differing from what they really were; for we do not always judge those things by the real temper of the person, but by the measure of our apprehensions.

Hark ye, young man, how old are you? says my master, and so our dialogue began.

Jack. Indeed, sir, I do not know.

Mast. What is your name?

Jack. They call me Colonel here, but my name is Jack, a'nt please your worship.

Mast. But prithee, what is thy name?

Jack. Jack.

Mast. What is thy christian name then, Colonel, and thy surname, Jack?

Jack. Truly, sir, to tell your honour the truth, I know little or nothing of myself, nor what my true name is; but thus I have been called ever since I remember; which is my christian name, or which my surname, or whether I was ever christened or not, I cannot tell.

Mast. Well, however, that's honestly answered. Pray how came you hither, and on what account are you made a servant here?

Jack. I wish your honour could have patience with me to hear the whole story; it is the hardest and most unjust thing that ever came before you.

Mast. Say you so? tell it me at large then; I'll hear it, I promise that, if it be an hour long.

This encouraged me, and I began at being a soldier, and being persuaded to desert at Dunbar, and gave him all the particulars, as they are related above, to the time of my coming on shore, and the captain talking to me about my bill after I arrived here. He held up his hands several times as I went on, expressing his abhorrence of the usage I had met with at Newcastle, and inquired the name of the master of the ship; for, said he, that captain, for all his smooth words, must be a rogue. So I told him his name, and the name of the ship, and he took it down in his book, and then we went on.

Mast. But pray answer me, honestly too, to another question, what was it made you so much concerned at my talking to the boy there, the pickpocket?

Jack. An't please your honour, it moved me to hear you talk so kindly to a poor slave.

TELLS THE PLANTER HIS HISTORY.

Mast. And was that all? speak truly now.

373

Jack. No, indeed, but a secret wish came into my thoughts, that you that were so good to such a creature as that, could but one way or other know my case, and that if you did, you would certainly pity me, and do something for me.

Mast. Well, but was there nothing in his case that hit your own, that made you so affected with it, for I saw tears come from your eyes, and it was that made me call to speak

to you.

Jack. Indeed, sir, I have been a wicked idle boy, and was left desolate in the world; but that boy is a thief, and condemned to be hanged; I never was before a court of justice in my life.

Mast. Well, I won't examine you too far; if you were never before a court of justice, and are not a criminal transported, I have nothing further to inquire of you. You have been ill used, that's certain, and was it that that affected you? Jack. Yes, indeed, please your honour (we all called him his honour, or his worship).

Mast. Well, now I do know your case, what can I do for you? You speak of a bill of 947. of which you would have given the captain 401. for your liberty, have you that bill in your keeping still?

Jack. Yes, sir, here it is. I pulled it out of the waistband of my drawers, where I always found means to preserve it, wrapped up in a piece of paper, and pinned to the waistband, and yet almost worn out too with often pinning and removing; so I gave it to him to read, and he read it.

Mast. And is this gentleman in being that gave you the bill?

Jack. Yes, sir, he was alive and in good health when I came from London, which you may see by the date of the bill, for I came away the next day.

Mast. I do not wonder that the captain of the ship was willing to get this bill of you when you came on shore here. Jack. I would have given it into his possession, if he would have carried me and my brother back again to England, and have taken what he asked for us out of it.

Mast. Ay, but he knew better than that too; he knew if he had any friends there, they would call him to an account for what he had done; but I wonder he did not take it from you while you were at sea, either by fraud or by force.

Jack. He did not attempt that indeed.

Mast. Well, young man, I have a mind to try if I can do you any service in this case. On my word, if the money can be paid, and you can get it safe over, I might put you in a way how to be a better man than your master, if you will be honest and diligent.

Jack. As I behave myself in your service, sir, you will I hope judge of the rest.

Mast. But perhaps you hanker after returning to England. Jack. No, indeed, sir, if I can but get my bread honestly here, I have no mind to go to England; for I know not how to get my bread there; if I had, I had not listed for a soldier.

Mast. Well, but I must ask you some questions about that part hereafter; for 'tis indeed something strange that you should list for a soldier, when you had 947. in your pocket.

Jack. I shall give your worship as particular account of that as I have of the other part of my life, if you please, but 'tis very long.

