Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, an American Slave, Written by Himself eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 190 pages of information about Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, an American Slave, Written by Himself.

Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, an American Slave, Written by Himself eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 190 pages of information about Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, an American Slave, Written by Himself.

We were more than six weeks getting to the city of New Orleans, in consequence of low water.  We were shifted on to several boats before we arrived at the mouth of the river Ohio.  But we got but very little rest at night.  As all were chained together night and day, it was impossible to sleep, being annoyed by the bustle and crowd of the passengers on board; by the terrible thought that we were destined to be sold in market as sheep or oxen; and annoyed by the galling chains that cramped our wearied limbs on the tedious voyage.  But I had several opportunities to have run away from Garrison before we got to the mouth of the Ohio river.  While they were shifting us from one boat to another, my hands were some times loosed, until they got us all on board—­and I know that I should have broke away had it not been for the sake of my wife and child who was with me.  I could see no chance to get them off, and I could not leave them in that condition—­and Garrison was not so much afraid of my running away from him while he held on to my family, for he knew from the great sacrifices which I had made to rescue them from slavery, that my attachment was too strong to run off and leave them in his hands, while there was the least hope of ever getting them away with me.

CHAPTER IX.

Our arrival and examination at Vicksburg.—­An account of slave sales.—­Cruel punishment with the paddle.—­Attempts to sell myself by Garrison’s direction.—­Amusing interview with a slave buyer.—­Deacon Whitfield’s examination.—­He purchases the family.—­Character of the Deacon.

When we arrived at the city of Vicksburg, he intended to sell a portion of his slaves there, and stopped for three weeks trying to sell.  But he met with very poor success.

We had there to pass through an examination or inspection by a city officer, whose business it was to inspect slave property that was brought to that market for sale.  He examined our backs to see if we had been much scarred by the lash.  He examined our limbs, to see whether we were inferior.

As it is hard to tell the ages of slaves, they look in their mouths at their teeth, and prick up the skin on the back of their hands, and if the person is very far advanced in life, when the skin is pricked up, the pucker will stand so many seconds on the back of the hand.

But the most rigorous examinations of slaves by those slave inspectors, is on the mental capacity.  If they are found to be very intelligent, this is pronounced the most objectionable of all other qualities connected with the life of a slave.  In fact, it undermines the whole fabric of his chattelhood; it prepares for what slaveholders are pleased to pronounce the unpardonable sin when committed by a slave.  It lays the foundation for running away, and going to Canada.  They also see in it a love for freedom, patriotism, insurrection, bloodshed, and exterminating war against American slavery.

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Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, an American Slave, Written by Himself from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.