Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1920-06-19

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i've law, but I would be satisfied
only 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 I must go with him-this
on September 8, 1861, 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 me through this one voyage 1
would go, Immediately I set foot on
land, directly home to my good par
ents and be ever after guided in my
conduct by their advice.
But next day the wind was abated
and the sea calmer, and the sun went
down to perfectly fine evening, and
when to that was added a bowl of
punch made by a shipmate, forgot my
resolution to return home after the
voyage; and such has been my habit,
to my great misfortune, all my life:
to disvow in the hour Of peril the
headstrong actions which have brought
me to peril, and when the danger is
past to forget all VOWS and plunge
headlong 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 Turkish rover and sold into
slavery, from whence after many
perils I escaped to the Brazils, where
set myself up for sugar planter
and was enjoying a fine prosperity
thereat, 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 alone, by the bless
ing Of God, was allowed to escape
through the high surf to the shore.
All possessed at the time was knife,
pipe and a little tobacco in box.
Walking along the shore, when I had
recovered sufficiently in strength so to
walk, found fresh water, great joy.
Having drunk and put little tobacco
against the hunger in my mouth, took
up my lodging in a tree and did there
sleep to my great refreshment through
out the night.
Next morning the weather was clear
and the sea mild, but what pleased me
most was the sight of the ship which,
as the tide ebbed, lay so close to the
shore that 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 took, building a raft
for the purpose of transporting them
to an inlet in the island where was
my habitation. On the night of the
thirteenth day, my work of transpor-
tation being done, I lay down in my
usual fear of wild beasts, but also of
thankfulness in the knowledge that I
was prepared for some time to come
against the barrenness of this island.
There were wild fruit trees on the
island, but it was many days before
I discovered them. There were also
goats running wild, but without the
firearms and ammunition had brought
from the ship of what avail were they
to me? So had reason to be thank.