Mast. Well, we will have that another time; but to the case in hand; are you willing I should send to anybody at London to talk with that gentleman that gave you the bill; not to take the money of him, but to ask him only whether he has so much money of yours in his hands; and whether he will part with it when you shall give order, and send the bill, or a duplicate of it; that is, says he, the copy; and it was well he did say so, for I did not understand the word duplicate at all.

Jack. Yes, sir, I will give you the bill itself, if you please, I can trust it with you though I could not with him.

Mast. No, no, young man, I won't take it from you. Jack. I wish your worship would please to keep it for me, for if I should lose it then I am quite undone.

Mast. I will keep it for you, Jack, if you will, but then you shall have a note under my hand, signifying that I have it, and will return it you upon demand, which will be as safe to you as the bill; I won't take it else.

So I gave my master the bill, and he gave me his note for it; and he was a faithful steward for me, as you will hear in its place. After this conference I was dismissed and went to my work; but about two hours after, the steward, or the overseer of the plantation, came riding by, and coming up to

MADE OVERSEER IN A PLANTATION.

375

me as I was at work, pulled a bottle out of his pocket, and calling me to him gave me a dram of rum; when, in good manners, I had taken but a little sup, he held it out to me again, and bade me take another; and spoke wondrous civilly to me, quite otherwise than he used to do.

This encouraged me, and heartened me very much, but yet I had no particular view of anything, or which way I should have any relief.

A day or two after, when we were all going out to our work in the morning, the overseer called me to him again, and gave me a dram, and a good piece of bread, and bade me come off from my work about one o'clock, and come to him to the house, for he must speak with me.

When I came to him, I came to be sure in the ordinary habit of a poor half naked slave. Come hither, young man, says he, and give me your hoe. When I gave it him, Well, says he, you are to work no more in this plantation.

I looked surprised, and as if I was frighted. What have I done? sir, said I, and whither am I to be sent away?

Nay, nay, says he, and looked very pleasantly, do not be frighted, 'tis for your good, 'tis not to hurt you; I am ordered to make an overseer of you, and you shall be a slave no longer.

Alas! says I to him, I an overseer! I am in no condition for it, I have no clothes to put on, no linen, nothing to help myself.

Well, well, says he, you may be better used than you are aware of; come hither with me. So he led me into a vast great warehouse, or, rather, set of warehouses, one within another, and calling the warehouse-keeper, Here, says he, you must clothe this man, and give him everything necessary, upon the foot of number five, and give the bill to me; our master has ordered me to allow it in the account of the west plantation. That was, it seems, the plantation where I was

to go.

A

CHAPTER IX.

STUMBLE AT THE THRESHOLD OF MY NEW OFFICE-I STUDY TO RENDER THE NEGROES OBEDIENT WITHOUT PUNISHMENT, AND SUCCEED-OUR MASTER VISITS THE PLANTATION-CONVERSATION WITH HIM—I GAIN HIS GOOD GRACES MORE AND MORE-FIDELITY OF A NEGRO.

ACCORDINGLY, the warehouse-keeper carried me into an inner warehouse, where were several suits of clothes of the sort his orders mentioned: which were plain, but good sorts of clothes, ready made, being of a good broadcloth, about 11s. a yard in England, and with this he gave me three good shirts, two pair of shoes, stockings and gloves, a hat, six neckcloths, and, in short, everything I could want; and when he had looked everything out, and fitted them, he lets me into a little room by itself. Here, says he, go in there a slave, and come out a gentleman; and with that carried everything into the room, and, shutting the door, bid me put them on, which I did most willingly; and now you may believe, that I began to hope for something better than ordinary.

In a little while after this, came the overseer, and gave me joy of my new clothes, and told me I must go with him: so I was carried to another plantation, larger than that where I worked before, and where there were two overseers, or clerks; one within doors, and one without. This last was removed to another plantation, and I was placed there in his room, that is to say, as the clerk without doors, and my business was to look after the servants and negroes, and take care that they did their business, provide their food, and, in short, both govern and direct them.

I was elevated to the highest degree in my thoughts at this advancement, and it is impossible for me to express the joy of my mind upon this occasion; but there came a difficulty upon me, that shocked me so violently, and went so against my very nature, that I really had almost forfeited my place about it; and in all appearance, the favour of our master who had been so generous to me; and this was, that