Church[14] and heard the minister preach. He was
hopefully converted and was baptized by Pastor John Courtney[15] into
the fellowship of the church. There he heard a sermon on the third
chapter of the gospel of John which so inspired him that he obtained a
Testament in order that he might read for himself the Lord's interview
with Nicodemus. In a short time he knew the alphabet, and with very
little assistance from the men at the warehouse,[16] he learned to
read this chapter and also to write.[17]

Cary was a changed man--industrious, thrifty, Christian. Whereas he
had been idle now he devoted his leisure time to reading and it is
said that one of the books that he read was Adam Smith's _Wealth of
Nations_.[18] By his application to reading and writing he was able in
a little time to make dray tickets and to act as shipping clerk.[19]
His work in the warehouse was "such as no person, white or black, has
equalled in the same situation.... He could produce any one of the
hundreds of hogsheads of tobacco the instant it was called for."[20]
For these services he was often given a five dollar note and the
privilege to sell small quantities of waste tobacco for his own
benefit.[21] He saved the money obtained in this way, and with the aid
of a subscription among his employers accumulated by 1813 $850 with
which he purchased freedom for himself and his two children.[22]

The following extract of a letter from William Crane to the Rev.
Obadiah Brown of Washington City, which he forwarded to the
corresponding secretary of the Baptist Board of Foreign Missions,
corroborates, in the main, the foregoing statements as well as gives
some interesting sidelights on the lives of Cary and Teague:

_Richmond, March 28_, 1819.

You will probably recollect, that I introduced you to two of our
colored brethren in this place, who are accustomed to speak in
public; one named Collin Teague, the other Lot Carey. Ever since
the missionary subject has been so much agitated in this country,
these two brethren, associated with many others, have been
wishing they could, in some way, aid their unhappy kindred in
Africa; and I suppose you have heard of their having formed a
missionary society for this sole purpose. Some letters published
in No. VI of the _Luminary_ (written by Kizell, the Baptist
leader in Sherbro Island and by some others) have served to
a