The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African
from the upper-deck of the Ætna down the after-hold, when the ballast
was out; and all who saw me fall cried out I was killed: but I
received not the least injury. And in the same ship a man fell from
the mast-head on the deck without being hurt. In these, and in many
more instances, I thought I could plainly trace the hand of God,
without whose permission a sparrow cannot fall. I began to raise my
fear from man to him alone, and to call daily on his holy name with
fear and reverence: and I trust he heard my supplications, and
graciously condescended to answer me according to his holy word, and
to implant the seeds of piety in me, even one of the meanest of his
creatures.
When we had refitted our ship, and all things were in readiness for
attacking the place, the troops on board the transports were ordered
to disembark; and my master, as a junior captain, had a share in the
command of the landing. This was on the 8th of April. The French were
drawn up on the shore, and had made every disposition to oppose the
landing of our men, only a small part of them this day being able to
effect it; most of them, after fighting with great bravery, were cut
off; and General Crawford, with a number of others, were taken
prisoners. In this day's engagement we had also our lieutenant killed.
On the 21st of April we renewed our efforts to land the men, while all
the men of war were stationed along the shore to cover it, and fired
at the French batteries and breastworks from early in the morning till
about four o'clock in the evening, when our soldiers effected a safe
landing. They immediately attacked the French; and, after a sharp
encounter, forced them from the batteries. Before the enemy retreated
they blew up several of them, lest they should fall into our hands.
Our men now proceeded to besiege the citadel, and my master was
ordered on shore to superintend the landing of all the materials
necessary for carrying on the siege; in which service I mostly
attended him. While I was there I went about to different parts of the
island; and one day, particularly, my curiosity almost cost me my
life. I wanted very much to see the mode of charging the mortars and
letting off the shells, and for that purpose I went to an English
battery that was but a very few yards from the walls of the citadel.
There, indeed, I had an opportunity of completely gratifying myself in
seeing the whole operation, and that not without running a very great
risk, both from the English shells that burst while I was there, but
likewise from those of the French. One of the largest of their shells
bursted within nine or ten yards of me: there was a single rock close
by, about the size of a butt; and I got instant shelter under it in
time to avoid the fury of the shell. Where it burst the earth was torn
in such a manner that two or three butts might easily have gone into
the hole it made, and it threw great quantities of stones and dirt to
a considerable distance. Three shot were also fired at me and another
boy who was along with me, one of them in particular seemed
"Wing'd with red lightning and impetuous rage;"
for with a most dreadful sound it hissed close by me, and struck a
rock at a little distance, which it shattered to pieces. When I saw
what perilous circumstances I was in, I attempted to return the
nearest way I could find, and thereby I got between the English and
the French centinels. An English serjeant, who commanded the outposts,
seeing me, and surprised how I came there, (which was by stealth along
the seashore), reprimanded me very severely for it, and instantly took
the centinel off his post into custody, for his negligence in
suffering me to pass the lines. While I was in this situation I
observed at a little distance a French horse, belonging to some
islanders, which I thought I would now mount, for the greater
expedition of getting off. Accordingly I took some cord which I had
about me, and making a kind of bridle of it, I put it round the
horse's head, and the tame beast very quietly suffered me to tie him
thus and mount him. As soon as I was on the horse's back I began to
kick and beat him, and try every means to make him go quick, but all
to very little purpose: I could not drive him out of a slow pace.
While I was creeping along, still within reach of the enemy's shot, I
met with a servant well mounted on an English horse. I immediately
stopped; and, crying, told him my case; and begged of him to help me,
and this he effectually did; for, having a fine large whip, he began
to lash my horse with it so severely, that he set off full speed with
me towards the sea, while I was quite unable to hold or manage him. In
this manner I went along till I came to a craggy precipice. I now
could not stop my horse; and my mind was filled with apprehensions of
my deplorable fate should he go down the precipice, which he appeared
fully disposed to do: I therefore thought I had better throw myself
off him at once, which I did immediately with a great deal of
dexterity, and fortunately escaped unhurt. As soon as I found myself
at liberty I made the best of my way for the ship, determined I would
not be so fool-hardy again in a hurry.
We continued to besiege the citadel till June, when it surrendered.
During the siege I have counted above sixty shells and carcases in the
air at once. When this place was taken I went through the citadel, and
in the bomb-proofs under it, which were cut in the solid rock; and I
thought it a surprising place, both for strength and building:
notwithstanding which our shots and shells had made amazing
devastation, and ruinous heaps all around it.
