters when we arrived in the West Indies; so I +consented to slave on as before. Soon after this, as the bullocks were +coming on board, one of them ran at the captain, and butted him so +furiously in the breast, that he never recovered of the blow. In order +to make me some amends for his treatment about the bullocks, the +captain now pressed me very much to take some turkeys, and other +fowls, with me, and gave me liberty to take as many as I could find +room for; but I told him he knew very well I had never carried any +turkeys before, as I always thought they were such tender birds that +they were not fit to cross the seas. However, he continued to press me +to buy them for once; and, what was very surprising to me, the more I +was against it, the more he urged my taking them, insomuch that he +ensured me from all losses that might happen by them, and I was +prevailed on to take them; but I thought this very strange, as he had +never acted so with me before. This, and not being able to dispose of +my paper-money in any other way, induced me at length to take four +dozen. The turkeys, however, I was so dissatisfied about that I +determined to make no more voyages to this quarter, nor with this +captain; and was very apprehensive that my free voyage would be the +worst I had ever made. We set sail for Montserrat. The captain and +mate had been both complaining of sickness when we sailed, and as we +proceeded on our voyage they grew worse. This was about November, and +we had not been long at sea before we began to meet with strong +northerly gales and rough seas; and in about seven or eight days all +the bullocks were near being drowned, and four or five of them died. +Our vessel, which had not been tight at first, was much less so now; +and, though we were but nine in the whole, including five sailors and +myself, yet we were obliged to attend to the pumps every half or three +quarters of an hour. The captain and mate came on deck as often as +they were able, which was now but seldom; for they declined so fast, +that they were not well enough to make observations above four or five +times the whole voyage. The whole care of the vessel rested, +therefore, upon me, and I was obliged to direct her by my former +experience, not being able to work a traverse. The captain was now +very sorry he had not taught me navigation, and protested, if ever he +should get well again, he would not fail to do so; but in about +seventeen days his illness increased so much, that he was obliged to +keep his bed, continuing sensible, however, till the last, constantly +having the owner's interest at heart; for this just and benevolent man +ever appeared much concerned about the welfare of what he was +intrusted with. When this dear friend found the symptoms of death +approaching, he called me by my name; and, when I came to him, he +asked (with almost his last breath) if he had ever done me any harm? +'God forbid I should think so,' I replied, 'I should then be the most +ungrateful of wretches to the best of sorrow by his bedside, he +expired without saying another word; and the day following we +committed his body to the deep. Every man on board loved this man, and +regretted his death; but I was exceedingly affected at it, and I found +that I did not know, till he was gone, the strength of my regard for +him. Indeed I had every reason in the world to be attached to him; +for, besides that he was in general mild, affable, generous, faithful, +benevolent, and just, he was to me a friend and a father; and, had it +pleased Providence that he had died but five months before, I verily +believe I should not have obtained my freedom when I did; and it is +not improbable that I might not have been able to get it at any rate +afterwards. The captain being dead, the mate came on the deck, and +made such observations as he was able, but to no purpose. In the +course of a few days more, the few bullocks that remained were found +dead; but the turkies I had, though on the deck, and exposed to so +much wet and bad weather, did well, and I afterwards gained near three +hundred per cent, on the sale of them; so that in the event it proved +a happy circumstance for me that I had not bought the bullocks I +intended, for they must have perished with the rest; and I could not +help looking on this, otherwise trifling circumstance, as a particular +providence of God, and I was thankful accordingly. The care of the +vessel took up all my time, and engaged my attention entirely. As we +were now out of the variable winds, I thought I should not be much +puzzled to hit upon the islands. I was persuaded I steered right for +Antigua, which I wished to reach, as the nearest to us; and in the +course of nine or ten days we made this island, to our great joy; and +the next day after we came safe to Montserrat. Many were surprised +when they heard of my conducting the sloop into the port, and I now +obtained a new appellation, and was called Captain. This elated me not +a little, and it was quite flattering to my vanity to be thus styled +by as high a title as any free man in this place possessed. When the +death of the captain became known, he was much regretted by all who +knew him; for he was a man universally respected. At the same time the +sable captain lost no fame; for the success I had met with increased +the affection of my friends in no small measure. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[Footnote U: Acts, chap. xii. ver. 9.] + + + + +CHAP. VIII. + + _The author, to oblige Mr. King, once more embarks for + Georgia in one of his vessels--A new captain is + appointed--They sail, and steer a new course--Three + remarkable dreams--The vessel is shipwrecked on the Bahama + bank, but the crew are preserved, principally by means of + the author--He sets out from the island with the captain, in + a small boat, in quest of a ship--Their distress--Meet with + a wrecker--Sail for Providence--Are overtaken again by a + terrible storm, and are all near perishing--Arrive at New + Providence--The author, after some time, sails from thence + to Georgia--Meets with another storm, and is obliged to put + back and refit--Arrives at Georgia--Meets new + impositions--Two white men attempt to kidnap him--Officiates + as a parson at a funeral ceremony--Bids adieu to Georgia, + and sails for Martinico._ + + +As I had now, by the death of my captain, lost my great benefactor and +friend, I had little inducement to remain longer in the West Indies, +except my gratitude to Mr. King, which I thought I had pretty well +discharged in bringing back his vessel safe, and delivering his cargo +to his satisfaction. I began to think of leaving this part of the +world, of which I had been long tired, and returning to England, where +my heart had always been; but Mr. King still pressed me very much to +stay with his vessel; and he had done so much for me that I found +myself unable to refuse his requests, and consented to go another +voyage to Georgia, as the mate, from his ill state of health, was +quite useless in the vessel. Accordingly a new captain was appointed, +whose name was William Phillips, an old acquaintance of mine; and, +having refitted our vessel, and taken several slaves on board, we set +sail for St. Eustatia, where we stayed but a few days; and on the 30th +of January 1767 we steered for Georgia. Our new captain boasted +strangely of his skill in navigating and conducting a vessel; and in +consequence of this he steered a new course, several points more to +the westward than we ever did before; this appeared to me very +extraordinary. + +On the fourth of February, which was soon after we had got into our +new course, I dreamt the ship was wrecked amidst the surfs and rocks, +and that I was the means of saving every one on board; and on the +night following I dreamed the very same dream. These dreams however +made no impression on my mind; and the next evening, it being my watch +below, I was pumping the vessel a little after eight o'clock, just +before I went off the deck, as is the custom; and being weary with the +duty of the day, and tired at the pump, (for we made a good deal of +water) I began to express my impatience, and I uttered with an oath, +'Damn the vessel's bottom out.' But my conscience instantly smote me +for the expression. When I left the deck I went to bed, and had +scarcely fallen asleep when I dreamed the same dream again about the +ship that I had dreamt the two preceeding nights. At twelve o'clock +the watch was changed; and, as I had always the charge of the +captain's watch, I then went upon deck. At half after one in the +morning the man at the helm saw something under the lee-beam that the +sea washed against, and he immediately called to me that there was a +grampus, and desired me to look at it. Accordingly I stood up and +observed it for some time; but, when I saw the sea wash up against it +again and again, I said it was not a fish but a rock. Being soon +certain of this, I went down to the captain, and, with some confusion, +told him the danger we were in, and desired him to come upon deck +immediately. He said it was very well, and I went up again. As soon as +I was upon deck the wind, which had been pretty high, having abated a +little, the vessel began to be carried sideways towards the rock, by +means of the current. Still the captain did not appear. I therefore +went to him again, and told him the vessel was then near a large rock, +and desired he would come up with speed. He said he would, and I +returned to the deck. When I was upon the deck again I saw we were not +above a pistol shot from the rock, and I heard the noise of the +breakers all around us. I was exceedingly alarmed at this; and the +captain having not yet come on the deck I lost all patience; and, +growing quite enraged, I ran down to him again, and asked him why he +did not come up, and what he could mean by all this? 'The breakers,' +said I, 'are round us, and the vessel is almost on the rock.' With +that he came on the deck with me, and we tried to put the vessel +about, and get her out of the current, but all to no purpose, the +wind being very small. We then called all hands up immediately; and +after a little we got up one end of a cable, and fastened it to the +anchor. By this time the surf was foaming round us, and made a +dreadful noise on the breakers, and the very moment we let the anchor +go the vessel struck against the rocks. One swell now succeeded +another, as it were one wave calling on its fellow: the roaring of the +billows increased, and, with one single heave of the swells, the sloop +was pierced and transfixed among the rocks! In a moment a scene of +horror presented itself to my mind, such as I never had conceived or +experienced before. All my sins stared me in the face; and especially, +I thought that God had hurled his direful vengeance on my guilty head +for cursing the vessel on which my life depended. My spirits at this +forsook me, and I expected every moment to go to the bottom: I +determined if I should still be saved that I would never swear again. +And in the midst of my distress, while the dreadful surfs were dashing +with unremitting fury among the rocks, I remembered the Lord, though +fearful that I was undeserving of forgiveness, and I thought that as +he had often delivered he might yet deliver; and, calling to mind the +many mercies he had shewn me in times past, they gave me some small +hope that he might still help me. I then began to think how we might +be saved; and I believe no mind was ever like mine so replete with +inventions and confused with schemes, though how to escape death I +knew not. The captain immediately ordered the hatches to be nailed +down on the slaves in the hold, where there were above twenty, all of +whom must unavoidably have perished if he had been obeyed. When he +desired the man to nail down the hatches I thought that my sin was the +cause of this, and that God would charge me with these people's blood. +This thought rushed upon my mind that instant with such violence, that +it quite overpowered me, and I fainted. I recovered just as the people +were about to nail down the hatches; perceiving which, I desired them +to stop. The captain then said it must be done: I asked him why? He +said that every one would endeavour to get into the boat, which was +but small, and thereby we should be drowned; for it would not have +carried above ten at the most. I could no longer restrain my emotion, +and I told him he deserved drowning for not knowing how to navigate +the vessel; and I believe the people would have tossed him overboard +if I had given them the least hint of it. However the hatches were not +nailed down; and, as none of us could leave the vessel then on account +of the darkness, and as we knew not where to go, and were convinced +besides that the boat could not survive the surfs, we all said we +would remain on the dry part of the vessel, and trust to God till +daylight appeared, when we should know better what to do. + +I then advised to get the boat prepared against morning, and some of +us began to set about it; but some abandoned all care of the ship and +themselves, and fell to drinking. Our boat had a piece out of her +bottom near two feet long, and we had no materials to mend her; +however, necessity being the mother of invention, I took some pump +leather and nailed it to the broken part, and plastered it over with +tallow-grease. And, thus prepared, with the utmost anxiety of mind we +watched for daylight, and thought every minute an hour till it +appeared. At last it saluted our longing eyes, and kind Providence +accompanied its approach with what was no small comfort to us; for the +dreadful swell began to subside; and the next thing that we discovered +to raise our drooping spirits, was a small key or island, about five +or six miles off; but a barrier soon presented itself; for there was +not water enough for our boat to go over the reefs, and this threw us +again into a sad consternation; but there was no alternative, we were +therefore obliged to put but few in the boat at once; and, what is +still worse, all of us were frequently under the necessity of getting +out to drag and lift it over the reefs. This cost us much labour and +fatigue; and, what was yet more distressing, we could not avoid having +our legs cut and torn very much with the rocks. There were only four +people that would work with me at the oars; and they consisted of +three black men and a Dutch Creole sailor; and, though we went with +the boat five times that day, we had no others to assist us. But, had +we not worked in this manner, I really believe the people could not +have been saved; for not one of the white men did any thing to +preserve their lives; and indeed they soon got so drunk that they were +not able, but lay about the deck like swine, so that we were at last +obliged to lift them into the boat and carry them on shore by force. +This want of assistance made our labour intolerably severe; insomuch, +that, by putting on shore so often that day, the skin was entirely +stript off my hands. + +However, we continued all the day to toil and strain our exertions, +till we had brought all on board safe to the shore; so that out of +thirty-two people we lost not one. My dream now returned upon my mind +with all its force; it was fulfilled in every part; for our danger was +the same I had dreamt of: and I could not help looking on myself as +the principal instrument in effecting our deliverance; for, owing to +some of our people getting drunk, the rest of us were obliged to +double our exertions; and it was fortunate we did, for in a very +little time longer the patch of leather on the boat would have been +worn out, and she would have been no longer fit for service. Situated +as we were, who could think that men should be so careless of the +danger they were in? for, if the wind had but raised the swell as it +was when the vessel struck, we must have bid a final farewell to all +hopes of deliverance; and though, I warned the people who were +drinking and entreated them to embrace the moment of deliverance, +nevertheless they persisted, as if not possessed of the least spark of +reason. I could not help thinking, that, if any of these people had +been lost, God would charge me with their lives, which, perhaps, was +one cause of my labouring so hard for their preservation, and indeed +every one of them afterwards seemed so sensible of the service I had +rendered them; and while we were on the key I was a kind of chieftain +amongst them. I brought some limes, oranges, and lemons ashore; and, +finding it to be a good soil where we were, I planted several of them +as a token to any one that might be cast away hereafter. This key, as +we afterwards found, was one of the Bahama islands, which consist of a +cluster of large islands, with smaller ones or keys, as they are +called, interspersed among them. It was about a mile in circumference, +with a white sandy beach running in a regular order along it. On that +part of it where we first attempted to land there stood some very +large birds, called flamingoes: these, from the reflection of the sun, +appeared to us at a little distance as large as men; and, when they +walked backwards and forwards, we could not conceive what they were: +our captain swore they were cannibals. This created a great panic +among us; and we held a consultation how to act. The captain wanted to +go to a key that was within sight, but a great way off; but I was +against it, as in so doing we should not be able to save all the +people; 'And therefore,' said I, 'let us go on shore here, and perhaps +these cannibals may take to the water.' Accordingly we steered towards +them; and when we approached them, to our very great joy and no less +wonder, they walked off one after the other very deliberately; and at +last they took flight and relieved us entirely from our fears. About +the key there were turtles and several sorts of fish in such abundance +that we caught them without bait, which was a great relief to us after +the salt provisions on board. There was also a large rock on the +beach, about ten feet high, which was in the form of a punch-bowl at +the top; this we could not help thinking Providence had ordained to +supply us with rainwater; and it was something singular that, if we +did not take the water when it rained, in some little time after it +would turn as salt as sea-water. + +Our first care, after refreshment, was to make ourselves tents to +lodge in, which we did as well as we could with some sails we had +brought from the ship. We then began to think how we might get from +this place, which was quite uninhabited; and we determined to repair +our boat, which was very much shattered, and to put to sea in quest of +a ship or some inhabited island. It took us up however eleven days +before we could get the boat ready for sea in the manner we wanted it, +with a sail and other necessaries. When we had got all things prepared +the captain wanted me to stay on shore while he went to sea in quest +of a vessel to take all the people off the key; but this I refused; +and the captain and myself, with five more, set off in the boat +towards New Providence. We had no more than two musket load of +gunpowder with us if any thing should happen; and our stock of +provisions consisted of three gallons of rum, four of water, some salt +beef, some biscuit; and in this manner we proceeded to sea. + +On the second day of our voyage we came to an island called Obbico, +the largest of the Bahama islands. We were much in want of water; for +by this time our water was expended, and we were exceedingly fatigued +in pulling two days in the heat of the sun; and it being late in the +evening, we hauled the boat ashore to try for water and remain during +the night: when we came ashore we searched for water, but could find +none. When it was dark, we made a fire around us for fear of the wild +beasts, as the place was an entire thick wood, and we took it by turns +to watch. In this situation we found very little rest, and waited with +impatience for the morning. As soon as the light appeared we set off +again with our boat, in hopes of finding assistance during the day. We +were now much dejected and weakened by pulling the boat; for our sail +was of no use, and we were almost famished for want of fresh water to +drink. We had nothing left to eat but salt beef, and that we could not +use without water. In this situation we toiled all day in sight of the +island, which was very long; in the evening, seeing no relief, we made +ashore again, and fastened our boat. We then went to look for fresh +water, being quite faint for the want of it; and we dug and searched +about for some all the remainder of the evening, but could not find +one drop, so that our dejection at this period became excessive, and +our terror so great, that we expected nothing but death to deliver us. +We could not touch our beef, which was as salt as brine, without fresh +water; and we were in the greatest terror from the apprehension of +wild beasts. When unwelcome night came we acted as on the night +before; and the next morning we set off again from the island in hopes +of seeing some vessel. In this manner we toiled as well as we were +able till four o'clock, during which we passed several keys, but could +not meet with a ship; and, still famishing with thirst, went ashore on +one of those keys again in hopes of finding some water. Here we found +some leaves with a few drops of water in them, which we lapped with +much eagerness; we then dug in several places, but without success. As +we were digging holes in search of water there came forth some very +thick and black stuff; but none of us could touch it, except the poor +Dutch Creole, who drank above a quart of it as eagerly as if it had +been wine. We tried to catch fish, but could not; and we now began to +repine at our fate, and abandon ourselves to despair; when, in the +midst of our murmuring, the captain all at once cried out 'A sail! a +sail! a sail!' This gladdening sound was like a reprieve to a +convict, and we all instantly turned to look at it; but in a little +time some of us began to be afraid it was not a sail. However, at a +venture, we embarked and steered after it; and, in half an hour, to +our unspeakable joy, we plainly saw that it was a vessel. At this our +drooping spirits revived, and we made towards her with all the speed +imaginable. When we came near to her, we found she was a little sloop, +about the size of a Gravesend hoy, and quite full of people; a +circumstance which we could not make out the meaning of. Our captain, +who was a Welchman, swore that they were pirates, and would kill us. I +said, be that as it might, we must board her if we were to die for it; +and, if they should not receive us kindly, we must oppose them as well +as we could; for there was no alternative between their perishing and +ours. This counsel was immediately taken; and I really believe that +the captain, myself, and the Dutchman, would then have faced twenty +men. We had two cutlasses and a musquet, that I brought in the boat; +and, in this situation, we rowed alongside, and immediately boarded +her. I believe there were about forty hands on board; but how great +was our surprise, as soon as we got on board, to find that the major +part of them were in the same predicament as ourselves! + +They belonged to a whaling schooner that was wrecked two days before +us about nine miles to the north of our vessel. When she was wrecked +some of them had taken to their boats and had left some of their +people and property on a key, in the same manner as we had done; and +were going, like us, to New Providence in quest of a ship, when they +met with this little sloop, called a wrecker; their employment in +those seas being to look after wrecks. They were then going to take +the remainder of the people belonging to the schooner; for which the +wrecker was to have all things belonging to the vessel, and likewise +their people's help to get what they could out of her, and were then +to carry the crew to New Providence. + +We told the people of the wrecker the condition of our vessel, and we +made the same agreement with them as the schooner's people; and, on +their complying, we begged of them to go to our key directly, because +our people were in want of water. They agreed, therefore, to go along +with us first; and in two days we arrived at the key, to the +inexpressible joy of the people that we had left behind, as they had +been reduced to great extremities for want of water in our absence. +Luckily for us, the wrecker had now more people on board than she +could carry or victual for any moderate length of time; they therefore +hired the schooner's people to work on our wreck, and we left them our +boat, and embarked for New Providence. + +Nothing could have been more fortunate than our meeting with this +wrecker, for New Providence was at such a distance that we never could +have reached it in our boat. The island of Abbico was much longer than +we expected; and it was not till after sailing for three or four days +that we got safe to the farther end of it, towards New Providence. +When we arrived there we watered, and got a good many lobsters and +other shellfish; which proved a great relief to us, as our provisions +and water were almost exhausted. We then proceeded on our voyage; but +the day after we left the island, late in the evening, and whilst we +were yet amongst the Bahama keys, we were overtaken by a violent gale +of wind, so that we were obliged to cut away the mast. The vessel was +very near foundering; for she parted from her anchors, and struck +several times on the shoals. Here we expected every minute that she +would have gone to pieces, and each moment to be our last; so much so +that my old captain and sickly useless mate, and several others, +fainted; and death stared us in the face on every side. All the +swearers on board now began to call on the God of Heaven to assist +them: and, sure enough, beyond our comprehension he did assist us, and +in a miraculous manner delivered us! In the very height of our +extremity the wind lulled for a few minutes; and, although the swell +was high beyond expression, two men, who were expert swimmers, +attempted to go to the buoy of the anchor, which we still saw on the +water, at some distance, in a little punt that belonged to the +wrecker, which was not large enough to carry more than two. She filled +different times in their endeavours to get into her alongside of our +vessel; and they saw nothing but death before them, as well as we; but +they said they might as well die that way as any other. A coil of very +small rope, with a little buoy, was put in along with them; and, at +last, with great hazard, they got the punt clear from the vessel; and +these two intrepid water heroes paddled away for life towards the buoy +of the anchor. The eyes of us all were fixed on them all the time, +expecting every minute to be their last: and the prayers of all those +that remained in their senses were offered up to God, on their behalf, +for a speedy deliverance; and for our own, which depended on them; and +he heard and answered us! These two men at last reached the buoy; and, +having fastened the punt to it, they tied one end of their rope to the +small buoy that they had in the punt, and sent it adrift towards the +vessel. We on board observing this threw out boat-hooks and leads +fastened to lines, in order to catch the buoy: at last we caught it, +and fastened a hawser to the end of the small rope; we then gave them +a sign to pull, and they pulled the hawser to them, and fastened it to +the buoy: which being done we hauled for our lives; and, through the +mercy of God, we got again from the shoals into deep water, and the +punt got safe to the vessel. It is impossible for any to conceive our +heartfelt joy at this second deliverance from ruin, but those who have +suffered the same hardships. Those whose strength and senses were gone +came to themselves, and were now as elated as they were before +depressed. Two days after this the wind ceased, and the water became +smooth. The punt then went on shore, and we cut down some trees; and +having found our mast and mended it we brought it on board, and fixed +it up. As soon as we had done this we got up the anchor, and away we +went once more for New Providence, which in three days more we reached +safe, after having been above three weeks in a situation in which we +did not expect to escape with life. The inhabitants here were very +kind to us; and, when they learned our situation, shewed us a great +deal of hospitality and friendship. Soon after this every one of my +old fellow-sufferers that were free parted from us, and shaped their +course where their inclination led them. One merchant, who had a large +sloop, seeing our condition, and knowing we wanted to go to Georgia, +told four of us that his vessel was going there; and, if we would work +on board and load her, he would give us our passage free. As we could +not get any wages whatever, and found it very hard to get off the +place, we were obliged to consent to his proposal; and we went on +board and helped to load the sloop, though we had only our victuals +allowed us. When she was entirely loaded he told us she was going to +Jamaica first, where we must go if we went in her. This, however, I +refused; but my fellow-sufferers not having any money to help +themselves with, necessity obliged them to accept of the offer, and to +steer that course, though they did not like it. + +We stayed in New Providence about seventeen or eighteen days; during +which time I met with many friends, who gave me encouragement to stay +there with them: but I declined it; though, had not my heart been +fixed on England, I should have stayed, as I liked the place +extremely, and there were some free black people here who were very +happy, and we passed our time pleasantly together, with the melodious +sound of the catguts, under the lime and lemon trees. At length +Captain Phillips hired a sloop to carry him and some of the slaves +that he could not sell to Georgia; and I agreed to go with him in this +vessel, meaning now to take my farewell of that place. When the vessel +was ready we all embarked; and I took my leave of New Providence, not +without regret. We sailed about four o'clock in the morning, with a +fair wind, for Georgia; and about eleven o'clock the same morning a +short and sudden gale sprung up and blew away most of our sails; and, +as we were still amongst the keys, in a very few minutes it dashed the +sloop against the rocks. Luckily for us the water was deep; and the +sea was not so angry but that, after having for some time laboured +hard, and being many in number, we were saved through God's mercy; +and, by using our greatest exertions, we got the vessel off. The next +day we returned to Providence, where we soon got her again refitted. +Some of the people swore that we had spells set upon us by somebody in +Montserrat; and others that we had witches and wizzards amongst the +poor helpless slaves; and that we never should arrive safe at Georgia. +But these things did not deter me; I said, 'Let us again face the +winds and seas, and swear not, but trust to God, and he will deliver +us.' We therefore once more set sail; and, with hard labour, in seven +day's time arrived safe at Georgia. + +After our arrival we went up to the town of Savannah; and the same +evening I went to a friend's house to lodge, whose name was Mosa, a +black man. We were very happy at meeting each other; and after supper +we had a light till it was between nine and ten o'clock at night. +About that time the watch or patrol came by; and, discerning a light +in the house, they knocked at the door: we opened it; and they came in +and sat down, and drank some punch with us: they also begged some +limes of me, as they understood I had some, which I readily gave them. +A little after this they told me I must go to the watch-house with +them: this surprised me a good deal, after our kindness to them; and I +asked them, Why so? They said that all negroes who had light in their +houses after nine o'clock were to be taken into custody, and either +pay some dollars or be flogged. Some of those people knew that I was a +free man; but, as the man of the house was not free, and had his +master to protect him, they did not take the same liberty with him +they did with me. I told them that I was a free man, and just arrived +from Providence; that we were not making any noise, and that I was not +a stranger in that place, but was very well known there: 'Besides,' +said I, 'what will you do with me?'--'That you shall see,' replied +they, 'but you must go to the watch-house with us.' Now whether they +meant to get money from me or not I was at a loss to know; but I +thought immediately of the oranges and limes at Santa Cruz: and seeing +that nothing would pacify them I went with them to the watch-house, +where I remained during the night. Early the the next morning these +imposing ruffians flogged a negro-man and woman that they had in the +watch-house, and then they told me that I must be flogged too. I asked +why? and if there was no law for free men? And told them if there was +I would have it put in force against them. But this only exasperated +them the more; and instantly they swore they would serve me as Doctor +Perkins had done; and they were going to lay violent hands on me; when +one of them, more humane than the rest, said that as I was a free man +they could not justify stripping me by law. I then immediately sent +for Doctor Brady, who was known to be an honest and worthy man; and on +his coming to my assistance they let me go. + +This was not the only disagreeable incident I met with while I was in +this place; for, one day, while I was a little way out of the town of +Savannah, I was beset by two white men, who meant to play their usual +tricks with me in the way of kidnapping. As soon as these men accosted +me, one of them said to the other, 'This is the very fellow we are +looking for that you lost:' and the other swore immediately that I was +the identical person. On this they made up to me, and were about to +handle me; but I told them to be still and keep off; for I had seen +those kind of tricks played upon other free blacks, and they must not +think to serve me so. At this they paused a little, and one said to +the other--it will not do; and the other answered that I talked too +good English. I replied, I believed I did; and I had also with me a +revengeful stick equal to the occasion; and my mind was likewise good. +Happily however it was not used; and, after we had talked together a +little in this manner, the rogues left me. I stayed in Savannah some +time, anxiously trying to get to Montserrat once more to see Mr. King, +my old master, and then to take a final farewell of the American +quarter of the globe. At last I met with a sloop called the Speedwell, +Captain John Bunton, which belonged to Grenada, and was bound to +Martinico, a French island, with a cargo of rice, and I shipped myself +on board of her. Before I left Georgia a black woman, who had a child +lying dead, being very tenacious of the church burial service, and not +able to get any white person to perform it, applied to me for that +purpose. I told her I was no parson; and besides, that the service +over the dead did not affect the soul. This however did not satisfy +her; she still urged me very hard: I therefore complied with her +earnest entreaties, and at last consented to act the parson for the +first time in my life. As she was much respected, there was a great +company both of white and black people at the grave. I then +accordingly assumed my new vocation, and performed the funeral +ceremony to the satisfaction of all present; after which I bade adieu +to Georgia, and sailed for Martinico. + + + + +CHAP. IX + + _The author arrives at Martinico--Meets with new + difficulties--Gets to Montserrat, where he takes leave of + his old master, and sails for England--Meets Capt. + Pascal--Learns the French horn--Hires himself with Doctor + Irving, where he learns to freshen sea water--Leaves the + doctor, and goes a voyage to Turkey and Portugal; and + afterwards goes a voyage to Grenada, and another to + Jamaica--Returns to the Doctor, and they embark together on + a voyage to the North Pole, with the Hon. Capt. Phipps--Some + account of that voyage, and the dangers the author was + in--He returns to England._ + + +I thus took a final leave of Georgia; for the treatment I had received +in it disgusted me very much against the place; and when I left it and +sailed for Martinico I determined never more to revisit it. My new +captain conducted his vessel safer than my former one; and, after an +agreeable voyage, we got safe to our intended port. While I was on +this island I went about a good deal, and found it very pleasant: in +particular I admired the town of St. Pierre, which is the principal +one in the island, and built more like an European town than any I had +seen in the West Indies. In general also, slaves were better treated, +had more holidays, and looked better than those in the English +islands. After we had done our business here, I wanted my discharge, +which was necessary; for it was then the month of May, and I wished +much to be at Montserrat to bid farewell to Mr. King, and all my other +friends there, in time to sail for Old England in the July fleet. But, +alas! I had put a great stumbling block in my own way, by which I was +near losing my passage that season to England. I had lent my captain +some money, which I now wanted to enable me to prosecute my +intentions. This I told him; but when I applied for it, though I urged +the necessity of my occasion, I met with so much shuffling from him, +that I began at last to be afraid of losing my money, as I could not +recover it by law: for I have already mentioned, that throughout the +West Indies no black man's testimony is admitted, on any occasion, +against any white person whatever, and therefore my own oath would +have been of no use. I was obliged, therefore, to remain with him +till he might be disposed to return it to me. Thus we sailed from +Martinico for the Grenades. I frequently pressing the captain for my +money to no purpose; and, to render my condition worse, when we got +there, the captain and his owners quarrelled; so that my situation +became daily more irksome: for besides that we on board had little or +no victuals allowed us, and I could not get my money nor wages, I +could then have gotten my passage free to Montserrat had I been able +to accept it. The worst of all was, that it was growing late in July, +and the ships in the islands must sail by the 26th of that month. At +last, however, with a great many entreaties, I got my money from the +captain, and took the first vessel I could meet with for St. Eustatia. +From thence I went in another to Basseterre in St. Kitts, where I +arrived on the 19th of July. On the 22d, having met with a vessel +bound to Montserrat, I wanted to go in her; but the captain and others +would not take me on board until I should advertise myself, and give +notice of my going off the island. I told them of my haste to be in +Montserrat, and that the time then would not admit of advertising, it +being late in the evening, and the captain about to sail; but he +insisted it was necessary, and otherwise he said he would not take me. +This reduced me to great perplexity; for if I should be compelled to +submit to this degrading necessity, which every black freeman is +under, of advertising himself like a slave, when he leaves an island, +and which I thought a gross imposition upon any freeman, I feared I +should miss that opportunity of going to Montserrat, and then I could +not get to England that year. The vessel was just going off, and no +time could be lost; I immediately therefore set about, with a heavy +heart, to try who I could get to befriend me in complying with the +demands of the captain. Luckily I found, in a few minutes, some +gentlemen of Montserrat whom I knew; and, having told them my +situation, I requested their friendly assistance in helping me off the +island. Some of them, on this, went with me to the captain, and +satisfied him of my freedom; and, to my very great joy, he desired me +to go on board. We then set sail, and the next day, the 23d, I arrived +at the wished-for place, after an absence of six months, in which I +had more than once experienced the delivering hand of Providence, +when all human means of escaping destruction seemed hopeless. I saw my +friends with a gladness of heart which was increased by my absence and +the dangers I had escaped, and I was received with great friendship by +them all, but particularly by Mr. King, to whom I related the fate of +his sloop, the Nancy, and the causes of her being wrecked. I now +learned with extreme sorrow, that his house was washed away during my +absence, by the bursting of a pond at the top of a mountain that was +opposite the town of Plymouth. It swept great part of the town away, +and Mr. King lost a great deal of property from the inundation, and +nearly his life. When I told him I intended to go to London that +season, and that I had come to visit him before my departure, the good +man expressed a great deal of affection for me, and sorrow that I +should leave him, and warmly advised me to stay there; insisting, as I +was much respected by all the gentlemen in the place, that I might do +very well, and in a short time have land and slaves of my own. I +thanked him for this instance of his friendship; but, as I wished very +much to be in London, I declined remaining any longer there, and +begged he would excuse me. I then requested he would be kind enough to +give me a certificate of my behaviour while in his service, which he +very readily complied with, and gave me the following: + + _Montserrat, January 26, 1767._ + + 'The bearer hereof, Gustavus Vassa, was my slave for upwards + of three years, during which he has always behaved himself + well, and discharged his duty with honesty and assiduity. + + Robert King. + + 'To all whom this may concern.' + +Having obtained this, I parted from my kind master, after many sincere +professions of gratitude and regard, and prepared for my departure for +London. I immediately agreed to go with one Capt. John Hamer, for +seven guineas, the passage to London, on board a ship called the +Andromache; and on the 24th and 25th I had free dances, as they are +called, with some of my countrymen, previous to my setting off; after +which I took leave of all my friends, and on the 26th I embarked for +London, exceedingly glad to see myself once more on board of a ship; +and still more so, in steering the course I had long wished for. With +a light heart I bade Montserrat farewell, and never had my feet on it +since; and with it I bade adieu to the sound of the cruel whip, and +all other dreadful instruments of torture; adieu to the offensive +sight of the violated chastity of the sable females, which has too +often accosted my eyes; adieu to oppressions (although to me less +severe than most of my countrymen); and adieu to the angry howling, +dashing surfs. I wished for a grateful and thankful heart to praise +the Lord God on high for all his mercies! + +We had a most prosperous voyage, and, at the end of seven weeks, +arrived at Cherry-Garden stairs. Thus were my longing eyes once more +gratified with a sight of London, after having been absent from it +above four years. I immediately received my wages, and I never had +earned seven guineas so quick in my life before; I had thirty-seven +guineas in all, when I got cleared of the ship. I now entered upon a +scene, quite new to me, but full of hope. In this situation my first +thoughts were to look out for some of my former friends, and amongst +the first of those were the Miss Guerins. As soon, therefore, as I had +regaled myself I went in quest of those kind ladies, whom I was very +impatient to see; and with some difficulty and perseverance, I found +them at May's-hill, Greenwich. They were most agreeably surprised to +see me, and I quite overjoyed at meeting with them. I told them my +history, at which they expressed great wonder, and freely acknowledged +it did their cousin, Capt. Pascal, no honour. He then visited there +frequently; and I met him four or five days after in Greenwich park. +When he saw me he appeared a good deal surprised, and asked me how I +came back? I answered, 'In a ship.' To which he replied dryly, 'I +suppose you did not walk back to London on the water.' As I saw, by +his manner, that he did not seem to be sorry for his behaviour to me, +and that I had not much reason to expect any favour from him, I told +him that he had used me very ill, after I had been such a faithful +servant to him for so many years; on which, without saying any more, +he turned about and went away. A few days after this I met Capt. +Pascal at Miss Guerin's house, and asked him for my prize-money. He +said there was none due to me; for, if my prize money had been +10,000 £. he had a right to it all. I told him I was informed +otherwise; on which he bade me defiance; and, in a bantering tone, +desired me to commence a lawsuit against him for it: 'There are +lawyers enough,' said he,'that will take the cause in hand, and you +had better try it.' I told him then that I would try it, which enraged +him very much; however, out of regard to the ladies, I remained still, +and never made any farther demand of my right. Some time afterwards +these friendly ladies asked me what I meant to do with myself, and how +they could assist me. I thanked them, and said, if they pleased, I +would be their servant; but if not, as I had thirty-seven guineas, +which would support me for some time, I would be much obliged to them +to recommend me to some person who would teach me a business whereby I +might earn my living. They answered me very politely, that they were +sorry it did not suit them to take me as their servant, and asked me +what business I should like to learn? I said, hair-dressing. They then +promised to assist me in this; and soon after they recommended me to a +gentleman whom I had known before, one Capt. O'Hara, who treated me +with much kindness, and procured me a master, a hair-dresser, in +Coventry-court, Haymarket, with whom he placed me. I was with this man +from September till the February following. In that time we had a +neighbour in the same court who taught the French horn. He used to +blow it so well that I was charmed with it, and agreed with him to +teach me to blow it. Accordingly he took me in hand, and began to +instruct me, and I soon learned all the three parts. I took great +delight in blowing on this instrument, the evenings being long; and +besides that I was fond of it, I did not like to be idle, and it +filled up my vacant hours innocently. At this time also I agreed with +the Rev. Mr. Gregory, who lived in the same court, where he kept an +academy and an evening-school, to improve me in arithmetic. This he +did as far as barter and alligation; so that all the time I was there +I was entirely employed. In February 1768 I hired myself to Dr. +Charles Irving, in Pall-mall, so celebrated for his successful +experiments in making sea water fresh; and here I had plenty of +hair-dressing to improve my hand. This gentleman was an excellent +master; he was exceedingly kind and good tempered; and allowed me in +the evenings to attend my schools, which I esteemed a great blessing; +therefore I thanked God and him for it, and used all my diligence to +improve the opportunity. This diligence and attention recommended me +to the notice and care of my three preceptors, who on their parts +bestowed a great deal of pains in my instruction, and besides were all +very kind to me. My wages, however, which were by two thirds less than +I ever had in my life (for I had only 12l. per annum) I soon found +would not be sufficient to defray this extraordinary expense of +masters, and my own necessary expenses; my old thirty-seven guineas +had by this time worn all away to one. I thought it best, therefore, +to try the sea again in quest of more money, as I had been bred to it, +and had hitherto found the profession of it successful. I had also a +very great desire to see Turkey, and I now determined to gratify it. +Accordingly, in the month of May, 1768, I told the doctor my wish to +go to sea again, to which he made no opposition; and we parted on +friendly terms. The same day I went into the city in quest of a +master. I was extremely fortunate in my inquiry; for I soon heard of a +gentleman who had a ship going to Italy and Turkey, and he wanted a +man who could dress hair well. I was overjoyed at this, and went +immediately on board of his ship, as I had been directed, which I +found to be fitted up with great taste, and I already foreboded no +small pleasure in sailing in her. Not finding the gentleman on board, +I was directed to his lodgings, where I met with him the next day, and +gave him a specimen of my dressing. He liked it so well that he hired +me immediately, so that I was perfectly happy; for the ship, master, +and voyage, were entirely to my mind. The ship was called the Delawar, +and my master's name was John Jolly, a neat smart good humoured man, +just such an one as I wished to serve. We sailed from England in July +following, and our voyage was extremely pleasant. We went to Villa +Franca, Nice, and Leghorn; and in all these places I was charmed with +the richness and beauty of the countries, and struck with the elegant +buildings with which they abound. We had always in them plenty of +extraordinary good wines and rich fruits, which I was very fond of; +and I had frequent occasions of gratifying both my taste and +curiosity; for my captain always lodged on shore in those places, +which afforded me opportunities to see the country around. I also +learned navigation of the mate, which I was very fond of. When we left +Italy we had delightful sailing among the Archipelago islands, and +from thence to Smyrna in Turkey. This is a very ancient city; the +houses are built of stone, and most of them have graves adjoining to +them; so that they sometimes present the appearance of church-yards. +Provisions are very plentiful in this city, and good wine less than a +penny a pint. The grapes, pomegranates, and many other fruits, were +also the richest and largest I ever tasted. The natives are well +looking and strong made, and treated me always with great civility. In +general I believe they are fond of black people; and several of them +gave me pressing invitations to stay amongst them, although they keep +the franks, or Christians, separate, and do not suffer them to dwell +immediately amongst them. I was astonished in not seeing women in any +of their shops, and very rarely any in the streets; and whenever I did +they were covered with a veil from head to foot, so that I could not +see their faces, except when any of them out of curiosity uncovered +them to look at me, which they sometimes did. I was surprised to see +how the Greeks are, in some measure, kept under by the Turks, as the +negroes are in the West Indies by the white people. The less refined +Greeks, as I have already hinted, dance here in the same manner as we +do in my nation. On the whole, during our stay here, which was about +five months, I liked the place and the Turks extremely well. I could +not help observing one very remarkable circumstance there: the tails +of the sheep are flat, and so very large, that I have known the tail +even of a lamb to weigh from eleven to thirteen pounds. The fat of +them is very white and rich, and is excellent in puddings, for which +it is much used. Our ship being at length richly loaded with silk, and +other articles, we sailed for England. + +In May 1769, soon after our return from Turkey, our ship made a +delightful voyage to Oporto in Portugal, where we arrived at the time +of the carnival. On our arrival, there were sent on board to us +thirty-six articles to observe, with very heavy penalties if we should +break any of them; and none of us even dared to go on board any other +vessel or on shore till the Inquisition had sent on board and +searched for every thing illegal, especially bibles. Such as were +produced, and certain other things, were sent on shore till the ships +were going away; and any person in whose custody a bible was found +concealed was to be imprisoned and flogged, and sent into slavery for +ten years. I saw here many very magnificent sights, particularly the +garden of Eden, where many of the clergy and laity went in procession +in their several orders with the host, and sung Te Deum. I had a great +curiosity to go into some of their churches, but could not gain +admittance without using the necessary sprinkling of holy water at my +entrance. From curiosity, and a wish to be holy, I therefore complied +with this ceremony, but its virtues were lost on me, for I found +myself nothing the better for it. This place abounds with plenty of +all kinds of provisions. The town is well built and pretty, and +commands a fine prospect. Our ship having taken in a load of wine, and +other commodities, we sailed for London, and arrived in July +following. Our next voyage was to the Mediterranean. The ship was +again got ready, and we sailed in September for Genoa. This is one of +the finest cities I ever saw; some of the edifices were of beautiful +marble, and made a most noble appearance; and many had very curious +fountains before them. The churches were rich and magnificent, and +curiously adorned both in the inside and out. But all this grandeur +was in my eyes disgraced by the galley slaves, whose condition both +there and in other parts of Italy is truly piteous and wretched. After +we had stayed there some weeks, during which we bought many different +things which we wanted, and got them very cheap, we sailed to Naples, +a charming city, and remarkably clean. The bay is the most beautiful I +ever saw; the moles for shipping are excellent. I thought it +extraordinary to see grand operas acted here on Sunday nights, and +even attended by their majesties. I too, like these great ones, went +to those sights, and vainly served God in the day while I thus served +mammon effectually at night. While we remained here there happened an +eruption of mount Vesuvius, of which I had a perfect view. It was +extremely awful; and we were so near that the ashes from it used to be +thick on our deck. After we had transacted our business at Naples we +sailed with a fair wind once more for Smyrna, where we arrived in +December. A seraskier or officer took a liking to me here, and wanted +me to stay, and offered me two wives; however I refused the +temptation. The merchants here travel in caravans or large companies. +I have seen many caravans from India, with some hundreds of camels, +laden with different goods. The people of these caravans are quite +brown. Among other articles, they brought with them a great quantity +of locusts, which are a kind of pulse, sweet and pleasant to the +palate, and in shape resembling French beans, but longer. Each kind of +goods is sold in a street by itself, and I always found the Turks very +honest in their dealings. They let no Christians into their mosques or +churches, for which I was very sorry; as I was always fond of going to +see the different modes of worship of the people wherever I went. The +plague broke out while we were in Smyrna, and we stopped taking goods +into the ship till it was over. She was then richly laden, and we +sailed in about March 1770 for England. One day in our passage we met +with an accident which was near burning the ship. A black cook, in +melting some fat, overset the pan into the fire under the deck, which +immediately began to blaze, and the flame went up very high under the +foretop. With the fright the poor cook became almost white, and +altogether speechless. Happily however we got the fire out without +doing much mischief. After various delays in this passage, which was +tedious, we arrived in Standgate creek in July; and, at the latter end +of the year, some new event occurred, so that my noble captain, the +ship, and I all separated. + +In April 1771 I shipped myself as a steward with Capt. Wm. Robertson +of the ship Grenada Planter, once more to try my fortune in the West +Indies; and we sailed from London for Madeira, Barbadoes, and the +Grenades. When we were at this last place, having some goods to sell, +I met once more with my former kind of West India customers. A white +man, an islander, bought some goods of me to the amount of some +pounds, and made me many fair promises as usual, but without any +intention of paying me. He had likewise bought goods from some more of +our people, whom he intended to serve in the same manner; but he still +amused us with promises. However, when our ship was loaded, and near +sailing, this honest buyer discovered no intention or sign of paying +for any thing he had bought of us; but on the contrary, when I asked +him for my money he threatened me and another black man he had bought +goods of, so that we found we were like to get more blows than +payment. On this we went to complain to one Mr. M'Intosh, a justice of +the peace; we told his worship of the man's villainous tricks, and +begged that he would be kind enough to see us redressed: but being +negroes, although free, we could not get any remedy; and our ship +being then just upon the point of sailing, we knew not how to help +ourselves, though we thought it hard to lose our property in this +manner. Luckily for us however, this man was also indebted to three +white sailors, who could not get a farthing from him; they therefore +readily joined us, and we all went together in search of him. When we +found where he was, I took him out of a house and threatened him with +vengeance; on which, finding he was likely to be handled roughly, the +rogue offered each of us some small allowance, but nothing near our +demands. This exasperated us much more; and some were for cutting his +ears off; but he begged hard for mercy, which was at last granted him, +after we had entirely stripped him. We then let him go, for which he +thanked us, glad to get off so easily, and ran into the bushes, after +having wished us a good voyage. We then repaired on board, and shortly +after set sail for England. I cannot help remarking here a very narrow +escape we had from being blown up, owing to a piece of negligence of +mine. Just as our ship was under sail, I went down into the cabin to +do some business, and had a lighted candle in my hand, which, in my +hurry, without thinking, I held in a barrel of gunpowder. It remained +in the powder until it was near catching fire, when fortunately I +observed it and snatched it out in time, and providentially no harm +happened; but I was so overcome with terror that I immediately fainted +at this deliverance. + +In twenty-eight days time we arrived in England, and I got clear of +this ship. But, being still of a roving disposition, and desirous of +seeing as many different parts of the world as I could, I shipped +myself soon after, in the same year, as steward on board of a fine +large ship, called the Jamaica, Captain David Watt; and we sailed from +England in December 1771 for Nevis and Jamaica. I found Jamaica to be +a very fine large island, well peopled, and the most considerable of +the West India islands. There was a vast number of negroes here, whom +I found as usual exceedingly imposed upon by the white people, and the +slaves punished as in the other islands. There are negroes whose +business it is to flog slaves; they go about to different people for +employment, and the usual pay is from one to four bits. I saw many +cruel punishments inflicted on the slaves in the short time I stayed +here. In particular I was present when a poor fellow was tied up and +kept hanging by the wrists at some distance from the ground, and then +some half hundred weights were fixed to his ancles, in which posture +he was flogged most unmercifully. There were also, as I heard, two +different masters noted for cruelty on the island, who had staked up +two negroes naked, and in two hours the vermin stung them to death. I +heard a gentleman I well knew tell my captain that he passed sentence +on a negro man to be burnt alive for attempting to poison an overseer. +I pass over numerous other instances, in order to relieve the reader +by a milder scene of roguery. Before I had been long on the island, +one Mr. Smith at Port Morant bought goods of me to the amount of +twenty-five pounds sterling; but when I demanded payment from him, he +was going each time to beat me, and threatened that he would put me in +goal. One time he would say I was going to set his house on fire, at +another he would swear I was going to run away with his slaves. I was +astonished at this usage from a person who was in the situation of a +gentleman, but I had no alternative; I was therefore obliged to +submit. When I came to Kingston, I was surprised to see the number of +Africans who were assembled together on Sundays; particularly at a +large commodious place, called Spring Path. Here each different nation +of Africa meet and dance after the manner of their own country. They +still retain most of their native customs: they bury their dead, and +put victuals, pipes and tobacco, and other things, in the grave with +the corps, in the same manner as in Africa. Our ship having got her +loading we sailed for London, where we arrived in the August +following. On my return to London, I waited on my old and good master, +Dr. Irving, who made me an offer of his service again. Being now tired +of the sea I gladly accepted it. I was very happy in living with this +gentleman once more; during which time we were daily employed in +reducing old Neptune's dominions by purifying the briny element and +making it fresh. Thus I went on till May 1773, when I was roused by +the sound of fame, to seek new adventures, and to find, towards the +north pole, what our Creator never intended we should, a passage to +India. An expedition was now fitting out to explore a north-east +passage, conducted by the Honourable John Constantine Phipps, since +Lord Mulgrave, in his Majesty's sloop of war the Race Horse. My master +being anxious for the reputation of this adventure, we therefore +prepared every thing for our voyage, and I attended him on board the +Race Horse, the 24th day of May 1773. We proceeded to Sheerness, where +we were joined by his Majesty's sloop the Carcass, commanded by +Captain Lutwidge. On the 4th of June we sailed towards our destined +place, the pole; and on the 15th of the same month we were off +Shetland. On this day I had a great and unexpected deliverance from an +accident which was near blowing up the ship and destroying the crew, +which made me ever after during the voyage uncommonly cautious. The +ship was so filled that there was very little room on board for any +one, which placed me in a very aukward situation. I had resolved to +keep a journal of this singular and interesting voyage; and I had no +other place for this purpose but a little cabin, or the doctor's +store-room, where I slept. This little place was stuffed with all +manner of combustibles, particularly with tow and aquafortis, and many +other dangerous things. Unfortunately it happened in the evening as I +was writing my journal, that I had occasion to take the candle out of +the lanthorn, and a spark having touched a single thread of the tow, +all the rest caught the flame, and immediately the whole was in a +blaze. I saw nothing but present death before me, and expected to be +the first to perish in the flames. In a moment the alarm was spread, +and many people who were near ran to assist in putting out the fire. +All this time I was in the very midst of the flames; my shirt, and the +handkerchief on my neck, were burnt, and I was almost smothered with +the smoke. However, through God's mercy, as I was nearly giving up all +hopes, some people brought blankets and mattresses and threw them on +the flames, by which means in a short time the fire was put out. I was +severely reprimanded and menaced by such of the officers who knew it, +and strictly charged never more to go there with a light: and, indeed, +even my own fears made me give heed to this command for a little time; +but at last, not being able to write my journal in any other part of +the ship, I was tempted again to venture by stealth with a light in +the same cabin, though not without considerable fear and dread on my +mind. On the 20th of June we began to use Dr. Irving's apparatus for +making salt water fresh; I used to attend the distillery: I frequently +purified from twenty-six to forty gallons a day. The water thus +distilled was perfectly pure, well tasted, and free from salt; and was +used on various occasions on board the ship. On the 28th of June, +being in lat. 78, we made Greenland, where I was surprised to see the +sun did not set. The weather now became extremely cold; and as we +sailed between north and east, which was our course, we saw many very +high and curious mountains of ice; and also a great number of very +large whales, which used to come close to our ship, and blow the water +up to a very great height in the air. One morning we had vast +quantities of sea-horses about the ship, which neighed exactly like +any other horses. We fired some harpoon guns amongst them, in order to +take some, but we could not get any. The 30th, the captain of a +Greenland ship came on board, and told us of three ships that were +lost in the ice; however we still held on our course till July the +11th, when we were stopt by one compact impenetrable body of ice. We +ran along it from east to west above ten degrees; and on the 27th we +got as far north as 80, 37; and in 19 or 20 degrees east longitude +from London. On the 29th and 30th of July we saw one continued plain +of smooth unbroken ice, bounded only by the horizon; and we fastened +to a piece of ice that was eight yards eleven inches thick. We had +generally sunshine, and constant daylight; which gave cheerfulness and +novelty to the whole of this striking, grand, and uncommon scene; and, +to heighten it still more, the reflection of the sun from the ice gave +the clouds a most beautiful appearance. We killed many different +animals at this time, and among the rest nine bears. Though they had +nothing in their paunches but water yet they were all very fat. We +used to decoy them to the ship sometimes by burning feathers or skins. +I thought them coarse eating, but some of the ship's company relished +them very much. Some of our people once, in the boat, fired at and +wounded a sea-horse, which dived immediately; and, in a little time +after, brought up with it a number of others. They all joined in an +attack upon the boat, and were with difficulty prevented from staving +or oversetting her; but a boat from the Carcass having come to assist +ours, and joined it, they dispersed, after having wrested an oar from +one of the men. One of the ship's boats had before been attacked in +the same manner, but happily no harm was done. Though we wounded +several of these animals we never got but one. We remained hereabouts +until the 1st of August; when the two ships got completely fastened in +the ice, occasioned by the loose ice that set in from the sea. This +made our situation very dreadful and alarming; so that on the 7th day +we were in very great apprehension of having the ships squeezed to +pieces. The officers now held a council to know what was best for us +to do in order to save our lives; and it was determined that we should +endeavour to escape by dragging our boats along the ice towards the +sea; which, however, was farther off than any of us thought. This +determination filled us with extreme dejection, and confounded us with +despair; for we had very little prospect of escaping with life. +However, we sawed some of the ice about the ships to keep it from +hurting them; and thus kept them in a kind of pond. We then began to +drag the boats as well as we could towards the sea; but, after two or +three days labour, we made very little progress; so that some of our +hearts totally failed us, and I really began to give up myself for +lost, when I saw our surrounding calamities. While we were at this +hard labour I once fell into a pond we had made amongst some loose +ice, and was very near being drowned; but providentially some people +were near who gave me immediate assistance, and thereby I escaped +drowning. Our deplorable condition, which kept up the constant +apprehension of our perishing in the ice, brought me gradually to +think of eternity in such a manner as I never had done before. I had +the fears of death hourly upon me, and shuddered at the thoughts of +meeting the grim king of terrors in the _natural_ state I then was in, +and was exceedingly doubtful of a happy eternity if I should die in +it. I had no hopes of my life being prolonged for any time; for we +saw that our existence could not be long on the ice after leaving the +ships, which were now out of sight, and some miles from the boats. Our +appearance now became truly lamentable; pale dejection seized every +countenance; many, who had been before blasphemers, in this our +distress began to call on the good God of heaven for his help; and in +the time of our utter need he heard us, and against hope or human +probability delivered us! It was the eleventh day of the ships being +thus fastened, and the fourth of our drawing the boats in this manner, +that the wind changed to the E.N.E. The weather immediately became +mild, and the ice broke towards the sea, which was to the S.W. of us. +Many of us on this got on board again, and with all our might we hove +the ships into every open water we could find, and made all the sail +on them in our power; and now, having a prospect of success, we made +signals for the boats and the remainder of the people. This seemed to +us like a reprieve from death; and happy was the man who could first +get on board of any ship, or the first boat he could meet. We then +proceeded in this manner till we got into the open water again, which +we accomplished in about thirty hours, to our infinite joy and +gladness of heart. As soon as we were out of danger we came to anchor +and refitted; and on the 19th of August we sailed from this +uninhabited extremity of the world, where the inhospitable climate +affords neither food nor shelter, and not a tree or shrub of any kind +grows amongst its barren rocks; but all is one desolate and expanded +waste of ice, which even the constant beams of the sun for six months +in the year cannot penetrate or dissolve. The sun now being on the +decline the days shortened as we sailed to the southward; and, on the +28th, in latitude 73, it was dark by ten o'clock at night. September +the 10th, in latitude 58-59, we met a very severe gale of wind and +high seas, and shipped a great deal of water in the space of ten +hours. This made us work exceedingly hard at all our pumps a whole +day; and one sea, which struck the ship with more force than any thing +I ever met with of the kind before, laid her under water for some +time, so that we thought she would have gone down. Two boats were +washed from the booms, and the long-boat from the chucks: all other +moveable things on the deck were also washed away, among which were +many curious things of different kinds which we had brought from +Greenland; and we were obliged, in order to lighten the ship, to toss +some of our guns overboard. We saw a ship, at the same time, in very +great distress, and her masts were gone; but we were unable to assist +her. We now lost sight of the Carcass till the 26th, when we saw land +about Orfordness, off which place she joined us. From thence we sailed +for London, and on the 30th came up to Deptford. And thus ended our +Arctic voyage, to the no small joy of all on board, after having been +absent four months; in which time, at the imminent hazard of our +lives, we explored nearly as far towards the Pole as 81 degrees north, +and 20 degrees east longitude; being much farther, by all accounts, +than any navigator had ever ventured before; in which we fully proved +the impracticability of finding a passage that way to India. + + + + +CHAP. X. + + _The author leaves Doctor Irving and engages on board a + Turkey ship--Account of a black man's being kidnapped on + board and sent to the West Indies, and the author's + fruitless endeavours to procure his freedom--Some account of + the manner of the author's conversion to the faith of Jesus + Christ._ + + +Our voyage to the North Pole being ended, I returned to London with +Doctor Irving, with whom I continued for some time, during which I +began seriously to reflect on the dangers I had escaped, particularly +those of my last voyage, which made a lasting impression on my mind, +and, by the grace of God, proved afterwards a mercy to me; it caused +me to reflect deeply on my eternal state, and to seek the Lord with +full purpose of heart ere it was too late. I rejoiced greatly; and +heartily thanked the Lord for directing me to London, where I was +determined to work out my own salvation, and in so doing procure a +title to heaven, being the result of a mind blended by ignorance and +sin. + +In process of time I left my master, Doctor Irving, the purifier of +waters, and lodged in Coventry-court, Haymarket, where I was +continually oppressed and much concerned about the salvation of my +soul, and was determined (in my own strength) to be a first-rate +Christian. I used every means for this purpose; and, not being able to +find any person amongst my acquaintance that agreed with me in point +of religion, or, in scripture language, 'that would shew me any good;' +I was much dejected, and knew not where to seek relief; however, I +first frequented the neighbouring churches, St. James's, and others, +two or three times a day, for many weeks: still I came away +dissatisfied; something was wanting that I could not obtain, and I +really found more heartfelt relief in reading my bible at home than in +attending the church; and, being resolved to be saved, I pursued other +methods still. First I went among the quakers, where the word of God +was neither read or preached, so that I remained as much in the dark +as ever. I then searched into the Roman catholic principles, but was +not in the least satisfied. At length I had recourse to the Jews, +which availed me nothing, for the fear of eternity daily harassed my +mind, and I knew not where to seek shelter from the wrath to come. +However this was my conclusion, at all events, to read the four +evangelists, and whatever sect or party I found adhering thereto such +I would join. Thus I went on heavily without any guide to direct me +the way that leadeth to eternal life. I asked different people +questions about the manner of going to heaven, and was told different +ways. Here I was much staggered, and could not find any at that time +more righteous than myself, or indeed so much inclined to devotion. I +thought we should not all be saved (this is agreeable to the holy +scriptures), nor would all be damned. I found none among the circle of +my acquaintance that kept wholly the ten commandments. So righteous +was I in my own eyes, that I was convinced I excelled many of them in +that point, by keeping eight out of ten; and finding those who in +general termed themselves Christians not so honest or so good in their +morals as the Turks, I really thought the Turks were in a safer way of +salvation than my neighbours: so that between hopes and fears I went +on, and the chief comforts I enjoyed were in the musical French horn, +which I then practised, and also dressing of hair. Such was my +situation some months, experiencing the dishonesty of many people +here. I determined at last to set out for Turkey, and there to end my +days. It was now early in the spring 1774. I sought for a master, and +found a captain John Hughes, commander of a ship called Anglicania, +fitting out in the river Thames, and bound to Smyrna in Turkey. I +shipped myself with him as a steward; at the same time I recommended +to him a very clever black man, John Annis, as a cook. This man was on +board the ship near two months doing his duty: he had formerly lived +many years with Mr. William Kirkpatrick, a gentleman of the island of +St. Kitts, from whom he parted by consent, though he afterwards tried +many schemes to inveigle the poor man. He had applied to many captains +who traded to St. Kitts to trepan him; and when all their attempts and +schemes of kidnapping proved abortive, Mr. Kirkpatrick came to our +ship at Union Stairs on Easter Monday, April the fourth, with two +wherry boats and six men, having learned that the man was on board; +and tied, and forcibly took him away from the ship, in the presence +of the crew and the chief mate, who had detained him after he had +notice to come away. I believe that this was a combined piece of +business: but, at any rate, it certainly reflected great disgrace on +the mate and captain also, who, although they had desired the +oppressed man to stay on board, yet he did not in the least assist to +recover him, or pay me a farthing of his wages, which was about five +pounds. I proved the only friend he had, who attempted to regain him +his liberty if possible, having known the want of liberty myself. I +sent as soon as I could to Gravesend, and got knowledge of the ship in +which he was; but unluckily she had sailed the first tide after he was +put on board. My intention was then immediately to apprehend Mr. +Kirkpatrick, who was about setting off for Scotland; and, having +obtained a _habeas corpus_ for him, and got a tipstaff to go with me +to St. Paul's church-yard, where he lived, he, suspecting something of +this kind, set a watch to look out. My being known to them occasioned +me to use the following deception: I whitened my face, that they might +not know me, and this had its desired effect. He did not go out of his +house that night, and next morning I contrived a well plotted +stratagem notwithstanding he had a gentleman in his house to personate +him. My direction to the tipstaff, who got admittance into the house, +was to conduct him to a judge, according to the writ. When he came +there, his plea was, that he had not the body in custody, on which he +was admitted to bail. I proceeded immediately to that philanthropist, +Granville Sharp, Esq. who received me with the utmost kindness, and +gave me every instruction that was needful on the occasion. I left him +in full hope that I should gain the unhappy man his liberty, with the +warmest sense of gratitude towards Mr. Sharp for his kindness; but, +alas! my attorney proved unfaithful; he took my money, lost me many +months employ, and did not do the least good in the cause: and when +the poor man arrived at St. Kitts, he was, according to custom, staked +to the ground with four pins through a cord, two on his wrists, and +two on his ancles, was cut and flogged most unmercifully, and +afterwards loaded cruelly with irons about his neck. I had two very +moving letters from him, while he was in this situation; and also was +told of it by some very respectable families now in London, who saw +him in St. Kitts, in the same state in which he remained till kind +death released him out of the hands of his tyrants. During this +disagreeable business I was under strong convictions of sin, and +thought that my state was worse than any man's; my mind was +unaccountably disturbed; I often wished for death, though at the same +time convinced I was altogether unprepared for that awful summons. +Suffering much by villains in the late cause, and being much concerned +about the state of my soul, these things (but particularly the latter) +brought me very low; so that I became a burden to myself, and viewed +all things around me as emptiness and vanity, which could give no +satisfaction to a troubled conscience. I was again determined to go to +Turkey, and resolved, at that time, never more to return to England. I +engaged as steward on board a Turkeyman (the Wester Hall, Capt. +Linna); but was prevented by means of my late captain, Mr. Hughes, and +others. All this appeared to be against me, and the only comfort I +then experienced was, in reading the holy scriptures, where I saw that +'there is no new thing under the sun,' Eccles. i. 9; and what was +appointed for me I must submit to. Thus I continued to travel in much +heaviness, and frequently murmured against the Almighty, particularly +in his providential dealings; and, awful to think! I began to +blaspheme, and wished often to be any thing but a human being. In +these severe conflicts the Lord answered me by awful 'visions of the +night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed,' +Job xxxiii. 15. He was pleased, in much mercy, to give me to see, and +in some measure to understand, the great and awful scene of the +judgment-day, that 'no unclean person, no unholy thing, can enter into +the kingdom of God,' Eph. v. 5. I would then, if it had been possible, +have changed my nature with the meanest worm on the earth; and was +ready to say to the mountains and rocks 'fall on me,' Rev. vi. 16; but +all in vain. I then requested the divine Creator that he would grant +me a small space of time to repent of my follies and vile iniquities, +which I felt were grievous. The Lord, in his manifold mercies, was +pleased to grant my request, and being yet in a state of time, the +sense of God's mercies was so great on my mind when I awoke, that my +strength entirely failed me for many minutes, and I was exceedingly +weak. This was the first spiritual mercy I ever was sensible of, and +being on praying ground, as soon as I recovered a little strength, and +got out of bed and dressed myself, I invoked Heaven from my inmost +soul, and fervently begged that God would never again permit me to +blaspheme his most holy name. The Lord, who is long-suffering, and +full of compassion to such poor rebels as we are, condescended to hear +and answer. I felt that I was altogether unholy, and saw clearly what +a bad use I had made of the faculties I was endowed with; they were +given me to glorify God with; I thought, therefore, I had better want +them here, and enter into life eternal, than abuse them and be cast +into hell fire. I prayed to be directed, if there were any holier than +those with whom I was acquainted, that the Lord would point them out +to me. I appealed to the Searcher of hearts, whether I did not wish to +love him more, and serve him better. Notwithstanding all this, the +reader may easily discern, if he is a believer, that I was still in +nature's darkness. At length I hated the house in which I lodged, +because God's most holy name was blasphemed in it; then I saw the word +of God verified, viz. 'Before they call, I will answer; and while they +are yet speaking, I will hear.' + +I had a great desire to read the bible the whole day at home; but not +having a convenient place for retirement, I left the house in the day, +rather than stay amongst the wicked ones; and that day as I was +walking, it pleased God to direct me to a house where there was an old +sea-faring man, who experienced much of the love of God shed abroad in +his heart. He began to discourse with me; and, as I desired to love +the Lord, his conversation rejoiced me greatly; and indeed I had never +heard before the love of Christ to believers set forth in such a +manner, and in so clear a point of view. Here I had more questions to +put to the man than his time would permit him to answer; and in that +memorable hour there came in a dissenting minister; he joined our +discourse, and asked me some few questions; among others, where I +heard the gospel preached. I knew not what he meant by hearing the +gospel; I told him I had read the gospel: and he asked where I went to +church, or whether I went at all or not. To which I replied, 'I +attended St. James's, St. Martin's, and St. Ann's, Soho;'--'So,' said +he, 'you are a churchman.' I answered, I was. He then invited me to a +love-feast at his chapel that evening. I accepted the offer, and +thanked him; and soon after he went away, I had some further discourse +with the old Christian, added to some profitable reading, which made +me exceedingly happy. When I left him he reminded me of coming to the +feast; I assured him I would be there. Thus we parted, and I weighed +over the heavenly conversation that had passed between these two men, +which cheered my then heavy and drooping spirit more than any thing I +had met with for many months. However, I thought the time long in +going to my supposed banquet. I also wished much for the company of +these friendly men; their company pleased me much; and I thought the +gentlemen very kind, in asking me, a stranger, to a feast; but how +singular did it appear to me, to have it in a chapel! When the +wished-for hour came I went, and happily the old man was there, who +kindly seated me, as he belonged to the place. I was much astonished +to see the place filled with people, and no signs of eating and +drinking. There were many ministers in the company. At last they began +by giving out hymns, and between the singing the minister engaged in +prayer; in short, I knew not what to make of this sight, having never +seen any thing of the kind in my life before now. Some of the guests +began to speak their experience, agreeable to what I read in the +Scriptures; much was said by every speaker of the providence of God, +and his unspeakable mercies, to each of them. This I knew in a great +measure, and could most heartily join them. But when they spoke of a +future state, they seemed to be altogether certain of their calling +and election of God; and that no one could ever separate them from the +love of Christ, or pluck them out of his hands. This filled me with +utter consternation, intermingled with admiration. I was so amazed as +not to know what to think of the company; my heart was attracted and +my affections were enlarged. I wished to be as happy as them, and was +persuaded in my mind that they were different from the world 'that +lieth in wickedness,' 1 John v. 19. Their language and singing, &c. +did well harmonize; I was entirely overcome, and wished to live and +die thus. Lastly, some persons in the place produced some neat baskets +full of buns, which they distributed about; and each person +communicated with his neighbour, and sipped water out of different +mugs, which they handed about to all who were present. This kind of +Christian fellowship I had never seen, nor ever thought of seeing on +earth; it fully reminded me of what I had read in the holy scriptures, +of the primitive Christians, who loved each other and broke bread. In +partaking of it, even from house to house, this entertainment (which +lasted about four hours) ended in singing and prayer. It was the first +soul feast I ever was present at. This last twenty-four hours produced +me things, spiritual and temporal, sleeping and waking, judgment and +mercy, that I could not but admire the goodness of God, in directing +the blind, blasphemous sinner in the path that he knew not of, even +among the just; and instead of judgment he has shewed mercy, and will +hear and answer the prayers and supplications of every returning +prodigal: + + O! to grace how great a debtor + Daily I'm constrain'd to be! + +After this I was resolved to win Heaven if possible; and if I perished +I thought it should be at the feet of Jesus, in praying to him for +salvation. After having been an eye-witness to some of the happiness +which attended those who feared God, I knew not how, with any +propriety, to return to my lodgings, where the name of God was +continually profaned, at which I felt the greatest horror. I paused in +my mind for some time, not knowing what to do; whether to hire a bed +elsewhere, or go home again. At last, fearing an evil report might +arise, I went home, with a farewell to card-playing and vain jesting, +&c. I saw that time was very short, eternity long, and very near, and +I viewed those persons alone blessed who were found ready at midnight +call, or when the Judge of all, both quick and dead, cometh. + +The next day I took courage, and went to Holborn, to see my new and +worthy acquaintance, the old man, Mr. C----; he, with his wife, a +gracious woman, were at work at silk weaving; they seemed mutually +happy, and both quite glad to see me, and I more so to see them. I sat +down, and we conversed much about soul matters, &c. Their discourse +was amazingly delightful, edifying, and pleasant. I knew not at last +how to leave this agreeable pair, till time summoned me away. As I +was going they lent me a little book, entitled "The Conversion of an +Indian." It was in questions and answers. The poor man came over the +sea to London, to inquire after the Christian's God, who, (through +rich mercy) he found, and had not his journey in vain. The above book +was of great use to me, and at that time was a means of strengthening +my faith; however, in parting, they both invited me to call on them +when I pleased. This delighted me, and I took care to make all the +improvement from it I could; and so far I thanked God for such company +and desires. I prayed that the many evils I felt within might be done +away, and that I might be weaned from my former carnal acquaintances. +This was quickly heard and answered, and I was soon connected with +those whom the scripture calls the excellent of the earth. I heard the +gospel preached, and the thoughts of my heart and actions were laid +open by the preachers, and the way of salvation by Christ alone was +evidently set forth. Thus I went on happily for near two months; and I +once heard, during this period, a reverend gentleman speak of a man +who had departed this life in full assurance of his going to glory. I +was much astonished at the assertion; and did very deliberately +inquire how he could get at this knowledge. I was answered fully, +agreeable to what I read in the oracles of truth; and was told also, +that if I did not experience the new birth, and the pardon of my sins, +through the blood of Christ, before I died, I could not enter the +kingdom of heaven. I knew not what to think of this report, as I +thought I kept eight commandments out of ten; then my worthy +interpreter told me I did not do it, nor could I; and he added, that +no man ever did or could keep the commandments, without offending in +one point. I thought this sounded very strange, and puzzled me much +for many weeks; for I thought it a hard saying. I then asked my +friend, Mr. L----d, who was a clerk in a chapel, why the commandments +of God were given, if we could not be saved by them? To which he +replied, 'The law is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ,' who alone +could and did keep the commandments, and fulfilled all their +requirements for his elect people, even those to whom he had given a +living faith, and the sins of those chosen vessels _were already_ +atoned for and forgiven them whilst living; and if I did not +experience the same before my exit, the Lord would say at that great +day to me 'Go ye cursed,' &c. &c. for God would appear faithful in his +judgments to the wicked, as he would be faithful in shewing mercy to +those who were ordained to it before the world was; therefore Christ +Jesus seemed to be all in all to that man's soul. I was much wounded +at this discourse, and brought into such a dilemma as I never +expected. I asked him, if _he_ was to die that moment, whether he was +sure to enter the kingdom of God? and added, 'Do you _know_ that your +sins are forgiven you?' He answered in the affirmative. Then +confusion, anger, and discontent seized me, and I staggered much at +this sort of doctrine; it brought me to a stand, not knowing which to +believe, whether salvation by works or by faith only in Christ. I +requested him to tell me how I might know when my sins were forgiven +me. He assured me he could not, and that none but God alone could do +this. I told him it was very mysterious; but he said it was really +matter of fact, and quoted many portions of scripture immediately to +the point, to which I could make no reply. He then desired me to pray +to God to shew me these things. I answered, that I prayed to God every +day. He said, 'I perceive you are a churchman.' I answered I was. He +then entreated me to beg of God to shew me what I was, and the true +state of my soul. I thought the prayer very short and odd; so we +parted for that time. I weighed all these things well over, and could +not help thinking how it was possible for a man to know that his sins +were forgiven him in this life. I wished that God would reveal this +self same thing unto me. In a short time after this I went to +Westminster chapel; the Rev. Mr. P---- preached, from Lam. iii. 39. It +was a wonderful sermon; he clearly shewed that a living man had no +cause to complain for the punishment of his sins; he evidently +justified the Lord in all his dealings with the sons of men; he also +shewed the justice of God in the eternal punishment of the wicked and +impenitent. The discourse seemed to me like a two-edged sword cutting +all ways; it afforded me much joy, intermingled with many fears, about +my soul; and when it was ended, he gave it out that he intended, the +ensuing week, to examine all those who meant to attend the Lord's +table. Now I thought much of my good works, and at the same time was +doubtful of my being a proper object to receive the sacrament; I was +full of meditation till the day of examining. However, I went to the +chapel, and, though much distressed, I addressed the reverend +gentleman, thinking, if I was not right, he would endeavour to +convince me of it. When I conversed with him, the first thing he asked +me was, what I knew of Christ? I told him I believed in him, and had +been baptized in his name. 'Then,' said he, 'when were you brought to +the knowledge of God? and how were you convinced of sin?' I knew not +what he meant by these questions; I told him I kept eight commandments +out of ten; but that I sometimes swore on board ship, and sometimes +when on shore, and broke the sabbath. He then asked me if I could +read? I answered, 'Yes.'--'Then,' said he,'do you not read in the +bible, he that offends in one point is guilty of all?' I said, 'Yes.' +Then he assured me, that one sin unatoned for was as sufficient to +damn a soul as one leak was to sink a ship. Here I was struck with +awe; for the minister exhorted me much, and reminded me of the +shortness of time, and the length of eternity, and that no +unregenerate soul, or any thing unclean, could enter the kingdom of +Heaven. He did not admit me as a communicant; but recommended me to +read the scriptures, and hear the word preached, not to neglect +fervent prayer to God, who has promised to hear the supplications of +those who seek him in godly sincerity; so I took my leave of him, with +many thanks, and resolved to follow his advice, so far as the Lord +would condescend to enable me. During this time I was out of employ, +nor was I likely to get a situation suitable for me, which obliged me +to go once more to sea. I engaged as steward of a ship called the +Hope, Capt. Richard Strange, bound from London to Cadiz in Spain. In a +short time after I was on board I heard the name of God much +blasphemed, and I feared greatly, lest I should catch the horrible +infection. I thought if I sinned again, after having life and death +set evidently before me, I should certainly go to hell. My mind was +uncommonly chagrined, and I murmured much at God's providential +dealings with me, and was discontented with the commandments, that I +could not be saved by what I had done; I hated all things, and wished +I had never been born; confusion seized me, and I wished to be +annihilated. One day I was standing on the very edge of the stern of +the ship, thinking to drown myself; but this scripture was instantly +impressed on my mind--'that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in +him,' 1 John iii. 15. Then I paused, and thought myself the unhappiest +man living. Again I was convinced that the Lord was better to me than +I deserved, and I was better off in the world than many. After this I +began to fear death; I fretted, mourned, and prayed, till I became a +burden to others, but more so to myself. At length I concluded to beg +my bread on shore rather than go again to sea amongst a people who +feared not God, and I entreated the captain three different times to +discharge me; he would not, but each time gave me greater and greater +encouragement to continue with him, and all on board shewed me very +great civility: notwithstanding all this I was unwilling to embark +again. At last some of my religious friends advised me, by saying it +was my lawful calling, consequently it was my duty to obey, and that +God was not confined to place, &c. &c. particularly Mr. G.S. the +governor of Tothil-fields Bridewell, who pitied my case, and read the +eleventh chapter of the Hebrews to me, with exhortations. He prayed +for me, and I believed that he prevailed on my behalf, as my burden +was then greatly removed, and I found a heartfelt resignation to the +will of God. The good man gave me a pocket Bible and Allen's Alarm to +the unconverted. We parted, and the next day I went on board again. We +sailed for Spain, and I found favour with the captain. It was the +fourth of the month of September when we sailed from London; we had a +delightful voyage to Cadiz, where we arrived the twenty-third of the +same month. The place is strong, commands a fine prospect, and is very +rich. The Spanish galloons frequent that port, and some arrived whilst +we were there. I had many opportunities of reading the scriptures. I +wrestled hard with God in fervent prayer, who had declared in his word +that he would hear the groanings and deep sighs of the poor in spirit. +I found this verified to my utter astonishment and comfort in the +following manner: + +On the morning of the 6th of October, (I pray you to attend) or all +that day, I thought that I should either see or hear something +supernatural. I had a secret impulse on my mind of something that was +to take place, which drove me continually for that time to a throne of +grace. It pleased God to enable me to wrestle with him, as Jacob did: +I prayed that if sudden death were to happen, and I perished, it might +be at Christ's feet. + +In the evening of the same day, as I was reading and meditating on the +fourth chapter of the Acts, twelfth verse, under the solemn +apprehensions of eternity, and reflecting on my past actions, I began +to think I had lived a moral life, and that I had a proper ground to +believe I had an interest in the divine favour; but still meditating +on the subject, not knowing whether salvation was to be had partly for +our own good deeds, or solely as the sovereign gift of God; in this +deep consternation the Lord was pleased to break in upon my soul with +his bright beams of heavenly light; and in an instant as it were, +removing the veil, and letting light into a dark place, I saw clearly +with the eye of faith the crucified Saviour bleeding on the cross on +mount Calvary: the scriptures became an unsealed book, I saw myself a +condemned criminal under the law, which came with its full force to my +conscience, and when 'the commandment came sin revived, and I died,' I +saw the Lord Jesus Christ in his humiliation, loaded and bearing my +reproach, sin, and shame. I then clearly perceived that by the deeds +of the law no flesh living could be justified. I was then convinced +that by the first Adam sin came, and by the second Adam (the Lord +Jesus Christ) all that are saved must be made alive. It was given me +at that time to know what it was to be born again, John iii. 5. I saw +the eighth chapter to the Romans, and the doctrines of God's decrees, +verified agreeable to his eternal, everlasting, and unchangeable +purposes. The word of God was sweet to my taste, yea sweeter than +honey and the honeycomb. Christ was revealed to my soul as the +chiefest among ten thousand. These heavenly moments were really as +life to the dead, and what John calls an earnest of the Spirit[V]. +This was indeed unspeakable, and I firmly believe undeniable by many. +Now every leading providential circumstance that happened to me, from +the day I was taken from my parents to that hour, was then in my view, +as if it had but just then occurred. I was sensible of the invisible +hand of God, which guided and protected me when in truth I knew it +not: still the Lord pursued me although I slighted and disregarded it; +this mercy melted me down. When I considered my poor wretched state I +wept, seeing what a great debtor I was to sovereign free grace. Now +the Ethiopian was willing to be saved by Jesus Christ, the sinner's +only surety, and also to rely on none other person or thing for +salvation. Self was obnoxious, and good works he had none, for it is +God that worketh in us both to will and to do. The amazing things of +that hour can never be told--it was joy in the Holy Ghost! I felt an +astonishing change; the burden of sin, the gaping jaws of hell, and +the fears of death, that weighed me down before, now lost their +horror; indeed I thought death would now be the best earthly friend I +ever had. Such were my grief and joy as I believe are seldom +experienced. I was bathed in tears, and said, What am I that God +should thus look on me the vilest of sinners? I felt a deep concern +for my mother and friends, which occasioned me to pray with fresh +ardour; and, in the abyss of thought, I viewed the unconverted people +of the world in a very awful state, being without God and without +hope. + +It pleased God to pour out on me the Spirit of prayer and the grace of +supplication, so that in loud acclamations I was enabled to praise and +glorify his most holy name. When I got out of the cabin, and told some +of the people what the Lord had done for me, alas, who could +understand me or believe my report!--None but to whom the arm of the +Lord was revealed. I became a barbarian to them in talking of the love +of Christ: his name was to me as ointment poured forth; indeed it was +sweet to my soul, but to them a rock of offence. I thought my case +singular, and every hour a day until I came to London, for I much +longed to be with some to whom I could tell of the wonders of God's +love towards me, and join in prayer to him whom my soul loved and +thirsted after. I had uncommon commotions within, such as few can tell +aught about. Now the bible was my only companion and comfort; I prized +it much, with many thanks to God that I could read it for myself, and +was not left to be tossed about or led by man's devices and notions. +The worth of a soul cannot be told.--May the Lord give the reader an +understanding in this. Whenever I looked in the bible I saw things +new, and many texts were immediately applied to me with great comfort, +for I knew that to me was the word of salvation sent. Sure I was that +the Spirit which indited the word opened my heart to receive the truth +of it as it is in Jesus--that the same Spirit enabled me to act faith +upon the promises that were so precious to me, and enabled me to +believe to the salvation of my soul. By free grace I was persuaded +that I had a part in the first resurrection, and was 'enlightened with +the light of the living,' Job xxxiii. 30. I wished for a man of God +with whom I might converse: my soul was like the chariots of Aminidab, +Canticles vi. 12. These, among others, were the precious promises that +were so powerfully applied to me: 'All things whatsoever ye shall ask +in prayer, believing, ye shall receive,' Mat. xxi. 22. 'Peace I leave +with you, my peace I give unto you,' John xiv. 27. I saw the blessed +Redeemer to be the fountain of life, and the well of salvation. I +experienced him all in all; he had brought me by a way that I knew +not, and he had made crooked paths straight. Then in his name I set up +my Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto he hath helped me: and could say to the +sinners about me, Behold what a Saviour I have! Thus I was, by the +teaching of that all-glorious Deity, the great One in Three, and Three +in One, confirmed in the truths of the bible, those oracles of +everlasting truth, on which every soul living must stand or fall +eternally, agreeable to Acts iv. 12. 'Neither is there salvation in +any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men +whereby we must be saved, but only Christ Jesus.' May God give the +reader a right understanding in these facts! To him that believeth all +things are possible, but to them that are unbelieving nothing is pure, +Titus i. 15. During this period we remained at Cadiz until our ship +got laden. We sailed about the fourth of November; and, having a good +passage, we arrived in London the month following, to my comfort, with +heartfelt gratitude to God for his rich and unspeakable mercies. On my +return I had but one text which puzzled me, or that the devil +endeavoured to buffet me with, viz. Rom. xi. 6. and, as I had heard of +the Reverend Mr. Romaine, and his great knowledge in the scriptures, I +wished much to hear him preach. One day I went to Blackfriars church, +and, to my great satisfaction and surprise, he preached from that very +text. He very clearly shewed the difference between human works and +free election, which is according to God's sovereign will and +pleasure. These glad tidings set me entirely at liberty, and I went +out of the church rejoicing, seeing my spots were those of God's +children. I went to Westminster Chapel, and saw some of my old +friends, who were glad when they perceived the wonderful change that +the Lord had wrought in me, particularly Mr. G---- S----, my worthy +acquaintance, who was a man of a choice spirit, and had great zeal for +the Lord's service. I enjoyed his correspondence till he died in the +year 1784. I was again examined at that same chapel, and was received +into church fellowship amongst them: I rejoiced in spirit, making +melody in my heart to the God of all my mercies. Now my whole wish was +to be dissolved, and to be with Christ--but, alas! I must wait mine +appointed time. + + * * * * * + +MISCELLANEOUS VERSES, + +or + + Reflections on the State of my mind during my first + Convictions; of the Necessity of believing the Truth, and + experiencing the inestimable Benefits of Christianity. + + + Well may I say my life has been + One scene of sorrow and of pain; + From early days I griefs have known, + And as I grew my griefs have grown: + + Dangers were always in my path; + And fear of wrath, and sometimes death; + While pale dejection in me reign'd + I often wept, by grief constrain'd. + + When taken from my native land, + By an unjust and cruel band, + How did uncommon dread prevail! + My sighs no more I could conceal. + + 'To ease my mind I often strove, + And tried my trouble to remove: + I sung, and utter'd sighs between-- + Assay'd to stifle guilt with sin. + + 'But O! not all that I could do + Would stop the current of my woe; + Conviction still my vileness shew'd; + How great my guilt--how lost from God! + + 'Prevented, that I could not die, + Nor might to one kind refuge fly; + An orphan state I had to mourn,-- + Forsook by all, and left forlorn.' + + Those who beheld my downcast mien + Could not guess at my woes unseen: + They by appearance could not know + The troubles that I waded through. + + 'Lust, anger, blasphemy, and pride, + With legions of such ills beside, + Troubled my thoughts,' while doubts and fears + Clouded and darken'd most my years. + + 'Sighs now no more would be confin'd-- + They breath'd the trouble of my mind: + I wish'd for death, but check'd the word, + And often pray'd unto the Lord.' + + Unhappy, more than some on earth, + I thought the place that gave me birth-- + Strange thoughts oppress'd--while I replied + "Why not in Ethiopia died?" + + And why thus spared, nigh to hell?-- + God only knew--I could not tell! + 'A tott'ring fence, a bowing wall + thought myself ere since the fall.' + + 'Oft times I mused, nigh despair, + While birds melodious fill'd the air: + Thrice happy songsters, ever free, + How bless'd were they compar'd to me!' + + Thus all things added to my pain, + While grief compell'd me to complain; + When sable clouds began to rise + My mind grew darker than the skies. + + The English nation call'd to leave, + How did my breast with sorrows heave! + I long'd for rest--cried "Help me, Lord! + Some mitigation, Lord, afford!" + + Yet on, dejected, still I went-- + Heart-throbbing woes within were pent; + Nor land, nor sea, could comfort give, + Nothing my anxious mind relieve. + + Weary with travail, yet unknown + To all but God and self alone, + Numerous months for peace I strove, + And numerous foes I had to prove. + + Inur'd to dangers, griefs, and woes, + Train'd up 'midst perils, deaths, and foes, + I said "Must it thus ever be?-- + No quiet is permitted me." + + Hard hap, and more than heavy lot! + I pray'd to God "Forget me not-- + What thou ordain'st willing I'll bear; + But O! deliver from despair!" + + Strivings and wrestlings seem'd in vain; + Nothing I did could ease my pain: + Then gave I up my works and will, + Confess'd and own'd my doom was hell! + + Like some poor pris'ner at the bar, + Conscious of guilt, of sin and fear, + Arraign'd, and self-condemned, I stood-- + 'Lost in the world, and in my blood!' + + Yet here,'midst blackest clouds confin'd, + A beam from Christ, the day-star, shin'd; + Surely, thought I, if Jesus please, + He can at once sign my release. + + I, ignorant of his righteousness, + Set up my labours in its place; + 'Forgot for why his blood was shed, + And pray'd and fasted in its stead.' + + He dy'd for sinners--I am one! + Might not his blood for me atone? + Tho' I am nothing else but sin, + Yet surely he can make me clean! + + Thus light came in, and I believ'd; + Myself forgot, and help receiv'd! + My Saviour then I know I found, + For, eas'd from guilt, no more I groan'd. + + O, happy hour, in which I ceas'd + To mourn, for then I found a rest! + My soul and Christ were now as one-- + Thy light, O Jesus, in me shone! + + Bless'd be thy name, for now I know + I and my works can nothing do; + "The Lord alone can ransom man-- + For this the spotless Lamb was slain!" + + When sacrifices, works, and pray'r, + Prov'd vain, and ineffectual were, + "Lo, then I come!" the Saviour cry'd, + And, bleeding, bow'd his head and dy'd! + + He dy'd for all who ever saw + No help in them, nor by the law:-- + I this have seen; and gladly own + "Salvation is by Christ alone[W]!" + +FOOTNOTES: + +[Footnote V: John xvi. 13, 14. &c.] + +[Footnote W: Acts iv. 12.] + + + + +CHAP. XI. + + _The author embarks on board a ship bound for Cadiz--Is near + being shipwrecked--Goes to Malaga--Remarkable fine cathedral + there--The author disputes with a popish priest--Picking up + eleven miserable men at sea in returning to England--Engages + again with Doctor Irving to accompany him to Jamaica and the + Mosquito Shore--Meets with an Indian prince on board--The + author attempts to instruct him in the truths of the + Gospel--Frustrated by the bad example of some in the + ship--They arrive on the Mosquito Shore with some slaves + they purchased at Jamaica, and begin to cultivate a + plantation--Some account of the manners and customs of the + Mosquito Indians--Successful device of the author's to quell + a riot among them--Curious entertainment given by them to + Doctor Irving and the author, who leaves the shore and goes + for Jamaica--Is barbarously treated by a man with whom he + engaged for his passage--Escapes and goes to the Mosquito + admiral, who treats him kindly--He gets another vessel and + goes on board--Instances of bad treatment--Meets Doctor + Irving--Gets to Jamaica--Is cheated by his captain--Leaves + the Doctor and goes for England._ + + +When our ship was got ready for sea again, I was entreated by the +captain to go in her once more; but, as I felt myself now as happy as +I could wish to be in this life, I for some time refused; however, the +advice of my friends at last prevailed; and, in full resignation to +the will of God, I again embarked for Cadiz in March 1775. We had a +very good passage, without any material accident, until we arrived off +the Bay of Cadiz; when one Sunday, just as we were going into the +harbour, the ship struck against a rock and knocked off a garboard +plank, which is the next to the keel. In an instant all hands were in +the greatest confusion, and began with loud cries to call on God to +have mercy on them. Although I could not swim, and saw no way of +escaping death, I felt no dread in my then situation, having no desire +to live. I even rejoiced in spirit, thinking this death would be +sudden glory. But the fulness of time was not yet come. The people +near to me were much astonished in seeing me thus calm and resigned; +but I told them of the peace of God, which through sovereign grace I +enjoyed, and these words were that instant in my mind: + + "Christ is my pilot wise, my compass is his word; + My soul each storm defies, while I have such a Lord. + I trust his faithfulness and power, + To save me in the trying hour. + Though rocks and quicksands deep through all my passage lie, + Yet Christ shall safely keep and guide me with his eye. + How can I sink with such a prop, + That bears the world and all things up?" + +At this time there were many large Spanish flukers or passage-vessels +full of people crossing the channel; who seeing our condition, a +number of them came alongside of us. As many hands as could be +employed began to work; some at our three pumps, and the rest +unloading the ship as fast as possible. There being only a single rock +called the Porpus on which we struck, we soon got off it, and +providentially it was then high water, we therefore run the ship +ashore at the nearest place to keep her from sinking. After many +tides, with a great deal of care and industry, we got her repaired +again. When we had dispatched our business at Cadiz, we went to +Gibraltar, and from thence to Malaga, a very pleasant and rich city, +where there is one of the finest cathedrals I had ever seen. It had +been above fifty years in building, as I heard, though it was not then +quite finished; great part of the inside, however, was completed and +highly decorated with the richest marble columns and many superb +paintings; it was lighted occasionally by an amazing number of wax +tapers of different sizes, some of which were as thick as a man's +thigh; these, however, were only used on some of their grand +festivals. + +I was very much shocked at the custom of bull-baiting, and other +diversions which prevailed here on Sunday evenings, to the great +scandal of Christianity and morals. I used to express my abhorrence of +it to a priest whom I met with. I had frequent contests about religion +with the reverend father, in which he took great pains to make a +proselyte of me to his church; and I no less to convert him to mine. +On these occasions I used to produce my Bible, and shew him in what +points his church erred. He then said he had been in England, and that +every person there read the Bible, which was very wrong; but I +answered him that Christ desired us to search the Scriptures. In his +zeal for my conversion, he solicited me to go to one of the +universities in Spain, and declared that I should have my education +free; and told me, if I got myself made a priest, I might in time +become even pope; and that Pope Benedict was a black man. As I was +ever desirous of learning, I paused for some time upon this +temptation; and thought by being crafty I might catch some with guile; +but I began to think that it would be only hypocrisy in me to embrace +his offer, as I could not in conscience conform to the opinions of his +church. I was therefore enabled to regard the word of God, which says, +'Come out from amongst them,' and refused Father Vincent's offer. So +we parted without conviction on either side. + +Having taken at this place some fine wines, fruits, and money, we +proceeded to Cadiz, where we took about two tons more of money, &c. +and then sailed for England in the month of June. When we were about +the north latitude 42, we had contrary wind for several days, and the +ship did not make in that time above six or seven miles straight +course. This made the captain exceeding fretful and peevish: and I was +very sorry to hear God's most holy name often blasphemed by him. One +day, as he was in that impious mood, a young gentleman on board, who +was a passenger, reproached him, and said he acted wrong; for we ought +to be thankful to God for all things, as we were not in want of any +thing on board; and though the wind was contrary for us, yet it was +fair for some others, who, perhaps, stood in more need of it than we. +I immediately seconded this young gentleman with some boldness, and +said we had not the least cause to murmur, for that the Lord was +better to us than we deserved, and that he had done all things well. I +expected that the captain would be very angry with me for speaking, +but he replied not a word. However, before that time on the following +day, being the 21st of June, much to our great joy and astonishment, +we saw the providential hand of our benign Creator, whose ways with +his blind creatures are past finding out. The preceding night I +dreamed that I saw a boat immediately off the starboard main shrouds; +and exactly at half past one o'clock, the following day at noon, while +I was below, just as we had dined in the cabin, the man at the helm +cried out, A boat! which brought my dream that instant into my mind. I +was the first man that jumped on the deck; and, looking from the +shrouds onward, according to my dream, I descried a little boat at +some distance; but, as the waves were high, it was as much as we could +do sometimes to discern her; we however stopped the ship's way, and +the boat, which was extremely small, came alongside with eleven +miserable men, whom we took on board immediately. To all human +appearance, these people must have perished in the course of one hour +or less, the boat being small, it barely contained them. When we took +them up they were half drowned, and had no victuals, compass, water, +or any other necessary whatsoever, and had only one bit of an oar to +steer with, and that right before the wind; so that they were obliged +to trust entirely to the mercy of the waves. As soon as we got them +all on board, they bowed themselves on their knees, and, with hands +and voices lifted up to heaven, thanked God for their deliverance; and +I trust that my prayers were not wanting amongst them at the same +time. This mercy of the Lord quite melted me, and I recollected his +words, which I saw thus verified in the 107th Psalm 'O give thanks +unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever. Hungry +and thirsty, their souls fainted in them. They cried unto Lord in +their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. And he +led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of +habitation. O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for +his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the +longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. + +'Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death: + +'Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out +of their distresses. They that go down to the sea in ships; that do +business in great waters: these see the works of the Lord, and his +wonders in the deep. Whoso is wise and will observe these things, even +they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord.' + +The poor distressed captain said,'that the Lord is good; for, seeing +that I am not fit to die, he therefore gave me a space of time to +repent.' I was very glad to hear this expression, and took an +opportunity when convenient of talking to him on the providence of +God. They told us they were Portuguese, and were in a brig loaded with +corn, which shifted that morning at five o'clock, owing to which the +vessel sunk that instant with two of the crew; and how these eleven +got into the boat (which was lashed to the deck) not one of them could +tell. We provided them with every necessary, and brought them all safe +to London: and I hope the Lord gave them repentance unto life eternal. + +I was happy once more amongst my friends and brethren, till November, +when my old friend, the celebrated Doctor Irving, bought a remarkable +fine sloop, about 150 tons. He had a mind for a new adventure in +cultivating a plantation at Jamaica and the Musquito Shore; asked me +to go with him, and said that he would trust me with his estate in +preference to any one. By the advice, therefore, of my friends, I +accepted of the offer, knowing that the harvest was fully ripe in +those parts, and hoped to be the instrument, under God, of bringing +some poor sinner to my well beloved master, Jesus Christ. Before I +embarked, I found with the Doctor four Musquito Indians, who were +chiefs in their own country, and were brought here by some English +traders for some selfish ends. One of them was the Musquito king's +son; a youth of about eighteen years of age; and whilst he was here he +was baptized by the name of George. They were going back at the +government's expense, after having been in England about twelve +months, during which they learned to speak pretty good English. When I +came to talk to them about eight days before we sailed, I was very +much mortified in finding that they had not frequented any churches +since they were here, to be baptized, nor was any attention paid to +their morals. I was very sorry for this mock Christianity, and had +just an opportunity to take some of them once to church before we +sailed. We embarked in the month of November 1775, on board of the +sloop Morning Star, Captain David Miller, and sailed for Jamaica. In +our passage, I took all the pains that I could to instruct the Indian +prince in the doctrines of Christianity, of which he was entirely +ignorant; and, to my great joy, he was quite attentive, and received +with gladness the truths that the Lord enabled me to set forth to him. +I taught him in the compass of eleven days all the letters, and he +could put even two or three of them together and spell them. I had +Fox's Martyrology with cuts, and he used to be very fond of looking +into it, and would ask many questions about the papal cruelties he saw +depicted there, which I explained to him. I made such progress with +this youth, especially in religion, that when I used to go to bed at +different hours of the night, if he was in his bed, he would get up on +purpose to go to prayer with me, without any other clothes than his +shirt; and before he would eat any of his meals amongst the gentlemen +in the cabin, he would first come to me to pray, as he called it. I +was well pleased at this, and took great delight in him, and used much +supplication to God for his conversion. I was in full hope of seeing +daily every appearance of that change which I could wish; not knowing +the devices of satan, who had many of his emissaries to sow his tares +as fast as I sowed the good seed, and pull down as fast as I built up. +Thus we went on nearly four fifths of our passage, when satan at last +got the upper hand. Some of his messengers, seeing this poor heathen +much advanced in piety, began to ask him whether I had converted him +to Christianity, laughed, and made their jest at him, for which I +rebuked them as much as I could; but this treatment caused the prince +to halt between two opinions. Some of the true sons of Belial, who did +not believe that there was any hereafter, told him never to fear the +devil, for there was none existing; and if ever he came to the prince, +they desired he might be sent to them. Thus they teazed the poor +innocent youth, so that he would not learn his book any more! He would +not drink nor carouse with these ungodly actors, nor would he be with +me, even at prayers. This grieved me very much. I endeavoured to +persuade him as well as I could, but he would not come; and entreated +him very much to tell me his reasons for acting thus. At last he asked +me, 'How comes it that all the white men on board who can read and +write, and observe the sun, and know all things, yet swear, lie, and +get drunk, only excepting yourself?' I answered him, the reason was, +that they did not fear God; and that if any one of them died so they +could not go to, or be happy with God. He replied, that if these +persons went to hell he would go to hell too. I was sorry to hear +this; and, as he sometimes had the toothach, and also some other +persons in the ship at the same time, I asked him if their toothach +made his easy: he said, No. Then I told him if he and these people +went to hell together, their pains would not make his any lighter. +This answer had great weight with him: it depressed his spirits much; +and he became ever after, during the passage, fond of being alone. +When we were in the latitude of Martinico, and near making the land, +one morning we had a brisk gale of wind, and, carrying too much sail, +the main-mast went over the side. Many people were then all about the +deck, and the yards, masts, and rigging, came tumbling all about us, +yet there was not one of us in the least hurt, although some were +within a hair's breadth of being killed: and, particularly, I saw two +men then, by the providential hand of God, most miraculously preserved +from being smashed to pieces. On the fifth of January we made Antigua +and Montserrat, and ran along the rest of the islands: and on the +fourteenth we arrived at Jamaica. One Sunday while we were there I +took the Musquito Prince George to church, where he saw the sacrament +administered. When we came out we saw all kinds of people, almost from +the church door for the space of half a mile down to the waterside, +buying and selling all kinds of commodities: and these acts afforded +me great matter of exhortation to this youth, who was much astonished. +Our vessel being ready to sail for the Musquito shore, I went with the +Doctor on board a Guinea-man, to purchase some slaves to carry with +us, and cultivate a plantation; and I chose them all my own +countrymen. On the twelfth of February we sailed from Jamaica, and on +the eighteenth arrived at the Musquito shore, at a place called +Dupeupy. All our Indian guests now, after I had admonished them and a +few cases of liquor given them by the Doctor, took an affectionate +leave of us, and went ashore, where they were met by the Musquito +king, and we never saw one of them afterwards. We then sailed to the +southward of the shore, to a place called Cape Gracias a Dios, where +there was a large lagoon or lake, which received the emptying of two +or three very fine large rivers, and abounded much in fish and land +tortoise. Some of the native Indians came on board of us here; and we +used them well, and told them we were come to dwell amongst them, +which they seemed pleased at. So the Doctor and I, with some others, +went with them ashore; and they took us to different places to view +the land, in order to choose a place to make a plantation of. We fixed +on a spot near a river's bank, in a rich soil; and, having got our +necessaries out of the sloop, we began to clear away the woods, and +plant different kinds of vegetables, which had a quick growth. While +we were employed in this manner, our vessel went northward to Black +River to trade. While she was there, a Spanish guarda costa met with +and took her. This proved very hurtful, and a great embarrassment to +us. However, we went on with the culture of the land. We used to make +fires every night all around us, to keep off wild beasts, which, as +soon as it was dark, set up a most hideous roaring. Our habitation +being far up in the woods, we frequently saw different kinds of +animals; but none of them ever hurt us, except poisonous snakes, the +bite of which the Doctor used to cure by giving to the patient, as +soon as possible, about half a tumbler of strong rum, with a good deal +of Cayenne pepper in it. In this manner he cured two natives and one +of his own slaves. The Indians were exceedingly fond of the Doctor, +and they had good reason for it; for I believe they never had such an +useful man amongst them. They came from all quarters to our dwelling; +and some _woolwow_, or flat-headed Indians, who lived fifty or sixty +miles above our river, and this side of the South Sea, brought us a +good deal of silver in exchange for our goods. The principal articles +we could get from our neighbouring Indians, were turtle oil, and +shells, little silk grass, and some provisions; but they would not +work at any thing for us, except fishing; and a few times they +assisted to cut some trees down, in order to build us houses; which +they did exactly like the Africans, by the joint labour of men, women, +and children. I do not recollect any of them to have had more than two +wives. These always accompanied their husbands when they came to our +dwelling; and then they generally carried whatever they brought to us, +and always squatted down behind their husbands. Whenever we gave them +any thing to eat, the men and their wives ate it separate. I never +saw the least sign of incontinence amongst them. The women are +ornamented with beads, and fond of painting themselves; the men also +paint, even to excess, both their faces and shirts: their favourite +colour is red. The women generally cultivate the ground, and the men +are all fishermen and canoe makers. Upon the whole, I never met any +nation that were so simple in their manners as these people, or had so +little ornament in their houses. Neither had they, as I ever could +learn, one word expressive of an oath. The worst word I ever heard +amongst them when they were quarreling, was one that they had got from +the English, which was, 'you rascal.' I never saw any mode of worship +among them; but in this they were not worse than their European +brethren or neighbours: for I am sorry to say that there was not one +white person in our dwelling, nor any where else that I saw in +different places I was at on the shore, that was better or more pious +than those unenlightened Indians; but they either worked or slept on +Sundays: and, to my sorrow, working was too much Sunday's employment +with ourselves; so much so, that in some length of time we really did +not know one day from another. This mode of living laid the foundation +of my decamping at last. The natives are well made and warlike; and +they particularly boast of having never been conquered by the +Spaniards. They are great drinkers of strong liquors when they can get +them. We used to distil rum from pine apples, which were very +plentiful here; and then we could not get them away from our place. +Yet they seemed to be singular, in point of honesty, above any other +nation I was ever amongst. The country being hot, we lived under an +open shed, where we had all kinds of goods, without a door or a lock +to any one article; yet we slept in safety, and never lost any thing, +or were disturbed. This surprised us a good deal; and the Doctor, +myself, and others, used to say, if we were to lie in that manner in +Europe we should have our throats cut the first night. The Indian +governor goes once in a certain time all about the province or +district, and has a number of men with him as attendants and +assistants. He settles all the differences among the people, like the +judge here, and is treated with very great respect. He took care to +give us timely notice before he came to our habitation, by sending his +stick as a token, for rum, sugar, and gunpowder, which we did not +refuse sending; and at the same time we made the utmost preparation to +receive his honour and his train. When he came with his tribe, and all +our neighbouring chieftains, we expected to find him a grave reverend +judge, solid and sagacious; but instead of that, before he and his +gang came in sight, we heard them very clamorous; and they even had +plundered some of our good neighbouring Indians, having intoxicated +themselves with our liquor. When they arrived we did not know what to +make of our new guests, and would gladly have dispensed with the +honour of their company. However, having no alternative, we feasted +them plentifully all the day till the evening; when the governor, +getting quite drunk, grew very unruly, and struck one of our most +friendly chiefs, who was our nearest neighbour, and also took his +gold-laced hat from him. At this a great commotion taken place; and +the Doctor interfered to make peace, as we could all understand one +another, but to no purpose; and at last they became so outrageous that +the Doctor, fearing he might get into trouble, left the house, and +made the best of his way to the nearest wood, leaving me to do as well +as I could among them. I was so enraged with the Governor, that I +could have wished to have seen him tied fast to a tree and flogged for +his behaviour; but I had not people enough to cope with his party. I +therefore thought of a stratagem to appease the riot. Recollecting a +passage I had read in the life of Columbus, when he was amongst the +Indians in Mexico or Peru, where, on some occasion, he frightened +them, by telling them of certain events in the heavens, I had recourse +to the same expedient; and it succeeded beyond my most sanguine +expectations. When I had formed my determination, I went in the midst +of them; and, taking hold of the Governor, I pointed up to the +heavens. I menaced him and the rest: I told them God lived there, and +that he was angry with them, and they must not quarrel so; that they +were all brothers, and if they did not leave off, and go away quietly, +I would take the book (pointing to the Bible), read, and _tell_ God to +make them dead. This was something like magic. The clamour immediately +ceased, and I gave them some rum and a few other things; after which +they went away peaceably; and the Governor afterwards gave our +neighbour, who was called Captain Plasmyah, his hat again. When the +Doctor returned, he was exceedingly glad at my success in thus getting +rid of our troublesome guests. The Musquito people within our +vicinity, out of respect to the Doctor, myself and his people, made +entertainments of the grand kind, called in their tongue _tourrie_ or +_dryckbot_. The English of this expression is, a feast of drinking +about, of which it seems a corruption of language. The drink consisted +of pine apples roasted, and casades chewed or beaten in mortars; +which, after lying some time, ferments, and becomes so strong as to +intoxicate, when drank in any quantity. We had timely notice given to +us of the entertainment. A white family, within five miles of us, told +us how the drink was made, and I and two others went before the time +to the village, where the mirth was appointed to be held; and there we +saw the whole art of making the drink, and also the kind of animals +that were to be eaten there. I cannot say the sight of either the +drink or the meat were enticing to me. They had some thousands of pine +apples roasting, which they squeezed, dirt and all, into a canoe they +had there for the purpose. The casade drink was in beef barrels and +other vessels, and looked exactly like hog-wash. Men, women, and +children, were thus employed in roasting the pine apples, and +squeezing them with their hands. For food they had many land torpins +or tortoises, some dried turtle, and three large alligators alive, and +tied fast to the trees. I asked the people what they were going to do +with these alligators; and I was told they were to be eaten. I was +much surprised at this, and went home, not a little disgusted at the +preparations. When the day of the feast was come, we took some rum +with us, and went to the appointed place, where we found a great +assemblage of these people, who received us very kindly. The mirth had +begun before we came; and they were dancing with music: and the +musical instruments were nearly the same as those of any other sable +people; but, as I thought, much less melodious than any other nation I +ever knew. They had many curious gestures in dancing, and a variety of +motions and postures of their bodies, which to me were in no wise +attracting. The males danced by themselves, and the females also by +themselves, as with us. The Doctor shewed his people the example, by +immediately joining the women's party, though not by their choice. On +perceiving the women disgusted, he joined the males. At night there +were great illuminations, by setting fire to many pine trees, while +the dryckbot went round merrily by calabashes or gourds: but the +liquor might more justly be called eating than drinking. One Owden, +the oldest father in the vicinity, was dressed in a strange and +terrifying form. Around his body were skins adorned with different +kinds of feathers, and he had on his head a very large and high +head-piece, in the form of a grenadier's cap, with prickles like a +porcupine; and he made a certain noise which resembled the cry of an +alligator. Our people skipped amongst them out of complaisance, though +some could not drink of their tourrie; but our rum met with customers +enough, and was soon gone. The alligators were killed and some of them +roasted. Their manner of roasting is by digging a hole in the earth, +and filling it with wood, which they burn to coal, and then they lay +sticks across, on which they set the meat. I had a raw piece of the +alligator in my hand: it was very rich: I thought it looked like fresh +salmon, and it had a most fragrant smell, but I could not eat any of +it. This merry-making at last ended without the least discord in any +person in the company, although it was made up of different nations +and complexions. The rainy season came on here about the latter end of +May, which continued till August very heavily; so that the rivers were +overflowed, and our provisions then in the ground were washed away. I +thought this was in some measure a judgment upon us for working on +Sundays, and it hurt my mind very much. I often wished to leave this +place and sail for Europe; for our mode of procedure and living in +this heathenish form was very irksome to me. The word of God saith, +'What does it avail a man if he gain the whole world, and lose his own +soul?' This was much and heavily impressed on my mind; and, though I +did not know how to speak to the Doctor for my discharge, it was +disagreeable for me to stay any longer. But about the middle of June I +took courage enough to ask him for it. He was very unwilling at first +to grant my request; but I gave him so many reasons for it, that at +last he consented to my going, and gave me the following certificate +of my behaviour: + + 'The bearer, Gustavus Vassa, has served me several years + with strict honesty, sobriety, and fidelity. I can, + therefore, with justice recommend him for these + qualifications; and indeed in every respect I consider him + as an excellent servant. I do hereby certify that he always + behaved well, and that he is perfectly trust-worthy. + + 'CHARLES IRVING.' + + _Musquito Shore, June 15, 1776._ + +Though I was much attached to the doctor, I was happy when he +consented. I got every thing ready for my departure, and hired some +Indians, with a large canoe, to carry me off. All my poor countrymen, +the slaves, when they heard of my leaving them, were very sorry, as I +had always treated them with care and affection, and did every thing I +could to comfort the poor creatures, and render their condition easy. +Having taken leave of my old friends and companions, on the 18th of +June, accompanied by the doctor, I left that spot of the world, and +went southward above twenty miles along the river. There I found a +sloop, the captain of which told me he was going to Jamaica. Having +agreed for my passage with him and one of the owners, who was also on +board, named Hughes, the doctor and I parted, not without shedding +tears on both sides. The vessel then sailed along the river till +night, when she stopped in a lagoon within the same river. During the +night a schooner belonging to the same owners came in, and, as she was +in want of hands, Hughes, the owner of the sloop, asked me to go in +the schooner as a sailor, and said he would give me wages. I thanked +him; but I said I wanted to go to Jamaica. He then immediately changed +his tone, and swore, and abused me very much, and asked how I came to +be freed. I told him, and said that I came into that vicinity with Dr. +Irving, whom he had seen that day. This account was of no use; he +still swore exceedingly at me, and cursed the master for a fool that +sold me my freedom, and the doctor for another in letting me go from +him. Then he desired me to go in the schooner, or else I should not go +out of the sloop as a freeman. I said this was very hard, and begged +to be put on shore again; but he swore that I should not. I said I had +been twice amongst the Turks, yet had never seen any such usage with +them, and much less could I have expected any thing of this kind +amongst Christians. This incensed him exceedingly; and, with a volley +of oaths and imprecations, he replied, 'Christians! Damn you, you are +one of St. Paul's men; but by G----, except you have St. Paul's or St. +Peter's faith, and walk upon the water to the shore, you shall not go +out of the vessel;' which I now found was going amongst the Spaniards +towards Carthagena, where he swore he would sell me. I simply asked +him what right he had to sell me? but, without another word, he made +some of his people tie ropes round each of my ancles, and also to each +wrist, and another rope round my body, and hoisted me up without +letting my feet touch or rest upon any thing. Thus I hung, without any +crime committed, and without judge or jury; merely because I was a +free man, and could not by the law get any redress from a white person +in those parts of the world. I was in great pain from my situation, +and cried and begged very hard for some mercy; but all in vain. My +tyrant, in a great rage, brought a musquet out of the cabin, and +loaded it before me and the crew, and swore that he would shoot me if +I cried any more. I had now no alternative; I therefore remained +silent, seeing not one white man on board who said a word on my +behalf. I hung in that manner from between ten and eleven o'clock at +night till about one in the morning; when, finding my cruel abuser +fast asleep, I begged some of his slaves to slack the rope that was +round my body, that my feet might rest on something. This they did at +the risk of being cruelly used by their master, who beat some of them +severely at first for not tying me when he commanded them. Whilst I +remained in this condition, till between five and six o'clock next +morning, I trust I prayed to God to forgive this blasphemer, who cared +not what he did, but when he got up out of his sleep in the morning +was of the very same temper and disposition as when he left me at +night. When they got up the anchor, and the vessel was getting under +way, I once more cried and begged to be released; and now, being +fortunately in the way of their hoisting the sails, they released me. +When I was let down, I spoke to one Mr. Cox, a carpenter, whom I knew +on board, on the impropriety of this conduct. He also knew the doctor, +and the good opinion he ever had of me. This man then went to the +captain, and told him not to carry me away in that manner; that I was +the doctor's steward, who regarded me very highly, and would resent +this usage when he should come to know it. On which he desired a young +man to put me ashore in a small canoe I brought with me. This sound +gladdened my heart, and I got hastily into the canoe and set off, +whilst my tyrant was down in the cabin; but he soon spied me out, when +I was not above thirty or forty yards from the vessel, and, running +upon the deck with a loaded musket in his hand, he presented it at me, +and swore heavily and dreadfully, that he would shoot me that instant, +if I did not come back on board. As I knew the wretch would have done +as he said, without hesitation, I put back to the vessel again; but, +as the good Lord would have it, just as I was alongside he was abusing +the captain for letting me go from the vessel; which the captain +returned, and both of them soon got into a very great heat. The young +man that was with me now got out of the canoe; the vessel was sailing +on fast with a smooth sea: and I then thought it was neck or nothing, +so at that instant I set off again, for my life, in the canoe, towards +the shore; and fortunately the confusion was so great amongst them on +board, that I got out of the reach of the musquet shot unnoticed, +while the vessel sailed on with a fair wind a different way; so that +they could not overtake me without tacking: but even before that could +be done I should have been on shore, which I soon reached, with many +thanks to God for this unexpected deliverance. I then went and told +the other owner, who lived near that shore (with whom I had agreed for +my passage) of the usage I had met with. He was very much astonished, +and appeared very sorry for it. After treating me with kindness, he +gave me some refreshment, and three heads of roasted Indian corn, for +a voyage of about eighteen miles south, to look for another vessel. He +then directed me to an Indian chief of a district, who was also the +Musquito admiral, and had once been at our dwelling; after which I set +off with the canoe across a large lagoon alone (for I could not get +any one to assist me), though I was much jaded, and had pains in my +bowels, by means of the rope I had hung by the night before. I was +therefore at different times unable to manage the canoe, for the +paddling was very laborious. However, a little before dark I got to my +destined place, where some of the Indians knew me, and received me +kindly. I asked for the admiral; and they conducted me to his +dwelling. He was glad to see me, and refreshed me with such things as +the place afforded; and I had a hammock to sleep in. They acted +towards me more like Christians than those whites I was amongst the +last night, though they had been baptized. I told the admiral I wanted +to go to the next port to get a vessel to carry me to Jamaica; and +requested him to send the canoe back which I then had, for which I was +to pay him. He agreed with me, and sent five able Indians with a large +canoe to carry my things to my intended place, about fifty miles; and +we set off the next morning. When we got out of the lagoon and went +along shore, the sea was so high that the canoe was oftentimes very +near being filled with water. We were obliged to go ashore and drag +across different necks of land; we were also two nights in the swamps, +which swarmed with musquito flies, and they proved troublesome to us. +This tiresome journey of land and water ended, however, on the third +day, to my great joy; and I got on board of a sloop commanded by one +Captain Jenning. She was then partly loaded, and he told me he was +expecting daily to sail for Jamaica; and having agreed with me to work +my passage, I went to work accordingly. I was not many days on board +before we sailed; but to my sorrow and disappointment, though used to +such tricks, we went to the southward along the Musquito shore, +instead of steering for Jamaica. I was compelled to assist in cutting +a great deal of mahogany wood on the shore as we coasted along it, and +load the vessel with it, before she sailed. This fretted me much; but, +as I did not know how to help myself among these deceivers, I thought +patience was the only remedy I had left, and even that was forced. +There was much hard work and little victuals on board, except by good +luck we happened to catch turtles. On this coast there was also a +particular kind of fish called manatee, which is most excellent +eating, and the flesh is more like beef than fish; the scales are as +large as a shilling, and the skin thicker than I ever saw that of any +other fish. Within the brackish waters along shore there were likewise +vast numbers of alligators, which made the fish scarce. I was on board +this sloop sixteen days, during which, in our coasting, we came to +another place, where there was a smaller sloop called the Indian +Queen, commanded by one John Baker. He also was an Englishman, and had +been a long time along the shore trading for turtle shells and silver, +and had got a good quantity of each on board. He wanted some hands +very much; and, understanding I was a free man, and wanted to go to +Jamaica, he told me if he could get one or two, that he would sail +immediately for that island: he also pretended to me some marks of +attention and respect, and promised to give me forty-five shillings +sterling a month if I would go with him. I thought this much better +than cutting wood for nothing. I therefore told the other captain that +I wanted to go to Jamaica in the other vessel; but he would not listen +to me: and, seeing me resolved to go in a day or two, he got the +vessel to sail, intending to carry me away against my will. This +treatment mortified me extremely. I immediately, according to an +agreement I had made with the captain of the Indian Queen, called for +her boat, which was lying near us, and it came alongside; and, by the +means of a north-pole shipmate which I met with in the sloop I was in, +I got my things into the boat, and went on board of the Indian Queen, +July the 10th. A few days after I was there, we got all things ready +and sailed: but again, to my great mortification, this vessel still +went to the south, nearly as far as Carthagena, trading along the +coast, instead of going to Jamaica, as the captain had promised me: +and, what was worst of all, he was a very cruel and bloody-minded man, +and was a horrid blasphemer. Among others he had a white pilot, one +Stoker, whom he beat often as severely as he did some negroes he had +on board. One night in particular, after he had beaten this man most +cruelly, he put him into the boat, and made two negroes row him to a +desolate key, or small island; and he loaded two pistols, and swore +bitterly that he would shoot the negroes if they brought Stoker on +board again. There was not the least doubt but that he would do as he +said, and the two poor fellows were obliged to obey the cruel mandate; +but, when the captain was asleep, the two negroes took a blanket and +carried it to the unfortunate Stoker, which I believe was the means of +saving his life from the annoyance of insects. A great deal of +entreaty was used with the captain the next day, before he would +consent to let Stoker come on board; and when the poor man was brought +on board he was very ill, from his situation during the night, and he +remained so till he was drowned a little time after. As we sailed +southward we came to many uninhabited islands, which were overgrown +with fine large cocoa nuts. As I was very much in want of provisions, +I brought a boat load of them on board, which lasted me and others for +several weeks, and afforded us many a delicious repast in our +scarcity. One day, before this, I could not help observing the +providential hand of God, that ever supplies all our wants, though in +the ways and manner we know not. I had been a whole day without food, +and made signals for boats to come off, but in vain. I therefore +earnestly prayed to God for relief in my need; and at the close of the +evening I went off the deck. Just as I laid down I heard a noise on +the deck; and, not knowing what it meant, I went directly on the the +deck again, when what should I see but a fine large fish about seven +or eight pounds, which had jumped aboard! I took it, and admired, with +thanks, the good hand of God; and, what I considered as not less +extraordinary, the captain, who was very avaricious, did not attempt +to take it from me, there being only him and I on board; for the rest +were all gone ashore trading. Sometimes the people did not come off +for some days: this used to fret the captain, and then he would vent +his fury on me by beating me, or making me feel in other cruel ways. +One day especially, in his wild, wicked, and mad career, after +striking me several times with different things, and once across my +mouth, even with a red burning stick out of the fire, he got a barrel +of gunpowder on the deck, and swore that he would blow up the vessel. +I was then at my wit's end, and earnestly prayed to God to direct me. +The head was out of the barrel; and the captain took a lighted stick +out of the fire to blow himself and me up, because there was a vessel +then in sight coming in, which he supposed was a Spaniard, and he was +afraid of falling into their hands. Seeing this I got an axe, +unnoticed by him, and placed myself between him and the powder, having +resolved in myself as soon as he attempted to put the fire in the +barrel to chop him down that instant. I was more than an hour in this +situation; during which he struck me often, still keeping the fire in +his hand for this wicked purpose. I really should have thought myself +justifiable in any other part of the world if I had killed him, and +prayed to God, who gave me a mind which rested solely on himself. I +prayed for resignation, that his will might be done; and the following +two portions of his holy word, which occurred to my mind, buoyed up my +hope, and kept me from taking the life of this wicked man. 