ery
mean-looking, cheese-coloured fellow, who was sitting there--to look up
at us very suspiciously, and in a fierce tone of voice he said to me,
"Boy, do you belong to that gentleman?" I quickly replied, "Yes, sir"
(which was quite correct). The tickets were handed out, and as my
master was paying for them the chief man said to him, "I wish you to
register your name here, sir, and also the name of your nigger, and pay
a dollar duty on him."

My master paid the dollar, and pointing to the hand that was in the
poultice, requested the officer to register his name for him. This
seemed to offend the "high-bred" South Carolinian. He jumped up,
shaking his head; and, cramming his hands almost through the bottom of
his trousers pockets, with a slave-bullying air, said, "I shan't do it."

This attracted the attention of all the passengers. Just then the
young military officer with whom my master travelled and conversed on
the steamer from Savannah stepped in, somewhat the worse for brandy; he
shook hands with my master, and pretended to know all about him. He
said, "I know his kin (friends) like a book;" and as the officer was
known in Charleston, and was going to stop there with friends, the
recognition was very much in my master's favor.

The captain of the steamer, a good-looking, jovial fellow, seeing that
the gentleman appeared to know my master, and perhaps not wishing to
lose us as passengers, said in an off-hand sailor-like manner, "I will
register the gentleman's name, and take the responsibility upon
myself." He asked my master's name. He said, "William Johnson." The
names were put down, I think, "Mr. Johnson and slave." The captain
said, "It's all right now, Mr. Johnson." He thanked him kindly, and
the young officer begged my master to go with him, and have something
to drink and a cigar; but as he had not acquired these accomplishments,
he excused himself, and we went on board and came off to Wilmington,
North Carolina. When the gentleman finds out his mistake, he will, I
have no doubt, be careful in future not to pretend to have an intimate
acquaintance with an entire stranger. During the voyage the captain
said, "It was rather sharp shooting this morning, Mr. Johnson. It was
not out of any disrespect to you, sir; but they make it a rule to be
very strict at Charleston. I have known families to be detained there
with their slaves till reliable information could be received
respecting them. If they