Incidents in the life of a slave girl.: Written by herself. Edited by L. Maria Child.

240 Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl.
nection with it." As we passed Snaky Swamp, he
pointed to it, and said, " There is a slave territory that
defies all the laws." I thought of the terrible days I
had spent there, and though it was not called Dismal
Swamp, it made me feel very dismal as I looked at it.
I shall never forget that night. The balmy air of
spring was so refreshing! And how shall I describe
my sensations when we were fairly sailing on Chesapeake Bay? 0, the beautiful sunshine! the exhlilarating breeze! and I could enjoy them without fear or
restraint. I had never realized what grand things air
and sunlight are till I had been deprived of them.
Ten days after we left land we were approaching
Philadelphia. The captain said we should arrive there
in the night, but he thought we had better wait till
morning, and go oil shore ill broad daylight, as the best
way to avoid suspicion.
I replied, " You know best. But will you stay on
board and protect us?"
Hie saw that I was suspicious, and he said he was
sorry, now that he had brought us to the end of our
voyage, to find I had so little confidence in him. Ah,
if he had ever been a slave he would have known how
difficult it was to trust a white man. He assured us
that we might sleep through the night without fear;
that he would take care we were not left unprotected.
Be it said to the honor of this captain, Southerner as
he was, that if Fanny and I had been white ladies, and
our passage lawfully engaged, he could not have treated
us more respectfully. My intelligent friend, Peter, had
rightly estimated the character of the man to whose
honor he had intrusted us.