Clotelle: A Tale of the Southern States

e repulsive looking person could scarcely be found in any community of bad looking men. Tall, lean and lank, with high cheek-bones, face much pitted with the small-pox, gray eyes with red e

he city early in the morning, so as not to witness any of the scenes so common the departure of a slave-gang to the far South. In this, he was most su

r, cotton, or rice plantation as even worse than death, they are ever on the watch for an opportunity to escape. The trader, aware of this, secures his victims in cha

fit for field-service, with a few extra ones calculated for house servants,-all between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five years; but like most men who make a business of speculating in human beings, he often bought many who were far advanced in years, and would try to pass them

ader had on this occasion, were some whose appearance indicated that they had seen some years and had gone through considerable service. Their gray hair and whiskers at once pronounced them to be above the ages set down in the trader's adver

often say, when alluding to himself, "Dis nigger am no counterfeit, he is de gi

eyes were large, lips thick, and hair short and woolly. Pompey had been with Jennings so long, and had seen so much of buying and selling of his fel

ster of such f

ted, needs bu

oft, familiar

e, then pity,

ey selected five of the oldest slaves, took them into a roo

o get you ready for de Orleans market, so dat you will bring marser a goo

digging time, I shall be either fort

now you is only thirty years old,-d

re den dat," re

ld you is, and you tell um you is forty or forty-five, marser will tie you up and cut you all to pieces. But

I will only be thir

aid Pompey, addressin

ee

cle Jim

es

dem gray hairs plucked out of your head." This was all said by

pey of a tall, strong-looki

ld, and my name is Tobias

it you better, you are now twenty-three ye

repli

when asked by persons who were likely to purchase, and then w

ur luck this time in the market depends upon their appearance. If any of them have so man