CHAP. VII.

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 begin⯑ing 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 Philadel⯑phia; 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 Pru⯑dence, and completed the lading of [3] the Nancy, having made near three hundred per cent, by ſour 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 un⯑dertaking. 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 ſollowed 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 ho⯑neſt diſcreet ſort of people, and never attempted to impoſe on me; I therefore liked them, and ever after choſe to deal [4] 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 ſur⯑priſe, I ſaw a very tall woman ſtanding in the midſt of them, ſpeaking in an au⯑dible voice ſomething which I could not underſtand. Having never ſeen any thing 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 [5] 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 peo⯑ple 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 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 [6] this; I thought it ſtrange I had never ſeen divines exert themſelves in this manner before, and was no longer at a loſs to account for the thin congre⯑gations 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 Mont⯑ſerrat. My traffic had hitherto ſuc⯑ceeded 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 ſate, I ſubmitted without repining, and we went to St. Euſtatia. After we [7] 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 re⯑mainder 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 ex⯑pected 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 grate⯑ful acknowledgments in my power for his former kindneſs and attention during my illneſs.

While we were here, an odd cir⯑cumſtance happened to the Captain [8] and me, which diſappointed us both a good deal. A ſilverſmith, whom we had brought to this place ſome voyages be⯑fore, agreed with the Captain to return with us to the Weſt Indies, and pro⯑miſed 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 [9] 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 in 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, wak⯑ing me, informed me of it, and deſired me to get up and procure a light, and immediately go with him. I told him I [10] 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 morn⯑ing. ‘'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 gra⯑titude 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 [11] 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 pa⯑pers, which we ſuppoſed to be notes; at the ſight of which our hearts leapt for joy; and that inſtant the Captain, clap⯑ping 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 coſſin. Our ſudden and exquiſite joy was now ſucceeded by as ſudden and exqui⯑ſite pain; and my Captain and I ex⯑hibited, for ſome time, moſt ridiculous [12] figures—pictures of chagrin and diſap⯑pointment! We went away greatly mor⯑tified, 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, find⯑ing myſelf maſter of about forty-ſeven pounds—I conſulted my true friend, the Captain, how I ſhould proceed in offer⯑ing my maſter the money for my free⯑dom. 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, [13] 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 pur⯑chaſe it. This ſpeech ſeemed to con⯑found him; he began to recoil; and my heart that inſtant ſunk within me. ‘'What,'’ ſaid he, ‘'give you your free⯑dom? 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 Cap⯑tain then ſaid he knew I got the mo⯑ney very honeſtly and with much in⯑duſtry, 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, clap⯑ping my maſter on the back, ‘'Come, [14] Robert, (which was his name) I think you muſt let him have his free⯑dom;—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 Guſtavas 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 mo⯑ney.'’ 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 in⯑ſtant all my trepidation was turned into unutterable bliſs; and I moſt reverently bowed myſelf with gratitude, unable to expreſs my feelings, but by the over⯑flowing of my eyes, and a heart replete [15] with thanks to God; while my true and worthy friend the Captain, congratu⯑lated us both with a peculiar degree of heart-felt 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 affec⯑tion and reverence, and left the room, in order to obey my maſter's joyful mandate of going to the Regiſter Of⯑fice. 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 im⯑preſſed on my mind from the very day I was forced from Deptſord to the pre⯑ſent 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, [16] like the apoſtle Peter,^* (whoſe deliver⯑ance from priſon was ſo ſudden and ex⯑traordinary, that he thought he was in a viſion) I could ſcarcely believe I was awake. Heavens! who could do juſ⯑tice 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 has 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 [17] my happineſs, and blazed about the vir⯑tue of my amiable maſter and captain.

When I got to the office and acquaint⯑ed the Regiſter with my errand, he congratulated me on the occaſion, and told me he would draw up my manu⯑miſſion for half price, which was a guinea. I thanked him for his kind⯑neſs; 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, trem⯑bling 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 many of the ſable race, particularly the aged, to whom my heart had ever been attached with reverence.

[18] 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:

[20] In ſhort, the fair as well as black people immediately ſtyled me by a new appellation, [...] the moſt deſirable in the world, which was Freeman, and at the dances I gave, my Georgia ſuper⯑fine 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 in⯑clination and duty. However, not⯑withſtanding my wiſh to be in London, I obediently anſwered my benefactors [21] 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 ho⯑noured 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 think⯑ing 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 my⯑ſelf, and ſhorten the time till my return; and now, being as in my original free [22] 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 Sa⯑vannah 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 have been fre⯑quently beſet by Alligators, which were very numerous on that coaſt; and 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. [23] 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 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 in⯑ſulted me, and had given the provo⯑cation, 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 [24] any thing he would make matters up, and deſired me to go to work, which I accordingly did. The Captain be⯑ing on board when Mr. Read came and applied to him to deliver me up, he ſaid he knew nothing of the matter, I was a free man. 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, with⯑out judge or jury. I therefore refuſed to ſtir; and Mr. Read went away, ſwearing he would bring all the con⯑ſtables 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 con⯑ſirmed in this belief, as well by the many inſtances I had ſeen of the treat⯑ment of free negroes, as from a fact that had happened within my own knowledge here a ſhort time before.

[25] There was a free black man, a car⯑penter, 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 in⯑ſtant 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, [26] 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 con⯑ſtables 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 al⯑ways 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 [27] well, in ſuffering me thus to be impoſed upon, and ſaid they would ſee me re⯑dreſſed, and get me on board ſome other veſſel. My captain, on this, immedi⯑ately 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, him⯑ſelf 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 heard any complaint of me before, during the ſeveral years 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, deſired me to go on board.

[28] Some of my other friends then aſked him if he had got the conſtable's war⯑rant 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 hunt⯑ers; but I had all the expences to pay.

After I had thanked all my friends for their kindneſs, 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 In⯑dies, 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 [29] 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 du⯑ty of the mate as well as my own work, and that the bullocks were near com⯑ing on board, I aſked the captain leave to bring my two, according to his pro⯑miſe; 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 in⯑tended 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 [30] duty had long devolved upon me, ad⯑viſed him to perſuade me to ſtay: in conſequence of which he ſpoke very kindly to me, making many fair pro⯑miſes, 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 bul⯑locks, the captain now preſſed me very much to take ſome turkeys, and other fowls, with me, and gave me liberty to [31] take as many as I could [...] 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 ſeemed 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 be⯑fore. This, and not being able to diſ⯑poſe 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 quar⯑ter, nor with this captain; and was very apprehenſive that my free voyage would be the worſt I had ever made.

[32] We ſet ſail for Montſerrat. The cap⯑tain and mate had been both complain⯑ing 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 at⯑tend 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. [33] The whole care of the veſſel reſted, therefore upon me, and I was obliged to direct her by mere dint of reaſon, 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 ſeven⯑teen 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 in⯑tereſt at heart; for this juſt and bene⯑volent man ever appeared much con⯑cerned about the welfare of what he was intruſted with. When this dear friend found the ſymptoms of death ap⯑proaching, 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 [34] then be the moſt ungrateful of wretches to the beſt of benefactors.'’ While I was thus expreſſing my affection and ſorrow by his bedſide, he expired without ſay⯑ing another word; and the day follow⯑ing we committed his body to the deep. Every man on board loved him, and regretted his death; but I was exceedingly affected at it, and 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, be⯑ſides that he was in general mild, affa⯑ble, generous, faithful, benevolent, and juſt, he was to me a friend and father; and had it pleaſed Providence, that he had died but five months before, I ve⯑rily believe I ſhould not have obtained my freedom when I did; and it is no improbable that I might not have been able to get it at any rate afterwards.

