I was several years the slave of Mr. D——­ after I returned to my native place.  Here I worked in the grounds.  My work was planting and hoeing sweet-potatoes, Indian corn, plantains, bananas, cabbages, pumpkins, onions, &c.  I did all the household work, and attended upon a horse and cow besides,—­going also upon all errands.  I had to curry the horse—­to clean and feed him—­and sometimes to ride him a little.  I had more than enough to do—­but still it was not so very bad as Turk’s Island.

My old master often got drunk, and then he would get in a fury with his daughter, and beat her till she was not fit to be seen.  I remember on one occasion, I had gone to fetch water, and when I Was coming up the hill I heard a great screaming; I ran as fast as I could to the house, put down the water, and went into the chamber, where I found my master beating Miss D——­ dreadfully.  I strove with all my strength to get her away from him; for she was all black and blue with bruises.  He had beat her with his fist, and almost killed her.  The people gave me credit for getting her away.  He turned round and began to lick me.  Then I said, “Sir, this is not Turk’s Island.”  I can’t repeat his answer, the words were too wicked—­too bad to say.  He wanted to treat me the same in Bermuda as he had done in Turk’s Island.

He had an ugly fashion of stripping himself quite naked, and ordering me then to wash him in a tub of water.  This was worse to me than all the licks.  Sometimes when he called me to wash him I would not come, my eyes were so full of shame.  He would then come to beat me.  One time I had plates and knives in my hand, and I dropped both plates and knives, and some of the plates were broken.  He struck me so severely for this, that at last I defended myself, for I thought it was high time to do so.  I then told him I would not live longer with him, for he was a very indecent man—­very spiteful, and too indecent; with no shame for his servants, no shame for his own flesh.  So I went away to a neighbouring house and sat down and cried till the next morning, when I went home again, not knowing what else to do.

After that I was hired to work at Cedar Hills, and every Saturday night I paid the money to my master.  I had plenty of work to do there—­plenty of washing; but yet I made myself pretty comfortable.  I earned two dollars and a quarter a week, which is twenty pence a day.

During the time I worked there, I heard that Mr. John Wood was going to Antigua.  I felt a great wish to go there, and I went to Mr. D——­, and asked him to let me go in Mr. Wood’s service.  Mr. Wood did not then want to purchase me; it was my own fault that I came under him, I was so anxious to go.  It was ordained to be, I suppose; God led me there.  The truth is, I did not wish to be any longer the slave of my indecent master.