the city, having no desire to serve out the rest of
their contract.

My first impression of Charleston was of a place of
unimagined wonder. I was amazed by the size of the place, and so many people,
and most of all the ships. I’d never seen a ship and as I wandered along the
docks looking at one after another my heart stirred and the sadness I felt for
the loss of my parents was in some way lessened. The little food I had brought
with me was gone and, as I walked along the docks I tried to think on what I
might do to get by. There were men carrying burdens up a gangplank onto one of
the great ships and I wondered if I might help out and thereby earn a meal. A
youngto serve out the remainder of my parents’ indenture contract on the
plantation. The man, John, was Master of the ship that was loading, and the son
of the house that owned several such ships. He was sailing that evening and
expected to be gone for about a month. He offered me a berth as cabin boy and I
accepted joyfully.

I took to the sea naturally and could never learn enough.
My duties were light and the crew thought I was lucky and adopted me as a sort
of mascot. I spent the free time working alongside various crewmenand learning what I could of their duties. By
the end of my first voyage I was a proper shipmate indeed. When we returned to
Charleston John brought me to the family home and introduced me to his