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
I am,
My Lord,
Your Lordship's
Humble and obedient servant,
THOMAS WALLACE.
With these letters, I waited on the Bishop by the Governor's desire,
and presented them to his Lordship. He received me with much
condescension and politeness; but, from some certain scruples of
delicacy, declined to ordain me.
My sole motive for thus dwelling on this transaction, or inserting
these papers, is the opinion which gentlemen of sense and education,
who are acquainted with Africa, entertain of the probability of
converting the inhabitants of it to the faith of Jesus Christ, if the
attempt were countenanced by the legislature.
Shortly after this I left the Governor, and served a nobleman in the
Devonshire militia, with whom I was encamped at Coxheath for some
time; but the operations there were too minute and uninteresting to
make a detail of.
In the year 1783 I visited eight counties in Wales, from motives of
curiosity. While I was in that part of the country I was led to go
down into a coal-pit in Shropshire, but my curiosity nearly cost me my
life; for while I was in the pit the coals fell in, and buried one
poor man, who was not far from me: upon this I got out as fast as I
could, thinking the surface of the earth the safest part of it.
In the spring 1784 I thought of visiting old ocean again. In
consequence of this I embarked as steward on board a fine new ship
called the London, commanded by Martin Hopkin, and sailed for
New-York. I admired this city very much; it is large and well-built,
and abounds with provisions of all kinds. While we lay here a
circumstance happened which I thought extremely singular:--One day a
malefactor was to be executed on a gallows; but with a condition that
if any woman, having nothing on but her shift, married the man under
the gallows, his life was to be saved. This extraordinary privilege
was claimed; a woman presented herself; and the marriage ceremony was
performed. Our ship having got laden we returned to London in January
1785. When she was ready again for another voyage, the captain being
an agreeable man, I sailed with him from hence in the spring, March
1785, for Philadelphia. On the fifth of April we took our departure
from the Land's-end, with a pleasant gale; and about nine o'clock that
night the moon shone bright, and the sea was smooth, while our ship
was going free by the wind, at the rate of about four or five miles an
hour. At this time another ship was going nearly as fast as we on the
opposite point, meeting us right in the teeth, yet none on board
observed either ship until we struck each other forcibly head and
head, to the astonishment and consternation of both crews. She did us
much damage, but I believe we did her more; for when we passed by each
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