The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African
France--Remarkable instance of kidnapping--The author
returns to England--Hears a talk of peace, and expects his
freedom--His ship sails for Deptford to be paid off, and
when he arrives there he is suddenly seized by his master
and carried forcibly on board a West India ship and sold._
It was now between two and three years since I first came to England,
a great part of which I had spent at sea; so that I became inured to
that service, and began to consider myself as happily situated; for my
master treated me always extremely well; and my attachment and
gratitude to him were very great. From the various scenes I had beheld
on shipboard, I soon grew a stranger to terror of every kind, and was,
in that respect at least, almost an Englishman. I have often reflected
with surprise that I never felt half the alarm at any of the numerous
dangers I have been in, that I was filled with at the first sight of
the Europeans, and at every act of theirs, even the most trifling,
when I first came among them, and for some time afterwards. That fear,
however, which was the effect of my ignorance, wore away as I began to
know them. I could now speak English tolerably well, and I perfectly
understood every thing that was said. I now not only felt myself
quite easy with these new countrymen, but relished their society and
manners. I no longer looked upon them as spirits, but as men superior
to us; and therefore I had the stronger desire to resemble them; to
imbibe their spirit, and imitate their manners; I therefore embraced
every occasion of improvement; and every new thing that I observed I
treasured up in my memory. I had long wished to be able to read and
write; and for this purpose I took every opportunity to gain
instruction, but had made as yet very little progress. However, when I
went to London with my master, I had soon an opportunity of improving
myself, which I gladly embraced. Shortly after my arrival, he sent me
to wait upon the Miss Guerins, who had treated me with much kindness
when I was there before; and they sent me to school.
While I was attending these ladies their servants told me I could not
go to Heaven unless I was baptized. This made me very uneasy; for I
had now some faint idea of a future state: accordingly I communicated
my anxiety to the eldest Miss Guerin, with whom I was become a
favourite, and pressed her to have me baptized; when to my great joy
she told me I should. She had formerly asked my master to let me be
baptized, but he had refused; however she now insisted on it; and he
being under some obligation to her brother complied with her request;
so I was baptized in St. Margaret's church, Westminster, in February
1759, by my present name. The clergyman, at the same time, gave me a
book, called a Guide to the Indians, written by the Bishop of Sodor
and Man. On this occasion Miss Guerin did me the honour to stand as
godmother, and afterwards gave me a treat. I used to attend these
ladies about the town, in which service I was extremely happy; as I
had thus many opportunities of seeing London, which I desired of all
things. I was sometimes, however, with my master at his
rendezvous-house, which was at the foot of Westminster-bridge. Here I
used to enjoy myself in playing about the bridge stairs, and often in
the watermen's wherries, with other boys. On one of these occasions
there was another boy with me in a wherry, and we went out into the
current of the river: while we were there two more stout boys came to
us in another wherry, and, abusing us for taking the boat, desired me
to get into the other wherry-boat. Accordingly I went to get out of
the wherry I was in; but just as I had got one of my feet into the
other boat the boys shoved it off, so that I fell into the Thames;
and, not being able to swim, I should unavoidably have been drowned,
but for the assistance of some watermen who providentially came to my
relief.
The Namur being again got ready for sea, my master, with his gang, was
ordered on board; and, to my no small grief, I was obliged to leave my
school-master, whom I liked very much, and always attended while I
stayed in London, to repair on board with my master. Nor did I leave
my kind patronesses, the Miss Guerins, without uneasiness and regret.
They often used to teach me to read, and took great pains to instruct
me in the principles of religion and the knowledge of God. I therefore
parted from those amiable ladies with reluctance; after receiving from
them many friendly cautions how to conduct myself, and some valuable
presents.
When I came to Spithead, I found we were destined for the
Mediterranean, with a large fleet, which was now ready to put to sea.
We only waited for the arrival of the admiral, who soon came on board;
and about the beginning of the spring 1759, having weighed anchor, and
got under way, Sailed for the Mediterranean; and in eleven days, from
the Land's End, we got to Gibraltar. While we were here I used to be
often on shore, and got various fruits in great plenty, and very
cheap.
I had frequently told several people, in my excursions on shore, the
story of my being kidnapped with my sister, and of our being
separated, as I have related before; and I had as often expressed my
anxiety for her fate, and my sorrow at having never met her again. One
day, when I was on shore, and mentioning these circumstances to some
persons, one of them told me he knew where my sister was, and, if I
would accompany him, he would bring me to her. Improbable as this
story was I believed it immediately, and agreed to go with him, while
my heart leaped for joy: and, indeed, he conducted me to a black young
woman, who was so like my sister, that, at first sight, I really
thought it was her: but I was quickly undeceived; and, on talking to
her, I found her to be of another nation.
