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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

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