us berry
little food, berry little water. Dey flog us if we grumble. Dese men
belong to ships, and had bought us from dose who brought us down from
up country. Deir ship not come yet, and for a long time we wait in the
barracoon wishing dat we could die. At last de ship came, and we were
taken on board and huddled down below. Law, what a place dat was to be
sure! Not more than tree feet high, just high enough to sit up, and dere
we chained to deck. De heat, sar, was someting terrible. Some ob us yell
out and scream for air, but dey only come down and beat us wid whips.

"De day after we got on board de ship set sail. Tree hours after dat we
hear a great running about on deck, and a shouting by the white men. Den
we hear big gun fire ober head, almost make us jump out of skin wid de
noise. Den more guns. Den dere was a crash, and before we knew what was
de matter dere was a big hole in de side, and six niggers was killed
dead. Ebery one yelled berry loud. We tink for sure that de last day
come. For a long time de guns keep firing, and den everyting quiet
again. At de time no one could tink what de matter, but I s'pose dat
British cruiser chase us and dat de slaber sail away.

"Dat was an awful voyage, sar. At first de sea smoove, and de ship go
along straight. Den de ship begin to toss about jus' as nigger does when
he has taken too much palm wine, and we all feel berry bad. Ebery one
groan and cry and tink dat dey must have been poisoned. For tree days it
was a terrible time. De hatches were shut down and no air could come to
us, and dere we was all alone in de dark, and no one could make out why
de great house on de water roll and tumble so much. We cry and shout
till all breaff gone, and den lie quiet and moan, till jus' when ebery
one tink he dead, dey take off de hatch and come down and undo de
padlocks and tell us to go up on deck. Dat berry easy to say, not at all
easy to do. Most of us too weak to walk, and say dat we dead and cannot
move. Den dey whip all about, and it was astonishing, sar, to see what
life dat whip put into dead nigger. Somehow people feel dat dey could
crawl after all, and when dey get up on deck and see de blessed sun
again and de blue sky dey feel better. But not all. In spite ob de whip
many hab to be carried up on deck, and dere de sailor men lay 'em down
and trow cold water ober dem till dey open dere eyes and come to life.
Some neber come to life. Dere were about six hundred when we star