victuals; but we refused it; and the only comfort we had was in being in one another’s arms all that night, and bathing each other with our tears.  But alas! we were soon deprived of even the small comfort of weeping together.  The next day proved a day of greater sorrow than I had yet experienced; for my sister and I were then separated, while we lay clasped in each other’s arms.  It was in vain that we besought them not to part us; she was torn from me, and immediately carried away, while I was left in a state of distraction not to be described.  I cried and grieved continually; and for several days I did not eat any thing but what they forced into my mouth.  At length, after many days travelling, during which I had often changed masters, I got into the hands of a chieftain, in a very pleasant country.  This man had two wives and some children, and they all used me extremely well, and did all they could to comfort me; particularly the first wife, who was something like my mother.  Although I was a great many days journey from my father’s house, yet these people spoke exactly the same language with us.  This first master of mine, as I may call him, was a smith, and my principal employment was working his bellows, which were the same kind as I had seen in my vicinity.  They were in some respects not unlike the stoves here in gentlemen’s kitchens; and were covered over with leather; and in the middle of that leather a stick was fixed, and a person stood up, and worked it, in the same manner as is done to pump water out of a cask with a hand pump.  I believe it was gold he worked, for it was of a lovely bright yellow colour, and was worn by the women on their wrists and ancles.  I was there I suppose about a month, and they at last used to trust me some little distance from the house.  This liberty I used in embracing every opportunity to inquire the way to my own home:  and I also sometimes, for the same purpose, went with the maidens, in the cool of the evenings, to bring pitchers of water from the springs for the use of the house.  I had also remarked where the sun rose in the morning, and set in the evening, as I had travelled along; and I had observed that my father’s house was towards the rising of the sun.  I therefore determined to seize the first opportunity of making my escape, and to shape my course for that quarter; for I was quite oppressed and weighed down by grief after my mother and friends; and my love of liberty, ever great, was strengthened by the mortifying circumstance of not daring to eat with the free-born children, although I was mostly their companion.  While I was projecting my escape, one day an unlucky event happened, which quite disconcerted my plan, and put an end to my hopes.  I used to be sometimes employed in assisting an elderly woman slave to cook and take care of the poultry; and one morning, while I was feeding some chickens, I happened to toss a small pebble at one of them, which hit it on the middle and directly killed it.