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
diligence and economy, at times when my master did not require my
labor, in two years I laid up ten pounds. This my friend tendered to
my master for myself, and received his note for it.
Being encouraged by the success which I had met in redeeming myself, I
again solicited my master for a further chance of completing it. The
chance for which I solicited him was that of going out to work the
ensuing winter. He agreed to this on condition that I would give him
one quarter of my earnings. On these terms I worked the following
winter, and earned four pounds sixteen shillings, one quarter of which
went to my master for the privilege, and the rest was paid him on my
own account. This added to the other payments made up forty four
pounds, eight shillings, which I had paid on my own account. I was
then about thirty five years old.
The next summer I again desired he would give me a chance of going out
to work. But he refused and answered that he must have my labor this
summer, as he did not have it the past winter. I replied that I
considered it as hard that I could not have a chance to work out when
the season became advantageous, and that I must only be permitted to
hire myself out in the poorest season of the year. He asked me after
this what I would give for the privilege per month. I replied that I
would leave it wholly with his own generosity to determine what I
should return him a month. Well then, said he, if so two pounds a
month. I answered him that if that was the least he would take I
would be contented.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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