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my astonishment, they cut off a small part of the tail, and tossed the
rest over the side. This renewed my consternation; and I did not know
what to think of these white people, though I very much feared they
would kill and eat me. There was on board the ship a young lad who had
never been at sea before, about four or five years older than myself:
his name was Richard Baker. He was a native of America, had received
an excellent education, and was of a most amiable temper. Soon after I
went on board he shewed me a great deal of partiality and attention,
and in return I grew extremely fond of him. We at length became
inseparable; and, for the space of two years, he was of very great use
to me, and was my constant companion and instructor. Although this
dear youth had many slaves of his own, yet he and I have gone through
many sufferings together on shipboard; and we have many nights lain in
each other's bosoms when we were in great distress. Thus such a
friendship was cemented between us as we cherished till his death,
which, to my very great sorrow, happened in the year 1759, when he was
up the Archipelago, on board his majesty's ship the Preston: an event
which I have never ceased to regret, as I lost at once a kind
interpreter, an agreeable companion, and a faithful friend; who, at
the age of fifteen, discovered a mind superior to prejudice; and who
was not ashamed to notice, to associate with, and to be the friend and
instructor of one who was ignorant, a stranger, of a different
complexion, and a slave! My master had lodged in his mother's house in
America: he respected him very much, and made him always eat with him
in the cabin. He used often to tell him jocularly that he would kill
me to eat. Sometimes he would say to me--the black people were not
good to eat, and would ask me if we did not eat people in my country.
I said, No: then he said he would kill Dick (as he always called him)
first, and afterwards me. Though this hearing relieved my mind a
little as to myself, I was alarmed for Dick and whenever he was called
I used to be very much afraid he was to be killed; and I would peep
and watch to see if they were going to kill him: nor was I free from
this consternation till we made the land. One night we lost a man
overboard; and the cries and noise were so great and confused, in
stopping the ship, that I, who did not know what was the matter,
began, as usual, to be very much afraid, and to think they were going
to make an offering with me, and perform some magic; which I still
believed they dealt in. As the waves were very high I thought the
Ruler of the seas was angry, and I expected to be offered up to
appease him. This filled my mind with agony, and I could not any more
that night close my eyes again to rest. However, when daylight
appeared I was a little eased in my mind; but still every time I was
called I used to think it was to be killed.

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