A Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Venture, a Native of Africa, but Resident above Sixty Years in the United States of America, Related by HimselfSmith, Venture
History
A Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Venture, a Native of Africa, but Resident above Sixty Years in the United States of America, Related by Himself
Smith, Venture
Slavery -- Connecticut
Not a long time passed after that, before Heddy was sent by my master
to New-London gaol. At the close of that year I was sold to a Thomas
Stanton, and had to be separated from my wife and one daughter, who
was about one month old. He resided at Stonington-point. To this
place I brought with me from my last master's, two johannes, three old
Spanish dollars, and two thousand of coppers, besides five pounds of
my wife's money. This money I got by cleaning gentlemen's shoes and
drawing boots, by catching musk-rats and minks, raising potatoes and
carrots, &c. and by fishing in the night, and at odd spells.
All this money amounting to near twenty-one pounds York currency, my
master's brother, Robert Stanton, hired of me, for which he gave me
his note. About one year and a half after that time, my master
purchased my wife and and her child, for severn hundred pounds old
tenor. One time my master sent me two miles after a barrel of
molasses, and ordered me to carry it on my shoulders. I made out to
carry it all the way to my master's house. When I lived with Captain
George Mumford, only to try my strength, I took up on my knees a
tierce of salt containing seven bushels, and carried it two or three
rods. Of this fact there are several eye witnesses now living.
Towards the close of the time that I resided with this master, I had a
falling out with my mistress. This happened one time when my master
was gone to Long-Island a gunning. At first the quarrel began between
my wife and her mistress. I was then at work in the barn, and hearing
a racket in the house, induced me to run there and see what had broken
out. When I entered the house, I found my mistress in a violent
passion with my wife, for what she informed me was a mere trifle; such
a small affair that I forbear to put my mistress to the shame of
having it known. I earnestly requested my wife to beg pardon of her
mistress for the sake of peace even if she had given no just occasion
for offence. But whilst I was thus saying my mistress turned the
blows which she was repeating on my wife to me. She took down her
horse-whip, and while she was glutting her fury with it, I reached out
my great black hand, raised it up and received the blows of the whip
on it which were designed for my head. Then I immediately committed
the whip to the devouring fire.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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