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
expectation I laid out above eight pounds of my money for a suit of
superfine clothes to dance with at my freedom, which I hoped was then
at hand. We still continued to attend this man, and were with him even
on the last day he lived, till very late at night, when we went on
board. After we were got to bed, about one or two o'clock in the
morning, the Captain was sent for, and informed the man was dead. On
this he came to my bed, and, waking me, informed me of it, and desired
me to get up and procure a light, and immediately go to him. I told
him I was very sleepy, and wished he would take somebody else with
him; or else, as the man was dead, and could want no farther
attendance, to let all things remain as they were till the next
morning. 'No, no,' said he, 'we will have the money to-night, I cannot
wait till to-morrow; so let us go.' Accordingly I got up and struck a
light, and away we both went and saw the man as dead as we could wish.
The Captain said he would give him a grand burial, in gratitude for
the promised treasure; and desired that all the things belonging to
the deceased might be brought forth. Among others, there was a nest of
trunks of which he had kept the keys whilst the man was ill, and when
they were produced we opened them with no small eagerness and
expectation; and as there were a great number within one another, with
much impatience we took them one out of the other. At last, when we
came to the smallest, and had opened it, we saw it was full of papers,
which we supposed to be notes; at the sight of which our hearts leapt
for joy; and that instant the Captain, clapping his hands, cried out,
'Thank God, here it is.' But when we took up the trunk, and began to
examine the supposed treasure and long-looked-for bounty, (alas! alas!
how uncertain and deceitful are all human affairs!) what had we found!
While we thought we were embracing a substance we grasped an empty
nothing. The whole amount that was in the nest of trunks was only one
dollar and a half; and all that the man possessed would not pay for
his coffin. Our sudden and exquisite joy was now succeeded by a sudden
and exquisite pain; and my Captain and I exhibited, for some time,
most ridiculous figures--pictures of chagrin and disappointment! We
went away greatly mortified, and left the deceased to do as well as he
could for himself, as we had taken so good care of him when alive for
nothing. We set sail once more for Montserrat, and arrived there safe;
but much out of humour with our friend the silversmith. When we had
unladen the vessel, and I had sold my venture, finding myself master
of about forty-seven pounds, I consulted my true friend, the Captain,
how I should proceed in offering my master the money for my freedom.
He told me to come on a certain morning, when he and my master would
be at breakfast together. Accordingly, on that morning I went, and met
the Captain there, as he had appointed. When I went in I made my
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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