The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African: Written By HimselfEquiano, Olaudah
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The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African: Written By Himself
Equiano, Olaudah
Enslaved persons -- Great Britain -- Biography; Enslaved persons -- United States -- Biography; Equiano, Olaudah, 1745-1797
After our arrival we went up to the town of Savannah; and the same
evening I went to a friend's house to lodge, whose name was Mosa, a
black man. We were very happy at meeting each other; and after supper
we had a light till it was between nine and ten o'clock at night.
About that time the watch or patrol came by; and, discerning a light
in the house, they knocked at the door: we opened it; and they came in
and sat down, and drank some punch with us: they also begged some
limes of me, as they understood I had some, which I readily gave them.
A little after this they told me I must go to the watch-house with
them: this surprised me a good deal, after our kindness to them; and I
asked them, Why so? They said that all negroes who had light in their
houses after nine o'clock were to be taken into custody, and either
pay some dollars or be flogged. Some of those people knew that I was a
free man; but, as the man of the house was not free, and had his
master to protect him, they did not take the same liberty with him
they did with me. I told them that I was a free man, and just arrived
from Providence; that we were not making any noise, and that I was not
a stranger in that place, but was very well known there: 'Besides,'
said I, 'what will you do with me?'--'That you shall see,' replied
they, 'but you must go to the watch-house with us.' Now whether they
meant to get money from me or not I was at a loss to know; but I
thought immediately of the oranges and limes at Santa Cruz: and seeing
that nothing would pacify them I went with them to the watch-house,
where I remained during the night. Early the the next morning these
imposing ruffians flogged a negro-man and woman that they had in the
watch-house, and then they told me that I must be flogged too. I asked
why? and if there was no law for free men? And told them if there was
I would have it put in force against them. But this only exasperated
them the more; and instantly they swore they would serve me as Doctor
Perkins had done; and they were going to lay violent hands on me; when
one of them, more humane than the rest, said that as I was a free man
they could not justify stripping me by law. I then immediately sent
for Doctor Brady, who was known to be an honest and worthy man; and on
his coming to my assistance they let me go.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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