'He hath +determined the times before appointed, and set bounds to our +habitations,' Acts xvii. 26. And, 'Who is there amongst you that +feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh +in darkness and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, +and stay upon his God,' Isaiah 1. 10. And thus by the grace of God I +was enabled to do. I found him a present help in the time of need, and +the captain's fury began to subside as the night approached: but I +found, + + "That he who cannot stem his anger's tide + Doth a wild horse without a bridle ride." + +The next morning we discovered that the vessel which had caused such a +fury in the captain was an English sloop. They soon came to an anchor +where we were, and, to my no small surprise, I learned that Doctor +Irving was on board of her on his way from the Musquito shore to +Jamaica. I was for going immediately to see this old master and +friend, but the captain would not suffer me to leave the vessel. I +then informed the doctor, by letter, how I was treated, and begged +that he would take me out of the sloop: but he informed me that it was +not in his power, as he was a passenger himself; but he sent me some +rum and sugar for my own use. I now learned that after I had left the +estate which I managed for this gentleman on the Musquito shore, +during which the slaves were well fed and comfortable, a white +overseer had supplied my place: this man, through inhumanity and +ill-judged avarice, beat and cut the poor slaves most unmercifully; +and the consequence was, that every one got into a large Puriogua +canoe, and endeavoured to escape; but not knowing where to go, or how +to manage the canoe, they were all drowned; in consequence of which +the doctor's plantation was left uncultivated, and he was now +returning to Jamaica to purchase more slaves and stock it again. On +the 14th of October the Indian Queen arrived at Kingston in Jamaica. +When we were unloaded I demanded my wages, which amounted to eight +pounds and five shillings sterling; but Captain Baker refused to give +me one farthing, although it was the hardest-earned money I ever +worked for in my life. I found out Doctor Irving upon this, and +acquainted him of the captain's knavery. He did all he could to help +me to get my money; and we went to every magistrate in Kingston (and +there were nine), but they all refused to do any thing for me, and +said my oath could not be admitted against a white man. Nor was this +all; for Baker threatened that he would beat me severely if he could +catch me for attempting to demand my money; and this he would have +done, but that I got, by means of Dr. Irving, under the protection of +Captain Douglas of the Squirrel man of war. I thought this exceedingly +hard usage; though indeed I found it to be too much the practice there +to pay free men for their labour in this manner. One day I went with a +free negroe taylor, named Joe Diamond, to one Mr. Cochran, who was +indebted to him some trifling sum; and the man, not being able to get +his money, began to murmur. The other immediately took a horse-whip to +pay him with it; but, by the help of a good pair of heels, the taylor +got off. Such oppressions as these made me seek for a vessel to get +off the island as fast as I could; and by the mercy of God I found a +ship in November bound for England, when I embarked with a convoy, +after having taken a last farewell of Doctor Irving. When I left +Jamaica he was employed in refining sugars; and some months after my +arrival in England I learned, with much sorrow, that this my amiable +friend was dead, owing to his having eaten some poisoned fish. We had +many very heavy gales of wind in our passage; in the course of which +no material incident occurred, except that an American privateer, +falling in with the fleet, was captured and set fire to by his +Majesty's ship the Squirrel. On January the seventh, 1777, we arrived +at Plymouth. I was happy once more to tread upon English ground; and, +after passing some little time at Plymouth and Exeter among some pious +friends, whom I was happy to see, I went to London with a heart +replete with thanks to God for all past mercies. + + + + +CHAP. XII. + + _Different transactions of the author's life till the + present time--His application to the late Bishop of London + to be appointed a missionary to Africa--Some account of his + share in the conduct of the late expedition to Sierra + Leona--Petition to the Queen--Conclusion._ + + +Such were the various scenes which I was a witness to, and the fortune +I experienced until the year 1777. Since that period my life has been +more uniform, and the incidents of it fewer, than in any other equal +number of years preceding; I therefore hasten to the conclusion of a +narrative, which I fear the reader may think already sufficiently +tedious. + +I had suffered so many impositions in my commercial transactions in +different parts of the world, that I became heartily disgusted with +the sea-faring life, and I was determined not to return to it, at +least for some time. I therefore once more engaged in service shortly +after my return, and continued for the most part in this situation +until 1784. + +Soon after my arrival in London, I saw a remarkable circumstance +relative to African complexion, which I thought so extraordinary, that +I beg leave just to mention it: A white negro woman, that I had +formerly seen in London and other parts, had married a white man, by +whom she had three boys, and they were every one mulattoes, and yet +they had fine light hair. In 1779 I served Governor Macnamara, who had +been a considerable time on the coast of Africa. In the time of my +service, I used to ask frequently other servants to join me in family +prayers; but this only excited their mockery. However, the Governor, +understanding that I was of a religious turn, wished to know of what +religion I was; I told him I was a protestant of the church of +England, agreeable to the thirty-nine articles of that church, and +that whomsoever I found to preach according to that doctrine, those I +would hear. A few days after this, we had some more discourse on the +same subject: the Governor spoke to me on it again, and said that he +would, if I chose, as he thought I might be of service in converting +my countrymen to the Gospel faith, get me sent out as a missionary to +Africa. I at first refused going, and told him how I had been served +on a like occasion by some white people the last voyage I went to +Jamaica, when I attempted (if it were the will of God) to be the means +of converting the Indian prince; and I said I supposed they would +serve me worse than Alexander the coppersmith did St. Paul, if I +should attempt to go amongst them in Africa. He told me not to fear, +for he would apply to the Bishop of London to get me ordained. On +these terms I consented to the Governor's proposal to go to Africa, in +hope of doing good if possible amongst my countrymen; so, in order to +have me sent out properly, we immediately wrote the following letters +to the late Bishop of London: + + _To the Right Reverend Father in God_, + ROBERT, _Lord Bishop of London_: + The MEMORIAL of Gustavus Vassa + + Sheweth, + + That your memorialist is a native of Africa, and has a + knowledge of the manners and customs of the inhabitants of + that country. + + That your memorialist has resided in different parts of + Europe for twenty-two years last past, and embraced the + Christian faith in the year 1759. + + That your memorialist is desirous of returning to Africa as + a missionary, if encouraged by your Lordship, in hopes of + being able to prevail upon his countrymen to become + Christians; and your memorialist is the more induced to + undertake the same, from the success that has attended the + like undertakings when encouraged by the Portuguese through + their different settlements on the coast of Africa, and also + by the Dutch: both governments encouraging the blacks, who, + by their education are qualified to undertake the same, and + are found more proper than European clergymen, unacquainted + with the language and customs of the country. + + Your memorialist's only motive for soliciting the office of + a missionary is, that he may be a means, under God, of + reforming his countrymen and persuading them to embrace the + Christian religion. Therefore your memorialist humbly prays + your Lordship's encouragement and support in the + undertaking. + + GUSTAVUS VASSA. + + At Mr. Guthrie's, taylor, + No. 17, Hedge-lane. + + + My Lord, + + I have resided near seven years on the coast of Africa, for + most part of the time as commanding officer. From the + knowledge I have of the country and its inhabitants, I am + inclined to think that the within plan will be attended with + great success, if countenanced by your Lordship. I beg leave + further to represent to your Lordship, that the like + attempts, when encouraged by other governments, have met + with uncommon success; and at this very time I know a very + respectable character a black priest at Cape Coast Castle. I + know the within named Gustavus Vassa, and believe him a + moral good man. + + I have the honour to be, + My Lord, + Your Lordship's + Humble and obedient servant, + MATT. MACNAMARA. + + Grove, 11th March 1779. + +This letter was also accompanied by the following from Doctor Wallace, +who had resided in Africa for many years, and whose sentiments on the +subject of an African mission were the same with Governor Macnamara's. + + _March 13, 1779_. + + My Lord, + + I have resided near five years on Senegambia on the coast of + Africa, and have had the honour of filling very considerable + employments in that province. I do approve of the within + plan, and think the undertaking very laudable and proper, + and that it deserves your Lordship's protection and + encouragement, in which case it must be attended with the + intended success. + + I am, + My Lord, + Your Lordship's + Humble and obedient servant, + THOMAS WALLACE. + +With these letters, I waited on the Bishop by the Governor's desire, +and presented them to his Lordship. He received me with much +condescension and politeness; but, from some certain scruples of +delicacy, declined to ordain me. + +My sole motive for thus dwelling on this transaction, or inserting +these papers, is the opinion which gentlemen of sense and education, +who are acquainted with Africa, entertain of the probability of +converting the inhabitants of it to the faith of Jesus Christ, if the +attempt were countenanced by the legislature. + +Shortly after this I left the Governor, and served a nobleman in the +Devonshire militia, with whom I was encamped at Coxheath for some +time; but the operations there were too minute and uninteresting to +make a detail of. + +In the year 1783 I visited eight counties in Wales, from motives of +curiosity. While I was in that part of the country I was led to go +down into a coal-pit in Shropshire, but my curiosity nearly cost me my +life; for while I was in the pit the coals fell in, and buried one +poor man, who was not far from me: upon this I got out as fast as I +could, thinking the surface of the earth the safest part of it. + +In the spring 1784 I thought of visiting old ocean again. In +consequence of this I embarked as steward on board a fine new ship +called the London, commanded by Martin Hopkin, and sailed for +New-York. I admired this city very much; it is large and well-built, +and abounds with provisions of all kinds. While we lay here a +circumstance happened which I thought extremely singular:--One day a +malefactor was to be executed on a gallows; but with a condition that +if any woman, having nothing on but her shift, married the man under +the gallows, his life was to be saved. This extraordinary privilege +was claimed; a woman presented herself; and the marriage ceremony was +performed. Our ship having got laden we returned to London in January +1785. When she was ready again for another voyage, the captain being +an agreeable man, I sailed with him from hence in the spring, March +1785, for Philadelphia. On the fifth of April we took our departure +from the Land's-end, with a pleasant gale; and about nine o'clock that +night the moon shone bright, and the sea was smooth, while our ship +was going free by the wind, at the rate of about four or five miles an +hour. At this time another ship was going nearly as fast as we on the +opposite point, meeting us right in the teeth, yet none on board +observed either ship until we struck each other forcibly head and +head, to the astonishment and consternation of both crews. She did us +much damage, but I believe we did her more; for when we passed by each +other, which we did very quickly, they called to us to bring to, and +hoist out our boat, but we had enough to do to mind ourselves; and in +about eight minutes we saw no more of her. We refitted as well as we +could the next day, and proceeded on our voyage, and in May arrived at +Philadelphia. I was very glad to see this favourite old town once +more; and my pleasure was much increased in seeing the worthy quakers +freeing and easing the burthens of many of my oppressed African +brethren. It rejoiced my heart when one of these friendly people took +me to see a free-school they had erected for every denomination of +black people, whose minds are cultivated here and forwarded to virtue; +and thus they are made useful members of the community. Does not the +success of this practice say loudly to the planters in the language of +scripture--"Go ye and do likewise?" + +In October 1785 I was accompanied by some of the Africans, and +presented this address of thanks to the gentlemen called Friends or +Quakers, in Gracechurch-Court Lombard-Street: + + Gentlemen, + + By reading your book, entitled a Caution to Great Britain + and her Colonies, concerning the Calamitous State of the + enslaved Negroes: We the poor, oppressed, needy, and + much-degraded negroes, desire to approach you with this + address of thanks, with our inmost love and warmest + acknowledgment; and with the deepest sense of your + benevolence, unwearied labour, and kind interposition, + towards breaking the yoke of slavery, and to administer a + little comfort and ease to thousands and tens of thousands + of very grievously afflicted, and too heavy burthened + negroes. + + Gentlemen, could you, by perseverance, at last be enabled, + under God, to lighten in any degree the heavy burthen of the + afflicted, no doubt it would, in some measure, be the + possible means, under God, of saving the souls of many of + the oppressors; and, if so, sure we are that the God, whose + eyes are ever upon all his creatures, and always rewards + every true act of virtue, and regards the prayers of the + oppressed, will give to you and yours those blessings which + it is not in our power to express or conceive, but which we, + as a part of those captived, oppressed, and afflicted + people, most earnestly wish and pray for. + +These gentlemen received us very kindly, with a promise to exert +themselves on behalf of the oppressed Africans, and we parted. + +While in town I chanced once to be invited to a quaker's wedding. The +simple and yet expressive mode used at their solemnizations is worthy +of note. The following is the true form of it: + +After the company have met they have seasonable exhortations by +several of the members; the bride and bridegroom stand up, and, taking +each other by the hand in a solemn manner, the man audily declares to +this purpose: + +"Friends, in the fear of the Lord, and in the presence of this +assembly, whom I desire to be my witnesses, I take this my friend, +M.N. to be my wife; promising, through divine assistance, to be unto +her a loving and faithful husband till death separate us:" and the +woman makes the like declaration. Then the two first sign their names +to the record, and as many more witnesses as have a mind. I had the +honour to subscribe mine to a register in Gracechurch-Court, +Lombard-Street. + +We returned to London in August; and our ship not going immediately to +sea, I shipped as a steward in an American ship called the Harmony, +Captain John Willet, and left London in March 1786, bound to +Philadelphia. Eleven days after sailing we carried our foremast away. +We had a nine weeks passage, which caused our trip not to succeed +well, the market for our goods proving bad; and, to make it worse, my +commander began to play me the like tricks as others too often +practise on free negroes in the West Indies. But I thank God I found +many friends here, who in some measure prevented him. On my return to +London in August I was very agreeably surprised to find that the +benevolence of government had adopted the plan of some philanthropic +individuals to send the Africans from hence to their native quarter; +and that some vessels were then engaged to carry them to Sierra Leone; +an act which redounded to the honour of all concerned in its +promotion, and filled me with prayers and much rejoicing. There was +then in the city a select committee of gentlemen for the black poor, +to some of whom I had the honour of being known; and, as soon as they +heard of my arrival they sent for me to the committee. When I came +there they informed me of the intention of government; and as they +seemed to think me qualified to superintend part of the undertaking, +they asked me to go with the black poor to Africa. I pointed out to +them many objections to my going; and particularly I expressed some +difficulties on the account of the slave dealers, as I would certainly +oppose their traffic in the human species by every means in my power. +However these objections were over-ruled by the gentlemen of the +committee, who prevailed on me to go, and recommended me to the +honourable Commissioners of his Majesty's Navy as a proper person to +act as commissary for government in the intended expedition; and they +accordingly appointed me in November 1786 to that office, and gave me +sufficient power to act for the government in the capacity of +commissary, having received my warrant and the following order. + + _By the principal Officers and Commissioners of + his Majesty's Navy_. + + Whereas you were directed, by our warrant of the 4th of last + month, to receive into your charge from Mr. Irving the + surplus provisions remaining of what was provided for the + voyage, as well as the provisions for the support of the + black poor, after the landing at Sierra Leone, with the + cloathing, tools, and all other articles provided at + government's expense; and as the provisions were laid in at + the rate of two months for the voyage, and for four months + after the landing, but the number embarked being so much + less than was expected, whereby there may be a considerable + surplus of provisions, cloathing, &c. These are, in addition + to former orders, to direct and require you to appropriate + or dispose of such surplus to the best advantage you can for + the benefit of government, keeping and rendering to us a + faithful account of what you do herein. And for your + guidance in preventing any white persons going, who are not + intended to have the indulgences of being carried thither, + we send you herewith a list of those recommended by the + Committee for the black poor as proper persons to be + permitted to embark, and acquaint you that you are not to + suffer any others to go who do not produce a certificate + from the committee for the black poor, of their having their + permission for it. For which this shall be your warrant. + Dated at the Navy Office, January 16, 1787. + + J. HINSLOW, + GEO. MARSH, + W. PALMER. + + To Mr. Gustavus Vassa, + Commissary of Provisions and + Stores for the Black Poor + going to Sierra Leone. + +I proceeded immediately to the execution of my duty on board the +vessels destined for the voyage, where I continued till the March +following. + +During my continuance in the employment of government, I was struck +with the flagrant abuses committed by the agent, and endeavoured to +remedy them, but without effect. One instance, among many which I +could produce, may serve as a specimen. Government had ordered to be +provided all necessaries (slops, as they are called, included) for 750 +persons; however, not being able to muster more than 426, I was +ordered to send the superfluous slops, &c. to the king's stores at +Portsmouth; but, when I demanded them for that purpose from the agent, +it appeared they had never been bought, though paid for by government. +But that was not all, government were not the only objects of +peculation; these poor people suffered infinitely more; their +accommodations were most wretched; many of them wanted beds, and many +more cloathing and other necessaries. For the truth of this, and much +more, I do not seek credit from my own assertion. I appeal to the +testimony of Capt. Thompson, of the Nautilus, who convoyed us, to whom +I applied in February 1787 for a remedy, when I had remonstrated to +the agent in vain, and even brought him to be a witness of the +injustice and oppression I complained of. I appeal also to a letter +written by these wretched people, so early as the beginning of the +preceding January, and published in the Morning Herald of the 4th of +that month, signed by twenty of their chiefs. + +I could not silently suffer government to be thus cheated, and my +countrymen plundered and oppressed, and even left destitute of the +necessaries for almost their existence. I therefore informed the +Commissioners of the Navy of the agent's proceeding; but my dismission +was soon after procured, by means of a gentleman in the city, whom the +agent, conscious of his peculation, had deceived by letter, and whom, +moreover, empowered the same agent to receive on board, at the +government expense, a number of persons as passengers, contrary to the +orders I received. By this I suffered a considerable loss in my +property: however, the commissioners were satisfied with my conduct, +and wrote to Capt. Thompson, expressing their approbation of it. + +Thus provided, they proceeded on their voyage; and at last, worn out +by treatment, perhaps not the most mild, and wasted by sickness, +brought on by want of medicine, cloaths, bedding, &c. they reached +Sierra Leone just at the commencement of the rains. At that season of +the year it is impossible to cultivate the lands; their provisions +therefore were exhausted before they could derive any benefit from +agriculture; and it is not surprising that many, especially the +lascars, whose constitutions are very tender, and who had been cooped +up in ships from October to June, and accommodated in the manner I +have mentioned, should be so wasted by their confinement as not long +to survive it. + +Thus ended my part of the long-talked-of expedition to Sierra Leone; +an expedition which, however unfortunate in the event, was humane and +politic in its design, nor was its failure owing to government: every +thing was done on their part; but there was evidently sufficient +mismanagement attending the conduct and execution of it to defeat its +success. + +I should not have been so ample in my account of this transaction, had +not the share I bore in it been made the subject of partial +animadversion, and even my dismission from my employment thought +worthy of being made by some a matter of public triumph[X]. The +motives which might influence any person to descend to a petty contest +with an obscure African, and to seek gratification by his depression, +perhaps it is not proper here to inquire into or relate, even if its +detection were necessary to my vindication; but I thank Heaven it is +not. I wish to stand by my own integrity, and not to shelter myself +under the impropriety of another; and I trust the behaviour of the +Commissioners of the Navy to me entitle me to make this assertion; for +after I had been dismissed, March 24, I drew up a memorial thus: + + + _To the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of + his Majesty's Treasury: + The Memorial and Petition of_ Gustavus Vassa _a black Man, + late Commissary to the black Poor going to_ Africa. + + HUMBLY SHEWETH, + + That your Lordships' memorialist was, by the Honourable the + Commissioners of his Majesty's Navy, on the 4th of December + last, appointed to the above employment by warrant from that + board; + + That he accordingly proceeded to the execution of his duty + on board of the Vernon, being one of the ships appointed to + proceed to Africa with the above poor; + + That your memorialist, to his great grief and astonishment, + received a letter of dismission from the Honourable + Commissioners of the Navy, by your Lordships' orders; + + That, conscious of having acted with the most perfect + fidelity and the greatest assiduity in discharging the trust + reposed in him, he is altogether at a loss to conceive the + reasons of your Lordships' having altered the favourable + opinion you were pleased to conceive of him, sensible that + your Lordships would not proceed to so severe a measure + without some apparent good cause; he therefore has every + reason to believe that his conduct has been grossly + misrepresented to your Lordships; and he is the more + confirmed in his opinion, because, by opposing measures of + others concerned in the same expedition, which tended to + defeat your Lordships' humane intentions, and to put the + government to a very considerable additional expense, he + created a number of enemies, whose misrepresentations, he + has too much reason to believe, laid the foundation of his + dismission. Unsupported by friends, and unaided by the + advantages of a liberal education, he can only hope for + redress from the justice of his cause, in addition to the + mortification of having been removed from his employment, + and the advantage which he reasonably might have expected to + have derived therefrom. He has had the misfortune to have + sunk a considerable part of his little property in fitting + himself out, and in other expenses arising out of his + situation, an account of which he here annexes. Your + memorialist will not trouble your Lordships with a + vindication of any part of his conduct, because he knows not + of what crimes he is accused; he, however, earnestly + entreats that you will be pleased to direct an inquiry into + his behaviour during the time he acted in the public + service; and, if it be found that his dismission arose from + false representations, he is confident that in your + Lordships' justice he shall find redress. + + Your petitioner therefore humbly prays that your Lordships + will take his case into consideration, and that you will be + pleased to order payment of the above referred-to account, + amounting to 32l. 4s. and also the wages intended, which is + most humbly submitted. + + _London, May 12, 1787._ + +The above petition was delivered into the hands of their Lordships, +who were kind enough, in the space of some few months afterwards, +without hearing, to order me 50l. sterling--that is, 18l. wages for +the time (upwards of four months) I acted a faithful part in their +service. Certainly the sum is more than a free negro would have had in +the western colonies!!! + + * * * * * + +March the 21st, 1788, I had the honour of presenting the Queen with a +petition on behalf of my African brethren, which was received most +graciously by her Majesty[Y]: + + _To the_ QUEEN's _most Excellent Majesty_. + + Madam, + + Your Majesty's well known benevolence and humanity emboldens + me to approach your royal presence, trusting that the + obscurity of my situation will not prevent your Majesty from + attending to the sufferings for which I plead. + + Yet I do not solicit your royal pity for my own distress; my + sufferings, although numerous, are in a measure forgotten. I + supplicate your Majesty's compassion for millions of my + African countrymen, who groan under the lash of tyranny in + the West Indies. + + The oppression and cruelty exercised to the unhappy negroes + there, have at length reached the British legislature, and + they are now deliberating on its redress; even several + persons of property in slaves in the West Indies, have + petitioned parliament against its continuance, sensible that + it is as impolitic as it is unjust--and what is inhuman must + ever be unwise. + + Your Majesty's reign has been hitherto distinguished by + private acts of benevolence and bounty; surely the more + extended the misery is, the greater claim it has to your + Majesty's compassion, and the greater must be your Majesty's + pleasure in administering to its relief. + + I presume, therefore, gracious Queen, to implore your + interposition with your royal consort, in favour of the + wretched Africans; that, by your Majesty's benevolent + influence, a period may now be put to their misery; and that + they may be raised from the condition of brutes, to which + they are at present degraded, to the rights and situation of + freemen, and admitted to partake of the blessings of your + Majesty's happy government; so shall your Majesty enjoy the + heartfelt pleasure of procuring happiness to millions, and + be rewarded in the grateful prayers of themselves, and of + their posterity. + + And may the all-bountiful Creator shower on your Majesty, + and the Royal Family, every blessing that this world can + afford, and every fulness of joy which divine revelation has + promised us in the next. + + I am your Majesty's most dutiful and devoted servant to + command, + + Gustavus Vassa, + The Oppressed Ethiopean. + + No. 53, Baldwin's Gardens. + + * * * * * + +The negro consolidated act, made by the assembly of Jamaica last year, +and the new act of amendment now in agitation there, contain a proof +of the existence of those charges that have been made against the +planters relative to the treatment of their slaves. + +I hope to have the satisfaction of seeing the renovation of liberty +and justice resting on the British government, to vindicate the honour +of our common nature. These are concerns which do not perhaps belong +to any particular office: but, to speak more seriously to every man of +sentiment, actions like these are the just and sure foundation of +future fame; a reversion, though remote, is coveted by some noble +minds as a substantial good. It is upon these grounds that I hope and +expect the attention of gentlemen in power. These are designs +consonant to the elevation of their rank, and the dignity of their +stations: they are ends suitable to the nature of a free and generous +government; and, connected with views of empire and dominion, suited +to the benevolence and solid merit of the legislature. It is a pursuit +of substantial greatness.--May the time come--at least the speculation +to me is pleasing--when the sable people shall gratefully commemorate +the auspicious æra of extensive freedom. Then shall those persons[Z] +particularly be named with praise and honour, who generously proposed +and stood forth in the cause of humanity, liberty, and good policy; +and brought to the ear of the legislature designs worthy of royal +patronage and adoption. May Heaven make the British senators the +dispersers of light, liberty, and science, to the uttermost parts of +the earth: then will be glory to God on the highest, on earth peace, +and goodwill to men:--Glory, honour, peace, &c. to every soul of man +that worketh good, to the Britons first, (because to them the Gospel +is preached) and also to the nations. 'Those that honour their Maker +have mercy on the poor.' 'It is righteousness exalteth a nation; but +sin is a reproach to any people; destruction shall be to the workers +of iniquity, and the wicked shall fall by their own wickedness.' May +the blessings of the Lord be upon the heads of all those who +commiserated the cases of the oppressed negroes, and the fear of God +prolong their days; and may their expectations be filled with +gladness! 'The liberal devise liberal things, and by liberal things +shall stand,' Isaiah xxxii. 8. They can say with pious Job, 'Did not I +weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the +poor?' Job xxx. 25. + +As the inhuman traffic of slavery is to be taken into the +consideration of the British legislature, I doubt not, if a system of +commerce was established in Africa, the demand for manufactures would +most rapidly augment, as the native inhabitants will insensibly adopt +the British fashions, manners, customs, &c. In proportion to the +civilization, so will be the consumption of British manufactures. + +The wear and tear of a continent, nearly twice as large as Europe, and +rich in vegetable and mineral productions, is much easier conceived +than calculated. + +A case in point.--It cost the Aborigines of Britain little or nothing +in clothing, &c. The difference between their forefathers and the +present generation, in point of consumption, is literally infinite. +The supposition is most obvious. It will be equally immense in +Africa--The same cause, viz. civilization, will ever have the same +effect. + +It is trading upon safe grounds. A commercial intercourse with Africa +opens an inexhaustible source of wealth to the manufacturing interests +of Great Britain, and to all which the slave trade is an objection. + +If I am not misinformed, the manufacturing interest is equal, if not +superior, to the landed interest, as to the value, for reasons which +will soon appear. The abolition of slavery, so diabolical, will give a +most rapid extension of manufactures, which is totally and +diametrically opposite to what some interested people assert. + +The manufacturers of this country must and will, in the nature and +reason of things, have a full and constant employ by supplying the +African markets. + +Population, the bowels and surface of Africa, abound in valuable and +useful returns; the hidden treasures of centuries will be brought to +light and into circulation. Industry, enterprize, and mining, will +have their full scope, proportionably as they civilize. In a word, it +lays open an endless field of commerce to the British manufactures and +merchant adventurer. The manufacturing interest and the general +interests are synonymous. The abolition of slavery would be in reality +an universal good. + +Tortures, murder, and every other imaginable barbarity and iniquity, +are practised upon the poor slaves with impunity. I hope the slave +trade will be abolished. I pray it may be an event at hand. The great +body of manufacturers, uniting in the cause, will considerably +facilitate and expedite it; and, as I have already stated, it is most +substantially their interest and advantage, and as such the nation's +at large, (except those persons concerned in the manufacturing +neck-yokes, collars, chains, hand-cuffs, leg-bolts, drags, +thumb-screws, iron muzzles, and coffins; cats, scourges, and other +instruments of torture used in the slave trade). In a short time one +sentiment alone will prevail, from motives of interest as well as +justice and humanity. Europe contains one hundred and twenty millions +of inhabitants. Query--How many millions doth Africa contain? +Supposing the Africans, collectively and individually, to expend 5l. a +head in raiment and furniture yearly when civilized, &c. an immensity +beyond the reach of imagination! + +This I conceive to be a theory founded upon facts, and therefore an +infallible one. If the blacks were permitted to remain in their own +country, they would double themselves every fifteen years. In +proportion to such increase will be the demand for manufactures. +Cotton and indigo grow spontaneously in most parts of Africa; a +consideration this of no small consequence to the manufacturing towns +of Great Britain. It opens a most immense, glorious, and happy +prospect--the clothing, &c. of a continent ten thousand miles in +circumference, and immensely rich in productions of every denomination +in return for manufactures. + +I have only therefore to request the reader's indulgence and conclude. +I am far from the vanity of thinking there is any merit in this +narrative: I hope censure will be suspended, when it is considered +that it was written by one who was as unwilling as unable to adorn the +plainness of truth by the colouring of imagination. My life and +fortune have been extremely chequered, and my adventures various. Even +those I have related are considerably abridged. If any incident in +this little work should appear uninteresting and trifling to most +readers, I can only say, as my excuse for mentioning it, that almost +every event of my life made an impression on my mind and influenced my +conduct. I early accustomed myself to look for the hand of God in the +minutest occurrence, and to learn from it a lesson of morality and +religion; and in this light every circumstance I have related was to +me of importance. After all, what makes any event important, unless by +its observation we become better and wiser, and learn 'to do justly, +to love mercy, and to walk humbly before God?' To those who are +possessed of this spirit, there is scarcely any book or incident so +trifling that does not afford some profit, while to others the +experience of ages seems of no use; and even to pour out to them the +treasures of wisdom is throwing the jewels of instruction away. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[Footnote X: See the Public Advertiser, July 14, 1787.] + +[Footnote Y: At the request of some of my most particular friends, I +take the liberty of inserting it here.] + +[Footnote Z: Grenville Sharp, Esq; the Reverend Thomas Clarkson; the +Reverend James Ramsay; our approved friends, men of virtue, are an +honour to their country, ornamental to human nature, happy in +themselves, and benefactors to mankind!] + + +THE END. + + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Interesting Narrative of the Life +of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African, by Olaudah Equiano + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE INTERESTING NARRATIVE OF *** + +***** This file should be named 15399-8.txt or 15399-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/5/3/9/15399/ + +Produced by Suzanne Shell, Diane Monico and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team. + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African + Written By Himself + +Author: Olaudah Equiano + +Release Date: March 17, 2005 [EBook #15399] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE INTERESTING NARRATIVE OF *** + + + + +Produced by Suzanne Shell, Diane Monico and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team. + + + + + + +</pre> + + + + + +<h3>THE</h3> + +<h2>INTERESTING NARRATIVE</h2> + +<h4>OF</h4> + +<h1>THE LIFE</h1> + +<h4>OF</h4> + +<h1>OLAUDAH EQUIANO,</h1> + +<h4>OR</h4> + +<h2>GUSTAVUS VASSA,</h2> + +<h4>THE AFRICAN.</h4> + +<h3><i>WRITTEN BY HIMSELF.</i><br /><br /><br /></h3> + + + +<p class="center"> +<i>Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be<br /> +afraid, for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my<br /> +song; he also is become my salvation.<br /> +And in that shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his<br /> +name, declare his doings among the people. Isaiah xii. 2, 4.</i><br /><br /><br /><br /> +</p> + + +<p class="center"> +LONDON:<br /> +Printed for and sold by the Author, No. 10, Union-Street,<br /> +Middlesex Hospital</p> + + +<div class="blockquot"> +<p><small>Sold also by Mr. Johnson, St. Paul's Church-Yard; Mr. + Murray, Fleet-Street; Messrs. Robson and Clark, Bond-Street; + Mr. Davis, opposite Gray's Inn, Holborn; Messrs. Shepperson + and Reynolds, and Mr. Jackson, Oxford Street; Mr. + Lackington, Chiswell-Street; Mr. Mathews, Strand; Mr. + Murray, Prince's-Street, Soho; Mess. Taylor and Co. South + Arch, Royal Exchange; Mr. Button, Newington-Causeway; Mr. + Parsons, Paternoster-Row; and may be had of all the + Booksellers in Town and Country.</small></p></div> + +<p class="center">[Entered at Stationer's Hall.]</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 455px;"> +<img src="images/001.png" alt="Olaudah_Equiano_or_GUSTAVUS_VASSA_the_African" title="Olaudah Equiano or GUSTAVUS VASSA the African" /> +</div> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<div class="blockquot"><p class="smcap"><big>To the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and<br /> +the Commons of the Parliament<br /> +of Great Britain.</big></p> + + +<p><i>My Lords and Gentlemen</i>,</p> + +<p>Permit me, with the greatest deference and respect, to lay at your +feet the following genuine Narrative; the chief design of which is to +excite in your august assemblies a sense of compassion for the +miseries which the Slave-Trade has entailed on my unfortunate +countrymen. By the horrors of that trade was I first torn away from +all the tender connexions that were naturally dear to my heart; but +these, through the mysterious ways of Providence, I ought to regard as +infinitely more than compensated by the introduction I have thence +obtained to the knowledge of the Christian religion, and of a nation +which, by its liberal sentiments, its humanity, the glorious freedom +of its government, and its proficiency in arts and sciences, has +exalted the dignity of human nature.</p> + +<p>I am sensible I ought to entreat your pardon for addressing to you a +work so wholly devoid of literary merit; but, as the production of an +unlettered African, who is actuated by the hope of becoming an +instrument towards the relief of his suffering countrymen, I trust +that <i>such a man</i>, pleading in <i>such a cause</i>, will be acquitted of +boldness and presumption.</p> + +<p>May the God of heaven inspire your hearts with peculiar benevolence on +that important day when the question of Abolition is to be discussed, +when thousands, in consequence of your Determination, are to look for +Happiness or Misery!</p> + +<p class="citation"> +I am, <br /> +<span class="smcap">My Lords and Gentlemen,</span> <br /> +Your most obedient, <br /> +And devoted humble servant, <br /> +<span class="smcap">Olaudah Equiano,</span><br /> +<span class="smcap">or</span> <br /> +<span class="smcap">Gustavus Vassa.</span><br /> +<br /> +</p> + +<p>Union-Street, Mary-le-bone,<br /> +March 24, 1789.<br /> +</p> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<h4 class ="smcap">LIST of SUBSCRIBERS.</h4> + + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">His Royal Highness the Duke of York.</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">A</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. the Earl of Ailesbury</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Admiral Affleck</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Abington, 2 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Abraham</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">James Adair, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend Mr. Aldridge</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Almon</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Arnot</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Joseph Armitage</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Joseph Ashpinshaw</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Samuel Atkins</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Atwood</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Thomas Atwood</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Ashwell</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">J.C. Ashworth, Esq.</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">B</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">His Grace the Duke of Bedford</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Her Grace the Duchess of Buccleugh</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Bangor</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. Lord Belgrave</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Rev. Doctor Baker</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Baker</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Matthew Baillie, M.D.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Baillie</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Miss Baillie</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Miss J. Baillie</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">David Barclay, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Robert Barrett</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Barrett</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Barnes</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Basnett</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Bateman</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Baynes, 2 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Thomas Bellamy</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. J. Benjafield</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Bennett</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Bensley</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Samuel Benson</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Benton</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend Mr. Bentley</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Thomas Bently</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Sir John Berney, Bart.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Alexander Blair, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">James Bocock, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Bond</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Miss Bond</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Borckhardt</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. E. Bouverie</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">—— Brand, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Martin Brander</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">F.J. Brown, Esq. M.P. 2 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">W. Buttall, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Buxton</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. R.L.B.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Thomas Burton, 6 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. W. Button</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">C</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. Lord Cathcart</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. H.S. Conway</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Lady Almiria Carpenter</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">James Carr, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Charles Carter, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. James Chalmers</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Captain John Clarkson, of the Royal Navy</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Rev. Mr. Thomas Clarkson, 2 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. R. Clay</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Clout</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. George Club</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Cobb</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Miss Calwell</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Thomas Cooper</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Richard Cosway, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. James Coxe</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. J.C.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Croucher</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Cruickshanks</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Ottobah Cugoano, or John Stewart</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">D</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. the Earl of Dartmouth</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. the Earl of Derby</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Sir William Dolben, Bart.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Reverend C.E. De Coetlogon</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">John Delamain, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Delamain</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Davis</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Denton</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. T. Dickie</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Dickson</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Charles Duly, 2 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Andrew Drummond, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. George Durant</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">E</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. the Earl of Essex</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. the Countess of Essex</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Sir Gilbert Elliot, Bart. 2 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Lady Ann Erskine</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">G. Noel Edwards, Esq. M.P. 2 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Durs Egg</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Ebenezer Evans</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Reverend Mr. John Eyre</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Eyre</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">F</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. George Fallowdown</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Fell</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">F.W. Foster, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Reverend Mr. Foster</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. J. Frith</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">W. Fuller, Esq.</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">G</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. the Earl of Gainsborough</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. the Earl of Grosvenor</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. Viscount Gallway</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. Viscountess Gallway</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">—— Gardner, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Garrick</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Gates</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Samuel Gear</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Sir Philip Gibbes, Bart. 6 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Miss Gibbes</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Edward Gilbert</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Jonathan Gillett</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">W.P. Gilliess, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Gordon</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Grange</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Grant</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Grant</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. R. Greening</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">S. Griffiths</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">John Grove, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Guerin</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend Mr. Gwinep</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">H</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. the Earl of Hopetoun</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. Lord Hawke</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Right Hon. Dowager Countess of Huntingdon</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Thomas Hall, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Haley</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Hugh Josiah Hansard, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Moses Hart</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Hawkins</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Haysom</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Hearne</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Hepburn</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. J. Hibbert</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Jacob Higman</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Sir Richard Hill, Bart.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend Rowland Hill</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Miss Hill</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Captain John Hills, Royal Navy</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Edmund Hill, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Reverend Mr. Edward Hoare</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">William Hodges, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend Mr. John Holmes, 3 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Martin Hopkins</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Thomas Howell</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. R. Huntley</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. J. Hunt</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Philip Hurlock, jun.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Hutson</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">J</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. T.W.J. Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. James Jackson</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Jackson</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend Mr. James</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Anne Jennings</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Johnson</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Johnson</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Jones</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Thomas Irving, Esq. 2 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Justins</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">K</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. Lord Kinnaird</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">William Kendall, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Ketland</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Edward King</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Thomas Kingston</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend Dr. Kippis</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Kitchener</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Knight</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">L</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of London</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Laisne</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Lackington, 6 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Lamb</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Bennet Langton, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. S. Lee</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Walter Lewis</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. J. Lewis</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. J. Lindsey</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. T. Litchfield</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Edward Loveden Loveden, Esq. M.P.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Charles Lloyd, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Lloyd</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. J.B. Lucas</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. James Luken</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Henry Lyte, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Lyon</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">M</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">His Grace the Duke of Marlborough</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">His Grace the Duke of Montague</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. Lord Mulgrave</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Sir Herbert Mackworth, Bart.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Sir Charles Middleton, Bart.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Lady Middleton</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Thomas Macklane</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. George Markett</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">James Martin, Esq. M.P.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Master Martin, Hayes-Grove, Kent</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Massey</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Joseph Massingham</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">John McIntosh, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Paul Le Mesurier, Esq. M.P.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. James Mewburn</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. N. Middleton,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">T. Mitchell, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Montague, 2 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Miss Hannah More</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. George Morrison</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Thomas Morris, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Miss Morris</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Morris Morgann, Esq.</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">N</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">His Grace the Duke of Northumberland</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Captain Nurse</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">O</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Edward Ogle, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">James Ogle, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Robert Oliver, Esq.</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">P</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. D. Parker,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. W. Parker,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Richard Packer, jun.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Parsons, 6 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. James Pearse</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. J. Pearson</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">J. Penn, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">George Peters, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. W. Phillips,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">J. Philips, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Pickard</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Charles Pilgrim</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Hon. George Pitt, M.P.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Thomas Pooley</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Patrick Power, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Michael Power</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Joseph Pratt, Esq.</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Q</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Robert Quarme, Esq.</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">R</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. Lord Rawdon</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. Lord Rivers, 2 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Lieutenant General Rainsford</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend James Ramsay, 3 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. S. Remnant, jun.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Richards, 2 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. J.C. Robarts</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. James Roberts</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Dr. Robinson</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Robinson</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. C. Robinson</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">George Rose, Esq. M.P.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. W. Ross</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Rouse</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Walter Row</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">S</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">His Grace the Duke of St. Albans</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Her Grace the Duchess of St. Albans</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of St. David's</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. Earl Stanhope, 3 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. the Earl of Scarbrough</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">William, the Son of Ignatius Sancho</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Mary Ann Sandiford</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Sawyer</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Thomas Seddon</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">W. Seward, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend Mr. Thomas Scott</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Granville Sharp, Esq. 2 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Captain Sidney Smith, of the Royal Navy</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Colonel Simcoe</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Simco</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">General Smith</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">John Smith, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. George Smith</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Smith</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend Mr. Southgate</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Starkey</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Thomas Steel, Esq. M.P.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Staples Steare</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Joseph Stewardson</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Henry Stone, jun. 2 copies</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">John Symmons, Esq.</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">T</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Henry Thornton, Esq. M.P.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Alexander Thomson, M.D.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend John Till</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Samuel Townly</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Daniel Trinder</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend Mr. C. La Trobe</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Clement Tudway, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Twisden</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">U</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. M. Underwood</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">V</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Vaughan</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mrs. Vendt</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">W</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Hon. Earl of Warnick</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Worcester</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">The Hon. William Windham, Esq. M.P.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. C.B. Wadstrom</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. George Walne</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend Mr. Ward</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. S. Warren</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. J. Waugh</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Josiah Wedgwood, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend Mr. John Wesley</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. J. Wheble</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Samuel Whitbread, Esq. M.P.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend Thomas Wigzell</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. W. Wilson</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Reverend Mr. Wills</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Thomas Wimsett</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. William Winchester</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">John Wollaston, Esq.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Charles Wood</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Joseph Woods</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. John Wood</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">J. Wright, Esq.</span><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Y</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Thomas Young</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">Mr. Samuel Yockney</span><br /><br /> +</p> + + + + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>CONTENTS</h2> + +<ul class="TOC"> +<li style='list-style-type: none'><span class="tocright">Page</span><br /></li> +<li style='list-style-type: none'><a href="#CHAPTER_I">CHAP. I.</a><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'>The author's account of his country, their manners and<br /> + customs, &c. <span class="tocright">49</span><br /><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'><a href="#CHAP_II">CHAP. II.</a><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'>The author's birth and parentage—His being kidnapped<br /> + with his sister—Horrors of a slave ship <span class="tocright">65</span><br /><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'><a href="#CHAP_III">CHAP. III.</a><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'>The author is carried to Virginia—Arrives in England—His<br /> + wonder at a fall of snow <span class="tocright">80</span><br /><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'><a href="#CHAP_IV">CHAP. IV.</a><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'>A particular account of the celebrated engagement<br /> + between Admiral Boscawen and Monsieur Le Clue <span class="tocright">94</span><br /><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'><a href="#CHAP_V">CHAP. V.</a><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'>Various interesting instances of oppression, cruelty, and<br /> + extortion <span class="tocright">112</span><br /><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'><a href="#CHAP_VI">CHAP. VI.</a><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'>Favourable change in the author's situation—He<br /> + commences merchant with threepence <span class="tocright">129</span><br /><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'><a href="#VOLUME_II">VOLUME II</a><br /><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'><a href="#CHAP_VII">CHAP. VII.</a><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'>The author's disgust at the West Indies—Forms<br /> + schemes to obtain his freedom <span class="tocright">147</span><br /><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'><a href="#CHAP_VIII">CHAP. VIII.</a><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'>Three remarkable dreams—The author is shipwrecked<br /> + on the Bahama-bank <span class="tocright">160</span><br /><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'><a href="#CHAP_IX">CHAP. IX</a><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'>The author arrives at Martinico—Meets with new<br /> + difficulties, and sails for England <span class="tocright">173</span><br /><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'><a href="#CHAP_X">CHAP. X.</a><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'>Some account of the manner of the author's conversion to<br /> + the faith of Jesus Christ <span class="tocright">189</span><br /><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'><a href="#CHAP_XI">CHAP. XI.</a><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'>Picking up eleven miserable men at sea in returning to<br /> + England <span class="tocright">207</span><br /><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'><a href="#CHAP_XII">CHAP. XII.</a><br /></li> + +<li style='list-style-type: none'>Different transactions of the author's life—Petition to the<br /> + Queen—Conclusion <span class="tocright">227</span><br /><br /></li> +</ul> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="THE_LIFE_c" id="THE_LIFE_c" />THE LIFE, &c.</h2> +<hr style="width: 33%;" /> + + + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I" />CHAPTER I.</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>The author's account of his country, and their manners and + customs—Administration of justice—Embrenche—Marriage + ceremony, and public entertainments—Mode of + living—Dress—Manufactures + Buildings—Commerce—Agriculture—War and + religion—Superstition of the natives—Funeral ceremonies of + the priests or magicians—Curious mode of discovering + poison—Some hints concerning the origin of the author's + countrymen, with the opinions of different writers on that + subject.</i></p></div> + + +<p>I believe it is difficult for those who publish their own memoirs to +escape the imputation of vanity; nor is this the only disadvantage +under which they labour: it is also their misfortune, that what is +uncommon is rarely, if ever, believed, and what is obvious we are apt +to turn from with disgust, and to charge the writer with impertinence. +People generally think those memoirs only worthy to be read or +remembered which abound in great or striking events, those, in short, +which in a high degree excite either admiration or pity: all others +they consign to contempt and oblivion. It is therefore, I confess, not +a little hazardous in a private and obscure individual, and a stranger +too, thus to solicit the indulgent attention of the public; especially +when I own I offer here the history of neither a saint, a hero, nor a +tyrant. I believe there are few events in my life, which have not +happened to many: it is true the incidents of it are numerous; and, +did I consider myself an European, I might say my sufferings were +great: but when I compare my lot with that of most of my countrymen, I +regard myself as a <i>particular favourite of Heaven</i>, and acknowledge +the mercies of Providence in every occurrence of my life. If then the +following narrative does not appear sufficiently interesting to engage +general attention, let my motive be some excuse for its publication. I +am not so foolishly vain as to expect from it either immortality or +literary reputation. If it affords any satisfaction to my numerous +friends, at whose request it has been written, or in the smallest +degree promotes the interests of humanity, the ends for which it was +undertaken will be fully attained, and every wish of my heart +gratified. Let it therefore be remembered, that, in wishing to avoid +censure, I do not aspire to praise.</p> + +<p>That part of Africa, known by the name of Guinea, to which the trade +for slaves is carried on, extends along the coast above 3400 miles, +from the Senegal to Angola, and includes a variety of kingdoms. Of +these the most considerable is the kingdom of Benen, both as to extent +and wealth, the richness and cultivation of the soil, the power of its +king, and the number and warlike disposition of the inhabitants. It is +situated nearly under the line, and extends along the coast about 170 +miles, but runs back into the interior part of Africa to a distance +hitherto I believe unexplored by any traveller; and seems only +terminated at length by the empire of Abyssinia, near 1500 miles from +its beginning. This kingdom is divided into many provinces or +districts: in one of the most remote and fertile of which, called +Eboe, I was born, in the year 1745, in a charming fruitful vale, named +Essaka. The distance of this province from the capital of Benin and +the sea coast must be very considerable; for I had never heard of +white men or Europeans, nor of the sea: and our subjection to the king +of Benin was little more than nominal; for every transaction of the +government, as far as my slender observation extended, was conducted +by the chiefs or elders of the place. The manners and government of a +people who have little commerce with other countries are generally +very simple; and the history of what passes in one family or village +may serve as a specimen of a nation. My father was one of those elders +or chiefs I have spoken of, and was styled Embrenche; a term, as I +remember, importing the highest distinction, and signifying in our +language a <i>mark</i> of grandeur. This mark is conferred on the person +entitled to it, by cutting the skin across at the top of the forehead, +and drawing it down to the eye-brows; and while it is in this +situation applying a warm hand, and rubbing it until it shrinks up +into a thick <i>weal</i> across the lower part of the forehead. Most of the +judges and senators were thus marked; my father had long born it: I +had seen it conferred on one of my brothers, and I was also +<i>destined</i> to receive it by my parents. Those Embrence, or chief men, +decided disputes and punished crimes; for which purpose they always +assembled together. The proceedings were generally short; and in most +cases the law of retaliation prevailed. I remember a man was brought +before my father, and the other judges, for kidnapping a boy; and, +although he was the son of a chief or senator, he was condemned to +make recompense by a man or woman slave. Adultery, however, was +sometimes punished with slavery or death; a punishment which I believe +is inflicted on it throughout most of the nations of Africa<a name="FNanchor_A_1" id="FNanchor_A_1" /><a href="#Footnote_A_1" class="fnanchor">[A]</a>: so +sacred among them is the honour of the marriage bed, and so jealous +are they of the fidelity of their wives. Of this I recollect an +instance:—a woman was convicted before the judges of adultery, and +delivered over, as the custom was, to her husband to be punished. +Accordingly he determined to put her to death: but it being found, +just before her execution, that she had an infant at her breast; and +no woman being prevailed on to perform the part of a nurse, she was +spared on account of the child. The men, however, do not preserve the +same constancy to their wives, which they expect from them; for they +indulge in a plurality, though seldom in more than two. Their mode of +marriage is thus:—both parties are usually betrothed when young by +their parents, (though I have known the males to betroth themselves). +On this occasion a feast is prepared, and the bride and bridegroom +stand up in the midst of all their friends, who are assembled for the +purpose, while he declares she is thenceforth to be looked upon as his +wife, and that no other person is to pay any addresses to her. This is +also immediately proclaimed in the vicinity, on which the bride +retires from the assembly. Some time after she is brought home to her +husband, and then another feast is made, to which the relations of +both parties are invited: her parents then deliver her to the +bridegroom, accompanied with a number of blessings, and at the same +time they tie round her waist a cotton string of the thickness of a +goose-quill, which none but married women are permitted to wear: she +is now considered as completely his wife; and at this time the dowry +is given to the new married pair, which generally consists of portions +of land, slaves, and cattle, household goods, and implements of +husbandry. These are offered by the friends of both parties; besides +which the parents of the bridegroom present gifts to those of the +bride, whose property she is looked upon before marriage; but after it +she is esteemed the sole property of her husband. The ceremony being +now ended the festival begins, which is celebrated with bonefires, and +loud acclamations of joy, accompanied with music and dancing.</p> + +<p>We are almost a nation of dancers, musicians, and poets. Thus every +great event, such as a triumphant return from battle, or other cause +of public rejoicing is celebrated in public dances, which are +accompanied with songs and music suited to the occasion. The assembly +is separated into four divisions, which dance either apart or in +succession, and each with a character peculiar to itself. The first +division contains the married men, who in their dances frequently +exhibit feats of arms, and the representation of a battle. To these +succeed the married women, who dance in the second division. The young +men occupy the third; and the maidens the fourth. Each represents some +interesting scene of real life, such as a great achievement, domestic +employment, a pathetic story, or some rural sport; and as the subject +is generally founded on some recent event, it is therefore ever new. +This gives our dances a spirit and variety which I have scarcely seen +elsewhere<a name="FNanchor_B_2" id="FNanchor_B_2" /><a href="#Footnote_B_2" class="fnanchor">[B]</a>. We have many musical instruments, particularly drums of +different kinds, a piece of music which resembles a guitar, and +another much like a stickado. These last are chiefly used by betrothed +virgins, who play on them on all grand festivals.</p> + +<p>As our manners are simple, our luxuries are few. The dress of both +sexes is nearly the same. It generally consists of a long piece of +callico, or muslin, wrapped loosely round the body, somewhat in the +form of a highland plaid. This is usually dyed blue, which is our +favourite colour. It is extracted from a berry, and is brighter and +richer than any I have seen in Europe. Besides this, our women of +distinction wear golden ornaments; which they dispose with some +profusion on their arms and legs. When our women are not employed with +the men in tillage, their usual occupation is spinning and weaving +cotton, which they afterwards dye, and make it into garments. They +also manufacture earthen vessels, of which we have many kinds. Among +the rest tobacco pipes, made after the same fashion, and used in the +same manner, as those in Turkey<a name="FNanchor_C_3" id="FNanchor_C_3" /><a href="#Footnote_C_3" class="fnanchor">[C]</a>.</p> + +<p>Our manner of living is entirely plain; for as yet the natives are +unacquainted with those refinements in cookery which debauch the +taste: bullocks, goats, and poultry, supply the greatest part of their +food. These constitute likewise the principal wealth of the country, +and the chief articles of its commerce. The flesh is usually stewed in +a pan; to make it savoury we sometimes use also pepper, and other +spices, and we have salt made of wood ashes. Our vegetables are mostly +plantains, eadas, yams, beans, and Indian corn. The head of the family +usually eats alone; his wives and slaves have also their separate +tables. Before we taste food we always wash our hands: indeed our +cleanliness on all occasions is extreme; but on this it is an +indispensable ceremony. After washing, libation is made, by pouring +out a small portion of the food, in a certain place, for the spirits +of departed relations, which the natives suppose to preside over their +conduct, and guard them from evil. They are totally unacquainted with +strong or spirituous liquours; and their principal beverage is palm +wine. This is gotten from a tree of that name by tapping it at the +top, and fastening a large gourd to it; and sometimes one tree will +yield three or four gallons in a night. When just drawn it is of a +most delicious sweetness; but in a few days it acquires a tartish and +more spirituous flavour: though I never saw any one intoxicated by it. +The same tree also produces nuts and oil. Our principal luxury is in +perfumes; one sort of these is an odoriferous wood of delicious +fragrance: the other a kind of earth; a small portion of which thrown +into the fire diffuses a most powerful odour<a name="FNanchor_D_4" id="FNanchor_D_4" /><a href="#Footnote_D_4" class="fnanchor">[D]</a>. We beat this wood +into powder, and mix it with palm oil; with which both men and women +perfume themselves.</p> + +<p>In our buildings we study convenience rather than ornament. Each +master of a family has a large square piece of ground, surrounded with +a moat or fence, or enclosed with a wall made of red earth tempered; +which, when dry, is as hard as brick. Within this are his houses to +accommodate his family and slaves; which, if numerous, frequently +present the appearance of a village. In the middle stands the +principal building, appropriated to the sole use of the master, and +consisting of two apartments; in one of which he sits in the day with +his family, the other is left apart for the reception of his friends. +He has besides these a distinct apartment in which he sleeps, together +with his male children. On each side are the apartments of his wives, +who have also their separate day and night houses. The habitations of +the slaves and their families are distributed throughout the rest of +the enclosure. These houses never exceed one story in height: they are +always built of wood, or stakes driven into the ground, crossed with +wattles, and neatly plastered within, and without. The roof is +thatched with reeds. Our day-houses are left open at the sides; but +those in which we sleep are always covered, and plastered in the +inside, with a composition mixed with cow-dung, to keep off the +different insects, which annoy us during the night. The walls and +floors also of these are generally covered with mats. Our beds consist +of a platform, raised three or four feet from the ground, on which are +laid skins, and different parts of a spungy tree called plaintain. Our +covering is calico or muslin, the same as our dress. The usual seats +are a few logs of wood; but we have benches, which are generally +perfumed, to accommodate strangers: these compose the greater part of +our household furniture. Houses so constructed and furnished require +but little skill to erect them. Every man is a sufficient architect +for the purpose. The whole neighbourhood afford their unanimous +assistance in building them and in return receive, and expect no other +recompense than a feast.</p> + +<p>As we live in a country where nature is prodigal of her favours, our +wants are few and easily supplied; of course we have few manufactures. +They consist for the most part of calicoes, earthern ware, ornaments, +and instruments of war and husbandry. But these make no part of our +commerce, the principal articles of which, as I have observed, are +provisions. In such a state money is of little use; however we have +some small pieces of coin, if I may call them such. They are made +something like an anchor; but I do not remember either their value or +denomination. We have also markets, at which I have been frequently +with my mother. These are sometimes visited by stout mahogany-coloured +men from the south west of us: we call them Oye-Eboe, which term +signifies red men living at a distance. They generally bring us +fire-arms, gunpowder, hats, beads, and dried fish. The last we +esteemed a great rarity, as our waters were only brooks and springs. +These articles they barter with us for odoriferous woods and earth, +and our salt of wood ashes. They always carry slaves through our land; +but the strictest account is exacted of their manner of procuring them +before they are suffered to pass. Sometimes indeed we sold slaves to +them, but they were only prisoners of war, or such among us as had +been convicted of kidnapping, or adultery, and some other crimes, +which we esteemed heinous. This practice of kidnapping induces me to +think, that, notwithstanding all our strictness, their principal +business among us was to trepan our people. I remember too they +carried great sacks along with them, which not long after I had an +opportunity of fatally seeing applied to that infamous purpose.</p> + +<p>Our land is uncommonly rich and fruitful, and produces all kinds of +vegetables in great abundance. We have plenty of Indian corn, and vast +quantities of cotton and tobacco. Our pine apples grow without +culture; they are about the size of the largest sugar-loaf, and finely +flavoured. We have also spices of different kinds, particularly +pepper; and a variety of delicious fruits which I have never seen in +Europe; together with gums of various kinds, and honey in abundance. +All our industry is exerted to improve those blessings of nature. +Agriculture is our chief employment; and every one, even the children +and women, are engaged in it. Thus we are all habituated to labour +from our earliest years. Every one contributes something to the common +stock; and as we are unacquainted with idleness, we have no beggars. +The benefits of such a mode of living are obvious. The West India +planters prefer the slaves of Benin or Eboe to those of any other part +of Guinea, for their hardiness, intelligence, integrity, and zeal. +Those benefits are felt by us in the general healthiness of the +people, and in their vigour and activity; I might have added too in +their comeliness. Deformity is indeed unknown amongst us, I mean that +of shape. Numbers of the natives of Eboe now in London might be +brought in support of this assertion: for, in regard to complexion, +ideas of beauty are wholly relative. I remember while in Africa to +have seen three negro children, who were tawny, and another quite +white, who were universally regarded by myself, and the natives in +general, as far as related to their complexions, as deformed. Our +women too were in my eyes at least uncommonly graceful, alert, and +modest to a degree of bashfulness; nor do I remember to have ever +heard of an instance of incontinence amongst them before marriage. +They are also remarkably cheerful. Indeed cheerfulness and affability +are two of the leading characteristics of our nation.</p> + +<p>Our tillage is exercised in a large plain or common, some hours walk +from our dwellings, and all the neighbours resort thither in a body. +They use no beasts of husbandry; and their only instruments are hoes, +axes, shovels, and beaks, or pointed iron to dig with. Sometimes we +are visited by locusts, which come in large clouds, so as to darken +the air, and destroy our harvest. This however happens rarely, but +when it does, a famine is produced by it. I remember an instance or +two wherein this happened. This common is often the theatre of war; +and therefore when our people go out to till their land, they not only +go in a body, but generally take their arms with them for fear of a +surprise; and when they apprehend an invasion they guard the avenues +to their dwellings, by driving sticks into the ground, which are so +sharp at one end as to pierce the foot, and are generally dipt in +poison. From what I can recollect of these battles, they appear to +have been irruptions of one little state or district on the other, to +obtain prisoners or booty. Perhaps they were incited to this by those +traders who brought the European goods I mentioned amongst us. Such a +mode of obtaining slaves in Africa is common; and I believe more are +procured this way, and by kidnapping, than any other<a name="FNanchor_E_5" id="FNanchor_E_5" /><a href="#Footnote_E_5" class="fnanchor">[E]</a>. When a trader +wants slaves, he applies to a chief for them, and tempts him with his +wares. It is not extraordinary, if on this occasion he yields to the +temptation with as little firmness, and accepts the price of his +fellow creatures liberty with as little reluctance as the enlightened +merchant. Accordingly he falls on his neighbours, and a desperate +battle ensues. If he prevails and takes prisoners, he gratifies his +avarice by selling them; but, if his party be vanquished, and he falls +into the hands of the enemy, he is put to death: for, as he has been +known to foment their quarrels, it is thought dangerous to let him +survive, and no ransom can save him, though all other prisoners may be +redeemed. We have fire-arms, bows and arrows, broad two-edged swords +and javelins: we have shields also which cover a man from head to +foot. All are taught the use of these weapons; even our women are +warriors, and march boldly out to fight along with the men. Our whole +district is a kind of militia: on a certain signal given, such as the +firing of a gun at night, they all rise in arms and rush upon their +enemy. It is perhaps something remarkable, that when our people march +to the field a red flag or banner is borne before them. I was once a +witness to a battle in our common. We had been all at work in it one +day as usual, when our people were suddenly attacked. I climbed a tree +at some distance, from which I beheld the fight. There were many women +as well as men on both sides; among others my mother was there, and +armed with a broad sword. After fighting for a considerable time with +great fury, and after many had been killed our people obtained the +victory, and took their enemy's Chief prisoner. He was carried off in +great triumph, and, though he offered a large ransom for his life, he +was put to death. A virgin of note among our enemies had been slain in +the battle, and her arm was exposed in our market-place, where our +trophies were always exhibited. The spoils were divided according to +the merit of the warriors. Those prisoners which were not sold or +redeemed we kept as slaves: but how different was their condition from +that of the slaves in the West Indies! With us they do no more work +than other members of the community, even their masters; their food, +clothing and lodging were nearly the same as theirs, (except that they +were not permitted to eat with those who were free-born); and there +was scarce any other difference between them, than a superior degree +of importance which the head of a family possesses in our state, and +that authority which, as such, he exercises over every part of his +household. Some of these slaves have even slaves under them as their +own property, and for their own use.</p> + +<p>As to religion, the natives believe that there is one Creator of all +things, and that he lives in the sun, and is girted round with a belt +that he may never eat or drink; but, according to some, he smokes a +pipe, which is our own favourite luxury. They believe he governs +events, especially our deaths or captivity; but, as for the doctrine +of eternity, I do not remember to have ever heard of it: some however +believe in the transmigration of souls in a certain degree. Those +spirits, which are not transmigrated, such as our dear friends or +relations, they believe always attend them, and guard them from the +bad spirits or their foes. For this reason they always before eating, +as I have observed, put some small portion of the meat, and pour some +of their drink, on the ground for them; and they often make oblations +of the blood of beasts or fowls at their graves. I was very fond of my +mother, and almost constantly with her. When she went to make these +oblations at her mother's tomb, which was a kind of small solitary +thatched house, I sometimes attended her. There she made her +libations, and spent most of the night in cries and lamentations. I +have been often extremely terrified on these occasions. The loneliness +of the place, the darkness of the night, and the ceremony of libation, +naturally awful and gloomy, were heightened by my mother's +lamentations; and these, concuring with the cries of doleful birds, by +which these places were frequented, gave an inexpressible terror to +the scene.</p> + +<p>We compute the year from the day on which the sun crosses the line, +and on its setting that evening there is a general shout throughout +the land; at least I can speak from my own knowledge throughout our +vicinity. The people at the same time make a great noise with rattles, +not unlike the basket rattles used by children here, though much +larger, and hold up their hands to heaven for a blessing. It is then +the greatest offerings are made; and those children whom our wise men +foretel will be fortunate are then presented to different people. I +remember many used to come to see me, and I was carried about to +others for that purpose. They have many offerings, particularly at +full moons; generally two at harvest before the fruits are taken out +of the ground: and when any young animals are killed, sometimes they +offer up part of them as a sacrifice. These offerings, when made by +one of the heads of a family, serve for the whole. I remember we often +had them at my father's and my uncle's, and their families have been +present. Some of our offerings are eaten with bitter herbs. We had a +saying among us to any one of a cross temper, 'That if they were to be +eaten, they should be eaten with bitter herbs.'</p> + +<p>We practised circumcision like the Jews, and made offerings and feasts +on that occasion in the same manner as they did. Like them also, our +children were named from some event, some circumstance, or fancied +foreboding at the time of their birth. I was named <i>Olaudah</i>, which, +in our language, signifies vicissitude or fortune also, one favoured, +and having a loud voice and well spoken. I remember we never polluted +the name of the object of our adoration; on the contrary, it was +always mentioned with the greatest reverence; and we were totally +unacquainted with swearing, and all those terms of abuse and reproach +which find their way so readily and copiously into the languages of +more civilized people. The only expressions of that kind I remember +were 'May you rot, or may you swell, or may a beast take you.'</p> + +<p>I have before remarked that the natives of this part of Africa are +extremely cleanly. This necessary habit of decency was with us a part +of religion, and therefore we had many purifications and washings; +indeed almost as many, and used on the same occasions, if my +recollection does not fail me, as the Jews. Those that touched the +dead at any time were obliged to wash and purify themselves before +they could enter a dwelling-house. Every woman too, at certain times, +was forbidden to come into a dwelling-house, or touch any person, or +any thing we ate. I was so fond of my mother I could not keep from +her, or avoid touching her at some of those periods, in consequence of +which I was obliged to be kept out with her, in a little house made +for that purpose, till offering was made, and then we were purified.</p> + +<p>Though we had no places of public worship, we had priests and +magicians, or wise men. I do not remember whether they had different +offices, or whether they were united in the same persons, but they +were held in great reverence by the people. They calculated our time, +and foretold events, as their name imported, for we called them +Ah-affoe-way-cah, which signifies calculators or yearly men, our year +being called Ah-affoe. They wore their beards, and when they died they +were succeeded by their sons. Most of their implements and things of +value were interred along with them. Pipes and tobacco were also put +into the grave with the corpse, which was always perfumed and +ornamented, and animals were offered in sacrifice to them. None +accompanied their funerals but those of the same profession or tribe. +These buried them after sunset, and always returned from the grave by +a different way from that which they went.</p> + +<p>These magicians were also our doctors or physicians. They practised +bleeding by cupping; and were very successful in healing wounds and +expelling poisons. They had likewise some extraordinary method of +discovering jealousy, theft, and poisoning; the success of which no +doubt they derived from their unbounded influence over the credulity +and superstition of the people. I do not remember what those methods +were, except that as to poisoning: I recollect an instance or two, +which I hope it will not be deemed impertinent here to insert, as it +may serve as a kind of specimen of the rest, and is still used by the +negroes in the West Indies. A virgin had been poisoned, but it was not +known by whom: the doctors ordered the corpse to be taken up by some +persons, and carried to the grave. As soon as the bearers had raised +it on their shoulders, they seemed seized with some<a name="FNanchor_F_6" id="FNanchor_F_6" /><a href="#Footnote_F_6" class="fnanchor">[F]</a> sudden +impulse, and ran to and fro unable to stop themselves. At last, after +having passed through a number of thorns and prickly bushes unhurt, +the corpse fell from them close to a house, and defaced it in the +fall; and, the owner being taken up, he immediately confessed the +poisoning<a name="FNanchor_G_7" id="FNanchor_G_7" /><a href="#Footnote_G_7" class="fnanchor">[G]</a>.</p> + +<p>The natives are extremely cautious about poison. When they buy any +eatable the seller kisses it all round before the buyer, to shew him +it is not poisoned; and the same is done when any meat or drink is +presented, particularly to a stranger. We have serpents of different +kinds, some of which are esteemed ominous when they appear in our +houses, and these we never molest. I remember two of those ominous +snakes, each of which was as thick as the calf of a man's leg, and in +colour resembling a dolphin in the water, crept at different times +into my mother's night-house, where I always lay with her, and coiled +themselves into folds, and each time they crowed like a cock. I was +desired by some of our wise men to touch these, that I might be +interested in the good omens, which I did, for they were quite +harmless, and would tamely suffer themselves to be handled; and then +they were put into a large open earthen pan, and set on one side of +the highway. Some of our snakes, however, were poisonous: one of them +crossed the road one day when I was standing on it, and passed between +my feet without offering to touch me, to the great surprise of many +who saw it; and these incidents were accounted by the wise men, and +therefore by my mother and the rest of the people, as remarkable omens +in my favour.</p> + +<p>Such is the imperfect sketch my memory has furnished me with of the +manners and customs of a people among whom I first drew my breath. And +here I cannot forbear suggesting what has long struck me very +forcibly, namely, the strong analogy which even by this sketch, +imperfect as it is, appears to prevail in the manners and customs of +my countrymen and those of the Jews, before they reached the Land of +Promise, and particularly the patriarchs while they were yet in that +pastoral state which is described in Genesis—an analogy, which alone +would induce me to think that the one people had sprung from the +other. Indeed this is the opinion of Dr. Gill, who, in his commentary +on Genesis, very ably deduces the pedigree of the Africans from Afer +and Afra, the descendants of Abraham by Keturah his wife and concubine +(for both these titles are applied to her). It is also conformable to +the sentiments of Dr. John Clarke, formerly Dean of Sarum, in his +Truth of the Christian Religion: both these authors concur in +ascribing to us this original. The reasonings of these gentlemen are +still further confirmed by the scripture chronology; and if any +further corroboration were required, this resemblance in so many +respects is a strong evidence in support of the opinion. Like the +Israelites in their primitive state, our government was conducted by +our chiefs or judges, our wise men and elders; and the head of a +family with us enjoyed a similar authority over his household with +that which is ascribed to Abraham and the other patriarchs. The law of +retaliation obtained almost universally with us as with them: and even +their religion appeared to have shed upon us a ray of its glory, +though broken and spent in its passage, or eclipsed by the cloud with +which time, tradition, and ignorance might have enveloped it; for we +had our circumcision (a rule I believe peculiar to that people:) we +had also our sacrifices and burnt-offerings, our washings and +purifications, on the same occasions as they had.</p> + +<p>As to the difference of colour between the Eboan Africans and the +modern Jews, I shall not presume to account for it. It is a subject +which has engaged the pens of men of both genius and learning, and is +far above my strength. The most able and Reverend Mr. T. Clarkson, +however, in his much admired Essay on the Slavery and Commerce of the +Human Species, has ascertained the cause, in a manner that at once +solves every objection on that account, and, on my mind at least, has +produced the fullest conviction. I shall therefore refer to that +performance for the theory<a name="FNanchor_H_8" id="FNanchor_H_8" /><a href="#Footnote_H_8" class="fnanchor">[H]</a>, contenting myself with extracting a +fact as related by Dr. Mitchel<a name="FNanchor_I_9" id="FNanchor_I_9" /><a href="#Footnote_I_9" class="fnanchor">[I]</a>. "The Spaniards, who have inhabited +America, under the torrid zone, for any time, are become as dark +coloured as our native Indians of Virginia; of which <i>I myself have +been a witness</i>." There is also another instance<a name="FNanchor_J_10" id="FNanchor_J_10" /><a href="#Footnote_J_10" class="fnanchor">[J]</a> of a Portuguese +settlement at Mitomba, a river in Sierra Leona; where the inhabitants +are bred from a mixture of the first Portuguese discoverers with the +natives, and are now become in their complexion, and in the woolly +quality of their hair, <i>perfect negroes</i>, retaining however a +smattering of the Portuguese language.</p> + +<p>These instances, and a great many more which might be adduced, while +they shew how the complexions of the same persons vary in different +climates, it is hoped may tend also to remove the prejudice that some +conceive against the natives of Africa on account of their colour. +Surely the minds of the Spaniards did not change with their +complexions! Are there not causes enough to which the apparent +inferiority of an African may be ascribed, without limiting the +goodness of God, and supposing he forbore to stamp understanding on +certainly his own image, because "carved in ebony." Might it not +naturally be ascribed to their situation? When they come among +Europeans, they are ignorant of their language, religion, manners, and +customs. Are any pains taken to teach them these? Are they treated as +men? Does not slavery itself depress the mind, and extinguish all its +fire and every noble sentiment? But, above all, what advantages do not +a refined people possess over those who are rude and uncultivated. Let +the polished and haughty European recollect that his ancestors were +once, like the Africans, uncivilized, and even barbarous. Did Nature +make <i>them</i> inferior to their sons? and should <i>they too</i> have been +made slaves? Every rational mind answers, No. Let such reflections as +these melt the pride of their superiority into sympathy for the wants +and miseries of their sable brethren, and compel them to acknowledge, +that understanding is not confined to feature or colour. If, when they +look round the world, they feel exultation, let it be tempered with +benevolence to others, and gratitude to God, "who hath made of one +blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth<a name="FNanchor_K_11" id="FNanchor_K_11" /><a href="#Footnote_K_11" class="fnanchor">[K]</a>; +and whose wisdom is not our wisdom, neither are our ways his ways."</p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_A_1" id="Footnote_A_1" /><a href="#FNanchor_A_1"><span class="label">[A]</span></a> See Benezet's "Account of Guinea" throughout.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_B_2" id="Footnote_B_2" /><a href="#FNanchor_B_2"><span class="label">[B]</span></a> When I was in Smyrna I have frequently seen the Greeks +dance after this manner.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_C_3" id="Footnote_C_3" /><a href="#FNanchor_C_3"><span class="label">[C]</span></a> The bowl is earthen, curiously figured, to which a long +reed is fixed as a tube. This tube is sometimes so long as to be born +by one, and frequently out of grandeur by two boys.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_D_4" id="Footnote_D_4" /><a href="#FNanchor_D_4"><span class="label">[D]</span></a> When I was in Smyrna I saw the same kind of earth, and +brought some of it with me to England; it resembles musk in strength, +but is more delicious in scent, and is not unlike the smell of a +rose.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_E_5" id="Footnote_E_5" /><a href="#FNanchor_E_5"><span class="label">[E]</span></a> See Benezet's Account of Africa throughout.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_F_6" id="Footnote_F_6" /><a href="#FNanchor_F_6"><span class="label">[F]</span></a> See also Leut. Matthew's Voyage, p. 123.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_G_7" id="Footnote_G_7" /><a href="#FNanchor_G_7"><span class="label">[G]</span></a> An instance of this kind happened at Montserrat in the +West Indies in the year 1763. I then belonged to the Charming Sally, +Capt. Doran.—The chief mate, Mr. Mansfield, and some of the crew +being one day on shore, were present at the burying of a poisoned +negro girl. Though they had often heard of the circumstance of the +running in such cases, and had even seen it, they imagined it to be a +trick of the corpse-bearers. The mate therefore desired two of the +sailors to take up the coffin, and carry it to the grave. The sailors, +who were all of the same opinion, readily obeyed; but they had +scarcely raised it to their shoulders, before they began to run +furiously about, quite unable to direct themselves, till, at last, +without intention, they came to the hut of him who had poisoned the +girl. The coffin then immediately fell from their shoulders against +the hut, and damaged part of the wall. The owner of the hut was taken +into custody on this, and confessed the poisoning.—I give this story +as it was related by the mate and crew on their return to the ship. +The credit which is due to it I leave with the reader.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_H_8" id="Footnote_H_8" /><a href="#FNanchor_H_8"><span class="label">[H]</span></a> Page 178 to 216.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_I_9" id="Footnote_I_9" /><a href="#FNanchor_I_9"><span class="label">[I]</span></a> Philos. Trans. Nº 476, Sect. 4, cited by Mr. Clarkson, p. +205.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_J_10" id="Footnote_J_10" /><a href="#FNanchor_J_10"><span class="label">[J]</span></a> Same page.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_K_11" id="Footnote_K_11" /><a href="#FNanchor_K_11"><span class="label">[K]</span></a> Acts, c. xvii. v. 26.</p></div> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAP_II" id="CHAP_II" />CHAP. II.</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>The author's birth and parentage—His being kidnapped with + his sister—Their separation—Surprise at meeting again—Are + finally separated—Account of the different places and + incidents the author met with till his arrival on the + coast—The effect the sight of a slave ship had on him—He + sails for the West Indies—Horrors of a slave ship—Arrives + at Barbadoes, where the cargo is sold and dispersed.</i></p></div> + + +<p>I hope the reader will not think I have trespassed on his patience +in introducing myself to him with some account of the manners and +customs of my country. They had been implanted in me with great care, +and made an impression on my mind, which time could not erase, and +which all the adversity and variety of fortune I have since +experienced served only to rivet and record; for, whether the love of +one's country be real or imaginary, or a lesson of reason, or an +instinct of nature, I still look back with pleasure on the first +scenes of my life, though that pleasure has been for the most part +mingled with sorrow.</p> + +<p>I have already acquainted the reader with the time and place of my +birth. My father, besides many slaves, had a numerous family, of which +seven lived to grow up, including myself and a sister, who was the +only daughter. As I was the youngest of the sons, I became, of course, +the greatest favourite with my mother, and was always with her; and +she used to take particular pains to form my mind. I was trained up +from my earliest years in the art of war; my daily exercise was +shooting and throwing javelins; and my mother adorned me with emblems, +after the manner of our greatest warriors. In this way I grew up till +I was turned the age of eleven, when an end was put to my happiness in +the following manner:—Generally when the grown people in the +neighbourhood were gone far in the fields to labour, the children +assembled together in some of the neighbours' premises to play; and +commonly some of us used to get up a tree to look out for any +assailant, or kidnapper, that might come upon us; for they sometimes +took those opportunities of our parents' absence to attack and carry +off as many as they could seize. One day, as I was watching at the top +of a tree in our yard, I saw one of those people come into the yard of +our next neighbour but one, to kidnap, there being many stout young +people in it. Immediately on this I gave the alarm of the rogue, and +he was surrounded by the stoutest of them, who entangled him with +cords, so that he could not escape till some of the grown people came +and secured him. But alas! ere long it was my fate to be thus +attacked, and to be carried off, when none of the grown people were +nigh. One day, when all our people were gone out to their works as +usual, and only I and my dear sister were left to mind the house, two +men and a woman got over our walls, and in a moment seized us both, +and, without giving us time to cry out, or make resistance, they +stopped our mouths, and ran off with us into the nearest wood. Here +they tied our hands, and continued to carry us as far as they could, +till night came on, when we reached a small house, where the robbers +halted for refreshment, and spent the night. We were then unbound, but +were unable to take any food; and, being quite overpowered by fatigue +and grief, our only relief was some sleep, which allayed our +misfortune for a short time. The next morning we left the house, and +continued travelling all the day. For a long time we had kept the +woods, but at last we came into a road which I believed I knew. I had +now some hopes of being delivered; for we had advanced but a little +way before I discovered some people at a distance, on which I began to +cry out for their assistance: but my cries had no other effect than to +make them tie me faster and stop my mouth, and then they put me into a +large sack. They also stopped my sister's mouth, and tied her hands; +and in this manner we proceeded till we were out of the sight of these +people. When we went to rest the following night they offered us some +victuals; but we refused it; and the only comfort we had was in being +in one another's arms all that night, and bathing each other with our +tears. But alas! we were soon deprived of even the small comfort of +weeping together. The next day proved a day of greater sorrow than I +had yet experienced; for my sister and I were then separated, while we +lay clasped in each other's arms. It was in vain that we besought them +not to part us; she was torn from me, and immediately carried away, +while I was left in a state of distraction not to be described. I +cried and grieved continually; and for several days I did not eat any +thing but what they forced into my mouth. At length, after many days +travelling, during which I had often changed masters, I got into the +hands of a chieftain, in a very pleasant country. This man had two +wives and some children, and they all used me extremely well, and did +all they could to comfort me; particularly the first wife, who was +something like my mother. Although I was a great many days journey +from my father's house, yet these people spoke exactly the same +language with us. This first master of mine, as I may call him, was a +smith, and my principal employment was working his bellows, which were +the same kind as I had seen in my vicinity. They were in some respects +not unlike the stoves here in gentlemen's kitchens; and were covered +over with leather; and in the middle of that leather a stick was +fixed, and a person stood up, and worked it, in the same manner as is +done to pump water out of a cask with a hand pump. I believe it was +gold he worked, for it was of a lovely bright yellow colour, and was +worn by the women on their wrists and ancles. I was there I suppose +about a month, and they at last used to trust me some little distance +from the house. This liberty I used in embracing every opportunity to +inquire the way to my own home: and I also sometimes, for the same +purpose, went with the maidens, in the cool of the evenings, to bring +pitchers of water from the springs for the use of the house. I had +also remarked where the sun rose in the morning, and set in the +evening, as I had travelled along; and I had observed that my father's +house was towards the rising of the sun. I therefore determined to +seize the first opportunity of making my escape, and to shape my +course for that quarter; for I was quite oppressed and weighed down by +grief after my mother and friends; and my love of liberty, ever great, +was strengthened by the mortifying circumstance of not daring to eat +with the free-born children, although I was mostly their companion. +While I was projecting my escape, one day an unlucky event happened, +which quite disconcerted my plan, and put an end to my hopes. I used +to be sometimes employed in assisting an elderly woman slave to cook +and take care of the poultry; and one morning, while I was feeding +some chickens, I happened to toss a small pebble at one of them, +which hit it on the middle and directly killed it. The old slave, +having soon after missed the chicken, inquired after it; and on my +relating the accident (for I told her the truth, because my mother +would never suffer me to tell a lie) she flew into a violent passion, +threatened that I should suffer for it; and, my master being out, she +immediately went and told her mistress what I had done. This alarmed +me very much, and I expected an instant flogging, which to me was +uncommonly dreadful; for I had seldom been beaten at home. I therefore +resolved to fly; and accordingly I ran into a thicket that was hard +by, and hid myself in the bushes. Soon afterwards my mistress and the +slave returned, and, not seeing me, they searched all the house, but +not finding me, and I not making answer when they called to me, they +thought I had run away, and the whole neighbourhood was raised in the +pursuit of me. In that part of the country (as in ours) the houses and +villages were skirted with woods, or shrubberies, and the bushes were +so thick that a man could readily conceal himself in them, so as to +elude the strictest search. The neighbours continued the whole day +looking for me, and several times many of them came within a few yards +of the place where I lay hid. I then gave myself up for lost entirely, +and expected every moment, when I heard a rustling among the trees, to +be found out, and punished by my master: but they never discovered me, +though they were often so near that I even heard their conjectures as +they were looking about for me; and I now learned from them, that any +attempt to return home would be hopeless. Most of them supposed I had +fled towards home; but the distance was so great, and the way so +intricate, that they thought I could never reach it, and that I should +be lost in the woods. When I heard this I was seized with a violent +panic, and abandoned myself to despair. Night too began to approach, +and aggravated all my fears. I had before entertained hopes of getting +home, and I had determined when it should be dark to make the attempt; +but I was now convinced it was fruitless, and I began to consider +that, if possibly I could escape all other animals, I could not those +of the human kind; and that, not knowing the way, I must perish in the +woods. Thus was I like the hunted deer:</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>—"Ev'ry leaf and ev'ry whisp'ring breath<br /></span> +<span>Convey'd a foe, and ev'ry foe a death."<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>I heard frequent rustlings among the leaves; and being pretty sure +they were snakes I expected every instant to be stung by them. This +increased my anguish, and the horror of my situation became now quite +insupportable. I at length quitted the thicket, very faint and hungry, +for I had not eaten or drank any thing all the day; and crept to my +master's kitchen, from whence I set out at first, and which was an +open shed, and laid myself down in the ashes with an anxious wish for +death to relieve me from all my pains. I was scarcely awake in the +morning when the old woman slave, who was the first up, came to light +the fire, and saw me in the fire place. She was very much surprised to +see me, and could scarcely believe her own eyes. She now promised to +intercede for me, and went for her master, who soon after came, and, +having slightly reprimanded me, ordered me to be taken care of, and +not to be ill-treated.</p> + +<p>Soon after this my master's only daughter, and child by his first +wife, sickened and died, which affected him so much that for some time +he was almost frantic, and really would have killed himself, had he +not been watched and prevented. However, in a small time afterwards he +recovered, and I was again sold. I was now carried to the left of the +sun's rising, through many different countries, and a number of large +woods. The people I was sold to used to carry me very often, when I +was tired, either on their shoulders or on their backs. I saw many +convenient well-built sheds along the roads, at proper distances, to +accommodate the merchants and travellers, who lay in those buildings +along with their wives, who often accompany them; and they always go +well armed.</p> + +<p>From the time I left my own nation I always found somebody that +understood me till I came to the sea coast. The languages of different +nations did not totally differ, nor were they so copious as those of +the Europeans, particularly the English. They were therefore easily +learned; and, while I was journeying thus through Africa, I acquired +two or three different tongues. In this manner I had been travelling +for a considerable time, when one evening, to my great surprise, whom +should I see brought to the house where I was but my dear sister! As +soon as she saw me she gave a loud shriek, and ran into my arms—I was +quite overpowered: neither of us could speak; but, for a considerable +time, clung to each other in mutual embraces, unable to do any thing +but weep. Our meeting affected all who saw us; and indeed I must +acknowledge, in honour of those sable destroyers of human rights, that +I never met with any ill treatment, or saw any offered to their +slaves, except tying them, when necessary, to keep them from running +away. When these people knew we were brother and sister they indulged +us together; and the man, to whom I supposed we belonged, lay with us, +he in the middle, while she and I held one another by the hands across +his breast all night; and thus for a while we forgot our misfortunes +in the joy of being together: but even this small comfort was soon to +have an end; for scarcely had the fatal morning appeared, when she was +again torn from me for ever! I was now more miserable, if possible, +than before. The small relief which her presence gave me from pain was +gone, and the wretchedness of my situation was redoubled by my anxiety +after her fate, and my apprehensions lest her sufferings should be +greater than mine, when I could not be with her to alleviate them. +Yes, thou dear partner of all my childish sports! thou sharer of my +joys and sorrows! happy should I have ever esteemed myself to +encounter every misery for you, and to procure your freedom by the +sacrifice of my own. Though you were early forced from my arms, your +image has been always rivetted in my heart, from which neither <i>time +nor fortune</i> have been able to remove it; so that, while the thoughts +of your sufferings have damped my prosperity, they have mingled with +adversity and increased its bitterness. To that Heaven which protects +the weak from the strong, I commit the care of your innocence and +virtues, if they have not already received their full reward, and if +your youth and delicacy have not long since fallen victims to the +violence of the African trader, the pestilential stench of a Guinea +ship, the seasoning in the European colonies, or the lash and lust of +a brutal and unrelenting overseer.</p> + +<p>I did not long remain after my sister. I was again sold, and carried +through a number of places, till, after travelling a considerable +time, I came to a town called Tinmah, in the most beautiful country I +have yet seen in Africa. It was extremely rich, and there were many +rivulets which flowed through it, and supplied a large pond in the +centre of the town, where the people washed. Here I first saw and +tasted cocoa-nuts, which I thought superior to any nuts I had ever +tasted before; and the trees, which were loaded, were also +interspersed amongst the houses, which had commodious shades +adjoining, and were in the same manner as ours, the insides being +neatly plastered and whitewashed. Here I also saw and tasted for the +first time sugar-cane. Their money consisted of little white shells, +the size of the finger nail. I was sold here for one hundred and +seventy-two of them by a merchant who lived and brought me there. I +had been about two or three days at his house, when a wealthy widow, a +neighbour of his, came there one evening, and brought with her an only +son, a young gentleman about my own age and size. Here they saw me; +and, having taken a fancy to me, I was bought of the merchant, and +went home with them. Her house and premises were situated close to one +of those rivulets I have mentioned, and were the finest I ever saw in +Africa: they were very extensive, and she had a number of slaves to +attend her. The next day I was washed and perfumed, and when meal-time +came I was led into the presence of my mistress, and ate and drank +before her with her son. This filled me with astonishment; and I could +scarce help expressing my surprise that the young gentleman should +suffer me, who was bound, to eat with him who was free; and not only +so, but that he would not at any time either eat or drink till I had +taken first, because I was the eldest, which was agreeable to our +custom. Indeed every thing here, and all their treatment of me, made +me forget that I was a slave. The language of these people resembled +ours so nearly, that we understood each other perfectly. They had also +the very same customs as we. There were likewise slaves daily to +attend us, while my young master and I with other boys sported with +our darts and bows and arrows, as I had been used to do at home. In +this resemblance to my former happy state I passed about two months; +and I now began to think I was to be adopted into the family, and was +beginning to be reconciled to my situation, and to forget by degrees +my misfortunes, when all at once the delusion vanished; for, without +the least previous knowledge, one morning early, while my dear master +and companion was still asleep, I was wakened out of my reverie to +fresh sorrow, and hurried away even amongst the uncircumcised.</p> + +<p>Thus, at the very moment I dreamed of the greatest happiness, I found +myself most miserable; and it seemed as if fortune wished to give me +this taste of joy, only to render the reverse more poignant. The +change I now experienced was as painful as it was sudden and +unexpected. It was a change indeed from a state of bliss to a scene +which is inexpressible by me, as it discovered to me an element I had +never before beheld, and till then had no idea of, and wherein such +instances of hardship and cruelty continually occurred as I can never +reflect on but with horror.</p> + +<p>All the nations and people I had hitherto passed through resembled our +own in their manners, customs, and language: but I came at length to a +country, the inhabitants of which differed from us in all those +particulars. I was very much struck with this difference, especially +when I came among a people who did not circumcise, and ate without +washing their hands. They cooked also in iron pots, and had European +cutlasses and cross bows, which were unknown to us, and fought with +their fists amongst themselves. Their women were not so modest as +ours, for they ate, and drank, and slept, with their men. But, above +all, I was amazed to see no sacrifices or offerings among them. In +some of those places the people ornamented themselves with scars, and +likewise filed their teeth very sharp. They wanted sometimes to +ornament me in the same manner, but I would not suffer them; hoping +that I might some time be among a people who did not thus disfigure +themselves, as I thought they did. At last I came to the banks of a +large river, which was covered with canoes, in which the people +appeared to live with their household utensils and provisions of all +kinds. I was beyond measure astonished at this, as I had never before +seen any water larger than a pond or a rivulet: and my surprise was +mingled with no small fear when I was put into one of these canoes, +and we began to paddle and move along the river. We continued going on +thus till night; and when we came to land, and made fires on the +banks, each family by themselves, some dragged their canoes on shore, +others stayed and cooked in theirs, and laid in them all night. Those +on the land had mats, of which they made tents, some in the shape of +little houses: in these we slept; and after the morning meal we +embarked again and proceeded as before. I was often very much +astonished to see some of the women, as well as the men, jump into the +water, dive to the bottom, come up again, and swim about. Thus I +continued to travel, sometimes by land, sometimes by water, through +different countries and various nations, till, at the end of six or +seven months after I had been kidnapped, I arrived at the sea coast. +It would be tedious and uninteresting to relate all the incidents +which befell me during this journey, and which I have not yet +forgotten; of the various hands I passed through, and the manners and +customs of all the different people among whom I lived: I shall +therefore only observe, that in all the places where I was the soil +was exceedingly rich; the pomkins, eadas, plantains, yams, &c. &c. +were in great abundance, and of incredible size. There were also vast +quantities of different gums, though not used for any purpose; and +every where a great deal of tobacco. The cotton even grew quite wild; +and there was plenty of redwood. I saw no mechanics whatever in all +the way, except such as I have mentioned. The chief employment in all +these countries was agriculture, and both the males and females, as +with us, were brought up to it, and trained in the arts of war.