The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African: Written By HimselfEquiano, Olaudah
History
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
several weeks, and afforded us many a delicious repast in our
scarcity. One day, before this, I could not help observing the
providential hand of God, that ever supplies all our wants, though in
the ways and manner we know not. I had been a whole day without food,
and made signals for boats to come off, but in vain. I therefore
earnestly prayed to God for relief in my need; and at the close of the
evening I went off the deck. Just as I laid down I heard a noise on
the deck; and, not knowing what it meant, I went directly on the the
deck again, when what should I see but a fine large fish about seven
or eight pounds, which had jumped aboard! I took it, and admired, with
thanks, the good hand of God; and, what I considered as not less
extraordinary, the captain, who was very avaricious, did not attempt
to take it from me, there being only him and I on board; for the rest
were all gone ashore trading. Sometimes the people did not come off
for some days: this used to fret the captain, and then he would vent
his fury on me by beating me, or making me feel in other cruel ways.
One day especially, in his wild, wicked, and mad career, after
striking me several times with different things, and once across my
mouth, even with a red burning stick out of the fire, he got a barrel
of gunpowder on the deck, and swore that he would blow up the vessel.
I was then at my wit's end, and earnestly prayed to God to direct me.
The head was out of the barrel; and the captain took a lighted stick
out of the fire to blow himself and me up, because there was a vessel
then in sight coming in, which he supposed was a Spaniard, and he was
afraid of falling into their hands. Seeing this I got an axe,
unnoticed by him, and placed myself between him and the powder, having
resolved in myself as soon as he attempted to put the fire in the
barrel to chop him down that instant. I was more than an hour in this
situation; during which he struck me often, still keeping the fire in
his hand for this wicked purpose. I really should have thought myself
justifiable in any other part of the world if I had killed him, and
prayed to God, who gave me a mind which rested solely on himself. I
prayed for resignation, that his will might be done; and the following
two portions of his holy word, which occurred to my mind, buoyed up my
hope, and kept me from taking the life of this wicked man. 'He hath
determined the times before appointed, and set bounds to our
habitations,' Acts xvii. 26. And, 'Who is there amongst you that
feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh
in darkness and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord,
and stay upon his God,' Isaiah 1. 10. And thus by the grace of God I
was enabled to do. I found him a present help in the time of need, and
the captain's fury began to subside as the night approached: but I
found,
"That he who cannot stem his anger's tide
Doth a wild horse without a bridle ride."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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