tell my emotions. Mr. Walker had offered a high price for me, as I
afterwards learned, but I suppose my master was restrained from selling
me by the fact that I was a near relative of his. On entering the
service of Mr. Walker, I found that my opportunity of getting to a land
of liberty was gone, at least for the time being. He had a gang of
slaves in readiness to start for New Orleans, and in a few days we were
on our journey. I am at a loss for language to express my feelings on
that occasion. Although my master had told me that he had not sold me,
and Mr. Walker had told me that he had not purchased me, I did not
believe them; and not until I had been to New Orleans, and was on my
return, did I believe that I was not sold.

There was on the boat a large room on the lower deck, in which the
slaves were kept, men and women, promiscuously--all chained two and two,
and a strict watch kept that they did not get loose; for cases have
occurred in which slaves have got off their chains, and made their
escape at landing-places, while the boats were taking in wood;--and with
all our care, we lost one woman who had been taken from her husband and
children, and having no desire to live without them, in the agony of her
soul jumped overboard, and drowned herself. She was not chained.

It was almost impossible to keep that part of the boat clean.

On landing at Natchez, the slaves were all carried to the slave-pen, and
there kept one week, during which time, several of them were sold. Mr.
Walker fed his slaves well. We took on board, at St. Louis, several
hundred pounds of bacon (smoked meat) and corn-meal, and his slaves were
better fed than slaves generally were in Natchez, so far as my
observation extended.