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Slavery and escape
andifIcouldcarryanythingwithme,Ishouldhavealltheadvantageofitthatthetradewouldadmit;andperhapsImightmeetwithsomeencouragement.
Iembracedtheoffer; andenteringintoastrictfriendshipwiththiscaptain,whowasanhonest,plaindealingman,Iwentthevoyagewithhim,andcarriedasmalladventurewithme,which,bythedisinterestedhonestyofmyfriendthecaptain,Iincreasedveryconsiderably; forIcarriedabout40poundsinsuchtoysandtriflesasthecaptaindirectedmetobuy. These40poundsIhadmusteredtogetherbytheassistanceofsomeofmyrelationswhomIcorrespondedwith;andwho,Ibelieve,gotmyfather,oratleastmymother,tocontributesomuchasthattomyfirstadventure.
ThiswastheonlyvoyagewhichImaysaywassuccessfulinallmyadventures,whichIowetotheintegrityandhonestyofmyfriendthecaptain; underwhomalsoIgotacompetentknowledgeofthemathematicsandtherulesofnavigation,learnedhowtokeepanaccountoftheship’scourse,takeanobservation,and,inshort,tounderstandsomethingsthatwereneedfultobeunderstoodbyasailor; for,ashetookdelighttoinstructme,Itookdelighttolearn; and,inaword,thisvoyagemademebothasailorandamerchant; forIbroughthomefivepoundsnineouncesofgold-dustformyadventure,whichyieldedmeinLondon,atmyreturn,almost300pounds; andthisfilledmewiththoseaspiringthoughtswhichhavesincesocompletedmyruin.
YeteveninthisvoyageIhadmymisfortunestoo; particularly,thatIwascontinuallysick,beingthrownintoaviolentcalenturebytheexcessiveheatoftheclimate; ourprincipaltradingbeinguponthecoast,fromlatitudeof15degreesnortheventothelineitself.