After the taking of this island our ships, with some others commanded
by Commodore Stanhope in the Swiftsure, went to Basse-road, where we
blocked up a French fleet. Our ships were there from June till
February following; and in that time I saw a great many scenes of war,
and stratagems on both sides to destroy each others fleet. Sometimes
we would attack the French with some ships of the line; at other times
with boats; and frequently we made prizes. Once or twice the French
attacked us by throwing shells with their bomb-vessels: and one day as
a French vessel was throwing shells at our ships she broke from her
springs, behind the isle of I de Re: the tide being complicated, she
came within a gun shot of the Nassau; but the Nassau could not bring a
gun to bear upon her, and thereby the Frenchman got off. We were twice
attacked by their fire-floats, which they chained together, and then
let them float down with the tide; but each time we sent boats with
graplings, and towed them safe out of the fleet.
We had different commanders while we were at this place, Commodores
Stanhope, Dennis, Lord Howe, &c. From hence, before the Spanish war
began, our ship and the Wasp sloop were sent to St. Sebastian in
Spain, by Commodore Stanhope; and Commodore Dennis afterwards sent our
ship as a cartel to Bayonne in France[M], after which[N] we went in
February in 1762 to Belle-Isle, and there stayed till the summer, when
we left it, and returned to Portsmouth.
After our ship was fitted out again for service, in September she went
to Guernsey, where I was very glad to see my old hostess, who was now
a widow, and my former little charming companion, her daughter. I
spent some time here very happily with them, till October, when we had
orders to repair to Portsmouth. We parted from each other with a great
deal of affection; and I promised to return soon, and see them again,
not knowing what all-powerful fate had determined for me. Our ship
having arrived at Portsmouth, we went into the harbour, and remained
there till the latter end of November, when we heard great talk about
peace; and, to our very great joy, in the beginning of December we had
orders to go up to London with our ship to be paid off. We received
this news with loud huzzas, and every other demonstration of gladness;
and nothing but mirth was to be seen throughout every part of the
ship. I too was not without my share of the general joy on this
occasion. I thought now of nothing but being freed, and working for
myself, and thereby getting money to enable me to get a good
education; for I always had a great desire to be able at least to read
and write; and while I was on shipboard I had endeavoured to improve
myself in both. While I was in the Ætna particularly, the captain's
clerk taught me to write, and gave me a smattering of arithmetic as
far as the rule of three. There was also one Daniel Queen, about forty
years of age, a man very well educated, who messed with me on board
this ship, and he likewise dressed and attended the captain.
Fortunately this man soon became very much attached to me, and took
very great pains to instruct me in many things. He taught me to shave
and dress hair a little, and also to read in the Bible, explaining
many passages to me, which I did not comprehend. I was wonderfully
surprised to see the laws and rules of my country written almost
exactly here; a circumstance which I believe tended to impress our
manners and customs more deeply on my memory. I used to tell him of
this resemblance; and many a time we have sat up the whole night
together at this employment. In short, he was like a father to me; and
some even used to call me after his name; they also styled me the
black Christian. Indeed I almost loved him with the affection of a
son. Many things I have denied myself that he might have them; and
when I used to play at marbles or any other game, and won a few
half-pence, or got any little money, which I sometimes did, for
shaving any one, I used to buy him a little sugar or tobacco, as far
as my stock of money would go. He used to say, that he and I never
should part; and that when our ship was paid off, as I was as free as
himself or any other man on board, he would instruct me in his
business, by which I might gain a good livelihood. This gave me new
life and spirits; and my heart burned within me, while I thought the
time long till I obtained my freedom. For though my master had not
promised it to me, yet, besides the assurances I had received that he
had no right to detain me, he always treated me with the greatest
kindness, and reposed in me an unbounded confidence; he even paid
attention to my morals; and would never suffer me to deceive him, or
tell lies, of which he used to tell me the consequences; and that if I
did so God would not love me; so that, from all this tenderness, I had
never once supposed, in all my dreams of freedom, that he would think
of detaining me any longer than I wished.
In pursuance of our orders we sailed from Portsmouth for the Thames,
and arrived at Deptford the 10th of December, where we cast anchor
just as it was high water. The ship was up about half an hour, when my
master ordered the barge to be manned; and all in an instant, without
having before given me the least reason to suspect any thing of the
matter, he forced me into the barge; saying, I was going to leave him,
but he would take care I should not. I was so struck with the
unexpectedness of this proceeding, that for some time I did not make a
reply, only I made an offer to go for my books and chest of clothes,
but he swore I should not move out of his sight; and if I did he would
cut my throat, at the same time taking his hanger. I began, however,
to collect myself; and, plucking up courage, I told him I was free,
and he could not by law serve me so. But this only enraged him the
more; and he continued to swear, and said he would soon let me know
whether he would or not, and at that instant sprung himself into the
barge from the ship, to the astonishment and sorrow of all on board.
The tide, rather unluckily for me, had just turned downward, so that