or Hetty, who kept
crying out, "Oh, Massa! Massa! me dead. Massa! have mercy upon me--don't
kill me outright."--This was a sad beginning for me. I sat up upon my
blanket, trembling with terror, like a frightened hound, and thinking that
my turn would come next. At length the house became still, and I forgot
for a little while all my sorrows by falling fast asleep.

[Footnote 6: A thong of hard twisted hide, known by this name in the West
Indies.]

The next morning my mistress set about instructing me in my tasks. She
taught me to do all sorts of household work; to wash and bake, pick cotton
and wool, and wash floors, and cook. And she taught me (how can I ever
forget it!) more things than these; she caused me to know the exact
difference between the smart of the rope, the cart-whip, and the cow-skin,
when applied to my naked body by her own cruel hand. And there was
scarcely any punishment more dreadful than the blows I received on my face
and head from her hard heavy fist. She was a fearful woman, and a savage
mistress to her slaves.

There were two little slave boys in the house, on whom she vented her bad
temper in a special manner. One of these children was a mulatto, called
Cyrus, who had been bought while an infant in his mother's arms; the
other, Jack, was an African from the coast of Guinea, whom a sailor had
given or sold to my master. Seldom a day passed without these boys
receiving the most severe treatment, and often for no fault at all. Both
my master and mistress seemed to think that they had a right to ill-use
them at their pleasure; and very often accompanied their commands with
blows, whether the children were behaving well or ill. I have seen their
flesh ragged and raw with licks.--Lick--lick--they were never secure one
moment from a blow, and their lives were passed in continual fear. My
mistress was not contented with using the whip, but often pinched their
cheeks and arms in the most cruel manner. My pity for these poor boys was
soon transferred to myself; for I was licked, and flogged, and pinched by
her pitiless fingers in the neck and arms, exactly as they were. To strip
me naked--to hang me up by the wrists and lay my flesh open with the
cow-skin, was an ordinary punishment for even a slight offence. My
mistress often robbed me too of the hours that belong to sleep. She used
to sit up very late, frequently even until morning; and I had then to
stand at a bench and wash during the greater part