[35] The captain being dead, the mate came on the deck, and made ſuch ob⯑ſervations 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 hun⯑dred 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 was thankful accordingly. The care of the veſſel took up all my time, and en⯑gaged my attention entirely. As we were now out of the variable winds, I thought I ſhould not be much puzzled to [36] hit upon the iſlands. I was perſuaded I ſteered right for Antigua, which I wiſh⯑ed 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 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 ap⯑pelation, 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 freeman 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.

CHAP. VIII.

As I had now, by the death of my captain, loſt my great benefactor and friend, I had little inducement to re⯑main 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 con⯑ſented to go another voyage to Georgia, as the mate, from his ill ſtate of health, [39] was quite uſeleſs in the veſſel. Accord⯑ingly 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 cap⯑tain 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 [40] dreams however made no impreſſion on my mind; and the next evening, it be⯑ing 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 uttered with an oath, ‘'Damn the veſſel's bottom out.'’ But my con⯑ſcience inſtantly ſmote me for the ex⯑preſſion. When I left the deck I went to bed, and had ſcarcely fallen aſleep when I dreamed the ſame dream again about the ſhip as I had dreamt the two preceeding nights. At twelve o'clock the watch was changed: and, as I had always the charge of the cap⯑tain's watch, I then went upon deck. At half after one in the morning the man at the helm ſaw ſomething under [41] 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 all ſpeed. [42] He ſaid he would, and I returned to the deck. When I was upon [...] again I ſaw we were [...] above a [...] ſhot from the rock [...] [...] 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 faſt⯑ened it to the anchor. By this time the ſurf was foamed round us, and [43] made a dreadful noiſe on the breakers, and the very moment we let the an⯑chor go the veſſel ſtruck againſt the rocks. One ſwell now ſucceeded an⯑other, 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 mo⯑ment a ſcene of horror preſented itſelf to my mind, ſuch as I never had con⯑ceived or experienced before. All my ſins ſtared me in the face; and eſpe⯑cially, 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 mo⯑ment to go to the bottom: I deter⯑mined if I ſhould ſtill be ſaved that I would never ſwear again. And in the midſt of my diſtreſs, while the dreadful [44] ſurfs were daſhing with unremitting fury among the rocks, I remembered the Lord, though fearful that I was unde⯑ſerving 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 faved; 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 pe⯑riſhed 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 [45] 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; per⯑ceiving 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. How⯑ever the hatches were not nailed down; and, as none of us could leave the veſſel then on account of the darkneſs, [46] 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 day⯑light appeared, when we ſhould know better what to do.

I then adviſed to get the boat pre⯑pared againſt morning, and ſome of us began to ſet about it; but others aban⯑doned all care of the ſhip and them⯑ſelves, and fell to drinking. Our boat had a piece out of her bottom near two feet long, and we had no mate⯑rials to mend her; however, neceſſity being the mother of invention, I took ſome pump leather and nailed it [...] the broken part, and plaſtered it ov [...] with tallow-greaſe. And, thus prepar⯑ed, with the utmoſt anxiety of min [...] we watched for day-light, and thoug [...] every minute an hour till it appeare [...] [47] At laſt it ſaluted our longing eyes, and kind Providence accompanied its approach with what was no ſmall comfort to us; for the dreadful ſwells began to ſubſide; and the next thing that we diſcovered to raiſe our droop⯑ing ſpirits, was a ſmall key or deſolate 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 was 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 diſ⯑treſſing, we could not avoid having our legs cut and torn very much with the rocks. There were only four peo⯑ple [48] 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 peo⯑ple could not have been ſaved; for not one of the white men did any thing to preſerve their lives; 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 going on ſhore ſo often that day, the ſkin was partly 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 [49] 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 ful⯑filled in every part; for our danger was the ſame I had dreamt of; and I could not help looking on my⯑ſelf as the principal inſtrument in ef⯑fecting 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 farewel to all hopes of deliver⯑ance; and though, I warned the peo⯑ple [50] who were drinking, and entreated them to embrace the moment of de⯑liverance, 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, that while we were on the key I was a kind of chieftian amongſt them. I brought ſome limes, oranges, and lemons a⯑ſhore; 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 [51] 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 ſlamin⯑goes: theſe, from the reflection of the ſun, appeared to us at a little diſ⯑tance 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.'’ [52] Accordingly we ſteered toward them; and when we approached them, to our very great joy and no leſs wonder, they walked off one after the other very de⯑liberately; 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 rain⯑water; and it was ſomething ſingula [...] that, if we did not take the water when it rained, in ſome little time after i [...] would turn as ſalt as ſea-water.

Our firſt care, after refreſhmen [...] was to make ourſelves tents to lodge in [53] 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 deter⯑mined 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 veſ⯑ſel 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 gun-powder with us if any thing ſhould happen; and our ſtock of proviſions [54] 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 Abbico, 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 [55] ſoon as the light appeared we ſet off again with our boat, in hopes of find⯑ing 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 ſhore 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 even⯑ing, 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 de⯑liver us. We could not touch our [56] beef, which was ſalt as brine, with⯑out 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 ſeve⯑ral 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 Cre⯑Creole, [57] who drank above a quart of it as eagerly as if 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 con⯑vict, 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 ima⯑ginable. When we came near to her, we found ſhe was a little ſloop about the ſize of a Graveſend [...], and quite full or people; a circumſtance which [58] we could not make out the meaning of. Our captain, who was a Welch⯑man, 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 by 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 pe⯑riſhing and ours. This counſel was immediately taken; and I really be⯑lieve 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 [59] them were in the ſame predicament as ourſelves.

They belonged to a whaling ſchoo⯑ner 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 employ⯑ment in thoſe ſeas being to look after wrecks. They were then going to take the remainder of the people be⯑longing to the ſchooner; for which the wrecker was to have all things be⯑longing 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.

[60] 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 vic⯑tual for any moderate length of time; they therefore hired the ſchooner's people to work on the wreck, and we left them our boat, and embarked for New Providence.

Nothing could have been more for⯑tunate than our meeting with this [61] 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 ſhell⯑fiſh; 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 vio⯑lent 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 [62] ſhoals. Here we expected every mi⯑nute 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 compre⯑henſion he did aſſiſt us, and in a mira⯑culous 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 an⯑chor, 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 at different times in their [63] 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 to⯑wards the buoy of the anchor. Our eyes 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 of⯑fered 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 [64] 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 heart-felt 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 [65] 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-ſuf⯑ferers that were free parted from us, and ſhaped their courſe where their inclination led them. One merchant, who had a large ſloop, ſeeing our con⯑dition, and knowing we wanted to go to Georgia, told four of us that his veſſel was going there; and, if we [66] would work on board and load her, he would give us our paſſage free. As we could not get any wages whatever, and ſound 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 mo⯑ney 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; [67] 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 me⯑lodious 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 farewel of that place. When the veſſel was ready we all em⯑barked; and I took my leave of New Providence, not without regret. We ſailed about four o'clock the morn⯑ing with a fair wind, for Georgia; and about eleven o'clock the ſame morn⯑ing, a ſudden and ſhort gale ſprung up and blew away moſt of our fails; and, as we were ſtill among the keys, in [68] 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 veſ⯑ſel 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 de⯑ter 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, [69] with hard labour in ſeven days time arrived ſafe at Georgia.

