A certain space, not far from the boiler, where the heat and coal dust were almost intolerable,—­the colored steward on the boat in answer to an appeal from these unhappy bondmen, could point to no other place for concealment but this.  Nor was he at all certain that they could endure the intense heat of that place.  It admitted of no other posture than lying flat down, wholly shut out from the light, and nearly in the same predicament in regard to the air.  Here, however, was a chance of throwing off the yoke, even if it cost them their lives.  They considered and resolved to try it at all hazards.

Henry Box Brown’s sufferings were nothing, compared to what these men submitted to during the entire journey.

They reached the house of one of the Committee about three o’clock, A.M.

All the way from the wharf the cold rain poured down in torrents and they got completely drenched, but their hearts were swelling with joy and gladness unutterable.  From the thick coating of coal dust, and the effect of the rain added thereto, all traces of natural appearance were entirely obliterated, and they looked frightful in the extreme.  But they had placed their lives in mortal peril for freedom.

Every step of their critical journey was reviewed and commented on, with matchless natural eloquence,—­how, when almost on the eve of suffocating in their warm berths, in order to catch a breath of air, they were compelled to crawl, one at a time, to a small aperture; but scarcely would one poor fellow pass three minutes being thus refreshed, ere the others would insist that he should “go back to his hole.”  Air was precious, but for the time being they valued their liberty at still greater price.

After they had talked to their hearts’ content, and after they had been thoroughly cleansed and changed in apparel, their physical appearance could be easily discerned, which made it less a wonder whence such outbursts of eloquence had emanated.  They bore every mark of determined manhood.

The date of this arrival was February 26, 1854, and the following description was then recorded—­

Arrived, by Steamer Pennsylvania, James Mercer, William H. Gilliam and John Clayton, from Richmond.

James was owned by the widow, Mrs. T.E.  White.  He is thirty-two years of age, of dark complexion, well made, good-looking, reads and writes, is very fluent in speech, and remarkably intelligent.  From a boy, he had been hired out.  The last place he had the honor to fill before escaping, was with Messrs. Williams and Brother, wholesale commission merchants.  For his services in this store the widow had been drawing one hundred and twenty-five dollars per annum, clear of all expenses.

He did not complain of bad treatment from his mistress, indeed, he spoke rather favorably of her.  But he could not close his eyes to the fact, that at one time Mrs. White had been in possession of thirty head of slaves, although at the time he was counting the cost of escaping, two only remained—­himself and William, (save a little boy) and on himself a mortgage for seven hundred and fifty dollars was then resting.  He could, therefore, with his remarkably quick intellect, calculate about how long it would be before he reached the auction block.