to the seamen's phrase, were running mountains
high. It happened, under these circumstances, that
one of the passengers, by a sudden roll of the ves-
sel, was near being thrown down the stairs into the
cabin; but, catching hold of the mahogany hand
rail, he saved himself at the expense of breaking
the rail. This the Captain did not observe till night
when we were all seated in the cabin. Then
he fell upon the poor black man, with vio-
lent and abusive language, charging him with
breaking the rail. After his passion was somewhat
subsided, I told him that I was a witness that the
black man was innocent of what he had charged
him with; that, considering the kind of day we had
passed over, there was great cause to be thankful no
other damage had been sustained than the breaking
of the hand rail, and that, so far from giving way
passion at trifling things in such a time as this, our
minds ought rather to be impressed with gratitude,
that we had been providentially preserved through
the storm.

At first, the Captain seemed offended at my free-
dom, and turned from me in displeasure. Nothing
more was said at that time; however, after we were
all in bed, and the passengers mostly asleep, he
called to me, and, on my answering him, he said,
that he was convinced of the justice of my obser-
vations; was obliged to me for the hints I had
dropped, and that he was sorry for his having