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
fore-top, and in a wicked tone, common on shipboard, d----d his eyes
about something. Just at the moment some small particles of dirt fell
into his left eye, and by the evening it was very much inflamed. The
next day it grew worse; and within six or seven days he lost it. From
this ship my master was appointed a lieutenant on board the Royal
George. When he was going he wished me to stay on board the Preston,
to learn the French horn; but the ship being ordered for Turkey I
could not think of leaving my master, to whom I was very warmly
attached; and I told him if he left me behind it would break my heart.
This prevailed on him to take me with him; but he left Dick on board
the Preston, whom I embraced at parting for the last time. The Royal
George was the largest ship I had ever seen; so that when I came on
board of her I was surprised at the number of people, men, women, and
children, of every denomination; and the largeness of the guns, many
of them also of brass, which I had never seen before. Here were also
shops or stalls of every kind of goods, and people crying their
different commodities about the ship as in a town. To me it appeared a
little world, into which I was again cast without a friend, for I had
no longer my dear companion Dick. We did not stay long here. My master
was not many weeks on board before he got an appointment to be sixth
lieutenant of the Namur, which was then at Spithead, fitting up for
Vice-admiral Boscawen, who was going with a large fleet on an
expedition against Louisburgh. The crew of the Royal George were
turned over to her, and the flag of that gallant admiral was hoisted
on board, the blue at the maintop-gallant mast head. There was a very
great fleet of men of war of every description assembled together for
this expedition, and I was in hopes soon to have an opportunity of
being gratified with a sea-fight. All things being now in readiness,
this mighty fleet (for there was also Admiral Cornish's fleet in
company, destined for the East Indies) at last weighed anchor, and
sailed. The two fleets continued in company for several days, and then
parted; Admiral Cornish, in the Lenox, having first saluted our
admiral in the Namur, which he returned. We then steered for America;
but, by contrary winds, we were driven to Teneriffe, where I was
struck with its noted peak. Its prodigious height, and its form,
resembling a sugar-loaf, filled me with wonder. We remained in sight
of this island some days, and then proceeded for America, which we
soon made, and got into a very commodious harbour called St. George,
in Halifax, where we had fish in great plenty, and all other fresh
provisions. We were here joined by different men of war and transport
ships with soldiers; after which, our fleet being increased to a
prodigious number of ships of all kinds, we sailed for Cape Breton in
Nova Scotia. We had the good and gallant General Wolfe on board our
ship, whose affability made him highly esteemed and beloved by all the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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