</p> + +<p>The first object which saluted my eyes when I arrived on the coast was +the sea, and a slave ship, which was then riding at anchor, and +waiting for its cargo. These filled me with astonishment, which was +soon converted into terror when I was carried on board. I was +immediately handled and tossed up to see if I were sound by some of +the crew; and I was now persuaded that I had gotten into a world of +bad spirits, and that they were going to kill me. Their complexions +too differing so much from ours, their long hair, and the language +they spoke, (which was very different from any I had ever heard) +united to confirm me in this belief. Indeed such were the horrors of +my views and fears at the moment, that, if ten thousand worlds had +been my own, I would have freely parted with them all to have +exchanged my condition with that of the meanest slave in my own +country. When I looked round the ship too and saw a large furnace or +copper boiling, and a multitude of black people of every description +chained together, every one of their countenances expressing dejection +and sorrow, I no longer doubted of my fate; and, quite overpowered +with horror and anguish, I fell motionless on the deck and fainted. +When I recovered a little I found some black people about me, who I +believed were some of those who brought me on board, and had been +receiving their pay; they talked to me in order to cheer me, but all +in vain. I asked them if we were not to be eaten by those white men +with horrible looks, red faces, and loose hair. They told me I was +not; and one of the crew brought me a small portion of spirituous +liquor in a wine glass; but, being afraid of him, I would not take it +out of his hand. One of the blacks therefore took it from him and gave +it to me, and I took a little down my palate, which, instead of +reviving me, as they thought it would, threw me into the greatest +consternation at the strange feeling it produced, having never tasted +any such liquor before. Soon after this the blacks who brought me on +board went off, and left me abandoned to despair. I now saw myself +deprived of all chance of returning to my native country, or even the +least glimpse of hope of gaining the shore, which I now considered as +friendly; and I even wished for my former slavery in preference to my +present situation, which was filled with horrors of every kind, still +heightened by my ignorance of what I was to undergo. I was not long +suffered to indulge my grief; I was soon put down under the decks, and +there I received such a salutation in my nostrils as I had never +experienced in my life: so that, with the loathsomeness of the stench, +and crying together, I became so sick and low that I was not able to +eat, nor had I the least desire to taste any thing. I now wished for +the last friend, death, to relieve me; but soon, to my grief, two of +the white men offered me eatables; and, on my refusing to eat, one of +them held me fast by the hands, and laid me across I think the +windlass, and tied my feet, while the other flogged me severely. I had +never experienced any thing of this kind before; and although, not +being used to the water, I naturally feared that element the first +time I saw it, yet nevertheless, could I have got over the nettings, +I would have jumped over the side, but I could not; and, besides, the +crew used to watch us very closely who were not chained down to the +decks, lest we should leap into the water: and I have seen some of +these poor African prisoners most severely cut for attempting to do +so, and hourly whipped for not eating. This indeed was often the case +with myself. In a little time after, amongst the poor chained men, I +found some of my own nation, which in a small degree gave ease to my +mind. I inquired of these what was to be done with us; they gave me to +understand we were to be carried to these white people's country to +work for them. I then was a little revived, and thought, if it were no +worse than working, my situation was not so desperate: but still I +feared I should be put to death, the white people looked and acted, as +I thought, in so savage a manner; for I had never seen among any +people such instances of brutal cruelty; and this not only shewn +towards us blacks, but also to some of the whites themselves. One +white man in particular I saw, when we were permitted to be on deck, +flogged so unmercifully with a large rope near the foremast, that he +died in consequence of it; and they tossed him over the side as they +would have done a brute. This made me fear these people the more; and +I expected nothing less than to be treated in the same manner. I could +not help expressing my fears and apprehensions to some of my +countrymen: I asked them if these people had no country, but lived in +this hollow place (the ship): they told me they did not, but came from +a distant one. 'Then,' said I, 'how comes it in all our country we +never heard of them?' They told me because they lived so very far off. +I then asked where were their women? had they any like themselves? I +was told they had: 'and why,' said I,'do we not see them?' they +answered, because they were left behind. I asked how the vessel could +go? they told me they could not tell; but that there were cloths put +upon the masts by the help of the ropes I saw, and then the vessel +went on; and the white men had some spell or magic they put in the +water when they liked in order to stop the vessel. I was exceedingly +amazed at this account, and really thought they were spirits. I +therefore wished much to be from amongst them, for I expected they +would sacrifice me: but my wishes were vain; for we were so quartered +that it was impossible for any of us to make our escape. While we +stayed on the coast I was mostly on deck; and one day, to my great +astonishment, I saw one of these vessels coming in with the sails up. +As soon as the whites saw it, they gave a great shout, at which we +were amazed; and the more so as the vessel appeared larger by +approaching nearer. At last she came to an anchor in my sight, and +when the anchor was let go I and my countrymen who saw it were lost in +astonishment to observe the vessel stop; and were not convinced it was +done by magic. Soon after this the other ship got her boats out, and +they came on board of us, and the people of both ships seemed very +glad to see each other. Several of the strangers also shook hands with +us black people, and made motions with their hands, signifying I +suppose we were to go to their country; but we did not understand +them. At last, when the ship we were in had got in all her cargo, they +made ready with many fearful noises, and we were all put under deck, +so that we could not see how they managed the vessel. But this +disappointment was the least of my sorrow. The stench of the hold +while we were on the coast was so intolerably loathsome, that it was +dangerous to remain there for any time, and some of us had been +permitted to stay on the deck for the fresh air; but now that the +whole ship's cargo were confined together, it became absolutely +pestilential. The closeness of the place, and the heat of the climate, +added to the number in the ship, which was so crowded that each had +scarcely room to turn himself, almost suffocated us. This produced +copious perspirations, so that the air soon became unfit for +respiration, from a variety of loathsome smells, and brought on a +sickness among the slaves, of which many died, thus falling victims to +the improvident avarice, as I may call it, of their purchasers. This +wretched situation was again aggravated by the galling of the chains, +now become insupportable; and the filth of the necessary tubs, into +which the children often fell, and were almost suffocated. The shrieks +of the women, and the groans of the dying, rendered the whole a scene +of horror almost inconceivable. Happily perhaps for myself I was soon +reduced so low here that it was thought necessary to keep me almost +always on deck; and from my extreme youth I was not put in fetters. In +this situation I expected every hour to share the fate of my +companions, some of whom were almost daily brought upon deck at the +point of death, which I began to hope would soon put an end to my +miseries. Often did I think many of the inhabitants of the deep much +more happy than myself. I envied them the freedom they enjoyed, and as +often wished I could change my condition for theirs. Every +circumstance I met with served only to render my state more painful, +and heighten my apprehensions, and my opinion of the cruelty of the +whites. One day they had taken a number of fishes; and when they had +killed and satisfied themselves with as many as they thought fit, to +our astonishment who were on the deck, rather than give any of them to +us to eat as we expected, they tossed the remaining fish into the sea +again, although we begged and prayed for some as well as we could, but +in vain; and some of my countrymen, being pressed by hunger, took an +opportunity, when they thought no one saw them, of trying to get a +little privately; but they were discovered, and the attempt procured +them some very severe floggings. One day, when we had a smooth sea and +moderate wind, two of my wearied countrymen who were chained together +(I was near them at the time), preferring death to such a life of +misery, somehow made through the nettings and jumped into the sea: +immediately another quite dejected fellow, who, on account of his +illness, was suffered to be out of irons, also followed their example; +and I believe many more would very soon have done the same if they had +not been prevented by the ship's crew, who were instantly alarmed. +Those of us that were the most active were in a moment put down under +the deck, and there was such a noise and confusion amongst the people +of the ship as I never heard before, to stop her, and get the boat out +to go after the slaves. However two of the wretches were drowned, but +they got the other, and afterwards flogged him unmercifully for thus +attempting to prefer death to slavery. In this manner we continued to +undergo more hardships than I can now relate, hardships which are +inseparable from this accursed trade. Many a time we were near +suffocation from the want of fresh air, which we were often without +for whole days together. This, and the stench of the necessary tubs, +carried off many. During our passage I first saw flying fishes, which +surprised me very much: they used frequently to fly across the ship, +and many of them fell on the deck. I also now first saw the use of the +quadrant; I had often with astonishment seen the mariners make +observations with it, and I could not think what it meant. They at +last took notice of my surprise; and one of them, willing to increase +it, as well as to gratify my curiosity, made me one day look through +it. The clouds appeared to me to be land, which disappeared as they +passed along. This heightened my wonder; and I was now more persuaded +than ever that I was in another world, and that every thing about me +was magic. At last we came in sight of the island of Barbadoes, at +which the whites on board gave a great shout, and made many signs of +joy to us. We did not know what to think of this; but as the vessel +drew nearer we plainly saw the harbour, and other ships of different +kinds and sizes; and we soon anchored amongst them off Bridge Town. +Many merchants and planters now came on board, though it was in the +evening. They put us in separate parcels, and examined us attentively. +They also made us jump, and pointed to the land, signifying we were to +go there. We thought by this we should be eaten by these ugly men, as +they appeared to us; and, when soon after we were all put down under +the deck again, there was much dread and trembling among us, and +nothing but bitter cries to be heard all the night from these +apprehensions, insomuch that at last the white people got some old +slaves from the land to pacify us. They told us we were not to be +eaten, but to work, and were soon to go on land, where we should see +many of our country people. This report eased us much; and sure +enough, soon after we were landed, there came to us Africans of all +languages. We were conducted immediately to the merchant's yard, where +we were all pent up together like so many sheep in a fold, without +regard to sex or age. As every object was new to me every thing I saw +filled me with surprise. What struck me first was that the houses were +built with stories, and in every other respect different from those in +Africa: but I was still more astonished on seeing people on horseback. +I did not know what this could mean; and indeed I thought these people +were full of nothing but magical arts. While I was in this +astonishment one of my fellow prisoners spoke to a countryman of his +about the horses, who said they were the same kind they had in their +country. I understood them, though they were from a distant part of +Africa, and I thought it odd I had not seen any horses there; but +afterwards, when I came to converse with different Africans, I found +they had many horses amongst them, and much larger than those I then +saw. We were not many days in the merchant's custody before we were +sold after their usual manner, which is this:—On a signal given,(as +the beat of a drum) the buyers rush at once into the yard where the +slaves are confined, and make choice of that parcel they like best. +The noise and clamour with which this is attended, and the eagerness +visible in the countenances of the buyers, serve not a little to +increase the apprehensions of the terrified Africans, who may well be +supposed to consider them as the ministers of that destruction to +which they think themselves devoted. In this manner, without scruple, +are relations and friends separated, most of them never to see each +other again. I remember in the vessel in which I was brought over, in +the men's apartment, there were several brothers, who, in the sale, +were sold in different lots; and it was very moving on this occasion +to see and hear their cries at parting. O, ye nominal Christians! +might not an African ask you, learned you this from your God, who says +unto you, Do unto all men as you would men should do unto you? Is it +not enough that we are torn from our country and friends to toil for +your luxury and lust of gain? Must every tender feeling be likewise +sacrificed to your avarice? Are the dearest friends and relations, now +rendered more dear by their separation from their kindred, still to be +parted from each other, and thus prevented from cheering the gloom of +slavery with the small comfort of being together and mingling their +sufferings and sorrows? Why are parents to lose their children, +brothers their sisters, or husbands their wives? Surely this is a new +refinement in cruelty, which, while it has no advantage to atone for +it, thus aggravates distress, and adds fresh horrors even to the +wretchedness of slavery.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAP_III" id="CHAP_III" />CHAP. III.</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>The author is carried to Virginia—His distress—Surprise + at seeing a picture and a watch—Is bought by Captain + Pascal, and sets out for England—His terror during the + voyage—Arrives in England—His wonder at a fall of snow—Is + sent to Guernsey, and in some time goes on board a ship of + war with his master—Some account of the expedition against + Louisbourg under the command of Admiral Boscawen, in 1758.</i></p></div> + + +<p>I now totally lost the small remains of comfort I had enjoyed in +conversing with my countrymen; the women too, who used to wash and +take care of me, were all gone different ways, and I never saw one of +them afterwards.</p> + +<p>I stayed in this island for a few days; I believe it could not be +above a fortnight; when I and some few more slaves, that were not +saleable amongst the rest, from very much fretting, were shipped off +in a sloop for North America. On the passage we were better treated +than when we were coming from Africa, and we had plenty of rice and +fat pork. We were landed up a river a good way from the sea, about +Virginia county, where we saw few or none of our native Africans, and +not one soul who could talk to me. I was a few weeks weeding grass, +and gathering stones in a plantation; and at last all my companions +were distributed different ways, and only myself was left. I was now +exceedingly miserable, and thought myself worse off than any of the +rest of my companions; for they could talk to each other, but I had no +person to speak to that I could understand. In this state I was +constantly grieving and pining, and wishing for death rather than any +thing else. While I was in this plantation the gentleman, to whom I +suppose the estate belonged, being unwell, I was one day sent for to +his dwelling house to fan him; when I came into the room where he was +I was very much affrighted at some things I saw, and the more so as I +had seen a black woman slave as I came through the house, who was +cooking the dinner, and the poor creature was cruelly loaded with +various kinds of iron machines; she had one particularly on her head, +which locked her mouth so fast that she could scarcely speak; and +could not eat nor drink. I was much astonished and shocked at this +contrivance, which I afterwards learned was called the iron muzzle. +Soon after I had a fan put into my hand, to fan the gentleman while he +slept; and so I did indeed with great fear. While he was fast asleep I +indulged myself a great deal in looking about the room, which to me +appeared very fine and curious. The first object that engaged my +attention was a watch which hung on the chimney, and was going. I was +quite surprised at the noise it made, and was afraid it would tell the +gentleman any thing I might do amiss: and when I immediately after +observed a picture hanging in the room, which appeared constantly to +look at me, I was still more affrighted, having never seen such things +as these before. At one time I thought it was something relative to +magic; and not seeing it move I thought it might be some way the +whites had to keep their great men when they died, and offer them +libation as we used to do to our friendly spirits. In this state of +anxiety I remained till my master awoke, when I was dismissed out of +the room, to my no small satisfaction and relief; for I thought that +these people were all made up of wonders. In this place I was called +Jacob; but on board the African snow I was called Michael. I had been +some time in this miserable, forlorn, and much dejected state, without +having any one to talk to, which made my life a burden, when the kind +and unknown hand of the Creator (who in very deed leads the blind in a +way they know not) now began to appear, to my comfort; for one day the +captain of a merchant ship, called the Industrious Bee, came on some +business to my master's house. This gentleman, whose name was Michael +Henry Pascal, was a lieutenant in the royal navy, but now commanded +this trading ship, which was somewhere in the confines of the county +many miles off. While he was at my master's house it happened that he +saw me, and liked me so well that he made a purchase of me. I think I +have often heard him say he gave thirty or forty pounds sterling for +me; but I do not now remember which. However, he meant me for a +present to some of his friends in England: and I was sent accordingly +from the house of my then master, one Mr. Campbell, to the place where +the ship lay; I was conducted on horseback by an elderly black man, (a +mode of travelling which appeared very odd to me). When I arrived I +was carried on board a fine large ship, loaded with tobacco, &c. and +just ready to sail for England. I now thought my condition much +mended; I had sails to lie on, and plenty of good victuals to eat; and +every body on board used me very kindly, quite contrary to what I had +seen of any white people before; I therefore began to think that they +were not all of the same disposition. A few days after I was on board +we sailed for England. I was still at a loss to conjecture my destiny. +By this time, however, I could smatter a little imperfect English; and +I wanted to know as well as I could where we were going. Some of the +people of the ship used to tell me they were going to carry me back to +my own country, and this made me very happy. I was quite rejoiced at +the sound of going back; and thought if I should get home what wonders +I should have to tell. But I was reserved for another fate, and was +soon undeceived when we came within sight of the English coast. While +I was on board this ship, my captain and master named me <i>Gustavus +Vassa</i>. I at that time began to understand him a little, and refused to +be called so, and told him as well as I could that I would be called +Jacob; but he said I should not, and still called me Gustavus; and +when I refused to answer to my new name, which at first I did, it +gained me many a cuff; so at length I submitted, and was obliged to +bear the present name, by which I have been known ever since. The ship +had a very long passage; and on that account we had very short +allowance of provisions. Towards the last we had only one pound and a +half of bread per week, and about the same quantity of meat, and one +quart of water a-day. We spoke with only one vessel the whole time we +were at sea, and but once we caught a few fishes. In our extremities +the captain and people told me in jest they would kill and eat me; but +I thought them in earnest, and was depressed beyond measure, expecting +every moment to be my last. While I was in this situation one evening +they caught, with a good deal of trouble, a large shark, and got it on +board. This gladdened my poor heart exceedingly, as I thought it would +serve the people to eat instead of their eating me; but very soon, to +my astonishment, they cut off a small part of the tail, and tossed the +rest over the side. This renewed my consternation; and I did not know +what to think of these white people, though I very much feared they +would kill and eat me. There was on board the ship a young lad who had +never been at sea before, about four or five years older than myself: +his name was Richard Baker. He was a native of America, had received +an excellent education, and was of a most amiable temper. Soon after I +went on board he shewed me a great deal of partiality and attention, +and in return I grew extremely fond of him. We at length became +inseparable; and, for the space of two years, he was of very great use +to me, and was my constant companion and instructor. Although this +dear youth had many slaves of his own, yet he and I have gone through +many sufferings together on shipboard; and we have many nights lain in +each other's bosoms when we were in great distress. Thus such a +friendship was cemented between us as we cherished till his death, +which, to my very great sorrow, happened in the year 1759, when he was +up the Archipelago, on board his majesty's ship the Preston: an event +which I have never ceased to regret, as I lost at once a kind +interpreter, an agreeable companion, and a faithful friend; who, at +the age of fifteen, discovered a mind superior to prejudice; and who +was not ashamed to notice, to associate with, and to be the friend and +instructor of one who was ignorant, a stranger, of a different +complexion, and a slave! My master had lodged in his mother's house in +America: he respected him very much, and made him always eat with him +in the cabin. He used often to tell him jocularly that he would kill +me to eat. Sometimes he would say to me—the black people were not +good to eat, and would ask me if we did not eat people in my country. +I said, No: then he said he would kill Dick (as he always called him) +first, and afterwards me. Though this hearing relieved my mind a +little as to myself, I was alarmed for Dick and whenever he was called +I used to be very much afraid he was to be killed; and I would peep +and watch to see if they were going to kill him: nor was I free from +this consternation till we made the land. One night we lost a man +overboard; and the cries and noise were so great and confused, in +stopping the ship, that I, who did not know what was the matter, +began, as usual, to be very much afraid, and to think they were going +to make an offering with me, and perform some magic; which I still +believed they dealt in. As the waves were very high I thought the +Ruler of the seas was angry, and I expected to be offered up to +appease him. This filled my mind with agony, and I could not any more +that night close my eyes again to rest. However, when daylight +appeared I was a little eased in my mind; but still every time I was +called I used to think it was to be killed. Some time after this we +saw some very large fish, which I afterwards found were called +grampusses. They looked to me extremely terrible, and made their +appearance just at dusk; and were so near as to blow the water on the +ship's deck. I believed them to be the rulers of the sea; and, as the +white people did not make any offerings at any time, I thought they +were angry with them: and, at last, what confirmed my belief was, the +wind just then died away, and a calm ensued, and in consequence of it +the ship stopped going. I supposed that the fish had performed this, +and I hid myself in the fore part of the ship, through fear of being +offered up to appease them, every minute peeping and quaking: but my +good friend Dick came shortly towards me, and I took an opportunity to +ask him, as well as I could, what these fish were. Not being able to +talk much English, I could but just make him understand my question; +and not at all, when I asked him if any offerings were to be made to +them: however, he told me these fish would swallow any body; which +sufficiently alarmed me. Here he was called away by the captain, who +was leaning over the quarter-deck railing and looking at the fish; and +most of the people were busied in getting a barrel of pitch to light, +for them to play with. The captain now called me to him, having +learned some of my apprehensions from Dick; and having diverted +himself and others for some time with my fears, which appeared +ludicrous enough in my crying and trembling, he dismissed me. The +barrel of pitch was now lighted and put over the side into the water: +by this time it was just dark, and the fish went after it; and, to my +great joy, I saw them no more.</p> + +<p>However, all my alarms began to subside when we got sight of land; and +at last the ship arrived at Falmouth, after a passage of thirteen +weeks. Every heart on board seemed gladdened on our reaching the +shore, and none more than mine. The captain immediately went on shore, +and sent on board some fresh provisions, which we wanted very much: +we made good use of them, and our famine was soon turned into +feasting, almost without ending. It was about the beginning of the +spring 1757 when I arrived in England, and I was near twelve years of +age at that time. I was very much struck with the buildings and the +pavement of the streets in Falmouth; and, indeed, any object I saw +filled me with new surprise. One morning, when I got upon deck, I saw +it covered all over with the snow that fell over-night: as I had never +seen any thing of the kind before, I thought it was salt; so I +immediately ran down to the mate and desired him, as well as I could, +to come and see how somebody in the night had thrown salt all over the +deck. He, knowing what it was, desired me to bring some of it down to +him: accordingly I took up a handful of it, which I found very cold +indeed; and when I brought it to him he desired me to taste it. I did +so, and I was surprised beyond measure. I then asked him what it was; +he told me it was snow: but I could not in anywise understand him. He +asked me if we had no such thing in my country; and I told him, No. I +then asked him the use of it, and who made it; he told me a great man +in the heavens, called God: but here again I was to all intents and +purposes at a loss to understand him; and the more so, when a little +after I saw the air filled with it, in a heavy shower, which fell down +on the same day. After this I went to church; and having never been at +such a place before, I was again amazed at seeing and hearing the +service. I asked all I could about it; and they gave me to understand +it was worshipping God, who made us and all things. I was still at a +great loss, and soon got into an endless field of inquiries, as well +as I was able to speak and ask about things. However, my little friend +Dick used to be my best interpreter; for I could make free with him, +and he always instructed me with pleasure: and from what I could +understand by him of this God, and in seeing these white people did +not sell one another, as we did, I was much pleased; and in this I +thought they were much happier than we Africans. I was astonished at +the wisdom of the white people in all things I saw; but was amazed at +their not sacrificing, or making any offerings, and eating with +unwashed hands, and touching the dead. I likewise could not help +remarking the particular slenderness of their women, which I did not +at first like; and I thought they were not so modest and shamefaced as +the African women.</p> + +<p>I had often seen my master and Dick employed in reading; and I had a +great curiosity to talk to the books, as I thought they did; and so to +learn how all things had a beginning: for that purpose I have often +taken up a book, and have talked to it, and then put my ears to it, +when alone, in hopes it would answer me; and I have been very much +concerned when I found it remained silent.</p> + +<p>My master lodged at the house of a gentleman in Falmouth, who had a +fine little daughter about six or seven years of age, and she grew +prodigiously fond of me; insomuch that we used to eat together, and +had servants to wait on us. I was so much caressed by this family that +it often reminded me of the treatment I had received from my little +noble African master. After I had been here a few days, I was sent on +board of the ship; but the child cried so much after me that nothing +could pacify her till I was sent for again. It is ludicrous enough, +that I began to fear I should be betrothed to this young lady; and +when my master asked me if I would stay there with her behind him, as +he was going away with the ship, which had taken in the tobacco again, +I cried immediately, and said I would not leave her. At last, by +stealth, one night I was sent on board the ship again; and in a little +time we sailed for Guernsey, where she was in part owned by a +merchant, one Nicholas Doberry. As I was now amongst a people who had +not their faces scarred, like some of the African nations where I had +been, I was very glad I did not let them ornament me in that manner +when I was with them. When we arrived at Guernsey, my master placed me +to board and lodge with one of his mates, who had a wife and family +there; and some months afterwards he went to England, and left me in +care of this mate, together with my friend Dick: This mate had a +little daughter, aged about five or six years, with whom I used to be +much delighted. I had often observed that when her mother washed her +face it looked very rosy; but when she washed mine it did not look so: +I therefore tried oftentimes myself if I could not by washing make my +face of the same colour as my little play-mate (Mary), but it was all +in vain; and I now began to be mortified at the difference in our +complexions. This woman behaved to me with great kindness and +attention; and taught me every thing in the same manner as she did her +own child, and indeed in every respect treated me as such. I remained +here till the summer of the year 1757; when my master, being appointed +first lieutenant of his majesty's ship the Roebuck, sent for Dick and +me, and his old mate: on this we all left Guernsey, and set out for +England in a sloop bound for London. As we were coming up towards the +Nore, where the Roebuck lay, a man of war's boat came alongside to +press our people; on which each man ran to hide himself. I was very +much frightened at this, though I did not know what it meant, or what +to think or do. However I went and hid myself also under a hencoop. +Immediately afterwards the press-gang came on board with their swords +drawn, and searched all about, pulled the people out by force, and put +them into the boat. At last I was found out also: the man that found +me held me up by the heels while they all made their sport of me, I +roaring and crying out all the time most lustily: but at last the +mate, who was my conductor, seeing this, came to my assistance, and +did all he could to pacify me; but all to very little purpose, till I +had seen the boat go off. Soon afterwards we came to the Nore, where +the Roebuck lay; and, to our great joy, my master came on board to us, +and brought us to the ship. When I went on board this large ship, I +was amazed indeed to see the quantity of men and the guns. However my +surprise began to diminish as my knowledge increased; and I ceased to +feel those apprehensions and alarms which had taken such strong +possession of me when I first came among the Europeans, and for some +time after. I began now to pass to an opposite extreme; I was so far +from being afraid of any thing new which I saw, that, after I had been +some time in this ship, I even began to long for a battle. My griefs +too, which in young minds are not perpetual, were now wearing away; +and I soon enjoyed myself pretty well, and felt tolerably easy in my +present situation. There was a number of boys on board, which still +made it more agreeable; for we were always together, and a great part +of our time was spent in play. I remained in this ship a considerable +time, during which we made several cruises, and visited a variety of +places: among others we were twice in Holland, and brought over +several persons of distinction from it, whose names I do not now +remember. On the passage, one day, for the diversion of those +gentlemen, all the boys were called on the quarter-deck, and were +paired proportionably, and then made to fight; after which the +gentleman gave the combatants from five to nine shillings each. This +was the first time I ever fought with a white boy; and I never knew +what it was to have a bloody nose before. This made me fight most +desperately; I suppose considerably more than an hour: and at last, +both of us being weary, we were parted. I had a great deal of this +kind of sport afterwards, in which the captain and the ship's company +used very much to encourage me. Sometime afterwards the ship went to +Leith in Scotland, and from thence to the Orkneys, where I was +surprised in seeing scarcely any night: and from thence we sailed with +a great fleet, full of soldiers, for England. All this time we had +never come to an engagement, though we were frequently cruising off +the coast of France: during which we chased many vessels, and took in +all seventeen prizes. I had been learning many of the manoeuvres of +the ship during our cruise; and I was several times made to fire the +guns. One evening, off Havre de Grace, just as it was growing dark, we +were standing off shore, and met with a fine large French-built +frigate. We got all things immediately ready for fighting; and I now +expected I should be gratified in seeing an engagement, which I had so +long wished for in vain. But the very moment the word of command was +given to fire we heard those on board the other ship cry 'Haul down +the jib;' and in that instant she hoisted English colours. There was +instantly with us an amazing cry of—Avast! or stop firing; and I +think one or two guns had been let off, but happily they did no +mischief. We had hailed them several times; but they not hearing, we +received no answer, which was the cause of our firing. The boat was +then sent on board of her, and she proved to be the Ambuscade man of +war, to my no small disappointment. We returned to Portsmouth, without +having been in any action, just at the trial of Admiral Byng (whom I +saw several times during it): and my master having left the ship, and +gone to London for promotion, Dick and I were put on board the Savage +sloop of war, and we went in her to assist in bringing off the St. +George man of war, that had ran ashore somewhere on the coast. After +staying a few weeks on board the Savage, Dick and I were sent on shore +at Deal, where we remained some short time, till my master sent for us +to London, the place I had long desired exceedingly to see. We +therefore both with great pleasure got into a waggon, and came to +London, where we were received by a Mr. Guerin, a relation of my +master. This gentleman had two sisters, very amiable ladies, who took +much notice and great care of me. Though I had desired so much to see +London, when I arrived in it I was unfortunately unable to gratify my +curiosity; for I had at this time the chilblains to such a degree that +I could not stand for several months, and I was obliged to be sent to +St. George's Hospital. There I grew so ill, that the doctors wanted to +cut my left leg off at different times, apprehending a mortification; +but I always said I would rather die than suffer it; and happily (I +thank God) I recovered without the operation. After being there +several weeks, and just as I had recovered, the small-pox broke out on +me, so that I was again confined; and I thought myself now +particularly unfortunate. However I soon recovered again; and by this +time my master having been promoted to be first lieutenant of the +Preston man of war of fifty guns, then new at Deptford, Dick and I +were sent on board her, and soon after we went to Holland to bring +over the late Duke of —— to England.—While I was in this ship an +incident happened, which, though trifling, I beg leave to relate, as I +could not help taking particular notice of it, and considering it then +as a judgment of God. One morning a young man was looking up to the +fore-top, and in a wicked tone, common on shipboard, d——d his eyes +about something. Just at the moment some small particles of dirt fell +into his left eye, and by the evening it was very much inflamed. The +next day it grew worse; and within six or seven days he lost it. From +this ship my master was appointed a lieutenant on board the Royal +George. When he was going he wished me to stay on board the Preston, +to learn the French horn; but the ship being ordered for Turkey I +could not think of leaving my master, to whom I was very warmly +attached; and I told him if he left me behind it would break my heart. +This prevailed on him to take me with him; but he left Dick on board +the Preston, whom I embraced at parting for the last time. The Royal +George was the largest ship I had ever seen; so that when I came on +board of her I was surprised at the number of people, men, women, and +children, of every denomination; and the largeness of the guns, many +of them also of brass, which I had never seen before. Here were also +shops or stalls of every kind of goods, and people crying their +different commodities about the ship as in a town. To me it appeared a +little world, into which I was again cast without a friend, for I had +no longer my dear companion Dick. We did not stay long here. My master +was not many weeks on board before he got an appointment to be sixth +lieutenant of the Namur, which was then at Spithead, fitting up for +Vice-admiral Boscawen, who was going with a large fleet on an +expedition against Louisburgh. The crew of the Royal George were +turned over to her, and the flag of that gallant admiral was hoisted +on board, the blue at the maintop-gallant mast head. There was a very +great fleet of men of war of every description assembled together for +this expedition, and I was in hopes soon to have an opportunity of +being gratified with a sea-fight. All things being now in readiness, +this mighty fleet (for there was also Admiral Cornish's fleet in +company, destined for the East Indies) at last weighed anchor, and +sailed. The two fleets continued in company for several days, and then +parted; Admiral Cornish, in the Lenox, having first saluted our +admiral in the Namur, which he returned. We then steered for America; +but, by contrary winds, we were driven to Teneriffe, where I was +struck with its noted peak. Its prodigious height, and its form, +resembling a sugar-loaf, filled me with wonder. We remained in sight +of this island some days, and then proceeded for America, which we +soon made, and got into a very commodious harbour called St. George, +in Halifax, where we had fish in great plenty, and all other fresh +provisions. We were here joined by different men of war and transport +ships with soldiers; after which, our fleet being increased to a +prodigious number of ships of all kinds, we sailed for Cape Breton in +Nova Scotia. We had the good and gallant General Wolfe on board our +ship, whose affability made him highly esteemed and beloved by all the +men. He often honoured me, as well as other boys, with marks of his +notice; and saved me once a flogging for fighting with a young +gentleman. We arrived at Cape Breton in the summer of 1758: and here +the soldiers were to be landed, in order to make an attack upon +Louisbourgh. My master had some part in superintending the landing; +and here I was in a small measure gratified in seeing an encounter +between our men and the enemy. The French were posted on the shore to +receive us, and disputed our landing for a long time; but at last they +were driven from their trenches, and a complete landing was effected. +Our troops pursued them as far as the town of Louisbourgh. In this +action many were killed on both sides. One thing remarkable I saw this +day:—A lieutenant of the Princess Amelia, who, as well as my master, +superintended the landing, was giving the word of command, and while +his mouth was open a musquet ball went through it, and passed out at +his cheek. I had that day in my hand the scalp of an indian king, who +was killed in the engagement: the scalp had been taken off by an +Highlander. I saw this king's ornaments too, which were very curious, +and made of feathers.</p> + +<p>Our land forces laid siege to the town of Louisbourgh, while the +French men of war were blocked up in the harbour by the fleet, the +batteries at the same time playing upon them from the land. This they +did with such effect, that one day I saw some of the ships set on fire +by the shells from the batteries, and I believe two or three of them +were quite burnt. At another time, about fifty boats belonging to the +English men of war, commanded by Captain George Balfour of the Ætna +fire-ship, and another junior captain, Laforey, attacked and boarded +the only two remaining French men of war in the harbour. They also set +fire to a seventy-gun ship, but a sixty-four, called the Bienfaisant, +they brought off. During my stay here I had often an opportunity of +being near Captain Balfour, who was pleased to notice me, and liked me +so much that he often asked my master to let him have me, but he would +not part with me; and no consideration could have induced me to leave +him. At last Louisbourgh was taken, and the English men of war came +into the harbour before it, to my very great joy; for I had now more +liberty of indulging myself, and I went often on shore. When the ships +were in the harbour we had the most beautiful procession on the water +I ever saw. All the admirals and captains of the men of war, full +dressed, and in their barges, well ornamented with pendants, came +alongside of the Namur. The vice-admiral then went on shore in his +barge, followed by the other officers in order of seniority, to take +possession, as I suppose, of the town and fort. Some time after this +the French governor and his lady, and other persons of note, came on +board our ship to dine. On this occasion our ships were dressed with +colours of all kinds, from the topgallant-mast head to the deck; and +this, with the firing of guns, formed a most grand and magnificent +spectacle.</p> + +<p>As soon as every thing here was settled Admiral Boscawen sailed with +part of the fleet for England, leaving some ships behind with +Rear-admirals Sir Charles Hardy and Durell. It was now winter; and one +evening, during our passage home, about dusk, when we were in the +channel, or near soundings, and were beginning to look for land, we +descried seven sail of large men of war, which stood off shore. +Several people on board of our ship said, as the two fleets were (in +forty minutes from the first sight) within hail of each other, that +they were English men of war; and some of our people even began to +name some of the ships. By this time both fleets began to mingle, and +our admiral ordered his flag to be hoisted. At that instant the other +fleet, which were French, hoisted their ensigns, and gave us a +broadside as they passed by. Nothing could create greater surprise and +confusion among us than this: the wind was high, the sea rough, and we +had our lower and middle deck guns housed in, so that not a single gun +on board was ready to be fired at any of the French ships. However, +the Royal William and the Somerset being our sternmost ships, became a +little prepared, and each gave the French ships a broadside as they +passed by. I afterwards heard this was a French squadron, commanded by +Mons. Conflans; and certainly had the Frenchmen known our condition, +and had a mind to fight us, they might have done us great mischief. +But we were not long before we were prepared for an engagement. +Immediately many things were tossed overboard; the ships were made +ready for fighting as soon as possible; and about ten at night we had +bent a new main sail, the old one being split. Being now in readiness +for fighting, we wore ship, and stood after the French fleet, who +were one or two ships in number more than we. However we gave them +chase, and continued pursuing them all night; and at daylight we saw +six of them, all large ships of the line, and an English East +Indiaman, a prize they had taken. We chased them all day till between +three and four o'clock in the evening, when we came up with, and +passed within a musquet shot of, one seventy-four gun ship, and the +Indiaman also, who now hoisted her colours, but immediately hauled +them down again. On this we made a signal for the other ships to take +possession of her; and, supposing the man of war would likewise +strike, we cheered, but she did not; though if we had fired into her, +from being so near, we must have taken her. To my utter surprise the +Somerset, who was the next ship astern of the Namur, made way +likewise; and, thinking they were sure of this French ship, they +cheered in the same manner, but still continued to follow us. The +French Commodore was about a gun-shot ahead of all, running from us +with all speed; and about four o'clock he carried his foretopmast +overboard. This caused another loud cheer with us; and a little after +the topmast came close by us; but, to our great surprise, instead of +coming up with her, we found she went as fast as ever, if not faster. +The sea grew now much smoother; and the wind lulling, the seventy-four +gun ship we had passed came again by us in the very same direction, +and so near, that we heard her people talk as she went by; yet not a +shot was fired on either side; and about five or six o'clock, just as +it grew dark, she joined her commodore. We chased all night; but the +next day they were out of sight, so that we saw no more of them; and +we only had the old Indiaman (called Carnarvon I think) for our +trouble. After this we stood in for the channel, and soon made the +land; and, about the close of the year 1758-9, we got safe to St. +Helen's. Here the Namur ran aground; and also another large ship +astern of us; but, by starting our water, and tossing many things +overboard to lighten her, we got the ships off without any damage. We +stayed for a short time at Spithead, and then went into Portsmouth +harbour to refit; from whence the admiral went to London; and my +master and I soon followed, with a press-gang, as we wanted some hands +to complete our complement.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAP_IV" id="CHAP_IV" />CHAP. IV.</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>The author is baptized—Narrowly escapes drowning—Goes on + an expedition to the Mediterranean—Incidents he met with + there—Is witness to an engagement between some English and + French ships—A particular account of the celebrated + engagement between Admiral Boscawen and Mons. Le Clue, off + Cape Logas, in August 1759—Dreadful explosion of a French + ship—The author sails for England—His master appointed to + the command of a fire-ship—Meets a negro boy, from whom he + experiences much benevolence—Prepares for an expedition + against Belle-Isle—A remarkable story of a disaster which + befel his ship—Arrives at Belle-Isle—Operations of the + landing and siege—The author's danger and distress, with + his manner of extricating himself—- Surrender of + Belle-Isle—Transactions afterwards on the coast of + France—Remarkable instance of kidnapping—The author + returns to England—Hears a talk of peace, and expects his + freedom—His ship sails for Deptford to be paid off, and + when he arrives there he is suddenly seized by his master + and carried forcibly on board a West India ship and sold.</i></p></div> + + +<p>It was now between two and three years since I first came to England, +a great part of which I had spent at sea; so that I became inured to +that service, and began to consider myself as happily situated; for my +master treated me always extremely well; and my attachment and +gratitude to him were very great. From the various scenes I had beheld +on shipboard, I soon grew a stranger to terror of every kind, and was, +in that respect at least, almost an Englishman. I have often reflected +with surprise that I never felt half the alarm at any of the numerous +dangers I have been in, that I was filled with at the first sight of +the Europeans, and at every act of theirs, even the most trifling, +when I first came among them, and for some time afterwards. That fear, +however, which was the effect of my ignorance, wore away as I began to +know them. I could now speak English tolerably well, and I perfectly +understood every thing that was said. I now not only felt myself +quite easy with these new countrymen, but relished their society and +manners. I no longer looked upon them as spirits, but as men superior +to us; and therefore I had the stronger desire to resemble them; to +imbibe their spirit, and imitate their manners; I therefore embraced +every occasion of improvement; and every new thing that I observed I +treasured up in my memory. I had long wished to be able to read and +write; and for this purpose I took every opportunity to gain +instruction, but had made as yet very little progress. However, when I +went to London with my master, I had soon an opportunity of improving +myself, which I gladly embraced. Shortly after my arrival, he sent me +to wait upon the Miss Guerins, who had treated me with much kindness +when I was there before; and they sent me to school.</p> + +<p>While I was attending these ladies their servants told me I could not +go to Heaven unless I was baptized. This made me very uneasy; for I +had now some faint idea of a future state: accordingly I communicated +my anxiety to the eldest Miss Guerin, with whom I was become a +favourite, and pressed her to have me baptized; when to my great joy +she told me I should. She had formerly asked my master to let me be +baptized, but he had refused; however she now insisted on it; and he +being under some obligation to her brother complied with her request; +so I was baptized in St. Margaret's church, Westminster, in February +1759, by my present name. The clergyman, at the same time, gave me a +book, called a Guide to the Indians, written by the Bishop of Sodor +and Man. On this occasion Miss Guerin did me the honour to stand as +godmother, and afterwards gave me a treat. I used to attend these +ladies about the town, in which service I was extremely happy; as I +had thus many opportunities of seeing London, which I desired of all +things. I was sometimes, however, with my master at his +rendezvous-house, which was at the foot of Westminster-bridge. Here I +used to enjoy myself in playing about the bridge stairs, and often in +the watermen's wherries, with other boys. On one of these occasions +there was another boy with me in a wherry, and we went out into the +current of the river: while we were there two more stout boys came to +us in another wherry, and, abusing us for taking the boat, desired me +to get into the other wherry-boat. Accordingly I went to get out of +the wherry I was in; but just as I had got one of my feet into the +other boat the boys shoved it off, so that I fell into the Thames; +and, not being able to swim, I should unavoidably have been drowned, +but for the assistance of some watermen who providentially came to my +relief.</p> + +<p>The Namur being again got ready for sea, my master, with his gang, was +ordered on board; and, to my no small grief, I was obliged to leave my +school-master, whom I liked very much, and always attended while I +stayed in London, to repair on board with my master. Nor did I leave +my kind patronesses, the Miss Guerins, without uneasiness and regret. +They often used to teach me to read, and took great pains to instruct +me in the principles of religion and the knowledge of God. I therefore +parted from those amiable ladies with reluctance; after receiving from +them many friendly cautions how to conduct myself, and some valuable +presents.</p> + +<p>When I came to Spithead, I found we were destined for the +Mediterranean, with a large fleet, which was now ready to put to sea. +We only waited for the arrival of the admiral, who soon came on board; +and about the beginning of the spring 1759, having weighed anchor, and +got under way, Sailed for the Mediterranean; and in eleven days, from +the Land's End, we got to Gibraltar. While we were here I used to be +often on shore, and got various fruits in great plenty, and very +cheap.</p> + +<p>I had frequently told several people, in my excursions on shore, the +story of my being kidnapped with my sister, and of our being +separated, as I have related before; and I had as often expressed my +anxiety for her fate, and my sorrow at having never met her again. One +day, when I was on shore, and mentioning these circumstances to some +persons, one of them told me he knew where my sister was, and, if I +would accompany him, he would bring me to her. Improbable as this +story was I believed it immediately, and agreed to go with him, while +my heart leaped for joy: and, indeed, he conducted me to a black young +woman, who was so like my sister, that, at first sight, I really +thought it was her: but I was quickly undeceived; and, on talking to +her, I found her to be of another nation.</p> + +<p>While we lay here the Preston came in from the Levant. As soon as she +arrived, my master told me I should now see my old companion, Dick, +who had gone in her when she sailed for Turkey. I was much rejoiced at +this news, and expected every minute to embrace him; and when the +captain came on board of our ship, which he did immediately after, I +ran to inquire after my friend; but, with inexpressible sorrow, I +learned from the boat's crew that the dear youth was dead! and that +they had brought his chest, and all his other things, to my master: +these he afterwards gave to me, and I regarded them as a memorial of +my friend, whom I loved, and grieved for, as a brother.</p> + +<p>While we were at Gibraltar, I saw a soldier hanging by his heels, at +one of the moles<a name="FNanchor_L_12" id="FNanchor_L_12" /><a href="#Footnote_L_12" class="fnanchor">[L]</a>: I thought this a strange sight, as I had seen a +man hanged in London by his neck. At another time I saw the master of +a frigate towed to shore on a grating, by several of the men of war's +boats, and discharged the fleet, which I understood was a mark of +disgrace for cowardice. On board the same ship there was also a sailor +hung up at the yard-arm.</p> + +<p>After lying at Gibraltar for some time, we sailed up the Mediterranean +a considerable way above the Gulf of Lyons; where we were one night +overtaken with a terrible gale of wind, much greater than any I had +ever yet experienced. The sea ran so high that, though all the guns +were well housed, there was great reason to fear their getting loose, +the ship rolled so much; and if they had it must have proved our +destruction. After we had cruised here for a short time, we came to +Barcelona, a Spanish sea-port, remarkable for its silk manufactures. +Here the ships were all to be watered; and my master, who spoke +different languages, and used often to interpret for the admiral, +superintended the watering of ours. For that purpose he and the +officers of the other ships, who were on the same service, had tents +pitched in the bay; and the Spanish soldiers were stationed along the +shore, I suppose to see that no depredations were committed by our +men.</p> + +<p>I used constantly to attend my master; and I was charmed with this +place. All the time we stayed it was like a fair with the natives, who +brought us fruits of all kinds, and sold them to us much cheaper than +I got them in England. They used also to bring wine down to us in hog +and sheep skins, which diverted me very much. The Spanish officers +here treated our officers with great politeness and attention; and +some of them, in particular, used to come often to my master's tent to +visit him; where they would sometimes divert themselves by mounting me +on the horses or mules, so that I could not fall, and setting them off +at full gallop; my imperfect skill in horsemanship all the while +affording them no small entertainment. After the ships were watered, +we returned to our old station of cruizing off Toulon, for the purpose +of intercepting a fleet of French men of war that lay there. One +Sunday, in our cruise, we came off a place where there were two small +French frigates lying in shore; and our admiral, thinking to take or +destroy them, sent two ships in after them—the Culloden and the +Conqueror. They soon came up to the Frenchmen; and I saw a smart fight +here, both by sea and land: for the frigates were covered by +batteries, and they played upon our ships most furiously, which they +as furiously returned, and for a long time a constant firing was kept +up on all sides at an amazing rate. At last one frigate sunk; but the +people escaped, though not without much difficulty: and a little after +some of the people left the other frigate also, which was a mere +wreck. However, our ships did not venture to bring her away, they were +so much annoyed from the batteries, which raked them both in going and +coming: their topmasts were shot away, and they were otherwise so much +shattered, that the admiral was obliged to send in many boats to tow +them back to the fleet. I afterwards sailed with a man who fought in +one of the French batteries during the engagement, and he told me our +ships had done considerable mischief that day on shore and in the +batteries.</p> + +<p>After this we sailed for Gibraltar, and arrived there about August +1759. Here we remained with all our sails unbent, while the fleet was +watering and doing other necessary things. While we were in this +situation, one day the admiral, with most of the principal officers, +and many people of all stations, being on shore, about seven o'clock +in the evening we were alarmed by signals from the frigates stationed +for that purpose; and in an instant there was a general cry that the +French fleet was out, and just passing through the streights. The +admiral immediately came on board with some other officers; and it is +impossible to describe the noise, hurry and confusion throughout the +whole fleet, in bending their sails and slipping their cables; many +people and ships' boats were left on shore in the bustle. We had two +captains on board of our ship who came away in the hurry and left +their ships to follow. We shewed lights from the gun-whale to the main +topmast-head; and all our lieutenants were employed amongst the fleet +to tell the ships not to wait for their captains, but to put the sails +to the yards, slip their cables and follow us; and in this confusion +of making ready for fighting we set out for sea in the dark after the +French fleet. Here I could have exclaimed with Ajax,</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>"Oh Jove! O father! if it be thy will<br /></span> +<span>That we must perish, we thy will obey,<br /></span> +<span>But let us perish by the light of day."<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>They had got the start of us so far that we were not able to come up +with them during the night; but at daylight we saw seven sail of the +line of battle some miles ahead. We immediately chased them till about +four o'clock in the evening, when our ships came up with them; and, +though we were about fifteen large ships, our gallant admiral only +fought them with his own division, which consisted of seven; so that +we were just ship for ship. We passed by the whole of the enemy's +fleet in order to come at their commander, Mons. La Clue, who was in +the Ocean, an eighty-four gun ship: as we passed they all fired on us; +and at one time three of them fired together, continuing to do so for +some time. Notwithstanding which our admiral would not suffer a gun to +be fired at any of them, to my astonishment; but made us lie on our +bellies on the deck till we came quite close to the Ocean, who was +ahead of them all; when we had orders to pour the whole three tiers +into her at once.</p> + +<p>The engagement now commenced with great fury on both sides: the Ocean +immediately returned our fire, and we continued engaged with each +other for some time; during which I was frequently stunned with the +thundering of the great guns, whose dreadful contents hurried many of +my companions into awful eternity. At last the French line was +entirely broken, and we obtained the victory, which was immediately +proclaimed with loud huzzas and acclamations. We took three prizes, La +Modeste, of sixty-four guns, and Le Temeraire and Centaur, of +seventy-four guns each. The rest of the French ships took to flight +with all the sail they could crowd. Our ship being very much damaged, +and quite disabled from pursuing the enemy, the admiral immediately +quitted her, and went in the broken and only boat we had left on board +the Newark, with which, and some other ships, he went after the +French. The Ocean, and another large French ship, called the +Redoubtable, endeavouring to escape, ran ashore at Cape Logas, on the +coast of Portugal; and the French admiral and some of the crew got +ashore; but we, finding it impossible to get the ships off, set fire +to them both. About midnight I saw the Ocean blow up, with a most +dreadful explosion. I never beheld a more awful scene. In less than a +minute the midnight for a certain space seemed turned into day by the +blaze, which was attended with a noise louder and more terrible than +thunder, that seemed to rend every element around us.</p> + +<p>My station during the engagement was on the middle-deck, where I was +quartered with another boy, to bring powder to the aftermost gun; and +here I was a witness of the dreadful fate of many of my companions, +who, in the twinkling of an eye, were dashed in pieces, and launched +into eternity. Happily I escaped unhurt, though the shot and splinters +flew thick about me during the whole fight. Towards the latter part of +it my master was wounded, and I saw him carried down to the surgeon; +but though I was much alarmed for him and wished to assist him I dared +not leave my post. At this station my gun-mate (a partner in bringing +powder for the same gun) and I ran a very great risk for more than +half an hour of blowing up the ship. For, when we had taken the +cartridges out of the boxes, the bottoms of many of them proving +rotten, the powder ran all about the deck, near the match tub: we +scarcely had water enough at the last to throw on it. We were also, +from our employment, very much exposed to the enemy's shots; for we +had to go through nearly the whole length of the ship to bring the +powder. I expected therefore every minute to be my last; especially +when I saw our men fall so thick about me; but, wishing to guard as +much against the dangers as possible, at first I thought it would be +safest not to go for the powder till the Frenchmen had fired their +broadside; and then, while they were charging, I could go and come +with my powder: but immediately afterwards I thought this caution was +fruitless; and, cheering myself with the reflection that there was a +time allotted for me to die as well as to be born, I instantly cast +off all fear or thought whatever of death, and went through the whole +of my duty with alacrity; pleasing myself with the hope, if I survived +the battle, of relating it and the dangers I had escaped to the dear +Miss Guerin, and others, when I should return to London.</p> + +<p>Our ship suffered very much in this engagement; for, besides the +number of our killed and wounded, she was almost torn to pieces, and +our rigging so much shattered, that our mizen-mast and main-yard, &c. +hung over the side of the ship; so that we were obliged to get many +carpenters, and others from some of the ships of the fleet, to assist +in setting us in some tolerable order; and, notwithstanding, it took +us some time before we were completely refitted; after which we left +Admiral Broderick to command, and we, with the prizes, steered for +England. On the passage, and as soon as my master was something +recovered of his wounds, the admiral appointed him captain of the Ætna +fire-ship, on which he and I left the Namur, and went on board of her +at sea. I liked this little ship very much. I now became the captain's +steward, in which situation I was very happy: for I was extremely well +treated by all on board; and I had leisure to improve myself in +reading and writing. The latter I had learned a little of before I +left the Namur, as there was a school on board. When we arrived at +Spithead the Ætna went into Portsmouth harbour to refit, which being +done, we returned to Spithead and joined a large fleet that was +thought to be intended against the Havannah; but about that time the +king died: whether that prevented the expedition I know not; but it +caused our ship to be stationed at Cowes, in the isle of Wight, till +the beginning of the year sixty-one. Here I spent my time very +pleasantly; I was much on shore all about this delightful island, and +found the inhabitants very civil.</p> + +<p>While I was here, I met with a trifling incident, which surprised me +agreeably. I was one day in a field belonging to a gentleman who had +a black boy about my own size; this boy having observed me from his +master's house, was transported at the sight of one of his own +countrymen, and ran to meet me with the utmost haste. I not knowing +what he was about turned a little out of his way at first, but to no +purpose: he soon came close to me and caught hold of me in his arms as +if I had been his brother, though we had never seen each other before. +After we had talked together for some time he took me to his master's +house, where I was treated very kindly. This benevolent boy and I were +very happy in frequently seeing each other till about the month of +March 1761, when our ship had orders to fit out again for another +expedition. When we got ready, we joined a very large fleet at +Spithead, commanded by Commodore Keppel, which was destined against +Belle-Isle, and with a number of transport ships with troops on board +to make a descent on the place. We sailed once more in quest of fame. +I longed to engage in new adventures and see fresh wonders.</p> + +<p>I had a mind on which every thing uncommon made its full impression, +and every event which I considered as marvellous. Every extraordinary +escape, or signal deliverance, either of myself or others, I looked +upon to be effected by the interposition of Providence. We had not +been above ten days at sea before an incident of this kind happened; +which, whatever credit it may obtain from the reader, made no small +impression on my mind.</p> + +<p>We had on board a gunner, whose name was John Mondle; a man of very +indifferent morals. This man's cabin was between the decks, exactly +over where I lay, abreast of the quarter-deck ladder. One night, the +20th of April, being terrified with a dream, he awoke in so great a +fright that he could not rest in his bed any longer, nor even remain +in his cabin; and he went upon deck about four o'clock in the morning +extremely agitated. He immediately told those on the deck of the +agonies of his mind, and the dream which occasioned it; in which he +said he had seen many things very awful, and had been warned by St. +Peter to repent, who told him time was short. This he said had greatly +alarmed him, and he was determined to alter his life. People generally +mock the fears of others when they are themselves in safety; and some +of his shipmates who heard him only laughed at him. However, he made +a vow that he never would drink strong liquors again; and he +immediately got a light, and gave away his sea-stores of liquor. After +which, his agitation still continuing, he began to read the +Scriptures, hoping to find some relief; and soon afterwards he laid +himself down again on his bed, and endeavoured to compose himself to +sleep, but to no purpose; his mind still continuing in a state of +agony. By this time it was exactly half after seven in the morning: I +was then under the half-deck at the great cabin door; and all at once +I heard the people in the waist cry out, most fearfully—'The Lord +have mercy upon us! We are all lost! The Lord have mercy upon us!' Mr. +Mondle hearing the cries, immediately ran out of his cabin; and we +were instantly struck by the Lynne, a forty-gun ship, Captain Clark, +which nearly ran us down. This ship had just put about, and was by the +wind, but had not got full headway, or we must all have perished; for +the wind was brisk. However, before Mr. Mondle had got four steps from +his cabin-door, she struck our ship with her cutwater right in the +middle of his bed and cabin, and ran it up to the combings of the +quarter-deck hatchway, and above three feet below water, and in a +minute there was not a bit of wood to be seen where Mr. Mondle's cabin +stood; and he was so near being killed that some of the splinters tore +his face. As Mr. Mondle must inevitably have perished from this +accident had he not been alarmed in the very extraordinary way I have +related, I could not help regarding this as an awful interposition of +Providence for his preservation. The two ships for some time swinged +alongside of each other; for ours being a fire-ship, our +grappling-irons caught the Lynne every way, and the yards and rigging +went at an astonishing rate. Our ship was in such a shocking condition +that we all thought she would instantly go down, and every one ran for +their lives, and got as well as they could on board the Lynne; but our +lieutenant being the aggressor, he never quitted the ship. However, +when we found she did not sink immediately, the captain came on board +again, and encouraged our people to return and try to save her. Many +on this came back, but some would not venture. Some of the ships in +the fleet, seeing our situation, immediately sent their boats to our +assistance; but it took us the whole day to save the ship with all +their help. And by using every possible means, particularly frapping +her together with many hawsers, and putting a great quantity of tallow +below water where she was damaged, she was kept together: but it was +well we did not meet with any gales of wind, or we must have gone to +pieces; for we were in such a crazy condition that we had ships to +attend us till we arrived at Belle-Isle, the place of our destination; +and then we had all things taken out of the ship, and she was properly +repaired. This escape of Mr. Mondle, which he, as well as myself, +always considered as a singular act of Providence, I believe had a +great influence on his life and conduct ever afterwards.</p> + +<p>Now that I am on this subject I beg leave to relate another instance +or two which strongly raised my belief of the particular interposition +of Heaven, and which might not otherwise have found a place here, from +their insignificance. I belonged for a few days in the year 1758 to +the Jason, of fifty-four guns, at Plymouth; and one night, when I was +on board, a woman, with a child at her breast, fell from the +upper-deck down into the hold, near the keel. Every one thought that +the mother and child must be both dashed to pieces; but, to our great +surprise, neither of them was hurt. I myself one day fell headlong +from the upper-deck of the Ætna down the after-hold, when the ballast +was out; and all who saw me fall cried out I was killed: but I +received not the least injury. And in the same ship a man fell from +the mast-head on the deck without being hurt. In these, and in many +more instances, I thought I could plainly trace the hand of God, +without whose permission a sparrow cannot fall. I began to raise my +fear from man to him alone, and to call daily on his holy name with +fear and reverence: and I trust he heard my supplications, and +graciously condescended to answer me according to his holy word, and +to implant the seeds of piety in me, even one of the meanest of his +creatures.</p> + +<p>When we had refitted our ship, and all things were in readiness for +attacking the place, the troops on board the transports were ordered +to disembark; and my master, as a junior captain, had a share in the +command of the landing. This was on the 8th of April. The French were +drawn up on the shore, and had made every disposition to oppose the +landing of our men, only a small part of them this day being able to +effect it; most of them, after fighting with great bravery, were cut +off; and General Crawford, with a number of others, were taken +prisoners. In this day's engagement we had also our lieutenant killed.</p> + +<p>On the 21st of April we renewed our efforts to land the men, while all +the men of war were stationed along the shore to cover it, and fired +at the French batteries and breastworks from early in the morning till +about four o'clock in the evening, when our soldiers effected a safe +landing. They immediately attacked the French; and, after a sharp +encounter, forced them from the batteries. Before the enemy retreated +they blew up several of them, lest they should fall into our hands. +Our men now proceeded to besiege the citadel, and my master was +ordered on shore to superintend the landing of all the materials +necessary for carrying on the siege; in which service I mostly +attended him. While I was there I went about to different parts of the +island; and one day, particularly, my curiosity almost cost me my +life. I wanted very much to see the mode of charging the mortars and +letting off the shells, and for that purpose I went to an English +battery that was but a very few yards from the walls of the citadel. +There, indeed, I had an opportunity of completely gratifying myself in +seeing the whole operation, and that not without running a very great +risk, both from the English shells that burst while I was there, but +likewise from those of the French. One of the largest of their shells +bursted within nine or ten yards of me: there was a single rock close +by, about the size of a butt; and I got instant shelter under it in +time to avoid the fury of the shell. Where it burst the earth was torn +in such a manner that two or three butts might easily have gone into +the hole it made, and it threw great quantities of stones and dirt to +a considerable distance. Three shot were also fired at me and another +boy who was along with me, one of them in particular seemed</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>"Wing'd with red lightning and impetuous rage;"<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>for with a most dreadful sound it hissed close by me, and struck a +rock at a little distance, which it shattered to pieces. When I saw +what perilous circumstances I was in, I attempted to return the +nearest way I could find, and thereby I got between the English and +the French centinels. An English serjeant, who commanded the outposts, +seeing me, and surprised how I came there, (which was by stealth along +the seashore), reprimanded me very severely for it, and instantly took +the centinel off his post into custody, for his negligence in +suffering me to pass the lines. While I was in this situation I +observed at a little distance a French horse, belonging to some +islanders, which I thought I would now mount, for the greater +expedition of getting off. Accordingly I took some cord which I had +about me, and making a kind of bridle of it, I put it round the +horse's head, and the tame beast very quietly suffered me to tie him +thus and mount him. As soon as I was on the horse's back I began to +kick and beat him, and try every means to make him go quick, but all +to very little purpose: I could not drive him out of a slow pace. +While I was creeping along, still within reach of the enemy's shot, I +met with a servant well mounted on an English horse. I immediately +stopped; and, crying, told him my case; and begged of him to help me, +and this he effectually did; for, having a fine large whip, he began +to lash my horse with it so severely, that he set off full speed with +me towards the sea, while I was quite unable to hold or manage him. In +this manner I went along till I came to a craggy precipice. I now +could not stop my horse; and my mind was filled with apprehensions of +my deplorable fate should he go down the precipice, which he appeared +fully disposed to do: I therefore thought I had better throw myself +off him at once, which I did immediately with a great deal of +dexterity, and fortunately escaped unhurt. As soon as I found myself +at liberty I made the best of my way for the ship, determined I would +not be so fool-hardy again in a hurry.</p> + +<p>We continued to besiege the citadel till June, when it surrendered. +During the siege I have counted above sixty shells and carcases in the +air at once. When this place was taken I went through the citadel, and +in the bomb-proofs under it, which were cut in the solid rock; and I +thought it a surprising place, both for strength and building: +notwithstanding which our shots and shells had made amazing +devastation, and ruinous heaps all around it.</p> + +<p>After the taking of this island our ships, with some others commanded +by Commodore Stanhope in the Swiftsure, went to Basse-road, where we +blocked up a French fleet. Our ships were there from June till +February following; and in that time I saw a great many scenes of war, +and stratagems on both sides to destroy each others fleet. Sometimes +we would attack the French with some ships of the line; at other times +with boats; and frequently we made prizes. Once or twice the French +attacked us by throwing shells with their bomb-vessels: and one day as +a French vessel was throwing shells at our ships she broke from her +springs, behind the isle of I de Re: the tide being complicated, she +came within a gun shot of the Nassau; but the Nassau could not bring a +gun to bear upon her, and thereby the Frenchman got off. We were twice +attacked by their fire-floats, which they chained together, and then +let them float down with the tide; but each time we sent boats with +graplings, and towed them safe out of the fleet.</p> + +<p>We had different commanders while we were at this place, Commodores +Stanhope, Dennis, Lord Howe, &c. From hence, before the Spanish war +began, our ship and the Wasp sloop were sent to St. Sebastian in +Spain, by Commodore Stanhope; and Commodore Dennis afterwards sent our +ship as a cartel to Bayonne in France<a name="FNanchor_M_13" id="FNanchor_M_13" /><a href="#Footnote_M_13" class="fnanchor">[M]</a>, after which<a name="FNanchor_N_14" id="FNanchor_N_14" /><a href="#Footnote_N_14" class="fnanchor">[N]</a> we went in +February in 1762 to Belle-Isle, and there stayed till the summer, when +we left it, and returned to Portsmouth.</p> + +<p>After our ship was fitted out again for service, in September she went +to Guernsey, where I was very glad to see my old hostess, who was now +a widow, and my former little charming companion, her daughter. I +spent some time here very happily with them, till October, when we had +orders to repair to Portsmouth. We parted from each other with a great +deal of affection; and I promised to return soon, and see them again, +not knowing what all-powerful fate had determined for me. Our ship +having arrived at Portsmouth, we went into the harbour, and remained +there till the latter end of November, when we heard great talk about +peace; and, to our very great joy, in the beginning of December we had +orders to go up to London with our ship to be paid off. We received +this news with loud huzzas, and every other demonstration of gladness; +and nothing but mirth was to be seen throughout every part of the +ship. I too was not without my share of the general joy on this +occasion. I thought now of nothing but being freed, and working for +myself, and thereby getting money to enable me to get a good +education; for I always had a great desire to be able at least to read +and write; and while I was on shipboard I had endeavoured to improve +myself in both. While I was in the Ætna particularly, the captain's +clerk taught me to write, and gave me a smattering of arithmetic as +far as the rule of three. There was also one Daniel Queen, about forty +years of age, a man very well educated, who messed with me on board +this ship, and he likewise dressed and attended the captain. +Fortunately this man soon became very much attached to me, and took +very great pains to instruct me in many things. He taught me to shave +and dress hair a little, and also to read in the Bible, explaining +many passages to me, which I did not comprehend. I was wonderfully +surprised to see the laws and rules of my country written almost +exactly here; a circumstance which I believe tended to impress our +manners and customs more deeply on my memory. I used to tell him of +this resemblance; and many a time we have sat up the whole night +together at this employment. In short, he was like a father to me; and +some even used to call me after his name; they also styled me the +black Christian. Indeed I almost loved him with the affection of a +son. Many things I have denied myself that he might have them; and +when I used to play at marbles or any other game, and won a few +half-pence, or got any little money, which I sometimes did, for +shaving any one, I used to buy him a little sugar or tobacco, as far +as my stock of money would go. He used to say, that he and I never +should part; and that when our ship was paid off, as I was as free as +himself or any other man on board, he would instruct me in his +business, by which I might gain a good livelihood. This gave me new +life and spirits; and my heart burned within me, while I thought the +time long till I obtained my freedom. For though my master had not +promised it to me, yet, besides the assurances I had received that he +had no right to detain me, he always treated me with the greatest +kindness, and reposed in me an unbounded confidence; he even paid +attention to my morals; and would never suffer me to deceive him, or +tell lies, of which he used to tell me the consequences; and that if I +did so God would not love me; so that, from all this tenderness, I had +never once supposed, in all my dreams of freedom, that he would think +of detaining me any longer than I wished.</p> + +<p>In pursuance of our orders we sailed from Portsmouth for the Thames, +and arrived at Deptford the 10th of December, where we cast anchor +just as it was high water. The ship was up about half an hour, when my +master ordered the barge to be manned; and all in an instant, without +having before given me the least reason to suspect any thing of the +matter, he forced me into the barge; saying, I was going to leave him, +but he would take care I should not. I was so struck with the +unexpectedness of this proceeding, that for some time I did not make a +reply, only I made an offer to go for my books and chest of clothes, +but he swore I should not move out of his sight; and if I did he would +cut my throat, at the same time taking his hanger. I began, however, +to collect myself; and, plucking up courage, I told him I was free, +and he could not by law serve me so. But this only enraged him the +more; and he continued to swear, and said he would soon let me know +whether he would or not, and at that instant sprung himself into the +barge from the ship, to the astonishment and sorrow of all on board. +The tide, rather unluckily for me, had just turned downward, so that +we quickly fell down the river along with it, till we came among some +outward-bound West Indiamen; for he was resolved to put me on board +the first vessel he could get to receive me. The boat's crew, who +pulled against their will, became quite faint different times, and +would have gone ashore; but he would not let them. Some of them strove +then to cheer me, and told me he could not sell me, and that they +would stand by me, which revived me a little; and I still entertained +hopes; for as they pulled along he asked some vessels to receive me, +but they could not. But, just as we had got a little below Gravesend, +we came alongside of a ship which was going away the next tide for the +West Indies; her name was the Charming Sally, Captain James Doran; and +my master went on board and agreed with him for me; and in a little +time I was sent for into the cabin. When I came there Captain Doran +asked me if I knew him; I answered that I did not; 'Then,' said he +'you are now my slave.' I told him my master could not sell me to him, +nor to any one else. 'Why,' said he,'did not your master buy you?' I +confessed he did. 'But I have served him,' said I,'many years, and he +has taken all my wages and prize-money, for I only got one sixpence +during the war; besides this I have been baptized; and by the laws of +the land no man has a right to sell me:' And I added, that I had heard +a lawyer and others at different times tell my master so. They both +then said that those people who told me so were not my friends; but I +replied—it was very extraordinary that other people did not know the +law as well as they. Upon this Captain Doran said I talked too much +English; and if I did not behave myself well, and be quiet, he had a +method on board to make me. I was too well convinced of his power over +me to doubt what he said; and my former sufferings in the slave-ship +presenting themselves to my mind, the recollection of them made me +shudder. However, before I retired I told them that as I could not get +any right among men here I hoped I should hereafter in Heaven; and I +immediately left the cabin, filled with resentment and sorrow. The +only coat I had with me my master took away with him, and said if my +prize-money had been 10,000 £. he had a right to it all, and would have +taken it. I had about nine guineas, which, during my long sea-faring +life, I had scraped together from trifling perquisites and little +ventures; and I hid it that instant, lest my master should take that +from me likewise, still hoping that by some means or other I should +make my escape to the shore; and indeed some of my old shipmates told +me not to despair, for they would get me back again; and that, as soon +as they could get their pay, they would immediately come to Portsmouth +to me, where this ship was going: but, alas! all my hopes were +baffled, and the hour of my deliverance was yet far off. My master, +having soon concluded his bargain with the captain, came out of the +cabin, and he and his people got into the boat and put off; I followed +them with aching eyes as long as I could, and when they were out of +sight I threw myself on the deck, while my heart was ready to burst +with sorrow and anguish.</p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_L_12" id="Footnote_L_12" /><a href="#FNanchor_L_12"><span class="label">[L]</span></a> He had drowned himself in endeavouring to desert.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_M_13" id="Footnote_M_13" /><a href="#FNanchor_M_13"><span class="label">[M]</span></a> Among others whom we brought from Bayonne, two gentlemen, +who had been in the West Indies, where they sold slaves; and they +confessed they had made at one time a false bill of sale, and sold two +Portuguese white men among a lot of slaves.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_N_14" id="Footnote_N_14" /><a href="#FNanchor_N_14"><span class="label">[N]</span></a> Some people have it, that sometimes shortly before +persons die their ward has been seen; that is, some spirit exactly in +their likeness, though they are themselves at other places at the same +time. One day while we were at Bayonne Mr. Mondle saw one of our men, +as he thought, in the gun-room; and a little after, coming on the +quarter-deck, he spoke of some circumstances of this man to some of +the officers. They told him that the man was then out of the ship, in +one of the boats with the Lieutenant: but Mr. Mondle would not believe +it, and we searched the ship, when he found the man was actually out +of her; and when the boat returned some time afterwards, we found the +man had been drowned at the very time Mr. Mondle thought he saw him.</p></div> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAP_V" id="CHAP_V" />CHAP. V.</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>The author's reflections on his situation—Is deceived by a + promise of being delivered—His despair at sailing for the + West Indies—Arrives at Montserrat, where he is sold to Mr. + King—Various interesting instances of oppression, cruelty, + and extortion, which the author saw practised upon the + slaves in the West Indies during his captivity from the year + 1763 to 1766—Address on it to the planters.</i></p></div> + + +<p>Thus, at the moment I expected all my toils to end, was I plunged, as +I supposed, in a new slavery; in comparison of which all my service +hitherto had been 'perfect freedom;' and whose horrors, always present +to my mind, now rushed on it with tenfold aggravation. I wept very +bitterly for some time: and began to think that I must have done +something to displease the Lord, that he thus punished me so severely. +This filled me with painful reflections on my past conduct; I +recollected that on the morning of our arrival at Deptford I had +rashly sworn that as soon as we reached London I would spend the day +in rambling and sport. My conscience smote me for this unguarded +expression: I felt that the Lord was able to disappoint me in all +things, and immediately considered my present situation as a judgment +of Heaven on account of my presumption in swearing: I therefore, with +contrition of heart, acknowledged my transgression to God, and poured +out my soul before him with unfeigned repentance, and with earnest +supplications I besought him not to abandon me in my distress, nor +cast me from his mercy for ever. In a little time my grief, spent with +its own violence, began to subside; and after the first confusion of +my thoughts was over I reflected with more calmness on my present +condition: I considered that trials and disappointments are sometimes +for our good, and I thought God might perhaps have permitted this in +order to teach me wisdom and resignation; for he had hitherto shadowed +me with the wings of his mercy, and by his invisible but powerful hand +brought me the way I knew not. These reflections gave me a little +comfort, and I rose at last from the deck with dejection and sorrow in +my countenance, yet mixed with some faint hope that the <i>Lord would +appear</i> for my deliverance.</p> + +<p>Soon afterwards, as my new master was going ashore, he called me to +him, and told me to behave myself well, and do the business of the +ship the same as any of the rest of the boys, and that I should fare +the better for it; but I made him no answer. I was then asked if I +could swim, and I said, No. However I was made to go under the deck, +and was well watched. The next tide the ship got under way, and soon +after arrived at the Mother Bank, Portsmouth; where she waited a few +days for some of the West India convoy. While I was here I tried every +means I could devise amongst the people of the ship to get me a boat +from the shore, as there was none suffered to come alongside of the +ship; and their own, whenever it was used, was hoisted in again +immediately. A sailor on board took a guinea from me on pretence of +getting me a boat; and promised me, time after time, that it was +hourly to come off. When he had the watch upon deck I watched also; +and looked long enough, but all in vain; I could never see either the +boat or my guinea again. And what I thought was still the worst of +all, the fellow gave information, as I afterwards found, all the while +to the mates, of my intention to go off, if I could in any way do it; +but, rogue like, he never told them he had got a guinea from me to +procure my escape. However, after we had sailed, and his trick was +made known to the ship's crew, I had some satisfaction in seeing him +detested and despised by them all for his behaviour to me. I was still +in hopes that my old shipmates would not forget their promise to come +for me to Portsmouth: and, indeed, at last, but not till the day +before we sailed, some of them did come there, and sent me off some +oranges, and other tokens of their regard. They also sent me word they +would come off to me themselves the next day or the day after; and a +lady also, who lived in Gosport, wrote to me that she would come and +take me out of the ship at the same time. This lady had been once very +intimate with my former master: I used to sell and take care of a +great deal of property for her, in different ships; and in return she +always shewed great friendship for me, and used to tell my master that +she would take me away to live with her: but, unfortunately for me, a +disagreement soon afterwards took place between them; and she was +succeeded in my master's good graces by another lady, who appeared +sole mistress of the Ætna, and mostly lodged on board. I was not so +great a favourite with this lady as with the former; she had conceived +a pique against me on some occasion when she was on board, and she did +not fail to instigate my master to treat me in the manner he did<a name="FNanchor_O_15" id="FNanchor_O_15" /><a href="#Footnote_O_15" class="fnanchor">[O]</a>.</p> + +<p>However, the next morning, the 30th of December, the wind being brisk +and easterly, the Oeolus frigate, which was to escort the convoy, +made a signal for sailing. All the ships then got up their anchors; +and, before any of my friends had an opportunity to come off to my +relief, to my inexpressible anguish our ship had got under way. What +tumultuous emotions agitated my soul when the convoy got under sail, +and I a prisoner on board, now without hope! I kept my swimming eyes +upon the land in a state of unutterable grief; not knowing what to do, +and despairing how to help myself. While my mind was in this situation +the fleet sailed on, and in one day's time I lost sight of the +wished-for land. In the first expressions of my grief I reproached my +fate, and wished I had never been born. I was ready to curse the tide +that bore us, the gale that wafted my prison, and even the ship that +conducted us; and I called on death to relieve me from the horrors I +felt and dreaded, that I might be in that place</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>"Where slaves are free, and men oppress no more.<br /></span> +<span>Fool that I was, inur'd so long to pain,<br /></span> +<span>To trust to hope, or dream of joy again.<br /></span> +<span>* * * * * * * * * *<br /></span> +<span>Now dragg'd once more beyond the western main,<br /></span> +<span>To groan beneath some dastard planter's chain;<br /></span> +<span>Where my poor countrymen in bondage wait<br /></span> +<span>The long enfranchisement of ling'ring fate:<br /></span> +<span>Hard ling'ring fate! while, ere the dawn of day,<br /></span> +<span>Rous'd by the lash they go their cheerless way;<br /></span> +<span>And as their souls with shame and anguish burn,<br /></span> +<span>Salute with groans unwelcome morn's return,<br /></span> +<span>And, chiding ev'ry hour the slow-pac'd sun,<br /></span> +<span>Pursue their toils till all his race is run.<br /></span> +<span>No eye to mark their suff'rings with a tear;<br /></span> +<span>No friend to comfort, and no hope to cheer:<br /></span> +<span>Then, like the dull unpity'd brutes, repair<br /></span> +<span>To stalls as wretched, and as coarse a fare;<br /></span> +<span>Thank heaven one day of mis'ry was o'er,<br /></span> +<span>Then sink to sleep, and wish to wake no more<a name="FNanchor_P_16" id="FNanchor_P_16" /><a href="#Footnote_P_16" class="fnanchor">[P]</a>."<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>The turbulence of my emotions however naturally gave way to calmer +thoughts, and I soon perceived what fate had decreed no mortal on +earth could prevent. The convoy sailed on without any accident, with a +pleasant gale and smooth sea, for six weeks, till February, when one +morning the Oeolus ran down a brig, one of the convoy, and she +instantly went down and was ingulfed in the dark recesses of the +ocean. The convoy was immediately thrown into great confusion till it +was daylight; and the Oeolus was illumined with lights to prevent +any farther mischief. On the 13th of February 1763, from the +mast-head, we descried our destined island Montserrat; and soon after +I beheld those</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>"Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace<br /></span> +<span>And rest can rarely dwell. Hope never comes<br /></span> +<span>That comes to all, but torture without end<br /></span> +<span>Still urges."<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>At the sight of this land of bondage, a fresh horror ran through all +my frame, and chilled me to the heart. My former slavery now rose in +dreadful review to my mind, and displayed nothing but misery, stripes, +and chains; and, in the first paroxysm of my grief, I called upon +God's thunder, and his avenging power, to direct the stroke of death +to me, rather than permit me to become a slave, and be sold from lord +to lord.</p> + +<p>In this state of my mind our ship came to an anchor, and soon after +discharged her cargo. I now knew what it was to work hard; I was made +to help to unload and load the ship. And, to comfort me in my distress +in that time, two of the sailors robbed me of all my money, and ran +away from the ship. I had been so long used to an European climate +that at first I felt the scorching West India sun very painful, while +the dashing surf would toss the boat and the people in it frequently +above high water mark. Sometimes our limbs were broken with this, or +even attended with instant death, and I was day by day mangled and +torn.</p> + +<p>About the middle of May, when the ship was got ready to sail for +England, I all the time believing that Fate's blackest clouds were +gathering over my head, and expecting their bursting would mix me with +the dead, Captain Doran sent for me ashore one morning, and I was told +by the messenger that my fate was then determined. With fluttering +steps and trembling heart I came to the captain, and found with him +one Mr. Robert King, a quaker, and the first merchant in the place. +The captain then told me my former master had sent me there to be +sold; but that he had desired him to get me the best master he could, +as he told him I was a very deserving boy, which Captain Doran said he +found to be true; and if he were to stay in the West Indies he would +be glad to keep me himself; but he could not venture to take me to +London, for he was very sure that when I came there I would leave him. +I at that instant burst out a crying, and begged much of him to take +me to England with him, but all to no purpose. He told me he had got +me the very best master in the whole island, with whom I should be as +happy as if I were in England, and for that reason he chose to let him +have me, though he could sell me to his own brother-in-law for a great +deal more money than what he got from this gentleman. Mr. King, my new +master, then made a reply, and said the reason he had bought me was on +account of my good character; and, as he had not the least doubt of my +good behaviour, I should be very well off with him. He also told me he +did not live in the West Indies, but at Philadelphia, where he was +going soon; and, as I understood something of the rules of +arithmetic, when we got there he would put me to school, and fit me +for a clerk. This conversation relieved my mind a little, and I left +those gentlemen considerably more at ease in myself than when I came +to them; and I was very grateful to Captain Doran, and even to my old +master, for the character they had given me; a character which I +afterwards found of infinite service to me. I went on board again, and +took leave of all my shipmates; and the next day the ship sailed. When +she weighed anchor I went to the waterside and looked at her with a +very wishful and aching heart, and followed her with my eyes and tears +until she was totally out of sight. I was so bowed down with grief +that I could not hold up my head for many months; and if my new master +had not been kind to me I believe I should have died under it at last. +And indeed I soon found that he fully deserved the good character +which Captain Doran had given me of him; for he possessed a most +amiable disposition and temper, and was very charitable and humane. If +any of his slaves behaved amiss he did not beat or use them ill, but +parted with them. This made them afraid of disobliging him; and as he +treated his slaves better than any other man on the island, so he was +better and more faithfully served by them in return. By his kind +treatment I did at last endeavour to compose myself; and with +fortitude, though moneyless, determined to face whatever fate had +decreed for me. Mr. King soon asked me what I could do; and at the +same time said he did not mean to treat me as a common slave. I told +him I knew something of seamanship, and could shave and dress hair +pretty well; and I could refine wines, which I had learned on +shipboard, where I had often done it; and that I could write, and +understood arithmetic tolerably well as far as the Rule of Three. He +then asked me if I knew any thing of gauging; and, on my answering +that I did not, he said one of his clerks should teach me to gauge.</p> + +<p>Mr. King dealt in all manner of merchandize, and kept from one to six +clerks. He loaded many vessels in a year; particularly to +Philadelphia, where he was born, and was connected with a great +mercantile house in that city. He had besides many vessels and +droggers, of different sizes, which used to go about the island; and +others to collect rum, sugar, and other goods. I understood pulling +and managing those boats very well; and this hard work, which was the +first that he set me to, in the sugar seasons used to be my constant +employment. I have rowed the boat, and slaved at the oars, from one +hour to sixteen in the twenty-four; during which I had fifteen pence +sterling per day to live on, though sometimes only ten pence. However +this was considerably more than was allowed to other slaves that used +to work with me, and belonged to other gentlemen on the island: those +poor souls had never more than nine pence per day, and seldom more +than six pence, from their masters or owners, though they earned them +three or four pisterines<a name="FNanchor_Q_17" id="FNanchor_Q_17" /><a href="#Footnote_Q_17" class="fnanchor">[Q]</a>: for it is a common practice in the West +Indies for men to purchase slaves though they have not plantations +themselves, in order to let them out to planters and merchants at so +much a piece by the day, and they give what allowance they chuse out +of this produce of their daily work to their slaves for subsistence; +this allowance is often very scanty. My master often gave the owners +of these slaves two and a half of these pieces per day, and found the +poor fellows in victuals himself, because he thought their owners did +not feed them well enough according to the work they did. The slaves +used to like this very well; and, as they knew my master to be a man +of feeling, they were always glad to work for him in preference to any +other gentleman; some of whom, after they had been paid for these poor +people's labours, would not give them their allowance out of it. Many +times have I even seen these unfortunate wretches beaten for asking +for their pay; and often severely flogged by their owners if they did +not bring them their daily or weekly money exactly to the time; though +the poor creatures were obliged to wait on the gentlemen they had +worked for sometimes for more than half the day before they could get +their pay; and this generally on Sundays, when they wanted the time +for themselves. In particular, I knew a countryman of mine who once +did not bring the weekly money directly that it was earned; and though +he brought it the same day to his master, yet he was staked to the +ground for this pretended negligence, and was just going to receive a +hundred lashes, but for a gentleman who begged him off fifty. This +poor man was very industrious; and, by his frugality, had saved so +much money by working on shipboard, that he had got a white man to buy +him a boat, unknown to his master. Some time after he had this little +estate the governor wanted a boat to bring his sugar from different +parts of the island; and, knowing this to be a negro-man's boat, he +seized upon it for himself, and would not pay the owner a farthing. +The man on this went to his master, and complained to him of this act +of the governor; but the only satisfaction he received was to be +damned very heartily by his master, who asked him how dared any of his +negroes to have a boat. If the justly-merited ruin of the governor's +fortune could be any gratification to the poor man he had thus robbed, +he was not without consolation. Extortion and rapine are poor +providers; and some time after this the governor died in the King's +Bench in England, as I was told, in great poverty. The last war +favoured this poor negro-man, and he found some means to escape from +his Christian master: he came to England; where I saw him afterwards +several times. Such treatment as this often drives these miserable +wretches to despair, and they run away from their masters at the +hazard of their lives. Many of them, in this place, unable to get +their pay when they have earned it, and fearing to be flogged, as +usual, if they return home without it, run away where they can for +shelter, and a reward is often offered to bring them in dead or alive. +My master used sometimes, in these cases, to agree with their owners, +and to settle with them himself; and thereby he saved many of them a +flogging.</p> + +<p>Once, for a few days, I was let out to fit a vessel, and I had no +victuals allowed me by either party; at last I told my master of this +treatment, and he took me away from it. In many of the estates, on the +different islands where I used to be sent for rum or sugar, they would +not deliver it to me, or any other negro; he was therefore obliged to +send a white man along with me to those places; and then he used to +pay him from six to ten pisterines a day. From being thus employed, +during the time I served Mr. King, in going about the different +estates on the island, I had all the opportunity I could wish for to +see the dreadful usage of the poor men; usage that reconciled me to my +situation, and made me bless God for the hands into which I had +fallen.</p> + +<p>I had the good fortune to please my master in every department in +which he employed me; and there was scarcely any part of his business, +or household affairs, in which I was not occasionally engaged. I often +supplied the place of a clerk, in receiving and delivering cargoes to +the ships, in tending stores, and delivering goods: and, besides this, +I used to shave and dress my master when convenient, and take care of +his horse; and when it was necessary, which was very often, I worked +likewise on board of different vessels of his. By these means I became +very useful to my master; and saved him, as he used to acknowledge, +above a hundred pounds a year. Nor did he scruple to say I was of more +advantage to him than any of his clerks; though their usual wages in +the West Indies are from sixty to a hundred pounds current a year.</p> + +<p>I have sometimes heard it asserted that a negro cannot earn his master +the first cost; but nothing can be further from the truth. I suppose +nine tenths of the mechanics throughout the West Indies are negro +slaves; and I well know the coopers among them earn two dollars a day; +the carpenters the same, and oftentimes more; as also the masons, +smiths, and fishermen, &c. and I have known many slaves whose masters +would not take a thousand pounds current for them. But surely this +assertion refutes itself; for, if it be true, why do the planters and +merchants pay such a price for slaves? And, above all, why do those +who make this assertion exclaim the most loudly against the abolition +of the slave trade? So much are men blinded, and to such inconsistent +arguments are they driven by mistaken interest! I grant, indeed, that +slaves are some times, by half-feeding, half-clothing, over-working +and stripes, reduced so low, that they are turned out as unfit for +service, and left to perish in the woods, or expire on a dunghill.</p> + +<p>My master was several times offered by different gentlemen one hundred +guineas for me; but he always told them he would not sell me, to my +great joy: and I used to double my diligence and care for fear of +getting into the hands of those men who did not allow a valuable slave +the common support of life. Many of them even used to find fault with +my master for feeding his slaves so well as he did; although I often +went hungry, and an Englishman might think my fare very indifferent; +but he used to tell them he always would do it, because the slaves +thereby looked better and did more work.</p> + +<p>While I was thus employed by my master I was often a witness to +cruelties of every kind, which were exercised on my unhappy fellow +slaves. I used frequently to have different cargoes of new negroes in +my care for sale; and it was almost a constant practice with our +clerks, and other whites, to commit violent depredations on the +chastity of the female slaves; and these I was, though with +reluctance, obliged to submit to at all times, being unable to help +them. When we have had some of these slaves on board my master's +vessels to carry them to other islands, or to America, I have known +our mates to commit these acts most shamefully, to the disgrace, not +of Christians only, but of men. I have even known them gratify their +brutal passion with females not ten years old; and these abominations +some of them practised to such scandalous excess, that one of our +captains discharged the mate and others on that account. And yet in +Montserrat I have seen a negro man staked to the ground, and cut most +shockingly, and then his ears cut off bit by bit, because he had been +connected with a white woman who was a common prostitute: as if it +were no crime in the whites to rob an innocent African girl of her +virtue; but most heinous in a black man only to gratify a passion of +nature, where the temptation was offered by one of a different colour, +though the most abandoned woman of her species. Another negro man was +half hanged, and then burnt, for attempting to poison a cruel +overseer. Thus by repeated cruelties are the wretched first urged to +despair, and then murdered, because they still retain so much of human +nature about them as to wish to put an end to their misery, and +retaliate on their tyrants! These overseers are indeed for the most +part persons of the worst character of any denomination of men in the +West Indies. Unfortunately, many humane gentlemen, by not residing on +their estates, are obliged to leave the management of them in the +hands of these human butchers, who cut and mangle the slaves in a +shocking manner on the most trifling occasions, and altogether treat +them in every respect like brutes. They pay no regard to the situation +of pregnant women, nor the least attention to the lodging of the +field negroes. Their huts, which ought to be well covered, and the +place dry where they take their little repose, are often open sheds, +built in damp places; so that, when the poor creatures return tired +from the toils of the field, they contract many disorders, from being +exposed to the damp air in this uncomfortable state, while they are +heated, and their pores are open. This neglect certainly conspires +with many others to cause a decrease in the births as well as in the +lives of the grown negroes. I can quote many instances of gentlemen +who reside on their estates in the West Indies, and then the scene is +quite changed; the negroes are treated with lenity and proper care, by +which their lives are prolonged, and their masters are profited. To +the honour of humanity, I knew several gentlemen who managed their +estates in this manner; and they found that benevolence was their true +interest. And, among many I could mention in several of the islands, I +knew one in Montserrat<a name="FNanchor_R_18" id="FNanchor_R_18" /><a href="#Footnote_R_18" class="fnanchor">[R]</a> whose slaves looked remarkably well, and +never needed any fresh supplies of negroes; and there are many other +estates, especially in Barbadoes, which, from such judicious +treatment, need no fresh stock of negroes at any time. I have the +honour of knowing a most worthy and humane gentleman, who is a native +of Barbadoes, and has estates there<a name="FNanchor_S_19" id="FNanchor_S_19" /><a href="#Footnote_S_19" class="fnanchor">[S]</a>. This gentleman has written a +treatise on the usage of his own slaves. He allows them two hours for +refreshment at mid-day; and many other indulgencies and comforts, +particularly in their lying; and, besides this, he raises more +provisions on his estate than they can destroy; so that by these +attentions he saves the lives of his negroes, and keeps them healthy, +and as happy as the condition of slavery can admit. I myself, as shall +appear in the sequel, managed an estate, where, by those attentions, +the negroes were uncommonly cheerful and healthy, and did more work by +half than by the common mode of treatment they usually do. For want, +therefore, of such care and attention to the poor negroes, and +otherwise oppressed as they are, it is no wonder that the decrease +should require 20,000 new negroes annually to fill up the vacant +places of the dead.</p> + +<p>Even in Barbadoes, notwithstanding those humane exceptions which I +have mentioned, and others I am acquainted with, which justly make it +quoted as a place where slaves meet with the best treatment, and need +fewest recruits of any in the West Indies, yet this island requires +1000 negroes annually to keep up the original stock, which is only +80,000. So that the whole term of a negro's life may be said to be +there but sixteen years!<a name="FNanchor_T_20" id="FNanchor_T_20" /><a href="#Footnote_T_20" class="fnanchor">[T]</a> And yet the climate here is in every +respect the same as that from which they are taken, except in being +more wholesome. Do the British colonies decrease in this manner? And +yet what a prodigious difference is there between an English and West +India climate?</p> + +<p>While I was in Montserrat I knew a negro man, named Emanuel Sankey, +who endeavoured to escape from his miserable bondage, by concealing +himself on board of a London ship: but fate did not favour the poor +oppressed man; for, being discovered when the vessel was under sail, +he was delivered up again to his master. This Christian master +immediately pinned the wretch down to the ground at each wrist and +ancle, and then took some sticks of sealing wax, and lighted them, and +droped it all over his back. There was another master who was noted +for cruelty; and I believe he had not a slave but what had been cut, +and had pieces fairly taken out of the flesh: and, after they had been +punished thus, he used to make them get into a long wooden box or case +he had for that purpose, in which he shut them up during pleasure. It +was just about the height and breadth of a man; and the poor wretches +had no room, when in the case, to move.</p> + +<p>It was very common in several of the islands, particularly in St. +Kitt's, for the slaves to be branded with the initial letters of their +master's name; and a load of heavy iron hooks hung about their necks. +Indeed on the most trifling occasions they were loaded with chains; +and often instruments of torture were added. The iron muzzle, +thumb-screws, &c. are so well known, as not to need a description, and +were sometimes applied for the slightest faults. I have seen a negro +beaten till some of his bones were broken, for even letting a pot boil +over. Is it surprising that usage like this should drive the poor +creatures to despair, and make them seek a refuge in death from those +evils which render their lives intolerable—while,</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>"With shudd'ring horror pale, and eyes aghast,<br /></span> +<span>They view their lamentable lot, and find<br /></span> +<span>No rest!"<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>This they frequently do. A negro-man on board a vessel of my master, +while I belonged to her, having been put in irons for some trifling +misdemeanor, and kept in that state for some days, being weary of +life, took an opportunity of jumping overboard into the sea; however, +he was picked up without being drowned. Another, whose life was also a +burden to him, resolved to starve himself to death, and refused to eat +any victuals; this procured him a severe flogging: and he also, on the +first occasion which offered, jumped overboard at Charles Town, but +was saved.</p> + +<p>Nor is there any greater regard shewn to the little property than +there is to the persons and lives of the negroes. I have already +related an instance or two of particular oppression out of many which +I have witnessed; but the following is frequent in all the islands. +The wretched field-slaves, after toiling all the day for an unfeeling +owner, who gives them but little victuals, steal sometimes a few +moments from rest or refreshment to gather some small portion of +grass, according as their time will admit. This they commonly tie up +in a parcel; (either a bit, worth six pence; or half a bit's-worth) +and bring it to town, or to the market, to sell. Nothing is more +common than for the white people on this occasion to take the grass +from them without paying for it; and not only so, but too often also, +to my knowledge, our clerks, and many others, at the same time have +committed acts of violence on the poor, wretched, and helpless +females; whom I have seen for hours stand crying to no purpose, and +get no redress or pay of any kind. Is not this one common and crying +sin enough to bring down God's judgment on the islands? He tells us +the oppressor and the oppressed are both in his hands; and if these +are not the poor, the broken-hearted, the blind, the captive, the +bruised, which our Saviour speaks of, who are they? One of these +depredators once, in St. Eustatia, came on board of our vessel, and +bought some fowls and pigs of me; and a whole day after his departure +with the things he returned again and wanted his money back: I refused +to give it; and, not seeing my captain on board, he began the common +pranks with me; and swore he would even break open my chest and take +my money. I therefore expected, as my captain was absent, that he +would be as good as his word: and he was just proceeding to strike me, +when fortunately a British seaman on board, whose heart had not been +debauched by a West India climate, interposed and prevented him. But +had the cruel man struck me I certainly should have defended myself at +the hazard of my life; for what is life to a man thus oppressed? He +went away, however, swearing; and threatened that whenever he caught +me on shore he would shoot me, and pay for me afterwards.</p> + +<p>The small account in which the life of a negro is held in the West +Indies is so universally known, that it might seem impertinent to +quote the following extract, if some people had not been hardy enough +of late to assert that negroes are on the same footing in that respect +as Europeans. By the 329th Act, page 125, of the Assembly of +Barbadoes, it is enacted 'That if any negro, or other slave, under +punishment by his master, or his order, for running away, or any other +crime or misdemeanor towards his said master, unfortunately shall +suffer in life or member, no person whatsoever shall be liable to a +fine; but if any man shall out of <i>wantonness, or only of +bloody-mindedness, or cruel intention, wilfully kill a negro, or other +slave, of his own, he shall pay into the public treasury fifteen +pounds sterling</i>.' And it is the same in most, if not all, of the West +India islands. Is not this one of the many acts of the islands which +call loudly for redress? And do not the assembly which enacted it +deserve the appellation of savages and brutes rather than of +Christians and men? It is an act at once unmerciful, unjust, and +unwise; which for cruelty would disgrace an assembly of those who are +called barbarians; and for its injustice and <i>insanity</i> would shock +the morality and common sense of a Samaide or a Hottentot.</p> + +<p>Shocking as this and many more acts of the bloody West India code at +first view appear, how is the iniquity of it heightened when we +consider to whom it may be extended! Mr. James Tobin, a zealous +labourer in the vineyard of slavery, gives an account of a French +planter of his acquaintance, in the island of Martinico, who shewed +him many mulattoes working in the fields like beasts of burden; and he +told Mr. Tobin these were all the produce of his own loins! And I +myself have known similar instances. Pray, reader, are these sons and +daughters of the French planter less his children by being begotten on +a black woman? And what must be the virtue of those legislators, and +the feelings of those fathers, who estimate the lives of their sons, +however begotten, at no more than fifteen pounds; though they should +be murdered, as the act says, <i>out of wantonness and bloody-mindedness</i>! +But is not the slave trade entirely a war with the heart of man? And +surely that which is begun by breaking down the barriers of virtue +involves in its continuance destruction to every principle, and buries +all sentiments in ruin!</p> + +<p>I have often seen slaves, particularly those who were meagre, in +different islands, put into scales and weighed; and then sold from +three pence to six pence or nine pence a pound. My master, however, +whose humanity was shocked at this mode, used to sell such by the +lump. And at or after a sale it was not uncommon to see negroes taken +from their wives, wives taken from their husbands, and children from +their parents, and sent off to other islands, and wherever else their +merciless lords chose; and probably never more during life to see each +other! Oftentimes my heart has bled at these partings; when the +friends of the departed have been at the water side, and, with sighs +and tears, have kept their eyes fixed on the vessel till it went out +of sight.</p> + +<p>A poor Creole negro I knew well, who, after having been often thus +transported from island to island, at last resided in Montserrat. This +man used to tell me many melancholy tales of himself. Generally, after +he had done working for his master, he used to employ his few leisure +moments to go a fishing. When he had caught any fish, his master would +frequently take them from him without paying him; and at other times +some other white people would serve him in the same manner. One day he +said to me, very movingly, 'Sometimes when a white man take away my +fish I go to my maser, and he get me my right; and when my maser by +strength take away my fishes, what me must do? I can't go to any body +to be righted; then' said the poor man, looking up above 'I must look +up to God Mighty in the top for right.' This artless tale moved me +much, and I could not help feeling the just cause Moses had in +redressing his brother against the Egyptian. I exhorted the man to +look up still to the God on the top, since there was no redress below. +Though I little thought then that I myself should more than once +experience such imposition, and read the same exhortation hereafter, +in my own transactions in the islands; and that even this poor man and +I should some time after suffer together in the same manner, as shall +be related hereafter.</p> + +<p>Nor was such usage as this confined to particular places or +individuals; for, in all the different islands in which I have been +(and I have visited no less than fifteen) the treatment of the slaves +was nearly the same; so nearly indeed, that the history of an island, +or even a plantation, with a few such exceptions as I have mentioned, +might serve for a history of the whole. Such a tendency has the +slave-trade to debauch men's minds, and harden them to every feeling +of humanity! For I will not suppose that the dealers in slaves are +born worse than other men—No; it is the fatality of this mistaken +avarice, that it corrupts the milk of human kindness and turns it into +gall. And, had the pursuits of those men been different, they might +have been as generous, as tender-hearted and just, as they are +unfeeling, rapacious and cruel. Surely this traffic cannot be good, +which spreads like a pestilence, and taints what it touches! which +violates that first natural right of mankind, equality and +independency, and gives one man a dominion over his fellows which God +could never intend! For it raises the owner to a state as far above +man as it depresses the slave below it; and, with all the presumption +of human pride, sets a distinction between them, immeasurable in +extent, and endless in duration! Yet how mistaken is the avarice even +of the planters? Are slaves more useful by being thus humbled to the +condition of brutes, than they would be if suffered to enjoy the +privileges of men? The freedom which diffuses health and prosperity +throughout Britain answers you—No. When you make men slaves you +deprive them of half their virtue, you set them in your own conduct an +example of fraud, rapine, and cruelty, and compel them to live with +you in a state of war; and yet you complain that they are not honest +or faithful! You stupify them with stripes, and think it necessary to +keep them in a state of ignorance; and yet you assert that they are +incapable of learning; that their minds are such a barren soil or +moor, that culture would be lost on them; and that they come from a +climate, where nature, though prodigal of her bounties in a degree +unknown to yourselves, has left man alone scant and unfinished, and +incapable of enjoying the treasures she has poured out for him!—An +assertion at once impious and absurd. Why do you use those instruments +of torture? Are they fit to be applied by one rational being to +another? And are ye not struck with shame and mortification, to see +the partakers of your nature reduced so low? But, above all, are there +no dangers attending this mode of treatment? Are you not hourly in +dread of an insurrection? Nor would it be surprising: for when</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>"—No peace is given<br /></span> +<span>To us enslav'd, but custody severe;<br /></span> +<span>And stripes and arbitrary punishment<br /></span> +<span>Inflicted—What peace can we return?<br /></span> +<span>But to our power, hostility and hate;<br /></span> +<span>Untam'd reluctance, and revenge, though slow,<br /></span> +<span>Yet ever plotting how the conqueror least<br /></span> +<span>May reap his conquest, and may least rejoice<br /></span> +<span>In doing what we most in suffering feel."<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>But by changing your conduct, and treating your slaves as men, every +cause of fear would be banished. They would be faithful, honest, +intelligent and vigorous; and peace, prosperity, and happiness, would +attend you.</p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_O_15" id="Footnote_O_15" /><a href="#FNanchor_O_15"><span class="label">[O]</span></a> Thus was I sacrificed to the envy and resentment of this +woman for knowing that the lady whom she had succeeded in my master's +good graces designed to take me into her service; which, had I once +got on shore, she would not have been able to prevent. She felt her +pride alarmed at the superiority of her rival in being attended by a +black servant: it was not less to prevent this than to be revenged on +me, that she caused the captain to treat me thus cruelly.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_P_16" id="Footnote_P_16" /><a href="#FNanchor_P_16"><span class="label">[P]</span></a> "The Dying Negro," a poem originally published in 1773. +Perhaps it may not be deemed impertinent here to add, that this +elegant and pathetic little poem was occasioned, as appears by the +advertisement prefixed to it, by the following incident. "A black, +who, a few days before had ran away from his master, and got himself +christened, with intent to marry a white woman his fellow-servant, +being taken and sent on board a ship in the Thames, took an +opportunity of shooting himself through the head."</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_Q_17" id="Footnote_Q_17" /><a href="#FNanchor_Q_17"><span class="label">[Q]</span></a> These pisterines are of the value of a shilling.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_R_18" id="Footnote_R_18" /><a href="#FNanchor_R_18"><span class="label">[R]</span></a> Mr. Dubury, and many others, Montserrat.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_S_19" id="Footnote_S_19" /><a href="#FNanchor_S_19"><span class="label">[S]</span></a> Sir Philip Gibbes, Baronet, Barbadoes.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_T_20" id="Footnote_T_20" /><a href="#FNanchor_T_20"><span class="label">[T]</span></a> Benezet's Account of Guinea, p. 16.</p></div> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAP_VI" id="CHAP_VI" />CHAP. VI.</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>Some account of Brimstone-Hill in Montserrat—Favourable + change in the author's situation—He commences merchant with + three pence—His various success in dealing in the different + islands, and America, and the impositions he meets with in + his transactions with Europeans—A curious imposition on + human nature—Danger of the surfs in the West + Indies—Remarkable instance of kidnapping a free + mulatto—The author is nearly murdered by Doctor Perkins in + Savannah.</i></p></div> + + +<p>In the preceding chapter I have set before the reader a few of those +many instances of oppression, extortion, and cruelty, which I have +been a witness to in the West Indies: but, were I to enumerate them +all, the catalogue would be tedious and disgusting. The punishments of +the slaves on every trifling occasion are so frequent, and so well +known, together with the different instruments with which they are +tortured, that it cannot any longer afford novelty to recite them; and +they are too shocking to yield delight either to the writer or the +reader. I shall therefore hereafter only mention such as incidentally +befel myself in the course of my adventures.</p> + +<p>In the variety of departments in which I was employed by my master, I +had an opportunity of seeing many curious scenes in different islands; +but, above all, I was struck with a celebrated curiosity called +Brimstone-Hill, which is a high and steep mountain, some few miles +from the town of Plymouth in Montserrat. I had often heard of some +wonders that were to be seen on this hill, and I went once with some +white and black people to visit it. When we arrived at the top, I saw +under different cliffs great flakes of brimstone, occasioned by the +steams of various little ponds, which were then boiling naturally in +the earth. Some of these ponds were as white as milk, some quite blue, +and many others of different colours. I had taken some potatoes with +me, and I put them into different ponds, and in a few minutes they +were well boiled. I tasted some of them, but they were very +sulphurous; and the silver shoe buckles, and all the other things of +that metal we had among us, were, in a little time, turned as black +as lead.</p> + +<p>Some time in the year 1763 kind Providence seemed to appear rather +more favourable to me. One of my master's vessels, a Bermudas sloop, +about sixty tons, was commanded by one Captain Thomas Farmer, an +Englishman, a very alert and active man, who gained my master a great +deal of money by his good management in carrying passengers from one +island to another; but very often his sailors used to get drunk and +run away from the vessel, which hindered him in his business very +much. This man had taken a liking to me; and many different times +begged of my master to let me go a trip with him as a sailor; but he +would tell him he could not spare me, though the vessel sometimes +could not go for want of hands, for sailors were generally very scarce +in the island. However, at last, from necessity or force, my master +was prevailed on, though very reluctantly, to let me go with this +captain; but he gave great charge to him to take care that I did not +run away, for if I did he would make him pay for me. This being the +case, the captain had for some time a sharp eye upon me whenever the +vessel anchored; and as soon as she returned I was sent for on shore +again. Thus was I slaving as it were for life, sometimes at one thing, +and sometimes at another; so that the captain and I were nearly the +most useful men in my master's employment. I also became so useful to +the captain on shipboard, that many times, when he used to ask for me +to go with him, though it should be but for twenty-four hours, to some +of the islands near us, my master would answer he could not spare me, +at which the captain would swear, and would not go the trip; and tell +my master I was better to him on board than any three white men he +had; for they used to behave ill in many respects, particularly in +getting drunk; and then they frequently got the boat stove, so as to +hinder the vessel from coming back as soon as she might have done. +This my master knew very well; and at last, by the captain's constant +entreaties, after I had been several times with him, one day, to my +great joy, my master told me the captain would not let him rest, and +asked me whether I would go aboard as a sailor, or stay on shore and +mind the stores, for he could not bear any longer to be plagued in +this manner. I was very happy at this proposal, for I immediately +thought I might in time stand some chance by being on board to get a +little money, or possibly make my escape if I should be used ill: I +also expected to get better food, and in greater abundance; for I had +felt much hunger oftentimes, though my master treated his slaves, as I +have observed, uncommonly well. I therefore, without hesitation, +answered him, that I would go and be a sailor if he pleased. +Accordingly I was ordered on board directly. Nevertheless, between the +vessel and the shore, when she was in port, I had little or no rest, +as my master always wished to have me along with him. Indeed he was a +very pleasant gentleman, and but for my expectations on shipboard I +should not have thought of leaving him. But the captain liked me also +very much, and I was entirely his right-hand man. I did all I could to +deserve his favour, and in return I received better treatment from him +than any other I believe ever met with in the West Indies in my +situation.