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I had but a very
small capital to begin with; for one single half bit, which is equal
to three pence in England, made up my whole stock. However I trusted
to the Lord to be with me; and at one of our trips to St. Eustatia, a
Dutch island, I bought a glass tumbler with my half bit, and when I
came to Montserrat I sold it for a bit, or sixpence. Luckily we made
several successive trips to St. Eustatia (which was a general mart for
the West Indies, about twenty leagues from Montserrat); and in our
next, finding my tumbler so profitable, with this one bit I bought two
tumblers more; and when I came back I sold them for two bits, equal to
a shilling sterling. When we went again I bought with these two bits
four more of these glasses, which I sold for four bits on our return
to Montserrat; and in our next voyage to St. Eustatia I bought two
glasses with one bit, and with the other three I bought a jug of
Geneva, nearly about three pints in measure. When we came to
Montserrat I sold the gin for eight bits, and the tumblers for two, so
that my capital now amounted in all to a dollar, well husbanded and
acquired in the space of a month or six weeks, when I blessed the Lord
that I was so rich. As we sailed to different islands, I laid this
money out in various things occasionally, and it used to turn out to
very good account, especially when we went to Guadaloupe, Grenada, and
the rest of the French islands. Thus was I going all about the islands
upwards of four years, and ever trading as I went, during which I
experienced many instances of ill usage, and have seen many injuries
done to other negroes in our dealings with Europeans: and, amidst our
recreations, when we have been dancing and merry-making, they, without
cause, have molested and insulted us. Indeed I was more than once
obliged to look up to God on high, as I had advised the poor fisherman
some time before. And I had not been long trading for myself in the
manner I have related above, when I experienced the like trial in
company with him as follows: This man being used to the water, was
upon an emergency put on board of us by his master to work as another
hand, on a voyage to Santa Cruz; and at our sailing he had brought his
little all for a venture, which consisted of six bits' worth of limes
and oranges in a bag; I had also my whole stock, which was about
twelve bits' worth of the same kind of goods, separate in two bags;
for we had heard these fruits sold well in that island. When we came
there, in some little convenient time he and I went ashore with our
fruits to sell them; but we had scarcely landed when we were met by
two white men, who presently took our three bags from us. We could not
at first guess what they meant to do; and for some time we thought
they were jesting with us; but they too soon let us know otherwise,
for they took our ventures immediately to a house hard by, and
adjoining the fort, while we followed all the way begging of them to
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