Clotel; Or, The President's Daughter

shall thy h

-word throu

as if to bla

proach is at

that abov

'er three mil

ave trader determined to leave the city early in the morning, so as not to witness any of those scenes so common where slaves are separated from their relatives and friends, when about departing for the Southern market. This plan was successful; for not even Clotel, who had been ever

r called his servant Pompey to him, and instructed him as to "getting the Negroes ready for market." Amongst the forty Negroes were several whose appearance indicated that they had seen some years, and had gone through some services. Their grey hair and whiskers at once pronounced them to be above the ages set down in the trader's advertisement. Pompey had long been with the trader, and knew his business; and if he did not take delight in discharging his duty, he did it with a degree of alacrity, so that he might receive the approbation of his master. "Pomp," as Walker usually called him, was of real Negro blood, and would often say, when alluding to himself, "Dis nigger is no countefit; he is de genewine artekil." Pompey was of low stature, round face, and, like

g time I will either be forty-five

now you is only thirty years old; d

re den dat," re

dy axe you how old you is, an you tell 'em forty-five, marser will tie you up an g

only be thirty when dey ax

name?" inqu

answered

cle Jim

es

eans you must grease dat face an make it look shiney." This was all said

ked Pompey of a tall

last potato-digging

s your

bias, but dey

suit you better, you is now twenty-three

respond

e Mississippi river. By the time the boats had reached Memphis, they were side by side, and each exerting itself to keep the ascendancy in point of speed. The night was clear, the moon shining brightly, and the boats so near to each other that the passengers were calling out from one boat to the other. On board the Patriot, the firemen were using oil, lard, butter, and even bacon, with the wood, for the purpose of raising the steam to its highest pitch. The blaze, mingled with the black smoke,

ately exploded. One dense fog of steam filled every part of the vessel, while shrieks, groans, and cries were heard on every hand. The saloons and cabins soon had the appearance of a hospital. By this time the boat had landed, and

mbling in the saloons. Thousands of dollars change hands during a passage from Louisville or St. L

e looking, bright-eyed mulatto boy, apparently about fifteen years of age, was standing by his master's side at t

boy?" asked Johnson, as he took

llars, any day, in the New O

the whole of t

es

on, at the same time spreading

who was standing on top of the table, with the bank notes and silv

me," said Johnson, as the young slave

replied t

time to-morrow morning to brush my cl

Jerry, as he wiped t

same time saying, "I claim the right of redeeming that boy, Mr. Johnson. My f

, as the passengers were assembling in the breakfast saloons and upon the guards of the vessel, and the servants were seen

to an old black man, who came along lea

sition. He goes to bed at night the property of the man with whom he has lived for years, and gets up in the morning the slave of some one whom he has never seen before! To behold five or six tabl

returned, accompanied by a tall, thin-faced man, dressed in black, with a white neckcloth, which immediately proclaimed him to be a c

d no mistake," r

ere's a gentleman who wishes

ther's side, as the lat

ood washer, and will sui

buy my daughter too," said the w

flesh. On the arrival of the boat at Baton Rouge, an additional number of passengers were taken on board; and, amongst them, several persons who had been attending the races. Gambling and drinking were now the order of the day. Just as the ladies and gentlemen were assembling at the supper-table, the report of a pistol was heard in the direction of the Social Hall, which caused great uneasiness to the ladies, and took the gentlemen to that part of the cabin. However, nothing serious had occurred. A man at one of the t

e yet on Afr

wrongs we s

grim slave

fettered vic

to the suff

f our own '

Pirate's' fi

neath the ven

steel shall

-din and h

ll die, the L

ects our own

ly eye pres

roteus-hea

hand will

treachery

he who ha

of our own '

eye that wa

hand of pee

or late, sha

issimulati

unfold th

es our own 's