The author’s disgust at the West Indies—­Forms schemes to obtain his freedom—­Ludicrous disappointment he and his Captain meet with in Georgia—­At last, by several successful voyages, he acquires a sum of money sufficient to purchase it—­Applies to his master, who accepts it, and grants his manumission, to his great joy—­He afterwards enters as a freeman on board one of Mr. King’s ships, and sails for Georgia—­Impositions on free negroes as usual—­His venture of turkies—­Sails for Montserrat, and on his passage his friend, the Captain, falls ill and dies.

Every day now brought me nearer my freedom, and I was impatient till we proceeded again to sea, that I might have an opportunity of getting a sum large enough to purchase it.  I was not long ungratified; for, in the beginning of the year 1766, my master bought another sloop, named the Nancy, the largest I had ever seen.  She was partly laden, and was to proceed to Philadelphia; our Captain had his choice of three, and I was well pleased he chose this, which was the largest; for, from his having a large vessel, I had more room, and could carry a larger quantity of goods with me.  Accordingly, when we had delivered our old vessel, the Prudence, and completed the lading of the Nancy, having made near three hundred per cent, by four barrels of pork I brought from Charlestown, I laid in as large a cargo as I could, trusting to God’s providence to prosper my undertaking.  With these views I sailed for Philadelphia.  On our passage, when we drew near the land, I was for the first time surprised at the sight of some whales, having never seen any such large sea monsters before; and as we sailed by the land one morning I saw a puppy whale close by the vessel; it was about the length of a wherry boat, and it followed us all the day till we got within the Capes.  We arrived safe and in good time at Philadelphia, and I sold my goods there chiefly to the quakers.  They always appeared to be a very honest discreet sort of people, and never attempted to impose on me; I therefore liked them, and ever after chose to deal with them in preference to any others.  One Sunday morning while I was here, as I was going to church, I chanced to pass a meeting-house.  The doors being open, and the house full of people, it excited my curiosity to go in.  When I entered the house, to my great surprise, I saw a very tall woman standing in the midst of them, speaking in an audible voice something which I could not understand.  Having never seen anything of this kind before, I stood and stared about me for some time, wondering at this odd scene.  As soon as it was over I took an opportunity to make inquiry about the place and people, when I was informed they were called Quakers.  I particularly asked what that woman I saw in the midst of them had said, but none of them were pleased to satisfy me; so I quitted them, and soon after, as I was returning, I came to a church crowded with people; the church-yard was