Chapter 1

The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. Title: The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African Author: Olaudah Equiano Release date: March 17, 2005 [eBook #15399] Most recently updated: October 4, 2024 Language: English Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/15399 Credits: Produced by Suzanne Shell, Diane Monico and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. *** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE INTERESTING NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE OF OLAUDAH EQUIANO, OR GUSTAVUS VASSA, THE AFRICAN *** THE INTERESTING NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE OF OLAUDAH EQUIANO, OR GUSTAVUS VASSA, THE AFRICAN. _WRITTEN BY HIMSELF._ _Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid, for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. And in that shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people. Isaiah xii. 2, 4._ LONDON: Printed for and sold by the Author, No. 10, Union-Street, Middlesex Hospital Sold also by Mr. Johnson, St. Paul's Church-Yard; Mr. Murray, Fleet-Street; Messrs. Robson and Clark, Bond-Street; Mr. Davis, opposite Gray's Inn, Holborn; Messrs. Shepperson and Reynolds, and Mr. Jackson, Oxford Street; Mr. Lackington, Chiswell-Street; Mr. Mathews, Strand; Mr. Murray, Prince's-Street, Soho; Mess. Taylor and Co. South Arch, Royal Exchange; Mr. Button, Newington-Causeway; Mr. Parsons, Paternoster-Row; and may be had of all the Booksellers in Town and Country. [Entered at Stationer's Hall.] [Illustration: Olaudah Equiano or GUSTAVUS VASSA, _the African_] To the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain. _My Lords and Gentlemen_, Permit me, with the greatest deference and respect, to lay at your feet the following genuine Narrative; the chief design of which is to excite in your august assemblies a sense of compassion for the miseries which the Slave-Trade has entailed on my unfortunate countrymen. By the horrors of that trade was I first torn away from all the tender connexions that were naturally dear to my heart; but these, through the mysterious ways of Providence, I ought to regard as infinitely more than compensated by the introduction I have thence obtained to the knowledge of the Christian religion, and of a nation which, by its liberal sentiments, its humanity, the glorious freedom of its government, and its proficiency in arts and sciences, has exalted the dignity of human nature. I am sensible I ought to entreat your pardon for addressing to you a work so wholly devoid of literary merit; but, as the production of an unlettered African, who is actuated by the hope of becoming an instrument towards the relief of his suffering countrymen, I trust that _such a man_, pleading in _such a cause_, will be acquitted of boldness and presumption. May the God of heaven inspire your hearts with peculiar benevolence on that important day when the question of Abolition is to be discussed, when thousands, in consequence of your Determination, are to look for Happiness or Misery! I am, My Lords and Gentlemen, Your most obedient, And devoted humble Servant, Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa. Union-Street, Mary-le-bone, March 24, 1789. LIST of SUBSCRIBERS. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. His Royal Highness the Duke of York. A The Right Hon. the Earl of Ailesbury Admiral Affleck Mr. William Abington, 2 copies Mr. John Abraham James Adair, Esq. Reverend Mr. Aldridge Mr. John Almon Mrs. Arnot Mr. Joseph Armitage Mr. Joseph Ashpinshaw Mr. Samuel Atkins Mr. John Atwood Mr. Thomas Atwood Mr. Ashwell J.C. Ashworth, Esq. B His Grace the Duke of Bedford Her Grace the Duchess of Buccleugh The Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Bangor The Right Hon. Lord Belgrave The Rev. Doctor Baker Mrs. Baker Matthew Baillie, M.D. Mrs. Baillie Miss Baillie Miss J. Baillie David Barclay, Esq. Mr. Robert Barrett Mr. William Barrett Mr. John Barnes Mr. John Basnett Mr. Bateman Mrs. Baynes, 2 copies Mr. Thomas Bellamy Mr. J. Benjafield Mr. William Bennett Mr. Bensley Mr. Samuel Benson Mrs. Benton Reverend Mr. Bentley Mr. Thomas Bently Sir John Berney, Bart. Alexander Blair, Esq. James Bocock, Esq. Mrs. Bond Miss Bond Mrs. Borckhardt Mrs. E. Bouverie ---- Brand, Esq. Mr. Martin Brander F.J. Brown, Esq. M.P. 2 copies W. Buttall, Esq. Mr. Buxton Mr. R.L.B. Mr. Thomas Burton, 6 copies Mr. W. Button C The Right Hon. Lord Cathcart The Right Hon. H.S. Conway Lady Almiria Carpenter James Carr, Esq. Charles Carter, Esq. Mr. James Chalmers Captain John Clarkson, of the Royal Navy The Rev. Mr. Thomas Clarkson, 2 copies Mr. R. Clay Mr. William Clout Mr. George Club Mr. John Cobb Miss Calwell Mr. Thomas Cooper Richard Cosway, Esq. Mr. James Coxe Mr. J.C. Mr. Croucher Mr. Cruickshanks Ottobah Cugoano, or John Stewart D The Right Hon. the Earl of Dartmouth The Right Hon. the Earl of Derby Sir William Dolben, Bart. The Reverend C.E. De Coetlogon John Delamain, Esq. Mrs. Delamain Mr. Davis Mr. William Denton Mr. T. Dickie Mr. William Dickson Mr. Charles Duly, 2 copies Andrew Drummond, Esq. Mr. George Durant E The Right Hon. the Earl of Essex The Right Hon. the Countess of Essex Sir Gilbert Elliot, Bart. 2 copies Lady Ann Erskine G. Noel Edwards, Esq. M.P. 2 copies Mr. Durs Egg Mr. Ebenezer Evans The Reverend Mr. John Eyre Mr. William Eyre F Mr. George Fallowdown Mr. John Fell F.W. Foster, Esq. The Reverend Mr. Foster Mr. J. Frith W. Fuller, Esq. G The Right Hon. the Earl of Gainsborough The Right Hon. the Earl of Grosvenor The Right Hon. Viscount Gallway The Right Hon. Viscountess Gallway ---- Gardner, Esq. Mrs. Garrick Mr. John Gates Mr. Samuel Gear Sir Philip Gibbes, Bart. 6 copies Miss Gibbes Mr. Edward Gilbert Mr. Jonathan Gillett W.P. Gilliess, Esq. Mrs. Gordon Mr. Grange Mr. William Grant Mr. John Grant Mr. R. Greening S. Griffiths John Grove, Esq. Mrs. Guerin Reverend Mr. Gwinep H The Right Hon. the Earl of Hopetoun The Right Hon. Lord Hawke Right Hon. Dowager Countess of Huntingdon Thomas Hall, Esq. Mr. Haley Hugh Josiah Hansard, Esq. Mr. Moses Hart Mrs. Hawkins Mr. Haysom Mr. Hearne Mr. William Hepburn Mr. J. Hibbert Mr. Jacob Higman Sir Richard Hill, Bart. Reverend Rowland Hill Miss Hill Captain John Hills, Royal Navy Edmund Hill, Esq. The Reverend Mr. Edward Hoare William Hodges, Esq. Reverend Mr. John Holmes, 3 copies Mr. Martin Hopkins Mr. Thomas Howell Mr. R. Huntley Mr. J. Hunt Mr. Philip Hurlock, jun. Mr. Hutson J Mr. T.W.J. Esq. Mr. James Jackson Mr. John Jackson Reverend Mr. James Mrs. Anne Jennings Mr. Johnson Mrs. Johnson Mr. William Jones Thomas Irving, Esq. 2 copies Mr. William Justins K The Right Hon. Lord Kinnaird William Kendall, Esq. Mr. William Ketland Mr. Edward King Mr. Thomas Kingston Reverend Dr. Kippis Mr. William Kitchener Mr. John Knight L The Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of London Mr. John Laisne Mr. Lackington, 6 copies Mr. John Lamb Bennet Langton, Esq. Mr. S. Lee Mr. Walter Lewis Mr. J. Lewis Mr. J. Lindsey Mr. T. Litchfield Edward Loveden Loveden, Esq. M.P. Charles Lloyd, Esq. Mr. William Lloyd Mr. J.B. Lucas Mr. James Luken Henry Lyte, Esq. Mrs. Lyon M His Grace the Duke of Marlborough His Grace the Duke of Montague The Right Hon. Lord Mulgrave Sir Herbert Mackworth, Bart. Sir Charles