ngly, I hired myself out at Fisher's Island, and earned twenty
pounds; thirteen pounds six shillings of which my master drew for the
privilege, and the remainder I paid him for my freedom. This made
fifty-one pounds two shillings which I paid him. In October following
I went and wrought six months at Long Island. In that six months'
time I cut and corded four hundred cords of wood, besides threshing
out seventy-five bushels of grain, and received of my wages down only
twenty pounds, which left remaining a larger sum. Whilst I was out
that time, I took upon my wages only one pair of shoes. At night I
lay upon the hearth, with one coverlet over and another under me. I
returned to my master and gave him what I received on my six months
labor. This left only thirteen pounds eighteen shillings to make up
the full sum for my redemption. My master liberated me, saying I
might pay what was behind if I could ever make it convenient,
otherwise it would be well. The amount of the money which I had paid
my master towards redeeming my time, was seventy-one pounds two
shillings. The reason of my master for asking such an unreasonable
price, was he said, to secure himself in case I should ever come to
want. Being thirty-six years old, I left Col. Smith once for all. I
had already been sold three different times, made considerable money
with seemingly nothing to derive it from, been cheated out of a large
sum of money, lost much by misfortunes, and paid an enormous sum for
my freedom.

CHAPTER III.

_Containing an account of his life, from the time of his purchasing his
freedom to the present day._

My wife and children were yet in bondage to Mr. Thomas Stanton. About
this time I lost a chest, containing besides clothing, about thirty-
eight pounds in paper money. It was burnt by accident. A short time
after I sold all my possessions at Stonington, consisting of a pretty
piece of land and one dwelling house thereon, and went to reside at
Long-Island. For the first four years of my residence there, I spent
my time in working for various people on that and at the neighboring
islands. I the space of six months I cut and corded upwards of four
hundred cords of wood. Many other singular and wonderful labors I
performed in cutting wood there, which would not be inferior to those
just recited, but for brevity sake I must omit them. In the
aforementioned four years what wood I cut at Long-Island amount