While we lay here the Preston came in from the Levant. As soon as she
arrived, my master told me I should now see my old companion, Dick,
who had gone in her when she sailed for Turkey. I was much rejoiced at
this news, and expected every minute to embrace him; and when the
captain came on board of our ship, which he did immediately after, I
ran to inquire after my friend; but, with inexpressible sorrow, I
learned from the boat's crew that the dear youth was dead! and that
they had brought his chest, and all his other things, to my master:
these he afterwards gave to me, and I regarded them as a memorial of
my friend, whom I loved, and grieved for, as a brother.
While we were at Gibraltar, I saw a soldier hanging by his heels, at
one of the moles[L]: I thought this a strange sight, as I had seen a
man hanged in London by his neck. At another time I saw the master of
a frigate towed to shore on a grating, by several of the men of war's
boats, and discharged the fleet, which I understood was a mark of
disgrace for cowardice. On board the same ship there was also a sailor
hung up at the yard-arm.
After lying at Gibraltar for some time, we sailed up the Mediterranean
a considerable way above the Gulf of Lyons; where we were one night
overtaken with a terrible gale of wind, much greater than any I had
ever yet experienced. The sea ran so high that, though all the guns
were well housed, there was great reason to fear their getting loose,
the ship rolled so much; and if they had it must have proved our
destruction. After we had cruised here for a short time, we came to
Barcelona, a Spanish sea-port, remarkable for its silk manufactures.
Here the ships were all to be watered; and my master, who spoke
different languages, and used often to interpret for the admiral,
superintended the watering of ours. For that purpose he and the
officers of the other ships, who were on the same service, had tents
pitched in the bay; and the Spanish soldiers were stationed along the
shore, I suppose to see that no depredations were committed by our
men.
I used constantly to attend my master; and I was charmed with this
place. All the time we stayed it was like a fair with the natives, who
brought us fruits of all kinds, and sold them to us much cheaper than
I got them in England. They used also to bring wine down to us in hog
and sheep skins, which diverted me very much. The Spanish officers
here treated our officers with great politeness and attention; and
some of them, in particular, used to come often to my master's tent to
visit him; where they would sometimes divert themselves by mounting me
on the horses or mules, so that I could not fall, and setting them off
at full gallop; my imperfect skill in horsemanship all the while
affording them no small entertainment. After the ships were watered,
we returned to our old station of cruizing off Toulon, for the purpose
of intercepting a fleet of French men of war that lay there. One
Sunday, in our cruise, we came off a place where there were two small
French frigates lying in shore; and our admiral, thinking to take or
destroy them, sent two ships in after them--the Culloden and the
Conqueror. They soon came up to the Frenchmen; and I saw a smart fight
here, both by sea and land: for the frigates were covered by
batteries, and they played upon our ships most furiously, which they
as furiously returned, and for a long time a constant firing was kept
up on all sides at an amazing rate. At last one frigate sunk; but the
people escaped, though not without much difficulty: and a little after
some of the people left the other frigate also, which was a mere
wreck. However, our ships did not venture to bring her away, they were
so much annoyed from the batteries, which raked them both in going and
coming: their topmasts were shot away, and they were otherwise so much
shattered, that the admiral was obliged to send in many boats to tow
them back to the fleet. I afterwards sailed with a man who fought in
one of the French batteries during the engagement, and he told me our
ships had done considerable mischief that day on shore and in the
batteries.
After this we sailed for Gibraltar, and arrived there about August
1759. Here we remained with all our sails unbent, while the fleet was
watering and doing other necessary things. While we were in this
situation, one day the admiral, with most of the principal officers,
and many people of all stations, being on shore, about seven o'clock
in the evening we were alarmed by signals from the frigates stationed
for that purpose; and in an instant there was a general cry that the
French fleet was out, and just passing through the streights. The
admiral immediately came on board with some other officers; and it is
impossible to describe the noise, hurry and confusion throughout the
whole fleet, in bending their sails and slipping their cables; many
people and ships' boats were left on shore in the bustle. We had two
captains on board of our ship who came away in the hurry and left
their ships to follow. We shewed lights from the gun-whale to the main
topmast-head; and all our lieutenants were employed amongst the fleet
to tell the ships not to wait for their captains, but to put the sails
to the yards, slip their cables and follow us; and in this confusion
of making ready for fighting we set out for sea in the dark after the
French fleet. Here I could have exclaimed with Ajax,
"Oh Jove! O father! if it be thy will
That we must perish, we thy will obey,
But let us perish by the light of day."
They had got the start of us so far that we were not able to come up
with them during the night; but at daylight we saw seven sail of the
line of battle some miles ahead. We immediately chased them till about
four o'clock in the evening, when our ships came up with them; and,
though we were about fifteen large ships, our gallant admiral only