Page:Narrative of the life and adventures of Henry Bibb, an American slave.djvu/193

Rh But after we were all seated, and some had began to eat, he came and ordered me up from the table, and said I must wait until the rest were done. I left the table without making any reply, and walked out on the deck of the boat. After break- fast the passengers came up, and the cabin boy was sent after me to come to breakfast, but I refused. Shortly after, this man who had ordered me from the table, came up with the ladies. I stepped up and asked him if he was the captain of the boat. His answer was no, that he was one of the proprietors. I then informed him that I was going to leave his boat at the first stopping place, but before leaving I wanted to ask him a few questions: "Have I misbehaved to any one on board of this boat? Have I disobeyed any law of this boat?

"No," said he. Have I not paid you as much as any other passenger through to Cincinnati?" "Yes," said he. "Then I am sure that I have been insulted and imposed upon, on board of this boat, without any just cause whatever."

"No one has misused you, for you ought to have known better than to have come to the table where there were white people."

"Sir, did you not ask me to come to the table?" "Yes, but I did not know that you was a colored man, when I asked you; and then it was better to insult one man than all the passengers on board of the boat." Sir, I do not believe that there is a gentleman or