to Utica, which was then a small, wild place. They were affectionately attached to me, and gave me all the advantages their means would allow. They put me to school to a Mrs. Ripley, who was a good, kind and skilful preceptor. Indeed, I have always been singularly fortunate in my connections with those who have in any way had the control of my actions or instruction. Under Mrs. Ripley I acquired the first rudiments of a common English education. I am indebted to her for my A, B, C, and my ab, abs. Her pupils all liked her. I believe, from what I can remember of my boyish days, that I was a mischievous child, considerably given to practical jokes, though I cannot tax myself with ever having been vicious or malignant. I was good-natured then, and I believe I am so still. I can only recollect one instance in which I gave Mrs. Ripley serious pain. She set me a task which I easily committed to memory, as I always did. Indeed, I was rather remarkable for quickness of apprehension and tenacity of memory. Seeing that I would have a long time to be idle in, she would have retained me longer, while I insisted that I had fulfilled my part of the terms of the bargain, and would have gone home. She undertook to chastise me, and a trial of strength and patience ensued, which ended in the subjugation of my choler, and I asked her forgiveness. Another of my frolics was, rolling a heavy log down hill against the wall of a factory, which I bountifully beplastered with mud, but in this case I escaped detection and punishment.

I do not remember that I was ever quarrelsome, excepting on one occasion. On the contrary, I was of a gentle, perhaps a timid spirit. At the time of which I speak, my wrath was excited by a feeling of humanity. I was driving home a cow, and certain boys took the liberty to lapidate her. I stood up in defence of my cow, and returned their missiles, with in

terest.

I can remember, too, the robbing of several orchards, for which I take to myself shame. I did not do it from any desire to appropriate the goods of others; but from an inherent love. of fun and frolic. On one of these occasions I was detected

in the fact by the owner, who pursued me. Finding that he was swifter of foot than I, I threw myself on all fours before him, and suffered him to stumble over me, and so escaped. I have retained a distinct recollection of this trick, because I have heard a similar one related of Stephen Burroughs, the notorious counterfeiter, and because I have been frequently reminded of it since I have been blind by unthinking persons, who have treated me in precisely the same manner. They did not, however, give me the same fair chance I gave him; for he could at least see what was in his way.

It was my father's custom to take his boys to sea with him, at least one voyage; probably to see if they had any vocation to a maritime life. Accordingly, when I was nine years old, he took me to Port au Prince, in St. Domingo, with him, in a small brig, of which he was master. My recollections of the place are distinct enough; but it cannot be expected that the observations of a child of my age can be of much importance. The city was built on the side and in the hollow of a hill, sloping down from the mountains, and then appeared to contain about twelve thousand inhabitants. The winds sometimes rushed down from the mountains in the back ground, with tremendous fury. The houses were of stone; most of them of one or two stories high, though there were several ware houses and other buildings of greater magnitude. I staid in the port six weeks, during which, I, my father, and the rest of the vessel's company were treated with the utmost kindness and civility by the newly emancipated inhabitants. They seemed to take an especial liking to me, probably because I was a boy; for, unless I am much mistaken, all the African race are remarkably fond of children. Indeed, I have ever observed, that persons of that color, if not so refined, are more polite, more attentive, and more affectionate than the white race. I never met with insult or offence from any of them. They may be ignorant, gross, and vulgar, but I never saw a negro who had a deliberately bad heart.

These people often invited us into their houses, and treated us with all the hospitality in their power. They were indolent,

yet did not want for any of the necessaries of life, and appeared very happy. They were a good, honest people, were just in their dealings, and true to their promises. There are some people who connect the idea of happiness and good character with a great amount of labor, but to judge from this specimen, there is no necessary connection. They were lazy and poor, yet they were good and contented. Their great enjoyment seemed to be to lie down and bask in the sun. They were very proud of having achieved their independence, hated the French and Dutch, and disliked my own countrymen on account of holding slaves. They were very jealous of any appearance of slight or contempt. As an instance of this, on entering the custom house my father omitted to take off his hat, and was promptly admonished of his neglect by a black officer. Their language, generally speaking, was a jargon, a mixture of bad French, Spanish, African, and, here and there, a little English. I thought the climate unhealthy. The weather was very hot and unwholesome, fogs prevailed in the morning. The streets were straight and regular. The side walks were bad. I do not think the people were, generally, so well looking as colored people are in this country. Their dress was pretty much the same. The great majority of them were coal black, but there were many mulattoes and some white men, but few white women. Their government and habits appeared to be entirely military. Every man was liable to be called on to do duty as a soldier. The black troops were quick in their motions, and expert in handling their weapons. I saw them drilled often. I cannot say so much of their artillery. A frigate came in while we were lying in port and fired a salute, which the negro artillerists returned; but very awkwardly. One of them was blown from the muzzle of the gun down the hill, and killed on the spot; another lost his arms, and died the next day. This accident created a great excitement; for these people seemed to have a great regard for human life. The men were buried with the honors of war. The guards at all the military posts were mounted and relieved with as much regularity as could be done by any people. The

