walking at
night and sleeping in the bushes by day. I got as near de town as I dar,
and could see seberal vessels lying near de shore. I could see dat some
ob dem had de Spanish flag--I knew dat flag--de oders had flags which
I did not know. When it was dark I walked boldly into the town; no one
asked me any question, and I make my way through de streets down to de
shore. Dere I get into a boat and lay quiet till all de town was asleep.
Den I get into water and swim off to a ship--one dat I had noticed had
a flag which was not Spanish. Dere was a boat alongside. I climb into it
and pull myself up by the rope on deck. Den some white men seize me and
say someting in language which I not understand. Den dey take me into
cabin and say someting to captain; me not know what it was, but de
captain laugh, and me not like his laugh at all. Howeber, dey give me
someting to eat, and den take me down into hold of ship and tell me to
go to sleep on some sacks of sugar, and throw some empty sacks ober me
to cover me. Den dey close up hatch and leab me alone.

"When I come on deck de land was gone and de vessel sailing along. I
speak to no one, for I only understand little Spanish, and dese people
not speak dat. We sail along for some time, and at last we come in sight
of land again. Den dey hoist flag and I see dat it a flag wid lots of
red stars and stripes upon him. I know now dat it was a 'Merican ship.
Den I know noting. We get to port and I want to land, but dey shake deir
heads.

"De next day de captain he make sign to me to come wid him. I go
along to shore and he take me to a open space in town, where a man was
standing on a raised platform. He had a black woman by de side ob him.
Seberal men come up and look at her. De man he shout bery loud. Oder men
say something short. At last he knock on de table; a man tell de woman
to come after him and she walk away. Den a boy was put up, and den two
more women, and ebery time just de same ting was done. Den de man call
out, and de captain push his way through the crowd wid me, and tell
me to climb up on platform. I get up and look round quite surprised.
Eberybody laugh. Den de man began to holloa again. Den seberal men come
up and feel my arms and my legs. Dey point to de marks which de whip had
left on my back, and dey laugh again. Presently de man who was shouting
bang his hand on the table again, and a white man in the crowd, who had
seberal times called out loud, come up to me,