The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African
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 employment in
those seas being to look after wrecks. They were then going to take
the remainder of the people belonging to the schooner; for which the
wrecker was to have all things belonging 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.
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 victual for any moderate length of time; they therefore
hired the schooner's people to work on our wreck, and we left them our
boat, and embarked for New Providence.
Nothing could have been more fortunate than our meeting with this
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 shellfish; 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 violent 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 shoals. Here we expected every minute 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 comprehension he did assist us, and
in a miraculous 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 anchor, 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
different times in their 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 towards the buoy
of the anchor. The eyes of us all 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 offered 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 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
heartfelt 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 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-sufferers that were free parted from us, and shaped their
course where their inclination led them. One merchant, who had a large
sloop, seeing our condition, and knowing we wanted to go to Georgia,
told four of us that his vessel was going there; and, if we would work
on board and load her, he would give us our passage free. As we could
not get any wages whatever, and found 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 money 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; 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 melodious
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 farewell of that place. When the vessel
was ready we all embarked; and I took my leave of New Providence, not
without regret. We sailed about four o'clock in the morning, with a
fair wind, for Georgia; and about eleven o'clock the same morning a
short and sudden gale sprung up and blew away most of our sails; and,
as we were still amongst the keys, in 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 vessel 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 deter 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, with hard labour, in seven
day's time arrived safe at Georgia.
After our arrival we went up to the town of Savannah; and the same
evening 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 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,' replied
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 with them to the watch-house,
where I remained during the night. Early the 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 instantly they swore they would serve me as Doctor
Perkins had done; and they 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.
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 fellow 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 too
good English. I replied, I believed I did; and I had also with me a
revengeful stick equal to the occasion; and my mind was likewise good.
Happily 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, anxiously trying to get to Montserrat once more to see Mr. King,
my old master, and then to take a final farewell of the American
quarter of the globe. At last I met with a sloop called the Speedwell,
Captain John Bunton, which belonged 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