The History of Mary Prince | Page 8

fault, but he was so enraged
that he seemed glad of an excuse to go on with his ill usage. I cannot
remember how many licks he gave me then, but he beat me till I was
unable to stand, and till he himself was weary.
After this I ran away and went to my mother, who was living with Mr.
Richard Darrel. My poor mother was both grieved and glad to see me;
grieved because I had been so ill used, and glad because she had not
seen me for a long, long while. She dared not receive me into the house,
but she hid me up in a hole in the rocks near, and brought me food at
night, after every body was asleep. My father, who lived at Crow-Lane,
over the salt-water channel, at last heard of my being hid up in the
cavern, and he came and took me back to my master. Oh I was loth,
loth to go back; but as there was no remedy, I was obliged to submit.
When we got home, my poor father said to Capt. I----, "Sir, I am sorry
that my child should be forced to run away from her owner; but the
treatment she has received is enough to break her heart. The sight of
her wounds has nearly broke mine.--I entreat you, for the love of God,
to forgive her for running away, and that you will be a kind master to
her in future." Capt. I---- said I was used as well as I deserved, and that
I ought to be punished for running away. I then took courage and said
that I could stand the floggings no longer; that I was weary of my life,

and therefore I had run away to my mother; but mothers could only
weep and mourn over their children, they could not save them from
cruel masters--from the whip, the rope, and the cow-skin. He told me to
hold my tongue and go about my work, or he would find a way to settle
me. He did not, however, flog me that day.
For five years after this I remained in his house, and almost daily
received the same harsh treatment. At length he put me on board a
sloop, and to my great joy sent me away to Turk's Island. I was not
permitted to see my mother or father, or poor sisters and brothers, to
say good bye, though going away to a strange land, and might never
see them again. Oh the Buckra people who keep slaves think that black
people are like cattle, without natural affection. But my heart tells me it
is far otherwise.
We were nearly four weeks on the voyage, which was unusually long.
Sometimes we had a light breeze, sometimes a great calm, and the ship
made no way; so that our provisions and water ran very low, and we
were put upon short allowance. I should almost have been starved had
it not been for the kindness of a black man called Anthony, and his
wife, who had brought their own victuals, and shared them with me.
When we went ashore at the Grand Quay, the captain sent me to the
house of my new master, Mr. D----, to whom Captain I----had sold me.
Grand Quay is a small town upon a sandbank; the houses low and built
of wood. Such was my new master's. The first person I saw, on my
arrival, was Mr. D----, a stout sulky looking man, who carried me
through the hall to show me to his wife and children. Next day I was
put up by the vendue master to know how much I was worth, and I was
valued at one hundred pounds currency.
My new master was one of the owners or holders of the salt ponds, and
he received a certain sum for every slave that worked upon his
premises, whether they were young or old. This sum was allowed him
out of the profits arising from the salt works. I was immediately sent to
work in the salt water with the rest of the slaves. This work was
perfectly new to me. I was given a half barrel and a shovel, and had to
stand up to my knees in the water, from four o'clock in the morning till

nine, when we were given some Indian corn boiled in water, which we
were obliged to swallow as fast as we could for fear the rain should
come on and melt the salt. We were then called again to our tasks, and
worked through the heat of the day; the sun flaming upon our heads
like fire, and raising salt blisters in those parts which were not
completely covered. Our feet and legs,