whole people seemed to be in a state of alarm, and in constant dread of invasion. The standing order was, that, if they should be overpowered by any hostile, invading force, men, women, and children should abandon the settlements and fly to the mountains. Perhaps this state of excitation was the cause of their indolence as well as their military habits; for they showed no want of alacrity in the discharge of their duties as soldiers. Indeed, it would be unreasonable to expect them to work hard, and build houses and cultivate fields, which might have been burned and ravaged, or used, to say the least, by their enemics at any time. I leave this, however, to wiser heads than mine. There was a castle, that appeared to me a very strong place, on the hill, that overlooked the city. I went up to it once, and saw huge rocks, placed on pivots, in readiness to be hurled against storming parties, if any such should appear.

Another singularity that I observed, was the extreme fondness of the women for silk dresses and jewelry. They seemed, also, to be fond of the company of white persons; and those who had a mixture of white blood were proud of it.

The prevailing religion of the country was the Catholic; and there was no lack of churches, which were generally poor and mean. Crosses stood everywhere by the way side, which was the first I ever saw of such a practice. I saw the inhabitants kneeling before them. One would think that wharves were necessary to a commercial city, but there were none. We lay at anchor in the bay, and our unlading and lading was performed by means of scows and boats. There was no shipping in the harbor belonging to the government, and but very little belonging to private persons. The few vessels I saw were small, and of little value. The revolution had annihilated the commerce of the island. The principal dealings of the place were in articles of produce and food; and there were great numbers of provision shops. There were also shops where English goods were sold. The staple article of traffic was coffee. They had no great facility in making bargains; but if they were hard to deal with, they evinced no disposition to cheat us.

I cannot tax my memory with any farther particulars re

specting this interesting people. And when it is considered, that I was then so young, and that seventeen years have elapsed since that time, it will perhaps be thought strange that I should remember so much. Those things are still distinct to my mind's eye, though to my corporal vision they are lost forever. It was in February that I bade farewell to Port au Prince.

Our vessel carried out horses, pork, and flour. My father made a very profitable voyage of it, and so, indeed, did I; for I was entrusted with a little adventure, consisting of a coop of barn-door fowls and other small matters, on which I'speculated not unskillfully. For one game cock I received two guineas. I might have done still better; for the President, Petion, would fain have adopted me, promising to do his best to promote my welfare, but my father would by no means consent. He acted for the best, certainly, but it happened to turn out for the worst. Had I remained in Hayti, I should probably not have lost my sight. I also made a profit on a very handsome parrot that I bought on the island, and sold in New York for five dollars.

We were fourteen days on our passage out from New York, and had a very pleasant time. We were not so fortunate on our return. A violent storm arose in the Gulf Stream, from which we were driven back three times, before we could cross it. We laid to, two days, under close reefed canvass, after we entered the stream, and here we lost one of the crew by yellow fever, an ordinary seaman named Henry Wilkins. We also lost our main yard and boom. The whole passage back occupied twenty-seven days. I observed that the water in the Gulf Stream was greener and warmer than in other parts of the Atlantic, and could, moreover, be distinguished by great quantities of grass ficating in it. Great flocks of stormy petrils hovered over it, which sailors call Mother Carey's chickens, and we saw flying fishes in abundance. Some of them, being pursued by a dolphin, came on board, and dropped on deck. We ate them. They are about the size of a herring, and are not unpalatable food. We also had turtles to eat, which we bought at St. Domingo. To add to the variety of our fare, one