Identifier: authenticnarrati00rile (find matches)
Title: An authentic narrative of the loss of the American brig Commerce : wrecked on the western cost of Africa, in the month of August, 1815.
Year: 1817 (1810s)
Authors: Riley, James, 1777-1840 Bleecker, Anthony, 1770-1827
Subjects: Commerce (Brig) Slavery
Publisher: New-York : Printed and published for the author, by T. & W. Mercein, no. 93 Gold-street
Contributing Library: Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection
Digitizing Sponsor: The Institute of Museum and Library Services through an Indiana State Library LSTA Grant

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s extremely anxious to please him, ifsuch a thing was possible, knowing the old adage ofthe devil is good when he is pleased, was correct,when applied to human beings; but I could not gofast enough for him; so after he had growled andkept on a considerable time, finding I could not keepup with him, he came behind me and thrust me for-ward with hard blows repeatedly applied to my ex-posed back, with a stout stick he had in his hand.Smarting and staggering under my wound, I madethe greatest efforts to get on, but one of his still moreinhuman sons, (as I then thought him) gave me adouble barrelled gun to carry, with his powder horoand other accoutrements: they felt very heavy, yetafter I had taken them, the old man did not againstrike me, but went on towards the place where hemeant to pitch his tent, leaving me to follow on aswell as I could. The face of the desart now appeared as smoothas the surface of the ocean, when unruffled by windsor tempests. Camels could be seen on every direi?-
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SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. 89 tion, as soon as tliey come above the horizon, sothat there was no difficulty in knowing which way to go,and I took care to keep sight of my new mastersdrove, until I reached the valley, in which he hadpitched his tent. I was broiling under the sun andtugging along, with my load, which weighed medown to the earth, and should have lain down des-pairing, had I not seen Mr. Williams in a still worseplight than myself. Having come near the tent about four P. M. theytook the load from me, and bid me lie down in theshade of the tent. I then begged for water, butcould get none. The time now came on for prayers,and after the old man and his sons had performedthis ceremony very devoutly, they went away. I wasin so much pain, I could scarcely contain myself, andmy thirst was more painful than it had yet been.I tried to soften the hearts of the women to get mea little water, but they only laughed and spit at me ;and to increase my distresses as much as they could,drove m

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