After our arrival we went up to the town of Savannah; and the ſame even⯑ing 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 a [70] 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,'’ re⯑plied 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 [71] with them to the watch-houſe, where I remained during the night. Early 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 in⯑ſtantly ſwore they would ſerve me as Doctor Perkins had done; and 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.

[72] 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 fel⯑low 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 two good Engliſh. I replied, I be⯑lieved I did; and I had alſo with me a [73] revengeful ſtick equal to the occaſion; and my mind was likewiſe good. Hap⯑pily 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, anxi⯑ouſly trying to get to Montſerrat once more to ſee Mr. King, my old maſter, and then to take a final farewel of the American quarter of the globe. At laſt I met with a ſloop called the Speed⯑well, Captain John Bunton, which be⯑longed 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; [74] 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 com⯑plied with her earneſt entreaties, and at laſt conſented to act the parſon for the ſirſt time in my life. As ſhe was much reſpected, there was a great com⯑pany both of white and black people at the grave. I then accordingly aſ⯑ſumed my new vocation, and perform⯑ed the funeral ceremony to the ſatis⯑faction of all preſent; after which I bade adieu to Georgia, and ſailed ſor Martinico.

CHAP. IX.

I THUS took a final leave of Georgia; for the treatment I had received in it [76] 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 parti⯑cular 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 bu⯑ſineſs 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 farewel to Mr. King, and all my [77] 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 Eng⯑land. 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 there⯑fore my own oath would have been of no uſe. I was obliged, therefore, to remain with him till he might be diſ⯑poſed to return it to me. Thus we [78] 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 quar⯑relled; 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, as 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 en⯑treaties, 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 [79] 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 even⯑ing, and the veſſel about to ſail; but he inſiſted it was neceſſary, and other⯑wiſe 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 im⯑poſition 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; [80] I immediately therefore ſet about, with a heavy heart, to try who I could get to befriend me in complying with the de⯑mands of the captain. Luckily I found, in a few minutes, ſome gentlemen of Montſerrat whom I knew; and, hav⯑ing 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 ſatis⯑fied 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, 23d, I arrived at the wiſhed-for place, after an abſence of ſix months, in which I had more than once experi⯑enced the delivering hand of Provi⯑dence, when all human means of eſcap⯑ing 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 [81] them all, but particularly by Mr. King, to whom I related the fate of his floop, 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 [82] 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 behavi⯑our while in his ſervice, which he very readily comp ied with, and gave me the following:

Having obtained this, I parted from my kind maſter, after many ſincere profeſſions of gratitude and regard, [83] and prepared for my departure for Lon⯑don. I immediately agreed to go with one Capt. John Hamer, for ſeven gui⯑neas (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 ſeeting 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 [84] 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! in this extaſy I ſteered the ſhip all night.

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. Asſoon, there⯑fore, as I had regaled myſelf I went in [85] 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 [86] 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 10,000l. 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 law⯑ſuit againſt him for it: ‘'There are law⯑yers 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 far⯑ther demand of my right. Some time afterwards theſe ſriendly ladies aſked [87] me what I meant to do with myſelf, and now they could aſſiſt me. I thanked them, and ſaid, if they pleaſed, I would be their ſervant; but if not, I had thirty-ſeven gnineas, which would ſup⯑port 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 po⯑litely, 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 Septem⯑ber [88] 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 in⯑ſtruct 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 em⯑ployed. In February 1768, I hired myſelf to Dr. Charles Irving, in Pall⯑mall, [89] 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 exceed⯑ingly 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 dili⯑gence and attention recommended me to the notice and care of my three pre⯑ceptors, 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 ever I had in my life (for I had only 12l. per annum) I ſoon found would not be ſufficient to defray this extraordinary expence of maſters, and my own neceſſary ex⯑pences; [90] 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 gra⯑tify 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 ex⯑tremely 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 imme⯑diately on board of his ſhip, as I had been directed, which I found to be fitted up with great taſte, and I already [91] 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 intirely 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 [92] rich fruits, which I was very fond of; and I had frequent occaſions of gratify⯑ing both my taſte and curioſity; for my captain always lodged on ſhore in thoſe places, which afforded me oppor⯑tunities to ſee the country around. I alſo learned navigation of the mate, which I was very ſond 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 appearence 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 al⯑ways [93] with great civility. In general I believe they are fond of black peo⯑ple; 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 when⯑ever 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 un⯑der by the Turks, as the negroes are in the Weſt Indies by the white people. The leſs refined Greeks, as I have al⯑ready hinted, dance here in the ſame manner as we do in our nation.

[94] 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 re⯑markable 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 delight⯑ful voyage to Oporto in Portugal, where we arrived at the time of the carnival. On our arrival, there were ſent on board of us thirty-ſix articles to obſerve with very heavy penalties if we ſhould break any of them; and none o [...] us even dared to go on board any othe [...] [95] 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 per⯑ſon 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 magnifi⯑cent 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 De⯑um. I had a great curioſity to go into ſome of their churches, but could not gain admittance without uſing the ne⯑ceſſary 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 upon me, for I found myſelf nothing [96] 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 Lon⯑don, and arrived in July following.

Our next voyage was to the Mediter⯑ranean. 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 beau⯑tiful marble, and made a moſt noble ap⯑pearance; and many had very curious fountains before them. The churches were rich and magnificent, and curi⯑ouſly 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 wretch⯑ed. After we had ſtayed there ſome [97] weeks, during which we bought many different things 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 excel⯑lent. I thought it extraordinary to ſee grand operas acted here on Sunday nights, and even attended by their ma⯑jeſties. I too, like theſe great ones, went to thoſe ſights, and vainly ſerv⯑ed 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 extreme⯑ly 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 [98] or officer, took a liking to me here, and wanted me to ſtay, and offered me two wives; however I reſuſed the temp⯑tation, thinking one was as much as ſome could manage, and more than others would venture on. The mer⯑chants here travel in caravans or large companies. I have ſeen many cara⯑vans 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 [99] 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, over⯑ſet 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 altoge⯑ther 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 [100] 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 in⯑tention of paying me. He had like⯑wiſe bought goods from ſome more of our people, whom he intended to ſerve in the ſame manner; but he ſtill amuſ⯑ed us with promiſes. However, when our ſhip was loaded, and near ſailing, this honeſt buyer diſcovered no inten⯑tion [101] 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 juſ⯑tice of the peace; we told his worſhip of the man's villainous tricks, and beg⯑ged 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 far⯑thing from him; they therefore readily joined us, and we all went together in [102] 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 under the cabin to do ſome buſi⯑neſs, [103] and had a lighted candle in my hand, which, in my hurry, without thinking, I held in a barrel of gun⯑powder. It remained in the powder until it was near catching ſire, when fortunately I obſerved it and ſnatched it out in time, and providentially no harm happened; but I was ſo over⯑come with terror that I immediately fainted at this deliverance.