</p> + +<p>After I had been sailing for some time with this captain, at length I +endeavoured to try my luck and commence merchant. I had but a very +small capital to begin with; for one single half bit, which is equal +to three pence in England, made up my whole stock. However I trusted +to the Lord to be with me; and at one of our trips to St. Eustatia, a +Dutch island, I bought a glass tumbler with my half bit, and when I +came to Montserrat I sold it for a bit, or sixpence. Luckily we made +several successive trips to St. Eustatia (which was a general mart for +the West Indies, about twenty leagues from Montserrat); and in our +next, finding my tumbler so profitable, with this one bit I bought two +tumblers more; and when I came back I sold them for two bits, equal to +a shilling sterling. When we went again I bought with these two bits +four more of these glasses, which I sold for four bits on our return +to Montserrat; and in our next voyage to St. Eustatia I bought two +glasses with one bit, and with the other three I bought a jug of +Geneva, nearly about three pints in measure. When we came to +Montserrat I sold the gin for eight bits, and the tumblers for two, so +that my capital now amounted in all to a dollar, well husbanded and +acquired in the space of a month or six weeks, when I blessed the Lord +that I was so rich. As we sailed to different islands, I laid this +money out in various things occasionally, and it used to turn out to +very good account, especially when we went to Guadaloupe, Grenada, and +the rest of the French islands. Thus was I going all about the islands +upwards of four years, and ever trading as I went, during which I +experienced many instances of ill usage, and have seen many injuries +done to other negroes in our dealings with Europeans: and, amidst our +recreations, when we have been dancing and merry-making, they, without +cause, have molested and insulted us. Indeed I was more than once +obliged to look up to God on high, as I had advised the poor fisherman +some time before. And I had not been long trading for myself in the +manner I have related above, when I experienced the like trial in +company with him as follows: This man being used to the water, was +upon an emergency put on board of us by his master to work as another +hand, on a voyage to Santa Cruz; and at our sailing he had brought his +little all for a venture, which consisted of six bits' worth of limes +and oranges in a bag; I had also my whole stock, which was about +twelve bits' worth of the same kind of goods, separate in two bags; +for we had heard these fruits sold well in that island. When we came +there, in some little convenient time he and I went ashore with our +fruits to sell them; but we had scarcely landed when we were met by +two white men, who presently took our three bags from us. We could not +at first guess what they meant to do; and for some time we thought +they were jesting with us; but they too soon let us know otherwise, +for they took our ventures immediately to a house hard by, and +adjoining the fort, while we followed all the way begging of them to +give us our fruits, but in vain. They not only refused to return them, +but swore at us, and threatened if we did not immediately depart they +would flog us well. We told them these three bags were all we were +worth in the world, and that we brought them with us to sell when we +came from Montserrat, and shewed them the vessel. But this was rather +against us, as they now saw we were strangers as well as slaves. They +still therefore swore, and desired us to be gone, and even took sticks +to beat us; while we, seeing they meant what they said, went off in +the greatest confusion and despair. Thus, in the very minute of +gaining more by three times than I ever did by any venture in my life +before, was I deprived of every farthing I was worth. An +insupportable misfortune! but how to help ourselves we knew not. In +our consternation we went to the commanding officer of the fort and +told him how we had been served by some of his people; but we obtained +not the least redress: he answered our complaints only by a volley of +imprecations against us, and immediately took a horse-whip, in order +to chastise us, so that we were obliged to turn out much faster than +we came in. I now, in the agony of distress and indignation, wished +that the ire of God in his forked lightning might transfix these cruel +oppressors among the dead. Still however we persevered; went back +again to the house, and begged and besought them again and again for +our fruits, till at last some other people that were in the house +asked if we would be contented if they kept one bag and gave us the +other two. We, seeing no remedy whatever, consented to this; and they, +observing one bag to have both kinds of fruit in it, which belonged to +my companion, kept that; and the other two, which were mine, they gave +us back. As soon as I got them, I ran as fast as I could, and got the +first negro man I could to help me off; my companion, however, stayed +a little longer to plead; he told them the bag they had was his, and +likewise all that he was worth in the world; but this was of no avail, +and he was obliged to return without it. The poor old man, wringing +his hands, cried bitterly for his loss; and, indeed, he then did look +up to God on high, which so moved me with pity for him, that I gave +him nearly one third of my fruits. We then proceeded to the markets to +sell them; and Providence was more favourable to us than we could have +expected, for we sold our fruits uncommonly well; I got for mine about +thirty-seven bits. Such a surprising reverse of fortune in so short a +space of time seemed like a dream to me, and proved no small +encouragement for me to trust the Lord in any situation. My captain +afterwards frequently used to take my part, and get me my right, when +I have been plundered or used ill by these tender Christian +depredators; among whom I have shuddered to observe the unceasing +blasphemous execrations which are wantonly thrown out by persons of +all ages and conditions, not only without occasion, but even as if +they were indulgences and pleasure.</p> + +<p>At one of our trips to St. Kitt's I had eleven bits of my own; and my +friendly captain lent me five bits more, with which I bought a Bible. +I was very glad to get this book, which I scarcely could meet with any +where. I think there was none sold in Montserrat; and, much to my +grief, from being forced out of the Ætna in the manner I have related, +my Bible, and the Guide to the Indians, the two books I loved above +all others, were left behind.</p> + +<p>While I was in this place, St. Kitt's, a very curious imposition on +human nature took place:—A white man wanted to marry in the church a +free black woman that had land and slaves in Montserrat: but the +clergyman told him it was against the law of the place to marry a +white and a black in the church. The man then asked to be married on +the water, to which the parson consented, and the two lovers went in +one boat, and the parson and clerk in another, and thus the ceremony +was performed. After this the loving pair came on board our vessel, +and my captain treated them extremely well, and brought them safe to +Montserrat.</p> + +<p>The reader cannot but judge of the irksomeness of this situation to a +mind like mine, in being daily exposed to new hardships and +impositions, after having seen many better days, and having been as it +were in a state of freedom and plenty; added to which, every part of +the world I had hitherto been in seemed to me a paradise in comparison +of the West Indies. My mind was therefore hourly replete with +inventions and thoughts of being freed, and, if possible, by honest +and honourable means; for I always remembered the old adage; and I +trust it has ever been my ruling principle, that honesty is the best +policy; and likewise that other golden precept—to do unto all men as +I would they should do unto me. However, as I was from early years a +predestinarian, I thought whatever fate had determined must ever come +to pass; and therefore, if ever it were my lot to be freed nothing +could prevent me, although I should at present see no means or hope to +obtain my freedom; on the other hand, if it were my fate not to be +freed I never should be so, and all my endeavours for that purpose +would be fruitless. In the midst of these thoughts I therefore looked +up with prayers anxiously to God for my liberty; and at the same time +I used every honest means, and endeavoured all that was possible on +my part to obtain it. In process of time I became master of a few +pounds, and in a fair way of making more, which my friendly captain +knew very well; this occasioned him sometimes to take liberties with +me: but whenever he treated me waspishly I used plainly to tell him my +mind, and that I would die before I would be imposed on as other +negroes were, and that to me life had lost its relish when liberty was +gone. This I said although I foresaw my then well-being or future +hopes of freedom (humanly speaking) depended on this man. However, as +he could not bear the thoughts of my not sailing with him, he always +became mild on my threats. I therefore continued with him; and, from +my great attention to his orders and his business, I gained him +credit, and through his kindness to me I at last procured my liberty. +While I thus went on, filled with the thoughts of freedom, and +resisting oppression as well as I was able, my life hung daily in +suspense, particularly in the surfs I have formerly mentioned, as I +could not swim. These are extremely violent throughout the West +Indies, and I was ever exposed to their howling rage and devouring +fury in all the islands. I have seen them strike and toss a boat right +up an end, and maim several on board. Once in the Grenada islands, +when I and about eight others were pulling a large boat with two +puncheons of water in it, a surf struck us, and drove the boat and all +in it about half a stone's throw, among some trees, and above the high +water mark. We were obliged to get all the assistance we could from +the nearest estate to mend the boat, and launch it into the water +again. At Montserrat one night, in pressing hard to get off the shore +on board, the punt was overset with us four times; the first time I +was very near being drowned; however the jacket I had on kept me up +above water a little space of time, while I called on a man near me +who was a good swimmer, and told him I could not swim; he then made +haste to me, and, just as I was sinking, he caught hold of me, and +brought me to sounding, and then he went and brought the punt also. As +soon as we had turned the water out of her, lest we should be used ill +for being absent, we attempted again three times more, and as often +the horrid surfs served us as at first; but at last, the fifth time we +attempted, we gained our point, at the imminent hazard of our lives. +One day also, at Old Road in Montserrat, our captain, and three men +besides myself, were going in a large canoe in quest of rum and sugar, +when a single surf tossed the canoe an amazing distance from the +water, and some of us even a stone's throw from each other: most of us +were very much bruised; so that I and many more often said, and really +thought, that there was not such another place under the heavens as +this. I longed therefore much to leave it, and daily wished to see my +master's promise performed of going to Philadelphia. While we lay in +this place a very cruel thing happened on board of our sloop which +filled me with horror; though I found afterwards such practices were +frequent. There was a very clever and decent free young mulatto-man +who sailed a long time with us: he had a free woman for his wife, by +whom he had a child; and she was then living on shore, and all very +happy. Our captain and mate, and other people on board, and several +elsewhere, even the natives of Bermudas, all knew this young man from +a child that he was always free, and no one had ever claimed him as +their property: however, as might too often overcomes right in these +parts, it happened that a Bermudas captain, whose vessel lay there for +a few days in the road, came on board of us, and seeing the +mulatto-man, whose name was Joseph Clipson, he told him he was not +free, and that he had orders from his master to bring him to Bermudas. +The poor man could not believe the captain to be in earnest; but he +was very soon undeceived, his men laying violent hands on him: and +although he shewed a certificate of his being born free in St. Kitt's, +and most people on board knew that he served his time to boat +building, and always passed for a free man, yet he was taken forcibly +out of our vessel. He then asked to be carried ashore before the +secretary or magistrates, and these infernal invaders of human rights +promised him he should; but, instead of that, they carried him on +board of the other vessel: and the next day, without giving the poor +man any hearing on shore, or suffering him even to see his wife or +child, he was carried away, and probably doomed never more in this +world to see them again. Nor was this the only instance of this kind +of barbarity I was a witness to. I have since often seen in Jamaica +and other islands free men, whom I have known in America, thus +villainously trepanned and held in bondage. I have heard of two +similar practices even in Philadelphia: and were it not for the +benevolence of the quakers in that city many of the sable race, who +now breathe the air of liberty, would, I believe, be groaning indeed +under some planter's chains. These things opened my mind to a new +scene of horror to which I had been before a stranger. Hitherto I had +thought only slavery dreadful; but the state of a free negro appeared +to me now equally so at least, and in some respects even worse, for +they live in constant alarm for their liberty; and even this is but +nominal, for they are universally insulted and plundered without the +possibility of redress; for such is the equity of the West Indian +laws, that no free negro's evidence will be admitted in their courts +of justice. In this situation is it surprising that slaves, when +mildly treated, should prefer even the misery of slavery to such a +mockery of freedom? I was now completely disgusted with the West +Indies, and thought I never should be entirely free until I had left +them.</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>"With thoughts like these my anxious boding mind<br /></span> +<span>Recall'd those pleasing scenes I left behind;<br /></span> +<span>Scenes where fair Liberty in bright array<br /></span> +<span>Makes darkness bright, and e'en illumines day;<br /></span> +<span>Where nor complexion, wealth, or station, can<br /></span> +<span>Protect the wretch who makes a slave of man."<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>I determined to make every exertion to obtain my freedom, and to +return to Old England. For this purpose I thought a knowledge of +navigation might be of use to me; for, though I did not intend to run +away unless I should be ill used, yet, in such a case, if I understood +navigation, I might attempt my escape in our sloop, which was one of +the swiftest sailing vessels in the West Indies, and I could be at no +loss for hands to join me: and if I should make this attempt, I had +intended to have gone for England; but this, as I said, was only to be +in the event of my meeting with any ill usage. I therefore employed +the mate of our vessel to teach me navigation, for which I agreed to +give him twenty-four dollars, and actually paid him part of the money +down; though when the captain, some time after, came to know that the +mate was to have such a sum for teaching me, he rebuked him, and said +it was a shame for him to take any money from me. However, my +progress in this useful art was much retarded by the constancy of our +work. Had I wished to run away I did not want opportunities, which +frequently presented themselves; and particularly at one time, soon +after this. When we were at the island of Gaurdeloupe there was a +large fleet of merchantmen bound for Old France; and, seamen then +being very scarce, they gave from fifteen to twenty pounds a man for +the run. Our mate, and all the white sailors, left our vessel on this +account, and went on board of the French ships. They would have had me +also to go with them, for they regarded me; and they swore to protect +me, if I would go: and, as the fleet was to sail the next day, I +really believe I could have got safe to Europe at that time. However, +as my master was kind, I would not attempt to leave him; and, +remembering the old maxim, that 'honesty is the best policy,' I +suffered them to go without me. Indeed my captain was much afraid of +my leaving him and the vessel at that time, as I had so fair an +opportunity: but, I thank God, this fidelity of mine turned out much +to my advantage hereafter, when I did not in the least think of it; +and made me so much in favour with the captain, that he used now and +then to teach me some parts of navigation himself: but some of our +passengers, and others, seeing this, found much fault with him for it, +saying it was a very dangerous thing to let a negro know navigation; +thus I was hindered again in my pursuits. About the latter end of the +year 1764 my master bought a larger sloop, called the Providence, +about seventy or eighty tons, of which my captain had the command. I +went with him into this vessel, and we took a load of new slaves for +Georgia and Charles Town. My master now left me entirely to the +captain, though he still wished for me to be with him; but I, who +always much wished to lose sight of the West Indies, was not a little +rejoiced at the thoughts of seeing any other country. Therefore, +relying on the goodness of my captain, I got ready all the little +venture I could; and, when the vessel was ready, we sailed, to my +great joy. When we got to our destined places, Georgia and Charles +Town, I expected I should have an opportunity of selling my little +property to advantage: but here, particularly in Charles Town, I met +with buyers, white men, who imposed on me as in other places. +Notwithstanding, I was resolved to have fortitude; thinking no lot or +trial is too hard when kind Heaven is the rewarder. We soon got loaded +again, and returned to Montserrat; and there, amongst the rest of the +islands, I sold my goods well; and in this manner I continued trading +during the year 1764; meeting with various scenes of imposition, as +usual. After this, my master fitted out his vessel for Philadelphia, +in the year 1765; and during the time we were loading her, and getting +ready for the voyage, I worked with redoubled alacrity, from the hope +of getting money enough by these voyages to buy my freedom in time, if +it should please God; and also to see the town of Philadelphia, which +I had heard a great deal about for some years past; besides which, I +had always longed to prove my master's promise the first day I came to +him. In the midst of these elevated ideas, and while I was about +getting my little merchandize in readiness, one Sunday my master sent +for me to his house. When I came there I found him and the captain +together; and, on my going in, I was struck with astonishment at his +telling me he heard that I meant to run away from him when I got to +Philadelphia: 'And therefore,' said he, 'I must sell you again: you +cost me a great deal of money, no less than forty pounds sterling; and +it will not do to lose so much. You are a valuable fellow,' continued +he; 'and I can get any day for you one hundred guineas, from many +gentlemen in this island.' And then he told me of Captain Doran's +brother-in-law, a severe master, who ever wanted to buy me to make me +his overseer. My captain also said he could get much more than a +hundred guineas for me in Carolina. This I knew to be a fact; for the +gentleman that wanted to buy me came off several times on board of us, +and spoke to me to live with him, and said he would use me well. When +I asked what work he would put me to he said, as I was a sailor, he +would make me a captain of one of his rice vessels. But I refused: and +fearing, at the same time, by a sudden turn I saw in the captain's +temper, he might mean to sell me, I told the gentleman I would not +live with him on any condition, and that I certainly would run away +with his vessel: but he said he did not fear that, as he would catch +me again; and then he told me how cruelly he would serve me if I +should do so. My captain, however, gave him to understand that I knew +something of navigation: so he thought better of it; and, to my great +joy, he went away. I now told my master I did not say I would run away +in Philadelphia; neither did I mean it, as he did not use me ill, nor +yet the captain: for if they did I certainly would have made some +attempts before now; but as I thought that if it were God's will I +ever should be freed it would be so, and, on the contrary, if it was +not his will it would not happen; so I hoped, if ever I were freed, +whilst I was used well, it should be by honest means; but, as I could +not help myself, he must do as he pleased; I could only hope and trust +to the God of Heaven; and at that instant my mind was big with +inventions and full of schemes to escape. I then appealed to the +captain whether he ever saw any sign of my making the least attempt to +run away; and asked him if I did not always come on board according to +the time for which he gave me liberty; and, more particularly, when +all our men left us at Gaurdeloupe and went on board of the French +fleet, and advised me to go with them, whether I might not, and that +he could not have got me again. To my no small surprise, and very +great joy, the captain confirmed every syllable that I had said: and +even more; for he said he had tried different times to see if I would +make any attempt of this kind, both at St. Eustatia and in America, +and he never found that I made the smallest; but, on the contrary, I +always came on board according to his orders; and he did really +believe, if I ever meant to run away, that, as I could never have had +a better opportunity, I would have done it the night the mate and all +the people left our vessel at Gaurdeloupe. The captain then informed +my master, who had been thus imposed on by our mate, though I did not +know who was my enemy, the reason the mate had for imposing this lie +upon him; which was, because I had acquainted the captain of the +provisions the mate had given away or taken out of the vessel. This +speech of the captain was like life to the dead to me, and instantly +my soul glorified God; and still more so on hearing my master +immediately say that I was a sensible fellow, and he never did intend +to use me as a common slave; and that but for the entreaties of the +captain, and his character of me, he would not have let me go from the +stores about as I had done; that also, in so doing, he thought by +carrying one little thing or other to different places to sell I might +make money. That he also intended to encourage me in this by crediting +me with half a puncheon of rum and half a hogshead of sugar at a time; +so that, from being careful, I might have money enough, in some time, +to purchase my freedom; and, when that was the case, I might depend +upon it he would let me have it for forty pounds sterling money, which +was only the same price he gave for me. This sound gladdened my poor +heart beyond measure; though indeed it was no more than the very idea +I had formed in my mind of my master long before, and I immediately +made him this reply: 'Sir, I always had that very thought of you, +indeed I had, and that made me so diligent in serving you.' He then +gave me a large piece of silver coin, such as I never had seen or had +before, and told me to get ready for the voyage, and he would credit +me with a tierce of sugar, and another of rum; he also said that he +had two amiable sisters in Philadelphia, from whom I might get some +necessary things. Upon this my noble captain desired me to go aboard; +and, knowing the African metal, he charged me not to say any thing of +this matter to any body; and he promised that the lying mate should +not go with him any more. This was a change indeed; in the same hour +to feel the most exquisite pain, and in the turn of a moment the +fullest joy. It caused in me such sensations as I was only able to +express in my looks; my heart was so overpowered with gratitude that I +could have kissed both of their feet. When I left the room I +immediately went, or rather flew, to the vessel, which being loaded, +my master, as good as his word, trusted me with a tierce of rum, and +another of sugar, when we sailed, and arrived safe at the elegant town +of Philadelphia. I soon sold my goods here pretty well; and in this +charming place I found every thing plentiful and cheap.</p> + +<p>While I was in this place a very extraordinary occurrence befell me. I +had been told one evening of a <i>wise</i> woman, a Mrs. Davis, who +revealed secrets, foretold events, &c. I put little faith in this +story at first, as I could not conceive that any mortal could foresee +the future disposals of Providence, nor did I believe in any other +revelation than that of the Holy Scriptures; however, I was greatly +astonished at seeing this woman in a dream that night, though a +person I never before beheld in my life; this made such an impression +on me, that I could not get the idea the next day out of my mind, and +I then became as anxious to see her as I was before indifferent; +accordingly in the evening, after we left off working, I inquired +where she lived, and being directed to her, to my inexpressible +surprise, beheld the very woman in the very same dress she appeared to +me to wear in the vision. She immediately told me I had dreamed of her +the preceding night; related to me many things that had happened with +a correctness that astonished me; and finally told me I should not be +long a slave: this was the more agreeable news, as I believed it the +more readily from her having so faithfully related the past incidents +of my life. She said I should be twice in very great danger of my life +within eighteen months, which, if I escaped, I should afterwards go on +well; so, giving me her blessing, we parted. After staying here some +time till our vessel was loaded, and I had bought in my little +traffic, we sailed from this agreeable spot for Montserrat, once more +to encounter the raging surfs.</p> + +<p>We arrived safe at Montserrat, where we discharged our cargo; and soon +after that we took slaves on board for St. Eustatia, and from thence +to Georgia. I had always exerted myself and did double work, in order +to make our voyages as short as possible; and from thus over-working +myself while we were at Georgia I caught a fever and ague. I was very +ill for eleven days and near dying; eternity was now exceedingly +impressed on my mind, and I feared very much that awful event. I +prayed the Lord therefore to spare me; and I made a promise in my mind +to God, that I would be good if ever I should recover. At length, from +having an eminent doctor to attend me, I was restored again to health; +and soon after we got the vessel loaded, and set off for Montserrat. +During the passage, as I was perfectly restored, and had much business +of the vessel to mind, all my endeavours to keep up my integrity, and +perform my promise to God, began to fail; and, in spite of all I could +do, as we drew nearer and nearer to the islands, my resolutions more +and more declined, as if the very air of that country or climate +seemed fatal to piety. When we were safe arrived at Montserrat, and I +had got ashore, I forgot my former resolutions.—Alas! how prone is +the heart to leave that God it wishes to love! and how strongly do the +things of this world strike the senses and captivate the soul!—After +our vessel was discharged, we soon got her ready, and took in, as +usual, some of the poor oppressed natives of Africa, and other +negroes; we then set off again for Georgia and Charlestown. We arrived +at Georgia, and, having landed part of our cargo, proceeded to +Charlestown with the remainder. While we were there I saw the town +illuminated; the guns were fired, and bonfires and other +demonstrations of joy shewn, on account of the repeal of the stamp +act. Here I disposed of some goods on my own account; the white men +buying them with smooth promises and fair words, giving me however but +very indifferent payment. There was one gentleman particularly who +bought a puncheon of rum of me, which gave me a great deal of trouble; +and, although I used the interest of my friendly captain, I could not +obtain any thing for it; for, being a negro man, I could not oblige +him to pay me. This vexed me much, not knowing how to act; and I lost +some time in seeking after this Christian; and though, when the +Sabbath came (which the negroes usually make their holiday) I was much +inclined to go to public worship, I was obliged to hire some black men +to help to pull a boat across the water to God in quest of this +gentleman. When I found him, after much entreaty, both from myself and +my worthy captain, he at last paid me in dollars; some of them, +however, were copper, and of consequence of no value; but he took +advantage of my being a negro man, and obliged me to put up with those +or none, although I objected to them. Immediately after, as I was +trying to pass them in the market, amongst other white men, I was +abused for offering to pass bad coin; and, though I shewed them the +man I got them from, I was within one minute of being tied up and +flogged without either judge or jury; however, by the help of a good +pair of heels, I ran off, and so escaped the bastinadoes I should have +received. I got on board as fast as I could, but still continued in +fear of them until we sailed, which I thanked God we did not long +after; and I have never been amongst them since.</p> + +<p>We soon came to Georgia, where we were to complete our lading; and +here worse fate than ever attended me: for one Sunday night, as I was +with some negroes in their master's yard in the town of Savannah, it +happened that their master, one Doctor Perkins, who was a very severe +and cruel man, came in drunk; and, not liking to see any strange +negroes in his yard, he and a ruffian of a white man he had in his +service beset me in an instant, and both of them struck me with the +first weapons they could get hold of. I cried out as long as I could +for help and mercy; but, though I gave a good account of myself, and +he knew my captain, who lodged hard by him, it was to no purpose. They +beat and mangled me in a shameful manner, leaving me near dead. I lost +so much blood from the wounds I received, that I lay quite motionless, +and was so benumbed that I could not feel any thing for many hours. +Early in the morning they took me away to the jail. As I did not +return to the ship all night, my captain, not knowing where I was, and +being uneasy that I did not then make my appearance, he made inquiry +after me; and, having found where I was, immediately came to me. As +soon as the good man saw me so cut and mangled, he could not forbear +weeping; he soon got me out of jail to his lodgings, and immediately +sent for the best doctors in the place, who at first declared it as +their opinion that I could not recover. My captain on this went to all +the lawyers in the town for their advice, but they told him they could +do nothing for me as I was a negro. He then went to Doctor Perkins, +the hero who had vanquished me, and menaced him, swearing he would be +revenged of him, and challenged him to fight.—But cowardice is ever +the companion of cruelty—and the Doctor refused. However, by the +skilfulness of one Doctor Brady of that place, I began at last to +amend; but, although I was so sore and bad with the wounds I had all +over me that I could not rest in any posture, yet I was in more pain +on account of the captain's uneasiness about me than I otherwise +should have been. The worthy man nursed and watched me all the hours +of the night; and I was, through his attention and that of the doctor, +able to get out of bed in about sixteen or eighteen days. All this +time I was very much wanted on board, as I used frequently to go up +and down the river for rafts, and other parts of our cargo, and stow +them when the mate was sick or absent. In about four weeks I was able +to go on duty; and in a fortnight after, having got in all our +lading, our vessel set sail for Montserrat; and in less than three +weeks we arrived there safe towards the end of the year. This ended my +adventures in 1764; for I did not leave Montserrat again till the +beginning of the following year.</p> + + +<h5>END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.</h5> + +<hr style="width: 95%;" /> + + +<div class="blockquot"><p>They ran the ship aground: and the fore part stuck fast, and + remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with + the violence of the waves.</p> +<p class="citation"><span class ="smcap">Acts</span> xxvii. 41.<br /><br /><br /></p> +</div> + + +<div class="blockquot"><p>Howbeit, we must be cast upon a certain island;</p> + +<p> Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it + shall be even as it was told me.</p> +<p class="citation"><span class ="smcap">Acts</span> xxvii. 26, 25.<br /><br /><br /></p> +</div> + + +<div class="blockquot"><p>Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received + a little thereof.</p> + +<p> In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep + falleth on men.</p> +<p class="citation"><span class ="smcap">Job</span> iv. 12, 13.<br /><br /><br /> +</p> +</div> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>Lo, all these <i>things</i> worketh God oftentimes with man,</p> + +<p> To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with + the light of the living.</p> +<p class="citation"><span class ="smcap">Job</span> xxxiii. 29, 30.<br /><br /><br /> +</p> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h4><a name="VOLUME_II" id="VOLUME_II" />VOLUME II</h4> + + + +<hr style="width: 33%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAP_VII" id="CHAP_VII" />CHAP. VII.</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>The author's disgust at the West Indies—Forms schemes to + obtain his freedom—Ludicrous disappointment he and his + Captain meet with in Georgia—At last, by several successful + voyages, he acquires a sum of money sufficient to purchase + it—Applies to his master, who accepts it, and grants his + manumission, to his great joy—He afterwards enters as a + freeman on board one of Mr. King's ships, and sails for + Georgia—Impositions on free negroes as usual—His venture + of turkies—Sails for Montserrat, and on his passage his + friend, the Captain, falls ill and dies.</i></p></div> + + +<p>Every day now brought me nearer my freedom, and I was impatient till +we proceeded again to sea, that I might have an opportunity of getting +a sum large enough to purchase it. I was not long ungratified; for, in +the beginning of the year 1766, my master bought another sloop, named +the Nancy, the largest I had ever seen. She was partly laden, and was +to proceed to Philadelphia; our Captain had his choice of three, and I +was well pleased he chose this, which was the largest; for, from his +having a large vessel, I had more room, and could carry a larger +quantity of goods with me. Accordingly, when we had delivered our old +vessel, the Prudence, and completed the lading of the Nancy, having +made near three hundred per cent, by four barrels of pork I brought +from Charlestown, I laid in as large a cargo as I could, trusting to +God's providence to prosper my undertaking. With these views I sailed +for Philadelphia. On our passage, when we drew near the land, I was +for the first time surprised at the sight of some whales, having never +seen any such large sea monsters before; and as we sailed by the land +one morning I saw a puppy whale close by the vessel; it was about the +length of a wherry boat, and it followed us all the day till we got +within the Capes. We arrived safe and in good time at Philadelphia, +and I sold my goods there chiefly to the quakers. They always appeared +to be a very honest discreet sort of people, and never attempted to +impose on me; I therefore liked them, and ever after chose to deal +with them in preference to any others. One Sunday morning while I was +here, as I was going to church, I chanced to pass a meeting-house. The +doors being open, and the house full of people, it excited my +curiosity to go in. When I entered the house, to my great surprise, I +saw a very tall woman standing in the midst of them, speaking in an +audible voice something which I could not understand. Having never +seen anything of this kind before, I stood and stared about me for +some time, wondering at this odd scene. As soon as it was over I took +an opportunity to make inquiry about the place and people, when I was +informed they were called Quakers. I particularly asked what that +woman I saw in the midst of them had said, but none of them were +pleased to satisfy me; so I quitted them, and soon after, as I was +returning, I came to a church crowded with people; the church-yard was +full likewise, and a number of people were even mounted on ladders, +looking in at the windows. I thought this a strange sight, as I had +never seen churches, either in England or the West Indies, crowded in +this manner before. I therefore made bold to ask some people the +meaning of all this, and they told me the Rev. Mr. George Whitfield +was preaching. I had often heard of this gentleman, and had wished to +see and hear him; but I had never before had an opportunity. I now +therefore resolved to gratify myself with the sight, and I pressed in +amidst the multitude. When I got into the church I saw this pious man +exhorting the people with the greatest fervour and earnestness, and +sweating as much as I ever did while in slavery on Montserrat beach. I +was very much struck and impressed with this; I thought it strange I +had never seen divines exert themselves in this manner before, and I +was no longer at a loss to account for the thin congregations they +preached to. When we had discharged our cargo here, and were loaded +again, we left this fruitful land once more, and set sail for +Montserrat. My traffic had hitherto succeeded so well with me, that I +thought, by selling my goods when we arrived at Montserrat, I should +have enough to purchase my freedom. But, as soon as our vessel arrived +there, my master came on board, and gave orders for us to go to St. +Eustatia, and discharge our cargo there, and from thence proceed for +Georgia. I was much disappointed at this; but thinking, as usual, it +was of no use to encounter with the decrees of fate, I submitted +without repining, and we went to St. Eustatia. After we had discharged +our cargo there we took in a live cargo, as we call a cargo of slaves. +Here I sold my goods tolerably well; but, not being able to lay out +all my money in this small island to as much advantage as in many +other places, I laid out only part, and the remainder I brought away +with me neat. We sailed from hence for Georgia, and I was glad when we +got there, though I had not much reason to like the place from my last +adventure in Savannah; but I longed to get back to Montserrat and +procure my freedom, which I expected to be able to purchase when I +returned. As soon as we arrived here I waited on my careful doctor, +Mr. Brady, to whom I made the most grateful acknowledgments in my +power for his former kindness and attention during my illness. While +we were here an odd circumstance happened to the Captain and me, which +disappointed us both a good deal. A silversmith, whom we had brought +to this place some voyages before, agreed with the Captain to return +with us to the West Indies, and promised at the same time to give the +Captain a great deal of money, having pretended to take a liking to +him, and being, as we thought, very rich. But while we stayed to load +our vessel this man was taken ill in a house where he worked, and in a +week's time became very bad. The worse he grew the more he used to +speak of giving the Captain what he had promised him, so that he +expected something considerable from the death of this man, who had no +wife or child, and he attended him day and night. I used also to go +with the Captain, at his own desire, to attend him; especially when we +saw there was no appearance of his recovery: and, in order to +recompense me for my trouble, the Captain promised me ten pounds, when +he should get the man's property. I thought this would be of great +service to me, although I had nearly money enough to purchase my +freedom, if I should get safe this voyage to Montserrat. In this +expectation I laid out above eight pounds of my money for a suit of +superfine clothes to dance with at my freedom, which I hoped was then +at hand. We still continued to attend this man, and were with him even +on the last day he lived, till very late at night, when we went on +board. After we were got to bed, about one or two o'clock in the +morning, the Captain was sent for, and informed the man was dead. On +this he came to my bed, and, waking me, informed me of it, and desired +me to get up and procure a light, and immediately go to him. I told +him I was very sleepy, and wished he would take somebody else with +him; or else, as the man was dead, and could want no farther +attendance, to let all things remain as they were till the next +morning. 'No, no,' said he, 'we will have the money to-night, I cannot +wait till to-morrow; so let us go.' Accordingly I got up and struck a +light, and away we both went and saw the man as dead as we could wish. +The Captain said he would give him a grand burial, in gratitude for +the promised treasure; and desired that all the things belonging to +the deceased might be brought forth. Among others, there was a nest of +trunks of which he had kept the keys whilst the man was ill, and when +they were produced we opened them with no small eagerness and +expectation; and as there were a great number within one another, with +much impatience we took them one out of the other. At last, when we +came to the smallest, and had opened it, we saw it was full of papers, +which we supposed to be notes; at the sight of which our hearts leapt +for joy; and that instant the Captain, clapping his hands, cried out, +'Thank God, here it is.' But when we took up the trunk, and began to +examine the supposed treasure and long-looked-for bounty, (alas! alas! +how uncertain and deceitful are all human affairs!) what had we found! +While we thought we were embracing a substance we grasped an empty +nothing. The whole amount that was in the nest of trunks was only one +dollar and a half; and all that the man possessed would not pay for +his coffin. Our sudden and exquisite joy was now succeeded by a sudden +and exquisite pain; and my Captain and I exhibited, for some time, +most ridiculous figures—pictures of chagrin and disappointment! We +went away greatly mortified, and left the deceased to do as well as he +could for himself, as we had taken so good care of him when alive for +nothing. We set sail once more for Montserrat, and arrived there safe; +but much out of humour with our friend the silversmith. When we had +unladen the vessel, and I had sold my venture, finding myself master +of about forty-seven pounds, I consulted my true friend, the Captain, +how I should proceed in offering my master the money for my freedom. +He told me to come on a certain morning, when he and my master would +be at breakfast together. Accordingly, on that morning I went, and met +the Captain there, as he had appointed. When I went in I made my +obeisance to my master, and with my money in my hand, and many fears +in my heart, I prayed him to be as good as his offer to me, when he +was pleased to promise me my freedom as soon as I could purchase it. +This speech seemed to confound him; he began to recoil: and my heart +that instant sunk within me. 'What,' said he, 'give you your freedom? +Why, where did you get the money? Have you got forty pounds sterling?' +'Yes, sir,' I answered. 'How did you get it?' replied he. I told him, +very honestly. The Captain then said he knew I got the money very +honestly and with much industry, and that I was particularly careful. +On which my master replied, I got money much faster than he did; and +said he would not have made me the promise he did if he had thought I +should have got money so soon. 'Come, come,' said my worthy Captain, +clapping my master on the back, 'Come, Robert, (which was his name) I +think you must let him have his freedom; you have laid your money out +very well; you have received good interest for it all this time, and +here is now the principal at last. I know Gustavus has earned you more +than an hundred a-year, and he will still save you money, as he will +not leave you:—Come, Robert, take the money.' My master then said, he +would not be worse than his promise; and, taking the money, told me to +go to the Secretary at the Register Office, and get my manumission +drawn up. These words of my master were like a voice from heaven to +me: in an instant all my trepidation was turned into unutterable +bliss; and I most reverently bowed myself with gratitude, unable to +express my feelings, but by the overflowing of my eyes, while my true +and worthy friend, the Captain, congratulated us both with a peculiar +degree of heartfelt pleasure. As soon as the first transports of my +joy were over, and that I had expressed my thanks to these my worthy +friends in the best manner I was able, I rose with a heart full of +affection and reverence, and left the room, in order to obey my +master's joyful mandate of going to the Register Office. As I was +leaving the house I called to mind the words of the Psalmist, in the +126th Psalm, and like him, 'I glorified God in my heart, in whom I +trusted.' These words had been impressed on my mind from the very day +I was forced from Deptford to the present hour, and I now saw them, as +I thought, fulfilled and verified. My imagination was all rapture as I +flew to the Register Office, and, in this respect, like the apostle +Peter,<a name="FNanchor_U_21" id="FNanchor_U_21" /><a href="#Footnote_U_21" class="fnanchor">[U]</a> (whose deliverance from prison was so sudden and +extraordinary, that he thought he was in a vision) I could scarcely +believe I was awake. Heavens! who could do justice to my feelings at +this moment! Not conquering heroes themselves, in the midst of a +triumph—Not the tender mother who has just regained her long-lost +infant, and presses it to her heart—Not the weary hungry mariner, at +the sight of the desired friendly port—Not the lover, when he once +more embraces his beloved mistress, after she had been ravished from +his arms!—All within my breast was tumult, wildness, and delirium! My +feet scarcely touched the ground, for they were winged with joy, and, +like Elijah, as he rose to Heaven, they 'were with lightning sped as I +went on.' Every one I met I told of my happiness, and blazed about the +virtue of my amiable master and captain.</p> + +<p>When I got to the office and acquainted the Register with my errand he +congratulated me on the occasion, and told me he would draw up my +manumission for half price, which was a guinea. I thanked him for his +kindness; and, having received it and paid him, I hastened to my +master to get him to sign it, that I might be fully released. +Accordingly he signed the manumission that day, so that, before night, +I who had been a slave in the morning, trembling at the will of +another, was become my own master, and completely free. I thought this +was the happiest day I had ever experienced; and my joy was still +heightened by the blessings and prayers of the sable race, +particularly the aged, to whom my heart had ever been attached with +reverence.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>As the form of my manumission has something peculiar in it, and +expresses the absolute power and dominion one man claims over his +fellow, I shall beg leave to present it before my readers at full +length:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>Montserrat</i>.—To all men unto whom these presents shall + come: I Robert King, of the parish of St. Anthony in the + said island, merchant, send greeting: Know ye, that I the + aforesaid Robert King, for and in consideration of the sum + of seventy pounds current money of the said island, to me in + hand paid, and to the intent that a negro man-slave, named + Gustavus Vassa, shall and may become free, have manumitted, + emancipated, enfranchised, and set free, and by these + presents do manumit, emancipate, enfranchise, and set free, + the aforesaid negro man-slave, named Gustavus Vassa, for + ever, hereby giving, granting, and releasing unto him, the + said Gustavus Vassa, all right, title, dominion, + sovereignty, and property, which, as lord and master over + the aforesaid Gustavus Vassa, I had, or now I have, or by + any means whatsoever I may or can hereafter possibly have + over him the aforesaid negro, for ever. In witness whereof I + the abovesaid Robert King have unto these presents set my + hand and seal, this tenth day of July, in the year of our + Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty-six.</p> + +<p class="citation"><span class="smcap">Robert King</span>.<br /> +</p> + +<p>Signed, sealed, and delivered in the presence of Terrylegay, + Montserrat.</p> + +<p> Registered the within manumission at full length, this + eleventh day of July, 1766, in liber D.</p> + +<p class="citation"><span class="smcap">Terrylegay</span>, Register.<br /> +</p> +</div> +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>In short, the fair as well as black people immediately styled me by a +new appellation, to me the most desirable in the world, which was +Freeman, and at the dances I gave my Georgia superfine blue clothes +made no indifferent appearance, as I thought. Some of the sable +females, who formerly stood aloof, now began to relax and appear less +coy; but my heart was still fixed on London, where I hoped to be ere +long. So that my worthy captain and his owner, my late master, +finding that the bent of my mind was towards London, said to me, 'We +hope you won't leave us, but that you will still be with the vessels.' +Here gratitude bowed me down; and none but the generous mind can judge +of my feelings, struggling between inclination and duty. However, +notwithstanding my wish to be in London, I obediently answered my +benefactors that I would go in the vessel, and not leave them; and +from that day I was entered on board as an able-bodied sailor, at +thirty-six shillings per month, besides what perquisites I could make. +My intention was to make a voyage or two, entirely to please these my +honoured patrons; but I determined that the year following, if it +pleased God, I would see Old England once more, and surprise my old +master, Capt. Pascal, who was hourly in my mind; for I still loved +him, notwithstanding his usage of me, and I pleased myself with +thinking of what he would say when he saw what the Lord had done for +me in so short a time, instead of being, as he might perhaps suppose, +under the cruel yoke of some planter. With these kind of reveries I +used often to entertain myself, and shorten the time till my return; +and now, being as in my original free African state, I embarked on +board the Nancy, after having got all things ready for our voyage. In +this state of serenity we sailed for St. Eustatia; and, having smooth +seas and calm weather, we soon arrived there: after taking our cargo +on board, we proceeded to Savannah in Georgia, in August, 1766. While +we were there, as usual, I used to go for the cargo up the rivers in +boats; and on this business I have been frequently beset by +alligators, which were very numerous on that coast, and I have shot +many of them when they have been near getting into our boats; which we +have with great difficulty sometimes prevented, and have been very +much frightened at them. I have seen a young one sold in Georgia alive +for six pence. During our stay at this place, one evening a slave +belonging to Mr. Read, a merchant of Savannah, came near our vessel, +and began to use me very ill. I entreated him, with all the patience I +was master of, to desist, as I knew there was little or no law for a +free negro here; but the fellow, instead of taking my advice, +persevered in his insults, and even struck me. At this I lost all +temper, and I fell on him and beat him soundly. The next morning his +master came to our vessel as we lay alongside the wharf, and desired +me to come ashore that he might have me flogged all round the town, +for beating his negro slave. I told him he had insulted me, and had +given the provocation, by first striking me. I had told my captain +also the whole affair that morning, and wished him to have gone along +with me to Mr. Read, to prevent bad consequences; but he said that it +did not signify, and if Mr. Read said any thing he would make matters +up, and had desired me to go to work, which I accordingly did. The +Captain being on board when Mr. Read came, he told him I was a free +man; and when Mr. Read applied to him to deliver me up, he said he +knew nothing of the matter. I was astonished and frightened at this, +and thought I had better keep where I was than go ashore and be +flogged round the town, without judge or jury. I therefore refused to +stir; and Mr. Read went away, swearing he would bring all the +constables in the town, for he would have me out of the vessel. When +he was gone, I thought his threat might prove too true to my sorrow; +and I was confirmed in this belief, as well by the many instances I +had seen of the treatment of free negroes, as from a fact that had +happened within my own knowledge here a short time before. There was a +free black man, a carpenter, that I knew, who, for asking a gentleman +that he worked for for the money he had earned, was put into gaol; and +afterwards this oppressed man was sent from Georgia, with false +accusations, of an intention to set the gentleman's house on fire, and +run away with his slaves. I was therefore much embarrassed, and very +apprehensive of a flogging at least. I dreaded, of all things, the +thoughts of being striped, as I never in my life had the marks of any +violence of that kind. At that instant a rage seized my soul, and for +a little I determined to resist the first man that should offer to lay +violent hands on me, or basely use me without a trial; for I would +sooner die like a free man, than suffer myself to be scourged by the +hands of ruffians, and my blood drawn like a slave. The captain and +others, more cautious, advised me to make haste and conceal myself; +for they said Mr. Read was a very spiteful man, and he would soon come +on board with constables and take me. At first I refused this counsel, +being determined to stand my ground; but at length, by the prevailing +entreaties of the captain and Mr. Dixon, with whom he lodged, I went +to Mr. Dixon's house, which was a little out of town, at a place +called Yea-ma-chra. I was but just gone when Mr. Read, with the +constables, came for me, and searched the vessel; but, not finding me +there, he swore he would have me dead or alive. I was secreted about +five days; however, the good character which my captain always gave me +as well as some other gentlemen who also knew me, procured me some +friends. At last some of them told my captain that he did not use me +well, in suffering me thus to be imposed upon, and said they would see +me redressed, and get me on board some other vessel. My captain, on +this, immediately went to Mr. Read, and told him, that ever since I +eloped from the vessel his work had been neglected, and he could not +go on with her loading, himself and mate not being well; and, as I had +managed things on board for them, my absence must retard his voyage, +and consequently hurt the owner; he therefore begged of him to forgive +me, as he said he never had any complaint of me before, for the many +years that I had been with him. After repeated entreaties, Mr. Read +said I might go to hell, and that he would not meddle with me; on +which my captain came immediately to me at his lodging, and, telling +me how pleasantly matters had gone on, he desired me to go on board. +Some of my other friends then asked him if he had got the constable's +warrant from them; the captain said, No. On this I was desired by them +to stay in the house; and they said they would get me on board of some +other vessel before the evening. When the captain heard this he became +almost distracted. He went immediately for the warrant, and, after +using every exertion in his power, he at last got it from my hunters; +but I had all the expenses to pay. After I had thanked all my friends +for their attention, I went on board again to my work, of which I had +always plenty. We were in haste to complete our lading, and were to +carry twenty head of cattle with us to the West Indies, where they are +a very profitable article. In order to encourage me in working, and to +make up for the time I had lost, my captain promised me the privilege +of carrying two bullocks of my own with me; and this made me work with +redoubled ardour. As soon as I had got the vessel loaded, in doing +which I was obliged to perform the duty of the mate as well as my own +work, and that the bullocks were near coming on board, I asked the +captain leave to bring my two, according to his promise; but, to my +great surprise, he told me there was no room for them. I then asked +him to permit me to take one; but he said he could not. I was a good +deal mortified at this usage, and told him I had no notion that he +intended thus to impose on me; nor could I think well of any man that +was so much worse than his word. On this we had some disagreement, and +I gave him to understand, that I intended to leave the vessel. At this +he appeared to be very much dejected; and our mate, who had been very +sickly, and whose duty had long devolved upon me, advised him to +persuade me to stay: in consequence of which he spoke very kindly to +me, making many fair promises, telling me that, as the mate was so +sickly, he could not do without me, and that, as the safety of the +vessel and cargo depended greatly upon me, he therefore hoped that I +would not be offended at what had passed between us, and swore he +would make up all matters when we arrived in the West Indies; so I +consented to slave on as before. Soon after this, as the bullocks were +coming on board, one of them ran at the captain, and butted him so +furiously in the breast, that he never recovered of the blow. In order +to make me some amends for his treatment about the bullocks, the +captain now pressed me very much to take some turkeys, and other +fowls, with me, and gave me liberty to take as many as I could find +room for; but I told him he knew very well I had never carried any +turkeys before, as I always thought they were such tender birds that +they were not fit to cross the seas. However, he continued to press me +to buy them for once; and, what was very surprising to me, the more I +was against it, the more he urged my taking them, insomuch that he +ensured me from all losses that might happen by them, and I was +prevailed on to take them; but I thought this very strange, as he had +never acted so with me before. This, and not being able to dispose of +my paper-money in any other way, induced me at length to take four +dozen. The turkeys, however, I was so dissatisfied about that I +determined to make no more voyages to this quarter, nor with this +captain; and was very apprehensive that my free voyage would be the +worst I had ever made. We set sail for Montserrat. The captain and +mate had been both complaining of sickness when we sailed, and as we +proceeded on our voyage they grew worse. This was about November, and +we had not been long at sea before we began to meet with strong +northerly gales and rough seas; and in about seven or eight days all +the bullocks were near being drowned, and four or five of them died. +Our vessel, which had not been tight at first, was much less so now; +and, though we were but nine in the whole, including five sailors and +myself, yet we were obliged to attend to the pumps every half or three +quarters of an hour. The captain and mate came on deck as often as +they were able, which was now but seldom; for they declined so fast, +that they were not well enough to make observations above four or five +times the whole voyage. The whole care of the vessel rested, +therefore, upon me, and I was obliged to direct her by my former +experience, not being able to work a traverse. The captain was now +very sorry he had not taught me navigation, and protested, if ever he +should get well again, he would not fail to do so; but in about +seventeen days his illness increased so much, that he was obliged to +keep his bed, continuing sensible, however, till the last, constantly +having the owner's interest at heart; for this just and benevolent man +ever appeared much concerned about the welfare of what he was +intrusted with. When this dear friend found the symptoms of death +approaching, he called me by my name; and, when I came to him, he +asked (with almost his last breath) if he had ever done me any harm? +'God forbid I should think so,' I replied, 'I should then be the most +ungrateful of wretches to the best of sorrow by his bedside, he +expired without saying another word; and the day following we +committed his body to the deep. Every man on board loved this man, and +regretted his death; but I was exceedingly affected at it, and I found +that I did not know, till he was gone, the strength of my regard for +him. Indeed I had every reason in the world to be attached to him; +for, besides that he was in general mild, affable, generous, faithful, +benevolent, and just, he was to me a friend and a father; and, had it +pleased Providence that he had died but five months before, I verily +believe I should not have obtained my freedom when I did; and it is +not improbable that I might not have been able to get it at any rate +afterwards. The captain being dead, the mate came on the deck, and +made such observations as he was able, but to no purpose. In the +course of a few days more, the few bullocks that remained were found +dead; but the turkies I had, though on the deck, and exposed to so +much wet and bad weather, did well, and I afterwards gained near three +hundred per cent, on the sale of them; so that in the event it proved +a happy circumstance for me that I had not bought the bullocks I +intended, for they must have perished with the rest; and I could not +help looking on this, otherwise trifling circumstance, as a particular +providence of God, and I was thankful accordingly. The care of the +vessel took up all my time, and engaged my attention entirely. As we +were now out of the variable winds, I thought I should not be much +puzzled to hit upon the islands. I was persuaded I steered right for +Antigua, which I wished to reach, as the nearest to us; and in the +course of nine or ten days we made this island, to our great joy; and +the next day after we came safe to Montserrat. Many were surprised +when they heard of my conducting the sloop into the port, and I now +obtained a new appellation, and was called Captain. This elated me not +a little, and it was quite flattering to my vanity to be thus styled +by as high a title as any free man in this place possessed. When the +death of the captain became known, he was much regretted by all who +knew him; for he was a man universally respected. At the same time the +sable captain lost no fame; for the success I had met with increased +the affection of my friends in no small measure.</p> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_U_21" id="Footnote_U_21" /><a href="#FNanchor_U_21"><span class="label">[U]</span></a> Acts, chap. xii. ver. 9.</p></div> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAP_VIII" id="CHAP_VIII" />CHAP. VIII.</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>The author, to oblige Mr. King, once more embarks for + Georgia in one of his vessels—A new captain is + appointed—They sail, and steer a new course—Three + remarkable dreams—The vessel is shipwrecked on the Bahama + bank, but the crew are preserved, principally by means of + the author—He sets out from the island with the captain, in + a small boat, in quest of a ship—Their distress—Meet with + a wrecker—Sail for Providence—Are overtaken again by a + terrible storm, and are all near perishing—Arrive at New + Providence—The author, after some time, sails from thence + to Georgia—Meets with another storm, and is obliged to put + back and refit—Arrives at Georgia—Meets new + impositions—Two white men attempt to kidnap him—Officiates + as a parson at a funeral ceremony—Bids adieu to Georgia, + and sails for Martinico.</i></p></div> + + +<p>As I had now, by the death of my captain, lost my great benefactor and +friend, I had little inducement to remain longer in the West Indies, +except my gratitude to Mr. King, which I thought I had pretty well +discharged in bringing back his vessel safe, and delivering his cargo +to his satisfaction. I began to think of leaving this part of the +world, of which I had been long tired, and returning to England, where +my heart had always been; but Mr. King still pressed me very much to +stay with his vessel; and he had done so much for me that I found +myself unable to refuse his requests, and consented to go another +voyage to Georgia, as the mate, from his ill state of health, was +quite useless in the vessel. Accordingly a new captain was appointed, +whose name was William Phillips, an old acquaintance of mine; and, +having refitted our vessel, and taken several slaves on board, we set +sail for St. Eustatia, where we stayed but a few days; and on the 30th +of January 1767 we steered for Georgia. Our new captain boasted +strangely of his skill in navigating and conducting a vessel; and in +consequence of this he steered a new course, several points more to +the westward than we ever did before; this appeared to me very +extraordinary.</p> + +<p>On the fourth of February, which was soon after we had got into our +new course, I dreamt the ship was wrecked amidst the surfs and rocks, +and that I was the means of saving every one on board; and on the +night following I dreamed the very same dream. These dreams however +made no impression on my mind; and the next evening, it being my watch +below, I was pumping the vessel a little after eight o'clock, just +before I went off the deck, as is the custom; and being weary with the +duty of the day, and tired at the pump, (for we made a good deal of +water) I began to express my impatience, and I uttered with an oath, +'Damn the vessel's bottom out.' But my conscience instantly smote me +for the expression. When I left the deck I went to bed, and had +scarcely fallen asleep when I dreamed the same dream again about the +ship that I had dreamt the two preceeding nights. At twelve o'clock +the watch was changed; and, as I had always the charge of the +captain's watch, I then went upon deck. At half after one in the +morning the man at the helm saw something under the lee-beam that the +sea washed against, and he immediately called to me that there was a +grampus, and desired me to look at it. Accordingly I stood up and +observed it for some time; but, when I saw the sea wash up against it +again and again, I said it was not a fish but a rock. Being soon +certain of this, I went down to the captain, and, with some confusion, +told him the danger we were in, and desired him to come upon deck +immediately. He said it was very well, and I went up again. As soon as +I was upon deck the wind, which had been pretty high, having abated a +little, the vessel began to be carried sideways towards the rock, by +means of the current. Still the captain did not appear. I therefore +went to him again, and told him the vessel was then near a large rock, +and desired he would come up with speed. He said he would, and I +returned to the deck. When I was upon the deck again I saw we were not +above a pistol shot from the rock, and I heard the noise of the +breakers all around us. I was exceedingly alarmed at this; and the +captain having not yet come on the deck I lost all patience; and, +growing quite enraged, I ran down to him again, and asked him why he +did not come up, and what he could mean by all this? 'The breakers,' +said I, 'are round us, and the vessel is almost on the rock.' With +that he came on the deck with me, and we tried to put the vessel +about, and get her out of the current, but all to no purpose, the +wind being very small. We then called all hands up immediately; and +after a little we got up one end of a cable, and fastened it to the +anchor. By this time the surf was foaming round us, and made a +dreadful noise on the breakers, and the very moment we let the anchor +go the vessel struck against the rocks. One swell now succeeded +another, as it were one wave calling on its fellow: the roaring of the +billows increased, and, with one single heave of the swells, the sloop +was pierced and transfixed among the rocks! In a moment a scene of +horror presented itself to my mind, such as I never had conceived or +experienced before. All my sins stared me in the face; and especially, +I thought that God had hurled his direful vengeance on my guilty head +for cursing the vessel on which my life depended. My spirits at this +forsook me, and I expected every moment to go to the bottom: I +determined if I should still be saved that I would never swear again. +And in the midst of my distress, while the dreadful surfs were dashing +with unremitting fury among the rocks, I remembered the Lord, though +fearful that I was undeserving of forgiveness, and I thought that as +he had often delivered he might yet deliver; and, calling to mind the +many mercies he had shewn me in times past, they gave me some small +hope that he might still help me. I then began to think how we might +be saved; and I believe no mind was ever like mine so replete with +inventions and confused with schemes, though how to escape death I +knew not. The captain immediately ordered the hatches to be nailed +down on the slaves in the hold, where there were above twenty, all of +whom must unavoidably have perished if he had been obeyed. When he +desired the man to nail down the hatches I thought that my sin was the +cause of this, and that God would charge me with these people's blood. +This thought rushed upon my mind that instant with such violence, that +it quite overpowered me, and I fainted. I recovered just as the people +were about to nail down the hatches; perceiving which, I desired them +to stop. The captain then said it must be done: I asked him why? He +said that every one would endeavour to get into the boat, which was +but small, and thereby we should be drowned; for it would not have +carried above ten at the most. I could no longer restrain my emotion, +and I told him he deserved drowning for not knowing how to navigate +the vessel; and I believe the people would have tossed him overboard +if I had given them the least hint of it. However the hatches were not +nailed down; and, as none of us could leave the vessel then on account +of the darkness, and as we knew not where to go, and were convinced +besides that the boat could not survive the surfs, we all said we +would remain on the dry part of the vessel, and trust to God till +daylight appeared, when we should know better what to do.</p> + +<p>I then advised to get the boat prepared against morning, and some of +us began to set about it; but some abandoned all care of the ship and +themselves, and fell to drinking. Our boat had a piece out of her +bottom near two feet long, and we had no materials to mend her; +however, necessity being the mother of invention, I took some pump +leather and nailed it to the broken part, and plastered it over with +tallow-grease. And, thus prepared, with the utmost anxiety of mind we +watched for daylight, and thought every minute an hour till it +appeared. At last it saluted our longing eyes, and kind Providence +accompanied its approach with what was no small comfort to us; for the +dreadful swell began to subside; and the next thing that we discovered +to raise our drooping spirits, was a small key or island, about five +or six miles off; but a barrier soon presented itself; for there was +not water enough for our boat to go over the reefs, and this threw us +again into a sad consternation; but there was no alternative, we were +therefore obliged to put but few in the boat at once; and, what is +still worse, all of us were frequently under the necessity of getting +out to drag and lift it over the reefs. This cost us much labour and +fatigue; and, what was yet more distressing, we could not avoid having +our legs cut and torn very much with the rocks. There were only four +people that would work with me at the oars; and they consisted of +three black men and a Dutch Creole sailor; and, though we went with +the boat five times that day, we had no others to assist us. But, had +we not worked in this manner, I really believe the people could not +have been saved; for not one of the white men did any thing to +preserve their lives; and indeed they soon got so drunk that they were +not able, but lay about the deck like swine, so that we were at last +obliged to lift them into the boat and carry them on shore by force. +This want of assistance made our labour intolerably severe; insomuch, +that, by putting on shore so often that day, the skin was entirely +stript off my hands.</p> + +<p>However, we continued all the day to toil and strain our exertions, +till we had brought all on board safe to the shore; so that out of +thirty-two people we lost not one. My dream now returned upon my mind +with all its force; it was fulfilled in every part; for our danger was +the same I had dreamt of: and I could not help looking on myself as +the principal instrument in effecting our deliverance; for, owing to +some of our people getting drunk, the rest of us were obliged to +double our exertions; and it was fortunate we did, for in a very +little time longer the patch of leather on the boat would have been +worn out, and she would have been no longer fit for service. Situated +as we were, who could think that men should be so careless of the +danger they were in? for, if the wind had but raised the swell as it +was when the vessel struck, we must have bid a final farewell to all +hopes of deliverance; and though, I warned the people who were +drinking and entreated them to embrace the moment of deliverance, +nevertheless they persisted, as if not possessed of the least spark of +reason. I could not help thinking, that, if any of these people had +been lost, God would charge me with their lives, which, perhaps, was +one cause of my labouring so hard for their preservation, and indeed +every one of them afterwards seemed so sensible of the service I had +rendered them; and while we were on the key I was a kind of chieftain +amongst them. I brought some limes, oranges, and lemons ashore; and, +finding it to be a good soil where we were, I planted several of them +as a token to any one that might be cast away hereafter. This key, as +we afterwards found, was one of the Bahama islands, which consist of a +cluster of large islands, with smaller ones or keys, as they are +called, interspersed among them. It was about a mile in circumference, +with a white sandy beach running in a regular order along it. On that +part of it where we first attempted to land there stood some very +large birds, called flamingoes: these, from the reflection of the sun, +appeared to us at a little distance as large as men; and, when they +walked backwards and forwards, we could not conceive what they were: +our captain swore they were cannibals. This created a great panic +among us; and we held a consultation how to act. The captain wanted to +go to a key that was within sight, but a great way off; but I was +against it, as in so doing we should not be able to save all the +people; 'And therefore,' said I, 'let us go on shore here, and perhaps +these cannibals may take to the water.' Accordingly we steered towards +them; and when we approached them, to our very great joy and no less +wonder, they walked off one after the other very deliberately; and at +last they took flight and relieved us entirely from our fears. About +the key there were turtles and several sorts of fish in such abundance +that we caught them without bait, which was a great relief to us after +the salt provisions on board. There was also a large rock on the +beach, about ten feet high, which was in the form of a punch-bowl at +the top; this we could not help thinking Providence had ordained to +supply us with rainwater; and it was something singular that, if we +did not take the water when it rained, in some little time after it +would turn as salt as sea-water.</p> + +<p>Our first care, after refreshment, was to make ourselves tents to +lodge in, which we did as well as we could with some sails we had +brought from the ship. We then began to think how we might get from +this place, which was quite uninhabited; and we determined to repair +our boat, which was very much shattered, and to put to sea in quest of +a ship or some inhabited island. It took us up however eleven days +before we could get the boat ready for sea in the manner we wanted it, +with a sail and other necessaries. When we had got all things prepared +the captain wanted me to stay on shore while he went to sea in quest +of a vessel to take all the people off the key; but this I refused; +and the captain and myself, with five more, set off in the boat +towards New Providence. We had no more than two musket load of +gunpowder with us if any thing should happen; and our stock of +provisions consisted of three gallons of rum, four of water, some salt +beef, some biscuit; and in this manner we proceeded to sea.</p> + +<p>On the second day of our voyage we came to an island called Obbico, +the largest of the Bahama islands. We were much in want of water; for +by this time our water was expended, and we were exceedingly fatigued +in pulling two days in the heat of the sun; and it being late in the +evening, we hauled the boat ashore to try for water and remain during +the night: when we came ashore we searched for water, but could find +none. When it was dark, we made a fire around us for fear of the wild +beasts, as the place was an entire thick wood, and we took it by turns +to watch. In this situation we found very little rest, and waited with +impatience for the morning. As soon as the light appeared we set off +again with our boat, in hopes of finding assistance during the day. We +were now much dejected and weakened by pulling the boat; for our sail +was of no use, and we were almost famished for want of fresh water to +drink. We had nothing left to eat but salt beef, and that we could not +use without water. In this situation we toiled all day in sight of the +island, which was very long; in the evening, seeing no relief, we made +ashore again, and fastened our boat. We then went to look for fresh +water, being quite faint for the want of it; and we dug and searched +about for some all the remainder of the evening, but could not find +one drop, so that our dejection at this period became excessive, and +our terror so great, that we expected nothing but death to deliver us. +We could not touch our beef, which was as salt as brine, without fresh +water; and we were in the greatest terror from the apprehension of +wild beasts. When unwelcome night came we acted as on the night +before; and the next morning we set off again from the island in hopes +of seeing some vessel. In this manner we toiled as well as we were +able till four o'clock, during which we passed several keys, but could +not meet with a ship; and, still famishing with thirst, went ashore on +one of those keys again in hopes of finding some water. Here we found +some leaves with a few drops of water in them, which we lapped with +much eagerness; we then dug in several places, but without success. As +we were digging holes in search of water there came forth some very +thick and black stuff; but none of us could touch it, except the poor +Dutch Creole, who drank above a quart of it as eagerly as if it had +been wine. We tried to catch fish, but could not; and we now began to +repine at our fate, and abandon ourselves to despair; when, in the +midst of our murmuring, the captain all at once cried out 'A sail! a +sail! a sail!' This gladdening sound was like a reprieve to a +convict, and we all instantly turned to look at it; but in a little +time some of us began to be afraid it was not a sail. However, at a +venture, we embarked and steered after it; and, in half an hour, to +our unspeakable joy, we plainly saw that it was a vessel. At this our +drooping spirits revived, and we made towards her with all the speed +imaginable. When we came near to her, we found she was a little sloop, +about the size of a Gravesend hoy, and quite full of people; a +circumstance which we could not make out the meaning of. Our captain, +who was a Welchman, swore that they were pirates, and would kill us. I +said, be that as it might, we must board her if we were to die for it; +and, if they should not receive us kindly, we must oppose them as well +as we could; for there was no alternative between their perishing and +ours. This counsel was immediately taken; and I really believe that +the captain, myself, and the Dutchman, would then have faced twenty +men. We had two cutlasses and a musquet, that I brought in the boat; +and, in this situation, we rowed alongside, and immediately boarded +her. I believe there were about forty hands on board; but how great +was our surprise, as soon as we got on board, to find that the major +part of them were in the same predicament as ourselves!</p> + +<p>They belonged to a whaling schooner that was wrecked two days before +us about nine miles to the north of our vessel. When she was wrecked +some of them had taken to their boats and had left some of their +people and property on a key, in the same manner as we had done; and +were going, like us, to New Providence in quest of a ship, when they +met with this little sloop, called a wrecker; their employment in +those seas being to look after wrecks. They were then going to take +the remainder of the people belonging to the schooner; for which the +wrecker was to have all things belonging to the vessel, and likewise +their people's help to get what they could out of her, and were then +to carry the crew to New Providence.</p> + +<p>We told the people of the wrecker the condition of our vessel, and we +made the same agreement with them as the schooner's people; and, on +their complying, we begged of them to go to our key directly, because +our people were in want of water. They agreed, therefore, to go along +with us first; and in two days we arrived at the key, to the +inexpressible joy of the people that we had left behind, as they had +been reduced to great extremities for want of water in our absence. +Luckily for us, the wrecker had now more people on board than she +could carry or victual for any moderate length of time; they therefore +hired the schooner's people to work on our wreck, and we left them our +boat, and embarked for New Providence.</p> + +<p>Nothing could have been more fortunate than our meeting with this +wrecker, for New Providence was at such a distance that we never could +have reached it in our boat. The island of Abbico was much longer than +we expected; and it was not till after sailing for three or four days +that we got safe to the farther end of it, towards New Providence. +When we arrived there we watered, and got a good many lobsters and +other shellfish; which proved a great relief to us, as our provisions +and water were almost exhausted. We then proceeded on our voyage; but +the day after we left the island, late in the evening, and whilst we +were yet amongst the Bahama keys, we were overtaken by a violent gale +of wind, so that we were obliged to cut away the mast. The vessel was +very near foundering; for she parted from her anchors, and struck +several times on the shoals. Here we expected every minute that she +would have gone to pieces, and each moment to be our last; so much so +that my old captain and sickly useless mate, and several others, +fainted; and death stared us in the face on every side. All the +swearers on board now began to call on the God of Heaven to assist +them: and, sure enough, beyond our comprehension he did assist us, and +in a miraculous manner delivered us! In the very height of our +extremity the wind lulled for a few minutes; and, although the swell +was high beyond expression, two men, who were expert swimmers, +attempted to go to the buoy of the anchor, which we still saw on the +water, at some distance, in a little punt that belonged to the +wrecker, which was not large enough to carry more than two. She filled +different times in their endeavours to get into her alongside of our +vessel; and they saw nothing but death before them, as well as we; but +they said they might as well die that way as any other. A coil of very +small rope, with a little buoy, was put in along with them; and, at +last, with great hazard, they got the punt clear from the vessel; and +these two intrepid water heroes paddled away for life towards the buoy +of the anchor. The eyes of us all were fixed on them all the time, +expecting every minute to be their last: and the prayers of all those +that remained in their senses were offered up to God, on their behalf, +for a speedy deliverance; and for our own, which depended on them; and +he heard and answered us! These two men at last reached the buoy; and, +having fastened the punt to it, they tied one end of their rope to the +small buoy that they had in the punt, and sent it adrift towards the +vessel. We on board observing this threw out boat-hooks and leads +fastened to lines, in order to catch the buoy: at last we caught it, +and fastened a hawser to the end of the small rope; we then gave them +a sign to pull, and they pulled the hawser to them, and fastened it to +the buoy: which being done we hauled for our lives; and, through the +mercy of God, we got again from the shoals into deep water, and the +punt got safe to the vessel. It is impossible for any to conceive our +heartfelt joy at this second deliverance from ruin, but those who have +suffered the same hardships. Those whose strength and senses were gone +came to themselves, and were now as elated as they were before +depressed. Two days after this the wind ceased, and the water became +smooth. The punt then went on shore, and we cut down some trees; and +having found our mast and mended it we brought it on board, and fixed +it up. As soon as we had done this we got up the anchor, and away we +went once more for New Providence, which in three days more we reached +safe, after having been above three weeks in a situation in which we +did not expect to escape with life. The inhabitants here were very +kind to us; and, when they learned our situation, shewed us a great +deal of hospitality and friendship. Soon after this every one of my +old fellow-sufferers that were free parted from us, and shaped their +course where their inclination led them. One merchant, who had a large +sloop, seeing our condition, and knowing we wanted to go to Georgia, +told four of us that his vessel was going there; and, if we would work +on board and load her, he would give us our passage free. As we could +not get any wages whatever, and found it very hard to get off the +place, we were obliged to consent to his proposal; and we went on +board and helped to load the sloop, though we had only our victuals +allowed us. When she was entirely loaded he told us she was going to +Jamaica first, where we must go if we went in her. This, however, I +refused; but my fellow-sufferers not having any money to help +themselves with, necessity obliged them to accept of the offer, and to +steer that course, though they did not like it.</p> + +<p>We stayed in New Providence about seventeen or eighteen days; during +which time I met with many friends, who gave me encouragement to stay +there with them: but I declined it; though, had not my heart been +fixed on England, I should have stayed, as I liked the place +extremely, and there were some free black people here who were very +happy, and we passed our time pleasantly together, with the melodious +sound of the catguts, under the lime and lemon trees. At length +Captain Phillips hired a sloop to carry him and some of the slaves +that he could not sell to Georgia; and I agreed to go with him in this +vessel, meaning now to take my farewell of that place. When the vessel +was ready we all embarked; and I took my leave of New Providence, not +without regret. We sailed about four o'clock in the morning, with a +fair wind, for Georgia; and about eleven o'clock the same morning a +short and sudden gale sprung up and blew away most of our sails; and, +as we were still amongst the keys, in a very few minutes it dashed the +sloop against the rocks. Luckily for us the water was deep; and the +sea was not so angry but that, after having for some time laboured +hard, and being many in number, we were saved through God's mercy; +and, by using our greatest exertions, we got the vessel off. The next +day we returned to Providence, where we soon got her again refitted. +Some of the people swore that we had spells set upon us by somebody in +Montserrat; and others that we had witches and wizzards amongst the +poor helpless slaves; and that we never should arrive safe at Georgia. +But these things did not deter me; I said, 'Let us again face the +winds and seas, and swear not, but trust to God, and he will deliver +us.' We therefore once more set sail; and, with hard labour, in seven +day's time arrived safe at Georgia.</p> + +<p>After our arrival we went up to the town of Savannah; and the same +evening I went to a friend's house to lodge, whose name was Mosa, a +black man. We were very happy at meeting each other; and after supper +we had a light till it was between nine and ten o'clock at night. +About that time the watch or patrol came by; and, discerning a light +in the house, they knocked at the door: we opened it; and they came in +and sat down, and drank some punch with us: they also begged some +limes of me, as they understood I had some, which I readily gave them. +A little after this they told me I must go to the watch-house with +them: this surprised me a good deal, after our kindness to them; and I +asked them, Why so? They said that all negroes who had light in their +houses after nine o'clock were to be taken into custody, and either +pay some dollars or be flogged. Some of those people knew that I was a +free man; but, as the man of the house was not free, and had his +master to protect him, they did not take the same liberty with him +they did with me. I told them that I was a free man, and just arrived +from Providence; that we were not making any noise, and that I was not +a stranger in that place, but was very well known there: 'Besides,' +said I, 'what will you do with me?'—'That you shall see,' replied +they, 'but you must go to the watch-house with us.' Now whether they +meant to get money from me or not I was at a loss to know; but I +thought immediately of the oranges and limes at Santa Cruz: and seeing +that nothing would pacify them I went with them to the watch-house, +where I remained during the night. Early the the next morning these +imposing ruffians flogged a negro-man and woman that they had in the +watch-house, and then they told me that I must be flogged too. I asked +why? and if there was no law for free men? And told them if there was +I would have it put in force against them. But this only exasperated +them the more; and instantly they swore they would serve me as Doctor +Perkins had done; and they were going to lay violent hands on me; when +one of them, more humane than the rest, said that as I was a free man +they could not justify stripping me by law. I then immediately sent +for Doctor Brady, who was known to be an honest and worthy man; and on +his coming to my assistance they let me go.</p> + +<p>This was not the only disagreeable incident I met with while I was in +this place; for, one day, while I was a little way out of the town of +Savannah, I was beset by two white men, who meant to play their usual +tricks with me in the way of kidnapping. As soon as these men accosted +me, one of them said to the other, 'This is the very fellow we are +looking for that you lost:' and the other swore immediately that I was +the identical person. On this they made up to me, and were about to +handle me; but I told them to be still and keep off; for I had seen +those kind of tricks played upon other free blacks, and they must not +think to serve me so. At this they paused a little, and one said to +the other—it will not do; and the other answered that I talked too +good English. I replied, I believed I did; and I had also with me a +revengeful stick equal to the occasion; and my mind was likewise good. +Happily however it was not used; and, after we had talked together a +little in this manner, the rogues left me. I stayed in Savannah some +time, anxiously trying to get to Montserrat once more to see Mr. King, +my old master, and then to take a final farewell of the American +quarter of the globe. At last I met with a sloop called the Speedwell, +Captain John Bunton, which belonged to Grenada, and was bound to +Martinico, a French island, with a cargo of rice, and I shipped myself +on board of her. Before I left Georgia a black woman, who had a child +lying dead, being very tenacious of the church burial service, and not +able to get any white person to perform it, applied to me for that +purpose. I told her I was no parson; and besides, that the service +over the dead did not affect the soul. This however did not satisfy +her; she still urged me very hard: I therefore complied with her +earnest entreaties, and at last consented to act the parson for the +first time in my life. As she was much respected, there was a great +company both of white and black people at the grave. I then +accordingly assumed my new vocation, and performed the funeral +ceremony to the satisfaction of all present; after which I bade adieu +to Georgia, and sailed for Martinico.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAP_IX" id="CHAP_IX" />CHAP. IX</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>The author arrives at Martinico—Meets with new + difficulties—Gets to Montserrat, where he takes leave of + his old master, and sails for England—Meets Capt. + Pascal—Learns the French horn—Hires himself with Doctor + Irving, where he learns to freshen sea water—Leaves the + doctor, and goes a voyage to Turkey and Portugal; and + afterwards goes a voyage to Grenada, and another to + Jamaica—Returns to the Doctor, and they embark together on + a voyage to the North Pole, with the Hon. Capt. Phipps—Some + account of that voyage, and the dangers the author was + in—He returns to England.</i></p></div> + + +<p>I thus took a final leave of Georgia; for the treatment I had received +in it disgusted me very much against the place; and when I left it and +sailed for Martinico I determined never more to revisit it. My new +captain conducted his vessel safer than my former one; and, after an +agreeable voyage, we got safe to our intended port. While I was on +this island I went about a good deal, and found it very pleasant: in +particular I admired the town of St. Pierre, which is the principal +one in the island, and built more like an European town than any I had +seen in the West Indies. In general also, slaves were better treated, +had more holidays, and looked better than those in the English +islands. After we had done our business here, I wanted my discharge, +which was necessary; for it was then the month of May, and I wished +much to be at Montserrat to bid farewell to Mr. King, and all my other +friends there, in time to sail for Old England in the July fleet. But, +alas! I had put a great stumbling block in my own way, by which I was +near losing my passage that season to England. I had lent my captain +some money, which I now wanted to enable me to prosecute my +intentions. This I told him; but when I applied for it, though I urged +the necessity of my occasion, I met with so much shuffling from him, +that I began at last to be afraid of losing my money, as I could not +recover it by law: for I have already mentioned, that throughout the +West Indies no black man's testimony is admitted, on any occasion, +against any white person whatever, and therefore my own oath would +have been of no use. I was obliged, therefore, to remain with him +till he might be disposed to return it to me. Thus we sailed from +Martinico for the Grenades. I frequently pressing the captain for my +money to no purpose; and, to render my condition worse, when we got +there, the captain and his owners quarrelled; so that my situation +became daily more irksome: for besides that we on board had little or +no victuals allowed us, and I could not get my money nor wages, I +could then have gotten my passage free to Montserrat had I been able +to accept it. The worst of all was, that it was growing late in July, +and the ships in the islands must sail by the 26th of that month. At +last, however, with a great many entreaties, I got my money from the +captain, and took the first vessel I could meet with for St. Eustatia. +From thence I went in another to Basseterre in St. Kitts, where I +arrived on the 19th of July. On the 22d, having met with a vessel +bound to Montserrat, I wanted to go in her; but the captain and others +would not take me on board until I should advertise myself, and give +notice of my going off the island. I told them of my haste to be in +Montserrat, and that the time then would not admit of advertising, it +being late in the evening, and the captain about to sail; but he +insisted it was necessary, and otherwise he said he would not take me. +This reduced me to great perplexity; for if I should be compelled to +submit to this degrading necessity, which every black freeman is +under, of advertising himself like a slave, when he leaves an island, +and which I thought a gross imposition upon any freeman, I feared I +should miss that opportunity of going to Montserrat, and then I could +not get to England that year. The vessel was just going off, and no +time could be lost; I immediately therefore set about, with a heavy +heart, to try who I could get to befriend me in complying with the +demands of the captain. Luckily I found, in a few minutes, some +gentlemen of Montserrat whom I knew; and, having told them my +situation, I requested their friendly assistance in helping me off the +island. Some of them, on this, went with me to the captain, and +satisfied him of my freedom; and, to my very great joy, he desired me +to go on board. We then set sail, and the next day, the 23d, I arrived +at the wished-for place, after an absence of six months, in which I +had more than once experienced the delivering hand of Providence, +when all human means of escaping destruction seemed hopeless. I saw my +friends with a gladness of heart which was increased by my absence and +the dangers I had escaped, and I was received with great friendship by +them all, but particularly by Mr. King, to whom I related the fate of +his sloop, the Nancy, and the causes of her being wrecked. I now +learned with extreme sorrow, that his house was washed away during my +absence, by the bursting of a pond at the top of a mountain that was +opposite the town of Plymouth. It swept great part of the town away, +and Mr. King lost a great deal of property from the inundation, and +nearly his life. When I told him I intended to go to London that +season, and that I had come to visit him before my departure, the good +man expressed a great deal of affection for me, and sorrow that I +should leave him, and warmly advised me to stay there; insisting, as I +was much respected by all the gentlemen in the place, that I might do +very well, and in a short time have land and slaves of my own. I +thanked him for this instance of his friendship; but, as I wished very +much to be in London, I declined remaining any longer there, and +begged he would excuse me. I then requested he would be kind enough to +give me a certificate of my behaviour while in his service, which he +very readily complied with, and gave me the following:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p class="quotdate"><i>Montserrat, January 26, 1767.</i><br /> +</p> + +<p>'The bearer hereof, Gustavus Vassa, was my slave for upwards + of three years, during which he has always behaved himself + well, and discharged his duty with honesty and assiduity.</p> + +<p class="citation"><span class ="smcap">Robert King.</span><br /> +<br /> +</p> +<p>'To all whom this may concern.'<br /> +</p> +</div> + +<p>Having obtained this, I parted from my kind master, after many sincere +professions of gratitude and regard, and prepared for my departure for +London. I immediately agreed to go with one Capt. John Hamer, for +seven guineas, the passage to London, on board a ship called the +Andromache; and on the 24th and 25th I had free dances, as they are +called, with some of my countrymen, previous to my setting off; after +which I took leave of all my friends, and on the 26th I embarked for +London, exceedingly glad to see myself once more on board of a ship; +and still more so, in steering the course I had long wished for. With +a light heart I bade Montserrat farewell, and never had my feet on it +since; and with it I bade adieu to the sound of the cruel whip, and +all other dreadful instruments of torture; adieu to the offensive +sight of the violated chastity of the sable females, which has too +often accosted my eyes; adieu to oppressions (although to me less +severe than most of my countrymen); and adieu to the angry howling, +dashing surfs. I wished for a grateful and thankful heart to praise +the Lord God on high for all his mercies!</p> + +<p>We had a most prosperous voyage, and, at the end of seven weeks, +arrived at Cherry-Garden stairs. Thus were my longing eyes once more +gratified with a sight of London, after having been absent from it +above four years. I immediately received my wages, and I never had +earned seven guineas so quick in my life before; I had thirty-seven +guineas in all, when I got cleared of the ship. I now entered upon a +scene, quite new to me, but full of hope. In this situation my first +thoughts were to look out for some of my former friends, and amongst +the first of those were the Miss Guerins. As soon, therefore, as I had +regaled myself I went in quest of those kind ladies, whom I was very +impatient to see; and with some difficulty and perseverance, I found +them at May's-hill, Greenwich. They were most agreeably surprised to +see me, and I quite overjoyed at meeting with them. I told them my +history, at which they expressed great wonder, and freely acknowledged +it did their cousin, Capt. Pascal, no honour. He then visited there +frequently; and I met him four or five days after in Greenwich park. +When he saw me he appeared a good deal surprised, and asked me how I +came back? I answered, 'In a ship.' To which he replied dryly, 'I +suppose you did not walk back to London on the water.' As I saw, by +his manner, that he did not seem to be sorry for his behaviour to me, +and that I had not much reason to expect any favour from him, I told +him that he had used me very ill, after I had been such a faithful +servant to him for so many years; on which, without saying any more, +he turned about and went away. A few days after this I met Capt. +Pascal at Miss Guerin's house, and asked him for my prize-money. He +said there was none due to me; for, if my prize money had been +10,000 £. he had a right to it all. I told him I was informed +otherwise; on which he bade me defiance; and, in a bantering tone, +desired me to commence a lawsuit against him for it: 'There are +lawyers enough,' said he,'that will take the cause in hand, and you +had better try it.' I told him then that I would try it, which enraged +him very much; however, out of regard to the ladies, I remained still, +and never made any farther demand of my right. Some time afterwards +these friendly ladies asked me what I meant to do with myself, and how +they could assist me. I thanked them, and said, if they pleased, I +would be their servant; but if not, as I had thirty-seven guineas, +which would support me for some time, I would be much obliged to them +to recommend me to some person who would teach me a business whereby I +might earn my living. They answered me very politely, that they were +sorry it did not suit them to take me as their servant, and asked me +what business I should like to learn? I said, hair-dressing. They then +promised to assist me in this; and soon after they recommended me to a +gentleman whom I had known before, one Capt. O'Hara, who treated me +with much kindness, and procured me a master, a hair-dresser, in +Coventry-court, Haymarket, with whom he placed me. I was with this man +from September till the February following. In that time we had a +neighbour in the same court who taught the French horn. He used to +blow it so well that I was charmed with it, and agreed with him to +teach me to blow it. Accordingly he took me in hand, and began to +instruct me, and I soon learned all the three parts. I took great +delight in blowing on this instrument, the evenings being long; and +besides that I was fond of it, I did not like to be idle, and it +filled up my vacant hours innocently. At this time also I agreed with +the Rev. Mr. Gregory, who lived in the same court, where he kept an +academy and an evening-school, to improve me in arithmetic. This he +did as far as barter and alligation; so that all the time I was there +I was entirely employed. In February 1768 I hired myself to Dr. +Charles Irving, in Pall-mall, so celebrated for his successful +experiments in making sea water fresh; and here I had plenty of +hair-dressing to improve my hand. This gentleman was an excellent +master; he was exceedingly kind and good tempered; and allowed me in +the evenings to attend my schools, which I esteemed a great blessing; +therefore I thanked God and him for it, and used all my diligence to +improve the opportunity. This diligence and attention recommended me +to the notice and care of my three preceptors, who on their parts +bestowed a great deal of pains in my instruction, and besides were all +very kind to me. My wages, however, which were by two thirds less than +I ever had in my life (for I had only 12l. per annum) I soon found +would not be sufficient to defray this extraordinary expense of +masters, and my own necessary expenses; my old thirty-seven guineas +had by this time worn all away to one. I thought it best, therefore, +to try the sea again in quest of more money, as I had been bred to it, +and had hitherto found the profession of it successful. I had also a +very great desire to see Turkey, and I now determined to gratify it. +Accordingly, in the month of May, 1768, I told the doctor my wish to +go to sea again, to which he made no opposition; and we parted on +friendly terms. The same day I went into the city in quest of a +master. I was extremely fortunate in my inquiry; for I soon heard of a +gentleman who had a ship going to Italy and Turkey, and he wanted a +man who could dress hair well. I was overjoyed at this, and went +immediately on board of his ship, as I had been directed, which I +found to be fitted up with great taste, and I already foreboded no +small pleasure in sailing in her. Not finding the gentleman on board, +I was directed to his lodgings, where I met with him the next day, and +gave him a specimen of my dressing. He liked it so well that he hired +me immediately, so that I was perfectly happy; for the ship, master, +and voyage, were entirely to my mind. The ship was called the Delawar, +and my master's name was John Jolly, a neat smart good humoured man, +just such an one as I wished to serve. We sailed from England in July +following, and our voyage was extremely pleasant. We went to Villa +Franca, Nice, and Leghorn; and in all these places I was charmed with +the richness and beauty of the countries, and struck with the elegant +buildings with which they abound. We had always in them plenty of +extraordinary good wines and rich fruits, which I was very fond of; +and I had frequent occasions of gratifying both my taste and +curiosity; for my captain always lodged on shore in those places, +which afforded me opportunities to see the country around. I also +learned navigation of the mate, which I was very fond of. When we left +Italy we had delightful sailing among the Archipelago islands, and +from thence to Smyrna in Turkey. This is a very ancient city; the +houses are built of stone, and most of them have graves adjoining to +them; so that they sometimes present the appearance of church-yards. +Provisions are very plentiful in this city, and good wine less than a +penny a pint. The grapes, pomegranates, and many other fruits, were +also the richest and largest I ever tasted. The natives are well +looking and strong made, and treated me always with great civility. In +general I believe they are fond of black people; and several of them +gave me pressing invitations to stay amongst them, although they keep +the franks, or Christians, separate, and do not suffer them to dwell +immediately amongst them. I was astonished in not seeing women in any +of their shops, and very rarely any in the streets; and whenever I did +they were covered with a veil from head to foot, so that I could not +see their faces, except when any of them out of curiosity uncovered +them to look at me, which they sometimes did. I was surprised to see +how the Greeks are, in some measure, kept under by the Turks, as the +negroes are in the West Indies by the white people. The less refined +Greeks, as I have already hinted, dance here in the same manner as we +do in my nation. On the whole, during our stay here, which was about +five months, I liked the place and the Turks extremely well. I could +not help observing one very remarkable circumstance there: the tails +of the sheep are flat, and so very large, that I have known the tail +even of a lamb to weigh from eleven to thirteen pounds. The fat of +them is very white and rich, and is excellent in puddings, for which +it is much used. Our ship being at length richly loaded with silk, and +other articles, we sailed for England.</p> + +<p>In May 1769, soon after our return from Turkey, our ship made a +delightful voyage to Oporto in Portugal, where we arrived at the time +of the carnival. On our arrival, there were sent on board to us +thirty-six articles to observe, with very heavy penalties if we should +break any of them; and none of us even dared to go on board any other +vessel or on shore till the Inquisition had sent on board and +searched for every thing illegal, especially bibles. Such as were +produced, and certain other things, were sent on shore till the ships +were going away; and any person in whose custody a bible was found +concealed was to be imprisoned and flogged, and sent into slavery for +ten years. I saw here many very magnificent sights, particularly the +garden of Eden, where many of the clergy and laity went in procession +in their several orders with the host, and sung Te Deum. I had a great +curiosity to go into some of their churches, but could not gain +admittance without using the necessary sprinkling of holy water at my +entrance. From curiosity, and a wish to be holy, I therefore complied +with this ceremony, but its virtues were lost on me, for I found +myself nothing the better for it. This place abounds with plenty of +all kinds of provisions. The town is well built and pretty, and +commands a fine prospect. Our ship having taken in a load of wine, and +other commodities, we sailed for London, and arrived in July +following. Our next voyage was to the Mediterranean. The ship was +again got ready, and we sailed in September for Genoa. This is one of +the finest cities I ever saw; some of the edifices were of beautiful +marble, and made a most noble appearance; and many had very curious +fountains before them. The churches were rich and magnificent, and +curiously adorned both in the inside and out. But all this grandeur +was in my eyes disgraced by the galley slaves, whose condition both +there and in other parts of Italy is truly piteous and wretched. After +we had stayed there some weeks, during which we bought many different +things which we wanted, and got them very cheap, we sailed to Naples, +a charming city, and remarkably clean. The bay is the most beautiful I +ever saw; the moles for shipping are excellent. I thought it +extraordinary to see grand operas acted here on Sunday nights, and +even attended by their majesties. I too, like these great ones, went +to those sights, and vainly served God in the day while I thus served +mammon effectually at night. While we remained here there happened an +eruption of mount Vesuvius, of which I had a perfect view. It was +extremely awful; and we were so near that the ashes from it used to be +thick on our deck. After we had transacted our business at Naples we +sailed with a fair wind once more for Smyrna, where we arrived in +December. A seraskier or officer took a liking to me here, and wanted +me to stay, and offered me two wives; however I refused the +temptation. The merchants here travel in caravans or large companies. +I have seen many caravans from India, with some hundreds of camels, +laden with different goods. The people of these caravans are quite +brown. Among other articles, they brought with them a great quantity +of locusts, which are a kind of pulse, sweet and pleasant to the +palate, and in shape resembling French beans, but longer. Each kind of +goods is sold in a street by itself, and I always found the Turks very +honest in their dealings. They let no Christians into their mosques or +churches, for which I was very sorry; as I was always fond of going to +see the different modes of worship of the people wherever I went. The +plague broke out while we were in Smyrna, and we stopped taking goods +into the ship till it was over. She was then richly laden, and we +sailed in about March 1770 for England. One day in our passage we met +with an accident which was near burning the ship. A black cook, in +melting some fat, overset the pan into the fire under the deck, which +immediately began to blaze, and the flame went up very high under the +foretop. With the fright the poor cook became almost white, and +altogether speechless. Happily however we got the fire out without +doing much mischief. After various delays in this passage, which was +tedious, we arrived in Standgate creek in July; and, at the latter end +of the year, some new event occurred, so that my noble captain, the +ship, and I all separated.</p> + +<p>In April 1771 I shipped myself as a steward with Capt. Wm. Robertson +of the ship Grenada Planter, once more to try my fortune in the West +Indies; and we sailed from London for Madeira, Barbadoes, and the +Grenades. When we were at this last place, having some goods to sell, +I met once more with my former kind of West India customers. A white +man, an islander, bought some goods of me to the amount of some +pounds, and made me many fair promises as usual, but without any +intention of paying me. He had likewise bought goods from some more of +our people, whom he intended to serve in the same manner; but he still +amused us with promises. However, when our ship was loaded, and near +sailing, this honest buyer discovered no intention or sign of paying +for any thing he had bought of us; but on the contrary, when I asked +him for my money he threatened me and another black man he had bought +goods of, so that we found we were like to get more blows than +payment. On this we went to complain to one Mr. M'Intosh, a justice of +the peace; we told his worship of the man's villainous tricks, and +begged that he would be kind enough to see us redressed: but being +negroes, although free, we could not get any remedy; and our ship +being then just upon the point of sailing, we knew not how to help +ourselves, though we thought it hard to lose our property in this +manner. Luckily for us however, this man was also indebted to three +white sailors, who could not get a farthing from him; they therefore +readily joined us, and we all went together in search of him. When we +found where he was, I took him out of a house and threatened him with +vengeance; on which, finding he was likely to be handled roughly, the +rogue offered each of us some small allowance, but nothing near our +demands. This exasperated us much more; and some were for cutting his +ears off; but he begged hard for mercy, which was at last granted him, +after we had entirely stripped him. We then let him go, for which he +thanked us, glad to get off so easily, and ran into the bushes, after +having wished us a good voyage. We then repaired on board, and shortly +after set sail for England. I cannot help remarking here a very narrow +escape we had from being blown up, owing to a piece of negligence of +mine. Just as our ship was under sail, I went down into the cabin to +do some business, and had a lighted candle in my hand, which, in my +hurry, without thinking, I held in a barrel of gunpowder. It remained +in the powder until it was near catching fire, when fortunately I +observed it and snatched it out in time, and providentially no harm +happened; but I was so overcome with terror that I immediately fainted +at this deliverance.</p> + +<p>In twenty-eight days time we arrived in England, and I got clear of +this ship. But, being still of a roving disposition, and desirous of +seeing as many different parts of the world as I could, I shipped +myself soon after, in the same year, as steward on board of a fine +large ship, called the Jamaica, Captain David Watt; and we sailed from +England in December 1771 for Nevis and Jamaica. I found Jamaica to be +a very fine large island, well peopled, and the most considerable of +the West India islands. There was a vast number of negroes here, whom +I found as usual exceedingly imposed upon by the white people, and the +slaves punished as in the other islands. There are negroes whose +business it is to flog slaves; they go about to different people for +employment, and the usual pay is from one to four bits. I saw many +cruel punishments inflicted on the slaves in the short time I stayed +here. In particular I was present when a poor fellow was tied up and +kept hanging by the wrists at some distance from the ground, and then +some half hundred weights were fixed to his ancles, in which posture +he was flogged most unmercifully. There were also, as I heard, two +different masters noted for cruelty on the island, who had staked up +two negroes naked, and in two hours the vermin stung them to death. I +heard a gentleman I well knew tell my captain that he passed sentence +on a negro man to be burnt alive for attempting to poison an overseer. +I pass over numerous other instances, in order to relieve the reader +by a milder scene of roguery. Before I had been long on the island, +one Mr. Smith at Port Morant bought goods of me to the amount of +twenty-five pounds sterling; but when I demanded payment from him, he +was going each time to beat me, and threatened that he would put me in +goal. One time he would say I was going to set his house on fire, at +another he would swear I was going to run away with his slaves. I was +astonished at this usage from a person who was in the situation of a +gentleman, but I had no alternative; I was therefore obliged to +submit. When I came to Kingston, I was surprised to see the number of +Africans who were assembled together on Sundays; particularly at a +large commodious place, called Spring Path. Here each different nation +of Africa meet and dance after the manner of their own country. They +still retain most of their native customs: they bury their dead, and +put victuals, pipes and tobacco, and other things, in the grave with +the corps, in the same manner as in Africa. Our ship having got her +loading we sailed for London, where we arrived in the August +following. On my return to London, I waited on my old and good master, +Dr. Irving, who made me an offer of his service again. Being now tired +of the sea I gladly accepted it. I was very happy in living with this +gentleman once more; during which time we were daily employed in +reducing old Neptune's dominions by purifying the briny element and +making it fresh. Thus I went on till May 1773, when I was roused by +the sound of fame, to seek new adventures, and to find, towards the +north pole, what our Creator never intended we should, a passage to +India. An expedition was now fitting out to explore a north-east +passage, conducted by the Honourable John Constantine Phipps, since +Lord Mulgrave, in his Majesty's sloop of war the Race Horse. My master +being anxious for the reputation of this adventure, we therefore +prepared every thing for our voyage, and I attended him on board the +Race Horse, the 24th day of May 1773. We proceeded to Sheerness, where +we were joined by his Majesty's sloop the Carcass, commanded by +Captain Lutwidge. On the 4th of June we sailed towards our destined +place, the pole; and on the 15th of the same month we were off +Shetland. On this day I had a great and unexpected deliverance from an +accident which was near blowing up the ship and destroying the crew, +which made me ever after during the voyage uncommonly cautious. The +ship was so filled that there was very little room on board for any +one, which placed me in a very aukward situation. I had resolved to +keep a journal of this singular and interesting voyage; and I had no +other place for this purpose but a little cabin, or the doctor's +store-room, where I slept. This little place was stuffed with all +manner of combustibles, particularly with tow and aquafortis, and many +other dangerous things. Unfortunately it happened in the evening as I +was writing my journal, that I had occasion to take the candle out of +the lanthorn, and a spark having touched a single thread of the tow, +all the rest caught the flame, and immediately the whole was in a +blaze. I saw nothing but present death before me, and expected to be +the first to perish in the flames. In a moment the alarm was spread, +and many people who were near ran to assist in putting out the fire. +All this time I was in the very midst of the flames; my shirt, and the +handkerchief on my neck, were burnt, and I was almost smothered with +the smoke. However, through God's mercy, as I was nearly giving up all +hopes, some people brought blankets and mattresses and threw them on +the flames, by which means in a short time the fire was put out. I was +severely reprimanded and menaced by such of the officers who knew it, +and strictly charged never more to go there with a light: and, indeed, +even my own fears made me give heed to this command for a little time; +but at last, not being able to write my journal in any other part of +the ship, I was tempted again to venture by stealth with a light in +the same cabin, though not without considerable fear and dread on my +mind. On the 20th of June we began to use Dr. Irving's apparatus for +making salt water fresh; I used to attend the distillery: I frequently +purified from twenty-six to forty gallons a day. The water thus +distilled was perfectly pure, well tasted, and free from salt; and was +used on various occasions on board the ship. On the 28th of June, +being in lat. 78, we made Greenland, where I was surprised to see the +sun did not set. The weather now became extremely cold; and as we +sailed between north and east, which was our course, we saw many very +high and curious mountains of ice; and also a great number of very +large whales, which used to come close to our ship, and blow the water +up to a very great height in the air. One morning we had vast +quantities of sea-horses about the ship, which neighed exactly like +any other horses. We fired some harpoon guns amongst them, in order to +take some, but we could not get any. The 30th, the captain of a +Greenland ship came on board, and told us of three ships that were +lost in the ice; however we still held on our course till July the +11th, when we were stopt by one compact impenetrable body of ice. We +ran along it from east to west above ten degrees; and on the 27th we +got as far north as 80, 37; and in 19 or 20 degrees east longitude +from London. On the 29th and 30th of July we saw one continued plain +of smooth unbroken ice, bounded only by the horizon; and we fastened +to a piece of ice that was eight yards eleven inches thick. We had +generally sunshine, and constant daylight; which gave cheerfulness and +novelty to the whole of this striking, grand, and uncommon scene; and, +to heighten it still more, the reflection of the sun from the ice gave +the clouds a most beautiful appearance. We killed many different +animals at this time, and among the rest nine bears. Though they had +nothing in their paunches but water yet they were all very fat. We +used to decoy them to the ship sometimes by burning feathers or skins. +I thought them coarse eating, but some of the ship's company relished +them very much. Some of our people once, in the boat, fired at and +wounded a sea-horse, which dived immediately; and, in a little time +after, brought up with it a number of others. They all joined in an +attack upon the boat, and were with difficulty prevented from staving +or oversetting her; but a boat from the Carcass having come to assist +ours, and joined it, they dispersed, after having wrested an oar from +one of the men. One of the ship's boats had before been attacked in +the same manner, but happily no harm was done. Though we wounded +several of these animals we never got but one. We remained hereabouts +until the 1st of August; when the two ships got completely fastened in +the ice, occasioned by the loose ice that set in from the sea. This +made our situation very dreadful and alarming; so that on the 7th day +we were in very great apprehension of having the ships squeezed to +pieces. The officers now held a council to know what was best for us +to do in order to save our lives; and it was determined that we should +endeavour to escape by dragging our boats along the ice towards the +sea; which, however, was farther off than any of us thought. This +determination filled us with extreme dejection, and confounded us with +despair; for we had very little prospect of escaping with life. +However, we sawed some of the ice about the ships to keep it from +hurting them; and thus kept them in a kind of pond. We then began to +drag the boats as well as we could towards the sea; but, after two or +three days labour, we made very little progress; so that some of our +hearts totally failed us, and I really began to give up myself for +lost, when I saw our surrounding calamities. While we were at this +hard labour I once fell into a pond we had made amongst some loose +ice, and was very near being drowned; but providentially some people +were near who gave me immediate assistance, and thereby I escaped +drowning. Our deplorable condition, which kept up the constant +apprehension of our perishing in the ice, brought me gradually to +think of eternity in such a manner as I never had done before. I had +the fears of death hourly upon me, and shuddered at the thoughts of +meeting the grim king of terrors in the <i>natural</i> state I then was in, +and was exceedingly doubtful of a happy eternity if I should die in +it. I had no hopes of my life being prolonged for any time; for we +saw that our existence could not be long on the ice after leaving the +ships, which were now out of sight, and some miles from the boats. Our +appearance now became truly lamentable; pale dejection seized every +countenance; many, who had been before blasphemers, in this our +distress began to call on the good God of heaven for his help; and in +the time of our utter need he heard us, and against hope or human +probability delivered us! It was the eleventh day of the ships being +thus fastened, and the fourth of our drawing the boats in this manner, +that the wind changed to the E.N.E. The weather immediately became +mild, and the ice broke towards the sea, which was to the S.W. of us. +Many of us on this got on board again, and with all our might we hove +the ships into every open water we could find, and made all the sail +on them in our power; and now, having a prospect of success, we made +signals for the boats and the remainder of the people. This seemed to +us like a reprieve from death; and happy was the man who could first +get on board of any ship, or the first boat he could meet. We then +proceeded in this manner till we got into the open water again, which +we accomplished in about thirty hours, to our infinite joy and +gladness of heart. As soon as we were out of danger we came to anchor +and refitted; and on the 19th of August we sailed from this +uninhabited extremity of the world, where the inhospitable climate +affords neither food nor shelter, and not a tree or shrub of any kind +grows amongst its barren rocks; but all is one desolate and expanded +waste of ice, which even the constant beams of the sun for six months +in the year cannot penetrate or dissolve. The sun now being on the +decline the days shortened as we sailed to the southward; and, on the +28th, in latitude 73, it was dark by ten o'clock at night. September +the 10th, in latitude 58-59, we met a very severe gale of wind and +high seas, and shipped a great deal of water in the space of ten +hours. This made us work exceedingly hard at all our pumps a whole +day; and one sea, which struck the ship with more force than any thing +I ever met with of the kind before, laid her under water for some +time, so that we thought she would have gone down. Two boats were +washed from the booms, and the long-boat from the chucks: all other +moveable things on the deck were also washed away, among which were +many curious things of different kinds which we had brought from +Greenland; and we were obliged, in order to lighten the ship, to toss +some of our guns overboard. We saw a ship, at the same time, in very +great distress, and her masts were gone; but we were unable to assist +her. We now lost sight of the Carcass till the 26th, when we saw land +about Orfordness, off which place she joined us. From thence we sailed +for London, and on the 30th came up to Deptford. And thus ended our +Arctic voyage, to the no small joy of all on board, after having been +absent four months; in which time, at the imminent hazard of our +lives, we explored nearly as far towards the Pole as 81 degrees north, +and 20 degrees east longitude; being much farther, by all accounts, +than any navigator had ever ventured before; in which we fully proved +the impracticability of finding a passage that way to India.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAP_X" id="CHAP_X" />CHAP. X.</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>The author leaves Doctor Irving and engages on board a + Turkey ship—Account of a black man's being kidnapped on + board and sent to the West Indies, and the author's + fruitless endeavours to procure his freedom—Some account of + the manner of the author's conversion to the faith of Jesus + Christ.</i></p></div> + + +<p>Our voyage to the North Pole being ended, I returned to London with +Doctor Irving, with whom I continued for some time, during which I +began seriously to reflect on the dangers I had escaped, particularly +those of my last voyage, which made a lasting impression on my mind, +and, by the grace of God, proved afterwards a mercy to me; it caused +me to reflect deeply on my eternal state, and to seek the Lord with +full purpose of heart ere it was too late. I rejoiced greatly; and +heartily thanked the Lord for directing me to London, where I was +determined to work out my own salvation, and in so doing procure a +title to heaven, being the result of a mind blended by ignorance and +sin.</p> + +<p>In process of time I left my master, Doctor Irving, the purifier of +waters, and lodged in Coventry-court, Haymarket, where I was +continually oppressed and much concerned about the salvation of my +soul, and was determined (in my own strength) to be a first-rate +Christian. I used every means for this purpose; and, not being able to +find any person amongst my acquaintance that agreed with me in point +of religion, or, in scripture language, 'that would shew me any good;' +I was much dejected, and knew not where to seek relief; however, I +first frequented the neighbouring churches, St. James's, and others, +two or three times a day, for many weeks: still I came away +dissatisfied; something was wanting that I could not obtain, and I +really found more heartfelt relief in reading my bible at home than in +attending the church; and, being resolved to be saved, I pursued other +methods still. First I went among the quakers, where the word of God +was neither read or preached, so that I remained as much in the dark +as ever. I then searched into the Roman catholic principles, but was +not in the least satisfied. At length I had recourse to the Jews, +which availed me nothing, for the fear of eternity daily harassed my +mind, and I knew not where to seek shelter from the wrath to come. +However this was my conclusion, at all events, to read the four +evangelists, and whatever sect or party I found adhering thereto such +I would join. Thus I went on heavily without any guide to direct me +the way that leadeth to eternal life. I asked different people +questions about the manner of going to heaven, and was told different +ways. Here I was much staggered, and could not find any at that time +more righteous than myself, or indeed so much inclined to devotion. I +thought we should not all be saved (this is agreeable to the holy +scriptures), nor would all be damned. I found none among the circle of +my acquaintance that kept wholly the ten commandments. So righteous +was I in my own eyes, that I was convinced I excelled many of them in +that point, by keeping eight out of ten; and finding those who in +general termed themselves Christians not so honest or so good in their +morals as the Turks, I really thought the Turks were in a safer way of +salvation than my neighbours: so that between hopes and fears I went +on, and the chief comforts I enjoyed were in the musical French horn, +which I then practised, and also dressing of hair. Such was my +situation some months, experiencing the dishonesty of many people +here. I determined at last to set out for Turkey, and there to end my +days. It was now early in the spring 1774. I sought for a master, and +found a captain John Hughes, commander of a ship called Anglicania, +fitting out in the river Thames, and bound to Smyrna in Turkey. I +shipped myself with him as a steward; at the same time I recommended +to him a very clever black man, John Annis, as a cook. This man was on +board the ship near two months doing his duty: he had formerly lived +many years with Mr. William Kirkpatrick, a gentleman of the island of +St. Kitts, from whom he parted by consent, though he afterwards tried +many schemes to inveigle the poor man. He had applied to many captains +who traded to St. Kitts to trepan him; and when all their attempts and +schemes of kidnapping proved abortive, Mr. Kirkpatrick came to our +ship at Union Stairs on Easter Monday, April the fourth, with two +wherry boats and six men, having learned that the man was on board; +and tied, and forcibly took him away from the ship, in the presence +of the crew and the chief mate, who had detained him after he had +notice to come away. I believe that this was a combined piece of +business: but, at any rate, it certainly reflected great disgrace on +the mate and captain also, who, although they had desired the +oppressed man to stay on board, yet he did not in the least assist to +recover him, or pay me a farthing of his wages, which was about five +pounds. I proved the only friend he had, who attempted to regain him +his liberty if possible, having known the want of liberty myself. I +sent as soon as I could to Gravesend, and got knowledge of the ship in +which he was; but unluckily she had sailed the first tide after he was +put on board. My intention was then immediately to apprehend Mr. +Kirkpatrick, who was about setting off for Scotland; and, having +obtained a <i>habeas corpus</i> for him, and got a tipstaff to go with me +to St. Paul's church-yard, where he lived, he, suspecting something of +this kind, set a watch to look out. My being known to them occasioned +me to use the following deception: I whitened my face, that they might +not know me, and this had its desired effect. He did not go out of his +house that night, and next morning I contrived a well plotted +stratagem notwithstanding he had a gentleman in his house to personate +him. My direction to the tipstaff, who got admittance into the house, +was to conduct him to a judge, according to the writ. When he came +there, his plea was, that he had not the body in custody, on which he +was admitted to bail. I proceeded immediately to that philanthropist, +Granville Sharp, Esq. who received me with the utmost kindness, and +gave me every instruction that was needful on the occasion. I left him +in full hope that I should gain the unhappy man his liberty, with the +warmest sense of gratitude towards Mr. Sharp for his kindness; but, +alas! my attorney proved unfaithful; he took my money, lost me many +months employ, and did not do the least good in the cause: and when +the poor man arrived at St. Kitts, he was, according to custom, staked +to the ground with four pins through a cord, two on his wrists, and +two on his ancles, was cut and flogged most unmercifully, and +afterwards loaded cruelly with irons about his neck. I had two very +moving letters from him, while he was in this situation; and also was +told of it by some very respectable families now in London, who saw +him in St. Kitts, in the same state in which he remained till kind +death released him out of the hands of his tyrants. During this +disagreeable business I was under strong convictions of sin, and +thought that my state was worse than any man's; my mind was +unaccountably disturbed; I often wished for death, though at the same +time convinced I was altogether unprepared for that awful summons. +Suffering much by villains in the late cause, and being much concerned +about the state of my soul, these things (but particularly the latter) +brought me very low; so that I became a burden to myself, and viewed +all things around me as emptiness and vanity, which could give no +satisfaction to a troubled conscience. I was again determined to go to +Turkey, and resolved, at that time, never more to return to England. I +engaged as steward on board a Turkeyman (the Wester Hall, Capt. +Linna); but was prevented by means of my late captain, Mr. Hughes, and +others. All this appeared to be against me, and the only comfort I +then experienced was, in reading the holy scriptures, where I saw that +'there is no new thing under the sun,' Eccles. i. 9; and what was +appointed for me I must submit to. Thus I continued to travel in much +heaviness, and frequently murmured against the Almighty, particularly +in his providential dealings; and, awful to think! I began to +blaspheme, and wished often to be any thing but a human being. In +these severe conflicts the Lord answered me by awful 'visions of the +night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed,' +Job xxxiii. 15. He was pleased, in much mercy, to give me to see, and +in some measure to understand, the great and awful scene of the +judgment-day, that 'no unclean person, no unholy thing, can enter into +the kingdom of God,' Eph. v. 5. I would then, if it had been possible, +have changed my nature with the meanest worm on the earth; and was +ready to say to the mountains and rocks 'fall on me,' Rev. vi. 16; but +all in vain. I then requested the divine Creator that he would grant +me a small space of time to repent of my follies and vile iniquities, +which I felt were grievous. The Lord, in his manifold mercies, was +pleased to grant my request, and being yet in a state of time, the +sense of God's mercies was so great on my mind when I awoke, that my +strength entirely failed me for many minutes, and I was exceedingly +weak. This was the first spiritual mercy I ever was sensible of, and +being on praying ground, as soon as I recovered a little strength, and +got out of bed and dressed myself, I invoked Heaven from my inmost +soul, and fervently begged that God would never again permit me to +blaspheme his most holy name. The Lord, who is long-suffering, and +full of compassion to such poor rebels as we are, condescended to hear +and answer. I felt that I was altogether unholy, and saw clearly what +a bad use I had made of the faculties I was endowed with; they were +given me to glorify God with; I thought, therefore, I had better want +them here, and enter into life eternal, than abuse them and be cast +into hell fire. I prayed to be directed, if there were any holier than +those with whom I was acquainted, that the Lord would point them out +to me. I appealed to the Searcher of hearts, whether I did not wish to +love him more, and serve him better. Notwithstanding all this, the +reader may easily discern, if he is a believer, that I was still in +nature's darkness. At length I hated the house in which I lodged, +because God's most holy name was blasphemed in it; then I saw the word +of God verified, viz. 'Before they call, I will answer; and while they +are yet speaking, I will hear.'