The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African
manumission, to his great joy--He afterwards enters as a
freeman on board one of Mr. King's ships, and sails for
Georgia--Impositions on free negroes as usual--His venture
of turkies--Sails for Montserrat, and on his passage his
friend, the Captain, falls ill and dies._
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 beginning 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 Philadelphia; 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 Prudence, and completed the lading of the Nancy, having
made near three hundred per cent, by four 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 undertaking. 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 followed 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 honest discreet sort of people, and never attempted to
impose on me; I therefore liked them, and ever after chose to deal
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 surprise, I
saw a very tall woman standing in the midst of them, speaking in an
audible voice something which I could not understand. Having never
seen anything 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 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 people 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 I 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 this; I thought it strange I
had never seen divines exert themselves in this manner before, and I
was no longer at a loss to account for the thin congregations 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
Montserrat. My traffic had hitherto succeeded 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 fate, I submitted
without repining, and we went to St. Eustatia. After we 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 remainder 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 expected 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 grateful acknowledgments in my
power for his former kindness and attention during my illness. While
we were here an odd circumstance happened to the Captain and me, which
disappointed us both a good deal. A silversmith, whom we had brought
to this place some voyages before, agreed with the Captain to return
with us to the West Indies, and promised 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 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 with 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, waking me, informed me of it, and desired
me to get up and procure a light, and immediately go to him. I told
him I 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
morning. '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 gratitude 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 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 papers,
which we supposed to be notes; at the sight of which our hearts leapt
for joy; and that instant the Captain, clapping 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 coffin. Our sudden and exquisite joy was now succeeded by a sudden
and exquisite pain; and my Captain and I exhibited, for some time,
most ridiculous figures--pictures of chagrin and disappointment! We
went away greatly mortified, 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, finding myself master
of about forty-seven pounds, I consulted my true friend, the Captain,
how I should proceed in offering my master the money for my freedom.
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, 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 purchase it.
This speech seemed to confound him; he began to recoil: and my heart
that instant sunk within me. 'What,' said he, 'give you your freedom?
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 Captain then said he knew I got the money very
honestly and with much industry, 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,
clapping my master on the back, 'Come, Robert, (which was his name) I
think you must let him have his freedom; 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 Gustavus 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 money.' 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 instant all my trepidation was turned into unutterable
bliss; and I most reverently bowed myself with gratitude, unable to
express my feelings, but by the overflowing of my eyes, while my true
and worthy friend, the Captain, congratulated us both with a peculiar
degree of heartfelt 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
affection and reverence, and left the room, in order to obey my
master's joyful mandate of going to the Register Office. 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 impressed on my mind from the very day
I was forced from Deptford to the present 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, like the apostle
Peter,[U] (whose deliverance from prison was so sudden and
extraordinary, that he thought he was in a vision) I could scarcely