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y called
Brimstone-Hill, which is a high and steep mountain, some few miles
from the town of Plymouth in Montserrat. I had often heard of some
wonders that were to be seen on this hill, and I went once with some
white and black people to visit it. When we arrived at the top, I saw
under different cliffs great flakes of brimstone, occasioned by the
steams of various little ponds, which were then boiling naturally in
the earth. Some of these ponds were as white as milk, some quite blue,
and many others of different colours. I had taken some potatoes with
me, and I put them into different ponds, and in a few minutes they
were well boiled. I tasted some of them, but they were very
sulphurous; and the silver shoe buckles, and all the other things of
that metal we had among us, were, in a little time, turned as black
as lead.

Some time in the year 1763 kind Providence seemed to appear rather
more favourable to me. One of my master's vessels, a Bermudas sloop,
about sixty tons, was commanded by one Captain Thomas Farmer, an
Englishman, a very alert and active man, who gained my master a great
deal of money by his good management in carrying passengers from one
island to another; but very often his sailors used to get drunk and
run away from the vessel, which hindered him in his business very
much. This man had taken a liking to me; and many different times
begged of my master to let me go a trip with him as a sailor; but he
would tell him he could not spare me, though the vessel sometimes
could not go for want of hands, for sailors were generally very scarce
in the island. However, at last, from necessity or force, my master
was prevailed on, though very reluctantly, to let me go with this
captain; but he gave great charge to him to take care that I did not
run away, for if I did he would make him pay for me. This being the
case, the captain had for some time a sharp eye upon me whenever the
vessel anchored; and as soon as she returned I was sent for on shore
again. Thus was I slaving as it were for life, sometimes at one thing,
and sometimes at another; so that the captain and I were nearly the
most useful men in my master's employment. I also became so useful to
the captain on shipboard, that many times, when he used to ask for me
to go with him, though it should be but for twenty-four hours, to some
of the islands near us, my master would answer he could not spare me,
at which the captain would swear, and would not go the trip; and tell
my master I was better to him on board than any three white men he
had; for they used to behave ill in many respects, particularly in
getting drunk; and then they frequently got the boat stove, so as to
hinder the vessel from coming back as soon as she might have done.
This my master knew very well; and at last, by the captain's constant
entreaties, after I had been several times with him, one day, to my
great joy, my master told me the captain would not let him rest, and
asked me whether I would go aboard as a sailor, or stay on shore and
mind the stores, for he could not bear any longer to be plagued in
this manner. I was very happy at this proposal, for I immediately
thought I might in time stand some chance by being on board to get a
little money, or possibly make my escape if I should be used ill: I
also expected to get better food, and in greater abundance; for I had
felt much hunger oftentimes, though my master treated his slaves, as I
have observed, uncommonly well. I therefore, without hesitation,
answered him, that I would go and be a sailor if he pleased.
Accordingly I was ordered on board directly. Nevertheless, between the
vessel and the shore, when she was in port, I had little or no rest,
as my master always wished to have me along with him. Indeed he was a
very pleasant gentleman, and but for my expectations on shipboard I
should not have thought of leaving him. But the captain liked me also
very much, and I was entirely his right-hand man. I did all I could to
deserve his favour, and in return I received better treatment from him
than any other I believe ever met with in the West Indies in my
situation.

After I had been sailing for some time with this captain, at length I
endeavoured to try my luck and commence merchant. I had but a very
small capital to begin with; for one single half bit, which is equal
to three pence in England, made up my whole stock. However I trusted
to the Lord to be with me; and at one of our trips to St. Eustatia, a
Dutch island, I bought a glass tumbler with my half bit, and when I
came to Montserrat I sold it for a bit, or sixpence. Luckily we made
several successive trips to St. Eustatia (which was a general mart for
the West Indies, about twenty leagues from Montserrat); and in our
next, finding my tumbler so profitable, with this one bit I bought two
tumblers more; and when I came back I sold them for two bits, equal to
a shilling sterling. When we went again I bought with these two bits
four more of these glasses, which I sold for four bits on our return
to Montserrat; and in our next voyage to St. Eustatia I bought two
glasses with one bit, and with the other three I bought a jug of
Geneva, nearly about three pints in measure. When we came to
Montserrat I sold the gin for eight bits, and the tumblers for two, so
that my capital now amounted in all to a dollar, well husbanded and
acquired in the space of a month or six weeks, when I blessed the Lord
that I was so rich. As we sailed to different islands, I laid this
money out in various things occasionally, and it used to turn out to
very good account, especially when we went to Guadaloupe, Grenada, and
the rest of the French islands. Thus was I going all about the islands
upwards of four years, and ever trading as I went, during which I
experienced many instances of ill usage, and have seen many injuries
done to other negroes in our dealings with Europeans: and, amidst our
recreations, when we have been dancing and merry-making, they, without
cause, have molested and insulted us. Indeed I was more than once
obliged to look up to God on high, as I had advised the poor fisherman
some time before. And I had not been long trading for myself in the
manner I have related above, when I experienced the like trial in
company with him as follows: This man being used to the water, was
upon an emergency put on board of us by his master to work as another
hand, on a voyage to Santa Cruz; and at our sailing he had brought his
little all for a venture, which consisted of six bits' worth of limes
and oranges in a bag; I had also my whole stock, which was about
twelve bits' worth of the same kind of goods, separate in two bags;
for we had heard these fruits sold well in that island. When we came
there, in some little convenient time he and I went ashore with our
fruits to sell them; but we had scarcely landed when we were met by
two white men, who presently took our three bags from us. We could not
at first guess what they meant to do; and for some time we

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