In twenty-eight days time we arriv⯑ed in England, and I got clear of this ſhip. But, being ſtill of a roving diſ⯑poſition, 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 con⯑ſiderable [104] of the Weſt India iſlands. There was a vaſt number of negroes here, whom I found as uſual exceed⯑ingly impoſed upon by the white peo⯑ple, 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 employ⯑ment, and the uſual pay is from one to four bits. I ſaw many cruel puniſh⯑ments 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 maſ⯑ters noted for cruelty on the iſland, who had ſtaked up two negroes naked, and in two hours the vermin ſtung them [105] to death. I heard a gentleman, I well knew, tell my captain that he paſſed ſen⯑tence 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 ſter⯑ling; 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 per⯑ſon who was in the ſituation of a gen⯑tleman, but I had no alternative; and was therefore obliged to ſubmit. When I came to Kingſton, I was ſurpriſed to [106] ſee the number of Africans who were aſſembled together on Sundays; parti⯑cularly at a large commodious place, called Spring Path. Here each differ⯑ent 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 re⯑turn 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 ac⯑cepted it. I was very happy in living with this gentleman once more; dur⯑ing which time we were daily employ⯑ed in reducing old Neptune's domi⯑nions [107] 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 adven⯑tures, and find, towards the north pole, what our Creator never intended we ſhould, a paſſage to India. An expedition was now fitting out to ex⯑plore a north-eaſt paſſage, conducted by the Honourable Conſtantine John Phipps, ſince Lord Mulgrave, in his Majeſty's ſloop of war the Race Horſe. My maſter being anxious for the re⯑putation 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 [108] pole; and on the 15th of the ſame month we were off Shetland. On this day I had a great and unexpected de⯑liverance from an accident which was near blowing up the ſhip and deſtroy⯑ing 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 in⯑tereſting 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. Un⯑fortunately it happened in the evening as I was writing my journal, that I had occaſion to take the candle out of the [109] 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 ex⯑pected 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 [110] 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 mak⯑ing 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 ſurprized to ſee the ſun did not ſet. The weather now became extremely cold; and as we ſailed be⯑tween north and eaſt, which was our [111] 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 har⯑poon 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 [112] 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 ſun⯑ſhine, and conſtant daylight; which gave cheerfulneſs and novelty to the whole of this ſtriking, grand, and un⯑common ſcene; and, to heighten it ſtill more, the reflection of the ſun from the ice gave the clouds a moſt beau⯑tiful appearance. We killed many dif⯑ferent 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 of ſkins. I thought them courſe 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, [113] 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. [114] The officers now held a council to know what was beſt for us to do in order to ſave our lives; and it was de⯑termined that we ſhould endeavour to eſcape by dragging our boats along the [...] towards the ſea; which, how⯑ever, was farther off than any of us thought. This determination filled us with [...] dejection, and con⯑founded 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 to⯑wards the ſea; but, after two or three days labour, we made very little pro⯑greſs; ſo that ſome of our hearts to⯑tally failed us, and I really began to give up myſelf for loſt, when I ſaw our ſur⯑rounding calamities. While we were [115] 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 de⯑plorable 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 natu⯑ral ſtate I then was in, and was ex⯑ceedingly 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 leav⯑ing the ſhips, which were now out of ſight, and ſome miles from the boats. [116] Our appearance now became truly la⯑mentable; pale dejection ſeized every countenance; many, who had been before blaſphemers, in this our diſtreſs began to call on the good God of hea⯑ven 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 to⯑wards 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 [117] 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 extre⯑mity of the world, where the inhoſ⯑pitable 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 ex⯑panded 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 [118] 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 ſrom the booms, and the long-boat from the chucks: all other moveable things on the decks 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 over⯑board. [119] 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 ex⯑plored 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.

OUR voyage to the North Pole be⯑ing 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, [121] 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 igno⯑rance and ſin.

In proceſs of time I left my maſter, Doctor Irving, the puriſier of waters. I lodged in Coventry-court, Hay⯑market, where I was continually op⯑preſſed and much concerned about the ſalvation of my ſoul, and was deter⯑mined (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 thoſe with [122] whom I was then acquainted that ac⯑quieſced with me in point of religion, or, in ſcripture language, that would ſhew me any good, I was much de⯑jected, 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 diſſatis⯑fied: ſomething was wanting that I could not obtain, and I really found more heart-felt relief in reading my bible at home than in attending the church; and, being reſolved to be ſaved, I purſued other methods. 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 Ro⯑man catholic principles, but was not in the leaſt edified. I at length had re⯑courſe to the Jews, which availed me [123] nothing, as 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 con⯑cluſion, 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 dif⯑ferent people queſtions about the man⯑ner of going to heaven, and was told different ways. Here I was much ſtag⯑gered, and could not find any at that time more righteous than myſelf, or in⯑deed 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 command⯑ments. So righteous was I in my own [124] 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 com⯑forts 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 Tur⯑key. I ſhipped myſelf with him as a [125] ſteward; at the ſame time I recommend⯑ed to him a very clever black man, John Annis, as a cook. This man was on board the ſhip near two months do⯑ing his duty: he had formerly lived many years with Mr. William Kirk⯑patrick, a gentleman of the iſland of St. Kitts, from whom he parted by con⯑ſent, 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. Kirk⯑patrick 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 information [126] to come away. I believe this was a combined piece of buſineſs: but, be that as it may, it certainly reflected great diſgrace on the mate and captain alſo, who, although they had deſired the oppreſſed man to ſtay on board, yet this vile act on the man who had ſerved him, he did not in the leaſt aſſiſt to re⯑cover 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 li⯑berty 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. Kirk⯑patrick, who was about ſetting off for Scotland; and, having obtained a ha⯑bcas corpus for him, and got a tipſtaff to [127] go with me to St. Paul's church-yard, where he lived, he, ſuſpecting ſome⯑thing of this kind, ſet a watch to look out. My being known to them, obliged me to uſe the following deception: I whitened my face, that they might not know me, and this had the 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 tip⯑ſtaff, who got admittance into the houſe, was to conduct him to a judge, accord⯑ing 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 well known philanthropiſt, Gran⯑ville Sharp, Eſq who received me with the utmoſt kindneſs, and gave me every inſtruction that was needful on [128] the occaſion. I leſt 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 attor⯑ney proved unfaithful; he took my money, loſt me many months em⯑ploy, and did not do the leaſt good in the cauſe; and when the poor man ar⯑rived 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 flog⯑ged 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 made attempts to go after him at a great hazard, but was ſadly diſappointed: I alſo was told of it by ſome very reſpec⯑table families now in London, who ſaw him in St. Kitts, in the ſame ſtate, in which he remained till kind death re⯑leaſed [129] him out of the hands of his ty⯑rants. During this diſagreeable buſi⯑neſs I was under ſtrong convictions of ſin, and thought that my ſtate was worſe than any man's; my mind was unac⯑countably diſturbed; I often wiſhed for death, though at the ſame time con⯑vinced 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 re⯑ſolved, at that time, never more to return to England. I engaged as ſteward on board a Turkeyman (the Weſter Hall, Capt. Lina) but was prevented by means of my late captain, Mr. Hughes, and others. All this appeared [130] 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,'’ Ec⯑cleſ. i. 9; and what was appointed for me I muſt ſubmit to. Thus I continued to travel in much heavineſs, and fre⯑quently murmured againſt the Al⯑mighty, particularly in his providential dealings; and, awful to think! I be⯑gan 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 mea⯑ſure 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. [131] v. 5. I would then, if it had been poſ⯑ſible, 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 in the greateſt agony 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 were ſo great on my mind when I awoke, that my ſtrength entirely fail⯑ed me for many minutes, and I was ex⯑ceedingly weak. This was the firſt ſpiritual mercy I ever was ſenſible or, 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 ſer⯑vently begged that God would never [132] 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 al⯑together 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, there⯑fore, I had better want them here, and enter into life eternal, than abuſe them and be caſt into hell ſire. I prayed to be directed, if there were any holier than thoſe with whom I was acquaint⯑ed, 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. Not⯑withſtanding all this, the reader may ea⯑ſily diſcern, if a believer, that I was ſtill in nature's darkneſs. At length I hated [133] the houſe in which I lodged, becauſe God's moſt holy name was blaſphemed in it; then I ſaw the word of God ve⯑rified, viz. ‘'Before they call, I will anſwer; and while they are yet ſpeak⯑ing, 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 [134] put to the man than his time would per⯑mit him to anſwer: and in that memor⯑able 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 ac⯑cepted the offer, and thanked him; and ſoon after he went away, I had ſome further diſcourſe with the old Chriſ⯑tian, added to ſome profitable read⯑ing, which made me exceedingly hap⯑py. When I left him he reminded me [135] of coming to the feaſt; I aſſured him I would be there. Thus we parted, and I weighed over the heavenly conver⯑ſation 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. How⯑ever, 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 gentleman 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 wiſh⯑ed 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 [136] by giving out hymns, and between the ſinging, the miniſters 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 cer⯑tain of their calling and election of God; and that no one could ever ſeperate 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 com⯑pany; my heart was attracted, and my [137] 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 fellow⯑ſhip I had never ſeen, nor ever thought of ſeeing on earth; it fully reminded me of what I had read in the holy ſcrip⯑tures, 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 ſing⯑ing [138] 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, blaſphem⯑ous 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 ſup⯑plications of every returning prodigal:

After this I was reſolved to win Hea⯑ven 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 [139] 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; whe⯑ther to hire a bed elſewhere, or go home again. At laſt fearing an evil report might ariſe, I went home, with a farewel to card-playing and vain jeſt⯑ing, &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 gra⯑cious woman, were at work at ſilk weaving; they ſeemed mutually happy, and both quite glad to ſee me, and I [140] more ſo to ſee them. I ſat down and we converſed much about ſoul matters, &c. Their diſcourſe was amazingly de⯑lightful, 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 In⯑dian."’ 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 jour⯑ney in vain. The above book was of great uſe to me, and at that time was a means of ſtrengthening my faith; how⯑ever, 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 com⯑pany and deſires. I prayed that the [141] 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 evi⯑dently ſet forth. Thus I went on hap⯑pily for near two months; and I once heard, during this period, a reverend gentleman Mr. G. ſpeak of a man who had departed this life in full aſſurance of his going to glory I was much aſto⯑niſhed 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, [142] 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, with⯑out 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 [143] 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 were ordained to it before the world was; therefore Chriſt Jeſus ſeem⯑ed 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 ſtag⯑gered much at this ſort of doctrine; it [144] 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 [145] 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 puniſhments 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 puniſh⯑ment 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 doubt⯑ful [146] of my being a proper object to re⯑ceive the ſacrament; I was full of me⯑ditation 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 con⯑vince 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 [147] he that offends in one point is guilty of all?'’ I ſaid, ‘'Yes.'’ Then he aſ⯑ſured 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 commu⯑nicant; but recommended me to read the ſcriptures, and hear the word preach⯑ed, not to neglect fervent prayer to God, who has promiſed to hear the ſuppli⯑cations of thoſe who ſeek him in godly ſincerity; ſo I took my leave of him, with many thanks, and reſolved to fol⯑low his advice, ſo far as the Lord would condeſcend to enable me. During this time I was out of employ, nor was I [148] 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 blaſ⯑phemed, 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 mur⯑mured much at God's providential deal⯑ings 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 [149] myſelf; but this ſcripture was inſtantly impreſſed on my mind—‘'That no mur⯑derer hath eternal life abiding in him,'’ 1 John iii. 15. Then I pauſed, and thought myſelf the unhappieſt man liv⯑ing. 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 diſ⯑charge me; he would not, but each time gave me greater and greater encou⯑ragement 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 [150] religious friends adviſed me, by ſaying it was my lawful calling, conſequently it was my duty to obey, and that God was not con [...]ined to place, &c. &c. par⯑ticularly 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 bur⯑den was then greatly removed, and I found a heartfelt reſignation to the will of God. The good man gave me a pocket Bible and Alleine'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 Lon⯑don; we had a delightful voyage to Cadiz, where we arrived the twenty-third of the ſame month. The place [151] 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 op⯑portunities 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) 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 conti⯑nually 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.

[152] 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 be⯑gan to think I had lived a moral life, and that I had a proper ground to be⯑lieve I had an intereſt in the divine fa⯑vour; 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 be⯑came an unſealed book, I ſaw myſelf a condemned criminal under the law, [153] which came with its full force to my conſcience, and when ‘'the command⯑ment came ſin revived, and I died.'’ I ſaw the Lord Jeſus Chriſt in his humili⯑ation, loaded and bearing my reproach, ſin, and ſhame. I then clearly perceived that by the deeds of the law no fleſh liv⯑ing could be juſtified. I was then con⯑vinced 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 [154] were really as life to the dead, and what John calls an earneſt of the Spirit^*. This was indeed unſpeakable, and I firmly believe undeniable by many. Now every leading providential cir⯑cumſtance 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. [155] Self was obnoxious, and good works he had none, for it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do. Oh! the amazing things of that hour can never be told—it was joy in the Holy Ghoſt! I felt an aſtoniſhing change; the bur⯑den 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 un⯑converted people of the world in a very awful ſtate, being without God and without hope.

[156] It pleaſed God to pour out on me the ſpirit of prayer and the grace of ſup⯑plication, 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 bar⯑barian to them in talking of the love of Chriſt: his name was to me as oint⯑ment poured forth; indeed it was ſweet to my ſoul, but to them a rock of of⯑fence. 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 won⯑ders 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 [157] 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 precious to me, and enabled me to believe to the ſalvation of my ſoul. By free grace I was per⯑ſuaded that I had a part in the firſt reſurrection, and was enlightened with the ‘'light of the living,'’ Job xxxiii. 30. [158] I wiſhed for a man of God with whom I might converſe: my ſoul was like the chariots of Aminadab, Canticles vi. 12. Theſe among others, were the precious promiſes that were ſo powerfully ap⯑plied to me: ‘'All things whatſoever ye ſhall aſk in prayer, believing, ye ſhall receive,'’ Matt. 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 ex⯑perienced him to be 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 ſin⯑ners 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 ora⯑cles [159] 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 un⯑believing 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 ar⯑rived 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 [160] 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 be⯑tween 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 [161] ſor 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 diſſolv⯑ed, and to be with Chriſt—but, alas! I muſt wait mine appointed time.

CHAP. XI.