</p> + +<p>I had a great desire to read the bible the whole day at home; but not +having a convenient place for retirement, I left the house in the day, +rather than stay amongst the wicked ones; and that day as I was +walking, it pleased God to direct me to a house where there was an old +sea-faring man, who experienced much of the love of God shed abroad in +his heart. He began to discourse with me; and, as I desired to love +the Lord, his conversation rejoiced me greatly; and indeed I had never +heard before the love of Christ to believers set forth in such a +manner, and in so clear a point of view. Here I had more questions to +put to the man than his time would permit him to answer; and in that +memorable hour there came in a dissenting minister; he joined our +discourse, and asked me some few questions; among others, where I +heard the gospel preached. I knew not what he meant by hearing the +gospel; I told him I had read the gospel: and he asked where I went to +church, or whether I went at all or not. To which I replied, 'I +attended St. James's, St. Martin's, and St. Ann's, Soho;'—'So,' said +he, 'you are a churchman.' I answered, I was. He then invited me to a +love-feast at his chapel that evening. I accepted the offer, and +thanked him; and soon after he went away, I had some further discourse +with the old Christian, added to some profitable reading, which made +me exceedingly happy. When I left him he reminded me of coming to the +feast; I assured him I would be there. Thus we parted, and I weighed +over the heavenly conversation that had passed between these two men, +which cheered my then heavy and drooping spirit more than any thing I +had met with for many months. However, I thought the time long in +going to my supposed banquet. I also wished much for the company of +these friendly men; their company pleased me much; and I thought the +gentlemen very kind, in asking me, a stranger, to a feast; but how +singular did it appear to me, to have it in a chapel! When the +wished-for hour came I went, and happily the old man was there, who +kindly seated me, as he belonged to the place. I was much astonished +to see the place filled with people, and no signs of eating and +drinking. There were many ministers in the company. At last they began +by giving out hymns, and between the singing the minister engaged in +prayer; in short, I knew not what to make of this sight, having never +seen any thing of the kind in my life before now. Some of the guests +began to speak their experience, agreeable to what I read in the +Scriptures; much was said by every speaker of the providence of God, +and his unspeakable mercies, to each of them. This I knew in a great +measure, and could most heartily join them. But when they spoke of a +future state, they seemed to be altogether certain of their calling +and election of God; and that no one could ever separate them from the +love of Christ, or pluck them out of his hands. This filled me with +utter consternation, intermingled with admiration. I was so amazed as +not to know what to think of the company; my heart was attracted and +my affections were enlarged. I wished to be as happy as them, and was +persuaded in my mind that they were different from the world 'that +lieth in wickedness,' 1 John v. 19. Their language and singing, &c. +did well harmonize; I was entirely overcome, and wished to live and +die thus. Lastly, some persons in the place produced some neat baskets +full of buns, which they distributed about; and each person +communicated with his neighbour, and sipped water out of different +mugs, which they handed about to all who were present. This kind of +Christian fellowship I had never seen, nor ever thought of seeing on +earth; it fully reminded me of what I had read in the holy scriptures, +of the primitive Christians, who loved each other and broke bread. In +partaking of it, even from house to house, this entertainment (which +lasted about four hours) ended in singing and prayer. It was the first +soul feast I ever was present at. This last twenty-four hours produced +me things, spiritual and temporal, sleeping and waking, judgment and +mercy, that I could not but admire the goodness of God, in directing +the blind, blasphemous sinner in the path that he knew not of, even +among the just; and instead of judgment he has shewed mercy, and will +hear and answer the prayers and supplications of every returning +prodigal:</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>O! to grace how great a debtor<br /></span> +<span>Daily I'm constrain'd to be!<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>After this I was resolved to win Heaven if possible; and if I perished +I thought it should be at the feet of Jesus, in praying to him for +salvation. After having been an eye-witness to some of the happiness +which attended those who feared God, I knew not how, with any +propriety, to return to my lodgings, where the name of God was +continually profaned, at which I felt the greatest horror. I paused in +my mind for some time, not knowing what to do; whether to hire a bed +elsewhere, or go home again. At last, fearing an evil report might +arise, I went home, with a farewell to card-playing and vain jesting, +&c. I saw that time was very short, eternity long, and very near, and +I viewed those persons alone blessed who were found ready at midnight +call, or when the Judge of all, both quick and dead, cometh.</p> + +<p>The next day I took courage, and went to Holborn, to see my new and +worthy acquaintance, the old man, Mr. C——; he, with his wife, a +gracious woman, were at work at silk weaving; they seemed mutually +happy, and both quite glad to see me, and I more so to see them. I sat +down, and we conversed much about soul matters, &c. Their discourse +was amazingly delightful, edifying, and pleasant. I knew not at last +how to leave this agreeable pair, till time summoned me away. As I +was going they lent me a little book, entitled "The Conversion of an +Indian." It was in questions and answers. The poor man came over the +sea to London, to inquire after the Christian's God, who, (through +rich mercy) he found, and had not his journey in vain. The above book +was of great use to me, and at that time was a means of strengthening +my faith; however, in parting, they both invited me to call on them +when I pleased. This delighted me, and I took care to make all the +improvement from it I could; and so far I thanked God for such company +and desires. I prayed that the many evils I felt within might be done +away, and that I might be weaned from my former carnal acquaintances. +This was quickly heard and answered, and I was soon connected with +those whom the scripture calls the excellent of the earth. I heard the +gospel preached, and the thoughts of my heart and actions were laid +open by the preachers, and the way of salvation by Christ alone was +evidently set forth. Thus I went on happily for near two months; and I +once heard, during this period, a reverend gentleman speak of a man +who had departed this life in full assurance of his going to glory. I +was much astonished at the assertion; and did very deliberately +inquire how he could get at this knowledge. I was answered fully, +agreeable to what I read in the oracles of truth; and was told also, +that if I did not experience the new birth, and the pardon of my sins, +through the blood of Christ, before I died, I could not enter the +kingdom of heaven. I knew not what to think of this report, as I +thought I kept eight commandments out of ten; then my worthy +interpreter told me I did not do it, nor could I; and he added, that +no man ever did or could keep the commandments, without offending in +one point. I thought this sounded very strange, and puzzled me much +for many weeks; for I thought it a hard saying. I then asked my +friend, Mr. L——d, who was a clerk in a chapel, why the commandments +of God were given, if we could not be saved by them? To which he +replied, 'The law is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ,' who alone +could and did keep the commandments, and fulfilled all their +requirements for his elect people, even those to whom he had given a +living faith, and the sins of those chosen vessels <i>were already</i> +atoned for and forgiven them whilst living; and if I did not +experience the same before my exit, the Lord would say at that great +day to me 'Go ye cursed,' &c. &c. for God would appear faithful in his +judgments to the wicked, as he would be faithful in shewing mercy to +those who were ordained to it before the world was; therefore Christ +Jesus seemed to be all in all to that man's soul. I was much wounded +at this discourse, and brought into such a dilemma as I never +expected. I asked him, if <i>he</i> was to die that moment, whether he was +sure to enter the kingdom of God? and added, 'Do you <i>know</i> that your +sins are forgiven you?' He answered in the affirmative. Then +confusion, anger, and discontent seized me, and I staggered much at +this sort of doctrine; it brought me to a stand, not knowing which to +believe, whether salvation by works or by faith only in Christ. I +requested him to tell me how I might know when my sins were forgiven +me. He assured me he could not, and that none but God alone could do +this. I told him it was very mysterious; but he said it was really +matter of fact, and quoted many portions of scripture immediately to +the point, to which I could make no reply. He then desired me to pray +to God to shew me these things. I answered, that I prayed to God every +day. He said, 'I perceive you are a churchman.' I answered I was. He +then entreated me to beg of God to shew me what I was, and the true +state of my soul. I thought the prayer very short and odd; so we +parted for that time. I weighed all these things well over, and could +not help thinking how it was possible for a man to know that his sins +were forgiven him in this life. I wished that God would reveal this +self same thing unto me. In a short time after this I went to +Westminster chapel; the Rev. Mr. P—— preached, from Lam. iii. 39. It +was a wonderful sermon; he clearly shewed that a living man had no +cause to complain for the punishment of his sins; he evidently +justified the Lord in all his dealings with the sons of men; he also +shewed the justice of God in the eternal punishment of the wicked and +impenitent. The discourse seemed to me like a two-edged sword cutting +all ways; it afforded me much joy, intermingled with many fears, about +my soul; and when it was ended, he gave it out that he intended, the +ensuing week, to examine all those who meant to attend the Lord's +table. Now I thought much of my good works, and at the same time was +doubtful of my being a proper object to receive the sacrament; I was +full of meditation till the day of examining. However, I went to the +chapel, and, though much distressed, I addressed the reverend +gentleman, thinking, if I was not right, he would endeavour to +convince me of it. When I conversed with him, the first thing he asked +me was, what I knew of Christ? I told him I believed in him, and had +been baptized in his name. 'Then,' said he, 'when were you brought to +the knowledge of God? and how were you convinced of sin?' I knew not +what he meant by these questions; I told him I kept eight commandments +out of ten; but that I sometimes swore on board ship, and sometimes +when on shore, and broke the sabbath. He then asked me if I could +read? I answered, 'Yes.'—'Then,' said he,'do you not read in the +bible, he that offends in one point is guilty of all?' I said, 'Yes.' +Then he assured me, that one sin unatoned for was as sufficient to +damn a soul as one leak was to sink a ship. Here I was struck with +awe; for the minister exhorted me much, and reminded me of the +shortness of time, and the length of eternity, and that no +unregenerate soul, or any thing unclean, could enter the kingdom of +Heaven. He did not admit me as a communicant; but recommended me to +read the scriptures, and hear the word preached, not to neglect +fervent prayer to God, who has promised to hear the supplications of +those who seek him in godly sincerity; so I took my leave of him, with +many thanks, and resolved to follow his advice, so far as the Lord +would condescend to enable me. During this time I was out of employ, +nor was I likely to get a situation suitable for me, which obliged me +to go once more to sea. I engaged as steward of a ship called the +Hope, Capt. Richard Strange, bound from London to Cadiz in Spain. In a +short time after I was on board I heard the name of God much +blasphemed, and I feared greatly, lest I should catch the horrible +infection. I thought if I sinned again, after having life and death +set evidently before me, I should certainly go to hell. My mind was +uncommonly chagrined, and I murmured much at God's providential +dealings with me, and was discontented with the commandments, that I +could not be saved by what I had done; I hated all things, and wished +I had never been born; confusion seized me, and I wished to be +annihilated. One day I was standing on the very edge of the stern of +the ship, thinking to drown myself; but this scripture was instantly +impressed on my mind—'that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in +him,' 1 John iii. 15. Then I paused, and thought myself the unhappiest +man living. Again I was convinced that the Lord was better to me than +I deserved, and I was better off in the world than many. After this I +began to fear death; I fretted, mourned, and prayed, till I became a +burden to others, but more so to myself. At length I concluded to beg +my bread on shore rather than go again to sea amongst a people who +feared not God, and I entreated the captain three different times to +discharge me; he would not, but each time gave me greater and greater +encouragement to continue with him, and all on board shewed me very +great civility: notwithstanding all this I was unwilling to embark +again. At last some of my religious friends advised me, by saying it +was my lawful calling, consequently it was my duty to obey, and that +God was not confined to place, &c. &c. particularly Mr. G.S. the +governor of Tothil-fields Bridewell, who pitied my case, and read the +eleventh chapter of the Hebrews to me, with exhortations. He prayed +for me, and I believed that he prevailed on my behalf, as my burden +was then greatly removed, and I found a heartfelt resignation to the +will of God. The good man gave me a pocket Bible and Allen's Alarm to +the unconverted. We parted, and the next day I went on board again. We +sailed for Spain, and I found favour with the captain. It was the +fourth of the month of September when we sailed from London; we had a +delightful voyage to Cadiz, where we arrived the twenty-third of the +same month. The place is strong, commands a fine prospect, and is very +rich. The Spanish galloons frequent that port, and some arrived whilst +we were there. I had many opportunities of reading the scriptures. I +wrestled hard with God in fervent prayer, who had declared in his word +that he would hear the groanings and deep sighs of the poor in spirit. +I found this verified to my utter astonishment and comfort in the +following manner:</p> + +<p>On the morning of the 6th of October, (I pray you to attend) or all +that day, I thought that I should either see or hear something +supernatural. I had a secret impulse on my mind of something that was +to take place, which drove me continually for that time to a throne of +grace. It pleased God to enable me to wrestle with him, as Jacob did: +I prayed that if sudden death were to happen, and I perished, it might +be at Christ's feet.</p> + +<p>In the evening of the same day, as I was reading and meditating on the +fourth chapter of the Acts, twelfth verse, under the solemn +apprehensions of eternity, and reflecting on my past actions, I began +to think I had lived a moral life, and that I had a proper ground to +believe I had an interest in the divine favour; but still meditating +on the subject, not knowing whether salvation was to be had partly for +our own good deeds, or solely as the sovereign gift of God; in this +deep consternation the Lord was pleased to break in upon my soul with +his bright beams of heavenly light; and in an instant as it were, +removing the veil, and letting light into a dark place, I saw clearly +with the eye of faith the crucified Saviour bleeding on the cross on +mount Calvary: the scriptures became an unsealed book, I saw myself a +condemned criminal under the law, which came with its full force to my +conscience, and when 'the commandment came sin revived, and I died,' I +saw the Lord Jesus Christ in his humiliation, loaded and bearing my +reproach, sin, and shame. I then clearly perceived that by the deeds +of the law no flesh living could be justified. I was then convinced +that by the first Adam sin came, and by the second Adam (the Lord +Jesus Christ) all that are saved must be made alive. It was given me +at that time to know what it was to be born again, John iii. 5. I saw +the eighth chapter to the Romans, and the doctrines of God's decrees, +verified agreeable to his eternal, everlasting, and unchangeable +purposes. The word of God was sweet to my taste, yea sweeter than +honey and the honeycomb. Christ was revealed to my soul as the +chiefest among ten thousand. These heavenly moments were really as +life to the dead, and what John calls an earnest of the Spirit<a name="FNanchor_V_22" id="FNanchor_V_22" /><a href="#Footnote_V_22" class="fnanchor">[V]</a>. +This was indeed unspeakable, and I firmly believe undeniable by many. +Now every leading providential circumstance that happened to me, from +the day I was taken from my parents to that hour, was then in my view, +as if it had but just then occurred. I was sensible of the invisible +hand of God, which guided and protected me when in truth I knew it +not: still the Lord pursued me although I slighted and disregarded it; +this mercy melted me down. When I considered my poor wretched state I +wept, seeing what a great debtor I was to sovereign free grace. Now +the Ethiopian was willing to be saved by Jesus Christ, the sinner's +only surety, and also to rely on none other person or thing for +salvation. Self was obnoxious, and good works he had none, for it is +God that worketh in us both to will and to do. The amazing things of +that hour can never be told—it was joy in the Holy Ghost! I felt an +astonishing change; the burden of sin, the gaping jaws of hell, and +the fears of death, that weighed me down before, now lost their +horror; indeed I thought death would now be the best earthly friend I +ever had. Such were my grief and joy as I believe are seldom +experienced. I was bathed in tears, and said, What am I that God +should thus look on me the vilest of sinners? I felt a deep concern +for my mother and friends, which occasioned me to pray with fresh +ardour; and, in the abyss of thought, I viewed the unconverted people +of the world in a very awful state, being without God and without +hope.</p> + +<p>It pleased God to pour out on me the Spirit of prayer and the grace of +supplication, so that in loud acclamations I was enabled to praise and +glorify his most holy name. When I got out of the cabin, and told some +of the people what the Lord had done for me, alas, who could +understand me or believe my report!—None but to whom the arm of the +Lord was revealed. I became a barbarian to them in talking of the love +of Christ: his name was to me as ointment poured forth; indeed it was +sweet to my soul, but to them a rock of offence. I thought my case +singular, and every hour a day until I came to London, for I much +longed to be with some to whom I could tell of the wonders of God's +love towards me, and join in prayer to him whom my soul loved and +thirsted after. I had uncommon commotions within, such as few can tell +aught about. Now the bible was my only companion and comfort; I prized +it much, with many thanks to God that I could read it for myself, and +was not left to be tossed about or led by man's devices and notions. +The worth of a soul cannot be told.—May the Lord give the reader an +understanding in this. Whenever I looked in the bible I saw things +new, and many texts were immediately applied to me with great comfort, +for I knew that to me was the word of salvation sent. Sure I was that +the Spirit which indited the word opened my heart to receive the truth +of it as it is in Jesus—that the same Spirit enabled me to act faith +upon the promises that were so precious to me, and enabled me to +believe to the salvation of my soul. By free grace I was persuaded +that I had a part in the first resurrection, and was 'enlightened with +the light of the living,' Job xxxiii. 30. I wished for a man of God +with whom I might converse: my soul was like the chariots of Aminidab, +Canticles vi. 12. These, among others, were the precious promises that +were so powerfully applied to me: 'All things whatsoever ye shall ask +in prayer, believing, ye shall receive,' Mat. xxi. 22. 'Peace I leave +with you, my peace I give unto you,' John xiv. 27. I saw the blessed +Redeemer to be the fountain of life, and the well of salvation. I +experienced him all in all; he had brought me by a way that I knew +not, and he had made crooked paths straight. Then in his name I set up +my Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto he hath helped me: and could say to the +sinners about me, Behold what a Saviour I have! Thus I was, by the +teaching of that all-glorious Deity, the great One in Three, and Three +in One, confirmed in the truths of the bible, those oracles of +everlasting truth, on which every soul living must stand or fall +eternally, agreeable to Acts iv. 12. 'Neither is there salvation in +any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men +whereby we must be saved, but only Christ Jesus.' May God give the +reader a right understanding in these facts! To him that believeth all +things are possible, but to them that are unbelieving nothing is pure, +Titus i. 15. During this period we remained at Cadiz until our ship +got laden. We sailed about the fourth of November; and, having a good +passage, we arrived in London the month following, to my comfort, with +heartfelt gratitude to God for his rich and unspeakable mercies. On my +return I had but one text which puzzled me, or that the devil +endeavoured to buffet me with, viz. Rom. xi. 6. and, as I had heard of +the Reverend Mr. Romaine, and his great knowledge in the scriptures, I +wished much to hear him preach. One day I went to Blackfriars church, +and, to my great satisfaction and surprise, he preached from that very +text. He very clearly shewed the difference between human works and +free election, which is according to God's sovereign will and +pleasure. These glad tidings set me entirely at liberty, and I went +out of the church rejoicing, seeing my spots were those of God's +children. I went to Westminster Chapel, and saw some of my old +friends, who were glad when they perceived the wonderful change that +the Lord had wrought in me, particularly Mr. G—— S——, my worthy +acquaintance, who was a man of a choice spirit, and had great zeal for +the Lord's service. I enjoyed his correspondence till he died in the +year 1784. I was again examined at that same chapel, and was received +into church fellowship amongst them: I rejoiced in spirit, making +melody in my heart to the God of all my mercies. Now my whole wish was +to be dissolved, and to be with Christ—but, alas! I must wait mine +appointed time.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<h4>MISCELLANEOUS VERSES,<br /></h4> + +<h4 class ="smcap">or</h4> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>Reflections on the State of my mind during my first + Convictions; of the Necessity of believing the Truth, and + experiencing the inestimable Benefits of Christianity.</p></div> + + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>Well may I say my life has been<br /></span> +<span>One scene of sorrow and of pain;<br /></span> +<span>From early days I griefs have known,<br /></span> +<span>And as I grew my griefs have grown:<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>Dangers were always in my path;<br /></span> +<span>And fear of wrath, and sometimes death;<br /></span> +<span>While pale dejection in me reign'd<br /></span> +<span>I often wept, by grief constrain'd.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>When taken from my native land,<br /></span> +<span>By an unjust and cruel band,<br /></span> +<span>How did uncommon dread prevail!<br /></span> +<span>My sighs no more I could conceal.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>'To ease my mind I often strove,<br /></span> +<span>And tried my trouble to remove:<br /></span> +<span>I sung, and utter'd sighs between—<br /></span> +<span>Assay'd to stifle guilt with sin.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>'But O! not all that I could do<br /></span> +<span>Would stop the current of my woe;<br /></span> +<span>Conviction still my vileness shew'd;<br /></span> +<span>How great my guilt—how lost from God!<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>'Prevented, that I could not die,<br /></span> +<span>Nor might to one kind refuge fly;<br /></span> +<span>An orphan state I had to mourn,—<br /></span> +<span>Forsook by all, and left forlorn.'<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>Those who beheld my downcast mien<br /></span> +<span>Could not guess at my woes unseen:<br /></span> +<span>They by appearance could not know<br /></span> +<span>The troubles that I waded through.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>'Lust, anger, blasphemy, and pride,<br /></span> +<span>With legions of such ills beside,<br /></span> +<span>Troubled my thoughts,' while doubts and fears<br /></span> +<span>Clouded and darken'd most my years.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>'Sighs now no more would be confin'd—<br /></span> +<span>They breath'd the trouble of my mind:<br /></span> +<span>I wish'd for death, but check'd the word,<br /></span> +<span>And often pray'd unto the Lord.'<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>Unhappy, more than some on earth,<br /></span> +<span>I thought the place that gave me birth—<br /></span> +<span>Strange thoughts oppress'd—while I replied<br /></span> +<span>"Why not in Ethiopia died?"<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>And why thus spared, nigh to hell?—<br /></span> +<span>God only knew—I could not tell!<br /></span> +<span>'A tott'ring fence, a bowing wall<br /></span> +<span>thought myself ere since the fall.'<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>'Oft times I mused, nigh despair,<br /></span> +<span>While birds melodious fill'd the air:<br /></span> +<span>Thrice happy songsters, ever free,<br /></span> +<span>How bless'd were they compar'd to me!'<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>Thus all things added to my pain,<br /></span> +<span>While grief compell'd me to complain;<br /></span> +<span>When sable clouds began to rise<br /></span> +<span>My mind grew darker than the skies.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>The English nation call'd to leave,<br /></span> +<span>How did my breast with sorrows heave!<br /></span> +<span>I long'd for rest—cried "Help me, Lord!<br /></span> +<span>Some mitigation, Lord, afford!"<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>Yet on, dejected, still I went—<br /></span> +<span>Heart-throbbing woes within were pent;<br /></span> +<span>Nor land, nor sea, could comfort give,<br /></span> +<span>Nothing my anxious mind relieve.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>Weary with travail, yet unknown<br /></span> +<span>To all but God and self alone,<br /></span> +<span>Numerous months for peace I strove,<br /></span> +<span>And numerous foes I had to prove.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>Inur'd to dangers, griefs, and woes,<br /></span> +<span>Train'd up 'midst perils, deaths, and foes,<br /></span> +<span>I said "Must it thus ever be?—<br /></span> +<span>No quiet is permitted me."<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>Hard hap, and more than heavy lot!<br /></span> +<span>I pray'd to God "Forget me not—<br /></span> +<span>What thou ordain'st willing I'll bear;<br /></span> +<span>But O! deliver from despair!"<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>Strivings and wrestlings seem'd in vain;<br /></span> +<span>Nothing I did could ease my pain:<br /></span> +<span>Then gave I up my works and will,<br /></span> +<span>Confess'd and own'd my doom was hell!<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>Like some poor pris'ner at the bar,<br /></span> +<span>Conscious of guilt, of sin and fear,<br /></span> +<span>Arraign'd, and self-condemned, I stood—<br /></span> +<span>'Lost in the world, and in my blood!'<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>Yet here,'midst blackest clouds confin'd,<br /></span> +<span>A beam from Christ, the day-star, shin'd;<br /></span> +<span>Surely, thought I, if Jesus please,<br /></span> +<span>He can at once sign my release.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>I, ignorant of his righteousness,<br /></span> +<span>Set up my labours in its place;<br /></span> +<span>'Forgot for why his blood was shed,<br /></span> +<span>And pray'd and fasted in its stead.'<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>He dy'd for sinners—I am one!<br /></span> +<span>Might not his blood for me atone?<br /></span> +<span>Tho' I am nothing else but sin,<br /></span> +<span>Yet surely he can make me clean!<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>Thus light came in, and I believ'd;<br /></span> +<span>Myself forgot, and help receiv'd!<br /></span> +<span>My Saviour then I know I found,<br /></span> +<span>For, eas'd from guilt, no more I groan'd.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>O, happy hour, in which I ceas'd<br /></span> +<span>To mourn, for then I found a rest!<br /></span> +<span>My soul and Christ were now as one—<br /></span> +<span>Thy light, O Jesus, in me shone!<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>Bless'd be thy name, for now I know<br /></span> +<span>I and my works can nothing do;<br /></span> +<span>"The Lord alone can ransom man—<br /></span> +<span>For this the spotless Lamb was slain!"<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>When sacrifices, works, and pray'r,<br /></span> +<span>Prov'd vain, and ineffectual were,<br /></span> +<span>"Lo, then I come!" the Saviour cry'd,<br /></span> +<span>And, bleeding, bow'd his head and dy'd!<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>He dy'd for all who ever saw<br /></span> +<span>No help in them, nor by the law:—<br /></span> +<span>I this have seen; and gladly own<br /></span> +<span>"Salvation is by Christ alone<a name="FNanchor_W_23" id="FNanchor_W_23" /><a href="#Footnote_W_23" class="fnanchor">[W]</a>!"<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_V_22" id="Footnote_V_22" /><a href="#FNanchor_V_22"><span class="label">[V]</span></a> John xvi. 13, 14. &c.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_W_23" id="Footnote_W_23" /><a href="#FNanchor_W_23"><span class="label">[W]</span></a> Acts iv. 12.</p></div> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAP_XI" id="CHAP_XI" />CHAP. XI.</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>The author embarks on board a ship bound for Cadiz—Is near + being shipwrecked—Goes to Malaga—Remarkable fine cathedral + there—The author disputes with a popish priest—Picking up + eleven miserable men at sea in returning to England—Engages + again with Doctor Irving to accompany him to Jamaica and the + Mosquito Shore—Meets with an Indian prince on board—The + author attempts to instruct him in the truths of the + Gospel—Frustrated by the bad example of some in the + ship—They arrive on the Mosquito Shore with some slaves + they purchased at Jamaica, and begin to cultivate a + plantation—Some account of the manners and customs of the + Mosquito Indians—Successful device of the author's to quell + a riot among them—Curious entertainment given by them to + Doctor Irving and the author, who leaves the shore and goes + for Jamaica—Is barbarously treated by a man with whom he + engaged for his passage—Escapes and goes to the Mosquito + admiral, who treats him kindly—He gets another vessel and + goes on board—Instances of bad treatment—Meets Doctor + Irving—Gets to Jamaica—Is cheated by his captain—Leaves + the Doctor and goes for England.</i></p></div> + + +<p>When our ship was got ready for sea again, I was entreated by the +captain to go in her once more; but, as I felt myself now as happy as +I could wish to be in this life, I for some time refused; however, the +advice of my friends at last prevailed; and, in full resignation to +the will of God, I again embarked for Cadiz in March 1775. We had a +very good passage, without any material accident, until we arrived off +the Bay of Cadiz; when one Sunday, just as we were going into the +harbour, the ship struck against a rock and knocked off a garboard +plank, which is the next to the keel. In an instant all hands were in +the greatest confusion, and began with loud cries to call on God to +have mercy on them. Although I could not swim, and saw no way of +escaping death, I felt no dread in my then situation, having no desire +to live. I even rejoiced in spirit, thinking this death would be +sudden glory. But the fulness of time was not yet come. The people +near to me were much astonished in seeing me thus calm and resigned; +but I told them of the peace of God, which through sovereign grace I +enjoyed, and these words were that instant in my mind:</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>"Christ is my pilot wise, my compass is his word;<br /></span> +<span>My soul each storm defies, while I have such a Lord.<br /></span> +<span class="i2">I trust his faithfulness and power,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">To save me in the trying hour.<br /></span> +<span>Though rocks and quicksands deep through all my passage lie,<br /></span> +<span>Yet Christ shall safely keep and guide me with his eye.<br /></span> +<span class="i2">How can I sink with such a prop,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">That bears the world and all things up?"<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>At this time there were many large Spanish flukers or passage-vessels +full of people crossing the channel; who seeing our condition, a +number of them came alongside of us. As many hands as could be +employed began to work; some at our three pumps, and the rest +unloading the ship as fast as possible. There being only a single rock +called the Porpus on which we struck, we soon got off it, and +providentially it was then high water, we therefore run the ship +ashore at the nearest place to keep her from sinking. After many +tides, with a great deal of care and industry, we got her repaired +again. When we had dispatched our business at Cadiz, we went to +Gibraltar, and from thence to Malaga, a very pleasant and rich city, +where there is one of the finest cathedrals I had ever seen. It had +been above fifty years in building, as I heard, though it was not then +quite finished; great part of the inside, however, was completed and +highly decorated with the richest marble columns and many superb +paintings; it was lighted occasionally by an amazing number of wax +tapers of different sizes, some of which were as thick as a man's +thigh; these, however, were only used on some of their grand +festivals.</p> + +<p>I was very much shocked at the custom of bull-baiting, and other +diversions which prevailed here on Sunday evenings, to the great +scandal of Christianity and morals. I used to express my abhorrence of +it to a priest whom I met with. I had frequent contests about religion +with the reverend father, in which he took great pains to make a +proselyte of me to his church; and I no less to convert him to mine. +On these occasions I used to produce my Bible, and shew him in what +points his church erred. He then said he had been in England, and that +every person there read the Bible, which was very wrong; but I +answered him that Christ desired us to search the Scriptures. In his +zeal for my conversion, he solicited me to go to one of the +universities in Spain, and declared that I should have my education +free; and told me, if I got myself made a priest, I might in time +become even pope; and that Pope Benedict was a black man. As I was +ever desirous of learning, I paused for some time upon this +temptation; and thought by being crafty I might catch some with guile; +but I began to think that it would be only hypocrisy in me to embrace +his offer, as I could not in conscience conform to the opinions of his +church. I was therefore enabled to regard the word of God, which says, +'Come out from amongst them,' and refused Father Vincent's offer. So +we parted without conviction on either side.</p> + +<p>Having taken at this place some fine wines, fruits, and money, we +proceeded to Cadiz, where we took about two tons more of money, &c. +and then sailed for England in the month of June. When we were about +the north latitude 42, we had contrary wind for several days, and the +ship did not make in that time above six or seven miles straight +course. This made the captain exceeding fretful and peevish: and I was +very sorry to hear God's most holy name often blasphemed by him. One +day, as he was in that impious mood, a young gentleman on board, who +was a passenger, reproached him, and said he acted wrong; for we ought +to be thankful to God for all things, as we were not in want of any +thing on board; and though the wind was contrary for us, yet it was +fair for some others, who, perhaps, stood in more need of it than we. +I immediately seconded this young gentleman with some boldness, and +said we had not the least cause to murmur, for that the Lord was +better to us than we deserved, and that he had done all things well. I +expected that the captain would be very angry with me for speaking, +but he replied not a word. However, before that time on the following +day, being the 21st of June, much to our great joy and astonishment, +we saw the providential hand of our benign Creator, whose ways with +his blind creatures are past finding out. The preceding night I +dreamed that I saw a boat immediately off the starboard main shrouds; +and exactly at half past one o'clock, the following day at noon, while +I was below, just as we had dined in the cabin, the man at the helm +cried out, A boat! which brought my dream that instant into my mind. I +was the first man that jumped on the deck; and, looking from the +shrouds onward, according to my dream, I descried a little boat at +some distance; but, as the waves were high, it was as much as we could +do sometimes to discern her; we however stopped the ship's way, and +the boat, which was extremely small, came alongside with eleven +miserable men, whom we took on board immediately. To all human +appearance, these people must have perished in the course of one hour +or less, the boat being small, it barely contained them. When we took +them up they were half drowned, and had no victuals, compass, water, +or any other necessary whatsoever, and had only one bit of an oar to +steer with, and that right before the wind; so that they were obliged +to trust entirely to the mercy of the waves. As soon as we got them +all on board, they bowed themselves on their knees, and, with hands +and voices lifted up to heaven, thanked God for their deliverance; and +I trust that my prayers were not wanting amongst them at the same +time. This mercy of the Lord quite melted me, and I recollected his +words, which I saw thus verified in the 107th Psalm 'O give thanks +unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever. Hungry +and thirsty, their souls fainted in them. They cried unto Lord in +their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. And he +led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of +habitation. O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for +his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the +longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.</p> + +<p>'Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death:</p> + +<p>'Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out +of their distresses. They that go down to the sea in ships; that do +business in great waters: these see the works of the Lord, and his +wonders in the deep. Whoso is wise and will observe these things, even +they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord.'</p> + +<p>The poor distressed captain said,'that the Lord is good; for, seeing +that I am not fit to die, he therefore gave me a space of time to +repent.' I was very glad to hear this expression, and took an +opportunity when convenient of talking to him on the providence of +God. They told us they were Portuguese, and were in a brig loaded with +corn, which shifted that morning at five o'clock, owing to which the +vessel sunk that instant with two of the crew; and how these eleven +got into the boat (which was lashed to the deck) not one of them could +tell. We provided them with every necessary, and brought them all safe +to London: and I hope the Lord gave them repentance unto life eternal.</p> + +<p>I was happy once more amongst my friends and brethren, till November, +when my old friend, the celebrated Doctor Irving, bought a remarkable +fine sloop, about 150 tons. He had a mind for a new adventure in +cultivating a plantation at Jamaica and the Musquito Shore; asked me +to go with him, and said that he would trust me with his estate in +preference to any one. By the advice, therefore, of my friends, I +accepted of the offer, knowing that the harvest was fully ripe in +those parts, and hoped to be the instrument, under God, of bringing +some poor sinner to my well beloved master, Jesus Christ. Before I +embarked, I found with the Doctor four Musquito Indians, who were +chiefs in their own country, and were brought here by some English +traders for some selfish ends. One of them was the Musquito king's +son; a youth of about eighteen years of age; and whilst he was here he +was baptized by the name of George. They were going back at the +government's expense, after having been in England about twelve +months, during which they learned to speak pretty good English. When I +came to talk to them about eight days before we sailed, I was very +much mortified in finding that they had not frequented any churches +since they were here, to be baptized, nor was any attention paid to +their morals. I was very sorry for this mock Christianity, and had +just an opportunity to take some of them once to church before we +sailed. We embarked in the month of November 1775, on board of the +sloop Morning Star, Captain David Miller, and sailed for Jamaica. In +our passage, I took all the pains that I could to instruct the Indian +prince in the doctrines of Christianity, of which he was entirely +ignorant; and, to my great joy, he was quite attentive, and received +with gladness the truths that the Lord enabled me to set forth to him. +I taught him in the compass of eleven days all the letters, and he +could put even two or three of them together and spell them. I had +Fox's Martyrology with cuts, and he used to be very fond of looking +into it, and would ask many questions about the papal cruelties he saw +depicted there, which I explained to him. I made such progress with +this youth, especially in religion, that when I used to go to bed at +different hours of the night, if he was in his bed, he would get up on +purpose to go to prayer with me, without any other clothes than his +shirt; and before he would eat any of his meals amongst the gentlemen +in the cabin, he would first come to me to pray, as he called it. I +was well pleased at this, and took great delight in him, and used much +supplication to God for his conversion. I was in full hope of seeing +daily every appearance of that change which I could wish; not knowing +the devices of satan, who had many of his emissaries to sow his tares +as fast as I sowed the good seed, and pull down as fast as I built up. +Thus we went on nearly four fifths of our passage, when satan at last +got the upper hand. Some of his messengers, seeing this poor heathen +much advanced in piety, began to ask him whether I had converted him +to Christianity, laughed, and made their jest at him, for which I +rebuked them as much as I could; but this treatment caused the prince +to halt between two opinions. Some of the true sons of Belial, who did +not believe that there was any hereafter, told him never to fear the +devil, for there was none existing; and if ever he came to the prince, +they desired he might be sent to them. Thus they teazed the poor +innocent youth, so that he would not learn his book any more! He would +not drink nor carouse with these ungodly actors, nor would he be with +me, even at prayers. This grieved me very much. I endeavoured to +persuade him as well as I could, but he would not come; and entreated +him very much to tell me his reasons for acting thus. At last he asked +me, 'How comes it that all the white men on board who can read and +write, and observe the sun, and know all things, yet swear, lie, and +get drunk, only excepting yourself?' I answered him, the reason was, +that they did not fear God; and that if any one of them died so they +could not go to, or be happy with God. He replied, that if these +persons went to hell he would go to hell too. I was sorry to hear +this; and, as he sometimes had the toothach, and also some other +persons in the ship at the same time, I asked him if their toothach +made his easy: he said, No. Then I told him if he and these people +went to hell together, their pains would not make his any lighter. +This answer had great weight with him: it depressed his spirits much; +and he became ever after, during the passage, fond of being alone. +When we were in the latitude of Martinico, and near making the land, +one morning we had a brisk gale of wind, and, carrying too much sail, +the main-mast went over the side. Many people were then all about the +deck, and the yards, masts, and rigging, came tumbling all about us, +yet there was not one of us in the least hurt, although some were +within a hair's breadth of being killed: and, particularly, I saw two +men then, by the providential hand of God, most miraculously preserved +from being smashed to pieces. On the fifth of January we made Antigua +and Montserrat, and ran along the rest of the islands: and on the +fourteenth we arrived at Jamaica. One Sunday while we were there I +took the Musquito Prince George to church, where he saw the sacrament +administered. When we came out we saw all kinds of people, almost from +the church door for the space of half a mile down to the waterside, +buying and selling all kinds of commodities: and these acts afforded +me great matter of exhortation to this youth, who was much astonished. +Our vessel being ready to sail for the Musquito shore, I went with the +Doctor on board a Guinea-man, to purchase some slaves to carry with +us, and cultivate a plantation; and I chose them all my own +countrymen. On the twelfth of February we sailed from Jamaica, and on +the eighteenth arrived at the Musquito shore, at a place called +Dupeupy. All our Indian guests now, after I had admonished them and a +few cases of liquor given them by the Doctor, took an affectionate +leave of us, and went ashore, where they were met by the Musquito +king, and we never saw one of them afterwards. We then sailed to the +southward of the shore, to a place called Cape Gracias a Dios, where +there was a large lagoon or lake, which received the emptying of two +or three very fine large rivers, and abounded much in fish and land +tortoise. Some of the native Indians came on board of us here; and we +used them well, and told them we were come to dwell amongst them, +which they seemed pleased at. So the Doctor and I, with some others, +went with them ashore; and they took us to different places to view +the land, in order to choose a place to make a plantation of. We fixed +on a spot near a river's bank, in a rich soil; and, having got our +necessaries out of the sloop, we began to clear away the woods, and +plant different kinds of vegetables, which had a quick growth. While +we were employed in this manner, our vessel went northward to Black +River to trade. While she was there, a Spanish guarda costa met with +and took her. This proved very hurtful, and a great embarrassment to +us. However, we went on with the culture of the land. We used to make +fires every night all around us, to keep off wild beasts, which, as +soon as it was dark, set up a most hideous roaring. Our habitation +being far up in the woods, we frequently saw different kinds of +animals; but none of them ever hurt us, except poisonous snakes, the +bite of which the Doctor used to cure by giving to the patient, as +soon as possible, about half a tumbler of strong rum, with a good deal +of Cayenne pepper in it. In this manner he cured two natives and one +of his own slaves. The Indians were exceedingly fond of the Doctor, +and they had good reason for it; for I believe they never had such an +useful man amongst them. They came from all quarters to our dwelling; +and some <i>woolwow</i>, or flat-headed Indians, who lived fifty or sixty +miles above our river, and this side of the South Sea, brought us a +good deal of silver in exchange for our goods. The principal articles +we could get from our neighbouring Indians, were turtle oil, and +shells, little silk grass, and some provisions; but they would not +work at any thing for us, except fishing; and a few times they +assisted to cut some trees down, in order to build us houses; which +they did exactly like the Africans, by the joint labour of men, women, +and children. I do not recollect any of them to have had more than two +wives. These always accompanied their husbands when they came to our +dwelling; and then they generally carried whatever they brought to us, +and always squatted down behind their husbands. Whenever we gave them +any thing to eat, the men and their wives ate it separate. I never +saw the least sign of incontinence amongst them. The women are +ornamented with beads, and fond of painting themselves; the men also +paint, even to excess, both their faces and shirts: their favourite +colour is red. The women generally cultivate the ground, and the men +are all fishermen and canoe makers. Upon the whole, I never met any +nation that were so simple in their manners as these people, or had so +little ornament in their houses. Neither had they, as I ever could +learn, one word expressive of an oath. The worst word I ever heard +amongst them when they were quarreling, was one that they had got from +the English, which was, 'you rascal.' I never saw any mode of worship +among them; but in this they were not worse than their European +brethren or neighbours: for I am sorry to say that there was not one +white person in our dwelling, nor any where else that I saw in +different places I was at on the shore, that was better or more pious +than those unenlightened Indians; but they either worked or slept on +Sundays: and, to my sorrow, working was too much Sunday's employment +with ourselves; so much so, that in some length of time we really did +not know one day from another. This mode of living laid the foundation +of my decamping at last. The natives are well made and warlike; and +they particularly boast of having never been conquered by the +Spaniards. They are great drinkers of strong liquors when they can get +them. We used to distil rum from pine apples, which were very +plentiful here; and then we could not get them away from our place. +Yet they seemed to be singular, in point of honesty, above any other +nation I was ever amongst. The country being hot, we lived under an +open shed, where we had all kinds of goods, without a door or a lock +to any one article; yet we slept in safety, and never lost any thing, +or were disturbed. This surprised us a good deal; and the Doctor, +myself, and others, used to say, if we were to lie in that manner in +Europe we should have our throats cut the first night. The Indian +governor goes once in a certain time all about the province or +district, and has a number of men with him as attendants and +assistants. He settles all the differences among the people, like the +judge here, and is treated with very great respect. He took care to +give us timely notice before he came to our habitation, by sending his +stick as a token, for rum, sugar, and gunpowder, which we did not +refuse sending; and at the same time we made the utmost preparation to +receive his honour and his train. When he came with his tribe, and all +our neighbouring chieftains, we expected to find him a grave reverend +judge, solid and sagacious; but instead of that, before he and his +gang came in sight, we heard them very clamorous; and they even had +plundered some of our good neighbouring Indians, having intoxicated +themselves with our liquor. When they arrived we did not know what to +make of our new guests, and would gladly have dispensed with the +honour of their company. However, having no alternative, we feasted +them plentifully all the day till the evening; when the governor, +getting quite drunk, grew very unruly, and struck one of our most +friendly chiefs, who was our nearest neighbour, and also took his +gold-laced hat from him. At this a great commotion taken place; and +the Doctor interfered to make peace, as we could all understand one +another, but to no purpose; and at last they became so outrageous that +the Doctor, fearing he might get into trouble, left the house, and +made the best of his way to the nearest wood, leaving me to do as well +as I could among them. I was so enraged with the Governor, that I +could have wished to have seen him tied fast to a tree and flogged for +his behaviour; but I had not people enough to cope with his party. I +therefore thought of a stratagem to appease the riot. Recollecting a +passage I had read in the life of Columbus, when he was amongst the +Indians in Mexico or Peru, where, on some occasion, he frightened +them, by telling them of certain events in the heavens, I had recourse +to the same expedient; and it succeeded beyond my most sanguine +expectations. When I had formed my determination, I went in the midst +of them; and, taking hold of the Governor, I pointed up to the +heavens. I menaced him and the rest: I told them God lived there, and +that he was angry with them, and they must not quarrel so; that they +were all brothers, and if they did not leave off, and go away quietly, +I would take the book (pointing to the Bible), read, and <i>tell</i> God to +make them dead. This was something like magic. The clamour immediately +ceased, and I gave them some rum and a few other things; after which +they went away peaceably; and the Governor afterwards gave our +neighbour, who was called Captain Plasmyah, his hat again. When the +Doctor returned, he was exceedingly glad at my success in thus getting +rid of our troublesome guests. The Musquito people within our +vicinity, out of respect to the Doctor, myself and his people, made +entertainments of the grand kind, called in their tongue <i>tourrie</i> or +<i>dryckbot</i>. The English of this expression is, a feast of drinking +about, of which it seems a corruption of language. The drink consisted +of pine apples roasted, and casades chewed or beaten in mortars; +which, after lying some time, ferments, and becomes so strong as to +intoxicate, when drank in any quantity. We had timely notice given to +us of the entertainment. A white family, within five miles of us, told +us how the drink was made, and I and two others went before the time +to the village, where the mirth was appointed to be held; and there we +saw the whole art of making the drink, and also the kind of animals +that were to be eaten there. I cannot say the sight of either the +drink or the meat were enticing to me. They had some thousands of pine +apples roasting, which they squeezed, dirt and all, into a canoe they +had there for the purpose. The casade drink was in beef barrels and +other vessels, and looked exactly like hog-wash. Men, women, and +children, were thus employed in roasting the pine apples, and +squeezing them with their hands. For food they had many land torpins +or tortoises, some dried turtle, and three large alligators alive, and +tied fast to the trees. I asked the people what they were going to do +with these alligators; and I was told they were to be eaten. I was +much surprised at this, and went home, not a little disgusted at the +preparations. When the day of the feast was come, we took some rum +with us, and went to the appointed place, where we found a great +assemblage of these people, who received us very kindly. The mirth had +begun before we came; and they were dancing with music: and the +musical instruments were nearly the same as those of any other sable +people; but, as I thought, much less melodious than any other nation I +ever knew. They had many curious gestures in dancing, and a variety of +motions and postures of their bodies, which to me were in no wise +attracting. The males danced by themselves, and the females also by +themselves, as with us. The Doctor shewed his people the example, by +immediately joining the women's party, though not by their choice. On +perceiving the women disgusted, he joined the males. At night there +were great illuminations, by setting fire to many pine trees, while +the dryckbot went round merrily by calabashes or gourds: but the +liquor might more justly be called eating than drinking. One Owden, +the oldest father in the vicinity, was dressed in a strange and +terrifying form. Around his body were skins adorned with different +kinds of feathers, and he had on his head a very large and high +head-piece, in the form of a grenadier's cap, with prickles like a +porcupine; and he made a certain noise which resembled the cry of an +alligator. Our people skipped amongst them out of complaisance, though +some could not drink of their tourrie; but our rum met with customers +enough, and was soon gone. The alligators were killed and some of them +roasted. Their manner of roasting is by digging a hole in the earth, +and filling it with wood, which they burn to coal, and then they lay +sticks across, on which they set the meat. I had a raw piece of the +alligator in my hand: it was very rich: I thought it looked like fresh +salmon, and it had a most fragrant smell, but I could not eat any of +it. This merry-making at last ended without the least discord in any +person in the company, although it was made up of different nations +and complexions. The rainy season came on here about the latter end of +May, which continued till August very heavily; so that the rivers were +overflowed, and our provisions then in the ground were washed away. I +thought this was in some measure a judgment upon us for working on +Sundays, and it hurt my mind very much. I often wished to leave this +place and sail for Europe; for our mode of procedure and living in +this heathenish form was very irksome to me. The word of God saith, +'What does it avail a man if he gain the whole world, and lose his own +soul?' This was much and heavily impressed on my mind; and, though I +did not know how to speak to the Doctor for my discharge, it was +disagreeable for me to stay any longer. But about the middle of June I +took courage enough to ask him for it. He was very unwilling at first +to grant my request; but I gave him so many reasons for it, that at +last he consented to my going, and gave me the following certificate +of my behaviour:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>'The bearer, Gustavus Vassa, has served me several years + with strict honesty, sobriety, and fidelity. I can, + therefore, with justice recommend him for these + qualifications; and indeed in every respect I consider him + as an excellent servant. I do hereby certify that he always + behaved well, and that he is perfectly trust-worthy.</p> + +<p class="citation"><span class="smcap">'Charles Irving.'</span> +</p> +<p><i>Musquito Shore, June 15, 1776.</i><br /> +</p> +</div> + +<p>Though I was much attached to the doctor, I was happy when he +consented. I got every thing ready for my departure, and hired some +Indians, with a large canoe, to carry me off. All my poor countrymen, +the slaves, when they heard of my leaving them, were very sorry, as I +had always treated them with care and affection, and did every thing I +could to comfort the poor creatures, and render their condition easy. +Having taken leave of my old friends and companions, on the 18th of +June, accompanied by the doctor, I left that spot of the world, and +went southward above twenty miles along the river. There I found a +sloop, the captain of which told me he was going to Jamaica. Having +agreed for my passage with him and one of the owners, who was also on +board, named Hughes, the doctor and I parted, not without shedding +tears on both sides. The vessel then sailed along the river till +night, when she stopped in a lagoon within the same river. During the +night a schooner belonging to the same owners came in, and, as she was +in want of hands, Hughes, the owner of the sloop, asked me to go in +the schooner as a sailor, and said he would give me wages. I thanked +him; but I said I wanted to go to Jamaica. He then immediately changed +his tone, and swore, and abused me very much, and asked how I came to +be freed. I told him, and said that I came into that vicinity with Dr. +Irving, whom he had seen that day. This account was of no use; he +still swore exceedingly at me, and cursed the master for a fool that +sold me my freedom, and the doctor for another in letting me go from +him. Then he desired me to go in the schooner, or else I should not go +out of the sloop as a freeman. I said this was very hard, and begged +to be put on shore again; but he swore that I should not. I said I had +been twice amongst the Turks, yet had never seen any such usage with +them, and much less could I have expected any thing of this kind +amongst Christians. This incensed him exceedingly; and, with a volley +of oaths and imprecations, he replied, 'Christians! Damn you, you are +one of St. Paul's men; but by G——, except you have St. Paul's or St. +Peter's faith, and walk upon the water to the shore, you shall not go +out of the vessel;' which I now found was going amongst the Spaniards +towards Carthagena, where he swore he would sell me. I simply asked +him what right he had to sell me? but, without another word, he made +some of his people tie ropes round each of my ancles, and also to each +wrist, and another rope round my body, and hoisted me up without +letting my feet touch or rest upon any thing. Thus I hung, without any +crime committed, and without judge or jury; merely because I was a +free man, and could not by the law get any redress from a white person +in those parts of the world. I was in great pain from my situation, +and cried and begged very hard for some mercy; but all in vain. My +tyrant, in a great rage, brought a musquet out of the cabin, and +loaded it before me and the crew, and swore that he would shoot me if +I cried any more. I had now no alternative; I therefore remained +silent, seeing not one white man on board who said a word on my +behalf. I hung in that manner from between ten and eleven o'clock at +night till about one in the morning; when, finding my cruel abuser +fast asleep, I begged some of his slaves to slack the rope that was +round my body, that my feet might rest on something. This they did at +the risk of being cruelly used by their master, who beat some of them +severely at first for not tying me when he commanded them. Whilst I +remained in this condition, till between five and six o'clock next +morning, I trust I prayed to God to forgive this blasphemer, who cared +not what he did, but when he got up out of his sleep in the morning +was of the very same temper and disposition as when he left me at +night. When they got up the anchor, and the vessel was getting under +way, I once more cried and begged to be released; and now, being +fortunately in the way of their hoisting the sails, they released me. +When I was let down, I spoke to one Mr. Cox, a carpenter, whom I knew +on board, on the impropriety of this conduct. He also knew the doctor, +and the good opinion he ever had of me. This man then went to the +captain, and told him not to carry me away in that manner; that I was +the doctor's steward, who regarded me very highly, and would resent +this usage when he should come to know it. On which he desired a young +man to put me ashore in a small canoe I brought with me. This sound +gladdened my heart, and I got hastily into the canoe and set off, +whilst my tyrant was down in the cabin; but he soon spied me out, when +I was not above thirty or forty yards from the vessel, and, running +upon the deck with a loaded musket in his hand, he presented it at me, +and swore heavily and dreadfully, that he would shoot me that instant, +if I did not come back on board. As I knew the wretch would have done +as he said, without hesitation, I put back to the vessel again; but, +as the good Lord would have it, just as I was alongside he was abusing +the captain for letting me go from the vessel; which the captain +returned, and both of them soon got into a very great heat. The young +man that was with me now got out of the canoe; the vessel was sailing +on fast with a smooth sea: and I then thought it was neck or nothing, +so at that instant I set off again, for my life, in the canoe, towards +the shore; and fortunately the confusion was so great amongst them on +board, that I got out of the reach of the musquet shot unnoticed, +while the vessel sailed on with a fair wind a different way; so that +they could not overtake me without tacking: but even before that could +be done I should have been on shore, which I soon reached, with many +thanks to God for this unexpected deliverance. I then went and told +the other owner, who lived near that shore (with whom I had agreed for +my passage) of the usage I had met with. He was very much astonished, +and appeared very sorry for it. After treating me with kindness, he +gave me some refreshment, and three heads of roasted Indian corn, for +a voyage of about eighteen miles south, to look for another vessel. He +then directed me to an Indian chief of a district, who was also the +Musquito admiral, and had once been at our dwelling; after which I set +off with the canoe across a large lagoon alone (for I could not get +any one to assist me), though I was much jaded, and had pains in my +bowels, by means of the rope I had hung by the night before. I was +therefore at different times unable to manage the canoe, for the +paddling was very laborious. However, a little before dark I got to my +destined place, where some of the Indians knew me, and received me +kindly. I asked for the admiral; and they conducted me to his +dwelling. He was glad to see me, and refreshed me with such things as +the place afforded; and I had a hammock to sleep in. They acted +towards me more like Christians than those whites I was amongst the +last night, though they had been baptized. I told the admiral I wanted +to go to the next port to get a vessel to carry me to Jamaica; and +requested him to send the canoe back which I then had, for which I was +to pay him. He agreed with me, and sent five able Indians with a large +canoe to carry my things to my intended place, about fifty miles; and +we set off the next morning. When we got out of the lagoon and went +along shore, the sea was so high that the canoe was oftentimes very +near being filled with water. We were obliged to go ashore and drag +across different necks of land; we were also two nights in the swamps, +which swarmed with musquito flies, and they proved troublesome to us. +This tiresome journey of land and water ended, however, on the third +day, to my great joy; and I got on board of a sloop commanded by one +Captain Jenning. She was then partly loaded, and he told me he was +expecting daily to sail for Jamaica; and having agreed with me to work +my passage, I went to work accordingly. I was not many days on board +before we sailed; but to my sorrow and disappointment, though used to +such tricks, we went to the southward along the Musquito shore, +instead of steering for Jamaica. I was compelled to assist in cutting +a great deal of mahogany wood on the shore as we coasted along it, and +load the vessel with it, before she sailed. This fretted me much; but, +as I did not know how to help myself among these deceivers, I thought +patience was the only remedy I had left, and even that was forced. +There was much hard work and little victuals on board, except by good +luck we happened to catch turtles. On this coast there was also a +particular kind of fish called manatee, which is most excellent +eating, and the flesh is more like beef than fish; the scales are as +large as a shilling, and the skin thicker than I ever saw that of any +other fish. Within the brackish waters along shore there were likewise +vast numbers of alligators, which made the fish scarce. I was on board +this sloop sixteen days, during which, in our coasting, we came to +another place, where there was a smaller sloop called the Indian +Queen, commanded by one John Baker. He also was an Englishman, and had +been a long time along the shore trading for turtle shells and silver, +and had got a good quantity of each on board. He wanted some hands +very much; and, understanding I was a free man, and wanted to go to +Jamaica, he told me if he could get one or two, that he would sail +immediately for that island: he also pretended to me some marks of +attention and respect, and promised to give me forty-five shillings +sterling a month if I would go with him. I thought this much better +than cutting wood for nothing. I therefore told the other captain that +I wanted to go to Jamaica in the other vessel; but he would not listen +to me: and, seeing me resolved to go in a day or two, he got the +vessel to sail, intending to carry me away against my will. This +treatment mortified me extremely. I immediately, according to an +agreement I had made with the captain of the Indian Queen, called for +her boat, which was lying near us, and it came alongside; and, by the +means of a north-pole shipmate which I met with in the sloop I was in, +I got my things into the boat, and went on board of the Indian Queen, +July the 10th. A few days after I was there, we got all things ready +and sailed: but again, to my great mortification, this vessel still +went to the south, nearly as far as Carthagena, trading along the +coast, instead of going to Jamaica, as the captain had promised me: +and, what was worst of all, he was a very cruel and bloody-minded man, +and was a horrid blasphemer. Among others he had a white pilot, one +Stoker, whom he beat often as severely as he did some negroes he had +on board. One night in particular, after he had beaten this man most +cruelly, he put him into the boat, and made two negroes row him to a +desolate key, or small island; and he loaded two pistols, and swore +bitterly that he would shoot the negroes if they brought Stoker on +board again. There was not the least doubt but that he would do as he +said, and the two poor fellows were obliged to obey the cruel mandate; +but, when the captain was asleep, the two negroes took a blanket and +carried it to the unfortunate Stoker, which I believe was the means of +saving his life from the annoyance of insects. A great deal of +entreaty was used with the captain the next day, before he would +consent to let Stoker come on board; and when the poor man was brought +on board he was very ill, from his situation during the night, and he +remained so till he was drowned a little time after. As we sailed +southward we came to many uninhabited islands, which were overgrown +with fine large cocoa nuts. As I was very much in want of provisions, +I brought a boat load of them on board, which lasted me and others for +several weeks, and afforded us many a delicious repast in our +scarcity. One day, before this, I could not help observing the +providential hand of God, that ever supplies all our wants, though in +the ways and manner we know not. I had been a whole day without food, +and made signals for boats to come off, but in vain. I therefore +earnestly prayed to God for relief in my need; and at the close of the +evening I went off the deck. Just as I laid down I heard a noise on +the deck; and, not knowing what it meant, I went directly on the the +deck again, when what should I see but a fine large fish about seven +or eight pounds, which had jumped aboard! I took it, and admired, with +thanks, the good hand of God; and, what I considered as not less +extraordinary, the captain, who was very avaricious, did not attempt +to take it from me, there being only him and I on board; for the rest +were all gone ashore trading. Sometimes the people did not come off +for some days: this used to fret the captain, and then he would vent +his fury on me by beating me, or making me feel in other cruel ways. +One day especially, in his wild, wicked, and mad career, after +striking me several times with different things, and once across my +mouth, even with a red burning stick out of the fire, he got a barrel +of gunpowder on the deck, and swore that he would blow up the vessel. +I was then at my wit's end, and earnestly prayed to God to direct me. +The head was out of the barrel; and the captain took a lighted stick +out of the fire to blow himself and me up, because there was a vessel +then in sight coming in, which he supposed was a Spaniard, and he was +afraid of falling into their hands. Seeing this I got an axe, +unnoticed by him, and placed myself between him and the powder, having +resolved in myself as soon as he attempted to put the fire in the +barrel to chop him down that instant. I was more than an hour in this +situation; during which he struck me often, still keeping the fire in +his hand for this wicked purpose. I really should have thought myself +justifiable in any other part of the world if I had killed him, and +prayed to God, who gave me a mind which rested solely on himself. I +prayed for resignation, that his will might be done; and the following +two portions of his holy word, which occurred to my mind, buoyed up my +hope, and kept me from taking the life of this wicked man. 'He hath +determined the times before appointed, and set bounds to our +habitations,' Acts xvii. 26. And, 'Who is there amongst you that +feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh +in darkness and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, +and stay upon his God,' Isaiah 1. 10. And thus by the grace of God I +was enabled to do. I found him a present help in the time of need, and +the captain's fury began to subside as the night approached: but I +found,</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>"That he who cannot stem his anger's tide<br /></span> +<span>Doth a wild horse without a bridle ride."<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>The next morning we discovered that the vessel which had caused such a +fury in the captain was an English sloop. They soon came to an anchor +where we were, and, to my no small surprise, I learned that Doctor +Irving was on board of her on his way from the Musquito shore to +Jamaica. I was for going immediately to see this old master and +friend, but the captain would not suffer me to leave the vessel. I +then informed the doctor, by letter, how I was treated, and begged +that he would take me out of the sloop: but he informed me that it was +not in his power, as he was a passenger himself; but he sent me some +rum and sugar for my own use. I now learned that after I had left the +estate which I managed for this gentleman on the Musquito shore, +during which the slaves were well fed and comfortable, a white +overseer had supplied my place: this man, through inhumanity and +ill-judged avarice, beat and cut the poor slaves most unmercifully; +and the consequence was, that every one got into a large Puriogua +canoe, and endeavoured to escape; but not knowing where to go, or how +to manage the canoe, they were all drowned; in consequence of which +the doctor's plantation was left uncultivated, and he was now +returning to Jamaica to purchase more slaves and stock it again. On +the 14th of October the Indian Queen arrived at Kingston in Jamaica. +When we were unloaded I demanded my wages, which amounted to eight +pounds and five shillings sterling; but Captain Baker refused to give +me one farthing, although it was the hardest-earned money I ever +worked for in my life. I found out Doctor Irving upon this, and +acquainted him of the captain's knavery. He did all he could to help +me to get my money; and we went to every magistrate in Kingston (and +there were nine), but they all refused to do any thing for me, and +said my oath could not be admitted against a white man. Nor was this +all; for Baker threatened that he would beat me severely if he could +catch me for attempting to demand my money; and this he would have +done, but that I got, by means of Dr. Irving, under the protection of +Captain Douglas of the Squirrel man of war. I thought this exceedingly +hard usage; though indeed I found it to be too much the practice there +to pay free men for their labour in this manner. One day I went with a +free negroe taylor, named Joe Diamond, to one Mr. Cochran, who was +indebted to him some trifling sum; and the man, not being able to get +his money, began to murmur. The other immediately took a horse-whip to +pay him with it; but, by the help of a good pair of heels, the taylor +got off. Such oppressions as these made me seek for a vessel to get +off the island as fast as I could; and by the mercy of God I found a +ship in November bound for England, when I embarked with a convoy, +after having taken a last farewell of Doctor Irving. When I left +Jamaica he was employed in refining sugars; and some months after my +arrival in England I learned, with much sorrow, that this my amiable +friend was dead, owing to his having eaten some poisoned fish. We had +many very heavy gales of wind in our passage; in the course of which +no material incident occurred, except that an American privateer, +falling in with the fleet, was captured and set fire to by his +Majesty's ship the Squirrel. On January the seventh, 1777, we arrived +at Plymouth. I was happy once more to tread upon English ground; and, +after passing some little time at Plymouth and Exeter among some pious +friends, whom I was happy to see, I went to London with a heart +replete with thanks to God for all past mercies.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAP_XII" id="CHAP_XII" />CHAP. XII.</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>Different transactions of the author's life till the + present time—His application to the late Bishop of London + to be appointed a missionary to Africa—Some account of his + share in the conduct of the late expedition to Sierra + Leona—Petition to the Queen—Conclusion.</i></p></div> + + +<p>Such were the various scenes which I was a witness to, and the fortune +I experienced until the year 1777. Since that period my life has been +more uniform, and the incidents of it fewer, than in any other equal +number of years preceding; I therefore hasten to the conclusion of a +narrative, which I fear the reader may think already sufficiently +tedious.</p> + +<p>I had suffered so many impositions in my commercial transactions in +different parts of the world, that I became heartily disgusted with +the sea-faring life, and I was determined not to return to it, at +least for some time. I therefore once more engaged in service shortly +after my return, and continued for the most part in this situation +until 1784.</p> + +<p>Soon after my arrival in London, I saw a remarkable circumstance +relative to African complexion, which I thought so extraordinary, that +I beg leave just to mention it: A white negro woman, that I had +formerly seen in London and other parts, had married a white man, by +whom she had three boys, and they were every one mulattoes, and yet +they had fine light hair. In 1779 I served Governor Macnamara, who had +been a considerable time on the coast of Africa. In the time of my +service, I used to ask frequently other servants to join me in family +prayers; but this only excited their mockery. However, the Governor, +understanding that I was of a religious turn, wished to know of what +religion I was; I told him I was a protestant of the church of +England, agreeable to the thirty-nine articles of that church, and +that whomsoever I found to preach according to that doctrine, those I +would hear. A few days after this, we had some more discourse on the +same subject: the Governor spoke to me on it again, and said that he +would, if I chose, as he thought I might be of service in converting +my countrymen to the Gospel faith, get me sent out as a missionary to +Africa. I at first refused going, and told him how I had been served +on a like occasion by some white people the last voyage I went to +Jamaica, when I attempted (if it were the will of God) to be the means +of converting the Indian prince; and I said I supposed they would +serve me worse than Alexander the coppersmith did St. Paul, if I +should attempt to go amongst them in Africa. He told me not to fear, +for he would apply to the Bishop of London to get me ordained. On +these terms I consented to the Governor's proposal to go to Africa, in +hope of doing good if possible amongst my countrymen; so, in order to +have me sent out properly, we immediately wrote the following letters +to the late Bishop of London:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p> +<i>To the Right Reverend Father in God</i>,<br /> + ROBERT, <i>Lord Bishop of London</i>:<br /> + The MEMORIAL of <span class ="smcap">Gustavus Vassa</span><br /> +<br /></p> +<p><span class ="smcap">Sheweth,</span> +</p> + +<p>That your memorialist is a native of Africa, and has a + knowledge of the manners and customs of the inhabitants of + that country.</p> + +<p> That your memorialist has resided in different parts of + Europe for twenty-two years last past, and embraced the + Christian faith in the year 1759.</p> + +<p> That your memorialist is desirous of returning to Africa as + a missionary, if encouraged by your Lordship, in hopes of + being able to prevail upon his countrymen to become + Christians; and your memorialist is the more induced to + undertake the same, from the success that has attended the + like undertakings when encouraged by the Portuguese through + their different settlements on the coast of Africa, and also + by the Dutch: both governments encouraging the blacks, who, + by their education are qualified to undertake the same, and + are found more proper than European clergymen, unacquainted + with the language and customs of the country.</p> + +<p> Your memorialist's only motive for soliciting the office of + a missionary is, that he may be a means, under God, of + reforming his countrymen and persuading them to embrace the + Christian religion. Therefore your memorialist humbly prays + your Lordship's encouragement and support in the + undertaking.</p> + +<p class="citation">GUSTAVUS VASSA.<br /> +<br /> +</p> +</div> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>At Mr. Guthrie's, taylor,<br /> + No. 17, Hedge-lane.<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<span class="smcap">My Lord,</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>I have resided near seven years on the coast of Africa, for + most part of the time as commanding officer. From the + knowledge I have of the country and its inhabitants, I am + inclined to think that the within plan will be attended with + great success, if countenanced by your Lordship. I beg leave + further to represent to your Lordship, that the like + attempts, when encouraged by other governments, have met + with uncommon success; and at this very time I know a very + respectable character a black priest at Cape Coast Castle. I + know the within named Gustavus Vassa, and believe him a + moral good man.</p> + +<p class="citation"> +I have the honour to be, <br /> +My Lord, <br /> +Your Lordship's <br /> +Humble and obedient servant, <br /> +MATT. MACNAMARA.<br /> +<br /> +</p> + +<p>Grove, 11th March 1779.<br /> +</p> +</div> + +<p>This letter was also accompanied by the following from Doctor Wallace, +who had resided in Africa for many years, and whose sentiments on the +subject of an African mission were the same with Governor Macnamara's.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> +<p class="quotdate"><i>March 13, 1779</i>.<br /> +<br /></p> + +<p><span class="smcap">My Lord,</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>I have resided near five years on Senegambia on the coast of + Africa, and have had the honour of filling very considerable + employments in that province. I do approve of the within + plan, and think the undertaking very laudable and proper, + and that it deserves your Lordship's protection and + encouragement, in which case it must be attended with the + intended success.</p> + +<p class="citation">I am, <br /> +My Lord, <br /> +Your Lordship's <br /> +Humble and obedient servant, <br /> +THOMAS WALLACE.<br /> +</p> +</div> + +<p>With these letters, I waited on the Bishop by the Governor's desire, +and presented them to his Lordship. He received me with much +condescension and politeness; but, from some certain scruples of +delicacy, declined to ordain me.</p> + +<p>My sole motive for thus dwelling on this transaction, or inserting +these papers, is the opinion which gentlemen of sense and education, +who are acquainted with Africa, entertain of the probability of +converting the inhabitants of it to the faith of Jesus Christ, if the +attempt were countenanced by the legislature.</p> + +<p>Shortly after this I left the Governor, and served a nobleman in the +Devonshire militia, with whom I was encamped at Coxheath for some +time; but the operations there were too minute and uninteresting to +make a detail of.</p> + +<p>In the year 1783 I visited eight counties in Wales, from motives of +curiosity. While I was in that part of the country I was led to go +down into a coal-pit in Shropshire, but my curiosity nearly cost me my +life; for while I was in the pit the coals fell in, and buried one +poor man, who was not far from me: upon this I got out as fast as I +could, thinking the surface of the earth the safest part of it.</p> + +<p>In the spring 1784 I thought of visiting old ocean again. In +consequence of this I embarked as steward on board a fine new ship +called the London, commanded by Martin Hopkin, and sailed for +New-York. I admired this city very much; it is large and well-built, +and abounds with provisions of all kinds. While we lay here a +circumstance happened which I thought extremely singular:—One day a +malefactor was to be executed on a gallows; but with a condition that +if any woman, having nothing on but her shift, married the man under +the gallows, his life was to be saved. This extraordinary privilege +was claimed; a woman presented herself; and the marriage ceremony was +performed. Our ship having got laden we returned to London in January +1785. When she was ready again for another voyage, the captain being +an agreeable man, I sailed with him from hence in the spring, March +1785, for Philadelphia. On the fifth of April we took our departure +from the Land's-end, with a pleasant gale; and about nine o'clock that +night the moon shone bright, and the sea was smooth, while our ship +was going free by the wind, at the rate of about four or five miles an +hour. At this time another ship was going nearly as fast as we on the +opposite point, meeting us right in the teeth, yet none on board +observed either ship until we struck each other forcibly head and +head, to the astonishment and consternation of both crews. She did us +much damage, but I believe we did her more; for when we passed by each +other, which we did very quickly, they called to us to bring to, and +hoist out our boat, but we had enough to do to mind ourselves; and in +about eight minutes we saw no more of her. We refitted as well as we +could the next day, and proceeded on our voyage, and in May arrived at +Philadelphia. I was very glad to see this favourite old town once +more; and my pleasure was much increased in seeing the worthy quakers +freeing and easing the burthens of many of my oppressed African +brethren. It rejoiced my heart when one of these friendly people took +me to see a free-school they had erected for every denomination of +black people, whose minds are cultivated here and forwarded to virtue; +and thus they are made useful members of the community. Does not the +success of this practice say loudly to the planters in the language of +scripture—"Go ye and do likewise?"</p> + +<p>In October 1785 I was accompanied by some of the Africans, and +presented this address of thanks to the gentlemen called Friends or +Quakers, in Gracechurch-Court Lombard-Street:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> +<p> +<span class="smcap">Gentlemen,</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>By reading your book, entitled a Caution to Great Britain + and her Colonies, concerning the Calamitous State of the + enslaved Negroes: We the poor, oppressed, needy, and + much-degraded negroes, desire to approach you with this + address of thanks, with our inmost love and warmest + acknowledgment; and with the deepest sense of your + benevolence, unwearied labour, and kind interposition, + towards breaking the yoke of slavery, and to administer a + little comfort and ease to thousands and tens of thousands + of very grievously afflicted, and too heavy burthened + negroes.</p> + +<p> Gentlemen, could you, by perseverance, at last be enabled, + under God, to lighten in any degree the heavy burthen of the + afflicted, no doubt it would, in some measure, be the + possible means, under God, of saving the souls of many of + the oppressors; and, if so, sure we are that the God, whose + eyes are ever upon all his creatures, and always rewards + every true act of virtue, and regards the prayers of the + oppressed, will give to you and yours those blessings which + it is not in our power to express or conceive, but which we, + as a part of those captived, oppressed, and afflicted + people, most earnestly wish and pray for.</p></div> + +<p>These gentlemen received us very kindly, with a promise to exert +themselves on behalf of the oppressed Africans, and we parted.</p> + +<p>While in town I chanced once to be invited to a quaker's wedding. The +simple and yet expressive mode used at their solemnizations is worthy +of note. The following is the true form of it:</p> + +<p>After the company have met they have seasonable exhortations by +several of the members; the bride and bridegroom stand up, and, taking +each other by the hand in a solemn manner, the man audily declares to +this purpose:</p> + +<p>"Friends, in the fear of the Lord, and in the presence of this +assembly, whom I desire to be my witnesses, I take this my friend, +M.N. to be my wife; promising, through divine assistance, to be unto +her a loving and faithful husband till death separate us:" and the +woman makes the like declaration. Then the two first sign their names +to the record, and as many more witnesses as have a mind. I had the +honour to subscribe mine to a register in Gracechurch-Court, +Lombard-Street.</p> + +<p>We returned to London in August; and our ship not going immediately to +sea, I shipped as a steward in an American ship called the Harmony, +Captain John Willet, and left London in March 1786, bound to +Philadelphia. Eleven days after sailing we carried our foremast away. +We had a nine weeks passage, which caused our trip not to succeed +well, the market for our goods proving bad; and, to make it worse, my +commander began to play me the like tricks as others too often +practise on free negroes in the West Indies. But I thank God I found +many friends here, who in some measure prevented him. On my return to +London in August I was very agreeably surprised to find that the +benevolence of government had adopted the plan of some philanthropic +individuals to send the Africans from hence to their native quarter; +and that some vessels were then engaged to carry them to Sierra Leone; +an act which redounded to the honour of all concerned in its +promotion, and filled me with prayers and much rejoicing. There was +then in the city a select committee of gentlemen for the black poor, +to some of whom I had the honour of being known; and, as soon as they +heard of my arrival they sent for me to the committee. When I came +there they informed me of the intention of government; and as they +seemed to think me qualified to superintend part of the undertaking, +they asked me to go with the black poor to Africa. I pointed out to +them many objections to my going; and particularly I expressed some +difficulties on the account of the slave dealers, as I would certainly +oppose their traffic in the human species by every means in my power. +However these objections were over-ruled by the gentlemen of the +committee, who prevailed on me to go, and recommended me to the +honourable Commissioners of his Majesty's Navy as a proper person to +act as commissary for government in the intended expedition; and they +accordingly appointed me in November 1786 to that office, and gave me +sufficient power to act for the government in the capacity of +commissary, having received my warrant and the following order.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> +<p> +<i>By the principal Officers and Commissioners of<br /> + his Majesty's Navy</i>.<br /> +</p> + +<p>Whereas you were directed, by our warrant of the 4th of last + month, to receive into your charge from Mr. Irving the + surplus provisions remaining of what was provided for the + voyage, as well as the provisions for the support of the + black poor, after the landing at Sierra Leone, with the + cloathing, tools, and all other articles provided at + government's expense; and as the provisions were laid in at + the rate of two months for the voyage, and for four months + after the landing, but the number embarked being so much + less than was expected, whereby there may be a considerable + surplus of provisions, cloathing, &c. These are, in addition + to former orders, to direct and require you to appropriate + or dispose of such surplus to the best advantage you can for + the benefit of government, keeping and rendering to us a + faithful account of what you do herein. And for your + guidance in preventing any white persons going, who are not + intended to have the indulgences of being carried thither, + we send you herewith a list of those recommended by the + Committee for the black poor as proper persons to be + permitted to embark, and acquaint you that you are not to + suffer any others to go who do not produce a certificate + from the committee for the black poor, of their having their + permission for it. For which this shall be your warrant. + Dated at the Navy Office, January 16, 1787.</p> + +<p class="citation"> +J. HINSLOW, <br /> +GEO. MARSH,<br /> +W. PALMER. <br /> +<br /></p> + +<p>To Mr. Gustavus Vassa,<br /> + Commissary of Provisions and<br /> + Stores for the Black Poor<br /> + going to Sierra Leone.<br /> +</p> +</div> + +<p>I proceeded immediately to the execution of my duty on board the +vessels destined for the voyage, where I continued till the March +following.</p> + +<p>During my continuance in the employment of government, I was struck +with the flagrant abuses committed by the agent, and endeavoured to +remedy them, but without effect. One instance, among many which I +could produce, may serve as a specimen. Government had ordered to be +provided all necessaries (slops, as they are called, included) for 750 +persons; however, not being able to muster more than 426, I was +ordered to send the superfluous slops, &c. to the king's stores at +Portsmouth; but, when I demanded them for that purpose from the agent, +it appeared they had never been bought, though paid for by government. +But that was not all, government were not the only objects of +peculation; these poor people suffered infinitely more; their +accommodations were most wretched; many of them wanted beds, and many +more cloathing and other necessaries. For the truth of this, and much +more, I do not seek credit from my own assertion. I appeal to the +testimony of Capt. Thompson, of the Nautilus, who convoyed us, to whom +I applied in February 1787 for a remedy, when I had remonstrated to +the agent in vain, and even brought him to be a witness of the +injustice and oppression I complained of. I appeal also to a letter +written by these wretched people, so early as the beginning of the +preceding January, and published in the Morning Herald of the 4th of +that month, signed by twenty of their chiefs.</p> + +<p>I could not silently suffer government to be thus cheated, and my +countrymen plundered and oppressed, and even left destitute of the +necessaries for almost their existence. I therefore informed the +Commissioners of the Navy of the agent's proceeding; but my dismission +was soon after procured, by means of a gentleman in the city, whom the +agent, conscious of his peculation, had deceived by letter, and whom, +moreover, empowered the same agent to receive on board, at the +government expense, a number of persons as passengers, contrary to the +orders I received. By this I suffered a considerable loss in my +property: however, the commissioners were satisfied with my conduct, +and wrote to Capt. Thompson, expressing their approbation of it.</p> + +<p>Thus provided, they proceeded on their voyage; and at last, worn out +by treatment, perhaps not the most mild, and wasted by sickness, +brought on by want of medicine, cloaths, bedding, &c. they reached +Sierra Leone just at the commencement of the rains. At that season of +the year it is impossible to cultivate the lands; their provisions +therefore were exhausted before they could derive any benefit from +agriculture; and it is not surprising that many, especially the +lascars, whose constitutions are very tender, and who had been cooped +up in ships from October to June, and accommodated in the manner I +have mentioned, should be so wasted by their confinement as not long +to survive it.</p> + +<p>Thus ended my part of the long-talked-of expedition to Sierra Leone; +an expedition which, however unfortunate in the event, was humane and +politic in its design, nor was its failure owing to government: every +thing was done on their part; but there was evidently sufficient +mismanagement attending the conduct and execution of it to defeat its +success.</p> + +<p>I should not have been so ample in my account of this transaction, had +not the share I bore in it been made the subject of partial +animadversion, and even my dismission from my employment thought +worthy of being made by some a matter of public triumph<a name="FNanchor_X_24" id="FNanchor_X_24" /><a href="#Footnote_X_24" class="fnanchor">[X]</a>. The +motives which might influence any person to descend to a petty contest +with an obscure African, and to seek gratification by his depression, +perhaps it is not proper here to inquire into or relate, even if its +detection were necessary to my vindication; but I thank Heaven it is +not. I wish to stand by my own integrity, and not to shelter myself +under the impropriety of another; and I trust the behaviour of the +Commissioners of the Navy to me entitle me to make this assertion; for +after I had been dismissed, March 24, I drew up a memorial thus:</p> + + +<div class="blockquot"> +<p> +<i>To the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of<br /> + his Majesty's Treasury:<br /> +The Memorial and Petition of</i> <span class ="smcap">Gustavus Vassa</span> <i>a black Man,</i><br /> + <i>late Commissary to the black Poor going to</i> <span class ="smcap">Africa</span>.<br /> +<br /> +<span class="smcap">humbly sheweth,</span><br /> +</p> + +<p><span class="smcap">That</span> your Lordships' memorialist was, by the Honourable the + Commissioners of his Majesty's Navy, on the 4th of December + last, appointed to the above employment by warrant from that + board;</p> + +<p> That he accordingly proceeded to the execution of his duty + on board of the Vernon, being one of the ships appointed to + proceed to Africa with the above poor;</p> + +<p> That your memorialist, to his great grief and astonishment, + received a letter of dismission from the Honourable + Commissioners of the Navy, by your Lordships' orders;</p> + +<p> That, conscious of having acted with the most perfect + fidelity and the greatest assiduity in discharging the trust + reposed in him, he is altogether at a loss to conceive the + reasons of your Lordships' having altered the favourable + opinion you were pleased to conceive of him, sensible that + your Lordships would not proceed to so severe a measure + without some apparent good cause; he therefore has every + reason to believe that his conduct has been grossly + misrepresented to your Lordships; and he is the more + confirmed in his opinion, because, by opposing measures of + others concerned in the same expedition, which tended to + defeat your Lordships' humane intentions, and to put the + government to a very considerable additional expense, he + created a number of enemies, whose misrepresentations, he + has too much reason to believe, laid the foundation of his + dismission. Unsupported by friends, and unaided by the + advantages of a liberal education, he can only hope for + redress from the justice of his cause, in addition to the + mortification of having been removed from his employment, + and the advantage which he reasonably might have expected to + have derived therefrom. He has had the misfortune to have + sunk a considerable part of his little property in fitting + himself out, and in other expenses arising out of his + situation, an account of which he here annexes. Your + memorialist will not trouble your Lordships with a + vindication of any part of his conduct, because he knows not + of what crimes he is accused; he, however, earnestly + entreats that you will be pleased to direct an inquiry into + his behaviour during the time he acted in the public + service; and, if it be found that his dismission arose from + false representations, he is confident that in your + Lordships' justice he shall find redress.</p> + +<p> Your petitioner therefore humbly prays that your Lordships + will take his case into consideration, and that you will be + pleased to order payment of the above referred-to account, + amounting to 32l. 4s. and also the wages intended, which is + most humbly submitted.</p> + +<p> +<i> London, May 12, 1787.</i><br /> +</p> +</div> + +<p>The above petition was delivered into the hands of their Lordships, +who were kind enough, in the space of some few months afterwards, +without hearing, to order me 50l. sterling—that is, 18l. wages for +the time (upwards of four months) I acted a faithful part in their +service. Certainly the sum is more than a free negro would have had in +the western colonies!!!</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>March the 21st, 1788, I had the honour of presenting the Queen with a +petition on behalf of my African brethren, which was received most +graciously by her Majesty<a name="FNanchor_Y_25" id="FNanchor_Y_25" /><a href="#Footnote_Y_25" class="fnanchor">[Y]</a>:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p><i>To the</i> QUEEN's <i>most Excellent Majesty</i></p>. + +<p class ="smcap">Madam,</p> + +<p> Your Majesty's well known benevolence and humanity emboldens + me to approach your royal presence, trusting that the + obscurity of my situation will not prevent your Majesty from + attending to the sufferings for which I plead.</p> + +<p> Yet I do not solicit your royal pity for my own distress; my + sufferings, although numerous, are in a measure forgotten. I + supplicate your Majesty's compassion for millions of my + African countrymen, who groan under the lash of tyranny in + the West Indies.</p> + +<p> The oppression and cruelty exercised to the unhappy negroes + there, have at length reached the British legislature, and + they are now deliberating on its redress; even several + persons of property in slaves in the West Indies, have + petitioned parliament against its continuance, sensible that + it is as impolitic as it is unjust—and what is inhuman must + ever be unwise.</p> + +<p> Your Majesty's reign has been hitherto distinguished by + private acts of benevolence and bounty; surely the more + extended the misery is, the greater claim it has to your + Majesty's compassion, and the greater must be your Majesty's + pleasure in administering to its relief.</p> + +<p> I presume, therefore, gracious Queen, to implore your + interposition with your royal consort, in favour of the + wretched Africans; that, by your Majesty's benevolent + influence, a period may now be put to their misery; and that + they may be raised from the condition of brutes, to which + they are at present degraded, to the rights and situation of + freemen, and admitted to partake of the blessings of your + Majesty's happy government; so shall your Majesty enjoy the + heartfelt pleasure of procuring happiness to millions, and + be rewarded in the grateful prayers of themselves, and of + their posterity.</p> + +<p> And may the all-bountiful Creator shower on your Majesty, + and the Royal Family, every blessing that this world can + afford, and every fulness of joy which divine revelation has + promised us in the next.</p> + +<p> I am your Majesty's most dutiful and devoted servant to + command,</p> + +<p class="citation"> +<span class="smcap">Gustavus Vassa</span>,<br /> +The Oppressed Ethiopean.<br /> +<br /></p> +<p> +No. 53, Baldwin's Gardens.<br /> +</p> +</div> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>The negro consolidated act, made by the assembly of Jamaica last year, +and the new act of amendment now in agitation there, contain a proof +of the existence of those charges that have been made against the +planters relative to the treatment of their slaves.</p> + +<p>I hope to have the satisfaction of seeing the renovation of liberty +and justice resting on the British government, to vindicate the honour +of our common nature. These are concerns which do not perhaps belong +to any particular office: but, to speak more seriously to every man of +sentiment, actions like these are the just and sure foundation of +future fame; a reversion, though remote, is coveted by some noble +minds as a substantial good. It is upon these grounds that I hope and +expect the attention of gentlemen in power. These are designs +consonant to the elevation of their rank, and the dignity of their +stations: they are ends suitable to the nature of a free and generous +government; and, connected with views of empire and dominion, suited +to the benevolence and solid merit of the legislature. It is a pursuit +of substantial greatness.—May the time come—at least the speculation +to me is pleasing—when the sable people shall gratefully commemorate +the auspicious æra of extensive freedom. Then shall those persons<a name="FNanchor_Z_26" id="FNanchor_Z_26" /><a href="#Footnote_Z_26" class="fnanchor">[Z]</a> +particularly be named with praise and honour, who generously proposed +and stood forth in the cause of humanity, liberty, and good policy; +and brought to the ear of the legislature designs worthy of royal +patronage and adoption. May Heaven make the British senators the +dispersers of light, liberty, and science, to the uttermost parts of +the earth: then will be glory to God on the highest, on earth peace, +and goodwill to men:—Glory, honour, peace, &c. to every soul of man +that worketh good, to the Britons first, (because to them the Gospel +is preached) and also to the nations. 'Those that honour their Maker +have mercy on the poor.' 'It is righteousness exalteth a nation; but +sin is a reproach to any people; destruction shall be to the workers +of iniquity, and the wicked shall fall by their own wickedness.' May +the blessings of the Lord be upon the heads of all those who +commiserated the cases of the oppressed negroes, and the fear of God +prolong their days; and may their expectations be filled with +gladness! 'The liberal devise liberal things, and by liberal things +shall stand,' Isaiah xxxii. 8. They can say with pious Job, 'Did not I +weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the +poor?' Job xxx. 25.</p> + +<p>As the inhuman traffic of slavery is to be taken into the +consideration of the British legislature, I doubt not, if a system of +commerce was established in Africa, the demand for manufactures would +most rapidly augment, as the native inhabitants will insensibly adopt +the British fashions, manners, customs, &c. In proportion to the +civilization, so will be the consumption of British manufactures.</p> + +<p>The wear and tear of a continent, nearly twice as large as Europe, and +rich in vegetable and mineral productions, is much easier conceived +than calculated.</p> + +<p>A case in point.—It cost the Aborigines of Britain little or nothing +in clothing, &c. The difference between their forefathers and the +present generation, in point of consumption, is literally infinite. +The supposition is most obvious. It will be equally immense in +Africa—The same cause, viz. civilization, will ever have the same +effect.</p> + +<p>It is trading upon safe grounds. A commercial intercourse with Africa +opens an inexhaustible source of wealth to the manufacturing interests +of Great Britain, and to all which the slave trade is an objection.</p> + +<p>If I am not misinformed, the manufacturing interest is equal, if not +superior, to the landed interest, as to the value, for reasons which +will soon appear. The abolition of slavery, so diabolical, will give a +most rapid extension of manufactures, which is totally and +diametrically opposite to what some interested people assert.</p> + +<p>The manufacturers of this country must and will, in the nature and +reason of things, have a full and constant employ by supplying the +African markets.</p> + +<p>Population, the bowels and surface of Africa, abound in valuable and +useful returns; the hidden treasures of centuries will be brought to +light and into circulation. Industry, enterprize, and mining, will +have their full scope, proportionably as they civilize. In a word, it +lays open an endless field of commerce to the British manufactures and +merchant adventurer. The manufacturing interest and the general +interests are synonymous. The abolition of slavery would be in reality +an universal good.</p> + +<p>Tortures, murder, and every other imaginable barbarity and iniquity, +are practised upon the poor slaves with impunity. I hope the slave +trade will be abolished. I pray it may be an event at hand. The great +body of manufacturers, uniting in the cause, will considerably +facilitate and expedite it; and, as I have already stated, it is most +substantially their interest and advantage, and as such the nation's +at large, (except those persons concerned in the manufacturing +neck-yokes, collars, chains, hand-cuffs, leg-bolts, drags, +thumb-screws, iron muzzles, and coffins; cats, scourges, and other +instruments of torture used in the slave trade). In a short time one +sentiment alone will prevail, from motives of interest as well as +justice and humanity. Europe contains one hundred and twenty millions +of inhabitants. Query—How many millions doth Africa contain? +Supposing the Africans, collectively and individually, to expend 5l. a +head in raiment and furniture yearly when civilized, &c. an immensity +beyond the reach of imagination!</p> + +<p>This I conceive to be a theory founded upon facts, and therefore an +infallible one. If the blacks were permitted to remain in their own +country, they would double themselves every fifteen years. In +proportion to such increase will be the demand for manufactures. +Cotton and indigo grow spontaneously in most parts of Africa; a +consideration this of no small consequence to the manufacturing towns +of Great Britain. It opens a most immense, glorious, and happy +prospect—the clothing, &c. of a continent ten thousand miles in +circumference, and immensely rich in productions of every denomination +in return for manufactures.</p> + +<p>I have only therefore to request the reader's indulgence and conclude. +I am far from the vanity of thinking there is any merit in this +narrative: I hope censure will be suspended, when it is considered +that it was written by one who was as unwilling as unable to adorn the +plainness of truth by the colouring of imagination. My life and +fortune have been extremely chequered, and my adventures various. Even +those I have related are considerably abridged. If any incident in +this little work should appear uninteresting and trifling to most +readers, I can only say, as my excuse for mentioning it, that almost +every event of my life made an impression on my mind and influenced my +conduct. I early accustomed myself to look for the hand of God in the +minutest occurrence, and to learn from it a lesson of morality and +religion; and in this light every circumstance I have related was to +me of importance. After all, what makes any event important, unless by +its observation we become better and wiser, and learn 'to do justly, +to love mercy, and to walk humbly before God?' To those who are +possessed of this spirit, there is scarcely any book or incident so +trifling that does not afford some profit, while to others the +experience of ages seems of no use; and even to pour out to them the +treasures of wisdom is throwing the jewels of instruction away.</p> + +<h5>THE END.</h5> + +<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_X_24" id="Footnote_X_24" /><a href="#FNanchor_X_24"><span class="label">[X]</span></a> See the Public Advertiser, July 14, 1787.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_Y_25" id="Footnote_Y_25" /><a href="#FNanchor_Y_25"><span class="label">[Y]</span></a> At the request of some of my most particular friends, I +take the liberty of inserting it here.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_Z_26" id="Footnote_Z_26" /><a href="#FNanchor_Z_26"><span class="label">[Z]</span></a> Grenville Sharp, Esq; the Reverend Thomas Clarkson; the +Reverend James Ramsay; our approved friends, men of virtue, are an +honour to their country, ornamental to human nature, happy in +themselves, and benefactors to mankind!</p></div> + + + + + + +</div> + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Interesting Narrative of the Life +of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African, by Olaudah Equiano + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE INTERESTING NARRATIVE OF *** + +***** This file should be named 15399-h.htm or 15399-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/5/3/9/15399/ + +Produced by Suzanne Shell, Diane Monico and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team. + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African + Written By Himself + +Author: Olaudah Equiano + +Release Date: March 17, 2005 [EBook #15399] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE INTERESTING NARRATIVE OF *** + + + + +Produced by Suzanne Shell, Diane Monico and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team. + + + + + + + + + + +THE + +INTERESTING NARRATIVE + +OF + +THE LIFE + +OF + +OLAUDAH EQUIANO, + +OR + +GUSTAVUS VASSA, + +THE AFRICAN. + +_WRITTEN BY HIMSELF._ + + + _Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be + afraid, for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my + song; he also is become my salvation. + And in that shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his + name, declare his doings among the people. Isaiah xii. 2, 4._ + + + +LONDON: + +Printed for and sold by the Author, No. 10, Union-Street, +Middlesex Hospital + + +Sold also by Mr. Johnson, St. Paul's Church-Yard; Mr. + Murray, Fleet-Street; Messrs. Robson and Clark, Bond-Street; + Mr. Davis, opposite Gray's Inn, Holborn; Messrs. Shepperson + and Reynolds, and Mr. Jackson, Oxford Street; Mr. + Lackington, Chiswell-Street; Mr. Mathews, Strand; Mr. + Murray, Prince's-Street, Soho; Mess. Taylor and Co. South + Arch, Royal Exchange; Mr. Button, Newington-Causeway; Mr. + Parsons, Paternoster-Row; and may be had of all the + Booksellers in Town and Country. + +[Entered at Stationer's Hall.] + + + + +[Illustration: Olaudah Equiano or GUSTAVUS VASSA, _the African_] + + + + +To the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons of the +Parliament of Great Britain. + + +_My Lords and Gentlemen_, + +Permit me, with the greatest deference and respect, to lay at your +feet the following genuine Narrative; the chief design of which is to +excite in your august assemblies a sense of compassion for the +miseries which the Slave-Trade has entailed on my unfortunate +countrymen. By the horrors of that trade was I first torn away from +all the tender connexions that were naturally dear to my heart; but +these, through the mysterious ways of Providence, I ought to regard as +infinitely more than compensated by the introduction I have thence +obtained to the knowledge of the Christian religion, and of a nation +which, by its liberal sentiments, its humanity, the glorious freedom +of its government, and its proficiency in arts and sciences, has +exalted the dignity of human nature. + +I am sensible I ought to entreat your pardon for addressing to you a +work so wholly devoid of literary merit; but, as the production of an +unlettered African, who is actuated by the hope of becoming an +instrument towards the relief of his suffering countrymen, I trust +that _such a man_, pleading in _such a cause_, will be acquitted of +boldness and presumption. + +May the God of heaven inspire your hearts with peculiar benevolence on +that important day when the question of Abolition is to be discussed, +when thousands, in consequence of your Determination, are to look for +Happiness or Misery! + + I am, + My Lords and Gentlemen, + Your most obedient, + And devoted humble Servant, + Olaudah Equiano, + or + Gustavus Vassa. + + Union-Street, Mary-le-bone, + March 24, 1789. + + + + +LIST of SUBSCRIBERS. + + + His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. + His Royal Highness the Duke of York. + + + A + + The Right Hon. the Earl of Ailesbury + Admiral Affleck + Mr. William Abington, 2 copies + Mr. John Abraham + James Adair, Esq. + Reverend Mr. Aldridge + Mr. John Almon + Mrs. Arnot + Mr. Joseph Armitage + Mr. Joseph Ashpinshaw + Mr. Samuel Atkins + Mr. John Atwood + Mr. Thomas Atwood + Mr. Ashwell + J.C. 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Litchfield + Edward Loveden Loveden, Esq. M.P. + Charles Lloyd, Esq. + Mr. William Lloyd + Mr. J.B. Lucas + Mr. James Luken + Henry Lyte, Esq. + Mrs. Lyon + + + M + + His Grace the Duke of Marlborough + His Grace the Duke of Montague + The Right Hon. Lord Mulgrave + Sir Herbert Mackworth, Bart. + Sir Charles Middleton, Bart. + Lady Middleton + Mr. Thomas Macklane + Mr. George Markett + James Martin, Esq. M.P. + Master Martin, Hayes-Grove, Kent + Mr. William Massey + Mr. Joseph Massingham + John McIntosh, Esq. + Paul Le Mesurier, Esq. M.P. + Mr. James Mewburn + Mr. N. Middleton, + T. Mitchell, Esq. + Mrs. Montague, 2 copies + Miss Hannah More + Mr. George Morrison + Thomas Morris, Esq. + Miss Morris + Morris Morgann, Esq. + + + N + + His Grace the Duke of Northumberland + Captain Nurse + + + O + + Edward Ogle, Esq. + James Ogle, Esq. + Robert Oliver, Esq. + + + P + + Mr. D. Parker, + Mr. W. Parker, + Mr. Richard Packer, jun. + Mr. Parsons, 6 copies + Mr. James Pearse + Mr. J. Pearson + J. Penn, Esq. + George Peters, Esq. + Mr. W. Phillips, + J. Philips, Esq. + Mrs. Pickard + Mr. Charles Pilgrim + The Hon. George Pitt, M.P. + Mr. Thomas Pooley + Patrick Power, Esq. + Mr. Michael Power + Joseph Pratt, Esq. + + + Q + + Robert Quarme, Esq. + + + R + + The Right Hon. Lord Rawdon + The Right Hon. Lord Rivers, 2 copies + Lieutenant General Rainsford + Reverend James Ramsay, 3 copies + Mr. S. Remnant, jun. + Mr. William Richards, 2 copies + Mr. J.C. Robarts + Mr. James Roberts + Dr. Robinson + Mr. Robinson + Mr. C. Robinson + George Rose, Esq. M.P. + Mr. W. Ross + Mr. William Rouse + Mr. Walter Row + + + S + + His Grace the Duke of St. Albans + Her Grace the Duchess of St. Albans + The Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of St. David's + The Right Hon. Earl Stanhope, 3 copies + The Right Hon. the Earl of Scarbrough + William, the Son of Ignatius Sancho + Mrs. Mary Ann Sandiford + Mr. William Sawyer + Mr. Thomas Seddon + W. Seward, Esq. + Reverend Mr. Thomas Scott + Granville Sharp, Esq. 2 copies + Captain Sidney Smith, of the Royal Navy + Colonel Simcoe + Mr. John Simco + General Smith + John Smith, Esq. + Mr. George Smith + Mr. William Smith + Reverend Mr. Southgate + Mr. William Starkey + Thomas Steel, Esq. M.P. + Mr. Staples Steare + Mr. Joseph Stewardson + Mr. Henry Stone, jun. 2 copies + John Symmons, Esq. + + + T + + Henry Thornton, Esq. M.P. + Mr. Alexander Thomson, M.D. + Reverend John Till + Mr. Samuel Townly + Mr. Daniel Trinder + Reverend Mr. C. La Trobe + Clement Tudway, Esq. + Mrs. Twisden + + + U + + Mr. M. Underwood + + + V + + Mr. John Vaughan + Mrs. Vendt + + + W + + The Right Hon. Earl of Warnick + The Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Worcester + The Hon. William Windham, Esq. M.P. + Mr. C.B. Wadstrom + Mr. George Walne + Reverend Mr. Ward + Mr. S. Warren + Mr. J. Waugh + Josiah Wedgwood, Esq. + Reverend Mr. John Wesley + Mr. J. Wheble + Samuel Whitbread, Esq. M.P. + Reverend Thomas Wigzell + Mr. W. Wilson + Reverend Mr. Wills + Mr. Thomas Wimsett + Mr. William Winchester + John Wollaston, Esq. + Mr. Charles Wood + Mr. Joseph Woods + Mr. John Wood + J. Wright, Esq. + + + Y + + Mr. Thomas Young + Mr. Samuel Yockney + + + + +CONTENTS + + + CHAP. I. + + The author's account of his country, their manners and + customs, &c. + + + CHAP. II. + + The author's birth and parentage--His being kidnapped + with his sister--Horrors of a slave ship + + + CHAP. III. + + The author is carried to Virginia--Arrives in England--His + wonder at a fall of snow + + + CHAP. IV. + + A particular account of the celebrated engagement + between Admiral Boscawen and Monsieur Le Clue + + + CHAP. V. + + Various interesting instances of oppression, cruelty, and + extortion + + + CHAP. VI. + + Favourable change in the author's situation--He + commences merchant with threepence + + + CHAP. VII. + + The author's disgust at the West Indies--Forms + schemes to obtain his freedom + + + CHAP. VIII. + + Three remarkable dreams--The author is shipwrecked + on the Bahama-bank + + + CHAP. IX. + + The author arrives at Martinico--Meets with new + difficulties, and sails for England + + + CHAP. X. + + Some account of the manner of the author's conversion to + the faith of Jesus Christ + + + CHAP. XI. + + Picking up eleven miserable men at sea in returning to + England + + CHAP. XII. + + Different transactions of the author's life--Petition to the + Queen--Conclusion + + + + +THE LIFE, &c. + + + + +CHAPTER I. + + _The author's account of his country, and their manners and + customs--Administration of justice--Embrenche--Marriage + ceremony, and public entertainments--Mode of + living--Dress--Manufactures + Buildings--Commerce--Agriculture--War and + religion--Superstition of the natives--Funeral ceremonies of + the priests or magicians--Curious mode of discovering + poison--Some hints concerning the origin of the author's + countrymen, with the opinions of different writers on that + subject._ + + +I believe it is difficult for those who publish their own memoirs to +escape the imputation of vanity; nor is this the only disadvantage +under which they labour: it is also their misfortune, that what is +uncommon is rarely, if ever, believed, and what is obvious we are apt +to turn from with disgust, and to charge the writer with impertinence. +People generally think those memoirs only worthy to be read or +remembered which abound in great or striking events, those, in short, +which in a high degree excite either admiration or pity: all others +they consign to contempt and oblivion. It is therefore, I confess, not +a little hazardous in a private and obscure individual, and a stranger +too, thus to solicit the indulgent attention of the public; especially +when I own I offer here the history of neither a saint, a hero, nor a +tyrant. I believe there are few events in my life, which have not +happened to many: it is true the incidents of it are numerous; and, +did I consider myself an European, I might say my sufferings were +great: but when I compare my lot with that of most of my countrymen, I +regard myself as a _particular favourite of Heaven_, and acknowledge +the mercies of Providence in every occurrence of my life. If then the +following narrative does not appear sufficiently interesting to engage +general attention, let my motive be some excuse for its publication. I +am not so foolishly vain as to expect from it either immortality or +literary reputation. If it affords any satisfaction to my numerous +friends, at whose request it has been written, or in the smallest +degree promotes the interests of humanity, the ends for which it was +undertaken will be fully attained, and every wish of my heart +gratified. Let it therefore be remembered, that, in wishing to avoid +censure, I do not aspire to praise. + +That part of Africa, known by the name of Guinea, to which the trade +for slaves is carried on, extends along the coast above 3400 miles, +from the Senegal to Angola, and includes a variety of kingdoms. Of +these the most considerable is the kingdom of Benen, both as to extent +and wealth, the richness and cultivation of the soil, the power of its +king, and the number and warlike disposition of the inhabitants. It is +situated nearly under the line, and extends along the coast about 170 +miles, but runs back into the interior part of Africa to a distance +hitherto I believe unexplored by any traveller; and seems only +terminated at length by the empire of Abyssinia, near 1500 miles from +its beginning. This kingdom is divided into many provinces or +districts: in one of the most remote and fertile of which, called +Eboe, I was born, in the year 1745, in a charming fruitful vale, named +Essaka. The distance of this province from the capital of Benin and +the sea coast must be very considerable; for I had never heard of +white men or Europeans, nor of the sea: and our subjection to the king +of Benin was little more than nominal; for every transaction of the +government, as far as my slender observation extended, was conducted +by the chiefs or elders of the place. The manners and government of a +people who have little commerce with other countries are generally +very simple; and the history of what passes in one family or village +may serve as a specimen of a nation. My father was one of those elders +or chiefs I have spoken of, and was styled Embrenche; a term, as I +remember, importing the highest distinction, and signifying in our +language a _mark_ of grandeur. This mark is conferred on the person +entitled to it, by cutting the skin across at the top of the forehead, +and drawing it down to the eye-brows; and while it is in this +situation applying a warm hand, and rubbing it until it shrinks up +into a thick _weal_ across the lower part of the forehead. Most of the +judges and senators were thus marked; my father had long born it: I +had seen it conferred on one of my brothers, and I was also +_destined_ to receive it by my parents. Those Embrence, or chief men, +decided disputes and punished crimes; for which purpose they always +assembled together. The proceedings were generally short; and in most +cases the law of retaliation prevailed. I remember a man was brought +before my father, and the other judges, for kidnapping a boy; and, +although he was the son of a chief or senator, he was condemned to +make recompense by a man or woman slave. Adultery, however, was +sometimes punished with slavery or death; a punishment which I believe +is inflicted on it throughout most of the nations of Africa[A]: so +sacred among them is the honour of the marriage bed, and so jealous +are they of the fidelity of their wives. Of this I recollect an +instance:--a woman was convicted before the judges of adultery, and +delivered over, as the custom was, to her husband to be punished. +Accordingly he determined to put her to death: but it being found, +just before her execution, that she had an infant at her breast; and +no woman being prevailed on to perform the part of a nurse, she was +spared on account of the child. The men, however, do not preserve the +same constancy to their wives, which they expect from them; for they +indulge in a plurality, though seldom in more than two. Their mode of +marriage is thus:--both parties are usually betrothed when young by +their parents, (though I have known the males to betroth themselves). +On this occasion a feast is prepared, and the bride and bridegroom +stand up in the midst of all their friends, who are assembled for the +purpose, while he declares she is thenceforth to be looked upon as his +wife, and that no other person is to pay any addresses to her. This is +also immediately proclaimed in the vicinity, on which the bride +retires from the assembly. Some time after she is brought home to her +husband, and then another feast is made, to which the relations of +both parties are invited: her parents then deliver her to the +bridegroom, accompanied with a number of blessings, and at the same +time they tie round her waist a cotton string of the thickness of a +goose-quill, which none but married women are permitted to wear: she +is now considered as completely his wife; and at this time the dowry +is given to the new married pair, which generally consists of portions +of land, slaves, and cattle, household goods, and implements of +husbandry. These are offered by the friends of both parties; besides +which the parents of the bridegroom present gifts to those of the +bride, whose property she is looked upon before marriage; but after it +she is esteemed the sole property of her husband. The ceremony being +now ended the festival begins, which is celebrated with bonefires, and +loud acclamations of joy, accompanied with music and dancing. + +We are almost a nation of dancers, musicians, and poets. Thus every +great event, such as a triumphant return from battle, or other cause +of public rejoicing is celebrated in public dances, which are +accompanied with songs and music suited to the occasion. The assembly +is separated into four divisions, which dance either apart or in +succession, and each with a character peculiar to itself. The first +division contains the married men, who in their dances frequently +exhibit feats of arms, and the representation of a battle. To these +succeed the married women, who dance in the second division. The young +men occupy the third; and the maidens the fourth. Each represents some +interesting scene of real life, such as a great achievement, domestic +employment, a pathetic story, or some rural sport; and as the subject +is generally founded on some recent event, it is therefore ever new. +This gives our dances a spirit and variety which I have scarcely seen +elsewhere[B]. We have many musical instruments, particularly drums of +different kinds, a piece of music which resembles a guitar, and +another much like a stickado. These last are chiefly used by betrothed +virgins, who play on them on all grand festivals. + +As our manners are simple, our luxuries are few. The dress of both +sexes is nearly the same. It generally consists of a long piece of +callico, or muslin, wrapped loosely round the body, somewhat in the +form of a highland plaid. This is usually dyed blue, which is our +favourite colour. It is extracted from a berry, and is brighter and +richer than any I have seen in Europe. Besides this, our women of +distinction wear golden ornaments; which they dispose with some +profusion on their arms and legs. When our women are not employed with +the men in tillage, their usual occupation is spinning and weaving +cotton, which they afterwards dye, and make it into garments. They +also manufacture earthen vessels, of which we have many kinds. Among +the rest tobacco pipes, made after the same fashion, and used in the +same manner, as those in Turkey[C]. + +Our manner of living is entirely plain; for as yet the natives are +unacquainted with those refinements in cookery which debauch the +taste: bullocks, goats, and poultry, supply the greatest part of their +food. These constitute likewise the principal wealth of the country, +and the chief articles of its commerce. The flesh is usually stewed in +a pan; to make it savoury we sometimes use also pepper, and other +spices, and we have salt made of wood ashes. Our vegetables are mostly +plantains, eadas, yams, beans, and Indian corn. The head of the family +usually eats alone; his wives and slaves have also their separate +tables. Before we taste food we always wash our hands: indeed our +cleanliness on all occasions is extreme; but on this it is an +indispensable ceremony. After washing, libation is made, by pouring +out a small portion of the food, in a certain place, for the spirits +of departed relations, which the natives suppose to preside over their +conduct, and guard them from evil. They are totally unacquainted with +strong or spirituous liquours; and their principal beverage is palm +wine. This is gotten from a tree of that name by tapping it at the +top, and fastening a large gourd to it; and sometimes one tree will +yield three or four gallons in a night. When just drawn it is of a +most delicious sweetness; but in a few days it acquires a tartish and +more spirituous flavour: though I never saw any one intoxicated by it. +The same tree also produces nuts and oil. Our principal luxury is in +perfumes; one sort of these is an odoriferous wood of delicious +fragrance: the other a kind of earth; a small portion of which thrown +into the fire diffuses a most powerful odour[D]. We beat this wood +into powder, and mix it with palm oil; with which both men and women +perfume themselves. + +In our buildings we study convenience rather than ornament. Each +master of a family has a large square piece of ground, surrounded with +a moat or fence, or enclosed with a wall made of red earth tempered; +which, when dry, is as hard as brick. Within this are his houses to +accommodate his family and slaves; which, if numerous, frequently +present the appearance of a village. In the middle stands the +principal building, appropriated to the sole use of the master, and +consisting of two apartments; in one of which he sits in the day with +his family, the other is left apart for the reception of his friends. +He has besides these a distinct apartment in which he sleeps, together +with his male children. On each side are the apartments of his wives, +who have also their separate day and night houses. The habitations of +the slaves and their families are distributed throughout the rest of +the enclosure. These houses never exceed one story in height: they are +always built of wood, or stakes driven into the ground, crossed with +wattles, and neatly plastered within, and without. The roof is +thatched with reeds. Our day-houses are left open at the sides; but +those in which we sleep are always covered, and plastered in the +inside, with a composition mixed with cow-dung, to keep off the +different insects, which annoy us during the night. The walls and +floors also of these are generally covered with mats. Our beds consist +of a platform, raised three or four feet from the ground, on which are +laid skins, and different parts of a spungy tree called plaintain. Our +covering is calico or muslin, the same as our dress. The usual seats +are a few logs of wood; but we have benches, which are generally +perfumed, to accommodate strangers: these compose the greater part of +our household furniture. Houses so constructed and furnished require +but little skill to erect them. Every man is a sufficient architect +for the purpose. The whole neighbourhood afford their unanimous +assistance in building them and in return receive, and expect no other +recompense than a feast. + +As we live in a country where nature is prodigal of her favours, our +wants are few and easily supplied; of course we have few manufactures. +They consist for the most part of calicoes, earthern ware, ornaments, +and instruments of war and husbandry. But these make no part of our +commerce, the principal articles of which, as I have observed, are +provisions. In such a state money is of little use; however we have +some small pieces of coin, if I may call them such. They are made +something like an anchor; but I do not remember either their value or +denomination. We have also markets, at which I have been frequently +with my mother. These are sometimes visited by stout mahogany-coloured +men from the south west of us: we call them Oye-Eboe, which term +signifies red men living at a distance. They generally bring us +fire-arms, gunpowder, hats, beads, and dried fish. The last we +esteemed a great rarity, as our waters were only brooks and springs. +These articles they barter with us for odoriferous woods and earth, +and our salt of wood ashes. They always carry slaves through our land; +but the strictest account is exacted of their manner of procuring them +before they are suffered to pass. Sometimes indeed we sold slaves to +them, but they were only prisoners of war, or such among us as had +been convicted of kidnapping, or adultery, and some other crimes, +which we esteemed heinous. This practice of kidnapping induces me to +think, that, notwithstanding all our strictness, their principal +business among us was to trepan our people. I remember too they +carried great sacks along with them, which not long after I had an +opportunity of fatally seeing applied to that infamous purpose. + +Our land is uncommonly rich and fruitful, and produces all kinds of +vegetables in great abundance. We have plenty of Indian corn, and vast +quantities of cotton and tobacco. Our pine apples grow without +culture; they are about the size of the largest sugar-loaf, and finely +flavoured. We have also spices of different kinds, particularly +pepper; and a variety of delicious fruits which I have never seen in +Europe; together with gums of various kinds, and honey in abundance. +All our industry is exerted to improve those blessings of nature. +Agriculture is our chief employment; and every one, even the children +and women, are engaged in it. Thus we are all habituated to labour +from our earliest years. Every one contributes something to the common +stock; and as we are unacquainted with idleness, we have no beggars. +The benefits of such a mode of living are obvious. The West India +planters prefer the slaves of Benin or Eboe to those of any other part +of Guinea, for their hardiness, intelligence, integrity, and zeal. +Those benefits are felt by us in the general healthiness of the +people, and in their vigour and activity; I might have added too in +their comeliness. Deformity is indeed unknown amongst us, I mean that +of shape. Numbers of the natives of Eboe now in London might be +brought in support of this assertion: for, in regard to complexion, +ideas of beauty are wholly relative. I remember while in Africa to +have seen three negro children, who were tawny, and another quite +white, who were universally regarded by myself, and the natives in +general, as far as related to their complexions, as deformed. Our +women too were in my eyes at least uncommonly graceful, alert, and +modest to a degree of bashfulness; nor do I remember to have ever +heard of an instance of incontinence amongst them before marriage. +They are also remarkably cheerful. Indeed cheerfulness and affability +are two of the leading characteristics of our nation. + +Our tillage is exercised in a large plain or common, some hours walk +from our dwellings, and all the neighbours resort thither in a body. +They use no beasts of husbandry; and their only instruments are hoes, +axes, shovels, and beaks, or pointed iron to dig with. Sometimes we +are visited by locusts, which come in large clouds, so as to darken +the air, and destroy our harvest. This however happens rarely, but +when it does, a famine is produced by it. I remember an instance or +two wherein this happened. This common is often the theatre of war; +and therefore when our people go out to till their land, they not only +go in a body, but generally take their arms with them for fear of a +surprise; and when they apprehend an invasion they guard the avenues +to their dwellings, by driving sticks into the ground, which are so +sharp at one end as to pierce the foot, and are generally dipt in +poison. From what I can recollect of these battles, they appear to +have been irruptions of one little state or district on the other, to +obtain prisoners or booty. Perhaps they were incited to this by those +traders who brought the European goods I mentioned amongst us. Such a +mode of obtaining slaves in Africa is common; and I believe more are +procured this way, and by kidnapping, than any other[E]. When a trader +wants slaves, he applies to a chief for them, and tempts him with his +wares. It is not extraordinary, if on this occasion he yields to the +temptation with as little firmness, and accepts the price of his +fellow creatures liberty with as little reluctance as the enlightened +merchant. Accordingly he falls on his neighbours, and a desperate +battle ensues. If he prevails and takes prisoners, he gratifies his +avarice by selling them; but, if his party be vanquished, and he falls +into the hands of the enemy, he is put to death: for, as he has been +known to foment their quarrels, it is thought dangerous to let him +survive, and no ransom can save him, though all other prisoners may be +redeemed. We have fire-arms, bows and arrows, broad two-edged swords +and javelins: we have shields also which cover a man from head to +foot. All are taught the use of these weapons; even our women are +warriors, and march boldly out to fight along with the men. Our whole +district is a kind of militia: on a certain signal given, such as the +firing of a gun at night, they all rise in arms and rush upon their +enemy. It is perhaps something remarkable, that when our people march +to the field a red flag or banner is borne before them. I was once a +witness to a battle in our common. We had been all at work in it one +day as usual, when our people were suddenly attacked. I climbed a tree +at some distance, from which I beheld the fight. There were many women +as well as men on both sides; among others my mother was there, and +armed with a broad sword. After fighting for a considerable time with +great fury, and after many had been killed our people obtained the +victory, and took their enemy's Chief prisoner. He was carried off in +great triumph, and, though he offered a large ransom for his life, he +was put to death. A virgin of note among our enemies had been slain in +the battle, and her arm was exposed in our market-place, where our +trophies were always exhibited. The spoils were divided according to +the merit of the warriors. Those prisoners which were not sold or +redeemed we kept as slaves: but how different was their condition from +that of the slaves in the West Indies! With us they do no more work +than other members of the community, even their masters; their food, +clothing and lodging were nearly the same as theirs, (except that they +were not permitted to eat with those who were free-born); and there +was scarce any other difference between them, than a superior degree +of importance which the head of a family possesses in our state, and +that authority which, as such, he exercises over every part of his +household. Some of these slaves have even slaves under them as their +own property, and for their own use. + +As to religion, the natives believe that there is one Creator of all +things, and that he lives in the sun, and is girted round with a belt +that he may never eat or drink; but, according to some, he smokes a +pipe, which is our own favourite luxury. They believe he governs +events, especially our deaths or captivity; but, as for the doctrine +of eternity, I do not remember to have ever heard of it: some however +believe in the transmigration of souls in a certain degree. Those +spirits, which are not transmigrated, such as our dear friends or +relations, they believe always attend them, and guard them from the +bad spirits or their foes. For this reason they always before eating, +as I have observed, put some small portion of the meat, and pour some +of their drink, on the ground for them; and they often make oblations +of the blood of beasts or fowls at their graves. I was very fond of my +mother, and almost constantly with her. When she went to make these +oblations at her mother's tomb, which was a kind of small solitary +thatched house, I sometimes attended her. There she made her +libations, and spent most of the night in cries and lamentations. I +have been often extremely terrified on these occasions. The loneliness +of the place, the darkness of the night, and the ceremony of libation, +naturally awful and gloomy, were heightened by my mother's +lamentations; and these, concuring with the cries of doleful birds, by +which these places were frequented, gave an inexpressible terror to +the scene. + +We compute the year from the day on which the sun crosses the line, +and on its setting that evening there is a general shout throughout +the land; at least I can speak from my own knowledge throughout our +vicinity. The people at the same time make a great noise with rattles, +not unlike the basket rattles used by children here, though much +larger, and hold up their hands to heaven for a blessing. It is then +the greatest offerings are made; and those children whom our wise men +foretel will be fortunate are then presented to different people. I +remember many used to come to see me, and I was carried about to +others for that purpose. They have many offerings, particularly at +full moons; generally two at harvest before the fruits are taken out +of the ground: and when any young animals are killed, sometimes they +offer up part of them as a sacrifice. These offerings, when made by +one of the heads of a family, serve for the whole. I remember we often +had them at my father's and my uncle's, and their families have been +present. Some of our offerings are eaten with bitter herbs. We had a +saying among us to any one of a cross temper, 'That if they were to be +eaten, they should be eaten with bitter herbs.' + +We practised circumcision like the Jews, and made offerings and feasts +on that occasion in the same manner as they did. Like them also, our +children were named from some event, some circumstance, or fancied +foreboding at the time of their birth. I was named _Olaudah_, which, +in our language, signifies vicissitude or fortune also, one favoured, +and having a loud voice and well spoken. I remember we never polluted +the name of the object of our adoration; on the contrary, it was +always mentioned with the greatest reverence; and we were totally +unacquainted with swearing, and all those terms of abuse and reproach +which find their way so readily and copiously into the languages of +more civilized people. The only expressions of that kind I remember +were 'May you rot, or may you swell, or may a beast take you.' + +I have before remarked that the natives of this part of Africa are +extremely cleanly. This necessary habit of decency was with us a part +of religion, and therefore we had many purifications and washings; +indeed almost as many, and used on the same occasions, if my +recollection does not fail me, as the Jews. Those that touched the +dead at any time were obliged to wash and purify themselves before +they could enter a dwelling-house. Every woman too, at certain times, +was forbidden to come into a dwelling-house, or touch any person, or +any thing we ate. I was so fond of my mother I could not keep from +her, or avoid touching her at some of those periods, in consequence of +which I was obliged to be kept out with her, in a little house made +for that purpose, till offering was made, and then we were purified. + +Though we had no places of public worship, we had priests and +magicians, or wise men. I do not remember whether they had different +offices, or whether they were united in the same persons, but they +were held in great reverence by the people. They calculated our time, +and foretold events, as their name imported, for we called them +Ah-affoe-way-cah, which signifies calculators or yearly men, our year +being called Ah-affoe. They wore their beards, and when they died they +were succeeded by their sons. Most of their implements and things of +value were interred along with them. Pipes and tobacco were also put +into the grave with the corpse, which was always perfumed and +ornamented, and animals were offered in sacrifice to them. None +accompanied their funerals but those of the same profession or tribe. +These buried them after sunset, and always returned from the grave by +a different way from that which they went. + +These magicians were also our doctors or physicians. They practised +bleeding by cupping; and were very successful in healing wounds and +expelling poisons. They had likewise some extraordinary method of +discovering jealousy, theft, and poisoning; the success of which no +doubt they derived from their unbounded influence over the credulity +and superstition of the people. I do not remember what those methods +were, except that as to poisoning: I recollect an instance or two, +which I hope it will not be deemed impertinent here to insert, as it +may serve as a kind of specimen of the rest, and is still used by the +negroes in the West Indies. A virgin had been poisoned, but it was not +known by whom: the doctors ordered the corpse to be taken up by some +persons, and carried to the grave. As soon as the bearers had raised +it on their shoulders, they seemed seized with some[F] sudden +impulse, and ran to and fro unable to stop themselves. At last, after +having passed through a number of thorns and prickly bushes unhurt, +the corpse fell from them close to a house, and defaced it in the +fall; and, the owner being taken up, he immediately confessed the +poisoning[G]. + +The natives are extremely cautious about poison. When they buy any +eatable the seller kisses it all round before the buyer, to shew him +it is not poisoned; and the same is done when any meat or drink is +presented, particularly to a stranger. We have serpents of different +kinds, some of which are esteemed ominous when they appear in our +houses, and these we never molest. I remember two of those ominous +snakes, each of which was as thick as the calf of a man's leg, and in +colour resembling a dolphin in the water, crept at different times +into my mother's night-house, where I always lay with her, and coiled +themselves into folds, and each time they crowed like a cock. I was +desired by some of our wise men to touch these, that I might be +interested in the good omens, which I did, for they were quite +harmless, and would tamely suffer themselves to be handled; and then +they were put into a large open earthen pan, and set on one side of +the highway. Some of our snakes, however, were poisonous: one of them +crossed the road one day when I was standing on it, and passed between +my feet without offering to touch me, to the great surprise of many +who saw it; and these incidents were accounted by the wise men, and +therefore by my mother and the rest of the people, as remarkable omens +in my favour. + +Such is the imperfect sketch my memory has furnished me with of the +manners and customs of a people among whom I first drew my breath. And +here I cannot forbear suggesting what has long struck me very +forcibly, namely, the strong analogy which even by this sketch, +imperfect as it is, appears to prevail in the manners and customs of +my countrymen and those of the Jews, before they reached the Land of +Promise, and particularly the patriarchs while they were yet in that +pastoral state which is described in Genesis--an analogy, which alone +would induce me to think that the one people had sprung from the +other. Indeed this is the opinion of Dr. Gill, who, in his commentary +on Genesis, very ably deduces the pedigree of the Africans from Afer +and Afra, the descendants of Abraham by Keturah his wife and concubine +(for both these titles are applied to her). It is also conformable to +the sentiments of Dr. John Clarke, formerly Dean of Sarum, in his +Truth of the Christian Religion: both these authors concur in +ascribing to us this original. The reasonings of these gentlemen are +still further confirmed by the scripture chronology; and if any +further corroboration were required, this resemblance in so many +respects is a strong evidence in support of the opinion. Like the +Israelites in their primitive state, our government was conducted by +our chiefs or judges, our wise men and elders; and the head of a +family with us enjoyed a similar authority over his household with +that which is ascribed to Abraham and the other patriarchs. The law of +retaliation obtained almost universally with us as with them: and even +their religion appeared to have shed upon us a ray of its glory, +though broken and spent in its passage, or eclipsed by the cloud with +which time, tradition, and ignorance might have enveloped it; for we +had our circumcision (a rule I believe peculiar to that people:) we +had also our sacrifices and burnt-offerings, our washings and +purifications, on the same occasions as they had. + +As to the difference of colour between the Eboan Africans and the +modern Jews, I shall not presume to account for it. It is a subject +which has engaged the pens of men of both genius and learning, and is +far above my strength. The most able and Reverend Mr. T. Clarkson, +however, in his much admired Essay on the Slavery and Commerce of the +Human Species, has ascertained the cause, in a manner that at once +solves every objection on that account, and, on my mind at least, has +produced the fullest conviction. I shall therefore refer to that +performance for the theory[H], contenting myself with extracting a +fact as related by Dr. Mitchel[I]. "The Spaniards, who have inhabited +America, under the torrid zone, for any time, are become as dark +coloured as our native Indians of Virginia; of which _I myself have +been a witness_." There is also another instance[J] of a Portuguese +settlement at Mitomba, a river in Sierra Leona; where the inhabitants +are bred from a mixture of the first Portuguese discoverers with the +natives, and are now become in their complexion, and in the woolly +quality of their hair, _perfect negroes_, retaining however a +smattering of the Portuguese language. + +These instances, and a great many more which might be adduced, while +they shew how the complexions of the same persons vary in different +climates, it is hoped may tend also to remove the prejudice that some +conceive against the natives of Africa on account of their colour. +Surely the minds of the Spaniards did not change with their +complexions! Are there not causes enough to which the apparent +inferiority of an African may be ascribed, without limiting the +goodness of God, and supposing he forbore to stamp understanding on +certainly his own image, because "carved in ebony." Might it not +naturally be ascribed to their situation? When they come among +Europeans, they are ignorant of their language, religion, manners, and +customs. Are any pains taken to teach them these? Are they treated as +men? Does not slavery itself depress the mind, and extinguish all its +fire and every noble sentiment? But, above all, what advantages do not +a refined people possess over those who are rude and uncultivated. Let +the polished and haughty European recollect that his ancestors were +once, like the Africans, uncivilized, and even barbarous. Did Nature +make _them_ inferior to their sons? and should _they too_ have been +made slaves? Every rational mind answers, No. Let such reflections as +these melt the pride of their superiority into sympathy for the wants +and miseries of their sable brethren, and compel them to acknowledge, +that understanding is not confined to feature or colour. If, when they +look round the world, they feel exultation, let it be tempered with +benevolence to others, and gratitude to God, "who hath made of one +blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth[K]; +and whose wisdom is not our wisdom, neither are our ways his ways." + +FOOTNOTES: + +[Footnote A: See Benezet's "Account of Guinea" throughout.] + +[Footnote B: When I was in Smyrna I have frequently seen the Greeks +dance after this manner.] + +[Footnote C: The bowl is earthen, curiously figured, to which a long +reed is fixed as a tube. This tube is sometimes so long as to be born +by one, and frequently out of grandeur by two boys.] + +[Footnote D: When I was in Smyrna I saw the same kind of earth, and +brought some of it with me to England; it resembles musk in strength, +but is more delicious in scent, and is not unlike the smell of a +rose.] + +[Footnote E: See Benezet's Account of Africa throughout.] + +[Footnote F: See also Leut. Matthew's Voyage, p. 123.] + +[Footnote G: An instance of this kind happened at Montserrat in the +West Indies in the year 1763. I then belonged to the Charming Sally, +Capt. Doran.