egal. During his
absence, the children discovered that the negroes who remained with us
had formed a scheme of deserting during the night. Caroline and myself
were much embarrassed and undecided what course to pursue, to prevent
their escape; at last, having well considered the matter, we thought, as
Etienne would be in the plot, we had no other means of preventing their
escape but by each of us arming ourselves with a pistol, and thus
passing the night in watching them. We bound our canoe firmly with a
chain, and seated ourselves, the better to observe their motions. About
nine in the evening, the two negroes came to the banks of the river, but
having discovered us, they feigned to fish, really holding in their
hands a small line; but on coming nearer to them, I saw they had no
hooks. I desired them to go to bed, and return on the morrow to fish.
One of them came close to our canoe, and threw himself into it, thinking
he could instantly put off; but when he found it chained, he left it
quite ashamed, and went and lay down with his comrade. I set off to look
for Etienne, whom we suspected to have been in the plot, and told him of
the design of the two negroes, and prayed him to assist us in watching
them during the night. He instantly rose, and taking my father's gun,
bade us sleep in quiet, whilst he alone would be sufficient to overcome
them; however, they made no farther attempt that night, hoping,
doubtless, to be more fortunate another time. Next day I wrote to my
father, to return to Safal before night, for that we were on the eve of
losing the remainder of our negroes. He returned in the evening,
resolving never again to quit our cottage. He interrogated the negroes
concerning their design of desertion, and asked them what excuse they
had to plead. "We are comfortable here," replied one of them, "but we
are not in our native country; our parents and friends are far from us.
We have been deprived of our liberty, and we have made, and will make
still farther efforts, for its recovery." He added, addressing himself
to my father, "If thou, Picard, my master, wert arrested when
cultivating thy fields, and carried far, far from thy family, wouldst
thou not endeavour to rejoin them, and recover thy liberty?" My father
promptly replied, "I would!" "Very well," continued Nakamou, "I am in
the same situation as thyself, I am the father of a numerous family; I
have yet a mother, some uncles; I love my wife, my children; and d