Middleton, Bart. Lady Middleton Mr. Thomas Macklane Mr. George Markett James Martin, Esq. M.P. Master Martin, Hayes-Grove, Kent Mr. William Massey Mr. Joseph Massingham John McIntosh, Esq. Paul Le Mesurier, Esq. M.P. Mr. James Mewburn Mr. N. Middleton, T. Mitchell, Esq. Mrs. Montague, 2 copies Miss Hannah More Mr. George Morrison Thomas Morris, Esq. Miss Morris Morris Morgann, Esq. N His Grace the Duke of Northumberland Captain Nurse O Edward Ogle, Esq. James Ogle, Esq. Robert Oliver, Esq. P Mr. D. Parker, Mr. W. Parker, Mr. Richard Packer, jun. Mr. Parsons, 6 copies Mr. James Pearse Mr. J. Pearson J. Penn, Esq. George Peters, Esq. Mr. W. Phillips, J. Philips, Esq. Mrs. Pickard Mr. Charles Pilgrim The Hon. George Pitt, M.P. Mr. Thomas Pooley Patrick Power, Esq. Mr. Michael Power Joseph Pratt, Esq. Q Robert Quarme, Esq. R The Right Hon. Lord Rawdon The Right Hon. Lord Rivers, 2 copies Lieutenant General Rainsford Reverend James Ramsay, 3 copies Mr. S. Remnant, jun. Mr. William Richards, 2 copies Mr. J.C. Robarts Mr. James Roberts Dr. Robinson Mr. Robinson Mr. C. Robinson George Rose, Esq. M.P. Mr. W. Ross Mr. William Rouse Mr. Walter Row S His Grace the Duke of St. Albans Her Grace the Duchess of St. Albans The Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of St. David's The Right Hon. Earl Stanhope, 3 copies The Right Hon. the Earl of Scarbrough William, the Son of Ignatius Sancho Mrs. Mary Ann Sandiford Mr. William Sawyer Mr. Thomas Seddon W. Seward, Esq. Reverend Mr. Thomas Scott Granville Sharp, Esq. 2 copies Captain Sidney Smith, of the Royal Navy Colonel Simcoe Mr. John Simco General Smith John Smith, Esq. Mr. George Smith Mr. William Smith Reverend Mr. Southgate Mr. William Starkey Thomas Steel, Esq. M.P. Mr. Staples Steare Mr. Joseph Stewardson Mr. Henry Stone, jun. 2 copies John Symmons, Esq. T Henry Thornton, Esq. M.P. Mr. Alexander Thomson, M.D. Reverend John Till Mr. Samuel Townly Mr. Daniel Trinder Reverend Mr. C. La Trobe Clement Tudway, Esq. Mrs. Twisden U Mr. M. Underwood V Mr. John Vaughan Mrs. Vendt W The Right Hon. Earl of Warnick The Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Worcester The Hon. William Windham, Esq. M.P. Mr. C.B. Wadstrom Mr. George Walne Reverend Mr. Ward Mr. S. Warren Mr. J. Waugh Josiah Wedgwood, Esq. Reverend Mr. John Wesley Mr. J. Wheble Samuel Whitbread, Esq. M.P. Reverend Thomas Wigzell Mr. W. Wilson Reverend Mr. Wills Mr. Thomas Wimsett Mr. William Winchester John Wollaston, Esq. Mr. Charles Wood Mr. Joseph Woods Mr. John Wood J. Wright, Esq. Y Mr. Thomas Young Mr. Samuel Yockney CONTENTS CHAP. I. The author's account of his country, their manners and customs, &c. CHAP. II. The author's birth and parentage--His being kidnapped with his sister--Horrors of a slave ship CHAP. III. The author is carried to Virginia--Arrives in England--His wonder at a fall of snow CHAP. IV. A particular account of the celebrated engagement between Admiral Boscawen and Monsieur Le Clue CHAP. V. Various interesting instances of oppression, cruelty, and extortion CHAP. VI. Favourable change in the author's situation--He commences merchant with threepence CHAP. VII. The author's disgust at the West Indies--Forms schemes to obtain his freedom CHAP. VIII. Three remarkable dreams--The author is shipwrecked on the Bahama-bank CHAP. IX. The author arrives at Martinico--Meets with new difficulties, and sails for England CHAP. X. Some account of the manner of the author's conversion to the faith of Jesus Christ CHAP. XI. Picking up eleven miserable men at sea in returning to England CHAP. XII. Different transactions of the author's life--Petition to the Queen--Conclusion THE LIFE, &c.