The north Mississippi herald., 1920-06-18

M NY father designed me for the
IVE law, but | would be satisfied
A' "a oaly with going to sea, and
being one day at Hull and one of my
companions about to go by sea to Lon
don In his fathers ship, nothing would
serve me but l must 90 with him-this
on September 8, 1851, and being then
nineteen years of age.
The ship was no sooner out of port
than the wind began to blow and the
sea to rise in the most frightful man
ner, which made me most terribly sick
In body and frightened in mind. In
my agony / vowed that if God would
spare NE through this one voyage
would 60, Immediately I set foot on
land, directly home to my good par
cnts AMI be ever after guided in my
conduct by their advice.
But UeXt day the wind was abated
and the sea calmer, and the sun Went
down to perfectly fine evening, and
when to that was added Il bowl of
punch made by n shipmate, forgot my
resolution to return home after the
voyage and such has been my habit,
to my great misfortune, all my life:
to dsvow in the hour of peril the
hcaGstrOng actions which have brought
me to peril, and when the danger Is
past to forget all vows and plunge
hphdl0ng once more on my needless
courses.
Various were my adventures after
that first tempestuous voyage. Trad
ing to Guinea in Africa I was cap
tured by a Turkish rover and sold into
slavery, from whence after many
perils I escaped to the Brazls, where
I set myself up for a sugar planter
and was enjoying fine prosperity
thcreat. when I fell victim to temp
tatiOn. Help being scarce in the Bra
zils and some planters there knowing
that had traded with the slave coasts
of Africa, they beguiled me into a vOy-
age to those parts with the intent to
secure slave labor for our plantations.
Only evil does ever come Of evil
counsel. Our ship was wrecked on
an unknown island off to the northeast
coast of South America, and of all the
ships company I alone, by the bless
ing of Cod was allowed to escape
through the high surf to the shore.
All possessed at the time was a knife,
q pipe and little tobacco in Il box.
Walking along the shore, when I had
recovered sufficiently in strength so to
walk. I found fresh water a great Joy.
Having drunk and put a little tobacco
against the hunger in my mouth, I took
up my lodging in tree and did there
sleep to my great refreshment through
out the night.
Next morning the weather was clear
and the sea mild. hut what pleased me
most was the sight of the ship which
as the tide ehhed, lay so close to the
shore that I found no trouble in swim
ming out to It. No living thing except
a dog and two cats were left on the
ship: but there was store of neces-
stiles. and such I took, building Il raft
for the purpose of transporting them
to an inlet In the island where was
fresh water and n fat high place for
my haHitation. on the night OF the
thirteenth day, my work of transpor-
tatlOu being done, | lay down in my
usual fear of wild beasts, but also of
thankfulness In the knowledge that /
was prepared for some time to come
against the barrenness of this island
There were wild fruit trees on the
island, but 1t was many days before
discovered them. There We're also
goatN running Wild, but without tho
firearms and ammunition I had brought
fron. the ship Of what avail wer' th"~
to me? So I had reason to be thank