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 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 sailor

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