WHEN our ſhip was got ready for ſea again, I was intreated by the cap⯑tain to go in her once more; but, as I felt myſelf now as happy as I could with 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 [169] 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 Sun⯑day, juſt as we were going into the har⯑bour, 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 [170] theſe words were that inſtant in my mind:

At this time there were many large Spaniſh [...]ukers 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 [171] 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 cathe⯑drals I had ever ſeen. It had been above fifty years in building, as I heard, though it was not then quite finiſhed; great parts of the inſide, however, was completed and highly decorated with the richeſt marble columns and many ſuperb paintings; it was lighted occa⯑ſionally 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 di⯑verſions [172] which prevailed here on Sun⯑day evenings, to the great ſcandal of Chriſtianity and morals. I uſed to ex⯑preſs my abhorrence of it to a prieſt whom I met with. I had frequent conteſts about religion with the reve⯑rend 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 anſwer⯑ed him that Chriſt deſired us to ſearch the Scriptures. In his zeal for my con⯑verſion, he ſolicited me to go to one of the univerſities in Spain, and de⯑clared that I ſhould have my educa⯑tion free; and told me, if I got my⯑ſelf made a prieſt, I might in time [173] 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 ei⯑ther ſide.

Having taken at this place ſome fine wines, fruits, and money, we pro⯑ceeded 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 [174] ſeveral days, and the ſhip did not make in that time above ſix or ſeven miles ſtrait courſe. This made the cap⯑tain 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 im⯑pious 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 imme⯑diately 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 cap⯑tain [175] would be veay angry with me for ſpeaking, but he replied not a word. However, before that time on the fol⯑lowing day, being the 21ſt of June, much to our great joy and aſtoniſh⯑ment, 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 diſ⯑cern [176] her; we however ſtopped the ſhip's way, and the boat, which was extreme⯑ly ſmall, came alongſide with eleven mi⯑ſerable men, whom we took on board immediately. To all human appear⯑ance, theſe people muſt have periſhed in the courſe of one hour or leſs, the boat being ſmall, it barely con⯑tained 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 [177] time. This mercy of the Lord quite melted me, and I recollected his words, which I faw 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 the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their diſtreſſeſs. 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 chil⯑dren of men! For he ſatisfieth the longing ſoul, and ſilleth the hungry ſoul with goodneſs.’

‘'Such as ſit in dardneſs 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 [178] 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 ob⯑ſerve 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 there⯑fore 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. [179] We provided them with every neceſ⯑ſary, and brought them all ſafe to Lon⯑don: 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 ſine ſloop, about 150 tons. He had a mind for a new adventure in cultivat⯑ing 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, know⯑ing that the harveſt was fully ripe in thoſe parts, and hoped to be an in⯑ſtrument under God, of bringing ſome poor ſinner to my well beloved maſter, Jeſus Chriſt. Before I embarked, I found with the Doctor four Maſquito [180] 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 Novem⯑ber [181] 1776, on board of the ſloop Morn⯑ing 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 glad⯑neſs the truths that the Lord enabled me to ſet forth to him. I taught him in the compaſs of eleven days all the let⯑ters, 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 de⯑picted 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 [182] 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 ſirſt 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 up⯑per hand. Some of his meſſengers, ſeeing this poor heathen much ad⯑vanced in piety, began to aſk him whether I had converted him to Chriſtianity, laughed and made their [183] 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 un⯑godly 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, [184] and know all things, yet ſwear, lie, and get drunk, only excepting your⯑ſelf?'’ 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 ſome⯑times had the tooth-ach, and alſo ſome other perſons in the ſhip at the ſame time, I aſked him if their tooth-ach 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 [185] 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 rig⯑ging, 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, particu⯑larly, I ſaw two men who, by the provi⯑dential hand of God, were moſt miracu⯑louſly 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 adminiſ⯑tered. 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 [186] 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 cul⯑tivate 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 Du⯑peupy. All our Indian gueſts now, after I had admoniſhed them and a few caſes of liquor given them by the Doc⯑tor, 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 [187] lake, which received the emptying of two or three very fine large rivers, and abounded much in fiſh and land tor⯑toiſe. 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 man⯑ner, 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, [188] and a great embarraſſment to us. How⯑ever, 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 quar⯑ters to our dwelling; and ſome woolwow or flat-headed Indians, who lived fifty or [189] 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 aſſiſt⯑ed 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 eat ſeperate. I never ſaw the [190] 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 quarrel⯑ling, 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 [191] any where elſe, that I ſaw, in different places I was at on the ſhore, that was better or more pious than thoſe unen⯑lightened indians; but they either worked or ſlept on Sundays: and, to my ſorrow, working was too much Sun⯑day'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 ſin⯑gular, in point of honeſty, above any other nation I was ever amongſt. The [192] 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 re⯑fuſe ſending; and at the ſame time we made the utmoſt preparation to receive [193] his honour and his train. When he came with his tribe, and all our neigh⯑bouring chieftians, we expected to ſind 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 intoxi⯑cated 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 plen⯑tifully 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 [194] 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 be⯑yond my moſt ſanguine expectations. [195] When I had formed my determination. I went in the midſt of them; and, tak⯑ing 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 (point⯑ing to the Bible) read, and tell God to make them dead. This operated on them like magic.—The clamour im⯑mediately 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 Muſ⯑quito [196] people within our vicinity, out of reſpect to the Doctor, myſelf, and his people, made entertainments of the grand kind, called in their tongue tourri [...] or dryckbot. The Engliſh of this expreſſion is, a feaſt of drinking about, of which it ſeems a corruption of lan⯑guage. 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, whithin 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 ap⯑pointed 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 [197] of either the drink or the meat were enticing to me. They had ſome thou⯑ſands 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 ſood 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 ſurpriſ⯑ed 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 ap⯑pointed place, where we found a great [198] aſſemblage of theſe people, who re⯑ceived 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 im⯑mediately joining the women's party, though not by their choice. On per⯑ceiving 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 [199] called eating than drinking. One Ow⯑den, 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 gre⯑nadier's cap, with prickles like a por⯑cupine: 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 [200] 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 overflow⯑ed, 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 hea⯑vily impreſſed on my mind; and though [201] I did not know how to ſpeak to the Doctor for my diſcharge, it was diſ⯑agreeable 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 ſirſt 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 follow⯑ing certificate of my behaviour:

[202] Though I was much attached to the Doctor, I was happy when he conſented. I got every thing ready for my depart⯑ure, 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. Hav⯑ing taken leave of my old friends and companions, on the 18th of June, ac⯑companied 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 ſhed⯑ding [203] 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 maſ⯑ter 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 [204] not go out of the ſloop as a free-man. 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 among the Chriſ⯑tians. This incenſed him exceedingly; and, with a volley of oaths and impre⯑cations, 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 learnt 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 [205] 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 be⯑cauſe 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 muſ⯑quet 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; [206] 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 fame 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, [207] 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 pre⯑ſented it at me, and ſwore heavily and dreadfully, that he would ſhoot me that inſtant, if I did not come back on [208] 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 veſ⯑ſel; 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 veſ⯑ſel was ſailing on faſt with a ſmooth ſea: and I then thought it was neck or no⯑thing, 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 muſ⯑ket 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 [209] on ſhore, which I ſoon reached, with many thanks to God for this unex⯑pected 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 differ⯑ent [210] 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 fleep in. They acted towards me more like Chriſtians than thoſe whites I was amongſt the laſt night, though they had been baptiſed. 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 [211] 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 wa⯑ter 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, [212] 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 ex⯑cellent 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 alli⯑gators, which made the fiſh ſcarce. I was on board this ſloop ſixteen days, [213] 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, un⯑derſtanding I was a freeman, and wanted to go to Jamaica, he told me if he could get one or two, that he would ſail im⯑mediately for that Iſland: he alſo pre⯑tended to ſhew me ſome marks of at⯑tention and reſpect, and promiſed to give me forty-five ſhillings ſterling a 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 Ja⯑maica in the other veſſel; but he would not liſten to me; and, ſeeing me reſolved [214] to go in a day or two, he got the veſſel to ſail, intending to carry me away againſt my will. This treatment mortified mē 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, [215] 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 unfortu⯑nate Stoker, which I believe was the means of ſaving his life from the an⯑noyance 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 [216] 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 over⯑grown 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 ob⯑ſerving the providential hand of God, that ever ſupplied 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 [217] noiſe on the deck; and, not knowing what it meant, I went directly on 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 con⯑ſidered 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 [218] 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, be⯑cauſe 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, [219] 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 oc⯑cured to my mind, buoyed up my hope, and kept me from taking the life of this wicked man. ‘'He hath deter⯑mined the times before appointed, and ſet bounds to our habitations,'’ Acts xvii. 26. And, ‘'Who is there among 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 l. 20. 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 ſub⯑ſide as the night approached: but I found,

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, 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 ſuffe me to leave the veſſel. I then informe the Doctor, by letter, how I was treated and begged that he would take me out [...] the ſloop: but he informed me that [...] was not in his power, as he was a pa [...] ⯑ſenger himſelf; but he ſent me ſo [...] rum and ſugar for my own uſe. I no [...] learned that after I had left the eſta [...] which I managed for this gentlema [...] [221] on the Muſquito ſhore, during which the ſlaves were well fed and comfort⯑able, 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 know⯑ing where to go, or how to manage the canoe, they were all drowned; in conſequence of which the Doctor's plan⯑tation 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 five ſhillings ſterling; but Captain Baker refuſed to give me one farthing, although it was the hardeſt⯑earned [222] money I ever worked for in my life. I found out Doctor Irving upon this, and acquainted him of the cap⯑tain'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 re⯑fuſed 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 Doctor Irving, under the protection of Captain Douglas, of the Squirrel man of war. I thought this exceeding hard uſage; though indeed I found it to be too much the practice there to pay free negro men for their labour in this manner.

One day I went with a free negroe taylor, named Joe Diamond, to one [223] Mr. Cochran, who was indebted to him ſome trifling ſum; and the man, not being able to get his money, be⯑gan to murmur. The other immedi⯑ately took a horſe-whip to pay him with it, but, by the help of a good pair of heels, the taylor got off. Such oppreſ⯑ſions 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 con⯑voy, 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 poi⯑ſoned fiſh.

We had many very heavy gales of wind in our paſſage; in the courſe of [224] which no material incident occurred, except that an American privateer, falling in with the fleet, was captured and ſet ſire 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 hap⯑py to ſee, I went to London with a heart replete with thanks to God for paſt mercies.

CHAP. XII.

SUCH were the various [...] which I was a witneſs to, and the fertune I experienced until the year 1777. Since that period, my life has been more uni⯑form, 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 [226] fear the reader may think already ſuf⯑ficiently tedious.

I had ſuffered ſo many impoſitions in my commercial tranſactions in dif⯑ferent parts of the world, that I became heartily diſguſted with the ſeafaring life, and was determined not to re⯑turn 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 mullattoes, and yet they had fine light hair. In 1779, [227] 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 prayer; but this only excited their mockery. However, the Governor, underſtanding that I was of a religious turn, wiſhed to know what religion I was of; 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 accord⯑ing to that doctrine, thoſe I would hear. A few days after this, we had ſome more diſcourſe on the ſame ſubject; when he ſaid 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 miſſionary to Africa. I at firſt refuſed going, and told him how I had been ſerved on a like occa⯑ſion [228] by ſome white people the laſt voyage I went to Jamaica, when I at⯑tempted (if it were the will of God) to be the means of converting the Indian prince; and 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 con⯑ſented 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:

[232] 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.

[233] 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, and ſaying the Biſhops were not of opinion of ſend⯑ing a new miſſionary to Africa, he de⯑clined to ordain me.

My ſole motive for thus dwelling on this tranſaction, or inſerting theſe pa⯑pers, is the opinion which gentlemen of ſenſe and education, who are ac⯑quainted with Africa, entertain of the probability of converting the inhabit⯑ants 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 Dorſet⯑ſhire militia, whith whom I was en⯑camped at Coxheath for ſome time; [234] but the operations there were too mi⯑nute and unintereſting to make a de⯑tail 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 curi⯑oſity 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 furface of the earth the ſafeſt part of it.

In the ſpring of 1784, I thought of viſiting old ocean again. In conſe⯑quence of this I embarked as ſteward on board a fine new ſhip called the London, commanded by Martin Hop⯑kin, and ſailed for New-York. I ad⯑mired this city very much; it is large and well-built, and abounds with pro⯑viſions [235] 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 gal⯑lows, 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 were turn⯑ed 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 5th of April, we took our de⯑parture 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 [236] 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 quick⯑ly, 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 favorite old town once more; and my pleaſure was much increaſed in ſeeing the wor⯑thy [237] quakers freeing and eaſing the bur⯑thens 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 commu⯑nity. Does not the ſucceſs of this practice ſay loudly to the planters, in the language of ſcripture—‘"Go ye and do likewiſe!"’

In October 1585, I was accompanied by ſome of the Africans, and preſented this addreſs of thanks to the gentlemen called Friends or Quakers, in Grace⯑church-Court, Lombard-Street:

GENTLEMEN,

By reading your book, en⯑titled a Caution to Great Britain and [238] her Colonies, concerning the Calamit⯑ous State of the enſlaved Negroes: We part of the poor, oppreſſed, needy, and much degraded negroes, deſire to ap⯑proach you with this addreſs of thanks, with our inmoſt love and warmeſt ac⯑knowledgment; 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 perſe⯑verance, at laſt be enabled under God, to lighten in any degree the heavy bur⯑then 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 [239] 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 con⯑ceive, but which we as a part of thoſe captivated, oppreſſed, and afflicted peo⯑ple, moſt earneſtly wiſh and pray for.

Theſe gentlemen received us very kindly, with a promiſe to exert them⯑ſelves on behalf of the oppreſſed Afri⯑cans, 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 bride⯑groom ſtand up, and, taking each other [240] by the hand in a ſolemn manner, the [...] 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 aſſiſt⯑ance, to be unto her a loving and faithful huſband till death ſeparate us:"’ and the woman makes the like decla⯑ration. 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 regiſ⯑ter in Gracechurch-Court, Lombard-Street.—My hand is ever free—if any female Debonair wiſhes to obtain it, this mode I recommend.