--The chief mate, Mr. Mansfield, and some of the crew +being one day on shore, were present at the burying of a poisoned +negro girl. Though they had often heard of the circumstance of the +running in such cases, and had even seen it, they imagined it to be a +trick of the corpse-bearers. The mate therefore desired two of the +sailors to take up the coffin, and carry it to the grave. The sailors, +who were all of the same opinion, readily obeyed; but they had +scarcely raised it to their shoulders, before they began to run +furiously about, quite unable to direct themselves, till, at last, +without intention, they came to the hut of him who had poisoned the +girl. The coffin then immediately fell from their shoulders against +the hut, and damaged part of the wall. The owner of the hut was taken +into custody on this, and confessed the poisoning.--I give this story +as it was related by the mate and crew on their return to the ship. +The credit which is due to it I leave with the reader.] + +[Footnote H: Page 178 to 216.] + +[Footnote I: Philos. Trans. Nº 476, Sect. 4, cited by Mr. Clarkson, p. +205.] + +[Footnote J: Same page.] + +[Footnote K: Acts, c. xvii. v. 26.] + + + + +CHAP. II. + + _The author's birth and parentage--His being kidnapped with + his sister--Their separation--Surprise at meeting again--Are + finally separated--Account of the different places and + incidents the author met with till his arrival on the + coast--The effect the sight of a slave ship had on him--He + sails for the West Indies--Horrors of a slave ship--Arrives + at Barbadoes, where the cargo is sold and dispersed._ + + +I hope the reader will not think I have trespassed on his +patience in introducing myself to him with some account of the manners +and customs of my country. They had been implanted in me with great +care, and made an impression on my mind, which time could not erase, +and which all the adversity and variety of fortune I have since +experienced served only to rivet and record; for, whether the love of +one's country be real or imaginary, or a lesson of reason, or an +instinct of nature, I still look back with pleasure on the first +scenes of my life, though that pleasure has been for the most part +mingled with sorrow. + +I have already acquainted the reader with the time and place of my +birth. My father, besides many slaves, had a numerous family, of which +seven lived to grow up, including myself and a sister, who was the +only daughter. As I was the youngest of the sons, I became, of course, +the greatest favourite with my mother, and was always with her; and +she used to take particular pains to form my mind. I was trained up +from my earliest years in the art of war; my daily exercise was +shooting and throwing javelins; and my mother adorned me with emblems, +after the manner of our greatest warriors. In this way I grew up till +I was turned the age of eleven, when an end was put to my happiness in +the following manner:--Generally when the grown people in the +neighbourhood were gone far in the fields to labour, the children +assembled together in some of the neighbours' premises to play; and +commonly some of us used to get up a tree to look out for any +assailant, or kidnapper, that might come upon us; for they sometimes +took those opportunities of our parents' absence to attack and carry +off as many as they could seize. One day, as I was watching at the top +of a tree in our yard, I saw one of those people come into the yard of +our next neighbour but one, to kidnap, there being many stout young +people in it. Immediately on this I gave the alarm of the rogue, and +he was surrounded by the stoutest of them, who entangled him with +cords, so that he could not escape till some of the grown people came +and secured him. But alas! ere long it was my fate to be thus +attacked, and to be carried off, when none of the grown people were +nigh. One day, when all our people were gone out to their works as +usual, and only I and my dear sister were left to mind the house, two +men and a woman got over our walls, and in a moment seized us both, +and, without giving us time to cry out, or make resistance, they +stopped our mouths, and ran off with us into the nearest wood. Here +they tied our hands, and continued to carry us as far as they could, +till night came on, when we reached a small house, where the robbers +halted for refreshment, and spent the night. We were then unbound, but +were unable to take any food; and, being quite overpowered by fatigue +and grief, our only relief was some sleep, which allayed our +misfortune for a short time. The next morning we left the house, and +continued travelling all the day. For a long time we had kept the +woods, but at last we came into a road which I believed I knew. I had +now some hopes of being delivered; for we had advanced but a little +way before I discovered some people at a distance, on which I began to +cry out for their assistance: but my cries had no other effect than to +make them tie me faster and stop my mouth, and then they put me into a +large sack. They also stopped my sister's mouth, and tied her hands; +and in this manner we proceeded till we were out of the sight of these +people. When we went to rest the following night they offered us some +victuals; but we refused it; and the only comfort we had was in being +in one another's arms all that night, and bathing each other with our +tears. But alas! we were soon deprived of even the small comfort of +weeping together. The next day proved a day of greater sorrow than I +had yet experienced; for my sister and I were then separated, while we +lay clasped in each other's arms. It was in vain that we besought them +not to part us; she was torn from me, and immediately carried away, +while I was left in a state of distraction not to be described. I +cried and grieved continually; and for several days I did not eat any +thing but what they forced into my mouth. At length, after many days +travelling, during which I had often changed masters, I got into the +hands of a chieftain, in a very pleasant country. This man had two +wives and some children, and they all used me extremely well, and did +all they could to comfort me; particularly the first wife, who was +something like my mother. Although I was a great many days journey +from my father's house, yet these people spoke exactly the same +language with us. This first master of mine, as I may call him, was a +smith, and my principal employment was working his bellows, which were +the same kind as I had seen in my vicinity. They were in some respects +not unlike the stoves here in gentlemen's kitchens; and were covered +over with leather; and in the middle of that leather a stick was +fixed, and a person stood up, and worked it, in the same manner as is +done to pump water out of a cask with a hand pump. I believe it was +gold he worked, for it was of a lovely bright yellow colour, and was +worn by the women on their wrists and ancles. I was there I suppose +about a month, and they at last used to trust me some little distance +from the house. This liberty I used in embracing every opportunity to +inquire the way to my own home: and I also sometimes, for the same +purpose, went with the maidens, in the cool of the evenings, to bring +pitchers of water from the springs for the use of the house. I had +also remarked where the sun rose in the morning, and set in the +evening, as I had travelled along; and I had observed that my father's +house was towards the rising of the sun. I therefore determined to +seize the first opportunity of making my escape, and to shape my +course for that quarter; for I was quite oppressed and weighed down by +grief after my mother and friends; and my love of liberty, ever great, +was strengthened by the mortifying circumstance of not daring to eat +with the free-born children, although I was mostly their companion. +While I was projecting my escape, one day an unlucky event happened, +which quite disconcerted my plan, and put an end to my hopes. I used +to be sometimes employed in assisting an elderly woman slave to cook +and take care of the poultry; and one morning, while I was feeding +some chickens, I happened to toss a small pebble at one of them, +which hit it on the middle and directly killed it. The old slave, +having soon after missed the chicken, inquired after it; and on my +relating the accident (for I told her the truth, because my mother +would never suffer me to tell a lie) she flew into a violent passion, +threatened that I should suffer for it; and, my master being out, she +immediately went and told her mistress what I had done. This alarmed +me very much, and I expected an instant flogging, which to me was +uncommonly dreadful; for I had seldom been beaten at home. I therefore +resolved to fly; and accordingly I ran into a thicket that was hard +by, and hid myself in the bushes. Soon afterwards my mistress and the +slave returned, and, not seeing me, they searched all the house, but +not finding me, and I not making answer when they called to me, they +thought I had run away, and the whole neighbourhood was raised in the +pursuit of me. In that part of the country (as in ours) the houses and +villages were skirted with woods, or shrubberies, and the bushes were +so thick that a man could readily conceal himself in them, so as to +elude the strictest search. The neighbours continued the whole day +looking for me, and several times many of them came within a few yards +of the place where I lay hid. I then gave myself up for lost entirely, +and expected every moment, when I heard a rustling among the trees, to +be found out, and punished by my master: but they never discovered me, +though they were often so near that I even heard their conjectures as +they were looking about for me; and I now learned from them, that any +attempt to return home would be hopeless. Most of them supposed I had +fled towards home; but the distance was so great, and the way so +intricate, that they thought I could never reach it, and that I should +be lost in the woods. When I heard this I was seized with a violent +panic, and abandoned myself to despair. Night too began to approach, +and aggravated all my fears. I had before entertained hopes of getting +home, and I had determined when it should be dark to make the attempt; +but I was now convinced it was fruitless, and I began to consider +that, if possibly I could escape all other animals, I could not those +of the human kind; and that, not knowing the way, I must perish in the +woods. Thus was I like the hunted deer: + + --"Ev'ry leaf and ev'ry whisp'ring breath + Convey'd a foe, and ev'ry foe a death." + +I heard frequent rustlings among the leaves; and being pretty sure +they were snakes I expected every instant to be stung by them. This +increased my anguish, and the horror of my situation became now quite +insupportable. I at length quitted the thicket, very faint and hungry, +for I had not eaten or drank any thing all the day; and crept to my +master's kitchen, from whence I set out at first, and which was an +open shed, and laid myself down in the ashes with an anxious wish for +death to relieve me from all my pains. I was scarcely awake in the +morning when the old woman slave, who was the first up, came to light +the fire, and saw me in the fire place. She was very much surprised to +see me, and could scarcely believe her own eyes. She now promised to +intercede for me, and went for her master, who soon after came, and, +having slightly reprimanded me, ordered me to be taken care of, and +not to be ill-treated. + +Soon after this my master's only daughter, and child by his first +wife, sickened and died, which affected him so much that for some time +he was almost frantic, and really would have killed himself, had he +not been watched and prevented. However, in a small time afterwards he +recovered, and I was again sold. I was now carried to the left of the +sun's rising, through many different countries, and a number of large +woods. The people I was sold to used to carry me very often, when I +was tired, either on their shoulders or on their backs. I saw many +convenient well-built sheds along the roads, at proper distances, to +accommodate the merchants and travellers, who lay in those buildings +along with their wives, who often accompany them; and they always go +well armed. + +From the time I left my own nation I always found somebody that +understood me till I came to the sea coast. The languages of different +nations did not totally differ, nor were they so copious as those of +the Europeans, particularly the English. They were therefore easily +learned; and, while I was journeying thus through Africa, I acquired +two or three different tongues. In this manner I had been travelling +for a considerable time, when one evening, to my great surprise, whom +should I see brought to the house where I was but my dear sister! As +soon as she saw me she gave a loud shriek, and ran into my arms--I was +quite overpowered: neither of us could speak; but, for a considerable +time, clung to each other in mutual embraces, unable to do any thing +but weep. Our meeting affected all who saw us; and indeed I must +acknowledge, in honour of those sable destroyers of human rights, that +I never met with any ill treatment, or saw any offered to their +slaves, except tying them, when necessary, to keep them from running +away. When these people knew we were brother and sister they indulged +us together; and the man, to whom I supposed we belonged, lay with us, +he in the middle, while she and I held one another by the hands across +his breast all night; and thus for a while we forgot our misfortunes +in the joy of being together: but even this small comfort was soon to +have an end; for scarcely had the fatal morning appeared, when she was +again torn from me for ever! I was now more miserable, if possible, +than before. The small relief which her presence gave me from pain was +gone, and the wretchedness of my situation was redoubled by my anxiety +after her fate, and my apprehensions lest her sufferings should be +greater than mine, when I could not be with her to alleviate them. +Yes, thou dear partner of all my childish sports! thou sharer of my +joys and sorrows! happy should I have ever esteemed myself to +encounter every misery for you, and to procure your freedom by the +sacrifice of my own. Though you were early forced from my arms, your +image has been always rivetted in my heart, from which neither _time +nor fortune_ have been able to remove it; so that, while the thoughts +of your sufferings have damped my prosperity, they have mingled with +adversity and increased its bitterness. To that Heaven which protects +the weak from the strong, I commit the care of your innocence and +virtues, if they have not already received their full reward, and if +your youth and delicacy have not long since fallen victims to the +violence of the African trader, the pestilential stench of a Guinea +ship, the seasoning in the European colonies, or the lash and lust of +a brutal and unrelenting overseer. + +I did not long remain after my sister. I was again sold, and carried +through a number of places, till, after travelling a considerable +time, I came to a town called Tinmah, in the most beautiful country I +have yet seen in Africa. It was extremely rich, and there were many +rivulets which flowed through it, and supplied a large pond in the +centre of the town, where the people washed. Here I first saw and +tasted cocoa-nuts, which I thought superior to any nuts I had ever +tasted before; and the trees, which were loaded, were also +interspersed amongst the houses, which had commodious shades +adjoining, and were in the same manner as ours, the insides being +neatly plastered and whitewashed. Here I also saw and tasted for the +first time sugar-cane. Their money consisted of little white shells, +the size of the finger nail. I was sold here for one hundred and +seventy-two of them by a merchant who lived and brought me there. I +had been about two or three days at his house, when a wealthy widow, a +neighbour of his, came there one evening, and brought with her an only +son, a young gentleman about my own age and size. Here they saw me; +and, having taken a fancy to me, I was bought of the merchant, and +went home with them. Her house and premises were situated close to one +of those rivulets I have mentioned, and were the finest I ever saw in +Africa: they were very extensive, and she had a number of slaves to +attend her. The next day I was washed and perfumed, and when meal-time +came I was led into the presence of my mistress, and ate and drank +before her with her son. This filled me with astonishment; and I could +scarce help expressing my surprise that the young gentleman should +suffer me, who was bound, to eat with him who was free; and not only +so, but that he would not at any time either eat or drink till I had +taken first, because I was the eldest, which was agreeable to our +custom. Indeed every thing here, and all their treatment of me, made +me forget that I was a slave. The language of these people resembled +ours so nearly, that we understood each other perfectly. They had also +the very same customs as we. There were likewise slaves daily to +attend us, while my young master and I with other boys sported with +our darts and bows and arrows, as I had been used to do at home. In +this resemblance to my former happy state I passed about two months; +and I now began to think I was to be adopted into the family, and was +beginning to be reconciled to my situation, and to forget by degrees +my misfortunes, when all at once the delusion vanished; for, without +the least previous knowledge, one morning early, while my dear master +and companion was still asleep, I was wakened out of my reverie to +fresh sorrow, and hurried away even amongst the uncircumcised. + +Thus, at the very moment I dreamed of the greatest happiness, I found +myself most miserable; and it seemed as if fortune wished to give me +this taste of joy, only to render the reverse more poignant. The +change I now experienced was as painful as it was sudden and +unexpected. It was a change indeed from a state of bliss to a scene +which is inexpressible by me, as it discovered to me an element I had +never before beheld, and till then had no idea of, and wherein such +instances of hardship and cruelty continually occurred as I can never +reflect on but with horror. + +All the nations and people I had hitherto passed through resembled our +own in their manners, customs, and language: but I came at length to a +country, the inhabitants of which differed from us in all those +particulars. I was very much struck with this difference, especially +when I came among a people who did not circumcise, and ate without +washing their hands. They cooked also in iron pots, and had European +cutlasses and cross bows, which were unknown to us, and fought with +their fists amongst themselves. Their women were not so modest as +ours, for they ate, and drank, and slept, with their men. But, above +all, I was amazed to see no sacrifices or offerings among them. In +some of those places the people ornamented themselves with scars, and +likewise filed their teeth very sharp. They wanted sometimes to +ornament me in the same manner, but I would not suffer them; hoping +that I might some time be among a people who did not thus disfigure +themselves, as I thought they did. At last I came to the banks of a +large river, which was covered with canoes, in which the people +appeared to live with their household utensils and provisions of all +kinds. I was beyond measure astonished at this, as I had never before +seen any water larger than a pond or a rivulet: and my surprise was +mingled with no small fear when I was put into one of these canoes, +and we began to paddle and move along the river. We continued going on +thus till night; and when we came to land, and made fires on the +banks, each family by themselves, some dragged their canoes on shore, +others stayed and cooked in theirs, and laid in them all night. Those +on the land had mats, of which they made tents, some in the shape of +little houses: in these we slept; and after the morning meal we +embarked again and proceeded as before. I was often very much +astonished to see some of the women, as well as the men, jump into the +water, dive to the bottom, come up again, and swim about. Thus I +continued to travel, sometimes by land, sometimes by water, through +different countries and various nations, till, at the end of six or +seven months after I had been kidnapped, I arrived at the sea coast. +It would be tedious and uninteresting to relate all the incidents +which befell me during this journey, and which I have not yet +forgotten; of the various hands I passed through, and the manners and +customs of all the different people among whom I lived: I shall +therefore only observe, that in all the places where I was the soil +was exceedingly rich; the pomkins, eadas, plantains, yams, &c. &c. +were in great abundance, and of incredible size. There were also vast +quantities of different gums, though not used for any purpose; and +every where a great deal of tobacco. The cotton even grew quite wild; +and there was plenty of redwood. I saw no mechanics whatever in all +the way, except such as I have mentioned. The chief employment in all +these countries was agriculture, and both the males and females, as +with us, were brought up to it, and trained in the arts of war. + +The first object which saluted my eyes when I arrived on the coast was +the sea, and a slave ship, which was then riding at anchor, and +waiting for its cargo. These filled me with astonishment, which was +soon converted into terror when I was carried on board. I was +immediately handled and tossed up to see if I were sound by some of +the crew; and I was now persuaded that I had gotten into a world of +bad spirits, and that they were going to kill me. Their complexions +too differing so much from ours, their long hair, and the language +they spoke, (which was very different from any I had ever heard) +united to confirm me in this belief. Indeed such were the horrors of +my views and fears at the moment, that, if ten thousand worlds had +been my own, I would have freely parted with them all to have +exchanged my condition with that of the meanest slave in my own +country. When I looked round the ship too and saw a large furnace or +copper boiling, and a multitude of black people of every description +chained together, every one of their countenances expressing dejection +and sorrow, I no longer doubted of my fate; and, quite overpowered +with horror and anguish, I fell motionless on the deck and fainted. +When I recovered a little I found some black people about me, who I +believed were some of those who brought me on board, and had been +receiving their pay; they talked to me in order to cheer me, but all +in vain. I asked them if we were not to be eaten by those white men +with horrible looks, red faces, and loose hair. They told me I was +not; and one of the crew brought me a small portion of spirituous +liquor in a wine glass; but, being afraid of him, I would not take it +out of his hand. One of the blacks therefore took it from him and gave +it to me, and I took a little down my palate, which, instead of +reviving me, as they thought it would, threw me into the greatest +consternation at the strange feeling it produced, having never tasted +any such liquor before. Soon after this the blacks who brought me on +board went off, and left me abandoned to despair. I now saw myself +deprived of all chance of returning to my native country, or even the +least glimpse of hope of gaining the shore, which I now considered as +friendly; and I even wished for my former slavery in preference to my +present situation, which was filled with horrors of every kind, still +heightened by my ignorance of what I was to undergo. I was not long +suffered to indulge my grief; I was soon put down under the decks, and +there I received such a salutation in my nostrils as I had never +experienced in my life: so that, with the loathsomeness of the stench, +and crying together, I became so sick and low that I was not able to +eat, nor had I the least desire to taste any thing. I now wished for +the last friend, death, to relieve me; but soon, to my grief, two of +the white men offered me eatables; and, on my refusing to eat, one of +them held me fast by the hands, and laid me across I think the +windlass, and tied my feet, while the other flogged me severely. I had +never experienced any thing of this kind before; and although, not +being used to the water, I naturally feared that element the first +time I saw it, yet nevertheless, could I have got over the nettings, +I would have jumped over the side, but I could not; and, besides, the +crew used to watch us very closely who were not chained down to the +decks, lest we should leap into the water: and I have seen some of +these poor African prisoners most severely cut for attempting to do +so, and hourly whipped for not eating. This indeed was often the case +with myself. In a little time after, amongst the poor chained men, I +found some of my own nation, which in a small degree gave ease to my +mind. I inquired of these what was to be done with us; they gave me to +understand we were to be carried to these white people's country to +work for them. I then was a little revived, and thought, if it were no +worse than working, my situation was not so desperate: but still I +feared I should be put to death, the white people looked and acted, as +I thought, in so savage a manner; for I had never seen among any +people such instances of brutal cruelty; and this not only shewn +towards us blacks, but also to some of the whites themselves. One +white man in particular I saw, when we were permitted to be on deck, +flogged so unmercifully with a large rope near the foremast, that he +died in consequence of it; and they tossed him over the side as they +would have done a brute. This made me fear these people the more; and +I expected nothing less than to be treated in the same manner. I could +not help expressing my fears and apprehensions to some of my +countrymen: I asked them if these people had no country, but lived in +this hollow place (the ship): they told me they did not, but came from +a distant one. 'Then,' said I, 'how comes it in all our country we +never heard of them?' They told me because they lived so very far off. +I then asked where were their women? had they any like themselves? I +was told they had: 'and why,' said I,'do we not see them?' they +answered, because they were left behind. I asked how the vessel could +go? they told me they could not tell; but that there were cloths put +upon the masts by the help of the ropes I saw, and then the vessel +went on; and the white men had some spell or magic they put in the +water when they liked in order to stop the vessel. I was exceedingly +amazed at this account, and really thought they were spirits. I +therefore wished much to be from amongst them, for I expected they +would sacrifice me: but my wishes were vain; for we were so quartered +that it was impossible for any of us to make our escape. While we +stayed on the coast I was mostly on deck; and one day, to my great +astonishment, I saw one of these vessels coming in with the sails up. +As soon as the whites saw it, they gave a great shout, at which we +were amazed; and the more so as the vessel appeared larger by +approaching nearer. At last she came to an anchor in my sight, and +when the anchor was let go I and my countrymen who saw it were lost in +astonishment to observe the vessel stop; and were not convinced it was +done by magic. Soon after this the other ship got her boats out, and +they came on board of us, and the people of both ships seemed very +glad to see each other. Several of the strangers also shook hands with +us black people, and made motions with their hands, signifying I +suppose we were to go to their country; but we did not understand +them. At last, when the ship we were in had got in all her cargo, they +made ready with many fearful noises, and we were all put under deck, +so that we could not see how they managed the vessel. But this +disappointment was the least of my sorrow. The stench of the hold +while we were on the coast was so intolerably loathsome, that it was +dangerous to remain there for any time, and some of us had been +permitted to stay on the deck for the fresh air; but now that the +whole ship's cargo were confined together, it became absolutely +pestilential. The closeness of the place, and the heat of the climate, +added to the number in the ship, which was so crowded that each had +scarcely room to turn himself, almost suffocated us. This produced +copious perspirations, so that the air soon became unfit for +respiration, from a variety of loathsome smells, and brought on a +sickness among the slaves, of which many died, thus falling victims to +the improvident avarice, as I may call it, of their purchasers. This +wretched situation was again aggravated by the galling of the chains, +now become insupportable; and the filth of the necessary tubs, into +which the children often fell, and were almost suffocated. The shrieks +of the women, and the groans of the dying, rendered the whole a scene +of horror almost inconceivable. Happily perhaps for myself I was soon +reduced so low here that it was thought necessary to keep me almost +always on deck; and from my extreme youth I was not put in fetters. In +this situation I expected every hour to share the fate of my +companions, some of whom were almost daily brought upon deck at the +point of death, which I began to hope would soon put an end to my +miseries. Often did I think many of the inhabitants of the deep much +more happy than myself. I envied them the freedom they enjoyed, and as +often wished I could change my condition for theirs. Every +circumstance I met with served only to render my state more painful, +and heighten my apprehensions, and my opinion of the cruelty of the +whites. One day they had taken a number of fishes; and when they had +killed and satisfied themselves with as many as they thought fit, to +our astonishment who were on the deck, rather than give any of them to +us to eat as we expected, they tossed the remaining fish into the sea +again, although we begged and prayed for some as well as we could, but +in vain; and some of my countrymen, being pressed by hunger, took an +opportunity, when they thought no one saw them, of trying to get a +little privately; but they were discovered, and the attempt procured +them some very severe floggings. One day, when we had a smooth sea and +moderate wind, two of my wearied countrymen who were chained together +(I was near them at the time), preferring death to such a life of +misery, somehow made through the nettings and jumped into the sea: +immediately another quite dejected fellow, who, on account of his +illness, was suffered to be out of irons, also followed their example; +and I believe many more would very soon have done the same if they had +not been prevented by the ship's crew, who were instantly alarmed. +Those of us that were the most active were in a moment put down under +the deck, and there was such a noise and confusion amongst the people +of the ship as I never heard before, to stop her, and get the boat out +to go after the slaves. However two of the wretches were drowned, but +they got the other, and afterwards flogged him unmercifully for thus +attempting to prefer death to slavery. In this manner we continued to +undergo more hardships than I can now relate, hardships which are +inseparable from this accursed trade. Many a time we were near +suffocation from the want of fresh air, which we were often without +for whole days together. This, and the stench of the necessary tubs, +carried off many. During our passage I first saw flying fishes, which +surprised me very much: they used frequently to fly across the ship, +and many of them fell on the deck. I also now first saw the use of the +quadrant; I had often with astonishment seen the mariners make +observations with it, and I could not think what it meant. They at +last took notice of my surprise; and one of them, willing to increase +it, as well as to gratify my curiosity, made me one day look through +it. The clouds appeared to me to be land, which disappeared as they +passed along. This heightened my wonder; and I was now more persuaded +than ever that I was in another world, and that every thing about me +was magic. At last we came in sight of the island of Barbadoes, at +which the whites on board gave a great shout, and made many signs of +joy to us. We did not know what to think of this; but as the vessel +drew nearer we plainly saw the harbour, and other ships of different +kinds and sizes; and we soon anchored amongst them off Bridge Town. +Many merchants and planters now came on board, though it was in the +evening. They put us in separate parcels, and examined us attentively. +They also made us jump, and pointed to the land, signifying we were to +go there. We thought by this we should be eaten by these ugly men, as +they appeared to us; and, when soon after we were all put down under +the deck again, there was much dread and trembling among us, and +nothing but bitter cries to be heard all the night from these +apprehensions, insomuch that at last the white people got some old +slaves from the land to pacify us. They told us we were not to be +eaten, but to work, and were soon to go on land, where we should see +many of our country people. This report eased us much; and sure +enough, soon after we were landed, there came to us Africans of all +languages. We were conducted immediately to the merchant's yard, where +we were all pent up together like so many sheep in a fold, without +regard to sex or age. As every object was new to me every thing I saw +filled me with surprise. What struck me first was that the houses were +built with stories, and in every other respect different from those in +Africa: but I was still more astonished on seeing people on horseback. +I did not know what this could mean; and indeed I thought these people +were full of nothing but magical arts. While I was in this +astonishment one of my fellow prisoners spoke to a countryman of his +about the horses, who said they were the same kind they had in their +country. I understood them, though they were from a distant part of +Africa, and I thought it odd I had not seen any horses there; but +afterwards, when I came to converse with different Africans, I found +they had many horses amongst them, and much larger than those I then +saw. We were not many days in the merchant's custody before we were +sold after their usual manner, which is this:--On a signal given,(as +the beat of a drum) the buyers rush at once into the yard where the +slaves are confined, and make choice of that parcel they like best. +The noise and clamour with which this is attended, and the eagerness +visible in the countenances of the buyers, serve not a little to +increase the apprehensions of the terrified Africans, who may well be +supposed to consider them as the ministers of that destruction to +which they think themselves devoted. In this manner, without scruple, +are relations and friends separated, most of them never to see each +other again. I remember in the vessel in which I was brought over, in +the men's apartment, there were several brothers, who, in the sale, +were sold in different lots; and it was very moving on this occasion +to see and hear their cries at parting. O, ye nominal Christians! +might not an African ask you, learned you this from your God, who says +unto you, Do unto all men as you would men should do unto you? Is it +not enough that we are torn from our country and friends to toil for +your luxury and lust of gain? Must every tender feeling be likewise +sacrificed to your avarice? Are the dearest friends and relations, now +rendered more dear by their separation from their kindred, still to be +parted from each other, and thus prevented from cheering the gloom of +slavery with the small comfort of being together and mingling their +sufferings and sorrows? Why are parents to lose their children, +brothers their sisters, or husbands their wives? Surely this is a new +refinement in cruelty, which, while it has no advantage to atone for +it, thus aggravates distress, and adds fresh horrors even to the +wretchedness of slavery. + + + + +CHAP. III. + + _The author is carried to Virginia--His distress--Surprise + at seeing a picture and a watch--Is bought by Captain + Pascal, and sets out for England--His terror during the + voyage--Arrives in England--His wonder at a fall of snow--Is + sent to Guernsey, and in some time goes on board a ship of + war with his master--Some account of the expedition against + Louisbourg under the command of Admiral Boscawen, in 1758._ + + +I now totally lost the small remains of comfort I had enjoyed in +conversing with my countrymen; the women too, who used to wash and +take care of me, were all gone different ways, and I never saw one of +them afterwards. + +I stayed in this island for a few days; I believe it could not be +above a fortnight; when I and some few more slaves, that were not +saleable amongst the rest, from very much fretting, were shipped off +in a sloop for North America. On the passage we were better treated +than when we were coming from Africa, and we had plenty of rice and +fat pork. We were landed up a river a good way from the sea, about +Virginia county, where we saw few or none of our native Africans, and +not one soul who could talk to me. I was a few weeks weeding grass, +and gathering stones in a plantation; and at last all my companions +were distributed different ways, and only myself was left. I was now +exceedingly miserable, and thought myself worse off than any of the +rest of my companions; for they could talk to each other, but I had no +person to speak to that I could understand. In this state I was +constantly grieving and pining, and wishing for death rather than any +thing else. While I was in this plantation the gentleman, to whom I +suppose the estate belonged, being unwell, I was one day sent for to +his dwelling house to fan him; when I came into the room where he was +I was very much affrighted at some things I saw, and the more so as I +had seen a black woman slave as I came through the house, who was +cooking the dinner, and the poor creature was cruelly loaded with +various kinds of iron machines; she had one particularly on her head, +which locked her mouth so fast that she could scarcely speak; and +could not eat nor drink. I was much astonished and shocked at this +contrivance, which I afterwards learned was called the iron muzzle. +Soon after I had a fan put into my hand, to fan the gentleman while he +slept; and so I did indeed with great fear. While he was fast asleep I +indulged myself a great deal in looking about the room, which to me +appeared very fine and curious. The first object that engaged my +attention was a watch which hung on the chimney, and was going. I was +quite surprised at the noise it made, and was afraid it would tell the +gentleman any thing I might do amiss: and when I immediately after +observed a picture hanging in the room, which appeared constantly to +look at me, I was still more affrighted, having never seen such things +as these before. At one time I thought it was something relative to +magic; and not seeing it move I thought it might be some way the +whites had to keep their great men when they died, and offer them +libation as we used to do to our friendly spirits. In this state of +anxiety I remained till my master awoke, when I was dismissed out of +the room, to my no small satisfaction and relief; for I thought that +these people were all made up of wonders. In this place I was called +Jacob; but on board the African snow I was called Michael. I had been +some time in this miserable, forlorn, and much dejected state, without +having any one to talk to, which made my life a burden, when the kind +and unknown hand of the Creator (who in very deed leads the blind in a +way they know not) now began to appear, to my comfort; for one day the +captain of a merchant ship, called the Industrious Bee, came on some +business to my master's house. This gentleman, whose name was Michael +Henry Pascal, was a lieutenant in the royal navy, but now commanded +this trading ship, which was somewhere in the confines of the county +many miles off. While he was at my master's house it happened that he +saw me, and liked me so well that he made a purchase of me. I think I +have often heard him say he gave thirty or forty pounds sterling for +me; but I do not now remember which. However, he meant me for a +present to some of his friends in England: and I was sent accordingly +from the house of my then master, one Mr. Campbell, to the place where +the ship lay; I was conducted on horseback by an elderly black man, (a +mode of travelling which appeared very odd to me). When I arrived I +was carried on board a fine large ship, loaded with tobacco, &c. and +just ready to sail for England. I now thought my condition much +mended; I had sails to lie on, and plenty of good victuals to eat; and +every body on board used me very kindly, quite contrary to what I had +seen of any white people before; I therefore began to think that they +were not all of the same disposition. A few days after I was on board +we sailed for England. I was still at a loss to conjecture my destiny. +By this time, however, I could smatter a little imperfect English; and +I wanted to know as well as I could where we were going. Some of the +people of the ship used to tell me they were going to carry me back to +my own country, and this made me very happy. I was quite rejoiced at +the sound of going back; and thought if I should get home what wonders +I should have to tell. But I was reserved for another fate, and was +soon undeceived when we came within sight of the English coast. While +I was on board this ship, my captain and master named me _Gustavus +Vassa_. I at that time began to understand him a little, and refused to +be called so, and told him as well as I could that I would be called +Jacob; but he said I should not, and still called me Gustavus; and +when I refused to answer to my new name, which at first I did, it +gained me many a cuff; so at length I submitted, and was obliged to +bear the present name, by which I have been known ever since. The ship +had a very long passage; and on that account we had very short +allowance of provisions. Towards the last we had only one pound and a +half of bread per week, and about the same quantity of meat, and one +quart of water a-day. We spoke with only one vessel the whole time we +were at sea, and but once we caught a few fishes. In our extremities +the captain and people told me in jest they would kill and eat me; but +I thought them in earnest, and was depressed beyond measure, expecting +every moment to be my last. While I was in this situation one evening +they caught, with a good deal of trouble, a large shark, and got it on +board. This gladdened my poor heart exceedingly, as I thought it would +serve the people to eat instead of their eating me; but very soon, to +my astonishment, they cut off a small part of the tail, and tossed the +rest over the side. This renewed my consternation; and I did not know +what to think of these white people, though I very much feared they +would kill and eat me. There was on board the ship a young lad who had +never been at sea before, about four or five years older than myself: +his name was Richard Baker. He was a native of America, had received +an excellent education, and was of a most amiable temper. Soon after I +went on board he shewed me a great deal of partiality and attention, +and in return I grew extremely fond of him. We at length became +inseparable; and, for the space of two years, he was of very great use +to me, and was my constant companion and instructor. Although this +dear youth had many slaves of his own, yet he and I have gone through +many sufferings together on shipboard; and we have many nights lain in +each other's bosoms when we were in great distress. Thus such a +friendship was cemented between us as we cherished till his death, +which, to my very great sorrow, happened in the year 1759, when he was +up the Archipelago, on board his majesty's ship the Preston: an event +which I have never ceased to regret, as I lost at once a kind +interpreter, an agreeable companion, and a faithful friend; who, at +the age of fifteen, discovered a mind superior to prejudice; and who +was not ashamed to notice, to associate with, and to be the friend and +instructor of one who was ignorant, a stranger, of a different +complexion, and a slave! My master had lodged in his mother's house in +America: he respected him very much, and made him always eat with him +in the cabin. He used often to tell him jocularly that he would kill +me to eat. Sometimes he would say to me--the black people were not +good to eat, and would ask me if we did not eat people in my country. +I said, No: then he said he would kill Dick (as he always called him) +first, and afterwards me. Though this hearing relieved my mind a +little as to myself, I was alarmed for Dick and whenever he was called +I used to be very much afraid he was to be killed; and I would peep +and watch to see if they were going to kill him: nor was I free from +this consternation till we made the land. One night we lost a man +overboard; and the cries and noise were so great and confused, in +stopping the ship, that I, who did not know what was the matter, +began, as usual, to be very much afraid, and to think they were going +to make an offering with me, and perform some magic; which I still +believed they dealt in. As the waves were very high I thought the +Ruler of the seas was angry, and I expected to be offered up to +appease him. This filled my mind with agony, and I could not any more +that night close my eyes again to rest. However, when daylight +appeared I was a little eased in my mind; but still every time I was +called I used to think it was to be killed. Some time after this we +saw some very large fish, which I afterwards found were called +grampusses. They looked to me extremely terrible, and made their +appearance just at dusk; and were so near as to blow the water on the +ship's deck. I believed them to be the rulers of the sea; and, as the +white people did not make any offerings at any time, I thought they +were angry with them: and, at last, what confirmed my belief was, the +wind just then died away, and a calm ensued, and in consequence of it +the ship stopped going. I supposed that the fish had performed this, +and I hid myself in the fore part of the ship, through fear of being +offered up to appease them, every minute peeping and quaking: but my +good friend Dick came shortly towards me, and I took an opportunity to +ask him, as well as I could, what these fish were. Not being able to +talk much English, I could but just make him understand my question; +and not at all, when I asked him if any offerings were to be made to +them: however, he told me these fish would swallow any body; which +sufficiently alarmed me. Here he was called away by the captain, who +was leaning over the quarter-deck railing and looking at the fish; and +most of the people were busied in getting a barrel of pitch to light, +for them to play with. The captain now called me to him, having +learned some of my apprehensions from Dick; and having diverted +himself and others for some time with my fears, which appeared +ludicrous enough in my crying and trembling, he dismissed me. The +barrel of pitch was now lighted and put over the side into the water: +by this time it was just dark, and the fish went after it; and, to my +great joy, I saw them no more. + +However, all my alarms began to subside when we got sight of land; and +at last the ship arrived at Falmouth, after a passage of thirteen +weeks. Every heart on board seemed gladdened on our reaching the +shore, and none more than mine. The captain immediately went on shore, +and sent on board some fresh provisions, which we wanted very much: +we made good use of them, and our famine was soon turned into +feasting, almost without ending. It was about the beginning of the +spring 1757 when I arrived in England, and I was near twelve years of +age at that time. I was very much struck with the buildings and the +pavement of the streets in Falmouth; and, indeed, any object I saw +filled me with new surprise. One morning, when I got upon deck, I saw +it covered all over with the snow that fell over-night: as I had never +seen any thing of the kind before, I thought it was salt; so I +immediately ran down to the mate and desired him, as well as I could, +to come and see how somebody in the night had thrown salt all over the +deck. He, knowing what it was, desired me to bring some of it down to +him: accordingly I took up a handful of it, which I found very cold +indeed; and when I brought it to him he desired me to taste it. I did +so, and I was surprised beyond measure. I then asked him what it was; +he told me it was snow: but I could not in anywise understand him. He +asked me if we had no such thing in my country; and I told him, No. I +then asked him the use of it, and who made it; he told me a great man +in the heavens, called God: but here again I was to all intents and +purposes at a loss to understand him; and the more so, when a little +after I saw the air filled with it, in a heavy shower, which fell down +on the same day. After this I went to church; and having never been at +such a place before, I was again amazed at seeing and hearing the +service. I asked all I could about it; and they gave me to understand +it was worshipping God, who made us and all things. I was still at a +great loss, and soon got into an endless field of inquiries, as well +as I was able to speak and ask about things. However, my little friend +Dick used to be my best interpreter; for I could make free with him, +and he always instructed me with pleasure: and from what I could +understand by him of this God, and in seeing these white people did +not sell one another, as we did, I was much pleased; and in this I +thought they were much happier than we Africans. I was astonished at +the wisdom of the white people in all things I saw; but was amazed at +their not sacrificing, or making any offerings, and eating with +unwashed hands, and touching the dead. I likewise could not help +remarking the particular slenderness of their women, which I did not +at first like; and I thought they were not so modest and shamefaced as +the African women. + +I had often seen my master and Dick employed in reading; and I had a +great curiosity to talk to the books, as I thought they did; and so to +learn how all things had a beginning: for that purpose I have often +taken up a book, and have talked to it, and then put my ears to it, +when alone, in hopes it would answer me; and I have been very much +concerned when I found it remained silent. + +My master lodged at the house of a gentleman in Falmouth, who had a +fine little daughter about six or seven years of age, and she grew +prodigiously fond of me; insomuch that we used to eat together, and +had servants to wait on us. I was so much caressed by this family that +it often reminded me of the treatment I had received from my little +noble African master. After I had been here a few days, I was sent on +board of the ship; but the child cried so much after me that nothing +could pacify her till I was sent for again. It is ludicrous enough, +that I began to fear I should be betrothed to this young lady; and +when my master asked me if I would stay there with her behind him, as +he was going away with the ship, which had taken in the tobacco again, +I cried immediately, and said I would not leave her. At last, by +stealth, one night I was sent on board the ship again; and in a little +time we sailed for Guernsey, where she was in part owned by a +merchant, one Nicholas Doberry. As I was now amongst a people who had +not their faces scarred, like some of the African nations where I had +been, I was very glad I did not let them ornament me in that manner +when I was with them. When we arrived at Guernsey, my master placed me +to board and lodge with one of his mates, who had a wife and family +there; and some months afterwards he went to England, and left me in +care of this mate, together with my friend Dick: This mate had a +little daughter, aged about five or six years, with whom I used to be +much delighted. I had often observed that when her mother washed her +face it looked very rosy; but when she washed mine it did not look so: +I therefore tried oftentimes myself if I could not by washing make my +face of the same colour as my little play-mate (Mary), but it was all +in vain; and I now began to be mortified at the difference in our +complexions. This woman behaved to me with great kindness and +attention; and taught me every thing in the same manner as she did her +own child, and indeed in every respect treated me as such. I remained +here till the summer of the year 1757; when my master, being appointed +first lieutenant of his majesty's ship the Roebuck, sent for Dick and +me, and his old mate: on this we all left Guernsey, and set out for +England in a sloop bound for London. As we were coming up towards the +Nore, where the Roebuck lay, a man of war's boat came alongside to +press our people; on which each man ran to hide himself. I was very +much frightened at this, though I did not know what it meant, or what +to think or do. However I went and hid myself also under a hencoop. +Immediately afterwards the press-gang came on board with their swords +drawn, and searched all about, pulled the people out by force, and put +them into the boat. At last I was found out also: the man that found +me held me up by the heels while they all made their sport of me, I +roaring and crying out all the time most lustily: but at last the +mate, who was my conductor, seeing this, came to my assistance, and +did all he could to pacify me; but all to very little purpose, till I +had seen the boat go off. Soon afterwards we came to the Nore, where +the Roebuck lay; and, to our great joy, my master came on board to us, +and brought us to the ship. When I went on board this large ship, I +was amazed indeed to see the quantity of men and the guns. However my +surprise began to diminish as my knowledge increased; and I ceased to +feel those apprehensions and alarms which had taken such strong +possession of me when I first came among the Europeans, and for some +time after. I began now to pass to an opposite extreme; I was so far +from being afraid of any thing new which I saw, that, after I had been +some time in this ship, I even began to long for a battle. My griefs +too, which in young minds are not perpetual, were now wearing away; +and I soon enjoyed myself pretty well, and felt tolerably easy in my +present situation. There was a number of boys on board, which still +made it more agreeable; for we were always together, and a great part +of our time was spent in play. I remained in this ship a considerable +time, during which we made several cruises, and visited a variety of +places: among others we were twice in Holland, and brought over +several persons of distinction from it, whose names I do not now +remember. On the passage, one day, for the diversion of those +gentlemen, all the boys were called on the quarter-deck, and were +paired proportionably, and then made to fight; after which the +gentleman gave the combatants from five to nine shillings each. This +was the first time I ever fought with a white boy; and I never knew +what it was to have a bloody nose before. This made me fight most +desperately; I suppose considerably more than an hour: and at last, +both of us being weary, we were parted. I had a great deal of this +kind of sport afterwards, in which the captain and the ship's company +used very much to encourage me. Sometime afterwards the ship went to +Leith in Scotland, and from thence to the Orkneys, where I was +surprised in seeing scarcely any night: and from thence we sailed with +a great fleet, full of soldiers, for England. All this time we had +never come to an engagement, though we were frequently cruising off +the coast of France: during which we chased many vessels, and took in +all seventeen prizes. I had been learning many of the manoeuvres of +the ship during our cruise; and I was several times made to fire the +guns. One evening, off Havre de Grace, just as it was growing dark, we +were standing off shore, and met with a fine large French-built +frigate. We got all things immediately ready for fighting; and I now +expected I should be gratified in seeing an engagement, which I had so +long wished for in vain. But the very moment the word of command was +given to fire we heard those on board the other ship cry 'Haul down +the jib;' and in that instant she hoisted English colours. There was +instantly with us an amazing cry of--Avast! or stop firing; and I +think one or two guns had been let off, but happily they did no +mischief. We had hailed them several times; but they not hearing, we +received no answer, which was the cause of our firing. The boat was +then sent on board of her, and she proved to be the Ambuscade man of +war, to my no small disappointment. We returned to Portsmouth, without +having been in any action, just at the trial of Admiral Byng (whom I +saw several times during it): and my master having left the ship, and +gone to London for promotion, Dick and I were put on board the Savage +sloop of war, and we went in her to assist in bringing off the St. +George man of war, that had ran ashore somewhere on the coast. After +staying a few weeks on board the Savage, Dick and I were sent on shore +at Deal, where we remained some short time, till my master sent for us +to London, the place I had long desired exceedingly to see. We +therefore both with great pleasure got into a waggon, and came to +London, where we were received by a Mr. Guerin, a relation of my +master. This gentleman had two sisters, very amiable ladies, who took +much notice and great care of me. Though I had desired so much to see +London, when I arrived in it I was unfortunately unable to gratify my +curiosity; for I had at this time the chilblains to such a degree that +I could not stand for several months, and I was obliged to be sent to +St. George's Hospital. There I grew so ill, that the doctors wanted to +cut my left leg off at different times, apprehending a mortification; +but I always said I would rather die than suffer it; and happily (I +thank God) I recovered without the operation. After being there +several weeks, and just as I had recovered, the small-pox broke out on +me, so that I was again confined; and I thought myself now +particularly unfortunate. However I soon recovered again; and by this +time my master having been promoted to be first lieutenant of the +Preston man of war of fifty guns, then new at Deptford, Dick and I +were sent on board her, and soon after we went to Holland to bring +over the late Duke of ---- to England.--While I was in this ship an +incident happened, which, though trifling, I beg leave to relate, as I +could not help taking particular notice of it, and considering it then +as a judgment of God. One morning a young man was looking up to the +fore-top, and in a wicked tone, common on shipboard, d----d his eyes +about something. Just at the moment some small particles of dirt fell +into his left eye, and by the evening it was very much inflamed. The +next day it grew worse; and within six or seven days he lost it. From +this ship my master was appointed a lieutenant on board the Royal +George. When he was going he wished me to stay on board the Preston, +to learn the French horn; but the ship being ordered for Turkey I +could not think of leaving my master, to whom I was very warmly +attached; and I told him if he left me behind it would break my heart. +This prevailed on him to take me with him; but he left Dick on board +the Preston, whom I embraced at parting for the last time. The Royal +George was the largest ship I had ever seen; so that when I came on +board of her I was surprised at the number of people, men, women, and +children, of every denomination; and the largeness of the guns, many +of them also of brass, which I had never seen before. Here were also +shops or stalls of every kind of goods, and people crying their +different commodities about the ship as in a town. To me it appeared a +little world, into which I was again cast without a friend, for I had +no longer my dear companion Dick. We did not stay long here. My master +was not many weeks on board before he got an appointment to be sixth +lieutenant of the Namur, which was then at Spithead, fitting up for +Vice-admiral Boscawen, who was going with a large fleet on an +expedition against Louisburgh. The crew of the Royal George were +turned over to her, and the flag of that gallant admiral was hoisted +on board, the blue at the maintop-gallant mast head. There was a very +great fleet of men of war of every description assembled together for +this expedition, and I was in hopes soon to have an opportunity of +being gratified with a sea-fight. All things being now in readiness, +this mighty fleet (for there was also Admiral Cornish's fleet in +company, destined for the East Indies) at last weighed anchor, and +sailed. The two fleets continued in company for several days, and then +parted; Admiral Cornish, in the Lenox, having first saluted our +admiral in the Namur, which he returned. We then steered for America; +but, by contrary winds, we were driven to Teneriffe, where I was +struck with its noted peak. Its prodigious height, and its form, +resembling a sugar-loaf, filled me with wonder. We remained in sight +of this island some days, and then proceeded for America, which we +soon made, and got into a very commodious harbour called St. George, +in Halifax, where we had fish in great plenty, and all other fresh +provisions. We were here joined by different men of war and transport +ships with soldiers; after which, our fleet being increased to a +prodigious number of ships of all kinds, we sailed for Cape Breton in +Nova Scotia. We had the good and gallant General Wolfe on board our +ship, whose affability made him highly esteemed and beloved by all the +men. He often honoured me, as well as other boys, with marks of his +notice; and saved me once a flogging for fighting with a young +gentleman. We arrived at Cape Breton in the summer of 1758: and here +the soldiers were to be landed, in order to make an attack upon +Louisbourgh. My master had some part in superintending the landing; +and here I was in a small measure gratified in seeing an encounter +between our men and the enemy. The French were posted on the shore to +receive us, and disputed our landing for a long time; but at last they +were driven from their trenches, and a complete landing was effected. +Our troops pursued them as far as the town of Louisbourgh. In this +action many were killed on both sides. One thing remarkable I saw this +day:--A lieutenant of the Princess Amelia, who, as well as my master, +superintended the landing, was giving the word of command, and while +his mouth was open a musquet ball went through it, and passed out at +his cheek. I had that day in my hand the scalp of an indian king, who +was killed in the engagement: the scalp had been taken off by an +Highlander. I saw this king's ornaments too, which were very curious, +and made of feathers. + +Our land forces laid siege to the town of Louisbourgh, while the +French men of war were blocked up in the harbour by the fleet, the +batteries at the same time playing upon them from the land. This they +did with such effect, that one day I saw some of the ships set on fire +by the shells from the batteries, and I believe two or three of them +were quite burnt. At another time, about fifty boats belonging to the +English men of war, commanded by Captain George Balfour of the AEtna +fire-ship, and another junior captain, Laforey, attacked and boarded +the only two remaining French men of war in the harbour. They also set +fire to a seventy-gun ship, but a sixty-four, called the Bienfaisant, +they brought off. During my stay here I had often an opportunity of +being near Captain Balfour, who was pleased to notice me, and liked me +so much that he often asked my master to let him have me, but he would +not part with me; and no consideration could have induced me to leave +him. At last Louisbourgh was taken, and the English men of war came +into the harbour before it, to my very great joy; for I had now more +liberty of indulging myself, and I went often on shore. When the ships +were in the harbour we had the most beautiful procession on the water +I ever saw. All the admirals and captains of the men of war, full +dressed, and in their barges, well ornamented with pendants, came +alongside of the Namur. The vice-admiral then went on shore in his +barge, followed by the other officers in order of seniority, to take +possession, as I suppose, of the town and fort. Some time after this +the French governor and his lady, and other persons of note, came on +board our ship to dine. On this occasion our ships were dressed with +colours of all kinds, from the topgallant-mast head to the deck; and +this, with the firing of guns, formed a most grand and magnificent +spectacle. + +As soon as every thing here was settled Admiral Boscawen sailed with +part of the fleet for England, leaving some ships behind with +Rear-admirals Sir Charles Hardy and Durell. It was now winter; and one +evening, during our passage home, about dusk, when we were in the +channel, or near soundings, and were beginning to look for land, we +descried seven sail of large men of war, which stood off shore. +Several people on board of our ship said, as the two fleets were (in +forty minutes from the first sight) within hail of each other, that +they were English men of war; and some of our people even began to +name some of the ships. By this time both fleets began to mingle, and +our admiral ordered his flag to be hoisted. At that instant the other +fleet, which were French, hoisted their ensigns, and gave us a +broadside as they passed by. Nothing could create greater surprise and +confusion among us than this: the wind was high, the sea rough, and we +had our lower and middle deck guns housed in, so that not a single gun +on board was ready to be fired at any of the French ships. However, +the Royal William and the Somerset being our sternmost ships, became a +little prepared, and each gave the French ships a broadside as they +passed by. I afterwards heard this was a French squadron, commanded by +Mons. Conflans; and certainly had the Frenchmen known our condition, +and had a mind to fight us, they might have done us great mischief. +But we were not long before we were prepared for an engagement. +Immediately many things were tossed overboard; the ships were made +ready for fighting as soon as possible; and about ten at night we had +bent a new main sail, the old one being split. Being now in readiness +for fighting, we wore ship, and stood after the French fleet, who +were one or two ships in number more than we. However we gave them +chase, and continued pursuing them all night; and at daylight we saw +six of them, all large ships of the line, and an English East +Indiaman, a prize they had taken. We chased them all day till between +three and four o'clock in the evening, when we came up with, and +passed within a musquet shot of, one seventy-four gun ship, and the +Indiaman also, who now hoisted her colours, but immediately hauled +them down again. On this we made a signal for the other ships to take +possession of her; and, supposing the man of war would likewise +strike, we cheered, but she did not; though if we had fired into her, +from being so near, we must have taken her. To my utter surprise the +Somerset, who was the next ship astern of the Namur, made way +likewise; and, thinking they were sure of this French ship, they +cheered in the same manner, but still continued to follow us. The +French Commodore was about a gun-shot ahead of all, running from us +with all speed; and about four o'clock he carried his foretopmast +overboard. This caused another loud cheer with us; and a little after +the topmast came close by us; but, to our great surprise, instead of +coming up with her, we found she went as fast as ever, if not faster. +The sea grew now much smoother; and the wind lulling, the seventy-four +gun ship we had passed came again by us in the very same direction, +and so near, that we heard her people talk as she went by; yet not a +shot was fired on either side; and about five or six o'clock, just as +it grew dark, she joined her commodore. We chased all night; but the +next day they were out of sight, so that we saw no more of them; and +we only had the old Indiaman (called Carnarvon I think) for our +trouble. After this we stood in for the channel, and soon made the +land; and, about the close of the year 1758-9, we got safe to St. +Helen's. Here the Namur ran aground; and also another large ship +astern of us; but, by starting our water, and tossing many things +overboard to lighten her, we got the ships off without any damage. We +stayed for a short time at Spithead, and then went into Portsmouth +harbour to refit; from whence the admiral went to London; and my +master and I soon followed, with a press-gang, as we wanted some hands +to complete our complement. + + + + +CHAP. IV. + + _The author is baptized--Narrowly escapes drowning--Goes on + an expedition to the Mediterranean--Incidents he met with + there--Is witness to an engagement between some English and + French ships--A particular account of the celebrated + engagement between Admiral Boscawen and Mons. Le Clue, off + Cape Logas, in August 1759--Dreadful explosion of a French + ship--The author sails for England--His master appointed to + the command of a fire-ship--Meets a negro boy, from whom he + experiences much benevolence--Prepares for an expedition + against Belle-Isle--A remarkable story of a disaster which + befel his ship--Arrives at Belle-Isle--Operations of the + landing and siege--The author's danger and distress, with + his manner of extricating himself--- Surrender of + Belle-Isle--Transactions afterwards on the coast of + France--Remarkable instance of kidnapping--The author + returns to England--Hears a talk of peace, and expects his + freedom--His ship sails for Deptford to be paid off, and + when he arrives there he is suddenly seized by his master + and carried forcibly on board a West India ship and sold._ + + +It was now between two and three years since I first came to England, +a great part of which I had spent at sea; so that I became inured to +that service, and began to consider myself as happily situated; for my +master treated me always extremely well; and my attachment and +gratitude to him were very great. From the various scenes I had beheld +on shipboard, I soon grew a stranger to terror of every kind, and was, +in that respect at least, almost an Englishman. I have often reflected +with surprise that I never felt half the alarm at any of the numerous +dangers I have been in, that I was filled with at the first sight of +the Europeans, and at every act of theirs, even the most trifling, +when I first came among them, and for some time afterwards. That fear, +however, which was the effect of my ignorance, wore away as I began to +know them. I could now speak English tolerably well, and I perfectly +understood every thing that was said. I now not only felt myself +quite easy with these new countrymen, but relished their society and +manners. I no longer looked upon them as spirits, but as men superior +to us; and therefore I had the stronger desire to resemble them; to +imbibe their spirit, and imitate their manners; I therefore embraced +every occasion of improvement; and every new thing that I observed I +treasured up in my memory. I had long wished to be able to read and +write; and for this purpose I took every opportunity to gain +instruction, but had made as yet very little progress. However, when I +went to London with my master, I had soon an opportunity of improving +myself, which I gladly embraced. Shortly after my arrival, he sent me +to wait upon the Miss Guerins, who had treated me with much kindness +when I was there before; and they sent me to school. + +While I was attending these ladies their servants told me I could not +go to Heaven unless I was baptized. This made me very uneasy; for I +had now some faint idea of a future state: accordingly I communicated +my anxiety to the eldest Miss Guerin, with whom I was become a +favourite, and pressed her to have me baptized; when to my great joy +she told me I should. She had formerly asked my master to let me be +baptized, but he had refused; however she now insisted on it; and he +being under some obligation to her brother complied with her request; +so I was baptized in St. Margaret's church, Westminster, in February +1759, by my present name. The clergyman, at the same time, gave me a +book, called a Guide to the Indians, written by the Bishop of Sodor +and Man. On this occasion Miss Guerin did me the honour to stand as +godmother, and afterwards gave me a treat. I used to attend these +ladies about the town, in which service I was extremely happy; as I +had thus many opportunities of seeing London, which I desired of all +things. I was sometimes, however, with my master at his +rendezvous-house, which was at the foot of Westminster-bridge. Here I +used to enjoy myself in playing about the bridge stairs, and often in +the watermen's wherries, with other boys. On one of these occasions +there was another boy with me in a wherry, and we went out into the +current of the river: while we were there two more stout boys came to +us in another wherry, and, abusing us for taking the boat, desired me +to get into the other wherry-boat. Accordingly I went to get out of +the wherry I was in; but just as I had got one of my feet into the +other boat the boys shoved it off, so that I fell into the Thames; +and, not being able to swim, I should unavoidably have been drowned, +but for the assistance of some watermen who providentially came to my +relief. + +The Namur being again got ready for sea, my master, with his gang, was +ordered on board; and, to my no small grief, I was obliged to leave my +school-master, whom I liked very much, and always attended while I +stayed in London, to repair on board with my master. Nor did I leave +my kind patronesses, the Miss Guerins, without uneasiness and regret. +They often used to teach me to read, and took great pains to instruct +me in the principles of religion and the knowledge of God. I therefore +parted from those amiable ladies with reluctance; after receiving from +them many friendly cautions how to conduct myself, and some valuable +presents. + +When I came to Spithead, I found we were destined for the +Mediterranean, with a large fleet, which was now ready to put to sea. +We only waited for the arrival of the admiral, who soon came on board; +and about the beginning of the spring 1759, having weighed anchor, and +got under way, Sailed for the Mediterranean; and in eleven days, from +the Land's End, we got to Gibraltar. While we were here I used to be +often on shore, and got various fruits in great plenty, and very +cheap. + +I had frequently told several people, in my excursions on shore, the +story of my being kidnapped with my sister, and of our being +separated, as I have related before; and I had as often expressed my +anxiety for her fate, and my sorrow at having never met her again. One +day, when I was on shore, and mentioning these circumstances to some +persons, one of them told me he knew where my sister was, and, if I +would accompany him, he would bring me to her. Improbable as this +story was I believed it immediately, and agreed to go with him, while +my heart leaped for joy: and, indeed, he conducted me to a black young +woman, who was so like my sister, that, at first sight, I really +thought it was her: but I was quickly undeceived; and, on talking to +her, I found her to be of another nation. + +While we lay here the Preston came in from the Levant. As soon as she +arrived, my master told me I should now see my old companion, Dick, +who had gone in her when she sailed for Turkey. I was much rejoiced at +this news, and expected every minute to embrace him; and when the +captain came on board of our ship, which he did immediately after, I +ran to inquire after my friend; but, with inexpressible sorrow, I +learned from the boat's crew that the dear youth was dead! and that +they had brought his chest, and all his other things, to my master: +these he afterwards gave to me, and I regarded them as a memorial of +my friend, whom I loved, and grieved for, as a brother. + +While we were at Gibraltar, I saw a soldier hanging by his heels, at +one of the moles[L]: I thought this a strange sight, as I had seen a +man hanged in London by his neck. At another time I saw the master of +a frigate towed to shore on a grating, by several of the men of war's +boats, and discharged the fleet, which I understood was a mark of +disgrace for cowardice. On board the same ship there was also a sailor +hung up at the yard-arm. + +After lying at Gibraltar for some time, we sailed up the Mediterranean +a considerable way above the Gulf of Lyons; where we were one night +overtaken with a terrible gale of wind, much greater than any I had +ever yet experienced. The sea ran so high that, though all the guns +were well housed, there was great reason to fear their getting loose, +the ship rolled so much; and if they had it must have proved our +destruction. After we had cruised here for a short time, we came to +Barcelona, a Spanish sea-port, remarkable for its silk manufactures. +Here the ships were all to be watered; and my master, who spoke +different languages, and used often to interpret for the admiral, +superintended the watering of ours. For that purpose he and the +officers of the other ships, who were on the same service, had tents +pitched in the bay; and the Spanish soldiers were stationed along the +shore, I suppose to see that no depredations were committed by our +men. + +I used constantly to attend my master; and I was charmed with this +place. All the time we stayed it was like a fair with the natives, who +brought us fruits of all kinds, and sold them to us much cheaper than +I got them in England. They used also to bring wine down to us in hog +and sheep skins, which diverted me very much. The Spanish officers +here treated our officers with great politeness and attention; and +some of them, in particular, used to come often to my master's tent to +visit him; where they would sometimes divert themselves by mounting me +on the horses or mules, so that I could not fall, and setting them off +at full gallop; my imperfect skill in horsemanship all the while +affording them no small entertainment. After the ships were watered, +we returned to our old station of cruizing off Toulon, for the purpose +of intercepting a fleet of French men of war that lay there. One +Sunday, in our cruise, we came off a place where there were two small +French frigates lying in shore; and our admiral, thinking to take or +destroy them, sent two ships in after them--the Culloden and the +Conqueror. They soon came up to the Frenchmen; and I saw a smart fight +here, both by sea and land: for the frigates were covered by +batteries, and they played upon our ships most furiously, which they +as furiously returned, and for a long time a constant firing was kept +up on all sides at an amazing rate. At last one frigate sunk; but the +people escaped, though not without much difficulty: and a little after +some of the people left the other frigate also, which was a mere +wreck. However, our ships did not venture to bring her away, they were +so much annoyed from the batteries, which raked them both in going and +coming: their topmasts were shot away, and they were otherwise so much +shattered, that the admiral was obliged to send in many boats to tow +them back to the fleet. I afterwards sailed with a man who fought in +one of the French batteries during the engagement, and he told me our +ships had done considerable mischief that day on shore and in the +batteries. + +After this we sailed for Gibraltar, and arrived there about August +1759. Here we remained with all our sails unbent, while the fleet was +watering and doing other necessary things. While we were in this +situation, one day the admiral, with most of the principal officers, +and many people of all stations, being on shore, about seven o'clock +in the evening we were alarmed by signals from the frigates stationed +for that purpose; and in an instant there was a general cry that the +French fleet was out, and just passing through the streights. The +admiral immediately came on board with some other officers; and it is +impossible to describe the noise, hurry and confusion throughout the +whole fleet, in bending their sails and slipping their cables; many +people and ships' boats were left on shore in the bustle. We had two +captains on board of our ship who came away in the hurry and left +their ships to follow. We shewed lights from the gun-whale to the main +topmast-head; and all our lieutenants were employed amongst the fleet +to tell the ships not to wait for their captains, but to put the sails +to the yards, slip their cables and follow us; and in this confusion +of making ready for fighting we set out for sea in the dark after the +French fleet. Here I could have exclaimed with Ajax, + + "Oh Jove! O father! if it be thy will + That we must perish, we thy will obey, + But let us perish by the light of day." + +They had got the start of us so far that we were not able to come up +with them during the night; but at daylight we saw seven sail of the +line of battle some miles ahead. We immediately chased them till about +four o'clock in the evening, when our ships came up with them; and, +though we were about fifteen large ships, our gallant admiral only +fought them with his own division, which consisted of seven; so that +we were just ship for ship. We passed by the whole of the enemy's +fleet in order to come at their commander, Mons. La Clue, who was in +the Ocean, an eighty-four gun ship: as we passed they all fired on us; +and at one time three of them fired together, continuing to do so for +some time. Notwithstanding which our admiral would not suffer a gun to +be fired at any of them, to my astonishment; but made us lie on our +bellies on the deck till we came quite close to the Ocean, who was +ahead of them all; when we had orders to pour the whole three tiers +into her at once. + +The engagement now commenced with great fury on both sides: the Ocean +immediately returned our fire, and we continued engaged with each +other for some time; during which I was frequently stunned with the +thundering of the great guns, whose dreadful contents hurried many of +my companions into awful eternity. At last the French line was +entirely broken, and we obtained the victory, which was immediately +proclaimed with loud huzzas and acclamations. We took three prizes, La +Modeste, of sixty-four guns, and Le Temeraire and Centaur, of +seventy-four guns each. The rest of the French ships took to flight +with all the sail they could crowd. Our ship being very much damaged, +and quite disabled from pursuing the enemy, the admiral immediately +quitted her, and went in the broken and only boat we had left on board +the Newark, with which, and some other ships, he went after the +French. The Ocean, and another large French ship, called the +Redoubtable, endeavouring to escape, ran ashore at Cape Logas, on the +coast of Portugal; and the French admiral and some of the crew got +ashore; but we, finding it impossible to get the ships off, set fire +to them both. About midnight I saw the Ocean blow up, with a most +dreadful explosion. I never beheld a more awful scene. In less than a +minute the midnight for a certain space seemed turned into day by the +blaze, which was attended with a noise louder and more terrible than +thunder, that seemed to rend every element around us. + +My station during the engagement was on the middle-deck, where I was +quartered with another boy, to bring powder to the aftermost gun; and +here I was a witness of the dreadful fate of many of my companions, +who, in the twinkling of an eye, were dashed in pieces, and launched +into eternity. Happily I escaped unhurt, though the shot and splinters +flew thick about me during the whole fight. Towards the latter part of +it my master was wounded, and I saw him carried down to the surgeon; +but though I was much alarmed for him and wished to assist him I dared +not leave my post. At this station my gun-mate (a partner in bringing +powder for the same gun) and I ran a very great risk for more than +half an hour of blowing up the ship. For, when we had taken the +cartridges out of the boxes, the bottoms of many of them proving +rotten, the powder ran all about the deck, near the match tub: we +scarcely had water enough at the last to throw on it. We were also, +from our employment, very much exposed to the enemy's shots; for we +had to go through nearly the whole length of the ship to bring the +powder. I expected therefore every minute to be my last; especially +when I saw our men fall so thick about me; but, wishing to guard as +much against the dangers as possible, at first I thought it would be +safest not to go for the powder till the Frenchmen had fired their +broadside; and then, while they were charging, I could go and come +with my powder: but immediately afterwards I thought this caution was +fruitless; and, cheering myself with the reflection that there was a +time allotted for me to die as well as to be born, I instantly cast +off all fear or thought whatever of death, and went through the whole +of my duty with alacrity; pleasing myself with the hope, if I survived +the battle, of relating it and the dangers I had escaped to the dear +Miss Guerin, and others, when I should return to London. + +Our ship suffered very much in this engagement; for, besides the +number of our killed and wounded, she was almost torn to pieces, and +our rigging so much shattered, that our mizen-mast and main-yard, &c. +hung over the side of the ship; so that we were obliged to get many +carpenters, and others from some of the ships of the fleet, to assist +in setting us in some tolerable order; and, notwithstanding, it took +us some time before we were completely refitted; after which we left +Admiral Broderick to command, and we, with the prizes, steered for +England. On the passage, and as soon as my master was something +recovered of his wounds, the admiral appointed him captain of the AEtna +fire-ship, on which he and I left the Namur, and went on board of her +at sea. I liked this little ship very much. I now became the captain's +steward, in which situation I was very happy: for I was extremely well +treated by all on board; and I had leisure to improve myself in +reading and writing. The latter I had learned a little of before I +left the Namur, as there was a school on board. When we arrived at +Spithead the AEtna went into Portsmouth harbour to refit, which being +done, we returned to Spithead and joined a large fleet that was +thought to be intended against the Havannah; but about that time the +king died: whether that prevented the expedition I know not; but it +caused our ship to be stationed at Cowes, in the isle of Wight, till +the beginning of the year sixty-one. Here I spent my time very +pleasantly; I was much on shore all about this delightful island, and +found the inhabitants very civil. + +While I was here, I met with a trifling incident, which surprised me +agreeably. I was one day in a field belonging to a gentleman who had +a black boy about my own size; this boy having observed me from his +master's house, was transported at the sight of one of his own +countrymen, and ran to meet me with the utmost haste. I not knowing +what he was about turned a little out of his way at first, but to no +purpose: he soon came close to me and caught hold of me in his arms as +if I had been his brother, though we had never seen each other before. +After we had talked together for some time he took me to his master's +house, where I was treated very kindly. This benevolent boy and I were +very happy in frequently seeing each other till about the month of +March 1761, when our ship had orders to fit out again for another +expedition. When we got ready, we joined a very large fleet at +Spithead, commanded by Commodore Keppel, which was destined against +Belle-Isle, and with a number of transport ships with troops on board +to make a descent on the place. We sailed once more in quest of fame. +I longed to engage in new adventures and see fresh wonders. + +I had a mind on which every thing uncommon made its full impression, +and every event which I considered as marvellous. Every extraordinary +escape, or signal deliverance, either of myself or others, I looked +upon to be effected by the interposition of Providence. We had not +been above ten days at sea before an incident of this kind happened; +which, whatever credit it may obtain from the reader, made no small +impression on my mind. + +We had on board a gunner, whose name was John Mondle; a man of very +indifferent morals. This man's cabin was between the decks, exactly +over where I lay, abreast of the quarter-deck ladder. One night, the +20th of April, being terrified with a dream, he awoke in so great a +fright that he could not rest in his bed any longer, nor even remain +in his cabin; and he went upon deck about four o'clock in the morning +extremely agitated. He immediately told those on the deck of the +agonies of his mind, and the dream which occasioned it; in which he +said he had seen many things very awful, and had been warned by St. +Peter to repent, who told him time was short. This he said had greatly +alarmed him, and he was determined to alter his life. People generally +mock the fears of others when they are themselves in safety; and some +of his shipmates who heard him only laughed at him. However, he made +a vow that he never would drink strong liquors again; and he +immediately got a light, and gave away his sea-stores of liquor. After +which, his agitation still continuing, he began to read the +Scriptures, hoping to find some relief; and soon afterwards he laid +himself down again on his bed, and endeavoured to compose himself to +sleep, but to no purpose; his mind still continuing in a state of +agony. By this time it was exactly half after seven in the morning: I +was then under the half-deck at the great cabin door; and all at once +I heard the people in the waist cry out, most fearfully--'The Lord +have mercy upon us! We are all lost! The Lord have mercy upon us!' Mr. +Mondle hearing the cries, immediately ran out of his cabin; and we +were instantly struck by the Lynne, a forty-gun ship, Captain Clark, +which nearly ran us down. This ship had just put about, and was by the +wind, but had not got full headway, or we must all have perished; for +the wind was brisk. However, before Mr. Mondle had got four steps from +his cabin-door, she struck our ship with her cutwater right in the +middle of his bed and cabin, and ran it up to the combings of the +quarter-deck hatchway, and above three feet below water, and in a +minute there was not a bit of wood to be seen where Mr. Mondle's cabin +stood; and he was so near being killed that some of the splinters tore +his face. As Mr. Mondle must inevitably have perished from this +accident had he not been alarmed in the very extraordinary way I have +related, I could not help regarding this as an awful interposition of +Providence for his preservation. The two ships for some time swinged +alongside of each other; for ours being a fire-ship, our +grappling-irons caught the Lynne every way, and the yards and rigging +went at an astonishing rate. Our ship was in such a shocking condition +that we all thought she would instantly go down, and every one ran for +their lives, and got as well as they could on board the Lynne; but our +lieutenant being the aggressor, he never quitted the ship. However, +when we found she did not sink immediately, the captain came on board +again, and encouraged our people to return and try to save her. Many +on this came back, but some would not venture. Some of the ships in +the fleet, seeing our situation, immediately sent their boats to our +assistance; but it took us the whole day to save the ship with all +their help. And by using every possible means, particularly frapping +her together with many hawsers, and putting a great quantity of tallow +below water where she was damaged, she was kept together: but it was +well we did not meet with any gales of wind, or we must have gone to +pieces; for we were in such a crazy condition that we had ships to +attend us till we arrived at Belle-Isle, the place of our destination; +and then we had all things taken out of the ship, and she was properly +repaired. This escape of Mr. Mondle, which he, as well as myself, +always considered as a singular act of Providence, I believe had a +great influence on his life and conduct ever afterwards. + +Now that I am on this subject I beg leave to relate another instance +or two which strongly raised my belief of the particular interposition +of Heaven, and which might not otherwise have found a place here, from +their insignificance. I belonged for a few days in the year 1758 to +the Jason, of fifty-four guns, at Plymouth; and one night, when I was +on board, a woman, with a child at her breast, fell from the +upper-deck down into the hold, near the keel. Every one thought that +the mother and child must be both dashed to pieces; but, to our great +surprise, neither of them was hurt. I myself one day fell headlong +from the upper-deck of the AEtna down the after-hold, when the ballast +was out; and all who saw me fall cried out I was killed: but I +received not the least injury. And in the same ship a man fell from +the mast-head on the deck without being hurt. In these, and in many +more instances, I thought I could plainly trace the hand of God, +without whose permission a sparrow cannot fall. I began to raise my +fear from man to him alone, and to call daily on his holy name with +fear and reverence: and I trust he heard my supplications, and +graciously condescended to answer me according to his holy word, and +to implant the seeds of piety in me, even one of the meanest of his +creatures. + +When we had refitted our ship, and all things were in readiness for +attacking the place, the troops on board the transports were ordered +to disembark; and my master, as a junior captain, had a share in the +command of the landing. This was on the 8th of April. The French were +drawn up on the shore, and had made every disposition to oppose the +landing of our men, only a small part of them this day being able to +effect it; most of them, after fighting with great bravery, were cut +off; and General Crawford, with a number of others, were taken +prisoners. In this day's engagement we had also our lieutenant killed. + +On the 21st of April we renewed our efforts to land the men, while all +the men of war were stationed along the shore to cover it, and fired +at the French batteries and breastworks from early in the morning till +about four o'clock in the evening, when our soldiers effected a safe +landing. They immediately attacked the French; and, after a sharp +encounter, forced them from the batteries. Before the enemy retreated +they blew up several of them, lest they should fall into our hands. +Our men now proceeded to besiege the citadel, and my master was +ordered on shore to superintend the landing of all the materials +necessary for carrying on the siege; in which service I mostly +attended him. While I was there I went about to different parts of the +island; and one day, particularly, my curiosity almost cost me my +life. I wanted very much to see the mode of charging the mortars and +letting off the shells, and for that purpose I went to an English +battery that was but a very few yards from the walls of the citadel. +There, indeed, I had an opportunity of completely gratifying myself in +seeing the whole operation, and that not without running a very great +risk, both from the English shells that burst while I was there, but +likewise from those of the French. One of the largest of their shells +bursted within nine or ten yards of me: there was a single rock close +by, about the size of a butt; and I got instant shelter under it in +time to avoid the fury of the shell. Where it burst the earth was torn +in such a manner that two or three butts might easily have gone into +the hole it made, and it threw great quantities of stones and dirt to +a considerable distance. Three shot were also fired at me and another +boy who was along with me, one of them in particular seemed + + "Wing'd with red lightning and impetuous rage;" + +for with a most dreadful sound it hissed close by me, and struck a +rock at a little distance, which it shattered to pieces. When I saw +what perilous circumstances I was in, I attempted to return the +nearest way I could find, and thereby I got between the English and +the French centinels. An English serjeant, who commanded the outposts, +seeing me, and surprised how I came there, (which was by stealth along +the seashore), reprimanded me very severely for it, and instantly took +the centinel off his post into custody, for his negligence in +suffering me to pass the lines. While I was in this situation I +observed at a little distance a French horse, belonging to some +islanders, which I thought I would now mount, for the greater +expedition of getting off. Accordingly I took some cord which I had +about me, and making a kind of bridle of it, I put it round the +horse's head, and the tame beast very quietly suffered me to tie him +thus and mount him. As soon as I was on the horse's back I began to +kick and beat him, and try every means to make him go quick, but all +to very little purpose: I could not drive him out of a slow pace. +While I was creeping along, still within reach of the enemy's shot, I +met with a servant well mounted on an English horse. I immediately +stopped; and, crying, told him my case; and begged of him to help me, +and this he effectually did; for, having a fine large whip, he began +to lash my horse with it so severely, that he set off full speed with +me towards the sea, while I was quite unable to hold or manage him. In +this manner I went along till I came to a craggy precipice. I now +could not stop my horse; and my mind was filled with apprehensions of +my deplorable fate should he go down the precipice, which he appeared +fully disposed to do: I therefore thought I had better throw myself +off him at once, which I did immediately with a great deal of +dexterity, and fortunately escaped unhurt. As soon as I found myself +at liberty I made the best of my way for the ship, determined I would +not be so fool-hardy again in a hurry. + +We continued to besiege the citadel till June, when it surrendered. +During the siege I have counted above sixty shells and carcases in the +air at once. When this place was taken I went through the citadel, and +in the bomb-proofs under it, which were cut in the solid rock; and I +thought it a surprising place, both for strength and building: +notwithstanding which our shots and shells had made amazing +devastation, and ruinous heaps all around it. + +After the taking of this island our ships, with some others commanded +by Commodore Stanhope in the Swiftsure, went to Basse-road, where we +blocked up a French fleet. Our ships were there from June till +February following; and in that time I saw a great many scenes of war, +and stratagems on both sides to destroy each others fleet. Sometimes +we would attack the French with some ships of the line; at other times +with boats; and frequently we made prizes. Once or twice the French +attacked us by throwing shells with their bomb-vessels: and one day as +a French vessel was throwing shells at our ships she broke from her +springs, behind the isle of I de Re: the tide being complicated, she +came within a gun shot of the Nassau; but the Nassau could not bring a +gun to bear upon her, and thereby the Frenchman got off. We were twice +attacked by their fire-floats, which they chained together, and then +let them float down with the tide; but each time we sent boats with +graplings, and towed them safe out of the fleet. + +We had different commanders while we were at this place, Commodores +Stanhope, Dennis, Lord Howe, &c. From hence, before the Spanish war +began, our ship and the Wasp sloop were sent to St. Sebastian in +Spain, by Commodore Stanhope; and Commodore Dennis afterwards sent our +ship as a cartel to Bayonne in France[M], after which[N] we went in +February in 1762 to Belle-Isle, and there stayed till the summer, when +we left it, and returned to Portsmouth. + +After our ship was fitted out again for service, in September she went +to Guernsey, where I was very glad to see my old hostess, who was now +a widow, and my former little charming companion, her daughter. I +spent some time here very happily with them, till October, when we had +orders to repair to Portsmouth. We parted from each other with a great +deal of affection; and I promised to return soon, and see them again, +not knowing what all-powerful fate had determined for me. Our ship +having arrived at Portsmouth, we went into the harbour, and remained +there till the latter end of November, when we heard great talk about +peace; and, to our very great joy, in the beginning of December we had +orders to go up to London with our ship to be paid off. We received +this news with loud huzzas, and every other demonstration of gladness; +and nothing but mirth was to be seen throughout every part of the +ship. I too was not without my share of the general joy on this +occasion. I thought now of nothing but being freed, and working for +myself, and thereby getting money to enable me to get a good +education; for I always had a great desire to be able at least to read +and write; and while I was on shipboard I had endeavoured to improve +myself in both. While I was in the AEtna particularly, the captain's +clerk taught me to write, and gave me a smattering of arithmetic as +far as the rule of three. There was also one Daniel Queen, about forty +years of age, a man very well educated, who messed with me on board +this ship, and he likewise dressed and attended the captain. +Fortunately this man soon became very much attached to me, and took +very great pains to instruct me in many things. He taught me to shave +and dress hair a little, and also to read in the Bible, explaining +many passages to me, which I did not comprehend. I was wonderfully +surprised to see the laws and rules of my country written almost +exactly here; a circumstance which I believe tended to impress our +manners and customs more deeply on my memory. I used to tell him of +this resemblance; and many a time we have sat up the whole night +together at this employment. In short, he was like a father to me; and +some even used to call me after his name; they also styled me the +black Christian. Indeed I almost loved him with the affection of a +son. Many things I have denied myself that he might have them; and +when I used to play at marbles or any other game, and won a few +half-pence, or got any little money, which I sometimes did, for +shaving any one, I used to buy him a little sugar or tobacco, as far +as my stock of money would go. He used to say, that he and I never +should part; and that when our ship was paid off, as I was as free as +himself or any other man on board, he would instruct me in his +business, by which I might gain a good livelihood. This gave me new +life and spirits; and my heart burned within me, while I thought the +time long till I obtained my freedom. For though my master had not +promised it to me, yet, besides the assurances I had received that he +had no right to detain me, he always treated me with the greatest +kindness, and reposed in me an unbounded confidence; he even paid +attention to my morals; and would never suffer me to deceive him, or +tell lies, of which he used to tell me the consequences; and that if I +did so God would not love me; so that, from all this tenderness, I had +never once supposed, in all my dreams of freedom, that he would think +of detaining me any longer than I wished. + +In pursuance of our orders we sailed from Portsmouth for the Thames, +and arrived at Deptford the 10th of December, where we cast anchor +just as it was high water. The ship was up about half an hour, when my +master ordered the barge to be manned; and all in an instant, without +having before given me the least reason to suspect any thing of the +matter, he forced me into the barge; saying, I was going to leave him, +but he would take care I should not. I was so struck with the +unexpectedness of this proceeding, that for some time I did not make a +reply, only I made an offer to go for my books and chest of clothes, +but he swore I should not move out of his sight; and if I did he would +cut my throat, at the same time taking his hanger. I began, however, +to collect myself; and, plucking up courage, I told him I was free, +and he could not by law serve me so. But this only enraged him the +more; and he continued to swear, and said he would soon let me know +whether he would or not, and at that instant sprung himself into the +barge from the ship, to the astonishment and sorrow of all on board. +The tide, rather unluckily for me, had just turned downward, so that +we quickly fell down the river along with it, till we came among some +outward-bound West Indiamen; for he was resolved to put me on board +the first vessel he could get to receive me. The boat's crew, who +pulled against their will, became quite faint different times, and +would have gone ashore; but he would not let them. Some of them strove +then to cheer me, and told me he could not sell me, and that they +would stand by me, which revived me a little; and I still entertained +hopes; for as they pulled along he asked some vessels to receive me, +but they could not. But, just as we had got a little below Gravesend, +we came alongside of a ship which was going away the next tide for the +West Indies; her name was the Charming Sally, Captain James Doran; and +my master went on board and agreed with him for me; and in a little +time I was sent for into the cabin. When I came there Captain Doran +asked me if I knew him; I answered that I did not; 'Then,' said he +'you are now my slave.' I told him my master could not sell me to him, +nor to any one else. 'Why,' said he,'did not your master buy you?' I +confessed he did. 'But I have served him,' said I,'many years, and he +has taken all my wages and prize-money, for I only got one sixpence +during the war; besides this I have been baptized; and by the laws of +the land no man has a right to sell me:' And I added, that I had heard +a lawyer and others at different times tell my master so. They both +then said that those people who told me so were not my friends; but I +replied--it was very extraordinary that other people did not know the +law as well as they. Upon this Captain Doran said I talked too much +English; and if I did not behave myself well, and be quiet, he had a +method on board to make me. I was too well convinced of his power over +me to doubt what he said; and my former sufferings in the slave-ship +presenting themselves to my mind, the recollection of them made me +shudder. However, before I retired I told them that as I could not get +any right among men here I hoped I should hereafter in Heaven; and I +immediately left the cabin, filled with resentment and sorrow. The +only coat I had with me my master took away with him, and said if my +prize-money had been 10,000 L. he had a right to it all, and would have +taken it. I had about nine guineas, which, during my long sea-faring +life, I had scraped together from trifling perquisites and little +ventures; and I hid it that instant, lest my master should take that +from me likewise, still hoping that by some means or other I should +make my escape to the shore; and indeed some of my old shipmates told +me not to despair, for they would get me back again; and that, as soon +as they could get their pay, they would immediately come to Portsmouth +to me, where this ship was going: but, alas! all my hopes were +baffled, and the hour of my deliverance was yet far off. My master, +having soon concluded his bargain with the captain, came out of the +cabin, and he and his people got into the boat and put off; I followed +them with aching eyes as long as I could, and when they were out of +sight I threw myself on the deck, while my heart was ready to burst +with sorrow and anguish. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[Footnote L: He had drowned himself in endeavouring to desert.] + +[Footnote M: Among others whom we brought from Bayonne, two gentlemen, +who had been in the West Indies, where they sold slaves; and they +confessed they had made at one time a false bill of sale, and sold two +Portuguese white men among a lot of slaves.] + +[Footnote N: Some people have it, that sometimes shortly before +persons die their ward has been seen; that is, some spirit exactly in +their likeness, though they are themselves at other places at the same +time. One day while we were at Bayonne Mr. Mondle saw one of our men, +as he thought, in the gun-room; and a little after, coming on the +quarter-deck, he spoke of some circumstances of this man to some of +the officers. They told him that the man was then out of the ship, in +one of the boats with the Lieutenant: but Mr. Mondle would not believe +it, and we searched the ship, when he found the man was actually out +of her; and when the boat returned some time afterwards, we found the +man had been drowned at the very time Mr. Mondle thought he saw him.] + + + + +CHAP. V. + + _The author's reflections on his situation--Is deceived by a + promise of being delivered--His despair at sailing for the + West Indies--Arrives at Montserrat, where he is sold to Mr. + King--Various interesting instances of oppression, cruelty, + and extortion, which the author saw practised upon the + slaves in the West Indies during his captivity from the year + 1763 to 1766--Address on it to the planters._ + + +Thus, at the moment I expected all my toils to end, was I plunged, as +I supposed, in a new slavery; in comparison of which all my service +hitherto had been 'perfect freedom;' and whose horrors, always present +to my mind, now rushed on it with tenfold aggravation. I wept very +bitterly for some time: and began to think that I must have done +something to displease the Lord, that he thus punished me so severely. +This filled me with painful reflections on my past conduct; I +recollected that on the morning of our arrival at Deptford I had +rashly sworn that as soon as we reached London I would spend the day +in rambling and sport. My conscience smote me for this unguarded +expression: I felt that the Lord was able to disappoint me in all +things, and immediately considered my present situation as a judgment +of Heaven on account of my presumption in swearing: I therefore, with +contrition of heart, acknowledged my transgression to God, and poured +out my soul before him with unfeigned repentance, and with earnest +supplications I besought him not to abandon me in my distress, nor +cast me from his mercy for ever. In a little time my grief, spent with +its own violence, began to subside; and after the first confusion of +my thoughts was over I reflected with more calmness on my present +condition: I considered that trials and disappointments are sometimes +for our good, and I thought God might perhaps have permitted this in +order to teach me wisdom and resignation; for he had hitherto shadowed +me with the wings of his mercy, and by his invisible but powerful hand +brought me the way I knew not. These reflections gave me a little +comfort, and I rose at last from the deck with dejection and sorrow in +my countenance, yet mixed with some faint hope that the _Lord would +appear_ for my deliverance. + +Soon afterwards, as my new master was going ashore, he called me to +him, and told me to behave myself well, and do the business of the +ship the same as any of the rest of the boys, and that I should fare +the better for it; but I made him no answer. I was then asked if I +could swim, and I said, No. However I was made to go under the deck, +and was well watched. The next tide the ship got under way, and soon +after arrived at the Mother Bank, Portsmouth; where she waited a few +days for some of the West India convoy. While I was here I tried every +means I could devise amongst the people of the ship to get me a boat +from the shore, as there was none suffered to come alongside of the +ship; and their own, whenever it was used, was hoisted in again +immediately. A sailor on board took a guinea from me on pretence of +getting me a boat; and promised me, time after time, that it was +hourly to come off. When he had the watch upon deck I watched also; +and looked long enough, but all in vain; I could never see either the +boat or my guinea again. And what I thought was still the worst of +all, the fellow gave information, as I afterwards found, all the while +to the mates, of my intention to go off, if I could in any way do it; +but, rogue like, he never told them he had got a guinea from me to +procure my escape. However, after we had sailed, and his trick was +made known to the ship's crew, I had some satisfaction in seeing him +detested and despised by them all for his behaviour to me. I was still +in hopes that my old shipmates would not forget their promise to come +for me to Portsmouth: and, indeed, at last, but not till the day +before we sailed, some of them did come there, and sent me off some +oranges, and other tokens of their regard. They also sent me word they +would come off to me themselves the next day or the day after; and a +lady also, who lived in Gosport, wrote to me that she would come and +take me out of the ship at the same time. This lady had been once very +intimate with my former master: I used to sell and take care of a +great deal of property for her, in different ships; and in return she +always shewed great friendship for me, and used to tell my master that +she would take me away to live with her: but, unfortunately for me, a +disagreement soon afterwards took place between them; and she was +succeeded in my master's good graces by another lady, who appeared +sole mistress of the AEtna, and mostly lodged on board. I was not so +great a favourite with this lady as with the former; she had conceived +a pique against me on some occasion when she was on board, and she did +not fail to instigate my master to treat me in the manner he did[O]. + +However, the next morning, the 30th of December, the wind being brisk +and easterly, the Oeolus frigate, which was to escort the convoy, +made a signal for sailing. All the ships then got up their anchors; +and, before any of my friends had an opportunity to come off to my +relief, to my inexpressible anguish our ship had got under way. What +tumultuous emotions agitated my soul when the convoy got under sail, +and I a prisoner on board, now without hope! I kept my swimming eyes +upon the land in a state of unutterable grief; not knowing what to do, +and despairing how to help myself. While my mind was in this situation +the fleet sailed on, and in one day's time I lost sight of the +wished-for land. In the first expressions of my grief I reproached my +fate, and wished I had never been born. I was ready to curse the tide +that bore us, the gale that wafted my prison, and even the ship that +conducted us; and I called on death to relieve me from the horrors I +felt and dreaded, that I might be in that place + + "Where slaves are free, and men oppress no more. + Fool that I was, inur'd so long to pain, + To trust to hope, or dream of joy again. + + * * * * * + + Now dragg'd once more beyond the western main, + To groan beneath some dastard planter's chain; + Where my poor countrymen in bondage wait + The long enfranchisement of ling'ring fate: + Hard ling'ring fate! while, ere the dawn of day, + Rous'd by the lash they go their cheerless way; + And as their souls with shame and anguish burn, + Salute with groans unwelcome morn's return, + And, chiding ev'ry hour the slow-pac'd sun, + Pursue their toils till all his race is run. + No eye to mark their suff'rings with a tear; + No friend to comfort, and no hope to cheer: + Then, like the dull unpity'd brutes, repair + To stalls as wretched, and as coarse a fare; + Thank heaven one day of mis'ry was o'er, + Then sink to sleep, and wish to wake no more[P]." + +The turbulence of my emotions however naturally gave way to calmer +thoughts, and I soon perceived what fate had decreed no mortal on +earth could prevent. The convoy sailed on without any accident, with a +pleasant gale and smooth sea, for six weeks, till February, when one +morning the Oeolus ran down a brig, one of the convoy, and she +instantly went down and was ingulfed in the dark recesses of the +ocean. The convoy was immediately thrown into great confusion till it +was daylight; and the Oeolus was illumined with lights to prevent +any farther mischief. On the 13th of February 1763, from the +mast-head, we descried our destined island Montserrat; and soon after +I beheld those + + "Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace + And rest can rarely dwell. Hope never comes + That comes to all, but torture without end + Still urges." + +At the sight of this land of bondage, a fresh horror ran through all +my frame, and chilled me to the heart. My former slavery now rose in +dreadful review to my mind, and displayed nothing but misery, stripes, +and chains; and, in the first paroxysm of my grief, I called upon +God's thunder, and his avenging power, to direct the stroke of death +to me, rather than permit me to become a slave, and be sold from lord +to lord. + +In this state of my mind our ship came to an anchor, and soon after +discharged her cargo. I now knew what it was to work hard; I was made +to help to unload and load the ship. And, to comfort me in my distress +in that time, two of the sailors robbed me of all my money, and ran +away from the ship. I had been so long used to an European climate +that at first I felt the scorching West India sun very painful, while +the dashing surf would toss the boat and the people in it frequently +above high water mark. Sometimes our limbs were broken with this, or +even attended with instant death, and I was day by day mangled and +torn. + +About the middle of May, when the ship was got ready to sail for +England, I all the time believing that Fate's blackest clouds were +gathering over my head, and expecting their bursting would mix me with +the dead, Captain Doran sent for me ashore one morning, and I was told +by the messenger that my fate was then determined. With fluttering +steps and trembling heart I came to the captain, and found with him +one Mr. Robert King, a quaker, and the first merchant in the place. +The captain then told me my former master had sent me there to be +sold; but that he had desired him to get me the best master he could, +as he told him I was a very deserving boy, which Captain Doran said he +found to be true; and if he were to stay in the West Indies he would +be glad to keep me himself; but he could not venture to take me to +London, for he was very sure that when I came there I would leave him. +I at that instant burst out a crying, and begged much of him to take +me to England with him, but all to no purpose. He told me he had got +me the very best master in the whole island, with whom I should be as +happy as if I were in England, and for that reason he chose to let him +have me, though he could sell me to his own brother-in-law for a great +deal more money than what he got from this gentleman. Mr. King, my new +master, then made a reply, and said the reason he had bought me was on +account of my good character; and, as he had not the least doubt of my +good behaviour, I should be very well off with him. He also told me he +did not live in the West Indies, but at Philadelphia, where he was +going soon; and, as I understood something of the rules of +arithmetic, when we got there he would put me to school, and fit me +for a clerk. This conversation relieved my mind a little, and I left +those gentlemen considerably more at ease in myself than when I came +to them; and I was very grateful to Captain Doran, and even to my old +master, for the character they had given me; a character which I +afterwards found of infinite service to me. I went on board again, and +took leave of all my shipmates; and the next day the ship sailed. When +she weighed anchor I went to the waterside and looked at her with a +very wishful and aching heart, and followed her with my eyes and tears +until she was totally out of sight. I was so bowed down with grief +that I could not hold up my head for many months; and if my new master +had not been kind to me I believe I should have died under it at last. +And indeed I soon found that he fully deserved the good character +which Captain Doran had given me of him; for he possessed a most +amiable disposition and temper, and was very charitable and humane. If +any of his slaves behaved amiss he did not beat or use them ill, but +parted with them. This made them afraid of disobliging him; and as he +treated his slaves better than any other man on the island, so he was +better and more faithfully served by them in return. By his kind +treatment I did at last endeavour to compose myself; and with +fortitude, though moneyless, determined to face whatever fate had +decreed for me. Mr. King soon asked me what I could do; and at the +same time said he did not mean to treat me as a common slave. I told +him I knew something of seamanship, and could shave and dress hair +pretty well; and I could refine wines, which I had learned on +shipboard, where I had often done it; and that I could write, and +understood arithmetic tolerably well as far as the Rule of Three. He +then asked me if I knew any thing of gauging; and, on my answering +that I did not, he said one of his clerks should teach me to gauge. + +Mr. King dealt in all manner of merchandize, and kept from one to six +clerks. He loaded many vessels in a year; particularly to +Philadelphia, where he was born, and was connected with a great +mercantile house in that city. He had besides many vessels and +droggers, of different sizes, which used to go about the island; and +others to collect rum, sugar, and other goods. I understood pulling +and managing those boats very well; and this hard work, which was the +first that he set me to, in the sugar seasons used to be my constant +employment. I have rowed the boat, and slaved at the oars, from one +hour to sixteen in the twenty-four; during which I had fifteen pence +sterling per day to live on, though sometimes only ten pence. However +this was considerably more than was allowed to other slaves that used +to work with me, and belonged to other gentlemen on the island: those +poor souls had never more than nine pence per day, and seldom more +than six pence, from their masters or owners, though they earned them +three or four pisterines[Q]: for it is a common practice in the West +Indies for men to purchase slaves though they have not plantations +themselves, in order to let them out to planters and merchants at so +much a piece by the day, and they give what allowance they chuse out +of this produce of their daily work to their slaves for subsistence; +this allowance is often very scanty. My master often gave the owners +of these slaves two and a half of these pieces per day, and found the +poor fellows in victuals himself, because he thought their owners did +not feed them well enough according to the work they did. The slaves +used to like this very well; and, as they knew my master to be a man +of feeling, they were always glad to work for him in preference to any +other gentleman; some of whom, after they had been paid for these poor +people's labours, would not give them their allowance out of it. Many +times have I even seen these unfortunate wretches beaten for asking +for their pay; and often severely flogged by their owners if they did +not bring them their daily or weekly money exactly to the time; though +the poor creatures were obliged to wait on the gentlemen they had +worked for sometimes for more than half the day before they could get +their pay; and this generally on Sundays, when they wanted the time +for themselves. In particular, I knew a countryman of mine who once +did not bring the weekly money directly that it was earned; and though +he brought it the same day to his master, yet he was staked to the +ground for this pretended negligence, and was just going to receive a +hundred lashes, but for a gentleman who begged him off fifty. This +poor man was very industrious; and, by his frugality, had saved so +much money by working on shipboard, that he had got a white man to buy +him a boat, unknown to his master. Some time after he had this little +estate the governor wanted a boat to bring his sugar from different +parts of the island; and, knowing this to be a negro-man's boat, he +seized upon it for himself, and would not pay the owner a farthing. +The man on this went to his master, and complained to him of this act +of the governor; but the only satisfaction he received was to be +damned very heartily by his master, who asked him how dared any of his +negroes to have a boat. If the justly-merited ruin of the governor's +fortune could be any gratification to the poor man he had thus robbed, +he was not without consolation. Extortion and rapine are poor +providers; and some time after this the governor died in the King's +Bench in England, as I was told, in great poverty. The last war +favoured this poor negro-man, and he found some means to escape from +his Christian master: he came to England; where I saw him afterwards +several times. Such treatment as this often drives these miserable +wretches to despair, and they run away from their masters at the +hazard of their lives. Many of them, in this place, unable to get +their pay when they have earned it, and fearing to be flogged, as +usual, if they return home without it, run away where they can for +shelter, and a reward is often offered to bring them in dead or alive. +My master used sometimes, in these cases, to agree with their owners, +and to settle with them himself; and thereby he saved many of them a +flogging. + +Once, for a few days, I was let out to fit a vessel, and I had no +victuals allowed me by either party; at last I told my master of this +treatment, and he took me away from it. In many of the estates, on the +different islands where I used to be sent for rum or sugar, they would +not deliver it to me, or any other negro; he was therefore obliged to +send a white man along with me to those places; and then he used to +pay him from six to ten pisterines a day. From being thus employed, +during the time I served Mr. King, in going about the different +estates on the island, I had all the opportunity I could wish for to +see the dreadful usage of the poor men; usage that reconciled me to my +situation, and made me bless God for the hands into which I had +fallen. + +I had the good fortune to please my master in every department in +which he employed me; and there was scarcely any part of his business, +or household affairs, in which I was not occasionally engaged. I often +supplied the place of a clerk, in receiving and delivering cargoes to +the ships, in tending stores, and delivering goods: and, besides this, +I used to shave and dress my master when convenient, and take care of +his horse; and when it was necessary, which was very often, I worked +likewise on board of different vessels of his. By these means I became +very useful to my master; and saved him, as he used to acknowledge, +above a hundred pounds a year. Nor did he scruple to say I was of more +advantage to him than any of his clerks; though their usual wages in +the West Indies are from sixty to a hundred pounds current a year. + +I have sometimes heard it asserted that a negro cannot earn his master +the first cost; but nothing can be further from the truth. I suppose +nine tenths of the mechanics throughout the West Indies are negro +slaves; and I well know the coopers among them earn two dollars a day; +the carpenters the same, and oftentimes more; as also the masons, +smiths, and fishermen, &c. and I have known many slaves whose masters +would not take a thousand pounds current for them. But surely this +assertion refutes itself; for, if it be true, why do the planters and +merchants pay such a price for slaves? And, above all, why do those +who make this assertion exclaim the most loudly against the abolition +of the slave trade? So much are men blinded, and to such inconsistent +arguments are they driven by mistaken interest! I grant, indeed, that +slaves are some times, by half-feeding, half-clothing, over-working +and stripes, reduced so low, that they are turned out as unfit for +service, and left to perish in the woods, or expire on a dunghill. + +My master was several times offered by different gentlemen one hundred +guineas for me; but he always told them he would not sell me, to my +great joy: and I used to double my diligence and care for fear of +getting into the hands of those men who did not allow a valuable slave +the common support of life. Many of them even used to find fault with +my master for feeding his slaves so well as he did; although I often +went hungry, and an Englishman might think my fare very indifferent; +but he used to tell them he always would do it, because the slaves +thereby looked better and did more work. + +While I was thus employed by my master I was often a witness to +cruelties of every kind, which were exercised on my unhappy fellow +slaves. I used frequently to have different cargoes of new negroes in +my care for sale; and it was almost a constant practice with our +clerks, and other whites, to commit violent depredations on the +chastity of the female slaves; and these I was, though with +reluctance, obliged to submit to at all times, being unable to help +them. When we have had some of these slaves on board my master's +vessels to carry them to other islands, or to America, I have known +our mates to commit these acts most shamefully, to the disgrace, not +of Christians only, but of men. I have even known them gratify their +brutal passion with females not ten years old; and these abominations +some of them practised to such scandalous excess, that one of our +captains discharged the mate and others on that account. And yet in +Montserrat I have seen a negro man staked to the ground, and cut most +shockingly, and then his ears cut off bit by bit, because he had been +connected with a white woman who was a common prostitute: as if it +were no crime in the whites to rob an innocent African girl of her +virtue; but most heinous in a black man only to gratify a passion of +nature, where the temptation was offered by one of a different colour, +though the most abandoned woman of her species. Another negro man was +half hanged, and then burnt, for attempting to poison a cruel +overseer. Thus by repeated cruelties are the wretched first urged to +despair, and then murdered, because they still retain so much of human +nature about them as to wish to put an end to their misery, and +retaliate on their tyrants! These overseers are indeed for the most +part persons of the worst character of any denomination of men in the +West Indies. Unfortunately, many humane gentlemen, by not residing on +their estates, are obliged to leave the management of them in the +hands of these human butchers, who cut and mangle the slaves in a +shocking manner on the most trifling occasions, and altogether treat +them in every respect like brutes. They pay no regard to the situation +of pregnant women, nor the least attention to the lodging of the +field negroes. Their huts, which ought to be well covered, and the +place dry where they take their little repose, are often open sheds, +built in damp places; so that, when the poor creatures return tired +from the toils of the field, they contract many disorders, from being +exposed to the damp air in this uncomfortable state, while they are +heated, and their pores are open. This neglect certainly conspires +with many others to cause a decrease in the births as well as in the +lives of the grown negroes. I can quote many instances of gentlemen +who reside on their estates in the West Indies, and then the scene is +quite changed; the negroes are treated with lenity and proper care, by +which their lives are prolonged, and their masters are profited. To +the honour of humanity, I knew several gentlemen who managed their +estates in this manner; and they found that benevolence was their true +interest. And, among many I could mention in several of the islands, I +knew one in Montserrat[R] whose slaves looked remarkably well, and +never needed any fresh supplies of negroes; and there are many other +estates, especially in Barbadoes, which, from such judicious +treatment, need no fresh stock of negroes at any time. I have the +honour of knowing a most worthy and humane gentleman, who is a native +of Barbadoes, and has estates there[S]. This gentleman has written a +treatise on the usage of his own slaves. He allows them two hours for +refreshment at mid-day; and many other indulgencies and comforts, +particularly in their lying; and, besides this, he raises more +provisions on his estate than they can destroy; so that by these +attentions he saves the lives of his negroes, and keeps them healthy, +and as happy as the condition of slavery can admit. I myself, as shall +appear in the sequel, managed an estate, where, by those attentions, +the negroes were uncommonly cheerful and healthy, and did more work by +half than by the common mode of treatment they usually do. For want, +therefore, of such care and attention to the poor negroes, and +otherwise oppressed as they are, it is no wonder that the decrease +should require 20,000 new negroes annually to fill up the vacant +places of the dead. + +Even in Barbadoes, notwithstanding those humane exceptions which I +have mentioned, and others I am acquainted with, which justly make it +quoted as a place where slaves meet with the best treatment, and need +fewest recruits of any in the West Indies, yet this island requires +1000 negroes annually to keep up the original stock, which is only +80,000. So that the whole term of a negro's life may be said to be +there but sixteen years![T] And yet the climate here is in every +respect the same as that from which they are taken, except in being +more wholesome. Do the British colonies decrease in this manner? And +yet what a prodigious difference is there between an English and West +India climate? + +While I was in Montserrat I knew a negro man, named Emanuel Sankey, +who endeavoured to escape from his miserable bondage, by concealing +himself on board of a London ship: but fate did not favour the poor +oppressed man; for, being discovered when the vessel was under sail, +he was delivered up again to his master. This Christian master +immediately pinned the wretch down to the ground at each wrist and +ancle, and then took some sticks of sealing wax, and lighted them, and +droped it all over his back. There was another master who was noted +for cruelty; and I believe he had not a slave but what had been cut, +and had pieces fairly taken out of the flesh: and, after they had been +punished thus, he used to make them get into a long wooden box or case +he had for that purpose, in which he shut them up during pleasure. It +was just about the height and breadth of a man; and the poor wretches +had no room, when in the case, to move. + +It was very common in several of the islands, particularly in St. +Kitt's, for the slaves to be branded with the initial letters of their +master's name; and a load of heavy iron hooks hung about their necks. +Indeed on the most trifling occasions they were loaded with chains; +and often instruments of torture were added. The iron muzzle, +thumb-screws, &c. are so well known, as not to need a description, and +were sometimes applied for the slightest faults. I have seen a negro +beaten till some of his bones were broken, for even letting a pot boil +over. Is it surprising that usage like this should drive the poor +creatures to despair, and make them seek a refuge in death from those +evils which render their lives intolerable--while, + + "With shudd'ring horror pale, and eyes aghast, + They view their lamentable lot, and find + No rest!" + +This they frequently do. A negro-man on board a vessel of my master, +while I belonged to her, having been put in irons for some trifling +misdemeanor, and kept in that state for some days, being weary of +life, took an opportunity of jumping overboard into the sea; however, +he was picked up without being drowned. Another, whose life was also a +burden to him, resolved to starve himself to death, and refused to eat +any victuals; this procured him a severe flogging: and he also, on the +first occasion which offered, jumped overboard at Charles Town, but +was saved. + +Nor is there any greater regard shewn to the little property than +there is to the persons and lives of the negroes. I have already +related an instance or two of particular oppression out of many which +I have witnessed; but the following is frequent in all the islands. +The wretched field-slaves, after toiling all the day for an unfeeling +owner, who gives them but little victuals, steal sometimes a few +moments from rest or refreshment to gather some small portion of +grass, according as their time will admit. This they commonly tie up +in a parcel; (either a bit, worth six pence; or half a bit's-worth) +and bring it to town, or to the market, to sell. Nothing is more +common than for the white people on this occasion to take the grass +from them without paying for it; and not only so, but too often also, +to my knowledge, our clerks, and many others, at the same time have +committed acts of violence on the poor, wretched, and helpless +females; whom I have seen for hours stand crying to no purpose, and +get no redress or pay of any kind. Is not this one common and crying +sin enough to bring down God's judgment on the islands? He tells us +the oppressor and the oppressed are both in his hands; and if these +are not the poor, the broken-hearted, the blind, the captive, the +bruised, which our Saviour speaks of, who are they? One of these +depredators once, in St. Eustatia, came on board of our vessel, and +bought some fowls and pigs of me; and a whole day after his departure +with the things he returned again and wanted his money back: I refused +to give it; and, not seeing my captain on board, he began the common +pranks with me; and swore he would even break open my chest and take +my money. I therefore expected, as my captain was absent, that he +would be as good as his word: and he was just proceeding to strike me, +when fortunately a British seaman on board, whose heart had not been +debauched by a West India climate, interposed and prevented him. But +had the cruel man struck me I certainly should have defended myself at +the hazard of my life; for what is life to a man thus oppressed? He +went away, however, swearing; and threatened that whenever he caught +me on shore he would shoot me, and pay for me afterwards. + +The small account in which the life of a negro is held in the West +Indies is so universally known, that it might seem impertinent to +quote the following extract, if some people had not been hardy enough +of late to assert that negroes are on the same footing in that respect +as Europeans. By the 329th Act, page 125, of the Assembly of +Barbadoes, it is enacted 'That if any negro, or other slave, under +punishment by his master, or his order, for running away, or any other +crime or misdemeanor towards his said master, unfortunately shall +suffer in life or member, no person whatsoever shall be liable to a +fine; but if any man shall out of _wantonness, or only of +bloody-mindedness, or cruel intention, wilfully kill a negro, or other +slave, of his own, he shall pay into the public treasury fifteen +pounds sterling_.' And it is the same in most, if not all, of the West +India islands. Is not this one of the many acts of the islands which +call loudly for redress? And do not the assembly which enacted it +deserve the appellation of savages and brutes rather than of +Christians and men? It is an act at once unmerciful, unjust, and +unwise; which for cruelty would disgrace an assembly of those who are +called barbarians; and for its injustice and _insanity_ would shock +the morality and common sense of a Samaide or a Hottentot. + +Shocking as this and many more acts of the bloody West India code at +first view appear, how is the iniquity of it heightened when we +consider to whom it may be extended! Mr. James Tobin, a zealous +labourer in the vineyard of slavery, gives an account of a French +planter of his acquaintance, in the island of Martinico, who shewed +him many mulattoes working in the fields like beasts of burden; and he +told Mr. Tobin these were all the produce of his own loins! And I +myself have known similar instances. Pray, reader, are these sons and +daughters of the French planter less his children by being begotten on +a black woman? And what must be the virtue of those legislators, and +the feelings of those fathers, who estimate the lives of their sons, +however begotten, at no more than fifteen pounds; though they should +be murdered, as the act says, _out of wantonness and bloody-mindedness_! +But is not the slave trade entirely a war with the heart of man? And +surely that which is begun by breaking down the barriers of virtue +involves in its continuance destruction to every principle, and buries +all sentiments in ruin! + +I have often seen slaves, particularly those who were meagre, in +different islands, put into scales and weighed; and then sold from +three pence to six pence or nine pence a pound. My master, however, +whose humanity was shocked at this mode, used to sell such by the +lump. And at or after a sale it was not uncommon to see negroes taken +from their wives, wives taken from their husbands, and children from +their parents, and sent off to other islands, and wherever else their +merciless lords chose; and probably never more during life to see each +other! Oftentimes my heart has bled at these partings; when the +friends of the departed have been at the water side, and, with sighs +and tears, have kept their eyes fixed on the vessel till it went out +of sight. + +A poor Creole negro I knew well, who, after having been often thus +transported from island to island, at last resided in Montserrat. This +man used to tell me many melancholy tales of himself. Generally, after +he had done working for his master, he used to employ his few leisure +moments to go a fishing. When he had caught any fish, his master would +frequently take them from him without paying him; and at other times +some other white people would serve him in the same manner. One day he +said to me, very movingly, 'Sometimes when a white man take away my +fish I go to my maser, and he get me my right; and when my maser by +strength take away my fishes, what me must do? I can't go to any body +to be righted; then' said the poor man, looking up above 'I must look +up to God Mighty in the top for right.' This artless tale moved me +much, and I could not help feeling the just cause Moses had in +redressing his brother against the Egyptian. I exhorted the man to +look up still to the God on the top, since there was no redress below. +Though I little thought then that I myself should more than once +experience such imposition, and read the same exhortation hereafter, +in my own transactions in the islands; and that even this poor man and +I should some time after suffer together in the same manner, as shall +be related hereafter. + +Nor was such usage as this confined to particular places or +individuals; for, in all the different islands in which I have been +(and I have visited no less than fifteen) the treatment of the slaves +was nearly the same; so nearly indeed, that the history of an island, +or even a plantation, with a few such exceptions as I have mentioned, +might serve for a history of the whole. Such a tendency has the +slave-trade to debauch men's minds, and harden them to every feeling +of humanity! For I will not suppose that the dealers in slaves are +born worse than other men--No; it is the fatality of this mistaken +avarice, that it corrupts the milk of human kindness and turns it into +gall. And, had the pursuits of those men been different, they might +have been as generous, as tender-hearted and just, as they are +unfeeling, rapacious and cruel. Surely this traffic cannot be good, +which spreads like a pestilence, and taints what it touches! which +violates that first natural right of mankind, equality and +independency, and gives one man a dominion over his fellows which God +could never intend! For it raises the owner to a state as far above +man as it depresses the slave below it; and, with all the presumption +of human pride, sets a distinction between them, immeasurable in +extent, and endless in duration! Yet how mistaken is the avarice even +of the planters? Are slaves more useful by being thus humbled to the +condition of brutes, than they would be if suffered to enjoy the +privileges of men? The freedom which diffuses health and prosperity +throughout Britain answers you--No. When you make men slaves you +deprive them of half their virtue, you set them in your own conduct an +example of fraud, rapine, and cruelty, and compel them to live with +you in a state of war; and yet you complain that they are not honest +or faithful! You stupify them with stripes, and think it necessary to +keep them in a state of ignorance; and yet you assert that they are +incapable of learning; that their minds are such a barren soil or +moor, that culture would be lost on them; and that they come from a +climate, where nature, though prodigal of her bounties in a degree +unknown to yourselves, has left man alone scant and unfinished, and +incapable of enjoying the treasures she has poured out for him!--An +assertion at once impious and absurd. Why do you use those instruments +of torture? Are they fit to be applied by one rational being to +another? And are ye not struck with shame and mortification, to see +the partakers of your nature reduced so low? But, above all, are there +no dangers attending this mode of treatment? Are you not hourly in +dread of an insurrection? Nor would it be surprising: for when + + "--No peace is given + To us enslav'd, but custody severe; + And stripes and arbitrary punishment + Inflicted--What peace can we return? + But to our power, hostility and hate; + Untam'd reluctance, and revenge, though slow, + Yet ever plotting how the conqueror least + May reap his conquest, and may least rejoice + In doing what we most in suffering feel." + +But by changing your conduct, and treating your slaves as men, every +cause of fear would be banished. They would be faithful, honest, +intelligent and vigorous; and peace, prosperity, and happiness, would +attend you. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[Footnote O: Thus was I sacrificed to the envy and resentment of this +woman for knowing that the lady whom she had succeeded in my master's +good graces designed to take me into her service; which, had I once +got on shore, she would not have been able to prevent. She felt her +pride alarmed at the superiority of her rival in being attended by a +black servant: it was not less to prevent this than to be revenged on +me, that she caused the captain to treat me thus cruelly.] + +[Footnote P: "The Dying Negro," a poem originally published in 1773. +Perhaps it may not be deemed impertinent here to add, that this +elegant and pathetic little poem was occasioned, as appears by the +advertisement prefixed to it, by the following incident. "A black, +who, a few days before had ran away from his master, and got himself +christened, with intent to marry a white woman his fellow-servant, +being taken and sent on board a ship in the Thames, took an +opportunity of shooting himself through the head."] + +[Footnote Q: These pisterines are of the value of a shilling.] + +[Footnote R: Mr. Dubury, and many others, Montserrat.] + +[Footnote S: Sir Philip Gibbes, Baronet, Barbadoes.] + +[Footnote T: Benezet's Account of Guinea, p. 16.] + + + + +CHAP. VI. + + _Some account of Brimstone-Hill in Montserrat--Favourable + change in the author's situation--He commences merchant with + three pence--His various success in dealing in the different + islands, and America, and the impositions he meets with in + his transactions with Europeans--A curious imposition on + human nature--Danger of the surfs in the West + Indies--Remarkable instance of kidnapping a free + mulatto--The author is nearly murdered by Doctor Perkins in + Savannah._ + + +In the preceding chapter I have set before the reader a few of those +many instances of oppression, extortion, and cruelty, which I have +been a witness to in the West Indies: but, were I to enumerate them +all, the catalogue would be tedious and disgusting. The punishments of +the slaves on every trifling occasion are so frequent, and so well +known, together with the different instruments with which they are +tortured, that it cannot any longer afford novelty to recite them; and +they are too shocking to yield delight either to the writer or the +reader. I shall therefore hereafter only mention such as incidentally +befel myself in the course of my adventures. + +In the variety of departments in which I was employed by my master, I +had an opportunity of seeing many curious scenes in different islands; +but, above all, I was struck with a celebrated curiosity called +Brimstone-Hill, which is a high and steep mountain, some few miles +from the town of Plymouth in Montserrat. I had often heard of some +wonders that were to be seen on this hill, and I went once with some +white and black people to visit it. When we arrived at the top, I saw +under different cliffs great flakes of brimstone, occasioned by the +steams of various little ponds, which were then boiling naturally in +the earth. Some of these ponds were as white as milk, some quite blue, +and many others of different colours. I had taken some potatoes with +me, and I put them into different ponds, and in a few minutes they +were well boiled. I tasted some of them, but they were very +sulphurous; and the silver shoe buckles, and all the other things of +that metal we had among us, were, in a little time, turned as black +as lead. + +Some time in the year 1763 kind Providence seemed to appear rather +more favourable to me. One of my master's vessels, a Bermudas sloop, +about sixty tons, was commanded by one Captain Thomas Farmer, an +Englishman, a very alert and active man, who gained my master a great +deal of money by his good management in carrying passengers from one +island to another; but very often his sailors used to get drunk and +run away from the vessel, which hindered him in his business very +much. This man had taken a liking to me; and many different times +begged of my master to let me go a trip with him as a sailor; but he +would tell him he could not spare me, though the vessel sometimes +could not go for want of hands, for sailors were generally very scarce +in the island. However, at last, from necessity or force, my master +was prevailed on, though very reluctantly, to let me go with this +captain; but he gave great charge to him to take care that I did not +run away, for if I did he would make him pay for me. This being the +case, the captain had for some time a sharp eye upon me whenever the +vessel anchored; and as soon as she returned I was sent for on shore +again. Thus was I slaving as it were for life, sometimes at one thing, +and sometimes at another; so that the captain and I were nearly the +most useful men in my master's employment. I also became so useful to +the captain on shipboard, that many times, when he used to ask for me +to go with him, though it should be but for twenty-four hours, to some +of the islands near us, my master would answer he could not spare me, +at which the captain would swear, and would not go the trip; and tell +my master I was better to him on board than any three white men he +had; for they used to behave ill in many respects, particularly in +getting drunk; and then they frequently got the boat stove, so as to +hinder the vessel from coming back as soon as she might have done. +This my master knew very well; and at last, by the captain's constant +entreaties, after I had been several times with him, one day, to my +great joy, my master told me the captain would not let him rest, and +asked me whether I would go aboard as a sailor, or stay on shore and +mind the stores, for he could not bear any longer to be plagued in +this manner. I was very happy at this proposal, for I immediately +thought I might in time stand some chance by being on board to get a +little money, or possibly make my escape if I should be used ill: I +also expected to get better food, and in greater abundance; for I had +felt much hunger oftentimes, though my master treated his slaves, as I +have observed, uncommonly well. I therefore, without hesitation, +answered him, that I would go and be a sailor if he pleased. +Accordingly I was ordered on board directly. Nevertheless, between the +vessel and the shore, when she was in port, I had little or no rest, +as my master always wished to have me along with him. Indeed he was a +very pleasant gentleman, and but for my expectations on shipboard I +should not have thought of leaving him. But the captain liked me also +very much, and I was entirely his right-hand man. I did all I could to +deserve his favour, and in return I received better treatment from him +than any other I believe ever met with in the West Indies in my +situation. + +After I had been sailing for some time with this captain, at length I +endeavoured to try my luck and commence merchant. I had but a very +small capital to begin with; for one single half bit, which is equal +to three pence in England, made up my whole stock. However I trusted +to the Lord to be with me; and at one of our trips to St. Eustatia, a +Dutch island, I bought a glass tumbler with my half bit, and when I +came to Montserrat I sold it for a bit, or sixpence. Luckily we made +several successive trips to St. Eustatia (which was a general mart for +the West Indies, about twenty leagues from Montserrat); and in our +next, finding my tumbler so profitable, with this one bit I bought two +tumblers more; and when I came back I sold them for two bits, equal to +a shilling sterling. When we went again I bought with these two bits +four more of these glasses, which I sold for four bits on our return +to Montserrat; and in our next voyage to St. Eustatia I bought two +glasses with one bit, and with the other three I bought a jug of +Geneva, nearly about three pints in measure. When we came to +Montserrat I sold the gin for eight bits, and the tumblers for two, so +that my capital now amounted in all to a dollar, well husbanded and +acquired in the space of a month or six weeks, when I blessed the Lord +that I was so rich. As we sailed to different islands, I laid this +money out in various things occasionally, and it used to turn out to +very good account, especially when we went to Guadaloupe, Grenada, and +the rest of the French islands. Thus was I going all about the islands +upwards of four years, and ever trading as I went, during which I +experienced many instances of ill usage, and have seen many injuries +done to other negroes in our dealings with Europeans: and, amidst our +recreations, when we have been dancing and merry-making, they, without +cause, have molested and insulted us. Indeed I was more than once +obliged to look up to God on high, as I had advised the poor fisherman +some time before. And I had not been long trading for myself in the +manner I have related above, when I experienced the like trial in +company with him as follows: This man being used to the water, was +upon an emergency put on board of us by his master to work as another +hand, on a voyage to Santa Cruz; and at our sailing he had brought his +little all for a venture, which consisted of six bits' worth of limes +and oranges in a bag; I had also my whole stock, which was about +twelve bits' worth of the same kind of goods, separate in two bags; +for we had heard these fruits sold well in that island. When we came +there, in some little convenient time he and I went ashore with our +fruits to sell them; but we had scarcely landed when we were met by +two white men, who presently took our three bags from us. We could not +at first guess what they meant to do; and for some time we thought +they were jesting with us; but they too soon let us know otherwise, +for they took our ventures immediately to a house hard by, and +adjoining the fort, while we followed all the way begging of them to +give us our fruits, but in vain. They not only refused to return them, +but swore at us, and threatened if we did not immediately depart they +would flog us well. We told them these three bags were all we were +worth in the world, and that we brought them with us to sell when we +came from Montserrat, and shewed them the vessel. But this was rather +against us, as they now saw we were strangers as well as slaves. They +still therefore swore, and desired us to be gone, and even took sticks +to beat us; while we, seeing they meant what they said, went off in +the greatest confusion and despair. Thus, in the very minute of +gaining more by three times than I ever did by any venture in my life +before, was I deprived of every farthing I was worth. An +insupportable misfortune! but how to help ourselves we knew not. In +our consternation we went to the commanding officer of the fort and +told him how we had been served by some of his people; but we obtained +not the least redress: he answered our complaints only by a volley of +imprecations against us, and immediately took a horse-whip, in order +to chastise us, so that we were obliged to turn out much faster than +we came in. I now, in the agony of distress and indignation, wished +that the ire of God in his forked lightning might transfix these cruel +oppressors among the dead. Still however we persevered; went back +again to the house, and begged and besought them again and again for +our fruits, till at last some other people that were in the house +asked if we would be contented if they kept one bag and gave us the +other two. We, seeing no remedy whatever, consented to this; and they, +observing one bag to have both kinds of fruit in it, which belonged to +my companion, kept that; and the other two, which were mine, they gave +us back. As soon as I got them, I ran as fast as I could, and got the +first negro man I could to help me off; my companion, however, stayed +a little longer to plead; he told them the bag they had was his, and +likewise all that he was worth in the world; but this was of no avail, +and he was obliged to return without it. The poor old man, wringing +his hands, cried bitterly for his loss; and, indeed, he then did look +up to God on high, which so moved me with pity for him, that I gave +him nearly one third of my fruits. We then proceeded to the markets to +sell them; and Providence was more favourable to us than we could have +expected, for we sold our fruits uncommonly well; I got for mine about +thirty-seven bits. Such a surprising reverse of fortune in so short a +space of time seemed like a dream to me, and proved no small +encouragement for me to trust the Lord in any situation. My captain +afterwards frequently used to take my part, and get me my right, when +I have been plundered or used ill by these tender Christian +depredators; among whom I have shuddered to observe the unceasing +blasphemous execrations which are wantonly thrown out by persons of +all ages and conditions, not only without occasion, but even as if +they were indulgences and pleasure. + +At one of our trips to St. Kitt's I had eleven bits of my own; and my +friendly captain lent me five bits more, with which I bought a Bible. +I was very glad to get this book, which I scarcely could meet with any +where. I think there was none sold in Montserrat; and, much to my +grief, from being forced out of the AEtna in the manner I have related, +my Bible, and the Guide to the Indians, the two books I loved above +all others, were left behind. + +While I was in this place, St. Kitt's, a very curious imposition on +human nature took place:--A white man wanted to marry in the church a +free black woman that had land and slaves in Montserrat: but the +clergyman told him it was against the law of the place to marry a +white and a black in the church. The man then asked to be married on +the water, to which the parson consented, and the two lovers went in +one boat, and the parson and clerk in another, and thus the ceremony +was performed. After this the loving pair came on board our vessel, +and my captain treated them extremely well, and brought them safe to +Montserrat. + +The reader cannot but judge of the irksomeness of this situation to a +mind like mine, in being daily exposed to new hardships and +impositions, after having seen many better days, and having been as it +were in a state of freedom and plenty; added to which, every part of +the world I had hitherto been in seemed to me a paradise in comparison +of the West Indies. My mind was therefore hourly replete with +inventions and thoughts of being freed, and, if possible, by honest +and honourable means; for I always remembered the old adage; and I +trust it has ever been my ruling principle, that honesty is the best +policy; and likewise that other golden precept--to do unto all men as +I would they should do unto me. However, as I was from early years a +predestinarian, I thought whatever fate had determined must ever come +to pass; and therefore, if ever it were my lot to be freed nothing +could prevent me, although I should at present see no means or hope to +obtain my freedom; on the other hand, if it were my fate not to be +freed I never should be so, and all my endeavours for that purpose +would be fruitless. In the midst of these thoughts I therefore looked +up with prayers anxiously to God for my liberty; and at the same time +I used every honest means, and endeavoured all that was possible on +my part to obtain it. In process of time I became master of a few +pounds, and in a fair way of making more, which my friendly captain +knew very well; this occasioned him sometimes to take liberties with +me: but whenever he treated me waspishly I used plainly to tell him my +mind, and that I would die before I would be imposed on as other +negroes were, and that to me life had lost its relish when liberty was +gone. This I said although I foresaw my then well-being or future +hopes of freedom (humanly speaking) depended on this man. However, as +he could not bear the thoughts of my not sailing with him, he always +became mild on my threats. I therefore continued with him; and, from +my great attention to his orders and his business, I gained him +credit, and through his kindness to me I at last procured my liberty. +While I thus went on, filled with the thoughts of freedom, and +resisting oppression as well as I was able, my life hung daily in +suspense, particularly in the surfs I have formerly mentioned, as I +could not swim. These are extremely violent throughout the West +Indies, and I was ever exposed to their howling rage and devouring +fury in all the islands. I have seen them strike and toss a boat right +up an end, and maim several on board. Once in the Grenada islands, +when I and about eight others were pulling a large boat with two +puncheons of water in it, a surf struck us, and drove the boat and all +in it about half a stone's throw, among some trees, and above the high +water mark. We were obliged to get all the assistance we could from +the nearest estate to mend the boat, and launch it into the water +again. At Montserrat one night, in pressing hard to get off the shore +on board, the punt was overset with us four times; the first time I +was very near being drowned; however the jacket I had on kept me up +above water a little space of time, while I called on a man near me +who was a good swimmer, and told him I could not swim; he then made +haste to me, and, just as I was sinking, he caught hold of me, and +brought me to sounding, and then he went and brought the punt also. As +soon as we had turned the water out of her, lest we should be used ill +for being absent, we attempted again three times more, and as often +the horrid surfs served us as at first; but at last, the fifth time we +attempted, we gained our point, at the imminent hazard of our lives. +One day also, at Old Road in Montserrat, our captain, and three men +besides myself, were going in a large canoe in quest of rum and sugar, +when a single surf tossed the canoe an amazing distance from the +water, and some of us even a stone's throw from each other: most of us +were very much bruised; so that I and many more often said, and really +thought, that there was not such another place under the heavens as +this. I longed therefore much to leave it, and daily wished to see my +master's promise performed of going to Philadelphia. While we lay in +this place a very cruel thing happened on board of our sloop which +filled me with horror; though I found afterwards such practices were +frequent. There was a very clever and decent free young mulatto-man +who sailed a long time with us: he had a free woman for his wife, by +whom he had a child; and she was then living on shore, and all very +happy. Our captain and mate, and other people on board, and several +elsewhere, even the natives of Bermudas, all knew this young man from +a child that he was always free, and no one had ever claimed him as +their property: however, as might too often overcomes right in these +parts, it happened that a Bermudas captain, whose vessel lay there for +a few days in the road, came on board of us, and seeing the +mulatto-man, whose name was Joseph Clipson, he told him he was not +free, and that he had orders from his master to bring him to Bermudas. +The poor man could not believe the captain to be in earnest; but he +was very soon undeceived, his men laying violent hands on him: and +although he shewed a certificate of his being born free in St. Kitt's, +and most people on board knew that he served his time to boat +building, and always passed for a free man, yet he was taken forcibly +out of our vessel. He then asked to be carried ashore before the +secretary or magistrates, and these infernal invaders of human rights +promised him he should; but, instead of that, they carried him on +board of the other vessel: and the next day, without giving the poor +man any hearing on shore, or suffering him even to see his wife or +child, he was carried away, and probably doomed never more in this +world to see them again. Nor was this the only instance of this kind +of barbarity I was a witness to. I have since often seen in Jamaica +and other islands free men, whom I have known in America, thus +villainously trepanned and held in bondage. I have heard of two +similar practices even in Philadelphia: and were it not for the +benevolence of the quakers in that city many of the sable race, who +now breathe the air of liberty, would, I believe, be groaning indeed +under some planter's chains. These things opened my mind to a new +scene of horror to which I had been before a stranger. Hitherto I had +thought only slavery dreadful; but the state of a free negro appeared +to me now equally so at least, and in some respects even worse, for +they live in constant alarm for their liberty; and even this is but +nominal, for they are universally insulted and plundered without the +possibility of redress; for such is the equity of the West Indian +laws, that no free negro's evidence will be admitted in their courts +of justice. In this situation is it surprising that slaves, when +mildly treated, should prefer even the misery of slavery to such a +mockery of freedom? I was now completely disgusted with the West +Indies, and thought I never should be entirely free until I had left +them. + + "With thoughts like these my anxious boding mind + Recall'd those pleasing scenes I left behind; + Scenes where fair Liberty in bright array + Makes darkness bright, and e'en illumines day; + Where nor complexion, wealth, or station, can + Protect the wretch who makes a slave of man." + +I determined to make every exertion to obtain my freedom, and to +return to Old England. For this purpose I thought a knowledge of +navigation might be of use to me; for, though I did not intend to run +away unless I should be ill used, yet, in such a case, if I understood +navigation, I might attempt my escape in our sloop, which was one of +the swiftest sailing vessels in the West Indies, and I could be at no +loss for hands to join me: and if I should make this attempt, I had +intended to have gone for England; but this, as I said, was only to be +in the event of my meeting with any ill usage. I therefore employed +the mate of our vessel to teach me navigation, for which I agreed to +give him twenty-four dollars, and actually paid him part of the money +down; though when the captain, some time after, came to know that the +mate was to have such a sum for teaching me, he rebuked him, and said +it was a shame for him to take any money from me. However, my +progress in this useful art was much retarded by the constancy of our +work. Had I wished to run away I did not want opportunities, which +frequently presented themselves; and particularly at one time, soon +after this. When we were at the island of Gaurdeloupe there was a +large fleet of merchantmen bound for Old France; and, seamen then +being very scarce, they gave from fifteen to twenty pounds a man for +the run. Our mate, and all the white sailors, left our vessel on this +account, and went on board of the French ships. They would have had me +also to go with them, for they regarded me; and they swore to protect +me, if I would go: and, as the fleet was to sail the next day, I +really believe I could have got safe to Europe at that time. However, +as my master was kind, I would not attempt to leave him; and, +remembering the old maxim, that 'honesty is the best policy,' I +suffered them to go without me. Indeed my captain was much afraid of +my leaving him and the vessel at that time, as I had so fair an +opportunity: but, I thank God, this fidelity of mine turned out much +to my advantage hereafter, when I did not in the least think of it; +and made me so much in favour with the captain, that he used now and +then to teach me some parts of navigation himself: but some of our +passengers, and others, seeing this, found much fault with him for it, +saying it was a very dangerous thing to let a negro know navigation; +thus I was hindered again in my pursuits. About the latter end of the +year 1764 my master bought a larger sloop, called the Providence, +about seventy or eighty tons, of which my captain had the command. I +went with him into this vessel, and we took a load of new slaves for +Georgia and Charles Town. My master now left me entirely to the +captain, though he still wished for me to be with him; but I, who +always much wished to lose sight of the West Indies, was not a little +rejoiced at the thoughts of seeing any other country. Therefore, +relying on the goodness of my captain, I got ready all the little +venture I could; and, when the vessel was ready, we sailed, to my +great joy. When we got to our destined places, Georgia and Charles +Town, I expected I should have an opportunity of selling my little +property to advantage: but here, particularly in Charles Town, I met +with buyers, white men, who imposed on me as in other places. +Notwithstanding, I was resolved to have fortitude; thinking no lot or +trial is too hard when kind Heaven is the rewarder. We soon got loaded +again, and returned to Montserrat; and there, amongst the rest of the +islands, I sold my goods well; and in this manner I continued trading +during the year 1764; meeting with various scenes of imposition, as +usual. After this, my master fitted out his vessel for Philadelphia, +in the year 1765; and during the time we were loading her, and getting +ready for the voyage, I worked with redoubled alacrity, from the hope +of getting money enough by these voyages to buy my freedom in time, if +it should please God; and also to see the town of Philadelphia, which +I had heard a great deal about for some years past; besides which, I +had always longed to prove my master's promise the first day I came to +him. In the midst of these elevated ideas, and while I was about +getting my little merchandize in readiness, one Sunday my master sent +for me to his house. When I came there I found him and the captain +together; and, on my going in, I was struck with astonishment at his +telling me he heard that I meant to run away from him when I got to +Philadelphia: 'And therefore,' said he, 'I must sell you again: you +cost me a great deal of money, no less than forty pounds sterling; and +it will not do to lose so much. You are a valuable fellow,' continued +he; 'and I can get any day for you one hundred guineas, from many +gentlemen in this island.' And then he told me of Captain Doran's +brother-in-law, a severe master, who ever wanted to buy me to make me +his overseer. My captain also said he could get much more than a +hundred guineas for me in Carolina. This I knew to be a fact; for the +gentleman that wanted to buy me came off several times on board of us, +and spoke to me to live with him, and said he would use me well. When +I asked what work he would put me to he said, as I was a sailor, he +would make me a captain of one of his rice vessels. But I refused: and +fearing, at the same time, by a sudden turn I saw in the captain's +temper, he might mean to sell me, I told the gentleman I would not +live with him on any condition, and that I certainly would run away +with his vessel: but he said he did not fear that, as he would catch +me again; and then he told me how cruelly he would serve me if I +should do so. My captain, however, gave him to understand that I knew +something of navigation: so he thought better of it; and, to my great +joy, he went away. I now told my master I did not say I would run away +in Philadelphia; neither did I mean it, as he did not use me ill, nor +yet the captain: for if they did I certainly would have made some +attempts before now; but as I thought that if it were God's will I +ever should be freed it would be so, and, on the contrary, if it was +not his will it would not happen; so I hoped, if ever I were freed, +whilst I was used well, it should be by honest means; but, as I could +not help myself, he must do as he pleased; I could only hope and trust +to the God of Heaven; and at that instant my mind was big with +inventions and full of schemes to escape. I then appealed to the +captain whether he ever saw any sign of my making the least attempt to +run away; and asked him if I did not always come on board according to +the time for which he gave me liberty; and, more particularly, when +all our men left us at Gaurdeloupe and went on board of the French +fleet, and advised me to go with them, whether I might not, and that +he could not have got me again. To my no small surprise, and very +great joy, the captain confirmed every syllable that I had said: and +even more; for he said he had tried different times to see if I would +make any attempt of this kind, both at St. Eustatia and in America, +and he never found that I made the smallest; but, on the contrary, I +always came on board according to his orders; and he did really +believe, if I ever meant to run away, that, as I could never have had +a better opportunity, I would have done it the night the mate and all +the people left our vessel at Gaurdeloupe. The captain then informed +my master, who had been thus imposed on by our mate, though I did not +know who was my enemy, the reason the mate had for imposing this lie +upon him; which was, because I had acquainted the captain of the +provisions the mate had given away or taken out of the vessel. This +speech of the captain was like life to the dead to me, and instantly +my soul glorified God; and still more so on hearing my master +immediately say that I was a sensible fellow, and he never did intend +to use me as a common slave; and that but for the entreaties of the +captain, and his character of me, he would not have let me go from the +stores about as I had done; that also, in so doing, he thought by +carrying one little thing or other to different places to sell I might +make money. That he also intended to encourage me in this by crediting +me with half a puncheon of rum and half a hogshead of sugar at a time; +so that, from being careful, I might have money enough, in some time, +to purchase my freedom; and, when that was the case, I might depend +upon it he would let me have it for forty pounds sterling money, which +was only the same price he gave for me. This sound gladdened my poor +heart beyond measure; though indeed it was no more than the very idea +I had formed in my mind of my master long before, and I immediately +made him this reply: 'Sir, I always had that very thought of you, +indeed I had, and that made me so diligent in serving you.' He then +gave me a large piece of silver coin, such as I never had seen or had +before, and told me to get ready for the voyage, and he would credit +me with a tierce of sugar, and another of rum; he also said that he +had two amiable sisters in Philadelphia, from whom I might get some +necessary things. Upon this my noble captain desired me to go aboard; +and, knowing the African metal, he charged me not to say any thing of +this matter to any body; and he promised that the lying mate should +not go with him any more. This was a change indeed; in the same hour +to feel the most exquisite pain, and in the turn of a moment the +fullest joy. It caused in me such sensations as I was only able to +express in my looks; my heart was so overpowered with gratitude that I +could have kissed both of their feet. When I left the room I +immediately went, or rather flew, to the vessel, which being loaded, +my master, as good as his word, trusted me with a tierce of rum, and +another of sugar, when we sailed, and arrived safe at the elegant town +of Philadelphia. I soon sold my goods here pretty well; and in this +charming place I found every thing plentiful and cheap. + +While I was in this place a very extraordinary occurrence befell me. I +had been told one evening of a _wise_ woman, a Mrs. Davis, who +revealed secrets, foretold events, &c. I put little faith in this +story at first, as I could not conceive that any mortal could foresee +the future disposals of Providence, nor did I believe in any other +revelation than that of the Holy Scriptures; however, I was greatly +astonished at seeing this woman in a dream that night, though a +person I never before beheld in my life; this made such an impression +on me, that I could not get the idea the next day out of my mind, and +I then became as anxious to see her as I was before indifferent; +accordingly in the evening, after we left off working, I inquired +where she lived, and being directed to her, to my inexpressible +surprise, beheld the very woman in the very same dress she appeared to +me to wear in the vision. She immediately told me I had dreamed of her +the preceding night; related to me many things that had happened with +a correctness that astonished me; and finally told me I should not be +long a slave: this was the more agreeable news, as I believed it the +more readily from her having so faithfully related the past incidents +of my life. She said I should be twice in very great danger of my life +within eighteen months, which, if I escaped, I should afterwards go on +well; so, giving me her blessing, we parted. After staying here some +time till our vessel was loaded, and I had bought in my little +traffic, we sailed from this agreeable spot for Montserrat, once more +to encounter the raging surfs. + +We arrived safe at Montserrat, where we discharged our cargo; and soon +after that we took slaves on board for St. Eustatia, and from thence +to Georgia. I had always exerted myself and did double work, in order +to make our voyages as short as possible; and from thus over-working +myself while we were at Georgia I caught a fever and ague. I was very +ill for eleven days and near dying; eternity was now exceedingly +impressed on my mind, and I feared very much that awful event. I +prayed the Lord therefore to spare me; and I made a promise in my mind +to God, that I would be good if ever I should recover. At length, from +having an eminent doctor to attend me, I was restored again to health; +and soon after we got the vessel loaded, and set off for Montserrat. +During the passage, as I was perfectly restored, and had much business +of the vessel to mind, all my endeavours to keep up my integrity, and +perform my promise to God, began to fail; and, in spite of all I could +do, as we drew nearer and nearer to the islands, my resolutions more +and more declined, as if the very air of that country or climate +seemed fatal to piety. When we were safe arrived at Montserrat, and I +had got ashore, I forgot my former resolutions.--Alas! how prone is +the heart to leave that God it wishes to love! and how strongly do the +things of this world strike the senses and captivate the soul!--After +our vessel was discharged, we soon got her ready, and took in, as +usual, some of the poor oppressed natives of Africa, and other +negroes; we then set off again for Georgia and Charlestown. We arrived +at Georgia, and, having landed part of our cargo, proceeded to +Charlestown with the remainder. While we were there I saw the town +illuminated; the guns were fired, and bonfires and other +demonstrations of joy shewn, on account of the repeal of the stamp +act. Here I disposed of some goods on my own account; the white men +buying them with smooth promises and fair words, giving me however but +very indifferent payment. There was one gentleman particularly who +bought a puncheon of rum of me, which gave me a great deal of trouble; +and, although I used the interest of my friendly captain, I could not +obtain any thing for it; for, being a negro man, I could not oblige +him to pay me. This vexed me much, not knowing how to act; and I lost +some time in seeking after this Christian; and though, when the +Sabbath came (which the negroes usually make their holiday) I was much +inclined to go to public worship, I was obliged to hire some black men +to help to pull a boat across the water to God in quest of this +gentleman. When I found him, after much entreaty, both from myself and +my worthy captain, he at last paid me in dollars; some of them, +however, were copper, and of consequence of no value; but he took +advantage of my being a negro man, and obliged me to put up with those +or none, although I objected to them. Immediately after, as I was +trying to pass them in the market, amongst other white men, I was +abused for offering to pass bad coin; and, though I shewed them the +man I got them from, I was within one minute of being tied up and +flogged without either judge or jury; however, by the help of a good +pair of heels, I ran off, and so escaped the bastinadoes I should have +received. I got on board as fast as I could, but still continued in +fear of them until we sailed, which I thanked God we did not long +after; and I have never been amongst them since. + +We soon came to Georgia, where we were to complete our lading; and +here worse fate than ever attended me: for one Sunday night, as I was +with some negroes in their master's yard in the town of Savannah, it +happened that their master, one Doctor Perkins, who was a very severe +and cruel man, came in drunk; and, not liking to see any strange +negroes in his yard, he and a ruffian of a white man he had in his +service beset me in an instant, and both of them struck me with the +first weapons they could get hold of. I cried out as long as I could +for help and mercy; but, though I gave a good account of myself, and +he knew my captain, who lodged hard by him, it was to no purpose. They +beat and mangled me in a shameful manner, leaving me near dead. I lost +so much blood from the wounds I received, that I lay quite motionless, +and was so benumbed that I could not feel any thing for many hours. +Early in the morning they took me away to the jail. As I did not +return to the ship all night, my captain, not knowing where I was, and +being uneasy that I did not then make my appearance, he made inquiry +after me; and, having found where I was, immediately came to me. As +soon as the good man saw me so cut and mangled, he could not forbear +weeping; he soon got me out of jail to his lodgings, and immediately +sent for the best doctors in the place, who at first declared it as +their opinion that I could not recover. My captain on this went to all +the lawyers in the town for their advice, but they told him they could +do nothing for me as I was a negro. He then went to Doctor Perkins, +the hero who had vanquished me, and menaced him, swearing he would be +revenged of him, and challenged him to fight.--But cowardice is ever +the companion of cruelty--and the Doctor refused. However, by the +skilfulness of one Doctor Brady of that place, I began at last to +amend; but, although I was so sore and bad with the wounds I had all +over me that I could not rest in any posture, yet I was in more pain +on account of the captain's uneasiness about me than I otherwise +should have been. The worthy man nursed and watched me all the hours +of the night; and I was, through his attention and that of the doctor, +able to get out of bed in about sixteen or eighteen days. All this +time I was very much wanted on board, as I used frequently to go up +and down the river for rafts, and other parts of our cargo, and stow +them when the mate was sick or absent. In about four weeks I was able +to go on duty; and in a fortnight after, having got in all our +lading, our vessel set sail for Montserrat; and in less than three +weeks we arrived there safe towards the end of the year. This ended my +adventures in 1764; for I did not leave Montserrat again till the +beginning of the following year. + + +END OF THE FIRST VOLUME. + + + + + They ran the ship aground: and the fore part stuck fast, and + remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with + the violence of the waves. + Acts xxvii. 41. + + + Howbeit, we must be cast upon a certain island; + + Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it + shall be even as it was told me. + Acts xxvii. 26, 25. + + + Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received + a little thereof. + + In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep + falleth on men. + Job iv. 12, 13. + + + Lo, all these _things_ worketh God oftentimes with man, + + To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with + the light of the living. + Job xxxiii. 29, 30. + + + + +VOLUME II + + + + +CHAP. VII. + + _The author's disgust at the West Indies--Forms schemes to + obtain his freedom--Ludicrous disappointment he and his + Captain meet with in Georgia--At last, by several successful + voyages, he acquires a sum of money sufficient to purchase + it--Applies to his master, who accepts it, and grants his + manumission, to his great joy--He afterwards enters as a + freeman on board one of Mr. King's ships, and sails for + Georgia--Impositions on free negroes as usual--His venture + of turkies--Sails for Montserrat, and on his passage his + friend, the Captain, falls ill and dies._ + + +Every day now brought me nearer my freedom, and I was impatient till +we proceeded again to sea, that I might have an opportunity of getting +a sum large enough to purchase it. I was not long ungratified; for, in +the beginning of the year 1766, my master bought another sloop, named +the Nancy, the largest I had ever seen. She was partly laden, and was +to proceed to Philadelphia; our Captain had his choice of three, and I +was well pleased he chose this, which was the largest; for, from his +having a large vessel, I had more room, and could carry a larger +quantity of goods with me. Accordingly, when we had delivered our old +vessel, the Prudence, and completed the lading of the Nancy, having +made near three hundred per cent, by four barrels of pork I brought +from Charlestown, I laid in as large a cargo as I could, trusting to +God's providence to prosper my undertaking. With these views I sailed +for Philadelphia. On our passage, when we drew near the land, I was +for the first time surprised at the sight of some whales, having never +seen any such large sea monsters before; and as we sailed by the land +one morning I saw a puppy whale close by the vessel; it was about the +length of a wherry boat, and it followed us all the day till we got +within the Capes. We arrived safe and in good time at Philadelphia, +and I sold my goods there chiefly to the quakers. They always appeared +to be a very honest discreet sort of people, and never attempted to +impose on me; I therefore liked them, and ever after chose to deal +with them in preference to any others. One Sunday morning while I was +here, as I was going to church, I chanced to pass a meeting-house. The +doors being open, and the house full of people, it excited my +curiosity to go in. When I entered the house, to my great surprise, I +saw a very tall woman standing in the midst of them, speaking in an +audible voice something which I could not understand. Having never +seen anything of this kind before, I stood and stared about me for +some time, wondering at this odd scene. As soon as it was over I took +an opportunity to make inquiry about the place and people, when I was +informed they were called Quakers. I particularly asked what that +woman I saw in the midst of them had said, but none of them were +pleased to satisfy me; so I quitted them, and soon after, as I was +returning, I came to a church crowded with people; the church-yard was +full likewise, and a number of people were even mounted on ladders, +looking in at the windows. I thought this a strange sight, as I had +never seen churches, either in England or the West Indies, crowded in +this manner before. I therefore made bold to ask some people the +meaning of all this, and they told me the Rev. Mr. George Whitfield +was preaching. I had often heard of this gentleman, and had wished to +see and hear him; but I had never before had an opportunity. I now +therefore resolved to gratify myself with the sight, and I pressed in +amidst the multitude. When I got into the church I saw this pious man +exhorting the people with the greatest fervour and earnestness, and +sweating as much as I ever did while in slavery on Montserrat beach. I +was very much struck and impressed with this; I thought it strange I +had never seen divines exert themselves in this manner before, and I +was no longer at a loss to account for the thin congregations they +preached to. When we had discharged our cargo here, and were loaded +again, we left this fruitful land once more, and set sail for +Montserrat. My traffic had hitherto succeeded so well with me, that I +thought, by selling my goods when we arrived at Montserrat, I should +have enough to purchase my freedom. But, as soon as our vessel arrived +there, my master came on board, and gave orders for us to go to St. +Eustatia, and discharge our cargo there, and from thence proceed for +Georgia. I was much disappointed at this; but thinking, as usual, it +was of no use to encounter with the decrees of fate, I submitted +without repining, and we went to St. Eustatia. After we had discharged +our cargo there we took in a live cargo, as we call a cargo of slaves. +Here I sold my goods tolerably well; but, not being able to lay out +all my money in this small island to as much advantage as in many +other places, I laid out only part, and the remainder I brought away +with me neat. We sailed from hence for Georgia, and I was glad when we +got there, though I had not much reason to like the place from my last +adventure in Savannah; but I longed to get back to Montserrat and +procure my freedom, which I expected to be able to purchase when I +returned. As soon as we arrived here I waited on my careful doctor, +Mr. Brady, to whom I made the most grateful acknowledgments in my +power for his former kindness and attention during my illness. While +we were here an odd circumstance happened to the Captain and me, which +disappointed us both a good deal. A silversmith, whom we had brought +to this place some voyages before, agreed with the Captain to return +with us to the West Indies, and promised at the same time to give the +Captain a great deal of money, having pretended to take a liking to +him, and being, as we thought, very rich. But while we stayed to load +our vessel this man was taken ill in a house where he worked, and in a +week's time became very bad. The worse he grew the more he used to +speak of giving the Captain what he had promised him, so that he +expected something considerable from the death of this man, who had no +wife or child, and he attended him day and night. I used also to go +with the Captain, at his own desire, to attend him; especially when we +saw there was no appearance of his recovery: and, in order to +recompense me for my trouble, the Captain promised me ten pounds, when +he should get the man's property. I thought this would be of great +service to me, although I had nearly money enough to purchase my +freedom, if I should get safe this voyage to Montserrat. In this +expectation I laid out above eight pounds of my money for a suit of +superfine clothes to dance with at my freedom, which I hoped was then +at hand. We still continued to attend this man, and were with him even +on the last day he lived, till very late at night, when we went on +board. After we were got to bed, about one or two o'clock in the +morning, the Captain was sent for, and informed the man was dead. On +this he came to my bed, and, waking me, informed me of it, and desired +me to get up and procure a light, and immediately go to him. I told +him I was very sleepy, and wished he would take somebody else with +him; or else, as the man was dead, and could want no farther +attendance, to let all things remain as they were till the next +morning. 'No, no,' said he, 'we will have the money to-night, I cannot +wait till to-morrow; so let us go.' Accordingly I got up and struck a +light, and away we both went and saw the man as dead as we could wish. +The Captain said he would give him a grand burial, in gratitude for +the promised treasure; and desired that all the things belonging to +the deceased might be brought forth. Among others, there was a nest of +trunks of which he had kept the keys whilst the man was ill, and when +they were produced we opened them with no small eagerness and +expectation; and as there were a great number within one another, with +much impatience we took them one out of the other. At last, when we +came to the smallest, and had opened it, we saw it was full of papers, +which we supposed to be notes; at the sight of which our hearts leapt +for joy; and that instant the Captain, clapping his hands, cried out, +'Thank God, here it is.' But when we took up the trunk, and began to +examine the supposed treasure and long-looked-for bounty, (alas! alas! +how uncertain and deceitful are all human affairs!) what had we found! +While we thought we were embracing a substance we grasped an empty +nothing. The whole amount that was in the nest of trunks was only one +dollar and a half; and all that the man possessed would not pay for +his coffin. Our sudden and exquisite joy was now succeeded by a sudden +and exquisite pain; and my Captain and I exhibited, for some time, +most ridiculous figures--pictures of chagrin and disappointment! We +went away greatly mortified, and left the deceased to do as well as he +could for himself, as we had taken so good care of him when alive for +nothing. We set sail once more for Montserrat, and arrived there safe; +but much out of humour with our friend the silversmith. When we had +unladen the vessel, and I had sold my venture, finding myself master +of about forty-seven pounds, I consulted my true friend, the Captain, +how I should proceed in offering my master the money for my freedom. +He told me to come on a certain morning, when he and my master would +be at breakfast together. Accordingly, on that morning I went, and met +the Captain there, as he had appointed. When I went in I made my +obeisance to my master, and with my money in my hand, and many fears +in my heart, I prayed him to be as good as his offer to me, when he +was pleased to promise me my freedom as soon as I could purchase it. +This speech seemed to confound him; he began to recoil: and my heart +that instant sunk within me. 'What,' said he, 'give you your freedom? +Why, where did you get the money? Have you got forty pounds sterling?' +'Yes, sir,' I answered. 'How did you get it?' replied he. I told him, +very honestly. The Captain then said he knew I got the money very +honestly and with much industry, and that I was particularly careful. +On which my master replied, I got money much faster than he did; and +said he would not have made me the promise he did if he had thought I +should have got money so soon. 'Come, come,' said my worthy Captain, +clapping my master on the back, 'Come, Robert, (which was his name) I +think you must let him have his freedom; you have laid your money out +very well; you have received good interest for it all this time, and +here is now the principal at last. I know Gustavus has earned you more +than an hundred a-year, and he will still save you money, as he will +not leave you:--Come, Robert, take the money.' My master then said, he +would not be worse than his promise; and, taking the money, told me to +go to the Secretary at the Register Office, and get my manumission +drawn up. These words of my master were like a voice from heaven to +me: in an instant all my trepidation was turned into unutterable +bliss; and I most reverently bowed myself with gratitude, unable to +express my feelings, but by the overflowing of my eyes, while my true +and worthy friend, the Captain, congratulated us both with a peculiar +degree of heartfelt pleasure. As soon as the first transports of my +joy were over, and that I had expressed my thanks to these my worthy +friends in the best manner I was able, I rose with a heart full of +affection and reverence, and left the room, in order to obey my +master's joyful mandate of going to the Register Office. As I was +leaving the house I called to mind the words of the Psalmist, in the +126th Psalm, and like him, 'I glorified God in my heart, in whom I +trusted.' These words had been impressed on my mind from the very day +I was forced from Deptford to the present hour, and I now saw them, as +I thought, fulfilled and verified. My imagination was all rapture as I +flew to the Register Office, and, in this respect, like the apostle +Peter,[U] (whose deliverance from prison was so sudden and +extraordinary, that he thought he was in a vision) I could scarcely +believe I was awake. Heavens! who could do justice to my feelings at +this moment! Not conquering heroes themselves, in the midst of a +triumph--Not the tender mother who has just regained her long-lost +infant, and presses it to her heart--Not the weary hungry mariner, at +the sight of the desired friendly port--Not the lover, when he once +more embraces his beloved mistress, after she had been ravished from +his arms!--All within my breast was tumult, wildness, and delirium! My +feet scarcely touched the ground, for they were winged with joy, and, +like Elijah, as he rose to Heaven, they 'were with lightning sped as I +went on.' Every one I met I told of my happiness, and blazed about the +virtue of my amiable master and captain. + +When I got to the office and acquainted the Register with my errand he +congratulated me on the occasion, and told me he would draw up my +manumission for half price, which was a guinea. I thanked him for his +kindness; and, having received it and paid him, I hastened to my +master to get him to sign it, that I might be fully released. +Accordingly he signed the manumission that day, so that, before night, +I who had been a slave in the morning, trembling at the will of +another, was become my own master, and completely free. I thought this +was the happiest day I had ever experienced; and my joy was still +heightened by the blessings and prayers of the sable race, +particularly the aged, to whom my heart had ever been attached with +reverence. + + * * * * * + +As the form of my manumission has something peculiar in it, and +expresses the absolute power and dominion one man claims over his +fellow, I shall beg leave to present it before my readers at full +length: + + _Montserrat_.--To all men unto whom these presents shall + come: I Robert King, of the parish of St. Anthony in the + said island, merchant, send greeting: Know ye, that I the + aforesaid Robert King, for and in consideration of the sum + of seventy pounds current money of the said island, to me in + hand paid, and to the intent that a negro man-slave, named + Gustavus Vassa, shall and may become free, have manumitted, + emancipated, enfranchised, and set free, and by these + presents do manumit, emancipate, enfranchise, and set free, + the aforesaid negro man-slave, named Gustavus Vassa, for + ever, hereby giving, granting, and releasing unto him, the + said Gustavus Vassa, all right, title, dominion, + sovereignty, and property, which, as lord and master over + the aforesaid Gustavus Vassa, I had, or now I have, or by + any means whatsoever I may or can hereafter possibly have + over him the aforesaid negro, for ever. In witness whereof I + the abovesaid Robert King have unto these presents set my + hand and seal, this tenth day of July, in the year of our + Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty-six. + + Robert King. + + Signed, sealed, and delivered in the presence of Terrylegay, + Montserrat. + + Registered the within manumission at full length, this + eleventh day of July, 1766, in liber D. + + Terrylegay, Register. + + * * * * * + +In short, the fair as well as black people immediately styled me by a +new appellation, to me the most desirable in the world, which was +Freeman, and at the dances I gave my Georgia superfine blue clothes +made no indifferent appearance, as I thought. Some of the sable +females, who formerly stood aloof, now began to relax and appear less +coy; but my heart was still fixed on London, where I hoped to be ere +long. So that my worthy captain and his owner, my late master, +finding that the bent of my mind was towards London, said to me, 'We +hope you won't leave us, but that you will still be with the vessels.' +Here gratitude bowed me down; and none but the generous mind can judge +of my feelings, struggling between inclination and duty. However, +notwithstanding my wish to be in London, I obediently answered my +benefactors that I would go in the vessel, and not leave them; and +from that day I was entered on board as an able-bodied sailor, at +thirty-six shillings per month, besides what perquisites I could make. +My intention was to make a voyage or two, entirely to please these my +honoured patrons; but I determined that the year following, if it +pleased God, I would see Old England once more, and surprise my old +master, Capt. Pascal, who was hourly in my mind; for I still loved +him, notwithstanding his usage of me, and I pleased myself with +thinking of what he would say when he saw what the Lord had done for +me in so short a time, instead of being, as he might perhaps suppose, +under the cruel yoke of some planter. With these kind of reveries I +used often to entertain myself, and shorten the time till my return; +and now, being as in my original free African state, I embarked on +board the Nancy, after having got all things ready for our voyage. In +this state of serenity we sailed for St. Eustatia; and, having smooth +seas and calm weather, we soon arrived there: after taking our cargo +on board, we proceeded to Savannah in Georgia, in August, 1766. While +we were there, as usual, I used to go for the cargo up the rivers in +boats; and on this business I have been frequently beset by +alligators, which were very numerous on that coast, and I have shot +many of them when they have been near getting into our boats; which we +have with great difficulty sometimes prevented, and have been very +much frightened at them. I have seen a young one sold in Georgia alive +for six pence. During our stay at this place, one evening a slave +belonging to Mr. Read, a merchant of Savannah, came near our vessel, +and began to use me very ill. I entreated him, with all the patience I +was master of, to desist, as I knew there was little or no law for a +free negro here; but the fellow, instead of taking my advice, +persevered in his insults, and even struck me. At this I lost all +temper, and I fell on him and beat him soundly. The next morning his +master came to our vessel as we lay alongside the wharf, and desired +me to come ashore that he might have me flogged all round the town, +for beating his negro slave. I told him he had insulted me, and had +given the provocation, by first striking me. I had told my captain +also the whole affair that morning, and wished him to have gone along +with me to Mr. Read, to prevent bad consequences; but he said that it +did not signify, and if Mr. Read said any thing he would make matters +up, and had desired me to go to work, which I accordingly did. The +Captain being on board when Mr. Read came, he told him I was a free +man; and when Mr. Read applied to him to deliver me up, he said he +knew nothing of the matter. I was astonished and frightened at this, +and thought I had better keep where I was than go ashore and be +flogged round the town, without judge or jury. I therefore refused to +stir; and Mr. Read went away, swearing he would bring all the +constables in the town, for he would have me out of the vessel. When +he was gone, I thought his threat might prove too true to my sorrow; +and I was confirmed in this belief, as well by the many instances I +had seen of the treatment of free negroes, as from a fact that had +happened within my own knowledge here a short time before. There was a +free black man, a carpenter, that I knew, who, for asking a gentleman +that he worked for for the money he had earned, was put into gaol; and +afterwards this oppressed man was sent from Georgia, with false +accusations, of an intention to set the gentleman's house on fire, and +run away with his slaves. I was therefore much embarrassed, and very +apprehensive of a flogging at least. I dreaded, of all things, the +thoughts of being striped, as I never in my life had the marks of any +violence of that kind. At that instant a rage seized my soul, and for +a little I determined to resist the first man that should offer to lay +violent hands on me, or basely use me without a trial; for I would +sooner die like a free man, than suffer myself to be scourged by the +hands of ruffians, and my blood drawn like a slave. The captain and +others, more cautious, advised me to make haste and conceal myself; +for they said Mr. Read was a very spiteful man, and he would soon come +on board with constables and take me. At first I refused this counsel, +being determined to stand my ground; but at length, by the prevailing +entreaties of the captain and Mr. Dixon, with whom he lodged, I went +to Mr. Dixon's house, which was a little out of town, at a place +called Yea-ma-chra. I was but just gone when Mr. Read, with the +constables, came for me, and searched the vessel; but, not finding me +there, he swore he would have me dead or alive. I was secreted about +five days; however, the good character which my captain always gave me +as well as some other gentlemen who also knew me, procured me some +friends. At last some of them told my captain that he did not use me +well, in suffering me thus to be imposed upon, and said they would see +me redressed, and get me on board some other vessel. My captain, on +this, immediately went to Mr. Read, and told him, that ever since I +eloped from the vessel his work had been neglected, and he could not +go on with her loading, himself and mate not being well; and, as I had +managed things on board for them, my absence must retard his voyage, +and consequently hurt the owner; he therefore begged of him to forgive +me, as he said he never had any complaint of me before, for the many +years that I had been with him. After repeated entreaties, Mr. Read +said I might go to hell, and that he would not meddle with me; on +which my captain came immediately to me at his lodging, and, telling +me how pleasantly matters had gone on, he desired me to go on board. +Some of my other friends then asked him if he had got the constable's +warrant from them; the captain said, No. On this I was desired by them +to stay in the house; and they said they would get me on board of some +other vessel before the evening. When the captain heard this he became +almost distracted. He went immediately for the warrant, and, after +using every exertion in his power, he at last got it from my hunters; +but I had all the expenses to pay. After I had thanked all my friends +for their attention, I went on board again to my work, of which I had +always plenty. We were in haste to complete our lading, and were to +carry twenty head of cattle with us to the West Indies, where they are +a very profitable article. In order to encourage me in working, and to +make up for the time I had lost, my captain promised me the privilege +of carrying two bullocks of my own with me; and this made me work with +redoubled ardour. As soon as I had got the vessel loaded, in doing +which I was obliged to perform the duty of the mate as well as my own +work, and that the bullocks were near coming on board, I asked the +captain leave to bring my two, according to his promise; but, to my +great surprise, he told me there was no room for them. I then asked +him to permit me to take one; but he said he could not. I was a good +deal mortified at this usage, and told him I had no notion that he +intended thus to impose on me; nor could I think well of any man that +was so much worse than his word. On this we had some disagreement, and +I gave him to understand, that I intended to leave the vessel. At this +he appeared to be very much dejected; and our mate, who had been very +sickly, and whose duty had long devolved upon me, advised him to +persuade me to stay: in consequence of which he spoke very kindly to +me, making many fair promises, telling me that, as the mate was so +sickly, he could not do without me, and that, as the safety of the +vessel and cargo depended greatly upon me, he therefore hoped that I +would not be offended at what had passed between us, and swore he +would make up all matters when we arrived in the West Indies; so I +consented to slave on as before. Soon after this, as the bullocks were +coming on board, one of them ran at the captain, and butted him so +furiously in the breast, that he never recovered of the blow. In order +to make me some amends for his treatment about the bullocks, the +captain now pressed me very much to take some turkeys, and other +fowls, with me, and gave me liberty to take as many as I could find +room for; but I told him he knew very well I had never carried any +turkeys before, as I always thought they were such tender birds that +they were not fit to cross the seas. However, he continued to press me +to buy them for once; and, what was very surprising to me, the more I +was against it, the more he urged my taking them, insomuch that he +ensured me from all losses that might happen by them, and I was +prevailed on to take them; but I thought this very strange, as he had +never acted so with me before. This, and not being able to dispose of +my paper-money in any other way, induced me at length to take four +dozen. The turkeys, however, I was so dissatisfied about that I +determined to make no more voyages to this quarter, nor with this +captain; and was very apprehensive that my free voyage would be the +worst I had ever made. We set sail for Montserrat. The captain and +mate had been both complaining of sickness when we sailed, and as we +proceeded on our voyage they grew worse. This was about November, and +we had not been long at sea before we began to meet with strong +northerly gales and rough seas; and in about seven or eight days all +the bullocks were near being drowned, and four or five of them died. +Our vessel, which had not been tight at first, was much less so now; +and, though we were but nine in the whole, including five sailors and +myself, yet we were obliged to attend to the pumps every half or three +quarters of an hour. The captain and mate came on deck as often as +they were able, which was now but seldom; for they declined so fast, +that they were not well enough to make observations above four or five +times the whole voyage. The whole care of the vessel rested, +therefore, upon me, and I was obliged to direct her by my former +experience, not being able to work a traverse. The captain was now +very sorry he had not taught me navigation, and protested, if ever he +should get well again, he would not fail to do so; but in about +seventeen days his illness increased so much, that he was obliged to +keep his bed, continuing sensible, however, till the last, constantly +having the owner's interest at heart; for this just and benevolent man +ever appeared much concerned about the welfare of what he was +intrusted with. When this dear friend found the symptoms of death +approaching, he called me by my name; and, when I came to him, he +asked (with almost his last breath) if he had ever done me any harm? +'God forbid I should think so,' I replied, 'I should then be the most +ungrateful of wretches to the best of sorrow by his bedside, he +expired without saying another word; and the day following we +committed his body to the deep. Every man on board loved this man, and +regretted his death; but I was exceedingly affected at it, and I found +that I did not know, till he was gone, the strength of my regard for +him. Indeed I had every reason in the world to be attached to him; +for, besides that he was in general mild, affable, generous, faithful, +benevolent, and just, he was to me a friend and a father; and, had it +pleased Providence that he had died but five months before, I verily +believe I should not have obtained my freedom when I did; and it is +not improbable that I might not have been able to get it at any rate +afterwards. The captain being dead, the mate came on the deck, and +made such observations as he was able, but to no purpose. In the +course of a few days more, the few bullocks that remained were found +dead; but the turkies I had, though on the deck, and exposed to so +much wet and bad weather, did well, and I afterwards gained near three +hundred per cent, on the sale of them; so that in the event it proved +a happy circumstance for me that I had not bought the bullocks I +intended, for they must have perished with the rest; and I could not +help looking on this, otherwise trifling circumstance, as a particular +providence of God, and I was thankful accordingly. The care of the +vessel took up all my time, and engaged my attention entirely. As we +were now out of the variable winds, I thought I should not be much +puzzled to hit upon the islands. I was persuaded I steered right for +Antigua, which I wished to reach, as the nearest to us; and in the +course of nine or ten days we made this island, to our great joy; and +the next day after we came safe to Montserrat. Many were surprised +when they heard of my conducting the sloop into the port, and I now +obtained a new appellation, and was called Captain. This elated me not +a little, and it was quite flattering to my vanity to be thus styled +by as high a title as any free man in this place possessed. When the +death of the captain became known, he was much regretted by all who +knew him; for he was a man universally respected. At the same time the +sable captain lost no fame; for the success I had met with increased +the affection of my friends in no small measure. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[Footnote U: Acts, chap. xii. ver. 9.] + + + + +CHAP. VIII. + + _The author, to oblige Mr. King, once more embarks for + Georgia in one of his vessels--A new captain is + appointed--They sail, and steer a new course--Three + remarkable dreams--The vessel is shipwrecked on the Bahama + bank, but the crew are preserved, principally by means of + the author--He sets out from the island with the captain, in + a small boat, in quest of a ship--Their distress--Meet with + a wrecker--Sail for Providence--Are overtaken again by a + terrible storm, and are all near perishing--Arrive at New + Providence--The author, after some time, sails from thence + to Georgia--Meets with another storm, and is obliged to put + back and refit--Arrives at Georgia--Meets new + impositions--Two white men attempt to kidnap him--Officiates + as a parson at a funeral ceremony--Bids adieu to Georgia, + and sails for Martinico._ + + +As I had now, by the death of my captain, lost my great benefactor and +friend, I had little inducement to remain longer in the West Indies, +except my gratitude to Mr. King, which I thought I had pretty well +discharged in bringing back his vessel safe, and delivering his cargo +to his satisfaction. I began to think of leaving this part of the +world, of which I had been long tired, and returning to England, where +my heart had always been; but Mr. King still pressed me very much to +stay with his vessel; and he had done so much for me that I found +myself unable to refuse his requests, and consented to go another +voyage to Georgia, as the mate, from his ill state of health, was +quite useless in the vessel. Accordingly a new captain was appointed, +whose name was William Phillips, an old acquaintance of mine; and, +having refitted our vessel, and taken several slaves on board, we set +sail for St. Eustatia, where we stayed but a few days; and on the 30th +of January 1767 we steered for Georgia. Our new captain boasted +strangely of his skill in navigating and conducting a vessel; and in +consequence of this he steered a new course, several points more to +the westward than we ever did before; this appeared to me very +extraordinary. + +On the fourth of February, which was soon after we had got into our +new course, I dreamt the ship was wrecked amidst the surfs and rocks, +and that I was the means of saving every one on board; and on the +night following I dreamed the very same dream. These dreams however +made no impression on my mind; and the next evening, it being my watch +below, I was pumping the vessel a little after eight o'clock, just +before I went off the deck, as is the custom; and being weary with the +duty of the day, and tired at the pump, (for we made a good deal of +water) I began to express my impatience, and I uttered with an oath, +'Damn the vessel's bottom out.' But my conscience instantly smote me +for the expression. When I left the deck I went to bed, and had +scarcely fallen asleep when I dreamed the same dream again about the +ship that I had dreamt the two preceeding nights. At twelve o'clock +the watch was changed; and, as I had always the charge of the +captain's watch, I then went upon deck. At half after one in the +morning the man at the helm saw something under the lee-beam that the +sea washed against, and he immediately called to me that there was a +grampus, and desired me to look at it. Accordingly I stood up and +observed it for some time; but, when I saw the sea wash up against it +again and again, I said it was not a fish but a rock. Being soon +certain of this, I went down to the captain, and, with some confusion, +told him the danger we were in, and desired him to come upon deck +immediately. He said it was very well, and I went up again. As soon as +I was upon deck the wind, which had been pretty high, having abated a +little, the vessel began to be carried sideways towards the rock, by +means of the current. Still the captain did not appear. I therefore +went to him again, and told him the vessel was then near a large rock, +and desired he would come up with speed. He said he would, and I +returned to the deck. When I was upon the deck again I saw we were not +above a pistol shot from the rock, and I heard the noise of the +breakers all around us. I was exceedingly alarmed at this; and the +captain having not yet come on the deck I lost all patience; and, +growing quite enraged, I ran down to him again, and asked him why he +did not come up, and what he could mean by all this? 'The breakers,' +said I, 'are round us, and the vessel is almost on the rock.' With +that he came on the deck with me, and we tried to put the vessel +about, and get her out of the current, but all to no purpose, the +wind being very small. We then called all hands up immediately; and +after a little we got up one end of a cable, and fastened it to the +anchor. By this time the surf was foaming round us, and made a +dreadful noise on the breakers, and the very moment we let the anchor +go the vessel struck against the rocks. One swell now succeeded +another, as it were one wave calling on its fellow: the roaring of the +billows increased, and, with one single heave of the swells, the sloop +was pierced and transfixed among the rocks! In a moment a scene of +horror presented itself to my mind, such as I never had conceived or +experienced before. All my sins stared me in the face; and especially, +I thought that God had hurled his direful vengeance on my guilty head +for cursing the vessel on which my life depended. My spirits at this +forsook me, and I expected every moment to go to the bottom: I +determined if I should still be saved that I would never swear again. +And in the midst of my distress, while the dreadful surfs were dashing +with unremitting fury among the rocks, I remembered the Lord, though +fearful that I was undeserving of forgiveness, and I thought that as +he had often delivered he might yet deliver; and, calling to mind the +many mercies he had shewn me in times past, they gave me some small +hope that he might still help me. I then began to think how we might +be saved; and I believe no mind was ever like mine so replete with +inventions and confused with schemes, though how to escape death I +knew not. The captain immediately ordered the hatches to be nailed +down on the slaves in the hold, where there were above twenty, all of +whom must unavoidably have perished if he had been obeyed. When he +desired the man to nail down the hatches I thought that my sin was the +cause of this, and that God would charge me with these people's blood. +This thought rushed upon my mind that instant with such violence, that +it quite overpowered me, and I fainted. I recovered just as the people +were about to nail down the hatches; perceiving which, I desired them +to stop. The captain then said it must be done: I asked him why? He +said that every one would endeavour to get into the boat, which was +but small, and thereby we should be drowned; for it would not have +carried above ten at the most. I could no longer restrain my emotion, +and I told him he deserved drowning for not knowing how to navigate +the vessel; and I believe the people would have tossed him overboard +if I had given them the least hint of it. However the hatches were not +nailed down; and, as none of us could leave the vessel then on account +of the darkness, and as we knew not where to go, and were convinced +besides that the boat could not survive the surfs, we all said we +would remain on the dry part of the vessel, and trust to God till +daylight appeared, when we should know better what to do. + +I then advised to get the boat prepared against morning, and some of +us began to set about it; but some abandoned all care of the ship and +themselves, and fell to drinking. Our boat had a piece out of her +bottom near two feet long, and we had no materials to mend her; +however, necessity being the mother of invention, I took some pump +leather and nailed it to the broken part, and plastered it over with +tallow-grease. And, thus prepared, with the utmost anxiety of mind we +watched for daylight, and thought every minute an hour till it +appeared. At last it saluted our longing eyes, and kind Providence +accompanied its approach with what was no small comfort to us; for the +dreadful swell began to subside; and the next thing that we discovered +to raise our drooping spirits, was a small key or island, about five +or six miles off; but a barrier soon presented itself; for there was +not water enough for our boat to go over the reefs, and this threw us +again into a sad consternation; but there was no alternative, we were +therefore obliged to put but few in the boat at once; and, what is +still worse, all of us were frequently under the necessity of getting +out to drag and lift it over the reefs. This cost us much labour and +fatigue; and, what was yet more distressing, we could not avoid having +our legs cut and torn very much with the rocks. There were only four +people that would work with me at the oars; and they consisted of +three black men and a Dutch Creole sailor; and, though we went with +the boat five times that day, we had no others to assist us. But, had +we not worked in this manner, I really believe the people could not +have been saved; for not one of the white men did any thing to +preserve their lives; and indeed they soon got so drunk that they were +not able, but lay about the deck like swine, so that we were at last +obliged to lift them into the boat and carry them on shore by force. +This want of assistance made our labour intolerably severe; insomuch, +that, by putting on shore so often that day, the skin was entirely +stript off my hands. + +However, we continued all the day to toil and strain our exertions, +till we had brought all on board safe to the shore; so that out of +thirty-two people we lost not one. My dream now returned upon my mind +with all its force; it was fulfilled in every part; for our danger was +the same I had dreamt of: and I could not help looking on myself as +the principal instrument in effecting our deliverance; for, owing to +some of our people getting drunk, the rest of us were obliged to +double our exertions; and it was fortunate we did, for in a very +little time longer the patch of leather on the boat would have been +worn out, and she would have been no longer fit for service. Situated +as we were, who could think that men should be so careless of the +danger they were in? for, if the wind had but raised the swell as it +was when the vessel struck, we must have bid a final farewell to all +hopes of deliverance; and though, I warned the people who were +drinking and entreated them to embrace the moment of deliverance, +nevertheless they persisted, as if not possessed of the least spark of +reason. I could not help thinking, that, if any of these people had +been lost, God would charge me with their lives, which, perhaps, was +one cause of my labouring so hard for their preservation, and indeed +every one of them afterwards seemed so sensible of the service I had +rendered them; and while we were on the key I was a kind of chieftain +amongst them. I brought some limes, oranges, and lemons ashore; and, +finding it to be a good soil where we were, I planted several of them +as a token to any one that might be cast away hereafter. This key, as +we afterwards found, was one of the Bahama islands, which consist of a +cluster of large islands, with smaller ones or keys, as they are +called, interspersed among them. It was about a mile in circumference, +with a white sandy beach running in a regular order along it. On that +part of it where we first attempted to land there stood some very +large birds, called flamingoes: these, from the reflection of the sun, +appeared to us at a little distance as large as men; and, when they +walked backwards and forwards, we could not conceive what they were: +our captain swore they were cannibals. This created a great panic +among us; and we held a consultation how to act. The captain wanted to +go to a key that was within sight, but a great way off; but I was +against it, as in so doing we should not be able to save all the +people; 'And therefore,' said I, 'let us go on shore here, and perhaps +these cannibals may take to the water.' Accordingly we steered towards +them; and when we approached them, to our very great joy and no less +wonder, they walked off one after the other very deliberately; and at +last they took flight and relieved us entirely from our fears. About +the key there were turtles and several sorts of fish in such abundance +that we caught them without bait, which was a great relief to us after +the salt provisions on board. There was also a large rock on the +beach, about ten feet high, which was in the form of a punch-bowl at +the top; this we could not help thinking Providence had ordained to +supply us with rainwater; and it was something singular that, if we +did not take the water when it rained, in some little time after it +would turn as salt as sea-water. + +Our first care, after refreshment, was to make ourselves tents to +lodge in, which we did as well as we could with some sails we had +brought from the ship. We then began to think how we might get from +this place, which was quite uninhabited; and we determined to repair +our boat, which was very much shattered, and to put to sea in quest of +a ship or some inhabited island. It took us up however eleven days +before we could get the boat ready for sea in the manner we wanted it, +with a sail and other necessaries. When we had got all things prepared +the captain wanted me to stay on shore while he went to sea in quest +of a vessel to take all the people off the key; but this I refused; +and the captain and myself, with five more, set off in the boat +towards New Providence. We had no more than two musket load of +gunpowder with us if any thing should happen; and our stock of +provisions consisted of three gallons of rum, four of water, some salt +beef, some biscuit; and in this manner we proceeded to sea. + +On the second day of our voyage we came to an island called Obbico, +the largest of the Bahama islands. We were much in want of water; for +by this time our water was expended, and we were exceedingly fatigued +in pulling two days in the heat of the sun; and it being late in the +evening, we hauled the boat ashore to try for water and remain during +the night: when we came ashore we searched for water, but could find +none. When it was dark, we made a fire around us for fear of the wild +beasts, as the place was an entire thick wood, and we took it by turns +to watch. In this situation we found very little rest, and waited with +impatience for the morning. As soon as the light appeared we set off +again with our boat, in hopes of finding assistance during the day. We +were now much dejected and weakened by pulling the boat; for our sail +was of no use, and we were almost famished for want of fresh water to +drink. We had nothing left to eat but salt beef, and that we could not +use without water. In this situation we toiled all day in sight of the +island, which was very long; in the evening, seeing no relief, we made +ashore again, and fastened our boat. We then went to look for fresh +water, being quite faint for the want of it; and we dug and searched +about for some all the remainder of the evening, but could not find +one drop, so that our dejection at this period became excessive, and +our terror so great, that we expected nothing but death to deliver us. +We could not touch our beef, which was as salt as brine, without fresh +water; and we were in the greatest terror from the apprehension of +wild beasts. When unwelcome night came we acted as on the night +before; and the next morning we set off again from the island in hopes +of seeing some vessel. In this manner we toiled as well as we were +able till four o'clock, during which we passed several keys, but could +not meet with a ship; and, still famishing with thirst, went ashore on +one of those keys again in hopes of finding some water. Here we found +some leaves with a few drops of water in them, which we lapped with +much eagerness; we then dug in several places, but without success. As +we were digging holes in search of water there came forth some very +thick and black stuff; but none of us could touch it, except the poor +Dutch Creole, who drank above a quart of it as eagerly as if it had +been wine. We tried to catch fish, but could not; and we now began to +repine at our fate, and abandon ourselves to despair; when, in the +midst of our murmuring, the captain all at once cried out 'A sail! a +sail! a sail!' This gladdening sound was like a reprieve to a +convict, and we all instantly turned to look at it; but in a little +time some of us began to be afraid it was not a sail. However, at a +venture, we embarked and steered after it; and, in half an hour, to +our unspeakable joy, we plainly saw that it was a vessel. At this our +drooping spirits revived, and we made towards her with all the speed +imaginable. When we came near to her, we found she was a little sloop, +about the size of a Gravesend hoy, and quite full of people; a +circumstance which we could not make out the meaning of. Our captain, +who was a Welchman, swore that they were pirates, and would kill us. I +said, be that as it might, we must board her if we were to die for it; +and, if they should not receive us kindly, we must oppose them as well +as we could; for there was no alternative between their perishing and +ours. This counsel was immediately taken; and I really believe that +the captain, myself, and the Dutchman, would then have faced twenty +men. We had two cutlasses and a musquet, that I brought in the boat; +and, in this situation, we rowed alongside, and immediately boarded +her. I believe there were about forty hands on board; but how great +was our surprise, as soon as we got on board, to find that the major +part of them were in the same predicament as ourselves! + +They belonged to a whaling schooner that was wrecked two days before +us about nine miles to the north of our vessel. When she was wrecked +some of them had taken to their boats and had left some of their +people and property on a key, in the same manner as we had done; and +were going, like us, to New Providence in quest of a ship, when they +met with this little sloop, called a wrecker; their employment in +those seas being to look after wrecks. They were then going to take +the remainder of the people belonging to the schooner; for which the +wrecker was to have all things belonging to the vessel, and likewise +their people's help to get what they could out of her, and were then +to carry the crew to New Providence. + +We told the people of the wrecker the condition of our vessel, and we +made the same agreement with them as the schooner's people; and, on +their complying, we begged of them to go to our key directly, because +our people were in want of water. They agreed, therefore, to go along +with us first; and in two days we arrived at the key, to the +inexpressible joy of the people that we had left behind, as they had +been reduced to great extremities for want of water in our absence. +Luckily for us, the wrecker had now more people on board than she +could carry or victual for any moderate length of time; they therefore +hired the schooner's people to work on our wreck, and we left them our +boat, and embarked for New Providence. + +Nothing could have been more fortunate than our meeting with this +wrecker, for New Providence was at such a distance that we never could +have reached it in our boat. The island of Abbico was much longer than +we expected; and it was not till after sailing for three or four days +that we got safe to the farther end of it, towards New Providence. +When we arrived there we watered, and got a good many lobsters and +other shellfish; which proved a great relief to us, as our provisions +and water were almost exhausted. We then proceeded on our voyage; but +the day after we left the island, late in the evening, and whilst we +were yet amongst the Bahama keys, we were overtaken by a violent gale +of wind, so that we were obliged to cut away the mast. The vessel was +very near foundering; for she parted from her anchors, and struck +several times on the shoals. Here we expected every minute that she +would have gone to pieces, and each moment to be our last; so much so +that my old captain and sickly useless mate, and several others, +fainted; and death stared us in the face on every side. All the +swearers on board now began to call on the God of Heaven to assist +them: and, sure enough, beyond our comprehension he did assist us, and +in a miraculous manner delivered us! In the very height of our +extremity the wind lulled for a few minutes; and, although the swell +was high beyond expression, two men, who were expert swimmers, +attempted to go to the buoy of the anchor, which we still saw on the +water, at some distance, in a little punt that belonged to the +wrecker, which was not large enough to carry more than two. She filled +different times in their endeavours to get into her alongside of our +vessel; and they saw nothing but death before them, as well as we; but +they said they might as well die that way as any other. A coil of very +small rope, with a little buoy, was put in along with them; and, at +last, with great hazard, they got the punt clear from the vessel; and +these two intrepid water heroes paddled away for life towards the buoy +of the anchor. The eyes of us all were fixed on them all the time, +expecting every minute to be their last: and the prayers of all those +that remained in their senses were offered up to God, on their behalf, +for a speedy deliverance; and for our own, which depended on them; and +he heard and answered us! These two men at last reached the buoy; and, +having fastened the punt to it, they tied one end of their rope to the +small buoy that they had in the punt, and sent it adrift towards the +vessel. We on board observing this threw out boat-hooks and leads +fastened to lines, in order to catch the buoy: at last we caught it, +and fastened a hawser to the end of the small rope; we then gave them +a sign to pull, and they pulled the hawser to them, and fastened it to +the buoy: which being done we hauled for our lives; and, through the +mercy of God, we got again from the shoals into deep water, and the +punt got safe to the vessel. It is impossible for any to conceive our +heartfelt joy at this second deliverance from ruin, but those who have +suffered the same hardships. Those whose strength and senses were gone +came to themselves, and were now as elated as they were before +depressed. Two days after this the wind ceased, and the water became +smooth. The punt then went on shore, and we cut down some trees; and +having found our mast and mended it we brought it on board, and fixed +it up. As soon as we had done this we got up the anchor, and away we +went once more for New Providence, which in three days more we reached +safe, after having been above three weeks in a situation in which we +did not expect to escape with life. The inhabitants here were very +kind to us; and, when they learned our situation, shewed us a great +deal of hospitality and friendship. Soon after this every one of my +old fellow-sufferers that were free parted from us, and shaped their +course where their inclination led them. One merchant, who had a large +sloop, seeing our condition, and knowing we wanted to go to Georgia, +told four of us that his vessel was going there; and, if we would work +on board and load her, he would give us our passage free. As we could +not get any wages whatever, and found it very hard to get off the +place, we were obliged to consent to his proposal; and we went on +board and helped to load the sloop, though we had only our victuals +allowed us. When she was entirely loaded he told us she was going to +Jamaica first, where we must go if we went in her. This, however, I +refused; but my fellow-sufferers not having any money to help +themselves with, necessity obliged them to accept of the offer, and to +steer that course, though they did not like it. + +We stayed in New Providence about seventeen or eighteen days; during +which time I met with many friends, who gave me encouragement to stay +there with them: but I declined it; though, had not my heart been +fixed on England, I should have stayed, as I liked the place +extremely, and there were some free black people here who were very +happy, and we passed our time pleasantly together, with the melodious +sound of the catguts, under the lime and lemon trees. At length +Captain Phillips hired a sloop to carry him and some of the slaves +that he could not sell to Georgia; and I agreed to go with him in this +vessel, meaning now to take my farewell of that place. When the vessel +was ready we all embarked; and I took my leave of New Providence, not +without regret. We sailed about four o'clock in the morning, with a +fair wind, for Georgia; and about eleven o'clock the same morning a +short and sudden gale sprung up and blew away most of our sails; and, +as we were still amongst the keys, in a very few minutes it dashed the +sloop against the rocks. Luckily for us the water was deep; and the +sea was not so angry but that, after having for some time laboured +hard, and being many in number, we were saved through God's mercy; +and, by using our greatest exertions, we got the vessel off. The next +day we returned to Providence, where we soon got her again refitted. +Some of the people swore that we had spells set upon us by somebody in +Montserrat; and others that we had witches and wizzards amongst the +poor helpless slaves; and that we never should arrive safe at Georgia. +But these things did not deter me; I said, 'Let us again face the +winds and seas, and swear not, but trust to God, and he will deliver +us.' We therefore once more set sail; and, with hard labour, in seven +day's time arrived safe at Georgia. + +After our arrival we went up to the town of Savannah; and the same +evening I went to a friend's house to lodge, whose name was Mosa, a +black man. We were very happy at meeting each other; and after supper +we had a light till it was between nine and ten o'clock at night. +About that time the watch or patrol came by; and, discerning a light +in the house, they knocked at the door: we opened it; and they came in +and sat down, and drank some punch with us: they also begged some +limes of me, as they understood I had some, which I readily gave them. +A little after this they told me I must go to the watch-house with +them: this surprised me a good deal, after our kindness to them; and I +asked them, Why so? They said that all negroes who had light in their +houses after nine o'clock were to be taken into custody, and either +pay some dollars or be flogged. Some of those people knew that I was a +free man; but, as the man of the house was not free, and had his +master to protect him, they did not take the same liberty with him +they did with me. I told them that I was a free man, and just arrived +from Providence; that we were not making any noise, and that I was not +a stranger in that place, but was very well known there: 'Besides,' +said I, 'what will you do with me?'