And indeed
I soon found that he fully deserved the good character which Captain Doran
had given of him; for he possessed a most amiable disposition and temper,
and was very charitable and humane. If any of his slaves behaved amiss
he did not beat or use them ill, but parted with them. This made them
afraid of disobliging him; and as he treated his slaves better than any
other man on the island, so he was better and more faithfully served by
them in return. By his kind treatment I did at last endeavour to compose
myself; and with fortitude, though moneyless, determined to face whatever
fate had decreed for me. Mr King soon asked me what I could do; and at
the same time said he did not mean to treat me as a common slave. I told
him I knew something of seamanship, and could shave and dress hair pretty
well; and I could refine wines, which I had learned on shipboard, where
I had often done it; and that I could write, and understood arithmetic
tolerably well as far as the Rule of Three. He then asked me if I knew
anything of gauging; and, on my answering that I did not, he said one
of his clerks should teach me to gauge.
Simplified
transcript
I soon found
that he was as good a man as Captain Doran had said. He was friendly,
good-tempered, charitable and kind. If any of his slaves misbehaved, he
did not beat them or treat them badly, he just got rid of them. This made
the slaves afraid of upsetting him. He treated his slaves better than
any other man on the island and, as a result, he was better served by
them. His kind treatment made me determined to accept whatever fate had
in store for me. Mr King asked me what I could do, saying that he did
not mean to treat me as a common slave. I told him that I knew a little
about seamanship, could shave and dress hair pretty well, that I could
refine wines, that I could write and understood a bit of arithmetic. He
asked me if I knew anything about gauging. I said that I did not and he
said that another one of his slaves would teach me to gauge.
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