Page:The Homes of the New World- Vol. I.djvu/418

Rh Adam, and Aaron, and Sally, and Mehala, and Lucy, and Abraham, and Sarah, called for! We, in the meantime, fell into discourse with the negroes, who stood on the shore, asking them to whom they belonged; whether they were well off, and so on. Two of those with whom we spoke could not sufficiently praise their masters, and told all that they had given them; on the contrary, they spoke ill of a planter in the neighbourhood.

“I fancy you are talking against my master!” said a young negro, somewhat tartly, who came forward with a threatening gesture; on which the others immediately recalled their words. “No, heaven forbid! They had said nothing, only that their masters—” But again they were interrupted by the champion of the censured master, who maintained that his master was not worse than theirs, and so on. And now a great cry was sent forth for Sally, and Nelly, and Adam, and Abraham, and Aaron! And directly Nelly, and Sally, and Abraham, and Adam, and Aaron, and I do not know how many other of Adam's captive sons and daughters, came running along with jugs, and baskets, and bottles towards the shore, and then down into the boats, amid loud shouting, and talking, and laughter; and how they all got into the boats, men and molasses, women and jugs, and baskets and bottles, helter-skelter, rolling and tumbling, without method or measure, rhyme or reason, which I could discover, is more than I can tell! I only could stare at it in astonishment. It was like a confused mass of arms and legs and heads in one black movement; but merry was it, and all went on good-humouredly; and good-humouredly they went off. And all the black mass was quiet, and then the boats put off from the shore with little zigzags, and talk and laughter was heard from one boat to the other, and white teeth shone out in the dark. When, however, they had got out in the river, and the oars kept time on the mirror-bright waters, they began to sing, and