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The
mate
's
name
was
Biddee
,
the
captain
's
I
can
not
now
recall
,
though
I
rarely
ever
forget
a
name
once
heard
.
The
captain
was
a
small
,
genteel
man
,
erect
and
prompt
,
with
a
proud
bearing
,
and
looked
the
personification
of
courage
.
If
he
is
still
living
,
and
these
pages
should
chance
to
meet
his
eye
,
he
will
learn
a
fact
connected
with
the
voyage
of
the
brig
,
from
Richmond
to
New-Orleans
,
in
1841
,
not
entered
on
his
log-book
.
We
were
all
prepared
,
and
impatiently
waiting
an
opportunity
of
putting
our
designs
into
execution
,
when
they
were
frustrated
by
a
sad
and
unforeseen
event
.
Robert
was
taken
ill
.
It
was
soon
announced
that
he
had
the
small-pox
.
He
continued
to
grow
worse
,
and
four
days
previous
to
our
arrival
in
New-Orleans
he
died
.
One
of
the
sailors
sewed
him
in
his
blanket
,
with
a
large
stone
from
the
ballast
at
his
feet
,
and
then
laying
him
on
a
hatchway
,
and
elevating
it
with
tackles
above
the
railing
,
the
inanimate
body
of
poor
Robert
was
consigned
to
the
white
waters
of
the
gulf
.
We
were
all
panic-stricken
by
the
appearance
of
the
small-pox
.
The
captain
ordered
lime
to
be
scattered
through
the
hold
,
and
other
prudent
precautions
to
be
taken
.
The
death
of
Robert
,
however
,
and
the
presence
of
the
malady
,
oppressed
me
sadly
,
and
I
gazed
out
over
the
great
waste
of
waters
with
a
spirit
that
was
indeed
disconsolate
.
An
evening
or
two
after
Robert
's
burial
,
I
was
leaning
on
the
hatchway
near
the
forecastle
,
full
of
desponding
thoughts
,
when
a
sailor
in
a
kind
voice
asked
me
why
I
was
so
down-hearted
.
The
tone
and
manner
of
the
man
assured
me
,
and
I
answered
,
because
I
was
a
freeman
,
and
had
been
kidnapped
.
He
remarked
that
it
was
enough
to
make
any
one
down-hearted
,
and
continued
to
interrogate
me
until
he
learned
the
particulars
of
my
whole
history
.
He
was
evidently
much
interested
in
my
behalf
,
and
,
in
the
blunt
speech
of
a
sailor
,
swore
he
would
aid
me
all
he
could
,
if
it
"
split
his
timbers
.
"
I
requested
him
to
furnish
me
pen
,
ink
and
paper
,
in
order
that
I
might
write
to
some
of
my
friends
.
He
promised
to
obtain
them
--
but
how
I
could
use
them
undiscovered
was
a
difficulty
.
If
I
could
only
get
into
the
forecastle
while
his
watch
was
off
,
and
the
other
sailors
asleep
,
the
thing
could
be
accomplished
.
The
small
boat
instantly
occurred
to
me
.
He
thought
we
were
not
far
from
the
Balize
,
at
the
mouth
of
the
Mississippi
,
and
it
was
necessary
that
the
letter
be
written
soon
,
or
the
opportunity
would
be
lost
.
Accordingly
,
by
arrangement
,
I
managed
the
next
night
to
secret
myself
again
under
the
long-boat
.
His
watch
was
off
at
twelve
.
I
saw
him
pass
into
the
forecastle
,
and
in
about
an
hour
followed
him
.
He
was
nodding
over
a
table
,
half
asleep
,
on
which
a
sickly
light
was
flickering
,
and
on
which
also
was
a
pen
and
sheet
of
paper
.
As
I
entered
he
aroused
,
beckoned
me
to
a
seat
beside
him
,
and
pointed
to
the
paper
.
I
directed
the
letter
to
Henry
B.
Northup
,
of
Sandy
Hill
--
stating
that
I
had
been
kidnapped
,
was
then
on
board
the
brig
Orleans
,
bound
for
New-Orleans
;
that
it
was
then
impossible
for
me
to
conjecture
my
ultimate
destination
,
and
requesting
he
would
take
measures
to
rescue
me
.
The
letter
was
sealed
and
directed
,
and
Manning
,
having
read
it
,
promised
to
deposit
it
in
the
New-Orleans
post-office
.
I
hastened
back
to
my
place
under
the
long-boat
,
and
in
the
morning
,
as
the
slaves
came
up
and
were
walking
round
,
crept
out
unnoticed
and
mingled
with
them
.
My
good
friend
,
whose
name
was
John
Manning
,
was
an
Englishman
by
birth
,
and
a
noble-hearted
,
generous
sailor
as
ever
walked
a
deck
.
He
had
lived
in
Boston
--
was
a
tall
,
well-built
man
,
about
twenty-four
years
old
,
with
a
face
somewhat
pock-marked
,
but
full
of
benevolent
expression
.
Nothing
to
vary
the
monotony
of
our
daily
life
occurred
,
until
we
reached
New-Orleans
.
On
coming
to
the
levee
,
and
before
the
vessel
was
made
fast
,
I
saw
Manning
leap
on
shore
and
hurry
away
into
the
city
.
As
he
started
off
he
looked
back
over
his
shoulder
significantly
,
giving
me
to
understand
the
object
of
his
errand
.
Presently
he
returned
,
and
passing
close
by
me
,
hunched
me
with
his
elbow
,
with
a
peculiar
wink
,
as
much
as
to
say
,
"
it
is
all
right
.
"
The
letter
,
as
I
have
since
learned
,
reached
Sandy
Hill
.
Mr.
Northup
visited
Albany
and
laid
it
before
Governor
Seward
,
but
inasmuch
as
it
gave
no
definite
information
as
to
my
probable
locality
,
it
was
not
,
at
that
time
,
deemed
advisable
to
institute
measures
for
my
liberation
.
It
was
concluded
to
delay
,
trusting
that
a
knowledge
of
where
I
was
might
eventually
be
obtained
.
A
happy
and
touching
scene
was
witnessed
immediately
upon
our
reaching
the
levee
.
Just
as
Manning
left
the
brig
,
on
his
way
to
the
post-office
,
two
men
came
up
and
called
aloud
for
Arthur
.
The
latter
,
as
he
recognized
them
,
was
almost
crazy
with
delight
.
He
could
hardly
be
restrained
from
leaping
over
the
brig
's
side
;
and
when
they
met
soon
after
,
he
grasped
them
by
the
hand
,
and
clung
to
them
a
long
,
long
time
.
They
were
men
from
Norfolk
,
who
had
come
on
to
New-Orleans
to
rescue
him
.
His
kidnappers
,
they
informed
him
,
had
been
arrested
,
and
were
then
confined
in
the
Norfolk
prison
.
They
conversed
a
few
moments
with
the
captain
,
and
then
departed
with
the
rejoicing
Arthur
.