We returned to London in Auguſt; and our ſhip not going immediately to ſea, I ſhipped as a ſteward in an Ame⯑rican ſhip called the Harmony, Captain [241] John Willet, and left London in March 1786, bound to Philadelphia. Eleven days after ſailing, we carried our fore⯑maſt away. We had a nine weeks paſ⯑ſage, which cauſed our trip not to ſuc⯑ceed 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 govern⯑ment 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 Leona; an act which redounded to the honour of all concerned in its promo⯑tion, [242] 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 ſuper⯑intend 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 particu⯑larly I expreſſed ſome difficulties on the account of the ſlave dealers, as I would certainly oppoſe their traffic in the hu⯑man ſpecies by every means in my power. However theſe objections were over-ruled by the gentlemenof the com⯑mittee, who prevailed on me to conſent to go; and recommended me to the ho⯑nourable [243] Commiſſioners ofhis Majeſty's Navy, as a proper perſon to act as com⯑miſſary for government in the intended expedition; and they accordingly ap⯑pointed 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.

I proceeded immediately to the exe⯑cuting of my duty on board the veſſels deſtined for the voyage, where I con⯑tinued till the March following.

During my continuanee in the em⯑ployment of government, I was ſtruck with the flagrant abuſes committed by the agent, and endeavoured to remedy [246] them, but without effect. One inſtance, among many which I could produce, may ſerve as a ſpecimen. Government had ordered to be provided all neceſ⯑ſaries (ſlops, as they are called, includ⯑ed) 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 Portſ⯑mouth; 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 accom⯑modations, 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. [247] Thompſon, of the Nautilus, who con⯑voyed us, to whom I applied in Feb⯑ruary 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, on the 4th of that month, ſigned by twenty of their chiefs.

I could not ſilently ſuffer govern⯑ment to be thus cheated, and my coun⯑trymen plundered and oppreſſed, and even leſt deſtitude of the neceſſaries for almoſt their exiſtence. I therefore in⯑formed the Commiſſioners of the Navy of the agent's proceeding; but my diſ⯑miſſion was ſoon after procured, by means of a gentleman in the city, whom the agent, conſcious of his peculation, [248] had deceived by letter, and who, moreover, empowered the ſame agent to receive on board, at the government expence, a number of perſons as paſ⯑ſengers, contrary to the orders I receiv⯑ed. By this I ſuffered a conſiderable loſs in my property: however, the com⯑miſſioners were ſatisfied with my con⯑duct, and wrote to Capt. Thompſon, expreſſing their opprobation 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 Sirrea Leona juſt at at the commencement of the rains. At that ſeaſon of the year it is impoſ⯑ſible to cultivate the lands; their pro⯑viſions therefore were exhauſted before they could derive any benefit from agriculture; and it is not ſurpriſing [249] 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 Leona; an expedition which, however unfor⯑tunate 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 evi⯑dently ſufficient miſmanagement at⯑tending 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 employ⯑ment [250] thought worthy of being made by ſome a matter of public triumph^*. 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 neceſ⯑ſary 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 ano⯑ther; and I truſt the behaviour of the Commiſſioners of the Navy to me en⯑title me to make this aſſertion; for after I had been diſmiſſed, March 24, I drew up a memorial thus:

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 [255] 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!!!

From that period, to the preſent time, my life has paſſed in an even tenor, and great part of my ſtudy and attention has been to aſſiſt in the cauſe of my much injured countrymen.

March the 21ſt, 1788, I had the ho⯑nour of preſenting the Queen with a petition on behalf of my African brethren, which was received moſt gra⯑ciouſly by Her Majeſty^*:

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 [259] planters relative to the tratment of their ſlaves.

I hope to have the ſatisfaction of ſeeing the renovation of liberty and juſtice, reſting on the Britiſh govern⯑ment, 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 ge⯑nerous government; and, connected with views of empire and dominion, [260] ſuited to the benevolence and ſolid merit of the legiſlature. It is a pur⯑ſuit of ſubſtantial greatneſs.—May the time come—at leaſt the ſpeculation to me is pleaſing—when the ſable people ſhall gratefully commemorate the au⯑ſpicious aera of extenſive freedom. Then ſhall thoſe perſons^* 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 car 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: [261] then will be glory to God on the higheſt, on earth peace, and good-will 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 li⯑beral things, and by liberal things ſhall ſtand,'’ Iſaiah xxxii. 8. They can ſay with pious Job, ‘'Did not I weep for [262] 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 will moſt rapidly augment, as the na⯑tive 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 produc⯑tions, is much eaſier conceived than calculated.

A caſe in point.—It coſt the Abo⯑rigines of Britain, little or nothing in clothing, &c. The difference between their forefathers and the preſent gene⯑ration, [263] in point of conſumption, is literally i [...]

[...]inite. The ſuppoſition is moſt obvious. It will be equally im⯑menſe 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 manu⯑facturing intereſt is equal, if not ſupe⯑rior, to the landed intereſt, as to the value, for reaſons which will ſoon ap⯑pear. The abolition of ſlavery, ſo diabolical, will give a moſt rapid ex⯑tenſion of manufactures, which is to⯑tally and diametrically oppoſite to what ſome intereſted people aſſert.

[264] The manufactures of this country muſt and will, in the nature and reaſon of things, have a full and conſtant em⯑ploy by ſupplying the African mar⯑kets.

Population, the bowels and ſurface of Africa, abound in valuable and uſe⯑ful returns; the hidden treaſures of cen⯑turies will be brought to light and into circulation. Induſtry, enterprize, and mining, will have their full ſcope, pro⯑portionably as they civilize. In a word, it lays open an endleſs field of commerce to the Britiſh manufactures and merchant adventurer. The manu⯑facturing intereſt and the general inte⯑reſts 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 im⯑punity. [265] I hope the ſlave trade will be aboliſhed. I pray it may be an event at hand. The great body of manuſac⯑turers, uniting in the cauſe, will con⯑ſiderably facilitate and expedite it; and, as I have already ſtated, it is moſt ſub⯑ſtantially their intereſt and advantage, and as ſuch the nation's at large, (except thoſe perſons concerned in the manu⯑facturing neck-yokes, collars, chains, hand-cuffs, leg-bolts, drags, thumb⯑ſcrews, iron muzzles, and coffins; cats, ſcourges, and other inſtruments of tor⯑ture uſed in the ſlave trade). In a ſhort time one ſentiment alone will prevail, from motives of intereſt as well as juſ⯑tice and humanity. Europe contains one hundred and twenty millions of in⯑habitants. Query—How many mil⯑lions doth Africa contain? Suppoſing the Africans, collectively and indivi⯑dually, to expend 5l. a head in raiment [266] 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 per⯑mitted to remain in their own country, they would double themſelves every fifteen years. In proportion to ſuch increaſe will be the demand for manu⯑factures. Cotton and indigo grow ſpontaneouſly in moſt parts of Africa; a conſideration this of no ſmall con⯑ſequence to the manufacturing towns of Great Britain. It opens a moſt im⯑menſe, 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 manufac⯑tures.

[267] 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 in⯑fluenced my conduct. I early accuſ⯑tomed myſelf to look for the hand of God in the minuteſt occurrence, and to learn from it a leſſon of morality [268] 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 ob⯑ſervation 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 experi⯑ence of ages ſeems of no uſe; and even to pour out to them the treaſures of wiſdom is throwing the jewels of in⯑ſtruction away.