min out de ocean. Say, fore he think bout he in trouble,
de wind just snatch he hat right out in de water en when he reach out
after it, he hear Ma holler en de next thing he know, us all been
throwed right out in de water. Yes, mam, de boat turned over en dumped
us all out in dat big old crazy river. Pa Cudjo say, if he ain' never
had no mind to pray fore den, he know, when he see dat boat gwine down
dat stream, dere won' nothin' left to do, but to pray. Pa Cudjo tell dat
he make for de bank fast as he could get dere cause he know de devil
been in de river dat day en he never know whe' he might go. I reckon you
hear talk bout, Pa Cudjo, he been a cussin man. Never had no mind what
he was gwine let loose no time. But poor Ma, she been a buxom woman, so
dey tell me, en when she hit de bottom of dat river, she never didn'
come to de top no more. Like I tell you, I never been long come here den
en I ain' been fast gwine under de water cause dere won' no heaviness
nowhe' bout me. Pa Cudjo say, he pray en he cuss en when he look up, he
see a boat makin up de river wid two men in it en me lyin dere 'tween
dem. You see, dey had come along en pick me up bout a mile from dere
floatin down de river. Now, I tellin you what come out of Pa Cudjo
mouth. Pa Cudjo say, when he see me, he been so happy, he pray en he
cuss. Say, he thank de Lord for savin me en he thank de devil for lettin
me loose. Yes, mam, I tell you, I been raise up a motherless child right
dere wid Pa Cudjo en I been take de storm many a day. I say, if you is
determine to go through wid a thing, God knows, you can make it. Cose
Pa Cudjo, he been mighty good to me, but he used to have dem cussin
spells, my Lord. Been love to keep up fun all de time."

"Oh, de colored people never had no liberty, not one speck, in slavery
time. Old man Wash Woodberry, he was rough wid his niggers, but dem what
lived on Miss Susan Stevenson's plantation, dey been fare good all de
time. I know what I talk bout cause I been marry Cato Gause en he tell
me dey been live swell to Miss Susan's plantation. Dat whe' he been born
en raise up. Hear Pa Cudjo talk bout dat Miss Harriet Woodberry whip my
mother one day en she run away en went down in Woodberry en stayed a
long time. Say, some of de Woodberry niggers stayed down dere till after
freedom come here. Yes, mam, white folks would whip dey colored people
right dere, if dey didn' do what dey tell dem to do. Oh, dey was awful
in dat day en ti