--'That you shall see,' replied +they, 'but you must go to the watch-house with us.' Now whether they +meant to get money from me or not I was at a loss to know; but I +thought immediately of the oranges and limes at Santa Cruz: and seeing +that nothing would pacify them I went with them to the watch-house, +where I remained during the night. Early the the next morning these +imposing ruffians flogged a negro-man and woman that they had in the +watch-house, and then they told me that I must be flogged too. I asked +why? and if there was no law for free men? And told them if there was +I would have it put in force against them. But this only exasperated +them the more; and instantly they swore they would serve me as Doctor +Perkins had done; and they were going to lay violent hands on me; when +one of them, more humane than the rest, said that as I was a free man +they could not justify stripping me by law. I then immediately sent +for Doctor Brady, who was known to be an honest and worthy man; and on +his coming to my assistance they let me go. + +This was not the only disagreeable incident I met with while I was in +this place; for, one day, while I was a little way out of the town of +Savannah, I was beset by two white men, who meant to play their usual +tricks with me in the way of kidnapping. As soon as these men accosted +me, one of them said to the other, 'This is the very fellow we are +looking for that you lost:' and the other swore immediately that I was +the identical person. On this they made up to me, and were about to +handle me; but I told them to be still and keep off; for I had seen +those kind of tricks played upon other free blacks, and they must not +think to serve me so. At this they paused a little, and one said to +the other--it will not do; and the other answered that I talked too +good English. I replied, I believed I did; and I had also with me a +revengeful stick equal to the occasion; and my mind was likewise good. +Happily however it was not used; and, after we had talked together a +little in this manner, the rogues left me. I stayed in Savannah some +time, anxiously trying to get to Montserrat once more to see Mr. King, +my old master, and then to take a final farewell of the American +quarter of the globe. At last I met with a sloop called the Speedwell, +Captain John Bunton, which belonged to Grenada, and was bound to +Martinico, a French island, with a cargo of rice, and I shipped myself +on board of her. Before I left Georgia a black woman, who had a child +lying dead, being very tenacious of the church burial service, and not +able to get any white person to perform it, applied to me for that +purpose. I told her I was no parson; and besides, that the service +over the dead did not affect the soul. This however did not satisfy +her; she still urged me very hard: I therefore complied with her +earnest entreaties, and at last consented to act the parson for the +first time in my life. As she was much respected, there was a great +company both of white and black people at the grave. I then +accordingly assumed my new vocation, and performed the funeral +ceremony to the satisfaction of all present; after which I bade adieu +to Georgia, and sailed for Martinico. + + + + +CHAP. IX + + _The author arrives at Martinico--Meets with new + difficulties--Gets to Montserrat, where he takes leave of + his old master, and sails for England--Meets Capt. + Pascal--Learns the French horn--Hires himself with Doctor + Irving, where he learns to freshen sea water--Leaves the + doctor, and goes a voyage to Turkey and Portugal; and + afterwards goes a voyage to Grenada, and another to + Jamaica--Returns to the Doctor, and they embark together on + a voyage to the North Pole, with the Hon. Capt. Phipps--Some + account of that voyage, and the dangers the author was + in--He returns to England._ + + +I thus took a final leave of Georgia; for the treatment I had received +in it disgusted me very much against the place; and when I left it and +sailed for Martinico I determined never more to revisit it. My new +captain conducted his vessel safer than my former one; and, after an +agreeable voyage, we got safe to our intended port. While I was on +this island I went about a good deal, and found it very pleasant: in +particular I admired the town of St. Pierre, which is the principal +one in the island, and built more like an European town than any I had +seen in the West Indies. In general also, slaves were better treated, +had more holidays, and looked better than those in the English +islands. After we had done our business here, I wanted my discharge, +which was necessary; for it was then the month of May, and I wished +much to be at Montserrat to bid farewell to Mr. King, and all my other +friends there, in time to sail for Old England in the July fleet. But, +alas! I had put a great stumbling block in my own way, by which I was +near losing my passage that season to England. I had lent my captain +some money, which I now wanted to enable me to prosecute my +intentions. This I told him; but when I applied for it, though I urged +the necessity of my occasion, I met with so much shuffling from him, +that I began at last to be afraid of losing my money, as I could not +recover it by law: for I have already mentioned, that throughout the +West Indies no black man's testimony is admitted, on any occasion, +against any white person whatever, and therefore my own oath would +have been of no use. I was obliged, therefore, to remain with him +till he might be disposed to return it to me. Thus we sailed from +Martinico for the Grenades. I frequently pressing the captain for my +money to no purpose; and, to render my condition worse, when we got +there, the captain and his owners quarrelled; so that my situation +became daily more irksome: for besides that we on board had little or +no victuals allowed us, and I could not get my money nor wages, I +could then have gotten my passage free to Montserrat had I been able +to accept it. The worst of all was, that it was growing late in July, +and the ships in the islands must sail by the 26th of that month. At +last, however, with a great many entreaties, I got my money from the +captain, and took the first vessel I could meet with for St. Eustatia. +From thence I went in another to Basseterre in St. Kitts, where I +arrived on the 19th of July. On the 22d, having met with a vessel +bound to Montserrat, I wanted to go in her; but the captain and others +would not take me on board until I should advertise myself, and give +notice of my going off the island. I told them of my haste to be in +Montserrat, and that the time then would not admit of advertising, it +being late in the evening, and the captain about to sail; but he +insisted it was necessary, and otherwise he said he would not take me. +This reduced me to great perplexity; for if I should be compelled to +submit to this degrading necessity, which every black freeman is +under, of advertising himself like a slave, when he leaves an island, +and which I thought a gross imposition upon any freeman, I feared I +should miss that opportunity of going to Montserrat, and then I could +not get to England that year. The vessel was just going off, and no +time could be lost; I immediately therefore set about, with a heavy +heart, to try who I could get to befriend me in complying with the +demands of the captain. Luckily I found, in a few minutes, some +gentlemen of Montserrat whom I knew; and, having told them my +situation, I requested their friendly assistance in helping me off the +island. Some of them, on this, went with me to the captain, and +satisfied him of my freedom; and, to my very great joy, he desired me +to go on board. We then set sail, and the next day, the 23d, I arrived +at the wished-for place, after an absence of six months, in which I +had more than once experienced the delivering hand of Providence, +when all human means of escaping destruction seemed hopeless. I saw my +friends with a gladness of heart which was increased by my absence and +the dangers I had escaped, and I was received with great friendship by +them all, but particularly by Mr. King, to whom I related the fate of +his sloop, the Nancy, and the causes of her being wrecked. I now +learned with extreme sorrow, that his house was washed away during my +absence, by the bursting of a pond at the top of a mountain that was +opposite the town of Plymouth. It swept great part of the town away, +and Mr. King lost a great deal of property from the inundation, and +nearly his life. When I told him I intended to go to London that +season, and that I had come to visit him before my departure, the good +man expressed a great deal of affection for me, and sorrow that I +should leave him, and warmly advised me to stay there; insisting, as I +was much respected by all the gentlemen in the place, that I might do +very well, and in a short time have land and slaves of my own. I +thanked him for this instance of his friendship; but, as I wished very +much to be in London, I declined remaining any longer there, and +begged he would excuse me. I then requested he would be kind enough to +give me a certificate of my behaviour while in his service, which he +very readily complied with, and gave me the following: + + _Montserrat, January 26, 1767._ + + 'The bearer hereof, Gustavus Vassa, was my slave for upwards + of three years, during which he has always behaved himself + well, and discharged his duty with honesty and assiduity. + + Robert King. + + 'To all whom this may concern.' + +Having obtained this, I parted from my kind master, after many sincere +professions of gratitude and regard, and prepared for my departure for +London. I immediately agreed to go with one Capt. John Hamer, for +seven guineas, the passage to London, on board a ship called the +Andromache; and on the 24th and 25th I had free dances, as they are +called, with some of my countrymen, previous to my setting off; after +which I took leave of all my friends, and on the 26th I embarked for +London, exceedingly glad to see myself once more on board of a ship; +and still more so, in steering the course I had long wished for. With +a light heart I bade Montserrat farewell, and never had my feet on it +since; and with it I bade adieu to the sound of the cruel whip, and +all other dreadful instruments of torture; adieu to the offensive +sight of the violated chastity of the sable females, which has too +often accosted my eyes; adieu to oppressions (although to me less +severe than most of my countrymen); and adieu to the angry howling, +dashing surfs. I wished for a grateful and thankful heart to praise +the Lord God on high for all his mercies! + +We had a most prosperous voyage, and, at the end of seven weeks, +arrived at Cherry-Garden stairs. Thus were my longing eyes once more +gratified with a sight of London, after having been absent from it +above four years. I immediately received my wages, and I never had +earned seven guineas so quick in my life before; I had thirty-seven +guineas in all, when I got cleared of the ship. I now entered upon a +scene, quite new to me, but full of hope. In this situation my first +thoughts were to look out for some of my former friends, and amongst +the first of those were the Miss Guerins. As soon, therefore, as I had +regaled myself I went in quest of those kind ladies, whom I was very +impatient to see; and with some difficulty and perseverance, I found +them at May's-hill, Greenwich. They were most agreeably surprised to +see me, and I quite overjoyed at meeting with them. I told them my +history, at which they expressed great wonder, and freely acknowledged +it did their cousin, Capt. Pascal, no honour. He then visited there +frequently; and I met him four or five days after in Greenwich park. +When he saw me he appeared a good deal surprised, and asked me how I +came back? I answered, 'In a ship.' To which he replied dryly, 'I +suppose you did not walk back to London on the water.' As I saw, by +his manner, that he did not seem to be sorry for his behaviour to me, +and that I had not much reason to expect any favour from him, I told +him that he had used me very ill, after I had been such a faithful +servant to him for so many years; on which, without saying any more, +he turned about and went away. A few days after this I met Capt. +Pascal at Miss Guerin's house, and asked him for my prize-money. He +said there was none due to me; for, if my prize money had been +10,000 L. he had a right to it all. I told him I was informed +otherwise; on which he bade me defiance; and, in a bantering tone, +desired me to commence a lawsuit against him for it: 'There are +lawyers enough,' said he,'that will take the cause in hand, and you +had better try it.' I told him then that I would try it, which enraged +him very much; however, out of regard to the ladies, I remained still, +and never made any farther demand of my right. Some time afterwards +these friendly ladies asked me what I meant to do with myself, and how +they could assist me. I thanked them, and said, if they pleased, I +would be their servant; but if not, as I had thirty-seven guineas, +which would support me for some time, I would be much obliged to them +to recommend me to some person who would teach me a business whereby I +might earn my living. They answered me very politely, that they were +sorry it did not suit them to take me as their servant, and asked me +what business I should like to learn? I said, hair-dressing. They then +promised to assist me in this; and soon after they recommended me to a +gentleman whom I had known before, one Capt. O'Hara, who treated me +with much kindness, and procured me a master, a hair-dresser, in +Coventry-court, Haymarket, with whom he placed me. I was with this man +from September till the February following. In that time we had a +neighbour in the same court who taught the French horn. He used to +blow it so well that I was charmed with it, and agreed with him to +teach me to blow it. Accordingly he took me in hand, and began to +instruct me, and I soon learned all the three parts. I took great +delight in blowing on this instrument, the evenings being long; and +besides that I was fond of it, I did not like to be idle, and it +filled up my vacant hours innocently. At this time also I agreed with +the Rev. Mr. Gregory, who lived in the same court, where he kept an +academy and an evening-school, to improve me in arithmetic. This he +did as far as barter and alligation; so that all the time I was there +I was entirely employed. In February 1768 I hired myself to Dr. +Charles Irving, in Pall-mall, so celebrated for his successful +experiments in making sea water fresh; and here I had plenty of +hair-dressing to improve my hand. This gentleman was an excellent +master; he was exceedingly kind and good tempered; and allowed me in +the evenings to attend my schools, which I esteemed a great blessing; +therefore I thanked God and him for it, and used all my diligence to +improve the opportunity. This diligence and attention recommended me +to the notice and care of my three preceptors, who on their parts +bestowed a great deal of pains in my instruction, and besides were all +very kind to me. My wages, however, which were by two thirds less than +I ever had in my life (for I had only 12l. per annum) I soon found +would not be sufficient to defray this extraordinary expense of +masters, and my own necessary expenses; my old thirty-seven guineas +had by this time worn all away to one. I thought it best, therefore, +to try the sea again in quest of more money, as I had been bred to it, +and had hitherto found the profession of it successful. I had also a +very great desire to see Turkey, and I now determined to gratify it. +Accordingly, in the month of May, 1768, I told the doctor my wish to +go to sea again, to which he made no opposition; and we parted on +friendly terms. The same day I went into the city in quest of a +master. I was extremely fortunate in my inquiry; for I soon heard of a +gentleman who had a ship going to Italy and Turkey, and he wanted a +man who could dress hair well. I was overjoyed at this, and went +immediately on board of his ship, as I had been directed, which I +found to be fitted up with great taste, and I already foreboded no +small pleasure in sailing in her. Not finding the gentleman on board, +I was directed to his lodgings, where I met with him the next day, and +gave him a specimen of my dressing. He liked it so well that he hired +me immediately, so that I was perfectly happy; for the ship, master, +and voyage, were entirely to my mind. The ship was called the Delawar, +and my master's name was John Jolly, a neat smart good humoured man, +just such an one as I wished to serve. We sailed from England in July +following, and our voyage was extremely pleasant. We went to Villa +Franca, Nice, and Leghorn; and in all these places I was charmed with +the richness and beauty of the countries, and struck with the elegant +buildings with which they abound. We had always in them plenty of +extraordinary good wines and rich fruits, which I was very fond of; +and I had frequent occasions of gratifying both my taste and +curiosity; for my captain always lodged on shore in those places, +which afforded me opportunities to see the country around. I also +learned navigation of the mate, which I was very fond of. When we left +Italy we had delightful sailing among the Archipelago islands, and +from thence to Smyrna in Turkey. This is a very ancient city; the +houses are built of stone, and most of them have graves adjoining to +them; so that they sometimes present the appearance of church-yards. +Provisions are very plentiful in this city, and good wine less than a +penny a pint. The grapes, pomegranates, and many other fruits, were +also the richest and largest I ever tasted. The natives are well +looking and strong made, and treated me always with great civility. In +general I believe they are fond of black people; and several of them +gave me pressing invitations to stay amongst them, although they keep +the franks, or Christians, separate, and do not suffer them to dwell +immediately amongst them. I was astonished in not seeing women in any +of their shops, and very rarely any in the streets; and whenever I did +they were covered with a veil from head to foot, so that I could not +see their faces, except when any of them out of curiosity uncovered +them to look at me, which they sometimes did. I was surprised to see +how the Greeks are, in some measure, kept under by the Turks, as the +negroes are in the West Indies by the white people. The less refined +Greeks, as I have already hinted, dance here in the same manner as we +do in my nation. On the whole, during our stay here, which was about +five months, I liked the place and the Turks extremely well. I could +not help observing one very remarkable circumstance there: the tails +of the sheep are flat, and so very large, that I have known the tail +even of a lamb to weigh from eleven to thirteen pounds. The fat of +them is very white and rich, and is excellent in puddings, for which +it is much used. Our ship being at length richly loaded with silk, and +other articles, we sailed for England. + +In May 1769, soon after our return from Turkey, our ship made a +delightful voyage to Oporto in Portugal, where we arrived at the time +of the carnival. On our arrival, there were sent on board to us +thirty-six articles to observe, with very heavy penalties if we should +break any of them; and none of us even dared to go on board any other +vessel or on shore till the Inquisition had sent on board and +searched for every thing illegal, especially bibles. Such as were +produced, and certain other things, were sent on shore till the ships +were going away; and any person in whose custody a bible was found +concealed was to be imprisoned and flogged, and sent into slavery for +ten years. I saw here many very magnificent sights, particularly the +garden of Eden, where many of the clergy and laity went in procession +in their several orders with the host, and sung Te Deum. I had a great +curiosity to go into some of their churches, but could not gain +admittance without using the necessary sprinkling of holy water at my +entrance. From curiosity, and a wish to be holy, I therefore complied +with this ceremony, but its virtues were lost on me, for I found +myself nothing the better for it. This place abounds with plenty of +all kinds of provisions. The town is well built and pretty, and +commands a fine prospect. Our ship having taken in a load of wine, and +other commodities, we sailed for London, and arrived in July +following. Our next voyage was to the Mediterranean. The ship was +again got ready, and we sailed in September for Genoa. This is one of +the finest cities I ever saw; some of the edifices were of beautiful +marble, and made a most noble appearance; and many had very curious +fountains before them. The churches were rich and magnificent, and +curiously adorned both in the inside and out. But all this grandeur +was in my eyes disgraced by the galley slaves, whose condition both +there and in other parts of Italy is truly piteous and wretched. After +we had stayed there some weeks, during which we bought many different +things which we wanted, and got them very cheap, we sailed to Naples, +a charming city, and remarkably clean. The bay is the most beautiful I +ever saw; the moles for shipping are excellent. I thought it +extraordinary to see grand operas acted here on Sunday nights, and +even attended by their majesties. I too, like these great ones, went +to those sights, and vainly served God in the day while I thus served +mammon effectually at night. While we remained here there happened an +eruption of mount Vesuvius, of which I had a perfect view. It was +extremely awful; and we were so near that the ashes from it used to be +thick on our deck. After we had transacted our business at Naples we +sailed with a fair wind once more for Smyrna, where we arrived in +December. A seraskier or officer took a liking to me here, and wanted +me to stay, and offered me two wives; however I refused the +temptation. The merchants here travel in caravans or large companies. +I have seen many caravans from India, with some hundreds of camels, +laden with different goods. The people of these caravans are quite +brown. Among other articles, they brought with them a great quantity +of locusts, which are a kind of pulse, sweet and pleasant to the +palate, and in shape resembling French beans, but longer. Each kind of +goods is sold in a street by itself, and I always found the Turks very +honest in their dealings. They let no Christians into their mosques or +churches, for which I was very sorry; as I was always fond of going to +see the different modes of worship of the people wherever I went. The +plague broke out while we were in Smyrna, and we stopped taking goods +into the ship till it was over. She was then richly laden, and we +sailed in about March 1770 for England. One day in our passage we met +with an accident which was near burning the ship. A black cook, in +melting some fat, overset the pan into the fire under the deck, which +immediately began to blaze, and the flame went up very high under the +foretop. With the fright the poor cook became almost white, and +altogether speechless. Happily however we got the fire out without +doing much mischief. After various delays in this passage, which was +tedious, we arrived in Standgate creek in July; and, at the latter end +of the year, some new event occurred, so that my noble captain, the +ship, and I all separated. + +In April 1771 I shipped myself as a steward with Capt. Wm. Robertson +of the ship Grenada Planter, once more to try my fortune in the West +Indies; and we sailed from London for Madeira, Barbadoes, and the +Grenades. When we were at this last place, having some goods to sell, +I met once more with my former kind of West India customers. A white +man, an islander, bought some goods of me to the amount of some +pounds, and made me many fair promises as usual, but without any +intention of paying me. He had likewise bought goods from some more of +our people, whom he intended to serve in the same manner; but he still +amused us with promises. However, when our ship was loaded, and near +sailing, this honest buyer discovered no intention or sign of paying +for any thing he had bought of us; but on the contrary, when I asked +him for my money he threatened me and another black man he had bought +goods of, so that we found we were like to get more blows than +payment. On this we went to complain to one Mr. M'Intosh, a justice of +the peace; we told his worship of the man's villainous tricks, and +begged that he would be kind enough to see us redressed: but being +negroes, although free, we could not get any remedy; and our ship +being then just upon the point of sailing, we knew not how to help +ourselves, though we thought it hard to lose our property in this +manner. Luckily for us however, this man was also indebted to three +white sailors, who could not get a farthing from him; they therefore +readily joined us, and we all went together in search of him. When we +found where he was, I took him out of a house and threatened him with +vengeance; on which, finding he was likely to be handled roughly, the +rogue offered each of us some small allowance, but nothing near our +demands. This exasperated us much more; and some were for cutting his +ears off; but he begged hard for mercy, which was at last granted him, +after we had entirely stripped him. We then let him go, for which he +thanked us, glad to get off so easily, and ran into the bushes, after +having wished us a good voyage. We then repaired on board, and shortly +after set sail for England. I cannot help remarking here a very narrow +escape we had from being blown up, owing to a piece of negligence of +mine. Just as our ship was under sail, I went down into the cabin to +do some business, and had a lighted candle in my hand, which, in my +hurry, without thinking, I held in a barrel of gunpowder. It remained +in the powder until it was near catching fire, when fortunately I +observed it and snatched it out in time, and providentially no harm +happened; but I was so overcome with terror that I immediately fainted +at this deliverance. + +In twenty-eight days time we arrived in England, and I got clear of +this ship. But, being still of a roving disposition, and desirous of +seeing as many different parts of the world as I could, I shipped +myself soon after, in the same year, as steward on board of a fine +large ship, called the Jamaica, Captain David Watt; and we sailed from +England in December 1771 for Nevis and Jamaica. I found Jamaica to be +a very fine large island, well peopled, and the most considerable of +the West India islands. There was a vast number of negroes here, whom +I found as usual exceedingly imposed upon by the white people, and the +slaves punished as in the other islands. There are negroes whose +business it is to flog slaves; they go about to different people for +employment, and the usual pay is from one to four bits. I saw many +cruel punishments inflicted on the slaves in the short time I stayed +here. In particular I was present when a poor fellow was tied up and +kept hanging by the wrists at some distance from the ground, and then +some half hundred weights were fixed to his ancles, in which posture +he was flogged most unmercifully. There were also, as I heard, two +different masters noted for cruelty on the island, who had staked up +two negroes naked, and in two hours the vermin stung them to death. I +heard a gentleman I well knew tell my captain that he passed sentence +on a negro man to be burnt alive for attempting to poison an overseer. +I pass over numerous other instances, in order to relieve the reader +by a milder scene of roguery. Before I had been long on the island, +one Mr. Smith at Port Morant bought goods of me to the amount of +twenty-five pounds sterling; but when I demanded payment from him, he +was going each time to beat me, and threatened that he would put me in +goal. One time he would say I was going to set his house on fire, at +another he would swear I was going to run away with his slaves. I was +astonished at this usage from a person who was in the situation of a +gentleman, but I had no alternative; I was therefore obliged to +submit. When I came to Kingston, I was surprised to see the number of +Africans who were assembled together on Sundays; particularly at a +large commodious place, called Spring Path. Here each different nation +of Africa meet and dance after the manner of their own country. They +still retain most of their native customs: they bury their dead, and +put victuals, pipes and tobacco, and other things, in the grave with +the corps, in the same manner as in Africa. Our ship having got her +loading we sailed for London, where we arrived in the August +following. On my return to London, I waited on my old and good master, +Dr. Irving, who made me an offer of his service again. Being now tired +of the sea I gladly accepted it. I was very happy in living with this +gentleman once more; during which time we were daily employed in +reducing old Neptune's dominions by purifying the briny element and +making it fresh. Thus I went on till May 1773, when I was roused by +the sound of fame, to seek new adventures, and to find, towards the +north pole, what our Creator never intended we should, a passage to +India. An expedition was now fitting out to explore a north-east +passage, conducted by the Honourable John Constantine Phipps, since +Lord Mulgrave, in his Majesty's sloop of war the Race Horse. My master +being anxious for the reputation of this adventure, we therefore +prepared every thing for our voyage, and I attended him on board the +Race Horse, the 24th day of May 1773. We proceeded to Sheerness, where +we were joined by his Majesty's sloop the Carcass, commanded by +Captain Lutwidge. On the 4th of June we sailed towards our destined +place, the pole; and on the 15th of the same month we were off +Shetland. On this day I had a great and unexpected deliverance from an +accident which was near blowing up the ship and destroying the crew, +which made me ever after during the voyage uncommonly cautious. The +ship was so filled that there was very little room on board for any +one, which placed me in a very aukward situation. I had resolved to +keep a journal of this singular and interesting voyage; and I had no +other place for this purpose but a little cabin, or the doctor's +store-room, where I slept. This little place was stuffed with all +manner of combustibles, particularly with tow and aquafortis, and many +other dangerous things. Unfortunately it happened in the evening as I +was writing my journal, that I had occasion to take the candle out of +the lanthorn, and a spark having touched a single thread of the tow, +all the rest caught the flame, and immediately the whole was in a +blaze. I saw nothing but present death before me, and expected to be +the first to perish in the flames. In a moment the alarm was spread, +and many people who were near ran to assist in putting out the fire. +All this time I was in the very midst of the flames; my shirt, and the +handkerchief on my neck, were burnt, and I was almost smothered with +the smoke. However, through God's mercy, as I was nearly giving up all +hopes, some people brought blankets and mattresses and threw them on +the flames, by which means in a short time the fire was put out. I was +severely reprimanded and menaced by such of the officers who knew it, +and strictly charged never more to go there with a light: and, indeed, +even my own fears made me give heed to this command for a little time; +but at last, not being able to write my journal in any other part of +the ship, I was tempted again to venture by stealth with a light in +the same cabin, though not without considerable fear and dread on my +mind. On the 20th of June we began to use Dr. Irving's apparatus for +making salt water fresh; I used to attend the distillery: I frequently +purified from twenty-six to forty gallons a day. The water thus +distilled was perfectly pure, well tasted, and free from salt; and was +used on various occasions on board the ship. On the 28th of June, +being in lat. 78, we made Greenland, where I was surprised to see the +sun did not set. The weather now became extremely cold; and as we +sailed between north and east, which was our course, we saw many very +high and curious mountains of ice; and also a great number of very +large whales, which used to come close to our ship, and blow the water +up to a very great height in the air. One morning we had vast +quantities of sea-horses about the ship, which neighed exactly like +any other horses. We fired some harpoon guns amongst them, in order to +take some, but we could not get any. The 30th, the captain of a +Greenland ship came on board, and told us of three ships that were +lost in the ice; however we still held on our course till July the +11th, when we were stopt by one compact impenetrable body of ice. We +ran along it from east to west above ten degrees; and on the 27th we +got as far north as 80, 37; and in 19 or 20 degrees east longitude +from London. On the 29th and 30th of July we saw one continued plain +of smooth unbroken ice, bounded only by the horizon; and we fastened +to a piece of ice that was eight yards eleven inches thick. We had +generally sunshine, and constant daylight; which gave cheerfulness and +novelty to the whole of this striking, grand, and uncommon scene; and, +to heighten it still more, the reflection of the sun from the ice gave +the clouds a most beautiful appearance. We killed many different +animals at this time, and among the rest nine bears. Though they had +nothing in their paunches but water yet they were all very fat. We +used to decoy them to the ship sometimes by burning feathers or skins. +I thought them coarse eating, but some of the ship's company relished +them very much. Some of our people once, in the boat, fired at and +wounded a sea-horse, which dived immediately; and, in a little time +after, brought up with it a number of others. They all joined in an +attack upon the boat, and were with difficulty prevented from staving +or oversetting her; but a boat from the Carcass having come to assist +ours, and joined it, they dispersed, after having wrested an oar from +one of the men. One of the ship's boats had before been attacked in +the same manner, but happily no harm was done. Though we wounded +several of these animals we never got but one. We remained hereabouts +until the 1st of August; when the two ships got completely fastened in +the ice, occasioned by the loose ice that set in from the sea. This +made our situation very dreadful and alarming; so that on the 7th day +we were in very great apprehension of having the ships squeezed to +pieces. The officers now held a council to know what was best for us +to do in order to save our lives; and it was determined that we should +endeavour to escape by dragging our boats along the ice towards the +sea; which, however, was farther off than any of us thought. This +determination filled us with extreme dejection, and confounded us with +despair; for we had very little prospect of escaping with life. +However, we sawed some of the ice about the ships to keep it from +hurting them; and thus kept them in a kind of pond. We then began to +drag the boats as well as we could towards the sea; but, after two or +three days labour, we made very little progress; so that some of our +hearts totally failed us, and I really began to give up myself for +lost, when I saw our surrounding calamities. While we were at this +hard labour I once fell into a pond we had made amongst some loose +ice, and was very near being drowned; but providentially some people +were near who gave me immediate assistance, and thereby I escaped +drowning. Our deplorable condition, which kept up the constant +apprehension of our perishing in the ice, brought me gradually to +think of eternity in such a manner as I never had done before. I had +the fears of death hourly upon me, and shuddered at the thoughts of +meeting the grim king of terrors in the _natural_ state I then was in, +and was exceedingly doubtful of a happy eternity if I should die in +it. I had no hopes of my life being prolonged for any time; for we +saw that our existence could not be long on the ice after leaving the +ships, which were now out of sight, and some miles from the boats. Our +appearance now became truly lamentable; pale dejection seized every +countenance; many, who had been before blasphemers, in this our +distress began to call on the good God of heaven for his help; and in +the time of our utter need he heard us, and against hope or human +probability delivered us! It was the eleventh day of the ships being +thus fastened, and the fourth of our drawing the boats in this manner, +that the wind changed to the E.N.E. The weather immediately became +mild, and the ice broke towards the sea, which was to the S.W. of us. +Many of us on this got on board again, and with all our might we hove +the ships into every open water we could find, and made all the sail +on them in our power; and now, having a prospect of success, we made +signals for the boats and the remainder of the people. This seemed to +us like a reprieve from death; and happy was the man who could first +get on board of any ship, or the first boat he could meet. We then +proceeded in this manner till we got into the open water again, which +we accomplished in about thirty hours, to our infinite joy and +gladness of heart. As soon as we were out of danger we came to anchor +and refitted; and on the 19th of August we sailed from this +uninhabited extremity of the world, where the inhospitable climate +affords neither food nor shelter, and not a tree or shrub of any kind +grows amongst its barren rocks; but all is one desolate and expanded +waste of ice, which even the constant beams of the sun for six months +in the year cannot penetrate or dissolve. The sun now being on the +decline the days shortened as we sailed to the southward; and, on the +28th, in latitude 73, it was dark by ten o'clock at night. September +the 10th, in latitude 58-59, we met a very severe gale of wind and +high seas, and shipped a great deal of water in the space of ten +hours. This made us work exceedingly hard at all our pumps a whole +day; and one sea, which struck the ship with more force than any thing +I ever met with of the kind before, laid her under water for some +time, so that we thought she would have gone down. Two boats were +washed from the booms, and the long-boat from the chucks: all other +moveable things on the deck were also washed away, among which were +many curious things of different kinds which we had brought from +Greenland; and we were obliged, in order to lighten the ship, to toss +some of our guns overboard. We saw a ship, at the same time, in very +great distress, and her masts were gone; but we were unable to assist +her. We now lost sight of the Carcass till the 26th, when we saw land +about Orfordness, off which place she joined us. From thence we sailed +for London, and on the 30th came up to Deptford. And thus ended our +Arctic voyage, to the no small joy of all on board, after having been +absent four months; in which time, at the imminent hazard of our +lives, we explored nearly as far towards the Pole as 81 degrees north, +and 20 degrees east longitude; being much farther, by all accounts, +than any navigator had ever ventured before; in which we fully proved +the impracticability of finding a passage that way to India. + + + + +CHAP. X. + + _The author leaves Doctor Irving and engages on board a + Turkey ship--Account of a black man's being kidnapped on + board and sent to the West Indies, and the author's + fruitless endeavours to procure his freedom--Some account of + the manner of the author's conversion to the faith of Jesus + Christ._ + + +Our voyage to the North Pole being ended, I returned to London with +Doctor Irving, with whom I continued for some time, during which I +began seriously to reflect on the dangers I had escaped, particularly +those of my last voyage, which made a lasting impression on my mind, +and, by the grace of God, proved afterwards a mercy to me; it caused +me to reflect deeply on my eternal state, and to seek the Lord with +full purpose of heart ere it was too late. I rejoiced greatly; and +heartily thanked the Lord for directing me to London, where I was +determined to work out my own salvation, and in so doing procure a +title to heaven, being the result of a mind blended by ignorance and +sin. + +In process of time I left my master, Doctor Irving, the purifier of +waters, and lodged in Coventry-court, Haymarket, where I was +continually oppressed and much concerned about the salvation of my +soul, and was determined (in my own strength) to be a first-rate +Christian. I used every means for this purpose; and, not being able to +find any person amongst my acquaintance that agreed with me in point +of religion, or, in scripture language, 'that would shew me any good;' +I was much dejected, and knew not where to seek relief; however, I +first frequented the neighbouring churches, St. James's, and others, +two or three times a day, for many weeks: still I came away +dissatisfied; something was wanting that I could not obtain, and I +really found more heartfelt relief in reading my bible at home than in +attending the church; and, being resolved to be saved, I pursued other +methods still. First I went among the quakers, where the word of God +was neither read or preached, so that I remained as much in the dark +as ever. I then searched into the Roman catholic principles, but was +not in the least satisfied. At length I had recourse to the Jews, +which availed me nothing, for the fear of eternity daily harassed my +mind, and I knew not where to seek shelter from the wrath to come. +However this was my conclusion, at all events, to read the four +evangelists, and whatever sect or party I found adhering thereto such +I would join. Thus I went on heavily without any guide to direct me +the way that leadeth to eternal life. I asked different people +questions about the manner of going to heaven, and was told different +ways. Here I was much staggered, and could not find any at that time +more righteous than myself, or indeed so much inclined to devotion. I +thought we should not all be saved (this is agreeable to the holy +scriptures), nor would all be damned. I found none among the circle of +my acquaintance that kept wholly the ten commandments. So righteous +was I in my own eyes, that I was convinced I excelled many of them in +that point, by keeping eight out of ten; and finding those who in +general termed themselves Christians not so honest or so good in their +morals as the Turks, I really thought the Turks were in a safer way of +salvation than my neighbours: so that between hopes and fears I went +on, and the chief comforts I enjoyed were in the musical French horn, +which I then practised, and also dressing of hair. Such was my +situation some months, experiencing the dishonesty of many people +here. I determined at last to set out for Turkey, and there to end my +days. It was now early in the spring 1774. I sought for a master, and +found a captain John Hughes, commander of a ship called Anglicania, +fitting out in the river Thames, and bound to Smyrna in Turkey. I +shipped myself with him as a steward; at the same time I recommended +to him a very clever black man, John Annis, as a cook. This man was on +board the ship near two months doing his duty: he had formerly lived +many years with Mr. William Kirkpatrick, a gentleman of the island of +St. Kitts, from whom he parted by consent, though he afterwards tried +many schemes to inveigle the poor man. He had applied to many captains +who traded to St. Kitts to trepan him; and when all their attempts and +schemes of kidnapping proved abortive, Mr. Kirkpatrick came to our +ship at Union Stairs on Easter Monday, April the fourth, with two +wherry boats and six men, having learned that the man was on board; +and tied, and forcibly took him away from the ship, in the presence +of the crew and the chief mate, who had detained him after he had +notice to come away. I believe that this was a combined piece of +business: but, at any rate, it certainly reflected great disgrace on +the mate and captain also, who, although they had desired the +oppressed man to stay on board, yet he did not in the least assist to +recover him, or pay me a farthing of his wages, which was about five +pounds. I proved the only friend he had, who attempted to regain him +his liberty if possible, having known the want of liberty myself. I +sent as soon as I could to Gravesend, and got knowledge of the ship in +which he was; but unluckily she had sailed the first tide after he was +put on board. My intention was then immediately to apprehend Mr. +Kirkpatrick, who was about setting off for Scotland; and, having +obtained a _habeas corpus_ for him, and got a tipstaff to go with me +to St. Paul's church-yard, where he lived, he, suspecting something of +this kind, set a watch to look out. My being known to them occasioned +me to use the following deception: I whitened my face, that they might +not know me, and this had its desired effect. He did not go out of his +house that night, and next morning I contrived a well plotted +stratagem notwithstanding he had a gentleman in his house to personate +him. My direction to the tipstaff, who got admittance into the house, +was to conduct him to a judge, according to the writ. When he came +there, his plea was, that he had not the body in custody, on which he +was admitted to bail. I proceeded immediately to that philanthropist, +Granville Sharp, Esq. who received me with the utmost kindness, and +gave me every instruction that was needful on the occasion. I left him +in full hope that I should gain the unhappy man his liberty, with the +warmest sense of gratitude towards Mr. Sharp for his kindness; but, +alas! my attorney proved unfaithful; he took my money, lost me many +months employ, and did not do the least good in the cause: and when +the poor man arrived at St. Kitts, he was, according to custom, staked +to the ground with four pins through a cord, two on his wrists, and +two on his ancles, was cut and flogged most unmercifully, and +afterwards loaded cruelly with irons about his neck. I had two very +moving letters from him, while he was in this situation; and also was +told of it by some very respectable families now in London, who saw +him in St. Kitts, in the same state in which he remained till kind +death released him out of the hands of his tyrants. During this +disagreeable business I was under strong convictions of sin, and +thought that my state was worse than any man's; my mind was +unaccountably disturbed; I often wished for death, though at the same +time convinced I was altogether unprepared for that awful summons. +Suffering much by villains in the late cause, and being much concerned +about the state of my soul, these things (but particularly the latter) +brought me very low; so that I became a burden to myself, and viewed +all things around me as emptiness and vanity, which could give no +satisfaction to a troubled conscience. I was again determined to go to +Turkey, and resolved, at that time, never more to return to England. I +engaged as steward on board a Turkeyman (the Wester Hall, Capt. +Linna); but was prevented by means of my late captain, Mr. Hughes, and +others. All this appeared to be against me, and the only comfort I +then experienced was, in reading the holy scriptures, where I saw that +'there is no new thing under the sun,' Eccles. i. 9; and what was +appointed for me I must submit to. Thus I continued to travel in much +heaviness, and frequently murmured against the Almighty, particularly +in his providential dealings; and, awful to think! I began to +blaspheme, and wished often to be any thing but a human being. In +these severe conflicts the Lord answered me by awful 'visions of the +night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed,' +Job xxxiii. 15. He was pleased, in much mercy, to give me to see, and +in some measure to understand, the great and awful scene of the +judgment-day, that 'no unclean person, no unholy thing, can enter into +the kingdom of God,' Eph. v. 5. I would then, if it had been possible, +have changed my nature with the meanest worm on the earth; and was +ready to say to the mountains and rocks 'fall on me,' Rev. vi. 16; but +all in vain. I then requested the divine Creator that he would grant +me a small space of time to repent of my follies and vile iniquities, +which I felt were grievous. The Lord, in his manifold mercies, was +pleased to grant my request, and being yet in a state of time, the +sense of God's mercies was so great on my mind when I awoke, that my +strength entirely failed me for many minutes, and I was exceedingly +weak. This was the first spiritual mercy I ever was sensible of, and +being on praying ground, as soon as I recovered a little strength, and +got out of bed and dressed myself, I invoked Heaven from my inmost +soul, and fervently begged that God would never again permit me to +blaspheme his most holy name. The Lord, who is long-suffering, and +full of compassion to such poor rebels as we are, condescended to hear +and answer. I felt that I was altogether unholy, and saw clearly what +a bad use I had made of the faculties I was endowed with; they were +given me to glorify God with; I thought, therefore, I had better want +them here, and enter into life eternal, than abuse them and be cast +into hell fire. I prayed to be directed, if there were any holier than +those with whom I was acquainted, that the Lord would point them out +to me. I appealed to the Searcher of hearts, whether I did not wish to +love him more, and serve him better. Notwithstanding all this, the +reader may easily discern, if he is a believer, that I was still in +nature's darkness. At length I hated the house in which I lodged, +because God's most holy name was blasphemed in it; then I saw the word +of God verified, viz. 'Before they call, I will answer; and while they +are yet speaking, I will hear.' + +I had a great desire to read the bible the whole day at home; but not +having a convenient place for retirement, I left the house in the day, +rather than stay amongst the wicked ones; and that day as I was +walking, it pleased God to direct me to a house where there was an old +sea-faring man, who experienced much of the love of God shed abroad in +his heart. He began to discourse with me; and, as I desired to love +the Lord, his conversation rejoiced me greatly; and indeed I had never +heard before the love of Christ to believers set forth in such a +manner, and in so clear a point of view. Here I had more questions to +put to the man than his time would permit him to answer; and in that +memorable hour there came in a dissenting minister; he joined our +discourse, and asked me some few questions; among others, where I +heard the gospel preached. I knew not what he meant by hearing the +gospel; I told him I had read the gospel: and he asked where I went to +church, or whether I went at all or not. To which I replied, 'I +attended St. James's, St. Martin's, and St. Ann's, Soho;'--'So,' said +he, 'you are a churchman.' I answered, I was. He then invited me to a +love-feast at his chapel that evening. I accepted the offer, and +thanked him; and soon after he went away, I had some further discourse +with the old Christian, added to some profitable reading, which made +me exceedingly happy. When I left him he reminded me of coming to the +feast; I assured him I would be there. Thus we parted, and I weighed +over the heavenly conversation that had passed between these two men, +which cheered my then heavy and drooping spirit more than any thing I +had met with for many months. However, I thought the time long in +going to my supposed banquet. I also wished much for the company of +these friendly men; their company pleased me much; and I thought the +gentlemen very kind, in asking me, a stranger, to a feast; but how +singular did it appear to me, to have it in a chapel! When the +wished-for hour came I went, and happily the old man was there, who +kindly seated me, as he belonged to the place. I was much astonished +to see the place filled with people, and no signs of eating and +drinking. There were many ministers in the company. At last they began +by giving out hymns, and between the singing the minister engaged in +prayer; in short, I knew not what to make of this sight, having never +seen any thing of the kind in my life before now. Some of the guests +began to speak their experience, agreeable to what I read in the +Scriptures; much was said by every speaker of the providence of God, +and his unspeakable mercies, to each of them. This I knew in a great +measure, and could most heartily join them. But when they spoke of a +future state, they seemed to be altogether certain of their calling +and election of God; and that no one could ever separate them from the +love of Christ, or pluck them out of his hands. This filled me with +utter consternation, intermingled with admiration. I was so amazed as +not to know what to think of the company; my heart was attracted and +my affections were enlarged. I wished to be as happy as them, and was +persuaded in my mind that they were different from the world 'that +lieth in wickedness,' 1 John v. 19. Their language and singing, &c. +did well harmonize; I was entirely overcome, and wished to live and +die thus. Lastly, some persons in the place produced some neat baskets +full of buns, which they distributed about; and each person +communicated with his neighbour, and sipped water out of different +mugs, which they handed about to all who were present. This kind of +Christian fellowship I had never seen, nor ever thought of seeing on +earth; it fully reminded me of what I had read in the holy scriptures, +of the primitive Christians, who loved each other and broke bread. In +partaking of it, even from house to house, this entertainment (which +lasted about four hours) ended in singing and prayer. It was the first +soul feast I ever was present at. This last twenty-four hours produced +me things, spiritual and temporal, sleeping and waking, judgment and +mercy, that I could not but admire the goodness of God, in directing +the blind, blasphemous sinner in the path that he knew not of, even +among the just; and instead of judgment he has shewed mercy, and will +hear and answer the prayers and supplications of every returning +prodigal: + + O! to grace how great a debtor + Daily I'm constrain'd to be! + +After this I was resolved to win Heaven if possible; and if I perished +I thought it should be at the feet of Jesus, in praying to him for +salvation. After having been an eye-witness to some of the happiness +which attended those who feared God, I knew not how, with any +propriety, to return to my lodgings, where the name of God was +continually profaned, at which I felt the greatest horror. I paused in +my mind for some time, not knowing what to do; whether to hire a bed +elsewhere, or go home again. At last, fearing an evil report might +arise, I went home, with a farewell to card-playing and vain jesting, +&c. I saw that time was very short, eternity long, and very near, and +I viewed those persons alone blessed who were found ready at midnight +call, or when the Judge of all, both quick and dead, cometh. + +The next day I took courage, and went to Holborn, to see my new and +worthy acquaintance, the old man, Mr. C----; he, with his wife, a +gracious woman, were at work at silk weaving; they seemed mutually +happy, and both quite glad to see me, and I more so to see them. I sat +down, and we conversed much about soul matters, &c. Their discourse +was amazingly delightful, edifying, and pleasant. I knew not at last +how to leave this agreeable pair, till time summoned me away. As I +was going they lent me a little book, entitled "The Conversion of an +Indian." It was in questions and answers. The poor man came over the +sea to London, to inquire after the Christian's God, who, (through +rich mercy) he found, and had not his journey in vain. The above book +was of great use to me, and at that time was a means of strengthening +my faith; however, in parting, they both invited me to call on them +when I pleased. This delighted me, and I took care to make all the +improvement from it I could; and so far I thanked God for such company +and desires. I prayed that the many evils I felt within might be done +away, and that I might be weaned from my former carnal acquaintances. +This was quickly heard and answered, and I was soon connected with +those whom the scripture calls the excellent of the earth. I heard the +gospel preached, and the thoughts of my heart and actions were laid +open by the preachers, and the way of salvation by Christ alone was +evidently set forth. Thus I went on happily for near two months; and I +once heard, during this period, a reverend gentleman speak of a man +who had departed this life in full assurance of his going to glory. I +was much astonished at the assertion; and did very deliberately +inquire how he could get at this knowledge. I was answered fully, +agreeable to what I read in the oracles of truth; and was told also, +that if I did not experience the new birth, and the pardon of my sins, +through the blood of Christ, before I died, I could not enter the +kingdom of heaven. I knew not what to think of this report, as I +thought I kept eight commandments out of ten; then my worthy +interpreter told me I did not do it, nor could I; and he added, that +no man ever did or could keep the commandments, without offending in +one point. I thought this sounded very strange, and puzzled me much +for many weeks; for I thought it a hard saying. I then asked my +friend, Mr. L----d, who was a clerk in a chapel, why the commandments +of God were given, if we could not be saved by them? To which he +replied, 'The law is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ,' who alone +could and did keep the commandments, and fulfilled all their +requirements for his elect people, even those to whom he had given a +living faith, and the sins of those chosen vessels _were already_ +atoned for and forgiven them whilst living; and if I did not +experience the same before my exit, the Lord would say at that great +day to me 'Go ye cursed,' &c. &c. for God would appear faithful in his +judgments to the wicked, as he would be faithful in shewing mercy to +those who were ordained to it before the world was; therefore Christ +Jesus seemed to be all in all to that man's soul. I was much wounded +at this discourse, and brought into such a dilemma as I never +expected. I asked him, if _he_ was to die that moment, whether he was +sure to enter the kingdom of God? and added, 'Do you _know_ that your +sins are forgiven you?' He answered in the affirmative. Then +confusion, anger, and discontent seized me, and I staggered much at +this sort of doctrine; it brought me to a stand, not knowing which to +believe, whether salvation by works or by faith only in Christ. I +requested him to tell me how I might know when my sins were forgiven +me. He assured me he could not, and that none but God alone could do +this. I told him it was very mysterious; but he said it was really +matter of fact, and quoted many portions of scripture immediately to +the point, to which I could make no reply. He then desired me to pray +to God to shew me these things. I answered, that I prayed to God every +day. He said, 'I perceive you are a churchman.' I answered I was. He +then entreated me to beg of God to shew me what I was, and the true +state of my soul. I thought the prayer very short and odd; so we +parted for that time. I weighed all these things well over, and could +not help thinking how it was possible for a man to know that his sins +were forgiven him in this life. I wished that God would reveal this +self same thing unto me. In a short time after this I went to +Westminster chapel; the Rev. Mr. P---- preached, from Lam. iii. 39. It +was a wonderful sermon; he clearly shewed that a living man had no +cause to complain for the punishment of his sins; he evidently +justified the Lord in all his dealings with the sons of men; he also +shewed the justice of God in the eternal punishment of the wicked and +impenitent. The discourse seemed to me like a two-edged sword cutting +all ways; it afforded me much joy, intermingled with many fears, about +my soul; and when it was ended, he gave it out that he intended, the +ensuing week, to examine all those who meant to attend the Lord's +table. Now I thought much of my good works, and at the same time was +doubtful of my being a proper object to receive the sacrament; I was +full of meditation till the day of examining. However, I went to the +chapel, and, though much distressed, I addressed the reverend +gentleman, thinking, if I was not right, he would endeavour to +convince me of it. When I conversed with him, the first thing he asked +me was, what I knew of Christ? I told him I believed in him, and had +been baptized in his name. 'Then,' said he, 'when were you brought to +the knowledge of God? and how were you convinced of sin?' I knew not +what he meant by these questions; I told him I kept eight commandments +out of ten; but that I sometimes swore on board ship, and sometimes +when on shore, and broke the sabbath. He then asked me if I could +read? I answered, 'Yes.'--'Then,' said he,'do you not read in the +bible, he that offends in one point is guilty of all?' I said, 'Yes.' +Then he assured me, that one sin unatoned for was as sufficient to +damn a soul as one leak was to sink a ship. Here I was struck with +awe; for the minister exhorted me much, and reminded me of the +shortness of time, and the length of eternity, and that no +unregenerate soul, or any thing unclean, could enter the kingdom of +Heaven. He did not admit me as a communicant; but recommended me to +read the scriptures, and hear the word preached, not to neglect +fervent prayer to God, who has promised to hear the supplications of +those who seek him in godly sincerity; so I took my leave of him, with +many thanks, and resolved to follow his advice, so far as the Lord +would condescend to enable me. During this time I was out of employ, +nor was I likely to get a situation suitable for me, which obliged me +to go once more to sea. I engaged as steward of a ship called the +Hope, Capt. Richard Strange, bound from London to Cadiz in Spain. In a +short time after I was on board I heard the name of God much +blasphemed, and I feared greatly, lest I should catch the horrible +infection. I thought if I sinned again, after having life and death +set evidently before me, I should certainly go to hell. My mind was +uncommonly chagrined, and I murmured much at God's providential +dealings with me, and was discontented with the commandments, that I +could not be saved by what I had done; I hated all things, and wished +I had never been born; confusion seized me, and I wished to be +annihilated. One day I was standing on the very edge of the stern of +the ship, thinking to drown myself; but this scripture was instantly +impressed on my mind--'that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in +him,' 1 John iii. 15. Then I paused, and thought myself the unhappiest +man living. Again I was convinced that the Lord was better to me than +I deserved, and I was better off in the world than many. After this I +began to fear death; I fretted, mourned, and prayed, till I became a +burden to others, but more so to myself. At length I concluded to beg +my bread on shore rather than go again to sea amongst a people who +feared not God, and I entreated the captain three different times to +discharge me; he would not, but each time gave me greater and greater +encouragement to continue with him, and all on board shewed me very +great civility: notwithstanding all this I was unwilling to embark +again. At last some of my religious friends advised me, by saying it +was my lawful calling, consequently it was my duty to obey, and that +God was not confined to place, &c. &c. particularly Mr. G.S. the +governor of Tothil-fields Bridewell, who pitied my case, and read the +eleventh chapter of the Hebrews to me, with exhortations. He prayed +for me, and I believed that he prevailed on my behalf, as my burden +was then greatly removed, and I found a heartfelt resignation to the +will of God. The good man gave me a pocket Bible and Allen's Alarm to +the unconverted. We parted, and the next day I went on board again. We +sailed for Spain, and I found favour with the captain. It was the +fourth of the month of September when we sailed from London; we had a +delightful voyage to Cadiz, where we arrived the twenty-third of the +same month. The place is strong, commands a fine prospect, and is very +rich. The Spanish galloons frequent that port, and some arrived whilst +we were there. I had many opportunities of reading the scriptures. I +wrestled hard with God in fervent prayer, who had declared in his word +that he would hear the groanings and deep sighs of the poor in spirit. +I found this verified to my utter astonishment and comfort in the +following manner: + +On the morning of the 6th of October, (I pray you to attend) or all +that day, I thought that I should either see or hear something +supernatural. I had a secret impulse on my mind of something that was +to take place, which drove me continually for that time to a throne of +grace. It pleased God to enable me to wrestle with him, as Jacob did: +I prayed that if sudden death were to happen, and I perished, it might +be at Christ's feet. + +In the evening of the same day, as I was reading and meditating on the +fourth chapter of the Acts, twelfth verse, under the solemn +apprehensions of eternity, and reflecting on my past actions, I began +to think I had lived a moral life, and that I had a proper ground to +believe I had an interest in the divine favour; but still meditating +on the subject, not knowing whether salvation was to be had partly for +our own good deeds, or solely as the sovereign gift of God; in this +deep consternation the Lord was pleased to break in upon my soul with +his bright beams of heavenly light; and in an instant as it were, +removing the veil, and letting light into a dark place, I saw clearly +with the eye of faith the crucified Saviour bleeding on the cross on +mount Calvary: the scriptures became an unsealed book, I saw myself a +condemned criminal under the law, which came with its full force to my +conscience, and when 'the commandment came sin revived, and I died,' I +saw the Lord Jesus Christ in his humiliation, loaded and bearing my +reproach, sin, and shame. I then clearly perceived that by the deeds +of the law no flesh living could be justified. I was then convinced +that by the first Adam sin came, and by the second Adam (the Lord +Jesus Christ) all that are saved must be made alive. It was given me +at that time to know what it was to be born again, John iii. 5. I saw +the eighth chapter to the Romans, and the doctrines of God's decrees, +verified agreeable to his eternal, everlasting, and unchangeable +purposes. The word of God was sweet to my taste, yea sweeter than +honey and the honeycomb. Christ was revealed to my soul as the +chiefest among ten thousand. These heavenly moments were really as +life to the dead, and what John calls an earnest of the Spirit[V]. +This was indeed unspeakable, and I firmly believe undeniable by many. +Now every leading providential circumstance that happened to me, from +the day I was taken from my parents to that hour, was then in my view, +as if it had but just then occurred. I was sensible of the invisible +hand of God, which guided and protected me when in truth I knew it +not: still the Lord pursued me although I slighted and disregarded it; +this mercy melted me down. When I considered my poor wretched state I +wept, seeing what a great debtor I was to sovereign free grace. Now +the Ethiopian was willing to be saved by Jesus Christ, the sinner's +only surety, and also to rely on none other person or thing for +salvation. Self was obnoxious, and good works he had none, for it is +God that worketh in us both to will and to do. The amazing things of +that hour can never be told--it was joy in the Holy Ghost! I felt an +astonishing change; the burden of sin, the gaping jaws of hell, and +the fears of death, that weighed me down before, now lost their +horror; indeed I thought death would now be the best earthly friend I +ever had. Such were my grief and joy as I believe are seldom +experienced. I was bathed in tears, and said, What am I that God +should thus look on me the vilest of sinners? I felt a deep concern +for my mother and friends, which occasioned me to pray with fresh +ardour; and, in the abyss of thought, I viewed the unconverted people +of the world in a very awful state, being without God and without +hope. + +It pleased God to pour out on me the Spirit of prayer and the grace of +supplication, so that in loud acclamations I was enabled to praise and +glorify his most holy name. When I got out of the cabin, and told some +of the people what the Lord had done for me, alas, who could +understand me or believe my report!--None but to whom the arm of the +Lord was revealed. I became a barbarian to them in talking of the love +of Christ: his name was to me as ointment poured forth; indeed it was +sweet to my soul, but to them a rock of offence. I thought my case +singular, and every hour a day until I came to London, for I much +longed to be with some to whom I could tell of the wonders of God's +love towards me, and join in prayer to him whom my soul loved and +thirsted after. I had uncommon commotions within, such as few can tell +aught about. Now the bible was my only companion and comfort; I prized +it much, with many thanks to God that I could read it for myself, and +was not left to be tossed about or led by man's devices and notions. +The worth of a soul cannot be told.--May the Lord give the reader an +understanding in this. Whenever I looked in the bible I saw things +new, and many texts were immediately applied to me with great comfort, +for I knew that to me was the word of salvation sent. Sure I was that +the Spirit which indited the word opened my heart to receive the truth +of it as it is in Jesus--that the same Spirit enabled me to act faith +upon the promises that were so precious to me, and enabled me to +believe to the salvation of my soul. By free grace I was persuaded +that I had a part in the first resurrection, and was 'enlightened with +the light of the living,' Job xxxiii. 30. I wished for a man of God +with whom I might converse: my soul was like the chariots of Aminidab, +Canticles vi. 12. These, among others, were the precious promises that +were so powerfully applied to me: 'All things whatsoever ye shall ask +in prayer, believing, ye shall receive,' Mat. xxi. 22. 'Peace I leave +with you, my peace I give unto you,' John xiv. 27. I saw the blessed +Redeemer to be the fountain of life, and the well of salvation. I +experienced him all in all; he had brought me by a way that I knew +not, and he had made crooked paths straight. Then in his name I set up +my Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto he hath helped me: and could say to the +sinners about me, Behold what a Saviour I have! Thus I was, by the +teaching of that all-glorious Deity, the great One in Three, and Three +in One, confirmed in the truths of the bible, those oracles of +everlasting truth, on which every soul living must stand or fall +eternally, agreeable to Acts iv. 12. 'Neither is there salvation in +any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men +whereby we must be saved, but only Christ Jesus.' May God give the +reader a right understanding in these facts! To him that believeth all +things are possible, but to them that are unbelieving nothing is pure, +Titus i. 15. During this period we remained at Cadiz until our ship +got laden. We sailed about the fourth of November; and, having a good +passage, we arrived in London the month following, to my comfort, with +heartfelt gratitude to God for his rich and unspeakable mercies. On my +return I had but one text which puzzled me, or that the devil +endeavoured to buffet me with, viz. Rom. xi. 6. and, as I had heard of +the Reverend Mr. Romaine, and his great knowledge in the scriptures, I +wished much to hear him preach. One day I went to Blackfriars church, +and, to my great satisfaction and surprise, he preached from that very +text. He very clearly shewed the difference between human works and +free election, which is according to God's sovereign will and +pleasure. These glad tidings set me entirely at liberty, and I went +out of the church rejoicing, seeing my spots were those of God's +children. I went to Westminster Chapel, and saw some of my old +friends, who were glad when they perceived the wonderful change that +the Lord had wrought in me, particularly Mr. G---- S----, my worthy +acquaintance, who was a man of a choice spirit, and had great zeal for +the Lord's service. I enjoyed his correspondence till he died in the +year 1784. I was again examined at that same chapel, and was received +into church fellowship amongst them: I rejoiced in spirit, making +melody in my heart to the God of all my mercies. Now my whole wish was +to be dissolved, and to be with Christ--but, alas! I must wait mine +appointed time. + + * * * * * + +MISCELLANEOUS VERSES, + +or + + Reflections on the State of my mind during my first + Convictions; of the Necessity of believing the Truth, and + experiencing the inestimable Benefits of Christianity. + + + Well may I say my life has been + One scene of sorrow and of pain; + From early days I griefs have known, + And as I grew my griefs have grown: + + Dangers were always in my path; + And fear of wrath, and sometimes death; + While pale dejection in me reign'd + I often wept, by grief constrain'd. + + When taken from my native land, + By an unjust and cruel band, + How did uncommon dread prevail! + My sighs no more I could conceal. + + 'To ease my mind I often strove, + And tried my trouble to remove: + I sung, and utter'd sighs between-- + Assay'd to stifle guilt with sin. + + 'But O! not all that I could do + Would stop the current of my woe; + Conviction still my vileness shew'd; + How great my guilt--how lost from God! + + 'Prevented, that I could not die, + Nor might to one kind refuge fly; + An orphan state I had to mourn,-- + Forsook by all, and left forlorn.' + + Those who beheld my downcast mien + Could not guess at my woes unseen: + They by appearance could not know + The troubles that I waded through. + + 'Lust, anger, blasphemy, and pride, + With legions of such ills beside, + Troubled my thoughts,' while doubts and fears + Clouded and darken'd most my years. + + 'Sighs now no more would be confin'd-- + They breath'd the trouble of my mind: + I wish'd for death, but check'd the word, + And often pray'd unto the Lord.' + + Unhappy, more than some on earth, + I thought the place that gave me birth-- + Strange thoughts oppress'd--while I replied + "Why not in Ethiopia died?" + + And why thus spared, nigh to hell?-- + God only knew--I could not tell! + 'A tott'ring fence, a bowing wall + thought myself ere since the fall.' + + 'Oft times I mused, nigh despair, + While birds melodious fill'd the air: + Thrice happy songsters, ever free, + How bless'd were they compar'd to me!' + + Thus all things added to my pain, + While grief compell'd me to complain; + When sable clouds began to rise + My mind grew darker than the skies. + + The English nation call'd to leave, + How did my breast with sorrows heave! + I long'd for rest--cried "Help me, Lord! + Some mitigation, Lord, afford!" + + Yet on, dejected, still I went-- + Heart-throbbing woes within were pent; + Nor land, nor sea, could comfort give, + Nothing my anxious mind relieve. + + Weary with travail, yet unknown + To all but God and self alone, + Numerous months for peace I strove, + And numerous foes I had to prove. + + Inur'd to dangers, griefs, and woes, + Train'd up 'midst perils, deaths, and foes, + I said "Must it thus ever be?-- + No quiet is permitted me." + + Hard hap, and more than heavy lot! + I pray'd to God "Forget me not-- + What thou ordain'st willing I'll bear; + But O! deliver from despair!" + + Strivings and wrestlings seem'd in vain; + Nothing I did could ease my pain: + Then gave I up my works and will, + Confess'd and own'd my doom was hell! + + Like some poor pris'ner at the bar, + Conscious of guilt, of sin and fear, + Arraign'd, and self-condemned, I stood-- + 'Lost in the world, and in my blood!' + + Yet here,'midst blackest clouds confin'd, + A beam from Christ, the day-star, shin'd; + Surely, thought I, if Jesus please, + He can at once sign my release. + + I, ignorant of his righteousness, + Set up my labours in its place; + 'Forgot for why his blood was shed, + And pray'd and fasted in its stead.' + + He dy'd for sinners--I am one! + Might not his blood for me atone? + Tho' I am nothing else but sin, + Yet surely he can make me clean! + + Thus light came in, and I believ'd; + Myself forgot, and help receiv'd! + My Saviour then I know I found, + For, eas'd from guilt, no more I groan'd. + + O, happy hour, in which I ceas'd + To mourn, for then I found a rest! + My soul and Christ were now as one-- + Thy light, O Jesus, in me shone! + + Bless'd be thy name, for now I know + I and my works can nothing do; + "The Lord alone can ransom man-- + For this the spotless Lamb was slain!" + + When sacrifices, works, and pray'r, + Prov'd vain, and ineffectual were, + "Lo, then I come!" the Saviour cry'd, + And, bleeding, bow'd his head and dy'd! + + He dy'd for all who ever saw + No help in them, nor by the law:-- + I this have seen; and gladly own + "Salvation is by Christ alone[W]!" + +FOOTNOTES: + +[Footnote V: John xvi. 13, 14. &c.] + +[Footnote W: Acts iv. 12.] + + + + +CHAP. XI. + + _The author embarks on board a ship bound for Cadiz--Is near + being shipwrecked--Goes to Malaga--Remarkable fine cathedral + there--The author disputes with a popish priest--Picking up + eleven miserable men at sea in returning to England--Engages + again with Doctor Irving to accompany him to Jamaica and the + Mosquito Shore--Meets with an Indian prince on board--The + author attempts to instruct him in the truths of the + Gospel--Frustrated by the bad example of some in the + ship--They arrive on the Mosquito Shore with some slaves + they purchased at Jamaica, and begin to cultivate a + plantation--Some account of the manners and customs of the + Mosquito Indians--Successful device of the author's to quell + a riot among them--Curious entertainment given by them to + Doctor Irving and the author, who leaves the shore and goes + for Jamaica--Is barbarously treated by a man with whom he + engaged for his passage--Escapes and goes to the Mosquito + admiral, who treats him kindly--He gets another vessel and + goes on board--Instances of bad treatment--Meets Doctor + Irving--Gets to Jamaica--Is cheated by his captain--Leaves + the Doctor and goes for England._ + + +When our ship was got ready for sea again, I was entreated by the +captain to go in her once more; but, as I felt myself now as happy as +I could wish to be in this life, I for some time refused; however, the +advice of my friends at last prevailed; and, in full resignation to +the will of God, I again embarked for Cadiz in March 1775. We had a +very good passage, without any material accident, until we arrived off +the Bay of Cadiz; when one Sunday, just as we were going into the +harbour, the ship struck against a rock and knocked off a garboard +plank, which is the next to the keel. In an instant all hands were in +the greatest confusion, and began with loud cries to call on God to +have mercy on them. Although I could not swim, and saw no way of +escaping death, I felt no dread in my then situation, having no desire +to live. I even rejoiced in spirit, thinking this death would be +sudden glory. But the fulness of time was not yet come. The people +near to me were much astonished in seeing me thus calm and resigned; +but I told them of the peace of God, which through sovereign grace I +enjoyed, and these words were that instant in my mind: + + "Christ is my pilot wise, my compass is his word; + My soul each storm defies, while I have such a Lord. + I trust his faithfulness and power, + To save me in the trying hour. + Though rocks and quicksands deep through all my passage lie, + Yet Christ shall safely keep and guide me with his eye. + How can I sink with such a prop, + That bears the world and all things up?" + +At this time there were many large Spanish flukers or passage-vessels +full of people crossing the channel; who seeing our condition, a +number of them came alongside of us. As many hands as could be +employed began to work; some at our three pumps, and the rest +unloading the ship as fast as possible. There being only a single rock +called the Porpus on which we struck, we soon got off it, and +providentially it was then high water, we therefore run the ship +ashore at the nearest place to keep her from sinking. After many +tides, with a great deal of care and industry, we got her repaired +again. When we had dispatched our business at Cadiz, we went to +Gibraltar, and from thence to Malaga, a very pleasant and rich city, +where there is one of the finest cathedrals I had ever seen. It had +been above fifty years in building, as I heard, though it was not then +quite finished; great part of the inside, however, was completed and +highly decorated with the richest marble columns and many superb +paintings; it was lighted occasionally by an amazing number of wax +tapers of different sizes, some of which were as thick as a man's +thigh; these, however, were only used on some of their grand +festivals. + +I was very much shocked at the custom of bull-baiting, and other +diversions which prevailed here on Sunday evenings, to the great +scandal of Christianity and morals. I used to express my abhorrence of +it to a priest whom I met with. I had frequent contests about religion +with the reverend father, in which he took great pains to make a +proselyte of me to his church; and I no less to convert him to mine. +On these occasions I used to produce my Bible, and shew him in what +points his church erred. He then said he had been in England, and that +every person there read the Bible, which was very wrong; but I +answered him that Christ desired us to search the Scriptures. In his +zeal for my conversion, he solicited me to go to one of the +universities in Spain, and declared that I should have my education +free; and told me, if I got myself made a priest, I might in time +become even pope; and that Pope Benedict was a black man. As I was +ever desirous of learning, I paused for some time upon this +temptation; and thought by being crafty I might catch some with guile; +but I began to think that it would be only hypocrisy in me to embrace +his offer, as I could not in conscience conform to the opinions of his +church. I was therefore enabled to regard the word of God, which says, +'Come out from amongst them,' and refused Father Vincent's offer. So +we parted without conviction on either side. + +Having taken at this place some fine wines, fruits, and money, we +proceeded to Cadiz, where we took about two tons more of money, &c. +and then sailed for England in the month of June. When we were about +the north latitude 42, we had contrary wind for several days, and the +ship did not make in that time above six or seven miles straight +course. This made the captain exceeding fretful and peevish: and I was +very sorry to hear God's most holy name often blasphemed by him. One +day, as he was in that impious mood, a young gentleman on board, who +was a passenger, reproached him, and said he acted wrong; for we ought +to be thankful to God for all things, as we were not in want of any +thing on board; and though the wind was contrary for us, yet it was +fair for some others, who, perhaps, stood in more need of it than we. +I immediately seconded this young gentleman with some boldness, and +said we had not the least cause to murmur, for that the Lord was +better to us than we deserved, and that he had done all things well. I +expected that the captain would be very angry with me for speaking, +but he replied not a word. However, before that time on the following +day, being the 21st of June, much to our great joy and astonishment, +we saw the providential hand of our benign Creator, whose ways with +his blind creatures are past finding out. The preceding night I +dreamed that I saw a boat immediately off the starboard main shrouds; +and exactly at half past one o'clock, the following day at noon, while +I was below, just as we had dined in the cabin, the man at the helm +cried out, A boat! which brought my dream that instant into my mind. I +was the first man that jumped on the deck; and, looking from the +shrouds onward, according to my dream, I descried a little boat at +some distance; but, as the waves were high, it was as much as we could +do sometimes to discern her; we however stopped the ship's way, and +the boat, which was extremely small, came alongside with eleven +miserable men, whom we took on board immediately. To all human +appearance, these people must have perished in the course of one hour +or less, the boat being small, it barely contained them. When we took +them up they were half drowned, and had no victuals, compass, water, +or any other necessary whatsoever, and had only one bit of an oar to +steer with, and that right before the wind; so that they were obliged +to trust entirely to the mercy of the waves. As soon as we got them +all on board, they bowed themselves on their knees, and, with hands +and voices lifted up to heaven, thanked God for their deliverance; and +I trust that my prayers were not wanting amongst them at the same +time. This mercy of the Lord quite melted me, and I recollected his +words, which I saw thus verified in the 107th Psalm 'O give thanks +unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever. Hungry +and thirsty, their souls fainted in them. They cried unto Lord in +their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. And he +led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of +habitation. O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for +his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the +longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. + +'Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death: + +'Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out +of their distresses. They that go down to the sea in ships; that do +business in great waters: these see the works of the Lord, and his +wonders in the deep. Whoso is wise and will observe these things, even +they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord.' + +The poor distressed captain said,'that the Lord is good; for, seeing +that I am not fit to die, he therefore gave me a space of time to +repent.' I was very glad to hear this expression, and took an +opportunity when convenient of talking to him on the providence of +God. They told us they were Portuguese, and were in a brig loaded with +corn, which shifted that morning at five o'clock, owing to which the +vessel sunk that instant with two of the crew; and how these eleven +got into the boat (which was lashed to the deck) not one of them could +tell. We provided them with every necessary, and brought them all safe +to London: and I hope the Lord gave them repentance unto life eternal. + +I was happy once more amongst my friends and brethren, till November, +when my old friend, the celebrated Doctor Irving, bought a remarkable +fine sloop, about 150 tons. He had a mind for a new adventure in +cultivating a plantation at Jamaica and the Musquito Shore; asked me +to go with him, and said that he would trust me with his estate in +preference to any one. By the advice, therefore, of my friends, I +accepted of the offer, knowing that the harvest was fully ripe in +those parts, and hoped to be the instrument, under God, of bringing +some poor sinner to my well beloved master, Jesus Christ. Before I +embarked, I found with the Doctor four Musquito Indians, who were +chiefs in their own country, and were brought here by some English +traders for some selfish ends. One of them was the Musquito king's +son; a youth of about eighteen years of age; and whilst he was here he +was baptized by the name of George. They were going back at the +government's expense, after having been in England about twelve +months, during which they learned to speak pretty good English. When I +came to talk to them about eight days before we sailed, I was very +much mortified in finding that they had not frequented any churches +since they were here, to be baptized, nor was any attention paid to +their morals. I was very sorry for this mock Christianity, and had +just an opportunity to take some of them once to church before we +sailed. We embarked in the month of November 1775, on board of the +sloop Morning Star, Captain David Miller, and sailed for Jamaica. In +our passage, I took all the pains that I could to instruct the Indian +prince in the doctrines of Christianity, of which he was entirely +ignorant; and, to my great joy, he was quite attentive, and received +with gladness the truths that the Lord enabled me to set forth to him. +I taught him in the compass of eleven days all the letters, and he +could put even two or three of them together and spell them. I had +Fox's Martyrology with cuts, and he used to be very fond of looking +into it, and would ask many questions about the papal cruelties he saw +depicted there, which I explained to him. I made such progress with +this youth, especially in religion, that when I used to go to bed at +different hours of the night, if he was in his bed, he would get up on +purpose to go to prayer with me, without any other clothes than his +shirt; and before he would eat any of his meals amongst the gentlemen +in the cabin, he would first come to me to pray, as he called it. I +was well pleased at this, and took great delight in him, and used much +supplication to God for his conversion. I was in full hope of seeing +daily every appearance of that change which I could wish; not knowing +the devices of satan, who had many of his emissaries to sow his tares +as fast as I sowed the good seed, and pull down as fast as I built up. +Thus we went on nearly four fifths of our passage, when satan at last +got the upper hand. Some of his messengers, seeing this poor heathen +much advanced in piety, began to ask him whether I had converted him +to Christianity, laughed, and made their jest at him, for which I +rebuked them as much as I could; but this treatment caused the prince +to halt between two opinions. Some of the true sons of Belial, who did +not believe that there was any hereafter, told him never to fear the +devil, for there was none existing; and if ever he came to the prince, +they desired he might be sent to them. Thus they teazed the poor +innocent youth, so that he would not learn his book any more! He would +not drink nor carouse with these ungodly actors, nor would he be with +me, even at prayers. This grieved me very much. I endeavoured to +persuade him as well as I could, but he would not come; and entreated +him very much to tell me his reasons for acting thus. At last he asked +me, 'How comes it that all the white men on board who can read and +write, and observe the sun, and know all things, yet swear, lie, and +get drunk, only excepting yourself?' I answered him, the reason was, +that they did not fear God; and that if any one of them died so they +could not go to, or be happy with God. He replied, that if these +persons went to hell he would go to hell too. I was sorry to hear +this; and, as he sometimes had the toothach, and also some other +persons in the ship at the same time, I asked him if their toothach +made his easy: he said, No. Then I told him if he and these people +went to hell together, their pains would not make his any lighter. +This answer had great weight with him: it depressed his spirits much; +and he became ever after, during the passage, fond of being alone. +When we were in the latitude of Martinico, and near making the land, +one morning we had a brisk gale of wind, and, carrying too much sail, +the main-mast went over the side. Many people were then all about the +deck, and the yards, masts, and rigging, came tumbling all about us, +yet there was not one of us in the least hurt, although some were +within a hair's breadth of being killed: and, particularly, I saw two +men then, by the providential hand of God, most miraculously preserved +from being smashed to pieces. On the fifth of January we made Antigua +and Montserrat, and ran along the rest of the islands: and on the +fourteenth we arrived at Jamaica. One Sunday while we were there I +took the Musquito Prince George to church, where he saw the sacrament +administered. When we came out we saw all kinds of people, almost from +the church door for the space of half a mile down to the waterside, +buying and selling all kinds of commodities: and these acts afforded +me great matter of exhortation to this youth, who was much astonished. +Our vessel being ready to sail for the Musquito shore, I went with the +Doctor on board a Guinea-man, to purchase some slaves to carry with +us, and cultivate a plantation; and I chose them all my own +countrymen. On the twelfth of February we sailed from Jamaica, and on +the eighteenth arrived at the Musquito shore, at a place called +Dupeupy. All our Indian guests now, after I had admonished them and a +few cases of liquor given them by the Doctor, took an affectionate +leave of us, and went ashore, where they were met by the Musquito +king, and we never saw one of them afterwards. We then sailed to the +southward of the shore, to a place called Cape Gracias a Dios, where +there was a large lagoon or lake, which received the emptying of two +or three very fine large rivers, and abounded much in fish and land +tortoise. Some of the native Indians came on board of us here; and we +used them well, and told them we were come to dwell amongst them, +which they seemed pleased at. So the Doctor and I, with some others, +went with them ashore; and they took us to different places to view +the land, in order to choose a place to make a plantation of. We fixed +on a spot near a river's bank, in a rich soil; and, having got our +necessaries out of the sloop, we began to clear away the woods, and +plant different kinds of vegetables, which had a quick growth. While +we were employed in this manner, our vessel went northward to Black +River to trade. While she was there, a Spanish guarda costa met with +and took her. This proved very hurtful, and a great embarrassment to +us. However, we went on with the culture of the land. We used to make +fires every night all around us, to keep off wild beasts, which, as +soon as it was dark, set up a most hideous roaring. Our habitation +being far up in the woods, we frequently saw different kinds of +animals; but none of them ever hurt us, except poisonous snakes, the +bite of which the Doctor used to cure by giving to the patient, as +soon as possible, about half a tumbler of strong rum, with a good deal +of Cayenne pepper in it. In this manner he cured two natives and one +of his own slaves. The Indians were exceedingly fond of the Doctor, +and they had good reason for it; for I believe they never had such an +useful man amongst them. They came from all quarters to our dwelling; +and some _woolwow_, or flat-headed Indians, who lived fifty or sixty +miles above our river, and this side of the South Sea, brought us a +good deal of silver in exchange for our goods. The principal articles +we could get from our neighbouring Indians, were turtle oil, and +shells, little silk grass, and some provisions; but they would not +work at any thing for us, except fishing; and a few times they +assisted to cut some trees down, in order to build us houses; which +they did exactly like the Africans, by the joint labour of men, women, +and children. I do not recollect any of them to have had more than two +wives. These always accompanied their husbands when they came to our +dwelling; and then they generally carried whatever they brought to us, +and always squatted down behind their husbands. Whenever we gave them +any thing to eat, the men and their wives ate it separate. I never +saw the least sign of incontinence amongst them. The women are +ornamented with beads, and fond of painting themselves; the men also +paint, even to excess, both their faces and shirts: their favourite +colour is red. The women generally cultivate the ground, and the men +are all fishermen and canoe makers. Upon the whole, I never met any +nation that were so simple in their manners as these people, or had so +little ornament in their houses. Neither had they, as I ever could +learn, one word expressive of an oath. The worst word I ever heard +amongst them when they were quarreling, was one that they had got from +the English, which was, 'you rascal.' I never saw any mode of worship +among them; but in this they were not worse than their European +brethren or neighbours: for I am sorry to say that there was not one +white person in our dwelling, nor any where else that I saw in +different places I was at on the shore, that was better or more pious +than those unenlightened Indians; but they either worked or slept on +Sundays: and, to my sorrow, working was too much Sunday's employment +with ourselves; so much so, that in some length of time we really did +not know one day from another. This mode of living laid the foundation +of my decamping at last. The natives are well made and warlike; and +they particularly boast of having never been conquered by the +Spaniards. They are great drinkers of strong liquors when they can get +them. We used to distil rum from pine apples, which were very +plentiful here; and then we could not get them away from our place. +Yet they seemed to be singular, in point of honesty, above any other +nation I was ever amongst. The country being hot, we lived under an +open shed, where we had all kinds of goods, without a door or a lock +to any one article; yet we slept in safety, and never lost any thing, +or were disturbed. This surprised us a good deal; and the Doctor, +myself, and others, used to say, if we were to lie in that manner in +Europe we should have our throats cut the first night. The Indian +governor goes once in a certain time all about the province or +district, and has a number of men with him as attendants and +assistants. He settles all the differences among the people, like the +judge here, and is treated with very great respect. He took care to +give us timely notice before he came to our habitation, by sending his +stick as a token, for rum, sugar, and gunpowder, which we did not +refuse sending; and at the same time we made the utmost preparation to +receive his honour and his train. When he came with his tribe, and all +our neighbouring chieftains, we expected to find him a grave reverend +judge, solid and sagacious; but instead of that, before he and his +gang came in sight, we heard them very clamorous; and they even had +plundered some of our good neighbouring Indians, having intoxicated +themselves with our liquor. When they arrived we did not know what to +make of our new guests, and would gladly have dispensed with the +honour of their company. However, having no alternative, we feasted +them plentifully all the day till the evening; when the governor, +getting quite drunk, grew very unruly, and struck one of our most +friendly chiefs, who was our nearest neighbour, and also took his +gold-laced hat from him. At this a great commotion taken place; and +the Doctor interfered to make peace, as we could all understand one +another, but to no purpose; and at last they became so outrageous that +the Doctor, fearing he might get into trouble, left the house, and +made the best of his way to the nearest wood, leaving me to do as well +as I could among them. I was so enraged with the Governor, that I +could have wished to have seen him tied fast to a tree and flogged for +his behaviour; but I had not people enough to cope with his party. I +therefore thought of a stratagem to appease the riot. Recollecting a +passage I had read in the life of Columbus, when he was amongst the +Indians in Mexico or Peru, where, on some occasion, he frightened +them, by telling them of certain events in the heavens, I had recourse +to the same expedient; and it succeeded beyond my most sanguine +expectations. When I had formed my determination, I went in the midst +of them; and, taking hold of the Governor, I pointed up to the +heavens. I menaced him and the rest: I told them God lived there, and +that he was angry with them, and they must not quarrel so; that they +were all brothers, and if they did not leave off, and go away quietly, +I would take the book (pointing to the Bible), read, and _tell_ God to +make them dead. This was something like magic. The clamour immediately +ceased, and I gave them some rum and a few other things; after which +they went away peaceably; and the Governor afterwards gave our +neighbour, who was called Captain Plasmyah, his hat again. When the +Doctor returned, he was exceedingly glad at my success in thus getting +rid of our troublesome guests. The Musquito people within our +vicinity, out of respect to the Doctor, myself and his people, made +entertainments of the grand kind, called in their tongue _tourrie_ or +_dryckbot_. The English of this expression is, a feast of drinking +about, of which it seems a corruption of language. The drink consisted +of pine apples roasted, and casades chewed or beaten in mortars; +which, after lying some time, ferments, and becomes so strong as to +intoxicate, when drank in any quantity. We had timely notice given to +us of the entertainment. A white family, within five miles of us, told +us how the drink was made, and I and two others went before the time +to the village, where the mirth was appointed to be held; and there we +saw the whole art of making the drink, and also the kind of animals +that were to be eaten there. I cannot say the sight of either the +drink or the meat were enticing to me. They had some thousands of pine +apples roasting, which they squeezed, dirt and all, into a canoe they +had there for the purpose. The casade drink was in beef barrels and +other vessels, and looked exactly like hog-wash. Men, women, and +children, were thus employed in roasting the pine apples, and +squeezing them with their hands. For food they had many land torpins +or tortoises, some dried turtle, and three large alligators alive, and +tied fast to the trees. I asked the people what they were going to do +with these alligators; and I was told they were to be eaten. I was +much surprised at this, and went home, not a little disgusted at the +preparations. When the day of the feast was come, we took some rum +with us, and went to the appointed place, where we found a great +assemblage of these people, who received us very kindly. The mirth had +begun before we came; and they were dancing with music: and the +musical instruments were nearly the same as those of any other sable +people; but, as I thought, much less melodious than any other nation I +ever knew. They had many curious gestures in dancing, and a variety of +motions and postures of their bodies, which to me were in no wise +attracting. The males danced by themselves, and the females also by +themselves, as with us. The Doctor shewed his people the example, by +immediately joining the women's party, though not by their choice. On +perceiving the women disgusted, he joined the males. At night there +were great illuminations, by setting fire to many pine trees, while +the dryckbot went round merrily by calabashes or gourds: but the +liquor might more justly be called eating than drinking. One Owden, +the oldest father in the vicinity, was dressed in a strange and +terrifying form. Around his body were skins adorned with different +kinds of feathers, and he had on his head a very large and high +head-piece, in the form of a grenadier's cap, with prickles like a +porcupine; and he made a certain noise which resembled the cry of an +alligator. Our people skipped amongst them out of complaisance, though +some could not drink of their tourrie; but our rum met with customers +enough, and was soon gone. The alligators were killed and some of them +roasted. Their manner of roasting is by digging a hole in the earth, +and filling it with wood, which they burn to coal, and then they lay +sticks across, on which they set the meat. I had a raw piece of the +alligator in my hand: it was very rich: I thought it looked like fresh +salmon, and it had a most fragrant smell, but I could not eat any of +it. This merry-making at last ended without the least discord in any +person in the company, although it was made up of different nations +and complexions. The rainy season came on here about the latter end of +May, which continued till August very heavily; so that the rivers were +overflowed, and our provisions then in the ground were washed away. I +thought this was in some measure a judgment upon us for working on +Sundays, and it hurt my mind very much. I often wished to leave this +place and sail for Europe; for our mode of procedure and living in +this heathenish form was very irksome to me. The word of God saith, +'What does it avail a man if he gain the whole world, and lose his own +soul?' This was much and heavily impressed on my mind; and, though I +did not know how to speak to the Doctor for my discharge, it was +disagreeable for me to stay any longer. But about the middle of June I +took courage enough to ask him for it. He was very unwilling at first +to grant my request; but I gave him so many reasons for it, that at +last he consented to my going, and gave me the following certificate +of my behaviour: + + 'The bearer, Gustavus Vassa, has served me several years + with strict honesty, sobriety, and fidelity. I can, + therefore, with justice recommend him for these + qualifications; and indeed in every respect I consider him + as an excellent servant. I do hereby certify that he always + behaved well, and that he is perfectly trust-worthy. + + 'CHARLES IRVING.' + + _Musquito Shore, June 15, 1776._ + +Though I was much attached to the doctor, I was happy when he +consented. I got every thing ready for my departure, and hired some +Indians, with a large canoe, to carry me off. All my poor countrymen, +the slaves, when they heard of my leaving them, were very sorry, as I +had always treated them with care and affection, and did every thing I +could to comfort the poor creatures, and render their condition easy. +Having taken leave of my old friends and companions, on the 18th of +June, accompanied by the doctor, I left that spot of the world, and +went southward above twenty miles along the river. There I found a +sloop, the captain of which told me he was going to Jamaica. Having +agreed for my passage with him and one of the owners, who was also on +board, named Hughes, the doctor and I parted, not without shedding +tears on both sides. The vessel then sailed along the river till +night, when she stopped in a lagoon within the same river. During the +night a schooner belonging to the same owners came in, and, as she was +in want of hands, Hughes, the owner of the sloop, asked me to go in +the schooner as a sailor, and said he would give me wages. I thanked +him; but I said I wanted to go to Jamaica. He then immediately changed +his tone, and swore, and abused me very much, and asked how I came to +be freed. I told him, and said that I came into that vicinity with Dr. +Irving, whom he had seen that day. This account was of no use; he +still swore exceedingly at me, and cursed the master for a fool that +sold me my freedom, and the doctor for another in letting me go from +him. Then he desired me to go in the schooner, or else I should not go +out of the sloop as a freeman. I said this was very hard, and begged +to be put on shore again; but he swore that I should not. I said I had +been twice amongst the Turks, yet had never seen any such usage with +them, and much less could I have expected any thing of this kind +amongst Christians. This incensed him exceedingly; and, with a volley +of oaths and imprecations, he replied, 'Christians! Damn you, you are +one of St. Paul's men; but by G----, except you have St. Paul's or St. +Peter's faith, and walk upon the water to the shore, you shall not go +out of the vessel;' which I now found was going amongst the Spaniards +towards Carthagena, where he swore he would sell me. I simply asked +him what right he had to sell me? but, without another word, he made +some of his people tie ropes round each of my ancles, and also to each +wrist, and another rope round my body, and hoisted me up without +letting my feet touch or rest upon any thing. Thus I hung, without any +crime committed, and without judge or jury; merely because I was a +free man, and could not by the law get any redress from a white person +in those parts of the world. I was in great pain from my situation, +and cried and begged very hard for some mercy; but all in vain. My +tyrant, in a great rage, brought a musquet out of the cabin, and +loaded it before me and the crew, and swore that he would shoot me if +I cried any more. I had now no alternative; I therefore remained +silent, seeing not one white man on board who said a word on my +behalf. I hung in that manner from between ten and eleven o'clock at +night till about one in the morning; when, finding my cruel abuser +fast asleep, I begged some of his slaves to slack the rope that was +round my body, that my feet might rest on something. This they did at +the risk of being cruelly used by their master, who beat some of them +severely at first for not tying me when he commanded them. Whilst I +remained in this condition, till between five and six o'clock next +morning, I trust I prayed to God to forgive this blasphemer, who cared +not what he did, but when he got up out of his sleep in the morning +was of the very same temper and disposition as when he left me at +night. When they got up the anchor, and the vessel was getting under +way, I once more cried and begged to be released; and now, being +fortunately in the way of their hoisting the sails, they released me. +When I was let down, I spoke to one Mr. Cox, a carpenter, whom I knew +on board, on the impropriety of this conduct. He also knew the doctor, +and the good opinion he ever had of me. This man then went to the +captain, and told him not to carry me away in that manner; that I was +the doctor's steward, who regarded me very highly, and would resent +this usage when he should come to know it. On which he desired a young +man to put me ashore in a small canoe I brought with me. This sound +gladdened my heart, and I got hastily into the canoe and set off, +whilst my tyrant was down in the cabin; but he soon spied me out, when +I was not above thirty or forty yards from the vessel, and, running +upon the deck with a loaded musket in his hand, he presented it at me, +and swore heavily and dreadfully, that he would shoot me that instant, +if I did not come back on board. As I knew the wretch would have done +as he said, without hesitation, I put back to the vessel again; but, +as the good Lord would have it, just as I was alongside he was abusing +the captain for letting me go from the vessel; which the captain +returned, and both of them soon got into a very great heat. The young +man that was with me now got out of the canoe; the vessel was sailing +on fast with a smooth sea: and I then thought it was neck or nothing, +so at that instant I set off again, for my life, in the canoe, towards +the shore; and fortunately the confusion was so great amongst them on +board, that I got out of the reach of the musquet shot unnoticed, +while the vessel sailed on with a fair wind a different way; so that +they could not overtake me without tacking: but even before that could +be done I should have been on shore, which I soon reached, with many +thanks to God for this unexpected deliverance. I then went and told +the other owner, who lived near that shore (with whom I had agreed for +my passage) of the usage I had met with. He was very much astonished, +and appeared very sorry for it. After treating me with kindness, he +gave me some refreshment, and three heads of roasted Indian corn, for +a voyage of about eighteen miles south, to look for another vessel. He +then directed me to an Indian chief of a district, who was also the +Musquito admiral, and had once been at our dwelling; after which I set +off with the canoe across a large lagoon alone (for I could not get +any one to assist me), though I was much jaded, and had pains in my +bowels, by means of the rope I had hung by the night before. I was +therefore at different times unable to manage the canoe, for the +paddling was very laborious. However, a little before dark I got to my +destined place, where some of the Indians knew me, and received me +kindly. I asked for the admiral; and they conducted me to his +dwelling. He was glad to see me, and refreshed me with such things as +the place afforded; and I had a hammock to sleep in. They acted +towards me more like Christians than those whites I was amongst the +last night, though they had been baptized. I told the admiral I wanted +to go to the next port to get a vessel to carry me to Jamaica; and +requested him to send the canoe back which I then had, for which I was +to pay him. He agreed with me, and sent five able Indians with a large +canoe to carry my things to my intended place, about fifty miles; and +we set off the next morning. When we got out of the lagoon and went +along shore, the sea was so high that the canoe was oftentimes very +near being filled with water. We were obliged to go ashore and drag +across different necks of land; we were also two nights in the swamps, +which swarmed with musquito flies, and they proved troublesome to us. +This tiresome journey of land and water ended, however, on the third +day, to my great joy; and I got on board of a sloop commanded by one +Captain Jenning. She was then partly loaded, and he told me he was +expecting daily to sail for Jamaica; and having agreed with me to work +my passage, I went to work accordingly. I was not many days on board +before we sailed; but to my sorrow and disappointment, though used to +such tricks, we went to the southward along the Musquito shore, +instead of steering for Jamaica. I was compelled to assist in cutting +a great deal of mahogany wood on the shore as we coasted along it, and +load the vessel with it, before she sailed. This fretted me much; but, +as I did not know how to help myself among these deceivers, I thought +patience was the only remedy I had left, and even that was forced. +There was much hard work and little victuals on board, except by good +luck we happened to catch turtles. On this coast there was also a +particular kind of fish called manatee, which is most excellent +eating, and the flesh is more like beef than fish; the scales are as +large as a shilling, and the skin thicker than I ever saw that of any +other fish. Within the brackish waters along shore there were likewise +vast numbers of alligators, which made the fish scarce. I was on board +this sloop sixteen days, during which, in our coasting, we came to +another place, where there was a smaller sloop called the Indian +Queen, commanded by one John Baker. He also was an Englishman, and had +been a long time along the shore trading for turtle shells and silver, +and had got a good quantity of each on board. He wanted some hands +very much; and, understanding I was a free man, and wanted to go to +Jamaica, he told me if he could get one or two, that he would sail +immediately for that island: he also pretended to me some marks of +attention and respect, and promised to give me forty-five shillings +sterling a month if I would go with him. I thought this much better +than cutting wood for nothing. I therefore told the other captain that +I wanted to go to Jamaica in the other vessel; but he would not listen +to me: and, seeing me resolved to go in a day or two, he got the +vessel to sail, intending to carry me away against my will. This +treatment mortified me extremely. I immediately, according to an +agreement I had made with the captain of the Indian Queen, called for +her boat, which was lying near us, and it came alongside; and, by the +means of a north-pole shipmate which I met with in the sloop I was in, +I got my things into the boat, and went on board of the Indian Queen, +July the 10th. A few days after I was there, we got all things ready +and sailed: but again, to my great mortification, this vessel still +went to the south, nearly as far as Carthagena, trading along the +coast, instead of going to Jamaica, as the captain had promised me: +and, what was worst of all, he was a very cruel and bloody-minded man, +and was a horrid blasphemer. Among others he had a white pilot, one +Stoker, whom he beat often as severely as he did some negroes he had +on board. One night in particular, after he had beaten this man most +cruelly, he put him into the boat, and made two negroes row him to a +desolate key, or small island; and he loaded two pistols, and swore +bitterly that he would shoot the negroes if they brought Stoker on +board again. There was not the least doubt but that he would do as he +said, and the two poor fellows were obliged to obey the cruel mandate; +but, when the captain was asleep, the two negroes took a blanket and +carried it to the unfortunate Stoker, which I believe was the means of +saving his life from the annoyance of insects. A great deal of +entreaty was used with the captain the next day, before he would +consent to let Stoker come on board; and when the poor man was brought +on board he was very ill, from his situation during the night, and he +remained so till he was drowned a little time after. As we sailed +southward we came to many uninhabited islands, which were overgrown +with fine large cocoa nuts. As I was very much in want of provisions, +I brought a boat load of them on board, which lasted me and others for +several weeks, and afforded us many a delicious repast in our +scarcity. One day, before this, I could not help observing the +providential hand of God, that ever supplies all our wants, though in +the ways and manner we know not. I had been a whole day without food, +and made signals for boats to come off, but in vain. I therefore +earnestly prayed to God for relief in my need; and at the close of the +evening I went off the deck. Just as I laid down I heard a noise on +the deck; and, not knowing what it meant, I went directly on the the +deck again, when what should I see but a fine large fish about seven +or eight pounds, which had jumped aboard! I took it, and admired, with +thanks, the good hand of God; and, what I considered as not less +extraordinary, the captain, who was very avaricious, did not attempt +to take it from me, there being only him and I on board; for the rest +were all gone ashore trading. Sometimes the people did not come off +for some days: this used to fret the captain, and then he would vent +his fury on me by beating me, or making me feel in other cruel ways. +One day especially, in his wild, wicked, and mad career, after +striking me several times with different things, and once across my +mouth, even with a red burning stick out of the fire, he got a barrel +of gunpowder on the deck, and swore that he would blow up the vessel. +I was then at my wit's end, and earnestly prayed to God to direct me. +The head was out of the barrel; and the captain took a lighted stick +out of the fire to blow himself and me up, because there was a vessel +then in sight coming in, which he supposed was a Spaniard, and he was +afraid of falling into their hands. Seeing this I got an axe, +unnoticed by him, and placed myself between him and the powder, having +resolved in myself as soon as he attempted to put the fire in the +barrel to chop him down that instant. I was more than an hour in this +situation; during which he struck me often, still keeping the fire in +his hand for this wicked purpose. I really should have thought myself +justifiable in any other part of the world if I had killed him, and +prayed to God, who gave me a mind which rested solely on himself. I +prayed for resignation, that his will might be done; and the following +two portions of his holy word, which occurred to my mind, buoyed up my +hope, and kept me from taking the life of this wicked man. 'He hath +determined the times before appointed, and set bounds to our +habitations,' Acts xvii. 26. And, 'Who is there amongst you that +feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh +in darkness and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, +and stay upon his God,' Isaiah 1. 10. And thus by the grace of God I +was enabled to do. I found him a present help in the time of need, and +the captain's fury began to subside as the night approached: but I +found, + + "That he who cannot stem his anger's tide + Doth a wild horse without a bridle ride." + +The next morning we discovered that the vessel which had caused such a +fury in the captain was an English sloop. They soon came to an anchor +where we were, and, to my no small surprise, I learned that Doctor +Irving was on board of her on his way from the Musquito shore to +Jamaica. I was for going immediately to see this old master and +friend, but the captain would not suffer me to leave the vessel. I +then informed the doctor, by letter, how I was treated, and begged +that he would take me out of the sloop: but he informed me that it was +not in his power, as he was a passenger himself; but he sent me some +rum and sugar for my own use. I now learned that after I had left the +estate which I managed for this gentleman on the Musquito shore, +during which the slaves were well fed and comfortable, a white +overseer had supplied my place: this man, through inhumanity and +ill-judged avarice, beat and cut the poor slaves most unmercifully; +and the consequence was, that every one got into a large Puriogua +canoe, and endeavoured to escape; but not knowing where to go, or how +to manage the canoe, they were all drowned; in consequence of which +the doctor's plantation was left uncultivated, and he was now +returning to Jamaica to purchase more slaves and stock it again. On +the 14th of October the Indian Queen arrived at Kingston in Jamaica. +When we were unloaded I demanded my wages, which amounted to eight +pounds and five shillings sterling; but Captain Baker refused to give +me one farthing, although it was the hardest-earned money I ever +worked for in my life. I found out Doctor Irving upon this, and +acquainted him of the captain's knavery. He did all he could to help +me to get my money; and we went to every magistrate in Kingston (and +there were nine), but they all refused to do any thing for me, and +said my oath could not be admitted against a white man. Nor was this +all; for Baker threatened that he would beat me severely if he could +catch me for attempting to demand my money; and this he would have +done, but that I got, by means of Dr. Irving, under the protection of +Captain Douglas of the Squirrel man of war. I thought this exceedingly +hard usage; though indeed I found it to be too much the practice there +to pay free men for their labour in this manner. One day I went with a +free negroe taylor, named Joe Diamond, to one Mr. Cochran, who was +indebted to him some trifling sum; and the man, not being able to get +his money, began to murmur. The other immediately took a horse-whip to +pay him with it; but, by the help of a good pair of heels, the taylor +got off. Such oppressions as these made me seek for a vessel to get +off the island as fast as I could; and by the mercy of God I found a +ship in November bound for England, when I embarked with a convoy, +after having taken a last farewell of Doctor Irving. When I left +Jamaica he was employed in refining sugars; and some months after my +arrival in England I learned, with much sorrow, that this my amiable +friend was dead, owing to his having eaten some poisoned fish. We had +many very heavy gales of wind in our passage; in the course of which +no material incident occurred, except that an American privateer, +falling in with the fleet, was captured and set fire to by his +Majesty's ship the Squirrel. On January the seventh, 1777, we arrived +at Plymouth. I was happy once more to tread upon English ground; and, +after passing some little time at Plymouth and Exeter among some pious +friends, whom I was happy to see, I went to London with a heart +replete with thanks to God for all past mercies. + + + + +CHAP. XII. + + _Different transactions of the author's life till the + present time--His application to the late Bishop of London + to be appointed a missionary to Africa--Some account of his + share in the conduct of the late expedition to Sierra + Leona--Petition to the Queen--Conclusion._ + + +Such were the various scenes which I was a witness to, and the fortune +I experienced until the year 1777. Since that period my life has been +more uniform, and the incidents of it fewer, than in any other equal +number of years preceding; I therefore hasten to the conclusion of a +narrative, which I fear the reader may think already sufficiently +tedious. + +I had suffered so many impositions in my commercial transactions in +different parts of the world, that I became heartily disgusted with +the sea-faring life, and I was determined not to return to it, at +least for some time. I therefore once more engaged in service shortly +after my return, and continued for the most part in this situation +until 1784. + +Soon after my arrival in London, I saw a remarkable circumstance +relative to African complexion, which I thought so extraordinary, that +I beg leave just to mention it: A white negro woman, that I had +formerly seen in London and other parts, had married a white man, by +whom she had three boys, and they were every one mulattoes, and yet +they had fine light hair. In 1779 I served Governor Macnamara, who had +been a considerable time on the coast of Africa. In the time of my +service, I used to ask frequently other servants to join me in family +prayers; but this only excited their mockery. However, the Governor, +understanding that I was of a religious turn, wished to know of what +religion I was; I told him I was a protestant of the church of +England, agreeable to the thirty-nine articles of that church, and +that whomsoever I found to preach according to that doctrine, those I +would hear. A few days after this, we had some more discourse on the +same subject: the Governor spoke to me on it again, and said that he +would, if I chose, as he thought I might be of service in converting +my countrymen to the Gospel faith, get me sent out as a missionary to +Africa. I at first refused going, and told him how I had been served +on a like occasion by some white people the last voyage I went to +Jamaica, when I attempted (if it were the will of God) to be the means +of converting the Indian prince; and I said I supposed they would +serve me worse than Alexander the coppersmith did St. Paul, if I +should attempt to go amongst them in Africa. He told me not to fear, +for he would apply to the Bishop of London to get me ordained. On +these terms I consented to the Governor's proposal to go to Africa, in +hope of doing good if possible amongst my countrymen; so, in order to +have me sent out properly, we immediately wrote the following letters +to the late Bishop of London: + + _To the Right Reverend Father in God_, + ROBERT, _Lord Bishop of London_: + The MEMORIAL of Gustavus Vassa + + Sheweth, + + That your memorialist is a native of Africa, and has a + knowledge of the manners and customs of the inhabitants of + that country. + + That your memorialist has resided in different parts of + Europe for twenty-two years last past, and embraced the + Christian faith in the year 1759. + + That your memorialist is desirous of returning to Africa as + a missionary, if encouraged by your Lordship, in hopes of + being able to prevail upon his countrymen to become + Christians; and your memorialist is the more induced to + undertake the same, from the success that has attended the + like undertakings when encouraged by the Portuguese through + their different settlements on the coast of Africa, and also + by the Dutch: both governments encouraging the blacks, who, + by their education are qualified to undertake the same, and + are found more proper than European clergymen, unacquainted + with the language and customs of the country. + + Your memorialist's only motive for soliciting the office of + a missionary is, that he may be a means, under God, of + reforming his countrymen and persuading them to embrace the + Christian religion. Therefore your memorialist humbly prays + your Lordship's encouragement and support in the + undertaking. + + GUSTAVUS VASSA. + + At Mr. Guthrie's, taylor, + No. 17, Hedge-lane. + + + My Lord, + + I have resided near seven years on the coast of Africa, for + most part of the time as commanding officer. From the + knowledge I have of the country and its inhabitants, I am + inclined to think that the within plan will be attended with + great success, if countenanced by your Lordship. I beg leave + further to represent to your Lordship, that the like + attempts, when encouraged by other governments, have met + with uncommon success; and at this very time I know a very + respectable character a black priest at Cape Coast Castle. I + know the within named Gustavus Vassa, and believe him a + moral good man. + + I have the honour to be, + My Lord, + Your Lordship's + Humble and obedient servant, + MATT. MACNAMARA. + + Grove, 11th March 1779. + +This letter was also accompanied by the following from Doctor Wallace, +who had resided in Africa for many years, and whose sentiments on the +subject of an African mission were the same with Governor Macnamara's. + + _March 13, 1779_. + + My Lord, + + I have resided near five years on Senegambia on the coast of + Africa, and have had the honour of filling very considerable + employments in that province. I do approve of the within + plan, and think the undertaking very laudable and proper, + and that it deserves your Lordship's protection and + encouragement, in which case it must be attended with the + intended success. + + I am, + My Lord, + Your Lordship's + Humble and obedient servant, + THOMAS WALLACE. + +With these letters, I waited on the Bishop by the Governor's desire, +and presented them to his Lordship. He received me with much +condescension and politeness; but, from some certain scruples of +delicacy, declined to ordain me. + +My sole motive for thus dwelling on this transaction, or inserting +these papers, is the opinion which gentlemen of sense and education, +who are acquainted with Africa, entertain of the probability of +converting the inhabitants of it to the faith of Jesus Christ, if the +attempt were countenanced by the legislature. + +Shortly after this I left the Governor, and served a nobleman in the +Devonshire militia, with whom I was encamped at Coxheath for some +time; but the operations there were too minute and uninteresting to +make a detail of. + +In the year 1783 I visited eight counties in Wales, from motives of +curiosity. While I was in that part of the country I was led to go +down into a coal-pit in Shropshire, but my curiosity nearly cost me my +life; for while I was in the pit the coals fell in, and buried one +poor man, who was not far from me: upon this I got out as fast as I +could, thinking the surface of the earth the safest part of it. + +In the spring 1784 I thought of visiting old ocean again. In +consequence of this I embarked as steward on board a fine new ship +called the London, commanded by Martin Hopkin, and sailed for +New-York. I admired this city very much; it is large and well-built, +and abounds with provisions of all kinds. While we lay here a +circumstance happened which I thought extremely singular:--One day a +malefactor was to be executed on a gallows; but with a condition that +if any woman, having nothing on but her shift, married the man under +the gallows, his life was to be saved. This extraordinary privilege +was claimed; a woman presented herself; and the marriage ceremony was +performed. Our ship having got laden we returned to London in January +1785. When she was ready again for another voyage, the captain being +an agreeable man, I sailed with him from hence in the spring, March +1785, for Philadelphia. On the fifth of April we took our departure +from the Land's-end, with a pleasant gale; and about nine o'clock that +night the moon shone bright, and the sea was smooth, while our ship +was going free by the wind, at the rate of about four or five miles an +hour. At this time another ship was going nearly as fast as we on the +opposite point, meeting us right in the teeth, yet none on board +observed either ship until we struck each other forcibly head and +head, to the astonishment and consternation of both crews. She did us +much damage, but I believe we did her more; for when we passed by each +other, which we did very quickly, they called to us to bring to, and +hoist out our boat, but we had enough to do to mind ourselves; and in +about eight minutes we saw no more of her. We refitted as well as we +could the next day, and proceeded on our voyage, and in May arrived at +Philadelphia. I was very glad to see this favourite old town once +more; and my pleasure was much increased in seeing the worthy quakers +freeing and easing the burthens of many of my oppressed African +brethren. It rejoiced my heart when one of these friendly people took +me to see a free-school they had erected for every denomination of +black people, whose minds are cultivated here and forwarded to virtue; +and thus they are made useful members of the community. Does not the +success of this practice say loudly to the planters in the language of +scripture--"Go ye and do likewise?" + +In October 1785 I was accompanied by some of the Africans, and +presented this address of thanks to the gentlemen called Friends or +Quakers, in Gracechurch-Court Lombard-Street: + + Gentlemen, + + By reading your book, entitled a Caution to Great Britain + and her Colonies, concerning the Calamitous State of the + enslaved Negroes: We the poor, oppressed, needy, and + much-degraded negroes, desire to approach you with this + address of thanks, with our inmost love and warmest + acknowledgment; and with the deepest sense of your + benevolence, unwearied labour, and kind interposition, + towards breaking the yoke of slavery, and to administer a + little comfort and ease to thousands and tens of thousands + of very grievously afflicted, and too heavy burthened + negroes. + + Gentlemen, could you, by perseverance, at last be enabled, + under God, to lighten in any degree the heavy burthen of the + afflicted, no doubt it would, in some measure, be the + possible means, under God, of saving the souls of many of + the oppressors; and, if so, sure we are that the God, whose + eyes are ever upon all his creatures, and always rewards + every true act of virtue, and regards the prayers of the + oppressed, will give to you and yours those blessings which + it is not in our power to express or conceive, but which we, + as a part of those captived, oppressed, and afflicted + people, most earnestly wish and pray for. + +These gentlemen received us very kindly, with a promise to exert +themselves on behalf of the oppressed Africans, and we parted. + +While in town I chanced once to be invited to a quaker's wedding. The +simple and yet expressive mode used at their solemnizations is worthy +of note. The following is the true form of it: + +After the company have met they have seasonable exhortations by +several of the members; the bride and bridegroom stand up, and, taking +each other by the hand in a solemn manner, the man audily declares to +this purpose: + +"Friends, in the fear of the Lord, and in the presence of this +assembly, whom I desire to be my witnesses, I take this my friend, +M.N. to be my wife; promising, through divine assistance, to be unto +her a loving and faithful husband till death separate us:" and the +woman makes the like declaration. Then the two first sign their names +to the record, and as many more witnesses as have a mind. I had the +honour to subscribe mine to a register in Gracechurch-Court, +Lombard-Street. + +We returned to London in August; and our ship not going immediately to +sea, I shipped as a steward in an American ship called the Harmony, +Captain John Willet, and left London in March 1786, bound to +Philadelphia. Eleven days after sailing we carried our foremast away. +We had a nine weeks passage, which caused our trip not to succeed +well, the market for our goods proving bad; and, to make it worse, my +commander began to play me the like tricks as others too often +practise on free negroes in the West Indies. But I thank God I found +many friends here, who in some measure prevented him. On my return to +London in August I was very agreeably surprised to find that the +benevolence of government had adopted the plan of some philanthropic +individuals to send the Africans from hence to their native quarter; +and that some vessels were then engaged to carry them to Sierra Leone; +an act which redounded to the honour of all concerned in its +promotion, and filled me with prayers and much rejoicing. There was +then in the city a select committee of gentlemen for the black poor, +to some of whom I had the honour of being known; and, as soon as they +heard of my arrival they sent for me to the committee. When I came +there they informed me of the intention of government; and as they +seemed to think me qualified to superintend part of the undertaking, +they asked me to go with the black poor to Africa. I pointed out to +them many objections to my going; and particularly I expressed some +difficulties on the account of the slave dealers, as I would certainly +oppose their traffic in the human species by every means in my power. +However these objections were over-ruled by the gentlemen of the +committee, who prevailed on me to go, and recommended me to the +honourable Commissioners of his Majesty's Navy as a proper person to +act as commissary for government in the intended expedition; and they +accordingly appointed me in November 1786 to that office, and gave me +sufficient power to act for the government in the capacity of +commissary, having received my warrant and the following order. + + _By the principal Officers and Commissioners of + his Majesty's Navy_. + + Whereas you were directed, by our warrant of the 4th of last + month, to receive into your charge from Mr. Irving the + surplus provisions remaining of what was provided for the + voyage, as well as the provisions for the support of the + black poor, after the landing at Sierra Leone, with the + cloathing, tools, and all other articles provided at + government's expense; and as the provisions were laid in at + the rate of two months for the voyage, and for four months + after the landing, but the number embarked being so much + less than was expected, whereby there may be a considerable + surplus of provisions, cloathing, &c. These are, in addition + to former orders, to direct and require you to appropriate + or dispose of such surplus to the best advantage you can for + the benefit of government, keeping and rendering to us a + faithful account of what you do herein. And for your + guidance in preventing any white persons going, who are not + intended to have the indulgences of being carried thither, + we send you herewith a list of those recommended by the + Committee for the black poor as proper persons to be + permitted to embark, and acquaint you that you are not to + suffer any others to go who do not produce a certificate + from the committee for the black poor, of their having their + permission for it. For which this shall be your warrant. + Dated at the Navy Office, January 16, 1787. + + J. HINSLOW, + GEO. MARSH, + W. PALMER. + + To Mr. Gustavus Vassa, + Commissary of Provisions and + Stores for the Black Poor + going to Sierra Leone. + +I proceeded immediately to the execution of my duty on board the +vessels destined for the voyage, where I continued till the March +following. + +During my continuance in the employment of government, I was struck +with the flagrant abuses committed by the agent, and endeavoured to +remedy them, but without effect. One instance, among many which I +could produce, may serve as a specimen. Government had ordered to be +provided all necessaries (slops, as they are called, included) for 750 +persons; however, not being able to muster more than 426, I was +ordered to send the superfluous slops, &c. to the king's stores at +Portsmouth; but, when I demanded them for that purpose from the agent, +it appeared they had never been bought, though paid for by government. +But that was not all, government were not the only objects of +peculation; these poor people suffered infinitely more; their +accommodations were most wretched; many of them wanted beds, and many +more cloathing and other necessaries. For the truth of this, and much +more, I do not seek credit from my own assertion. I appeal to the +testimony of Capt. Thompson, of the Nautilus, who convoyed us, to whom +I applied in February 1787 for a remedy, when I had remonstrated to +the agent in vain, and even brought him to be a witness of the +injustice and oppression I complained of. I appeal also to a letter +written by these wretched people, so early as the beginning of the +preceding January, and published in the Morning Herald of the 4th of +that month, signed by twenty of their chiefs. + +I could not silently suffer government to be thus cheated, and my +countrymen plundered and oppressed, and even left destitute of the +necessaries for almost their existence. I therefore informed the +Commissioners of the Navy of the agent's proceeding; but my dismission +was soon after procured, by means of a gentleman in the city, whom the +agent, conscious of his peculation, had deceived by letter, and whom, +moreover, empowered the same agent to receive on board, at the +government expense, a number of persons as passengers, contrary to the +orders I received. By this I suffered a considerable loss in my +property: however, the commissioners were satisfied with my conduct, +and wrote to Capt. Thompson, expressing their approbation of it. + +Thus provided, they proceeded on their voyage; and at last, worn out +by treatment, perhaps not the most mild, and wasted by sickness, +brought on by want of medicine, cloaths, bedding, &c. they reached +Sierra Leone just at the commencement of the rains. At that season of +the year it is impossible to cultivate the lands; their provisions +therefore were exhausted before they could derive any benefit from +agriculture; and it is not surprising that many, especially the +lascars, whose constitutions are very tender, and who had been cooped +up in ships from October to June, and accommodated in the manner I +have mentioned, should be so wasted by their confinement as not long +to survive it. + +Thus ended my part of the long-talked-of expedition to Sierra Leone; +an expedition which, however unfortunate in the event, was humane and +politic in its design, nor was its failure owing to government: every +thing was done on their part; but there was evidently sufficient +mismanagement attending the conduct and execution of it to defeat its +success. + +I should not have been so ample in my account of this transaction, had +not the share I bore in it been made the subject of partial +animadversion, and even my dismission from my employment thought +worthy of being made by some a matter of public triumph[X]. The +motives which might influence any person to descend to a petty contest +with an obscure African, and to seek gratification by his depression, +perhaps it is not proper here to inquire into or relate, even if its +detection were necessary to my vindication; but I thank Heaven it is +not. I wish to stand by my own integrity, and not to shelter myself +under the impropriety of another; and I trust the behaviour of the +Commissioners of the Navy to me entitle me to make this assertion; for +after I had been dismissed, March 24, I drew up a memorial thus: + + + _To the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of + his Majesty's Treasury: + The Memorial and Petition of_ Gustavus Vassa _a black Man, + late Commissary to the black Poor going to_ Africa. + + HUMBLY SHEWETH, + + That your Lordships' memorialist was, by the Honourable the + Commissioners of his Majesty's Navy, on the 4th of December + last, appointed to the above employment by warrant from that + board; + + That he accordingly proceeded to the execution of his duty + on board of the Vernon, being one of the ships appointed to + proceed to Africa with the above poor; + + That your memorialist, to his great grief and astonishment, + received a letter of dismission from the Honourable + Commissioners of the Navy, by your Lordships' orders; + + That, conscious of having acted with the most perfect + fidelity and the greatest assiduity in discharging the trust + reposed in him, he is altogether at a loss to conceive the + reasons of your Lordships' having altered the favourable + opinion you were pleased to conceive of him, sensible that + your Lordships would not proceed to so severe a measure + without some apparent good cause; he therefore has every + reason to believe that his conduct has been grossly + misrepresented to your Lordships; and he is the more + confirmed in his opinion, because, by opposing measures of + others concerned in the same expedition, which tended to + defeat your Lordships' humane intentions, and to put the + government to a very considerable additional expense, he + created a number of enemies, whose misrepresentations, he + has too much reason to believe, laid the foundation of his + dismission. Unsupported by friends, and unaided by the + advantages of a liberal education, he can only hope for + redress from the justice of his cause, in addition to the + mortification of having been removed from his employment, + and the advantage which he reasonably might have expected to + have derived therefrom. He has had the misfortune to have + sunk a considerable part of his little property in fitting + himself out, and in other expenses arising out of his + situation, an account of which he here annexes. Your + memorialist will not trouble your Lordships with a + vindication of any part of his conduct, because he knows not + of what crimes he is accused; he, however, earnestly + entreats that you will be pleased to direct an inquiry into + his behaviour during the time he acted in the public + service; and, if it be found that his dismission arose from + false representations, he is confident that in your + Lordships' justice he shall find redress. + + Your petitioner therefore humbly prays that your Lordships + will take his case into consideration, and that you will be + pleased to order payment of the above referred-to account, + amounting to 32l. 4s. and also the wages intended, which is + most humbly submitted. + + _London, May 12, 1787._ + +The above petition was delivered into the hands of their Lordships, +who were kind enough, in the space of some few months afterwards, +without hearing, to order me 50l. sterling--that is, 18l. wages for +the time (upwards of four months) I acted a faithful part in their +service. Certainly the sum is more than a free negro would have had in +the western colonies!!! + + * * * * * + +March the 21st, 1788, I had the honour of presenting the Queen with a +petition on behalf of my African brethren, which was received most +graciously by her Majesty[Y]: + + _To the_ QUEEN's _most Excellent Majesty_. + + Madam, + + Your Majesty's well known benevolence and humanity emboldens + me to approach your royal presence, trusting that the + obscurity of my situation will not prevent your Majesty from + attending to the sufferings for which I plead. + + Yet I do not solicit your royal pity for my own distress; my + sufferings, although numerous, are in a measure forgotten. I + supplicate your Majesty's compassion for millions of my + African countrymen, who groan under the lash of tyranny in + the West Indies. + + The oppression and cruelty exercised to the unhappy negroes + there, have at length reached the British legislature, and + they are now deliberating on its redress; even several + persons of property in slaves in the West Indies, have + petitioned parliament against its continuance, sensible that + it is as impolitic as it is unjust--and what is inhuman must + ever be unwise. + + Your Majesty's reign has been hitherto distinguished by + private acts of benevolence and bounty; surely the more + extended the misery is, the greater claim it has to your + Majesty's compassion, and the greater must be your Majesty's + pleasure in administering to its relief. + + I presume, therefore, gracious Queen, to implore your + interposition with your royal consort, in favour of the + wretched Africans; that, by your Majesty's benevolent + influence, a period may now be put to their misery; and that + they may be raised from the condition of brutes, to which + they are at present degraded, to the rights and situation of + freemen, and admitted to partake of the blessings of your + Majesty's happy government; so shall your Majesty enjoy the + heartfelt pleasure of procuring happiness to millions, and + be rewarded in the grateful prayers of themselves, and of + their posterity. + + And may the all-bountiful Creator shower on your Majesty, + and the Royal Family, every blessing that this world can + afford, and every fulness of joy which divine revelation has + promised us in the next. + + I am your Majesty's most dutiful and devoted servant to + command, + + Gustavus Vassa, + The Oppressed Ethiopean. + + No. 53, Baldwin's Gardens. + + * * * * * + +The negro consolidated act, made by the assembly of Jamaica last year, +and the new act of amendment now in agitation there, contain a proof +of the existence of those charges that have been made against the +planters relative to the treatment of their slaves. + +I hope to have the satisfaction of seeing the renovation of liberty +and justice resting on the British government, to vindicate the honour +of our common nature. These are concerns which do not perhaps belong +to any particular office: but, to speak more seriously to every man of +sentiment, actions like these are the just and sure foundation of +future fame; a reversion, though remote, is coveted by some noble +minds as a substantial good. It is upon these grounds that I hope and +expect the attention of gentlemen in power. These are designs +consonant to the elevation of their rank, and the dignity of their +stations: they are ends suitable to the nature of a free and generous +government; and, connected with views of empire and dominion, suited +to the benevolence and solid merit of the legislature. It is a pursuit +of substantial greatness.--May the time come--at least the speculation +to me is pleasing--when the sable people shall gratefully commemorate +the auspicious aera of extensive freedom. Then shall those persons[Z] +particularly be named with praise and honour, who generously proposed +and stood forth in the cause of humanity, liberty, and good policy; +and brought to the ear of the legislature designs worthy of royal +patronage and adoption. May Heaven make the British senators the +dispersers of light, liberty, and science, to the uttermost parts of +the earth: then will be glory to God on the highest, on earth peace, +and goodwill to men:--Glory, honour, peace, &c. to every soul of man +that worketh good, to the Britons first, (because to them the Gospel +is preached) and also to the nations. 'Those that honour their Maker +have mercy on the poor.' 'It is righteousness exalteth a nation; but +sin is a reproach to any people; destruction shall be to the workers +of iniquity, and the wicked shall fall by their own wickedness.' May +the blessings of the Lord be upon the heads of all those who +commiserated the cases of the oppressed negroes, and the fear of God +prolong their days; and may their expectations be filled with +gladness! 'The liberal devise liberal things, and by liberal things +shall stand,' Isaiah xxxii. 8. They can say with pious Job, 'Did not I +weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the +poor?' Job xxx. 25. + +As the inhuman traffic of slavery is to be taken into the +consideration of the British legislature, I doubt not, if a system of +commerce was established in Africa, the demand for manufactures would +most rapidly augment, as the native inhabitants will insensibly adopt +the British fashions, manners, customs, &c. In proportion to the +civilization, so will be the consumption of British manufactures. + +The wear and tear of a continent, nearly twice as large as Europe, and +rich in vegetable and mineral productions, is much easier conceived +than calculated. + +A case in point.--It cost the Aborigines of Britain little or nothing +in clothing, &c. The difference between their forefathers and the +present generation, in point of consumption, is literally infinite. +The supposition is most obvious. It will be equally immense in +Africa--The same cause, viz. civilization, will ever have the same +effect. + +It is trading upon safe grounds. A commercial intercourse with Africa +opens an inexhaustible source of wealth to the manufacturing interests +of Great Britain, and to all which the slave trade is an objection. + +If I am not misinformed, the manufacturing interest is equal, if not +superior, to the landed interest, as to the value, for reasons which +will soon appear. The abolition of slavery, so diabolical, will give a +most rapid extension of manufactures, which is totally and +diametrically opposite to what some interested people assert. + +The manufacturers of this country must and will, in the nature and +reason of things, have a full and constant employ by supplying the +African markets. + +Population, the bowels and surface of Africa, abound in valuable and +useful returns; the hidden treasures of centuries will be brought to +light and into circulation. Industry, enterprize, and mining, will +have their full scope, proportionably as they civilize. In a word, it +lays open an endless field of commerce to the British manufactures and +merchant adventurer. The manufacturing interest and the general +interests are synonymous. The abolition of slavery would be in reality +an universal good. + +Tortures, murder, and every other imaginable barbarity and iniquity, +are practised upon the poor slaves with impunity. I hope the slave +trade will be abolished. I pray it may be an event at hand. The great +body of manufacturers, uniting in the cause, will considerably +facilitate and expedite it; and, as I have already stated, it is most +substantially their interest and advantage, and as such the nation's +at large, (except those persons concerned in the manufacturing +neck-yokes, collars, chains, hand-cuffs, leg-bolts, drags, +thumb-screws, iron muzzles, and coffins; cats, scourges, and other +instruments of torture used in the slave trade). In a short time one +sentiment alone will prevail, from motives of interest as well as +justice and humanity. Europe contains one hundred and twenty millions +of inhabitants. Query--How many millions doth Africa contain? +Supposing the Africans, collectively and individually, to expend 5l. a +head in raiment and furniture yearly when civilized, &c. an immensity +beyond the reach of imagination! + +This I conceive to be a theory founded upon facts, and therefore an +infallible one. If the blacks were permitted to remain in their own +country, they would double themselves every fifteen years. In +proportion to such increase will be the demand for manufactures. +Cotton and indigo grow spontaneously in most parts of Africa; a +consideration this of no small consequence to the manufacturing towns +of Great Britain. It opens a most immense, glorious, and happy +prospect--the clothing, &c. of a continent ten thousand miles in +circumference, and immensely rich in productions of every denomination +in return for manufactures. + +I have only therefore to request the reader's indulgence and conclude. +I am far from the vanity of thinking there is any merit in this +narrative: I hope censure will be suspended, when it is considered +that it was written by one who was as unwilling as unable to adorn the +plainness of truth by the colouring of imagination. My life and +fortune have been extremely chequered, and my adventures various. Even +those I have related are considerably abridged. If any incident in +this little work should appear uninteresting and trifling to most +readers, I can only say, as my excuse for mentioning it, that almost +every event of my life made an impression on my mind and influenced my +conduct. I early accustomed myself to look for the hand of God in the +minutest occurrence, and to learn from it a lesson of morality and +religion; and in this light every circumstance I have related was to +me of importance. After all, what makes any event important, unless by +its observation we become better and wiser, and learn 'to do justly, +to love mercy, and to walk humbly before God?' To those who are +possessed of this spirit, there is scarcely any book or incident so +trifling that does not afford some profit, while to others the +experience of ages seems of no use; and even to pour out to them the +treasures of wisdom is throwing the jewels of instruction away. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[Footnote X: See the Public Advertiser, July 14, 1787.] + +[Footnote Y: At the request of some of my most particular friends, I +take the liberty of inserting it here.] + +[Footnote Z: Grenville Sharp, Esq; the Reverend Thomas Clarkson; the +Reverend James Ramsay; our approved friends, men of virtue, are an +honour to their country, ornamental to human nature, happy in +themselves, and benefactors to mankind!] + + +THE END. + + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Interesting Narrative of the Life +of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African, by Olaudah Equiano + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE INTERESTING NARRATIVE OF *** + +***** This file should be named 15399.txt or 15399.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/5/3/9/15399/ + +Produced by Suzanne Shell, Diane Monico and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team. + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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