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I
was
hired
to
Judge
Turner
,
a
distinguished
man
and
extensive
planter
,
whose
large
estate
is
situated
on
Bayou
Salle
,
within
a
few
miles
of
the
gulf
.
Bay
on
Salle
is
a
small
stream
flowing
into
the
bay
of
Atchafalaya
.
For
some
days
I
was
employed
at
Turner
's
in
repairing
his
sugar
house
,
when
a
cane
knife
was
put
into
my
hand
,
and
with
thirty
or
forty
others
,
I
was
sent
into
the
field
.
I
found
no
such
difficulty
in
learning
the
art
of
cutting
cane
that
I
had
in
picking
cotton
.
It
came
to
me
naturally
and
intuitively
,
and
in
a
short
time
I
was
able
to
keep
up
with
the
fastest
knife
.
Before
the
cutting
was
over
,
however
,
Judge
Turner
transferred
me
from
the
field
to
the
sugar
house
,
to
act
there
in
the
capacity
of
driver
.
From
the
time
of
the
commencement
of
sugar
making
to
the
close
,
the
grinding
and
boiling
does
not
cease
day
or
night
.
The
whip
was
given
me
with
directions
to
use
it
upon
any
one
who
was
caught
standing
idle
.
If
I
failed
to
obey
them
to
the
letter
,
there
was
another
one
for
my
own
back
.
In
addition
to
this
my
duty
was
to
call
on
and
off
the
different
gangs
at
the
proper
time
.
I
had
no
regular
periods
of
rest
,
and
could
never
snatch
but
a
few
moments
of
sleep
at
a
time
.
It
is
the
custom
in
Louisiana
,
as
I
presume
it
is
in
other
slave
States
,
to
allow
the
slave
to
retain
whatever
compensation
he
may
obtain
for
services
performed
on
Sundays
.
In
this
way
,
only
,
are
they
able
to
provide
themselves
with
any
luxury
or
convenience
whatever
.
When
a
slave
,
purchased
,
or
kidnapped
in
the
North
,
is
transported
to
a
cabin
on
Bayou
Bœuf
he
is
furnished
with
neither
knife
,
nor
fork
,
nor
dish
,
nor
kettle
,
nor
any
other
thing
in
the
shape
of
crockery
,
or
furniture
of
any
nature
or
description
.
He
is
furnished
with
a
blanket
before
he
reaches
there
,
and
wrapping
that
around
him
,
he
can
either
stand
up
,
or
lie
down
upon
the
ground
,
or
on
a
board
,
if
his
master
has
no
use
for
it
.
He
is
at
liberty
to
find
a
gourd
in
which
to
keep
his
meal
,
or
he
can
eat
his
corn
from
the
cob
,
just
as
he
pleases
.
To
ask
the
master
for
a
knife
,
or
skillet
,
or
any
small
convenience
of
the
kind
,
would
be
answered
with
a
kick
,
or
laughed
at
as
a
joke
.
Whatever
necessary
article
of
this
nature
is
found
in
a
cabin
has
been
purchased
with
Sunday
money
.
However
injurious
to
the
morals
,
it
is
certainly
a
blessing
to
the
physical
condition
of
the
slave
,
to
be
permitted
to
break
the
Sabbath
.
Otherwise
there
would
be
no
way
to
provide
himself
with
any
utensils
,
which
seem
to
be
indispensable
to
him
who
is
compelled
to
be
his
own
cook
.
On
cane
plantations
in
sugar
time
,
there
is
no
distinction
as
to
the
days
of
the
week
.
It
is
well
understood
that
all
hands
must
labor
on
the
Sabbath
,
and
it
is
equally
well
understood
that
those
especially
who
are
hired
,
as
I
was
to
Judge
Turner
,
and
others
in
succeeding
years
,
shall
receive
remuneration
for
it
.
It
is
usual
,
also
,
in
the
most
hurrying
time
of
cotton-picking
,
to
require
the
same
extra
service
.
From
this
source
,
slaves
generally
are
afforded
an
opportunity
of
earning
sufficient
to
purchase
a
knife
,
a
kettle
,
tobacco
and
so
forth
.
The
females
,
discarding
the
latter
luxury
,
are
apt
to
expend
their
little
revenue
in
the
purchase
of
gaudy
ribbons
,
wherewithal
to
deck
their
hair
in
the
merry
season
of
the
holidays
.
I
remained
in
St.
Mary
's
until
the
first
of
January
,
during
which
time
my
Sunday
money
amounted
to
ten
dollars
.
I
met
with
other
good
fortune
,
for
which
I
was
indebted
to
my
violin
,
my
constant
companion
,
the
source
of
profit
,
and
soother
of
my
sorrows
during
years
of
servitude
.
There
was
a
grand
party
of
whites
assembled
at
Mr.
Yarney
's
,
in
Centreville
,
a
hamlet
in
the
vicinity
of
Turner
's
plantation
.
I
was
employed
to
play
for
them
,
and
so
well
pleased
were
the
merry-makers
with
my
performance
,
that
a
contribution
was
taken
for
my
benefit
,
which
amounted
to
seventeen
dollars
.
With
this
sum
in
possession
,
I
was
looked
upon
by
my
fellows
as
a
millionaire
.
It
afforded
me
great
pleasure
to
look
at
it
--
to
count
it
over
and
over
again
,
day
after
day
.
Visions
of
cabin
furniture
,
of
water
pails
,
of
pocket
knives
,
new
shoes
and
coats
and
hats
,
floated
through
my
fancy
,
and
up
through
all
rose
the
triumphant
contemplation
,
that
I
was
the
wealthiest
"
nigger
"
on
Bayou
Bœuf
.
Vessels
run
up
the
Rio
Teche
to
Centreville
.
While
there
,
I
was
bold
enough
one
day
to
present
myself
before
the
captain
of
a
steamer
,
and
beg
permission
to
hide
myself
among
the
freight
.
I
was
emboldened
to
risk
the
hazard
of
such
a
step
,
from
overhearing
a
conversation
,
in
the
course
of
which
I
ascertained
he
was
a
native
of
the
North
.
I
did
not
relate
to
him
the
particulars
of
my
history
,
but
only
expressed
an
ardent
desire
to
escape
from
slavery
to
a
free
State
.
He
pitied
me
,
but
said
it
would
be
impossible
to
avoid
the
vigilant
custom
house
officers
in
New-Orleans
,
and
that
detection
would
subject
him
to
punishment
,
and
his
vessel
to
confiscation
.
My
earnest
entreaties
evidently
excited
his
sympathies
,
and
doubtless
he
would
have
yielded
to
them
,
could
he
have
done
so
with
any
kind
of
safety
.
I
was
compelled
to
smother
the
sudden
flame
that
lighted
up
my
bosom
with
sweet
hopes
of
liberation
,
and
turn
my
steps
once
more
towards
the
increasing
darkness
of
despair
.
Immediately
after
this
event
the
drove
assembled
at
Centreville
,
and
several
of
the
owners
having
arrived
and
collected
the
monies
due
for
our
services
,
we
were
driven
back
to
Bayou
Bœuf
.
It
was
on
our
return
,
while
passing
through
a
small
village
,
that
I
caught
sight
of
Tibeats
,
seated
in
the
door
of
a
dirty
grocery
,
looking
somewhat
seedy
and
out
of
repair
.
Passion
and
poor
whisky
,
I
doubt
not
,
have
ere
this
laid
him
on
the
shelf
.
